The night this murder was committed the count de St Pol and many others of the nobility armed themselves, and went to the hôtel de St Pol, where the king resided, not knowing how far these matters might be carried.
When the body of the duke of Orleans had been interred, as has been related, the princes of the blood assembled at the hôtel of the king of Sicily, with the council of state, whither the provost of Paris and others of the king’s lawyers were summoned, and ordered by the princes to make the most diligent inquiries, by every possible means, after the perpetrators and accomplices of this base act. All the gates of Paris were commanded to be closed, except two, and those to be well guarded, that all who might pass them should be known.
Having given these orders, the lords and the council retired to their hôtels in much sorrow and grief. On the morrow, the council was again assembled at the king’s palace of St Pol, in the presence of the king of Sicily, the dukes of Berry, Burgundy and Bourbon, and other great lords. On the entrance of the provost of Paris, he was asked by the duke of Berry what measures he had taken to discover the murderers of so great a prince as the king’s brother. The provost replied, that he had used all diligence in his researches, but in vain,—adding, that if the king and the great lords present would permit him to search their hôtels, and those of other great lords in Paris, he made no doubt but that he should discover the murderers and their accomplices. The king of Sicily, and the dukes of Berry and Bourbon, gave him instant orders to search wherever he pleased.
The duke of Burgundy, hearing such positive orders given, began to be alarmed, and, drawing king Louis and his uncle, the duke of Berry, aside, briefly[112] confessed to them what he had done, saying, that by the temptation of the devil he had committed the murder by means of Auctonville and his accomplices[113]. The two princes were so much astonished and grieved at this confession that they were scarcely enabled to make him any reply, but what they did say was reproving him bitterly for having committed so base an act against his cousin-german[114].
After this confession of the duke of Burgundy, they returned to the council-chamber, but did not immediately declare what had passed between them,—when the council broke up, and all retired to their hôtels.