Ebook The Pearl of Princesses

BY his marriage with Valentina of Milan, Louis, Duc d'orléans, the hapless brother of Charles VI, who, in November 1407, was so barbarously murdered in the streets of Paris, at the instigation of jean-sans-peur, Duke of Burgundy, had three sons; Louis, who succeeded to his father's title and the bulk of his parents' vast wealth, Philippe, Comte de Vertus, and Jean, Comte d'angouléme. Jean's patrimony was very considerable, including as it did both the counties of Angouleme and Perigord; but having, when civil war broke out a few years later, joined his elder brothers in summon ing the English to their aid, he found himself, after the Peace of, Bourges, a hostage in the hands of the English Government for the subsidies which had been promised them by the Armagnac party. He remained in captivity for thirty-two years, seven years longer than his eldest brother, the Due d'orléans, whom the battle of Agincourt consigned to a similar fate and, to obtain the sum demanded for his ransom, he was obliged to sell his county of Perigord to Jean de Bretagne, Comte de Penthiévre, and to mortgage other portions of his inherit ance. On his return to France, the Comte d'angouleme, who during his captivity had become exceedingly devout.