At the beginning of this year, namely, on Easter-Monday, the duke of Acquitaine set out from Paris with a noble company, and went to Senlis, to join the king his father. The king then departed from Senlis, attended by many princes and prelates, and a grand assemblage of chivalry, to fix his quarters at Verberie[1]. The queen and the duchess of Acquitaine, who had come with the duke from Paris, went to lodge at Meaux in Brie. The duke of Berry remained behind, as governor of Paris and the adjacent country. King Louis of Sicily went to Angiers, and thence returned to Paris, and did not attend the king on this expedition. The king of France, on leaving Verberie, marched toward Compiegne; and when he had approached near, he sent one of his heralds to the gates of the town, to announce to those within that the king was coming, that they might, like loyal subjects, admit him as their lord. The townsmen made answer, that they would very cheerfully admit him and his son, the duke of Aquitaine, with their attendants, but no more. The herald carried this answer to the king, who had lodged himself in a small house between the town and the forest, and the duke of Acquitaine in the monastery of Royaulieu. The other princes and captains quartered themselves as well as they could; and the king's batteries kept constantly playing against the town, to which they did much damage, while skirmishes frequently happened between the two parties. One of them is deserving of notice. When the month of May was near at hand, sir Hector, bastard of Bourbon, sent to inform the besieged, that on the first of May he would try their courage. On that day, he accordingly mounted his horse, attended by about two hundred able men at arms and some foot-soldiers, having all May garlands over their helmets: he led them to the gate of Pierrefons, to present a May garland to the besieged, as he had promised. The besieged made a stout resistance, insomuch that it became very serious, and several were killed and wounded on each side: the bastard of Bourbon had his horse killed under him, and was in great danger of being made prisoner or slain. While these things were passing, the duke of Burgundy held many conferences with the Flemings, to persuade them to levy a certain number of men, that he might raise the siege of Compiegne; but they refused, all edging that they could not bear arms against the king of France. The duke of Burgundy, to whom his people in Compiegne had sent to know if they might expect succours, advised them to make the best terms they could with the king and the duke of Acquitaine. On hearing this, they offered to open the gates to the king and his army, on condition that the troops of the duke of Burgundy should retire in safety with their effects,--they promising, or their captain for them, that they would never again oppose the king, or the duke of Acquitaine, in any town which belonged to them.