'Very contemptuous conduct has been used toward ourself, and personal injuries have been done us, in banishing from Paris every person that was known to be attached to us or to our aforesaid lord of Acquitaine; in defaming our honour in several public assemblies and in various places, by sermons and harangues, which, notwithstanding the pain it has cost us, we have patiently borne, and should have continued to do so from our love of peace, which is the sovereign good to this kingdom, and to avert all the miseries and distress that must otherwise ensue, had not our most redoubted lord and son, the duke of Acquitaine, made known to us, that, after many injurious excesses which had been committed towards him, to his infinite mortification, he was confined in the Louvre like a prisoner, with the drawbridge of the said castle drawn up, which is an abomination that ought not only to be displeasing to us but to every good subject and wellwisher to our lord the king.
'In consequence of this treatment, my most-redoubted lord and son has several times, by messengers and letters, requested our aid and succour to free him from the perilous situation in which he is held; and since we are so intimately connected by blood, marriage, and other confederations, with our said lord the king, and our beloved lord the duke of Acquitaine, his son, the loyalty and affection we owe to both will prevent us from failing to comply with his demand of assistance and support. We have, therefore, determined to advance to Paris with as large a body of men at arms as we can muster, for the security of our person, and that it may please God that we may see in all good prosperity my aforesaid lord the king, my lady the queen, my much redoubted lord of Acquitaine, and my well beloved daughter his duchess; and likewise that we may deliver them from the danger they are in, and set them, as is but reasonable, at full liberty, without having the smallest intentions of violating the peace of the kingdom.
'We signify this to you, very dear and good friends, that you may be acquainted with our object, and act accordingly, as becometh wellwishers, and truly obedient subjects, to my said lord the king. Know, therefore, for a truth, that our intentions and will are such as we have said, and none other; and we therefore entreat you most earnestly, from our heart, that in this business, which is of such consequence to my said lords, and for the tranquillity and peace of the realm, you will come forward to our assistance as speedily as possible, that it may be accomplished to our honour and that of my lords the king and the duke of Acquitaine, and for the common good of the realm, and that you will so bear yourselves, that your excellent loyalty may be visible toward my lord the king, the duke of Acquitaine, to the public welfare, and in like manner to ourself, who are only desirous of peace.
'We have a perfect confidence in you, very dear and good friends,—and may God have you in his holy keeping!
'Written in our town of Lille the 23d day of January, in the year of our Lord 1413, on the eve of our departure.'
The superscription was, 'To my very dear and well beloved the resident burgesses and inhabitants of the town of Amiens.'
These letters thus sent by the duke of Burgundy, and also the levy of men at arms which he was making, were immediately known at Paris; and to counteract the enterprises of the duke, a reconciliation took place between the duke of Acquitaine and the king's ministers, in consequence of which the duke was prevailed on to write letters to different towns to put an end to the intended expedition of the duke of Burgundy. These letters were of the following tenour:
'Louis, eldest son to the king of France, duke of Acquitaine, and dauphin of Vienne, to the bailiff of Amiens, or to his lieutenant, greeting.
'Whereas it has lately come to our knowledge that our very dear and well beloved father-in-law, the duke of Burgundy, has for a short time past begun to raise a large body of men at arms, and still continues to do the same, with the intent, as it is said, of marching them to us, which may be very prejudicial to my lord the king, his realm and subjects, and more especially so to the peace which has been so lately concluded at Auxerre between many princes of our royal blood: we have therefore very fully explained ourself to our aforesaid father-in-law by a letter, the contents of which are as under:
'Louis, eldest son to the king of France, duke of Acquitaine and dauphin of Vienne, to our very dear and well-beloved father the duke of Burgundy health and affection.