The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Vol. 02 [of 13]

HERE BEGINNETH THE SECOND VOLUME OF THE CHRONICLES OF ENGUERRAND DE MONSTRELET .
THE CONCLUSION OF THE DUCHESS OF ORLEANS’ ADVOCATE AGAINST THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, AND THE REPLY FROM THE CHANCELLOR.
The chancellor of France, in the king’s name, ordered the duchess’s advocate, master William Cousinot, to draw up such conclusions as should be satisfactory to the duchess and her son, the duke of Orleans. The advocate, after many excuses, began by showing how pitiable their state was, and took for his theme part of the 7th chapter of the gospel of St Luke, ‘Hæc vidua erat quam cum vidisset Dominus misericordia motus est super eam.’
‘Most noble prince, when our Lord entered a city called Nain, he met the corpse of a young man, which his friends were carrying to the grave; and when he noticed that the mother of the young man was a widow, he was on this account moved with compassion toward her, and restored her son to life. I may most truly apply these words to my lady of Orleans, for she is a widow who bewails the death of her lord and husband, and our lord will have compassion on her; for the king is our lord, in respect of terrestrial jurisdiction; and not only the king, but thou, lord of Acquitaine, and all other princes of this world having territorial powers, seeing my lady of Orleans thus disconsolate, ought to feel compassion for her, and give her aid and support in procuring strict justice to be done for the cruel death of her husband.
‘In every case, and at all times, full justice should be administered to all; for, according to the words of the Psalmist, it is a good and meritorious act,—‘Beati qui custodiunt judicium et faciunt justitiam in omni tempore.’ Psalm cv.
‘But justice should always be more rigorously observed in regard to widows and orphans, who have been deprived of their fathers or husbands, than in any other case; for the divine, canon and civil laws urge the necessity of succouring the widow and orphan. We have the first instance of this in the 22d chapter of Jeremiah,—‘Facite judicium et justitiam, et liberate vi oppressum de manu calumniatoris, pupillum et viduam,’ &c.