The provost, attended by the above lords, on meeting them, laid his hands on both, saying, ‘I lay hands on you by virtue of the royal authority vested in me for this purpose.’—Montagu, hearing these words, was much astonished, and trembled greatly; but his courage soon returned, and he replied to the provost, ‘What! rascal, art thou daring enough to lay hands on me?’ But the provost answered, ‘Matters will not turn out as you think,—for you must make reparation for the many and great mischiefs you have done.’
Montagu, unable to resist, was tightly bound by the provost, and carried by him straight to the little Châtelet. The bishop of Chartres was arrested with him, as he had been president of one of the financial departments. Montagu was several times put to the torture, insomuch that, suspecting his end was approaching, he asked his confessor what he had best do: the confessor replied, ‘I see no other remedy than your appealing from the jurisdiction of the provost of Paris.’ This he did; and the provost waited on the lords who had commanded him to arrest Montagu, to inform them, that he had appealed against his jurisdiction. The parliament was consequently convoked to examine into the matter; and the members of it declared the appeal of no effect. The lords, therefore, seeing the cause had been judged, said to the provost, ‘Go, without delay, accompanied by some of the populace well armed, take thy prisoner, and finish the matter by cutting off his head with an axe, and fix it on a lance in the market-place.’
After these words, the populace armed themselves, and, on the 17th of October, assembled in bodies in the place Maubert, and in other parts of the town. They carried Montagu to a scaffold erected in the market place, where, having made him strip to his shirt, they cut off his head, and fixed it to the end of a pike, and hung his body by the shoulders to the highest gibbet at Montfaucon. This execution was chiefly owing, as it was said, to the duke of Burgundy’s hatred to him, who even sent for a very great number of the nobles of his countries of Burgundy, Flanders, and Artois, to be spectators of it.
A little before this execution took place, the duke of Bourbon, and his son the count de Clermont, left Paris, indignant at the arrest of Montagu. The duke of Orleans, his brothers, and all of their party, were also very much displeased that he was put to death,—but they could not help it, for at that time they were not listened to by the king’s council.
On the morrow of this event, duke William count of Hainault arrived at Paris, having been sent for by the duke of Burgundy. A large company of the nobles went out of the town to meet him; and he was most graciously received by the king, the duke of Acquitaine and the other princes. On his arrival, the hôtel that had belonged to Montagu was given to him, with all its furniture, for it had been confiscated to the king’s use; and duke William took instant possession.
The castle of Marcoussi, which had been built by Montagu, was seized by the king: it is situated seven leagues from Paris, on the road to Chartres. Montagu was born in Paris, and had first been secretary to the king: he was the son of Gerard de Montagu, who had also been secretary to Charles V. He was of noble birth by his mother’s side, and had three daughters, two of whom were married; the elder to John[43] count de Roussy, the second to Peter de Craon, lord of Montbason; and the third was betrothed to John de Melun, son to the lord d’Antoing[44], but the match was broken off: his son was married to the daughter of the lord d’Albret, constable of France and cousin to the king, as has been related.
After this, the provost of Paris arrested many of the king’s officers, particularly those who had been concerned in the finances and in matters of revenue. All the principals in the department of the generalities, the presidents and others of the chamber of accounts, Perrin Pillot, a merchant, with several others, were imprisoned in the Louvre and in other places of confinement.
When the borgne de Foucal, equerry to the king, and keeper of that department of the treasury called the Epargne, heard that the grand master of the household was arrested, he was greatly astonished and troubled, and, instantly changing his dress, mounted a fleet horse, and secretly left Paris. This caused him to be much suspected of improper conduct by the princes who were examining into these matters.
At this period, the archbishop of Sens, brother to the grand master, Guichart Daulphin, William de Tignonville, knights, and master Goutier Col, secretary to the king, were sent, by orders from the king, to meet the english ambassadors at Amiens. The archbishop, hearing of the arrest and imprisonment of his brother, took leave of his companions, and set out from Amiens: but as he was journeying toward Paris, he was met by one of the king’s ushers, who made him his prisoner; for he had orders so to do from the king, and confine him at Amiens, should he chance to find him there.
The archbishop very prudently replied, that he was ready to follow him to prison or to death; but when they came to the river Oise, near the priory of St Leu de Cherens, he played the usher a trick. On leaving the ferry boat with a few of his people, he mounted the fleetest of his horses, and galloped off, leaving the usher on the other side waiting for the return of the ferry-boat; but, thunderstruck at his being so cheated, he returned to Paris without his prisoner.