engaged in warfare with the German princes, was besieging the town of
Neuss, upon the Rhine; and, until he could effect his object there, he
would not be persuaded to leave the spot, although other projects of far
greater political importance were now at stake. Commines states that "the
lord Scales (meaning Anthony then earl Rivers, the king's brother-in-law,)
was sent twice, with several other ambassadors, to the duke[42]; but the
duke was perverse, as if God Almighty had infatuated his senses and
understanding; for all his life long he had been labouring to get the
English over to invade France, and now, when they were ready, and all
things prepared to receive them both in Bretagne and elsewhere, he
obstinately persisted in an enterprise in which it was impossible for him
to succeed."
{xxvi}
There was an apostolic legate at that time with the emperor, and the king
of Denmark was quartered in the same neighbourhood, and they both
endeavoured to negociate a peace, by which means the duke of Burgundy
might, if he would, have had honourable terms, and thus have been free to
join the king of England, but he would not accept their overtures. To the
English he excused himself as plausibly as he could, telling them that his
honour was engaged, and it would be a lessening to his reputation to raise
the siege of Neuss, with other like excuses. "The Englishmen (adds the
historian) were not the same who had flourished in his father's days, and
had conducted themselves with so much valour and skill in the old wars with
France; but these were all raw soldiers, utterly unacquainted with French
affairs; so that the duke acted very unwisely, if he had any design to make
a future use of them, for in that case he ought to have led them on, as it
were step by step, at least during the first campaign."
The earliest bad consequence that resulted to the duke of Burgundy from his
lingering at the seige of Neuss, was the loss of the three towns of
Montdidier, Roye, and Corbie, which were taken by the king of France,
shortly after the termination of his truce with Burgundy, which expired on
the 1st of May 1475. Still the duke would not quit the siege of Neuss
before the 13th of June.
In the meanwhile, king Edward landed at Calais. His army is described by
Commines as "the most numerous, the best mounted, and the best equipped,
that ever any king of England had invaded France withal. He was attended by
all the lords of England, with few exceptions. He had 1500 men of arms,
richly accoutred after the French fashion, well mounted, and most of them
barded,[43] and every one of them had several persons on horseback in his
retinue. The archers were 15,000, all on horseback; besides a great number
of footmen, and others to pitch the tents and pavilions, take care of the
artillery, and inclose the camp; and there was not one varlet in the whole
army. There was besides a body of 3000 men who were to be landed in
Bretagne."
After these particulars, Commines repeats his censures of the duke of
Burgundy's infatuated conduct, in throwing away that advantage of English
aid, which he had been labouring all his life to procure. He ought (it is
remarked) to have known that it was necessary for him to have made at least
one campaign with the English, in order to have instructed them in the
method of the French wars; for, though no nation is more raw or
undisciplined than the English on their first coming over, yet a little
time makes them excellent soldiers, equally brave and skilful. But the
duke's conduct was just the reverse; and, among other {xxvii} disadvantages
which ensued, the season was almost lost, and his own army so worn out and
diminished, that he was ashamed they should be seen, for he had lost before
Neuss 4000 of his soldiers, the very flower of his army.
The English were, however, assisted in the transport of their horses by the
duke of Burgundy providing them five hundred flat-bottomed vessels of
Holland and Zeeland; yet, notwithstanding that large number, and all the
vessels king Edward could procure from his own ports, the passage of his
forces occupied more than three weeks: "from whence one may observe
(remarks Commines) with what amazing difficulty the kings of England
transport their armies into France; and, if the king of France had
understood maritime affairs as well as he did those of the land, king
Edward would never have crossed over, at least that year; but king Louis
had no skill in naval matters, and those to whom he committed his authority
knew less of them than himself; yet one of our men-of-war, belonging to Eu,
took two or three of their transports.
"Before the king of England embarked from Dover, he sent one of his
heralds, named Garter, who was a native of Normandy,[44] to the king of
France, with a letter of defiance, written in such an elegant style, and in
such polite language, that I can scarcely believe any Englishman indited
it. The contents were, that our king should surrender France to the king of
England, as his right and inheritance, to the end that he might restore the
church, the nobility, and the people to their ancient liberty, and relieve
them from the great oppression and burthens they groaned under; and, if
king Louis refused, it was declared that all the ensuing miseries and
calamities would lie at his door, according to the forms usual upon such
occasions.
"The king of France read the letter to himself, and then, withdrawing into
another room, commanded the herald to be called in; to whom he said,--I am
very sensible that your master has not made this invasion of his own
seeking, but at the importunity of the duke of Burgundy and the commons of
England. He then remarked that the season was visibly far spent, and that
the duke of Burgundy {xxviii} had returned from Neuss in so weak and
miserable a condition, that he would not be in a capacity to assist the
invaders; that, as to the constable,[45] he was satisfied he held
intelligence with the king of England, who had married his niece,[46] but
there was no confidence to be reposed in him, for he would deceive king
Edward, as he had often deceived himself; and, after enumerating the
favours which he had conferred upon him, Louis added, 'His plan is to live
in eternal dissimulation, to traffic with everybody, and to make his
advantage of all.' Besides these, the king used several other arguments to
induce the herald to persuade his master to an accommodation with him,
giving him 300 crowns with his own hand, and promising him 1000 more upon
the conclusion of the peace; and afterwards, in public, his majesty ordered
him to be rewarded with a fine piece of crimson velvet, thirty ells in
length.
"The herald replied, that, according to his capacity, he would contribute
all that lay in his power towards a peace, and he believed his master would
be glad to entertain the proposal; but nothing could be done until he was
landed in France, and then, if king Louis pleased, he might send a herald
to desire a passport for his ambassadors, if he had a mind to send any to
king Edward; but withal Garter desired the king to address letters to the
lords Howard or Stanley,[47] and also to himself, that he might introduce
the French herald.
"There was a host of people attending outside during the king's private
discourse with the herald, all of them impatient to hear what the king
would say, and to see how his majesty looked when he came forth. When he
had done, (continues Commines,) he called me, and charged me to entertain
the herald till he {xxix} ordered him an escort, that I might keep him from
talking privately with anybody; he commanded me likewise to give him a
piece of crimson velvet of thirty ells, which I did. After which the king
addressed himself to the rest of the company, giving them an account of the
letters of defiance; and, having called seven or eight of them apart, he
ordered the letters to be read aloud, showing himself very cheerful and
valiant, without the least sign of fear in the world; for indeed he was
much revived by what he had learned from the herald."
When the duke of Burgundy first came to wait on the king of England at
Calais, he was attended only by a small retinue,[48] having dismissed his
army into the countries of Barrois and Lorraine to plunder and refresh
themselves (the duke of Lorraine having declared himself his enemy). The
English had expected him to have joined them at their landing with at least
2500 men at arms, well provided, and a considerable body of horse and foot;
and that he should have opened the campaign in France three months before
their descent, when they might have found king Louis already harassed with
the war and in great distress.
King Edward (by the stages already described from Molinet,) marched to
Peronne, a town belonging to the duke of Burgundy. The English, however,
except in small companies, were not received within its gates, but they
formed their encampment in the adjacent fields.[49] At this place a
messenger arrived from the constable of France, bringing letters both for
the duke and the king.[50] To the former he made strong professions of
friendship and service, declaring that he would assist him and his allies,
and particularly the king of England, against all persons and princes
whatever. In his letter to king Edward he referred his good-meaning to the
duke of Burgundy's testimony. The duke communicated also to the king the
contents of his own letter from the constable, somewhat exaggerating them,
and assuring Edward that the constable would receive him into the town of
St. Quentin, and all the other towns under his control; and king Edward
really believed it, because he had married the constable's niece, and he
thought him so terribly afraid of the king of France, that he would not
venture to break his promise to the duke and himself. Nor was the duke of
Burgundy less credulous than king Edward. {xxx} But neither the
perplexities of the constable, nor his dread of the king of France, had as
yet carried him so far; his design was only to wheedle and amuse them
(according to his custom), and suggest to them such plausible reasons as
might prevail with them not to force him to declare himself openly.
"The king of England and his nobility (remarks Commines,) were not so well
skilled in artifice and subtlety as the lords of France, but went more
bluntly and ingenuously about their business; so that they were not so
sharp at discovering the intrigues and deceptions common on this side of
the water. The English that have never travelled are naturally headstrong,
as the people generally are in all cold countries."
Commines next relates how the English, when they attempted to occupy the
town of St. Quentin, were driven off with the loss of some killed and
others taken prisoners; and how on the following morning the duke of
Burgundy took his leave of king Edward, in order to return to his forces in
Barrois, pretending he would do great feats for the English; but the
English, being naturally of a jealous temper, novices on this side of the
water, and astonished at this kind of proceeding, began to entertain an ill
opinion of their ally, and were not satisfied he had any army at all;
besides, the duke of Burgundy could not reconcile them to the constable's
manner of receiving them, though he endeavoured to persuade them all was
well, and that what was done would turn to their advantage; but all the
duke of Burgundy's arguments did not pacify them, and, being disheartened
at the approach of winter, they seemed by their expressions to be more
inclinable to peace than war.
Meanwhile, king Louis was thinking upon the suggestions which had been made
to him by Garter king of arms; and a message he received from the lords
Howard and Stanley by a dismissed prisoner determined him to put them in
action. With the assistance of Commines, he tutored a clever servant to act
as a herald, equipping him for the occasion in a coat of arms formed from
the banner of a trumpeter,--for king Louis was not so stately nor so vain
as to maintain a herald in his train as other princes did.
The man was sent off to the English camp, where, on his arrival, he was
immediately conducted to the tent of king Edward. Being asked his business,
he said he was come with a message from the king of France to the king of
England, and had orders to address himself to the lords Howard and Stanley.
He was taken into a tent to dinner, and very gently entertained. When king
Edward had dined, he sent for the herald, who then said that his errand was
to acquaint his majesty that the king of France had long desired to be at
amity with him, that {xxxi} both their kingdoms might be at ease, and enjoy
the blessings of peace; that, since his accession to the crown of France,
he had never made war or attempted anything against king Edward or his
kingdom; and, as for having formerly entertained the earl of Warwick, he
had done that more from opposition to the duke of Burgundy than from any
quarrel with the king of England. He next proceeded to represent that the
duke of Burgundy had invited king Edward over, only in order to make his
own terms the better with France; and, if others had joined with him, it
was to secure themselves against their former offences, or to advance their
private objects; which when they had once compassed, they would not regard
the interests of the king of England, provided they had attained their own
ends. He represented likewise the lateness of the season, that winter was
approaching, that his master was sensible of the great charges king Edward
had been at, and that he knew that in England there were many, both of the
nobility and merchants, who were desirous of a war on this side of the
water; yet, if the king should be inclined to a treaty, his master would
not refuse to come to such terms as should be agreeable both to himself and
to his subjects; and if the king of England had a mind to be more
particularly informed of these matters, on his giving a passport for 100
horse, his master would send ambassadors to him with full instructions: or,
if king Edward should prefer to depute certain commissioners, king Louis
would gladly consent to that arrangement, and send them a passport to hold
a conference in some village between the two armies.
The king of England and part of his nobility were extremely pleased with
these proposals; a passport was given to the herald according to his
request, and, having been rewarded with four nobles in money, he was
attended by a herald from the king of England to obtain the king of
France's passport in the same form as the other; which being given, the
next morning the commissioners met in a village near Amiens. On the part of
the king of France, there were the Bastard of Bourbon admiral of France,
the lord of St. Pierre, and the bishop of Evreux. On the king of England's
side, there were the lord Howard, doctor Morton then master of the rolls
and afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, William Dudley dean of the king's
chapel, and Thomas Selynger.[51] Many overtures passed between these
negociators. The English at first demanded, according to their custom, the
crown of France; and then gradually fell to Normandy and Guienne. The
French commissioners replied as became them; so that the demands were well
urged on the one side, and well refused on the other: yet, from the very
first day {xxxii} of the treaty there was great prospect of an
accommodation, for both parties seemed very inclinable to hearken to
reasonable proposals.
King Louis was exceedingly pleased when matters had taken this favourable
turn, and he employed all his arts to bring the negociation to a peaceful
termination. He sent every hour to entertain and wheedle the treacherous
constable, and prevent him from doing any harm. He resolved to raise
without delay the money required to buy off the invaders,[52] declaring
that he would do any thing in the world to get the king of England out of
France, except putting any towns into his possession, for, rather than do
that, which had been suggested by the constable, he would hazard all.
The conclusion of the terms of the treaty was made on the 13th of August,
king Edward being then "in his felde beside a village called Seyntre,[53]
within Vermondose, a litell from Peronne," attended by his brothers the
dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, the dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, the
bishop of Lincoln his chancellor, the marquess of Dorset, the earls of
Northumberland, Riviers, and Pembroke, the lords Grey de Ruthyn, Scrope,
Grey of Codnor, Stanley, Hastings, Ferrers, Howard, the earl Douglas, lord
Lisle, the master of the Rolls, the dean of the king's chapel, the deans of
Wells and Westminster, sir Thomas Mountgomery, sir Thomas Borough, sir
William Parre, sir Richard Tunstall, Thomas Selynger, and John Elkyngton
treasurer of the king's wars; most of whom signed the public
declaration[54] of the king's determination, which is stated to have been
founded on these three considerations,--"the povertie of his armyes, the
nygh approachyng of wynter, and small assistance of his allies."
It was at the same time agreed, that the two kings should have an
interview, and swear mutually to the performance of certain articles; after
which the king of England should return to his own country, upon the
receipt of 72,000 crowns (as stated by Commines, but the amount finally
settled was 75,000), leaving the lord Howard and sir John Cheyne as
hostages until his arrival in England. In addition, pensions amounting to
16,000 crowns were promised to the privy councillors {xxxiii} of the king
of England, viz. to the lord Hastings[55] 2000 crowns a-year, to the
chancellor (Rotherham) 2000, and the remainder to the lord Howard, the
master of the horse (Cheyne), Thomas St. Leger, sir Thomas Mountgomery, and
several others, besides a great deal of ready money and plate[56] that was
distributed among the rest of the king of England's retinue.
Louis contrived to carry his corruption through every grade of his
adversaries. He purchased from one of the English secretaries for sixty
silver marks two letters which had been addressed by the seigneur d'Urfe,
who was then in the duke of Bretagne's service, (and afterwards master of
the horse of France,) one directed to the king of England, and the other to
the lord Hastings, lord chamberlain of England. They were shown to
Commines, who noticed in them this, among other expressions, That the duke
of Bretagne would do more by his intelligence in a month, than the king of
England and the duke of Burgundy both, with all the force they could make.
The duke of Burgundy, who was then at Luxembourg, having intimation of
these negociations, came in great haste to the king of England, attended
only with sixteen horse.[57] King Edward was much surprised at his
unexpected arrival, and inquired what it was that had brought him, for he
saw by his countenance that he was angry. The duke told him that he came to
talk with him. The king of England asked whether it should be in public or
private? Then the duke demanded whether he had made a peace? The king
replied, that he had made a truce for nine years, in which the duke of
Bretagne and himself were {xxxiv} comprehended,[58] and his desire was that
they should accept of that comprehension. The duke fell into a violent
passion, and in English, a language that he spoke very well, began to
recount the glorious achievements of Edward's predecessors on the throne of
England, who had formerly invaded France, and how they had spared no pains,
nor refused any danger, that might render them famous, and gain them
immortal honour and renown abroad. Then he inveighed against the truce, and
told the king he had not invited the English over into France out of any
necessity he had of their assistance, but only to put them in a way of
recovering their own right and inheritance; and, to convince them he could
subsist without their alliance, he was resolved not to make use of the
truce until the king had been three months in England. Having unburthened
himself in this manner, the duke took his leave, and returned to
Luxembourg. The king of England and his council were extremely irritated by
his language, but others who were adverse to the peace highly extolled it.
But, however dissatisfied the duke was with the truce, the constable of
France had cause to be still more so: for, having deceived all parties, he
could expect nothing but inevitable ruin. He made one more attempt to
ingratiate himself with king Edward, by offering him the towns of Eu and
St. Valery for winter quarters, and a loan of 50,000 crowns; but king Louis
immediately received intimation of this, and at once ordered the two towns
to be burned. King Edward returned to the constable this answer, "That the
truce was already concluded, and could not be altered; but, had the
constable performed his former promise (as to the town of St. Quentin), the
truce would never have been made." This answer stung the constable to the
very soul, and made him desperate on all sides.
In order to bring the treaty to a conclusion, king Edward advanced within
half a league of Amiens; and the king of France, being upon one of the
gates of the city, (where he had arrived on the 22d of August,) viewed from
a distance the English army marching up. "Speaking impartially, (continues
Commines,) the troops seemed but raw and unused to action in the field; for
they were in very ill order, and observed no manner of discipline. Our king
sent the king of England 300 cartloads[59] of the best wines in France as a
present, and I think the {xxxv} carts made as great a show as the whole
English army. Upon the strength of the truce, numbers of the English came
into the town, where they behaved themselves very imprudently, and without
the least regard to their prince's honour; for they entered the streets all
armed, and in great companies, so that if the king of France could have
dispensed with his oath, never was there so favourable an opportunity of
cutting off a considerable number of them; but his majesty's design was
only to entertain them nobly, and to settle a firm and lasting peace, that
might endure during his reign. The king had ordered two long tables to be
placed on either side the street, at the entrance of the town gate, which
were covered with a variety of good dishes of all sorts of viands most
likely to relish their wine, of which there was great plenty, and of the
richest that France could produce, with a troop of servants to wait on
them; but not a drop of water was drank. At each of the tables the king had
placed five or six boon companions, persons of rank and condition, to
entertain those who had a mind to take a hearty glass, amongst whom were
the lord of Craon, the lord of Briquebec, the lord of Bressure, the lord of
Villiers, and several others. As the English came up to the gate, they saw
what was prepared, and there were persons appointed on purpose to take
their horses by the bridles and lead them to the tables, where every man
was treated handsomely, as he came in his turn, to their very great
satisfaction. When they had once entered the town, wherever they went, or
whatever they called for, nothing was to be paid; there were nine or ten
taverns liberally furnished with all that they wanted, the French king
bearing all the costs of that entertainment, which lasted three or four
days."