of Wenceslaus, King of Bohemia and Emperor of Germany, with whom he
lived happily till the year 1394, when about to start on his Irish
expedition; at which period, Froissart tells us, “the Lady Anne, Queen
of England, fell sick, to the great distress of the King and her
household. Her disorder increased so rapidly, that she departed this
life on the feast of Whitsuntide, in the year of grace 1394.”[17] It
appears that the King felt her loss very severely, even venting his
anguish upon the palace at Sheen, where she died, which he caused to be
razed to the ground.
The funeral service was not performed at the time, as the King ordered
extraordinary preparations to be made for the occasion, insomuch that,
as our author says, “nothing was over seen like to it before, not even
at the burial of the good Queen Philippa, nor of any other. The King
would have it so, because she was the daughter of the King of
Bohemia,[18] Emperor of Rome and of Germany. He was inconsolable for her
loss, as they mutually loved each other, having been married young.” He
farther states, that “there was no talk of the King’s marrying again,
for he would not hear of it,” &c. &c. Nevertheless, not very long
afterwards, he married Isabella, daughter of Charles VI., of France.
This Illumination has been selected principally for the accurate manner
in which the ordinary fittings of a bed-room of the period are
delineated, particularly the carpet of stamped leather, then in general
use in the rooms of the sick.
[Illustration: Evan de Foix, burnt to death at a masked dance at the
Hotel de Sᵗ. Pol.]
PLATE XXXII.
THE DEATH OF EVAN DE FOIX.
The well-known catastrophe exhibited in this picture occurred in the
year 1393,[19] at the Hotel St. Pol, in Paris. There was a grand
entertainment on the occasion of the marriage of one of the ladies of
the Queen. A certain Hugonin de Guisay proposed to the King and four
others, himself making the sixth, to disguise themselves as wild men, in
dresses covered all over with flax to imitate hair.[20] They entered the
apartment, five chained together, dancing, the King leading them, to the
great astonishment and amusement of the company, who could not guess who
they were, so complete was the disguise. The Duchess of Berri, who,
although the King’s aunt, was yet the youngest lady present, beckoned
the King to her, and put many joking questions to him, with the view of
ascertaining his name, refusing to let him leave her till he had avowed
it. At this moment, the Duke of Orleans, wishing to discover one of the
others, placed a torch so near that the flax caught fire, and in a
moment all five were enveloped in flames, breaking their chains and
uttering fearful cries of agony. The Duchess de Berri, seeing the
disaster, threw her dress (“goune,” as Froissart calls it) over the
King, who, crouching beneath it, was saved. The son of the Lord of
Nantouillet, when his dress took fire, recollected a tub of water close
at hand, in the buttery (bouteillerie), where bottles and glasses were
washed, and, plunging into it, saved his life, but was much burnt. The
other four, Evan de Foix (bastard son of the Count Gaston), Hugonin de
Guisay, the Compte de Joigny, and Charles de Poictiers, were burnt to
death. This sad event caused much to be said respecting the excesses of
the Court; the King, it was rumoured, being then of an age to give up
boyish sports and pastimes, and assume the severity and gravity of a
great sovereign.[21]
The Gothic artist has succeeded in rendering the story with great
graphic truth and completeness. The King beneath the robe of the
Duchess--Nantouillet plunging into the tub of water--the agony of the
four sufferers--the astonishment and grief of the Duke of
Orleans--nothing, in short, is omitted; and, with all the accessories of
musicians, furniture, &c. &c., the picture forms a most interesting and
precious record of the manners of the time.
[Illustration: The Duchess of Orleans quitting Paris.]
PLATE XXXIII.
THE DUCHESS OF ORLEANS QUITTING PARIS.
The malady to which the King of France was subject generally attacked
him every year, when he was for a time subject to delirium and madness.
The disease defied all the attempts of the physicians. The royal family,
as a last resource, threw themselves into the hands of the sorcerers of
the time, who, to explain away their failures, declared that the devil
had communicated to them the fact that the Duchess of Orleans, a
daughter of the Duke of Milan, had, by magic arts, laid the King under a
charm, with the view of causing his death, and so becoming Queen of
France. These accusations soon became known and spoken of throughout all
Paris, insomuch that the Duchess, to avoid the scandal of such reports,
retired to Asnieres, where the Duke had a handsome château, and remained
a long time absent from the Court.
The picture was selected on account of showing the mode of riding
adopted by ladies of rank of the period; which, unlike that of the lower
orders, appears very similar to the present manner, except that the
saddle or pad appears to be without the peculiar pommel, or rather horn,
used.
[Illustration: The reconciliation of Sir Oliver de Clisson and the Duke
of Brittany.]
PLATE XXXIV.
RECONCILIATION OF SIR OLIVER DE CLISSON AND THE DUKE OF BRITTANY.
The feud that commenced, or rather recommenced, between Sir Oliver de
Clisson and the Duke of Brittany, on account of the shelter afforded by
the latter to Sir Peter de Craon, continued for a considerable time to
harass the province; deadly engagements continually occurring, in which
neither side showed any mercy. In this warfare, however, Sir Oliver had
the advantage, as two-thirds of the country were in his favour. The
Duke, aware that he should gain nothing by continuing the struggle,
proposed an interview, which was declined by Sir Oliver, unless the
eldest son of the Duke was left at his castle as an hostage. Sir Oliver
had good reason to dread treachery from previous experience, and knew
well that his death in any way would be pleasing to the Duke, who, in a
time when treachery and cold-blooded murder were things of every-day
occurrence, would probably not have scrupled to rid himself of an enemy
in such a way. In the present instance, however, the feud was not
destined to end by the assassination of either party. The Duke, at last,
being determined to put an end to the war, sent the Viscount de Rohan,
the Lord de Monboucher, and Sir Ives de Tegre, with his eldest son, to
Castle Josselin, the residence of Sir Oliver, who was so much moved by
this trait of confidence and sincerity, that he refused to detain the
boy, and returned with him to his father at Vannes, the appointed place
of meeting. Such occasional traits of generosity are the redeeming
features in the dark picture of these times, and seldom failed in
producing striking results. In this instance the termination of a long
enmity was the immediate consequence; a treaty was agreed to in which
each restored the lands and places taken in the war; and the Lord de
Blois, who had married a daughter of De Clisson, and had some
pretensions to the Dukedom of Brittany, received several castles and
townships.[22]
[Illustration: Jehan de Varennes, Preaching.]
PLATE XXXV.
JEHAN DE VARENNES PREACHING.
Froissart gives a short but interesting notice of the preaching of Jehan
de Varennes, one of those restless but disinterested spirits who
prepared the way for the Reformation. He says:--
“At this time, there was a clerk, well skilled in science, Doctor of
Laws, and Auditor of the Palace: he was a native of the Archbishopric of
Rheims, and called Sir John de Varennes.
“He was much advanced in the church for the services he had rendered
Pope Clement and others, and was on the point of being a Bishop or
Cardinal. He had also been chaplain to a Cardinal, called, at Avignon,
Saint Peter of Luxembourg. This John de Varennes, beneficed and advanced
as he was, resigned all, retaining only for his subsistence the canonry
of our Lady at Rheims, which is worth by residence one hundred francs,
otherwise not more than thirty.
“He quitted Avignon, returned to his native country, and fixed his abode
at the village of Saint Lye, near Rheims, where he led a devout life,
preaching the faith and works of our Lord, and praising the Pope of
Avignon.
“He declared he was the true Pope, condemning by his speeches that of
Rome. He was much attended to and followed by the people, who came to
see him from all countries, for the sober and holy life he led, fasting
daily, and for the fine sermons he preached. Some, however, said, that
the Cardinals at Avignon had sent him thither to support their cause,
and to exhibit the holiness of his life, which was devout enough to
entitle him to be raised to the Papacy.
“Master John de Varennes would not allow himself to be called the holy
man of Saint Lye, but simply the Auditor. He lived with his mother, and
every day said mass very devoutly.
“All that was given him--for he asked for nothing--he distributed in
alms to the glory of God.”[23]
This miniature is very carefully executed, and exhibits in an
interesting manner the arrangements of a conventicle of the fourteenth
or fifteenth century.[24] The artist has not failed to make evident that
in his day, as in ours, the greater number and most devout proselytes of
the popular preacher were females.
[Illustration: The funeral of Richard II.]
PLATE XXXVI.
THE FUNERAL OF RICHARD THE SECOND.
This is the last miniature in the MS. of the British Museum, and
completes the present selection from that beautiful but unfortunately
incomplete work. Froissart gives the following account of the funeral of
Richard:--
“It was not long after this that a true report was current in London of
the death of Richard of Bordeaux. I could not learn the particulars of
it, nor how it happened, the day I wrote these chronicles. Richard of
Bordeaux, when dead, was placed on a litter covered with black, and a
canopy of the same. Four black horses were harnessed to it, and two
varlets in mourning conducted the litter, followed by four knights,
dressed also in mourning. Thus they left the Tower of London, where he
died, and paraded the streets at a foot’s pace, until they came to
Cheapside, which is the greatest thoroughfare in the city, and there
they halted upwards of two hours. More than twenty thousand persons of
both sexes came to see the King, who lay in the litter, his head on a
black cushion, and his face uncovered.
“Some pitied him when they saw him in this state, but others did not,
saying he had for a long time deserved death. Now consider, ye lords,
dukes, prelates, and earls, how very changeable the fortunes of this
world are. This King reigned twenty-two years in great prosperity, and
with much splendour; for there never was a king of England who expended
such sums, by more than one hundred thousand florins, as King Richard
did in keeping up his state and his household establishments. I, John
Froissart, canon and treasurer of Chimay, know it well; for I witnessed
and examined it during my residence with him for a quarter of a year. He
made me good cheer, because in my youth I had been secretary to King
Edward, his grandfather, and the Lady Philippa of Hainault, Queen of
England. When I took my leave of him at Windsor, he presented me, by one
of his knights, called Sir John Golofre, a silver-gilt goblet, weighing
full two marcs, filled with one hundred nobles, which were then of
service to me, and will be so, as long as I live.
“I am bound to pray to God for him, and sorry am I to hear of his
death; but, as I have dictated and augmented this history to the utmost
of my power, it became necessary to mention it, that what became of him
might be known.
“I saw two strange things in my time, though widely different. I was
sitting at dinner, in the city of Bordeaux, when King Richard was born;
it was on a Wednesday, on the point of ten o’clock.
“At that hour Sir Richard de Pontchardon, then Marshal of Aquitaine,
came to me and said--‘Froissart, write, that it may be remembered, my
lady the princess is brought to bed of a fine son. He is born on
Twelfth-day, the son of a king’s son, and shall be king himself.’ The
gallant knight foretold the truth, for he was King of England twenty-two
years; but he did not see what was to be the conclusion of his life.
“When King Richard was born, his father was in Galicia, which Don Pedro
had given him to conquer. A curious thing happened upon my first going
to England, which I have much thought of since. I was in the service of
Queen Philippa, and when she accompanied King Edward and the royal
family to take leave of the Prince of Wales at Berkhampstead, on their
departure for Aquitaine, I heard an ancient knight, in conversation with
some ladies, say, ‘We have a book called Brut, that declares neither the
Prince of Wales, Dukes of Clarence, York, nor Gloucester, will be kings
of England, but the descendants of the Duke of Lancaster.’ Now I, the
author of this history, say that, considering all things, these two
knights, Sir Richard de Pontchardon and Sir Bartholomew Burghersh, in
what they said, were both in the right; for all the world saw Richard
reign for twenty-two years in England, and the crown then fell to the
house of Lancaster.
“King Henry would never have been king, on the conditions you have
heard, if his cousin Richard had treated him in the friendly manner he
ought to have done. The Londoners took his part for the wrongs the King
had done him and his children, whom they much compassioned.”
“When the funeral car of King Richard had remained in Cheapside two
hours, it was conducted forward, in the same order as before, out of
town. The four knights then mounted their horses, which were waiting for
them, and continued their journey with the body until they reached a
village, where there is a royal mansion, called Langley, thirty-six
miles from London. There King Richard was interred: God pardon his sins,
and have mercy on his soul.”[25]
The book called Brut, alluded to by Froissart, is the romance of Brut,
by Robert Wall.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] In a few impressions of the plate this is erroneously spelt
Montadour.
[2] Johnes’ translation.
[3] “Of Sir Peter de Craon, and how he incurred the indignation of the
King of France and the Duke of Touraine, his brother, and how he was
received by the Duke of Brittany.” Chap. XXV.
[4] “At the time I am now speaking of was too great,” &c.
[5] Smith’s edition of Froissart, vol. ii. p. 593.
[6] Ibid. vol. ii. p. 602.
[7] Smith’s edition of Froissart, vol. ii. page 536.
[8] Smith’s edition of Froissart, Memoir, page xxiv., end vol. II.,
pages 568 and 577.
[9] Smith’s edition of Froissart, vol. II., p. 644.
[10] Smith’s edition of Froissart, Vol. II., p. 78.
[11] See Smith’s edition of Froissart, vol. ii. p. 588.
[12] See Smith’s edition of Froissart, vol. ii. page 698.
[13] See Smith’s edition of Froissart, vol. ii. p. 612.
[14] See Smith’s edition of Froissart, vol. ii. p. 702.
[15] “In this year, in the month of September, died at his palace at
Avignon Robert of Geneva, previously mentioned in our history,” &c. &c.
See Smith’s edition of Froissart, vol. ii. p. 563.
[16] See Smith’s edition of Froissart, vol. ii. p. 35.
[17] See Smith’s edition of Froissart, vol. i. p. 681, and vol. ii. p.
566.
[18] Froissart has previously described her as the sister of
Wenceslaus, King of Bohemia, who became Emperor of Germany, and took
the title of Emperor of Rome also.
[19] 29th January, 1392, Old Style.--_Note of Buchon._
[20] The Monk of St. Denis says, “C’était une coutume pratiquée en
divers lieux de la France, de faire impunément mille folies au mariage
des femmes veuves, et d’emprunter avec des habits extravagants la
liberté de dire des vilenies au mari et à l’épousée. Voilà pourquoi le
Roi et ses cinques compagnons se déguisèrent en satyres et dansèrent
des danses lascives en présence de toute la cour.”--_Note of Buchon._
[21] For a full and most interacting account of this event, see Smith’s
edition of Froissart, vol. ii. p. 550.
[22] For other particulars, and the History of the long contest between
the Houses of Montfort and Blois for the Duchy of Brittany, see Smith’s
edition of Froissart, Index at end of Vol. II., Articles Montfort, and
Blois.
[23] See Smith’s edition of Froissart, Vol. II. page 565.
[24] De Varennes preached about 1390.
[25] See Smith’s edition of Froissart, Vol. II. page 708.
Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:
Geoffry=> Geoffrey {pgs. 21 & 22}