Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés

A theft from a merchant's warehouse near the Greve.

a complaint from the Abbey of Saint-Germain about students trespassing on its land, a suspicious stranger staying at an inn in the Rue Saint-Denis.

Then there might be a visit from an official of the Parlement, or a summons to appear before the Royal Council, where the Provost would be expected to report on the state of the city and receive instructions.

In times of unrest, there would be orders to strengthen the watch, to check the chains that could be stretched across the ends of streets to block them, or to make sure that householders hung lanterns at their doors.

Town, gown and a field called the Préau Clerks.

The tension between students and the rest of Paris never really went away.

One recurring flashpoint was a meadow on the left bank called the Préau Claire, the Clark's Meadow, near the great Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Students used it as a place for recreation, games and, shall we say, energetic socialising.