The duke of Burgundy now resided at Bruges, and summoned the three estates of his country to assemble there, in his presence, on the 9th day of January. The count de Charolois was at this time in disgrace with his father, and he summoned the estates to meet him at Antwerp, on the 3d of the same month, to lay before them the reasons of his father's anger, that they might employ their means to bring about a reconciliation. But the duke, hearing of this, forbade any of the members of the estates to go near his son: however, some were already gone to him,--but others, who were on their road to Antwerp, did not go thither. On the 9th day of January, there was a grand assembly of the estates at Bruges, consisting of three bishops, sixty abbots, a great number of nobles, and deputies from all the principal towns. When they appeared before the duke, he returned them his thanks for their diligence and obedience, by the mouth of the bishop of Tournay, adding, that he had received such intelligence concerning his son, that he was too much troubled to say more to them at that time. The duke, nevertheless, could not help telling them, that he was angered against his son, because he suffered himself to be governed by persons whom the duke did not approve of, and because he would not obey his will. He then gave a paper to one of his secretaries, ordering him to read it to the assembly, saying, that it was what his son had written to him, and it was proper they all should hear it. The paper contained in substance, that the count de Charolois was in the utmost sorrow that his lord and father was angered against him, and entreated that he would no longer be displeased that he had not come when he had sent for him, and would hold him excused for disobeying his orders; for he could not appear before him so long as he was surrounded by those whom he suspected of intending to poison him, and who were daily seeking his death, of which he had received certain knowledge. The count thought that the anger of his father had its origin in three things: first, because the count did not love the lord de Croy, for reasons which he had before declared to the duke his father, in the presence of the said lord de Croy; and that he had now less cause to love him than before, for through him and his friends he had procured that the king of France should regain the country and towns that had been mortgaged on the Somme, to the great prejudice of himself and his heirs after him,--which, besides, ought not to have been done, as the king had not fulfilled various articles of the treaty of Arras. The second reason might, perhaps, be his having retained in his household the archdeacon of Avalon[28], after he had left the service of the count d'Estampes, which ought not to have troubled his father if he were acquainted with the cause, which he was ready to tell him whenever he should be pleased to hear it.