'We, considering that peace is advantageous to us, our realm, and our subjects, and reflecting upon the manifold and numberless evils that would result should it be broken, are desirous to preserve it with our whole heart, and to prevent it from being in the smallest degree infringed.
'For these and other considerations that move us, we strictly charge you to have these presents publicly proclaimed with sound of trumpet in all the accustomed places within your bailiwick; and that you forbid all persons to obey any summons or proclamations that may have been issued by any of the princes of our blood, in their own or in our name, of whatever rank or condition he may be,—or whether any such shall be issued under pretext of serving us, or on any colour or pretence whatever. And you will strictly charge all vassals not to obey any such summons, or to bear arms accordingly, under pain of forfeiture of body and estate to us, and of suffering such punishment as may be adjudged for their disobedience to us and to our crown. Should any vassals be already set out to join their respective lords, or about to do so, you will command them to return instantly to their homes, and not to depart thence until they shall receive our letters patent, under our great seal, to that purpose, signed in our great council subsequent to the date of these presents.
'You will also make proclamation, that for this occasion only we do exempt all our loyal subjects, vassals to any lord, from obeying his summons; and we will that for this their disobedience they do not suffer in body or estate, or be pursued in any courts of justice; but our intention is to guard and preserve them from all oppression by every legal means, or, should it be necessary, by force of arms.
'You will hasten to all places within your jurisdiction where you shall know there are any assemblies of men at arms, and forbid them to proceed any further, commanding them to return to their homes, under the penalties aforesaid. Should they refuse to obey you, and become rebellious to your commands, you will force them to obedience by every means in your power; by placing within their mansions, and on their estates, men who shall destroy and waste them, by uncovering their houses, or by any the most rigorous means, even by force of arms, should there be occasion, calling to your aid our good and faithful subjects, so that you may have sufficient power to make yourself obeyed; and we command all our subjects to pay due respect to your orders, so that the end proposed may be obtained. Should any who disobey you be killed or wounded in the conflict, we will that no legal steps be pursued against you or your supporters; and should any horses, baggage, or other effects, be taken from these rebellious subjects, we will that they remain in full possession to the captors, or to those who shall have assisted you.
'In regard to such as you shall have had due information of being disobedient to these our commands, you will arrest them any where but in places of sanctuary, and have them conveyed, under sufficient escorts, to our prisons of the Châtelet in Paris. Should you not find them out of sanctuary, you will leave a process of citation at such of their houses as may be within your jurisdiction; otherwise you will summon them with a loud voice, and with sound of trumpet, at the places in which they usually assemble, to appear before us on a certain day at our court of parliament in Paris. Should it happen to be the vacation of parliament, when there are not any pleadings, they must appear at the next sittings, under pain of confiscation of their goods, their fiefs and tenements, for having committed treason against us, and of being proceeded against by our attorney-general in such wise as he in his judgment shall think fit.
'You will take possession of all the effects, moveable and immoveable, of such as you shall have served processes upon, making out a just inventory of the same, and placing them in such safe hands that, should it be judged expedient, they may be faithfully restored, notwithstanding any opposition or appeals to the contrary, until our faithful counsellors, holding our courts of parliament, shall have determined on what you have done, according to the report which you shall deliver to them under your seal. We shall order these our counsellors, after having heard the parties, not to delay doing strict justice on such as shall have been disobedient to our commands, and to use such diligence that you may not suffer; for should there be any neglect on your part in the execution of these our commands, we shall have you punished for the same, that you may serve for an example to others.
'We have noticed that you have not been active in carrying into effect different orders which we have sent to you on this subject since the peace concluded at Auxerre, from which many inconveniences have arisen, which have given us, and not without cause, much displeasure against you. We therefore command you to report to us what you shall have done in the execution of these our orders, the days and places where you shall have proclaimed them, that we may have due information of the measures which you shall take; and you will likewise report to us whether any princes of our blood, or others, are assembling men at arms, and at what places. Instantly on such intelligence coming to our knowledge, we will give you further orders, and full powers to carry them into effect; and we shall command all our officers of justice, in the most express manner, to obey and assist you therein to the utmost of their power. They will give you counsel, aid, and the use of their prisons, should need be, and should you call on them for assistance,—for such is our pleasure, and thus we order it, notwithstanding any letters and ordinances surreptitiously obtained to the contrary.
'Given at Paris, the 11th day of November, in the year of Grace 1413, and of our reign the 33d.' Signed by the king in his great council,—present the king of Sicily, the dukes of Berry and Orleans, the counts d'Alençon, de Vertus, the duke of Bar, Louis of Bavaria, the counts d'Eu, Vendosme, and de Richemont, the constable, the chancellor of Acquitaine, and several more.
This edict was proclaimed in Amiens the 13th day of December, in the same year.
Here follows another edict of the king of France, to forbid knights or esquires to obey the summons of any lord, under certain penalties.