The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Vol. 01 [of 13] : $b containing an account of the cruel civil wars between the houses of Orleans and Burgundy, of the possession of Paris and Normandy by the English, their expulsion thence, and of other memorable events that happened in the kingdom of France, as well as in other countriesMonstrelet, Enguerrand de
History
The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Vol. 01 [of 13] : $b containing an account of the cruel civil wars between the houses of Orleans and Burgundy, of the possession of Paris and Normandy by the English, their expulsion thence, and of other memorable events that happened in the kingdom of France, as well as in other countries
Monstrelet, Enguerrand de
Europe -- History -- 476-1492 -- Sources; France -- History -- House of Valois, 1328-1589; Hundred Years' War, 1339-1453
‘I here ask one question. This innocent died of the poisoned apple:
ought the boy who brought it, or the nurse who gave it the child, be
punished? I reply, No, neither of them; but the crime must be attributed
to those who poisoned it, or caused it to be carried.
‘In regard to my second charge, of fallacious deceptions, I have already
touched upon them, in his treacherous conduct and advice to the queen,
to quit the kingdom for the duchy of Luxembourg.
‘As to my third charge, it is well known, that the duke of Orleans,
persevering in his wicked designs, has personally, and by ambassadors,
often practised with the pope to deprive the king of his crown and
kingdom. To succeed in this damnable conspiracy, he falsely and wickedly
charged the king with crimes affecting his royal progeny, which he gave
the pope to understand were such as required him to declare the king and
his posterity unworthy to hold or succeed to the crown of France. He
also requested the pope to grant absolution to all who should act
contrary to the oath of fidelity they had been constrained to take to
the king, and to declare the next of his blood the successor to the
crown and government of France.
‘The better to secure the pope in his interests, he has always favoured
and supported him by divers ways, as is apparent from his conduct, in
the cession and restitution of the monies from the hospital of Toulouse.
‘Thus the third article of my minor is made clear, notwithstanding there
are very many other horrible crimes of high treason in the third degree,
committed by the late duke of Orleans, unnoticed, which my lord of
Burgundy has reserved to himself, to bring forward or not as he may see
occasion.
‘I now come to the fourth article of my minor, which is, that the late
duke of Orleans, has been guilty of high treason in the fourth degree,
namely, of offending against the public welfare.
‘Although I have before noticed his alliance with the enemies of the
realm, which is acting positively against the public good, I shall show
how he has otherwise committed this crime. In the first place, by
keeping men at arms in different parts of the realm, who did nothing but
plunder the people, rob all travellers, and force women. He moreover,
placed their captains in the strongest castles, and at all the passes,
bridges and fords of rivers, the better to succeed in his wicked
designs, namely, the usurpation of the government.
‘Secondly, He has imposed intolerable taxes on the subjects of the
realm, pretending they were for the carrying on the war against the
enemy, but giving from their amount large sums to the illwishers to the
kingdom, to induce them to become his allies, and support him in his
attempt to seize the crown.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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