also by the said lords arbitrators, that the said lord of Winchester
should haue these words that follow vnto my said lord of Glocester: My
lord of Glocester, I haue conceiued to my great heauinesse, that yée
should haue receiued by diuerse reports, that I should haue purposed
and imagined against your person, honor, and estate, in diuerse maners,
for the which, yée haue taken against me great displeasure: Sir, I
take God to my witnesse, that what reports so euer haue béene to you
of me, peraduenture of such as haue had no great affection to me, God
forgiue it them, I neuer imagined, ne purposed anie thing that might be
hindering or preiudice to your person, honor, or estate: and therefore
I praie you, that yée be vnto me good lord from this time foorth;
for by my will, I gaue neuer other occasion, nor purpose not to doo
hereafter by the grace of God. The which words so by him said, it was
decréed by the same arbitrators, that my lord of Glocester, should
answer and saie: Faire vncle, sith yée declare you such a man, as yée
saie, I am right glad that it is so, and for such a man I take you.
And when this was doone, it was decréed by the same arbitrators, that
euerie each of my lord of Glocester, and Winchester, should take either
other by the hand, in the presence of the king and all the parlement,
in signe and token of good loue & accord, the which was doone, and the
parlement adiorned till after Easter.
* * * * *
At this reconciliation, such as loued peace reioised (sith it is a
fowle & pernicious thing for priuat men, much more for noblemen to
be at variance, sith vpon them depend manie in affections diuerse,
whereby factions might grow to the shedding of bloud) though others, to
whom contention & hartgrudge is delight, wished to sée the vttermost
mischéefe that might therof insue, which is the vtter ouerthrow and
desolation of populous tribes, euen as with a litle sparkle whole
houses are manie times consumed to ashes; as the old prouerbe saith,
and that verie well and aptlie;
Sola scintilla perit hæc domus aut domus illa
But when the great fier of this dissention, betwéene these two noble
personages, was thus by the arbitrators (to their knowledge and
iudgement) vtterlie quenched out, and laid vnder boord; all other
controuersies betwéene other lords, taking part with the one partie or
the other, were appeased, and brought to concord, so that for ioy the
king caused a solemne fest to be kept on Whitsundaie; on which daie he
created Richard Plantagenet, sonne and heire to the erle of Cambridge,
(whome his father at Southampton had put to death, as before yée haue
heard) duke of Yorke, not foreséeing that this preferment should be
his destruction, nor that his séed should of his generation be the
extreame end and finall conclusion. He the same daie also promoted Iohn
lord Mowbraie, and earle marshall, sonne and heire to Thomas duke of
Norffolke (by king Richard the second exiled this realme) to the title,
name, and stile of duke of Norffolke.
During this feast, the duke of Bedford adorned the king with the
high order of knighthood, who on the same daie dubbed with the sword
these knights, whose names insue: Richard duke of Yorke, Iohn duke
of Norffolke; the earle of Westmerland, Henrie lord Persie, Iohn
lord Butler, sonne to the earle of Ormond, the lord Rosse, the lord
Matrauers, the lord Welles, the lord Barkelie; sir Iames Butler, sir
Henrie Greie of Tankaruile, sir Iohn Talbot, sir Rafe Greie of Warke,
sir Robert Véere, sir Richard Greie, sir Edmund Hungerford, sir Walter
Wingfield, sir Iohn Butler, sir Reginald Cobham, sir Iohn Passheleu,
sir Thomas Tunstall, sir Iohn Chedocke, sir Rafe Langstre, sir William
Drurie, sir William ap Thomas, sir Richard Carnonell, sir Richard
Wooduile, sir Iohn Shirdlow, sir Nicholas Blunket, sir William Cheinie
iustice, sir William Babington, sir Rafe Butler, sir Robert Beauchampe,
sir Edmund Trafford, sir Iohn Iune chéefe baron, and diuerse others.
[Sidenote: The duke of Excester dieth.]
After this solemne feast ended, a great aid and subsidie was granted
for the continuance of the conquest in France, and so therevpon monie
was gathered, and men were prepared in euerie citie, towne, and
countrie. During which businesse, Thomas duke of Excester, great vncle
to the king, a right sage and discréet councellor, departed out of this
mortall life, at his manor of Gréenewich, and with all funerall pompe
was conueied through London to Berrie, and there buried. ¶ In the same
yeare also died the ladie Elizabeth, halfe sister to the same duke, and
of the whole bloud with king Henrie the fourth, maried first to the
lord Iohn Holland, duke of Excester, and after to the lord Fanhope,
buried at the blacke friers of London.
[Sidenote: _Fr. Thin._]
[Sidenote: 1425]
[Philip Morgan after the death of Iohn Fortham (sometime treasuror of
England, bishop of Elie and Durham, both which bishopriks, for anie
thing that I can yet sée, he inioied both at one time) was made bishop
of Elie in the yeare of our redemption 1425, in this sort. Henrie the
sixt and manie of the nobilitie had written to the conuent of the
church of Elie, to choose William Alnewicke (doctor of both lawes
confessor to the king and kéeper of the priuie seale) to be their
bishop. Notwithstanding which (they hauing more regard to their owne
priuileges and benefit) chose Peter the prior of Elie to succéed in
the place of Iohn Fortham. But none of both these inioied that roome;
for Martin bishop of Rome (stepping into the matter to make the third
part, neither fauouring the kings motion nor approouing the monks
election) remooued this William Morgan from the sée of Worcester vnto
Elie, sometime called Helix: as I haue séene it set downe in Saxon
characters in an ancient booke of the liues of saints written in the
Saxon toong, about the yeare of Christ 1010, before the time of Edward
the confessor, and much about the time of Albo Floriacensis. This
Morgan sat at Elie nine yeares, twentie and six wéeks, and foure daies,
departing this life in his manour of Hatfield, in the yeare 1434, and
was buried at the Charterhouse of London; being the twentie and fourth
bishop that was installed in that place.]
[Sidenote: 1426]
While these things were thus a dooing in England, the earle of Warwike,
lieutenant for the regent in France, entered into the countrie of
Maine, & besieged the towne of Chateau de loire, the which shortlie to
him was rendered, whereof he made capteine Matthew [6]Gough, esquier.
After this, he tooke by assault the castell of Maiet, and gaue it for
his valiantnesse to Iohn Winter esquier, and after that he conquered
the castell of Lude, and made there capteine William Gladesdale
gentleman. Here he was informed, that the Frenchmen were assembled in
the countrie of Beausse, wherevpon he hasted thitherwards to haue giuen
them battell, but they hauing knowledge of his approch, durst not abide
to trie the matter with him by a pight field, but fled before he came
néere them.
[6] Or rather Goche. Iohn Winter.
[Sidenote: The earle of Warwike made gouernour of the yoong king.]
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 5.]
The earle in his returne wan the castell of Montdublean by surrender;
where he left the valiant lord Willoughbie, and then returned to Paris.
During which season, he was ordeined by the thrée estates of the realme
of England, to be gouernour of the yoong king in the place of the duke
of Excester deceassed; howbeit, he did not as yet returne into England,
but remained in France for a season, and atchiued manie worthie
enterprises. Whilest the lord regent of France was thus in England,
meanes was made by the duke of Burgognie, for the deliuerie of the duke
of Alanson, taken at the battell of Vernoile, and now for the summe
of two hundred thousand crownes he was set at libertie; but he would
not by anie meanes acknowlege the king of England to be his liege and
souereigne lord.
[Sidenote: 1427.]
[Sidenote: The bishop of Winchester made a cardinall.]
[Sidenote: _W. P._]
After that the duke of Bedford had set all things in good order in
England, he tooke leaue of the king, and togither with his wife
returned into France, first landing at Calis, where the bishop
of Winchester (that also passed the seas with him) receiued the
habit, hat, and dignitie of a cardinall, with all ceremonies to it
apperteining: which promotion, the late K. right déeplie persing into
the vnrestrainable ambitious mind of the man, that euen from his youth
was euer to checke at the highest; and also right well ascerteined
with what intollerable pride his head should soone be swollen vnder
such a hat: did therefore all his life long kéepe this prelat backe
from that presumptuous estate. But now the king being yoong and the
regent his fréend, he obteined his purpose, to his great profit, and
the impouerishing of the spiritualtie of this realme. For by a bull
legantin, which he purchased from Rome, he gathered so much treasure,
that no man in maner had monie but he: so that he was called the rich
cardinall of Winchester.
[Sidenote: The lord of Rustinian taken and his people slaine and
discomfited.]
After that the lord regent was arriued in France, the lord of
Rustinian, marshall of Britaine, assembled a great companie of the
British nation, which fortified and repared the towne of Pontorson:
and after the said marshall, with a thousand men, entered into the
countrie of Constantine, and comming before the towne of Auranches, was
incountered by the Englishmen of that garrison; & after long fight, his
people were put to the worse, chased, and discomfited, and he himselfe
taken prisoner in the field. The duke of Bedford, hearing that the
towne of Pontorson, situate within leagues of Mont Saint Michaell, was
newlie fortified, and stronglie defended, sent thither the earle of
Warwike, accompanied with the lord Scales, and other valiant capteins
and souldiers, to the number of seauen thousand men, to besiege the
towne; who so inuironed it on euerie side, that no man could steale
neither in nor out.
The siege thus long continuing, vittels began to wax scant in the
English armie: wherefore the lord Scales, hauing in his companie sir
Iohn Harpeleie bailiffe of Constantine, sir William Brearton bailiffe
of Caen, sir Rafe Tesson, sir Iohn Carbonell, and thrée thousand good
men of warre, departed from the siege to get vittels, powder, and other
things necessarie for their purpose. And as they were returning with
their cariages by the sea coast, néere to Saint Michaels Mount, they
suddenlie were incountered by their enimies, whereof were chéefe, the
baron of Coloses, the lord Dausebost, capteine of the said Mount, the
lord Mountabon, the lord Montburchier, the lord of Chateaugiron, the
lord of Tintignat, the lord of Chateaubrian, with six thousand men of
warre.
[Sidenote: A hot skirmish.]
[Sidenote: On the cene thursdaie.]
[Sidenote: _Enguerant._]
The lord Scales and his companie, perceiuing themselues beset on the
one side with the sea, & on the other with their enimies, alighted from
their horsses, and like couragious persons, there in an vnspeakeable
furie, set on their enimies. The fight was fierce & cruell. The
Englishmen kept themselues close togither; so that their enimies
could get no aduantage of them. At the last, the lord Scales cried S.
George they flée. Wherevpon, the Englishmen tooke such courage, and
the Frenchmen that fought before, were so dismaied, that they began to
flée in déed. The Englishmen leaped on horssebacke, and followed them
so, that they slue and tooke aboue eleuen hundred persons, among the
which were taken the baron of Coloses, the vicount of Rone, and others.
The lord of Chateaugiron, with a Scotish capteine, & diuerse other men
of name were slaine. After this victorie, the lord Scales with his
vittels, prouision, and prisoners, returned to the siege, where he was
of the earle and other noble men ioiouslie receiued.
Whilest the siege continued thus before Pontorson, Christopher Hanson,
and other souldiers of the garrison of Saint Susan, made a rode into
the countrie of Aniou, and came to a castell called Ramfort, which
castell was so priuilie scaled, that the capteine within, and his
companie, were taken or slaine, before they knew of their enimies
approching. When knowledge hereof was giuen vnto the Frenchmen which
were assembled, to the number of twentie thousand, to raise the siege
that laie before Pontorson, they left that enterprise, and went to
recouer the said castell of Ramfort, and so comming before it, planted
their siege so on ech side of it, that at length by composition the
Englishmen within, doubting to be taken by force, rendered vp the
castell, hauing libertie to depart with bag and baggage.
[Sidenote: Pontorson rendered to the Englishmen.]
Shortlie after, the lord of Raix, calling himselfe lieutenant generall
for the Dolphin, entred into Maine with an armie of thrée thousand
men, and by force tooke the castell of Malicorne, wherof was capteine
an Englishman, one Oliuer Osbatersbie. In like maner, they tooke the
little castell of Lude, and therein William Blackborne, lieutenant
for William Glasdale esquier. After this, the Frenchmen returned
backe to the Dolphin, and kept not on their iourneie to Pontorson,
for that they vnderstood by espials, that the earle of Warwike, and
the Englishmen there, determined to giue them battell, if they once
attempted to raise the siege. They within the towne, being streictlie
besieged, perceiuing no likelihood of succours, and séeing the English
armie dailie increase, fell to treatie for doubt to be taken by force,
and so rendered the towne vpon condition, that they might depart with
horsse and harnesse onelie. Which being granted to them, the erle
like a valiant capteine entred into the towne, and there appointed
for gouernors, the lord Ros, and the lord Talbot, and leauing there a
conuenient garrison, returned to the lord regent.
After the taking of this towne of Pontorson, there was a league and
treatie concluded betwéene the regent and the duke of Britaine; by
the articles of which agréement, the townes of Pontorson and saint
Iames de Beuuron were beaten downe to the ground and raced. When the
lord of Raix was departed out of Maine (as ye haue heard) Christopher
Hanson, Philip [7]Gough, Martin Godfrie, called the Scaler, tooke by
stealth the castell of saint Laurence de Mortiers. At the same time,
when the capteine and the most part of his companie were gone foorth
to heare masse, in a church ouer against the same castell, and kéeping
themselues close, till the capteine returned, they tooke him as he
was entered within the first gate, & so was this castell stuffed with
Englishmen, and capteine thereof was appointed sir William Oldhall.
[7] Or rather Goche.
The same season, sir Iohn Fastolfe, gouernour of the countries of Aniou
and Maine, assembled a great puissance of men of warre, and laid siege
before the castell of saint Owen Distais, beside the towne of Lauall;
and after he had laine there ten daies, the castell was deliuered, they
within departing with their liues and armour onelie to them granted, by
the tenor of the composition, which they tooke with the same sir Iohn
Fastolfe. After the winning of this castell, the Englishmen remooued
to the strong castell of Grauile, and after twelue daies, they within
offered to yéeld the castell by a daie, if they were not succoured by
the Dolphin or his power: the offer was taken and pledges deliuered.
[Sidenote: Hostages executed for promise broken.]
Then sir Iohn Fastolfe returned in post to the regent, aduertising him
of this composition and agréement; wherefore, the said regent raised
a great power to fight with the Frenchmen at the daie appointed,
and in his companie were the earles of Mortaigne and Warwike, the
lord Ros and Talbot, sir Iohn Fastolfe, sir Iohn Aubemond, sir Iohn
Ratcliffe, and diuerse other, to the number of twentie thousand men;
and so marched forwards, in hope to méet and ioine battell with their
aduersaries. But the French power, being not far off from the place,
durst not approch. Wherefore, the regent sent to sir Iohn Fastolfe
incontinentlie, to receiue the castell; but they within (contrarie to
promise and appointment) had newlie vitteled & manned the place, and so
forsaking the pledges, and their fellowes in armes, refused to render
the fortresse; wherefore, the pledges were brought before their sight,
and there before the castell openlie put to death.
[Sidenote: The lord Talbot, a valient capteine.]
After this the lord Talbot was made gouernour of Aniou and Maine, and
sir Iohn Fastolfe was assigned to an other place, which lord Talbot,
being both of noble birth, and of haultie courage, after his comming
into France, obteined so manie glorious victories of his enimies,
that his onelie name was & yet is dreadfull to the French nation, and
much renowmed amongst all other people. This lustie and most valiant
capteine entered into Maine, where he slue men, destroied castels,
burnt townes, and in conclusion suddenlie tooke the towne of Lauall.
The lord Loehac, and diuerse other, withdrew into the castell, in the
which they were so streictlie besieged, that in the end they agréed
to paie the lord Talbot an hundred thousand crownes, for licence to
depart, with all their bag and baggage.
Then was this castell deliuered to the kéeping of Gilbert Halsall,
which after was slaine at the siege of Orleance, in whose place
Matthew [8]Gough was made capteine there: who being at the iournie
of Senlis, by treason of a miller that kept a mill adioining to the
wall, the Frenchmen entered into the towne, and brought it againe into
their subiection. Now the duke of Bedford hearing that the towne of
Montargis, in the territorie of Orleance, was but slenderlie kept, and
not thoroughlie furnished, sent the erle of Suffolke, with his brother
sir Iohn Poole, and sir Henrie Bisset, hauing in their companie a six
thousand men, to assalt that towne; but when they came thither and
found the towne both well manned and stronglie fortified, contrarie to
their expectation, they surceassed from giuing the assault, and onelie
laid their siege round about it.
[8] Or rather Goche.
The earle of Warwike was appointed to lie with a great number of men
of warre, at S. Mathelines de Archempe, to incounter the Frenchmen,
if they would attempt to aid or vittell those within the towne.
The situation of this towne was such, that by reason of waters and
marishes, the English armie must néeds seuer it selfe into thrée
parts, so that the one could not easilie helpe the other, but either
by boats or bridges. This siege continued aboue two moneths, so that
in the meane time the Frenchmen had leasure to prouide for the succour
thereof; and so it came to passe, that the constable of France Arthur
of Britaine, the lord Boisac one of the marshals, Stephan la Hire,
Pothon de Saintreiles, the lord Grauile, and diuerse others, to the
number of thrée thousand horssemen, were sent foorth by the Dolphin.
[Sidenote: A great slaughter by negligence of the watch at Montargis.]
These priuilie in the night season came on that side, where sir Iohn de
la Poole and sir Henrie Bisset laie, whome they found so out of order,
and without good watch, that the Frenchmen entered into their lodgings,
slue manie in their beds, and spared none, for their resistance was but
small. Sir Iohn de la Poole with his horsse saued himselfe, and sir
Henrie Bisset escaped by a boat, and eight other with him. The residue
fléeing in plumpes, and striuing to passe by a bridge of timber, the
which was pestered with preasse of the multitude, brake, and so there
were a great number drowned: insomuch that there were slaine by the
enimies swoord, and drowned in the water, fiftéene hundred men.
[Sidenote: Sir Nicholas Burdet.]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
The earle of Warwike hearing of this misfortune, departed from saint
Mathelines with all spéed, and comming before Montargis, offered
battell to the French capteins, which answered, that they had manned
and vittelled the towne, and intended to doo no more at that time. The
Englishmen héerevpon came softlie backe againe with all their ordinance
to the duke of Bedford. Yet had not the French so great cause to
vaunt of their successe: for at this verie time, sir Nicholas Burdet,
appointed by the duke of Summerset to indamage his enimies in the
coasts of Britaine, sent horssemen into euerie part, woorking all the
displeasure to the people that might be deuised. The countrie, through
which he passed, was wasted, the townes were burnt, the houses spoiled,
and great number of prisoners taken, the small villages were destroied,
and the walled townes ransomed, and so without hurt or damage the said
sir Nicholas Burdet returned into Normandie.
These newes being signified to the constable, and other the French
capteins, asswaged their great mirth and triumphant ioy, concerned for
the victorie of Montargis, that loth they were to attempt anie further
enterprises against the English nation. But the duke of Alanson, who
(as ye haue heard) was latelie deliuered out of captiuitie, reuiued
againe the dulled spirits of the Dolphin, and somewhat aduanced, in
hope of good spéed, the fainting harts of his capteins; so that (some
occasion offered) they determined to atchiue a notable feat (as they
tooke it) against the Englishmen, which was the recouerie of the city
of Mans out of their hands: for so it happened, that diuers of the
chéefe rulers in that citie, and namelie diuerse spirituall persons,
meaning to reuolt to the Dolphins side, aduertised him by letters of
their whole minds, which letters were conueied vnto him by certeine
friers.
The Dolphin glad of those newes, appointed the lords de la Breth
and Faiet, marshals of France, accompanied with the lords of Mount
Iehan, of Buell, Doruall, Torsie, Beaumanor, the Hire, and his brother
Guilliam, with fiue hundred other valiant capteins and souldiers, to
the accomplishing of this enterprise; who comming thither at the daie
assigned, in the night season approched towards the walles, making
a little fire on an hill, in sight of the towne, to signifie their
comming, which perceiued by the citizens that néere to the great church
were watching for the same, a burning cresset was shewed out of the
stéeple, which suddenlie was put out and quenched. What néedeth manie
words?
[Sidenote: Mans lost by treason of the citizens.]
The capteins on horsseback came to the gate, the traitors within slue
the porters and watchmen, and let in their fréends, whereby the footmen
entered first, and the men of armes waited at the barriers, to the
intent that if néed required, they might fight it out in open field.
Hereby manie Englishmen were slaine, and a great crie and garboile
raised through the towne, as in such surprises is woont. The cause of
this mischéefe was not knowen to any, but onelie to the conspirators;
for the remnant of the citizens being no partakers, imagined, that the
Englishmen had made hauocke in the towne, and put all to the sword. The
Englishmen on the other side iudged, that the citizens had begun some
new rebellion against them, or else had striuen amongst themselues.
The earle of Suffolke, which was gouernour of the towne, hauing perfect
knowledge by such as scaped from the wals, how the matter went,
withdrew without any tarriance into the castell, which standeth at the
gate of saint Vincent, whereof was constable Thomas Gower esquier,
whither also fled manie Englishmen; so as for vrging the enimie, prease
of the number, and lacke of vittels, they could not haue indured long;
wherefore they priuilie sent a messenger to the lord Talbot, which
then laie at Alanson, certifieng him in how hard a case they were. The
lord Talbot hearing these newes, like a carefull capteine in all hast
assembled togither about seuen hundred men, & in the euening departed
from Alanson, so as in the morning he came to a castell called Guierch,
two miles from Mans, and there staied a while, till he had sent out
Matthew [9]Gough, as an espiall, to vnderstand how the Frenchmen
demeaned themselues.