to Compiègne, with the intent of marching to the succour of D'airaines.
Their leaders were, the lord de Gamaches, the lord de Moy and Poton
de Saintrailles, and their force amounted to from eight hundred to a
thousand men. They first advanced to Pierrepont, which belonged to the
vidame of Amiens; and although its outworks had strong hedges, and
ditches full of water, they formed a lodgement therein, and made an
attack on the fortress, but it was too well defended by those on guard.
While they were thus occupied at Pierrepont, news was brought of their
proceedings to sir John de Luxembourg, at the siege of D'airaines.
He advised with his principal nobles, and then detached some of the
captains, with a thousand combatants, to meet these Dauphinois. The
commanders of the detachment were, sir Hugh de Launoy, master of the
cross-bows of France, sir Raoul le Bouteiller, an Englishman, le borgne
de Fosseux knight, the lord de Saveuses, and others expert in arms.
They lay the first night at Coucy, and on the morrow, very early,
advanced to Moreul, where they heard that the Dauphinois were still in
Pierrepont. They, in consequence, marched in very handsome array to
meet them; but the Dauphinois, having heard of the near approach of
their enemies, mounted their horses, and, after setting fire to their
quarters, drew up in order of battle above Mondidier. The English
and Burgundians traversed the town of Pierrepont as speedily as they
could, but were much delayed by the fire, and formed themselves in
battle-array fronting the enemy.
On this occasion many new knights were made on the part of the
Burgundians, namely, le bègue de Launoy, Anthony de Reubempré, James
de Brimeu, Robert Fritel, Gilles de Hardecourt, Matthew de Landas,
Philip du Bos, John de Beauvoir, Waleran de Fieses, Framet de la
Tramerie, and many more. Much skirmishing took place between them, in
which several men at arms were unhorsed and severely wounded or slain:
during this the burgundian and english infantry remained inactive, and
the Dauphinois galloped away in good order toward Compiègne, forming a
rear guard of their ablest men for their security.
The Burgundians, seeing this, dispatched the lord de Saveuses with a
certain number of men at arms, to pursue and check them, while the main
body kept advancing after them as fast as they could. The Dauphinois,
however, were panic-struck, and made their escape with a trifling loss
of seven or eight men, who were killed on the first onset: in the
number was a gallant man at arms, called Brunet de Gamaches. On the
side of the Burgundians, an old man from Auxerre, named Breton d'Ailly,
who for a long time had not followed the wars, was slain, and a few
others.
The English and Burgundians now returned to their quarters at Moreul
and other villages, and thence to sir John de Luxembourg at the siege
of D'airaines. The besieged were informed of the fate of the succour
intended them, and that there was no hope of being relieved, which
induced them to accede to a treaty, by which they were to surrender the
castles, and to have permission to march unhurt, with their baggage,
under passports from sir John de Luxembourg, to Compiègne, Crotoy,
Gamaches, St Valery, or to any other places within their obedience from
the river Seine to Crotoy.
The garrison consisted of about one hundred men at arms, and as many
archers, under the command of sir Cocquart de Cambronne and John Sarpe.
The two castles, when surrendered, were found full of stores and
provision; but sir John de Luxembourg destroyed one of them, namely,
that of the lady of D'airaines. The other he strongly regarrisoned,
and appointed sir James de Lievin the governor. When the Dauphinois
had marched off, sir John returned with his army to his castle of
Beaurevoir, where he dismissed his captains, and the others who had
followed him.
Shortly after, sir James de Harcourt made an inroad as far as Auxi on
the river Authie, and to other towns and villages, whence he returned
to Crotoy with many prisoners and much plunder.
CHAP. LXXV.
KING HENRY REDUCES MEAUX TO HIS OBEDIENCE.--THE EXECUTIONS THAT TAKE
PLACE IN CONSEQUENCE OF ORDERS FROM HIM.
The king of England was indefatigable at the siege of Meaux, and having
destroyed many parts of the walls of the market place, he summoned the
garrison to surrender themselves to the king of France and himself, or
he would storm the place. To this summons they replied, that it was
not yet time to surrender,--on which the king ordered the place to be
stormed. The assault continued for seven or eight hours in a most
bloody manner: nevertheless, the besieged made an obstinate defence, in
spite of the great numbers that were attacking them.
Their lances had been almost all broken; but in their stead they
made use of spits, and fought with such courage, that the English
were driven from the ditches, which encouraged them much. Among the
besieged who behaved gallantly must be noticed Guichart de Sisay; and
his courage and ability were remarked by king Henry, who, after the
reduction of the place, offered him a large sum if he would take the
oaths and serve him; but he would never listen to the proposal, and
remained firm to the dauphin.
Many new knights were made by the English at this attack, such as John
Guigny, a Savoyard, and the bastard de Thiam, who had formerly been
a great captain in the free companies under duke John of Burgundy.
There were also at this siege, under the king of England, the lords de
Châtillon and de Genlis, with many others of the french nobility.
From the commencement of this siege until the last moment, when they
had no longer any hopes of relief from the dauphin, the besieged poured
torrents of abuse upon the English. Among other insults which they
offered, they had an ass led on the walls of the town, and, by beating
it, made it bray, and then cried out to the English, that it was their
king calling out for assistance, and told them to go to him. This
conduct raised the king's indignation against them.
During the siege, a young knight, son to sir John Cornwall, and cousin
german to king Henry, was killed by a cannon shot, to the great sorrow
of the king and the other princes; for, although he was but a youth, he
was very well behaved and prudent.
Toward the end of April, the besieged, having lost all hopes of
succour, and finding they could not hold out longer, offered to enter
into terms of capitulation. King Henry appointed his uncle the duke
of Exeter, the earl of Warwick, the count de Conversan and sir Walter
Hungerford, his commissioners for this purpose. On the part of the
besieged were nominated sir Phillip Mallet, Pierron de Luppel, John
d'Aunay, Sinader de Gerames, le borgne de Caucun, John d'Espinach and
Guillaume de Fossé. They had several conferences, and at length agreed
to the following terms:
First, on the 11th day of May, the market-place, and all Meaux, was to
be surrendered into the hands of the kings of France and England.
Item, sir Louis de Gast, the bastard de Vaurus, Jean de Rouvieres,
Tromagon, Bernard de Meureville, and a person called Oraches, who
had sounded the trumpet during the siege, were to be delivered up to
justice,--and such punishment was to be inflicted on them as they might
deserve.
Item, Guichart de Sisay, Pierron de Luppel, master Robert de Gerames,
Philip de Gamaches and John d'Aunay, were to remain in the power of the
two kings until all the forts held by them, or their allies, in the
realm should be given up; and when that was done, they were to have
their liberty.
Item, all the English, Welsh, Scots and Irish, subjects to the king
of England who had assisted in the defence of the place, were to be
delivered up to the two kings.
Item, all other persons, as well men at arms as burghers, were to have
their lives spared, but to remain prisoners to the two kings.
Item, the count de Conversan was to be acquitted of all his engagements
to Pierron de Luppel respecting his ransom; and the latter was to
promise that he would hold him acquitted of the above, without fraud or
malice.
Item, the besieged, within eight days preceding the surrender of
the town, were to carry all their effects to an appointed place,
without any way injuring them, and to deliver inventories thereof to
commissaries named by the said kings. They were to carry all relics,
ornaments, or church-furniture, to a separate place.
Item, they were to deliver up all prisoners, whether confined in the
market-place or in other forts, and acquit them of their pledges.
Item, they were not to suffer any person to quit the place before the
surrender of the town, and, in like manner, were not to permit any one
to enter it, unless so ordered by the kings.
Item, for the due observance of these articles, the besieged were to
give assurances signed with the hand and seal of one hundred of the
principal townsmen, four-and-twenty of whom were to remain as hostages
so long as the two kings might please.
Item, on the signing this treaty, all hostilities were to cease on each
side.
Matters now remained in this state until the 10th day of May, when the
substance of the above articles was put into execution by commissaries
appointed by the two kings, who sent off the prisoners under a strong
guard. Some of the principal were carried to Rouen, and thence to
England, and others to Paris, where they were confined. The whole of
the prisoners of war might be about eight hundred; and their commander
in chief, the bastard de Vaurus, was, by king Henry's command,
beheaded, and his body hung on a tree, without the walls of Meaux,
called thenceforth Vaurus's Tree. This Vaurus had, in his time, hung
many a Burgundian and Englishman: his head was fixed to a lance, and
fastened on the tree over his body.
Sir Louis Gast, Denis de Vaurus, master John de Rouvieres, and he who
had sounded the trumpet, were beheaded at Paris,--their heads fixed on
lances over the market-place, and their bodies hung by the arms to a
gibbet. All the wealth found in Meaux, and which was very great, was
distributed according to the pleasure of king Henry. He was very proud
of his victory, and entered the place in great pomp, and remained there
some days with his princes to repose and solace himself, having given
orders for the complete reparation of the walls that had been so much
damaged by artillery at the siege.
CHAP. LXXVI.
AFTER THE REDUCTION OF MEAUX, MANY TOWNS AND CASTLES SURRENDER TO THE
KING OF ENGLAND, WHO REGARRISONS THEM WITH HIS OWN MEN.
In consequence of the reduction of Meaux, many considerable towns
and forts, as well in the county of Valois as in the surrounding
parts, submitted to king Henry, through the intervention of the lord
d'Offemont, under whose power they were. In the number were, the town
of Crespy in the Valois, the castle of Pierrepont, Merlo, Offemont and
others. The lord d'Offemont, however, kept possession of his own towns
and forts, and was acquitted of his ransom as prisoner, on condition
that he swore obedience to the terms of the peace last concluded
between the two kings at Troyes, and gave sufficient securities for his
so doing. The bishop of Noyon and the lord de Cauny were his sureties,
who pledged their lives and fortunes in his favour.
Those who had been made prisoners in Meaux likewise submitted many
towns and castles to the kings of France and England. When the
leaders of the Dauphinois in the Beauvoisis heard that king Henry
was proceeding so vigorously, and reducing to obedience, by various
means, towns and castles that were thought impregnable, they began
to be seriously alarmed, and sent ambassadors to treat with him for
their safe retreat, in case they were not relieved by the dauphin on a
certain day, which they would make known to him.
Among them was the lord de Gamaches, who treated for the surrender of
the town of Compiègne, of which he was governor, and for the fortresses
of Remy, Gournay sur Aronde, Mortemer, Neufville in Hez, Tressousart,
and others in that district. He also gave hostages to deliver them up
to such commissaries as the two kings should appoint, on the 18th day
of June following.
Sir Louis de Thiembronne made a similar treaty for the garrison of the
town of Gamaches, on condition of their having passports to retire
whithersoever they pleased with their arms and baggage, and that the
inhabitants were to remain in peace, on taking the oaths of allegiance.
Through the management of Pierron de Luppel, the strong castle of
Montagu surrendered to the two kings, which fortress had kept a large
tract of country under subjection from its strength; and its garrison
had done much mischief to the towns of Rheims and Laon, and the
adjacent parts.
On the other hand, those in the castle of Moy, hearing of all these
conquests, and fearing lest sir John de Luxembourg and the English
should unexpectedly besiege them, set fire to it, and withdrew to
Guise. In like manner were the castles of Montescourt and Brissy
destroyed.
CHAP. LXXVII.
THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND RETURNS TO FRANCE IN GRAND STATE.--AN ASSEMBLY OF
THE THREE ESTATES IS HELD IN PARIS.--OTHER MATTERS.
On the 21st day of May in this year 1422, Catherine queen of England,
who had been some time recovered of her lying-in of her first-born
child Henry, arrived at Harfleur in grand state, attended by ladies
without number, and escorted by a large fleet filled with men at arms
and archers under the command of the duke of Bedford, brother to the
king.
On landing, she went to Rouen, and thence to the castle of Vincennes,
to meet the king. Queen Catherine travelled in royal state, alway
accompanied by the duke of Bedford and the men at arms.
King Henry departed from Meaux with his princes to meet her, and she
was received by them as if she had been an angel from heaven. Great
rejoicings were made by the king and queen of France for the happy
arrival of their son-in-law and their daughter; and on the 30th day of
May, Whitsun-eve, the kings of France and of England, accompanied by
their queens, left Vincennes, and entered Paris with much pomp. The
king and queen of France were lodged at the hôtel of St Pol, and the
king of England and his company at the Louvre. In each of these places,
the two kings solemnly celebrated the feast of Pentecost, which fell on
the day after their arrival.
On this day, the king and queen of England were seated at table
gorgeously apparelled, having crowns on their heads. The English
princes, dukes, knights, and prelates were partakers of the feast, each
seated according to his rank, and the tables were covered with the
rarest viands and choicest wines. The king and queen this day held a
grand court, which was attended by all the English at Paris; and the
Parisians went to the castle of the Louvre to see the king and queen at
table crowned with their most precious diadems; but as no meat or drink
was offered to the populace by the attendants, they went away much
discontented; for in former times, when the kings of France kept open
court, meat and drink was distributed abundantly to all comers by the
king's servants.
King Charles had indeed been as liberal and courteous as his
predecessors, but he was now seated in his hôtel of St Pol at table
with his queen, deserted by the grandees and others of his subjects, as
if he had been quite forgotten. The government and power of the kingdom
were now transferred from his hands into those of his son-in-law king
Henry; and he had so little share, that he was managed as the king of
England pleased, and no attention was paid him, which created much
sorrow in the hearts of all loyal Frenchmen, and not without cause.
During the king of England's residence at Paris, he ordered the tax of
silver to be collected, for the coinage of new money, in the manner
before described. This gave rise to great murmurings and discontent;
but, from dread of king Henry, the Parisians dared not show any other
signs of disobedience and rebellion than by words.
CHAP. LXXVIII.
THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND GO FROM PARIS TO SENLIS.--THE SIEGE
OF SAINT VALERY.--THE REDUCTION OF COMPIEGNE.--AN EMBASSY SENT TO SIR
JAMES DE HARCOURT.
The two kings, with their queens and attendants, departed from Paris
and went to Senlis, where they made some stay. As the day for the
surrender of Gamaches was near at hand, the king of England sent the
earl of Warwick thither with three thousand combatants; and, according
to the terms of the treaty, he entered the town on the 18th of June.
Having delivered back the hostages safe and well, he received the oaths
of allegiance from the inhabitants, in the name of the two kings,
and then appointed sir John Felton, an Englishman, governor, with a
sufficient garrison of men at arms and archers.
Having finished this business, the earl of Warwick marched for St
Valery, which was in the possession of the Dauphinois. When he was
near the town, he sent forward the van of his army to reconnoitre the
place; but the garrison made a sally, of a hundred picked men at arms
well mounted, who instantly attacked the English, and a sharp conflict
ensued, in which many were killed and wounded, and some prisoners taken
from the English.
While this was passing, the earl hastened the march of his army to
the support of the van, which forced the Dauphinois to retreat within
their town. The earl marched round part of the town with his army,
and quartered some of his men in the monastery, and the rest in tents
and pavilions. After this, he caused his engines to play incessantly
on the walls, and damaged them in many places. With regard to the
frequent sallies of the garrison, I shall, for brevity sake, pass them
over; but, as the town was open to the sea, from the besiegers' want
of shipping to blockade the port, the garrison and inhabitants could
go whither they pleased for provisions, to Crotoy or elsewhere, to the
great vexation of the earl of Warwick.
The earl sent to the ports of Normandy for vessels; and so many
came that the harbour of St Valery was shut up, to the grief of the
besieged, who now lost their only hope of holding out the town. In
consequence, at the end of three weeks or thereabout, they made a
treaty with the earl to surrender on the fourth day of September, on
condition of being allowed to depart safely with their baggage, should
they not be relieved before that day by the dauphin. During this time,
the besieged were to abstain from making any inroads, and from foraging
the county; and to deliver sufficient good hostages to the earl for
the due performance of the articles of this treaty, who, after this,
returned with the English to king Henry.
The king of England sent also his brother the duke of Bedford, and
others of his princes, grandly accompanied, to the town of Compiègne,
to receive it from the hands of the lord de Gamaches, who had promised
to surrender it to the duke on the 18th day of June.
The lord de Gamaches marched from Compiègne with about twelve hundred
combatants, and, under passports from the king of England, conducted
them across the Seine to the dauphin. In like manner did the lord de
Gamaches yield up the other forts before mentioned, according to his
promises.
Thus were all the places which the Dauphinois had held between Paris
and Boulogne-sur Mer subjected to the obedience of the two kings,
excepting the town of Crotoy and the territory of Guise. When the duke
of Bedford had received oaths of allegiance from the burghers and
inhabitants of Compiègne, and nominated sir Hugh de Launoy governor
thereof, he returned to his brother the king at Senlis.
At this time, ambassadors were sent by the two monarchs to sir James
de Harcourt in Crotoy: they were his brother the bishop of Amiens, the
bishop of Beauvais, sir Hugh de Launoy master of the cross-bows of
France, with a herald from king Henry, to summon sir James to yield
up the town of Crotoy to their obedience; but, notwithstanding their
diligence and earnestness, they could not prevail on him to consent,
nor to enter into any sort of treaty.
CHAP. LXXIX.
THE KING OF ENGLAND GOES FROM SENLIS TO COMPIEGNE.--THE CAPTURE OF
THE TOWN OF SAINT DIZIER.--A CONFLICT BETWEEN THE DAUPHINOIS AND
BURGUNDIANS.
At this period, the king of England went from Senlis to Compiegne
to see the town. While there, he received intelligence that a plot
had been formed to take the town of Paris, through the means of the
wife of one of the king of France's armourers. She was discovered one
morning very early by a priest who had gone to his garden without the
walls, speaking earnestly with some armed men in a valley under his
garden. Alarmed at what he saw, he instantly returned to the gate of
Paris, told the guard what he had seen, and bade them be careful and
attentive. The guard arrested the woman and carried her to prison,
where she soon confessed the fact.
This intelligence made king Henry return to Paris with his men at arms,
where he had the woman drowned for her demerits, as well as some of
her accomplices: he then returned to the king of France at Senlis.
About this time, sir John and sir Anthony du Vergy gained the town
of St Dizier in Pertois; but the Dauphinois-garrison retired to the
castle, wherein they were instantly besieged. La Hire, and some other
captains, hearing of it, assembled a body of men for their relief; but
the two above mentioned lords, learning their intentions, collected
as large a number of combatants as they could raise, and marched to
oppose them; when they met, they attacked them so vigorously that they
were defeated, with about forty slain on the field: the rest saved
themselves by flight. After this, the lords du Vergy returned to the
siege of the castle of St Dizier, which was soon surrendered to them;
and they regarrisoned it with their people.
HERE FOLLOW THE COMPLAININGS OF THE POOR COMMONALTY AND LABOURERS OF
FRANCE.
[_Translated by my Friend, the Rev. W. Shepherd, of Gateacre in the
County of Lancaster._]
'Ah, princes, prelates, valiant lords,
Lawyers and tradesfolk, small and great!
Burghers and warriors girt with swords,
Who fatten on our daily sweat!
To labouring hinds some comfort give:
Whate'er betide, we needs must live.
But live we cannot long, we trow,
If God deny his powerful aid
Against the poor man's cruel foe,
Who doth our goods by force invade,
And, flouting us with pride and scorn,
Beareth away our wine and corn.
No corn is in our granary stored,
No vintage cheers our heavy hearts,
But once a week our wretched board
Scant fare of oaten bread imparts;
And when we raise the asking eye,
The rich from our distresses fly.
'But fly not:--think how ye offend
Who shut your ears against our cry.
And oh! some gracious succour lend,
Or else with want we surely die.
Oh hear! and on our wasted frame
Have pity, lords! in JESUS' name.
Pity our faces, pale and wan,
Our trembling limbs, our haggard eyes!
Relieve the fainting husbandman,
And Heaven will count you truly wise.
For God declares to great and small,
Who lacketh kindness, lacketh all.
All hope is lost, all trust is gone!
For when we beg from door to door,
All cry, 'God bless you!' but not one
Gives bread or meat to feed the poor.
The dogs fare better far than we,
Albeit we faithful Christians be.
Yea, Christians, sons of God we be!
Your brethren too, who trust in wealth,
And think not that at Heaven's decree
Gold disappears by force or stealth
Rich tho' ye be, to death ye bow:
Ye little wis, or when or how.
'How dare ye say, what oftentimes
Ye utter in a thoughtless mood,
That want we suffer for our crimes,
That misery worketh for our good?
For CHRIST his sake, no more say so,
But look with pity on our woe.
Our woe regard, and ne'er forget
That ye subsist upon the toil
Of weary labourers,--and yet
Their scanty goods ye daily spoil.
Yea, thus ye act, of what degree,
Estate, or rank soe'er ye be.
Be then advised, and bear in mind
That perished are our little gains,
Whilst no protecting master kind
Vouchsafes to pay us for our pains.
But if we longer thus are shent,
Believe us, lords! ye will repent.
Repent ye will, or late or soon,
If from our plaints ye turn away:
For your tall towers will tumble down,
Your gorgeous palaces decay:
Sith true it is, ye lordly great,
We are the pillars of your state.