The king, understanding that all the great lords of his kingdom had declared against him, or at least against his government, resolved first of all to invade the Duke of Bourbon’s dominions, who seemed to have most openly declared himself against him; and because his country was in an ill posture of defence, he believed he might easily conquer it. Accordingly he made himself master of several places, and would have entirely subdued the whole province, had he not been prevented by succours from Burgundy under the command of the Lord of Coulches[52], the Marquis of Rottelin[53], the Lord of Montagu[54], and others; with whom there was also in arms William de Rochefort[55], Chancellor of France, a person at this day in very good esteem. These forces were raised in Burgundy by the Count of Beaujeu[56] and the Cardinal of Bourbon[57] (who was brother to John, Duke of Bourbon), and by them thrown into Moulins. On the other side also, reinforcements were sent to the Duke of Bourbon, by the Duke of Nemours[58], the Count of Armagnac[59], and the Lord of Albret[60], with a strong party of men, some of whom were very good soldiers, who had deserted the king’s side, and had retired to them; yet the greatest number of them were very ill provided, and having no pay, they were forced to live upon free quarters. But the king, for all their great numbers, found them employment enough; so that by degrees they came to a treaty; especially the Duke of Nemours, who swore fealty to the king[61], and engaged to continue firm and loyal to his cause: however, he afterwards revolted, which was the occasion (as the king often told me) of the displeasure he retained against him so long. But when the king found he could not finish the war in the Bourbonnois so soon as he expected, and that the Count of Charolois was advancing on Paris, apprehending lest the Parisians should give admission to him, and to the Dukes of Berry and Bretagne (who were marching from Bretagne, and all of them pretending the good of the kingdom), and fearing likewise that if the Parisians should receive them, all the other towns would do the like—he resolved by great marches to throw himself and what forces he had with him into Paris, and (if possible) hinder the conjunction of those two mighty armies; but he had no intention of fighting, as he has since told me many times in our discourse about these affairs. CH. III.—How the Count of Charolois encamped with his Army near Montlhery, and of the Battle fought in that place between him and the King of France.—1465.