Chapter LXXXVII

THE PROVOST OF THE MERCHANTS OF PARIS KILLS THREE KNIGHTS IN THE APARTMENT OF THE PRINCE.

During the time that the three estates governed the kingdom, all sorts of people united themselves together, under the name of Free Companies: they made war upon every man that was worth robbing. I must here inform you that the nobles and prelates of the realm and church began to be weary of the government and regulations of the three estates: they therefore permitted the provost of the merchants of Paris to summon some of the citizens, because they were going greater lengths than they approved of.

It happened one day, when the regent of France was in his palace at Paris, with many knights, nobles, and prelates, that the provost of the merchants collected also a great number of the common people of Paris, who were devoted to him, all wearing caps similar to his own, that they might know each other; and, attended by this crowd, the provost came to the palace. He entered the apartment of the duke,[27] and demanded of him, in an insolent manner, to take the management of the kingdom of France, and to govern it wisely (since it would become his by inheritance), that all those free companies who at present were overrunning the country might be prevented from doing further mischief. The duke replied that he would very willingly comply with his request if he had the means to carry it into execution, but that it more properly belonged to those who had raised and received the imposts due to the realm to perform it. I cannot pretend to say how it happened; but words increased so much, and with such warmth, that at last three of the principal counsellors of the duke were slain, and so near to him that their blood flew over his robe: he himself was in very great danger, but they had put one of their caps on his head, and he consented to pardon the death of his three knights. Two of them were knights of arms, and the other of laws. Their names were, the Lord Robert de Clermont, a gallant and magnificent knight, and the Lord de Conflans: the knight of laws was the Lord Simon de Buci.