At this time news was brought to the duke while at Paris, that the Dauphinois at Meaux-en-Brie had taken the town of Laigny-sur-Marne, by the carelessness of the garrison, which was true, and the day they won it, they committed many outrages. Some of the garrison escaped into a strong tower, and sent in haste to the duke for help, who instantly dispatched thither the lord de l'Isle-Adam; and, by means of those in the tower, he gained admittance to the town, and put the greater part of the Dauphinois to the sword,—when, having placed therein a strong garrison, he returned to Paris.
On the morrow, the duke of Burgundy, attended by a large body of men at arms, went from Paris to the bridge of Charenton, to meet the duke of Brittany, who was coming to negotiate a peace between him and the dauphin; but as nothing could be agreed on, the duke of Burgundy returned to Paris, and the duke of Brittany to his own country.
The reason why they met at Charenton was the epidemical disorder that then raged in Paris. By accounts from the rectors of the parishes, it was known that upward of fourscore thousand had died within that town. Many of the dependants of the duke of Burgundy were carried off by this pestilence, as were the prince of Orange, the lord de Fosseux, sir Jenet de Poix, the lord d'Auxois, and numbers of other gentlemen.
Shortly after, the cardinals d'Orsini and di San Marco returned to Saint Maur des Fossés, to treat of a peace between the dauphin and the duke of Burgundy; and many notable ambassadors were sent to them from the king, queen and duke, who at length concluded a treaty by means of these cardinals with the commissioners sent from the dauphin. It seemed good, and to the mutual advantage of both parties; but when it was carried to the dauphin and his advisers, they were dissatisfied with it, so that the war continued with greater bitterness than before.
CHAP. XII.
THE PARISIANS AGAIN PUT TO DEATH THE PRISONERS.—THE SIEGE OF MONTLEHERY.—THE CAPTURE OF SOISSONS BY THE LORD DE BOCQUIAUX AND HIS COMPANIONS.
To add to the tribulations of these times, the Parisians again assembled in great numbers, as they had before done, and went to all the prisons in Paris, broke into them, and put to death full three hundred prisoners, many of whom had been confined there since the last butchery. In the number of those murdered were sir James de Mommor, and sir Louis de Corail chamberlain to the king, with many nobles and churchmen.
They then went to the lower court of the bastille of St Anthony, and demanded that six prisoners, whom they named, should be given up to them, or they would attack the place. In fact, they began to pull down the wall of the gate,—when the duke of Burgundy, who lodged near the bastille, vexed to the heart at such proceedings, to avoid worse, ordered the prisoners to be delivered to them, if any of their leaders would promise that they should be conducted to the Châtelet prison, and suffered to be punished according to their deserts by the king's court of justice.
Upon this, they all departed,—and, by way of glossing over their promise, they led their prisoners near to the Châtelet, when they put them to death, and stripped them naked. They then divided into several large companies, and paraded the streets of Paris, entering the houses of many who had been Armagnacs, plundering and murdering all without mercy. In like manner as before, when they met any person they disliked, he was slain instantly; and their principal leader was Cappeluche, the hangsman of the city of Paris.
The duke of Burgundy, alarmed at these insurrections, sent for some of the chief citizens, with whom he remonstrated on the consequences these disturbances might have. The citizens excused themselves from being any way concerned, and said they were much grieved to witness them: they added, they were all of the lowest rank, and had thus risen to pillage the more wealthy; and they required the duke to provide a remedy, by employing these men in his wars.