In the town of Creil, a gentleman called le Begue de Groches was appointed governor,—but only eight men entered that town. In the castle were the count de Ventadour, the lord de Chateau-morant, and sir Charles de Saint Saulieu, with a certain number of men at arms attached to the party of the Armagnacs; but they were forced to surrender it by le Begue de Groches and the commonalty of the town, on condition of their lives and fortunes being spared, and le Begue de Groches remained governor of the castle and town for a long time.
I must not forget to say something of Perrinet le Clerc and his companions, who had delivered up the city of Paris to the Burgundians. They were, at first, in great authority, and lived in high state; but, in the end, they became as poor and as wicked as they had been before.
When the inhabitants of Peronne, who had been strongly attached to the king, the dauphin and the count d'Armagnac, heard of the capture of Paris, and of the surrender of so many towns and castles, they were much astonished and alarmed, considering that they were so near to the territories of the duke of Burgundy, lest they should have their town taken by storm, or besieged. They therefore resolved to send a deputation to the count de Charolois, to propose submitting themselves to the obedience of the king and the duke.
They in consequence sent ambassadors for this purpose, although sir Thomas de Lersies, bailiff of the Vermandois, exhorted them to keep steady to the dauphin. These ambassadors, namely, master Oudard Cuperel, a canon of St Foursy, and others, treated so successfully with the count de Charolois and his ministers that the town was surrendered to the duke. Notwithstanding the magistrates and inhabitants had promised not to conclude any treaty that should be prejudicial to sir Thomas de Lersies, he was arrested, carried to Laon and beheaded. In like manner were executed John de Bervenucourt, his lieutenant, and Alard de Vercuigneul.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Genly. Q. If not Genlis.
CHAP. V.
THE COMMONALTY OF PARIS ASSEMBLE IN GREAT NUMBERS, AND CRUELLY PUT TO DEATH THEIR PRISONERS.
About four o'clock on the 12th day of June, the populace of Paris rose to the amount of about sixty thousand, fearing (as they said) that the prisoners would be set at liberty, although the new provost of Paris, and other lords, assured them to the contrary. They were armed with old mallets, hatchets, staves, and other disorderly weapons, and paraded through the streets, shouting, 'Long live the king and the duke of Burgundy!' toward the different prisons in Paris, namely, the Palace, St Magloire, St Martin des Champs, the Chatelet, the Temple, and to other places wherein any prisoners were confined.
They forced open all their doors and killed Chepier and Chepiere[2], with the whole of the prisoners, to the amount of sixteen hundred, or thereabout: the principal of whom were the count d'Armagnac constable of France, master Henry de Marle chancellor to the king, the bishops of Coutances, of Bayeux, of Evreux, of Senlis, of Saintes, the count de Grand-Pré, Raymonnet de la Guerre, the abbot de St Conille de Compiegne, sir Hector de Chartres, sir Enguerrand de Marcoignet, Charlot Poupart master of the king's wardrobe, the members of the courts of justice and of the treasury, and in general all they could find: among the number were several even of the burgundian party confined for debt.