CHAP XXVIII.
THE LORD DE MONTAGU WRITES LETTERS TO SEVERAL OF THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS OF THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE.—THE PARISIANS RENEW THEIR OATHS OF FIDELITY AFTER THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.
THE LORD DE MONTAGU WRITES LETTERS TO SEVERAL OF THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS OF THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE.—THE PARISIANS RENEW THEIR OATHS OF FIDELITY AFTER THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.
Thelord de Montagu, instantly on his return from Montereau to Bray sur Seine, caused letters to be written, charging the dauphin and his advisers with having committed murder on the person of his lord the duke of Burgundy,—which letters he dispatched to Troyes, Rheims, Châlons, and to all the towns attached to the king and the duke of Burgundy.
In these letters, he humbly begged of them to be on their guard, and not to pay any attention to the lies and assertions of those who upheld the dauphin's party, for that their disloyalty was now discovered, but remain firm to the king and to the count de Charolois, successor to the duke of Burgundy, from whom, under God'sgood pleasure, they should have speedy assistance and support.
The towns received these letters in great kindness, and strongly expressed their thanks for them to the lord de Montagu, saying they were mightily grieved at the unfortunate death of the duke of Burgundy.
On the 11th of September, the duke's death was known at Paris; and the inhabitants on hearing the manner of it were thrown into the utmost consternation and sorrow. On the morrow-morning, the count de St Pol, lieutenant of the king in Paris, the chancellor of France, the provosts of the town and of the merchants, together with the greater part of the king's ministers and officers, great numbers of nobles and inhabitants assembled as early as they could; when, after the detail of the manner in which the murder of the duke of Burgundy had been perpetrated, they renewed their oaths of fidelity to the count de St Pol, and swore to serve and obey him with all their forces, in the guard and defence of Paris, and the preservation of the realm, against the damnable intentions of all wicked andseditious persons, who have violated the peace; and to pursue, to the utmost of their power of vengeance, the conspirators and actors in the murder of the duke of Burgundy, and to denounce and accuse before the courts of law all who shall any way favour the aforesaid conspirators and murderers.
They likewise engaged never to surrender the town of Paris, nor to enter into any treaty whatever without its being made public; and this they also swore to in the hands of the count de St Pol,—which oaths were afterward sealed, and sent to Senlis and other places of their party, to induce them to take similar oaths to their governors.
When these things were done, many persons of both sexes were arrested in Paris, who were known to be of the dauphin's party, as well those who had returned in consequence of the peace as others of whom they had any suspicions. They were confined in different prisons, and some of them were executed in a summary way of justice.