[Footnote 23: This council, the eighteenth general council was first held at Basil, and, after many quarrels had arisen between it and the pope, he transferred it first to Ferrara, and thence to Florence, for the better accommodation of the Greeks. Many of the members of the council, however, remained at Basil, deposed pope Eugenius, and elected Amadeus duke of Savoy pope, under the name of Felix V. See Hist. des Conciles, L'Art de Verifier les Dates, &c. &c.] [Footnote 24: _Aux avichoix._ Denys Sauvage, in his annotations seems as much puzzled about this word as I have been. He says, that, 'avichoix' may perhaps mean advice or counsel,--and adds that the whole of this bull is full of faults, from his not having a latin one to correct it by. I have endeavoured to find it in Dumont's Corps Universel Diplomatique. There is in that collection a bull of pope Engenius, dated Florence, November 1439, condemning the acts of the council at Basil toward the pope. It is indeed a decree of the council of Florence; but it has not any resemblance to this bull, for it was issued to annul the celebrated decree of the council of Basil, declaring the powers of a general council superior to those of the pope.] [Footnote 25: This was not a general council. It was held at Ephesus in the year 449. The reigning pope was St Léon.--See L'Art de Verifier les Dates.] CHAP. XXVIII. SIR JOHN DE LUXEMBOURG, IN CONSEQUENCE OF BEING IN THE ILL GRACES OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, SENDS LETTERS TO THE KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE. From reports that had been made to the duke of Burgundy injurious to sir John de Luxembourg, count de Ligny he was greatly displeased with him, and chiefly because he retained in his towns and castles large bodies of men at arms, who made frequent inroads on his subjects and country. Sir John, having been informed of this, sent letters to exculpate himself to the knights-companions of the Golden Fleece, the contents of which were literally as follows. 'Very dear brothers, and companions, I have lately learnt from some true friends, that my redoubted lord the duke of Burgundy is angered against me, by reason of some reports that had been made to him. In consequence, I sent John Taillemonde and my secretary Huet with letters, to supplicate him that he would have the kindness not to be angered against me, nor hold me in his indignation, without first hearing me in my own justification and defence. 'He sent me by them credential letters,--and told them verbally the grounds of his discontent against me, from the reports that had been made him. As the charges seemed to them very heavy, they required to have them put in writing, but never could obtain it, which appears to me very surprising. However, they repeated them to me as well as they were able, and thereupon I wrote to my said lord my justification.