before him. They were much discontented that he had set the marquis at
liberty, and insisted that those of his council who had advised his
deliverance should be given up to them, which was done for fear of
enraging the populace still more, who instantly had them beheaded. Thus
for some time were the citizens appeased[147].
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 147: I copy from Fabian what he says of this business.
'A.D. 1449.--Thomas Chalton, mayor.--And continuing the said
parliament, the duke of Suffolk was arrested and sent as a prisoner (to
content some minds) unto the tower, where he was kept at his pleasure a
month, and after delivered at large,--the which discontented many men's
minds; for to him was laid the charge of the delivery of Anjou and
Maine, and the death of the noble prince Humphrey duke of Glocester,'
&c. &c.--For further particulars, see the Chronicles of Fabian,
Hollingshed, &c.
I suspect that Monstrelet has made a mistake of the bishop of Glocester
being killed, for the murder of duke Humphrey of Glocester, which took
place before. Suffolk was put to death by some pirates, and not by the
duke of Somerset's men.]
[A.D. 1449.]
CHAP. LXXV.
THREE MALEFACTORS, TWO MEN AND ONE WOMAN, ARE CONDEMNED TO DEATH BY
THE COURT OF PARLIAMENT AT PARIS.
On the 18th day of April in this year, three malefactors, two men and
one woman, were condemned to be hanged. Two high gallows of wood were
consequently erected, that the punishment for such evil deeds, as they
had committed, might be exhibited to the public. They had confessed
themselves guilty of thrusting out the eyes of a child of two years
old, whom they had in wardship, of putting it to death by running
thorns into its body, which was most cruel, and of being great thieves.
One gallows was erected without the gate of St James, on which one of
the two men was hanged,--and another without the gate of St Denis,
between the chapel and windmill, on which was hanged the other man,
who had been a player on the hurdy-gurdy, as also the woman; and
although they were both married, they had lived together in double
adultery.
They were delivered to the executioner from the prison of the
Conciergerie, but were attended by almost all the ushers of the
parliament, because they had been sentenced by that court. Great
multitudes assembled to see the execution, more especially women and
girls, from the novelty of the fact; for this was the first instance
of a woman being hanged in France. The woman was hanged, with her hair
all dishevelled, in a long robe, having her two legs tied together
below the knees. Some said, that she requested that it should be thus
done, as it was the custom of her country,--while others said, that she
was thus sentenced as a memorial for the longer remembrance of women,
and that her crimes were so enormous she was deserving of a severer
punishment.
Many prisoners were afterward hanged from the dungeons of the Châtelet,
who had been therein detained some time until others of their gang
could be apprehended. They had gone to different parts of the kingdom
where pardons were obtained,--such as the dedication of Saint Denis,
that of St Maur, of St Fiacre, of St Mathurin, and elsewhere,--and had
attacked travellers in forests and on the high roads, under pretence of
asking alms; but the greater part of them had been arrested, confronted
with their companions, and executed by the king's officers of justice.
CHAP. LXXVI.
IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE CAPTURE OF FOUGERES, THE ALLIES OF THE DUKE
OF BRITTANY GAIN THE TOWN AND CASTLE OF PONT DE L'ARCHE FROM THE
ENGLISH.--GERBEROY IS AFTERWARDS TAKEN.
On the 16th day of May, in this year, while the commissioners from the
king of France and the duke of Somerset were assembled, according to
appointment, in the town of Louviers, some of the friends and allies
of the duke of Brittany found means to gain the town and castle of Pont
de l'Arche, on the river Seine, four leagues distant from Rouen.
This capture was owing to a travelling merchant from Louviers
observing, in his frequent crossing of Pont de l'Arche, that it was
but slightly guarded, and giving information thereof to the before
mentioned friends of the duke of Brittany. He offered to take the
place, if they would give him a sufficiency of men at arms,--and having
explained his plans, which seemed feasible, they fixed on a day to meet
him at a tavern in the suburbs of that town.
On the day appointed, several of those who had been ordered on this
expedition, came to the said tavern, one after another, to avoid
suspicion; two of whom were dressed as carpenters, each with his
hatchet swung round his neck. Shortly after, the carrier arrived,
with his cart laden with provisions. About midnight, they seized the
tavern-keeper and his servants, and shut them up in a room, to prevent
them from making any discovery, and then told their intentions, with
which the master of the house seemed very well pleased, for he said he
had been lately beaten by some of the garrison.
During the night, the lord de Brésé came thither with some men on foot,
whom he placed in ambush near to the gate of St Ouen: he was followed
by the bailiff of Evreux with four or five hundred horse, whom he
posted in the wood on the side of Louviers.
When these measures had been taken, Jacques de Clermont and the carrier
approached the drawbridge with his cart, and entreated the porter to
let him pass, as he was in haste to get to Rouen, and return that
night to Louviers, offering him at the same time, a present for so
doing. The two pretended carpenters were with him, and the carrier
pledged himself for them. The porter, through avarice, called to him
another Englishman, and let down the bridge. When the carrier had his
cart on the first bridge, he took out of his purse two bretons and a
placque[148], to pay the Englishmen: but he let fall one breton to the
ground, which the porter stooping to pick up, the carrier drew a dagger
and stabbed him dead. In like manner, the two carpenters slew his
companion on the second bridge.
On a signal that this was done, the ambuscade of horse and foot sallied
forth, and, passing the bridges, entered the town, shouting, 'St Yves
for Brittany! All the English were asleep when this happened, and were
made prisoners, to the amount of a hundred or six score; among whom
was the lord Falconbridge, an english knight, who had only arrived the
preceding day, and his ransom was worth twenty thousand crowns. He was
carried to Louviers for greater safety,--and the conquerors remained in
the place for its guard, until other arrangements should be made.
When the English heard of this capture, they were much troubled and
enraged. On its being told to king Charles, as he was desirous of the
welfare of his nephew the duke of Brittany, he consented, after many
conferences at Louviers, that mutual restitutions should take place,
namely, that Fougeres should be given back to the duke of Brittany,
with sixteen hundred thousand crowns, according to the estimate of
damages done, and Pont de l'Arche yielded up to the English, together
with the lord Falconbridge, who had been there made prisoner.
The English, however, peremptorily refused to agree to such terms,
which was a most unreasonable conduct: and the king's commissioners
employed apostolical and imperial notaries to draw up the offer they
had made, and the english commissioners' refusal of it, that God and
all the world might see how handsomely the king had acted, and that
if a war should ensue, which God forbid! the blame could not fall on
him. The english commissioners departed, on their return to the duke of
Somerset, to relate what had been the result of these conferences.
The king of France, to proceed with greater security, sent the count
de Dunois, and others, with ample powers to his nephew of Brittany,
whom he met at Rennes, where he had assembled the greater part of his
connexions, prelates, barons and knights of the duchy. A treaty was
concluded, by which the duke promised to serve the king in person
against the English, by sea and land, and never to make peace, or
any alliance with them, but with the approbation of the king; in
confirmation of which, he gave letters patent, signed with the hands
and seals of himself and the barons of the duchy.
The said relatives and barons also promised, by putting their hands
within the hands of the count de Dunois, punctually to maintain all the
articles contained in the above-mentioned letters patent; and the count
de Dunois engaged that the king should ratify the said treaty, which he
afterwards did by letters to the duke. In these he promised to make the
quarrel his own, and not to conclude any treaty with the enemy without
comprehending him and his duchy, nor until the English should have
restored what they had taken from him. In case the English should not,
before the end of the ensuing month of July, surrender to the duke the
town and castle of Fougeres, with an adequate sum for the plunder, the
king would openly declare war against them.
At this time, the town of Gerberoy[149], in the Beauvoisis, was taken
by scalado, by the lord de Mouy, governor of that country; and all the
English within it, to the number of thirty, were put to the sword.
Their captain was John Harper, who that day had gone to Gournay[150].
Thus was the place reduced under the obedience of the king of France.
A short time after this, the town of Conches[151] was won by Robert
de Flocques, called Flocquet, bailiff of Evreux. About the same
period, a gascon gentleman called Verdun, by the advice and consent
of the duke of Brittany, took by storm the towns of Coignac[152] and
St Maigrin[153], under the command of an esquire, called Mondoch de
Lansac, for the king of England. He himself was made prisoner, as he
was coming from Bordeaux to Coignac,--for he imagined that it was still
under his command as before. In both towns many prisoners were taken.
When the English heard of these towns being lost, the archbishop of
Bordeaux and the magistrates sent a pursuivant at arms to the king
of France at Chinon, to request that Coignac and St Maigrin might be
restored, and that he would send them passports, pretending that they
would come to him; but nothing was done, for reasons known to the
king and his council. In like manner, the duke of Somerset and lord
Talbot sent to the king at Chinon, to require that the towns of Pont de
l'Arche, Conches, Coignac and St Maigrin should be restored; to which
the king answered, that if they would restore to his nephew of Brittany
his town of Fougeres, and the effects taken away from thence, he would
exert his endeavours that the duke of Brittany should give back the
places that had been won by him, or by those who had taken them on his
advice.
The english ambassadors said that they had no powers to interfere
in the surrender of Fougeres, and therefore returned to the duke of
Somerset at Rouen without effecting any thing.
Soon afterwards, another conference was holden at the abbey of
Bonport[154], when the commissioners from France made offer to those
on the part of England, that if they would, on a day to be appointed,
surrender, for the duke of Brittany, the town and castle of Fougeres
into the hands of the king of France, and pay the sum of sixteen
hundred thousand crowns, the estimated value of the damages, all places
that had been taken from the English should be restored, and even the
lord Falconbridge, who had been made prisoner at Pont de l'Arche, and
that all hostilities should cease on both sides. This the English
refused; and the french commissioners returned to their king as before.
King Charles, having heard the report of all that had passed, and
examined the instruments drawn up by the apostolical notaries, stating
the damages the English had done to his relative the duke of Brittany:
that they had very frequently infringed the truce, without making any
reparations of restitution of places or effects, and their peremptory
refusal of all the offers he had made them for the preservation of
peace and the satisfaction of his conscience; resolved, after mature
deliberation, that having done his duty most loyally, and the English
obstinately refusing all his offers for peace, he was fully justified
in taking every proper step for the defence of his country and of
his allies, as well as for the recovery of such places as had been
conquered from him or from his predecessors, the possession of which
the English had so long usurped. He was advised to declare war against
them, which would be just in the eyes of God, of reason, and of his
conscience, otherwise he would not do his duty. It was concluded, that
he should send ambassadors to the duke of Brittany, to concert measures
accordingly.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 148: Two bretons and a placque,--small coins of Brittany and
France.]
[Footnote 149: Gerberoy,--a town in the isle of France, four leagues
from Beauvais.]
[Footnote 150: Gournay,--a town in the isle of France, on the Marne,
three leagues from Paris.]
[Footnote 151: Conches,--a market-town in Normandy four leagues from
Evreux, sixteen from Rouen.]
[Footnote 152: Coignac,--a town of the Angoumois, on the Charente,
seven leagues and a half from Saintes.]
[Footnote 153: St Maigrin,--a town in Saintonge, near Grolle.]
[Footnote 154: Bonport,--an abbey founded by Richard I. king of
England, in the diocese of Evreux, in Normandy.]
END OF VOL. VIII.
H. Bryer, Printer, Bridge-street,
Blackfriars, London.
NOTES AND EMENDATIONS.
Page 11. line 12. _Lord de Fontaines_.] The family of this nobleman
(who has been often mentioned before) was of high estimation among
those of Flanders, and is derived from the ancient counts of Alsace
and Kyburg, the progenitors of some of the earls of Flanders, and (on
the mother's side) of the illustrious house of Hapsburgh. Simon (the
brother of Thierry of Alsace count of Flanders,) married the heiress
of the Flemish family of Henninius--(I adopt the Latin termination of
Pontus Heuterus, not knowing the true name)--and Baldwin, his son, was
the first who styled himself by the surname of his mother. Baldwin
III, his grandson, was the first lord of Fontaines. John II, lord of
Fontaines, (who was killed at Agincourt) was a descendant in the fifth
generation; and Baldwin IX, his son was the lord here named. Baldwin
X, the next successor, married a daughter of the vidâme of Amiens, so
repeatedly noticed in this history. [P. Heuter. Gen. Tables.]
Page 25. line 4. from the bottom. _Sir Jacques d'Anjou_] Qu. Charles
d'Anjou? The third son of Louis II, king of Naples, of this name, was
count of Maine, and in 1443 married Isabel de Luxembourg, daughter of
Peter II, count of St Pol.
Page 25. line 3 from the bottom. _Count de Perdiac._] Bernard second
son of the constable d'Armagnac, was count of Perdiac, and known by
that name till his marriage with Eleanor de Bourbon, daughter and
heiress of James II, count of la Marche (the husband of Joan of Naples)
after which he assumed the more noble title of his wife. His son James
was the unfortunate duke of Nemours beheaded by order of Louis XI.
Page 25. line 3 from the bottom. _Count de Vendôme._] Louis de Bourbon,
brother of James count of la Marche above mentioned, count of Vendôme
in right of his mother (the heiress of that ancient house) who died in
1446.
Page 27. line 3 from the bottom. _Bastard de Beaumanoir._] The bastard
son of John de Beaumanoir, lord of Lavardin.
Page 28. line 9. _Sir James de Chabannes._] James lord de la Palice
often before mentioned.
Page 30. line 6. _James de Harcourt._] William son of James lord de
Montgomery (often mentioned in the early part of this history) and
Margaret de Melun, countess of Tancarville. He married 1st Petronille
d'Amboise, and 2ndly, Yoland de Laval, and dying in the year 1487, left
only two daughters.
Page 30. line 7. _Lord de Moreul._] Should be Mareuil, Robert II, son
of Robert I, killed at Agincourt. He married Michéle d'Estouteville,
and died in 1476.
Page 92. line 17. _Marquis du Pont._] Louis marquis of Pont-a-Mousson,
second son of Renè king of Sicily and Naples. He died at an early age.
Page 93. line 3. _Count de Blamont._] Isabel, daughter of Frederic, and
sister of Anthony, counts de Vaudemont married Henry count de Blamont,
whose son must have been the count de Blamont here meant.
Page 97. line. 6. _Duke of Burgundy._] Charles prince of Viana, only
son of John king of Arragon, by his marriage with Blanche the daughter
and heiress of Charles III, king of Navarre, was born at Pennafiel in
the year 1421, and died in 1461 before his father. In his time the
fatal feuds of the houses of Grammont and Beaumont which distracted the
Kingdom of Navarre for nearly half a century, had their commencement.
Agnes sixth daughter of Adolphus duke of Cleves.
There was no issue of this marriage; and the prince left none but
illegitimate children, in consequence of which the crown of Navarre
passed into the house of Foix.
Page 116. line 6. _Lord d'Albreth._] Charles II, eldest son and
successor of the constable, count of Dreux, &c. married Anne of
Armagnac, and died in 1471.
Page 117. line 8 from the bottom. _Roderigo de Villandras._] Don
Roderigo de Villandrado, first count of Ribadeo, was a Castilian
by birth, of the town of Valladolid. He married Margaret a natural
daughter of John duke of Bourbon. Returning to Spain in this year, he
performed some essential services for the king of Castille, who, in
recompense, accorded to him and his descendants, the valuable privilege
of eating at the king's table on new year's day, and of having the robe
worn by the king on that day. La Mayerne, hist. d'Espagne. Liv. 19.
Page 152. line 17. _Jacotin de Bethune._] James third son of John I. de
Bethune lord of Moreuil, was nicknamed Jacotin. From him, according to
Du Cange, the lords of Belfour in Scotland were descended, their family
name being corrupted to Beatoun.
Page 175. line 6 from the bottom. _Lord de Beaujeu_] Philip, 2nd son
of Charles II. duke of Bourbon, was called lord of Beaujeu, and died
young. The title then passed to the fourth son, Peter, who married Anne
daughter of Louis XI, the celebrated dame de Beaujeu, regent of France.
Page 177. line 5. _Bastard of Bourbon._] Alexander son of the duke. See
the account of his death in p. 2.
Page 188. line 4. from the bottom. _La Praguerie._] "The horrors
perpetrated by the Hussites at Prague gave occasion to the dread of
similar consequences from the civil war kindled in France, and gave
this faction the name of _La Praguerie_." Du Clos, hist. de Louis onze.
Page 190. line 4. _De Chaumont._] William V, lord and count of
Chaumont, who died in 1445, leaving by his wife Jane de Mello, lady of
Rigni le Feron, only one surviving son, Anthony lord of Chaumont.
Page 190. line 4. _De Prie._] Antoine de Prie, lord of Buzençais,
&c. was grand Queux, in 1431, and married Magdalen, daughter of Hugh
d'Amboise lord of Chaumont.
Page 202. line 2 from the bottom. _Sir Giles de St Simon._] Giles de
Rouvray, lord of Plessier Choiseul, Precy sur Oise, &c., second son
of Matthew II. lord of St Simon, killed at Agincourt, and brother of
Gaucher, lord of St Simon. He was greatly distinguished in most of the
military exploits in Picardy, Flanders, &c. and died in 1477.
Page 211. line 3 from the bottom. _Lord of Retz_] Giles de Laval,
lord of Retz, descended in the fourth degree from Fulk Laval second
son of Guy VIII. lord of Laval, who married the heiress of the
ancient house of Retz. Giles was a marshal of France in 1429, and a
man of distinguished valour, but of a heart and mind depraved to an
incredible degree. Some historians however alledge that reasons of
state precipitated, if they did not occasion his downfall, and that
duke Francis was too well pleased with the opportunity of getting rid
of a dangerous enemy, to examine very carefully into the truth of the
articles preferred against him. He suffered at Nantes on the 23d of
December 1440, the duke himself attending at his execution. By his
wife Catherine de Thouars, he left but one daughter Mary, who married,
first, the admiral de Coetivy, 2ndly the marshal de Lohèac.
Page 220. line 2 from the bottom. _The lords de Lannoy and de
Maingoval, nephews to the lord de Croy_] John I, lord of Lannoy (a
noble and ancient house of Flanders) married Jane daughter of John,
and sister of Anthony lords de Croy; by whom he had the two sons here
mentioned, viz. John II, lord of Lannoy knight of the golden fleece,
who died in 1492; 2ndly, Anthony, lord of Maingoval, who was ancestor
to the famous Charles de Lannoy, prince of Sulmone and count of Asti,
one of Charles the fifth's greatest generals.
Page 221. line 5 from the bottom. _Du Cange._] Q. Renty?
Page 223. line 12 from the bottom. _Duke._] Charles duke of Orleans had
been twice married before, 1st to Isabel his first cousin, daughter of
Charles VI, and widow of Richard II, king of England, by whom he had a
daughter married to John duke of Alençon; 2ndly, to Bona the daughter
of Bernard constable d'Armagnac by whom he had no issue. His third wife
was Mary, sixth daughter of Adolph duke of Cleves, who died in 1487,
and brought him three children, Liewis afterwards king of France; Mary,
married to the viscount of Narbonne; and Anne, abbess of Fontevrault.
Page 253. last line. _Montgaugier._] John II, de Sainte Maure, lord of
Montgaugier and Nesle, married Louise de Rochechouart, daughter to John
lord Mortemart, and died 1463.
Page 255. line 11. _Bastard of Bourbon._] Alexander, a natural son of
John I, duke of Bourbon, and brother of Charles I, the then duke.
Page 258. line 5. _Lord de Dours._] _Dours_ Qu. _Douars_. Peter lord
of Douars, youngest son to Guy V, lord of la Trimouille, and uncle to
George count of Guisnes, left issue a son, John lord of Douars, in
whose son, John, this branch of the house Trimouille terminated.
Page 258. line 5. _Lord de Contay._] Qu. Conti? Ferry de Mailly (often
before-mentioned) was lord of Conti by descent from Isabel, heiress of
that house, who married Colard de Mailly surnamed "Le Jeune."
Page 263. line 10 from the bottom. _Joachim Rohault._] Joachim de
Rouault lord of Boisemenard, Gamaches, &c. marshal of France in 1461.
The son of John lord of Gamaches, &c. who was killed at the battle of
Verneuil in 1424, and of Jane du Bellay. He was distinguished in all
the great actions of his time, was made constable of Bordeaux, and died
in 1478. He was usually styled the marshal de Gamaches.
Page 270. line 8 from the bottom. _Jeanne de Bethune._] Daughter and
heir of Robert I. (viscount of Meaux in right of his mother Jane,
heiress of the great house of Coucy)--she married first Robert de Bar
count of Soissons mentioned in a former volume, and 2ndly John de
Luxembourg count de Ligny, of whom such frequent mention has been made.
Page 278. line 12. _Marshal of France._] Peter de Rieux, lord of
Rochefort, third son of John II, marshal de Rieux, succeeded to his
father's military dignities in 1417. The ensuing year he was deprived
by the duke of Burgundy, and thereupon threw himself into the arms
of the dauphin, whom he served with fidelity and great success for
many years after. He was made prisoner (with some circumstances of
treachery) by William de Flavy lord of Assy, at his town of Compiègne,
and died of want and misery in a dungeon when only 48 years old,
leaving no issue. This William de Flavy had been also principally
instrumental to the capture of the Pucelle d'Orleans; and not long
after the death of the marshal de Rieux, suffered in common (says
Matthieu de Coucy) with all those who had any concern in Joan's
captivity or death, a violent and untimely end. His throat was cut
in the night time at his castle of Nesle, by the bastard d'Orbendas,
at the instigation (as it is added) of his own wife; A.D. 1448. The
punishment of his cruelty to the marshal de Rieux, in 1509, compelled
the daughter of William de Flavy, with her husband, to pay 10,000
livres parisis for the masses for the soul of his unfortunate ancestor.
Page 284. line 6. _Lord de la Suze._] Renè de Laval, lord de la Suze,
younger brother to the infamous marshal de Retz, whose execution is
mentioned in p. 211.