'Charles, by the grace of God, king of France, to all present and to come. Whereas many acts have been done since the conclusion of the peace at Pontoise, to our very great displeasure, and damage to our subjects and kingdom; for which cause we have held our beloved cousin, the duke of Burgundy in our indignation and disfavour, and have marched a considerable body of men at arms and archers against the town of Arras. During the time, we lay before that town, our well-beloved and dear cousins the duke of Brabant and countess of Hainault came thither, accompanied by our dearly-beloved the deputies from the three estates of Flanders, as commissioners, and having full powers to treat on the part of our said cousin of Burgundy, with so much humility and obedience that we were contented therewith.
'In confirmation of the duke of Burgundy's willingness to submit himself to our obedience, they offered on the part of the town of Arras to display our banner on the walls and towers thereof, and also to place under our subjection all the towns and castles which our said cousin of Burgundy held from us. We therefore, in our abundance of affection, have received him back into our good graces.
'Our said cousins the duke of Brabant and the countess of Hainault, and the deputies from Flanders, engaged to deliver to us, or to any person whom we might depute, the castle of Crotoy, as well as the castle of Chinon; and that they would, to the utmost of their power, see that they were fully restored to us, or to any person whom we should commission to receive them. Many other matters relative to the restoring of peace were then discussed, and, in consequence, we ourselves withdrew with our army from before Arras. For the further consolidation of this agreement for peace, our said cousins of Brabant, Hainault, and the deputies from Flanders have again come to us, as ambassadors from our cousin of Burgundy, with whom, in the presence of our dearly beloved son the duke of Acquitaine, dauphin of Vienne, the preliminaries before mentioned have been confirmed.
'Know ye, that from the pity and compassion which we must feel for all who have suffered oppressions and vexations which ever ensue during a state of warfare, and which our faithful and beloved subjects have lately undergone; and that they may cease, so that tranquillity, justice, and legal government may take place within our realm; that labourers may do their work, and tradesfolk travel throughout the kingdom unmolested wherever they shall judge proper, without let or hindrance whatever. Considering also the value of peace, which is inestimable, and the great evils that ensue from war, of which we have lately had such bitter experience; and that all creatures may have better opportunities to amend their lives and turn toward their Creator, we of our own knowledge, and with full power and royal authority, by the advice of our council, and after the mature consideration of our eldest son, of many of the princes of our blood, prelates, barons and knights of our council and courts of parliament, so will, order and command, that a firm peace be established within our realm, between our subjects, and that all rancour and malice cease, forbidding all persons, whatever may be their rank or condition, under pain of our highest displeasure, to bear arms or to proceed against any one otherwise than by legal means.
'For the better preservation of this peace, and out of reverence to God, wishing to prefer mercy to rigorous justice, we from the plenitude of our power and by our full royal authority, do grant a general and free amnesty to all persons whether natives or foreigners, of whatever rank or condition they be, who shall have aided, abetted, counselled or supported our said cousin, the duke of Burgundy, contrary to our royal will and pleasure, since the said peace of Pontois until this day,—excepting, however, from this amnesty five persons, who are not noble, nor subjects nor vassals to our said cousin of Burgundy, and whose names shall be given to our cousins of Brabant and Hainault before the feast of the nativity of St John the Baptist next ensuing. We likewise except from this general pardon all who may have been banished by our courts of justice by legal processes, with the usual ceremonies and solemnities.
'For the further preservation of this peace, and to avoid all causes of sedition and dispute hereafter, we will and ordain that all persons who may have quitted their dwellings in Paris for the space of two years, shall not return nearer than within four or five leagues of our said town of Paris, reserving to ourself any favours which we may be inclined to show to the contrary. We will, however, that the said absentees may go any where throughout our realm, excepting to our town of Paris, without any molestation whatever, either in body or goods.
'To maintain our subjects in peace and to obviate any disputes of office, which, having formerly happened, may do so again, we will and order, that all offices given by us since the said peace of Pontoise, shall remain in our full disposition and power, without those who may have been deprived of them having any claim or pretence of being restored to them. With regard to the prisoners, we will do strict justice; for it is our pleasure that no lord, baron, knight, esquire, or other persons, under pretence of services not performed to us, or for services done to our said cousin of Burgundy, shall be prosecuted or molested in body or goods, but that all lands, castles, or any territories whatever, that may have been taken possession of, and held by our officers for us, on account of the late war, shall be fully and completely restored to their true and lawful owners, without any fees or charges claimed in regard to us; and we now impose silence on our attorney-general, although the different cases be not specified particularly by us, in order more effectually to put an end to all disputes and suits at law that may have arisen from the events of the late war.
'We will, order and enjoin, that our said cousin the duke of Burgundy do forbear, by himself or others for him, to disturb or any way molest, either by open or secret means, such of our subjects and vassals of every degree, as shall have served us in our warfare against him; and such of his subjects and vassals as, through fear of offending us, have not served him in conformity to the different ordinances issued by us; and that he be particularly cautious, under pain of incurring our displeasure, that this article be truly attended to, for we positively forbid our said cousin of Burgundy to take any cognizance whatever of the above acts.
'We likewise forbid all others of our blood and lineage to commit, or cause to be committed by others for them, any acts of hostility against our said vassals and subjects, as well as against those of our said cousin the duke of Burgundy; for we strictly ordain, that they do not take any cognizance of offences that may have been caused by the late warfare.
'We will and command, that our said cousin the duke of Burgundy do punctually restore all castles, lands, or fiefs that he may have taken from our vassals and subjects, as well as from his own, on account of services performed to us or neglected to have been done to him, and that he order away from him all who may be inclined to disturb the lawful owner in the possession of them.