THE

 CHRONICLES

 OF

 ENGUERRAND DE MONSTRELET.




 _H. Bryer, Printer, Bridge-Street, Blackfriars, London_




 THE

 CHRONICLES

 OF

 ENGUERRAND DE MONSTRELET;

 CONTAINING

 AN ACCOUNT OF THE CRUEL CIVIL WARS BETWEEN THE HOUSES OF

 ORLEANS AND BURGUNDY;

 OF THE POSSESSION OF

 PARIS AND NORMANDY BY THE ENGLISH;

 _THEIR EXPULSION THENCE_;

 AND OF OTHER

 MEMORABLE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE,

 AS WELL AS IN OTHER COUNTRIES.

 _A HISTORY OF FAIR EXAMPLE, AND OF GREAT PROFIT TO THE
 FRENCH_,

 _Beginning at the Year_ MCCCC. _where that of Sir JOHN FROISSART finishes,
  and ending at the Year_ MCCCCLXVII. _and continued by others to
  the Year_ MDXVI.

 TRANSLATED

 BY THOMAS JOHNES, ESQ.

 IN THIRTEEN VOLUMES ... VOL. X.

 LONDON:

 PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, PATERNOSTER-ROW;
 AND J. WHITE AND CO. FLEET-STREET.

 1810.




CONTENTS

OF

_THE TENTH VOLUME_.


                                                          PAGE

  CHAP. I.

  The king of France countermands his summons
  to the duke of Burgundy, forbids
  him to come to Montargis, and orders
  him to send thither three or four of his
  nobles to consult with the other peers of
  France. Slight mention made of the sentence
  passed on the duke of Alençon in
  the town of Vendôme, with the reservation
  of the king's approval                                      1


  CHAP. II.

  The king's sentence on the duke d'Alençon
  read in his presence while seated on his
  judgment-seat, by his chancellor                            6


  CHAP. III.

  The English make an inroad on the Boulonnois
  from Calais. The duke of Burgundy
  sends an embassy to the pope, and fortifies
  his towns against the English. Arthur
  of Brittany dies, and is succeeded in
  the dukedom by the count d'Estampes.
  Other events                                               10


  CHAP. IV.

  The king of France summons the twelve
  peers of France to the town of Montargis,
  to hear sentence passed on the duke
  d'Alençon. Of the death of pope Calixtus.
  The king transfers the court of justice
  from Montargis to Vendôme                                  13


  CHAP. V.

  The duke of Alençon is convicted, and condemned
  to death for having intended to
  deliver up his strong places to the English,
  the ancient enemies of France, and to introduce
  them into Normandy                                         15


  CHAP. VI.

  The ambassadors from England are denied
  access to the king of France. The duke
  of Cleves attends the meeting of princes
  at Mantua. The dauphiness brought to
  bed of a son at Genappe. The king of
  Scotland killed by a splinter from a bomb                  41


  CHAP. VII.

  Slight mention made of the rebellion and
  discord in England. Other incidents                        48


  CHAP. VIII.

  Edward earl of Marche, eldest son to the
  late duke of York, defeats in battle queen
  Margaret of England and obtains the
  crown by means of the Londoners. The
  queen seeks aid from the Scots                             53


  CHAP. IX.

  King Charles of France, having been told
  that it was intended to poison him, fell
  sick at heart and died                                     60


  CHAP. X.

  Twelve houses are burnt in the village of
  Juchy, near Cambray. The duke of Burgundy
  holds the feast of the Golden
  Fleece, at St Omer. The dauphiness
  brought to bed of a princess, at Genappe.
  Ambassadors from the Holy Land come to
  the court of France, and thence to the
  court of Burgundy                                          62


  CHAP. XI.

  Of the death of Charles VII. king of
  France. Of the troubles and difficulties
  he had to encounter at the commencement
  of his reign, and of his glorious and great
  feats of arms                                              67


  CHAP. XII.

  The dauphin and the duke of Burgundy
  make preparations to go to Rheims, for
  the coronation of the dauphin. Of the
  interment of the late king Charles. The
  coronation of king Louis XI. at Rheims.
  Other matters                                              70


  CHAP. XIII.

  King Louis XI. makes his public entry into
  Paris. The handsome reception he meets
  with. The great magnificence of the
  duke of Burgundy and his attendants                        77


  CHAP. XIV.

  The king and the duke of Burgundy take
  leave of each other, and depart from Paris.
  Events that happened in divers parts                       85


  CHAP. XV.

  The count de Charolois waits on the king
  of France at Tours, where he is magnificently
  entertained. He loses himself
  while at the chase. He returns to Artois
  through Normandy, of which the king
  had made him his lieutenant                                90


  CHAP. XVI.

  Duke Philip of Burgundy dangerously ill,
  but recovers. Other matters which happened
  at this period                                             96


  CHAP. XVII.

  A more particular account of the funeral
  services performed at Paris and St Denis,
  on the death of king Charles VII. of
  France                                                     99


  CHAP. XVIII.

  The disgraceful death of John Coustain,
  master of the wardrobe to duke Philip of
  Burgundy. The cause of it. The death
  of his accuser                                            107


  CHAP. XIX.

  The duke of Burgundy causes a number of
  rogues and vagabonds to be executed in
  his country of Artois. The death of the
  abbot of St Vaast at Arras. Other events.
  Taunting replies made by the lord de Chimay
  to the king of France.                                    113


  CHAP. XX.

  The duchess of Bourbon comes to reside
  with her brother the duke of Burgundy.
  The king of France grants succours to the
  queen of England. Other events that
  happened in divers parts                                   118


  CHAP. XXI.

  Of the many different events that happened
  during the course of the above year. Of
  the hard fortune of Margaret queen of
  England                                                   122


  CHAP. XXII.

  The king of France gives the county of
  Guisnes to the lord de Croy. The count
  d'Estampes quits his attachment to the
  house of Burgundy. Other events                           127


  CHAP. XXIII.

  The king of France repurchases the towns
  and lands on the river Somme that had
  been pledged to the duke of Burgundy.
  He meets the duke at Hêdin. Other
  matters                                                   132


  CHAP. XXIV.

  The death of the dowager queen of France.
  The king summons the count de Saint
  Pol and the lord de Genly to appear personally
  before him. The marriage of the
  son of the duke of Gueldres. The abolition
  of the pragmatic sanction                                 136


  CHAP. XXV.

  A coolness takes place between the duke of
  Burgundy and his son the count de Charolois.
  The count makes heavy complaints
  against the lord de Croy to the
  deputies of the three estates assembled by
  the duke his father                                       141


  CHAP. XXVI.

  The answer of the deputies of the estates of
  Flanders to the count de Charolois. Peace
  restored between him and his father the
  duke of Burgundy. The king of France
  comes to Arras and Tournay                                150


  CHAP. XXVII.

  Of the expedition of the bastard of Burgundy.
  The king of France detains prisoner
  Philip of Savoy, notwithstanding
  he had given him a safe conduct. The
  count de St Pol pacifies the king of
  France. A battle shortly noticed to have
  taken place in England. Other matters                     159


  CHAP. XXVIII.

  The king of France comes to Hêdin a second
  time. What passed at the meeting
  between him and the duke of Burgundy.
  The death of pope Pius II.                                166


  CHAP. XXIX.

  The bastard de Reubempré is sent to Holland,
  to attempt to take the count de Charolois.
  He is arrested himself                                    169


  CHAP. XXX.

  The king of France summons deputies from
  the towns on the Somme, and from other
  places to come before him. His harangues
  to them. He appoints the count de Nevers
  governor of Picardy, and sends an
  embassy to the duke of Burgundy, at
  Lille                                                     174


  CHAP. XXXI.

  The answer of the count de Charolois to
  the ambassadors from France. The king
  of France orders Crevecœur, near Cambray,
  to be taken possession of. The
  duke of Burgundy sends an embassy to
  the king of France. The death of the
  duke of Orleans                                           183


  CHAP. XXXII.

  The marriage of king Edward of England,
  and the alliance he wishes to form with
  France. The bastards of Burgundy return
  from their expedition. The duke
  of Burgundy dangerously ill. The family
  of Croy are dismissed from their
  places                                                    189


  CHAP. XXXIII.

  A copy of the letters which the count de
  Charolois sent to the nobles and principal
  towns under the dominion of the duke
  of Burgundy, to explain the reasons why
  he had dismissed the lord de Croy and
  his friends from his father's service                     197


  CHAP. XXXIV.

  The duke of Berry, only brother to the
  king of France, withdraws himself from
  the court of France, and takes refuge
  with the duke of Brittany. The count
  de Dammartin escapes from prison. Letters
  from the duke of Berry to the duke
  of Burgundy                                               208


  CHAP. XXXV.

  A correspondence takes place between the
  king of France and the duke of Bourbon.
  The king publishes other letters throughout
  his realm, and the count de Nevers
  issues proclamations in all the towns within
  his lieutenancy for the king of France                    216


  CHAP. XXXVI.

  The duke of Burgundy pardons his son.
  He orders a large body of men to be
  raised for the assistance of the duke of
  Berry against his brother the king of
  France. Other events that happened at
  that time                                                 223


  CHAP. XXXVII.

  The count de Charolois takes leave of the
  duke of Burgundy, and marches his army
  and artillery toward France. He crosses
  the river Somme, and subjects to his obedience
  the towns of Neelle, Roye, and
  Mondidier. He besieges Beaulieu, and
  crosses the Oise                                          231


  CHAP. XXXVIII.

  The count de Charolois passes the river
  Oise, advances to St Denis, and draws up
  his army in battle-array before Paris.
  The count de St Pol gains possession of
  the bridge of St Cloud, and crosses the
  Seine with his division of the count's
  army                                                      236


  CHAP. XXXIX.

  The king determines to combat the count
  de Charolois. A battle takes place below
  Montlehery. The event of it                               244


  CHAP. XL.

  The conduct of the count de Charolois after
  the victory he had gained over the king
  of France. The consequences of it in
  divers places                                             253


  CHAP. XLI.

  The dukes of Berry and of Brittany meet
  the count de Charolois at Estampes, where
  they are also joined by the dukes of Bourbon,
  of Calabria, and of Nemours, with
  the count d'Armagnac and others of their
  confederation. The king of France leaves
  Paris for Rouen                                           259


  CHAP. XLII.

  The various accounts of the success of the
  battle of Montlehery that were reported
  in divers places                                          264


  CHAP. XLIII.

  The king of France forms an alliance with
  the Liegeois, to make war on the duke
  of Burgundy and the count de Charolois.
  They besiege the town of Luxembourg                       268


  CHAP. XLIV.

  The inhabitants of the town of Dinant insult
  the count de Charolois with mockeries.
  The king of France meets the
  count de Charolois at Conflans. The
  duke of Bourbon takes the town of
  Rouen                                                     274


  CHAP. XLV.

  The death of the countess de Charolois.
  The count de Nevers is made prisoner in
  the castle of Peronne. The Liegeois are
  discomfited at Montenac. The treaty of
  Conflans, between the king of France
  and the confederated princes      281


  CHAP. XLVI.

  A royal edict respecting what the king of
  France had conceded to the count de Charolois
  by the treaty of Conflans                                 290


  CHAP. XLVII.

  The king is present at a review of the count
  de Charolois' army. The count takes
  leave of the king, and marches his army
  against the Liegeois. The duke of Berry
  does homage to the king for the duchy
  of Normandy                                               298


  CHAP. XLVIII.

  The entry of the duke of Berry into Rouen.
  The king of France goes into Normandy
  and retakes possession of that duchy. He
  causes some of the lords of that country,
  who had supported his brother, to be
  executed and drowned                                      303


  CHAP. XLIX.

  The count de Charolois enters the country
  of Liege with his army. The Liegeois
  demand and obtain a truce, but, although
  a peace is made, it does not last long                    306


  CHAP. L.

  After the treaty concluded at Saint Tron,
  the inhabitants attempt to murder the
  men of the count de Charolois, but are
  overpowered. The count returns to his
  father at Brussels. The king of France
  raises a large army, in consequence of
  which the count de Charolois puts himself
  on his guard                                              313


  CHAP. LI.

  The Liegeois in Dinant break the peace, and
  recommence the war against the duke of
  Burgundy. Dinant is besieged and battered
  with cannon                                               317


  CHAP. LII.

  Dinant is forced to surrender to the will of
  the duke of Burgundy. The treatment
  it receives, for a perpetual example to
  other towns in a like situation                           325


  CHAP. LIII.

  The duke of Burgundy after the destruction
  of Dinant, makes dispositions to
  march his army into the territories of
  Liege. Several towns surrender to him.
  A peace is concluded between them                         335


  CHAP. LIV.

  Sir Anthony, bastard of Burgundy, goes to
  England, to tilt with the lord Scales, brother
  to the queen of England                                   343


  CHAP. LV.

  The death and interment of the noble duke
  Philip of Burgundy, and the grand obsequies
  performed for him in the church
  of Saint Donnast in Bruges                                348


  CHAP. LVI.

  Prologue to the chronicles of the most
  christian, most magnificent, most victorious,
  and most illustrious kings of France,
  Louis XI. of the name, and his son
  Charles VIII.                                             355


  CHAP. LVII.

  Some recapitulations of the description of
  the battle of Montlehery by Monstrelet,
  with the addition of facts which he had
  omitted                                                   359


  CHAP. LVIII.

  A true account of several events that happened
  during the reigns of king Charles
  VII. and his son Louis XI. which have
  been omitted, or slightly mentioned, in
  the chronicle of Enguerrand de Monstrelet                 365


  CHAP. LIX.

  The king of France comes to Paris, and returns
  to Rouen. The bastard de Reubempré
  is arrested on the coast of Holland.
  The king goes to Tours and other
  places, and then to Poitiers, whither the
  Parisians send him a deputation respecting
  certain of their franchises. Ambassadors
  arrive there from the duke of Brittany,
  who carry off the duke of Berry. The
  death of the duke of Orleans. The duke
  of Bourbon makes war on the king of
  France, and other events that happened in
  the year MCCCCLXIV. omitted by Monstrelet,
  and some facts relative to the
  death of the good pope Pius II. and concerning
  pope Paul II. more than is contained
  in the said chronicles                                    372


  CHAP. LX.

  The king of France enters the Bourbonnois,
  and takes many towns and castles. Events
  at Paris and elsewhere. The king besieges
  Rioms, in Auvergne. Other incidents
  up to the period of the war of
  Montlehery, omitted by Monstrelet                         380


  CHAP. LXI.

  The king comes to Paris after the battle of
  Montlehery. Several persons are executed
  there. Events that followed the battle of
  Montlehery, which have been omitted
  by Enguerrand de Monstrelet                               390


  CHAP. LXII.

  The Burgundians and Bretons quarter themselves
  round Paris; on which account the
  citizens add to the fortifications of their
  town during the king's absence in Normandy.
  The king returns to Paris, when
  several sallies are made thence on the
  enemy, during the lieutenancy of the
  count d'Eu. Other events omitted by
  Monstrelet                                                401


  CHAP. LXIII.

  Commissioners appointed by the king and
  the confederates to settle the differences
  between them. The nobles of Normandy
  come to Paris to serve the king. Several
  sallies and assaults on each side. Other
  events that happened in this same year
  MCCCCLXV. omitted by Monstrelet,
  until the final peace between the king and
  the princes                                               414


  CHAP. LXIV.

  After the treaty, of Conflans between the
  king and princes, provisions are brought
  to the confederate army from Paris, on
  payment being made for them. The count
  de Charolois, on mustering his troops, declares
  himself vassal to the king. He does
  homage for what he holds under the
  crown of France. The duke of Berry
  and the others do their homage. Peace is
  proclaimed. Other events                                  431




 HERE BEGINNETH
 THE TENTH VOLUME
 OF THE
 CHRONICLES
 OF
 _ENGUERRAND DE MONSTRELET_.




CHAP. I.

 THE KING OF FRANCE COUNTERMANDS HIS SUMMONS TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY,
 FORBIDS HIM TO COME TO MONTARGIS, AND ORDERS HIM TO SEND THITHER
 THREE OR FOUR OF HIS NOBLES TO CONSULT WITH THE OTHER PEERS OF
 FRANCE.--SLIGHT MENTION MADE OF THE SENTENCE PASSED ON THE DUKE OF
 ALENÇON IN THE TOWN OF VENDÔME, WITH THE RESERVATION OF THE KING'S
 APPROVAL.


On the return of Golden Fleece king at arms, about the beginning of
June, he told duke Philip his lord, that the king having learnt that he
intended coming to Montargis with a very numerous army, which would
unavoidably do great damage to the countries they should pass through,
on that account held him excused from coming thither in person, and
entreated that he would send three or four of his council to represent
him.

The duke immediately appointed the count d'Estampes, sir Simon de
Lalain, knights, and some clerks of his council, together with Golden
Fleece king at arms, as his proxies at the ensuing meeting.

Before this, however, took place, a great meeting was held at
Gravelines, between commissioners from England and others sent by
duke Philip. Soon after, the count d'Estampes went under a passport
to Calais, where he was grandly feasted by the English; and it was
reported that a truce was then agreed on between the two countries.

The king of France, considering that Montargis could not hold the
numbers of people summoned to attend the judgment of the duke of
Alençon, changed the place of meeting to Vendôme, where he appeared
in so royal a state that it was a pleasure to see him,--and all who
had been summoned were expected to come thither. On the day appointed,
only the proxies for the duke of Burgundy appeared before the king, of
all the temporal peers: in consequence, by royal authority, he named
proxies for the duke of Bourbon, the count de Foix, the count de la
Marche, and the count d'Eu, to assist the king in passing sentence on
the duke d'Alençon.

When the court had been thus regularly formed in the place prepared
for it, master John L'Orfevre, president of Luxembourg, and one of the
proxies for the duke of Burgundy, arose, and besought the king that
he would be pleased to hear what he had been charged by his lord to
say, in defence of the duke d'Alençon. The king having granted him
permission to speak, he began an harangue of some length, very well
arranged and ornamented, with apt quotations from the Scriptures,
containing four propositions which the duke of Burgundy had ordered him
to lay before the king, to induce him to incline to a merciful sentence
on the duke of Alençon, whom his lord considered as his near relative.

The first proposition was, that it belonged at all times to royal
majesty to show mercy, and use clemency.

The second, that the duke of Alençon was nearly related to the king.

Thirdly, that the services which the duke of Alençon himself, and
his ancestors, had rendered to the crown of France, should be well
considered; and, fourthly, the weakness of mind of the duke of Alençon,
which being added to the three foregoing propositions, if duly weighed
by the king, might induce him to show clemency to the duke.

The cardinal de Constance answered in the king's name, that his majesty
had carefully listened to all the reasons that had just been offered
by the duke of Burgundy, to incline him to show mercy on the duke
d'Alençon: that in reply to the first proposition, it was true, mercy
and clemency properly belonged to kings and sovereign princes,--but to
do justice was also an inherent right in them, and it was in virtue of
this that kings reigned; for if that were neglected, their kingdoms
would be devoured by robbers and thieves.

As to the second point, that the duke d'Alençon was related to the
king, he should answer, that so much the more was he bounden to guard
the preservation and welfare of the king and his crown.

As to the third point, touching the services done by the duke's
ancestors to the crown of France, &c. he should say, that he had not
in these instances followed their steps: and since children should not
suffer for the evil deeds of their fathers, neither ought they to claim
any merit from their services.

With regard to the last point, he should reply, that the lord d'Alençon
had clearly shown that he was not very wise; but he was not so simple
as had been stated, for he had, in the matters charged against him,
proceeded with great subtilty and malice, as was apparent and might
be seen in the evidence on his trial: that it had not depended on him
that his treason was unsuccessful, and that he was equally deserving
punishment as if his treachery had taken effect. The cardinal concluded
by saying, that the king would act in this business with the advice of
the princes of his blood, and the members of his council; that the
king would have been glad, and was desirous of the able assistance of
the duke of Burgundy, whose absence he regretted, but that he would
act in such wise that the duke of Burgundy and the public should be
satisfied with the sentence he would give.




CHAP. II.

 THE KING'S SENTENCE ON THE DUKE D'ALENÇON READ IN HIS PRESENCE WHILE
 SEATED ON HIS JUDGMENT-SEAT, BY HIS CHANCELLOR.


'Charles, by the grace of God, king of France. Having been duly
informed that John duke of Alençon, peer of France, has entered into
a treasonable correspondence, by himself and others, with our ancient
enemies and adversaries the English,--we make known, that having
personally examined in our chamber of peers, and others for this
business called in, the charges and evidence produced against John
d'Alençon, together with his confessions, and other facts brought
duly forward,--we, by the advice of the aforesaid chamber of peers,
have declared, and by these presents do declare, that the said John
d'Alençon is guilty of high treason against us and our crown,--for
which we have deprived, and do deprive him of the honour and dignity of
a peer of France, and of all dignities and honours attached thereto.

'We have also condemned, and do by these presents condemn, him to
suffer death according to law, and have declared, and do declare, all
the effects of the said John d'Alençon to be confiscated to our use,
and to belong to us, saving, however, any further orders or regulations
we may make concerning the same.'

This sentence having been publicly read, the king declared his will to
be, that the execution of the duke d'Alençon should be deferred until
his further pleasure were known: that in respect to the confiscation
of his effects, &c. although his children ought, according to law
and usage, to be deprived of every honour, prerogative and property,
and reduced to such beggary as may be an example to all others,
considering the enormity of the crimes of their father,--nevertheless,
in remembrance of the services done by their ancestors to the kings
and crown of France, and in the expectation that these children
will conduct themselves toward the king as good and loyal subjects
should do to their sovereign lord, and likewise out of favour to the
solicitations of the duke of Brittany[1], uncle to the duke of Alençon,
the king, out of his grace, declares, that the effects of the duke
of Alençon shall remain to the wife and children of the said duke of
Alençon; but the king reserves to himself all artillery, arms, and
military stores.

With regard to the lands and lordships, the king retains the towns,
castles, and viscounties of Alençon, Domfront, and Verneuil, as well
on one side of the river Aure as on the other, with all their rights,
privileges, and dependences, which, from this moment, he incorporates
into the domain of the crown of France. The king retains also the
castlewick and lordship of St Blansay in Touraine, together with the
tolls which the said d'Alençon had and received from the bridges of
Tours, to regulate at his pleasure.

Item, the king reserves to himself all the homage, dues, and
acknowledgments which appertained to the said d'Alençon on account of
his country of Perche, on the town of Nogent le Rotrou, with all its
dependances, and all other lands belonging to the count du Maine, in
right of the countess du Maine his wife.

Item, in regard to the other lands and effects immoveable, the king
wills that they belong to the children of the said d'Alençon,--namely,
the county of Perche to be enjoyed by his only son Réné, and his heirs
in lawful marriage, without, however, any dignity or prerogative of
peerage. As for the other effects of the said d'Alençon, the king
wills, that they be divided among the younger children, who are to
be under the wardship of the king until they become of an age to
manage for themselves,--they to enjoy these estates as their own free
inheritance, and the said estates to descend to the heirs of their
bodies lawfully begotten in marriage, according to the usages of the
countries in which those estates are situated.

When this had been finally settled, the king ordered the duke d'Alençon
to confinement in the strong prison of the castle of Aiquesmortes,[2]
not far from Avignon.




CHAP. III.

 THE ENGLISH MAKE AN INROAD ON THE BOULONOIS FROM CALAIS.--THE DUKE OF
 BURGUNDY SENDS AN EMBASSY TO THE POPE, AND FORTIFIES HIS TOWNS AGAINST
 THE ENGLISH.--ARTHUR OF BRITTANY DIES, AND IS SUCCEEDED IN THE DUKEDOM
 BY THE COUNT D'ESTAMPES.--OTHER EVENTS.


About this period, eight hundred combatants issued out of Calais and
marched to Estaples,[3] where they found many vessels laden with wines
from Poitou, which the Bretons had brought thither to sell, all of
which the English made them ransom. They gained also numbers of mules,
which some merchants from Languedoc had conducted thither to carry back
a cargo of salted herrings: these were also ransomed, and they carried
away several prisoners.

The duke of Burgundy sent this year, about Christmas, a handsome
embassy to pope Pius at Rome, to do him homage for all his states, like
a good son of the church, and, shortly afterward, another embassy to
the king of France, to avoid a war, which every body conjectured would
ensue, because the dauphin resided with the duke contrary to the will
of his father, and had refused to return to France.

The English, on the frontier of Calais, made continual inroads on the
territories of the duke; and to check them, he strengthened with men at
arms the garrisons of Bologne, Ardres, Gravelines, Fiennes and St Omer.
They were ordered to oppose force by force, and to hang all whom they
should take.

About Christmas died Arthur duke of Brittany, without leaving any male
heir: he was therefore succeeded in the duchy by John de Bretagne
count d'Estampes, son to the brother of a former duke of Brittany by
a sister of the duke of Orleans. Notwithstanding that he was count
d'Estampes, John of Burgundy, brother to the count de Nevers, assumed
the same title, but without advantage,--for the king held possession of
Estampes, and gave the revenue of it to whomsoever he pleased.

At this time, peace was restored between the duke of Burgundy and the
count of St Pol, so that the count was on the same familiar terms with
the duke and as much beloved by him as before: he was likewise in the
good graces of the count de Charolois.

Nearly at this period, an embassy from Greece, of about fifty horsemen,
waited on the duke, to request that he would personally attend, or send
his proxies, to a meeting appointed by pope Pius, of all the princes
of Christendom, touching the welfare of the catholic church. The duke
received them honourably, and gave them rich presents, and said, that,
under God's pleasure, he would send proxies to the meeting they had
mentioned.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: Duke of Brittany. Q. if it should not be of Burgundy.]

[Footnote 2: Aiquesmortes,--a town in lower Languedoc, five leagues
from Montpellier.]

[Footnote 3: Estaples,--a town in Picardy, at the mouth of the Conche,
four leagues from Bologne.]




CHAP IV.

 THE KING OF FRANCE SUMMONS THE TWELVE PEERS OF FRANCE TO THE TOWN OF
 MONTARGIS, TO HEAR SENTENCE PASSED ON THE DUKE D'ALENÇON.--OF THE
 DEATH OF POPE CALIXTUS.--THE KING TRANSFERS THE COURT OF JUSTICE FROM
 MONTARGIS TO VENDÔME.


In the year 1458, the king of France summoned the twelve peers of his
realm, secular as well as temporal, and the members of his court of
parliament, to assemble in the town of Montargis on the 8th day of
June, in which place he intended holding a court of justice, and for
considering other matters that greatly affected the welfare of the
realm. The most part of those summoned attended, and were there for
two months, treating on the condemnation or acquittal of the duke of
Alençon, cousin-german to the king, and one of the peers of France.

The duke of Alençon had been imprisoned for certain treasonable acts
imputed to him, and of which he was said to be guilty. There were
present at this meeting the count de Dunois and de Longueville, the
chancellor of France, master Pierre du Reffuge,[4] general of France,
and many other great lords and officers. The duke of Burgundy would not
appear, although he had been summoned, and was the first of the peers.
He had refused to come in consequence of an article in the treaty of
Arras, by which he could not be constrained to attend any meeting but
at his own free will.

The king remained at Baugency during these two months, always intending
to have gone to Montargis; but fearing the epidemic distemper which
raged there, and the badness of the air, he dissolved the meeting, and
appointed it to assemble within fifteen days afterward at Vendôme.

On the 4th of April, in this year, died pope Calixtus,--and Pius, a
native of Italy, was elected in his room.

The 15th of August, all the king's counsellors, as well laics as
ecclesiastics, of his court of parliament, who had been summoned, came
to Vendôme,--even the bishop of Paris and the abbot of St Denis, who
had not appeared at Montargis.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 4: Reffuge. Q.]




CHAP. V.

 THE DUKE OF ALENÇON IS CONVICTED, AND CONDEMNED TO DEATH FOR HAVING
 INTENDED TO DELIVER UP HIS STRONG PLACES TO THE ENGLISH, THE ANCIENT
 ENEMIES OF FRANCE, AND TO INTRODUCE THEM INTO NORMANDY.


'Charles, by the grace of God, king of France, to all to whom these
presents may come, health and affection. Whereas we have been duly
informed, that John duke of Alençon, a peer of France, has held various
treasonable correspondences with our ancient enemies the English; and
that for this purpose he has sent divers messengers to England without
our leave or licence, and without making us acquainted with the purport
of them, to the great danger and prejudice of us and our realm. To
obviate the evil effects that might have arisen from such conduct, we
provided a remedy, and, in conscience, commanded, under our letters
patent given at Chastelier, near Esbrimbe, the 24th day of May, in the
year 1456, our dear and well beloved cousin the count de Dunois and
de Longueville, our beloved and faithful counsellors and chamberlains
Pierre de Brézé, lord of Varennes and grand seneschal of Normandy, John
le Boursier, superintendant general of our finances, William Cousinot,
knight, bailiff of Rouen, and Odet d'Aidié, bailiff of Coutantin, to
lay hands on and arrest our said nephew the duke of Alençon; and for
the furtherance of his trial, we issued our orders, dated at Mont
Richart[5] the 23d of last May, for our court of parliament, then
sitting at Paris, to adjourn to the town of Montargis, on the first
day of June last, and to remain there until the whole of the judicial
proceedings on this subject should have been brought to a conclusion.

'We also summoned to attend this court of justice, at Montargis, a
sufficient number of presidents and counsellors of our said parliament,
together with the peers and princes of our blood, the chancellor, some
masters of the requests of our household, and others of our council. In
consequence whereof, our said chancellor, our well beloved and faithful
counsellors, the archbishop-duke of Rheims, the bishops and dukes of
Laon and Langres, the bishops and counts of Beauvais, of Châlons and
Noyon, peers of France, our said presidents, masters of requests, and
counsellors of our court of parliament and the members of our council
have regularly assembled in the town of Montargis, and have there taken
the preparatory steps for the judgment of the said d'Alençon, by the
interrogation of his accomplices and adherents, which occupied them
until the 10th day of July last passed.

'These lords did not proceed further, in the expectation of our
coming thither to bring the matter to a conclusion in our presence;
but we delayed going to Montargis on account of the great mortality
that then existed in the towns of Orleans, Sully, and other places
around, through which we must have passed; and not only to avoid the
consequences that might have arisen from this mortality we deferred
going thither, but also having heard that our enemies had fitted out
a considerable fleet, with the intent of invading our kingdom on the
coasts of Saintonge, Poitou, and lower Normandy. That we might be
ready to oppose any such attempts, we, by the advice of our council,
transferred this court of justice from Montargis to the town of Vendôme.

'We ordered the members of the said court to assemble at Vendôme on
the 15th day of August, then and there to continue sitting until they
should have brought this trial to a close.

'We afterward came to Vendôme in person, where were assembled
many of the princes of our blood, peers of France, both laics and
ecclesiastics, and those before named, with the members of our council
and court of parliament, and others for this business summoned thither.
While we were seated on our judgment-seat, the court being filled
with the whole of its members, the said d'Alençon was brought before
it, who, after having had the oath administered to him, to declare the
whole truth respecting the crimes with which he was charged, frankly
and voluntarily confessed as follows.

'That after lord Shrewsbury had taken Bordeaux, an Englishman called
James Hay, attached to sir Richard Woodville, an English knight, came
to him at Alençon, under a passport, and made secret proposals to him
of a marriage between his daughter and the son of the duke of York:
that, as well in regard to this marriage as for other matters they
mutually wished to be acquainted with, they held many conversations,
and agreed on a certain manner of squeezing the hand and thumb, as a
signal that every person was to give before he delivered any message
relative to this business, to prevent their being betrayed.

'That about the month of August in the year 1455, he, the said duke of
Alençon, sent for a priest living at Domfront, called Thomas Gillet,
whom, having sworn to secrecy, he told that he intended to send him
to England, and detained him some time with him for this purpose, and
carried him to La Fleche in Anjou, expecting to be enabled to send
him from thence: that while he was at La Fleche, an English herald,
called Huntingdon, came thither, to whom he opened his intentions, and
charged him to return to England, and to exhort his countrymen, by
every possible means, to make a descent in Normandy, desiring them, by
the aid of God, or the devil, to make up their internal quarrels, and
not think of any thing else but this invasion: that now was the time or
never; and should they allow the present most favourable opportunity
to slip by, they would never again find another; for that the king
was at a distance, and his army separated in three divisions,--one
in Armagnac, another in Guienne, and the third employed against the
dauphin: that the nobles and great towns, as well as the people of all
ranks, were more discontented than could be conceived; and that he, the
duke of Alençon, was himself so displeased with the present government
that, if the English would support him, he would aid them to the
utmost of his power,--for that he had sufficient stores and artillery
to combat for a day ten thousand men. He advised that the king of
England should come in person, and with not less than from thirty to
forty thousand combatants: that there was in Normandy only one of the
king's generals, with but four hundred lances, and that they might
conquer the greater part of the country before any resistance could be
made.

'He advised that the king of England should, on his landing, issue
a proclamation, by sound of trumpet, to forbid any one, under pain
of instant death, to take goods or other effects from husbandmen
or labourers by force, and to leave every one at peace in their
habitations. The king of England was likewise to revoke all the gifts
made by his father and by himself, to grant a full pardon to every one,
and to proceed as if it were a new conquest.

'In consequence of this treachery, our enemies did land in several
parts of our dominions, namely, the king of England and the duke of
York in lower Normandy, the duke of Buckingham at Calais, to march
through Picardy to the country of Caux, and to cut off all intercourse
with us, should we attempt to oppose them. Those of Guienne, according
to the duke of Alençon, were much discontented; and if our enemies
would support them, they would rise in rebellion against us,--and, in
short, we should lose all that part of our country. The enemy was to
inform the duke of Alençon three months before they intended to land,
that he might provide his places with stores, and prevent us from
taking possession of them.

'On their landing, the English commander was to send the herald
Huntingdon to the duke to make him acquainted with their numbers and
plans, that he might take measures to act in concert with them. The
duke particularly insisted, when he sent Huntingdon to England, that
king Henry should bring with him as much money as possible; and that he
should deliver at Bruges, or elsewhere, twenty thousand crowns, or at
least ten thousand, at his disposal, should be there deposited without
loss of time, and not longer than a month after their landing, for him
to pay his men, and put his artillery on a respectable footing; for he
charged the herald to say, that on their landing they would find part
of his artillery at Alençon or Domfront.

'The said d'Alençon confessed that he had promised, on oath, to
Huntingdon, that he would punctually perform the engagements he had
entered into with the enemies of our realm; and he made this herald
swear that he would tell all these things to the duke of York, Richard
Woodville, and James Hay, and that he would reveal them to none others
but them.

'That our enemies might not have any doubts of the truth of the above
engagements, the said d'Alençon gave to Huntingdon, on his departure,
credential letter addressed to the duke of York, signed with an N,
with a stroke through it, containing as follows; 'Gentlemen, have the
goodness to believe what the bearer of this shall tell you from me. I
thank you for your kind intentions, and it shall not be my fault if
they be not farther strengthened.' In saying this, our said nephew
had well remembered that he had given to Huntingdon the fullest
information respecting his own affairs, as well as those of our
kingdom, in order to accomplish his designs, and then had sent him to
England.

'The said d'Alençon confessed, that some time afterwards, he had
also sent thither Thomas Gillet, the priest before mentioned, and
had charged him to acquaint the duke of York or Richard Woodville
(having previously made the signal with the thumb) with the state of
our kingdom, and the discontent of the people, and to press them to
make the invasion as soon as they could, and with as large a force
as possible,--to tell them, that they were very thoughtless in not
having before attempted it, for they could never have so fair an
opportunity of recovering what they had lost; and if they would land
twenty thousand men, they would regain the greater part of the country
before we could provide any effectual resistance; for we were at a
distance, in Berry, on an expedition against our son the dauphin: that
there were no forces in that part of the kingdom: that the people were
exceedingly discontented, and that now or never was the time for
reconquering Normandy. Thomas Gillet said, that the duke d'Alençon was
much surprised he had not heard from them, nor from the herald; that
they should send him back with intelligence of their intentions; and he
told them frankly, that unless they showed more vigour and activity,
the enterprise had better be dropped. He spoke to them likewise of the
twenty thousand crowns that had been stated as necessary, by the said
d'Alençon, to Huntingdon; and the said d'Alençon had bidden him assure
the duke of York, that he was the most beloved of all his family in
Normandy, and that the people of the country would do more for him than
for any one else.

'Thomas Gillet was also charged to tell the English, on their
landing, not to forget to issue the proclamations he had mentioned to
Huntingdon; and if he were spoken to concerning the marriage of his
daughter with the eldest son of the duke of York, to say all he knew
and all he had seen of her. The said d'Alençon gave to Gillet letters
of the following tenour, to deliver to the duke of York. 'Sir,' &c. 'I
commend myself to you, and entreat that you will instantly let me hear
from you, and have me in your thoughts. For God's sake, use diligence
in his designs: it is time: and acquit yourself manfully, for who waits
becomes displeased. Hasten to send me money, for your service has cost
me much, and may God grant all your desires.' Written as above, and
at the bottom 'always yours, N.' adding a postscript, to say, that a
little before Christmas, he would send a person, called Pierre Fortin,
to Calais, and would instruct him to make the signal of the thumb, that
he might converse with James Hay or Richard Woodville, and know from
them if they had any intelligence to give him from the herald or Thomas
Gillet.

'The said d'Alençon also confessed, that between Christmas and the
Epiphany, Thomas Gillet and the herald returned from England, and
reported to him, that the duke of York and the chancellor of England
thanked him for his good intentions; that the parliament of England
was not as yet assembled, nor the king of England in a situation to
send him an immediate and decisive answer,--but that the parliament
would shortly be holden, and the matter should then be so arranged that
the duke of Alençon should be satisfied, and that he should receive
information thereof in the course of the ensuing Lent, by the said
Woodville.

'Gillet added, that the duke of York commended himself to the said
d'Alençon, thanked him for his good wishes, and begged of him to
continue them to him,--and assured him that before the month of
September next the duke, accompanied by the greatest lords of England,
would invade Normandy with such a large army that the said d'Alençon
should be contented; but he was required to secure some good sea-port
on that coast for their landing,--and they wished to know whether the
dauphin would go into Normandy. A nearly similar message did Gillet
deliver from the chancellor of England.

'The said d'Alençon likewise confessed that, on the return of these his
messengers, he had dispatched to England a person called master Edmund
Gallet, having first sworn him on the Scriptures to secrecy, and then
he gave him a letter addressed to the duke of York, signed with his
real name 'John,' and sealed with his own signet: it was cut into four
pieces, and contained as follows: 'My lords, I commend myself to you.
The messages you sent me have been delivered; and I beg to hear further
from you as speedily as may be, if you propose undertaking the measures
the bearer will explain to you: it is now time, and I will support you
in such wise that you shall be satisfied. You may believe all that the
bearer shall say to you from me.'

'The said d'Alençon owned that he had charged Gallet to bring him
back an answer as to the marriage, and the other things that he had
mentioned to the English lords by Gillet and the herald: to tell them
that it was now full time to begin the business, if they looked for
success; and that he wished they were landed in Normandy in bodies as
thick as flies or hailstones.

'That the said d'Alençon was assured that we intended to march against
our son the dauphin; and that if they landed and entered into proper
engagements with him, the dauphin would join them, and give up to them
his artillery and strong places, and every thing else within his power:
he repeated, therefore, that they must not delay nor fail to come,--and
the twenty thousand crowns must be instantly paid.

'The said d'Alençon said, that being astonished that Gallet was not
returned from England, he sent about Easter the said Fortin to Calais,
and charged him, after making the usual signs, to talk with the
English, and learn whether they intended invading Normandy or not. He
added, that Gallet came back from England about Low Sunday, and brought
letters signed, as he said, by the king himself, namely, Henry, and
that these letters contained in effect as follows: 'Very dear cousin,
we thank you for your good will toward us: we shall send commissioners
on the first day of next August to Bruges, to propose a truce between
us and our fair cousin of Burgundy, where we shall hope that they may
meet commissioners from you, to settle every thing between us, and we
shall act in such wise as, please God, you may be satisfied.'

'The said d'Alençon said, that Gallet had informed him the king of
England had taken the government into his own hands, and that the
duke of York had retired into Wales, which had caused the said Gallet
to address himself to the king in person, telling him of the good
inclinations of the duke of Alençon, for which he thanked him, and
said, that he should send ambassadors to Bruges, as he had stated
in the said letters, and that the duke d'Alençon should send others
from him to meet them; that these ambassadors would settle every
thing relative to the twenty thousand crowns, and they would mutually
exchange written documents respecting the matters under consideration.

'The said d'Alençon confessed, that because the term for the payment
of the said twenty thousand crowns was remote, and because he wished
to be made acquainted with the state of preparation of our enemies, he
again sent Gallet into England, to press the advance of the money, and
to obtain a blank passport, for any one of his people whom he might
wish to send thither touching these several matters, should there be
any necessity for it; that he told the said Gallet, as the chance of
war was uncertain, he wished to secure a retreat in England, should
their plans prove abortive, and mentioned the duchies of Bedford, of
Glocester, and of the lands which the dukes of the said duchies held
for life, that he might speak of them to the king of England.

'That, on the departure of Gallet, the said d'Alençon gave him letters,
addressed to the duke of York, containing as follows: 'My lord, I
commend myself to you, and am very much surprised that I did not
receive any intelligence from you by the bearer of this on his return
from England. I entreat that I may speedily hear from you,--and you may
safely believe whatever he shall tell you from me.' He wrote also other
letters to master Louis Gallet, residing in England, father to this
Edmund Gallet, thanking him for his good inclinations toward him, of
which he had been informed by his son, to whom he desired that he would
always address himself on this business.

'The said d'Alençon added, that as he and master Edmund were
conversing on this subject, master Edmund told him that it was the
intention of the English to send the duke of Glocester and the son
of lord Shrewsbury, to make a landing in Guienne, with ten or twelve
thousand men,--while the king, the duke of York, and a large body
of nobles should invade our province of Normandy: that the duke of
Buckingham, with the earls of Wiltshire and Worcester, should land
at Calais, with ten or twelve thousand combatants, and march through
Picardy. He likewise confessed that he had spoken on this subject to
Fortin, one of the gentlemen of his chamber, to induce him to join
him in his plans to support the English, and that he had sent him to
Granville,[6] to examine the state of that place, if it were well
fortified, and what repairs had lately been made there, especially on
the side where it had been formerly taken; and if that Fortin joined
the English, as it appears he did, he was to find out some means of
delivering up Granville, and as many other places as possible to them.

'The said d'Alençon confessed, that he had been induced by his
different messages to excite the English to invade our kingdom by the
advice and instigation of a person called Matthew Prestre, whom he knew
not otherwise than by name, but who said he was from the country of
the Lionnois and attached to the bastard d'Armagnac, and who, (as the
said d'Alençon said) had brought him credential letters from our son
the dauphin, and from the bastard d'Armagnac. Of the letters from the
dauphin, the said d'Alençon said, that he had his suspicions of their
reality from their not being in the usual style in which the dauphin
was accustomed to write to him: he also suspected the signature was not
the dauphin's. On this matter, and at the request of the said d'Alençon
several witnesses specified by him, and of his household, have been
examined by our commissioners, who have affirmed that they saw the said
Matthew Prestre.

'The said Edmund Gallet has also been examined, to whom the said
d'Alençon had declared that he had made most ample communications
respecting the said Matthew Prestre; and the said Gallet has been
confronted with the said d'Alençon, and interrogated respecting the
different messages he had carried to England, as well as others of
his accomplices, who, it may be supposed, would know if the statement
touching this Matthew Prestre were true, who have all denied any
knowledge thereof, so that it may be presumed, from their depositions,
that the contrary to what the said d'Alençon had said was the fact:
besides, the said d'Alençon declares that he never had any letters from
our said son, nor any communication from him on these matters, but
through the said Matthew, and that he knew not whether he communicated
the above from himself or from others,--and that he, the said
d'Alençon, had never any instructions from our said son on this subject.

'Several remonstrances having been made to the said d'Alençon on this
part of his conduct, it has appeared that the whole was a contrivance
to cover his treasonable practices, and to give a colour to them,--for
the said d'Alençon said, that he knew not what reply to make to these
remonstrances. As a further confirmation, when the said d'Alençon has
been interrogated as to this Matthew, he has varied in his answers on
many points, as may be clearly seen in the evidence of his trial.

'From all of which, and from the whole of what has been advanced by the
said d'Alençon, as well as from the interrogatories of the different
witnesses respecting Matthew Prestre and his interference, and from
other evidence examined at the request of the said d'Alençon, we have
not found any thing wherewith we could accuse our said son the dauphin,
nor the bastard d'Armagnac, as any way implicated in the treasons of
the said d'Alençon.

'When the whole of the evidence had been gone through, there only
remained judgment to be given. And we make known that the court,
having fully and maturely examined the different interrogatories and
confrontations, together with his voluntary confessions, have declared,
and do declare, by these presents, the said d'Alençon guilty of high
treason, and, as such, to be deprived of the honour and dignity of the
peerage of France and all other dignities and prerogatives, and do,
besides, condemn him to death by the public executioner. The court has
also declared, and does declare, that all his effects whatever shall
be confiscated to our use, and that they shall henceforth be reputed
legally to belong to us as we may please to dispose of them.

'Such was the sentence passed by the peers of France and the other
members of the court of justice held at Vendôme. We, however, reserved
to ourself the power to make whatever changes we should please; and we
now declare our will to be, that the capital part of the said sentence,
on the said John d'Alençon, be deferred until our further pleasure be
known.

'With regard to the effects of the said d'Alençon, considering the
enormity of his guilt, his children ought to be deprived of them, and
reduced to a state of beggary, to serve as an example to all others.
Nevertheless, remembering the good services their ancestors have
done to the crown and kingdom of France, and in the hope that these
children will behave themselves as good and loyal subjects toward their
sovereign; and in consideration of the earnest solicitations for mercy
from our very dear and well-beloved cousin the duke of Brittany, uncle
to the said d'Alençon, we, out of our especial grace, shall moderate
these confiscations,--and declare our pleasure to be, that the moveable
effects shall remain to the wife of the said d'Alençon, and to his
children, with the exception of his artillery and military stores,
which we reserve to ourself.

'In regard to his lands and lordships, we shall moderate the
confiscation as follows: We retain the town and castlewick of Domfront,
the town, castle, castlewick and viscounty, of Vernueil, on both
sides of the river Aure, with all their appurtenances, lordships and
dependances, which we from this moment unite, incorporate and adjoin,
to the patrimony and domain of our crown.

'We shall likewise retain in our hands the duchy of Alençon, together
with its town, castle, lordship, rights, appurtenances, revenues, and
immoveable effects, and every claim that might have belonged to the
said Alençon as duke thereof, and all rights and duties that may have
been granted from our crown as an appanage to the said d'Alençon,
with the reserve of the country of Perche, concerning which we shall
hereafter ordain, according to our good pleasure.

'We retain also the castle and castlewick of St Blansay in Touraine,
together with all the duties the said d'Alençon received for pontage in
our town of Tours, and the other rents and revenues he was accustomed
to receive from the said town, to order as we may please best. We
likewise reserve to ourself the homages appertaining to the said
d'Alençon as count du Perche, on the town of Nogent le Rotrou and its
dependances, and also on the lands and lordships of our very dear and
well-beloved cousin the countess du Maine, wife to the said d'Alençon.

'In respect to the other lands and lordships that did belong to the
said d'Alençon, we will that they remain to the children of the said
d'Alençon, in manner following,--that is to say, the only son of the
said d'Alençon shall have and retain the county, lands, and lordships
of Perche, to be freely enjoyed by him and his male descendants,
lawfully begotten in marriage, but without any dignity or prerogative
of peerage. With regard to the remaining lands, lordships, and other
immoveable effects, we will that they belong to the other children, as
well males as females, of the said d'Alençon, for them to enjoy the
same under our tutelage until they become of a proper age to manage
for themselves,--and that they descend to the heirs of their bodies
in lawful marriage, according to the usages and laws of the countries
these different estates may be situated in. In testimony of which,' &c.

Given at Vendôme, the 10th day of October, in the year of Grace 1458,
and of our reign the 37th.

This sentence was pronounced in the absence of the said John d'Alençon,
but read to him afterwards in his prison by the first president of
the parliament de Thorette, master John Boulanger, counsellor to the
king in his court of parliament, master John Bureau, treasurer of
France, and others of the king's council, which much astonished and
overwhelmed the said John d'Alençon, and not without cause.[7]

In the month of January, in this year, that most noble and potent
prince Arthur duke of Brittany departed this life, who, before and
after he had succeeded to the dukedom, had been constable of France. He
was succeeded by the lord Francis, son to madame d'Estampes, sister to
the duke of Orleans, who, in person, conducted him to take possession
of the duchy of Brittany.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 5: Mont Richart, or Mont Tricard,--six leagues from Amboise.]

[Footnote 6: Granville,--a sea-port in Normandy, six leagues from
Coutances.]

[Footnote 7: 'John duke of Alençon was condemned to death by a
celebrated sentence given by king Charles VII. sitting in a bed of
justice, at Vendôme, the 10th of October 1458, which sentence was
instantly commuted to perpetual imprisonment. The duke was confined in
the castle of Loches until Louis XI. came to the throne in 1461, who
granted him a free pardon in the month of October in the same year.

'The duke could not remain quiet, but attempted again to throw the
kingdom into confusion,--and Louis XI. had him arrested a second time,
the 22d September 1472. Another sentence was passed on him, but its
execution was again suspended,--and the duke remained a prisoner in
the Louvre, but did not die there, as is supposed. He was transferred
to the house of a burgher, as a private prisoner. He died in the year
1476.'

See more in the note from which this is copied, page 595 of the viiith
volume of the Memoires de l'Académie.]




[A.D. 1459.]

CHAP. VI.

 THE AMBASSADORS FROM ENGLAND ARE DENIED ACCESS TO THE KING OF
 FRANCE.--THE DUKE OF CLEVES ATTENDS THE MEETING OF PRINCES AT
 MANTUA.--THE DAUPHINESS BROUGHT TO BED OF A SON, AT GENAPPE.--THE KING
 OF SCOTLAND KILLED BY A SPLINTER FROM A BOMB.


This year, ambassadors from England arrived in France, anxious to
obtain an alliance with the king by a marriage or truce; but the king
would neither hear nor see them. They were, therefore, forced to return
without effecting any thing; and what was more, neither lord nor lady
would accept of their palfreys, which they had brought with them in
numbers, to gain the friendship of the lords and ladies of the court.

In the month of June, in this year, the duke of Burgundy, being very
desirous of the welfare of Christendom, sent his nephew the duke of
Cleves, as his proxy and ambassador, to Mantua, where the meeting was
to take place of the pope and the princes, and cardinals of Europe, to
consider on the means of opposing the enterprises of the grand Turk,
who was making daily conquests on the Christians, more especially in
Greece. The duke of Cleves was nobly received wherever he passed, as
well to honour the duke of Burgundy, whose proxy he was, as out of
respect to his own personal worth.

About this time, the count d'Estampes, by orders from his uncle
the duke of Burgundy, made prisoner, in the town of Amiens, the
viscount d'Amiens and lord of Pecquigny, whom he carried prisoner to
Vilvorden,[8] on account of his having conducted himself in a manner
unbecoming a person of his rank.

Toward the end of July, in this year, the princess Charlotte of Savoy,
dauphiness of France, was delivered of a fair son, who was baptised
by the name of Joachim. Great rejoicings took place for this event
throughout the territories of the duke of Burgundy, wherein the dauphin
resided during the time he was in ill estimation with his father king
Charles VII. and indeed so long as the king lived, keeping his court
at the castle of Genappe in Brabant. These rejoicings were, however,
turned to grief, for the child did not long survive its birth.

In the month of August, it happened that while the king of Scotland
was pointing a cannon, to try its power, it burst, and the king was
so severely wounded by a splinter that he died soon after: it was a
melancholy accident. He had married a daughter of the duke of Gueldres,
and niece to the duke of Burgundy, by whom he had several children.[9]

A terrible and melancholy transaction took place this year in the town
of Arras, the capital of the country of Artois, which said transaction
was called, I know not why, Vaudoisie;[10] but it was said, that
certain men and women transported themselves whither they pleased from
the places where they were, by virtue of a compact with the devil.
Suddenly they were carried to forests or deserts, where they found
assembled great numbers of both sexes, and with them a devil in the
form of a man, whose face they never saw. This devil read to them, or
repeated, his laws and commandments, and in what manner they were to
worship and serve him; then each person kissed his backside,--and he
gave to them, after this ceremony, some little money: he then regaled
them with great plenty of meats and wines, when the lights were
extinguished, and each male selected a female for amorous dalliance,
and suddenly they were all transported back to the places they had come
from.

For such criminal and mad acts, many of the principal persons of the
town were imprisoned; and others of the lower ranks, with women and
such as were known to be of this sect, were so terribly tormented
that some confessed matters to have happened as has been related.
They likewise confessed to have seen and known many persons of rank,
prelates, nobles, and governors of districts, as having been present
at their meetings,--such, indeed, as, upon the rumour of common fame,
their judges and examiners named, and, as it were, put into their
mouths,--so that, through the pains of the torments, they accused many,
and declared that they had seen them at these meetings.

Such as had been thus accused were instantly arrested, and so long and
grievously tormented that they were forced to confess just whatever
their judges pleased, when those of the lower ranks were inhumanly
burnt. Some of the richer and more powerful ransomed themselves from
this disgrace by dint of money,--while others of the higher orders were
remonstrated with and seduced by their examiners into confessions,
under a promise that, if they would confess, they should not suffer in
person or fortune. Others again suffered the severest torments with the
utmost fortitude and patience.

The judges received very large sums of money from such as were enabled
to pay them: others fled the country, or completely proved their
innocence of the charges made against them, and remained unmolested.

It must not be concealed, that many persons of worth knew well that
these charges had been raked up, by a set of wicked persons, to
harrass and disgrace some of the principal inhabitants of Arras, whom
they hated with the bitterest rancour, and, from avarice, were eager
to possess themselves of their fortunes. They had first maliciously
arrested some persons deserving punishment for their crimes, whom
they had so severely tormented, holding out promises of pardon, that
they forced them to accuse whomsoever they were pleased to name, and
them they arrested and tormented as mentioned above. This matter was
considered, by all men of sense and virtue, as most abominable; and it
was thought that those who had thus destroyed and disgraced so many
persons of worth would put their souls in imminent danger at the last
day.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 8: Vilvorden,--a town in Brabant, between Brussels and
Mechlin.]

[Footnote 9: 'While king James was observing the effects of
his artillery, (at the siege of Roxburgh-castle) one of the
rudely-contrived cannons of that age, consisting of bars of iron,
girded with circles of metal, suddenly burst: a fragment struck his
thigh,--and the great effusion of blood produced a death almost
instantaneous. The earl of Angus, who stood next to James, was wounded.

'It is impossible to express the grief of the camp, or of the kingdom,
at the premature loss of a beloved sovereign, in the flower of his age,
aggravated by the circumstances and the strange fatality of the case.
The young regretted a youthful prince, and an ardent leader: the old
sighed at the prospect of another minority.

'Could any consolation have arisen, it must have proceeded from the
spirit of the queen, Mary of Gueldres, who, immediately upon the
tidings, arrived in the camp with the infant heir of the monarchy, and
showing him to the soldiers, while tears gushed from her eyes, she
conjured them by every domestic tie, by the memory of their sovereign,
by the fame of Scottish valour, not to depart from their design, but
to destroy this calamitous fortress. The castle was taken and levelled
with the ground.'

_Pinkerton's Hist. of Scotland_, v. ii. p. 244.]

[Footnote 10: Vaudoisie,--a nocturnal meeting of sorcerers.--DU CANGE.
Supplement. See Valdenses, in his glossary.]




[A.D. 1460.]

CHAP. VII.

 SLIGHT MENTION MADE OF THE REBELLION AND DISCORD IN ENGLAND.--OTHER
 INCIDENTS.


In this year, there were great troubles, civil wars, and murders in
England. Some held for the party of king Henry, such as the duke of
Somerset and others; and some held for the party of the duke of York,
namely, the earl of Warwick, the earl of Salisbury and others. A severe
battle took place, in which numbers of each side fell; but it was
gained by the duke of York,[11] who made a treaty with the king, in
such wise that, on the decease of the king, the duke was to succeed to
the crown, to the prejudice of the prince of Wales, son to king Henry
and the daughter of Réné king of Sicily.

This treaty was so contrary to the will and interests of the queen
that she raised another army, of all who were inclined to her and her
son the prince of Wales, and took the field, to offer battle to the
duke of York, who had increased his army as strongly as possible, to
defend his rights. On the first day of January, in this year, the
battle took place, which was very bloody, and hardly contested; but
this time, fortune turned against the duke, who was made prisoner,
together with his second son[12] and the earl of Salisbury[13]. Shortly
after, the queen had them beheaded, and their heads put on the points
of three lances: and on the head of the duke was placed, by way of
derision, a paper crown, to denote his eagerness to be king, and his
having failed in the attempt. The earl of Warwick[14] found means to
escape after the battle, and quit the kingdom, which he did in a small
boat, with great danger, and arrived safely at his government of Calais.

In this year, the rector of a village near to Soissons would have the
tithes from a farm, near to this village, belonging to some croisaders
in the holy land. The farmer refused to pay the tithe,--and the rector
instituted a suit against him and the croisaders, which he lost, and,
for this reason, conceived a great hatred against the farmer and the
farmer's wife.

In this same village resided a sorceress, a woman of very bad fame, and
using the black art, who having quarrelled with the farmer's wife for
some trifle, complained to every one of the wrong that had been done
her, and even made complaint of it to the rector. He, full of hatred
against the farmer's wife, said that he wished to be revenged on her
if he knew but how; when the sorceress instantly said, that if he
would do as she should direct, he would have ample vengeance on her.
The rector replied, that there was nothing he would not do to satisfy
his revenge. The sorceress then went and brought him an earthen pot, in
which was a large toad that she had long kept and fed, and said, 'Take,
sir, this animal, and baptize it in the same manner as if it were a
child, and christen it John; then consecrate a holy wafer and give it
him to eat, and leave the rest to me.'

The accursed priest, blinded by his hatred, baptized the filthy beast
by the name of John, and gave it to devour the holy body of our Lord,
then returned it to the hag, who instantaneously cut it in pieces, and
made a drink of it, with other diabolical ingredients. She then gave
it to a young girl whom she had, bidding her carry it to the house of
the farmer at his dinner-hour,--and after holding some conversation
with the farmer, his wife and children, while they were at dinner, to
throw it under the dining-table and come back to her. The girl did
as her mother had ordered, when the consequence was, that the farmer,
his wife, and one of their sons who was dining at the table, felt
themselves suddenly taken with qualms as if they had eaten something
nauseous,--and all died within three days.

This coming to the knowledge of the magistrates, the sorceress, her
daughter, and the rector, were arrested; and, on the truth coming out,
the hag was publicly burnt in the town of Soissons: the girl, being
with child, was sent back to the prison, whence she escaped, but was
afterward retaken, and carried by an appeal before the parliament. The
rector was confined in the prisons of the bishop of Paris, whence he
escaped by dint of friends and money. I know not what became of the
girl.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 11: Battle of Northampton.]

[Footnote 12: Second son,--Edmund earl of Rutland.]

[Footnote 13: Battle of Wakefield. For particulars of this reign,
see the english historians, particularly Wethamstede, a contemporary
writer.]

[Footnote 14: The earl of Warwick--was not present at this battle, for
he and the duke of Norfolk had the charge of king Henry and of the city
of London: it was from the second battle, of St Alban's, that he fled
to Calais.]




CHAP. VIII.

 EDWARD EARL OF MARCHE, ELDEST SON TO THE LATE DUKE OF YORK, DEFEATS IN
 BATTLE QUEEN MARGARET OF ENGLAND AND OBTAINS THE CROWN BY MEANS OF THE
 LONDONERS.--THE QUEEN SEEKS AID FROM THE SCOTS.


On Palm Sunday, the 28th of March, in this same year, Edward earl
of Marche, eldest son to the duke of York, who had so lately been
beheaded, accompanied by the earl of Warwick and other english barons,
marched in arms to London, where he was received as king, and was
offered the crown, but refused to accept of it, until, as he said, he
should drive his enemies out of the kingdom. He thence led his army to
York, where the queen, the duke of Somerset, and those of her party,
were waiting in great numbers to give him battle.

When the two armies approached, an engagement was agreed on between
the parties, to take effect near to a place called Ferrybridge, eight
leagues from York[15]; and when the day of battle arrived, the earls
of Marche and of Warwick ordered their van to advance, under the
command of earl Warwick's uncle, which was severely handled by the
Lancastrians, and put to the rout. The duke of Somerset, thinking the
battle won, allowed his troops to plunder and strip the dead. News of
this was carried instantly to the earl of Marche, whose army, though
very large and unbroken, was much alarmed at the intelligence. When the
earl saw them thus panicstruck, he had it proclaimed through the ranks,
that whoever was frightened might return home, but that all who were
willing to share his fortune should, if successful, receive a sum of
money; and that whoever fled, after having agreed to remain, the person
who put him to death should be handsomely paid for so doing.

The earl of Warwick, hearing that his uncle was slain, and his men
defeated, cried out, with tears, 'I pray to God that he would receive
the souls of all who die in this battle:' then added, 'Dear Lord God, I
have none other succour but thine now in the world, who art my Creator
and Redeemer, to apply to: I beg therefore, vengeance at thy hands!'
then drawing his sword, he kissed the cross at the handle, and said to
his men, 'Whoever chooses to return home, may, for I shall live or die
this day with such as may like to remain with me.' On saying this, he
dismounted, and killed his horse with his sword.

On the morrow, the main body of each army was so near that a general
battle took place, which was most bloody and severe; insomuch that
it lasted three days,--and for some time no one could tell which
side would be victorious: at length, the queen's party were defeated
and almost all killed or made prisoners. Among the principal persons
of note who fell that day were the earl of Northumberland, the lord
Clifford, the lord Muelle[16], brother to the earl,--the lord
Willoughby, the lord Wells, son to the duke of Buckingham, the lord
Grey, sir Andrew Trollop, a terrible man at arms, who had done
marvellous deeds of valour at this and other battles, and numbers of
other valiant gentlemen, and others, to the amount of thirty thousand.
Some that were made prisoners were afterward beheaded at York.[17]

After the battle, Edward entered York, and had the heads of his father
and of his other friends taken down from the gates and most honourably
interred; and magnificent obsequies were performed for their souls
in the cathedral. He then returned to London, triumphant after his
victory, where he was joyfully received, and soon after crowned king of
England.

On the other hand, the queen and the duke of Somerset had retreated
to a castle, wherein they remained until they heard that king Edward
was marching to besiege it[18]. On this, they fled from the castle,
and sought a refuge with Mary queen of Scotland, daughter to the duke
of Gueldres. The two queens concerted a marriage between the young
prince of Wales and queen Mary's eldest daughter, to secure the aid
of the Scots against Edward; but the duke of Burgundy, uncle to Mary,
instantly dispatched to her the lord de Groothuse, to break off this
marriage, because the king of Sicily, father to queen Margaret, was no
friend to the duke,--and thus the match was interrupted[19].

However, soon after the lord de Groothuse had left Scotland, the
Scots formed an alliance with the queen of England and her son, on
condition that the town and castle of Berwick, with its dependances,
then possessed by the English, on the borders of Scotland, should be
restored to them; and the marriage before mentioned was agreed on,--the
Scots thus adventuring their princess to regain Berwick rather than not
obtain it, as it was of very great strength,--although the prince and
princess were both too young to be then united, as neither of them were
more than seven or eight years old.

During these troubles, and prior to the coronation of king Edward, he
had sent his two younger brothers into Holland that they might escape,
should he prove unsuccessful, confiding in the generous mind of the
noble duke of Burgundy. They remained in that country some time in
secret: but the duke no sooner knew who they were than he sent to seek
them, and had them brought to him at Bruges, where he showed them every
honour, and grandly entertained them. When king Edward had conquered
his enemies, he sent to request the duke to cause his brothers to be
escorted home, which the good duke very cheerfully complied with, and
had them honourably accompanied as far as Calais, toward the end of
April, in the year 1461.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 15: The battle of Towton. Ferrybridge is 20 miles only from
York.]

[Footnote 16: Muelle. Q. Nevill?]

[Footnote 17: Those who were employed to number and bury the dead,
(as we are told by a contemporary writer, who lived near the scene of
action, Continuat. Hist. Croyland, p. 533.) declared that their number
amounted to thirty-eight thousand. Amongst these were many persons of
rank and fortune; as the earls of Northumberland, Westmoreland, and
Shrewsbury,--the lords Clifford, Beaumont, Nevil, Willoughby, Wells,
Roos, Scales, Grey, Dacres and Molineux,--besides a prodigious number
of knights and gentlemen!

_Henry's Hist. of England_, vol. v. pp. 137, 138, 4th ed.]

[Footnote 18: Edward did not leave York until after Easter, and was
crowned the 29th of June at Westminster. The dukes of Somerset and
Exeter, seeing the battle lost, fled with the king, queen, and prince
of Wales, and never thought themselves safe until they arrived at
Edinburgh. Henry, on coming to Edinburgh, was only attended by four men
and a boy.

_Note to Pinkerton's Hist. of Scotland_, vol. ii. p. 248.--From the
Paston Letters.]

[Footnote 19: 'A marriage between Edward prince of Wales and Mary,
the daughter of Scotland, was proposed and resolved, but delayed by
the youth of the parties, and finally prevented by the misfortunes
and death of the prince. To conciliate the expected aid, Berwick was
surrendered to the Scots: an object, often wished and attempted since
the disgraceful invasion of Edward Baliol. In return, a Scottish army
entered England and laid siege to Carlisle, which held for Edward IV.
but the English, led by lord Montague, raised the siege, and defeated
the Scots with great slaughter.'

_Pinkerton_, p. 248.

The Paston Letters say, that six thousand Scots were slain at Carlisle.

The lord Montague, I imagine, should be sir John Nevel, brother to the
earl of Warwick, created lord Montacute after the battle of Towton.]




[A.D. 1441.]

CHAP. IX.

 KING CHARLES OF FRANCE, HAVING BEEN TOLD THAT IT WAS INTENDED TO
 POISON HIM FELL SICK AT HEART AND DIED.


About the beginning of July, in this year certain rumours having been
spread abroad by evil-minded persons, that it was intended to poison
the king while he resided at Mehun sur Yevre[20], and these reports
coming to his ears, he never afterward tasted joy. It was told him by
one of his captains, whose attachment he knew,--and therefore he put
such confidence in the tale that he refused to take any kind of food,
because he had not any faith in those about his person; nor could he
be prevailed on to take any nourishment for eight days, until his
physicians told him, that if he pursued this plan, he would die. He
then attempted to eat,--but he had left off so long that his stomach
refused its functions. On this, he confessed himself, and made his
preparations like a good Catholic; and finding himself grow daily
weaker, he devoutly received all the sacraments of the church, and made
his last arrangements and will according to his pleasure. He ordered
his executors to bury him in the same chapel where his father and
grandfather had been interred, in the church of St Denis, and ended his
days on Magdalen-day in the month and year above mentioned, in the town
of Mehun sur Yevre.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 20: Mehun sur Yevre,--a town in Berry, four leagues from
Bourges.]




CHAP. X.

 TWELVE HOUSES ARE BURNT IN THE VILLAGE OF JUCHY, NEAR CAMBRAY.--THE
 DUKE OF BURGUNDY HOLDS THE FEAST OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE, AT ST OMER. THE
 DAUPHINESS BROUGHT TO BED OF A PRINCESS, AT GENAPPE.--AMBASSADORS FROM
 THE HOLY LAND COME TO THE COURT OF FRANCE,--AND THENCE TO THE COURT OF
 BURGUNDY.


About this period, twelve houses were burnt in the village of Juchy,
near Cambray. The fire began in the house of a man who had thrice, that
same day, thrust his own mother of it, saying the third time, with
great malice, that he would see his house on fire rather than that she
should remain another day in it. Shortly after, his house took fire, no
body knew how, and was burnt down, with twelve of the adjoining houses,
which seemed to prove the Divine vengeance against this wicked man.

The good duke of Burgundy held his feast of the order of the Golden
Fleece on the first of May, in this year, at St Omer, right nobly. Most
of the knights of the order were present,--among whom were Charles
count de Charolois his son, the duke of Cleves, his brother Adolphus
nephew of the duke of Burgundy, the count d'Estampes, the marshal of
Burgundy, the lord de Croy, his brother, and the lord de Launoy their
nephew the lord de Hautbourdin, the bastard de St Pol, the lord de
Bievres bastard of Burgundy, and many more. The dukes of Orleans and of
Alençon were not present,--but they sent their proxies. Several great
lords from Germany, France, Scotland, and other countries, came to this
feast, which lasted for three days in the usual manner.

Notwithstanding the regulations of this order, that every knight of it
must be without reproach, a knight assisted at the feast as proxy for
the duke of Alençon, whom the king of France had declared guilty of
high treason against him, and for this had sentenced him to perpetual
imprisonment. But the duke of Burgundy held him for a nobleman of
honour, and without reproach,--and said that the king of France had
thus condemned him through the envy and wicked insinuations of others,
and had wrongfully dishonoured him! This language he publicly held
during the three days of the feast!!

As it was the custom, after this feast, to hold a chapter of the order
and to elect new companions in the room of such as had deceased, they
now elected sir Phillip Pot lord de la Roche-Bourguignon, the lord de
Groothuse a Fleming, the lord de Roye a Picard, and also the king of
Arragon, to whom the duke sent the collar of the order, by the lord de
Crequy, notably accompanied.

At the conclusion of the feast, and when all business was done,
the count de Charolois, Adolphus of Cleves, and Anthony bastard of
Burgundy, held a just against all comers, which was followed by another
noble feast.

At this time the dauphiness, consort to the lord Louis, eldest son to
the king of France, was brought to bed of a daughter at Genappe in
Brabant, where he resided for fear of his father, in whose ill graces
he was, as mentioned before.

In this same month of May, there arrived at the court of France
ambassadors from the holy land and other eastern countries. In the
number was a prelate dressed like a cordelier friar, who called himself
patriarch of Antioch,--a knight from the king of Trebisonde,--another
knight from the king of Persia,--one from the king of Georgia and
Mesopotamia, who was more strangely dressed than the rest. He was a
stout, robust man, having two tonsures on his head like to the one our
priests have in France,--and to each ear hung a ring. There was also an
ambassador from the little Turk[21], who said, that if the Christians
would make war on the grand Turk, his lord would join them with fifty
thousand combatants. There was another ambassador from the king of
Armenia, a handsome and genteel knight; and, to conclude, there was
another from Prester-John, who, the others said, was a most learned
man. It was reported, that they had been more than seventeen months
journeying from their own countries before they came to France.

On their presentation to the king of France, they styled him the most
Christian king,--and requested that he would send an army under his
banner against the grand Turk, and assured him that he would have
the assistance of all the kings and princes whose ambassadors were
now before him. They declared, that they wanted not his money, for
of that their lords had enough; but that if the king would send his
banner, under the command of one of his experienced captains, the grand
Turk, and his whole army, would be more alarmed than by one hundred
thousand other persons. I know what answer the king made them, but
he caused them to be grandly feasted and entertained. Shortly after,
they departed from France, for the court of the duke of Burgundy, who
received them most honourably, entertained them well, and made them
many rich presents. It is to be supposed that they made to the duke
a request similar to that which they had made to the king of France;
for the duke replied, that if they could prevail on the king of France
to guarantee his possessions during his absence, he would assist them
personally, and to the utmost of his power.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 21: Little Turk. Q. The cham of the Tartars?]




CHAP. XI.

 OF THE DEATH OF CHARLES VII. KING OF FRANCE.--OF THE TROUBLES
 AND DIFFICULTIES HE HAD TO ENCOUNTER AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF HIS
 REIGN,--AND OF HIS GLORIOUS AND GREAT FEATS OF ARMS.


On the 22d day of July, in the year 1461, departed this life, at
Mehun sur Yevre, king Charles VII. of France, in the 58th year of his
age, and the 39th of his reign. Fortune was so adverse to him at the
beginning of his career that he lost the whole of that part of his
kingdom which extended from the seas of Flanders and England to the
river Loire, by the efforts and courage of Henry king of England, who
had married his sister, and contended to be king of France through the
aid of the duke of Burgundy, because king Charles had been consenting
to the murder of his father duke John of Burgundy, at the town of
Montereau sur Yonne, notwithstanding they had sworn to keep peace
and friendship between them on the holy sacrament, and had divided
the wafer between them as a pledge of their amity,--which was a most
disgraceful act, and never can be enough condemned.

However, duke Philip of Burgundy, from loyalty to the crown of France,
and a dislike to see the English in possession of that country, which
they were destroying, at the earnest request and solicitations of king
Charles, agreed to a peace, which was signed at Arras in the 35th year
of the king's reign.

The English from that moment lost ground in France; and king Charles
prospered so much that he reconquered from them the whole of his
kingdom, with the exception of Calais, Guines and Hammes, which are
situated on the confines of the Boulonois. After these conquests,
he always kept on foot fifteen hundred lances, and from five to six
thousand archers, on regular pay,--namely, for each man at arms and
three horses, fifteen florins, royal money, and for each archer seven
florins, per month. These sums were raised by taxes on the inhabitants
of the good towns and villages, and, in common, so punctually collected
that there was scarcely any delay in the payments.

The men at arms and archers were under such good discipline that no
pillager or robber dared to infest the highways for fear of them, as
they were continually on the look-out and in pursuit of such with the
officers of justice. These men at arms escorted the merchants who
travelled with their merchandise from place to place, so that every
one was pleased with them; for before their appointment, those called
Skinners, from their robbing all who fell in their way, were the sole
guides of merchants, whom they plundered.




CHAP. XII.

 THE DAUPHIN AND THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY MAKE PREPARATIONS TO GO TO
 RHEIMS, FOR THE CORONATION OF THE DAUPHIN.--OF THE INTERMENT OF THE
 LATE KING CHARLES.--THE CORONATION OF KING LOUIS XI. AT RHEIMS.--OTHER
 MATTERS.


As soon as the dauphin heard of the death of his father, he sent off,
in haste, a messenger to Hêdin, to inform the duke of Burgundy of this
event; but he was already acquainted with it. These two princes now
appointed a day for meeting at Avênes in Hainault, thence to proceed
to the city of Rheims, for the coronation of the dauphin as king of
France. For greater security, the duke ordered all his nobles to be
under arms, in and about St Quentin in the Vermandois, on the 8th of
the ensuing month of August; and there was not a lord or baron who did
not equip himself in the handsomest array, and come attended with, the
greatest possible number of archers,--so that, when all assembled, it
was a fine sight to be viewed.

But when the dauphin learnt that the duke of Burgundy had collected so
numerous an army, he was fearful that all the country it should march
through would be ruined and wasted: he therefore requested the duke to
disband it, and bring with him only the greater barons of his country
in their usual state, armed or disarmed. The duke willingly complied
with this request, and dismissed to their homes the greater part of his
army, retaining, to attend him, only about four thousand combatants,
the best appointed that ever nobles were; but it was said, that if he
had not disbanded the army, he would have been escorted by more than
one hundred thousand fighting men.

The great lords of France came daily to pay their obedience to the
dauphin, and to acknowledge him for their king, as did deputations from
the principal towns.

Soon after the news of the late king's death was known to the duke of
Burgundy, he set out for Avênes in Hainault, where the dauphin waited
for him; and on his arrival, a grand funeral service was performed
for king Charles during the second and third days of August. At this
service, the dauphin was the chief mourner, dressed in black, supported
by the duke of Burgundy and the count of Charolois, and followed by
the count d'Estampes, James de Bourbon, Adolphus of Cleves, and many
other great lords. When the service was over, the dauphin, whom I shall
henceforth call king, immediately dressed himself in purple, which is
the custom in France; for as soon as a king there dies, his eldest son,
or next heir, clothes himself in purple, and is called king,--for that
realm is supposed never to be without a king.

King Louis departed from Avênes, on the 4th day of August, for Laon;
and on the next day the duke of Burgundy set out for St Quentin, to
meet the nobles of his country, whom he had ordered to assemble there
and to accompany him to the coronation of the king.

While these things were going on, the body of the late king was
embalmed, placed on a car covered with cloth of gold, and carried to
the church of Nôtre Dame in Paris, where a solemn funeral service was
performed, and thence carried to St Denis, where another service
was performed,--and the body was then interred with the kings his
ancestors, who were all buried in the church of this abbey.

On the 14th of August, king Louis made his entry into the city of
Rheims, attended by the noble duke Philip of Burgundy, the count de
Charolois his son, the duke of Bourbon, the duke of Cleves, his brother
the lord of Ravenstein--all three nephews to duke Philip,--the count of
St Pol, and such numbers of barons, knights and gentlemen, all richly
dressed, that it was a handsome spectacle. There were also present the
counts of Angoulême, of Eu, of Vendôme, of Grand-pré, sir Philip de
Savoye, the count de Nassau, and numbers of other lords.

The morrow, being the feast of the Assumption of our Lady, king Louis
was crowned king of France, by the hands of the archbishop of Rheims,
in the presence of all the peers of France, or their proxies. When
the king was dressed, and on the point of being mounted, he drew his
sword, and, presenting it to the duke of Burgundy, desired that he
would make him a knight by his hand,--which was a novelty, for it has
been commonly said that all the sons of the kings of France are made
knights at the font when baptised. Nevertheless, the duke, in obedience
to his command, gave him the accolade, and with his hand dubbed him
knight, with five or six other lords, then present,--namely, the lord
de Beaujeu, his brother James, both brothers to the duke of Bourbon,
the two sons of the lord de Croy, and master John Bureau, treasurer of
France.

The duke was then entreated to make all knights who wished to be so,
which he did until he was weary, and then gave up the office to other
lords, who made so many that it would be impossible to name them all:
let it suffice, that it was said that upwards of two hundred new
knights were created on that day.

Many fine mysteries were performed at this coronation,--at which were
present, besides the twelve peers and great officers of state, the
cardinal of Constance, the patriarch of Antioch, a legate from the
pope, four archbishops, seventeen bishops, and six abbots.

After the ceremonies in the church, the twelve peers of France dined,
as usual, with the king. When the tables were removed, the duke of
Burgundy, with his accustomed benevolence and frankness, cast himself
on his knees before the king, and begged of him, for the passion and
death of our Saviour, that he would forgive all whom he suspected of
having been the cause of the quarrel between him and his late father;
and that he would maintain all the late king's officers in their
places, unless, after due examination, any should be found to have
acted improperly in their situations. The king granted this request,
with the reserve of seven persons,--but I know not who they were.

After this, the duke said,--'My most redoubted lord, I at this moment
do you homage for the duchy of Burgundy, the counties of Flanders
and of Artois, and for all the countries I hold of the noble crown
of France. I acknowledge you as my sovereign lord, and promise you
obedience and service, not only for the lands I hold of you, but for
all others which I do not hold of you; and I promise to serve you
personally, so long as I shall live, with as many nobles and warriors
as I shall be able to assemble, and with as much money in gold and
silver as I can raise.'

Then all the other princes, dukes, and counts and lords did homage to
the king. From Rheims, the king departed, after the coronation, to
Meaux in Brie, and thence to St Denis, to pay his devotions at the
sepulchre of his father. In the mean time, the duke of Burgundy went,
with a small attendance, from Meaux to Paris, where he arrived on
Sunday, the last day but one of August, and found there his son, and
the greater part of his attendants, who had arrived eight days before
him.




CHAP. XIII.

 KING LOUIS XI. MAKES HIS PUBLIC ENTRY INTO PARIS.--THE HANDSOME
 RECEPTION HE MEETS WITH.--THE GREAT MAGNIFICENCE OF THE DUKE OF
 BURGUNDY AND HIS ATTENDANTS.


On Monday, the last day of August, the noble duke of Burgundy issued
out of Paris, after dinner, grandly accompanied, to meet the king of
France, who was waiting for him in the plain of St Denis, to attend
him on his entrance into the city of Paris, which was to take place
on that day, for the first time since his coronation. After the first
compliments on their meeting, they arranged their men, for their
entrance, in order following: First rode before all the rest, the lord
de Ravenstein, the lord de Baussegines, and the lord de la Roche,
abreast, each having six pages behind him so nobly mounted and richly
dressed that it was a pleasure to see them. Next came the archers of
the count d'Estampes, two and two, in number twenty-four, and well
appointed, with two knights as their leaders, followed by the two
brothers, the counts de Nevers and d'Estampes, the count d'Estampes
having behind him thirteen pages magnificently dressed,--then upwards
of thirty of the lords and gentlemen of the household of the count,
superbly equipped.

Next came the archers of the duke of Bourbon, amounting to more than
twenty-four; then thirty archers of the count de Charolois, very well
appointed, having two knights for their captains; then two other
knights, leaders of the duke of Burgundy's archers, to the number of
one hundred, handsomely dressed; then the lords and gentlemen of his
household, with the other great barons who had accompanied him, most
magnificently dressed, themselves and their horses, to the amount of
upwards of two hundred and forty, with housings trailing on the ground,
which was a noble sight.

After them came the admiral and marshal of France, with many great
lords and gentlemen of the king's household, with forty very splendid
housings; then came the counts d'Eu, de la Marche, and de Perdriac
abreast, and without housings, who were followed by the heralds of
the king and princes, to the number of seventy-four; then the king's
archers, amounting to six score, well equipped, each having a valet
on foot beside him; then fifty-and-four trumpeters,--but none sounded
excepting those of the king. After the trumpets came the marshal of
Burgundy and the lord de Croy, very richly dressed; then Joachim
Rohault, master of the horse to the king, bearing the royal sword in
a scarf, followed by the son of Flocquet, bearing the king's helmet,
having thereon a very rich crown of gold. Between these last and the
king was a led horse covered with trappings of blue velvet, besprinkled
with flowers de luce of gold; then came the king, mounted on a white
steed, dressed in a white silk robe without sleeves, his head covered
with a hood hanging down. He was surrounded by four of the burghers of
Paris, who bore on lances a canopy over his head of cloth of gold, in
the same manner as the holy sacrament is carried from the altar. Behind
the king were two men at arms on foot, having battle-axes in their
hands. The king was followed by the duke of Burgundy so splendidly
dressed, himself and his horse, that the whole of his equipment was
valued at ten hundred thousand crowns. Nine pages attended him,
magnificently appointed, each having a light but superb helmet, one
of which was said to be worth a hundred thousand crowns,--and the
frontlet of the duke's horse was covered with the richest jewels. On
his left hand was his nephew, the duke of Bourbon, handsomely dressed
and mounted, and on his right his son, the count de Charolois, most
superbly dressed.

About a stone's cast in their rear came the duke of Cleves, himself and
his horse highly adorned with precious stones; then all the other lords
of France in such numbers that there were upwards of twelve thousand
horse, so finely equipped that it was a pleasure to see them, although
not with such splendid trappings as the Burgundians,--for many among
them knew not whether they were well or ill in the opinion of the king.

Before this grand entry commenced, a cardinal and the principal
burghers of Paris came out of the town to pay their obedience to the
king while in the plain. The duke of Orleans did not come out of Paris,
as well on account of his age as because he mourned for the death of
king Charles, but placed himself at an apartment which looked towards
the street, from the windows of which he saw the procession pass, as
did the duchess of Alençon with her son the count du Perche, then about
fifteen years old, of a noble figure, and in high spirits,--for his
father was released from prison immediately on king Charles's death.

At the entrance of the gate of Paris was the representation of a ship
elegantly made, from which two small angels descended, by machinery,
right over the king as he passed, and placed a crown on his head; which
done, they re-ascended into the ship. In the street of St Denis was a
fountain that ran wine and hippocras for all who chose to drink. At
the corner of a street leading to the market was a butcher of Paris,
who, on seeing the duke of Burgundy, cried with a loud voice, 'Frank
and noble duke of Burgundy, you are welcome to Paris: it is a long time
since you have been here, although you have been much wished for.'

At the entrance of the Châtelet was a representation of the capture of
the castle of Dieppe from the English, which had been taken by king
Louis while dauphin. In other parts were pageants of the crucifixion
of our Lord, and of divers subjects from history. The streets were
so crowded with people that with difficulty the procession went
forward, although it had been proclaimed by sound of trumpet that no
one should be in those streets through which the king was to pass;
but the anxious desire thus to see all the nobility of France caused
the proclamation to be little regarded,--for the whole of the nobles
were there excepting king Réné of Sicily and his brother the count
du Maine, who were with the widowed queen their sister.--Neither the
duke of Brittany, the duke of Alençon, nor the count d'Armagnac were
present, for the late king had banished the two last his kingdom, and
confiscated their fortunes. However, soon after, namely, on the 18th
day of September, the duke d'Alençon came to the new king at Paris,
who received him most kindly, and granted him a free pardon: he then
waited on the duke of Burgundy, who gave him a very kind reception.

On the king's arrival at Paris, he went straight to the church of Nôtre
Dame, where he paid his devotions, and then took the usual oath which
the kings of France take on their first entrance into Paris,--and while
in the church, he created four new knights. He then remounted his
horse, and went to the palace, which had been highly ornamented for his
reception, where he held open court and supped: the peers of France,
and those of his blood, sat at the royal table. On the morrow, he fixed
his residence at the Tournelles.

The duke of Burgundy was lodged at his hôtel of Artois, which was hung
with the richest tapestries the Parisians had seen: and his table
was the most splendid any prince ever kept, so that all the world
went to see it, and marvelled at its magnificence. Even when he rode
through the streets or went to pay his devotions at church, crowds
followed to see him, because every day he wore some new dress or jewel
of price,--and he was always accompanied by seven or eight dukes or
counts, and twenty or thirty of his archers on foot, having in their
hands hunting spears or battle-axes.

In the dining hall of his hôtel was placed a square sideboard, with
four steps to each side, which, at dinner-time, was covered with
the richest gold and silver plate: at the corners were unicorns, so
handsome and finely done that they were surprising to behold. In this
garden was pitched a superb tent, covered on the outside with fine
velvet, embroidered with fusils in gold, and powdered over with gold
sparkles. The fusils were the arms of all his countries and lordships,
and were very richly worked. In short, whether the duke remained in his
hôtel or came abroad, every one pressed to see him, on account of his
noble appearance and great riches.




CHAP. XIV.

 THE KING AND THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY TAKE LEAVE OF EACH OTHER, AND DEPART
 FROM PARIS.--EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN DIVERS PARTS.


The king, during his stay at Paris, dismissed some of his officers
from their places, and nominated others to fill them. He then made
preparations to leave Paris, for Amboise, to visit the queen his
mother, who there resided. The day before his departure, he went to
the hôtel of Artois, to take leave of his uncle of Burgundy, who was
then sitting at dinner; but he rose from table the moment he heard
the king was coming, and went out far in the street, and, on meeting
him, knelt down to salute him. The king instantly dismounted, and they
walked together in the hôtel; and then, in the hearing of the whole
company, the king thanked the duke for all the honours and services
he had done him, acknowledging that he was indebted to him for every
thing he possessed,--for had it not been for his friendship, he would
not, perhaps, have been now alive. He then took leave of the duke,
and returned to the palace of the Tournelles,--and on the morrow,
the 24th of September, set out from Paris, escorted by the duke and
all the lords of his company, very far on the road, notwithstanding
they had taken leave of each other the preceding day. The king then
again thanked him for his friendship and services,--and the duke most
honourably offered him his life and fortune whenever called upon.

The king continued his road toward Amboise; and the duke returned to
Paris with his noble company, where he remained until the last day of
September, and then went to St Denis, staying there two days with his
niece the duchess of Orleans. He had a magnificent funeral service
performed in the church of St Denis, as well for the soul of the late
king Charles as for the souls of all the kings who had been there
interred, and from whom he was descended. He gave dinners and banquets
to the lords and ladies who had accompanied him thither from Paris.

From St Denis the duke returned by Compiègne, and the places of the
count de St Pol, who grandly feasted him, to the town of Cambray; for
the king of France, while at Paris, had made up the quarrel between
the count and the duke of Burgundy. Peace was also made between the
count de St Pol and the lord de Croy, who before hated each other
most mortally. At length, the duke arrived at his city of Brussels in
Brabant.

His son the count de Charolois took his leave at St Denis, and, with
the duke's approbation, went into Burgundy, where he was grandly
feasted, for he had never before been in that country, having been
brought up in the town of Ghent. Before he left Burgundy, he went to
visit the shrine of St Claude[22], on the confines of that country,
and thence took the road to wait on the king at Tours.

In this year, the summer was very fine and dry: the wines and corn were
good, and the last very cheap. However after August, there were many
fevers and other disorders, which, although not mortal, lasted a long
time.

About the feast of St Remy, all the gabelles and taxes throughout the
realm were proclaimed to be let to the highest bidder. It happened
that the populace in Rheims rose against those who had taken them, and
killed several; they then seized their books and papers, wherein their
engagements were written, and burnt them in the open streets. The king
on hearing this, ordered thither a large body of troops, who, dressing
themselves as labourers, entered the gates by two and three at a time,
so that, soon being assembled in sufficient force, they threw open the
gates for the remainder of the army, under the command of the lord de
Moy, who instantly arrested from four score to a hundred of those who
were the most guilty of this outrage, and had them beheaded,--which so
intimidated the rest that they dared not longer oppose the will of the
king.

In this year died at Bordeaux, Poton de Saintrailles, seneschal of
the Bordelois, who had been in his time wise, prudent, and valiant in
arms, and together with another great captain, called La Hire, who died
before him, had aided the late king Charles so ably and gallantly, to
reconquer his kingdom from the English, that it was said his success
was more owing to them than to any others in his realm.

On the 11th of October, in this year the church and town of Encre[23]
were almost entirely destroyed by fire in less than half an hour, which
was a sad misfortune to the poor inhabitants.

Between September and the 1st of November, marvellous signs were seen
in the air like to lighted torches, four fathoms long and a foot
thick, where they remained fixed for half a quarter of an hour,--and
they were thus seen at two different times. Some said they had observed
in the night the appearance of battles in the air, and had heard great
noises and reports.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 22: St Claude, or St Oyen,--a city in Franche-comté: it owes
its origin to a celebrated abbey, founded in the fifth century, so
called after St Claude archbishop of Besançon.]

[Footnote 23: Encre. Q. Ancre or Abbert? a town in Picardy, seven
leagues from Peronne.]




CHAP. XV.

 THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS WAITS ON THE KING OF FRANCE AT TOURS, WHERE
 HE IS MAGNIFICENTLY ENTERTAINED.--HE LOSES HIMSELF WHILE AT THE
 CHASE.--HE RETURNS TO ARTOIS THROUGH NORMANDY, OF WHICH THE KING HAD
 MADE HIM HIS LIEUTENANT.


After the count de Charolois had performed his pilgrimage to Saint
Claude, he took the road to Tours, where king Louis resided at that
time. The count was accompanied by a number of great lords and nobles,
and about three hundred and fifty horsemen.

When the king knew that he was near to Tours, he sent out to meet him
the greatest lords of his household, who gave him a joyful reception,
and, by the king's commands, led him to dismount at the palace, where
he was met by the king and received most honourably by him and his
whole court. The king took him for his amusement to all the handsome
places around,--and he was grandly feasted at each of them. The king
one day took him to hunt a red deer, which showed much sport, but ran
so long, the count pursuing him, that when night came, he knew not
where he was, and had but four other persons with him. They, however,
proceeded, although it was dark night, until they stumbled on a good
inn, wherein they were lodged.

The king, on his return from the chase, not hearing any thing of the
count, no one being able to give him the least intelligence what
was become of him, was exceedingly vexed and alarmed, and instantly
dispatched people to all the adjacent villages, and had lighted torches
fixed to the church steeples, that, should the count see them, he
might find his road back again to Tours: those who were sent into the
forests carried lighted brands or torches.

The king was so troubled, for fear of some accident happening to the
count, that he swore he would not drink until he should hear something
of him. In the mean time, the count, doubting that the king would be
uneasy at his absence, and learning from his host that he was but
two leagues from Tours, wrote him an account where he was by one his
servants, whom he sent under the guidance of a peasant, and desired him
not to be uneasy at his absence, for that he had only lost his way. The
king, on the receipt of this letter, was much rejoiced and sent for him
very early the next morning.

The duke of Somerset was at this time with the king of France, having
been banished England by king Edward, whose enemy he was, and against
whom he had made war, in support of queen Margaret's quarrel. He had
fled to France to take refuge under king Charles, but, on his arrival,
had found him dead. He had been arrested by the officers of the new
king, and carried to his hôtel; but at the request of the count de
Charolois, the king gave him not only his liberty but handsome presents
of gold and silver, for he was a great favourite with the count,
because he was his relative, and also because he preferred the party
of king Henry to that of king Edward, although he knew well that his
father the duke of Burgundy, was of a contrary way of thinking. The
duke of Somerset was desirous of retiring into Scotland; but as he
was informed that king Edward had put spies to watch his conduct, he
withdrew to Bruges, where he remained in private a considerable time.

The count de Charolois, having staid nearly a month with the king, was
desirous to take his leave, which the king granted, together with an
annual pension of thirty-six thousand francs, and appointed him his
lieutenant general of Normandy. The count returned by Blois, where he
was handsomely entertained by the duke of Orleans, and thence proceeded
through Normandy. He was met by processions from all the principal
towns through which he passed, and received as many honours as if he
had been the king himself,--for the king had so ordered, by commands
which he had sent to the different towns. At Rouen, in particular,
he was magnificently received. He passed through Abbeville and Hêdin
without stopping any where, until he came to Aire, where his countess
was: from Aire he soon after departed, to wait on his father the duke
of Burgundy then at Brussels.

About this time, John bishop of Arras, through the instigation of
the pope, prevailed on the king of France to abolish the pragmatic
sanction[24], which had been established in France for upward of
thirty years. In return for having done this, the pope sent him the red
hat, and made him a cardinal, under title of Cardinal of Arras. While
this pragmatic sanction was in force, the benefices of the kingdom
were disposed of at the nomination of the universities, whence arose
innumerable law suits,--and this practice was greatly prejudicial to
the court of Rome.

At this period died Flocquet, one of the king's commanders, valiant
and subtile in war. By his subtilty he won Pont de l'Arche from the
English, and was the first cause of the total loss of Normandy to the
English.

At this time also died master Nicholas Raullin, at Autun in Burgundy.
He had first been an advocate in the parliament, then chancellor
to duke Philip, whom he governed very wisely in many difficult
affairs during the whole time he held this office, and was a great
favourite with the duke; but while he managed his lord's business
so well, he was not neglectful of his own,--for he acquired, during
his service, upwards of forty thousand francs of landed revenue and
many lordships,--so that his sons were rich and great lords, and his
daughters married very nobly.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 24: The title of the Pragmatic Sanction was given to an
assembly of the French clergy at Bourges, called by Charles VII. where
in the presence of the princes of the blood, and of the chief nobility
of the kingdom the canons of the council of Basil were examined and
being found, for the most part, to be very wise and just, and perfectly
calculated to extinguish the capital grievances that had been so long
complained of, they were compiled into a law for the benefit of the
gallican church. The power of nominating to ecclesiastical dignities
was taken from the see of Rome; and those branches of the papal
prerogatives which were not abolished were so curtailed as to be less
injurious to the people and detrimental to the monarchy.]




CHAP. XVI.

 DUKE PHILIP OF BURGUNDY DANGEROUSLY ILL, BUT RECOVERS.--OTHER MATTERS
 WHICH HAPPENED AT THIS PERIOD.


About Candlemas, in this year 1461, the duke of Burgundy was taken
so dangerously ill, in the city of Brussels, that the physicians
despaired of his life; and the duke, in consequence, sent in haste
to his son, then at Quesnoy, who instantly came to him. The count de
Charolois, seeing the duke in so great danger, issued orders throughout
his father's dominions for the priests and monks of all churches and
abbeys to offer up ardent and devout prayers to God, that he would be
pleased to restore his father to health. Processions were, therefore,
made, and prayers offered up with so much affection that God, full of
pity and mercy, restored the duke to health,--for he was beloved by his
subjects as much as prince ever was.

His son the count de Charolois, who had no legitimate children, showed
his affection in another manner; for he never quitted his bedside,
and was always at hand to administer to him whatever was prescribed
in his illness. He was three or four nights and days without taking
any rest, which rather displeased his father,--and he ordered him
frequently to take some repose, because it was better to lose one than
both. In short, the prayers for the good duke were so effectual, and
his physicians so attentive, that he recovered his health, excepting
a debility that always remained, which inclines to a belief that, had
it not been for the prayers of some religious and good persons, he had
never recovered.

At this time, died the lady of Ravenstein, niece to the duchess of
Burgundy,--a very good lady, devout and charitable, and much regretted
by all who knew her.

About the beginning of March, the lady of Bar, wife to the count of St
Pol, deceased. She left her husband four sons and several daughters.
Her eldest son, Louis de Luxembourg, succeeded to the earldom of
Marle, the second to that of Brienne, and the third to the lordship of
Roussy.--She was a very noble lady, and of high birth.

At this time also died, in Abbeville, a very renowned knight in arms,
called sir Gauvain Quieret, the most adventurous of all his fraternity
in war, and much beloved by his men.

In this year, the duchess of Orleans, niece to the duke of Burgundy,
was brought to bed of a fine boy, to whom the king of France stood
godfather, and gave him his name of Louis. The queen of England, wife
to king Henry, was the godmother, who had come to require aid from her
cousin-german, the king, against king Edward, who had deprived her
husband of his crown.

At this time, and three or four years prior to it, all sorts of crimes
were committed in the country of Artois with impunity,--such as
robberies, thefts, violating of women, even in the great towns, and
often under the eyes of officers of justice, who took no notice of the
criminals, except, indeed, of some poor persons unacknowledged by any
great lord! These crimes were committed in a greater degree within
the city of Arras, the capital of Artois, than elsewhere, which was a
shocking and infamous example to all the other parts of that country.




CHAP. XVII.

 A MORE PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE FUNERAL SERVICES PERFORMED AT PARIS
 AND ST DENIS, ON THE DEATH OF KING CHARLES VII. OF FRANCE.


On Magdalen-day, in the year 1461, as I have before mentioned, died
king Charles VII. of France, at the castle of Mehun sur Yevre, whose
soul may God pardon and receive in mercy!

On the following Tuesday, a solemn funeral service was performed for
him in the church of St Denis, such as has been usually performed
yearly for Louis le gros, formerly king of France.

On the Wednesday, the 5th of August, the body of the said king was
brought, at ten o'clock at night, to Paris, but left, without the
walls, in the church of Nôtre Dame des Champs. Four lords of the court
of parliament held the four corners of the pall, clothed in scarlet
mantles: many other lords also supported the pall, dressed in crimson
robes.

The body was, on the morrow, put on a litter covered with a very
rich cloth of gold, and borne by six score salt porters. The duke of
Orleans, the count of Angoulême, the count of Eu, and the count of
Dunois, were the principal mourners, all four on horseback. They were
followed by the car which had brought the body from Mehun, having a
black velvet pall thrown across it, which was covered with a white
cross of very rich figured velvet. This car was drawn by five horses
with trappings of black figured velvet that reached to the ground, and
covered them so completely that their eyes only were to be seen. After
the car came six pages in black velvet, with hoods of the same, mounted
on horses with trappings similar to those of the car. Before the body
was the patriarch, then bishop of Avranches, who performed the services
at Nôtre Dame and at St Denis, as shall be mentioned hereafter. The
clergy of Nôtre Dame, and of all the other parishes of Paris, led the
procession; then came the rector of the university, followed by the
members of the chamber of accounts dressed in black; then those of the
court of requests, the provost of Paris, the court of the Châtelet, and
the burghers of Paris, in regular order. In the front of all were the
four orders of mendicant monks. The whole was closed by an innumerable
quantity of people from Paris and other parts.

There were two hundred wax tapers, of four pounds weight each, borne
by two hundred men dressed in black. The church of Nôtre Dame was hung
with black silk, besprinkled with flowers de luce.

The body of the king was placed in the middle of the choir, when a
service for the dead was performed, and the vigils chaunted. On the
morrow, Friday, the 7th day of August, mass was celebrated by the
patriarch; and about three o'clock in the afternoon of that day,
the lords before named attended the body, which was carried to La
Croix-ou-Fiens, which is between La Chappelle-St-Denis and where the
Lendit-fair is holden, when a desperate quarrel arose about carrying
the body to the church, and it remained there a long time; at length
the burghers of St Denis took up the bier as it was, and wanted to
carry the body to Saint Denis, because the salt-porters had left it on
the road, by reason of a refusal to pay them the sum of ten livres,
which they demanded. The master of the horse to the king having
promised payment of this sum, they carried the body into the choir of
the church of St Denis,--but it was eight o'clock before it arrived
there. At this hour, vespers for the dead only were chaunted for
the king, and on the morrow, at six in the morning, matins, namely,
_Dirige_, &c.

There were present at St Denis the duke and duchess of Orleans,
the counts of Angoulême and of Dunois, the lords de Brosses and de
Château-brun, the master of the horse, the bishop of Paris, the
court of parliament, the bishop of Bayeux. The bishops of Troyes and
of Chartres performed the service, and the bishop of Orleans the
office. The bishops of Angers, of Beziers, of Senlis, of Meaux, the
abbots of St Germain, of St Magloire, of St Estienne de Dijon, of St
Victor, attended the mass,--but only one grand mass was celebrated
for the king; after which, the body was interred in the chapel of his
grandfather, between the body of the latter and that of his father.

The choir of the church was all hung with black velvet,--and there
was a most sumptuous catafalque in the center of the choir, under
which was placed the body of the late king, surrounded with as many
wax tapers as it could hold. The corpse was in a cyprus-wood coffin,
inclosed in another of lead, and then in another of common wood,
having a representation of the said king lying between two sheets on
a mattress on the pall. This figure was dressed in a tunic and mantle
of velvet, embroidered with flowers de luce, lined with ermine, holding
in one hand a sceptre of the hand of Justice, and in the other a larger
sceptre: it had a crown on the head, under which was a pillow of velvet.

The king's officers had borne a canopy over the coffin, on eight
lances, as far as the Croix-ou-Fiens, where they were met by eight
of the benedictine monks from St Denis, who would have taken their
places; but the equerry refused to allow it, as he said that it was
not customary,--for that the canopy was only borne over the body when
passing through towns, but not when in the open country.

When the body arrived at the gate of the town of St Denis, it was set
down, when three prayers were chaunted over it, as was done at every
place where they halted, and then the canopy was given up to the monks,
who bore it over the body, but in such wise that every one could
plainly see the figure on the coffin.

After the interment, a serious quarrel arose between the master of the
horse and the monks of the abbey, respecting the pall that was under
the representation of the king, which the master of the horse claimed
as his fee; when at last the pall was deposited in the hands of the
count de Dunois and the chancellor of France,--when it was determined
by them, that the pall, which was of very magnificent cloth of gold and
crimson, should remain in the abbey of St Denis, it being declared on
behalf of the grand master, that whatever claim he might have to it he
gave up to the church of St Denis.

The canopy, with the velvet, wax, and every thing else remained to the
church, without any dispute, excepting the velvet and white cross which
covered the car: these were carried away.

The count de Dunois and the grand master visited all the chapels
wherein were interred any bodies of saints, and presented to each
velvet and satin sufficient to cover two altars from top to bottom.

In the middle of the high mass, was a sermon preached by master Thomas
de Courcelles, doctor in divinity,--at which all the people bewailed
and prayed for the defunct, who was then styled, 'Charles, the Seventh
of the Name, most Victorious King of France.'

When the body was let down into the vault, the heralds shouted,
'Long live king Louis! May God have mercy on the soul of Charles the
Victorious!' Then the ushers and sergeants broke their rods, and threw
them into the grave.

The company, after this, went to dinner in the great hall of the abbey,
where was an open table for all comers. When dinner was ended, the
count de Dunois and de Longueville arose, and said with a loud voice,
that he and the other servants had lost their master, and that every
one must now provide for himself. This speech made every one sorrowful,
and not without cause, more especially the pages, who wept bitterly.




[A.D. 1462.]

CHAP. XVIII.

 THE DISGRACEFUL DEATH OF JOHN COUSTAIN, MASTER OF THE WARDROBE TO DUKE
 PHILIP OF BURGUNDY.--THE CAUSE OF IT.--THE DEATH OF HIS ACCUSER.


On Sunday, the feast of St James and St Christopher, in the month of
July, in the year 1462, John Coustain, master of the wardrobe to the
noble duke Philip of Burgundy, was arrested and carried prisoner to
Rupelmonde, for having intended to poison the count de Charolois,--with
which crime he was charged by a poor gentleman from Burgundy, called
John d'Juy. The said Coustain had bargained with him, for a large sum
of money, to go into Piedmont, and buy for him some poison, and had
told him the use he intended to make of it.

When this John d'Juy was returned from Piedmont to Brussels with the
poison, he demanded payment as had been agreed on; but Coustain not
only refused to give him the money but abused him, in most coarse
language,--for this Coustain had not his equal in pride and wickedness.
John d'Juy, discontented at such treatment, made his complaints to
another gentleman of Burgundy, called Arquembart, and discovered to him
the plot. Arquembart, much alarmed, advised him to reveal the whole of
it to the count de Charolois, saying, that if he did not instantly do
so, he would go and tell it himself.

John d'Juy, without further delay, waited on the count, and, casting
himself on his knees, humbly besought him to pardon the wickedness
he was about to reveal to him, and then told him the whole truth of
the intentions of John Coustain. The count was much astonished and
troubled, and, hastening to his father the duke, told him all he had
just heard, and demanded justice on John Coustain for his disloyalty
and treason. The duke said, he should have instant justice,--on which
the count returned to his apartments, and ordered John d'Juy to go and
surrender himself a prisoner at Rupelmonde, and wait for him there, as
he would speedily follow him.

On the morrow, which was the feast of St James, as I have said, as
the duke was ordering the lord d'Auxi and Philip de Crevecoeur to
carry John Coustain prisoner to Rupelmonde, he was playing and amusing
himself in the duke's park: the duke called to him, and said that he
wished he would go to Rupelmonde, with the lord d'Auxi, to answer a
gentleman who had made heavy charges against his honour. Coustain
answered insolently, according to his custom, that he did not fear
any man on earth, and went to boot himself, and mount a fine horse,
attended by four others. In this state, he went to the hôtel of the
lord d'Auxi, whom he found mounted, together with Philip de Crevecoeur,
and fifteen or sixteen of the duke's archers.

When Coustain saw so many archers, he began to fear the consequences:
nevertheless, they all rode together through the town of Brussels,--but
when they came into the open country, the lord d'Auxi made John
Coustain dismount from His war-horse, and mount a small hackney that
he rode, which alarmed Coustain more than before; and instantly the
lord d'Auxi put his hand on his shoulder, and declared him prisoner to
the duke, and then pushed forward, without any stopping, until they
came to Rupelmonde. They were scarcely arrived before the count de
Charolois came, and took possession of the tower in which John Coustain
was confined.

Shortly after, Anthony bastard of Burgundy, the bishop of Tournay, the
lord de Croy, and the lord de Goux came thither. No one spoke to John
Coustain but the above, and in the hearing of the count de Charolois.
When they were assembled, John d'Juy was ordered before them, and
related, in the presence of John Coustain, how he had bargained with
him to purchase poisons, which he had brought to him,--after which, he
had refused to pay him the sum agreed on for so doing. To confirm what
he had said, he produced, not one, but many letters to this purpose,
written and signed by Coustain.

Notwithstanding these proofs, Coustain denied the whole of the charge,
and loaded d'Juy with many reproaches. At length, however, without
being tortured, he acknowledged that all was true,--and added, that he
himself had been twice in Piedmont since Christmas in the year 1461, to
procure poisons, but without success. For that purpose, he had indeed
bargained with John d'Juy as he had said, but added, at first, that it
was not to poison the count de Charolois, but in order that the count
might have him in his good graces, and not deprive him of his place,
or of any thing appertaining to him, should the duke chance to die: at
last, he owned that the poisons were intended for the count, and that
he had proposed to give them at a banquet, which would take place about
the middle of August,--which poisons being taken, he would not live
longer than twelve months afterward.

When John Coustain had made this confession, he was taken, on the
Friday following, to the highest tower of the castle to be beheaded;
and while there, he earnestly begged that he might say a few words in
private to the count, who, on being informed of it, consented,--and he
was some time in conversation with the prisoner alone. None of those
present heard what was said; but they saw the count cross himself at
almost every word Coustain told him, which caused it to be supposed
that he was accusing others in the hope of lessening his own crimes. He
entreated the count that his body might not be quartered, but buried
in consecrated ground. After this conversation, he was immediately
beheaded.

John d'Juy was then called; and the count asked him whether, if
Coustain had kept his promise of payment, he would have informed
against him. On his replying, that he would not, the count ordered him
to be beheaded also.

The fortune of the said Coustain, amounting to more than three hundred
thousand francs in the whole, was declared confiscated to the duke;
but he, out of his noble and benign nature, gave them back again to
the widow and her children. It was afterward commonly reported, that
this Coustain had poisoned the good lady of Ravenstein, because she had
blamed his wife for her pomp and extravagance, which was equal to that
of a princess.




CHAP. XIX.

 THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY CAUSES A NUMBER OF ROGUES AND VAGABONDS TO BE
 EXECUTED IN HIS COUNTRY OF ARTOIS.--THE DEATH OF THE ABBOT OF ST VAAST
 AT ARRAS.--OTHER EVENTS.--TAUNTING REPLIES MADE BY THE LORD DE CHIMAY
 TO THE KING OF FRANCE.


The duke of Burgundy was at length informed of the mischiefs that were
doing in his country of Artois by the dependants of different lords,
whom the bailiffs, and other officers of the duke, were afraid to
arrest or punish, lest they should be ill treated themselves.

In consequence of this, the bailiffs of Amiens, of the Cambresis,
and of Orchies, entered the town of Arras as secretly as they could,
by two and three at a time, having with them about fifty horse of
the body-guard of the count d'Estampes, governor of Picardy, and
took possession of different inns. They showed their orders from
the duke, which commanded them to arrest and execute all those who
had acted so criminally, to whatever lord they might belong, even
were they dependants of those of his blood. It is, therefore, to be
believed, that had the good prince earlier received information of
their wickedness, he would sooner have provided a remedy; but he was
surrounded by some who wished not that the truth should come to his
ears.

When the above-mentioned bailiffs were come to Arras, they sallied out
in the night to the places where they expected to meet these rogues;
some they arrested, but many fled and hid themselves. They then
advanced into the country, and laid hands on several of bad fame, whom
they hanged on the trees by the road side, and this time performed a
good exploit.

On the 15th day of September, in this year, died the abbot John du
Clerc, abbot of St Vaast in Arras, whose death was much bewailed by the
poor; for he was exceedingly charitable, and had governed the abbey
for thirty-four years more ably than any abbot had done for the two
hundred preceding years, as was apparent from the church and different
buildings which he had ornamented and restored in many parts, having,
on his election, found them in ruins. Among many good deeds, he did one
worthy of perpetual remembrance, namely, when corn was so dear, in the
year 1438, that wheat sold for ten francs the septier, or five francs
the mencault of Arras, which prevented the poor from buying any, he
opened the granaries of his abbey, that were full of corn, and ordered
it to be sold to the poor only, at twenty-eight sols the mencault, and
but two bushels to be delivered to any person at a time,--so that, if
the famine should continue, his corn might last longer. He built the
entrance-gate to the abbey, and the nave of the church, and managed the
revenues of his abbey better than any abbot had done, and added greatly
to them. When he died, he was eighty-six years old. May God pardon and
show mercy to his soul!

About this period, the lord de Chimay returned from France, whither he
had been sent by the duke of Burgundy, respecting some differences that
had arisen between him and the king of France. The most important was,
as it was said, that the king granted to have it proclaimed through
the territories of the duke that no one should afford aid or support,
in any way whatever, to king Edward of England, which the duke would
not allow to be done, considering that not only a truce existed between
him and king Edward but that he was favourably inclined towards him.
King Louis wanted also to introduce the gabelle, or salt duty, into
Burgundy, which had not been done for a very long time,--and this the
duke likewise refused to permit to be done.

For these and other matters, the lord de Chimay had been sent to
remonstrate with the king, and to entreat that, out of his love to him,
he would desist from pursuing them further; but the lord de Chimay was
long before he could obtain an audience, and would perhaps have waited
longer, but one day he stood at the king's closet door until he came
out. On seeing the lord de Chimay, he said to him, 'What kind of a man
is this duke of Burgundy? is he of a different stamp from the other
princes and lords of my realm?' 'Yes, sire,' replied the lord de Chimay
(who was of a bold and courageous character), 'the duke of Burgundy is
indeed of another sort of metal than the other princes of your realm,
or of the adjoining realms; for he received and supported you against
the will of king Charles, your father, whose soul may God pardon! and
contrary to the will of others, whom this his conduct displeased,--and
he did that which no other prince would have dared to do!'

On hearing these words, the king was silent, and, without making any
reply, entered again into his closet. Some said, that the count de
Dunois then approached the lord of Chimay, and asked how he dared thus
speak to the king: when he answered, 'If I had been fifty leagues off,
and had supposed that the king would have said to me what he has done
respecting my lord and master, I would have instantly returned to make
him the answer I did.' He then set out for Brussels, to make his report
to the duke of Burgundy.




CHAP. XX.

 THE DUCHESS OF BOURBON COMES TO RESIDE WITH HER BROTHER THE DUKE
 OF BURGUNDY.--THE KING OF FRANCE GRANTS SUCCOURS TO THE QUEEN OF
 ENGLAND.--OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN DIVERS PARTS.


At this time, the widowed duchess of Bourbon came to visit the noble
duke of Burgundy, accompanied by three or four of her sons and two of
her daughters,--for she had had by her late husband six boys and five
girls. The eldest son, John, succeeded his father in the dukedom; the
second was married to a daughter of the king of Cyprus, but died of
leprosy before he went thither; the third, Charles, was archbishop of
Lyons, on the Rhône, and abbot of St Vaast at Arras; the fourth, named
Louis, was bishop of Liege; the fifth was lord of Beaujeu, and married
to a daughter of the duke of Orleans; the sixth, James, died when young.

Of the daughters, one was married to the duke of Calabria, by whom
she had a fair son, but died shortly after: the second married her
cousin-german, the count de Charolois, and had only a daughter,
when the good lady died: the third espoused the duke of Gueldres,
nephew to the duke of Burgundy: another was afterward married to the
lord d'Arquel,--and another was then to be married; for the duke
of Burgundy, their uncle, had always very earnestly promoted the
advancement of his friends and relatives.

About this period, the king of France sent two thousand combatants to
England, to the aid of queen Margaret, under the command of the lord de
Varennes, high seneschal of Normandy, who, under the late king's reign,
had governed every thing, and it was reported that king Louis had given
him this command for the chance of his being slain: nevertheless, he
bore himself well, and conquered several places, in the expectation of
being joined by the duke of Somerset, who had promised to come to him
with a large body of Scots and others; but he failed,--for he had found
means to make his peace with king Edward, who had restored to him his
estates and honours.

The French were now besieged in the places they had won by the earl
of Warwick, and were glad to return to France with their lives
spared.--All were not so fortunate, for many were slain or captured in
the different skirmishes that had passed between them.[25]

The duke of Burgundy now sent one hundred men at arms and four hundred
archers to the aid of the bishop of Mentz, who was engaged in a
destructive warfare with one of the princes of Germany, insomuch that
the extent of three or four days journey of the flat country was burnt
and totally ruined.

On the 21st day of November, in this year, was an eclipse of the sun;
and shortly after there were tiltings and other entertainments at
Brussels, in honour of the arrival of the duchess of Bourbon, and of
her children, whom she had brought with her. To these feasts the duke
of Burgundy came with great pomp, and most superbly dressed.

About the same time, the count de Charolois had three men and an
apothecary imprisoned at Brussels,--which three men had caused the
apothecary to make three images of wax, of the form of men and women;
three of each for some sort of sorcery, and even, as it was said,
touching the said count de Charolois. This was found out from the
apothecary telling some of the count's servants what he had made, and
that those who had ordered them would do wonders with them; that they
would make these images talk and walk, which would be miraculous: in
short, so much was said, that it came at length to the ears of the
count, who ordered the three men to be arrested, who belonged to the
count d'Estampes. The apothecary was also arrested, but soon set at
liberty, because he was ignorant for what purposes these images had
been made. A gentleman of the household of the count d'Estampes
fled, but was retaken, and carried prisoner to Quesnoy-le-Comte in
Hainault: his name was Charles de Noyers. It was rumoured, that these
four persons had been closely interrogated, and had confessed wonderful
things; but they were kept so secret that few knew what to say about
them. The prisoners, however, remained very long in confinement.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 25: Henry says, that the French fleet appeared off Tinmouth;
that many of their ships were driven on shore near Bamborough in a
storm; that the French took shelter in Holy Island, where they were
attacked and beaten by a superior force; that sir Pierre de Brézé,
their commander, and the rest, saved themselves in Berwick.--_Hist. of
England_, A.D. 1461.]




[A.D. 1463.]

CHAP. XXI.

 OF THE MANY DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT HAPPENED DURING THE COURSE OF THE
 ABOVE YEAR.--OF THE HARD FORTUNE OF MARGARET QUEEN OF ENGLAND.


On the 19th of April, this year, after Easter, died master Robert le
Jeune, governor of Arras, aged ninety-two years. He began life as
an advocate at Amiens, and was afterward retained of the counsel of
king Henry V. of England, who made him a knight, and gave him great
riches. After the death of king Henry, the duke of Burgundy made him
bailiff of Amiens, in which office, he governed so partially, towards
the duke and the English, that he put to death, by hanging, drowning,
or beheading, upwards of nineteen hundred persons,--and many more of
the French party, called Armagnacs, than of the other,--for which the
populace of Amiens so much detested him that he dared not longer abide
there, but went to Arras, of which place the duke of Burgundy made him
governor! In whatever place he resided, he managed so well for his own
interest that his two sons became great and rich lords. One of them
was bishop of Amiens, and afterward bishop and cardinal of Therouenne,
the richest of all the cardinals, but he died when only forty years
old,--and it was said that his death was hastened by poison. The other
son was a knight at arms, and a considerable landholder, who had the
greater share of the government of the duchess of Burgundy's household,
and afterward of that of her son the count de Charolois. The daughter
of sir Robert le Jeune was nobly and richly married.

The 6th day of July, the duke of Burgundy came from Bruges to Lille,
where he had not been since his severe illness the preceding year. The
townsmen received him with greater honours than at any former time; for
a procession of upwards of four hundred of them went out of the town
to meet him, with lighted torches in their hands, not to mention the
principal burghers who went out in numbers. The streets were all hung,
and illuminated so brilliantly that it appeared like noon-day, and many
pageants and mysteries were exhibited, although it was late, and the
night very dark. In this state was the duke escorted to his hôtel.

Duke Philip, ever anxious to fulfil the vow which he had made in the
town of Lille, in the year 1454, to attack the grand Turk, and drive
him back to his own territories beyond the Straits of St George, would
most cheerfully have gone thither in person, had he not feared that,
during his absence, the king of France would attack and perhaps conquer
his country. For this reason, therefore, he sent a notable embassy to
pope Pius, the principal of which were the bishop of Tournay, the lord
de Montigny, and the lord de Forestel, knights, to learn the will of
the pope respecting his vow, which, as has been said, he was unable to
accomplish, making offer, in lieu thereof, to send six thousand good
combatants at his own costs and charges against the Turk, in any way
the pope might be pleased to order.

I must mention here a singular adventure which befel the queen of
England. She in company with the lord de Varennes and her son, having
lost their way in a forest of Hainault, were met by some banditti,
who robbed them of all they had. It is probable the banditti would
have murdered them, had they not quarrelled about the division of the
spoil, insomuch that from words they came to blows; and, while they
were fighting, she caught her son in her arms and fled to the thickest
part of the forest, where, weary with fatigue, she was forced to stop.
At this moment, she met another robber, to whom she instantly gave her
son, and said,--'Take him, friend, and save the son of a king.'

The robber received him willingly, and conducted them in safety toward
the seashore, where they arrived at Sluys, and thence the queen and her
son went to Bruges, where they were received most honourably. During
this time, king Henry, her husband, had retired into the strongest
parts of Wales.

The queen left prince Edward at Bruges, and went to the count de
Charolois at Lille, who feasted her grandly, whence she set out for
Bethune, to hold a conference with the duke of Burgundy. The duke,
hearing that large reinforcements of English were landed at Calais,
sent a body of his archers to escort her from Bethune to St Pol,
where he went to meet her, notwithstanding he knew well that she had
never loved him; but, according to his noble nature, he received her
with much honour, and made her rich presents. Some said, that he gave
her two thousand crowns of gold, and to the lord de Varennes one
thousand, and to each of the ladies that attended on the queen one
hundred crowns: he had her also escorted to the country of Bai, which
appertained to her brother the duke of Calabria. The queen repented
much, and thought herself unfortunate, that she had not sooner thrown
herself on the protection of the noble duke of Burgundy, as her affairs
would probably have prospered better!




CHAP. XXII.

 THE KING OF FRANCE GIVES THE COUNTY OF GUISNES TO THE LORD DE
 CROY.--THE COUNT D'ESTAMPES QUITS HIS ATTACHMENT TO THE HOUSE OF
 BURGUNDY.--OTHER EVENTS.


During this year of 1463, king Louis of France made a progress through
his kingdom, to examine into the state of it. On his return to Paris,
he caused proclamation to be made, by sound of trumpet, that he had
given to the lord de Croy the county and lordship of Guisnes, having,
before this, made him grand master of his household. The lord de Croy
had, at this time, left the house of Burgundy, and resided with the
king, which seemed to many very strange,--for the lord de Croy had
been brought up and educated by the duke and his family, and had
been better provided for than any others, being first chamberlain and
principal minister to the duke, and had acquired by his services from
forty to fifty thousand francs of landed rent, besides the advancement
of all his friends, so that there was no one like to him in that whole
country. If he had been in the good graces of the duke, he enjoyed the
same favour with the king, who refused him nothing that he asked for
himself or his friends. The common report was, that he was so much
beloved by the king because he had drawn up the plan for the repurchase
of the lands and towns on the Somme, from the duke of Burgundy, for
four hundred and fifty thousand crowns, and because he had induced the
duke to accede to this bargain,--for he listened to him in council more
than to any others. The lord de Croy having made some stay at the court
of France, returned to that of Burgundy, and exercised his charges the
same as before.

During the king's progress through Guienne and the Bordelois, he made
up the quarrel between the king of Spain and the count de Foix, which
had risen to a great height, although they had married two sisters,
daughters to the king of Navarre.

At this time, John of Burgundy count d'Estampes, quitted the house of
Burgundy, and attached himself to the king of France,--to which he was
instigated, according to report, by his being in disgrace with the
duke, and still more with the count de Charolois, on account of those
waxen images before mentioned; for it was said the count de Charolois
was suspicious of being in his company, for fear of sorcery,--and he
now kept the count de St Pol constantly with him, and gave him the
principal management of himself and his household. Some said, that
this was the reason why the count d'Estampes and the lord de Croy had
quitted the noble house of Burgundy,--for it was well known that the
count de St Pol loved neither of them.

About this time, the queen of France, Isabella of Savoy, came to
the king at Senlis, with but few attendants; for the king was then
as saving as possible, in order to amass a sufficient sum for the
repayment of the money for which the towns on the Somme had been
pledged. His expenses were chiefly for his amusements of hunting and
hawking, of which he was immoderately fond,--and he was liberal enough
to huntsmen and falconers, but to none others. He was very careless in
his dress, and was generally clothed meanly, in second-priced cloth and
fustian pourpoints, much unbecoming a person of his rank,--and he was
pleased that all who came to him on business should be plainly dressed.
He did not diminish any of the taxes, but, on the contrary, added to
them, which greatly oppressed his people.

On the 6th of September, the parliament pronounced sentence on sir
Anthony de Chabannes lord de Dammartin, who, after the death of king
Charles, had fled for fear of his successor; but a year afterward he
had sought the king's mercy, and put himself into his hands. The king
sent him prisoner to the Conciergerie of the palace, and ordered the
parliament to bring him to trial; which being done, he was convicted
of high treason against king Louis, and sentenced to death, and his
effects confiscated to the crown.

The king, nevertheless, granted him a pardon, on condition that he
would transport himself to the island of Rhodes, and remain there for
his life; but he was to give security for the performing of this, which
not being able to do, he was confined in the bastile of St Anthony.

At this time, king Louis, from his will and pleasure, ordered all nets
and engines, to take and destroy the game, to be burnt throughout the
Isle of France. No one was spared, whether of noble or peasant, except
in some warrens that belonged to the princes. It was said that he did
this that no one might hawk or hunt but himself, and that there might
be a greater plenty of game,--for his whole delight was in hunting and
hawking.




CHAP. XXIII.

 THE KING OF FRANCE REPURCHASES THE TOWNS AND LANDS ON THE RIVER SOMME
 THAT HAD BEEN PLEDGED TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.--HE MEETS THE DUKE AT
 HÊDIN.--OTHER MATTERS.


The king of France, having determined to repurchase the towns on the
Somme from the duke of Burgundy, made such diligence that he collected
a sufficiency of cash; for there was not an abbey or canonry, or any
rich merchant in France, who did not lend or give him some sums of
money. When he had amassed the amount, he sent it as far as Abbeville
to the duke, who had it transported thence to Hêdin, where he then
resided.

Shortly after, the king came to Hêdin,--and the duke went out to meet
him, received him most honourably, as he well knew how to do, and
lodged him in his own proper apartments in his castle. The king then
promised the duke, that he would punctually fulfil all the articles of
the treaty of Arras, which promise he did not so punctually perform.

While the king and the duke were at the castle of Hêdin, a grand
embassy arrived there from England,--the chief of which was a
bishop[26], brother to the earl of Warwick, and from three to four
hundred horsemen handsomely dressed and equipped.

Before they departed from Hêdin, the duke had sent repeated messages to
his son, the count de Charolois, then in Holland, for him to come and
pay his respects to the king,--but he refused, saying, that so long as
the count d'Estampes and the lord de Croy were with the king (as they
then were), he would never appear before him. He knew in what great
favour they were with the king; and it was currently reported, that it
had been through the counsels of the lord de Croy that the duke had
consented to the reimbursement for the towns on the Somme, which was
contrary to the will of the count de Charolois, and very prejudicial to
his future interests.

It was also said, that the king, during his residence at the castle
of Hêdin, had well considered its situation and strength, as the key
of the county of Artois, and had demanded it from the duke, offering,
in exchange, the towns of Tournay and Mortagne[27], with some other
places; but the duke would not listen to it, thinking such offers were
made more to his hurt than otherwise.

When the king departed from Hêdin, on the 19th of October, the duke
attended him to a considerable distance; and it was said, that the
duke, on quitting him, made several requests, and, among others,
entreated that he would not turn out his officers from the places to
which he had appointed them, in the several towns that were now become
the king's,--all of which the king granted, but did not fulfil; for
he instantly removed some of the officers in Abbeville, and made the
inhabitants and gentlemen in the neighbourhood renew their oaths to
him, although many of them had served the duke of Burgundy from their
youth; but the king made them swear to serve him against all other men
whatever.

He deprived the lord de Saveuses of his government of the cities and
towns of Amiens, Arras, and Dourlens, and gave it to the lord de
Launoy, nephew to the lord de Croy, who was then governor, for the duke
of Burgundy, of Lille, Douay, and Orchies. The king also gave him the
government of Mortagne, dismissing from it the lord de Hautbourdin,
bastard de St Pol, and made him bailiff of Amiens, instead of the lord
de Crevecoeur. In addition to all these places, the king settled on
him a yearly pension of two thousand livres. All these favours heaped
on the lord de Launoy astonished every one; for he had commenced his
career of fortune under the house of Burgundy, and had never done any
services to king Louis of France.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 26: A bishop. George Neville, bishop of Exeter, and
afterwards archbishop of York.]

[Footnote 27: Mortagne,--in Flanders, on the conflux of the Scarpe and
Scheld, three leagues from Tournay.]




CHAP. XXIV.

 THE DEATH OF THE DOWAGER QUEEN OF FRANCE.--THE KING SUMMONS THE
 COUNT DE SAINT POL AND THE LORD DE GENLY TO APPEAR PERSONALLY BEFORE
 HIM.--THE MARRIAGE OF THE SON OF THE DUKE OF GUELDRES.--THE ABOLITION
 OF THE PRAGMATIC SANCTION.


About this time, the lady Mary of Anjou, queen of France, mother to
king Louis now on the throne, departed this life. She was renowned
for being a very good and devout lady, very charitable, and full of
patience.

The king of France had now summoned the count de St. Pol and the lord
de Genly to appear in person before him, on the 15th day of November
ensuing, wherever he might then be. The reason of this was currently
said to be the different journies the lord de Genly had been remarked
to make to the duke of Brittany, to conclude certain treaties between
that duke and the count de Charolois, to oppose the king of France
should he attempt hostilities against them; for they were in his ill
favour, as was apparent from the duke of Brittany having all his places
fortified, and his army ready prepared to resist an invasion of his
country.

It was likewise said, that the duke of Bourbon and some other princes
of France were in alliance with them against the king, on account of
the strange manner in which he had treated them.

On the 15th of October, a blaze of light was seen in the heavens,--and
it seemed that the clouds opened to show this blaze, for the space of
time in which an Ave-Maria could be repeated, and then closed again: it
ended with a long flaming tail before it vanished.

The bishop of Tournay returned, at this period, from the embassy
on which the duke of Burgundy had sent him to pope Pius at Rome.
He reported to the duke, that the pontiff depended on having forty
thousand combatants to march against the Turk, which he would lead in
person, and put on the cross against the infidels, in case the duke
would accompany him with six thousand fighting men, and act under him
as his general.

The duke was much rejoiced at this intelligence, and dispatched his
letters to all those who had made the vow of going to Turkey, and to
all his knights and vassals, to prepare themselves, and assemble at
Bruges on the ensuing 15th day of December. On their arrival at Bruges,
he had them informed, that it was his intention to march in person
against the Turks and infidels, and to be at Aiquesmortes about the
middle of next May to embark for the east,--but that he would assemble
them again before his departure, to inform them in what manner he
should settle the government of his country during his absence on this
expedition.

On the 18th of December in this year, the marriage of the eldest son
of the duke of Gueldres with a princess of Bourbon, sister to the
countess of Charolois, was celebrated in the city of Bruges. They were
both equally related to the duke of Burgundy: the bridegroom was the
son of a daughter of the duke's sister, the duchess of Cleves, who had
deceased about two months before,--and the bride a daughter of his
sister, the duchess of Bourbon.

Many lords of the court tilted after the wedding dinner,--among whom
the lord de Renty tilted with a young esquire of Picardy, called John,
only son to David de Fremessent, who met with a sad misfortune, for he
was hit by a splinter of a lance so severely on the head that he died.

On the same day, two other men lost their lives, from the great
crowding at this tournament, which must be attributed to their own
folly in not taking more care.

About this period, Godfrey, bishop of Alby and cardinal of Arras,
waited on the king of France, whom, some little time before, it was
said the king did not love: nevertheless, he now received him most
handsomely. It was he who, a short time prior to this, had persuaded
the king to abolish the pragmatic sanction, which had been established
in France by the council of Basil. In return for this, the cardinal
had promised the king certain things,--which, however, he failed to
perform, and it is not known how he pacified the king. He had promised
that the pope should send a legate to France to dispose of the
benefices when vacant; that the money for fees should not be sent to
Rome, nor carried out of the kingdom; but when the pope had gotten
possession of the act for the abolition of the pragmatic sanction, he
never thought more of sending a legate to France. The pope had this act
of abolition dragged through the streets of Rome, to please the Romans,
and published every where, that the Pragmatic was done away.

The report was, that the bishop of Alby had the red hat given him,
and had been created cardinal for the pains he had taken to procure
this abolition of the pragmatic sanction, which, in truth, was very
detrimental to poor clerks and scholars; for it gave rise to numberless
questions and examinations before any benefice could be obtained,--and
the rich gained benefices from their being able to support the expenses
of the suits, which the poorer clerks lost, whatever nominations they
might have obtained.




CHAP. XXV.

 A COOLNESS TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY AND HIS SON THE
 COUNT DE CHAROLOIS.--THE COUNT MAKES HEAVY COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE LORD
 DE CROY TO THE DEPUTIES OF THE THREE ESTATES ASSEMBLED BY THE DUKE HIS
 FATHER.


The duke of Burgundy now resided at Bruges, and summoned the three
estates of his country to assemble there, in his presence, on the 9th
day of January. The count de Charolois was at this time in disgrace
with his father, and he summoned the estates to meet him at Antwerp,
on the 3d of the same month, to lay before them the reasons of his
father's anger, that they might employ their means to bring about a
reconciliation. But the duke, hearing of this, forbade any of the
members of the estates to go near his son: however, some were already
gone to him,--but others, who were on their road to Antwerp, did not go
thither.

On the 9th day of January, there was a grand assembly of the estates at
Bruges, consisting of three bishops, sixty abbots, a great number of
nobles, and deputies from all the principal towns. When they appeared
before the duke, he returned them his thanks for their diligence and
obedience, by the mouth of the bishop of Tournay, adding, that he had
received such intelligence concerning his son, that he was too much
troubled to say more to them at that time. The duke, nevertheless,
could not help telling them, that he was angered against his son,
because he suffered himself to be governed by persons whom the duke
did not approve of, and because he would not obey his will. He then
gave a paper to one of his secretaries, ordering him to read it to the
assembly, saying, that it was what his son had written to him, and it
was proper they all should hear it.

The paper contained in substance, that the count de Charolois was in
the utmost sorrow that his lord and father was angered against him, and
entreated that he would no longer be displeased that he had not come
when he had sent for him, and would hold him excused for disobeying his
orders; for he could not appear before him so long as he was surrounded
by those whom he suspected of intending to poison him, and who were
daily seeking his death, of which he had received certain knowledge.

The count thought that the anger of his father had its origin in three
things: first, because the count did not love the lord de Croy, for
reasons which he had before declared to the duke his father, in the
presence of the said lord de Croy; and that he had now less cause to
love him than before, for through him and his friends he had procured
that the king of France should regain the country and towns that had
been mortgaged on the Somme, to the great prejudice of himself and his
heirs after him,--which, besides, ought not to have been done, as the
king had not fulfilled various articles of the treaty of Arras.

The second reason might, perhaps, be his having retained in his
household the archdeacon of Avalon[28], after he had left the service
of the count d'Estampes, which ought not to have troubled his father
if he were acquainted with the cause, which he was ready to tell him
whenever he should be pleased to hear it.

The third was, as the count imagined, because when the duke's archers
had been sent into Holland to seek master Anthony Michel, he had him
rescued out of their hands, but without the knowledge of the said
count, who, if he knew where the said master Anthony was, would send
him a prisoner to the duke.

The three estates having listened to the above, the duke gave
them permission to retire home until he should summon them again,
which would be very shortly after. The greater part returned home;
but several remained in Bruges to attempt the bringing about a
reconciliation between the father and the son,--and in this number was
a very noble clerk, who was exceedingly anxious to succeed in it, the
abbot of Citeaux[29].

On the re-assembling of the estates at

Bruges, the count de Charolois came to Ghent, and was, soon after,
waited on by a deputation from them, with the bishop of Tournay and
other counsellors of the duke. The abbot of Citeaux addressed him as
the spokesman of the deputation, and having quoted many texts from the
Scriptures to prove the obedience a son owes a father, supplicated him
to submit in all humility to his father's will, and to dismiss certain
persons from his service, the better to please him. When the abbot had
ceased speaking, the bishop of Tournay cast himself on his knees before
the count, and eloquently pressed him to comply with the proposals of
the abbot,--saying, that he was not come to him as the servant of his
father, but as bishop of Tournay, to bring about a reconciliation,
if possible, and to prevent the many and grievous evils that might
arise from their discord. The count here interrupted him, and said,
that if he had not been the servant of the lord his father, he would
never have risen to his present rank. Then turning to the deputies, he
told them, that in their propositions they had only touched on master
Anthony Michel, but now they were changing their ground; and he did
not believe that the abbot de Citeaux had been commissioned by them
to make him such requests. But the deputies avowed what the abbot had
said, declaring he had been so charged by them, and that in obedience
to his pleasure they were thus come to the town of Ghent. The count
then pulled off his cap, bowed to them, and said, he was very happy
they were come, and thanked them, as his most faithful friends, for the
pain, trouble, and affection they had thus shown him, which he should
never forget, but would loudly acknowledge it in all the countries
whence the deputies were come.

In return for the warm affection they had shown him, he would not
conceal his mind from them, but truly inform them of all the crimes and
artifices that had been committed and practised by the lord de Croy
and his adherents. In the first place, he said, that when he was last
with the lord his father (the countess of Charolois, his lady, being
then very ill), the lord de Croy had said, that if he were not afraid
of vexing her, he would make him his prisoner, and place him in such
security that he should be disabled from doing him or any one else
mischief.

Item, the lord de Croy had told a worthy gentleman of the name of Pius,
that he cared not for him (the count de Charolois), for that he had
nine hundred knights and esquires, who had sworn to serve him until
death.

Item, the lord de Croy had said publicly, on seeing the count return to
court, 'Here is this great devil coming! so long as he lives, we shall
not succeed at court.'

Item, the lord de Croy had declared, on his (the count's) retreat to
Holland, that he was much afraid of him,--but that, when he should be
inclined to hurt him, he would not be safer in Holland than elsewhere,
for that he was like a gaufre between two irons.

Item, the lord de Croy had boasted, that, should a struggle arise
between him and the count, he was sure of being assisted by all in
Artois, as the whole country was at his command,--adding, 'What does
my lord de Charolois mean to do? Whence does he expect aid? Does he
expect it from the Flemings, or the Brabanters? if he does, he will
find himself mistaken,--for they will abandon him, as they have before
abandoned their lord.' 'This I do not believe,' said the count, 'for I
consider them as my true and loyal friends,--nor have I the least doubt
of the affections of those in Artois and Picardy.'

Item, that the lord de Croy had sent to the provost of Watten[30] the
horoscope of his nativity, and that the provost, on examination, had
given it as his opinion, that the person to whom it belonged would be
miserably unfortunate, and that the greatest misfortunes would befal
him,--all of which he had related to the duke, his father, to incense
him more against him.

Item, he had also desired the provost of Watten to manage so that the
duke his father might always hate him, and keep at a distance from his
person.

Item, that he had sufficient evidence that the lord de Croy sought
his death by sorcery and other wicked means; that he had caused to be
made six images--three in the form of men, and three in the form of
women--on which were written the name of the devil called Belial, and
the name of him whom they were pointed at, with some other names: these
images were to serve three purposes; first, to obtain favour from him
to whom the image was addressed; secondly, to cause him to be hated
by whomsoever they should please; and thirdly, to keep the person
addressed in a languishing state of health so long as they chose: that
these images had been baptised by a bishop, prior of Morocq[31] in
Burgundy; and that the makers of these images had been two or three
servants of the count d'Estampes,--one of whom was his physician, whom
the count d'Estampes had sent prisoner to him, as his justification,
and to exculpate himself. Then the count concluded by saying to the
deputies, 'My friends, do not think that I have any distrust of you,
if I name not all the accomplices of those who have sought my death:
I abstain from doing so merely to save their honours, and from the
horror you would feel were I to name them. I again thank you for
your diligent affection, and beg that you would consult together and
advise me how to act; for I am sure you would be displeased, should
any misfortune happen unto me by my throwing myself into the hands of
my enemies. By them I will not be governed, but by good and faithful
servants. I entreat, therefore, that you will deliberate maturely on
what I have said, for I will not depart hence until I shall have had
your answer. May God grant that it may be as satisfactory as I have
confidence in you!'

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 28: Avalon,--a town in Burgundy, 11 leagues from Auxerre.]

[Footnote 29: Citeaux,--an abbey in the diocese of Châlous-sur-Saone,
near Nuits.]

[Footnote 30: Watten,--a town in Flanders, near St Omer.]

[Footnote 31: Morocq. Q.]




CHAP. XXVI.

 THE ANSWER OF THE DEPUTIES OF THE ESTATES OF FLANDERS TO THE COUNT
 DE CHAROLOIS.--PEACE RESTORED BETWEEN HIM AND HIS FATHER THE DUKE OF
 BURGUNDY.--THE KING OF FRANCE COMES TO ARRAS AND TO TOURNAY.


When the count de Charolois had thus spoken to the deputies from the
three estates, they retired together into a chamber apart, and there
concluded on the answer they should make him. They then returned to
his presence, and cast themselves on their knees, but he made them
instantly arise; and the abbot de Citeaux spoke for the rest, and
said, that they had fully considered all he had stated to them, and
were unanimously of opinion to request him most humbly to regain the
good graces and favour of his lord and father, by returning instantly
to him, to avoid the evils that would ensue upon their discords. With
regard to those he thought his enemies, God had hitherto preserved him
from their snares, and would still do so, in consequence of the earnest
prayers that all his future subjects would offer up to him for the
purpose; and that when his father should see him return, his joy would
be so great that he would sufficiently guard him against them. They
entreated that, at this time, he would leave certain of his attendants
behind, without formally dismissing them, which they thought would
be an effectual method of regaining his father's good opinion: they
offered, likewise, to exert their utmost power to obtain this desirable
end.

The count, in reply, thanked them all, and said, that from love to
God, to my lord his father, and themselves, he would comply with their
request, and follow their advice,--desiring them, at the same time, to
accompany him when he presented himself to his father, and that they
would entreat him to restore his servants to his favour. This they
willingly promised.

On the Monday following, the count de Charolois, accompanied by a great
number of knights, esquires, and these deputies, set out from Ghent for
Bruges,--and the principal persons of the duke's household, together
with the magistracy of the town, and burghers, came out to meet him.
He dismounted at the palace of the duke, and advanced to the presence
chamber, where, on seeing the duke, he made three genuflections, and,
at the third, said, 'My most redoubted lord and father, I have been
told that you are displeased with me for three things, (and then stated
these as he had done to the deputies, and made similar excuses):
however, if in any of these things I have vexed or angered you, I crave
your pardon.'

The duke answered, 'Of all your excuses, I know full well the grounds:
say no more on the subject; but, since you are come to seek our mercy,
be a good son, and I will be a good father:' he then took him by the
hand, and granted him his full pardon. The deputies now retired,
greatly rejoiced at the reconciliation that had taken place; and the
duke then dismissed them, with orders to re-assemble on the 8th of the
ensuing March.

On the day of this reconciliation, the lord de Croy set out very early
in the morning from Bruges for Tournay, where king Louis of France then
resided.

In this and the following year, corn and all other grain were so cheap
in the country of Artois that the oldest persons never remembered them
at such low prices.

On the 24th of January, king Louis of France came to the city of
Arras[32], where he was most honourably received by the clergy and
inhabitants. He dismounted at the gate, and walked on foot to the
church of our Lady, where he paid his devotions, and then took up
his lodgings at the house of the official, which was a good but small
house,--and refused to go to the bishop's palace, although large and
convenient; but it was the king's custom to prefer small lodgings to
greater.

There were with the king his brother the duke of Berry, the count of
Eu, the prince of Piedmont, and some few other nobles. He would not
permit any of them to lodge in the town, because the inhabitants would
not suffer his harbingers to mark any lodgings until all the inns
were filled,--and these inns could hold from four to five thousand
horse,--which behaviour was displeasing to the king; and he remained
in the city from the Monday to Saturday, without entering the town of
Arras until he had seen and had examined the privileges of this town of
Arras.

When he entered the town on the Saturday, he found at the gate great
numbers of people who had been banished thence, who requested that
he would restore them to their rights, on his joyous arrival; but he
replied,--'Children, you require from me a grace that is not usual
for the kings of France to grant, and therefore do not depend on my
doing it; for I will not invade the privileges of our fair uncle of
Burgundy.' This was all they could obtain from him. He proceeded to
hear high mass at the church of St Vaast, which being over, he returned
to dinner in the city.

On the next day, Sunday, the king of France again visited the town of
Arras, and examined, at his leisure, the abbey of St Vaast and all its
buildings. He thence went to the market-place; and as he was returning
by the church of St Guy, where the white bell and the town-clock were,
a locksmith, who had the care of this bell, made it sound on the king's
approach, and descended from the steeple in armour, when he seized the
king's horse, like a clown as he was, and demanded money to drink. The
king, seeing an armed man thus seize his horse, was somewhat startled
at first: nevertheless, he ordered money to be given him, and forgave
his misbehaviour to him. Had not the king pardoned him, he would,
probably, have paid the forfeit of his life for his folly.

While this man was descending from the steeple, some children striking
the bell too hardly broke it, which was a great loss to the town,--for
it was the largest and handsomest bell that could be seen: it weighed
from seventeen to eighteen thousand pounds of metal!

The king went into the plain to see the spot where the king his
grandfather was encamped, when he besieged Arras, in the year 1414.
Thence he returned to the city; and on the morrow departed suddenly,
according to his custom, and was followed by his attendants to Tournay,
where he was most honourably received,--for upward of three thousand
men came out to meet him dressed in white, with a border of flowers de
luce round their robes.

At the gate was a model, in paper, of a castle, similar to the
fortifications of Tournay, which was presented to the king with the
keys of the town. From the top of the gate, a virgin (the handsomest
girl in the town) descended by machinery, and after saluting the king,
threw aside the robe from her breast, and displayed a well-made
heart, which burst open, and there came out a golden flower de luce,
of great value, which she gave to the king, in the name of the town,
saying, 'Sire, I am a virgin, and so is this town,--for it has never
been taken, nor has it ever turned from its allegiance to the kings of
France,--for all the inhabitants thereof have a flower de luce in their
hearts.'

The king saw many pageants and histories represented in the streets he
passed through,--and he took his lodgings at the house of a canon. From
Tournay he went to Lille, where he arrived the 18th of February, then
the fourth day of Lent.

The duke of Burgundy came to Lille on the eve of the first Sunday in
Lent, to wait on the king,--and from that day to the Friday following
there were splendid tiltings and other amusements. During their
residence at Lille, the king remonstrated personally, and by the means
of others, so effectually with the duke, on his intended expedition,
that he postponed it for one whole year; when the king promised to
give him ten thousand combatants, paid for four months, to attend him
whither he should be then pleased to go. It was also said, that the
king of England would aid him with a great body of archers. By this
means was the expedition to Turkey broken off, to the displeasure of
the duke of Burgundy, whose whole desire was to go there for once.

When this was settled, the king departed from Lille on his return to
France, and found at St Cloud the duke of Savoy, quite debilitated with
the gout, and his eldest son, who were there waiting for him. It was
rumoured, that they were very unpopular in Savoy, by reason of their
not conducting themselves according to the wishes of their people; and
that they had chosen the duke's third son, Philip, for their lord, who
was reported to be wise, subtle, and valiant in arms.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 32: Arras--is divided into two parts: the cité being the
older, and la ville the new town.

See _Martiniere's Dictionary_]




[A.D. 1464.]

CHAP. XXVII.

 OF THE EXPEDITION OF THE BASTARD OF BURGUNDY.--THE KING OF FRANCE
 DETAINS PRISONER PHILIP OF SAVOY, NOTWITHSTANDING HE HAD GIVEN HIM A
 SAFE CONDUCT.--THE COUNT DE ST POL PACIFIES THE KING OF FRANCE.--A
 BATTLE SHORTLY NOTICED TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN ENGLAND.--OTHER MATTERS.


On the 18th day of March, in the year 1463, the duke of Burgundy,
dissatisfied that the king had prevailed on him to retard his
expedition to Turkey, assembled the three estates of his country at
Lille, and there told them, that the king of France had induced him to
delay going to the east for one year; but that in order that the pope,
and the other Christian princes, might be satisfied with him, he had
the intention of sending thither his bastard Anthony, with two thousand
combatants, accompanied by Baldwin his other bastard, then about
eighteen years old; and that, should it please God, and he be neither
dead nor ill, he would be in person in Turkey by St John's day, in the
year 1465, with the largest army he could possibly assemble.

The king of France, at this time, sent a third summons for the count de
St Pol to appear in person before him, or take the consequences, and
sent him a passport. The count, fearing he should be banished if he
further disobeyed, determined to go to the king; and on his arrival, he
met with so many zealous friends at court that the king received him
with much pleasure, and his peace was made,--and he did homage for the
lands he held under the king. It was said at the time, that king Louis
required that he would no longer serve the count de Charolois,--but
that he had replied in excuse, that it was impossible for him to comply
with this requisition, as he was under obligations, by faith and oath,
to the count de Charolois, and could not break them.

Soon after Easter, in the year 1464, at the command of the king of
France, Philip of Savoy, third son to the duke of Savoy, set out
to wait on him. The king had sent to him his first equerry, with
credential letters, to desire that he would accompany him to France.
These letters were signed by the king himself, and displayed by the
equerry, who assured him, in the king's name, that he should come and
return in perfect safety.

Notwithstanding this, on his near approach to the king, he was
arrested, and carried prisoner to the castle of Loches, in Touraine,
a very strong castle, wherein he remained confined two whole years. I
know not the cause of this, if it were not that the king was envious
that he had greater command in Savoy than the duke, and that the people
more willingly obeyed him than the duke. However, at the end of two
years, the king, of his own accord, had him set at liberty.

At this time, Charles count de Nevers departed this life, without
leaving male heirs, and was therefore succeeded in his counties of
Nevers, Rethel, and other places, by his brother John.

The 20th of May, being Whitsunday, Anthony bastard of Burgundy, with
other knights and esquires of the duke of Burgundy's household, put on
the cross previous to their expedition against the infidels; and on the
morrow they embarked at Sluys, in the presence of the duke. They were,
in the whole, two thousand combatants; and the duke gave sir Anthony,
this day, to defray the expenses of his voyage, one hundred thousand
golden crowns, besides the county of la Roche and other lands.

On occasion of this croisade, numbers of young persons in different
parts of Christendom had put on the cross, to march against the Turks,
and had taken their road to Rome. But as they went without any order or
leader, some ten, some twenty at a time, their intentions failed, and
they returned home, although they would have made a respectable figure
from their numbers, had they been in one body,--but God would not, for
this time, permit it.

In this same month of May, another battle[33] was fought in England,
between the army of king Edward, under the command of the earl of
Warwick, and that of king Henry, commanded by the duke of Somerset, in
the hopes of recovering the kingdom forking Henry, although in breach
of his treaty with king Edward, who had pardoned him, and restored
his lands and honours; but ill fortune attended him,--for he lost
the battle, and his men were either killed or taken: he himself was
made prisoner, and brought to Edward, who instantly ordered him to be
beheaded.

On the 2d day of June, the count de Charolois came to Lille, grandly
attended by the nobles of the country, to wait on the duke his father,
who was then displeased with him; but the lord de Saveuses interfered
with the duke, so that he spoke to his son, and forgave him. It was
said, that the count addressed himself to the lord de Croy, and said,
that when he should behave to him in the manner he ought, he would be
a good lord to him. He could not, however, at this moment, regain the
pension he was wont to receive from his father.

The 20th day of June, Pierre Louvain, one of the king's captains, and
under his protection, was murdered by sir Raoul de Flavy, lord of
Rubencourt, in revenge for the death of his brother William de Flavy,
who had been put to death by his wife, with the knowledge, as was said,
of Pierre Louvain: but no harm whatever was done to those that were in
company with the said Pierre Louvain at the time of his death.

The wife of William de Flavy, who was of a noble family, caused her
husband's throat to be cut by his barber while he was shaving him; but
as he did not cut the throat quite through, she seized the same razor,
and completed it,--which was an extraordinary circumstance, as she had
had a fine son by him. In excuse for this her strange conduct, it must
be said, that he was harsh and rough in his behaviour to her, and kept
women of bad fame in the house, with whom he lay, to the neglect of his
wife, who was young and handsome: he had also imprisoned her father,
and kept him so long in confinement that he died in prison.

On the 15th of June, in this year, an extraordinary event happened at
the palace at Paris, during the pleading of a cause between the bishop
of Angers and a rich burgher of that town. The bishop had accused him
of heresy and usury, and maintained that he had said, in the presence
of many persons of honour, that he did not believe there was a God,
a devil, a paradise, or a hell. It happened, that while the bishop's
advocate was repeating the above words, as having been said by the
burgher, the hall they were pleading in shook very much, and a large
stone fell down in the midst, but without hurting any one. However,
all the persons present were exceedingly frightened, and left the
hall, as the cause had been deferred to the next day: but when the
pleading recommenced, the room shook as before,--and one of the beams
slipt out of the mortise, and sunk two feet, without falling entirely
down, which caused so great an alarm, lest the whole roof should fall
and crush them, that they ran out in such haste that some left behind
them their caps, others their hoods and shoes; and there were no more
pleadings held in this chamber until it had been completely repaired
and strengthened!

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 33: The battle of Hexham.]




CHAP. XXVIII.

 THE KING OF FRANCE COMES TO HÊDIN A SECOND TIME.--WHAT PASSED AT THE
 MEETING BETWEEN HIM AND THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.--THE DEATH OF POPE PIUS
 II.


The king of France came again to Amiens in the month of June in this
year, and went thence to St Pol, where he met the duke of Burgundy.

After the count had grandly feasted them, they went together to Hêdin,
where the duke entertained them nobly. During their stay at Hêdin, an
ambassador arrived from king Edward, to whom the duke gave a handsome
reception.

The common rumour was, that, at this meeting, the king of France
required of the duke that he should restore to him the castlewicks of
Lille, Douay, and Orchies, in consideration of two hundred thousand
livres in cash, and ten thousand livres a-year that he would pay
him,--for which sums they had been pledged by a king of France to an
earl of Flanders. The duke replied, that when his grandfather duke
Philip of Burgundy, son to king John of France, married the lady
Margaret, heiress to the earl of Flanders, these castlewicks were given
him by the king of France, to be enjoyed by him and his heirs-male for
ever,---but that, should there be no male heirs, these castlewicks were
to be restored to the crown, on payment of the above sums to the earl
of Flanders. The king, as was said, made other requests to the duke,
who granted none of them, as he thought them unreasonable.

The duke, on his part, made three requests to the king: first, that
he would have in his good graces the count de Charolois, having heard
that the king was displeased with him. Secondly, that he would desist
from constraining such of the nobility as held fiefs under the crown
from taking any other but the usual oaths,--for some of the nobles had
been forced to make oath to serve him against all other men whatever.
Thirdly, that he would finish and fulfil all that he had promised and
sworn to respecting various articles of the treaty of Arras, at the
time he made his payment for the recovery of the towns on the Somme. To
all which requests the king evaded giving any positive answer, and the
next day departed from Hêdin, for Abbeville and Rouen. Shortly after,
namely, about the end of July, the king returned to Nouvion, a village
near the forest of Cressy, where he staid some time; but though the
duke was still at Hêdin, they no longer visited each other,--but the
lord de Croy went often to talk with the king, and then returned to
Hêdin.

While the duke was at Hêdin, he hanged on a gibbet a gentleman called
Jean de l'Esquerre, for many heavy crimes of which he had been guilty,
notwithstanding that he was one of the most valiant men in the county
of Artois, and that his friends made urgent requests to save him; but
all they could obtain was liberty to take his body from the gibbet, and
inter it in the church of the Cordeliers at Hêdin.

On the 15th of August, this year, died pope Pius; and on the day of his
decease the lightning struck many places in the neighbourhood of Rome,
and did great damage: of this event, people spoke differently. After
the death of pope Pius II. pope Paul II.[34] as elected in his room.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 34: Paul II. Pietro Barbo, a Venetian.]




CHAP. XXIX.

 THE BASTARD DE REUBEMPRÉ IS SENT TO HOLLAND, TO ATTEMPT TO TAKE THE
 COUNT DE CHAROLOIS.--HE IS ARRESTED HIMSELF.


During the king of France's stay at Hêdin, the bastard de Reubempré was
ordered, by I know not whom, to embark on board a vessel of war, called
a ballenier,[35] at Crotoy, with forty picked men, of good courage, and
to sail for Holland, where the count de Charolois then resided. None
of the crew knew whither the bastard intended to carry them, nor what
orders he was charged with, except that they were told they must follow
him wherever he should choose to lead them, and implicitly obey his
commands.

The bastard, on his arrival at a port in Holland, left his vessel
at anchor, and, taking with him three or four of his most trusty
companions, advanced within a league of the town in which the count de
Charolois was. But notwithstanding the great care he took to proceed
as secretly as possible, he was nevertheless discovered while drinking
at an alehouse, and the count informed thereof, who caused him and his
companions to be arrested and put into prison. The companions were soon
after set at liberty, and the bastard remained alone in confinement.
The count dispatched officers to seize the vessel and crew; but they
had heard of their captain's ill luck, and had put to sea instantly to
return to Crotoy.

It was currently reported at the time, that the king of France had
ordered the bastard de Reubempré, by letters written with his own hand,
and signed by him, to seize the count de Charolois, and bring him to
him dead or alive. This plan was laid while the king was at Hêdin, and
while he had a powerful army on the Somme; and had it succeeded, he
would have made prisoner good duke Philip, who was far from suspecting
any thing of the kind, and would have had him led about in his train,
like to the duke of Savoy, his brother-in-law, until he should have
married the only child of the count de Charolois (a damsel not more
than seven or eight years old) to whomsoever he pleased, and should
have divided the territories of the duke,--namely, the duchy of Brabant
to the count de Nevers, and the rest among his favourites at his
pleasure.

But God, who knows the hearts of men, would not permit so great ruin
to fall on the noble house of Burgundy, which is the fairest, firmest,
and strongest pillar of the French crown! May God, of his especial
grace, always keep the two noble houses of France and Burgundy in peace
and good harmony! Although I have now written down what was the common
report of the time, I can never believe the king of France capable of
imagining such schemes of wickedness, against the illustrious house of
Burgundy, considering the great honours and services he had received so
lately from the heads of it.

As soon as the bastard de Reubempré was arrested, and had confessed
his guilt to the count de St Pol, then in Holland, he was put under
close confinement; and the count de Charolois sent information of
what had passed to his father, then at Hêdin, where he had grandly
entertained the queen of France, who had come to visit him from
Abbeville and Nouvion.--At this time, the duke of Bourbon waited on the
king at Abbeville, in whose good graces he was not, from the report
that he, the duke of Brittany, and the count de Charolois had formed
a triple alliance, and had mutually sworn to assist each other with
the utmost of their power, should the king make any attempts on their
persons or property.

Soon afterward, namely, on the 10th of October, the duke of Burgundy
received letters from the king, to say, that he would come and see him
at Hêdin on the following day. This same day, while at dinner, he had
the information from his son of the imprisonment and confessions of the
bastard de Reubempré, and also a warning that he was not safe at Hêdin.
On hearing this, as soon as he had dined, he instantly mounted his
horse, and rode off suddenly from Hêdin to St Pol, where he lay. His
attendants followed him thither, leaving for the defence of the town
and castle of Hêdin, sir Adolphus of Cleves and the lord de Crequy. The
duke, nevertheless, ordered them, if the king came thither, to throw
open the gates of the town and castle to him. But the king no sooner
learnt that the duke had so suddenly quitted Hêdin than he departed
from Abbeville; and the duke of Bourbon came to Lille, to the duke his
uncle, passing through Hêdin. From Lille he waited on the count de
Charolois at Ghent, and was nobly entertained, at Lille and Ghent, by
the father and son.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 35: Ballenier,--a corsair--privateer. Du Cange, _Gloss._]




CHAP. XXX.

 THE KING OF FRANCE SUMMONS DEPUTIES FROM THE TOWNS ON THE SOMME, AND
 FROM OTHER PLACES TO COME BEFORE HIM.--HIS HARANGUES TO THEM.--HE
 APPOINTS THE COUNT DE NEVERS GOVERNOR OF PICARDY,--AND SENDS AN
 EMBASSY TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, AT LILLE.


The king, on his arrival at Rouen, summoned those of Tournay, and
of all the towns regained on the Somme, to appear before him; and
all of them sent deputies, excepting Cambray. He harangued them, by
the mouth of his chancellor, on the reports that were current every
where, through the territories of Burgundy, and which had vexed him
exceedingly, that he had sent the bastard de Reubempré to Holland, to
seize the count de Charolois and bring him to him, for which there
was not any foundation. True it was, that the duke of Brittany was
not so obedient to him as he ought to have been, and had sent his
vice-chancellor to England, to form an alliance with his ancient
enemies the English, which he should not have done without his
permission; and for this reason he had sent the bastard de Reubempré
into Holland, to seize the vice-chancellor of Brittany (if it could be
done) as he was returning from England through Holland.

He added, that a preacher had publicly declared from the pulpit at
Bruges, where Christians assemble from all parts of the world, that he
had purposely sent the said bastard to lay hands on the said count, a
thing he had never once thought of, and it was his intention to punish
most severely all who should spread tales so disgraceful to his honour.

The chancellor concluded by telling them, that the king had thus called
them together, to inform them, that he had appointed the count de
Nevers his lieutenant and captain-general of all the lately-regained
countries, as far as the river Loire, to oppose his ancient enemies,
should they make any attempts to invade his kingdom, commanding them,
at the same time, to yield obedience to the count de Nevers, as to
his own proper person. After this harangue, the deputies returned home
again.

The count de Charolois, accompanied by four score or a hundred knights
and gentlemen, and fully six hundred horse, arrived at Lille on the
4th of November, which caused great joy throughout that town, and the
children sang carols in all the streets. On dismounting, he waited on
his father, who received him with much pleasure. The next day came to
Lille, the count d'Eu, the chancellor of France, and the archbishop of
Narbonne, as ambassadors from the king of France, with a noble company
of attendants.[36]

The day following, they had an audience of the duke, to whom, in the
presence of the count de Charolois, the chancellor displayed their
commission from the king, to remonstrate with the duke on three
subjects:

First, the king demanded to have the bastard de Reubempré, then a
prisoner in Holland, given up to him.

Secondly, the king demanded satisfaction for the words that had been
uttered to his dishonour, as to the cause of the imprisonment of the
said bastard.

Thirdly, that the duke of Burgundy should send to the king a gentleman
of the household of the count de Charolois, called Olivier de la
Marche, by whom the words aforesaid were first published,--and also the
preacher who had uttered the same from his pulpit at Bruges, for him to
inflict on them such punishments as their crimes were deserving of.

The chancellor, by way of excusing the king of France for sending
the said bastard to Holland, declared that it was done to arrest
the vice-chancellor of Brittany on his return from England; and
added, that the count de Charolois had greatly offended the king by
imprisoning the said bastard, and thus preventing him from fulfilling
his orders.

At these words, the count de Charolois fell on his knees before the
duke, and besought him to permit him to answer what had been just said,
for that it greatly affected his honour; observing, that if it pleased
God to keep him in his (the duke's) good favour, there was not a man
on earth he feared but him, who was his father and lord, and that he
marvelled much why the king was thus pressing him. The chancellor of
France then said, that they were not charged by the king to make any
reply to the count de Charolois; and the duke told his son to desist
from saying more until another time. This command the count obeyed,
like a good son, but sore against his will.

The chancellor, continuing his harangue, said, that the king had been
greatly surprised that the duke so suddenly left Hêdin, as he had said
he would not depart thence until he had spoken with the king, nor
without his leave,--and he was wont to be punctual to his word.

The duke allowed the chancellor to finish all he had to say, without
further interruption, and then replied, article by article: first,
then, as to what was said of his son being suspicious, he said,
that, if he was suspicious, he had it not from him, for he had never
in his life been doubtful of man or prince whatever; and if he had
that character, he had it from his mother, who was ever jealous lest
he should love any other woman but her. With regard to giving up
the bastard of Reubempré, he would not do it, as he was arrested in
Holland, of which he, the duke, was sovereign by sea and land, without
acknowledging other lord but God, and in or on that country the king
has not the smallest right or claim. The bastard had been imprisoned
there for crimes which would be judged in that country, and punished
according to its laws. He had been always esteemed of a wicked and
loose character, and guilty of murder and other crimes.

Respecting Olivier de la Marche, whom the king would have sent to
him, for having first uttered the words the king complains of and
the preacher who published them from the pulpit at Bruges,--the duke
replied, that the preacher was a churchman whom he would not touch, as
it was unbecoming him so to do; and that there be preachers who are
neither wise nor prudent, and who go from place to place, so that no
one knows where to find them; 'but for my part,' he continued, 'I do
not believe that any preacher has preached such language. As to Olivier
de la Marche, he is of the household of my son; and I do not think that
he has done any thing but what he ought to have done or said: should it
be otherwise, I shall make proper inquiries, and punish him according
to his deserts.

'With regard to not keeping my word, I will that all the world know
that I have never promised any thing by my mouth to any one alive,
but what I have kept to the very utmost of my power.' This he said
rather in a passion; and then, smiling, he said, 'I never failed in my
promises but to the ladies, and wish that you may know it; and tell my
lord your king, that when I last took leave of him, I indeed said,
that if affairs, or any other matters, did not require my presence
elsewhere, I should not quit Hêdin until I saw him again, if he wished
it; this, and nothing else, did I promise him. Now at the moment of
my setting out, news was brought me of the arrest of the bastard de
Reubempré, and of other affairs, that made my departure necessary; but
I made no very great haste,--for I only travelled four leagues a day
until I came to Lille.'

The chancellor of France then said, that considering the great respect
and affection he had always borne to the crown of France, and the
marked attention the king had shown by selecting for this embassy his
relative, the count d'Eu, and himself, who was chancellor of France,
he hoped the bastard of Reubempré would be given up, and begged of the
duke to weigh this in his mind.

The duke instantly replied, that, in truth, he had ever exerted himself
to pay the king every honour and love; 'but of all the things I have
asked,' added he, 'he has not only never granted one, but he has failed
to keep the promises he made me. Of the lands which he has regained,
he promised me the enjoyment during my life; but no sooner were the
payments made than he forgot what he had promised, and deprived me of
the enjoyment of them, for which I am not the better.'

At these words, master Pierre de Goux, knight and doctor of laws,
advanced, and said aloud to the ambassadors, that all might hear him,
'My lords, the duke, my lord, does not hold all his territories from
the king of France: he holds from him, indeed, the duchy of Burgundy,
the counties of Flanders and of Artois; but he has many fine dominions
out of the kingdom of France,--such as the duchies of Brabant, of
Luxembourg, of Lembourg, of Austria, together with the counties of
Burgundy, Hainault, Holland, Zealand and Namur, and other countries,
which he holds from God alone, although he be not a king.'

The duke interrupted him, and said, 'I will that all who hear may know,
that if I had wished it, I might have been a king!' without declaring
how, or by what means, and then simply added, that before three days
were passed, he would give a more ample answer to the ambassadors.
They then departed to their lodgings; but on this day, the duke wrote
a letter to the king, and sent it by a pursuivant, who delivered it in
person, and brought the duke an answer from the king. The pursuivant
was not more than ten days in going and returning,--but what the
contents of these letters were I am ignorant.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 36: This embassy consisted of the count d'Eu, Charles
d'Artois, a prince of the blood, who had been twenty-three years
prisoner of war in England, Pierre de Morvillier, chancellor of
France,--and Anthony du Bec-Crespin, archbishop of Narbonne.

The count de Charolois was only restrained by the presence of his
father from using severe language; but when the ambassadors took their
leave, he said to the archbishop, who went out the last, 'Recommend me
most humbly to the good graces of the king, and tell him that he has
had me well dressed by his chancellor,--but that, before a year pass,
he shall repent of it!'

It was probably from these intemperate speeches of the chancellor that
the _war of the public good_ had its origin.]




CHAP. XXXI.

 THE ANSWER OF THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS TO THE AMBASSADORS FROM
 FRANCE.--THE KING OF FRANCE ORDERS CREVECŒUR, NEAR CAMBRAY, TO BE
 TAKEN POSSESSION OF.--THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY SENDS AN EMBASSY TO THE
 KING OF FRANCE.--THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF ORLEANS.


On the 8th day of November, the French ambassadors were summoned to
come into the presence of the duke of Burgundy,--when the count de
Charolois, before a great company, coolly replied to the different
charges that had been made against him, article by article, without
showing the smallest sign of passion or trouble, to the great
astonishment of all who heard him,--more particularly to the surprise
of the duke, who, on the assembly's breaking up, said to some of his
confidential attendants, that he did not imagine his son was so able
and so prudent.

The ambassadors returned to France, without having obtained any of
the articles they had demanded. They passed through Tournay, Arras,
and Amiens,--and in these and all the other towns on their road,
they assembled the magistracy, and told them, that the king was much
angered at the rumours which had been spread abroad of his intending to
seize the count de Charolois, which they affirmed the king had never
even thought of, and would have disdained to do it, and that he had
assured them of this from his own mouth. If, therefore, those who had
industriously circulated such reports should continue their calumnies,
the ambassadors ordered the magistrates to lay hands on them, that they
might be punished according to the pleasure of the king.

The lords de Torcy and de Moy came, on the 15th November, to Crevecœur,
near Cambray, and took possession of the town and castle, by virtue of
letters-patent which they produced from king Louis, although, a short
time before, he had given it and its dependances to sir Anthony of
Burgundy, as an inheritance for himself and his heirs. The captain of
the castle made some show of resistance, and collected from sixteen to
twenty soldiers,--but he was so talked to by one and the other that he
agreed to surrender it. He was, however, carried away a prisoner to the
king, and, for some time, was in danger of his life,--but at length he
was sent back safe.

About the festival of Christmas, the duke of Burgundy sent a notable
embassy to the king of France, consisting of the bishop of Tournay,
the lord de Crequy, and other nobles, who waited on the king at Tours
in Touraine, where he had assembled the princes and great lords of his
realm: the principal of them were the king of Sicily duke of Anjou, the
duke of Orleans, the counts de Nevers and de St Pol, with numbers of
others.

When they were all met in the king's presence, the king addressed
them himself, and said, that he had not assembled them to hurt or
distress the duke of Burgundy, which many persons had affected to
believe; for he was under greater obligations to the duke than he
could express,--and so far from doing him any harm, he wished him all
happiness and honour. He had called them to his presence to consider
of the conduct of the duke of Brittany, who had told, or written, to
the count de Charolois, to the duke of Orleans, to the duke of Bourbon,
to the king of Sicily, and to other princes of his realm, that the
reason why he, the king, remained so much in Picardy, was to conclude
a peace with his ancient enemies the English; and to obtain this he
had promised to give them the duchies of Normandy and Guienne, that by
their assistance he might conquer and destroy the country of Burgundy,
of Brittany, of the Bourbonnois, of the Orleannois, and the other
territories of the princes of his blood and of his kingdom.

The king affirmed on his oath, that he never thought of such
things,--and that if he had, he was unworthy to wear a crown, or to
be a king. The reason of his remaining in Picardy was because the duke
of Burgundy had an intention to undertake an expedition against the
Turk; and on that account he had indeed attempted to conclude a peace
with England, that the duke's territories, during his absence, might
continue in peace.

The king then demanded of the princes present, if they believed what
the duke of Brittany had written to them: when they unanimously
replied, they did not. He then demanded, that they would all assist him
with their services against the duke of Brittany, who had so grossly
injured him; and they assured him they would do so to the utmost of
their power.

On the 3d of January, in this year 1464, died Charles duke of Orleans,
about seventy years old, who left a son about three years of age, and a
daughter of seven or eight years old. He it was who commenced the civil
war in France against John duke of Burgundy, in revenge for the murder
of his father, which lasted upward of thirty years, to such great loss
and destruction of the kingdom that it would be pitiless to relate it,
as it may be seen in the Chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet.[37]

This duke of Orleans was made prisoner at the battle of Agincourt,
and carried to England, where he remained twenty-five years; and it
is supposed that he would never have obtained his liberty, if duke
Philip of Burgundy had not ransomed him; he also gave him in marriage
his niece, a daughter of the duke of Cleves, by whom he had the two
children above mentioned.

On his return to France, he led an exemplary and devout life; and on
every Friday throughout the year, he gave thirteen poor persons their
dinner, in honour of God: he served them in person at table, before
he ate any thing himself, and then washed their feet, in imitation of
our Saviour, who washed the feet of his disciples on the day of the
Passover.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 37: 'Il semble par la que Monstrelet nie son auteur de la
plûpart de ce qui est contenue au 3me volume.'

_MS. note in M. du Cangé's copy._

This proves, however, what has been said in the preface, of nearly all
the last volume being by another writer than Monstrelet.]




CHAP. XXXII.

 THE MARRIAGE OF KING EDWARD OF ENGLAND, AND THE ALLIANCE HE WISHES
 TO FORM WITH FRANCE.--THE BASTARDS OF BURGUNDY RETURN FROM THEIR
 EXPEDITION.--THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY DANGEROUSLY ILL.--THE FAMILY OF CROY
 ARE DISMISSED FROM THEIR PLACES.


In this year, between Christmas and Easter, Edward king of England,
surnamed Long Shanks, one of the handsomest knights of his kingdom,
took to wife the daughter of lord Rivers, an English knight of middling
rank, who, in his youth, had been sent to France to serve the duchess
of Bedford. The duke of Bedford was then regent of France for his
nephew king Henry VI. an infant; and his duchess was his second wife,
and sister to the count Louis de St Pol,--an exceedingly handsome lady.

After the death of the duke, his widow, following her own inclinations,
which were contrary to the wishes of her family, particularly to those
of her uncle, the cardinal of Rouen, married the said lord Rivers,
reputed the handsomest man that could be seen, who shortly after
carried her to England, and never after could return to France for
fear of the relatives of this lady. She had several children by lord
Rivers,--and among them was a daughter of prodigious beauty, who, by
her charms, so captivated king Edward that he married her, to the great
discontent of several of the higher nobility, who would, if possible,
have prevented the marriage from taking place. But, to satisfy them
that the lady's birth was not inferior to theirs, king Edward sent
letters to the count de Charolois, to entreat that he would send him
some lord of the family of the lady to be present at her wedding.--The
count sent him sir James de St Pol, her uncle, grandly accompanied by
knights and gentlemen, to the number of more than one hundred horse,
who, on their arrival at London, put an end to the murmurings on this
marriage, and gave great satisfaction to the king. After the feasts,
when they were about to return home, the king presented sir James de St
Pol with three hundred nobles; and to each knight and gentleman of his
company he gave fifty nobles, beside most handsome entertainment.

It was commonly said at the time, that the count de Charolois had sent
so handsome a company of nobles to England to please king Edward, and
gain him over to his interests, knowing that the king of France was
anxious to form an alliance with Edward to his prejudice, and that
the lord de Launoy had been sent by Louis to negotiate a treaty with
England. King Edward would not, however, listen to it, and even sent
the letters which the lord de Launoy had brought from the king of
France to the duke of Burgundy, for his perusal, and likewise wrote
to him every thing the lord de Launoy had told him from Louis, which
greatly astonished the duke, who from that time became suspicious of
the king of France's designs, and of those by whom he was surrounded.

It was also said, that king Edward had charged sir James de St Pol to
tell the count de Charolois, that if he wanted men at arms, he would
send him as many as he pleased.

In this year, the frost was so severe that wine was not only frozen
in the cellars but at table: even some wells were frozen,--and this
weather lasted from the 10th of December to the 15th of February. The
frost was so sharp for seven or eight days that many persons died in
the fields; and the old people said that there had not been so very
severe a winter since the year 1407. Much snow also fell; and the
rivers Seine and Oise were frozen so that waggons passed over them.

Toward the end of February, sir Anthony and sir Baldwin, bastards of
Burgundy, returned from their intended expedition to Turkey. Though
there were more than two thousand combatants embarked at Sluys, from
four to five hundred died at sea of an epidemical distemper that
raged in the fleet. They left their fleet and arms at Marseilles and
travelled through Avignon to Burgundy, and thence to Brussels. At this
time, also, the bishop of Tournay and the other ambassadors returned
from their embassy to France. It was then said, that had they not gone
thither, the king was determined to invade the territories of the duke
of Burgundy, thinking to have the support of the count de St Pol and
the duke of Brittany, but in which he failed.

The duke of Burgundy was now attacked by so severe an illness that
every one despaired of his life. The count de Charolois was then at
Brussels, but without hope of his father's recovery; and knowing that
the lord de Croy and his friends had in their hands the government of
the country, and of all its strongest places, and that the lord de Croy
had been absent fifteen days with the king of France, he suddenly sent
his most confidential friends to Luxembourg, Namur, the Boulonois,
Beaumont, Hainault, and other parts, to take instant possession of
them, and appoint other governors on whom he could depend. As the
physicians gave no hope of the duke's amendment, his son sent orders
to all the abbeys and monasteries dependant on him, to offer up their
most devout prayers for his restoration to health; and he was so much
beloved by his people that their prayers were heard, and he recovered
his health. On his recovery, he made his son governor of all his
dominions, who instantly dismissed the lord de Quievrain, the duke's
second chamberlain, the lord d'Auxi being the first, and appointed the
lord d'Aymeries in his room, which displeased the duke so much that he
immediately revoked the appointment he had given his son.

The count de Charolois, upon this, called together the great
lords of the court, namely, the count de St Pol, sir Anthony his
bastard-brother, and the majority of the duke's council, and said to
them, 'I will not hide my mind from you,--but wish to tell you now,
what I had intended doing before, that you and all my other friends
may know that I consider the lord de Croy, his friends and allies, as
my mortal enemies.' He then declared his reasons for this opinion, and
had the same published throughout all the towns under his father's
subjection, by letters, the contents of which shall be hereafter
related.

The count, having thus explained himself to his friends, instantly sent
three or four knights of his household to the lord de Quievrain, who
was first chamberlain in the absence of his uncle, the lord de Croy,
ordering him to quit the service of the duke his father as quietly
as he could, that his father might not hear of it, nor be troubled
thereat. The lord de Quievrain, perplexed at such orders, unwilling to
quit so good a situation, and fearing to offend the count de Charolois,
followed his own counsel, and went on the morrow morning to the duke,
and, throwing himself on his knees, thanked him for all his bounties
for the trifling services he had done, and requested his permission
to depart, for that the count his son had ordered him to leave the
court,--and he was afraid he would not be contented until he was put to
death.

The duke, hearing these words, was in a mighty passion, and forbade him
to quit his service: then, snatching up a club, he sallied out of his
apartment in the greatest rage, saying to his attendants, that he would
go and see whether his son would put to death any of his servants. Some
of them, however, dreading the consequences of his passion, had the
doors closed, and the porter hidden with the keys, so that the duke
could not go out, but was forced to wait until the porter was found.

At this moment, his sister, the duchess of Bourbon, accompanied by sir
Anthony of Burgundy, and many ladies and damsels, came to him, and
remonstrated with him so prudently, that they moderated his anger, and
he returned to his apartments. In the mean time, the lord de Quievrain
left his house, with only one attendant, as secretly as he could.

The count de Charolois, hearing of his father's anger against him, held
daily councils with the duke's chief ministers, to seek the means of
appeasing it; and it was concluded, that the count should write letters
to all the great towns under the duke's dominion, stating to them his
grievances, and the reasons he had for dismissing the lord de Croy and
his friends from all the places they had holden under the duke. Similar
letters were likewise dispatched to the principal nobles,--and they
were ordered to be publicly read, that every one might know the true
state of the matter.




CHAP. XXXIII.

 A COPY OF THE LETTERS WHICH THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS SENT TO THE NOBLES
 AND PRINCIPAL TOWNS UNDER THE DOMINION OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, TO
 EXPLAIN THE REASONS WHY HE HAD DISMISSED THE LORD DE CROY AND HIS
 FRIENDS FROM HIS FATHER'S SERVICE.


'Very dear and well beloved, you know, thanks to God, how long and
grandly our lord and father, by the noble virtues inherent in his
nature, has exalted the house of Burgundy, of which he is the head,
in a much higher degree than it ever was in the memory of man. And
although from his great age he has of late been afflicted with
illness, to the weakening of his faculties, he has, nevertheless,
always endeavoured to preserve his possessions untouched, to maintain
his subjects in peace, and to rule them with equity and justice; and
we have seen nothing to counteract such happy effects but the fraud
and damnable deceptions of the lord de Croy and his friends, who,
through an inordinate ambition and insatiable avarice, have attempted
to gain to themselves the whole government and the possession of all
the strong places so long as our said lord and father should live,
and, like ungrateful people, after his decease to ruin and destroy the
county, from hatred to us; for ever since we have arrived at years of
discretion, they have laboured, to the utmost of their power, by false
and wicked reports, that we might incur the anger of our said lord and
father, as you and the three estates have been before duly informed,
knowing that by such means alone they could succeed in their attempts.
They have, likewise, sought other means of destroying us, had it been
in their power; for while my lord the king, when dauphin, was in
this country, they endeavoured to lay hands on us, and make us their
prisoner. This we have been told by the king's own mouth since his
coronation, from his love to us,--for which singular affection we hold
ourself, and ever shall hold ourself, under the greatest obligations to
him.

'Since his majesty's coronation, they have been so much vexed at the
favour the king showed us that they have never ceased to intrigue
until they had found means to deprive us of his majesty's good graces,
and to keep us at a distance from him. By their machinations, the
french ambassadors lately, in the presence of our lord and father, made
heavy and public accusations against us in the town of Lille, as you
may have heard; and the said de Croys have offered their services to
the king after the decease of our lord and father, in case he should
intend making war on us, which I cannot believe his majesty will
do,--for we have not done any thing, nor, please God, will we do any
thing, that may induce him to it.

'They have boasted that they would make war on us from the strong
places of Bologne, Namur, Luxembourg, and others in their hands, and
that they would deliver them up to the power of others than the said
duke our father or ourself. These de Croys have, beside, by wicked
reports to our great prejudice, incited the king to repurchase the
towns and country our said lord had in pledge; and because our said
lord made some difficulty in acceding to this plan, because the king
required an acquittance for a very large sum, which ought to have been
paid at the time of this repurchase, the lord de Croy told him, and
caused him to be told, as from the king, that, notwithstanding the
repurchase of these said lands, he should remain in the enjoyment of
them during his life, which the lord de Croy knew at the same time to
be void of foundation, and notoriously contrary to truth.

'The lord de Croy, still further to do mischief to the territories
of our said lord and father, has, by himself and friends, strongly
aided and supported the pretensions of the count de Nevers, our
cousin, against us; and in consequence, the said count has boasted
that the king had promised to assist him with four hundred lances, in
conjunction with the men of Liege, to invade Brabant after the decease
of our said lord and father, and to deprive us of our rights therein.

'To be enabled to do greater harm to us, by giving the count de Nevers
further powers, the lord de Croy had made an exchange of the government
of the regained country and towns, which had been given him by the
king as a reward for his services in that business with our said cousin
of Nevers, for a barony in the Rethelois, called Rosay; and it is said
that they and their friends had mutually promised, on oath, to assist
each other against whoever intended to injure them. Notwithstanding
that, very lately, some persons attached to the service of our said
lord and father, anxious to make up all the differences between us and
the lord de Croy, had waited on us to this purpose, whom we, from our
reverence to God our Creator and Author of all peace, and respect to
our said lord and father, condescended to grant their desires, without
remembering the many injuries and persecutions we had suffered from
the said lord de Croy and his friends, and gave them a paper, signed
by our own hand, containing in substance, that when the lord de Croy
should do us any services, we would hold them for agreeable, and not
be ungrateful to him for them,--and that, if, in the performance of
such services, he should incur any loss or inconvenience, we would
support him against all, in so far as we should be bounden in reason
and justice to do,--the lord de Croy, however, paid not any attention
to this said paper, but has acted in regard to us, from badly to
worse; and when it has been remonstrated to him, that he ought to act
differently from what he has done toward us, and that the places he
holds under our said lord and father were not his inheritance, he has
boldly replied, that they were given to him by my said lord and father,
not only for his life, but for the life of his children after him, and
it was his intention that they should enjoy them after his decease,
even the governments of Namur, Boulogne, and Luxembourg. In fact, he
had done all in his power to obtain from our said lord and father a
gift of these places, and would have succeeded, had not some of our
said father's more faithful counsellors remonstrated with him on the
impropriety of such a gift.

'The said lord de Croy, further to trouble the dominions of our said
lord and father, has lately attempted to introduce into the castle of
Namur a large body of men at arms, under the pretence of defending the
place against the men of Liege; but, thanks to God, he failed,--for the
good people of Namur, knowing his real intentions, would not suffer
it to be done. On finding such opposition to his designs, he went
thence to Beaumont in Hainault, where he attempted the same; but the
inhabitants behaved in the same loyal manner, and would not permit it
to take place.

'On the other hand, he had, a little time before, instigated duke Louis
of Bavaria, the count de Valence his son-in-law, and other dependants
of the said duke, to appear before the town of Luxembourg with a great
army, with a view of becoming masters of that town and castle, and
would have succeeded had not proper precautions been taken before their
arrival.

'In short, the lord de Croy and his family, forgetful of, and
ungrateful for, all the extraordinary honours and wealth they have
received from our said lord and father, their lord and sovereign, have
done every thing in their power, and still continue their intrigues, to
ruin and destroy his country, by causing it and its peaceful and loyal
inhabitants to be involved in the calamities of war.

'Having considered all these wicked machinations, and having a sincere
love for the loyal people of our said lord, we have provided the surest
remedy against the future attempts of the lord de Croy and his family,
by taking possession of the towns and castles of Namur, Luxembourg,
and Boulogne, which we have intrusted to the guard of valiant and
faithful captains, in the name of our said lord, and solely to preserve
the poorer ranks from the miseries of war, and for no other purpose
whatever. We have, for some days past, supplicated, with the utmost
humility, an audience of our said lord and father, that we might
declare the aforesaid matters to him, and assure him of our upright
intentions in what we have done; but as we have not hitherto been able
to obtain an audience, we have assembled before us those of his blood,
the knights, esquires, and members of his council, of his household,
and of our own, that are at present in this town, to whom we have most
fully detailed the matters above mentioned, and our determination
to provide, with the aid of God, such remedies as the various cases
may require, so that our said lord may enjoy in peace the whole of
his dominions, and that they may descend to us unimpaired after his
decease. For the preservation of which we are willing to expose our
life and fortune, and remain his most loyal and obedient subject,
without taking any greater part in the government of his country than
he shall be willing to allow us.

'We declared also to this assembly, that to enable us the better to
serve our said lord and father as an obedient son should, it was our
intention to remain at his palace, and near to his person, without
permitting the lord de Croy or any of his family, whom we hold and
repute our enemies, to have any longer the government of his household
or country, which they have formerly enjoyed: that in regard to the
other loyal officers, counsellors, and subjects of our said lord, we
consider them as our true and trusty friends, and cherish them as
such; and we hope that as they have for some time past displayed their
loyal services, they will continue so to do, both in regard to our
said lord and father, and to the welfare of his dominions,--and on our
part, we intend steadily, and with all our heart, to obey and execute
whatsoever our said lord and father shall, after due consideration
and counsel, command us, for the good of his country, without, in
future, showing any favours to the lord de Croy or to his family, whom,
as I have before said, we repute our mortal enemies; and we further
requested the said assembly to assist us in the preservation and
defence of the dominions of our said lord from the smallest depredation
or infringement; which request the whole assembly liberally and
unanimously complied with and granted.

'Since these things took place, the lord de Quievrain, nephew to the
lord de Croy, has quitted this town, which has much displeased our said
lord and father, and greatly angered him against us; but by the good
pleasure of God, and the prudent remonstrances of his good and loyal
counsellors, we hope that his anger will soon be appeased.

'Of all these matters, very dear and well beloved, we inform you by
these presents, as our true and loyal friends, to whom we wish to lay
open the secrets of our heart; and that you may be truly informed how
things have happened, most earnestly requesting of you that you do
not afford any assistance to, or receive, the said lord de Croy, his
family or friends, but treat them as the enemies of our said lord and
father and of ourself. We beg that you will not give ear to reports or
letters that may be made or delivered contrary to the above statement,
for we are most desirous of serving, honouring, and obeying, with our
whole heart, our said lord and father, in every possible way, as we
are bounden to do, and as we have hitherto done,--nor shall he ever
have, if it so please God, any cause of reasonable complaint against
us. Therefore, without the smallest attempt against his person, or to
encroach on his government, we shall employ our whole life, honour,
and fortune, for his safety, security, and prosperity, and for the
welfare of his country and subjects, against all who shall, at any
time, presume to molest, or any way aggrieve, him or them. We therefore
entreat and request you most cordially to join in aiding and supporting
us in these measures, should there be occasion, for we have the
fullest confidence in you. Very dear and well beloved, may the Holy
Spirit have you in his good keeping.

'Written at Brussels the 22d day of March, in the year 1464,' and
signed 'Charolois.'

'The superscription on these letters was, 'By order of the count de
Charolois, lord of Château Belin and of Bethune.'




CHAP. XXXIV.

 THE DUKE OF BERRY, ONLY BROTHER TO THE KING OF FRANCE, WITHDRAWS
 HIMSELF FROM THE COURT OF FRANCE, AND TAKES REFUGE WITH THE DUKE OF
 BRITTANY.--THE COUNT DE DAMMARTIN ESCAPES FROM PRISON.--LETTERS FROM
 THE DUKE OF BERRY TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.


In the beginning of March, in the year 1464, Charles duke of Berry,
only brother to the king, and about twenty-eight years old, whom the
king kept near his person in a simpler estate than he wished, and
much inferior to what he had enjoyed during the life of their father,
pretended one day to go to hunt, while his brother was absent on a
pilgrimage near Poitiers: instead of which, the duke rose very early
in the morning, and, attended by only nine or ten persons, set out
with all possible speed to seek an asylum with the duke of Brittany.
They broke down all the bridges they crossed, that, if they should be
pursued, they might not be overtaken.

It was said at the time, that the two dukes of Berry and Brittany had
formed an alliance with the dukes of Bourbon and Calabria, the count
de Charolois, and other princes of France, against the king, should
he attempt to molest any of them,--for the king was obstinately bent
upon executing his own designs, which appeared to many strange and
unreasonable.

The king was extremely mortified to find that his brother had so
suddenly departed, and sent in haste to all the principal towns and
castles, to put them on their guard, and commanding them to keep a good
look-out. In addition to this, he took off certain tolls and taxes
which the regained towns on the Somme were accustomed to pay, the more
effectually to obtain their loves and services.

In this week, which was the first of March, the count de Dammartin,
whom the king detained prisoner in the bastile at Paris, found means to
make a hole in the wall of one of the towers, through which he escaped
to a boat that was waiting for him in the moat, and rowed to the
opposite bank, where were horses ready, and, having instantly mounted,
made all possible haste to escape into Brittany.

In this same week, the lord de Roubais, by orders from the count de
Charolois, went with a body of men at arms to seize the town and
castle of Launoy, thinking to take the lord thereof at the same time.
The lord de Launoy was then governor of Lille, bailiff of Amiens, and
nephew to the lord de Croy; but they neither found him, nor his wife
or children,--for having had information of what was intended, he had
quitted the place with his family and most valuable effects, and saved
himself in the city of Tournay, two leagues distant from his house.

At the same time, the abbot of Havons was arrested, by orders from the
count de Charolois, together with one called Pierrechon, the servant
and master of the wardrobe to the lord de Croy, and one in whom he had
the greatest confidence: they were detained prisoners a long time.

Soon afterward, the count de Charolois made a present of the town and
castle of Launoy to James de St Pol, brother to the count de St Pol: in
which castle were provisions for the garrison, consisting of six score
salted bacons, great abundance of flour, corn and oats, and also a new
mill for the grinding of them.

In the month of March, the duke of Berry sent a letter from Nantes to
the duke of Burgundy, dated the 15th of that month, of the following
tenour:

'Very dear and most beloved uncle, I commend myself to you by all
possible means; and may it please you to know that, for some time past,
I have, with sorrow, heard the clamours of the greater part of the
princes of our blood, and of the nobles of the kingdom, on the wretched
state of the government of France, owing to the advice and counsels
of those wicked persons by whom my lord and sovereign is surrounded,
who, for their own profit, and disorderly ambition, have not only
caused a hatred and coolness between my lord and you and me, but also
have estranged him from the friendship of the kings of Scotland and
Castille, whose alliance with the crown of France has been of so long a
date, as is well known to every one.

'I shall not here mention how the affairs of the church, and of
justice, have been administered, nor how the nobles have been
maintained in their rights and usages, or the poorer ranks guarded from
oppression, as I know that you are well informed as to such matters,
and as they are so very disagreeable for me to dwell upon, from the
nearness of my connexion with my said lord. Wishing, however, to profit
from your counsel, and that of those other princes and nobles who have
offered me their fullest support in providing a remedy for such crying
abuses, and also to escape from personal danger, for I had daily heard
such conversations between my lord and his ministers as gave me cause
of suspicion, I departed from my lord's court, and have taken refuge
with my fair cousin of Brittany, who has given me a reception for
which I never can enough praise him, and has promised to support me
personally, and with all his powers, for the welfare of the kingdom,
and the public good.

'It is, therefore, very dear and beloved uncle, my intention to act
with you and the other lords my relatives, whose counsels I shall
follow, and none others, for the restoring of this desolated kingdom;
for I know you are one of the greatest of its princes,--and in its
welfare you are more concerned, as the dean of the peerage, and a
prince of such high renown, and who has been so highly displeased with
the present disorders in the government. I wish, therefore, that you
and my other relatives would assemble to consult on the surest means of
bringing about a reformation of the abuses and grievances that exist
in every branch of the government, to the relief of the poor people,
who are unable longer to bear their burdens, and of restoring order in
the better administration of justice and the finances, to the great
happiness of the realm, and to the eternal honour of those who shall,
with God's pleasure, so usefully employ themselves.

'I, therefore, very dear and beloved uncle, entreat, that, for so good
a purpose, you would give me your support and assistance, and employ
also my fair brother Charolois, your son, in my aid, as I have been
always confident in your friendship,--and that we may speedily meet is
my most earnest wish. It is my meaning shortly to enter France, and
take the field accompanied by the other princes and nobles who have
promised me their assistance: I shall, therefore, beg, that you would,
as speedily as may be, raise as large a force as possible to enter
France on your side; and should you be unable personally to accompany
it, I shall hope that you will send it under the command of the count
de Charolois. At the same time, you will depute to me some of your most
confidential counsellors, with whom I may advise, in conjunction with
the other princes, as to what may be done for the public welfare, and
by whom you may have information of my good and just intentions; for I
am determined to regulate my conduct after the advice of yourself and
the other princes and lords.

'Whatever the count de Charolois shall recommend, in your absence, for
the general good, you may be assured that I will support him in, and
maintain to my latest breath.

'Very dear and beloved, let me know at all times whatever you may wish
to have done, and it shall be accomplished with my whole heart.--I pray
God that he may grant you a long life, and accomplish all your desires.

'Written at Nantes, the 15th day of March.' Signed, 'Your nephew,
Charles.' The address was, 'To my uncle the duke of Burgundy.'

About this time, James de St Pol returned from England, whither he
had been sent by the count de Charolois, as well to do honour to king
Edward's marriage as to negotiate for his assistance against the king
of France, should there be occasion, or at least to prevent him from
being engaged against him; for the king of France had before sent the
lord de Launoy to conclude a treaty with king Edward, to the prejudice
of the count de Charolois. The king of England, however, would not
listen to it, and had even transmitted to the duke of Burgundy the king
of France's proposals, which greatly astonished the duke, as well in
regard to their contents as that the lord de Launoy had been the bearer
of them.

On the 8th day of April, in this year, was a conjunction of Saturn and
Jupiter, whence the learned foretold that great miseries would befal
the world.




CHAP. XXXV.

 A CORRESPONDENCE TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE KING OF FRANCE AND THE
 DUKE OF BOURBON.--THE KING PUBLISHES OTHER LETTERS THROUGHOUT HIS
 REALM,--AND THE COUNT DE NEVERS ISSUES PROCLAMATIONS IN ALL THE TOWNS
 WITHIN HIS LIEUTENANCY FOR THE KING OF FRANCE.


In the month of March, of this year, the king of France sent letters,
signed with his hand, to the duke of Bourbon, containing in substance,
that his brother, the duke of Berry, had left him, and gone to Brittany
without his consent or knowledge. He then added, that, all excuses
being laid aside, he commanded him to come to his presence instantly
after his letter had been read, and to put faith in whatever Josselin
du Boys should tell him now on his part, and to collect immediately one
hundred lances, ready to march at a moment's notice.

The duke of Bourbon having read this letter, and heard what Josselin
du Boys had to say, wrote an answer to the king, in which he repeated
what the king had written to him, and thanked him for the great
confidence he had placed in him. He then adverted to the grievances
and unjust acts the princes of his blood had witnessed throughout
the realm, concerning which the king had received many complaints
and remonstrances, as they were nearly affected by them, but without
obtaining any redress, by reason of the obstructions of those who
surrounded his majesty.

The princes, therefore, seeing that their complaints and remonstrances
were not attended to, and that no remedy was thought of for the redress
of grievances, had formed a strict alliance by oaths and written
agreements, mutually exchanged with each other, to provide such a
remedy for these grievances as had not taken place since his majesty's
coming to the throne, so that it should redound to the honour of the
crown, the utility of the public welfare, and to the eternal glory of
them who undertook such wholesome measures.

The duke added, that, after what he had said, it was unnecessary
for him to wait on him, as he was engaged, with the other princes
of the blood, in promoting the redress of the grievances they
had so repeatedly complained of, since he had neglected to do it
himself,--begging to be held excused for not coming to him, and
expressly declaring that he was of the union with the princes, for the
welfare of his majesty and of his kingdom. He besought him, for the
honour of God, that he would himself redress these grievances, to avoid
the great evils that might otherwise ensue to his kingdom. He concluded
by saying, that this union had not been formed against his person, or
against the good of the realm, but solely to restore the government
to order, for his honour, the welfare of the kingdom, and for the
relief of the poor people, which are objects of great praise, and which
require immediate attention. This letter was dated Moulins, the 14th
day of March.

When the king had received and read this letter, which fully explained
the intentions of the confederated princes, he caused letters to be
published throughout his realm, containing, in substance, that some
persons, excited by wicked hopes and damnable purposes, and not having
any regard to the honour of God, or the feelings of a loyal conscience,
had formed a conspiracy against him and against the welfare of his
realm, being desirous of interrupting the present peace and harmony.
For this end they had incited and suborned his brother, the duke
of Berry, who was but young in years, and not aware of their evil
designs, to separate himself from his care and government; and, the
better to succeed, they have most industriously spread abroad reports
that he intended to lay hands on, and imprison, his said brother,
even the thought of which had never entered his mind. They have
formed an alliance under pretext of the public welfare, although they
are endeavouring, by every sort of perjury and seduction, to throw
the whole kingdom into confusion and trouble, and are to afford an
opportunity for our ancient enemies the English to invade our realm,
and recommence, by a ruinous warfare, mischiefs similar to those which
we have so lately seen put an end to.

These rebels to the king and his crown suspecting that, from their
outrageous acts, the king would never pardon them, although they have
not required it, prepare for war to maintain their damnable projects
by force of arms. The king, nevertheless, assures, by these presents,
that all princes, prelates, nobles, or others forming part of this said
confederation, who shall quit the same, and return to the king within
one month or six weeks from the date hereof, shall be most kindly
received, and fully pardoned for all their offences; and their effects
shall be restored to such as may, for the above cause, have had them
confiscated. The king orders, by these presents, all his governors,
judges, officers, and others, to cause this his gracious intention
of pardon to be publicly proclaimed within their jurisdictions, and
to receive all to favour who shall return and demand it within the
aforesaid specified period of one month or six weeks from the date
hereof. This letter was given at Thouars, under the great seal of the
king, the 16th day of March, in the year 1464.

On this same day, the count de Nevers, lieutenant for the king of all
the country between the Somme and the Oise, issued a proclamation
throughout those parts, containing the same in substance as the letter
of the king, ordering them to keep up a good guard, as otherwise they
would answer for it at their peril. He also assembled the vassals of
the crown, and put them in a situation to serve the king, under arms,
when called upon: he likewise caused proclamation to be made, that all
persons who had usually borne arms should keep themselves in readiness
for the king's service when ordered, under the accustomed penalties.
These proclamations were dated at Mezieres on the Meuse, the 16th day
of March, in the year aforesaid.

The count de Charolois also wrote letters to the governor, mayor, and
sheriffs of Arras, to say, that he had heard the lord de Croy and his
friends were collecting a considerable force, and intended marching
it away from the territories of the duke his father, and that they
were united with his cousin, the count de Nevers, in their plans to
invade and lay waste the said country: to both of which schemes he
was determined to apply a remedy, and for this purpose now ordered
them to have it publicly proclaimed within their districts, that no
persons whatever should join or assist the said lord de Croy, or his
said cousin of Nevers, without the express permission of himself, or
of the said duke his father, under pain of corporal punishment and
confiscation of effects. These letters were dated the 25th of March, in
the above-mentioned year.




[A.D. 1465.]

CHAP. XXXVI.

 THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY PARDONS HIS SON.--HE ORDERS A LARGE BODY OF MEN
 TO BE RAISED FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF THE DUKE OF BERRY AGAINST HIS
 BROTHER THE KING OF FRANCE.--OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED AT THAT TIME.


On Good Friday, a learned friar preached an excellent sermon before
the duke of Burgundy and his household, at Brussels, on the blessings
of mercy and pity, in order to induce the duke to pardon his son, the
count de Charolois, for having offended him, which hitherto he had not
been inclined to do. When the sermon was ended, several knights of the
Golden Fleece approached the duke, and humbly entreated him, that, in
consequence of the able discourse and reasoning of the preacher, he
would pardon his son for having offended him,--so that on the morrow,
Easter-eve, the count de Charolois came to his father about noon, and,
falling on his knee, said in substance as follows: 'My most redoubted
lord and father, I beseech you, in honour of the passion of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that you would be pleased to forgive my having displeased
you. What I did was for the preservation of my life, and of your
dominions, as I will more fully detail hereafter.' Much more he said,
to the edification and satisfaction of all who heard him.

The duke took hold of him by the elbow, and, looking him full in
the face, said, 'Charles, my son, for all that you may have done to
displease me to this day, I freely forgive you: be my good son, and I
will be to you a good father.' In saying these words, the duke's eyes
filled with tears,--and those of the company present were in a like
situation, notwithstanding that there were there hardy knights, lords,
and others out of number.

When the feasts of Easter were over, which commenced the year 1465, the
duke ordered the three estates of his country to assemble at Brussels
the 24th of April; and when they were met, he bade the bishop of
Tournay read to them the letter he had received from the duke of Berry.
He then told them, that it was his intention to raise the largest army
he had ever done, to assist the duke of Berry, and that he should give
the command of it to the count de Charolois, his son, who would require
that it should be in readiness to march on the 8th day of May. This
could not be done without a great expense; and for this purpose he
demanded from the county of Artois eighteen thousand francs, and from
his other territories sums in proportion to their abilities. The 12th
of May was fixed on for the payments, when the county of Artois granted
the eighteen thousand francs, and the other countries each according to
its extent and wealth.

During this time, the count Louis de St Pol, his three sons, James
de St Pol his brother, the lord de Ravenstein, nephew to the duke of
Burgundy, the two bastards of Burgundy, sir Anthony de Baudoin, and
almost all the knights and nobles, vassals to the duke in Artois, the
Boulonnois, Hainault, Flanders, Brabant, Holland and Zealand, made
their preparations to accompany the count de Charolois, and were in
such numbers that they were estimated at four thousand combatants,
consisting of fourteen hundred lances, eight thousand archers, and
cross-bowmen, carbineers, and other warriors, not including those who
attended the baggage, who were very numerous, each being armed with a
leaden mace. In this army were none from Burgundy, as they were to form
a separate body until they joined the count. They amounted to upward of
six hundred lances, and other troops, under the command of the marshal
of Burgundy, the prince of Orange, the lord d'Arqueil, the lords de
Chargny, de Toulongeon, and other great barons of that country.

While these preparations were making, John de Longueval, captain of the
archers of sir Anthony de Burgundy, having with him a body of troops,
went and took possession of the towns of Arleux and Crevecoeur, which
the king had formerly given to the bastard, but had since wrested from
him.--He summoned the governor of the castle of Crevecoeur to surrender
it amicably, or he would take it by storm; and the governor yielded
it up, on having his life and fortune spared, and returned to his own
country of Normandy. John de Longueval, having performed this exploit,
left a sufficient garrison in each for its defence, and then returned
to his other companions with the main army.

When the king of France was assured of this great force which the count
de Charolois had raised, he dispatched his chancellor to Amiens, and to
Abbeville, where he met the counts d'Eu and de Nevers,--and they issued
a proclamation, in the king's name, for all who had been accustomed to
bear arms to be in readiness to serve him; and every one was forbidden
to bear arms, or to serve any other lord than the king, on pain of
corporal punishment and confiscation of effects. Notwithstanding this,
many of the knights and nobles of that country, who had always been
attached to the house of Burgundy, joined the count de Charolois,
leaving it to chance how they were to be treated for what they held
under the king. There were others who served the king.

The count de Nevers, knowing that he was in the ill graces of
the count de Charolois, sent divers messengers to bring about a
reconciliation, but to no effect, for they were not admitted to an
audience,--which caused many who served the count de Nevers, and were
among the principal of his household, to abandon his service, and to
withdraw themselves to the count de Charolois, to preserve his favour.

The count de Nevers, seeing himself thus abandoned, sent to entreat the
lord de Saveuses to come and speak with him; but he would not comply,
although he was requested by the count several times. But the count,
having received information that the lord de Saveuses was to pass
through Bray sur Somme, went himself to Bray, where he met him, and
entered into a long conversation, to prevail on him to think of some
means of making up the quarrel between the count de Charolois and him.

This good lord promised willingly to undertake the business, provided
that he, the count de Nevers, would not bear arms for either of
the parties, and that he would not introduce any men at arms, as a
garrison, into Peronne,--and this he promised to perform. Now it
happened, that while the count de Nevers was returning from Bray to
Amiens, he received intimation from the inhabitants of Peronne, that
the count de St Pol had drawn up his forces before that town, and had
summoned them to surrender the place to the duke of Burgundy, or to his
son, and that they had demanded three days' delay to give their answer.
On receiving this intelligence, the count instantly departed from
Amiens, in company with Joachim Rohault, marshal of France. These two
noblemen had with them one hundred lances and two hundred of the king's
archers,--and they entered Peronne, the 15th day of May, with five or
six hundred horse.

It was the common report at that time, that the duke of Burgundy had
given to his nephew, the count de Nevers, on his marriage, the lands
and castlewicks of Peronne, Mondidier, and Roye, to enjoy during his
life, or until they were redeemed for thirty-two thousand crowns of
gold, or till he should have other lordships of, equal value to these
castlewicks. The count maintained, that he held them in perpetuity, by
grants from the king and the duke of Burgundy within a short time after
he had entered upon them. But the count de Charolois said, that they
now no longer belonged to the count de Nevers, he having since then
received other and more valuable lordships, namely, the counties of
Rethel and Nevers, with other lordships; from which he concluded that
the duke, his father, was entitled to have the three before-mentioned
castlewicks restored to him,--since, moreover, when his father had
given them to the count de Nevers, it was without his consent, who was
his only son and heir. The duke of Burgundy maintained, that he had
only given these lands until they were redeemed, or until superior or
equal lands should fall to the count de Nevers,--and that, if the count
had deeds containing different terms, they were drawn up without his
signature or seal.

The lord de Saveuses had exerted himself so effectually with the count
de Charolois that it was generally believed that the quarrel between
him and the count de Nevers would speedily be accommodated; but the
intelligence that he had thrown into Peronne a large body of men at
arms broke off the whole negotiation.




CHAP. XXXVII.

 THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS TAKES LEAVE OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, AND
 MARCHES HIS ARMY AND ARTILLERY TOWARD FRANCE.--HE CROSSES THE RIVER
 SOMME, AND SUBJECTS TO HIS OBEDIENCE THE TOWNS OF NEELLE[38],
 ROYE[39], AND MONDIDIER[40].--HE BESIEGES BEAULIEU[41], AND CROSSES
 THE OISE.


On the 15th of May, the count de Charolois, hearing that his armies in
Flanders and in Burgundy were quite ready to march, took leave of the
duke his father at Brussels, who is reported to have thus addressed
him: 'My son, act well your part in the business you are going upon,
and take care of your health: prefer death to flight; and should you be
in danger, you shall not long remain therein, if one hundred thousand
more warriors can relieve you.'

The count, on taking his leave, went to lie at Quênoy in Hainault,
where two embassies were waiting for him: one from Brittany, and one
from the king of France. Of this last, the bishop of Mans, brother
to the count de St Pol, was the chief; but they had not any great
success,--and that from Brittany was soon dismissed.

On the morrow, the count advanced to Honnecourt, between Crevecœur and
St Quentin, where he waited for his artillery, which was astonishingly
numerous; for two hundred and twenty-six carriages had passed through
Arras, from the castle of Lille, full of bombards, serpentines,
crapaudeaux, mortars, and other artillery, besides other carriages with
military stores from Brabant and Namur, that passed through Cambray.
From Honnecourt, the count went to Roseil, two leagues from Peronne,
where he staid some days, with all his army and artillery, from which
conduct those in Peronne expected to be besieged,--but he had formed
different plans. On the 4th of June, the count moved with his army from
Roseil toward Bray sur Somme, when the inhabitants came out to offer
him the keys of their town. The count de St Pol and the bastard of
Burgundy then crossed the river with their men, and advanced to Neelle
in the Vermandois, and made pretence of an instant assault, when it
was surrendered, on condition that eight men at arms, who were within
it, should depart in safety, with their horses and arms, and that the
archers, amounting to about six score, should march away in their
doublets or jackets, each with a wand in his hand. The lord de Neelle,
however, who was found therein, was detained a prisoner.

The lord de Hautbourdin, bastard to the count de St Pol, marched a
body of men at arms and archers to the town of Roye, which they made
a similar pretence of attacking; but the inhabitants, fearful of the
event, surrendered the place to him for the count de Charolois. On
their entrance, they found there the countess of Nevers, to whom they
offered neither insult nor injury, but afforded her every facility to
retire whither she pleased. A few days after, she went to Compiègne,
under the escort of the lord de Ravenstein and five or six hundred
combatants.

Those of Mondidier surrendered their town, two or three days after,
to the count de Charolois, in which was Hugh de Mailly lord de
Boullencourt, a valiant and hardy knight, who had always been attached
to the house of Burgundy, and he remained governor of the place with
the approbation of the inhabitants,--for this town had ever been of the
Burgundy-party.

While these towns were surrendering to the count de Charolois, the
count de Nevers, fearing he should be besieged in Peronne, departed
thence with Joachim Rohault marshal of France, the lord de Moy, and
about two thousand combatants, thinking to enter the city of Noyon;
but that was not so soon effected, nor until they had promised that
their whole troop should not enter, and that they would not do, or
suffer any mischief to be done to the inhabitants. Nevertheless, they
all entered, and did mischief enough. It happened, that as some of the
townsmen were lowering down the portcullis of the gate, it fell on a
man at arms and killed him.

About the 15th of June, the count de Charolois left Roye, to besiege
the castle of Beaulieu, a strong place belonging to the lord de Neelle.
In the castle was a good garrison, who burnt the best part of the town
round the castle, which was a pity, for the castle was afterward so
battered by cannon that the garrison were glad to surrender on St John
Baptist's day, on having their lives and baggage spared. During this
siege, the lord de Hautbourdin found means to cross the Oise with a
body of men in boats, and entered the town of Pont St Maixence before
the inhabitants knew any thing of his coming. This body was part of the
van of the count's army, under the command of the count de St Pol. The
count de Charolois was with the main body,--and the bastard of Burgundy
commanded the rear.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 38: Neelle,--a town of Picardy, three leagues from Roye.]

[Footnote 39: Roye,--a strong town, seven leagues from Peronne.]

[Footnote 40: Mondidier,--nine leagues from Amiens.]

[Footnote 41: Beaulieu,--near Noyon, in Picardy.]




CHAP. XXXVIII.

 THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS PASSES THE RIVER OISE, ADVANCES TO SAINT DENIS,
 AND DRAWS UP HIS ARMY IN BATTLE-ARRAY BEFORE PARIS.--THE COUNT DE
 SAINT POL GAINS POSSESSION OF THE BRIDGE OF SAINT CLOUD, AND CROSSES
 THE SEINE WITH HIS DIVISION OF THE COUNT'S ARMY.


When the count de Charolois heard that his van were in possession of
Pont St Maixence, he advanced the remainder of the army thither, in
order to cross the Oise. The inhabitants paid him every obedience,
as lieutenant-general to the duke of Berry; and the count had it
proclaimed in the name of the duke of Berry, whose lieutenant-general
he styled himself, that he abolished all taxes, impositions and
subsidies whatever, as he had before done at Mondidier, and in the
other towns he passed through, to the great joy of the people.

The count entered the town of Pont St Maixence on the feast-day of St
Peter and St Paul, and remained there for some days. He thence marched
to St Denis, where he was joyfully received, as well in the name of the
duke of Berry as in his own, for they could not make any resistance to
him. He waited there, and between St Denis and Paris, with his whole
army, the remainder of the month of June, for the arrival of the dukes
of Berry, of Brittany, of Calabria, of Nemours, of Bourbon, and the
other lords, who had mutually promised each other to meet there. The
count, finding that none came, and that the time was elapsed for the
meeting, and that his Burgundians, whom he daily expected, had not
joined him, because the king's army kept them constantly in check, on
the 8th day of July assembled his army, and marched in battle-array so
near to Paris that they were plainly seen from the walls. To say the
truth, considering the smallness of their numbers, it was the proudest
army that could be seen.

Joachim Rohault left Paris to examine it the nearer, having kept on
its flanks all the way from Beaulieu and other parts, to make an
attack if he should espy a favourable opportunity, but found them
always so well prepared that he dared not venture to attack them; and
he was now forced to make a hasty retreat, to escape the light troops
of the count,--for he would have been completely surrounded by them,
had he not so speedily re-entered Paris. Instantly after his entrance,
the count fired off two or three serpentines over the town which
exceedingly frightened the inhabitants.

The count then, placing himself at the head of the three divisions of
his army, halted near a windmill close by the town, which made those
within Paris suppose an attack was about to commence; but it was not
so, for, in like manner as he had done to other towns, he informed
them, that his only object was the good of the kingdom,--that he had
come thither at the prayer and request of the duke of Berry, who
had promised to join him very shortly, and that his speedy arrival
showed his eagerness to serve him. He added, that whatever the duke
of Berry should do would be solely for the general welfare, and then
summoned them to surrender to him as lieutenant-general to the duke of
Berry,--but they would no way comply.

When Joachim Rohault had entered Paris, he met in the streets a canon
from Amiens, called Jacques de Villiers, who, having finished his
business there, was desirous to return. Joachim asked him whence he
came, and whither he wanted to go: he replied, that he was from Amiens,
and wanted to go back. Joachim then made him swear, that he would tell
the count de Charolois, that he, Joachim, had lately received letters
from the king of France, to signify to him for certain, that within
four days the king would be returned to Paris, and would advance to
meet the count, when it would be seen which was the stronger.

The canon kept his promise, and told the count, word for word, what
Joachim had ordered him, while he halted at the windmill. The count
replied, that he put no belief in what Joachim said, for before this he
had told him things that were untrue.

Having displayed his force before Paris, the count marched his army to
where the fair of the Lendit had been held, the booths for which were
still standing, and had it surrounded by his baggage-waggons, of which
he had an immense number, as well for the service of his artillery as
that belonging to the other lords who had accompanied him. While the
army was thus posted, the count de St Pol, commander of the van, saw a
large boat full of hay going to Paris, which having taken, and emptied
of the hay, he entered it, with the whole of his men, and passed over
to gain possession of the bridge of St Cloud, which was surrendered by
those who guarded it, on having their lives and fortunes spared.

The count de Charolois, on hearing this, ordered the whole of his army
to advance thither, cross the Seine, and march for Estampes, in the
hope of meeting there the dukes of Berry and of Brittany, who could not
pass the Seine by reason of the king's army that was following them.
The count crossed the Seine on the 15th of July; and, this same day,
the count de St Pol advanced the whole of the van to Montlehery, where
he fixed his quarters. Montlehery had a good castle, in which were a
party of the royal army,--but neither party seemed inclined to attack
the other. The count de Charolois remained with his, that night, within
one league of Montlehery; and the bastard of Burgundy, who had the
command of the rear division, was quartered in the rear of the count,
two leagues from Montlehery.

The count de St Pol sent off scouts from Montlehery, as far as
Chastres, three leagues on the road to Estampes, who met messengers
from the king to the Parisians, ordering them to be prepared on the
morrow to assist him in battle against the count de Charolois. These
messengers were brought to the count de St Pol, and assured him that
the king and his whole army were at this hour (eleven o'clock at night)
at or near to Chastres. On hearing this, the count dislodged from
Montlehery, and posted his division lower down, in a valley more toward
Paris, and sent information of what the messengers had related to the
count de Charolois, that he might instantly advance, or send him orders
how to act, for that the king would certainly give him battle the next
morning at daybreak. The count, having called a council, immediately
after decamped to join the count de St Pol, and sent orders for sir
Anthony of Burgundy to hasten the advance of the rear as much as
possible, which he did, so that the count de Charolois, and his brother
the bastard of Burgundy, formed a junction with the count de Saint Pol
on the 16th day of July, in the valley below Montlehery, by sunrise,
and there drew up in battle-array, to wait the arrival of the king of
France.

The king, who had been engaged in the Bourbonnois, where he had taken
several places, and destroyed much of the country, was informed, while
there, of the conduct of the princes in raising forces, and held an
army in readiness to oppose them. He was fearful lest the army from
Brittany should join that of Burgundy, and thus become too strong and
dangerous to combat; in consequence, he called the principal captains
of his army to a council of war, to ask their opinion, whether he
should first offer battle to his brother and the Bretons, or to the
count de Charolois. Although their opinions were divided, the majority
were for fighting the count de Charolois first; for if he succeeded in
overpowering his army, he could with ease conquer his brother and the
Bretons at any time, and even all the other lords of the confederacy;
and it was the more advisable to fight now before the count was joined
by the burgundian army, that had been kept in check, by a detached
force from the army of the king. Notwithstanding the majority were
for fighting the count de Charolois, the lord de Varennes, seneschal
of Normandy, declared loudly against it. He said that he was of a
contrary opinion, because he knew that the count de Charolois was not
of a character to retreat, nor give up any point,--and that he was
so much beloved by the Picards, and the others who formed his army,
and who had been accustomed to war, that they would never desert him
while they were alive: he was, therefore, for fighting the duke of
Berry first, because he had with him some of the great captains who
had served the late king Charles VII., and who, when they saw the king
advancing in person, would not have the heart to combat against him,
but most probably would turn to his side, and the remainder would be
at his mercy. The seneschal was told, that his advice was the effect
of fear; but he replied, that it was not,--and he would show plainly,
if a battle took place, that he was not afraid, and that what he had
said was purely from loyalty, in advising the king to the best of his
abilities.




CHAP. XXXIX.

 THE KING DETERMINES TO COMBAT THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS.--A BATTLE TAKES
 PLACE BELOW MONTLEHERY.--THE EVENT OF IT.


When the king had heard the opinions of his commanders, although they
were various, he eagerly determined to combat the count de Charolois,
and ordered all, under pain of death, to follow him. He made such
diligence that, on the 14th of July, he marched his army, as well by
day as by night, twenty-four leagues, and lay at Estampes. On the
morrow, he advanced to Chastres, three leagues from Montlehery. On
his march, he passed within seven or eight leagues of the army of the
dukes of Berry and of Brittany, ignorant that his messengers, whom he
had sent to Paris, were made prisoners, or that the count de Charolois
was so near him. The king dislodged from Chastres on the 16th, before
sunrise, and soon arrived near to Montlehery, whence he saw the enemy
drawn up in battle-array below in the valley.

The king instantly formed his army into three divisions: the van was
given to the command of the seneschal of Normandy, the son of the lord
de Norenton, the lord de Barbasan, Malortie, Flocquet Salzart, and
other captains: the main body was commanded by the king in person,
attended by many of his great lords: and the rear division, consisting
of seven or eight hundred men at arms, was given to the count du Maine:
so that the king had in his three divisions, as was commonly reported,
two thousand two hundred men at arms, or lances, the best appointed
that ever men at arms were, for they consisted of the flower of the
king of France's forces. There were also great bodies of archers and
infantry, besides many that were ill mounted, and on foot, who had
remained behind, but who always followed the train of the king.

The count de Charolois, observing the manner in which the royal army
had been drawn up, formed his own into three divisions also. The first
was under the count de St Pol,--the second he reserved to himself,--and
the bastard, his brother, commanded the third; but he ordered them
all into the line, closing his rear with the baggage-waggons, and
pointing his artillery in their front. He ordered his archers to plant
a sharp stake before them, to check the charge of the cavalry, if they
should attempt to break their line,--and in this state they waited
the attack of the king. This was not, however, the case; for the two
armies remained, without moving, in their different positions for four
hours, excepting some slight skirmishes of the light troops, who were
within cross-bow shot of each other. As part of the count's army was
too distant from the artillery, it was proposed by some to make their
horses fall back, keeping their fronts to the enemy; but the lord de
Hautbourdin disapproved of this manœuvre, and said, that were he to
retire one step from the place where he was, it would be dangerous and
disgraceful to him, and give the enemy courage to advance. In the mean
time, different pieces of artillery were played off on both sides, to
the destruction of numbers.

At length, the count de Charolois, fearful of the Parisians suddenly
appearing to aid the king, and, by falling on his rear, attack him on
all sides, and that, if he delayed the combat, his men would be starved
from want of provision, consulted his principal officers, and resolved
to begin the attack. They began their march in excellent order: one
division by the side of a wood, the other by the village, and the
center having the wood on its rear. The French, seeing this movement,
made part of their army advance also, in front of the count's division,
and crossed a ditch near the village; but the count's archers attacked
them so fiercely with their arrows that they were glad to recross it,
the count pursuing them into the village for some distance, having his
banner beside him, which was borne that day by the lord du Boys.

While this was passing, and the count had appointed a large body of
archers, with a certain number of men at arms to defend them, and
to guard the passage against three or four hundred french lances,
who were stationed at a breach waiting for an opportunity to break
through the archers and attack the count's artillery, it happened
that the men at arms, observing the French were repulsed, and that
the count was pursuing them even into the village, left their guard
and galloped after the count, when the French seeing the archers
without any to support them, and neglectful of their stakes, charged
them like lightning, and killed or wounded the greater part, which
was the severest loss the count suffered on that day. Having routed
these archers, the French advanced toward the baggage and artillery,
and killed some more, and also made several prisoners; but those who
guarded the baggage, armed with leaden mallets, rallied as soon as they
could, and turning the carriages round, inclosed these French within
them, so that they could not issue out,--and the greater part were
knocked on the head with these leaden mallets. Those that did escape
having made for the village, met the count and his men returning from
it, who instantly charged them, and put the remainder to death,--so
that all these French were slain, either by the baggage-guard or by the
count's party, notwithstanding that a body of French had followed the
count, and had gallantly fought with him.

At this return from the village, Philippe d'Oignies[42] was slain by
the side of the count, who was wounded himself in the face, and in
great danger of having his throat cut in the confusion of the fight;
for when the count had driven the French through the village, the whole
rear-guard of the king's army, under the command of the count du Maine
and the admiral of France, fled, together with others, to the amount
of seven or eight hundred lances,--and they had fled with such haste
that they left behind them baggage and armour, although no one was
pursuing them. The lord du Boys, observing this, had eagerly advanced
with the count's banner, beyond the village, thinking that he was
following him, and was made prisoner,--for the count had returned, as
has been said, from the village.

On the other hand, when those from Busse had overcome the count's
archers, more than a fourth part of his army took to their heels,
namely, the lord de Haplaincourt, the lord d'Aymeries, the lord
d'Inchy, the lord de Robodenghes, and several more; but when this last
had fled about two leagues, he met a herald, who told him that the
count had the best of the battle,--upon which, he returned, and made a
great many others do the same, who joined the count very opportunely,
for he was incessantly rallying his men, and fighting more valiantly
than any other knight in the field, encouraging his people by telling
them that he would conquer or die--so that, by his valour and
exhortations, the van of the king's army was routed and the rear put to
flight.

In this conflict, and at its very commencement, were slain on the
king's side, the high seneschal of Normandy, Flocquet, Geoffroy La
Hire, and other valiant men at arms, to the number of three or four
hundred lances. On the part of the count were slain, the lord de
Hames, sir Philip de Lalain, and a few more men at arms, but very many
archers,--and there were prisoners made on each side.

The king encouraged his men to the utmost of his power, and showed
great personal courage; but when he saw his men repulsed, he retreated
to the village,--while the count remained on the field, rallying his
men, and forming them in proper array, for he was expecting every
moment that the king would renew the combat. But this he did not do,
and remained in the village from eight o'clock, when the battle ended,
until sunset, more vexed than can well be imagined, making inquiries
after such as had remained with him, and after those who had run
off,--when, on summing up their numbers, he found that those who had
fled greatly exceeded those who had staid with him.

Very many of the count's men had hidden themselves in the hedges and
wood, but returned, by two and three at a time, and joined their army,
which had kept together, expecting the battle would be renewed. In
truth, this battle was very hazardous to both parties,--and we must
allow, that it was through the mercy of God that the count de Charolois
obtained the victory, for his army was not nearly so numerous as that
of the king; and had none ran away on either side, the event would have
been more disastrous and mortal,--but God, of his goodness, would not
suffer it, for which may his Name be praised!

In a very melancholy state did the king of France remain in the village
until sunset, and thence went for Corbeil, six leagues distant, and
arrived there at ten o'clock at night with few attendants, for the
greater part of them had fled; and although no pursuit was made after
them, many fled as far as Amboise, saying, in every place through
which they passed, that the king was killed, and his army totally
defeated.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 42: Philippe d'Oignies. 'Some call him Gilles. He was lord of
Brouay and of Chaunes, son to Anthony and Jane de Brimeu, and grandson
to Baudouin d'Oignies, governor of Lille, Douay and Orchies, and of
Peronne. He married Antoinette de Beaufort, by whom he had Philippe
d'Oignies, father to Louis, knight of the king's orders, and count de
Charnes.'--_Godefroy._]




CHAP. XL.

 THE CONDUCT OF THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS AFTER THE VICTORY HE HAD GAINED
 OVER THE KING OF FRANCE.--THE CONSEQUENCES OF IT IN DIVERS PLACES.


The count de Charolois remained with his army all night on the field of
battle, thinking the king was in Montlehery, and that he would renew
the battle the ensuing day. It was not until sunrise that he heard of
the king's departure, when he entered the village with his army, and
found the cellars filled with dead bodies, which the royalists had
thrown therein, that the numbers of their dead might not be known.

Before the commencement of the battle, the king had sent three heralds
to Paris, who, on their arrival there about mid day, summoned the
people to arms throughout the city,--and ordered every person capable
of bearing arms to march without delay to Montlehery to assist
the king, who was engaged in battle with the count de Charolois.
Notwithstanding this proclamation, very few marched out, but Joachim
Rohault, marshal of France, who was then in Paris, with five or six
hundred men at arms. They indeed sallied out on horseback, and advanced
to St Cloud, which they found defenceless; for those who had been
posted there by the count de Charolois had fled on seeing the lords
de Haplaincourt and d'Aymeries, with others in great numbers, who
told them that the count had been defeated. The marshal, therefore,
took possession of the place without resistance, and made prisoners
all who fled that way from the battle, and carried them to Paris. The
burgundian lords above mentioned thought to have crossed the Oise
at the Pont de St Maixence; but they found there the lord de Mouy,
governor of Compiègne, with the garrisons of Creil, Senlis, Clermont,
Crespy, and other places, in great numbers, who had assembled there
on hearing that the king had gained the victory, and had besieged the
bridge on the side leading to Montlehery.

The inhabitants of Pont St Maixence firmly believing that the king was
victorious, from the flight of the above-named lords who had gained
the town, surrendered, on having their lives spared, at the very first
attack. The lords d'Aymeries, d'Inchy, and several more, were taken
in the town: the lord de Haplaincourt was made prisoner in the open
country, and carried to Paris,--and no man of note who had fled escaped
death or imprisonment: only some poor adventurers were so lucky as
to get off without either happening to them, but in very miserable
conditions. Of those that were carried to Paris, several were executed,
or drowned in the Seine.

At the attack on St Maixence, a gentleman of the king's party, called
Jeannet de Grouches, whose brother was with the count de Charolois, was
killed by a ball from a cannon.

When the count de Charolois was assured that the king had retreated
to Corbeil, he caused proclamation to be made, by sound of trumpet,
that if any one required a renewal of the battle, he was ready to
accommodate him: he then had the dead buried,--and had the bodies of
sir Philip de Lalain, the lord de Harnes, the lord de Varennes, and
others, interred in a chapel near to Montlehery; but, soon afterward,
some persons came from Paris with passports, to demand of the count
the body of the lord de Varennes, and, with his permission, carried
it to Paris, where it was handsomely interred in the church of the
Franciscans. He was very much lamented by all who were acquainted with
his many excellent qualities.

After the king had remained a day or two at Corbeil, he went to Paris,
on the 18th of July,--and he came thither by the side of the river,
near to St Denis, attended by a small company, not consisting of more
than about one hundred horse; but soon after, and daily, there came to
him, in Paris, the count du Maine, admiral of France, and his other
captains, with men at arms in such abundance that the town and the
fields on the river side were full of them. The count de Nevers came to
the king at Paris, but staid a very short time, and then returned to
Peronne.

When the king had sojourned some time in Paris, he sent the bishop
of Paris, a wise and prudent prelate, to the count de Charolois, to
negotiate a peace between the king and the princes. On the bishop's
appearing before the count, he said, that the king had sent to know
what had moved him to enter his kingdom with so large an army; and
that the king informed him, that when he went into the countries of
his father, he was not accompanied by a great army, but by very few
attendants. The count instantly replied to the bishop, and said, that
two things had moved him thus to enter the kingdom: first, to keep
the engagement made under his seal with the other princes of the
blood-royal, namely, to meet together with their forces near Paris,
for the general welfare of the kingdom, on St John Baptist's day last
past. Secondly, to secure the bodies of two men who were supported in
the kingdom,--and that he had brought so large an army with him for
the safety of his person, which, in his proper country, as heir to his
father, had been attempted by poison, by the sword, and by endeavouring
to carry him off to a foreign country: he therefore had determined to
come with a sufficient guard for his safety. In answer to what the king
had said, that, when he visited his father, he did not come with a
large army, he replied, that at that time he had not the power to come
with such a force; and that he had been received nobly, magnificently,
and peaceably in those countries, where no attempts had been permitted
to be made against his life or personal liberty, although such had been
intended.

The count added, that he had not entered France with any design of
mischief, but for its general welfare, and had strictly enjoined his
men to pay for whatever they might want, without aggrieving any one.
'In regard,' continued he, 'to the force I have brought with me, I wish
it to be known to all, that I am a man able and desirous to punish my
enemies, and to assist my friends.'

The bishop, having received this answer, returned to the king at Paris.




CHAP. XLI.

 THE DUKES OF BERRY AND OF BRITTANY MEET THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS AT
 ESTAMPES, WHERE THEY ARE ALSO JOINED BY THE DUKES OF BOURBON, OF
 CALABRIA, AND OF NEMOURS, WITH THE COUNT D'ARMAGNAC AND OTHERS OF
 THEIR CONFEDERATION.--THE KING OF FRANCE LEAVES PARIS FOR ROUEN.


The count de Charolois, having remained on the field of battle, and in
Montlehery, so long as he pleased, marched his army toward Estampes, to
wait for the dukes of Berry and of Brittany, who arrived there the 21st
of July, with ten thousand combatants and others well appointed. The
count de Charolois advanced to meet them, and great joy was there on
this event. They afterward entered Estampes together.

While these things were passing, the count de Charny, who had left
Burgundy with fifty lances to aid the count de Charolois, would not
put himself under the orders of the marshal of Burgundy, commander
in chief of that army, and took a route for himself. He was watched
by a detachment from the king's army, and made prisoner,--but his men
escaped, and saved themselves as well as they could.

About eight days after the arrival of the dukes of Berry and Brittany
at Estampes, the dukes of Bourbon and Nemours, with the count
d'Armagnac came thither with a fine army,--and were soon after followed
by the duke of Calabria with a handsome company, among whom were some
Suisses, unarmed, but bold and enterprising. At length, the marshal of
Burgundy arrived with six hundred burgundian lances, many dagger-men,
but few archers. All these lords would have come sooner, had they been
able; but they were so closely followed by the king's army that they
were afraid to hazard the event: it must likewise be supposed that
they were now more emboldened to attempt a junction, as the count de
Charolois had opened a passage for them.

They now took the road toward the provinces of Beauce and Gâtinois, for
the more easy procuring forage,--and all the towns through which they
passed opened their gates to the duke of Berry. On the other hand, the
king went from Paris to Rouen, to recruit his army, and to put under
arms all his vassals, and every sort of person capable of assisting him
against the rebellious princes.

After the confederates had refreshed themselves in Beauce and in
Gâtinois, they were daily hoping the king would advance and offer them
battle; but finding that he was gone to Rouen, they made a bridge at
Moret,[43] and crossed the Seine,--then, marching through Brie, passed
the Marne by the bridge of Charenton, and quartered themselves near
to Paris. The dukes of Berry and Brittany were lodged at Charenton;
the count de Charolois in the castle of the count de St Pol at
Conflans,--and the van division was posted between Conflans and Paris,
while the bastard of Burgundy was quartered with the rear division
between Conflans and Charenton.

The dukes of Berry and Brittany afterwards moved their quarters from
Charenton to St Maur and Beauté, and round the wood of Vincennes, on
the side next the river. The duke of Calabria, with the others, namely,
the Burgundians, the Armagnacs and the Nemours, remained in Brie, on
the opposite side of the river,--and they might amount to about five
thousand combatants.

During these movements, the count de Charolois regained possession of
the bridge of St Cloud, which the royalists had abandoned immediately
after the battle of Montlehery. He then caused Lagny sur Marne to
be taken, and bridges thrown over the river, for the more easy
communication of the two divisions of the army, and to besiege Paris,
in which was the count du Maine and other captains; but their men were
so numerous that they were quartered in the villages on the other side
of the Seine, and in blockhouses and small forts which they had erected
for quarters.

On these bridges being completed, a detachment of the princes' army
crossed the river, and advanced so near to Paris that there was but a
ditch between them and the royalists, when frequent skirmishes took
place, in which many on each side were often killed, wounded, or made
prisoners. Among others was slain the son of sir Simon de Lalain, much
regretted by the count de Charolois's army.

One day, the princes summoned the town of Paris to surrender, and open
its gates to the duke of Berry, regent of France, otherwise they would
destroy all their vineyards, houses, and villages, round about, and
then attack the town with their whole force. The Parisians required
a short delay to give their answer; during which, they sent off
intelligence of this summons to the king at Rouen, and to signify to
him, that, unless he would come to their relief, they would be obliged
to surrender.

The king, on receiving this news, collected as many men as he hastily
could, and made such diligence that he entered Paris the 28th of
August. Three days after, he sent the bishop of Paris, with others of
his council, and great lords, to the princes, who procured from them
a truce for some days; during which, a place was appointed between
Paris and Conflans to hold a conference,--and a handsome tent was
there pitched for the reception of the deputies on each side, that
they might consider on the best means to bring forward a treaty to the
satisfaction of all parties.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 43: Moret,--a town of Gâtinois, on the river Loing, about a
league from the Seine.]




CHAP. XLII.

 THE VARIOUS ACCOUNTS OF THE SUCCESS OF THE BATTLE OF MONTLEHERY THAT
 WERE REPORTED IN DIVERS PLACES.


Of those who fled from the battle of Montlehery at the beginning of the
engagement, and could not know the event, some crossed the river Oise,
and proclaimed that the count de Charolois had been totally routed:
others passed by Compiègne, one of whom told the count de Nevers, that
indeed the van of the royal army had been thrown into confusion at the
beginning, but that the king was victorious,--and that the count de
St Pol and the lord de Hautbourdin were slain. He said, that he was
ignorant whether the count de Charolois or his brother, the bastard,
were killed or taken.

This news was immediately written to the duke of Burgundy, by the
governor of Mondidier; and as the messenger passed through Arras,
the intelligence of the count's defeat was soon spread all over the
country, which caused much sorrow and lamentation,--for they were
ignorant how to act.

When the lord de Saveuses heard it at Corbie, he set out for Bray
sur Somme, and told the lord de Roubais, the governor, to guard it
well,--and, if he had not a sufficient garrison, he would send him
men enough. He then departed for Bapaumes, attended by about twenty
archers; but at first he was refused admittance, which so irritated him
that he said, if they did not instantly open the gate, he would enter
by force. On hearing this, they admitted him. This refusal surprised
many, for Bapaumes legally belonged to the duke of Burgundy, as part of
the county of Artois.

From Bapaumes, the lord de Saveuses went to Arras, where he assembled
the inhabitants, and remonstrated with them on the necessity there
was for the well guarding the town, and to raise men for the defence
of the country, and succour their lord with the utmost possible
diligence,--offering, that if they would lend him twenty thousand
francs on the security of his lands, he would immediately employ them
to subsidize troops for the assistance of the count de Charolois, and
for the security of the country. Notwithstanding this generous offer,
he could not find any one that would lend him money on these or on
other terms: he, however, assembled as many men as he could,--so that
they amounted to four or five hundred, horse and foot, well equipped.

For these exertions, the duke of Burgundy sent him letters-patent,
appointing him governor general of all Artois, and ordered the whole
of the towns within the castlewick of Lille to send to him every man
capable of bearing arms,--by which means, in less than fifteen days, he
had with him more than two thousand combatants, but the greater part
were infantry.

The lords de Roubais, de Fosseux, and others who had the guard of Bray,
having heard of the proceedings of the lord de Saveuses, abandoned
Bray, and joined him, who blamed them much for having quitted their
garrison, so that several of them returned thither in less than eight
days, when different intelligence was brought them.

The governor of Compiègne no sooner heard of the defeat of the count
de Charolois than he assembled a body of troops, and took the town of
Sainte Maixence, and thence went to attack Roye; but the lord du Fay,
the governor, defended it so valiantly that they made no impression,
and lost many of their men,--but on their marching off, they said they
would soon return again with a larger force. This caused the garrisons
of Roye and of Mondidier to send in haste to the duke of Burgundy for
succour,--when the lord de Saveuses sent them as many men as he could
spare, having detachments at Bray and elsewhere.

While these things were passing, the rivers Seine and Oise were so
strictly guarded by the French that no one could cross them with
letters or baggage without being stopped and plundered by them,--so
that by this means no true intelligence of the battle of Montlehery was
known until some carmelite monks and preaching friars had passed these
rivers in a boat, and brought the real history of the event of this
engagement, by publishing that the count de Charolois had gained the
honour and victory!




CHAP. XLIII.

 THE KING OF FRANCE FORMS AN ALLIANCE WITH THE LIEGEOIS, TO MAKE WAR
 ON THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY AND THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS.--THEY BESIEGE THE
 TOWN OF LUXEMBOURG.


A little before the battle of Montlehery, namely, in the month of June,
the king of France sent an embassy to the Liegeois, the ancient enemies
of the house of Burgundy, to conclude an alliance with them, that
they might make war on the duke of Burgundy and on his son the count
de Charolois. The terms of the treaty were, that, between the feasts
of Saint James and Saint Christopher, the Liegeois were to enter the
countries of Brabant and Namur, belonging to the duke of Burgundy, and
to do all the mischief they possibly could, as in times of war. The
king, on his part, was to assist them with two hundred men at arms,
each having three horses at the least, and invade Hainault,--promising
them, at the same time, never to make peace with the duke or his allies
without their assent, and without their being comprehended in the
treaty: for the fulfilment of this, it was commonly reported that the
king had given his engagement under his hand and seal.

Of all these negotiations the duke of Burgundy was fully informed; and
about the 22d day of August, as the duke was mounting his horse in the
city of Brussels to go a-hunting, a herald delivered to him letters
from the Liegeois, containing, in substance, that they defied his son
the count de Charolois with fire and sword, and waited an answer. The
duke, after perusing the letters, gave them back to the messenger, and
bade him carry them to his son.

Hearing this answer, the herald returned to Liege, and, shortly after,
came back with defiances from the Liegeois to the duke and to all
his allies. They were not long before they marched from Liege and
entered the duke's territories, committing every sort of mischief,
and advanced to lay siege to the town of Luxembourg. The duke, when
informed of these proceedings, sent in haste to his friends and allies,
namely, the dukes of Cleves and of Gueldres, his nephews, the count
of Nassau, the marquis of Rothelin, the count of Horne, and to others
bordering on the territories of Liege, who raised a large army, and the
duke himself would have gone personally to command it; but when the
Liegeois saw the power of the duke so great, notwithstanding the army
his son had in France, and that the king had failed in his engagement
to send two hundred lances to invade Hainault, they broke up their
siege, and marched back to Liege.

During this time, the duchess of Cleves, daughter to the count de
Nevers, came to the duke of Burgundy at Brussels,--but three days
passed before he would see her. She was then admitted to his presence,
and, falling on her knees, with tears, most humbly implored him to take
pity on her father and on herself; for that, if her father was ruined,
she must also suffer, as well as her three fine sons by the duke of
Cleves; acknowledging, at the same time, that every thing her father
and herself possessed came from his bounty, who had educated and raised
them so high that it was notorious to every one.

The duke was so much affected by this speech that his eyes were filled
with tears; but he replied, 'Your father has ungratefully repaid what
he has received from this house. I sent to tell him to depart from
Peronne, and to go into his county of Nevers, or into the Rethelois,
and there remain until I should have induced my son to be satisfied
with him,--but he has done neither, and has armed himself against my
lord of Berry, and against my son, doing every thing in his power
to oppose them. He keeps possession of my inheritances of Peronne,
Mondidier and Roye, as if they were absolutely his own; but it is not
so,--for he holds them for a sum of money, the repayment of which was
offered him, but he would not accept it. I know not if he intends
seizing my other inheritances in the same way; but he shall not have
them,--for, if it please God, I will guard them well.' On saying this,
he left the lady.

Three or four days afterward, the duke of Cleves came to Brussels, to
speak with the duke, having left his troops in garrison on the borders
of Liege. He had not been with the duke for some time, on account of
these family quarrels. The good duke received him most kindly, and
entertained him handsomely, as he well knew how to do; for he had with
him the duchesses of Bourbon, of Cleves, of Gueldres, and other ladies.

In the month of June of this year, about six score houses were burnt
in the town of Ardres; and it was commonly said, that it had been done
through the wickedness of persons sent thither by the chancellor or
others of the party of the king of France, and who were to attempt the
like throughout the dominions of the duke of Burgundy. Some of these
incendiaries were taken at St Omer, but the rest escaped out of the
country.

It was full fifteen days after the battle of Montlehery, before the
duke of Burgundy received a true account of the event; for no one
dared to mention the reports until the event was certainly known,
lest he should have a relapse of his late illness, from which he was
not perfectly recovered. When, therefore, he was fully ascertained of
the truth, he sent a large sum of money to his son for the pay of his
troops, under the escort of the lord de Saveuses, accompanied by all
his men, as well cavalry as infantry. He brought it very safe to the
count at Conflans, in company with the lord de Hautbourdin, who had
been sent with a strong force, for greater security, to meet him at
Mondidier,--for the French had intended to attack and plunder him; but
on their junction, they durst not meet them.

The lord de Saveuses, on approaching Conflans, drew up his men in
order of battle, and thus waited on the count, who received him most
joyfully, and took great pleasure in seeing the old warrior so well
and so handsomely armed,--telling him, that he would have given forty
thousand crowns if he had been with him at the battle of Montlehery.




CHAP. XLIV.

 THE INHABITANTS OF THE TOWN OF DINANT[44] INSULT THE COUNT DE
 CHAROLOIS WITH MOCKERIES.--THE KING OF FRANCE MEETS THE COUNT DE
 CHAROLOIS AT CONFLANS.--THE DUKE OF BOURBON TAKES THE TOWN OF ROUEN.


In the mean time, the inhabitants of Dinant, mortally hating the duke
of Burgundy and his son, trusting to the strength of their town, and to
their riches, and calling to remembrance, that, although they had been
besieged seventeen times by kings and emperors, the place had never
been taken, but that they had for a long time pillaged and robbed their
neighbours, more particularly the subjects of the duke of Burgundy, and
had increased their wealth daily by the riches they brought into the
town; foolishly believing in the first news brought them of the defeat
of the count de Charolois, determined in their folly to show their old
envenomed hatred to the house of Burgundy, by dressing up a resemblance
of the count de Charolois in his armour, and carrying it to the town of
Bovines hard by, which belonged to the duke of Burgundy as parcel of
the county of Namur. They were in great numbers, and in arms, and when
they were near to the walls of Bovines, they erected a gibbet, and hung
thereon this figure of the count de Charolois; shouting out to those in
the town, 'See here, the son of your duke! that false traitor the count
de Charolois, whom the king of France will have hanged as you see his
representative hanging here. He called himself the son of your duke: he
lied,--for he was a mean bastard, changed in his infancy for the son of
our bishop, the lord de Haisenberghe, who thought to conquer the king
of France.' Many other villainous expressions did they use against the
duke of Burgundy and his son, menacing their countries with fire and
sword.

By this outrageous and childish conduct, they greatly offended the good
duchess of Burgundy, mother to the count de Charolois, who was alway
reputed to be the most modest and chaste woman that was in the land of
Portugal. When, therefore, these things were told to the duke and the
count de Charolois, they were much angered,--and the son swore, that
he would make them dearly pay for it, as indeed happened very shortly
after.

While the confederated princes were surrounding Paris, the king left
the city in a boat, accompanied by about twenty persons, and rowed down
to Conflans, where the count de Charolois was posted. The count, on
hearing of the king's approach, went to meet him, when they embraced
each other like old and loving friends. A conversation ensued between
them; but I know not what passed, except that, shortly after, the
count wrote to his father, to say that the king had been to see him,
and had used very kind expressions in conversation. The king, on his
departure, told the count, that if he would come to Paris he would give
him a handsome reception; but the count replied, that he had made a vow
not to enter any great town until he was on his march home. He then
escorted the king back, attended by his archers, to whom the king gave
fifty golden crowns to drink together.

During this truce, the lord de Croy and his friends were at Paris,
and laboured most diligently to make their peace with the count de
Charolois: even the king exerted himself greatly in their favour,--but
the count would not listen to nor hear talk of it, as the lord de Croy
had once accompanied the king to Conflans; but the count de Charolois
ordered him not to come thither again. The king made frequent visits
there; and several secret conversations passed between him and the
count, to whom the king showed the greatest appearance of affection
and regard, which the truest friend could show another, frequently
sending back to Paris his guards, and remaining with the count with few
attendants, saying, that he thought himself fully as safe when in his
company as if he were in the city of Paris.

While these things were passing, it happened that the governor of the
castle of Boulogne sur mer, in conjunction with a sergeant, sold this
castle to the English of Calais and Guines, and was to give them
possession thereof on the 28th day of August, while they set fire
to the lower town, and during the confusion the English were to be
admitted. The sergeant, however, told their plan to a companion of his,
who betrayed them, and they were both instantly arrested, and, on the
fact being proved, were beheaded, the 2d day of September following,
and their bodies hung on a gibbet.

It was these two who had found means to displace the son of the lord
de Croy from his command in the castle, and replace him with those
attached to the count de Charolois, who, on this account, had given
them all the effects of the said de Croy that were in the castle. He
had also promised them other great favours: nevertheless, they had
betrayed him also.

In the month of August, in this year, king Henry VI. of England was
taken prisoner by a party of king Edward's. He was mounted on a small
poney, and thus led through the streets of London, when, according to
the orders of Edward, no one saluted or did him the least honour,--for
it had been forbidden, under pain of death. He was carried to the
tower of London, in the front of which was a tree, after the manner of
a pillory, round which he was led three times, and then confined in the
tower. This proceeding troubled many of the citizens of London,--but
they dared not show any signs of it, nor open their mouths on the
subject.

Toward the end of September, the Bretons took the town of Pontoise,
during the night, by means of the governor and other accomplices.
The duke of Bourbon also entered the castle of Rouen with a body of
men at arms, under pretence, and in the name of the duke of Berry.
He placed therein the widow of the late lord de Varennes, in whom,
however, the king had great confidence,--and the principal persons in
the town had advised her going thither. Shortly after, the duke went
to the town-house, where the commonalty waited on him, and submitted
themselves to his obedience, on behalf of the duke of Berry, as their
lord and duke of Normandy. The duke then went to the other towns in
the duchy, as far as Caen, who all surrendered to him for the duke of
Berry.

During this time, a destructive warfare was going forward in the
countries of the duke of Burgundy and Liege, which were alternately
overrun and plundered, more especially by those of Dinant,--so that it
was a pity to see the great mischiefs that ensued. Those from Dinant
were one day met by a party of Burgundians, who put them to the rout,
with great slaughter, and some little loss on their side. Those that
escaped made all haste back to Dinant, and, on their return thither,
to revenge themselves, ran to the town-prison, in which were three
burgundian prisoners, whom they led out, to hang them on the first tree
they should find without the town. One of them offered his vows to St
James the apostle, when the cord broke, and he escaped unhurt! Instead
of him, they seized a youth from Arras, the son of Martin Corneille,
as he was returning from his studies; and if some among them had not
remonstrated, that, instead of hanging him, they might force his father
to pay a large sum for his safety, he would infallibly have been put to
death.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 44: Dinant,--a town of the bishoprick of Liege, on the Maes,
16 leagues from Liege.]




CHAP. XLV.

 THE DEATH OF THE COUNTESS DE CHAROLOIS.--THE COUNT DE NEVERS IS MADE
 PRISONER IN THE CASTLE OF PERONNE.--THE LIEGEOIS ARE DISCOMFITED AT
 MONTENAC.[45]--THE TREATY OF CONFLANS, BETWEEN THE KING OF FRANCE AND
 THE CONFEDERATED PRINCES.


On the 25th day of September, in this year, the countess de Charolois
departed this life in the town of Brussels. She was the daughter of
the late duke of Bourbon, and a good and devout lady. She left behind
only one child, a daughter, named Mary, and had always the grace to be
humble, benignant, and full of the best qualities a lady could have,
and was never out of humour. The duchesses of Burgundy and Bourbon were
present at her decease, and were in great grief for her loss.

A Burgundy-gentleman, named Arkembarc, had made frequent visits to the
count de Nevers, in Peronne, for the space of a month, having passports
from the lord de Saveuses and from the king: he had likewise been with
the count de Charolois and the duke of Burgundy, to find means for the
count de Nevers to surrender Peronne. It is to be supposed that there
was some secret treaty entered into between them,--for on the 3d day of
October, at four o'clock in the morning, the said Arkembarc accompanied
by the lords de Roubaix and de Frommeles, and from five to six hundred
combatants, advanced to Peronne as secretly as they could.

When he came near the town, he left his companions, and, attended by
only twelve persons, approached the bulwark on the outside of the
castle, which he entered by scaling ladders, and making prisoners those
within, by their means entered the tower and dungeon of the castle.
They there found the count de Nevers, the lord de Sally, and some
others in bed, whom they laid hands on as day broke; but the count and
his companions began shouting so loud that they were heard in the town,
and the garrison hastily advanced in arms to enter the castle,--but
before this, from sixty to four score of the duke's men had followed
their companions into the castle, and, mounting the battlements,
harangued those below, declaring they were the duke of Burgundy's men,
who had sent them thither, and they now summoned them to surrender the
town to the duke. The garrison and townsmen retired apart, to confer
together, and, toward the evening, answered, that they were willing to
obey the duke, and opened their gates to the lord de Roubaix and all
his men.

Thus was the town of Peronne taken, and restored to the obedience of
the duke of Burgundy. It was currently reported, that the count de
Nevers had wished it to be thus managed, that it might appear to the
king, to whom he had sworn allegiance, that it had been won without his
consent: it was also added, that it was upon this condition he had made
up the disagreements between him, the duke of Burgundy, and the count
de Charolois. Whatever truth may have been in these rumours, the count
de Nevers was carried a prisoner to Bethune, and Arkembarc remained
governor of the town and castle of Peronne.

The 15th of this month of October, about five in the morning, the
heavens seemed to open, and the brightest light appeared, resembling a
bar of burning iron, of the length of a lance, which turned round, and
the end that was at first very thick became suddenly thin, and then
disappeared. This was seen, for more than a quarter of an hour, from
the town of Arras.

On the 19th of the same month, about eighteen hundred combatants, on
the part of the duke of Burgundy, entered the territories of Liege,
under the command of the count de Nassau, the seneschal of Hainault,
the lords de Groothuse and de Gasebecque, sir John de Rubempré grand
bailiff of Hainault, and other knights and esquires. They burnt and
destroyed the whole line of their march until they came near to the
large village of Montenac, situated five leagues from the city of
Liege, and which the Liegeois had fortified and garrisoned with a force
of four thousand men, then within it.

These Liegeois, observing the Burgundians march so near, without making
any attempt on the place because it was fortified, sallied out, and
posted themselves where the duke's men must pass, with the intent to
offer them combat. They surrounded themselves on all sides, except
the front, with their baggage-waggons,--and there they drew up their
artillery in a very orderly manner.

The duke's men, observing their enemies thus posted, and ready for
battle, held a council, and determined to attempt drawing them from
their strong position, and, in consequence, pretended to retreat from
fear. The Liegeois seeing this manœuvre, and mistaking it for fear
of them, instantly quitted their post, and began to pursue them. But
matters turned out differently from what they had thought; for the
duke's men wheeled about, and instantly attacked them with such vigour
that they were immediately discomfited and put to flight, leaving dead
on the field more than twenty-two hundred men; and as the duke's party
lost but one archer, it was a splendid victory to them.

During this time, the king of France remained in Paris, and the
confederate princes around it, while the negotiators on each side were
busily employed in establishing a treaty of peace between them. This
was at length accomplished, in manner following, which I shall relate
as briefly as I have been able to collect the articles.

First, it was ordered, that to remedy the grievances of the realm, and
to ease the people from the heavy exactions they had borne, the king
should appoint thirty-six of the most able and discreet persons of his
realm, namely, twelve prelates, twelve knights, and twelve counsellors,
well informed as to law and justice, who should have full powers and
authority to inquire into the causes of the grievances complained of,
and to apply a sufficient and permanent remedy to prevent such in
future; and the king promised, on the word of a king, that he would put
into execution all that they should recommend on this subject. They
were to commence their examinations on the 15th day of the ensuing
December, and to finish the whole within forty days afterwards.

Item, all divisions were now to be at an end,--and no one was to be
reproached for the part he had taken on either side, nor was any one
to suffer for his late conduct. Each person was to have restored to
him whatever had belonged to him before open hostilities commenced,
notwithstanding any acts to the contrary.

Item, the count de Dunois was to be repossessed of all the lands the
king had taken from him.

Item, the count de Dammartin was to have again his county of Dammartin,
and all other his lands which the king might have given away as
confiscated.

Item, the count d'Armagnac was to have again the lands the king had
seized.

Item, the duke of Bourbon was to have all his towns, castles, and
lands, which the king had conquered, restored to him; and he was,
besides, to receive an annual pension of thirty-six thousand francs,
on account of his marriage with the king's sister, and to be appointed
captain of the gens d'armes on the king's establishment.

Item, in consideration of the king having failed in his engagements
with the duke of Calabria, respecting the conquest of Naples, he was
to receive the sum of two hundred thousand golden crowns, and to have
the command of three hundred lances of the gens d'armes on the king's
establishment.

Item, the duke de Nemours was also to have the command of two hundred
of the said lances, and to be appointed governor of the Isle de France.

Item, the count de St Pol was constituted constable of France; and the
king invested him with his sword of office, with his own hand, publicly
in the palace at Paris.

Item, the duke of Berry, only brother to the king, was to have given
him, as his appanage, the duchy of Normandy, for him and the heirs-male
of his body, to hold in the same free manner as the dukes of Normandy
had anciently held the same from the kings of France; that is to say,
by fealty and homage; and thenceforward the dukes of Brittany and
Alençon should hold their duchies from the duke of Normandy, as they
had done in times passed.

Item, the count de Charolois should have restored to him all the lands
which had been repurchased by the king from the duke his father,
together with the county of Guines, to be enjoyed by him and his
heirs-male, in the manner as shall hereafter be expressed.

Item, the king promises, by this treaty, never to constrain any of
the said princes to appear personally before him, whatever summons he
may issue, saving on such services as they owe to the king on their
fidelity, and for the defence and evident welfare of the kingdom.

Item, all such towns, castles, and forts as may have been taken during
these said divisions, on either side, shall be instantly restored to
their right owners, with all or any effects that may have been taken
from them.

When these matters had been fully settled, each of the princes received
letters-patent from the king, confirming all the articles that
concerned each personally.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 45: Montenac,--a village of Messin, near Metz.]




CHAP. XLVI.

 A ROYAL EDICT RESPECTING WHAT THE KING OF FRANCE HAD CONCEDED TO THE
 COUNT DE CHAROLOIS BY THE TREATY OF CONFLANS.


'Louis, &c. Whereas by the advice and deliberation of our said brother
of Normandy, and of our very dear and well beloved cousins the dukes of
Brittany, Calabria, Bourbon, Nemours,--the counts du Maine, du Perche,
and d'Armagnac,--the presidents of our court of parliament, and other
able and well informed persons of our realm, we have given, conceded,
and yielded up, and by these presents do give, concede, and yield up to
our said brother and cousin the count de Charolois, in consideration
and in recompence of what has been before stated, and also because our
said cousin has liberally and fully supported, as far as lay in his
power, our said brother, and the other princes of our blood, in the
settlement of the late divisions, and for the restoration of peace,
for him and his heirs, males and females, legally descended from him,
to enjoy for ever the cities, towns, fortresses, lands, and lordships,
appertaining to us on and upon each side of the river Somme,--namely,
Amiens, St Quentin, Corbie, Abbeville, together with the county
of Ponthieu, lying on both sides of the river Somme, Dourlens, St
Ricquier, Crevecoeur, Arleux, Montrieul, Crotoy, Mortaigne, with all
their dependances whatever, and all others that may have belonged
to us in right of our crown, from the said river Somme inclusively,
stretching on the side of Artois, Flanders, and Hainault, as well
within our kingdom as within the limits of the empire,--all of which
our said uncle of Burgundy lately held and was in the possession of,
by virtue of the treaty of Arras, prior to the repurchase we made of
them,--comprehending also, in regard to the towns seated on the Somme
on the side nearest our kingdom, the bailiwicks and sheriffdoms of
these said towns in the same form and manner as our said uncle was
possessed of them, to be enjoyed by our said brother and cousin, and by
their legal heirs, males and females, descending in a direct line from
them, together with all the revenues, domains, and taxes, in the same
manner as enjoyed by our said uncle, without retaining to ourself any
thing, excepting the faith, homage, and sovereignty, as lord paramount
of the same.

'This mortgage we have made, and do make, in consideration of the
repayment of the sum of two hundred thousand golden crowns of full
weight, and of the current coin, and which neither we nor our
successors shall be enabled to recover again, by repayment of the
said two hundred thousand crowns, from our said brother and cousin
during their natural lives; but it may be lawful for us, or our
successors, to recover these lands from the direct heirs of our said
brother and cousin, or from their heirs descending in a direct line,
who may be in the possession of them, on paying back the said sum of
two hundred thousand crowns. For the security of our being enabled to
make such repurchase, our said brother and cousin shall deliver to us
letters-patent, in due form, for the better confirmation of the same;
and we will and understand that our said brother and cousin, and their
legal heirs, that may be in the possession of these territories, shall
have full powers to nominate and appoint, at their pleasure, all and
every officer that shall be necessary for the government and regulation
of these said towns and countries; and that such officers as shall be
necessary for the collecting of all royal taxes, aids, or impositions,
shall be nominated by us, at the recommendation of our said brother and
cousin, and their heirs, as was done during the time our said uncle of
Burgundy held these towns and countries.

'Whereas, by the treaty of Arras, it was agreed, among other articles,
that the county of Boulogne should remain to our uncle of Burgundy, and
the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten,--and whereas our late
lord and father bound himself to recompense all who claimed any right
to it,--we, for the causes and considerations before mentioned, and
without derogating from the treaty of Arras, confirm the above article
respecting the county of Boulogne, and declare that our said brother
and cousin, their heirs, male or female, lawfully begotten by them,
shall hold, during their lives only, the said county of Boulogne, in
the form and manner specified in the treaty of Arras, and that they
may reap the same advantages from it as if it were their own proper
inheritance. And we engage to make those consent to the same, who may
claim any right to the said county, and give them such compensation
as we shall judge proper, so that our said brother, cousin, and their
heirs, shall have peaceable possession of the same.

'We have also promised, and by these presents do promise, our said
brother and cousin, that we will cause to be frankly and freely
delivered up, as far as in us lies, and we restore, from this instant,
the castles, towns, castlewicks and provostships, of Peronne, Mondidier
and Roye, with all their dependances, discharged of whatever debts
or mortgages may have attached to them, in the same full manner as
they were given to our said uncle by our father, in consequence of
the treaty of Arras, to enjoy the same in like manner as they were
enjoyed before, according to that article in the said treaty; and we
will procure that our very dear and well beloved cousin the count de
Nevers, shall surrender to our said brother and cousin the right he
lays claim to respecting these towns, castles, &c. and that he shall
give possession of the same into the hands of our said brother and
cousin, or to any commissioners appointed by them. In addition, we have
likewise conveyed to our said brother and cousin the county of Guines,
as a perpetual inheritance for them, their heirs and successors, to
hold and enjoy all rights, taxes, and other emoluments within the same,
as and in like manner with the preceding. In respect to any claim on
this county made by the lord de Croy, or others who may pretend to
such, we engage to satisfy the said lord de Croy and the others, on
this head, and to assure to our said brother and cousin the possession
of the said county, free from all let or hinderance on the part of the
lord de Croy and all others.

'All the above articles we have promised, and do now promise,
punctually to perform, on our royal word,' &c.

This ordinance was published at Paris, on the 5th of October, in the
year 1465, under the great seal of France, and registered by the
parliament on the 11th of the same month.

At the end of this ordinance, the king commands all his judges and
other officers to see that these engagements and conveyances are
carried into full and speedy effect,--and at the beginning of it were
stated the causes and reasons which had moved the king to make such
concessions to the count de Charolois.

First, to recompense him for the very great expenses he had been at to
raise so great an army to join his brother, the duke of Berry, for the
welfare of the kingdom.

Secondly, to appease the discords and divisions then existing between
the king and the princes of his realm, in which the count de Charolois
had greatly exerted himself.

Thirdly, because, in consequence of these divisions, the Liegeois had
raised a considerable force, and had invaded the dominions of the duke
of Burgundy, and had done great mischiefs.

Fourthly, respecting the repurchase of the towns and lands on the
Somme, that had been mortgaged to the duke of Burgundy, who considered
himself entitled to the enjoyment of this country, notwithstanding the
repurchase, and that the king had taken immediate possession of the
same.

And, lastly, to recompense the count de Charolois for the pension of
thirty-six thousand francs, which the king had given him and afterward
taken from him.

From all these considerations, the king had made such great concessions
to the count de Charolois by the treaty of Conflans; and, in
addition, at the request of the said count, the king had increased
the jurisdictions of the provostships of Vimeu, of Beauvoisis, and of
Fouilloy,[46] to avoid any disputes that might arise between the king's
officers and those of the count, as these provostships are included
within the bailiwick of Amiens, for the count and his heirs to enjoy
on similar terms with those before specified, by letters under the
great seal, dated Paris, the 14th day of the same month of October, and
enregistered by the parliament on the 16th.

Thus were the quarrels between the king and the princes appeased.[47]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 46: Fouilloy,--a village in Picardy, near Corbie.]

[Footnote 47: When Louis XI. was asked, how he could make such
concessions, and sign a treaty so prejudicial to the interest of the
crown, he replied, 'that it was in consideration of the youth of my
brother of Berry,--of the prudence of my fair cousin of Calabria,--of
the sense of my brother-in law of Bourbon,--of the malice of the count
d'Armagnac,--of the great pride of my fair cousin of Brittany,--and of
the invincible army of my fair brother of Charolois.'

_Proofs to Comines_, No. 65.

The chamber of accounts protested against this treaty of Conflans.
There are many very curious papers respecting the history of this
period in the Proofs to the Memoires de Comines.]




CHAP. XLVII.

 THE KING IS PRESENT AT A REVIEW OF THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS' ARMY.--THE
 COUNT TAKES LEAVE OF THE KING, AND MARCHES HIS ARMY AGAINST THE
 LIEGEOIS.--THE DUKE OF BERRY DOES HOMAGE TO THE KING FOR THE DUCHY OF
 NORMANDY.


When this treaty was concluded between the king and the princes of
France, they one day assembled together in the castle of Vincennes,
wherein the lord de Saveuses was, for that day, lodged by orders
from the count de Charolois, when Charles, the newly-created duke of
Normandy, did homage to the king for that duchy; after which the other
princes did homage for what each had individually obtained from him in
lands or honours,--after which they took their leave of the king, and
of each other, to return to their homes.

When these ceremonies were over, the count de Charolois made a review
of his men at arms and other troops, as the king wished to see
them,-and for this purpose they were drawn up between Conflans[48] and
Paris. The king, on seeing them, was astonished, and could not refrain
from saying, that he did not imagine the count de Charolois had been so
powerful, or had such handsome and well-appointed men at arms.

The review being over, the count took leave of the king and the other
princes, and departed from Conflans, the last day of October, with
his whole army; but the king would accompany him, in spite of his
entreaties to return, as far as Villiers-le-bel.[49] The king had very
few attendants; but what was more, they remained together in this
village three or four days, making good cheer, and discoursing secretly
on their private affairs. The king showed the utmost possible affection
for the count, and it was with difficulty that he parted from him.

At length the king returned, and the count proceeded to Senlis, wherein
he was most honourably received, and thence to Compiègne and Noyon,
where, and in all the other towns of France he passed through, the same
honours were shown him,--for such had been the king's orders, and he
was to be admitted with whatever company he pleased. He did enter with
such a large body that he was superior to any of their garrisons; but
his men paid regularly for every thing they wanted, without doing the
smallest damage,--for such were the count's commands, on pain of death
to all who should act to the contrary.

While the count de Charolois was at Conflans, he received several
letters from the duke of Burgundy, to send him five or six thousand
combatants to join those whom he was collecting to march against the
Liegeois; for that his intention was to command them in person, and
offer the Liegeois battle, which made the count the more anxious to
leave France, to assist his father and revenge himself on those of
Dinant, who had insulted him so grossly, as has been before mentioned.

In consequence of the treaty of Conflans, several of the lords of his
army had left him and disbanded their men; but he issued his summons
throughout the dominions of his father the duke, for those who had been
with him in France, and all others accustomed to bear arms, to John him
at Mezieres, on the Meuse,[50] the 15th day of November next, in arms,
and as well mounted as possible, under pain of corporal punishment and
confiscation of effects, whither the count marched with the remainder
of those who had accompanied him to France. On the day appointed,
the gens d'armes of the states of the duke of Burgundy appeared round
Mezieres; but several came thither much against their wills, for they
had been badly paid for their expedition to France: of the twenty-two
weeks they had there served, they were only paid for seventeen; but
they dared not complain, so much was the count redoubted and feared.

There was now in and about Mezieres a larger and better appointed army
than had ever been in France; for the large towns under the dependance
of the duke sent thither archers and cross-bowmen,--and there repaired
thither several knights and esquires of those countries that had been
redeemed from the crown of France, and other warriors who had not been
of the late expedition, and even some who had been in the late quarrels
of the king's party against the count de Charolois.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 48: Conflans--is on the Seine, six leagues from Paris.]

[Footnote 49: Villiers-le-bel. Q. Villiers-le-basele? in the Isle of
France, near Paris.]

[Footnote 50: Mezieres, on the Meuse,--a strong city in Champagne, five
leagues from Charleville.]




CHAP. XLVIII.

 THE ENTRY OF THE DUKE OF BERRY INTO ROUEN.--THE KING OF FRANCE GOES
 INTO NORMANDY AND RETAKES POSSESSION OF THAT DUCHY.--HE CAUSES SOME
 OF THE LORDS OF THAT COUNTRY, WHO HAD SUPPORTED HIS BROTHER, TO BE
 EXECUTED AND DROWNED.


When the confederated princes had separated at Conflans, Charles the
new duke of Normandy, accompanied by the duke of Brittany, the count
de Dunois, and other lords, set out to visit his duchy of Normandy,
and went first to Mont St Catherine, above Rouen; for the whole of
the country, as has been said, had submitted to his obedience. He
was advised to make his public entry into Rouen on the feast of St
Catherine,--and the inhabitants had made great preparations for his
reception.

The duke of Brittany, however, for some private reasons, had the entry
deferred, which much displeased the inhabitants of that town; and
finding that the duke had not given any orders for so doing, they
assembled in arms, and went to their new duke in a numerous body, to
request that he would instantly make his entry into their town. The
count de Harcourt, then his principal adviser and favourite, urged
him to comply with their request without farther delay; which he
assented to, whether the duke of Brittany would or not, and followed
the townsmen into Rouen, where he was grandly feasted, to the great
vexation of the duke of Brittany, who could not at that time prevent
it,--for he had not then his men at arms with him, and was forced to
dissemble. He was so much enraged that he departed for Brittany with
those he had with him; and, on going away, they carried off the bedding
and sheets of the good people where they had been lodged, as if they
had been in an enemy's country.

They seized also some of the towns in Normandy, wherein the duke left a
party of his men to guard them,--and among others, he took possession
of the town and castle of Caen, where he placed a larger force to guard
and defend the castle.

On these things coming to the king's knowledge, he hastily assembled
as many men as he could, and marched first to Caen, which was
surrendered to him by the duke of Brittany; and shortly after, all
the other towns in Normandy surrendered to the king, excepting Rouen,
Louviers, Pont de l'Arche, and some castles. The new duke resided at
Rouen, where those who had received him as their lord had promised to
stand by him until death; but the duke perceived clearly that they
would not long keep their promises; and for that reason he quitted the
town of Rouen, and sought an asylum with the duke of Brittany, who
received him with kindness.

Soon after the departure of the duke, those of Rouen surrendered to the
king,--and their example was followed by Pont de l'Arche and Louviers;
so that the whole of the duchy of Normandy was repossessed by the king,
notwithstanding the promises he had made to his brother in the treaty
of Conflans.

The king recalled to his person the duke of Bourbon, and attended
more to his opinion than to that of any other prince. As soon as he
found himself master of Normandy, he began to persecute such as had
been of the party of his brother, and had supported him: among others
was the lord d'Esternay, whom he caused to be arrested and drowned.
This lord had been, during the late reign, general of Normandy, and
was exceedingly beloved for his wisdom and moderation,--and he had
not his equal in the whole country for devotion. Many other lords
the king caused to be executed or drowned, so that several quitted
their country, abandoning their houses and estates for fear of his
tyranny,--and the king was greatly blamed for these measures by all who
heard of them.




CHAP. XLIX.

 THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS ENTERS THE COUNTRY OF LIEGE WITH HIS ARMY.--THE
 LIEGEOIS DEMAND AND OBTAIN A TRUCE,--BUT, ALTHOUGH A PEACE IS MADE, IT
 DOES NOT LAST LONG.


The Liegeois, hearing of the peace concluded between king Louis and the
count de Charolois, imagined that they were included in the treaty;
but when they learnt the contrary, and that the count was marching an
immense army against them, they sent a grand embassy to the duke of
Burgundy at Brussels, offering to make great reparations for what they
had done. They supplicated, in all humility, for peace with him and the
count de Charolois, and were so urgent that they obtained from the good
duke a truce for fifteen days.

At this moment, the count de Charolois was at St Tron,[51] a large town
belonging to Liege, which surrendered to him as soon as he came before
it. On receiving information of this truce, he caused proclamation to
be made throughout his army, that no one should do any damage to the
territories of Liege, on pain of death, notwithstanding that his men
had not received their pay: they were, therefore, obliged to forage
the country of the duke of Burgundy that lay nearest at hand, and it
suffered very much from it. They even spread as far as Lorraine and
other distant countries, to seek provisions,--for so large an army
could not otherwise have existed without money.

On the expiration of the fifteen days, the truce was prolonged for
eight more, then for another eight days, and at last to the 12th day
of January; which caused the adjoining country to be sorely pillaged
and devoured, for it was daily overrun for so long a space of time.
The count de Charolois, perceiving that the Liegeois were only seeking
delays, and did not perform what they had promised, collected his army,
and entered the territory of Liege, and wrote to the duke his father to
send him as many reinforcements as he could, for that he now intended
to combat the Liegeois.

The duke instantly sent back to him the lord de Saveuses with all his
men, and wrote him word, that he would shortly join him in person, and
that he desired he would not give battle until he should arrive. As the
duke was preparing to set out for the army, notwithstanding the severe
illness from which he had scarcely recovered, his son wrote him word,
that the Liegeois had come to him with a treaty, such as he approved
of, sealed with their city-seal,--that they implored his mercy, and
begged he would be satisfied with them,--that he had accepted the
treaty, provided it were his good pleasure to ratify it. The duke, on
receiving this news, remained quiet at Brussels.

On the 20th of January, the Liegeois, knowing that the count de
Charolois had entered their country with his army, and that his van,
under the command of the count de St Pol, was far advanced, sent from
four score to a hundred of the principal persons of the country to
wait on the count de Charolois, well mounted and well armed for fear
of several who had been banished their city, and other evil-disposed
persons, who only wished for war, and hindered the completion of a
peace. They met the count between St Tron and Tongres,[52] two good
towns belonging to the Liegeois, and presented to him the treaty such
as had been agreed to by the city of Liege, and sealed with their seal:
the deputation offered, at the same time, to answer with their lives
for the consent of the other towns to this treaty.

The terms of this treaty were precisely what the duke of Burgundy
and his son had insisted upon,--and the deputies, on their knees,
besought the count's mercy and pardon, promising, that henceforward the
inhabitants of the whole country would be his faithful servants and
good neighbours.

The count, having examined the treaty, accepted it on consideration
of the great sums they were to pay by way of recompensing the damages
done, and forgave them. The sum for damages was six hundred thousand
florins of the Rhine, which they were to pay the duke in the course
of six years; and the duke of Brabant and all future dukes of Brabant
were to be their mainbrugs, or governors of the whole country of Liege,
with a yearly salary of two thousand florins of the Rhine. The Liegeois
were not in future to undertake any measures of weight, without having
first obtained the consent of their mainbrug. Many other articles were
inserted in the treaty, which I omit for the sake of brevity; but,
notwithstanding, they soon after broke this treaty, without keeping any
one article of it.

The count de Charolois having acceded to the requests of the deputies,
peace was proclaimed throughout his army,--and the whole was ordered
to appear before him, on the morrow, near to Tongres. This was done
that the deputation might see his army in battle-array, to inspire them
with fear of his power, and thereby check any future rebellion. The
army, when drawn up on the following day, delighted and astonished the
ambassadors and those who had come from St Tron, Tongres, and other
towns to see it, for they never could have imagined that the count
would have been able to raise such a force at once. In truth, according
to common report, this army consisted of upwards of twenty-eight
thousand horse, not including the infantry, which was very numerous,
although many had returned home with leave, and without leave, in
default of being regularly paid.

When the army was thus drawn up, the count rode along the line,
thanking most courteously all the captains and men at arms, begging
they would hold him excused for having so badly paid them, for that
he could not now have avoided it,--but he would make them full amends
at another time by more regular payments, so that every one should be
satisfied.

Addressing himself to the poorer cavaliers, he asked if any of them had
been banished the countries of the duke his father, and desired such to
come to him at Brussels, when he would make representations of their
case to his father, and they should be allowed to return. Saying this,
he took his leave of them, and went from St Tron to Hasbain,--and the
troops were dismissed to their several homes.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 51: St Tron,--on the lower Meuse, fourteen miles north west
from Liege, the capital of the country of Hasbain.]

[Footnote 52: Tongres,--in the bishoprick of Liege, on the lower Meuse.]




CHAP. L.

 AFTER THE TREATY CONCLUDED AT SAINT TRON, THE INHABITANTS ATTEMPT TO
 MURDER THE MEN OF THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS, BUT ARE OVERPOWERED.--THE
 COUNT RETURNS TO HIS FATHER AT BRUSSELS.--THE KING OF FRANCE RAISES
 A LARGE ARMY,--IN CONSEQUENCE OF WHICH, THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS PUTS
 HIMSELF ON HIS GUARD.


One Sunday after peace had been made with the Liegeois, and while the
count de Charolois was in St Tron, detachments of his army were passing
through that town on their road homewards; when the inhabitants,
thinking the whole were passed, sought a quarrel with a body of the
men at arms attached to the bastard of Burgundy, and killed two of
them. Having done this, they closed the gate by which these detachments
entered from Tongres, and guarded the others. This conduct seemed as
if they intended to put to death all of those who were in the town;
but the gens d'armes forced the gate, and marched straight to the
market-place, where they formed themselves in order, to resist the mob
of the town, who had there assembled with a great noise. They soon
drove this mob before them, who fled for safety,--not, however, without
having had nineteen or twenty of their companions killed.

Had not the count been timely informed of what was passing, and
given proper orders for checking his men, they would probably have
destroyed all the inhabitants, and plundered the town; for they were
then beginning to break down doors and windows, and enter the houses:
however, they lodged themselves wherever they pleased, and took
whatever provisions they found within them.

Some of the townsmen, who had begun this riot, had retreated into a
kind of fortified house, wherein they were besieged, and at length
taken, when the riot ceased. This happened on the 22d day of January,
in the year 1465.

The count de Charolois, on leaving St Tron, went strait to Brussels,
where he was received by the duke his father with as much joy as ever
father received a son. When they had remained some days together,
the count set out on a pilgrimage to Boulogne, which he had vowed to
perform on foot; and on his return to Brussels, he went to Ghent,
Bruges and Saint Omer,--and in all of these towns he was received with
the greatest honours. While he was at St Omer, the count de Nevers
came to him, and asked his pardon for whatever he might have done to
offend him, which was fully granted; and they remained together some
time, when the count de Nevers was so much restored to the count's good
graces that, on his departure, the count de Charolois wrote to the
officers of the different towns he was to pass through, to show him the
same honours and attention as if he had come himself in person,--and
this was done in all the towns he came to.

From St Omer, the count de Charolois went to Boulogne, and thence to
Rue, to Abbeville, to Amiens, to Corbie and to Peronne,--in all which
places he was most honourably received, although several of these
towns were dissatisfied that they no longer belonged to the king of
France.--During the stay he made at Peronne, he was informed that the
king was raising a greater army than he had ever done, and that it was
marvellous the quantity of artillery he had cast: he had even taken the
bells from some steeples to have them cast into serpentines and other
artillery. At the same time, the king was writing the most affectionate
letters to the count, as to his dearest friend; but the count did not
put too much confidence in these appearances, always suspecting the
changeful temper of the king. In consequence, he had it proclaimed
through his father's dominions, that every one that had been accustomed
to bear arms should be ready to join the king on the 15th day of June,
in Normandy, to oppose the landing of the English, who would then
attempt it with a considerable army.

This was the report the king had caused to be spread over the realm,
and that the English were making great preparations to invade the duchy
of Normandy the ensuing summer, although he knew to the contrary; but
his projects were pointed at other objects than what was generally
imagined. He had sent the bastard of Bourbon to England some time
before, and, by means of a large sum of money given to the English, had
obtained a truce between the two nations for twelve months.

The count, nevertheless, had a conference with the English at St Omer,
whither he sent his bastard-brother of Burgundy, as his representative,
to meet the earl of Warwick and other lords from England, to obtain
the alliance of the king of England and the english nation, should the
king of France make war upon him, as, from his preparations, was too
apparent.




[A.D. 1466.]

CHAP. LI.

 THE LIEGEOIS IN DINANT BREAK THE PEACE, AND RECOMMENCE THE WAR AGAINST
 THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.--DINANT IS BESIEGED AND BATTERED WITH CANNON.


Between Easter and the middle of August, in this year, so many
marriages took place in the county of Artois, and the adjoining
countries, that the like was not heard of in the memory of man.

Early in this year, those of Dinant, tired of the peace which they
had obtained by their humble solicitations from the duke of Burgundy,
and having their courage puffed up by those more inclined to war than
peace, suffered many evil-disposed persons, that had been banished,
to return to their town, who were eager for all kinds of mischief.
They soon after sallied out of Dinant, and overrun and pillaged many
villages in Hainault and Namur, which they afterward burnt, violated
churches and monasteries, committing, in short, every wickedness.

The duke of Burgundy, on hearing this, instantly ordered a greater
assembly of men at arms than he had ever before made, to be at Namur on
the 28th day of July. But notwithstanding the summons was so pressing,
the men at arms delayed as much as possible to equip and prepare
themselves; nor did they offer to assist in mounting their poorer
brethren, being doubtful of the expense, and remembering, that in the
preceding campaign, they had been badly paid. The duke was told of
this backwardness while at table, the beginning of July, and was so
much vexed that in his passion he kicked the table from him, saying,
that he saw clearly how much he was governed, and that he was no longer
the master; for that he had paid last year for the army upwards of two
hundred thousand crowns from his treasury, and he knew not how they had
been spent. The more he spoke, the more angry he grew, insomuch that,
at last, he dropped to the ground, from rage and apoplexy. It was,
for three days, thought that he could never recover, but it happened
otherwise.

He then issued another summons, commanding all to obey it instantly,
on pain of death. While this was passing, the count de Charolois was
at Peronne, and had renewed the tax on salt, which he had abolished on
his march to France, to the great joy of the people; but this renewal
changed their joy to grief, and caused great discontents, because the
count had ordered the arrears of this tax, during the year it had been
abolished, to be collected.

The duke of Burgundy was busily employed in his preparations to
march the army against Liege, and had ordered copies of the sentence
of excommunication which the pope had given against those of Dinant
to be stuck against the doors of all the churches throughout his
dominions.--This excommunication had been issued against those of
Dinant, their allies and accomplices, as a punishment for the numerous
evils they were daily committing, contrary to the treaty of peace, and
for their disobedience to the holy apostolical see.

By this sentence, the pope gave permission to the duke of Burgundy and
his allies to punish them and force their obedience,--for the doing of
which, they would obtain a full pardon for their sins, as ministers of
the church. In this sentence, the pope had forbidden divine service to
be performed in the churches of Dinant.

Nevertheless, those in Dinant, obstinate in their wills and opinions,
and disobedient to the commands of the head of the church, constrained
their priests to perform divine service, and to chaunt the mass as
before; but, as some priests would not act contrary to the positive
interdict of the pope, they drowned them.

Just as the duke's army was ready to march to Dinant, the bastard de St
Pol, lord de Hautbourdin, who, like the others, was fully prepared for
this march, was suddenly taken ill,--and the disorder became so serious
that he died of it, which was a great pity and loss, for he was valiant
and prudent, and one of the best warriors the duke had in his army,
handsome above all others, and a knight of the Golden Fleece.

Toward the beginning of August, the duke of Burgundy's army was ready
to march to Namur, according to the orders he had issued for all who
loved him to follow him thither. This was the largest army that had
been seen, for it was more than as numerous again as that which had
marched to France: indeed, common report said, they were upwards of
thirty thousand who received pay.

The principal nobles in it were the count de Charolois, the count de
St Pol constable of France, the lord de Ravenstein, the three sons of
the count de St Pol, the two bastards of Burgundy, the count de Nassau,
and so many barons, lords, knights and gentlemen, that it would be
tiresome to name them all. The marshal of Burgundy was also there, but
in his private capacity, for the army of Burgundy had remained at home.
The duke of Burgundy would likewise be present, and went from Brussels
to Namur on the 14th day of August.

The army soon marched from Namur toward Dinant, where a skirmish
ensued in the suburbs of that town, between about three hundred of the
Burgundians, commanded by the count de Charolois and the marshal of
Burgundy, and the townsmen, who sallied out to the attack. This was
renewed twice or thrice, but the townsmen were always repulsed. It was
horrible to see the engines that were used in the town, although they
killed none, and three or four of the townsmen were slain.

The count de St Pol, sir James his brother, with numbers of other
lords, advanced on the other side of the Meuse in all diligence,--while
the lord de Saveuses was posted at Bovines, a tolerably good town in
the county of Namur, about half a league from Dinant.

News was brought to the army, that the Liegeois had mustered their
forces, which amounted to full forty thousand combatants, of whom they
had sent four thousand to Dinant, and had boasted in Liege, that if
Dinant were besieged, they would raise the siege or die in the attempt.

On the 18th of August, the whole of the burgundian army moved toward
Dinant, having their baggage in the center. The lord de Cohen bore the
standard of the bastard of Burgundy, who commanded the van, the count
de Charolois having the main body under his orders,--and the count de
Marie, grandly attended, had charge of the rear battalion. On its near
approach to Dinant, the garrison briskly played off their artillery,
while a detachment made a sally, and set fire to a large farm-house
above an abbey; but they were roughly treated on their return: they
hastened to the town as quickly as they could, and abandoned their
suburbs, so that the duke's men were near entering the town with them.
In this manner were the suburbs of Dinant won, although inclosed by a
ditch and good walls as strong as those of a town. In these suburbs was
a handsome church of the Franciscans, a nunnery, a parish church, and
beyond them an abbey of white monks.

In gaining this advantage, the count de Charolois lost not more than
five or six men. When these suburbs had been won on the side toward
Bovines, those in the town lost no time to set fire to those on the
opposite side, before the count de St Pol could advance thither, and
made it impracticable for any lodgement to be made there. On the
following night, the count de Charolois fixed his quarters in the abbey
of white monks, and had a bombard pointed against the gate of the
town; and within the inclosures of the Franciscans a large detachment
was posted, who kept up a good guard during the night. This bombard
battered the gate so well that it broke it down,--but the inhabitants
lost no time in walling of it up with stones and bags of earth. In
another quarter, the constable, who was quartered on the river side,
below the mountain, battered down with his artillery a corner tower
that terminated that side of the wall.




CHAP. LII.

 DINANT IS FORCED TO SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF THE DUKE OF
 BURGUNDY.--THE TREATMENT IT RECEIVES, FOR A PERPETUAL EXAMPLE TO OTHER
 TOWNS IN A LIKE SITUATION.


On the ensuing Tuesday, all the walls of the abbey of the Franciscans,
and the other inclosures, were thrown down, to erect a battery against
the town; and the artillery was briskly played on both sides. Four of
the count de Charolois' men were killed by arrows from the walls, and
among others the master-cannonier of the bombard, as he was picking
up a rod from the ground. The burgundian army now advanced nearer the
walls, and the count de Charolois posted himself at the Cordeliers,
only a stone's cast from the gate,--and this day the duke his father
came from Namur to Bovines.

Provision was now so dear in the army that a twopenny loaf sold for
twelve pence, and other food in proportion,--and they were forced to go
three or four leagues to seek forage for their horses.

The batteries having been completed, the town was summoned to surrender
to the duke of Burgundy; but they within replied, that they had no such
intention, continuing their abusive language against the duke and his
son even more than before. Speaking of the duke, they said, 'What has
put it in the head of that old dotard, your duke, to come hither to
die? Has he lived long enough to come and die here miserably! and your
count, little Charley, what! he is come to lay his bones here also? Let
him return to Montlehery and combat the king of France, who will come
to our succour: do not think that he will fail, in the promise he has
made us.--Charley is come hither in an unlucky hour: he has too yellow
a beak; and the Liegeois will soon make him dislodge with shame.'

With such villainous language did the Dinanters address the duke and
his son,--and they made use of many other expressions tiresome to
relate, and which they incessantly continued, proceeding from bad to
worse. Those of Bovines, as good neighbours, sent letters to Dinant
before the siege commenced, to advise them to surrender to the duke,
before a siege took place; but, out of spite, they had the messengers
who brought these letters publicly beheaded.

Notwithstanding this outrage, those of Bovines, desirous to save them,
sent an innocent child with other letters to the magistrates, by which
they again admonished them to make their peace with the duke before he
approached nearer, to avoid the evil consequences that would inevitably
follow their obstinacy. The wicked people, instead of listening to such
friendly counsel, put the innocent child to death, from spite to the
duke and the townsmen of Bovines. Some say, that, in their rage, they
tore the poor child limb from limb.

Other outrages and insults they had committed before they were
besieged; but when they knew that a siege would commence, once,
in particular, they went in a large body to Bovines, and over the
town-ditch, which was stinking, and full of all kind of filth and
venomous creatures, they threw a plank, on which they seated an effigy
of the duke of Burgundy, clothed in his arms, bawling out to those in
Bovines, 'See! here is the seat of that great toad your duke!' Of this
and many other villainous insults on the father and son, they were duly
informed, which only served to irritate them the more, and to make them
the more eager to take vengeance on such wicked people.

When the batteries began to play on the town, which they did in a most
terrible manner, for three or four hours together, neither man nor
woman therein knew where to shelter themselves. The smoke was so thick,
and the fire so terrible, that it resembled a hell, and very many were
killed by the balls. In the mean time, the duke had constructed, at
Bovines, two bridges of wood, to throw over the Meuse, to surround and
attack them on all sides.

On Friday, the walls and towers were so greatly damaged that eight of
the principal inhabitants came, under passports, to the army, hoping
to negotiate a peace,--but they could not succeed. On the Saturday, it
was ordered, that every man should be prepared to storm the town on
the morrow, and provide himself with a faggot to fill the ditches. But
when the day arrived, the duke would not have it then stormed, but
ordered the batteries to continue their fire. This was so severe that
the garrison now despaired of their lives, and fled. The inhabitants
would now have surrendered, on having their lives spared, but the duke
would not grant it! At this moment happened an unfortunate accident, by
a spark falling into a barrel of powder, which had been left uncovered.
The explosion killed twenty or thirty of the count's men, and burnt or
wounded many more; but they afterward recovered.

The bishop of Liege, then resident at Huy,[53] sent information to the
duke his uncle, that thirty or forty thousand men had left Liege, with
the intent to raise the siege of Dinant, and advised him to be on his
guard. The duke, on this, called a council of war,--and he was advised
to storm the town before the Liegeois could come to its relief; and
orders were given to this effect, although it was about five o'clock in
the afternoon.

The townsmen, however, fearful, from the demolition of their walls and
towers, that they could not make any defence, if stormed, and that, if
they were taken, they would be all put to death, surrendered to the
duke, bringing the keys to the bastard of Burgundy, who sent them to
the count de Charolois,--but he would not receive them until he had had
the consent of his father.

This same night, the bastard of Burgundy took possession of the castle
of Dinant, which was delivered up to him. The marshal of Burgundy and
other lords took possession of the different gates, and, with their
men, entered the town, which they guarded that night. The count de
Charolois would have entered the place on the morrow, at mid-day; but
he wished first to know the intentions of his father concerning it, and
would have waited on him for that purpose; but he was advised to the
contrary, as he was told the duke had resolved to destroy it!

The count, on hearing this, abandoned the town to plunder, when a
scene of the greatest confusion ensued; for each wanted to save the
pillage to himself, and to guard it in his respective quarters; but
the strongest had the advantage, and murder and every sort of misery
were now exhibited throughout the place. Each made his host prisoner,
although he had been robbed before of his whole fortune,--and immensely
rich was the plunder made, for Dinant was one of the most wealthy and
strongest towns in all those parts; and this enormous wealth was the
cause of its ruin, for it had filled the inhabitants with pride and
insolence, so that they feared not God, nor the church, nor any prince
on earth,--and this may be supposed to be the cause why God suffered
them to be thus punished.

The Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday were wholly employed in plundering
the town,--and boat-loads of effects were on the river,--and the
streets were crowded with waggons full of goods,--and every man was
carrying off on his back all that he could bear. Many of the men at
arms gained riches enough to support them for three or four years.
Inquiry was then made after those in the town who had been the most
forward in their insulting language to the duke and his son. Some were
discovered, who were tied back to back, and thrown into the Meuse,
where they perished. The count ordered the chief cannonier of the town
to be arrested, and hung on the mountain above the church, and those
who had been most culpable in renewing the war to be drowned in the
river.

From the moment the town had been given up to pillage, the count de
Charolois had it proclaimed, that whoever should violate a woman should
be instantly punished with death; but, notwithstanding this, three were
arrested, and found guilty of this crime. The count ordered them to be
marched thrice along the ranks, that every one might take warning from
them,--and then they were hanged on a gibbet. He swore, at the same
time, that should any others be guilty of the like crime, whether noble
or not, they should suffer a similar punishment, which prevented any
woman, in future, being forced against her will.

The count ordered all the women and children out of the town, and had
them escorted as far as the city of Liege; but it was most melancholy
to hear and see their pitiful lamentations, on being driven from their
town, and there was no heart so hardened but had compassion on them.

On Friday, the 28th day of August, when the town was quite emptied of
its wealth, and the houses and churches unroofed, and the lead carried
away, a fire burst out at the lodgings of the lord de Ravenstein, near
to the church of our Lady, about an hour after midnight; but it was not
known whether it had happened accidentally or had been done on purpose,
to force the men at arms out of the place, or to burn such as remained.
The count, however, ordered it to be extinguished by all who could
assist, and great exertions were made to accomplish it; but, in the
mean time, it spread to the town-house, in which was a magazine full
of powder, that caught fire, and exploded with such force as to break
through the roof of the church of our Lady; but, as this was arched
with stone, the fire did not extend rapidly,--and some relics, and
the ornaments of the church, were saved: all of them that came to the
count's knowledge he had carried to Bovines,--for many had been stolen
and taken away before he came thither. Great numbers were burnt by
this fire, and their plunder, that had remained packed in the street,
was destroyed. Those plunderers who attempted to save effects from the
fire were miserably burnt,--and the flames followed them so closely
that it seemed as if Divine vengeance was resolved to punish the pride
and insolence of this town by totally destroying it.

While Dinant was in flames, a large embassy came from Liege to the duke
of Burgundy at Bovines, to negotiate a treaty of peace,--and the sight
of the destruction of Dinant made a serious impression on them. The
count de Charolois, observing that all attempts to put out the fire
were ineffectual, determined that the whole should be destroyed, and
caused such parts, in the town and suburbs, as had hitherto escaped to
be set on fire, so that all was burnt. He then sent for great numbers
of peasants from the neighbourhood, to demolish the walls, towers and
fortifications, to each of whom he gave three patars[54] a-day, with
every thing they might find in the ruins.

They laboured so diligently that, within four days after the fire had
ceased, a stranger might have said, 'Here was Dinant!' for there now
neither remained gate nor wall, nor church, nor house, for all had been
burnt and razed to the ground. It unfortunately happened, that when the
great church caught fire, many prisoners of note that had been therein
confined were burnt, and such as had retreated to different towers and
forts also perished. Thus was destroyed the town of Dinant by reason of
its presumption and folly!

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 53: Huy,--on the Meuse, 12 miles from Liege.]

[Footnote 54: Patars,--a low-country coin: five are equal to sixpence
sterling.--_Cotgrave._]




CHAP. LIII.

 THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF DINANT, MAKES
 DISPOSITIONS TO MARCH HIS ARMY INTO THE TERRITORIES OF LIEGE.--SEVERAL
 TOWNS SURRENDER TO HIM.--A PEACE IS CONCLUDED BETWEEN THEM.


After the destruction of this proud city of Dinant, the duke of
Burgundy departed from Bovines, on the first day of September, and
returned by the river to Namur, attended by the embassy from Liege, who
were pressing for a peace. The whole army passed through Namur, and the
bastard of Burgundy quartered his division in the country of Hasbain,
two leagues distant from St Tron. The count de Charolois was posted
between Tillemont and St Tron. Soon after, the count de St Pol received
the surrender of the town of Thuin[55], which had been given him by the
duke as a recompence for his not having been at the plunder of Dinant;
and this town was saved from pillage by means of a sum of money which
the inhabitants had given to the count de St Pol,--and as this place
and St Tron had demolished their walls and gates, they both escaped
being plundered.

The count de Charolois next advanced to lay siege to Tongres; but as
he was told that the inhabitants had all fled, he ordered the army to
march for Liege, while his father, the duke, remained at Namur. The
count advanced as far as Montenac, four leagues from Liege,--his army
and artillery always in order of battle. There, having heard that the
Liegeois had issued out, in great numbers, to give him battle, he made
preparations to receive them, by forming his army into two wings and a
center, and thus waited their coming upwards of three hours. They did
come, but sent to demand a truce until ten o'clock the next day, when
they promised to comply with whatever he should demand. This satisfied
the count, and he consented to a truce for the day, which was the 6th
of September.

When this had been settled, the count de St Pol, constable of France,
and the bastard of Burgundy advanced, with their men, to observe the
situation of the Liegeois, who had come out of their city. They found
them posted on the river Gerre,--and intelligence was brought them,
that those who had escorted the embassy from Liege were skirmishing
with the count's foragers; on which they detached a party of their men,
who forced the Liegeois to retreat to their army. Toward evening, the
count's army were within sight of the Liegeois, and drew up in order of
battle within less than a quarter of a league from them. The constable
crossed the river Gerre, to surround them, and ordered a part of his
men to dismount; and although it was five o'clock in the evening, they
would willingly have attacked the Liegeois,--but the count would not
permit it, on account of the truce which he had granted. The whole
army was much displeased at his refusal, for they would easily have
conquered the enemy without one being able to escape; for they were
so surrounded that they could not fly, and they amounted to full two
thousand horse, and more than ten thousand foot, as numbers were in an
adjoining village, and could not be counted.

A division of the count's army was also posted in the large village of
Varennes; and as they would not quit it to join their companions, the
count ordered it to be set on fire, which forced them to issue forth,
and join their main army, but not without losing their baggage by the
fire.

The count's army remained drawn up in order of battle until ten o'clock
at night, when each retired to his quarters. On Sunday, the 7th of
September, the count formed his army in battle-array at the earliest
dawn, and thus remained, without crossing the Gerre, until ten o'clock,
when the ambassadors returned, and assured the count that the city of
Liege and its dependances were ready to perform every thing the duke
his father and himself had demanded.--They required, therefore, peace
at his hands; and offered, for the due execution of the treaty, to
deliver up to him fifty persons as hostages, whom it should please
the duke to select,--namely, thirty-two men for the city of Liege,
six for the town of Tongres, six for St Tron, and six for the town of
Hessel.[56] This same day, part of the hostages were delivered to the
count, who sent them to Judenge[57] to the duke, who had come thither
from Namur to combat the Liegeois with his son. Peace was, therefore,
again made between the duke and his son and the Liegeois.

By the treaty, they promised to pay six hundred thousand florins of the
Rhine in the course of six years,--one hundred thousand annually,--and
they delivered the fifty hostages, such as the duke demanded, who
were to return home on the first annual payment being made, and were
then to be replaced by fifty others. The duke of Burgundy as duke of
Brabant, and his successors, the dukes of Brabant, were to be perpetual
mainbrugs of Liege, and governors of the whole country, without whose
advice and consent the Liegeois were not henceforward to undertake any
measures of importance.

The Liegeois, in this treaty, made many other engagements, which I omit
to note down, for within a very short time they broke every promise
they had made.

At this time, provision was so scarce in the count's army that it was
with the greatest difficulty that any could be procured.

On the 8th of September, the day this treaty was signed, the burgundian
army arrived to reinforce the count de Charolois, consisting of about
four hundred lances, under the command of the lord de Montagu and the
marquis de Rothelin. There came also a body of Swiss, of about sixty
men; and the city of Antwerp sent three hundred men to assist the duke
in his war against the Liegeois.

On the ensuing day, a deputation from the city of Liege waited on the
count, and delivered to him the treaty, sealed with the seals of Liege,
Tongres, St Tron, Hessel, and the other towns under their jurisdiction.
It was then discussed, and settled, that should any of the hostages
die within the year, the Liegeois were to replace them with others;
and in regard to the interest due to the duke from the sums that were
to have been paid, according to the preceding treaty, they offered to
pay whatever the duke should be pleased to demand. On the very day of
signing this treaty, it was proclaimed throughout the army, that no one
should forage or do any mischief to the territories of Liege.

When these things were completed, the count de Charolois issued orders
for the return of his army. He came, on the Sunday, before a large
village called Chasteler, belonging to the chapter of Liege, whither
the inhabitants of Thuin came to solicit pardon, and begged for mercy
humbly on their knees. One hundred men were ordered thither to demolish
the gates and walls of their town, at the expense of its inhabitants.

At this place, the count disbanded his army, when each went to his
home, and the count to Brussels, whither his father, the duke, was
returned. They shortly after sent an embassy to England, to negotiate
with king Edward: but the subject of their negotiations I do not
mention, because I am ignorant of it.[58]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 55: Thuin,--fourteen miles from Mons.]

[Footnote 56: Hessel,--five miles from Bommel.]

[Footnote 57: Judenge, Judoigne,--an ancient town formerly belonging to
the dukes of Brabant: it forms now part of France, in the department of
the Dyle, 25 miles from Liege.]

[Footnote 58: This embassy probably respected the marriage of the count
de Charolois with Margaret sister to Edward IV. or, perhaps, for the
regulations regarding the tilt between the earl Rivers and sir Anthony
of Burgundy.]




[A.D. 1467.]

CHAP. LIV.

 SIR ANTHONY, BASTARD OF BURGUNDY, GOES TO ENGLAND, TO TILT WITH THE
 LORD SCALES,[59] BROTHER TO THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND.


Soon after Easter, in the year 1467, sir Anthony, bastard of Burgundy,
crossed over to England, to perform a deed of arms against the lord
Scales, brother to the queen of England. He went thither handsomely
attended by warriors and artillery; for there were reports, which
proved true, that there were some pirates on the seas lying in wait
to defeat him, under pretence of being Spaniards, although they were
French. It happened, that the bastard's men took two of these vessels,
richly laden and full of soldiers, which were plundered, and then he
arrived safely in England.

He performed his deed of arms greatly to his credit; but it did not
last long,--for, as it was done to please the king of England, he would
not suffer the combat to continue any time, so that it was rather for
amusement.[60]

This was a plentiful year in wine, corn, and fruits, which were all
good, and the corn of a quality fit for preservation.

In this year also, the ladies and damsels laid aside their long trains
to their gowns, and in lieu of them had deep borders of furs of
minever, martin, and others, or of velvet, and various articles of a
great breadth. They also wore hoods on their heads of a circular form,
half an ell, or three quarters, high, gradually tapering to the top.
Some had them not so high, with handkerchiefs wreathed round them,
the corners hanging down to the ground. They wore silken girdles of
a greater breadth than formerly, with the richest shoes, with golden
necklaces much more trimly decked in divers fashions than they were
accustomed to wear them.

At the same time, the men wore shorter dresses than usual, so that the
form of their buttocks, and of their other parts, was visible, after
the fashion in which people were wont to dress monkies, which was a
very indecent and impudent thing. The sleeves of their outward dress
and jackets were slashed, to show their wide white shirts. Their hair
was so long that it covered their eyes and face,--and on their heads
they had cloth bonnets of a quarter of an ell in height. Knights and
esquires, indifferently, wore the most sumptuous golden chains. Even
the varlets had jackets of silk, satin, or velvet; and almost all,
especially at the courts of princes, wore peaks at their shoes of a
quarter of an ell in length. They had also under their jackets large
stuffings[61] at their shoulders, to make them appear broad, which
is a very vanity, and, perchance, displeasing to God; and he who was
short-dressed to-day, on the morrow had his robe training on the
ground. These fashions were so universal that there was not any little
gentleman but would ape the nobles and the rich, whether they dressed
in long or short robes, never considering the great expense, nor how
unbecoming it was to their situation.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 59: Anthony Widville earl Rivers, lord Scales and Newsels,
and lord of the Isle of Wight. This accomplished nobleman, one of the
first restorers of learning to this country, was son to sir Richard
Widville, by Jacqueline of Luxembourg, widow to the regent duke of
Bedford. Caxton printed several of his works.

For further particulars, see Walpole's Noble Authors, last edition, by
Park.]

[Footnote 60: The following extract from Dr. Henry's Hist. of England,
vol. v. pp. 536, 537, 4to. edit. will place the event of this
tournament in a different light.

'The most magnificent of these tournaments was that performed by the
bastard of Burgundy and Anthony lord Scales, brother to the queen of
England, in Smithfield, A.D. 1467. The king and queen of England spared
no expense to do honour to so near a relation,--and Philip duke of
Burgundy, the most magnificent prince of that age, was no less profuse
in equipping his favourite son. Several months were spent in adjusting
the preliminaries of this famous combat, and in performing all the
pompous ceremonies prescribed by the laws of chivalry.

'Edward IV. granted a safe conduct, October 29, A.D. 1466, to the
bastard of Burgundy earl of La Roche, with a thousand persons in his
company, to come into England to perform certain feats of arms with his
dearly beloved brother Anthony Widville, lord Scales and Newsels; but
so many punctilios were to be settled, by the intervention of heralds,
that the tournament did not take place until June 11, A.D. 1467.

'Strong lists having been erected in Smithfield, 120 yards and 10
feet long, 80 yards and 10 feet broad, with fair and costly galleries
all around for the accommodation of the king and queen, attended by
the lords and ladies of the court, and a prodigious number of lords,
knights, and ladies, of England, France, Scotland, and other countries,
in their richest dresses.

'The two champions entered the lists, and were conducted to their
pavilions. There they underwent the usual searches, and answered the
usual questions, and then advanced into the middle of the lists. The
first day they ran together with sharp spears, and departed with equal
honour. The next day, they tourneyed on horseback. The lord Scales'
horse had on his chaffron a long sharp pike of steel,--and as the two
champions coped together, the said horse thrust his pike into the
nostrils of the bastard's horse, so that, for very pain, he mounted
so high that he fell on the one side with his master; and the lord
Scales rode about him, with his sword drawn in his hand, till the
king commanded the marshal to help up the bastard, who openly said,
'I cannot hold me by the clouds; for though my horse fail me, I will
not fail my encounter, companion:' but the king would not suffer them
to do any more that day. The next morrow, the two noblemen came into
the field on foot, with two pole-axes, and fought valiantly; but, at
the last, the point of the pole-axe of the lord Scales happened to
enter into the sight of the bastard's helm, and, by fine force, might
have plucked him on his knees; but the king suddenly cast down his
warder, and then the marshal severed them. The bastard, not content
with this chance, required the king, of justice, that he might perform
his enterprise. The lord Scales refused not. But the king calling to
him the constable and the marshal, with the officer of arms, after
consultation had, it was declared, for a sentence definitive, by the
duke of Clarence, then constable of England,' (John Tiptoft earl of
Worcester was the constable, and not the duke of Clarence: see Rymer)
'and the duke of Norfolk marshal, that if he would go forward with his
attempted challenge, he must, by the law of arms, be delivered to his
adversary in the same state, and like condition, as he stood when he
was taken from him.

'The bastard, hearing this judgment, doubted the sequel of the matter,
and so relinquished his challenge.'

See Stowe, &c.]

[Footnote 61: Stuffings,--mahotoitres. See Du Cange. Supplement.
'Maheria.']




CHAP. LV.

 THE DEATH AND INTERMENT OF THE NOBLE DUKE PHILIP OF BURGUNDY, AND THE
 GRAND OBSEQUIES PERFORMED FOR HIM IN THE CHURCH OF SAINT DONNAST IN
 BRUGES.


On the 12th day of June, in the year 1467, the noble duke Philip of
Burgundy was seized with a grievous malady, which continued unabated
until Monday, the 15th, when he rendered his soul to God, between nine
and ten o'clock at night. When he perceived, on the preceding day, that
he was growing worse, he sent for his son, the count de Charolois,
then at Ghent, who hastened to him with all speed; and on his arrival,
about mid-day of the Monday, at the duke's palace in Bruges, he went
instantly to the chamber where the duke lay sick in bed, but found him
speechless. He cast himself on his knees at the bedside, and, with many
tears, begged his blessing, and that, if he had ever done any thing
to offend him, he would pardon him. The confessor, who stood at the
bedside, admonished the duke, if he could not speak, at least to show
some sign of his good will. At this admonition, the good duke kindly
opened his eyes, took his son's hand, and squeezed it tenderly, as a
sign of his pardon and his blessing.

The count, like an affectionate child, never quitted the duke's bed
until he had given up the ghost. May God, out of his mercy, receive his
soul, pardon his transgressions, and admit him into paradise!

The corpse of the noble duke was left all that night on the bed, with
a black bonnet on his head, and likewise remained there on the morrow
until evening,--so that there was time enough for all who wished it to
see him: it was marvellous the great crowds who went thither, and all
prayed God to have mercy on his soul.

On Tuesday evening, the body was opened and embalmed, and his heart
separated from it. His body and bowels were each put into a well-closed
coffin of lead, and placed that night on a bier from five to six feet
high, covered to the ground with black velvet, in the chapel of his
household, over which bier was a cross of white damask cloth, and at
the four corners four thick waxen tapers burning.

Masses were daily celebrated there until noon,--and, about four or five
in the afternoon on the following Sunday, the body was carried to Saint
Donnast's church in Bruges for interment, until preparations should be
made to carry it elsewhere, according to the instructions which he had
given when alive. The funeral procession to the church was preceded
by sixteen hundred men, in black cloaks emblazoned with the arms of
the duke, each with a lighted taper in his hand,--four hundred of
whom were of the household, and at the expense of the new duke,--four
hundred from the town of Bruges, four hundred from the different trades
of that town, and four hundred from the country of the Franc, each
at the expense of those who sent them. Between this line of torches
walked full nine hundred men, as well nobles as officers and servants
of the late duke: among those were the magistrates of Bruges and of
the Franc,[62] twenty-two prelates: a bishop from Hybernie[63] was in
the number, who chaunted the first mass on the ensuing day. Between
the prelates and the body were four kings at arms, with their heads
covered, and clothed in their tabards of arms.

The body was borne by twelve knights of name and renown, around whom
were the archers of the body of the late duke. It was covered with a
pall of black velvet, reaching to the ground, on which was a broad
cross of white damask cloth. Over the body was borne a canopy of cloth
of gold, on four lances, by the count de Nassau, the earl of Buchan,
Baldwin bastard of Burgundy, and the lord de Châlons. Immediately
before the body walked the first equerry of the late duke, bearing his
sword with the point downward. The chief mourners who followed the body
were the new duke Charles, and after him James de Bourbon and Adolphus
of Cleves, his two cousins-german,--then the count de Marle, Jacques de
Saint Pol, the lord de Roussy, and some others of the great lords of
the court.

In the front of all, walked the four mendicant orders of friars, and
the clergy of the different parishes in Bruges, in the churches of
which the vigils for the dead were that day celebrated, and on the
morrow a solemn service for the soul of the deceased.

The body was placed on a bier, in the middle of the choir of the
cathedral. It had on it a cloth of gold bordered with damask, and a
large cross of white velvet, with four large burning tapers, and was
surrounded by upwards of fourteen hundred lesser ones, which caused so
great a heat that the windows of the church were obliged to be thrown
open.

The whole of the high altar, and the space above it, was hung with
black cloth, the reading-desk, both within and without, with black
velvet hanging down, emblazoned with the duke's arms: there were also
his pennon of arms and his grand banner.

The nave was hung with black cloth, having the top and bottom of black
camlet.

When the body was to be let down into the vault, no one can describe
the groans, tears, and lamentations that filled the church from the
duke's officers, and all present. Indeed all his subjects ought to
have bewailed his death, for they had lost a prince, the most renowned
for virtue and goodness that was in Christendom! full of honour,
liberality, courage, and prudence, with a mind adorned with every
generous virtue, who had preserved his countries in peace as well by
his own good sense, and the prudence of his counsellors, as by the
point of his sword, without personally sparing himself, against any
one, however great he might be. He afforded an asylum to those who
came to him to seek it, even though they were his enemies, doing good
to all, and returning good for evil,--and he never had his equal for
modesty. Even those who had never seen him, and who had disliked him
for any cause, the moment they were acquainted with him, and knew his
liberality, had an attachment and affection to him.

The heart and body of the duke were each put separately in a flat
coffin, covered with a bier of irish oak.

On the morrow, the obsequies were performed, when the bishop of Tournay
celebrated the mass; after which, he made a brief harangue in praise of
the deceased, in order that all present might offer up their prayers
for the salvation of his soul, which may God, out of his most gracious
mercy, admit into his holy Paradise! Amen.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 62: The Franc--consists of a number of villages and
hamlets separated from the _quartier_ of Bruges, and has a separate
jurisdiction.--See _La Martiniere_.]

[Footnote 63: Hybernie,--an ancient name for Ireland.]




CHAP. LVI.

 PROLOGUE TO THE CHRONICLES OF THE MOST CHRISTIAN, MOST MAGNIFICENT,
 MOST VICTORIOUS, AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS KINGS OF FRANCE, LOUIS XI. OF
 THE NAME, AND HIS SON CHARLES VIII.[64]


Considering the saying of Seneca, that it is right to follow the ways
of our elders and governors, provided they have acted properly,--and
remembering the words of the sage, in his proverbs, that right foolish
is he who follows Idleness, for, according to Ecclesiasticus, she leads
to wickedness,--I have collected, with the utmost diligence, several
facts relative to the reigns of those illustrious princes, Louis XI.
and Charles VIII. his son, kings of France, that seemed to me worthy of
remembrance; together with many marvellous events that happened during
their reigns, as well in the kingdom of France as in the duchies of
Brittany, Burgundy, Normandy, Savoy and Lorraine,--the counties of
Flanders, Artois, and Burgundy; including likewise what may have passed
extraordinary in the adjacent countries, and also in the kingdoms
of England, Spain, and Sicily, at Rome, in Lombardy, and the duchy
of Milan, according to that famous chronicler, eloquent orator, and
excellent historian, the late Robert Gaguin,[65] during his lifetime
doctor en decret, and general of the order of the Holy Trinity.

I have also collected materials from other sources, and have
attentively perused and examined the works of those renowned
chroniclers master Jean Froissart and Enguerrand de Monstrelet; which
last I have followed in what he has written concerning the acts of
some of our kings, to the reign of Louis XI. inclusively,--and, with
reverence be it spoken, I have recapitulated some things omitted by him
relative to the actions of king Louis, because, peradventure, he had
not been truly informed of them, for it is very difficult to acquire
a true knowledge of all the gallant and courageous deeds of such
magnificent princes as the kings of France.

From these causes, I have deliberately determined (soliciting the aid
of an all-powerful God, who can do every thing,) to write and publish
several things worthy of remembrance, while I am now in this far-famed
and populous town of Paris, not with a view to correct or amend the
said Enguerrand de Monstrelet or others, for I do not undertake that
charge, but like a faithful and loyal Frenchman, and as such I wish
to remain, to avoid idleness, the parent and nurse of iniquity, and
to exhibit the acts of our sovereign princes, which ought to be
remembered, if done justly and rightly.

There are likewise many who take delight in hearing of the noble deeds,
prowess, and marvels that have happened in different parts of the
world, that they may take example from them, by following the good, and
avoiding the bad, as precedents to be eschewed.

I have, therefore, composed this small work, trifling in regard to the
author, but great in regard to the acts and triumphs of princes. I do
not, however, wish that it may be styled a Chronicle,--for that would
be unbecoming in me, for I have solely written it for an amusement and
recreation to readers, praying them humbly to excuse and supply my
ignorance by correcting whatever passage shall be found badly written.

Many strange events which I have described have happened in such
distant countries that it is difficult for me or for any one else to
know the exact truth of the facts I have related: however, without any
partiality, I have endeavoured to describe the whole truly, according
to the before mentioned authors, and shall begin where Enguerrand de
Monstrelet left off, having first recapitulated some parts of his
chronicle where there may have been any omissions, until the deaths of
the aforesaid kings Louis and Charles.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 64: See the preface to the first volume, respecting these
additions to the Chronicle of Monstrelet.]

[Footnote 65: Robert Gaguin--was born at Amiens, and died at Paris
1501, having been employed in divers embassies by Charles VIII. and
Louis XII.--See _Moreri_, &c.]




CHAP. LVII.

 SOME RECAPITULATIONS OF THE DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE OF MONTLEHERY BY
 MONSTRELET,--WITH THE ADDITION OF FACTS WHICH HE HAD OMITTED.


That master chronicler Enguerrand de Monstrelet, having described
in his third volume the acts of several kings and gallant knights,
concludes his work by relating the death and magnificent funeral of
Philip duke of Burgundy, father to duke Charles, lately deceased in the
town of Nancy in Lorraine.

In the course of his chronicle, he has given an account of the pompous
coronation of king Louis XI. at Rheims, and of his joyous entry into
Paris, the capital of France. He afterward amply treated of the war
and battle of Montlehery, which he has perhaps spoken of and described
with partiality, according to his pleasure and feelings; for I have
read, besides what he has related, that at this battle of Montlehery,
which was fought on Tuesday the 6th day of July, in the year 1465, the
king of France, coming with all haste from beyond Orleans to Paris,
halted at early morn at Chastres, under Montlehery, and that having
taken scarcely any refreshment, and without waiting for his escort,
which was, for its number, the handsomest body of cavalry ever raised
in France, he so valiantly attacked the army of the count de Charolois
and his Burgundians that he put to the rout the van division. Many of
them were slain, and numbers taken prisoners. News of this was speedily
carried to Paris, whence issued forth upward of thirty thousand
persons, part of whom were well mounted; and in scouring the country
they fell in with parties of Burgundians who were flying, and made them
prisoners. They defeated also those from the villages of Vanvres, Issi,
Sevres, St Cloud, Arcueil, Surennes and others.

At this rencounter, great booty was gained from the Burgundians,
so that their loss was estimated at two hundred thousand crowns of
gold. After the van had been thus thrown into confusion, the king,
not satisfied with this success, but desirous to put an end to the
war, without taking any refreshments or repose, attacked the main
body of the enemy with his guards and about four hundred lances: but
the Burgundians had then rallied, and advanced their artillery, under
the command of the count de St Pol, who did on that day the greatest
service to the count de Charolois.

The king was hard pressed in his turn, insomuch that at times he was in
the utmost personal danger, for he had but few with him, was without
artillery, and was always foremost in the heat of the battle; and
considering how few his numbers were, he maintained the fight valiantly
and with great prowess. It was the common report of the time, that if
he had had five hundred more archers on foot, he would have reduced the
Burgundians to such a state that nothing more would have been heard of
them for some time in war.

The count de Charolois, on this day, lost his whole guard,--and the
king also lost the greater part of his. The count was twice made
prisoner, by the noble Geoffroy de St Belin and Gilbert de Grassy,
but was rescued each time. Towards evening, the Scots carried off
the king, that he might take some refreshments; for he was tired
and exhausted, having fought the whole of the day without eating or
drinking, and led him away quietly, and without noise, to the castle of
Montlehery.

Several of the king's army not having seen him thus led off the field,
and missing him, thought he was either slain or taken, and took to
flight. For this reason, the count du Maine, the lord admiral de
Montaulban, the lord de la Barde, and other captains, with seven or
eight hundred lances, abandoned the king in this state, and fled,
without having struck a blow during the whole of the day. Hence it is
notorious, that if all the royal army who were present at this battle
had behaved as courageously as their king, they would have gained a
lasting victory over the Burgundians,--for the greater part of them
were defeated, and put to flight. Many indeed were killed on the king's
side, as well as on that of the enemy,--for after the battle was ended,
there were found dead on the field three thousand six hundred, whose
souls may God receive!

I shall not say more respecting this battle of Montlehery, as related
by Monstrelet; for it has been amply detailed by him, although he may
have been silent as to the whole truth of it.

I have somewhere read, that, prior to this battle, the Burgundians
arrived at the town of St Denis, on a Friday, the 5th day of July,
in this same year, and attempted to cross the bridge of St Cloud (as
Monstrelet says), but were this time repulsed by the gallant resistance
of the nobles and other valiant French. The Burgundians then made an
attempt on the following Sunday, the 7th of July, to alarm Paris,--but
they gained nothing, for some of their men were slain by the artillery
on the walls, and the rest returned in haste to St Denis. The next day
they appeared again before the walls of Paris, and some with all their
artillery; but before they displayed the whole of their force, they
sent four heralds to the four different gates. Over the gate of St
Denis, as commanders for the day, were master Pierre l'Orfevre, lord of
Ermenonville, and master Jean de Poppincourt, lord of Cercelles, from
whom the heralds required provision for their army, and permission for
it to march through Paris. These demands they made with haughtiness
and menaces; and while the captains were listening to them, and before
they could give any answers, the Burgundians (thinking to surprise the
parisian guard, and those who were posted at the gates and barriers,)
advanced with a great body of men at arms as far as St Ladre and even
farther, intending to gain the newly-erected barriers in the suburbs,
and in front of that gate,--firing at the same cannons, serpentines,
and other artillery; but they were so valiantly resisted by the
inhabitants of Paris, and others resident therein, that they were
repulsed. Joachim Rohault came in person with his men to this conflict,
in which many of the Burgundians were slain and wounded, which caused
them to make a precipitate retreat without attempting any thing more.
They were afterward drawn up in battle-array before Paris, as has been
already related by Enguerrand de Monstrelet.




CHAP. LVIII.

 A TRUE ACCOUNT OF SEVERAL EVENTS THAT HAPPENED DURING THE REIGNS OF
 KING CHARLES VII. AND HIS SON LOUIS XI. WHICH HAVE BEEN OMITTED, OR
 SLIGHTLY MENTIONED, IN THE CHRONICLE OF ENGUERRAND DE MONSTRELET.


In order to make a regular report of many events that happened in
France and in the adjoining countries, I shall begin at the year 1460,
during the reign of king Charles VII. of France. At the commencement
of this year, the rivers Seine and Marne were greatly swelled; and the
Marne, near to St Maur des Fossés, rose in one night the height of a
man, and did very great damage to all the country round.

This river caused such an inundation at the village of Claye[66] that
it swept away a mansion of the bishop of Meaux, which had lately had
two handsome towers added to it, with fair apartments, having glass
windows and mats, and richly furnished with beds, tapestry, and
wainscotting,--all of which the river destroyed and carried away.

An unfortunate accident happened at the same time to the steeple of the
church of the abbey of Fêcamp, in Normandy, by lightning striking it
and setting it on fire, so that all the bells were completely melted
into one mass, which was a heavy loss to that abbey.

At this same time, all France was wondering at the intelligence of a
young girl about eighteen years old, doing many wonderful things in the
town of Mans. It was said, that she was tormented by the devil, and
from this cause she leapt high in the air, screamed, and foamed at the
mouth, with many other astonishing gestures, by which she deceived all
who came to see her. At length, it was discovered to be a trick of a
wicked mad girl, instigated to these follies and devilments by certain
officers of the bishop of Mans, who maintained her, and did with her as
they pleased, which they wished to conceal, by means of those tricks
which they had induced her to play.

I have found, towards the latter end of the chronicle of king Charles
VII. by the aforesaid Robert Gaguin, that in consequence of outrages
offered to king Henry of England by Richard duke of York and the earl
of Warwick, the duke of York was, shortly afterward, put to death
on the plains of Saint Alban's, by the duke of Somerset, cousin and
friend to the said king Henry, accompanied by others of his relatives
and party, (as has been more fully related by Monstrelet) and for this
cause the most victorious king Charles VII. had proclaimed, by sound
of trumpet, on the 3d of February, in this same year, at Rouen, and
throughout the towns on the seacoast of Normandy, his will and pleasure
that all Englishmen, of whatever rank, dress, or numbers, of the party
of king Henry of England and of queen Margaret, should be suffered to
land without any molestation or hinderance, without the necessity of
their having any passports from him, and that they should be allowed
thenceforward to remain peaceably in his kingdom so long as they should
please.

This conduct shows the great courtesy and liberality of Charles VII.;
for he offered the free entrance into his kingdom to that king Henry,
and to his adherents, who had oftentimes done all in his power to annoy
him, as his most mortal enemy.

On Tuesday the 21st day of July, in the year 1461, and on the day
preceding the death of king Charles VII. a very bright comet was seen
traversing the firmament, which, according to some, was a sign of the
death of so great a prince, and of other great events that were to
happen.

Wednesday the 22d, the feast of the glorious virgin Mary, king Charles
departed this life, about two hours after mid-day, at the town of Mehun
sur Yevre. I pray, therefore, devoutly to God, that his soul may repose
in the blessed regions of Heaven; for he had ever been a prudent and
valiant prince, and left his kingdom, free from all external enemies,
in peace, with justice restored to his subjects.

But his death, and noble interment in the church of St Denis, has been
already described by Enguerrand de Monstrelet, who also speaks of the
coronation of king Louis XI. at Rheims, and of his joyous entry into
Paris, and the feasts celebrated on the occasion.

But I find in another chronicle of king Louis what has been omitted by
Monstrelet, that the said king when making his entry, on the last day
of August, passed over the Pont-aux-Changes, whereon were represented
many pageants,--and it was hung all over. At the moment the king
passed, two hundred dozen of birds, of all descriptions, were let
fly, which the bird-catchers of Paris are bounden by charter to do on
such occasions; for it is on this bridge that on feast-days they have
their market for the sale of all sorts of singing birds, and others,
according to their pleasure.

All the streets through which the new king passed were hung with
tapestries. He went to the church of Nôtre Dame, to perform his
devotions, and thence returned to sup and lodge at his royal palace, as
is customary, and which has been before related.

On the morrow, the first of September, the king quitted the palace,
and fixed his lodgings at his hôtel of the Tournelles, where he
resided for some time. While there, he made many new regulations for
the better government of his kingdom, and displaced several from their
offices,--such as the chancellor Juvenal des Ursins, the marshal and
admiral of France, the first president of the parliament of Paris,
the provost of Paris, and many others,--and in their places appointed
others. He also dismissed some of the masters of requests, secretaries,
counsellors, and clerks of the treasury, of the court of parliament, of
the chamber of accounts, and from the treasury and mint, replacing them
with new ones.

The 3d of September in this year, king Louis, with some of his nobles
and gentlemen of his household, supped at the hôtel of master William
Corbie, then counsellor in his court of parliament, but whom he created
first president of his parliament of Dauphiny. At this entertainment
were present many notable damsels and citizens' wives of Paris.

During the king's stay at Paris, he partook of several entertainments,
in divers hôtels of that city, with the utmost good humour. Having
taken handsome leave of that town, he departed for Amboise, as has
been already told in the chronicles of Monstrelet, who speaks at great
length of the actions of Philip duke of Burgundy and of his son the
count de Charolois.

In the year 1460, nothing memorable happened, that deserved being
noticed in any of the chronicles. The ensuing year was, I find, very
productive in wines of a good quality in different countries: as for
other matters relating to princes, they have been fully detailed in the
chronicles before mentioned.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 66: Claye,--a village in Brie, between Paris and Meaux, four
leagues from Meaux.]




CHAP. LIX.

 THE KING OF FRANCE COMES TO PARIS, AND RETURNS TO ROUEN.--THE
 BASTARD DE REUBEMPRÉ IS ARRESTED ON THE COAST OF HOLLAND.--THE
 KING GOES TO TOURS AND OTHER PLACES, AND THEN TO POITIERS, WHITHER
 THE PARISIANS SEND HIM A DEPUTATION RESPECTING CERTAIN OF THEIR
 FRANCHISES.--AMBASSADORS ARRIVE THERE FROM THE DUKE OF BRITTANY, WHO
 CARRY OFF THE DUKE OF BERRY.--THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF ORLEANS.--THE
 DUKE OF BOURBON MAKES WAR ON THE KING OF FRANCE,--AND OTHER EVENTS
 THAT HAPPENED IN THE YEAR MCCCCLXIV. OMITTED BY MONSTRELET,--AND SOME
 FACTS RELATIVE TO THE DEATH OF THE GOOD POPE PIUS II. AND CONCERNING
 POPE PAUL II. MORE THAN IS CONTAINED IN THE SAID CHRONICLES.


On the 7th day of May, in the year 1464, the king of France came to
Paris from Nogent le Roi,[67] where his queen had been delivered of
a fair daughter. The king supped that night at the hôtel of master
Charles d'Orgemont, lord of Mery, and discussed some public affairs.
He left Paris for the borders of Picardy, expecting to meet there
the ambassadors from king Edward of England, who did not keep their
appointment: finding they did not come, the king departed thence for
Rouen and other places in Normandy.

At this time, a bylander was taken off the coast of Holland, by some
flemish vessels,--which bylander had on board the bastard of Reubempré,
with others, who were all made prisoners. The Flemings and Picards,
after this capture, published every where, that the king of France had
sent the bastard de Reubempré, with an armed force to seize and carry
off the count de Charolois, of which there were no proofs.

The king soon left Normandy on his return to Nogent le Roi, and thence
went to Tours, Chinon, and Poitiers. At this last place, a deputation
from Paris waited on him, respecting certain of their privileges; but
they obtained little or nothing, except a remission of the tax on
fairs, which was a trifle,--and even that they did not enjoy, although
a donation had been made them of it, because the court of accounts,
to whom the orders for the remission had been addressed, would not
expedite the proper powers.

Nearly at the same time, ambassadors from the duke of Brittany arrived
at Poitiers, with some propositions to the king, who, having heard what
they had to say, assented to the greater part of their demands. On
this being done, the ambassadors promised that the duke should come to
Poitiers, or elsewhere, according to the good pleasure of the king, to
ratify and confirm what had been agreed on and granted by his majesty.
The ambassadors then took their humble leave of the king, and, on
their departure, pretended to return home; but their intentions were
otherwise,--for, on setting out from Poitiers on a Saturday, they only
went four leagues, and remained there until the Monday, when the duke
of Berry left Poitiers secretly, during the absence of his brother the
king, and joined them. The ambassadors received him with joy, and made
all haste to carry him with them to Brittany, fearing they would be
pursued the moment the king should learn his brother's escape.

After the departure of the duke of Berry from Poitiers, many others
went into Brittany; among the rest, the duke of Orleans left Poitiers;
but he was, shortly after, seized with so dangerous an illness, at
Châtelherault, that it proved fatal to him, and he was buried in the
church of St Sauveur, in the castle of Blois.

The duke of Bourbon now declared war against the king of France
and his country, and seized all the finances belonging to the king
in the Bourbonnois. The duke made a pretence of arresting the lord
de Crussel, who was much in the king's confidence, for passing
through his territories with his wife, family and effects, without
first having demanded permission. A little afterwards, the lord de
Trainel,[68] late chancellor of France, and master Pierre d'Oriole,
superintendant-general of the king's finances, were arrested, and
detained a long time prisoner in the town of Moulins, but at length
were given up by the duke to the king.

On the 15th day of May, sir Charles de Melun, lieutenant for the
king, master John Balue, elected bishop of Evreux, and master John le
Prevot, notary and secretary to the king, came to Paris, and read to
the magistrates, assembled in the town-house, some regulations with
which the king had charged them; which being done, they gave several
orders, subject to the king's pleasure, for the better defence of the
town,--such as the increasing of the nightly watch, additional guards
at some of the gates, and walling up others, and likewise for the
preparation of chains to be thrown across each street, should there
be any occasion for them. Other orders were issued, but it would be
tiresome to detail them all.

About this time, an inventory was made of all the effects belonging to
Pierre Merin at Paris, which were seized on by the king, because the
said Merin, then treasurer to the duke of Berry, held for his lord the
town and tower of Bourges against the king. For this reason, the king
gave to James Tête-Clerc the office of usher to the treasury, which
Merin had held.

In consequence of Anthony de Chabannes count de Dammartin's escape
from the bastile of St Anthony at Paris, wherein he had been confined
prisoner, as is related by Monstrelet, he found means to get possession
from Geoffroy Cœur, son to the late Jacques Cœur, of the towns of St
Forgeiul and St Maurice, and made Geoffroy himself his prisoner, laying
hands also on all his effects, which he found in these two places.

The king of France advanced toward Angers and the Pont de Cé, to learn
the intentions of such as had absented themselves to join his brother
in Brittany. He was attended by the king of Sicily duke of Anjou,
and the count du Maine, followed by a considerable body of troops,
estimated at twenty or thirty thousand combatants. The king, perceiving
that much was not to be gained in that quarter, turned his march toward
Berry, and to the towns of Issoudun, Vierzon, Déols, and others in
that district, having with him a strong detachment from his army and
artillery.

Here the two brothers, the king of Sicily and the count du Maine,
uncles to the king by the mother's side, left him, and hastened,
with a large force, to prevent the dukes of Berry and Brittany from
entering Normandy, or from doing mischief to any other part of the
kingdom. The king remained some time in Berry, and then departed for
the Bourbonnois; but he would not enter Bourges, because it was well
provided with a garrison of men at arms, under the command of the
bastard of Bourbon for the duke of Berry.

The 14th or 15th of August, of this year 1464, pope Pius II. departed
this life, as is noted by Monstrelet. He was elected pope in the year
1458; and his name was Æneas Silvius, of the city of Sienna,[69] an
eloquent man, a great orator, and poet laureat. He had been ambassador
and secretary to the great emperor Sigismond, and has written a notable
treatise in the support of the authority of the council of Basil, with
several other fine books, of good doctrine. He canonised St Catherine
of Sienna, of the order of Franciscans, in the year 1461, and wrote
several elegant latin epistles to many of the Christian princes, to
urge them to a croisade against the infidels, as may now be seen in
his book of letters. He was, in consequence, surrounded by princes and
lords from divers countries, having with them large armies of men at
arms, and galleys and other vessels to transport them; so, when thus
assembled, they advanced with the pope as far as Ancona, where he was
met by the king of Hungary and a great army. But in the midst of these
grand and salutary preparations, the good pope Pius died at Ancona,
the day and year above mentioned.

In the same year, Paul II. was elected his successor. Paul was a
Venetian, and gave his instant approbation for the celebration of the
feast of the said glorious virgin St Catherine of Sienna. He loved
justice, and was desirous of amassing wealth. He commenced the building
of a grand palace beside the church of St Mark at Rome.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 67: Nogent le Roi,--a town in Beauce, near Maintenon.]

[Footnote 68: Lord de Trainel. Juvenel des Ursins.]

[Footnote 69: City of Sienna. Æneas Silvius Piccalomini was born 1405,
at Corfini, in the Siennois, which name he changed to Pienza.

When he came to the pontificate, he changed the opinions he had
published in defence of the supreme authority of councils, and desired
that Æneas Silvius should be condemned, and the doctrines of pope Pius
II. followed. 'Honores mutant mores.'

There are many editions of his epistles and works. The oldest copy of
the first, in my library, is a beautiful folio, printed by Zarothus,
Milan, the 31st May, 1481.]




CHAP. LX.

 THE KING OF FRANCE ENTERS THE BOURBONNOIS, AND TAKES MANY TOWNS AND
 CASTLES.--EVENTS AT PARIS AND ELSEWHERE.--THE KING BESIEGES RIOMS, IN
 AUVERGNE.--OTHER INCIDENTS UP TO THE PERIOD OF THE WAR OF MONTLEHERY,
 OMITTED BY MONSTRELET.


The king of France now hastened to march into the Bourbonnois,--and
about Ascension-day, in the year 1405, the town of St Amand[70] was
taken by storm; and shortly after, the town and castle of Montluçon
surrendered on terms, in which were James de Bourbon and thirty-five
lances, who marched away in safety, with their baggage, having sworn
never more to bear arms against the king.

At this period, arrived at Paris, the late chancellor de Trainel,
master Estienne, knight, Nicholas de Louviers, and master John des
Moulins, by whom the king wrote letters to his good inhabitants of
Paris, thanking them for their loyalty, and exhorting them to continue
and further persevere therein. He added, that he should send his queen
to be brought to bed of the child of which she was now big in his city
of Paris, as the town he loved in preference to all others.

It happened, that as John de la Hure, a merchant of Sens, his nephew,
and others in his company, were lodging, on the last day but one of May
in this year, at an inn near to a windmill at Moret in the Gâtinois,
called Moulin Basset, they were attacked by a band of twenty or thirty
horsemen from St Forgeiul and St Maurice, and carried away prisoners,
with all their merchandise and other effects.

On the 6th day of June, a bonnet-maker called Jean Marceau, an elderly
man, hung himself in his house, opposite to the sign of the Golden
Beard, in the rue de St Denis. He was, when discovered, quite dead, was
cut down, and carried to the Châtelet for examination,--which being
over, he was carried and hung on the common gibbet at Paris. At the
same time, a labourer of Aignancourt, named John Petit, cut his wife's
throat.

At this period, the bastard and marshal of Burgundy won the towns of
Roye and Mondidier, as mentioned by Monstrelet.

On the Sunday following, the 9th of June, was a general procession made
in Paris, which was very handsome, having the shrines of the blessed St
Marcel, and of the glorious virgin St Genevieve, with other holy relics
from different churches. It moved with grand solemnity to the church of
Nôtre Dame, where high mass was celebrated to the virgin Mary,--after
which, a sermon was preached to the people by master John de l'Olive,
doctor in divinity, who declared the cause of this procession was for
the health and prosperity of the king and queen, and the fruit of her
womb, and likewise for peace and good union between the king and the
princes of the blood, and for the welfare of the realm.

While the king was in the Bourbonnois, he went to St Pourçain,[71]
whither his sister, the duchess of Bourbon, came to confer with him,
and to endeavour to bring about an accommodation between him and her
husband, whose quarrels had much vexed her,--but at this time she
failed. While this was passing, the duke of Bourbon quitted Moulins,
and went to Riom in Auvergne.

The government in Paris ordered the gates of St Martin, Montmartre, the
Temple, St Germain des Près, St Victor and St Michel, to be walled up,
and the drawbridges taken away, and a good guard to be kept during the
night on the walls.

The town of St Maurice, now occupied by the count de Dammartin, was
ordered to be besieged, by the bailiff of Sens, sir Charles de Melun,
with a large body of the commonalty. Sir Anthony, bailiff of Melun, was
sent to reinforce him with a body of archers and cross-bows from the
town of Paris.

About this time, an unfortunate accident happened to master Louis de
Tilliers, notary and secretary to the king, treasurer of Carcassonne,
and comptroller of salt in Berry, and attached to sir Anthony de
Châteauneuf lord de Lau. An archer was trying the strength of his
bow against a door, just as master Louis was opening it to come out,
and the arrow passed through his body. He was laid on a couch in his
chamber, where he soon after expired, and rendered up his soul to God.

On St John Baptist's day, the 24th of June, as some youths were bathing
themselves in the Seine, they were drowned; which caused a proclamation
to be made in all the quarters of Paris, to forbid any one in future
to bathe in the river,--and to order all persons to have daily before
their doors a tub full of water, under pain of imprisonment, and a fine
of sixty sols parisis, for each omission or neglect.

Orders were issued, on the morrow, for the chains to be taken down
from across the streets, and to remain on the ground,--but care was to
be taken to have them in a proper state for being replaced, in case
of necessity, under heavy penalties for neglect. It was also ordered,
that every person in Paris should provide himself with sufficient
armour, according to his station in life, for the defence of the town,
and should hold himself in constant readiness to oppose any attack.
These orders were delivered in writing to every one of the principal
inhabitants.

In this year, a large army of Burgundians, Picards, and others, under
the command of the count de Charolois, son to duke Philip of Burgundy,
excited by malice and ambition, marched into France, and gained the
town of Pont St Maixence, through the means of one called Mardé,[72]
governor of it for master Peter l'Orfevre lord of Ermenonville,
who delivered it up to them for a sum of money which he received
from the count de Charolois. They thence advanced into the Isle of
France, under pretence that they were come for the public good, but
it was not so. They marched to Saint Denis, to the walls of Paris,
and to Montlehery, where a great battle was fought, as described by
Monstrelet. As I have, in my first chapter, recapitulated this affair,
I shall not further touch on it, but relate some events that preceded
it.

The king of France now laid siege to Riom in Auvergne,--in which town
were the dukes of Bourbon and Nemours, the count d'Armagnac, the lord
d'Albret and others. The king's army was as handsome and well appointed
as could be seen, for he had with him several renowned captains,--and
the whole was estimated at twenty-four thousand combatants. During this
siege, the Parisians, hearing of the rapid marches of the Burgundians
towards Paris, established a numerous horse-patrole, which nightly went
round the walls, from midnight until day the next morning, having for
their captains, each night, men of approved valour.

On Monday, the 2d of July, master John Balue, bishop of Evreux,
commanded the nightly guard in Paris: he took with him the company of
Joachim Rohault, and went his rounds on the walls with trumpets and
clarions sounding, which had never in those times been before done by
the city-watch.

Wednesday, the 4th of July, the king of France, while he was besieging
Riom, sent letters by sir Charles de Charlay,[73] his knight of the
Paris-watch, addressed to sir Charles de Melun, his lieutenant in
Paris, and to Joachim Rohault, thanking the good citizens for their
loyalty towards him, and begging them to persevere with courage in
their good intentions for the welfare of his kingdom, for that within
fifteen days he would be with his whole army at Paris. He likewise sent
them verbal information by the mouth of the said de Charlay, of the
treaty he had concluded with the dukes of Bourbon and Nemours, and the
lords d'Armagnac and d'Albret, who had each of them promised loyally
to serve, and live and die for him. These lords had also promised
to exert themselves to the utmost of their power to bring about a
reconciliation with the other princes, and a peace between them and the
king.

To accomplish this, commissioners were to be sent to the king at Paris,
by these four lords, on or before the feast of the Assumption of our
Lady, the middle of August next, to negotiate a general peace; and in
case the other princes should refuse to listen to, or accept, terms of
peace, they had promised and sworn that henceforward they would never
bear arms against the king, but would live and die for him in the
defence of his kingdom. The four lords had sworn to these engagements
at Moissac, near to Riom; and for further security of keeping these
promises, they had bound themselves, in the presence of two apostolical
notaries, to submit to the severest pains of excommunication should
they, jointly or individually, act in any way contrary to these said
engagements.

For joy of this intelligence, the Parisians resolved to have, on the
Friday following, a general procession made to the church of Saint
Catherine du Val des écoliers, which was done with much devotion
and solemnity. The sermon was preached that day by master Jean
Pain-et-Chair, doctor in divinity.

The ensuing Wednesday, the 11th of July, a proclamation was made in
all the public places at Paris, that every householder should keep a
lantern and candle burning before his dwelling during the night,--and
that all persons having dogs must confine them, on pain of death. On
the Friday, the main body of the Burgundians arrived at St Denis, to
execute their intended enterprises against Paris and the royal army at
Montlehery, as has been described by Enguerrand de Monstrelet.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 70: St Amand,--in the Bourbonnois, seven leagues from
Bourges.]

[Footnote 71: St Pourçain,--in Auvergne, eight leagues from Moulins.]

[Footnote 72: Mardé. In the Chronique Scandaleuse, from whence this is
taken, it is Madre.]

[Footnote 73: Charles de Charlay. Jean de Harlay.]




CHAP. LXI.

 THE KING COMES TO PARIS AFTER THE BATTLE OF MONTLEHERY.--SEVERAL
 PERSONS ARE EXECUTED THERE.--EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED THE BATTLE OF
 MONTLEHERY, WHICH HAVE BEEN OMITTED BY ENGUERRAND DE MONSTRELET.


The king of France came to Paris, the 18th day of July, after the
battle of Montlehery, and supped that night at the hôtel of his
lieutenant-general, sir Charles de Melun,--where, according to the
account of Robert Gaguin, a large company of great lords, damsels,
and citizens' wives supped with him, to whom he related all that had
happened to him at Montlehery.

During the recital, he made use of such doleful expressions that
the whole company wept and groaned at his melancholy account. He
concluded by saying, that if it pleased God, he would soon return to
attack his enemies, and either die or obtain vengeance on them, in the
preservation of his rights.

He, however, acted differently, having been better advised; but it
must be observed, that some of his warriors behaved in a most cowardly
manner,--for had they all fought with as much courage as the king, he
would have gained a complete victory over his enemies.

On the 19th of July, a gentleman, named Laurence de Mory, near
Mitry,[74] who had been imprisoned in the bastile of St Anthony, for
having favoured the Burgundians, and for having led them to the houses
of certain citizens of Paris, in the villages near that city, in order
that they might plunder and destroy them, was tried by commissioners
appointed for the purpose, who found him guilty of high treason,
and consequently sentenced him to be quartered at the market-place
of Paris,--and his effects were confiscated to the king's use. Mory
appealed to the court of parliament; and, from respect to that body,
his execution was deferred for a day. On the morrow, the parliament,
having heard the appeal, sentenced Mory to be hanged on the gallows at
Paris, which was done that same day.

This same Saturday, the 20th of July, master William Charretier, bishop
of Paris, accompanied by other counsellors and churchmen, waited on the
king, at his hôtel of the Tournelles, near the bastile of St Anthony,
as Gaguin relates,--when the bishop addressed him in an eloquent and
wise oration, tending to request, that the king henceforward would
have the public affairs conducted and governed by wise counsellors,
which the king promised that he would. In consequence of this, eighteen
prudent men were selected to be of the king's council, namely, six from
the court of parliament, six learned men chosen from the university,
and six from the municipal counsellors of the city of Paris.

The king, finding that he had many enemies within his realm, considered
on the means of procuring additional men at arms to those he had,--and
it was calculated how many he could raise within Paris: for this
purpose, it was ordered, that an enrolment should be made of all
capable of bearing arms, so that every tenth man might be selected to
serve the king. This, however, did not take place,--for such numbers
of men at arms now joined the king that there was no need of such a
measure.

The king was very much distressed to get money for the pay of these
troops, and great sums were wanted; for those towns which had been
assigned for the payment of a certain number of men at arms, being
now in the possession of the rebellious princes, paid no taxes
whatever to the crown, for they would not permit any to be collected
in those districts. His majesty was, therefore, constrained to
attempt to borrow from some of his officers and others in the city
of Paris,--but when the proposal was made to them, they refused, at
least to advance the whole of the sum that was demanded. For this
refusal, some of them were told, in the king's name, that they were
deprived of their offices,--such as master John Cheneteau, clerk to the
court of parliament, master Martin Picard, counsellor in the chamber
of accounts, and several others. In the interval, other means were
employed.

On Friday, the 26th day of July, the king ordered two hundred lances
to remain for the defence of Paris, under the command of the bastard
d'Armagnac, sir Giles de St Simon, bailiff of Senlis, the lord de
la Barde, Charles des Marêts, and sir Charles de Melun, who, at the
request of some prelates, of the provosts and sheriffs, was appointed
lieutenant for the king of the said town of Paris.

A person, called John de Bourges, clerk and servant to master John
Berard, king's counsellor in the parliament, who had been confined
a prisoner, together with Gratian Meriodeau and Francis Meriodeau
his brother, for having quitted Paris, and gone into Brittany to the
duke of Berry, conspiring against the person of the king, was, on the
27th day of July, taken out of the bastile of St Anthony, with his
fellow-prisoner, Francis Meriodeau,--and, by sentence of the provost of
the marshals, they were drowned in the Seine by the hangman of Paris,
in front of the tower of Billy, near to the said bastile. And on the
following Monday, the 31st of July, the said Gratian, who had been
king's notary in the Châtelet, was likewise taken out of the bastile
and drowned at the same place, and in the same manner as the two others
had been.

In like manner was drowned a poor man, a mason's labourer, whom the
wife of master Odo de Bucy[75] had sent from Paris with letters to
her husband, an advocate in the court of the Châtelet, and then at
Estampes. Odo de Bucy was attached to the brother of the count de
St Pol, and with him at Estampes, with the other rebellious lords.
The labourer brought back answers to the letters, and was paid, for
each day he had been out, two sols parisis. For this, however, he was
imprisoned, and condemned to be drowned at the same place where the
others had suffered. On the morrow, the wife of Odo was banished Paris:
she went to St Antoine des Champs, where she resided until peace was
made between the king and the princes of France.

The princes now advanced to St Maur des Fosses, Conflans, and before
Paris, after having staid some days at Estampes, as has been related
in the chronicles of Monstrelet.

On the 3d of August, the king, having a singular desire to afford some
comfort to the inhabitants of his good town of Paris, lowered the
duties on all wines sold by retail within that town, from a fourth to
an eighth; and ordained that all privileged persons should fully and
freely exercise their privileges as they had done during the reign of
his late father, the good Charles VII. whose soul may God pardon! He
also ordered that every tax paid in the town, but those on provision,
included in the six revenue-farms, which had been disposed of in the
gross, should be abolished, namely, the duties on wood-yards, on the
sales of cattle, on cloth sold by wholesale, on sea-fish, and others;
which was proclaimed that same day they were taken off, by sound of
trumpets, in all the squares of the town, in the presence of sir Denis
Hesselin, the receiver of the taxes within the said town. On this being
made public, the populace shouted for joy, sang carols in the streets,
and at night made large bonfires.

The next day, being Sunday the 4th of August, the reverend father in
God master John Balue was consecrated bishop of Evreux, in the church
of Nôtre Dame in Paris; and this same day the king supped at the hôtel
of his treasurer of finance, master Estienne Chevalier.

On Tuesday, the 6th of August, according to Gaguin, was beheaded at
the market-place in Paris, a youth called master Pierre de Gueroult,
a native of Lusignan, and afterward quartered, according to the
sentence of the provost of the marshals, he having confessed that he
had come from Brittany to inform the king that some of his principal
captains, though serving under him, were otherwise inclined, which was
meant solely to create suspicions of them in the king's mind. He had
likewise accused many notable persons in Paris of being disloyal to the
king. He had also confessed that he was a spy, to see and carry back
to the princes and lords that were in rebellion against the king an
exact account of the state of Paris, and of the king's preparations,
that they might be the better enabled to carry on their damnable
enterprises. It was for these crimes that he was executed, and his
effects confiscated to the king.

During this time, the Burgundians and Bretons made two attempts to
cross the Seine and Yonne; but two good and loyal captains on the
king's side, called Salezart and Malortie, resisted them valiantly each
time with the few men they had.

In this month of August, the franc-archers from the bailiwicks of Caen
and Alençon, in Normandy, arrived at Paris, and were distributed into
quarters, as follows: those from Caen, clothed in jackets, on which was
embroidered the word 'Caen,' were lodged in the Temple and within its
precincts. Those from Alençon dressed likewise in jackets, with the
words 'Audi partem' embroidered on them, were lodged in the quarter of
the Temple beyond the old gate thereof.

Proclamation was made throughout Paris, on the 13th of August, for all
persons having willow-beds, or poplars, growing near to the walls, to
cut them down within two days after this proclamation, or they would be
abandoned to whoever would cut them down and carry them off. On this
day, the count d'Eu came to Paris, as lieutenant-general for the king,
and was decently received as such by the town.

Whilst the Burgundians were skirmishing before the walls of Paris, an
usher of the court of Châtelet, called Cassin Cholet, had ran through
the streets, crying out, 'Get into your houses, and shut your doors,
for the Burgundians have entered the town of Paris,' which caused
many women to fall in labour before their time, and others to lose
their senses. For this cause, he was imprisoned, and, on the 14th of
August, was sentenced by the provost of Paris to be flogged through the
streets in which he had caused such an alarm, to be deprived of all
his offices, and confined for a month on bread and water. He was tied
to the tail of a filthy dung-cart, that had just been employed on its
stinking business, flogged in all the squares, and then returned to
prison.[76]

About this time, two hundred archers on horseback, tolerably well
appointed, arrived in Paris, under the command of one called Mignon.
In the number were many armed with strong cross-bows, veuglaires, and
hand-culverins. In the rear of this company came, on horseback, eight
wanton women, sinners, with a black monk for their confessor.

At this period, sir Charles de Melun, who had been the king's
lieutenant in Paris, was dismissed from his office, and the count
d'Eu appointed in his stead. The king made sir Charles, in lieu of
his lieutenancy, grand master of his household, and gave him also the
bailiwick of Evreux, of which place, and of Honnefleur, he appointed
him governor.[77]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 74: Mitry,--a town in Brie, five leagues from Meaux.]

[Footnote 75: Odo de Bucy. This may be Oudart de Bussy, who was
afterwards hanged at Hêdin.--See Supplement to Comines, 4to. vol. iv.]

[Footnote 76: The king saw this execution in one of the squares,
and cried out to the executioner, 'Strike hard, and don't spare the
scoundrel, for he has deserved a severer punishment.'

_La Chronique Scandaleuse._]

[Footnote 77: He was called the Sardanapalus of his time,--the
swallower of wines and soups. He was afterwards beheaded at
Andely.--_Cabinet de Louis XI._ No. 1. vol. ii. Comines.]




CHAP. LXII.

 THE BURGUNDIANS AND BRETONS QUARTER THEMSELVES ROUND PARIS; ON WHICH
 ACCOUNT, THE CITIZENS ADD TO THE FORTIFICATIONS OF THEIR TOWN DURING
 THE KING'S ABSENCE IN NORMANDY.--THE KING RETURNS TO PARIS, WHEN
 SEVERAL SALLIES ARE MADE THENCE ON THE ENEMY, DURING THE LIEUTENANCY
 OF THE COUNT D'EU.--OTHER EVENTS OMITTED BY MONSTRELET.


The Burgundians and Bretons, having recruited themselves in Brie and
the Gâtinois, returned, on the feast of the Assumption of our Lady, to
Lagny sur Marne, and, on the ensuing Friday, fixed their quarters at
Creil, and other places on the river Seine, around Paris. The Parisians
were alarmed lest an attempt should be made on their town during the
king's absence, as it had been rumoured among them, that one called
master Girault, a cannonier of the Burgundians, had boasted that he
would plant a battery on the dung-heaps fronting the gates of St Denis
and St Anthony, that should destroy that part of the town, and greatly
damage the walls. It was therefore ordered, that one person from each
house in Paris should go, on the morrow, with shovels and pick-axes to
these dung-heaps, and level them with the ground: little, however, was
done,--and the heaps remained as they were. On this occasion, sheds,
bulwarks and trenches, were made on the outside of the walls, not only
for the better defence of the town, but for the security of the guards.

The following Saturday, a number of the principal inhabitants,
and others, waited on the count d'Eu, the king's lieutenant, and
remonstrated strongly with him on the necessity of concluding a
permanent peace between the king and the rebellious princes, for the
general welfare and comfort of the kingdom. The count replied to them,
that as the king, when he made him his lieutenant, had given him full
powers to act for him, and for his kingdom, in such wise as might be
the most profitable for both, the which he was bounden to do,--he would
employ every possible means to bring about a general pacification,
and, if necessary, would go in person to the enemy's quarters. Many
fair offers were made to this effect to the Parisians by the count
d'Eu, and master John de Poppincourt, his adviser.[78]

The Burgundians and Bretons advanced, on the Monday, nearer to Paris;
and on the following day, the count d'Eu sent the lord de Rambures to
them, to learn their intentions, and if they had any propositions to
make. On the morrow, the lord de Rambures returned; but little was said
of what he had done in his conference with the confederated lords. On
the Thursday following, the 22d of August, the Burgundians and Bretons
intended to have skirmished before the walls of Paris, but a large
force issued out against them. At this moment, a breton archer of the
body to the duke of Berry, accoutred in brigandines, covered with black
velvet, with gilt nails, wearing a hood on his head ornamented with
tassels of silver gilt, struck a horse on the flanks and thighs which
bore one of the king's men at arms, who wheeling about to return to
Paris, his horse fell dead under him; but an archer of the count d'Eu's
company, seeing what had passed, hastily advanced, and thrust a half
pike through the body of the archer, who fell dead on the spot. He then
despoiled him of his dress, and carried that and his horse into Paris,
leaving him naked all but his shirt.

At this time, the king removed the queen from Amboise to Orleans; and
on the following Thursday he supped in Paris, at the house of the lord
d'Ermenonville, where he made good cheer. He carried with him the count
du Perche, William de Bischguiot, Durie, Jacques de Crevecœur, the lord
de Craon, sir Yves du Sau, sir Gastonnet du Léon, Nuast de Mompedon,
Guillaume le Cointe, and master Regnault des Dormans.--The women were,
the damsel d'Ermenonville, La Longue Joye, and the duchess of Longueil:
the other women of low degree were, Estiennette de Paris, Perrette de
Châlons, and Jeanne Baillette.

On the 22d of this month, the king went to meet the confederated
princes, with few attendants and without any guards, as far as La
Grange aux Merciers; but the duke of Berry was not there. The duke of
Bourbon had some conversation on the Thursday with the king, in the
open space before Paris, beyond the ditch of La Grange de Ruilly. The
king was that day more decently dressed than usual, for he had on a
purple flowing robe, fully trimmed with ermine, that became him much
more than those short dresses he generally wore.

On the following Saturday, the count de Charolois quitted his army, and
had it proclaimed through his camp, that all should be ready prepared,
under pain of death, to march instantly against the Liegeois, who were
destroying his country with fire and sword.

On the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, the duke of Berry, who was lodged
at St Maur des Fossés, was attacked with fever, which lasted these
three days, when he was cured.

The king had, this Monday, fires lighted, and a strict watch kept up in
Paris, and the chains fastened across the principal streets, as had
been always done since the re-appearance of the Burgundians.

On the Thursday, the duke of Berry, with the other princes of the
blood, were lodged at the palace of Beauté, as has been told by
Monstrelet; but I find in another authentic chronicle, and even in
Gaguin, that he sent some of his heralds to Paris, who carried four
letters,--one to the burghers and inhabitants of that town, another
to the university, another to the clergy, and another to the court of
parliament. The contents of all were the same, namely, that he and
the other princes of the blood had assembled and come thither for the
general good of France, and that the town should send to him five or
six burghers of note, to hear the reasons why he and those of his
kindred had thought themselves obliged to take up arms for the welfare
of the kingdom.

In compliance with these letters, and that the inhabitants might
learn the reasons of their conduct from their own mouths, the town
delegated for this purpose, master Jean Choart, then lieutenant-civil
at the court of the Châtelet, master Francis Hasle, advocate in the
parliament, and Arnault L'Huillier, banker in Paris. The delegates from
the clergy were master Thomas de Courcelles, dean of Paris, master John
l'Olive, doctor in divinity, and master Eustache L'Huillier, advocate
in the parliament. The parliament deputed master John le Boulengier,
master John le Sellier, archdeacon of Brie, and master Jacques
Fournier. The deputies from the university were master Jacques Ming,
lecturer to the faculty of arts; master John L'Huillier, for divinity;
master John de Montigny, for civil law; master Anguerant de Parenti,
for physic. They were all assembled and presented to the princes by the
reverend father in God master William Chartier bishop of Paris.

News arrived this day that master Pierre d'Oris,[79] superintendant of
the king's finances, had left him and joined the duke of Berry.

The above-mentioned delegates having waited on the confederated princes
at Beauté, returned to the hôtel des Tournelles at Paris, where they
met the count d'Eu, to whom they related what had passed, and the
proposals they had received from these princes.

On Saturday, the 24th of August, the university, the clergy, the court
of parliament, with the municipal officers of the town, were assembled
at the town-house to hear the report of their delegates, and to form
resolutions thereon. It was resolved, that in regard to the request
made by the princes for the assembling of the three estates of the
realm, it was just and reasonable, and that a passage should be granted
them through Paris, and provisions afforded them, on paying for what
they should receive; at the same time, they must give good security
that no riots or disorders should be committed by their men, and these
resolutions were to be subject to the approbation of the king,--and the
delegates were ordered to carry back this answer to the princes.

On this same Saturday, a muster was made in Paris, not only of the
king's men at arms but of all others capable of bearing arms, so that
it was a fine sight. First marched on foot the archers from Normandy;
then the archers on horseback; then the men at arms of the companies
of the count d'Eu, of the lord de Craon, of the lord de la Barde,
and of the bastard of Maine, to the amount of four or five hundred
well appointed lances, exclusive of infantry to the amount of sixteen
hundred, all men of good courage.

This day, the king sent letters to Paris, to say that he was at
Chartres with his uncle the count du Maine, and a considerable army,
and that within three or four days he should come to Paris. This day
also arrived at Paris the admiral de Montauban, with a large force of
men at arms.

The duke of Berry, who had gone with his attendants to St Denis,
returned to Beauté, fearing the king's return. Wednesday, the 28th of
August, the king did return to Paris, as Monstrelet has related; but
he has omitted, what I have found in another chronicle, namely, that
the king was attended by the count du Maine and the lord de Penthievre
and others; that he brought back the artillery he had taken with him,
and a large body of pioneers from Normandy, who were all lodged in the
king's hôtel of St Pol. The populace were much rejoiced at his return,
and sang carols in all the streets through which he passed.

The next day, the Burgundians came to skirmish before the walls of
Paris; but so great a number of the king's men at arms sallied forth,
with artillery, that they were forced to return, but not without having
had many of their men killed and dismounted. The following Friday,
several large convoys of flour, and other provisions, arrived at Paris
from Normandy: in the number, two horse-loads of eel pies of Gort were
brought from Mantes, and sold in the poultry-market, in front of the
Châtelet at Paris.

In the afternoon of this day, Poncet de Riviere, with his company,
amounting to three or four hundred horse, made a sally, in the
expectation of meeting the Burgundians or Bretons, but was
disappointed, so nothing was done. On the night of this day, the
Burgundians dislodged from La Grange aux Merciers, because the king's
artillery were within shot of them. When they dislodged, they unroofed
the building, and carried off all the wood-work, such as doors,
windows, &c. to make themselves sheds elsewhere, or for fire-wood.

On this day, according to Robert Gaguin, the king banished five of the
delegates who had been at Beauté from Paris: their names were, master
John L'Huillier, curate of St Germain, master Eustache L'Huillier
and Arnoult L'Huillier, his brothers, master John Choart, and master
Francis Hasle, advocate in the parliament.

Several gallant sallies were made, on the following Saturday, from
the gates of St Denis and St Antoine,--at the first of which, an
archer on the king's side was killed, and on the part of the enemy
many were slain and wounded. This day, the king sallied forth from
his bulwark of the tower of Billy, and thence ordered three or four
hundred of the pioneers from Normandy to cross the Seine, to work
on the Port à l'Anglois, and opposite to Conflans, for it was said,
that the Burgundians designed to throw a bridge over that part of the
river,--and the king ordered a strong guard of observation to be posted
there. The king followed the pioneers, and crossed the Seine by a
ferry without dismounting.

On Sunday, the first day of September, the Burgundians threw a bridge
over the river at the Port à l'Anglois; but the moment they were about
to march over, a body of franc-archers, with others of the king's
troops, made their appearance, with artillery and other engines, and
attacked the Burgundians so sharply that they slew many and forced them
to retreat.

While this engagement was going on, a Norman swam over the river, and
cut the cables that supported the bridge, so that it fell and floated
down the stream. The Burgundians were likewise forced to move their
quarters further from the walls, as the king's artillery annoyed them
much. The Burgundians played their artillery also against the Port à
l'Anglois, by which a Norman gentleman had his head carried away by a
shot from a culverin.

This day, two embassies came to the king at Paris,--one from the duke
of Nemours, the other from the count d'Armagnac. A fine sally was made
on the same day, by sir Charles de Melun, the captain Malortie, and
their companies, who had a successful skirmish with the Burgundians.
This day also, there arrived from Anjou about four hundred men, armed
with large cross-bows, who were instantly marched against the enemy,
when two of the king's archers were killed and one taken,--but seven
Burgundians were slain, and two made prisoners.

On this Sunday, the duke of Somerset came from the confederates, under
passports, to the king, with whom he had a long conversation in the
bastile of St Anthony. He was then offered refreshments,--and, on
taking his leave, the king, as it rained, gave him his cloak, which was
of black velvet.

On Monday, the 2d of September, the count du Maine, who was lodged at
Paris opposite to the king, sent to the duke of Berry two tuns of red
wine, four hogsheads of vin de Beaume, and a horse-load of apples,
cabbages and turnips.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 78: He was son to Jean de Popaincourt, first president of the
parliament of Paris, and died president à Mortier 1480. It was he who,
in December 1475, pronounced sentence of death on the constable de St
Pol.--_Note in_ Comines, vol. ii. p. 25.]

[Footnote 79: D'Oris,--d'Oriole, afterward chancellor of France, and
well known in the history of Louis XI.]




CHAP. LXIII.

 COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED BY THE KING AND THE CONFEDERATES TO SETTLE
 THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM.--THE NOBLES OF NORMANDY COME TO PARIS
 TO SERVE THE KING.--SEVERAL SALLIES AND ASSAULTS ON EACH SIDE.--OTHER
 EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THIS SAME YEAR MCCCCLXV, OMITTED BY
 MONSTRELET, UNTIL THE FINAL PEACE BETWEEN THE KING AND THE PRINCES.


On Tuesday, the 2d of September, after several parleys, commissioners
were at length named by the king and the confederates to settle their
differences. On the part of the king were selected the count du Maine
and the lord de Precigny,[80] president of the parliament of Toulouse.
On the part of the confederates, the duke of Calabria, the count de St
Pol, and the count de Dunois.

This day, the magazine of gunpowder at the gate of the Temple
accidentally took fire, where were eight pieces of artillery ready for
firing,--and by this accident they went off, and blew away the roof of
the gateway.

When these commissioners met, after some few preliminaries were
settled, they agreed on a truce until the Thursday following, which
prevented any hostile attempts on either side. During this term, each
party fortified itself as well as it could; but, nevertheless, both
parties conversed together until Thursday came. As the count du Maine
was passing through the gate of St Anthony, on his return from the
Burgundians, he bade the porters be of good cheer; for, if it pleased
God, before eight days were over, they should all have good cause to
rejoice and sing carols.

This day, the truce was prolonged to the ensuing Wednesday; and on the
Friday the commissioners assembled, in consultation, at La Grange aux
Merciers, in a pavilion that had been pitched for that purpose.

During the truce, about two thousand of the most decent of the Bretons
and Burgundians came in great pomp, to show themselves, as far as the
ditches behind St Antoine aux Champs, whither several of the Parisians
came out to see and converse with them, although the king had forbidden
it, and was so much displeased, when he saw them doing so, that he was
tempted to fire at them with the serpentines and other cannon, that
were ready loaded, from the tower of Billy.

Sunday, the 8th of September, being the feast of the Nativity of the
Virgin, the king set out from the hôtel of the Tournelles, to go to the
cathedral; and as he passed by the church of the Magdalen, he entered
himself a companion of the great brotherhood of the burghers of Paris,
in which he was followed by the bishop of Evreux and others of the
nobility. The next day, the Burgundians and Bretons took possession of
the vineyards at Aignancourt, La Courtille, and others round Paris, and
made wine for their own drinking, although the grapes were not ripe.
This forced the Parisians to do the same at other vineyards; and the
wines, consequently, were thin and weak.

Many nobles from Normandy now arrived at Paris to serve the king in his
wars, and were quartered, with their men, in the suburbs of St Marcel.
Among them were some loose companions, who committed many robberies
and riots, which being opposed by the inhabitants, made them attempt
to enter Paris by force. As the burghers resisted, the Normans abused
them much, by calling them Traitors and Burgundians; adding, that they
would bring them to understand things better,--for that they had only
come from Normandy to Paris to put them to death, and pillage them.
This conduct, according to master Robert Gaguin, was heavily complained
of; and examinations having taken place in consequence, the ringleader
of these riots was condemned to make an amende honorable, before the
town-hall, to the procurator of the said town. This was publicly done
by the criminal, bareheaded, ungirdled, with a lighted torch in his
hand; and when he was arrived in front of the town-hall, he declared
that he had falsely and wickedly lied in uttering the above words, and
begged to be pardoned for having so done; after which declaration, he
had his tongue pierced with a hot iron, and was then banished for ever.

The following Monday, some of the Burgundians came to show themselves
before Paris, among whom was the count de St Pol,--and the king issued
out of the town to confer with him. They were about two hours in
conversation; and the king gave him the count du Maine as an hostage,
who remained in the burgundian camp until the return of the count de St
Pol.

This same day, according to Gaguin, the king said to some of the
Parisians, at the gate of St Anthony, on his return from this
conference, that the Burgundians should not, in future, give them the
trouble they had done, for that he would defend them well. An attorney
of the Châtelet, named Pierre Beron, replied, 'Indeed, sire! but they
vintage and eat our grapes without any remedy being provided against
them.' The king answered, that it was better they should eat their
grapes than enter Paris and seize their plate and valuables, which they
had hidden in their cellars.

The following Friday, two hundred horse-loads of salt fish, and other
sorts, arrived at the Paris-market, in spite of the Burgundians,
Bretons, and others, who had threatened to reduce the inhabitants to
eat their cats and rats.

The truce was again prolonged several times, and at length until the
18th of September,--during which, the Burgundians victualled their
camps well, at the expense of the poor people in the country around.
There cannot be a doubt but that if the king had been willing to have
risked a general engagement, provided he had been faithfully served by
his captains, he would have reduced his enemies to such a state that
they would have been unable to return to the countries they had come
from, and would have fully repaid them for having insulted Paris.

On Wednesday, the 18th, all hopes of a peace were at an end,--for,
notwithstanding the frequent conferences of the commissioners, all
was broken off; and on this day the blockade of the Port à l'Anglois
was raised by the king, and the men at arms were lodged in the
carthusian convent: they were six hundred men, with their horses and
attendants,--which so completely filled the convent that the holy
religious men were driven from their cells and places of devotion.

On the morrow, a grand council was held in the hall of the court of
exchequer, at which were present all the aldermen and the deputies of
the sixteen wards, together with a number of counsellors from the court
of parliament and other officers. The chancellor, Morvilliers, then
explained to them, in the king's name, what great offers he had made
to the princes before Paris, in answer to their demands respecting the
appanage of his brother, the duke of Berry, for whom they required the
duchies of Guienne, Poitou, and Saintonge, or the duchy of Normandy.
The king's commissioners had replied to this, that his majesty
could not dismember the domains of the crown; and the king afterward
offered to give his brother, in lieu of these duchies, the counties of
Champagne and Brie, reserving to himself the towns of Meaux, Montereau,
and Melun.

The chancellor said, that the count de Charolois and the others
had made exorbitant demands for repayment of their expenses; which
expenses, indeed, ought not to be greatly objected against, but
they would not accept of any thing less than the whole of their
demands,--and there the matter now rested until the following Friday.
On this day, the young seneschal of Normandy[81] sallied out of Paris,
with six hundred well-appointed horse, to skirmish with the enemy,
which they did most valiantly. Among the vineyards of St Antoine des
Champs, four-and-twenty Burgundians and others, pillagers, were made
prisoners. They were almost all naked, and very badly drest, and sold
by auction, four for a golden crown, which was then worth twenty-six
sols, six deniers parisis.

The following Saturday, the Bretons won the town of Pontoise, at break
of day, as Enguerrand the chronicler has simply told it; but I find
in Gaguin, that one named Louis Forbier, then lieutenant-governor of
Pontoise for Joachim Rohault, by false and wicked treason, conspired
against his sovereign, and admitted these Bretons into the town. The
said Louis had it proclaimed, that all of the company of Joachim
Rohault, who would not remain, might leave the town in safety with
their baggage: that, immediately on his giving up the place, he and
some of his companions went to Meulan,[82] wearing the king's badge of
the white cross, that they might gain admittance without difficulty.
But before his arrival, those in Meulan had been informed of his
treason,--and the moment he was seen from the battlements by the
garrison, already under arms, they cried out to him, 'Go thy ways, for
a false and disloyal traitor!' and fired some cannon at him, which
forced him to retire with disgrace and shame.

The ensuing Monday, a considerable body of the enemy, by way of a
morning visit, appeared at an early hour before the gate of St Anthony;
but in consequence of the firing of some artillery from the walls, they
retreated to a further distance, and nothing was done.

On the Monday, according to Gaguin, the watch in Paris were alarmed
by an extraordinary light in the skies that looked like a comet,
and seemed to move from the enemy's quarters, and to fall into the
ditch near the hôtel d'Ardoise: not guessing what it could be, they
thought it might have been a rocket discharged by the Burgundians, and
sent immediate information thereof to the king at his hôtel of the
Tournelles. He, like an active prince, mounted his horse, and went
instantly on the walls, near to the hôtel d'Ardoise, where he staid
some time, and sent to all the quarters of Paris, to put them on their
guard; but they neither saw nor heard any thing further of the enemy
that night.

The Bretons and Burgundians, quartered near Paris, made many songs, and
scandalous ballads, on those in whom the king put most confidence,
that he might be displeased with and dismiss them from his service, for
the more easy accomplishment of their damnable designs.

One evening, about two o'clock after midnight, master John Balue,
bishop of Evreux, was waylaid in the street of Barre-du-Bec, and
attacked with swords and staves,--so that, being wounded, he was forced
to fly, and sticking spurs into his mule, she ran away with him, like
a wild thing, and never stopped until she brought him to his house,
in the cloisters of Nôtre Dame, whence he had set out. The king was
very angry on hearing this, and ordered inquiry to be made after the
perpetrators of the deed, but in vain; for it was not known who had
done it, although it was said, some time afterward, that the lord de
Villier-le-bôcage was the principal, at the request of one called
Jeanne du Bois, with whom he was enamoured.

At this time, Alexander l'Orget, a native of Paris, in company with
four others, quitted Paris, with all his effects, and joined the duke
of Berry at St Denis. On the Thursday following, toward the end of
September, many of the townsmen came to make heavy complaints to the
magistrates, at the town-hall, against the military, for making and
singing defamatory songs against them, praying that a remedy might be
provided, to prevent such conduct in future. The words complained of
were in substance as follows. They swore by God, and other shocking
oaths, that the wealth and riches in Paris did not belong to the
inhabitants but to them, the men at arms now in the town,--saying, 'We
wish you to know that, in despite of you, we will take away the keys of
your houses, and throw you and all within them out of doors; and if you
chatter, we are enow in Paris to master you all.'

Among others, a fool from Normandy said aloud, at the gate of St Denis,
that the Parisians were simpler than he was, if they thought the chains
that were across the streets could prevent them from being insulted by
those now in the town. In consequence of such speeches, the magistrates
ordered the heads of the different wards to have good fires lighted
during the night at their places of rendezvous, and that the whole of
the night-watch should be there regularly under arms: the chains were
also kept up, and the town more strictly watched in the night than
before, until daybreak.

This night, there was an alarming rumour that the gate of the bastile
of St Anthony had been left open for the admission of the enemy, who
was before it; and, in truth, several cannon were found near there
with their touchholes spiked, so that they would have been useless had
there been occasion for them. Some of the king's captains were uneasy
at these fires in the streets, and the increase of the nightly watch,
and went to the hôtel of the Tournelles to inquire of the king whether
he had ordered them, or by whom these things had been thus done. The
king replied, that he was ignorant of the matter, and instantly sent
for sir John L'Huillier, the town-clerk, who came to him immediately,
and assured the king and the said captains, that the fires and increase
of the night-watch had been made with the best intentions. The king,
however, ordered sir Charles de Melun to go to the town-house, and
to all the quarters of Paris, to give orders that the fires should
be extinguished, and that the watch should retire to bed; but the
inhabitants refused to obey, and remained under arms until daybreak.
Many have since maintained, that had they retired, according to the
orders of sir Charles de Melun, which, through God's grace they did
not, the town would have been lost and totally destroyed; for the
enemy, before Paris, was ready to enter the town by means of the
bastile.

Two pursuivants at arms arrived, on the Friday ensuing, at Paris. One
came from Gisors[83] to require aid from the king, for that there were
from five to six hundred lances before it, and that there were no men
at arms within the town for its defence, and that they had neither
powder nor artillery. The other pursuivant was sent by Hugh des Vignes,
esquire, a man at arms, having charge of the company of the lord de la
Barde. This Hugh was then in Meulan, and had sent to tell the king,
that, from information of persons of credit, he had learnt that the
Bretons and others intended to gain Rouen as they had done Pontoise,
and by means of intelligence which they had within the castle or palace
of the said town, that he might provide against such attempts.

This day, Friday, the commissioners for obtaining peace, dined all
together at St Antoine des Champs, whither the king sent wine, bread,
fish, and every thing necessary for their entertainment. Thither also
were carried, in a cart, all the rentals and rolls of account relative
to Champagne and Brie, from the chamber of accounts at Paris. The next
day, the commissioners on both sides again met,--that is to say, my
lord of Maine and those of his company, on the part of the king, with
the other princes and lords who were at La Grange aux Merciers; and
the following were ordered to repair, on behalf of the king, to the
aforesaid St Antoine aux Champs,--namely, master Estienne Chevalier,
treasurer of France, master Arnould Bouchier and Christopher Paillart,
counsellors in the exchequer. The additional commissioners on the other
side were, Guillaume de Bische, master Pierre d'Oriole, master John
Berart, master John Compaign, a licentiate full of Latin, and master
Ythier Marchant; but this day nothing was done.

The king received letters from the widow of the late sir Pierre de
Brézé, to inform him that she had arrested the lord de Broquemont,
governor of the palace of Rouen, on suspicion of treason; and that he
might not be any way distrustful of Rouen, for, from the end of the
bridge to the palace, the inhabitants were all loyal and ready to serve
him.

On the Sunday following, at daybreak, seven men surrendered themselves
at the bulwark of the tower de Billy, who had escaped from the army
of the Burgundians. Four were agents to some merchants in Orleans,
two for some in Paris, and the seventh was a Fleming. They had been
all condemned to be hanged, because, after their capture, no one had
offered to ransom them. They reported, that on the preceding Wednesday,
a shot from a serpentine on the tower de Billy had killed seven
Burgundians, and wounded many more.

This day, after dinner, news was brought to the king, that the duke of
Bourbon had gained Rouen, having entered the castle on the side toward
the country by means of the widow of the late lord de Brézé, to whom
the king had been unusually bountiful, and in whom he had the greatest
confidence.[84] The chief managers in this business for the widow were,
the bishop of Evreux,[85] master John Hebert, and others.

When this was known to the confederated princes (although the duke of
Berry had before been satisfied with having Champagne and Brie for his
appanage,) they sent to inform the king, that his brother would not
accept of any other appanage than the duchy of Normandy, to which he
was forced to consent. The king, therefore, since he could not prevent
it, gave to the lord Charles the duchy of Normandy, and took to himself
the duchy of Berry. He was also forced to agree to the extravagant
demands of the other princes, as a compensation for their expenses in
bearing arms against him,--and they all plundered him well. But this
has been before amply related by Enguerrand de Monstrelet.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 80: The lord de Precigny--was president of the chamber of
accounts. Another commissioner was appointed, namely, _John Dauvet,
then_ president of the parliament of Toulouse. He was greatly in the
confidence of Louis XI. and employed by him on several embassies. He
died in 1471, first president of the parliament of Paris, and was one
of the most celebrated magistrates of his time.

_Note_, vol. ii. Comines, p. 39.

The lord de Precigny was also lord de Beaveau; and many letters of his
in MS. to the king, Louis XI. remain among the MSS. of Gagnieres.

_Note_, vol. ii. Comines, p. 32.]

[Footnote 81: The young seneschal of Normandy,--son to the late sir
Pierre de Brézé, killed at Montlehery.]

[Footnote 82: Meulan,--on the Seine, ten leagues from Paris.]

[Footnote 83: Gisors,--capital of Vixin-Normand, 16 leagues from Paris.]

[Footnote 84: Her name was Jane Crespin, countess of Maulevrier. She
was obliged, afterward, to obtain letters of pardon for this crime from
Louis XI. See No. 82. of Proofs to Comines.]

[Footnote 85: The bishop of Evreux,--John Balue, well known afterward
as cardinal of Arras.]




CHAP. LXIV.

 AFTER THE TREATY OF CONFLANS BETWEEN THE KING AND PRINCES, PROVISIONS
 ARE BROUGHT TO THE CONFEDERATE ARMY FROM PARIS, ON PAYMENT BEING MADE
 FOR THEM.--THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS, ON MUSTERING HIS TROOPS, DECLARES
 HIMSELF VASSAL TO THE KING.--HE DOES HOMAGE FOR WHAT HE HOLDS UNDER
 THE CROWN OF FRANCE.--THE DUKE OF BERRY AND THE OTHERS DO THEIR
 HOMAGE.--PEACE IS PROCLAIMED.--OTHER EVENTS.


The king ordered proclamation to be made for every one to carry
provisions to the camps of the Burgundians and Bretons,--which being
done, several merchants of Paris went thither with quantities of all
sorts, which were eagerly bought up by the army, more especially bread
and wine; for the men were almost starved, as their long lank cheeks,
hanging down through misery, showed, and that they could not have
borne it longer. The greater part were without hose or shoes, and were
covered with filth.

Among those who came to obtain food were several Lifre-lofres,[86]
Calabrians and Swiss, so famished that they seized cheeses and devoured
them unpared, and then drank marvellous draughts of wine in handsome
earthen cups. The Lord knows how joyful they were; but they had not
these things scotfree, for each paid his share handsomely. Many things
happened this day, which I pass over for brevity; but every one must
admire the inestimable resources of Paris, for the confederated army
before that town was estimated at full one hundred thousand horse,
and those within Paris at three times the number,--yet they were all
supplied with provisions for a long time from thence, and without any
rise in price. On the departure of the burgundian army, the prices of
provision were more moderate than they had ever been.

The king went to visit the count de Charolois at Conflans, with so very
small an escort that those who wished him well thought it simply done:
the Picards and others of their party, even made a mockery of it, and,
in their provincial dialect, cried out, 'Eh! do you see your king, who
is talking with our lord de Charolois? they have been more than two
hours together; and by our faith, if we wished it, we have him now
under our thumb.'

On Friday, the 4th of October, the king gave orders for the Burgundians
to be admitted into Paris by the gate of St Antoine, and so many
entered that several excesses were committed by them, which would not
have been suffered had it been known that the king would have been
angry with them. However, one Burgundian insisted on passing the gate
of St Antoine against the will of the porters, and in spite of one
of the company of the bastard du Maine, who guarded the wicket. The
Burgundian, in his passion, drew a dagger and stabbed the archer in the
belly as he was half opening the wicket: he was immediately seized, and
severely beaten and wounded: many would have killed him, but they were
prevented; and the affair was made known to the king, who ordered him
to be carried to the count de Charolois, for him to do proper justice
on him. The count, on hearing the evidence, instantly sentenced him to
be hanged on the gallows at Charenton.

This night, the king ordered fires to be lighted in all the open
squares; and he gave orders for the watch to be increased, and to
be under arms, having an able commander, who was to inquire of all
passengers who they were, whence they came, and whither they were
going. This day was an eclipse of the moon.

On Sunday, many lords from the camp came to Paris, and supped with the
king, at the house of sir John L'Huillier, town-clerk: several ladies
and damsels, with others of the nobility, were present. On this day,
the captain Salazart, with twenty men of his company, sallied out into
the plain, by the bastile of St Antoine, because that gate had been
shut by the king's orders, that no one might thence leave the town; but
for the admittance of the Burgundians it was to be opened for ten at a
time, and on their return ten others were allowed to enter, after which
the drawbridge was raised.

Salazart's twenty men at arms were dressed in jackets of blue camlet,
with large white crosses for their badge: they had handsome chains
of gold round their necks, with bonnets of black velvet on their
heads, having large tufts of golden thread from Cyprus hanging down.
The housings of their horses were covered with bells of silver. To
distinguish Salazart from his men, he was mounted on a beautiful
courser, with housings covered over with plates of silver: under each
hung a large bell of silver gilt. In front of this company rode the
trumpet of Salazart mounted on a grey horse; and as the troop advanced
along the side of the walls, from the gate of St Antoine to the tower
de Billy, the trumpeter's horse fell so heavily with him that he broke
the trumpeter's neck.

The ensuing Monday, news was brought to Paris that the lords de
Hautbourdin and de Saveuses had taken Peronne, and made the count
de Nevers prisoner, who was in the castle. This same day, three
prisoners escaped from the prison of Tizon,[87] one of whom had been
an accomplice with Louis Forbier in the giving up Pontoise to the
Bretons, and was of the company of Joachim Rohault. This day, a house
took fire at Paris in Champ-gaillart,[88] which a little alarmed the
king,--and, in consequence, he ordered fires to be continued during the
nights, in all the squares, and the guards to be reinforced.

During this month of October, some of the party of the duke of Burgundy
came before the town of Beauvais, and summoned the bishop and the
inhabitants to surrender themselves to the said duke. The bishop
demanded to have the summons in writing, which he sent instantly to the
king, who transmitted it to the count de Charolois, with whom he had
concluded a peace.

The count replied, that this summons was not authorised by him, and
that he wished the devil would take those who had made it, for having
done more than they were ordered. The king told the count, that since
peace had been made between them, such things should not be done,--for
that, if he were desirous of having the town of Beauvais, he would give
it to him.

On Wednesday, the 9th of October, the provost and sheriffs of Paris
ordered the head of each ward to have fires lighted at the usual
places, all the chains extended across the streets, and a good watch
kept constantly patroling.

The Thursday following, the lord de Saveuses arrived at the burgundian
camp with a large escort, having with him a great sum of money for
the count de Charolois to pay his troops. And on this day the duke of
Brittany had a meeting with the king to arrange the payment of his
expenses for the army he had raised in the support of the confederated
princes. In settling this account, he regained his county of Montfort,
besides receiving a very large sum in ready money.

On the Friday, master John Boulengier, president of the parliament,
came to the town-house, to acquaint the magistrates, from the king,
that the populace must not be alarmed on seeing the whole of the count
de Charolois' force drawn up before the walls, for that it was only to
form a muster and review before the king. They did not, however, appear
on that day,--but on the following it took place, and the burgundian
troops appeared in great force, extending from the bridge of Charenton
to the bois de Vincennes. The king was present, having only three
persons with him, namely, the duke of Calabria, the count de Charolois,
and the count de St Pol. This has been described by Monstrelet, but not
exactly as I relate it.

When the review was over, the king returned to Paris by water; but
before his departure, the count de Charolois, addressing his troops,
said, 'Gentlemen, you and I belong to the king, my sovereign lord, who
is here present, to serve him whenever he shall have occasion for us.'

On Saturday, the 12th, intelligence arrived that the town of Evreux had
been given up to the Bretons by sir John le Bœuf, who had admitted them
into the town on the preceding Wednesday, the feast of St Denis, while
the inhabitants were engaged in a religious procession,--and as the
procession went out at one gate, the Bretons entered by the other.

The king received information on the 16th, that there was a plot formed
at Paris, by some of his enemies, to make him prisoner, or put him to
death. In consequence, the guards were doubled on the walls and in the
streets,--and great fires were lighted every night in the squares. News
now came, that the town of Caen and the whole of Normandy had submitted
to the duke of Berry: the king, nevertheless, sent great numbers of men
at arms and franc-archers to the town of Mante.

On the ensuing Wednesday, the last day but one of October, the treaty
of peace that had been concluded between the king and the princes was
publicly read in the court of parliament, and there enregistered. This
day, the king went to the princes, in the bois de Vincennes, where
the duke of Berry did homage for the duchy of Normandy, that had been
given him for his appanage. The walls and gates of Paris were this day
strictly guarded until the king returned, as he had gone to Vincennes
with very few attendants. The king wanted to sleep there that night,
and sent to Paris for his bed: but the provost and sheriffs sent an
humble remonstrance, to request that he would not sleep out of Paris,
for many reasons. This request he complied with, and returned to Paris.

On the Thursday following, the duke of Berry, the count de Charolois,
and others, broke up their encampments near Paris, and departed divers
ways. The count went toward Normandy, and was accompanied a long way by
the king on the road to Pontoise, when they went for Villiers-le-bel,
where they remained two or three days; and thence the count marched for
Picardy, in his way to make war on the Liegeois, as has been told by
Monstrelet.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 86: Lifre-lofres,--a mock word for the Germans and Swiss,
Swagbellies, &c.--See Cotgrave.]

[Footnote 87: Tizon,--in the Bourbonnois, near Ganat.]

[Footnote 88: Champ-gaillart. Q.]


END OF VOL. X.


 H. Bryer, Printer, Bridge-street,
 Blackfriars, London.


NOTES AND EMENDATIONS.


Page 3. last line. _Burgundy._] Brittany is right; Mary, eldest
daughter of John V. and sister of John VI. and Arthur, dukes of
Brittany, was married to John I. duke of Alençon, father of the duke
here mentioned. I can find no alliance between the houses of Alençon
and Burgundy.

Page 12. line 3. _Duke of Orleans._] A mistake. He was succeeded by
Francis II. son of his younger brother, Richard, count of Etampes. See
the table in note to vol. v. p. 390. Richard, count of Estampes, who
died in 1438, married Margaret, daughter of Lewis, duke of Orleans, and
Francis II. was the only son by that marriage.

Page 13. line 1. from the bottom. CHAP. IV. This chapter and the
following afford a further instance of that want of connection and
repetition which is before noticed to be so frequent in this latter
part of the history. It is evident that Monstrelet set down his details
respecting these transactions as they appear in Vol. IX. chapter 76.
and Vol. X. chapter 1. from the information he had then acquired.
The original documents themselves afterwards came to his hands, and
these he transcribed in haste, without reference to his former
accounts. It seems reasonable to conclude that death prevented him from
arranging these different statements, and striking out all that appears
superfluous in them.

Page 48. line 13. _Fell._] Those of most note, on the king's side,
were Humphry Stafford, duke of Buckingham, who was succeeded by his
son Henry; and John, earl of Shrewsbury, lord treasurer of England,
grandson to the great Talbot. The battle was fought at two o'clock in
the afternoon on the 10th of July, and is said to have lasted only half
an hour. _Stow._

Page 49. line 9. from the bottom. _Attempt._] Together with the queen
and the prince of Wales, the dukes of Exeter and Somerset, the earls of
Devon and Wiltshire, the lord Clifford and many other great lords, were
on the king's side this day. The young duke of Rutland was murdered
in cold blood by the barbarous Clifford. The duke of York himself was
killed in the field, not made prisoner as in the text. The earl of
Salisbury was made prisoner and carried to the castle of Pomfret, where
"he had grant of life for a great ransome, but the common people of the
country, who loved him not, tooke him out of the castle by violence,
and smote off his head." The earl of March, now duke of York by his
father's death, and afterwards king of England, was at Gloucester when
this event happened.

Page 54. line 5. _Uncle._] Probably Ralph Nevil, earl of Westmoreland,
who is named among the slain at this battle.

Page 55. line 2. from the bottom. _Earl of Northumberland._] Henry
Percy, the second earl of that name and family who fell in this long
conflict. The former was killed at the first battle of St. Alban's,
mentioned before, vol. ix. p. 360. I believe that no earl of Shrewsbury
fell on this occasion, and that the continuator of Croyland in this
point confounds the battle of Towton with that of Northampton mentioned
before, p. 48.

Page 58. last line. _Towton._] He was created earl of Northumberland in
1463, and marquis of Montacute, or Montague, a short time after; but in
1466 he resigned the earldom in favour of Henry Percy, son of the earl
who was killed at Towton.

Page 64. line 13. _Lord de la Roche-Bourguignon._] Not de la
Roche-Bourguignon, but de la Roche, a Burgundian. This Philip lord
de la Roche, was afterwards in high favour with king Louis, and
advanced him to the dignity of count of St Pol, on the attainder and
confiscation of the constable.

Page 73. line 13. from the bottom. _Counts of Angoulême._] John count
of Angoulesme, brother to the duke of Orleans;--Charles of Artois, last
count of Eu;--John of Bourbon, count of Vendôme.

Page 73. line 12. from the bottom. _Grand-Prè._] Henry de Borselle, a
nobleman of Holland, who purchased the county of Grand-Pré from Raoul
le Bouteiller. He was father to Wolfhard de Borselle, marshal of France.

Page 73. line 11. from the bottom. _Sir Philip de Savoye._] Philip of
Savoy, lord of Bauge, younger brother to the prince of Piedmont, who
married a daughter of the duke of Bourbon, and became duke of Savoy on
the death of his grand nephew, Charles II. in 1496; John the elder,
count of Nassau.

Page 74. line 10. _Duke of Bourbon._] Peter de Bourbon, lord of
Beaujeu, who married Anne of Valois, daughter of Louis XI. and became
duke of Bourbon on the death of his elder brother without lawful issue
in 1488. James de Bourbon, a younger brother of these, died young and
unmarried.

Page 77. line 19. _Lord de la Roche._] Philip Pot, mentioned before in
p. 64.

Page 78. last line. _Perdriac._] Pardiac. See notes to vols. vii. viii.
and ix. Qu. If the count de la Marche and de Pardiac was not one and
the same person?

Page 81. line 9. _Count du Perche._] René, duke of Alençon, after the
death of his father in 1476. His mother was Joanna, daughter to the
duke of Orleans.

Page 82. line 7. from the bottom. _Sister._] Mary of Anjou, queen of
France, who survived her husband only two years, dying in 1463.

Page 93. line 7. _Relative._] I do not understand what relationship
could possibly have existed between the count de Charolois and the duke
of Somerset, and must therefore set this down under the head of mistake.

Page 95. line 18. _Master Nicholas Raullin._] Or Rollin. He was father
of the lord d'Aymeries, mentioned before in chap. lxviii. of volume,
ix. and, by merit, had raised his family from a middling station of
life to the honours of nobility. Heuterus.

Page 98. line 7. _Deceased._] Joan de Bar only daughter and heir of
Robert, count of Marle and Soissons. Her children are said by Moreri
to have been John, count of Marle and Soissons, who was killed in 1476
at the battle of Morat; Peter II. count of St. Pol; Anthony, count of
Brienne, and Charles, bishop and duke of Laon.

Page 98. line 19. _Duchess of Orleans._] Mary, daughter of Adolph, duke
of Cleves, third wife of Charles, duke of Orleans. The infant of whom
she is now delivered was afterwards king of France by the name of Louis
XII.

Page 107. line 6. _Accuser._] Heuterus relates the subject of this
chapter with some varieties which deserve to be noticed. "Coustain,"
he says, "is reported to have sent his accomplice (whose name is
latinized to Ingiëus) into Savoy to a famous witch, from whom he
received certain waxen images of the man whom they designed to destroy,
over which various and admirable forms of incantation had been
practised." Arquembart the informer, should be Hacquenbach--"_Petrus
Haquenbachius, vir nobilis._" Heuterus adds that, in making his
confession, Coustain did not accuse any of the family of Croy, or
other great nobles of Burgundy who were most suspected on the occasion
by the count of having instigated the crime; but he says, "The wiser
sort, however, had their suspicions with regard to king Louis; and the
opinion which they now secretly entertained seemed to be afterwards
confirmed, when they learned that he had procured the death of his
own brother, merely to avoid giving up to him a small portion of his
dominions." This is a very curious passage, for although the alledged
murder of the duke of Guienne, Louis's brother, is at least a very
doubtful point of history, and although, if manifestly proved, it would
be a strange piece of sophistry to urge that the perpetration of one
crime ought to be admitted as evidence of the intention to perpetrate
another, wholly unconnected with it either in time or circumstances,
yet it sufficiently shows what must even at the commencement of his
reign have been the character of the king, and the opinion generally
entertained of his dissimulation, perfidy, and inhumanity. I imagine
however, that Heuterus is hardly to be credited when he adds that the
suspicion entertained by the duke of Burgundy on this occasion was the
immediate cause of his quarrel with the king whom he suspected; unless
it be conjectured that among the secret confessions mentioned in this
chapter to have been made by the villain Coustain previous to his
execution, he actually accused the king and supported his accusation by
some very pregnant reasons. If this be admitted, it may justify in a
great degree the assertion of Heuterus just mentioned.

Page 110. line 12. _Lord de Goux._] Qu. Joux? Peter de Beaujeu du
Columbier, lord of Joux, Montcoquier, Asnois, &c. died after 1469
leaving Blain, lord of Joux, his son and successor.

Page 116. line 11. _Duty._] Heuterus adds that it was the purpose of
the king, with the profits of the Gabelle to have redeemed the lands on
both sides of the Somme which were assigned to the duke by the treaty
of Arras.

Page 116. line 4. from the bottom. _Stamp._] The question, as stated
by Heuterus, was "solidiori è materia Boni ne corpus coagimentatum
foret, quam ceterorum principum?" To which Chimay is made to answer,
"Imò: nam nisi id ita foret, quomodo te patris iram fugientem recipere,
&c. &c. ausus fuisset?" The king was greatly confounded, and from this
time said no more about the gabelle; but the duke of Burgundy, by the
advice of the lords of the house of Croy, and to the great displeasure
of his son, shortly after gave up the towns on the river Somme, as is
mentioned in chapter 23.

Page 118. line 3. from the bottom. _Duke of Orleans._] Qu. Peter, lord
of Beaujeu, was married to Anne daughter of Louis XI. This might be a
second marriage; but I do not find it so in the genealogical tables
which I have consulted.

Page 119. line 8. _Lord d'Arquel._] Here is a double mistake in the
genealogy. Catherine, third daughter of the duke of Bourbon, married
Adolphus, son of Arnold duke of Gueldres, who was himself duke of
Gueldres after his father's death in 1473, and might, during his
father's life time, have been sometimes stiled the lord of Arckeln,
which lordship came into his family by the marriage of his grandfather
John count of Egmond with the heiress of Arckeln and Gelders. The
connection of the families of Gueldres and Cleves with each other and
with the house of Burgundy will be better understood by the following
table, which will also explain at one view the mode by which the duchy
of Gueldres passed successively by marriages into the families of
Juliers, Arckeln, and Egmont, and the county of Cleves into that of
Marck, and how the younger branch of Cleves came into possession of the
county of Nevers.


   William VIII.  =  Mary, sister       Adolph V.                Philip the
   d. of Juliers. |  and heir to        c. of Marck              bold, d. of
                  |  Edward the         married the              Burgundy.
                  |  last duke of       heiress of                      |
                  |  Gueldres of        Cleves.                     +---+--1>
                  |  the first               |                      |
                  |  house.                  |                    John d. of
                  |                     Adolph VI.                Burgundy.
      +-----------+--------------+      c. of M. & C.               |
      |           |              |           |                      |
 William IX.    Reginald       Joanna the    |                      |
 d. of G. & J.  d. of G. & J.  duchess of    |                      |
 d. s. p.       d. s. p.       G. married    |                      |
   (Juliers being a male       John lord of  |                  +---+-----2>
 fief, passed to a distant     Arckeln.      |                  |
         branch.)                |        Adolph I. duke of = Mary, one of
                                 |        Cleves.           | the daughters
                        Mary duchess                        | of Burgundy.
                        of G. married                       |
                        John count of                       |
                        Egmont.                             |
                           |          +----------------+----+------+
                           |          |                |           |
                    Arnold d. of  = Catherine     John d. of     Adolph 3>
                    G. died 1473. | second        C. (m. the     lord of
                                  | daughter.     heiress of     Ravenstein.
                                  |               Nevers.)
                                  |                    |
                          Adolph d. of                 |
                          G. m. Catherine       John II. &c.
                          of Bourbon.           (duke of Cleves.)

        *       *       *       *       *

                  <1--Philip c. of
                      Nevers, third
                      son.
                      |
                      |
                      |
                      |
    <2--+             +---+------------------+
        |             |                      |
    Philip the    Charles c.             John c.
    good d. of    of Nevers.             of Nevers,
    Burgundy.     d.s.p.                 second son
      |           1464.                  d. 1491.
      |                                    |
      |                            +-------+
      |                            |
      |                         Elizabeth,
  <3=Anne, natural               heiress of
    daughter                    Nevers married
    of Philip.                  John d. of Cleves.
                                   |
                       +------------+----+
                       |                 |
                   John II. d.       Engilbert, c.
                   of Cleves, &c.    of Nevers.

Page 125. line 2. _Lord de Montigny._] Simon de Lalain, lord of
Montigny, who died in 1478, was the father of Jodocus, lord of Lalain
and Montigny, governor of Holland, who was killed at the siege of
Utrecht in 1483.

Page 129. line 5. _Navarre._] By the terms of the marriage-contract
between John of Arragon and Blanche queen of Navarre, Charles prince
of Viana, the eldest son of that marriage, ought to have succeeded to
the kingdom immediately on the death of his mother. This was, however,
delayed from time to time and at last effectually prevented through
the intrigues of Johanna Henriques the second wife of king John. A
civil war was the consequence of these acts of injustice, and the
prince sought the protection of a stronger power by an alliance with
Isabella sister of Henry IV. of Castile. This treaty also was rendered
abortive by the intrigues of his step-mother. He was then inveigled to
Lerida under colour of a pacification, and treacherously made prisoner.
Being at last liberated from his confinement to appease the dangerous
indignation of his adherents, he ended his life in a few days, being,
as some say, poisoned while in prison, but more probably from the
effects of ill-treatment and sorrow.

Mean-while, Blanche, his eldest sister was divorced by her husband
Henry the fourth, for no fault of her own; and the count of Foix (the
husband of Leonora her sister) in order to possess himself of her
right to the crown of Navarre, gained possession of her person and
is reported, by connivance with his own wife, to have put an end to
her days. After this, he turned his views toward the protection of
France, which he hoped to secure by the marriage of his son Gaston to
Magdalen daughter of Charles the seventh, and by a further union of
interests between the crowns of France and Arragon. The advantage of
these skilful manoeuvres soon displayed itself, when the Catalans,
enraged at the death of the prince of Viana, which they attributed
whether justly or unjustly to the king his father, revolted, and their
example was followed by almost all the states of Arragon. King John,
upon this, mortgaged the counties of Cerdagne and Roussillon to France,
in order to obtain supplies to carry on the war, and the count de Foix
obtained the principal command in the conduct of it. The rebels finding
themselves too weak, naturally applied for assistance to Castille, and
the war soon assumed a new face, the principals on each side being
the king of Arragon and the count of Foix, and the king of Castille.
The treaty here alluded to, at which the king of France assisted, was
made in an island of the river Bidassoa which separates France from
Spain. Its articles were such as to offend all parties concerned, and
in particular to sow the seeds of future dissention between the French
and Spanish nations. Those historians, however, may be thought rather
too refined who attribute to this celebrated interview the foundation
for that enmity between the two countries for which they have been
remarkable in modern times. The connexion between the different crowns
of Spain, and succession to the crown of Navarre will be best seen from
the following table.

 John, king of Arragon,   =1st Wife, Blanche, daughter    = 2nd Wife,
 and Navarre, died 1479.  |and heir to Charles III, king  |Johanna daughter
                          |of Navarre, died 1441.         |of the admiral
   +----------------------+------------------+            |of Castile.
   |                      |                  |            |
 1. Charles prince   2. Blanche,        3. Eleanor,    Ferdinand the catholic,
 of Viana, died      m. Henry IV,       m. Gaston IV.  king of Arragon
 s. p. l. 1461, in   king of Castile,   C. of Foix.    by descent, of Castile
 the life of his     d. s. p.                |         by marriage, and of
 father.                                     |         Navarre by conquest.
                     +-----------------------+
                     |                       |
 Magdalen,    = 1. Gaston,           2. John viscount of Narbonne, and count
 daughter of  | pr. of Viana,        of Estampes, who, by his marriage with
 Charles VII. | d. 1470.             Mary of Orleans, had issue, Gastonde
   +----------+------------+         Foix, the famous General under Francis I,
   |                       |         and Germainede Foix, the second wife of
 Francis Phœbus =        Catherine,  Ferdinand the catholic.
 d. s. p.                m. John,
 1483.                   lord of Albret.

Page 131. line 2. _Crown._] The principal crime of this nobleman, in
the eyes of Louis, was his high favour with Charles VII. He afterwards
escaped from prison during the war of the public good, and was at last
restored to his offices about the court, and taken into the peculiar
confidence of the king. One act of justice resulted from his temporary
disgrace, the restitution to the heirs of Jacques Coeur of great part
of the plunder made from the wreck of that unfortunate merchant's
affairs. The count de Dammartin is said to have been one of the seven
persons whom Louis excepted out of the amnesty which he granted to the
duke of Burgundy's intercession on ascending the throne. Others were,
as is reported the mareschal de Brézé, the lords de Loheac and de
Chatillon, and the chancellor des Ursins. Duclos.

Page 135. line 5. from the bottom. _Lord de Launoy._] This name should
be always spelt Lannoy. John lord of Lannoy was son of another John
lord of Lannoy by Joanna sister of Anthony lord de Croy and John lord
of Chimay. See notes to the third volume.

Page 139. line 2. _Duchess of Bourbon._] The table to p. 119. will
explain these alliances.

Page 139. line 15. _Cardinal of Arras._] Jean Joffredy; not bishop
of Alby and cardinal of Arras, but bishop of Arras and cardinal of
Alby. He was the son of a merchant at Luxeuil in Franche Comté. His
ecclesiastical ambition displayed itself very early in life and pushed
him on to the episcopal dignity through the patronage of the duke of
Burgundy. He then found means to persuade his sovereign that it was for
his dignity to have one of his own subjects promoted to a cardinal's
hat and appointed papal legate in his dominions. Solicitations
were accordingly made at Rome both by the duke and by Louis (then
dauphin) to have this high honour bestowed upon Joffredy; and when
Louis succeeded to the crown, Joffredy was given to understand that
there would be no difficulty in his attaining the dignity provided
he would use his best endeavours with the king for the abolition of
the pragmatic sanction. Joffredy readily undertook the pious office
enjoined him, and was rewarded with the red hat very shortly after. [Du
Clos.

Page. 141. line 6. from the bottom. _Reconciliation._] Ever since the
war with the people of Ghent in 1452, the count de Charolois had seldom
resided at the court of his father, and was chiefly at the castle of
Gorcum which he had fortified so as to render it almost impregnable
and ornamented for his residence at a great expence and with royal
magnificence. See Heuterus.

Page 154. line 9. _Duke of Berry._] Charles, duke of Berry, afterwards
of Normandy, and of Guienne, the only brother of the king then alive.

Page 158. last line. _Arms._] The unpopularity of the old duke of
Savoy, and Amadeus, his eldest son, was principally owing to their
unwarlike and devotional temper so adverse to the notions and habits
of a martial nobility. Lewis, the second son, had married the heiress
of Cyprus after the death of her first husband, the duke of Coimbra;
and possibly the adventurous spirit of the times anticipated the glory
of an expedition for the recovery of a kingdom which had been snatched
from a female sovereign by an illegitimate usurper, aided by the
forces of the infidels. Another and more just ground of discontent was
the manifest subjection in which both father and son held themselves
enthralled to the pleasure of the king of France. On the other hand,
Philip count of Bresse, (a younger son of the duke of Savoy, not the
third as here stated, but the eighth of his numerous male issue) was
a prince of the greatest promise, of high military spirit, and a
commanding person; and the duke his father (who, in the course of his
religious exercises, had probably paid great attention to the history
of David and Absalom) was so afraid of the popularity which these
endowments ensured him, that he actually abandoned his dominions to
seek the protection of Louis XI. against this imaginary danger. He was
at this time very infirm in body; and Amadeus, his eldest son, who
followed the steps of his father in all things, was no less so from his
cradle.

Page 159. line 3. from the bottom. _Bastard._] Baldwin the eighth
son of this numerous family of bastards, was lord of Falaise and
Somergheim, and had several children by his marriage with a lady of the
house of la Cerda.

Page 161. line 10. from the bottom. _Duke._] The historians of Savoy
relate that this act of violence and injustice was committed at the
suit of the duke of Savoy, his father. He was not released till after
the old duke's death in 1465.

Page 161. line 3. from the bottom. _John._] Before called the count of
Estampes. His only daughter and heir conveyed the counties of Nevers,
&c. into the house of Cleves, by marriage with John duke of Cleves.

Page 163. line 1. _Earl of Warwick._] Stowe says that the lord
Montacute, Warwick's brother, commanded in this engagement, and that he
was rewarded by Edward with the earldom of Northumberland.

Page 168. line 3. from the bottom. _Pope Pius._] This is the celebrated
Æneas Sylvius, perhaps the most able as well as the most learned, in
the catalogue of Roman pontiffs. The object which he had principally
at heart was the expulsion of the Turks from Europe by a coalition of
the princes of Christendom; and, had he lived, it is not improbable
that he might have seen the accomplishment of his wishes by the gradual
operation of his influence over the European governments. He earnestly
recommended the prosecution of the enterprize to the cardinals who
attended him, even with his latest breath. He died of a fever at
Ancona where he had resided for some months in order to inspect
the equipment of the fleet and armies destined for this important
expedition. See afterwards, p. 378.

Page 169. line 14. from the bottom. _Whom._] Monstrelet, here speaks
very guardedly, and Comines does not hazard an explicit opinion.
Heuterus says positively, that the king sent Rubempré on this mission
with orders to take the count either dead or alive, and he adds,
that it was in consequence of a conspiracy in which he knew him to
be already engaged with the dukes of Brittany and Berry. But this
authority, if unsupported, is of little weight since he wrote more
than a century afterwards. I have not seen Olivier de la Marche. This
bastard de Rubempré was, I believe, the son of the count de Vendôme,
who married the daughter and heir of Charles lord of Rubempré, and
assumed the title of that lordship.

Page 173. line 5. _Lord de Crequi._] John V. lord of Crequy, who died
very old in 1474 leaving John VI. his son and successor who married
Frances de Rubempré daughter of the lord de Bievres. His other sons
were James lord de Pontdormi, killed at the battle of Nancy. Francis
lord of Douriers, &c.

Page 175. line 8. _Holland._] This circumstance, as far as it goes,
gives some weight to Heuterus. What could the vice-chancellor of
Brittany have to do in Holland, _in his way from England_, unless
charged with some commissions of a secret nature from the duke his
master to the count de Charolois?

Page 185. line 1. _Lord de Torcy._] John d'Estouteville, master of the
cross-bows, captain of Rouen, and knight of St Michel.

Page 187. line 5. from the bottom. _Old._] The duke of Orleans, being
present at this assembly held at Tours, ventured to defend the duke of
Bretagne against some of the charges instituted by the king; and his
remonstrances offended Louis so highly that he fell into a passion and
called him a rebel, or the favourer of a rebel. The duke, being then
very old and infirm took this conduct so much to heart that it hastened
his death which happened a few days afterwards. This prince, after the
battle of Agincourt, had sustained 25 years of captivity with exemplary
fortitude, applying his mind to study and reflexion; and he derived
so much benefit from the lessons of calamity that at his death he was
universally regretted as one of the most virtuous princes that France
had ever known. He left by his duchess Mary of Cleves (whom he married
after his return to France) one son, afterwards king of France; and two
daughters, one the abbess of Fontevrauld, the other the wife of John de
Foix viscount of Narbonne. Du Clos.

Page 225. line 5. from the bottom. _Sir Anthony de Baudoin._] Qu.
Anthony and Baldwyn? These were the names of the two bastards.

Page 226. line 12. from the bottom. _Toulongeon._] John IV. lord of
Toulongeon and Senecey, died in 1462, without issue. He was son of John
III. marshal of Burgundy mentioned in a former volume. Upon his death
Claude de Toulongeon lord of Trave, of a younger branch became head of
the family; and it is he who is here mentioned. He died in 1495.

Page 234. line 12. _Lord de Boullencourt._] Hué de Mailly, lord of
Lorsignol and Bouillencourt, governor of Montdidier; fifth son of
Colart de Mailly, celebrated for his crusade in Prussia, and brother of
Colart de Mailly, who was killed at Agincourt together with his father.

Page 245. line 16. _Lord de Barbasan._] Beraud de Faudoas was
instituted heir by the valiant Barbasan, who died 1432.

Page 245. line 16. _Flocquet Salzart._] A mistake. It should be
"Floquet Salazar, and other captains." Robert Floquet was bailiff of
Evreux, and is mentioned before in page 396 of this volume.

John de Salazar, surnamed "le grand chevalier," lord of St Just, &c.
&c. chamberlain to Charles the seventh, and further recompensed for his
great services by the lordship of Issoudun, died in 1479 at Troyes in
Champagne. He married Margaret de la Trimouille, daughter of George
count of Guisnes, and had by her, Hector lord of St Just, Galeas lord
of Lez, Lancelot lord of Marcilly, all celebrated warriors, and Tristan
bishop of Meaux, who in 1471 was promoted to the archbishoprick of Sens.

Page 252. line 12. _Victory._] There has seldom been a battle fought
with so much loss on both sides and so indecisive in the result. The
count de Charolois was so far from carrying off the undisputed honours
of victory that many writers of the time ascribe it to the king;
and even between the relations of two who were present during the
engagement, and both in the count's army, there is so wide a difference
in this respect as would be unaccountable were it not for the peculiar
circumstances that attended this engagement. The cause of this
uncertainty and contradiction is to be found in the frequent changes
of fortune which took place during the important struggle. Victory had
no sooner appeared to declare herself in one part of the field but in
another part all was terror, dismay, and rout on the victorious side.
"Both parties believed or affected to believe that the victory rested
with them, but disorder and confusion reigned on every side; and this
is the reason of the difference to be found in the various relations of
the affair." However, as the business turned out ultimately to be of
some advantage to the king's affairs, and the count could not possibly
lay claim to any benefit whatever from the event of the day, the former
seems upon the whole to have had the best right to boast of success.
See Du Clos.

Page 256. line 2. _Lord de Harnes._] The lord de Hames. See before.

Page 256. line 8. from the bottom. _Admiral of France._] A mistake.
The count du Maine was never admiral of France. It should be thus;
"the count du Maine, the admiral of France, and his other captains."
Upon the death of Pregent de Coetivy in 1450, John de Bueil count of
Sancerre was advanced to this dignity. After the accession of Louis XI.
he was displaced, and John lord of Montauban and Landale appointed to
succeed him. This is the nobleman here mentioned. He died in 1466 much
regretted by the king, and was succeeded in his high office by Louis
bastard of Bourbon, count of Rousillon. [Morery's list of the admirals
of France.

Page 259. line 4 from the bottom. _Count de Charny._] Peter de
Bauffremont count of Charny.

Page 262. line 4. _Nemours._] James, son of Bernard d'Armagnac count of
la Marche, Castries, Pardiac, &c. a younger son of the constable, was
soon after the accession of Louis XI. rewarded for his services in the
wars of Spain by advancement to the dignity of duc et pair de France.
This was, at that time, an unprecedent mark of the royal favour, and
greatly offended the princes of the blood as well as the noblemen
of the same rank with himself. The policy of Louis, was evidently
twofold; first, to lessen the supposed dignity of those of his own
family by extending it to the families of vassals unconnected with the
blood-royal; secondly, to divide the interests of the powerful house of
Armagnac by exciting a subject of jealousy between the elder and the
younger branch.

Page 263. line 3. _Sir Simon de Lalain._] Not, I believe, the lord of
Montigny mentioned before in p. 76, but another Simon de Lalain lord of
Chevrain and Descaussins.

Page 270. line 7. _Marquis of Rothelin._] The marquis de Rothelin is
said by Commines, however, to have been with the confederated princes
in the army of the duke of Calabria. Rodolph IV. marquis of Hockberg
rotelin and count of Neufchatel in Switzerland, died in 1486 leaving
his son and successor Philip; upon whose death in 1503 without issue
male, the county of Neufchatel passed by marriage into the house of
Dunois Longueville and the marquisate of Hockberg-rotelin reverted (by
virtue of a prior contract) to the house of Baden.

Page 270. line 8. _Count of Horne._] James the first, son of William
the ninth, lord of Hornes, was advanced to the dignity of a count
of the empire by Frederic the third. He died a monk in 1488. His
son James the second, succeeded him, whose son John the second,
dying without issue, bequeathed the county of Hornes to Philip de
Montmorency, lord of Neville, son of his wife by a former marriage.
Floris, the son of Philip, was the count of Hornes so celebrated in the
history of the Netherlands, who, together with the count of Egmont,
perished on the scaffold in 1570.

Page 275. line 9 from the bottom. _Lord de Haisenberghe._] John de
Hynsberg, or Heinsberg, the 52nd bishop of Liege, who had some years
before been compelled to resign his bishopric in favour of Louis de
Bourbon, nephew of the duke of Burgundy.

Page 279. line 20. _Thither._] There must be some mistake in this
passage which I am unable to set right, not having Monstrelet before
me. The widow of Brézé was already in Rouen, where her husband had
been accustomed to reside as seneschal of Normandy; and the duke of
Bourbon obtained entrance by means of a conspiracy entered into between
this lady and Louis de Harcourt, bishop of Bayeux and patriarch of
Jerusalem. See Du Clos. See also, afterwards, page 429.

Page 281. last line. _Montenac,--a village of Messin, near Metz._] A
mistake. The Montenac here mentioned must be the same with the Montenac
which is mentioned at page 333 and there said to be but four leagues
distant from Liege.

Page 284. line 13 from the bottom. _De Gasebecque._] Philip de Hornes
lord of Gaesbeck and Baussignies, grand chamberlain to the duke of
Burgundy, died in 1488 leaving issue Arnold lord of Gaesbeck, and John
lord of Baussignies.

Page 284. line 17. _Grand bailiff of Hainault._] John, son of Anthony
de Rubempré and Jaqueline de Croy, dame de Bievres. He was a great
favourite of duke Charles and fell by his side at the battle of Nancy.
His son was Charles lord of Riviéres.

Page 304. line 5. _Count de Harcourt._] John V, de Rieux, son of
Francis, and grandson of John III. lord of Rieux who acquired the
county of Harcourt by marriage with Joan, daughter and heir of John
VII. last count de Harcourt of the original line. He was made mareschal
of Bretagne by Francis II., and advanced to the dignity of a mareschal
of France in 1504.

But Anthony count de Vaudemont laid claim also to the county of
Harcourt in right of his wife Mary, another daughter of John VII. who
brought the county of Aumale into his house; and John of Lorraine, his
second son, bore the title of count de Harcourt. From the subsequent
passage to which I have referred it seems probable that it is this
nobleman and not the lord de Rieux who is here mentioned.

Page 323. line 10. _Lord de Cohen._] John de Berghes, lord of Cohan.

Page 354. last line. _Amen._] The death of the duke of Burgundy was, in
respect to his corporal suffering, as fortunate as the whole course of
his life had been. He had at that time reigned forty-eight years, for
the most part in peace, and during the whole with unvarying prosperity
over the ample dominions left him by his father, to which, by conquest
and alliances he added very considerably himself; and at last he
yielded up his soul to God, not, (in the words of Pontus Heuterus) "e
morbo continua intemperantia ascito, sed corpore justæ ætatis pleno
decursu confecto, hoc a Deo magno, inter multa alia, ornatus munere,
ut non diu mortis vitæque conflictum senserit, sed paucis diebus
decumbens, extincto levi continuaque febri, calore naturali, quasi
somno oppressus invictus expirarit." He lost the use of his speech for
some time before his dissolution, but his reason did not forsake him
to the last. When his son Charles threw himself upon his knees before
the bed and submissively asked forgiveness of all his offences, the
duke looked upon him with the most affectionate kindness possible and
pressed his hand most tenderly, but was then unable to speak. He was
first buried at Bruges where he died, but upon the death of his widow
Isabella a few years afterwards, his body was removed to be interred by
the side of hers at the Carthusians of Dijon, where those of both his
predecessors lay. His character, as given by Pontus Heuterus, is too
long for this place; but all historians bear witness to the justice of
the following, as drawn by Du Clos in his life of Louis the eleventh.
"La crainte que les princes inspirent, ne marque que leur puissance,
les respects s'addressent a leur dignité: leur gloire veritable nait
de l'estime et de la considération personnelles que l'on a pour eux.
Philippe jouissoit de ces précieux avantages: il fut surnommé _le
bon_, titre plus glorieux que tous ceux qui ne sont fondés que sur
l'orgueil des princes et le malheur des Hommes. Il aimoit ses peuples
autant qu'il en étoit aimè, et satisfaisoit egalement son inclination
et son devoir, en faisant leur bonheur: on rendoit à ses vertus les
respects dûs à son rang. Son commerce étoit aimable, il étoit sensible
au plaisir, aimoit extremement les femmes, et sa cour étoit la plus
galante de l'Europe. En rendant justice à la vertu de ce prince, on ne
doit pas dissimuler, qu'il s'en écarta quelquefois. Il porta trop loin
sa vengeance contre ceux de Dinant; et son ambition, soutenue d'une
conduite prudente, lui fit faire plusieurs usurpations." The count de
Charolois was the only legitimate offspring that survived him. His
illegitimate children were very numerous, and many of the principal
families in the low countries were descended from them. Though very
munificent and splendid on proper occasions, duke Philip had, by his
wise administration, without in the least impoverishing his states,
amassed a treasure amounting to 400,000 crowns of gold in money, and
62,000 marks of silver in plate, all which was soon dissipated by his
son in his extravagant and unnecessary wars.

Page 361. line 3 from the bottom. _Geoffroy de St Belin._] Geoffry de
St Belin, Bailli de Chaumont. He was killed in the battle.

Page 362. line 12. _Lord de la Barde._] Jean Stuyer, lord de la Barde.

Page 370. line 5. _Chancellor Juvenal des Ursins._] The chancellor,
succeeded by Pierre de Morvillier who held the seals to the year 1465.

Page 370. line 6. _Marshal._] The marshal who was thus displaced
appears by Morery's tables to be the famous Saintrailles, and there
are two creations of marshals in the same year; 1st John bastard of
Armagnac, lord of Gourdon, and count of Cominges, and 2nd Joachim
Rouault, lord of Boismenard.

Page 370. line 6. _Admiral._] The admiral, the count de Sancerre,
succeeded by the lord de Montauban. See before.

Page 370. line 8. _Provost of Paris._] John d'Estouteville, lord of
Beyne, succeeded by Jacques de Villiers, lord of l'Isle Adam. See
afterwards, p. 2. Vol. XI.

Page 376. line 2. _Pierre d'Oriole._] Pierre d'Oriole afterwards lord
of Loire and chancellor of France in 1472. He was at first mayor of
Rochelle and being sent on frequent deputations to king Charles
VII. attached himself to the court where he rose through the offices
of maitre des Comptes and general des finances to the high dignity
of chancellor. He was reckoned the best lawyer in France, and till
age impaired his powers, was remarkable for his laboriousness and
exactness. But upon his growing remiss with the increase of years,
Louis deprived him of his chancellorship and gave him the post of first
president of the chamber of accounts which he held with honour till his
death in 1483. Du Clos.

Page 376. line 7. _Sir Charles de Melun._] Charles de Melun, lord of
Nantouillet, lieutenant-general of the kingdom of France, and, in 1465,
appointed grand master. He was at first high in his master's confidence
and esteem but afterwards became suspected, and was accused by his
enemies of treasonable practices and ended his days on a scaffold.

Page 376. line 9. _John Balue._] This extraordinary person was born
at Angle in Poitou and is reported to have been the son of a miller.
Entering into the church he attached himself to the service of Jacques
Juvenal des Ursins, bishop of Poitiers, who had so much confidence in
him that he made him his executor, an office in which it is suspected
he found means to enrich himself considerably. He afterwards dealt
very largely in simoniacal contracts while under the patronage of
Jean de Beauveau bishop of Angers whom he followed to Rome in 1462. On
his return, he attached himself to the court, where the penetration
of the king soon found out his uncommon abilities and advanced him to
the rank of a counsellor of parliament. He had also the administration
of the royal charities, and is called by historians, but improperly,
grand almoner of France, an office which was first created by Charles
the 8th. Of his subsequent life several particulars will appear in the
course of this history and many more may be seen in Du Clos.

Page 392. line 5. _William Charretier._] Chartier. This prelate was
celebrated for his virtue and probity; but did himself no good by
meddling in affairs of state for which he was by no means fit. When the
confederate princes menaced Paris previous to the battle of Montlehery,
he gave his advice to admit them within the walls of the city. His
opinion, fortunately for Louis was over-ruled; but the king never liked
him from that time, and when he died in 1472, Louis took the whimsical
measure of sending his complaints against him to the provost of Paris
in order to have them recorded in his epitaph. Du Clos. See also, vol.
ix. p. 124. where this incident is mentioned.

Page 403. line 9. _Lord de Rambures._] James son of Andrew II; died
after 1488 leaving by Mary de Berghes daughter of John lord of Cohan,
Andrew the third, lord of Rambures his son and successor.

Page 404. line 8 from the bottom. _Lord de Craon._] This lord de Craon
was George de la Trimoille, second son of George count of Guines and
Boulogne and brother of Louis, first prince of Talmont. He was governor
of Burgundy in 1474 and died without issue in 1481.

Page 410. line 19. _Poncet de Riviere._] Poncet de la Riviere, Bailli
de Montferrand, commander of franc-archers, &c. &c. an officer of
distinguished merit, but not connected as some have supposed, with
either the ancient house of the viscounts de Riviere in Gascony, or
with that of Rivers in England. See Morery.

Page 424. line 9. _Staves._] It was in coming out of the house of a
lady of bad fame (probably this very Jeanne du Bois) that the _bishop_
was thus attacked. The trimming he received proved of some service
to him; for from this time he addicted himself wholly to business
and assumed a gravity of deportment which was more suitable to his
ecclesiastical dignity. Du Clos.

Page 424. line 19. _Lord de Villier-le-bôcage._] Raoul, lord of
Villiers-au-bocage, third son of John the fourth, lord of Crequy. He
died in 1472 without issue.

Page 429. line 4. _Lord de Broquemont._] Qu. Braquemont? William de
Braquemont lord of Campremis died some time after 1480, and in him the
family was extinct.

Page 430. line 2 from the bottom. _Bishop of Evreux._] A mistake--the
bishop of Evreux was the most unlikely person in the world to be
concerned in this business. It is evidently the bishop of Bayeux who is
here meant.



_H. Bryer, Printer, Bridge-Street, Blackfriars, London._


Transcriber's note: Original spelling, including possible inconsistencies,
has been retained.