The king affirmed on his oath, that he never thought of such things,—and that if he had, he was unworthy to wear a crown, or to be a king. The reason of his remaining in Picardy was because the duke of Burgundy had an intention to undertake an expedition against the Turk; and on that account he had indeed attempted to conclude a peace with England, that the duke's territories, during his absence, might continue in peace.
The king then demanded of the princes present, if they believed what the duke of Brittany had written to them: when they unanimously replied, they did not. He then demanded, that they would all assist him with their services against the duke of Brittany, who had so grossly injured him; and they assured him they would do so to the utmost of their power.
On the 3d of January, in this year 1464, died Charles duke of Orleans, about seventy years old, who left a son about three years of age, and a daughter of seven or eight years old. He it was who commenced the civil war in France against John duke of Burgundy, in revenge for the murder of his father, which lasted upward of thirty years, to such great loss and destruction of the kingdom that it would be pitiless to relate it, as it may be seen in the Chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet.[37]
This duke of Orleans was made prisoner at the battle of Agincourt, and carried to England, where he remained twenty-five years; and it is supposed that he would never have obtained his liberty, if duke Philip of Burgundy had not ransomed him; he also gave him in marriage his niece, a daughter of the duke of Cleves, by whom he had the two children above mentioned.
On his return to France, he led an exemplary and devout life; and on every Friday throughout the year, he gave thirteen poor persons their dinner, in honour of God: he served them in person at table, before he ate any thing himself, and then washed their feet, in imitation of our Saviour, who washed the feet of his disciples on the day of the Passover.
FOOTNOTES:
[37] 'Il semble par la que Monstrelet nie son auteur de la plûpart de ce qui est contenue au 3me volume.'
MS. note in M. du Cangé's copy.
This proves, however, what has been said in the preface, of nearly all the last volume being by another writer than Monstrelet.