THE KING'S MINISTERS ARE GREATLY ALARMED AT THE ARREST OF SIR PETER DES ESSARS AND OF THE DUKE OF BAR.—OTHER PROCEEDINGS OF THE PARISIANS.

At the beginning of this year, the king's ministers, that is to say, those who had had the management of the finances under their care for twenty years past, were much pressed to give in their accounts. Several public and private accusations were made against them, which caused the greater part to fear that they should not escape with honour. Many had been arrested, and others had fled, whose fortunes had been sequestrated by the king.

They sought, therefore, by divers means, to obtain the protection of those princes who governed the king; and sir Peter des Essars, who had fled to Cherbourg, through the interest of the duke of Acquitaine, was remanded to Paris. He secretly entered the bastille with his brother sir Anthony, but not so privately as to prevent its being known to some of the Parisians, who disliked him, and who instantly acquainted the duke of Burgundy and his people with it, by whom he was equally hated. A party of the commonalty was soon collected; and headed by sir Elion de Jacqueville, then governor of Paris, and some others of the duke of Burgundy's friends, they marched to the bastille, and made prisoners of sir Peter des Essars and his brother, whom they first led to the castle of the Louvre and then to the prison of the palace. When this was done, they again assembled, to the amount of six thousand, under the standard of the aforesaid Jacqueville, who was joined by sir Robert de Mailly, sir Charles de Lens, and several other men at arms of the household of the duke of Burgundy,—and about ten o'clock in the morning they drew up before the hÔtel of the duke of Acquitaine.

The principal instigators of this insurrection of the commonalty were, Jeannot Caboche, a skinner of the slaughter-house of Saint James, master John de Troyes, a surgeon at Paris, and Denisot de Chaumont, who, having forcibly entered the apartment of the duke, addressed him as follows: 'Our most redoubted lord, here are the Parisians, but not all in arms, who on behalf of your good town of Paris, and for the welfare of your father and yourself, require that you cause to be delivered up to them certain traitors who are now in your hÔtel.'

The duke, in a fury, replied, that such affairs did not belong to them, and that there were no traitors in his hÔtel. They answered, that if he were willing to give them up, well and good,—otherwise they would take them before his face, and punish them according to their deserts. During this conversation, the dukes of Burgundy and of Lorraine arrived; and several of the Parisians at the same time entered the hÔtel, and instantly seized master Jean de Vailly, the duke's new chancellor, Edward duke of Bar, cousin-german to the king, sir James de la Riviere, the two sons of the lord de Boissay, Michel de Vitry and his brother, the two sons of sir Reginald de Guiennes, the two brothers de Maisnel, the two de Geremmes, and Peter de Naisson.

The duke of Acquitaine, witnessing this outrage committed before his eyes, turned to the duke of Burgundy, and angrily said,—'Father-in-law, this insurrection has been caused by your advice: you cannot deny it, for those of your household are the leaders of it. Know, therefore, that you shall one day repent of this; and the state shall not alway be governed according to your will and pleasure.'

The duke of Burgundy replied, by way of excusing himself, 'My lord, you will inform yourself better, when your passion shall be somewhat cooled.' But, notwithstanding this, those who had been seized were carried off, and confined in different prisons.

They afterward made search for master Raoul Bridoul, the king's secretary, who, as they were carrying him away, was struck by one that hated him with a battle-axe on the head, and thrown dead into the Seine. They also murdered a very rich upholsterer, who was an eloquent man, called Martin d'Aue, and a cannon-founder, an excellent workman, but who had been of the Orleans-party, whose bodies they left naked two whole days in the square of St Catherine.

They compelled the duke of Acquitaine to reside with the king his father, in the hÔtel de St Pol, and carefully guarded the gates that he might not quit Paris. Some said this was done for his amendment, as he was very young, and impatient of contradiction, but others assigned different reasons: among them was one, that he had intended to have tilted on May-day in the forest of Vincennes, and that he had ordered sir Peter des Essars to meet him there with six hundred helmets, and to pay them for one month, and that this order had been executed. It was added, that the duke of Orleans and those of his party were collecting large bodies of men at arms to join the duke of Acquitaine in the forest of Vincennes, which had greatly displeased the duke of Burgundy and the Parisians.

It was melancholy to behold this reign of the mob, and the manner in which they conducted themselves in Paris, as well toward the king as toward the other lords. They also wrote letters to the different towns to inform them that what they had done was for the welfare of the king and kingdom, and required of them to give them all aid and advice should there be any necessity for it, and to remain obedient in their fidelity to the king and his eldest son.

Afterward, that no assembly of men at arms might be made by any lord, the king, at the request of these same Parisians, published an edict, addressed to all the seneschals and bailiffs in the realm, of the following tenour.

'Charles, by the grace of God, king of France, to the bailiff of Amiens, or to his lieutenant, greeting.

'Whereas, in the divisions and disputes that so lately harrassed our kingdom, we, and our very dear eldest son the duke of Acquitaine, dauphin of Viennois, have so successfully laboured, that, through God's grace, we have established a solid peace in our realm, for the observance of which the greater part of our liege subjects have given security, and have promised, on their oaths, to keep and preserve it, and not to issue any summons, or to raise any men, without our express permission.

'Notwithstanding this, we have heard that some of our blood, and others, are making preparation to raise men, by way of companies, in different parts of our kingdom, which may not only be very expensive to the country, but cause other great inconveniences, unless an immediate remedy be provided.

'These, therefore, are to enjoin you to cause this our prohibition to be most publicly proclaimed in the usual places within your bailiwick, and to forbid any person, under penalty of death and confiscation of goods, whether baron, knight or others, to obey any summons from their superior lord, unless so ordered by us, our son, or our well-beloved cousin the count de St Pol, constable of France, or others so commissioned by us. That no doubts may arise in regard to these our intentions, we send you this sealed with our great seal. You will likewise inform all our vassals, that whenever and wherever we, or our son, may send for them, they must obey.

'And because our very dear uncle and cousin the dukes of Berry and of Lorraine are continually in our service, our intention is not that their vassals or subjects should be prevented going to them whenever they are sent for, or whenever they may employ them in our service; and should any in your bailiwick act contrary to the premises, we will and order that you constrain them to do their duty, by arrest and seizure of goods.

'Given at Paris the 9th day of May in the year 1413, and of our reign the 33d.' It was thus signed by the king, on the report made to him of the council held by the dukes of Acquitaine, Berry and Lorraine, and others, by J. Millet. It was then sent off, and proclaimed throughout the kingdom in the usual places.

The Parisians in those days wore an uniform dress with white hoods, to distinguish all who were of their party. They even made many of the nobles and prelates wear it; and what was more, the king himself afterward put it on, which seemed to many discreet persons very ridiculous, considering the abominable and detestable manner of the Parisians, and their cruelties, which were almost beyond bearing; but they were so powerful, and obstinate in their wickedness, that the princes knew not well how to provide a remedy. They were also strengthened in it from the belief that they should be supported by the duke of Burgundy and his party, should there be occasion for it.