The Orleans-party, shortly after this, marched from Chartres to Montlehery, seven leagues from Paris, and there, and in the neighbouring villages, quartered their army, ruining the whole country on their line of march. The lords and adherents of this faction, as well clergy as seculars, wore, as their badge, a narrow band of white linen on their shoulders, hanging over their left arm, like to a deacon when celebrating divine service.
When the king of France and his council learnt that they had approached so near the capital, they hastily dispatched to the leaders the count de la Marche, the archbishop of Rheims, the bishop of Beauvais, and the grand master of Rhodes, with some others, to persuade them to disband their army, and come before him at Paris, in consequence of his former orders, without arms, in the manner in which vassals should wait on their lords, and that he would do them justice in regard to their demands; but that, should they refuse, he would instantly march his forces against them.—The princes made answer, that they would not act otherwise than they had said in their letter to the king; and the ambassadors, seeing they could not gain any thing, returned to Paris.
In like manner, the university sent to them an embassy of learned men, headed by Noeétz, abbot of Povegny and doctor in divinity, who harangued them very ably and gravely. They were very handsomely received by the princes, especially by the duke of Berry, who, among other grievances, complained much that his nephew, the king, should be counselled by such fellows as the provost of Paris, and others of the same sort, who now ruled the realm, which was most miserably governed, as he was ready to explain, article by article, when they should be admitted to an audience.
They could obtain no other reply than that, with God’s pleasure, they would accomplish, to the utmost of their power, the matters contained in their circular letters to the university and principal towns.
On this repeated ill success, the king, by the advice of his council, sent another embassy, composed of the queen, the cardinal de Bar, the count de St Pol, and others. The count de St Pol had lately accepted, with the king’s approbation, the office of grand butler of France, which the provost of Paris had held, through the interest of the count de Tancarville, by a gift from the king.
Notwithstanding the queen and her companions were received with every honour, she did not remain with their army, but went to the castle of Marcoussi, which is not far distant from Montlehery, with her attendants, and remained there some time negotiating with them, and some of the princes daily visited her. Although she acted with much perseverance, she failed in her object,—for the princes were firm in their resolution of marching with their army to the king, and requiring that he would execute justice and attend to the affairs of government, and choose another set of ministers than those now in power.
Finding she was labouring in vain, she returned with her companions to Paris, and related to the king all that had passed. He was very indignant, and much troubled thereat; and on the morrow, the 23d September, he ordered all the men at arms that were come to serve him to be drawn out, and the baggage and artillery waggons to be made ready instantly to march against the Orleans-party, to give them battle.
When all were ready, and as he was going to attend mass and afterward to mount his horse, he was met by the rector of the university, magnificently accompanied by all the members and supporters of it, who remonstrated with him, that his daughter, the university of Paris, was preparing to leave that city, from the great want of provisions, which the men at arms of the two parties prevented coming to Paris,—for no one could venture on the high roads without being robbed and insulted; and, likewise, that all the low countries round Paris were despoiled by these men at arms. They most humbly requested, that he would provide a remedy, and give them such answer as might seem to him good. The chancellor, namely, master Arnauld de Corbie, instantly replied, ‘The king will assemble his council after dinner, and you shall have an answer.’ The king of Navarre, being present, entreated the king that he would fix an hour for hearing them again after dinner; and the king, complying with his request, appointed an hour for the rector to return.
When the king had dined, he entered the chambre verde, attended by the following princes: the dukes of Acquitaine, Burgundy and Brabant, the marquis du Pont, the duke of Lorraine, the counts de Mortain, de Nevers and de Vaudemont, with many other great lords, as well ecclesiastical as secular. The king of Navarre made four requests to the king: first, that all the princes of the blood, as well on the one side as on the other, should retire to their principalities, and never more interfere in the king’s government, and likewise that henceforth they should not receive any profits or pensions, as well from the subsidies arising from their lands as from other exactions, but live on their own proper revenues until the public treasury should be in a better state than it was at that moment: however, should the king be inclined to make them presents of any thing, or call them near his person, they should be alway ready to obey him.
His second request was, that some diminution should take place in those taxes that most aggrieved the people.