[A.D. 1440.]
CHAP. XXXV.
THE DAUPHIN, THE DUKE OF BOURBON, AND MANY OF THE GREAT LORDS QUIT IN DISGUST THE COURT OF KING CHARLES[53].
At the commencement of this year, the king of France assembled a large body of nobles and men at arms to march into the Bourbonnois, and conquer the duke of Bourbon and destroy his territories; because he had, to his great vexation, seduced and carried off his son the dauphin, who had, until then, been lodged in the castle of Loches[54].
The count de la Marche was governor of the castle of Loches, and was in the town at the time the dauphin went away, unsuspicious that he would do so without first speaking to him. The bastard of Bourbon, however, with Anthony de Chabannes and other captains, with a large body of men at arms, entered the castle, and, with the dauphin's consent, carried him away to the town of Moulins[55] in the Bourbonnois.
Thither followed the duke of Bourbon, the duke d'Alençon, the count de Vendôme, the lords de la Trimouille, de Chaumont, de Prie, and other nobles and great lords, whose intentions were to invest the dauphin with the sole government of France, and to put king Charles in wardship to be managed by them.
In order to have aid to accomplish their plans, they summoned barons and gentlemen from divers countries, to whom they disclosed their intentions, and required them to make oath that they would serve the dauphin against all who should attempt to injure him. In this number came the great lords of Auvergne, who on hearing the proposal, made answer by the mouth of the lord de Dampierre, that they would cheerfully serve him in every thing, excepting against the king his father; adding, that should the king come with an army into their country, and require their support, and a free entrance into their towns and castles, they would not dare to refuse him,—and this those who made them the request must expect to see done, should the case happen.
This answer was not agreeable to the dauphin, nor to the other lords, who now began to suspect they should fail in their enterprise, and that it would turn out badly for them. They had also received exact intelligence that the king was marching a great power against them, and had already entered the Bourbonnois, carrying on a severe war against the towns and castles of the duke of Bourbon and his adherents, and had reduced several to his obedience.