A ROYAL EDICT RESPECTING WHAT THE KING OF FRANCE HAD CONCEDED TO THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS BY THE TREATY OF CONFLANS.
'Louis, &c. Whereas by the advice and deliberation of our said brother of Normandy, and of our very dear and well beloved cousins the dukes of Brittany, Calabria, Bourbon, Nemours,—the counts du Maine, du Perche, and d'Armagnac,—the presidents of our court of parliament, and other able and well informed persons of our realm, we have given, conceded, and yielded up, and by these presents do give, concede, and yield up to our said brother and cousin the count de Charolois, in consideration and in recompence of what has been before stated, and also because our said cousin has liberally and fully supported, as far as lay in his power, our said brother, and the other princes of our blood, in the settlement of the late divisions, and for the restoration of peace, for him and his heirs, males and females, legally descended from him, to enjoy for ever the cities, towns, fortresses, lands, and lordships, appertaining to us on and upon each side of the river Somme,—namely, Amiens, St Quentin, Corbie, Abbeville, together with the county of Ponthieu, lying on both sides of the river Somme, Dourlens, St Ricquier, Crevecoeur, Arleux, Montrieul, Crotoy, Mortaigne, with all their dependances whatever, and all others that may have belonged to us in right of our crown, from the said river Somme inclusively, stretching on the side of Artois, Flanders, and Hainault, as well within our kingdom as within the limits of the empire,—all of which our said uncle of Burgundy lately held and was in the possession of, by virtue of the treaty of Arras, prior to the repurchase we made of them,—comprehending also, in regard to the towns seated on the Somme on the side nearest our kingdom, the bailiwicks and sheriffdoms of these said towns in the same form and manner as our said uncle was possessed of them, to be enjoyed by our said brother and cousin, and by their legal heirs, males and females, descending in a direct line from them, together with all the revenues, domains, and taxes, in the same manner as enjoyed by our said uncle, without retaining to ourself any thing, excepting the faith, homage, and sovereignty, as lord paramount of the same.
'This mortgage we have made, and do make, in consideration of the repayment of the sum of two hundred thousand golden crowns of full weight, and of the current coin, and which neither we nor our successors shall be enabled to recover again, by repayment of the said two hundred thousand crowns, from our said brother and cousin during their natural lives; but it may be lawful for us, or our successors, to recover these lands from the direct heirs of our said brother and cousin, or from their heirs descending in a direct line, who may be in the possession of them, on paying back the said sum of two hundred thousand crowns. For the security of our being enabled to make such repurchase, our said brother and cousin shall deliver to us letters-patent, in due form, for the better confirmation of the same; and we will and understand that our said brother and cousin, and their legal heirs, that may be in the possession of these territories, shall have full powers to nominate and appoint, at their pleasure, all and every officer that shall be necessary for the government and regulation of these said towns and countries; and that such officers as shall be necessary for the collecting of all royal taxes, aids, or impositions, shall be nominated by us, at the recommendation of our said brother and cousin, and their heirs, as was done during the time our said uncle of Burgundy held these towns and countries.
'Whereas, by the treaty of Arras, it was agreed, among other articles, that the county of Boulogne should remain to our uncle of Burgundy, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten,—and whereas our late lord and father bound himself to recompense all who claimed any right to it,—we, for the causes and considerations before mentioned, and without derogating from the treaty of Arras, confirm the above article respecting the county of Boulogne, and declare that our said brother and cousin, their heirs, male or female, lawfully begotten by them, shall hold, during their lives only, the said county of Boulogne, in the form and manner specified in the treaty of Arras, and that they may reap the same advantages from it as if it were their own proper inheritance. And we engage to make those consent to the same, who may claim any right to the said county, and give them such compensation as we shall judge proper, so that our said brother, cousin, and their heirs, shall have peaceable possession of the same.
'We have also promised, and by these presents do promise, our said brother and cousin, that we will cause to be frankly and freely delivered up, as far as in us lies, and we restore, from this instant, the castles, towns, castlewicks and provostships, of Peronne, Mondidier and Roye, with all their dependances, discharged of whatever debts or mortgages may have attached to them, in the same full manner as they were given to our said uncle by our father, in consequence of the treaty of Arras, to enjoy the same in like manner as they were enjoyed before, according to that article in the said treaty; and we will procure that our very dear and well beloved cousin the count de Nevers, shall surrender to our said brother and cousin the right he lays claim to respecting these towns, castles, &c. and that he shall give possession of the same into the hands of our said brother and cousin, or to any commissioners appointed by them. In addition, we have likewise conveyed to our said brother and cousin the county of Guines, as a perpetual inheritance for them, their heirs and successors, to hold and enjoy all rights, taxes, and other emoluments within the same, as and in like manner with the preceding. In respect to any claim on this county made by the lord de Croy, or others who may pretend to such, we engage to satisfy the said lord de Croy and the others, on this head, and to assure to our said brother and cousin the possession of the said county, free from all let or hinderance on the part of the lord de Croy and all others.
'All the above articles we have promised, and do now promise, punctually to perform, on our royal word,' &c.
This ordinance was published at Paris, on the 5th of October, in the year 1465, under the great seal of France, and registered by the parliament on the 11th of the same month.
At the end of this ordinance, the king commands all his judges and other officers to see that these engagements and conveyances are carried into full and speedy effect,—and at the beginning of it were stated the causes and reasons which had moved the king to make such concessions to the count de Charolois.