CHAP. III.
THE CITY OF PARIS IS TAKEN BY THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.—THE PARISIANS TURN TO HIS PARTY.—THE CONSEQUENCES THAT FOLLOW.
Youhave already heard how the Parisians were much discontented with the count d'Armagnac and others of the king's ministers, because they would not accept of the treaty of peace that had been made with the duke of Burgundy. They were much afraid of this duke and his army, and saw clearly that if he was not reconciled to theking and the dauphin, they must remain in their present uncomfortable state for a long time. Numbers of them were strongly attached to him, and wished him to have the government of the kingdom,—but in fact they knew not how to accomplish it, for they were very narrowly watched, and dared not hold any meetings to communicate together, because the ministry had always ready a body of men at arms to punish them on the slightest appearance of rebellion.
Notwithstanding this, some daring youths of the commonalty, who had formerly been punished for their demerits, adventured to have a conference with the lord de l'Isle-Adam at Pontoise, where he was in garrison. These youths were six or seven in number; and the principal were Perrinet le Clerc, son to John le Clerc, Ferron, John Thiebert, son to Michael Thiebert butcher, Perron Bourdechon.
The lord de l'Isle-Adam concluded a treaty with them, that he would assemble as great a number of men at arms as he could, and, on the 29th day of May ensuing, would march them to the gate of StGermain des Pres at Paris, which they engaged to have opened to him. On this, they separated; and the lord de l'Isle-Adam collected, as privately as he could, about eight hundred men at arms, among whom were le veau de Bar bailiff of Auxois, the lord de Chastellus, the lord de Chevreuse, Ferry de Mailly, Louis de Varigines, Lionnet de Bournouville, Daviod de Guoy and others. These the lord de l'Isle-Adam led to the appointed rendezvous on the day fixed on, where he found Perrinet le Clerc, who had stolen from behind his father's pillow the keys of the gate of St Germain, to whom they had been intrusted, and the aforesaid youths.
The gate was opened according to their promise, and some of the Parisians came out to speak with the lord de l'Isle-Adam and the others: they assured them that they might enter the town in security, and that they would conduct them whithersoever they pleased.
Upon their report, the burgundian lords and their men armed ready for battle, entered the town on horseback. It might be about two hours after midnight;and Perrinet le Clerc, seeing them within the town, locked the gate and flung the keys over the wall.
They began their march in silence toward the Chatelet, where they met about four hundred of the Parisians ready armed to join them: they then, with one accord, resolved to make attacks on the houses of the different ministers of the king, and ordered two parties to parade the streets, shouting, 'that all who wished for peace must unite with them in arms.'
This cry brought great multitudes of the populace to join them,—and they hastened to attack the houses of the ministers of state. One party went to the king's hotel of St Pol, where they broke down doors and windows, and were not satisfied until they had spoken to the king, who was forced to grant them all their demands. They, shortly after, made him mount his horse, as well as the brother to the king of Cyprus, and ride with them through the streets of Paris.
Another party went to the hotel of the constable to seize him; but he had been advertised in time of their intent,and had escaped in disguise to the house of a poor man adjoining his own. Some went to the hotels of the chancellor and Raymonnet de la Guerre, whom they arrested. Tanneguy du Chatel, provost of Paris, hearing the uproar, hastened to the hotel of the dauphin, and, wrapping him up only in a blanket, carried him to the bastille of St Anthony, whither numbers of their friends had retired on the first appearance of the insurrection.
During this night and the two following days, the burgundian lords, and the populace of Paris, plundered the houses of the ministers, and of their favourites and adherents, whom they robbed of every thing. An infinite number of prisoners were made, and confined in the palace, the Louvre, the Chatelet, and in other places: among them were the bishops of Bayeux, Senlis and Coutances, sir Hector de Chartres, sir Enguerran de Marcoignet and others.
The lord de l'Isle-Adam went himself to the hotel de Bourbon, where he found Charles de Bourbon, then about fifteen years of age, whom, having awakened,he demanded which party he was of: he replied, "Of the king's party;" upon which, the lord de l'Isle-Adam made him rise, and conducted him to the king, with whom he remained during all the time these sad events were passing.
Great part of the men at arms attached to the constable and to Tanneguy du Chatel had retired within the bastille of St Anthony, and with them John Louvet, president of the parliament of Provence, master Robert Masson, with numbers of high rank.
The cardinals de Bar and di San Marco, with the archbishop of Rheims, were also made prisoners, and their horses seized; but at the intercession of the bishop of Paris, and because they had advised peace, they were set at liberty, and had their effects returned to them.
About eight o'clock on the Monday-morning, the king, by sound of trumpet, dismissed Tanneguy du Chatel from the provostship of Paris, and appointed le veau de Bar, bailiff of Auxois, in his stead. In short, all the king's ministers,the members of the different courts of justice, and all the citizens of rank who were attached to the Armagnacs, were plundered and made prisoners, or cruelly murdered. It was also proclaimed throughout the streets, in the king's name, by sound of trumpet, that all persons of either sex who should know of any of the Armagnac party being hidden or disguised must, on pain of confiscation of their property, instantly denounce them to the provost of Paris, or to some of the captains of the men at arms. In consequence the poor man in whose house the constable was hidden, went to inform the provost of it, who instantly returned with him, and found the constable as he had said. The provost made him mount him behind him, and carried him to the palace with other prisoners.
While these things were passing, Tanneguy du Chatel sent away Charles duke of Touraine and dauphin, by the bridge of Charenton, to Corbeil, Melun, and to Montargis: he at the same time dispatched messengers to the leaders of his party, to hasten to his succour, withas many men at arms as they could collect.
The lord de l'Isle-Adam and the other great lords were not dilatory in summoning their party, from Picardy and elsewhere, to join them with speed in Paris; and in a few days very great numbers came thither.
Early in the morning of the Wednesday following the capture of Paris, the marshal de Rieux, the lord de Barbasan and Tanneguy du Chatel, with sixteen hundred combatants, picked men, entered Paris by the gate of saint Anthony, in hopes of conquering it. A party of them went by the back way to the hotel de St Pol, thinking to take and carry off the king; but on the preceding day, he and all his household had been conducted to the castle of the Louvre.
The remainder, with displayed banners, marched through the streets, as far as the hotel de l'Ours, shouting, 'Long live the king, the dauphin, and the constable d'Armagnac!' This cry instantly brought forth a great number of the Parisians in arms, with the new provost of Paris, the lordde l'Isle-Adam, and all the other men at arms within Paris, to offer them combat. A very severe battle took place; but in the end, from the multitudes of Parisians coming upon them on all sides, the marshal de Rieux and his men were forced to retreat toward the bastille, but not without heavy loss,—for there remained dead on the field of battle from three to four hundred of his best men. On the side of the Parisians about forty were killed, and among them was a gentleman, called Hairpin de Guoy, attached to the lord de l'Isle-Adam.
After this, Barbasan and Tanneguy du Chatel, seeing their cause for the present hopeless, placed a sufficient garrison in the bastille, and departed, some to Meaux en Brie, others to Corbeil, to Melun, and to different towns that were under their obedience.
On the Thursday following, Hector and Philip de Saveuses arrived in Paris with two hundred combatants. The lords within that city were rejoiced at their coming, and quartered them at the Tournelles, and in different houses facing the bastille, wherein there was still a garrison of the Armagnacs.
On the Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and the eight ensuing days, the greater part of the captains of Picardy arrived at Paris with their men at arms, such as sir John de Luxembourg, the lord de Fosseux and his brothers, sir Janet de Poix, the lord de Cohen, and many more, expecting to find much gain in that city; but the majority were greatly disappointed, and were forced to pay their own expenses.
Those of the Armagnacs who had fallen in battle were flung into carts, and carried by the public executioner out of Paris, and buried in the fields, while the Parisians that had been slain were handsomely interred in consecrated ground.
All Paris now wore the badge of the duke of Burgundy, namely, a Saint Andrew's cross, which had of late been held in much contempt. On the Saturday, those within the bastille, seeing it was but lost time to remain there, entered into a treaty with the lord de l'Isle-Adam and the other lords in Paris, that they would surrender the bastille, if they were permitted to march away in safety. This was accepted; and, on passports being granted them, they departed.The lord de Canny, who had remained a prisoner in the bastille ever since his return from his embassy from the king to the duke of Burgundy, as has been before mentioned, was nominated governor thereof by the king and the duke of Burgundy.