THE KING OF FRANCE GOES TO TROYES IN CHAMPAGNE.—SEVERAL TOWNS AND FORTS SUBMIT TO HIS OBEDIENCE.—OTHER MATTERS.
KING Charles of France now assembled a very large body of men from different provinces of his realm, and ordered those captains of whom I have spoken as Skinners, to join him instantly with their troops. When all were collected on the banks of the Loire, the king departed from Bourges in Berry, attended by the dauphin, the constable of France, the lord Charles d'Anjou, and lords without number.
He marched to Troyes in Champagne, and remained there about three weeks. His men were quartered in the towns and villages in the open country round,—but the greater part were sent to Auxerre, Tonnerre, and to the borders of Burgundy, where they harrassed the country much. During his stay at Troyes, many towns and castles, which had formerly waged a severe warfare against him, submitted to his obedience. He also put an end to the quarrels between the house of Bar and Lorraine and that of Vaudemont, and received into favour the heir of Commercy, and several lords on the borders of Burgundy, who had incurred his indignation.
Having finished these matters, the king went to his town of Bar-sur-Aube, whither came the bastard of Bourbon, with a large train of men at arms, whom he had long maintained in the field. On his arrival, he was instantly accused of treasonable practices against the king; and, after the affair had been examined into, he was tried, and condemned to be sewed in a sack, and thrown into the river and drowned, which sentence was executed. His body, when dead, was taken out of the river, and buried in holy ground.
It was currently reported, that this execution had taken place because that, during the quarrel between the king and the dauphin, he had joined his brother the duke of Bourbon with a large force, and had been the principal actor in separating the dauphin from his father. It was also said, that on the failure of the expedition to raise the siege of Harfleur, where he had served under the count d'Eu, he had gone to St Omer, and offered his services to the duke of Burgundy, should he at any time have occasion for them, in compliment to the duke's brother-in-law the duke of Bourbon. This execution gave great alarm to many of the captains who had for a long time been under arms, on pretence of forming part of the king's army, lest they should in like manner be punished for their wicked deeds.