On the Thursday following, there was a great complaint made in the Hotel de Ville by some of the citizens against the soldiers for having spoken and published certain words and speeches of a dangerous consequence to the inhabitants. Among other things, they boldly affirmed that neither the city of Paris nor anything in it belonged to the inhabitants, but to them who were quartered in it; that they would have the citizens know that the keys of their houses were at the soldiers’ disposal; that they would turn out the present possessors, and live in them themselves; and, in short, if the citizens pretended to make resistance, they should find, to their sorrow, they were able to conquer them. And the very same day a foolish Norman said openly at St. Denis’s gate that the Parisians were very weak to think that chaining up their streets would signify anything against the forces of their country. A report of these dangerous and insolent words being made to some of the officers of the Hotel de Ville, they immediately issued out an order commanding several streets to be chained up, and that every quartenier of Paris should cause great fires to be made in every ward under his jurisdiction, and that one of them should be in arms upon the watch before the Hotel de Ville all night, which was accordingly done. And that very night there was a hot report that the gate of the Bastille St. Anthoine was left open on purpose to let the Bretons and the Burgundians into the town; and, to confirm it the more, several cannon were found nailed up, and rendered unfit for service. On the Friday following, two pursuivants-at-arms arrived at Paris; one was despatched from Gisors to acquaint the king of the weak condition of that place, which was wholly unprovided with everything necessary for its defence, and to let his majesty know that if he did not send them a speedy supply of men, arms, ammunition, and provision, they must be forced to surrender to a body of six hundred horse that lay before the town. The other pursuivant was sent by one Hugh des Vignes, a man-at-arms belonging to M. de la Barde’s regiment, and who at that time was at Meulan, to inform the king that he was assured from very good hands that the Bretons had a design of surprising Rouen as they did Pontoise, if they were not prevented. And on the same day the ambassadors that were chosen on both sides dined together at St. Anthoine des Champs without Paris; and on the next day the same ambassadors on both sides were assembled again, but in two distinct parties, that is to say, the Duke du Maine and those of his party, who were for the king, with the rest of the lords and princes, were all of them together at the Grange-aux-Merciers. There were also several others nominated by the king, who were at St. Anthoine des Champs; but notwithstanding this meeting, very little business was despatched this day.