On the 20th of November, a gentleman called Regnault de Valoux, a native of Poitou, and greatly in the confidence of the count du Maine, was, by sentence of the court of parliament, brought to Paris to be executed and quartered, for having made many journies to divers great lords of the realm, to induce them to form conspiracies against the king, and to the prejudice of the kingdom and the public welfare. By orders of the court, great attention was paid to the future salvation of the soul of Regnault; for the curate of the Magdalen-church at Paris a very able divine, and two learned clerks, cordelier friars, were allowed him. His members were hung on four of the gates at Paris, and his body on the gibbet. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 51: Tronquoy,--a village in Picardy, near Mondidier.] [Footnote 52: Ecouis,--a market-town in Vexin Norman, eight leagues from Rouen.] [Footnote 53: Gaillarbois.--near Ecouis.] [Footnote 54: Château Chinon,--in the Nivernois, capital of Morvaut.] [Footnote 55: Pecquigny,--three leagues from Amiens, on the road from Calais to Paris.] [Footnote 56: Comines says, that they saluted each other most respectfully,--and that, during the stay of Edward, Louis was very anxious to avoid showing any appearance of ridiculing the English.] [Footnote 57: 'A.D. 1475. With fifteen hundred nobles and gentlemen, and fourteen thousand archers on horseback, besides a numerous body on foot, did Edward (IV.) invade the dominions of France from Calais. Had the king been steady, his allies faithful, and his courtiers honest, nothing but a miracle could have saved the dastardly detested Louis (XI.) But the admirable policy of that king, never displayed before or since (on so honest an occasion), the want of conduct in Burgundy and sincerity in St Pol, together with the atrocious corruption of the english nobles and indolence of Edward, combined to rescue the monarchy of France from utter ruin. Louis most wisely abandoned every punctilio, suffered with patience the insolence of the invaders, bribed judiciously with an unsparing hand, consented to an immediate payment of 75,000 crowns, and an annual tribute of 50,000,--and at length sent his enemies, defeated of their expectations and covered with ridicule, to wait the effect of promises which were never meant to be performed.' _Andrews' Hist. of England._] [Footnote 58: Comines calls him sir John Cheam and Chaney.] CHAP. XX.