'I shall begin with the charge against my loyalty, as what most touches my honour and hurts my feelings. It has been declared, that my lord has been informed by the English, that a short time after the peace of Arras, they wrote to my brother the archbishop of Rouen, that if it were agreeable to my lord the duke of Burgundy and his allies to keep the peace in respect to them, they and their allies would do the same in regard to him, his subjects, allies and countries; and that my lord and brother had pressed me to touch on this matter with the duke, and endeavour to have it accomplished,—but that, although my lord the archbishop had thus written to me, I had concealed the matter, which has been the cause of numberless and great evils, that would not have happened if I had acted loyally.
'In my excuse, I must say (saving the reverence due to my lord duke), that these great evils have not been caused by my fault or neglect; nor has the war been commenced or advised by me. I know for a truth, that if my said lord had but remembered my actions in respect to this business, no such charge would have been made against me.
'It is a fact, that on the morrow after I had this information from my brother the archbishop of Rouen, dated Rouen, the 29th day of January, in the year 1435, and which I received on the 8th of February, I dispatched some of my people to Brussels, where they arrived on the 10th, with credential letters from me, charging them to declare the intelligence I had just received from Rouen, and which they reported to me had been done. They received for answer, by the mouth of the bishop of Tournay, that for certain causes, which he then told them, my lord duke was not determined how to act in regard to the intelligence contained in my brother the archbishop of Rouen's letter, which had been in substance laid before him.
'It has been a matter of great wonder to me, that this bishop, who has such dignities and honours, in the church, who is reputed so wise and prudent, and who is the principal adviser of my lord duke, should send a verbal answer by my people, and did not inform my lord of the necessity of otherwise acquitting himself toward me,—for had this been done, no such imputation could have been thrown on me.
'Should what I have now said be insufficient for my acquittal, I can produce letters signed by the hand of my lord to prove that I duly informed him of the contents of my brother's letter,—and that he declares in these letters, that he was not fully resolved how to act respecting the proposal from the English. You will, therefore, clearly perceive, that I have faithfully performed my duty; and henceforward I intend, if it be the good pleasure of God my Creator to exculpate myself by every means in my power, so that all the world may know that I have been no way to blame.
'With regard to another charge made against me, namely, that I have, since the peace at Arras, sent a body of men to join the English in Calais, without the knowledge of my said lord, or of my most redoubted lady the duchess of Burgundy, or of the members of his council. It is true, that when I heard, my lady duchess was at Gravelines, I did send thither some of my people on business with my lord cardinal of England, thinking that he was there, as had been reported, I ordered them to treat on this business with him, the which I had formerly mentioned to my lord duke, who had consented that I might send to England on this subject. I wished not that this matter should be transacted privately, or in secret, but openly before all the world and even in the presence of my lady duchess and her council, should it then happen to be brought forward.
'Since my lord cardinal was not there, nor, as it was said, expected to arrive for some time, those whom I had sent thither, seeing many persons go to Calais, took on themselves to go thither also on their own affairs; but they first asked the permission of the lieutenant of Gravelines, who granted it, and they set off, not imagining any harm in so doing, as they have informed me. I certify to you, that I never charged them to signify any thing whatever to the English prejudicial to the realm or to my said lord, or any way tending to retard the negotiations that were to commence at Gravelines,—and I should suppose that I, of all persons, should be clear from the smallest suspicion of treasonable practises; for were I inclined that way, which God forbid! you may imagine I would have acted otherwise, and employed unknown emissaries, or merchants who daily repair thither; but never, please God, shall I have the will or courage to do any contrary to the honour or interest of my said lord, or unbecoming a knight of unsullied honour.—Respecting the summonses I had issued for guards, which was ascertained during a late meeting of the three estates at Arras, when it was discussed, that as my said lord was, through God's mercy, more powerful than ever any counts of Artois, his predecessors, had been, it seemed to this meeting that no other person but himself required guards; and, among other things, it is said, then and there determined upon, it was resolved that none but my said lord should have guards.
'I have no remembrance whatever of being present at this meeting of the three estates at Arras when such conclusions were made; but I perfectly recollect, that at Lille, in the house of the lord de Roubaix, where my lord duke held his court, it was determined, in the presence of many of his council, that in future no one should have guards,—when I joined in opinion with the others, and said, that I would not summon any, if the rest would do the same. On this, I departed from Lille; but observing some time after, that several had their guards, I did the like, but did not suppose that my lord could be angered by my so doing, or that he wished to keep me in greater servitude than others. My lord even wrote me several letters with his own hand, and signed by him, on this subject, as did my lady duchess, assenting to my having these guards. It should seem, therefore, that my lord was not then displeased with my conduct.
'In regard to Riflart de Neufville, who is said to have been killed on account of this business, and the lord des Bosquets, who was driven out of his house and grossly injured,—although I had many reasons to be displeased with both, yet when my lord shall be completely informed of the whole truth of these matters, I shall expect that the tales he has heard will be found lying and falsely wicked.