When the king came to the front of the church of Nôtre Dame, he dismounted, and was shortly harangued by the members of the university. The following prelates were waiting for his arrival before the great door: the archbishop of Toulouse and of Sens, the bishops of Paris, of Clermont, of St Mangon, near Montpellier, the abbots and superior clergy of St Denis, of St Maur, of St Germain near Paris, of Sainte Magloire and of Sainte Genevieve.
The king made the usual oaths in the hands of the bishop of Paris, and then entered the church,—where had been erected three arches, like to those at Amiens the last day of the year, covered with tapers and wax lights.
When the king had offered up his prayers, he went to the palace, where he lay that night. He was escorted on his entrance by about eight hundred archers, well equipped and in handsome array, under the command of the count of Angoulême.
The king and the dauphin were dressed in plain armour, all but their heads: on that of the king was a tourmole[10] covered with silversmith's work. His horse's housing was of dark blue velvet, richly embroidered with large flowers de luce in gold, which reached to the ground. The head-piece was of polished steel, bearing a handsome plume of feathers. He was preceded a few paces by Poton de Saintraille, carrying the royal helmet on a staff supported by his thigh, having a rich crown on the top, and in the centre was a double flower de luce. His horse was led by a gentleman on foot, named Jean d'Olon,—and the canopy was all the while borne over his head. The king was followed by his pages, very richly dressed, and ornamented with silversmith's work, as well as their horses.
A little before Poton rode the constable of France, the counts de Vendôme and de Tancarville, and others of the high nobility, handsomely mounted and richly dressed. At a short distance behind the king was the dauphin, his armour covered over with silversmith's work, as well as his horse, and his pages and their horses also. He was accompanied by his uncle the lord Charles d'Anjou, the counts de Perdiac and de la Marche, and followed by the bastard of Orleans in plain armour,—but his horse's accoutrements were highly ornamented. He had on a rich scarf of gold, which fell down on the back of his horse. He commanded the king's battalion consisting of about a thousand lances, the flower of the men at arms, most handsomely dressed out, themselves and horses.
With regard to the other knights, esquires, and gentlemen present at this ceremony, they were very numerous, and richly equipped at all points, and their horses loaded with silversmith's work. Among these, but after the princes, sir James de Chabannes and the lord de Restelant had the reputation of being most handsomely dressed, themselves their attendants and horses.
The crowd of common people was so great that it was difficult to walk the streets; and they sang carols in all the squares, and other places, as loud as they could, for the welcome return of their natural lord and king, with his son the dauphin. Many even wept for joy at this happy event.
The king and the dauphin, as I have said, when the ceremonies were over, went to the palace, where they were lodged,—and the lords, knights, and others in different houses in Paris as well as they could. It was proclaimed in the king's name, by sound of trumpet, that no one, whatever his rank, should ill treat the Parisians in body or effects, on pain of instant death.
On the morrow, the king displayed to the populace, in the holy chapel, the relics of the true-cross of our Saviour, and the lance which had pierced his side while on the cross: after which, he mounted his horse, and went to lodge at the new hotel, near the bastille,—and the dauphin did the same at the Tournelles.