ise_."

Guillaume de Biche acted as confidential messenger between duke and
king. He it was whom Charles had dismissed from his own service in
1456 at his father's instance. From that time on the man had been in
Louis's household, deep in his secrets it was said, and certainly
admitted to his privacy to an extraordinary degree. This letter was
written by Charles in the presence of Biche, through whose hand it
passed directly to the king.

By October, Louis was at Ham, prepared to move as soon as the
safe-conduct arrived. No time was lost after its receipt. On Sunday,
October 9th, the king started out, accompanied by the Bishop of
Avranches, his confessor, by the Duke of Bourbon, Cardinal Balue,
St. Pol, a few more nobles, and about eighty archers of the Scottish
guard. As he rode towards Peronne, Philip of Crevecoeur, with two
hundred lances, met him on the way to act as his escort to the
presence of the duke, who awaited his guest on the banks of a stream a
short distance out of Peronne.

St. Pol was the first of the royal party to meet the duke as herald of
Louis's approach. Then Charles rode forward to greet the traveller. As
he came within sight of his cousin, he bowed low to his saddle and was
about to dismount when Louis, his head bared, prevented his action.
Fervent were the kisses pressed by the kingly lips upon the duke's
cheeks, while Louis's arm rested lovingly about the latter's neck.
Then he turned graciously to the by-standing nobles and greeted them
by name. But his cousinly affection was not yet satisfied. Again he
embraced Charles and held him half as long as before in his arms. How
pleasant he was and how full of confidence towards this trusted cousin
of his!

The cavalcade fell into line again, with the two princes in the
middle, and made a stately entry into Peronne at a little after
mid-day.[7] The chief building then and the natural place to lodge
a royal visitor was the castle. But it was in sorry repair, ill
furnished, and affording less comfort than a neighbouring house
belonging to a city official. Here rooms had been prepared for the
king and a few of his suite, the others being quartered through the
town. At the door Charles took his leave and Louis entered alone with
Cardinal Balue and the attendants he had chosen to keep near him.
These latter were nearly all of inferior birth, and were treated
by their master with a familiarity very astonishing to the stately
Burgundians.

Louis en