The duke of Burgundy went to Meaux, where he was met by the king of Navarre;—and thence the duke went to Arras and Flanders, accompanied by sir Peter des Essars, late provost of Paris, and his most confidential adviser; and he always gave him the title of provost of Paris, as though he had still retained the office.
Conformably to the treaty, all the men at arms on each side returned to the places whence they had come, but plundering the poor people on their march. A number of Lombards and Gascons had formed part of the army of the duke of Orleans, who were mounted on terrible horses, that were taught to wheel round when on full gallop, which seemed very astonishing to the French, Flemings, Picards, and Brabanters, who had not been accustomed to such movements.
Because the count d’Armagnac had joined the duke of Orleans with a large body, his men were called Armagnacs; and in consequence, the whole of that faction were called Armagnacs. Although there were many princes of much higher rank in either party than the count d’Armagnac, they were not pleased if they were not called by this name, which lasted a very considerable time.
As the treaty before mentioned had been concluded at the hôtel de Winchester, where the dukes of Berry and Orleans, with others of their party were amusing themselves, it was called ‘The Peace of Winchester.’
All who had come to these meetings at Paris now departed, and those to whom the government had been intrusted remained near the person of the king and the duke of Acquitaine. The people expected, that by this means they should enjoy more peaceable times; but it happened just the contrary, as you shall shortly hear.
CHAP. XXIII.
A MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY AND CLERGY IS HELD ON THE XXIII. OF NOVEMBER, IN THE CHURCH OF ST BERNARD AT PARIS, ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH.
When peace had been established, a large congregation was held, by order of the university, on the 23d of November, in the church of the Bernardins in Paris,—to which were called, the bishop of Puy in Auvergne, many other prelates, and in general all bachelors and licentiates in canon and civil law, although in former times doctors only had been summoned.
This assembly was holden at the request of the archbishop of Pisa, and other legates from the pope, on the subject of tythes, the vacant benefices, and the effects of the dead. But it was opened by the adoption of a solemn ordinance, which had been ordained during the papacy of Pietro della Luna, respecting the liberties of the french church, in the year 1406, and since confirmed by the king, his great council, and the parliament, namely, that the said church shall be maintained in all its ancient privileges. It was thus freed from all tythes, procurations, and subsidies, or taxes whatever. And as the object of these legates was to establish the above impositions, it was resolved that the aforesaid ordinance should be strictly conformed to; and the more effectually to have it observed, they sent deputations to the king, to his council, and to the parliament, to whom the guard of this ordinance belonged, to obviate the inconveniences that might follow should any article of it be infringed.