CHAP. III.

THE KING OF FRANCE SETS OUT FROM ROUEN TO ORLEANS.—HE SENDS AMBASSADORS TO ENGLAND.—SEVERAL MALEFACTORS ARE EXECUTED AT PARIS.—THE DIVORCE OF SIR WILLIAM COLOMBEL FROM HIS WIFE.—THE LORD DU LAU IS MADE PRISONER.—THE KING PUBLISHES AN EDICT AT PARIS AGAINST THE ENGLISH.—A TRUCE CONCLUDED BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH.—MANY PERSONS LOSE THEIR SENSES AT PARIS, AT THE BEAN-FLOWERING SEASON.

Theking now departed from Rouen for Orleans, where the queen was, and remained there a long time, making excursions to Gergeau[3]and in that neighbourhood. While he was at Orleans, many embassies came to him from divers countries, on different matters. He also there determinedto send an embassy to England, and selected for this purpose the count de Roussillon, bastard of Bourbon and admiral of France, the lord de la Barde, the duke-bishop of Langres, master John de Poupaincourt, lord of Cercelles, master Olivier le Roy, councellor in the chamber of accounts, and others, who set out for England in April, in the year 1466.

At this time, the officers of justice in Paris, arrested many poor creatures, thieves and other malefactors,—some of whom, for their crimes, were hanged on the gibbet at Montfaucon, and others, less criminal, were whipped at a cart's tail through the streets of Paris.

At this time also, the damsel Isabeau de Cambray, wife to sir William de Colombel, a rich and powerful man, was confined a prisoner in the Conciergerie of the palais-royal at Paris, on the complaint and information of her husband, who charged her with the three following crimes: first, that she had abandoned him, and been faithless to his bed; secondly, that she had robbed him of large sums of money; and, thirdly, that she had compounded divers poisons to compass his death.

In consequence of these charges, she was long detained in prison, and put to the torture, to make her confess her guilt. At length, the court of parliament, having taken full cognizance of the evidence, and her confession, declared that the said Colombel had sufficiently proved his accusations,—and she was sentenced to be deprived of all community of effects, and of her dower. With regard to the poisons, she pleaded an error in the suit, and paid into court six score livres parisis, as her pledge for re-appearing.

The 10th day of May, in this year, sir Anthony de Château-neuf lord du Lau, who had had the king's pardon some time since, on certain conditions, was accidentally met by the lord de Chabesnais, and others, in the plains of Clery, near Orleans; and because that he and his attendants were disguised, they made him a prisoner, and carried him before the king, who ordered him and his people to be confined in a castle near Mehun.[4]

On Wednesday, the eve of the Ascensionof our Lord, master John Prevost, notary and secretary to the king, entered the bastile, by the king's direction, in a subtle manner, and took thence one called Mare, who was lieutenant to the lord des Bordes, and lately married to the natural daughter of sir Charles de Melun, son to the lord des Bordes.

On Saturday, the eve of Whitsunday, was proclaimed through all the squares of Paris, with sound of trumpet, a summons from the constable of France, which included one from the king, to declare that he had received information of his ancient enemies the English having raised a very numerous army for the destruction of his kingdom,—and that they had prepared a fleet, accordingly, to invade his coasts; that the king, being resolved to oppose such wicked attempts to the utmost of his power, had ordered his constable to make proclamation thereof in the usual places throughout the realm, that all the noble tenants of the king, as well those of fief as of arriere-fief, of whatever rank, might be properly prepared with arms, horses, and habiliments for war, onthe 15th day of June next ensuing, under pain of corporal punishment and confiscation of effects. All franc-archers and others were, at the same time, ordered to be ready by the said 15th day of June.

The king displaced, at this time, the lord des Bordes from being governor of the bastile of St. Anthony at Paris, and gave it to the lord de Blot, seneschal of Auvergne, who was said to be a man of an excellent character.

At this period, the lord de Montauban[5], who had been admiral of France, grand master of woods and waters, and the principal cause of the disturbances in Brittany, which were followed by those in France, and who had received immense sums of the public money, died at Tours, and was not much lamented. After his death, the king gave the office of lord high admiral to the lord bastard of Bourbon, who had married his natural daughter,—and the office of grand master ofwoods and waters to the lord de Châtillon, brother to the marshal of Lohéac.

A truce was now concluded by sea and land with England for twenty-two months, which was every where publicly proclaimed.

At this time, for some particular cause, the king was moved to displace the count du Maine from his government of Languedoc, and give the same to the bastard of Bourbon,—who also received, in consequence of his marriage with Jeanne, the king's natural daughter, the castle and town of Usson[6]in Auvergne, said to be the strongest place in the kingdom, together with the government of Honnefleur, and other places in Normandy.

In the month of June, of this year 1466, the beans were very abundant and good,—nevertheless, very many persons of both sexes lost their senses at this time in Paris. In the number, was a young man named master Marcial d'Auvergne[7], anattorney in the court of parliament, and notary to the Châtelet. He had been married about three weeks to one of the daughters of master Jacques Fournier, king's counsel in the said court of parliament,—and lost his senses in such wise that, about nine in the morning of St. John Baptist's day, his frenzy seized him, and he threw himself out of the window into the street, broke his thigh, and so bruised his body that he was long in the utmost danger, for his frenzy continued a long time; but at length he recovered.

FOOTNOTES:[3]Gergeau, or Jargeau,—an ancient town four leagues from Orleans.[4]There are three Mehuns,—sur Loire, sur Indre, sur Yevre.[5]The lord de Montauban—was of the house of Rohan, had followed the king, when dauphin, to Flanders,—was much beloved and regretted by him, but not by the people.[6]Usson,—four leagues from Brionde.[7]Marcial d'Auvergne—was the author of theArresta Amorum, and several pieces now become very scarce.

[3]Gergeau, or Jargeau,—an ancient town four leagues from Orleans.

[4]There are three Mehuns,—sur Loire, sur Indre, sur Yevre.

[5]The lord de Montauban—was of the house of Rohan, had followed the king, when dauphin, to Flanders,—was much beloved and regretted by him, but not by the people.

[6]Usson,—four leagues from Brionde.

[7]Marcial d'Auvergne—was the author of theArresta Amorum, and several pieces now become very scarce.

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