On the return of Golden Fleece king at arms, about the beginning of June, he told duke Philip his lord, that the king having learnt that he intended coming to Montar [Pg 2] gis with a very numerous army, which would unavoidably do great damage to the countries they should pass through, on that account held him excused from coming thither in person, and entreated that he would send three or four of his council to represent him.
The duke immediately appointed the count d'Estampes, sir Simon de Lalain, knights, and some clerks of his council, together with Golden Fleece king at arms, as his proxies at the ensuing meeting. Before this, however, took place, a great meeting was held at Gravelines, between commissioners from England and others sent by duke Philip.
Soon after, the count d'Estampes went under a passport to Calais, where he was grandly feasted by the English; and it was reported that a truce was then agreed on between the two countries. The first proposition was, that it belonged at all times to royal majesty to show mercy, and use clemency. The cardinal concluded by saying, that the king would act in this business with the advice of the princes of his blood, and the members of his council; [Pg 6] that the king would have been glad, and was desirous of the able assistance of the duke of Burgundy, whose absence he regretted, but that he would act in such wise that the duke of Burgundy and the public should be satisfied with the sentence he would give.
About this period, eight hundred combatants issued out of Calais and marched to Estaples, [3] where they found many vessels laden with wines from Poitou, which the Bretons had brought thither to sell, all of [Pg 11] which the English made them ransom.
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They gained also numbers of mules, which some merchants from Languedoc had conducted thither to carry back a cargo of salted herrings: these were also ransomed, and they carried away several prisoners. The duke of Burgundy sent this year, about Christmas, a handsome embassy to pope Pius at Rome, to do him homage for all his states, like a good son of the church, and, shortly afterward, another embassy to the king of France, to avoid a war, which every body conjectured would ensue, because the dauphin resided with the duke contrary to the will of his father, and had refused to return to France.
