‘For the very horrible murder by thee committed (in treacherously waylaying by assassins) on the person of our most redoubted lord and father, Louis duke of Orleans, only brother to my lord the king, our sovereign and thine, in spite of all the divers oaths of brotherhood and fellowship thou hadst sworn to him; and for the numberless treacheries and disloyal acts that thou hast perpetrated, as well against our sovereign lord the king as against ourselves, we thus acquaint thee, that we shall make war upon and distress thee and thine by every possible means in our power. ‘And we appeal to God and justice against thy disloyalty and treason, and call for the assistance of every worthy man in this world. In testimony whereof, and to assure thee of its truth, we have subjoined the seal of me Charles of Orleans to these presents. Given at Gergeau, the 18th day of July.’ The above letter was delivered to the duke of Burgundy by a herald in his town of Douay, who, having considered its contents, wrote the following answer, which he sent by one of his heralds at arms to the aforesaid brothers. CHAP. XXIX. THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY SENDS AN ANSWER TO THE CHALLENGE OF THE DUKE OF ORLEANS AND HIS BROTHERS. ‘John duke of Burgundy, count of Artois, of Flanders, palatine of Burgundy, lord of Salines and of Malines,--to thee Charles, who stylest thyself duke of Orleans and Valois,--and to thee Philip, who signest thyself count of Vertus,--and to thee John, who callest thyself count of Angoulême, who have lately sent me your letters of defiance. ‘We make known to you, and to all the world, that to put an end to the abominable treasons and mischiefs that were daily plotted in various ways, against the person of our sovereign lord and king, and against all his royal offspring, by Louis your father, and to prevent your false and disloyal father from succeeding in his abominable designs against the person of our and his most redoubted lord and sovereign, which were become so notorious that no honest man ought to have suffered him to live, more especially we who are cousin-german to our lord the king, dean of the peerage, and twice a peer[69], felt it incumbent on us not to permit such a person longer to exist on the earth, and, by putting an end to his life, have done pleasure to God, and a most loyal service to our sovereign lord, in destroying a vile and disloyal traitor.