HOUSE OF ARTOIS:
MAHAUT, Countess of ARTOIS, widow of Count Othon IV of Burgundy, mother of the Queen Dowager Jeanne the Widow and grandmother of Duchess Jeanne of Burgundy, a Peer of France, aged 59.
ROBERT OF ARTOIS, Count of Beaumont-le-Roger, Lord of Conches, a nephew of the above, cousin and brother-in-law of King Philippe VI, a Peer of France, aged 41.
JEANNE OF VALOIS-COURTENAY, half-sister of King Philippe VI, wife of Robert of Artois, but always known as the Countess of BEAUMONT, aged 24.
PEERS, PRELATES AND DIGNITARIES OF THE HOUSE OF FRANCE:
LOUIS I, Duke of BOURBON, Great Chamberlain of France, grandson of Saint Louis, son of Robert of Clermont, a Peer of France.
LOUIS OF NEVERS, Count of Flanders, a Peer of France.
GUILLAUME DE TRYE, Duke-Archbishop of Reims, a Spiritual Peer.
JEAN DE MARIGNY, Count-Bishop of Beauvais, younger brother of Enguerrand de Marigny, a Spiritual Peer.
GAUCHER DE CHÂTILLON, Count of Porcien and Lord of Crèvecoeur, Constable of France 1302–1329.
RAOUL DE BRIENNE, Count of Eu, Constable on the decease of the above.
HUGUES, Count de BOUVILLE, ex-Chamberlain to Philip the Fair.
JEAN DE CHERCHEMONT, Chancellor in 1328.
GUILLAUME DE SAINT-MAURE, Chancellor from 1329.
MILLE DE NOYERS, ex-Marshal of France, President of the Exchequer, President of Parliament.
ROBERT BERTRAND, called the Knight of the Green Lion, and MATHIEU DE TRYE, Marshals of France.
BÉHUCHET, an Admiral.
JEAN THE FOOL, a dwarf.
LORDS, PRELATES AND DIGNITARIES OF THE HOUSE OF ENGLAND:
ROGER MORTIMER, eighth Baron Wigmore, first Earl of March, ex-Justiciar of Ireland, the lover of Isabella, the Queen Mother, aged 42.
WILLIAM DE MELTON, Archbishop of York, Primate of England.
HENRY DE BURGHERSH, Bishop of Lincoln, Chancellor and Ambassador.
ADAM ORLETON, formerly Bishop of Hereford, now of Worcester, and later of Winchester, Treasurer and Ambassador.
JOHN, Baron MALTRAVERS, Seneschal of England, aged about 38.
WILLIAM, Baron MONTACUTE, first Earl of SALISBURY, Councillor and Ambassador, later Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Marshal of England, aged 27.
GAUTIER DE MAUNY, Equerry to Queen Philippa.
JOHN DAVERILL, Governor of Corfe Castle.
WILLIAM ELAND, Governor of Nottingham Castle.
THE PRINCIPAL LAWYERS AND ACTORS IN THE ARTOIS CASE:
PIERRE DE VILLEBRESME, the Commissioner.
PIERRE TESSON, a notary.
JEANNE DE DIVION, ex-mistress of the late Bishop Thierry d’Hirson.
BEATRICE D’HIRSON, niece of Bishop Thierry, Lady-in-Waiting to the Countess Mahaut of Artois.
GILLET DE NELLE, Valet to Robert of Artois.
MARIE LA BLANCHE, MARIE LA NOIRE and JEANNETTE DESQUESNES, servants of Jeanne de Divion.
PIERRE DE MACHAUT, a witness.
ROBERT ROSSIGNOL, a forger.
MACIOT L’ALLEMANT, a Sergeant-at-Arms.
SIMON DE BUCY, the King’s Attorney.
THE EMPEROR OF GERMANY:
LOUIS V OF BAVARIA.
THE KING OF BOHEMIA:
JOHN OF LUXEMBURG, son of the Emperor Henry VII of Germany.
THE KING OF NAPLES:
ROBERT OF ANJOU-SICILY, called the Astrologer, uncle of King Philippe VI of France.
THE KING OF ARAGON:
ALFONSO IV.
THE KING OF HUNGARY:
LOUIS I, the Great.
THE POPES:
JOHN XXII, formerly Cardinal Jacques DUÈZE, BENEDICT XII (from 1334), formerly Jacques FOURNIER, called the White Cardinal.
JAKOB VAN ARTEVELDE, leader of the Flemish League.
COLA DI RIENZI, Tribune of Rome.
SPINELLO TOLOMEI, a Sienese banker.
JEAN I, THE POSTHUMOUS, called GIANNINO, son of Louis X, the Hutin, and Clémence of Hungary, pretender to the throne of France.
Mahaut, Countess of Artois, was in a very bad temper all the way home.
‘Did you hear what that great fool we’re unlucky enough to have for King said? He expects me to give up Artois, just like that, and merely to please him! The very idea of making that great foul Robert my heir! My hand would wither away before it signed a thing like that! They’ve clearly been accomplices in roguery for a long time past and owe each other a lot! And to think that if it weren’t for my having cleared the path to the throne …’
‘Mother …’ Jeanne murmured in a low voice.
If she had dared to say what she thought and had not been afraid of a savage rebuff, Jeanne would have advised her mother to accept the King’s proposals. But it would have done no good.
‘He’ll never get me to agree to that,’ repeated Mahaut.
Though she did not know it, she had signed her death-warrant; and her executioner was sitting opposite her in the litter, looking at her through her dark lashes.
