The capital was undoubtedly saved from pillage and devastation by the provident care of Marcel. In spite, however, of his exertions, his popularity waned; the minds of his fellow citizens were poisoned by the arts and insinuations of the dauphin’s friends, and irritated by his connection with the king of Navarre, whose troops were mercilessly ravaging all the circumjacent country. While the Parisians were in this ferment, the dauphin promised a general amnesty to them, on condition of their giving up to him the Provost, and twelve other persons, whom he should select. Fearing, probably, that this temptation would be too great for them to resist, the Provost, in an evil hour, resolved to admit into the city the troops of the king of Navarre. It is also said, though there does not appear to be any proof of the fact, that he intended to make a general massacre of the opposite party, and transfer the crown of France to Charles the Bad. For this we have only the word of his enemies. It was on the night of the 31st of July, 1358, that Marcel designed to open the gates of Paris to the Navarrese soldiery. He was too late. At noon, he went to the gate of the bastile of St. Denis, and ordered the guard to deliver up the keys to Joceran de Mascon, the king of Navarre’s treasurer. The guard refused to comply, and a loud altercation arose. The noise brought to the place John Maillard, the commandant of the quarter. Up to this moment, Maillard had been the zealous friend of Marcel, but he now resolutely opposed the scheme of the latter. A violent quarrel ensued between them, which ended by Maillard springing on horseback, unfurling the banner of France, and summoning the citizens to assist him in preventing the Provost from betraying the city to the English. The summons speedily brought a throng around him. The friends of the dauphin, likewise, did not let slip this opportunity of acting in his behalf. A considerable body of men was collected by them, at the head of which were placed two gentlemen, named Pepin des Essarts and John de Charny.