Chamberleine, sir William Peito, and sir William Storie, with a
thousand men, were sent to stuffe the townes in Normandie, which at
that time had therof great néed: for the English capteins had small
confidence in the Normans, and not too much in some of their own
nation. For that harlot briberie, with hir fellow couetousnesse,
ran so fast abroad with French crownes, that hard was it to remaine
vncorrupted. In this yeare, the Dolphin of France alied with Iohn duke
of Alanson and Iohn duke of Burgognie, rebelled against his father king
Charles: but in the end, by wise persuasions, and wittie handling of
the matter, the knot of that seditious faction was dissolued, and the
king with his sonne, and the other confederates openlie and apparantlie
pacified. The Englishmen taking aduantage of this domesticall diuision
in France, raised an armie, and recouered againe diuerse townes,
which had béene surprised from them before, and prepared also to haue
recouered the citie of Paris, till they hard of the agréement betwixt
the father and the sonne, and then they left off that enterprise.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 18.]
[Sidenote: Ponthoise recouered by the English.]
In Nouember of this yeare, there was such a great frost, and after that
so déepe a snow, that all the ground was couered therwith, and all
the diches frosen. Which wether put the Englishmen in hope to recouer
againe the towne of Ponthoise, by the French king gotten before,
by corrupting with monie diuerse burgesses of the towne. Hervpon
the Englishmen clothed all in white, with Iohn lord Clifford their
capteine, came in the night to the diches, passed them without danger
by reason of the frost, scaled the walles, slue the watch, and tooke
the towne, with manie profitable prisoners. ¶ After the regaining of
this towne, the lord Richard Beauchampe earle of Warwike died in the
castell of Rone, from whence conueied into England, he was with solemne
ceremonies buried at his college of Warwike, in a verie faire and
sumptuous sepulchre.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 19.]
[Sidenote: _Enguerant._]
About the beginning of Lent, the duke of Summerset, and the lord
Talbot, with other capteins and men of warre to the number of two
thousand, which they had assembled in the marches of Normandie towards
Rone, marching forward towards Picardie, passed ouer the riuer of
Seine; and through the towne of Monteruell, came before the fortresse
of Folleuile, which the duke besieged, whilest the lord Talbot entered
further into the countrie. After that the duke had mounted his great
artillerie, and began to batter the hold, the capteine within chanced
to be slaine with a shot of the same artillerie, & shortlie after,
the batterie being still continued, the rest of the men of warre that
serued vnder him yéelded the place, in which the duke left a competent
garrison of souldiers, which afterwards sore indamaged the countrie.
This doone, the duke followed the lord Talbot, who was alreadie entered
a good waie within the countrie of Santhois, and now ioining their
powers togither, they came to a fortresse called Lihons in Santhois,
which was also rendered vnto them, after they had burnt the church;
which the countrie people kept against them, and would not yéeld
it, till they were fired out, burnt, and slaine; to the number of
thrée hundred. After the fortresse was deliuered into their hands
by composition, the duke with his power laie there about ten daies,
sending diuerse troops of his men of warre abroad into the countrie,
which spoiled the same, tooke the fortresse of Herbonneres, and the
lord thereof within it, who for his ransome, and to haue his subiects
and house saued from spoile and fire, compounded with his takers for
a thousand saluz of gold, which he paid to them. Finallie, after the
duke of Summerset, and the lord Talbot with their power, had laine in
Lihons about ten daies, they departed from thence, and returned into
Normandie, without anie impeachment.
[Sidenote: 1441]
[Sidenote: The duke of Yorke againe made regent of France.]
[Sidenote: Ponthoise besieged by the French king, but valiantlie
defended.]
After the death of the earle of Warwike, the duke of Yorke was againe
made regent of France, which accompanied with the earle of Oxenford,
the lord Bourchier called earle of Ewe, sir Iames of Ormond, the lord
Clinton, sir Richard Wooduile, & diuerse other noble men, sailed
into Normandie. Before whose ariuall, the French king sore gréeued
with the taking of the towne of Ponthoise, assembled a great armie,
and besieged the said towne himselfe in person, inuironing it with
bastiles, trenches, and ditches, beating the walles and bulworks with
shot of great ordinance, and giuing therevnto diuerse great and fierce
assaults. But Iohn lord Clifford, like a valiant capteine, defended the
towne so manfullie, that the Frenchmen rather lost than woone.
The duke of Yorke at his landing receiued true aduertisement of this
siege, wherevpon he sent for the lord Talbot, and a great number of
soldiers, and so came néere to the towne of Ponthoise, and there
incamped himselfe; who therewith sent word to the French king, that
thither he was come to giue him battell, if he would come out of his
strength and bastiles. But the French king by aduise of his councell,
determined not to venture his person with men of so base degrée, but
meant to kéepe his ground, bidding the lord regent to enter at his
perill, and in the meane season did what he could to stop the passage
of the riuer of Oise, so that no vittels should be brought to the
English armie by that waie, in hope so to cause them to recule backe.
[Sidenote: A policie for a bridge.]
The duke of Yorke, perceiuing that the French king minded not to fight,
purposed to passe ouer the riuer of Oise, and so to fight with him in
his lodging. Whervpon he remooued his campe, and appointed the lord
Talbot and other, to make a countenance, as they would passe the riuer
by force at the port of Beaumont: and appointed an other companie in
boates of timber and leather, and bridges made of cords and ropes
(whereof he had great plentie caried with him in chariots) to passe
ouer beneath the abbie. Whilest the lord Talbot made a crie, as though
he would assault the gate, certeine Englishmen passed the water in
botes, and drew a bridge of cords ouer, so that a great number of them
were got to the other side, yer the Frenchmen were aduised what had
happened. When they saw the chance, they ran like mad men, to haue
stopped the passage, but it was too late: for the most part of the
Englishmen were got ouer, in so much that they chased their enimies
backe, and slue sir Guilliam de Chastell, nephue to the lord Taneguie
du Chastell, and diuerse others.
[Sidenote: _Enguerant de Monstrellet._]
[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall._]
The Frenchmen séeing their euill hap irrecouerable, returned to the
French king, and told him what had chanced: wherevpon he doubting to
be assailed to his disaduantage, thought not good longer to tarrie,
but with all spéed remoouing his ordinance into the bastile of
saint Martin, which he had newlie made, dislodged in the night from
Maubuisson, and went to Poissie, leauing the lord de Cotignie admerall
of France, with thrée thousand men to kéepe the bastile. If he had
taried still at Maubuisson, the lord Talbot which had passed the riuer
of Oise in two small leather botes, had either taken or slaine him the
same night. The Englishmen the next daie in good order of battell came
before the towne of Ponthoise, thinking there to haue found the French
king, but he was gone: and in his lodging they found great riches, and
much stuffe which he could not haue space for to carrie awaie for feare
of the sudden inuasion.
Then the duke with his power entred into the towne, and sent for new
vittels, and repaired the towers and bulworks about the towne, &
diuerse times assaulted the bastile of the Frenchmen, of the which
he made no great accompt, bicause they were not of power either to
assault or stop the vittels or succors from the towne. After this,
the duke intending once againe to offer the French king battell, left
behind him at Ponthoise for capteine there, sir Geruais Clifton,
sir Nicholas Burdet, Henrie Chandos, and a thousand soldiers, and
therewith remoouing with his whole armie, came before Poissie, where
he set himselfe and his men in good order of battell readie to fight.
There issued out some of the French gentlemen to skirmish with the
Englishmen, but to their losse: for diuerse of them were slaine, and
foure valiant horssemen taken prisoners. The duke perceiuing the faint
hearts of the Frenchmen, and that they durst not incounter in field
with the English power, dislodged from Poissie, and came to Maunt, and
soone after to Rone.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 20.]
[Sidenote: Ponthoise gotten by the French.]
[Sidenote: _Enguerant._]
[Sidenote: Sir Nicholas Burdet slaine.]
When the regent and the lord Talbot were returned againe into
Normandie, the French king considering how much it should redound
to his dishonour to let rest the towne of Ponthoise in his enimies
hands, sith he had béene at such charges and trauell about the winning
thereof, he eftsoones assembled all his puissance. And returning
suddenlie vnto Ponthoise, he first by assault got the church, and after
the whole towne, tooke the capteine, and diuerse other Englishmen, and
slue to the number of foure hundred, which sold their liues dearelie:
for one French writer affirmeth, that the French king lost there thrée
thousand men; and the whole garrison of the Englishmen was but onelie
a thousand. Among other that were slaine here of the defendants, was
sir Nicholas Burdet knight, chéefe butler of Normandie. After this
hot tempest, the weather began somewhat to wax more calme: for king
Henrie and king Charles agréed to send ambassadors to commen of some
good conclusion of peace: so that king Henrie sent the cardinall of
Winchester, with diuerse other noble personages of his councell to
Calis, with whome was also sent Charles duke of Orleance yet prisoner
in England, to the intent that he might be both author of the peace,
and also procurer of his owne deliuerance.
The French king sent the archbishop of Reimes, and the earle of Dunois:
and the duke of Burgognie sent the lord de Creuecueur, and diuerse
other. All these met at Calis, where the duke of Orleance courteouslie
receiued the earle of Dunois (his bastard brother) thanking him
greatlie for his paines taken in gouerning his lands & countrie,
during the time of his captiuitie and absence. Diuerse communications
were had, as well for the deliuerance of the duke as for a finall
peace; but nothing was concluded, sauing that an other méeting was
appointed, so that in the meane season the demands of either partie
might be declared to their souereigne lords and maisters: and herevpon
the commissioners brake vp their assemblie, and returned into their
countries. The Englishmen (as the French writers record) required not
onelie to possesse peaceablie the two duches of Aquitane and Normandie,
discharged of all resort, superioritie, and souereigntie against the
realme of France, the kings and gouernours of the same; but also to
be restored to all the townes, cities, and places, which they within
thirtie yéeres next before gone and past, had conquered in the realme
of France. Which request the Frenchmen thought verie vnreasonable,
and so both parties, minding rather to gaine or saue than to loose,
departed for that time, as yée haue heard.
After this méeting thus proroged, Philip duke of Burgognie, partlie
mooued in conscience to make amends to Charles duke of Orleance (as
yet prisoner in England for the death of duke Lewes his father), whome
duke Iohn, father to this duke Philip cruellie murthered in the citie
of Paris; and partlie intending the aduancement of his néece, the
ladie Marie, daughter to Adolfe duke of Cleue (by the which aliance, he
trusted, that all old rancor should ceasse), contriued waies to haue
the said duke of Orleance set at libertie, vpon promise by him made
to take the said ladie Marie vnto wife. This duke had béene prisoner
in England euer since the battell was fought at Agincourt, vpon the
daie of Crispine and Crispinian, in the yeare 1415, and was set now at
libertie in the moneth of Nouember, in the yeare 1440, paieng for his
ransome foure hundred thousand crownes, though other saie but thrée
hundred thousand.
The cause whie he was detained so long in captiuitie, was to pleasure
thereby the duke of Burgognie: for so long as the duke of Burgognie
continued faithfull to the king of England, it was not thought
necessarie to suffer the duke of Orleance to be ransomed, least vpon
his deliuerance he would not ceasse to séeke meanes to be reuenged vpon
the duke of Burgognie, for the old grudge and displeasure betwixt their
two families, and therefore such ransome was demanded for him as he
was neuer able to pay. But after the duke of Burgognie had broken his
promise, and was turned to the French part, the councell of the king
of England deuised how to deliuer the duke of Orleance, that thereby
they might displeasure the duke of Burgognie. Which thing the duke of
Burgognie perceiuing, doubted what might follow if he were deliuered
without his knowledge, and therefore to his great cost practised his
deliuerance, paid his ransome, and ioined with him amitie and aliance
by mariage of his néece.
[Sidenote: The duke of Orleance deliuered.]
[Sidenote: Lewes the twelfe.]
[Sidenote: _W. P._]
This duke being now deliuered, and speaking better English than French,
after his arriuall in France, repaired to the duke of Burgognie, and
according to his promise and conuention, maried the ladie Marie of
Cleue, in the towne of saint Omers, on whome he begat a sonne, which
after was French king, and called Lewes the twelfe. [Festered sores
that rankle inward, as they may perchance be palliat by sleight of
surgerie; so sildome come they to sound cure, but often doo burst out
againe to greater paine and perill of patient than euer afore: and so
befell it betwéene these two noble houses of Orleance and Burgognie,
who for all this mariage and plausible peace (that continued a twentie
yeares) fell out yet after at square vnattonablie:] their children
and cousins, to the great vnquietting of much part of christendome,
speciallie in the times of king Francis the first, and his sonne
Henrie the second, heires of the house of Orleance. For Iohn earle of
Angolesme, vncle to this duke Charles, begat Charles, father to the
said king Francis: which earle Iohn had béene as pledge in England
for the debt of Lewes duke of Orleance, from the last yeare of king
Henrie the fourth; till that now his nephue being deliuered, made shift
for monie, and ransomed him also, and at length restored him to his
countrie.
In the beginning of this twentith yeare, Richard duke of Yorke, regent
of France, and gouernour of Normandie, determined to inuade the
territories of his enimies both by sundrie armies, and in seuerall
places, and therevpon without delaie of time he sent the lord of
Willoughbie with a great crue of soldiers to destroie the countrie
of Amiens, and Iohn lord Talbot was appointed to besiege the towne
of Diepe; and the regent himselfe accompanied with Edmund duke of
Summerset, set forward into the duchie of Aniou. The lord Willoughbie,
according to his commission, entred into the countrie of his enimies in
such wise vpon the sudden, that a great number of people were taken yer
they could withdraw into anie place of safegard.
[Sidenote: Earle of saint Paule fréend to the English.]
The Frenchmen in the garrisons adioining, astonied with the clamour
and crie of the poore people, issued out in good order, and manfullie
fought with the Englishmen. But in the end, the Frenchmen séeing their
fellowes in the forefront slaine downe, and kild without mercie, turned
their backes, and fled: the Englishmen followed, and slue manie in the
chase; and such as escaped the sword, were robbed by the earle of saint
Paule, who was comming to aid the Englishmen. In this conflict were
slaine aboue six hundred men of armes, and a great number taken. The
dukes of Yorke and Summerset likewise entered into Aniou and Maine,
and there destroied townes, and spoiled the people, and with great
preies and prisoners repaired againe into Normandie, whither also the
lord Willoughbie withdrew, after his valiant enterprise atchiued (as
before yée haue heard) with rich spoiles and good prisoners.
[Sidenote: This should be as _Enguerant_ noteth two yeares after this
present yere 19, to wit, _An._ 1440.]
The duke of Summerset vpon further valiance, entered into the marches
of Britaine, and tooke by fierce assault a towne named la Gerche,
appertaining to the duke Alanson, spoiling and burning the same. This
doone, he went to Ponzaic, where he soiorned two moneths, sending
foorth dailie his men of war to destroie the countries of Aniou,
Traonnois, and Chatragonnois. The French king sent the marshall
Loiach with foure thousand men to resist the inuasions of the duke
of Summerset, which marshall intended to haue set on the duke in his
lodgings in the dead time of the night: but that (as by a wise and
hardie capteine) well foreséene, he marched forward, and met the
Frenchmen halfe the waie, and after long fight, discomfited them,
slue an hundred of the marshals men, and tooke thrée score and two
prisoners, wherof the chéefe were the lord Dausignie, sir Lewes de
Buell, all the other (almost) were knights and esquiers.
[Sidenote: Thrée thousand hath _Nicholas Giles_.]
After this incounter, the duke tooke the towne of Beaumont le vicount,
and manned all the fortresses on the frontiers of his enimies, and
with rich booties and prisoners returned againe to the duke of Yorke.
In this meane time the lord Talbot, besieging the towne of Diepe,
inuironed it with déepe trenches; building also vpon the mount Paulet
a strong and noisome bastile. But at length perceiuing the towne to be
stronglie defended, and that he lacked such furniture of men, vittels
and ordinance as was necessarie for the winning of it, he deliuered
the custodie of the bastile, with the gouernance of the siege to his
bastard sonne, a valiant yoong gentleman, and departed to Rone for aid,
monie, and munition. The French king aduertised hereof, sent his sonne
the Dolphin of Vienne with the earle of Dunois, and fiftéene thousand
men to raise the siege from Diepe.
[Sidenote: The earle of saint Paule reuolteth to the French.]
Thrée daies they assailed the bastile, in the which six hundred
Englishmen were inclosed, and at length bicause powder and weapon
failed them within, the Frenchmen wan it, and tooke the bastard Talbot
prisoner, with sir William Peitow, and sir Iohn Repleie, which shortlie
after were redéemed. The other English souldiers séeing the bastile
woone by the Frenchmen, stood all a daie in good order of battell, and
in the night following, politikelie saued themselues and returned to
Rone, without losse or damage. In the assaulting of the bastile, the
Frenchmen saie, they slue two hundred Englishmen; and denie not but
that they lost fiue hundred of their owne men, beside those that were
hurt. Whilest these things were a dooing, Philip duke of Burgognie made
sharpe warre against the earle of saint Paule, in taking from him his
townes and castels, that made him to renounce his allegiance swoorne
and promised to the king of England, and returned to the French part.
[Sidenote: 1441.]
[Sidenote: Tartas besieged.]
The English capteins in Guien besieged the strong towne of Tartas,
belonging to the lord Dalbreth their old and ancient enimie. The towne
perceiuing that it was not able to resist the force of the Englishmen
anie long time, tooke appointment, that the towne should remaine
neuter. For assurance therof, they deliuered Cadet the sonne of the
lord de la Breth in pledge, vpon this condition; that if the said
lord de la Breth would not assent to the agréement, then he should
signifie his refusall to the English capteins within thrée moneths next
insuing, and he to haue his pledge, and they to doo their best. The
French king, at the request of the lords of Guien, caused the lord de
la Breth to signifie his disagréement vnto the earle of Huntington,
as then lieutenant to the king of England in the duchie of Aquitaine.
And therewith to gratifie the lords of Guien, he assembled an armie of
thréescore thousand men, & came to Tholouse, and so to Tartas, to whome
the chéefteins of the towne, séeing no succours comming from the king
of England, rendred the towne: and Cadet de la Breth, which was left
there as a pledge, was also deliuered.
[Sidenote: The change in warre.]
The French king, after the yéelding of Tartas, remooued to saint
Seuerine, which towne he tooke by force, slue thrée hundred persons,
and tooke sir Thomas Rampston prisoner. After this, he came to the
citie of Arques, tooke a bulworke by force, and had the towne yéelded
to him by composition. The capteine, which was the lord of Montferrant,
departed with all the English crue to Burdeaux, where he found the
earle of Longuile, the Capdau de Beufe, and sir Thomas Rampston, which
was a little before deliuered. After this, the fortresses of the Rioll
and Mermandie were also yéelded to the French king: who notwithstanding
at length was constreined for lacke of vittels (which were cut off by
the Englishmen that laie abroad in diuerse fortresses for the purpose)
to breake vp his armie, & to retire into France. And then after his
departure, the Englishmen recouered againe the citie of Arques, &
the other townes by the French king gained, and tooke prisoner his
lieutenant called Reginald Guilliam the Burgognion, and manie other
gentlemen, and all the meane souldiers were either slaine or hanged.
[Sidenote: The lord Talbot.]
[Sidenote: The earle of Dunois.]
[Sidenote: An excellent finesse in warre.]
While the French king was in Guien, the lord Talbot tooke the towne of
Couchet, and after marched toward Galliardon, which was besieged by
the bastard of Orleance, otherwise called the earle of Dunois: which
earle hearing of the lord Talbots approch, raised his siege, and saued
himselfe. The Frenchmen a little before this season, had taken the
towne of Eureux by treason of a fisher. Sir Francis the Arragonois
hearing of that chance, apparelled six strong fellowes, like men of the
countrie, with sacks and baskets, as cariers of corne and vittels, and
sent them to the castell of Cornill, in the which diuerse Englishmen
were kept as prisoners, and he with an ambush of Englishmen laie in a
vallie nigh to the fortresse.
The six counterfet husbandmen entered the castell vnsuspected, and
streight came to the chamber of the capteine, & laieng hands on him,
gave knowledge to them that laie in ambush to come to their aid. The
which suddenlie made foorth, and entered the castell, slue and tooke
all the Frenchmen, and set the Englishmen at libertie: which thing
doone, they set fire in the castell, and departed to Rone with their
bootie and prisoners. This exploit they had not atchiued peraduenture
by force (as happilie they mistrusted) and therefore by subtiltie
and deceit sought to accomplish it, which meanes to vse in warre
is tollerable, so the same warre be lawfull; though both fraud &
bloudshed otherwise be forbidden euen by the instinct of nature to be
put in practise and vse; and that dooth the poet insinuat in a proper
sententious verse, saieng:
[Sidenote: _Ouid. 1. de art._]
Fraus absit, vacuas cædis habete manus.
[Sidenote: A new breach betwéene the duke of Glocester, and the bishop
of Winchester.]
But now to speake somewhat of the dooings in England in the meane time.
Whilest the men of war were thus occupied in martiall feates, and
dailie skirmishes, within the realme of France: ye shall vnderstand,
that after the cardinall of Winchester, and the duke of Glocester,
were (as it séemed) reconciled either to other, yet the cardinall, and
the archbishop of Yorke ceassed not to doo manie things without the
consent of the king or of the duke, being (during the minoritie of
the king) gouernor and protector of the realme, whereas the duke (as
good cause he had) greatlie offended, therevpon in writing declared
to the king, wherein the cardinall and the archbishop had offended
both his maiestie, and the lawes of the realme. This complaint of
the duke of Glocester was conteined in foure and twentie articles,
which chieflie rested, in that the cardinall had from time to time,
through his ambitious desire to surmount all others in high degrées
of honor and dignitie, sought to inrich himselfe, to the great and
notorious hinderance of the king, as in defrauding him not onelie
of his treasure, but also in dooing and practising things greatlie
preiudiciall to his affaires in France, and namelie by setting at
libertie the king of Scots, vpon so easie conditions, as the kings
maiestie greatlie lost thereby as in particularities thus followeth.
A complaint made to king Henrie the sixt, by the duke of Glocester,
vpon the cardinall of Winchester.
[Sidenote: _Ex Ed. Hall._ 143, 144, 145, 146.]