While this siege lasted, the king of England paid frequent visits to his queen at Corbeil, with whom was the duchess of Clarence, and other noble ladies from England. When the town had been thus blockaded on all sides, king Charles was brought thither to afford the besieged an opportunity of surrendering it to the king of France their natural lord; but to the summons made them they replied, that they would cheerfully throw open their gates to him alone, but that they would never pay obedience to the king of England, the ancient deadly enemy of France. Nevertheless, king Charles remained some time in the camp, under the care and management of his son-in-law the king of England; not indeed with his former state and pomp, for in comparison of past times it was a poor sight now to see him. He was accompanied by the queen of France, grandly attended by ladies and damsels; and they resided about a month in a house which king Henry had erected for them near to his tents, and at a distance from the town, that the cannon might not annoy them. Every day, at sun-rise and night-fall, eight or ten clarions, and divers other instruments, played most melodiously for an hour before the king of France's tent. In truth, the king of England was more magnificently attended during this siege than at any other during his reign, and was personally very active to accomplish his enterprise. While these things were passing, Pierre de Luxembourg count de Conversan and de Brienne, returning from this siege to his county of Brienne, and escorted by about sixty men at arms, was met by a party of Dauphinois from Meaux in Brie, namely Pierron de Lupel and others; and they being superior in numbers, carried him and his men prisoners to Meaux, where he remained until the king of England besieged that town, as you shall hear. At this period, the queen of Sicily, widow to king Louis of happy memory, granted permission, but not without heavy sighs, to her eldest son Louis to go to Rome to be crowned king of Sicily by the hands of the pope. She gave him into the charge of the Florentines and Genoese, who had entered the port of Marseilles with fifteen gallies, trusting not entirely to their loyalty, but demanding as hostages for her son eight of the most noble barons of Naples, who had come to fetch him by orders from the cities, chief towns, and principal noblemen of the realm. This they had done from hatred to their queen, wife to sir James de Bourbon count de la Marche. She had detained her husband in prison in consequence of her quarrels with him and his ministers. The young king Louis having embarked at Marseilles, which was a dependance of his mother's, sailed to Rome, and there solemnly received his kingdom from the hands of the pope, although he was not then crowned. He was thenceforward styled king Louis, as his late father had been. CHAP. XLIII.