was made known to the duchess and lords of Brittany, they were highly
incensed: in particular, the duchess was so grieved that it was with
difficulty she could be appeased. The whole of the nobility were
speedily assembled, with the duchess, in the town of Nantes, when
they solemnly resolved, on oath, to proceed to the deliverance of
the duke, and to make war on the count de Penthievre, and on all his
friends, allies, and wellwishers. They unanimously chose the lords de
Châteaubriant and de Rieux as their commanders, who instantly marched a
powerful force against Lamballe, which belonged to the count. It held
out for fifteen days, and then surrendered; and the castle and town,
which were strongly fortified, were destroyed, and the walls razed.
They thence marched to castle Andren, and to la Motte d'Ebron, which
were treated in the same manner.
They proceeded to lay siege to Chantoceau, in which was the old
countess de Penthievre. The governor was the lord de Bressieres, who
defended it well. This siege lasted three months, without much being
gained by the besiegers; for it was amply supplied with provision and
stores, and well garrisoned by good men at arms.
During this siege, a treaty was made, between the count and the duke,
who promised to restore all his places, as well those that had been
taken as those that had been demolished, and that he would not, by
himself or his friends, any way molest him for what he had done. When
this treaty had been concluded, and hostages given for its performance,
the count sent back the duke, escorted by the lord de l'Esgle his
brother.
The first act of the duke was to raise the siege of Chantoceau; but
when the barons of Brittany had again possession of their duke, they
refused to comply with the treaty he had made, and insisted that the
countess of Penthievre should depart from Chantoceau, and that the
place should be put into the hands of the duke.
A day of conference was appointed between the two parties, to see if
any terms could be thought of to put an end to these differences; and
the count promised to attend in person, giving his brother William as
an hostage for his keeping his promise: but he did not appear, having
had sure information, that if he did come, he would never return. In
truth, had he appeared, he would have been executed judicially, for it
had been so determined on by the three estates of the duchy; and they
told the duke, that if he meant to keep the treaty made with the count
de Penthievre, they would deprive him of the dukedom, and elect his
eldest son duke in his stead, so that he was obliged to comply with
their wills.
The count de Penthievre, on hearing these things, was much troubled,
and not without cause; for he knew that all his landed property and
lordships in Brittany were confiscated and in possession of the duke,
and that his brother remained as hostage in the hands of the duke,
without a possibility of his deliverance.
On the other hand, he was on bad terms with the dauphin, because he
would not give up to him the person of the duke of Brittany,--and was
not very safe as to himself; for he found few willing to support him.
To avoid greater inconveniences, he withdrew into the viscounty of
Limoges, and after some consultations with his brothers, departed
thence through the country of Auvergne to Lyon, and thence to Geneva
and Basil, on his way to his possessions at Avesnes in Hainault. As he
was travelling down the Rhine, he was arrested by the marquis of Baden,
by way of reprisal for the pillaging of some of his people in Hainault,
and was detained a long time prisoner. To obtain his liberty, it cost
him full thirty thousand crowns; after which, he went to Avesnes in
Hainault.
While he resided at Avesnes, the duke of Brittany sent some of his
people thither to arrest him, and put an iron chain round his neck.
They were under the conduct of the following breton gentlemen: sir
Roland de Saint Pol, sir John de Lumon, Jacquet de Faulermine, and
others; but they managed the matter with so little secresy that
their enterprise was known, and some were imprisoned. The rest saved
themselves by flight. The count was forced to surrender the prisoners
to the judicial court of Mons, and none were executed.
The count de Penthievre never returned to Brittany, but remained all
his days in Hainault, and married the daughter and heiress of the
lord de Quievrain, by whom, at his decease, he left several children,
who did not, however, live until of competent age, so that his estates
descended to his brother, the lord de l'Esgle.
CHAP. LII.
THE DAUPHINOIS RETAKE VILLENEUVE-LE-ROI.--THE LORD DE CHASTILLON
CONQUERS CHASTEAU-THIERRY, AND MAKES LA HIRE PRISONER.
In the month of February, the Dauphinois regained the town of
Villeneuve-le-Roi; but shortly after, the lord de l'Isle-Adam, with
others of the burgundian captains, quartered themselves in all the
adjoining villages, by way of blockading it. They, however, only
remained a certain time, and then decamped without subjecting the town
to their obedience, which caused the country around to suffer much. A
treaty was, however, made with the governor to allow provision to be
brought unmolested to Paris, on paying certain taxes, of which he was
to have his share.
At this same time, Château-Thierry, with its castle, was delivered
into the hands of the lord de Châtillon, though garrisoned by the
Dauphinois, by means of some of the inhabitants, in which La Hire and
many of his men were made prisoners, but were set at liberty afterward
on ransom.
During this period, the Dauphinois-garrisons at Meaux in Brie, at
Compiègne, Pierrefons, and on the borders of the Valois, destroyed all
the country round by their inroads, more especially the Beauvoisis, the
Vermandois, and Santerre. In like manner did those quartered in the
country of Guise to the inhabitants of Hainault, the Cambresis, and the
adjacent parts.
While these troubles lasted, from the year 1415 to 1420, the money
in France was greatly lowered in value, insomuch that a gold crown
from the king's mint was worth twenty-nine sols in the money of the
day, although it had been coined for eighteen sols parisis, which
very much affected those lords whose rents were payable in money, and
caused several law-suits between the parties, on account of the said
diminution of the coin, when a horse-load of wheat was worth from seven
to eight francs.
CHAP. LIII.
THE DAUPHIN IS SUMMONED BY THE PARLIAMENT TO APPEAR AT THE TABLE OF
MARBLE.--THE DUKE OF EXETER ARRESTS THE LORD DE L'ISLE-ADAM IN PARIS.
In this year, before king Henry left Paris to re-cross the sea, he
caused Charles duke of Touraine and dauphin to be summoned to appear
before the parliament at the table of marble, with all the usual
ceremonies and solemnities to answer for himself and his accomplices
to the charges made against him and them, respecting the murder of the
late John duke of Burgundy. And because he neither appeared himself,
nor sent any one, he was by the council and parliament publicly
banished the realm, and declared incapable of succeeding to any
lands or lordships, at present or in times to come,--and even to the
succession of the crown of France, notwithstanding he was the true and
lawful heir after the decease of his father king Charles, according to
the laws and usages of the realm.
From this sentence, he made an appeal to his sword. Numbers of the
Parisians were greatly pleased at his banishment, for they much feared
him.
The duke of Exeter, governor of Paris, for certain reasons best known
to himself, ordered the lord de l'Isle-Adam to be arrested by some of
his English, which caused a thousand or more of the commonalty of Paris
to rise in order to rescue him from those who were carrying him to the
Bastille. But the duke of Exeter sent six score combatants, the greater
part of whom were archers, to support them; and they by their arrows,
and by proclaiming that what they were about was by the king's order,
created so great an alarm, that the people retired to their houses,
and the lord de l'Isle-Adam remained prisoner to the king of England
so long as he lived. He would indeed have had him put to death, if the
duke of Burgundy had not greatly interested himself in his behalf.
CHAP. LIV.
THE DUKE OF CLARENCE IS DEFEATED BY THE DAUPHINOIS NEAR TO BAUGEY.--IN
THIS ENGAGEMENT, GREAT NUMBERS OF THE NOBLES AND GENTLEMEN OF EACH
PARTY ARE SLAIN.
The duke of Clarence, who had been appointed governor-general of all
Normandy on the departure of his brother king Henry for England,
marched his army, on Easter-eve, toward the country of Anjou, to combat
a large body of the Dauphinois under the command of the earl of Buchan,
constable to the dauphin, the lord de la Fayette and several others. It
happened, that on this day, the duke heard that his enemies were near
him at a town called Baugey in Anjou; on which, being very renowned in
arms, he instantly advanced thither a part of his force, particularly
almost all his captains, when a very severe and bloody conflict ensued.
The body of his army followed with much difficulty at a distance on
account of a dangerous river they had to ford.
On the other hand, the Dauphinois, who had been advertised of their
approach, fought so manfully that in the end they obtained the victory
over the English. The duke of Clarence, the earl of Kyme, the lord
Roos, marshal of England, and in general the flower of his chivalry
and esquiredom were left dead on the field, with two or three thousand
common men. The earls of Somerset and of Huntingdon, the count du
Perche, with two hundred others, were made prisoners.
The Dauphinois lost from a thousand to eleven hundred men: in the
number were a gallant knight called Charles le Bouteiller, sir John
Yvorin, Garin des Fontaines, sir John de Passavant, sir John de Bulle,
sir John Totavant, with other persons of note, amounting in the whole
to the number before specified. From that time forward, the affair of
this day was called the battle of Baugey.
The English were much cast down at this defeat, and particularly
lamented the death of the duke of Clarence, who was much beloved by
them for his valour and prudence. They, however, under the command
of the earl of Salisbury, recovered the body of the duke, which was
carried to Rouen, and thence transported to England, where it was
buried with great solemnity.[7]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 7: This battle took place on Easter-eve 1421. The duke of
Clarence's remains were recovered by his son John, bastard of Clarence,
and interred in the cathedral church at Canterbury,--the duke having by
his will, dated July 1417, directed that his body should be buried at
the feet of that of his father, king Henry IV.
The lady Margaret Holland, daughter to Thomas Holland earl of Kent,
married first to John Beaufort earl of Somerset, and secondly to Thomas
duke of Clarence, had a splendid tomb erected over his body in her life
time. She died in December 1440.]
[A.D. 1421.]
CHAP. LV.
THE DAUPHINOIS ADVANCE TO ALENÇON: THE ENGLISH MARCH THITHER
ALSO.--THE MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF ALENÇON,--AND OTHER MATTERS.
At the beginning of this year, after the death of the duke of Clarence,
the Dauphinois, elated with their victory at Baugey, assembled a large
force to besiege Alençon, and in fact lodged themselves very near to
the walls, combating the garrison with all their might.
The English, notwithstanding their grief at their late loss, detached
parties from their different garrisons in Normandy, under the command
of the earl of Salisbury, to Alençon, to offer battle to the enemy,
and force them to raise the siege. But the Dauphinois having had, as
before, intelligence of their motions, drew up in battle-array before
their quarters, with every appearance of courage. When the English
perceived how numerous they were, they retreated to the abbey of
Bec, but not without losing, in killed and taken, from two to three
hundred men, for they were pursued as far as the abbey. The Dauphinois,
however, finding they could not gain Alençon without great loss of men,
marched away, leaving every thing behind them, and returned to Anjou
and Dreux.
In these days, a marriage was concluded between the duke of Alençon and
the only daughter of the duke of Orleans, a prisoner in England. It was
celebrated at the town of Blois, and had been chiefly brought about by
the dauphin, to whom she was niece, and the duke of Brittany, uncle to
the duke of Alençon.
When news of the death of the duke of Clarence reached king Henry in
England, he was greatly troubled thereat, as well as at the loss of
his other nobles and men, and hastened his preparations to return with
an army to France, to take vengeance on the Dauphinois, who had thus
grieved him at heart.
CHAP. LVI.
SIR JAMES DE HARCOURT BEGINS A WAR ON THE VASSALS AND COUNTRIES OF THE
DUKE OF BURGUNDY.--THE INCONVENIENCES THAT ARISE FROM THIS CONDUCT.
About this time, sir James de Harcourt, who resided at Crotoy, whence,
as has been said, he made war on the English, abstained from having any
communication with the duke of Burgundy, or with those of his party:
he even seized in the port of Estaples a vessel laden with corn, that
belonged to sir Hemon de Bouberch, who was attached to the duke of
Burgundy. Because he refused to restore it, on being summoned, a sudden
war broke out between them, very prejudicial to the whole country of
Ponthieu and the adjoining parts.
Sir Hemon, in revenge, went and made his complaints to sir William
Balledo, lieutenant of Calais, who instantly collected soldiers from
the county of Guines, and from his garrison, and carried them by sea to
Crotoy,--when, having burnt all the vessels and boats in the harbour,
he returned to Calais.
In return for this enterprise, sir James forced an entrance into many
of the towns of sir Hemon, which he completely plundered, and carried
away the pillage to his garrisons of Noyelle and Crotoy.
Shortly after, sir Hemon did the same to the towns of sir James de
Harcourt, and the war was carried on with such bitterness that the
whole of that country suffered greatly; for sir James, to strengthen
himself, obtained reinforcements of men at arms from Compiègne and
elsewhere. He also formed an alliance with many of the nobles of Vimeu
and Ponthieu, with the lord de Rambures, Louis de Vaucourt, le bon de
Saveuses, Perceval de Houdent, Pierre Quieret, governor of D'araines,
and with many others.
Sir James, by this means, gained possession of several towns and
castles, such as the town of St Riquier, the castle of la Ferté, and
of Drugy, the island and castle of Pont de Remy, the fortresses of
D'araines, Diaucourt, and Moreul: on the side of the country toward
St Valery, Rambures, Gamaches, and some others, into which, by the
exertions of sir James, parties of the Dauphinois gained admittance,
who began to make open war on the duke of Burgundy and his adherents,
to the ruin of the country. The town of St Riquier, however, did not
submit to sir James, until the king Henry had crossed from England to
France, as you shall hear.
CHAP. LVII.
KING HENRY OF ENGLAND RETURNS TO FRANCE WITH A POWERFUL ARMY TO COMBAT
THE DAUPHIN, WHO HAD BESIEGED CHARTRES.
When king Henry had settled the government of England during his
absence, and when his army was advanced to Canterbury, having received
pay for eight months, he came to Dover; and thence, and at the
neighbouring ports, he and his army embarked at day-break, on the feast
of St Barbara, and that same day arrived in the harbour of Calais at
two o'clock in the afternoon.
The king disembarked from his vessel and was lodged in the castle of
Calais; the others landed also, and were quartered in the town and the
adjacent parts, according to the orders of the king and his harbingers.
Shortly after, when the vessels were unladen, they were discharged,
and ordered back by the king to England. It was estimated by competent
judges that from three to four thousand men at arms disembarked that
day, and full twenty-four thousand archers.
On the morrow of the feast of St Barbara, the king sent the earl of
Dorset and the lord Clifford to the assistance of his uncle the duke of
Exeter and the Parisians, who were much straitened for provisions by
the garrisons of the Dauphinois that surrounded Paris. They had under
their command twelve hundred combatants, and, avoiding all the ambushes
of the enemy, rode hastily forward to Paris, where they were joyfully
received by the inhabitants, by reason of the intelligence they brought
of the king of England being at Calais, to whom they had sent several
messages before he left England.
The dauphin had now a considerable army, which he marched toward
Chartres; and the towns of Bonneval and Galardon, with other castles,
surrendered to him, which he regarrisoned, and then fixed his quarters
as near to Chartres as possible, and encompassed it on all sides. It
was defended by the bastard de Thian and other captains, who had been
dispatched thither in haste from Paris for that purpose.
The dauphin's army was supposed to consist of from six to seven
thousand having leg-armour, four thousand cross-bows and six thousand
archers, and this statement was sent to the king of England by those
who had seen them. The Dauphinois erected many engines to batter the
walls and gates, which did some mischief; but as the inhabitants were
assured of being speedily relieved by king Henry, they were not under
any alarm at their attacks.
CHAP. LVIII.
THE KING OF ENGLAND MARCHES FROM CALAIS, THROUGH ABBEVILLE, TO
BEAUVAIS, AND THENCE TO MANTES, WHERE THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY MEETS HIM.
When king Henry had remained some days in Calais on account of
business, he departed in haste; for he had received pressing
solicitations from his uncle the duke of Exeter and the Parisians that
he would succour Chartres. Taking his march by the sea side, he was
lodged at the hôtel of the Crown in Montrieul, and his army quartered
in the low lands near it. Philip duke of Burgundy had arrived there the
preceding day to confer with the king; but as he was confined with a
fever, and unable to mount his horse, he sent sir John de Luxembourg,
with all his chivalry, to meet the king, and make his excuses for not
coming himself in person.
They remained for three days in this town to confer at leisure on the
present state of affairs. They departed together, and went to lodge
at Douvast in Ponthieu. As they marched near to Montenay, the king of
England ordered the tower, house and mill of sir James de Harcourt to
be burnt.
The king was desirous of crossing the Somme at Abbeville, and the duke
of Burgundy advanced to that town to negotiate the king's passage,
which was obtained, but very unwillingly, on the duke promising that
every expense should be fully discharged.
While the duke was absent, the king and his nobles amused themselves
in hunting in the forest of Cressy, and the following day fixed their
quarters at St Riquier, near to which place was a small fort called
La Ferté, garrisoned by about sixty of sir James de Harcourt's men,
under the command of the bastard de Bellay, who, on a formal summons,
surrendered the place.
A gentleman of the country, called Nycaise de Boufflers, was appointed
by the king and the duke governor, who shortly after yielded it to the
Dauphinois (as will be hereafter related), by whom it had before been
held.
From St Riquier, king Henry came to Abbeville, where he was most
honourably received, and many handsome presents were made him, in
compliment to the duke of Burgundy. The army and baggage passed very
peaceably through the town; and on the morrow, when all the expenses
had been paid, the king took leave of the duke, on his promising that
he would speedily join him with his whole force.
King Henry continued his march through Beauvais and Gisors, to the
castle of Vincennes, where were the king and queen of France, whom he
saluted most respectfully, and was by them received with great joy.
Thither came his uncle the duke of Exeter, with several of the council
of the king of France, and many conferences were held on the present
state of the kingdom.
Among other things, it was ordered, that the florettes, a coin of the
king, which was current for sixteen deniers, should be reduced to
three deniers; but when this ordinance was proclaimed throughout the
kingdom, it created great murmurings against the ministers among the
commonalty of Paris, and in other places, but without obtaining any
redress. Their murmurings were soon after much increased by the coin
being still lowered in currency.
The king of England now assembled a very large army; and in conjunction
with that he had brought with him from England, he marched toward
Mantes to offer battle to the dauphin, who had been already seven weeks
before Chartres. He sent to the duke of Burgundy to join him instantly
with as many men as he could raise, that he might be in time for the
day of battle. The duke made all haste to comply, and advanced to
the town of Amiens with about three thousand combatants, and thence,
marching through Beauvais and Gisors, came to the town of Mantes. He,
however, left his army at a large village, and went himself, with few
attendants, to wait on the king of England, who was well pleased with
his diligence.
In the interim, the dauphin, when he was informed of the great army
that was marching against him, broke up his siege of Chartres, and
retreated to Tours.
When the king and the duke of Burgundy had held several councils on
their further proceedings, it was agreed, that the duke should return
to Picardy to oppose the Dauphinois, who were doing great mischief
there by means of the influence of sir James de Harcourt.
CHAP. LIX.
THE LORD D'OFFEMONT ENTERS ST RIQUIER.--THE ADVENTURE OF THE LORD DE
COHEN, GOVERNOR OF ABBEVILLE.--OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THESE
TIMES.
During the time that the duke of Burgundy was on his march, and when
he was with the king of England, the lord d'Offemont and Poton de
Saintrailles collected about twelve hundred horse, and, passing through
Vimeu, crossed the Somme at Blanchetaque, where they were met by sir
James de Harcourt: they thence proceeded to St Riquier, and gained
admittance into the town through the influence of sir James.
They treated successfully with Nycaise de Boufflers for the surrender
of the castle of La Ferté, which was given up to them, as was that of
Drugy, belonging to the abbot of St Riquier. When they had established
themselves in these places, they overran the adjacent country, and
even sailed on the river Canche, to a large village called Conchy, and
completely burnt the whole, together with a very handsome church, into
which the principal inhabitants had retreated with their effects, the
greater part of whom were led prisoners to St Riquier.
In another part, the strong fort of Dourier proudly seated on the river
Authie, was surrendered to Poton de Santrailles; and, by means of this
acquisition, the town and neighbourhood of Montrieul were greatly
harrassed.
The duke of Burgundy heard, on his return with his army, at a town
called Croissy, that the lord d'Offemont and Poton de Santrailles had
gained possession of St Riquier, and how they were proceeding. On this
he assembled his council; and it was determined that men at arms should
be summoned from all parts, and cross-bowmen from the towns under the
dominion of the king of France, that St Riquier might be besieged.
With this intent he went to Amiens, and solicited succours, which were
granted to him. He thence dispatched his messengers to different towns,
to make similar requests: the greater part of them promised to serve
him liberally.
When the duke departed from Amiens, he went through Dourlens, to fix
his quarters at Auxi, on the river Authie, within three leagues of
Saint Riquier. He was there rejoined by sir John de Luxembourg, who had
been detached with a certain number of combatants, through Dourmart
in Ponthieu, toward St Riquier, to make inquiry as to the number and
situation of the Dauphinois.