spoke little of what he intended to do--only to some few that were about
him he promised sundry of the Duke's lordships and possessions.

As the King was upon the road toward us, he received from all parts the
welcome news of the delivering up the castles of Han and Bohain, and that
the inhabitants of St. Quentin had secured that town for themselves, and
opened their gates to their neighbor, the Lord of Mouy. He was certain
of Peronne, which was commanded by Master William Bische, and, by the
overtures that we and several other persons had made him, he was in great
hopes that the Lord des Cordes would strike in with his interest. To
Ghent he sent his barber, Master Oliver, [1] born in a small village
not far off; and other agents he sent to other places, with great
expectations from all of them; and most of them promised him very fair,
but performed nothing. Upon the King's arrival near Peronne, I went to
wait on his majesty, and at the same time William Bische and others
brought him the surrender of the town of Peronne, with which he was
extremely pleased.

The King stayed there that day, and I dined with him, according to my
usual custom, for it was his humor to have seven or eight always with him
at table, and sometimes many more. After dinner he withdrew, and seemed
not to be at all pleased with the Admiral's little exploit and mine; he
told us he had sent his barber, Master Oliver, to Ghent, and he doubted
not but he would persuade that town to submit to him; and Robinet
Dodenfort to St. Omer, as he had great interest there; and these his
majesty extolled as fit persons to manage such affairs, to receive the
keys of great towns, and to put garrisons of his troops into them. He
also mentioned others whom he had employed in the same negotiation in
other places.

While the King was busy in subduing towns and places in the marches of
Picardy, his army was in Burgundy, under the command, apparently, of the
Prince of Orange, a native and subject of the county of Burgundy, but one
who had recently, for the second time, become an enemy of Duke Charles,
so that the King made use of him, because he was a powerful noble in both
the county and duchy of Burgundy, and was likewise well connected and
greatly beloved. But the Lord of Craon was the King's lieutenant, and had
the real charge of the army, and was the person in whom the King reposed
most confidence; for he was a man of great wisdom, and thoroughly devoted
to his ma