When the assembly had been seated, master Nicolas Rolin, on the part of the duke of Burgundy and the lady-duchess his mother, demanded, in the usual manner, permission to address the two kings in their behalf. This having been obtained he charged as guilty of murdering the late duke John of Burgundy, Charles, calling himself dauphin of Vienne, the viscount de Narbonne, the lord de Barbasan, Tanneguy du Châtel, Guillaume Boutiller, Jean Louvet, president of Provence, sir Robert de Loire, Olivier Layet, and all those who had been concerned therein. Against each and all of them the advocate prayed judgment, and that they might be sentenced to be placed in tumbrils, and carried through all the squares of Paris for three Saturdays, or on festivals, bare-headed, and holding lighted wax tapers in their hands; and that in every square they should publicly confess, with a loud voice, that they had cruelly, wickedly and damnably put the duke of Burgundy to death through hatred and jealousy, without any other cause whatever. They were then to be carried to Montereau, where they had perpetrated this murder, to undergo the same ceremonies, and to repeat the same words.
They were, besides, to cause a church to be erected, and endowed on the spot where the murder had been committed, for twelve canons, six chaplains and six clerks, to perform for ever divine service therein.
This church was to be completely furnished with chalices, tables, ornaments, books, napkins, and every other necessary; and the canons were to have each a yearly salary of two hundred livres parisis, the chaplain's salaries of one hundred, and the clerks of fifty, of the same coin, at the expense of the said dauphin and his accomplices. The cause of this church being erected was to be inscribed in large letters, cut in stone, over the principal entrance; and the same inscription was to be placed in the towns of Rome, Paris, Ghent, Dijon, St Jago de Compostella and at Jerusalem, where our Saviour suffered death.
When this sentence had been required, it was again demanded by master Pierre de Marigny, the king's advocate in parliament, confirming the accusations of murder against the persons aforesaid. Afterward, master John l'Archer, doctor of divinity, in the name of the university for whom he spoke, addressed the two kings with great eloquence, urging the extreme guilt of the criminals, and exhorting them to do strict justice on them, and to pay attention to the prayers of the duke and duchess of Burgundy that the judgment required might be carried into effect without delay.
The king of France, through his chancellor, replied to what had been said, 'that in regard to the death of the duke of Burgundy, and those who had so cruelly murdered him, he would by the grace of God, and with the assistance of his son and heir, Henry king of England, and regent of France, do speedy and effectual justice on all who had been concerned therein.' On this, the assembly broke up, and the two kings returned to their hôtels.
CHAP. XLVII.
A PARTY OF ENGLISH ARE DEFEATED NEAR MONT-EPILOY.—THE MARRIAGE OF THE MARQUIS DU PONT WITH A PRINCESS OF LORRAINE.—THE CONDUCT OF SIR JAMES DE HARCOURT.
While these things were passing, the English quartered at Gournay in Normandy, at Neuf-Chatel, Anicourt, and other places on the borders, with sir Mauroy de St Leger, who was posted at Creil, assembled in a body of about five hundred, and made an incursion into Brie and the Valois, where they gained great plunder, and made many prisoners. But on their return, they were met by the lord de Gamaches, who was quartered in Compiégne, and the garrisons from other parts, who rescued the prisoners, and recovered their plunder near to Mont-Epiloy, killing full sixty, besides making many prisoners. The rest saved themselves by flight,—and in this affair the lord de Gamaches acted with great valour.
At this period, the marriage of René d'Anjou, brother to the king of Sicily, and marquis du Pont (by the gift of his uncle the cardinal of Bar), with the daughter and heiress of the duke of Lorraine, was celebrated in the castle of Nancy. By this alliance, an end was put to the discords that subsisted between the two duchies of Lorraine and Bar; for the cardinal had long before declared this nephew his heir to the duchy of Bar, to the great displeasure of the duke of Mons, who was likewise his nephew, being son to his sister; but his displeasure availed him nothing.
On the other hand, sir James de Harcourt, who still pretended attachment to the duke of Burgundy, maintained a strong garrison in Crotoy, and thence made grievous war by sea and land, which coming to the knowledge of the king of England, he was very greatly angered. The companions of sir James in this warfare were the lord de Rambures, sir Louis de Thiembronne, and his brother Guichard, sir Coquard de Combronne, the two brothers of Herselaines, the youths of Chaumont, and other gentlemen and men at arms of that country.