The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Vol. 08 [of 13]

by Enguerrand de Monstrelet

On the Saturday, the count and countess of Charolois, daughter to the king of France, arrived from Charolois,—when the duke of Orleans, many nobles, the municipality of the town and several of the principal burghers, went out to meet them, and conducted them to the court-yard of the hôtel of the duke of Burgundy.

On Sunday, a variety of diversions took place; but it would be tedious to relate them all: suffice it to say, that the inhabitants exerted themselves in every manner they could imagine from love to their lord and prince, and in honour to the duke of Orleans and those that were with them; they even made him handsome presents, that pleased him much.

On the following day, the duke and duchess of Orleans left Bruges, with their attendants, which caused many tears from the ladies and damsels of the household of the duke of Burgundy on taking their leave of her. They went to Ghent, whither they were accompanied by the duke of Burgundy,—and were there received with every mark of honour. After a few days stay, they departed thence, and were escorted out of the town by the duke of Burgundy. On taking their leave, they mutually promised henceforth to do every thing possible for each other.

The duke and duchess of Orleans went by slow days journeys to Tournay, where they had a very flattering reception. From the time the duke had returned from England to his quitting the duke of Burgundy, many lords, and others, had come from France, and elsewhere, to welcome his return home, and to offer him their services, some of whom he retained in his service. Several even from the states of the duke of Burgundy had offered themselves, and were so pressing that many, as well gentlemen as damsels, were retained of his household, and in divers situations. Some knights and esquires had presented from eight to ten of their sons to him, for his pages, and about twenty-four companions from the Boulonnois, well mounted and equipped, were retained for his archers and body guards: in short, his retinue was increasing so fast, that when he arrived at Tournay he was followed by about three hundred horse.

In regard to his order, it was granted to such numbers of knights and esquires, and others of low degree, who solicited it,—and so few were refused, that it was quite common throughout Picardy. Many were desirous of attaching themselves to him in the expectation and hope that when he should have seen the king he would have the principal government of France, and that they might then be advanced by various means: he himself also indulged this expectation. Some, however, more wise, thought otherwise,—and it happened as they had foreseen; for they said in secret, that it would have been more advisable in the duke to have made greater haste to wait on the king and with a smaller train of followers,—and they thought that those who governed the king, and had done so during all the troubles, would not suffer any but themselves to rule the realm, although the duke of Orleans was the next heir to the crown of France after the dauphin, and had suffered much for it; but, notwithstanding this, it has been long seen that violent quarrels and dissentions can exist between such great lords.

The duke of Orleans, on leaving Tournay, went to Valenciennes, and thence to Quênoy le Comte, to visit his fair cousin the countess Margaret, dowager of Hainault, who received him with joy. After she had made him some gifts, he went to the city of Cambray, where he received many presents, and the town also gave him five hundred golden French crowns. The duke had intended going to St Quentin, on quitting Cambray; but some of his people gave him to understand, that he would incur a great risk to himself and his attendants by so doing,—that he would be obliged to pass through some defiles commanded by the castles of sir John de Luxembourg, who had not yet sworn to observe the treaty of Arras.

This was the cause that made him change his route; and he summoned some gentlemen from the Cambresis to aid him in the escort of his baggage. But had the duke been better informed of the state of parties, he needed not have feared sir John de Luxembourg for two reasons: first, because sir John was perfectly reconciled with the duke of Burgundy, and had even been at Bruges, where he had held many conferences with the duke of Orleans on his affairs, as well touching the lordship of Courcy as other matters of concern to both. Sir John had then left Bruges well inclined to the duke, and had offered to serve him, and do every thing for his interest that he should think would be agreeable to him; whence it may naturally be supposed, that he would never have permitted any injuries to be done him on his road.

Secondly, because at the time the duke was at Cambray sir John was lying on his death-bed at his hôtel in Guise, and news of his decease was carried to the duke while in Cambray, which made him stay there two days longer than he had intended. He even requested the magistrates of that town to choose him for their governor, in the room of the late sir John de Luxembourg, and he would obtain the usual and necessary confirmation of it from the king of France. The magistrates excused themselves from compliance as well as they could, saying, they dared not to do it without the consent of their bishop.

The duke of Orleans, went from Cambray to St Quentin,—thence to Noyon, Compiégne, Senlis, and to Paris, where he remained some days. In all the towns he passed through, or stopped at, he was received with as many honours as if he had been the king of France or the dauphin. Every body was full of hopes and confidence that great consolation would befal the kingdom of France on his return from imprisonment. The people more especially were rejoiced to see him again at liberty, for they had long wished for it.

It was the intention of the duke to hasten to the king as speedily as he now could; but he received such intelligence as made him delay it a considerable time; for a year or more. The cause of this delay was, that the king had been informed of the whole conduct the duke had held since his return from England,—of his oaths and alliance with the duke of Burgundy,—of having received his order,—how grandly he was accompanied—of his having admitted into his household numbers of Burgundians, who had formerly waged war against him and his crown. The king was also told, that these connexions had been formed in opposition to him and his ministers,—and that many great lords, such as the dukes of Brittany and Alençon, had joined the two dukes, with the view of forming a new administration,—and that henceforward his kingdom would be ruled by them, or such others as they might please to appoint, and that he would be only allowed a decent establishment to maintain his state, without a power of interfering in the government but as it might be agreeable to them, and with their consent.