In compliance with their request, he sent thither sir Jennet de Poix, Jacques de Fosseux, the lord de St Leger, and Binet d'Auffeu, who brought credential letters, signed by the duke, to those whom he knew to be attached to his party.
The Parisians, having thus entered into a conspiracy under pretence of the severity of the new tax, swore to rise in a body in the afternoon of Good Friday, and make prisoners of all that should oppose them. Their first object was to seize the provost of Paris, and, if he refused to sanction their conduct, they intended to kill him and then seize and confine the king. They were afterward to put to death the queen, the chancellor of France and numberless others, with the queen of Sicily; and after dressing the king of Sicily and the duke of Berry in some old cloaths of the king, and shaving their heads, to carry them through Paris on two lean bullocks, and then put them to death. The day of action was however put off by some of the conspirators, who said that many of their intended victims might escape on Good Friday, from being at their devotions in and out of Paris, or at confession in the churches, or on pilgrimages, which would prevent them being found at their houses,--and that it would be better to defer the matter until Easter-Day, when they all promised to meet for the above purposes.
This conspiracy was revealed by the wife of Michel Lallier, who sent letters to her lover, Bureau de Dampmartin, advising him to fly instantly from Paris. This he did; but, before his departure, sent information of it to the chancellor, as he was at dinner, who lost no time in hastening to the Louvre, to advise the queen and princes of the blood to save themselves by flight. His council was followed by all except the provost of Paris, who, arming himself and his men, to the number of fifty, suddenly took possession of the market-place, and seized some of the conspirators before they had armed themselves, in their houses, and imprisoned them in the Châtelet, which so confounded the other conspirators that an end was put to their project.
The provost, being reinforced with men at arms, forced different houses in which he found many gentlemen hidden, who were armed for this massacre. In the number, he seized sir Almeric d'Orgemont, archdeacon of Amiens, dean of Tours and canon of Paris, with one of the presidents of the chamber of accounts and some masters of requests, Robert de Belloy, a very rich draper, the host of the hôtel of the Bear, at the Porte Baudet, and many other considerable persons.