Charles the Bold, Last Duke of Burgundy, 1433-1477Putnam, Ruth
History
Charles the Bold, Last Duke of Burgundy, 1433-1477
Putnam, Ruth
Burgundy (France) -- History; Charles, Duke of Burgundy, 1433-1477; Switzerland -- History -- 1032-1499
On Wednesday, October 11th, the news of the fray reached Peronne,
but news greatly exaggerated by rumour. Bishop, papal legate, and
Burgundian lieutenant all had been ruthlessly murdered in the very
presence of Louis's own envoys, who had aided and abetted the hideous
crime! To follow the story of an eyewitness:[11]
"Some said that everyone was dead, others asserted the contrary,
for such advertisments are never reported after one sort. At
length others came who had seen certain canons slain and supposed
the bishop[12] to be of the number, as well as the said seigneur
de Humbercourt and all the rest. Further, they said that they had
seen the king's ambassadors in the attacking company and mentioned
them by name. All this was repeated to the duke, who forthwith
believed it and fell into an extreme fury, saying that the king
had come thither to abuse him, and gave commands to shut the gates
of the castle and of the town, alleging a poor enough excuse,
namely, that he did this on account of the disappearance of a
little casket containing some good rings and money.
"The king finding himself confined in the castle, a small one at
that, and having seen a force of archers standing before the gate,
was terrified for his person--the more so that he was lodged in
the neighbourhood of a tower where a certain Count de Vermandois
had caused the death of one of his predecessors as king of
France.[13] At that time, I was still with the duke and served him
as chamberlain, and had free access to his chamber when I
would, for such was the usage in this household.
"The said duke, as soon as he saw the gates closed, ordered all to
leave his presence and said to a few of us that stayed with him
that the king had come on purpose to betray him, and that he
himself had tried to avoid his coming with all his strength, and
that the meeting had been against his taste. Then he proceeded to
recount the news from Liege, how the king had pulled all the wires
through his ambassadors, and how his people had been slain. He was
fearfully excited against the king. I veritably believe that if
at that hour he had found those to whom he could appeal ready to
sympathise with him and to advise him to work the king some
mischief, he would have done so, at the least he would have
imprisoned him in the great tower.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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