'Know ye, that having considered the above acts, and others connected with them, and the whole of the duke of Burgundy's conduct since the death of our said brother to this present time, inasmuch as he has been ever ready to proceed by force of arms, and has several times notoriously disobeyed our commands, more especially in this last act, when we positively enjoined him not to march any armed force to Paris, and in several others, which he has obeyed or not according to his pleasure. For these causes he is and must be esteemed ungrateful, and undeserving of all the favours that have been shown him by us in former times.
'Having therefore held a grand council on the above, to which persons of all ranks were admitted, and having duly considered the same, we declare that the duke of Burgundy, and all who shall give him any aid, support or advice, or join his company, contrary to our said edicts, issued by us to forbid the same, shall be, and are by these presents, held and reputed rebels to us, and violators of the peace, consequently enemies to us and to the public welfare of our kingdom. For these causes we have determined to call out our arriere-ban, and to muster such forces of those who have been accustomed to bear arms as may be sufficient to enable us to resist the perverse dispositions and attempts of the duke of Burgundy, his accomplices and adherents, to reduce them to that subjection and obedience which they owe to us, and to punish them for their traitorous misdeeds, so that honour may redound to us, and they may serve in future as examples to all others.
'We give it in command by these presents to our well beloved and faithful counsellors, members of our parliament, to the provost of Paris, to the bailiff of Amiens, and to all other our officers of justice, to their deputies, and to each of them to whom it may appertain, that they do proclaim these presents, or cause them to be proclaimed, in the most public places within their jurisdictions where such proclamations have usually been made, so that no one may plead ignorance of the same.
'Commanding also, at the same time, that all our officers and subjects who may have been used to arms do hasten with all possible speed to join and serve us in such things as we may command, with as many men at arms as they can collect, under pain of our highest displeasure and suffering confiscation of effects, or such other punishment as may be awarded against all who shall in any way disobey these our said commands.
'In testimony of which, we have to these presents affixed our seal.—Given at Paris, the 10th day of February, in the year of Grace 1413, and of our reign the 33d[37].' Thus signed by the king, on the report of the great council, held by the queen and my lord of Acquitaine. Countersigned, 'Derion.'
This edict was proclaimed in Amiens, and afterward in the provostships, and throughout the bailiwick by commission from the said bailiff.
FOOTNOTES:
[36] Arriere-ban,—'a proclamation, whereby those that hold of the king by a mesne tenure are summoned to assemble and serve him in his wars,—different from ban, whereby such are called as hold immediately of him,—also the whole troop of those mesne tenants or under vassals so assembled.'
Cotgrave's Dict.—See 'Ban' and 'Arriere-ban.'
[37] There is the most extraordinary confusion of dates throughout these state-papers, which it is, probably, utterly impossible to rectify by any conjectural emendations: but it seems right to take some notice of the circumstance, as at first sight it appears a most culpable oversight. It is not only here but throughout the book that this confusion prevails, as is very evident from the challenges of the arragonian esquire in the beginning of the volume.