The duke of Brabant did not meet him this time, being detained in the county of Luxembourg by affairs on behalf of his wife. The duke of Burgundy left Peronne with no more than six thousand combatants, and marched to Roye,—thence, by Breteuil, to Beauvais, and from Beauvais, through Gisors, to Pontoise, where he halted for three weeks or thereabout. During this period, great numbers of men at arms came from different countries to serve him.
While these things were passing, it was ordered by the royal council, in the presence of the duke of Acquitaine, the count de Mortain, the lord Gilles of Brittany, Waleran count de St Pol, governor of Paris, the chancellor of France[74], the lord Charles de Savoisy, and other great nobles, that certain proclamations should be sent to all the bailiwicks and seneschalships of the kingdom, respecting the assembling of such large bodies of men at arms, daily done in defiance of the king’s orders, by the duke of Orleans, his brothers, the duke of Bourbon, the counts d’Alençon and d’Armagnac, and others of their party, to the great mischief and tribulation of the kingdom at large, and highly displeasing to the king and disgraceful to his dignity.
This proclamation again prohibited any one from daring to join the aforesaid nobles, or any of their party in arms, under pain of being reputed rebels and traitors to the king and his realm. It likewise commanded all that had joined them to depart without delay, and return peaceably to their homes, without further living on or harrassing the people, and ordered that no hindrance should be given to prevent this from being carried into effect. Such as should disobey these orders would be most rigorously prosecuted without delay as rebels,—and from that day forth no grace or favour would be shown them.
This proclamation was published in the usual places, and some few, but in no great number, privately quitted the party of the Armagnacs, and returned to that of the king. Those that were disobedient, when taken by the royal officers, were in great danger of their lives. Several were publicly executed; and among them a knight, called sir Binet d’Espineuse, attached to the duke of Bourbon from being a native of the county of Clermont, suffered at Paris. The cause of his death was his having taken by force some flanders horses that were coming as a present to the duke of Acquitaine from the duke of Burgundy. After he was beheaded in the market-place, his body was suspended by the arms to the gibbet at Montfaucon.
This punishment was inflicted by order of sir Peter des Essars, who, as has been said, was lately re-established in his office of provost of Paris, in the room of sir Brunelet de Sainct-Cler.
The duke of Orleans and his party were indignant at this execution, as well as at the late royal proclamation; and the duke of Bourbon was particularly angry at the disgraceful death of his knight.
Thus affairs went on from bad to worse. One day, the duke of Orleans fixed his quarters, with a large force, at the castle of St Ouen, which is a royal mansion, and thence made daily excursions to the gates of Paris. He pressed the Parisians so hard that they were much straitened for provisions; for they were not as yet accustomed to war, nor had they provided any stores or assembled a force sufficient to repel the attacks of their adversaries.
The archbishop of Sens, brother to the late grand master Montagu, had joined the Armagnacs, but not in his pontifical robes; for instead of a mitre, he wore a helmet,—for a surplice, a coat of mail,—and for a cope, a piece of steel,—for his croisier, a battle-axe. At this period, the duke of Orleans sent his heralds with letters to the king and the duke of Acquitaine, to inform them that the duke of Burgundy had fled with his Flemings from Mondidier, not daring to wait his nearer approach. He took that opportunity of writing also to some of his friends in Paris, to know if through their means he could be admitted into the town. It was lost labour, for those who governed for the duke of Burgundy were too active and attentive in keeping the party together.
By some intrigues between those of the Orleans-party and one named Colinet du Puiseur, who was governor for the king in the town of St Cloud, this place was given up to them. The duke of Orleans instantly re-garrisoned it, and continually harrassed the Parisians; for now he could at any time cross the Seine at the bridge of St Cloud, and attack both sides of Paris at once. Thus were the Parisians oppressed on all sides by the Armagnacs,—on which account, another proclamation was issued in the king’s name throughout the realm, complaining of the continued atrocious and rebellious acts, in spite of the positive orders of the king to the contrary, committed by the duke of Orleans and his allies, to the great loss and destruction of his subjects and kingdom; that since such grievous complaints had been made on the subject, and were continually made, he was resolved to have a stop put to such lawless proceedings. The king, therefore, with mature deliberation of council, now declares the aforesaid family of Orleans, and their allies, rebels, and traitors to himself and the crown of France; and in order that henceforward no persons may dare to join them, he declares, all such to have forfeited their lives and estates, and by these presents gives power and authority to all his loyal subjects to arrest and imprison any of the aforesaid rebels, and to seize on their properties, moveable or immoveable, and to drive them out of the kingdom, without let or hindrance from any of the king’s officers. Given at Paris, the 3d day of October, 1411. Signed by the king, on the report from the great council specially called for this purpose, at the hôtel de St Pol, when were present the duke of Acquitaine, the count de Mortain, the count de la Marche, Louis de Baviere, the lord Gilles of Brittany, the count de St Pol, the chancellor of France, with many other nobles of high rank.
In consequence of this proclamation, many of the captains and noblemen of the Armagnacs grew cold in their service, or delayed joining them according to their former agreements; and fearing greater evils might befal them by further incurring the indignation of the king, they withdrew to the king’s party, and excused themselves the best way they could.