twenty years. The dauphin replied that he and all the princes of blood
royal present held that the charges against the Duke of Orleans had been
amply refuted, and that the demands with reference to the Duke of Burgundy
should be provided for in course of justice.

"Scarcely had the assembly broken up when it became known that Burgundy
and his army was on the way back to Paris. Resistance was out of the
question; therefore, taking the young dauphin with her, and accompanied by
all the members of the royal family, the queen retired to Tours. Burgundy,
unscrupulous as he was, finding that although he might remain master of
Paris, he could not hope to rule France, except when acting under the
pretence of the king's authority, soon sent an embassy to Tours to
endeavour to arrange matters. He was able to effect this with the less
difficulty, that the Duchess of Orleans had just died from grief at her
husband's death, and at the hopelessness of obtaining vengeance on his
murderer. The queen was won to the cause of Burgundy by secret proposals
submitted to her for a close league between them, and in March a treaty
was concluded, and a meeting took place at Chartres, at which the duke,
the king, the queen, the royal princes, and the young Duke of Orleans and
his adherents were present.

"The king declared that he pardoned the duke, and the princes of Orleans
consented to obey his orders and to lay aside all hatred and thoughts of
vengeance, and shortly afterwards Paris welcomed with shouts of joy the
return of the king and queen and the apparent reconciliation of all
parties. But the truce was a brief one; for the princes and adherents of
Orleans might bend before circumstances at the moment, but their feelings
were unchanged.

"A head of the party was needed, and the young duke married the daughter