While this treaty of peace was carrying on, a gentleman of the household of the king of England, named Bertrand de Chaumont, (who at the battle of Azincourt, had turned from the French to the English because he held his lands in Guyenne under the king of England, and was much beloved by him for his valour,) in an evil hour, and from being badly advised through avarice, aided the escape of Amerian du Lau from the town of Melun, who, as it was said, had been concerned in the murder of the duke of Burgundy. This came to the knowledge of the king of England, who was troubled thereat, and notwithstanding the entreaties of his brother the duke of Clarence, and even of the duke of Burgundy, had him beheaded for this act, telling them not to speak to him on the subject, for that he would have no traitors in his army, and that this punishment was for an example to all others,—although he would willingly have rather given five hundred thousand nobles than Bertrand should have committed so disloyal an act.
CHAP. XLVI.
AFTER THE SURRENDER OF MELUN, THE TWO KINGS OF FRANCE AND OF ENGLAND, WITH THEIR QUEENS, AND SEVERAL PRINCES AND GREAT LORDS, GO TO PARIS IN GRAND POMP.
When the treaty for the surrender of Melun had been concluded, the king of England and the duke of Burgundy disbanded the greater part of their men, and marched the remainder of their armies to Corbeil, where the king of France and the two queens of France and of England resided. Thence the kings went to Paris, attended by the dukes of Clarence, Burgundy, Bedford and Exeter, the earls of Warwick, Salisbury, and other great lords.
A numerous band of the citizens of Paris came out to meet them in handsome array, and the streets were covered and ornamented with many rich cloths. On their entrance, carols were sung in all the squares through which they passed; and the two kings rode together side by side, the king of England on the right hand. After them came the dukes of Clarence and Bedford, brothers to king Henry; and on the opposite side of the street, on the left hand, rode the duke of Burgundy, dressed in deep mourning, followed by the knights and esquires of his household.
The other princes and knights rode after the kings in due order, and they met different processions of the clergy on foot, who halted in the squares, and then presented the holy relics borne by them to be kissed by the two kings. On their being first offered to the king of France, he turned toward the king of England, and made him a sign to kiss them first; but king Henry, putting his hand to his hood, bowed to king Charles, and said he would kiss them after him, which was done, and thus practised all the way to the church of Nôtre Dame, where the kings and princes dismounted, and entered the church.
When they had finished their prayers and thanksgivings before the grand altar, they remounted their horses and went to their lodgings,—the king of France to his hôtel of St Pol, attended by the duke of Burgundy, who having escorted the king thither, returned to his hôtel of Artois. The king of England and his two brothers were lodged in the Louvre, their attendants in different parts of the town, and the men at arms in the adjacent villages.
The two queens made their entry into Paris on the ensuing day, when the duke of Burgundy, with many english lords, and the citizens in the same array as on the day before, went out to meet them. Great joy was again displayed on the arrival of the queens; but it would take up too much time were I to relate all the grand presents that were offered by the city of Paris to the two kings, especially to the king and queen of England. The whole of that day and night wine was constantly running through brass cocks in conduits in all the squares, and conducted with great ingenuity, so that all persons might have wine in abundance; and more rejoicings were made throughout Paris than tongue can tell, for the peace that had been made between the two kings.
When their majesties had been a few days in Paris, great complaints and clamours were made to them by duke Philip of Burgundy, and by the procurator of the duchess his mother, for the cruel murder that had been committed on the late duke John of Burgundy. To hear these complaints, the king of France sat in judgment in the lower hall of the hôtel of St Pol, and on the same bench with him was the king of England: near the king of France sat master John le Clerc, chancellor of France, and further on master Philip de Morvillers, first president of the parliament, and some other nobles of the king's council.
On the opposite side, and about the middle of the hall, was seated the duke of Burgundy, supported by the dukes of Clarence and Bedford, the bishops of Terouenne, of Beauvais, and of Amiens, sir John de Luxembourg, and many knights and esquires of his council.