[20] The estates were held the 6th of April, and ended the 14th of the same month. Petite Chronique.
CHAP. VIII.
TOURNAMENTS AT PARIS AND AT BRUGES.— THE KING GOES TO MEAUX.—THE PRINCE OF PIEDMONT COMES TO PARIS.—THE LORD DU LAU ESCAPES FROM HIS CONFINEMENT IN THE CASTLE OF USSON, WHICH CAUSES MANY TO LOSE THEIR HEADS.—THE BRETONS AND BURGUNDIANS TAKE MERVILLE.—CHARLES DE MELUN BEHEADED.—THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT PASSED BETWEEN THE KING AND THE DUKES OF BERRY AND BRITTANY.—PEACE CONCLUDED WITH THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, IN THE YEAR MCCCCLXVIII.
On Monday, the 5th day of May, the lady Ambroise de Lore, widow of the late sir Robert d'Estouteville, provost of Paris, died about an hour after midnight, and was much lamented; for she was a noble, good, and modest lady,—and all decent, well behaved persons were honourably received at her house. This same day, about nine or ten at night, a mill at Paris, belonging to the prior of St Ladre, took fire, through the carelessness of a scoundrel-servant, who had stuck his candle against the wall near his bed, which fell thereon and burnt the premises; but this servant escaped, and ran away like a fox.
A tournament was held, on the 15th of this month, in front of the king's hôtel at the Tournelles, by four gentlemen belonging to the company of the grand seneschal of Normandy, who had ordered the lists, and prepared the field. They had caused proclamation to be made, that they would there be ready to break three lances against all comers.
Many Parisians appeared at the lists, on the appointed day: the first was Jean Raguier, overseer of the salt-magazines at Soissons, treasurer of the army in Normandy, and son to master Anthony Raguier, counsellor and treasurer of the king's armies. John Raguier arrived in great haste from Rouen, to be ready for this tournament, and came late in the evening of the day to St Ladre, attended by many gentlemen of the company of Joachim Rohault, marshal of France, and others, to the number of twenty horse. He remained secretly, and without noise at St Ladre, until the morrow, when his companions conducted him, with the sound of trumpets and clarions, to the lists. He was attended by four footmen, dressed in liveries, who kept close to the side of the courser he rode, ready to serve him and hold his lance. His companions were all uniformly dressed in handsome hoods, embroidered with great letters of gold.
He made several circuits of the lists before the other champions appeared, and behaved gallantly against them,—for he broke five lances, and would have done more, had the judges of the field permitted it. When he had so honourably performed his courses, he paraded round the lists, thanking the ladies and damsels for their presence, and taking his leave of the judges,—from all of whom he acquired much praise.
He was succeeded by an assessor of Paris, called Marc Senamy, and two sons of sir John Sanguin, who all acquitted themselves with courage and address, but did not gain equal praises with their predecessor. Then came Charles de Louviers, cup-bearer to the king, who carried himself with such gallantry and vigour that he broke several lances, and the prize of the day was adjudged to him. The four champions remained much bruised: two of them carried their arms in scarfs, and another had his hand badly wounded below his gauntlet,—so that the honour of the day belonged to the Parisians.
On the preceding Sunday, the 8th of May, another tournament was performed at Bruges before the duke of Burgundy with great triumph; and there another Parisian, called Jerom of Cambray, attached to the service of the duke, tilted, and carried away the prize[21].
When the tiltings were over at Paris the king left Amboise for that city, bringing with him the lords of Bourbon, of Lyon, of Beaujeu, and other great barons. He made some stay at Lagny sur Marne, Meaux, and other places in that neighbourhood. On the day of Ascension was an earthquake felt at Tours, Amboise, and in divers parts of Touraine. During the king's stay at Lagny and Meaux, he had his summons proclaimed in Paris, for all nobles and others to be prepared on the eighth day, in arms, to march whithersoever they should be ordered, under the severest penalties.