A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 3Guizot, François
History
A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 3
Guizot, François
France -- History
These successes of the King of England were so many reverses and perils
for the Count of Armagnac. He had in his hands Paris, the king, and the
_dauphin_; in the people’s eyes the responsibility of government and of
events rested on his shoulders; and at one time he was doing nothing,
at another he was unsuccessful in what he did. Whilst Henry V. was
becoming master of nearly all the towns of Normandy, the constable, with
the king in his army, was besieging Senlis; and he was obliged to raise
the siege. The legates of Pope Martin V. had set about establishing
peace between the Burgundians and Armagnacs, as well as between France
and England; they had prepared, on the basis of the treaty of Arras, a
new treaty, with which a great part of the country, and even of the
burgesses of Paris, showed themselves well pleased; but the constable had
it rejected on the ground of its being adverse to the interests of the
king and of France; and his friend, the chancellor, Henry de Marle,
declared that, if the king were disposed to sign it, he would have to
seal it himself, for that, as for him, the chancellor, he certainly would
not seal it. Bernard of Armagnac and his confidential friend, Tanneguy
Duchatel, a Breton nobleman, provost of Paris, were hard and haughty.
When a complaint was made to them of any violent procedure, they would
answer, “What business had you there? If it were the Burgundians, you
would make no complaint.” The Parisian population was becoming every day
more Burgundian. In the latter days of May. 1418, a plot was contrived
for opening to the Burgundians one of the gates of Paris. Perrinet
Leclerc, son of a rich iron-merchant having influence in the quarter of
St. Germain des Pros, stole the keys from under the bolster of his
father’s bed; a troop of Burgundian men-at-arms came in, and they were
immediately joined by a troop of Parisians. They spread over the city,
shouting, “Our Lady of peace! Hurrah for the king! Hurrah for Burgundy!
Let all who wish for peace take arms and follow us!” The people swarmed
from the houses and followed them accordingly. The Armagnacs were
surprised and seized with alarm. Tanneguy Duchatel, a man of prompt and
resolute spirit, ran to the _dauphin_’s, wrapped him in his bed-clothes,
and carried him off to the Bastille, where he shut him up with several of
his partisans. The Count of Armagnac, towards whose house the multitude
thronged, left by a back-door, and took refuge at a mason’s, where he
believed himself secure. In a few hours the Burgundians were masters of
Paris. Their chief, the lord of Isle-Adam, had the doors of the hostel
of St. Paul broken in, and presented himself before the king. “How fares
my cousin of Burgundy?” said Charles VI.; “I have not seen him for some
time.” That was all he said. He was set on horseback and marched
through the streets. He showed no astonishment at anything; he had all
but lost memory as well as reason, and no longer knew the difference
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account