'I have also, for greater humiliation, and to take away all suspicions he may have conceived against me, (who have never done him wrong) frankly made offer to ask his mercy, which offer he has not been pleased to accept, but has seized on the lands I and my wife possess in Flanders and in Brabant. This I think extremely hard, considering that I am no way culpable in the above affair, and have, besides, proposed to refer the whole to a court of justice: should I be found guilty, (which cannot be the case) there can be no reasonable ground for the confiscation of my lands, even according to the laws and usages of those countries. 'All these things I have fully declared to the lord de Santhois, who, of his courtesy, has come to visit me; and I have entreated of him to remonstrate with my lord duke, beseeching him that he would, out of his good grace, refer the whole matter to a court of justice, for that I was ready to appear in my defence before my said lord the duke of Burgundy, my lords companions of his order, and in the presence of his council,--or before the three estates of Flanders and Brabant,--or before the judges within whose jurisdictions my lands lie. 'I supplicated at the same time my most redoubted lord, that he would accede to one of these proposals, and set my lands at liberty; for I am unwilling to fly from the justice of my said lord, or to seek other princes and judges than those to whom I have already offered to submit myself. 'It seems to me that, under God, justice, and nobility, what I demand, ought not to be refused me; for I do not think I can offer fairer terms, or show greater duty, than to submit myself to be judged by my said lord, who is a prince of such high renown, by my lords companions of his order, who are his brethren, relations or friends, or persons selected for their valour and wisdom, or by his council, and by the three estates and judges of his countries of Flanders and Brabant, who are persons of consummate learning and prudence; offering, at the same time, to present myself and beg pardon of my said renowned lord the duke, notwithstanding that I have never, in any one instance, done him wrong, as I have said before. 'Nevertheless, I have heard from some, who have purposely come to me, that the duke will not receive my offers until I shall have given up to his pleasures Jacotin de Bethune,--which is a thing impossible for me to do, as he is not within my power: and it is not to be supposed that any person who knew that he had incurred the anger of so powerful a prince as my most redoubted lord would suffer himself to be arrested, when certain martyrdom would be the consequence.