The queen and the duke of Burgundy caused proclamation to be made through Tours, that no one was to pay any subsidies or taxes but that on salt. They then departed for Vendôme, where was issued a similar proclamation, and then continued their route through Bonneval to Chartres, where they arrived the 9th day of November. The queen was accompanied by four carriages containing twenty women. She had only one knight with her, called sir Robert le Cyne, with whose prudence and discretion she was well pleased.
[CHAP. LXIII.]
THE QUEEN, ON HER ARRIVAL AT CHARTRES, WRITES TO SEVERAL OF THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS IN FRANCE.—SOME NEW ORDINANCES ARE MADE FOR THE BETTER GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM.
On the queen's arrival at Chartres, it was resolved that she should write letters in her own name to all those towns that had submitted to the obedience of the duke of Burgundy. A copy of that addressed to the town of Amiens now follows.
'Very dear and well beloved,—you know that by the intrigues and damnable avarice and ambition of some persons of low degree, who have seized the person and government of my lord and his kingdom, unnumbered mischiefs have arisen, as well by the molestation of those of his royal family as by the destruction and loss of many parts of his realm, more particularly in the duchies of Acquitaine and Normandy, where the utmost confusion reigns, without these the present ministers any way attempting to check or prevent it,—but, on the contrary, they have conceived a mortal hatred against all that are gallant and loyal, by confiscating their fortunes, or putting them to death.
'They continue in their wickedness, though they know we are anxious to labour for the reparation of all these evils, and to procure peace to the realm; for, through the grace of God, we are competent so to do, as queen and wife to our aforesaid lord, according to the terms that had been begun on by our son and our cousin of Hainault, those souls may God receive! But they, knowing our intentions, took care to keep us at a distance, that their iniquities might be hidden, and that they might keep possession of their places.
'By such means do they daily apply to their own profit the whole amount of the revenue, without any part being allotted for the use of my said lord, or for the security and welfare of his kingdom. They have, under false pretences and most disloyally, robbed my said lord, ourself and our son the dauphin, so that we have not wherewithal to maintain our establishments, or to defray our expenses; insomuch that they have acquired so great power that all must obey their wills, and it is very probable that the government of my lord and his realm may fall into the hands of strangers, which God forbid!
'When our very dear and well beloved cousin the duke of Burgundy shall have put an end to such shameful abuses he offers peace to all who may be inclined to accept of it, by his letters patent that have been published in various parts of the realm; but those persons above mentioned having refused to accept his terms, our cousin has taken up arms, in company with a large number of knights and esquires, with the intent to drive the above traitors from the government of this kingdom. They, however, to resist the said duke, and prevent him from approaching the person of our said lord, have remanded to Paris all the men at arms from their different garrisons, thereby leaving the kingdom a prey to its ancient enemies the English.
'This conduct clearly shows their wicked intentions; but the greater part of the nobility, prelacy, and the chief towns have united themselves to our said cousin, sensible of the loyalty of his conduct, for the good of our said lord and the welfare of his realm. All who are any way related to us by blood should be warmly attached to our said cousin, for it concerns them much; and they should know, that quitting his siege of Corbeil, he came to set us at liberty, and deliver us from the hands of our late gaolers.