At this time, there were great dissensions in England between Henry of Lancaster, king of that country, his son the prince of Wales, the earl of Warwick, and other nobles of that party, against Edward earl of March, who had usurped the throne. A civil war ensued, which was very bloody and murderous on both sides. This warfare lasted until the month of June in this year, when news was brought to the king of France, at Ham, that Edward had landed in England, with a large army of English, Easterlings, Flemings, Picards, and of other nations, which the duke of Burgundy had sent to his aid, and was on his march to meet the powers of Henry, Warwick, and the other lords of the lancastrian party: that several engagements had taken place, in which many were killed on each side,--but that victory had remained with Edward, as at well from treachery on the part of some of Henry's army as from other causes; that the prince of Wales was slain, which was a pity, for he was a very promising and handsome prince; that Warwick was dead,--which was a great loss, as he was singularly disposed to serve the king and his realm, and the king had been at a very considerable expense in supporting him while in France, and in conveying him back to England. This intelligence was, therefore, most disagreeable to the king. Having received this bad news, the king departed from Ham, taking with him the duke of Guienne, the count de Dammartin, the president of his chamber of accounts, and several others, to Paris,--where, however, he made no long stay. While he was there, many feasts were given,--and the king himself kindled the bonfire in the place of the Greve, on St John Baptist's day. On leaving Paris, he went to Orleans, where the prince of Piedmont fell so dangerously ill that he died. The king, after this, went to visit the queen and the dauphin at Amboise, and thence to Tours. The king was much displeased at the defamatory epigrams and libels that had been published against the constable and others; and for the better discovery of their authors, he had it proclaimed throughout Paris, by sound of trumpet, that all persons who had any knowledge of them should instantly appear and give information thereof to commissioners named for this purpose, who would pay three hundred golden crowns to each informer; and that such as should have any knowledge of the authors, and fail to inform against them, would have their heads cut off. A young scholar of Paris, called Pierre le Mercier, son to a spectacle maker in the palace, was confined on suspicion of having written them, but soon after set at liberty, nothing being proved against him. Master Henry Mariette, who had been lieutenant-criminal in the provost's court, was also confined, as well for these libels as for certain words he had used (as was said) against master John Ladriesche, treasurer of France, but was afterward delivered from the prison of the Conciergerie by the court of parliament.