seize her. With this enterprise, he charged one
of his men, Andrieu de Beaumont, who had formerly been employed to
carry off the Sire de la Tremouille. But, as Andrieu de Beaumont had
failed with the Chamberlain, so he failed with the Maid.[1302]

[Footnote 1301: Letter from Charles VII to the people of Dauphine,
published by Fauche-Prunelle, in _Bull. de l'Acad. Delphinale_, vol.
ii, p. 459; to the inhabitants of Tours (Archives de Tours, _Registre
des comptes XXIV_), in _Cabinet historique_, I, C. p. 109; to those of
Poitiers, Redet, in _Les memoires de la Societe des Antiquaires de
l'Ouest_, vol. iii, p. 406; _Relation du greffier de la Rochelle_ in
_Revue historique_, vol. iv, p. 459.]

[Footnote 1302: _Journal du siege_, pp. 106, 108; Jean Chartier,
_Chronique_, vol. i, p. 89; Gruel, _Chronique de Richemont_, p. 74;
Monstrelet, vol. iv, pp. 344, 347; E. Cosneau, _Le connetable de
Richemont_, pp. 181, 182.]

Probably she herself knew nothing of this plot. She besought the King
to pardon the Constable,--a request which proves how great was her
naivete. By royal command Richemont received back his lordship of
Parthenay.[1303]

[Footnote 1303: 1431, 8th of May. A decree condemning Andre de
Beaumont to suffer capital punishment as being guilty of high treason.
(Arch. nat. J. 366.) For a complete copy of this document I am
indebted to Monsieur Pierre Champion.]

Duke John of Brittany, who had married a sister of Charles of Valois,
was not always pleased with his brother-in-law's counsellors. In 1420,
considering him too Burgundian, they had devised for him a Bridge of
Montereau.[1304] In reality, he was neither Armagnac nor Burgundian
nor French nor English, but Breton. In 1423 he recognised the Treaty
of Troyes; but two years later, when his brother, the Duke of
Richemont, had gone over to the French King and received the
Constable's sword from him, Duke John went to Charles of Valois, at
Saumur, and did homage for his duchy.[1305] In short, he extricated
himself cleverly from the most embarrassing situations and succeeded
in remaining outside the quarrel of the two kings who were both eager
to involve him in it. While France and England were cutting each
other's throats, he was raising Brittany from its ruins.[1306]

[Footnote 1304: Monstrelet, vol. iv, p. 30; De Beaucourt, _Histoire de
Charles VII_, vol. i, pp. 202 _et seq._]

[Footnote 1305: Dom Morice, _Histoire de Bretagne_, vol. ii, col.
1135-6; De Beauc