semblaunce of sensualite and idille delites, for Water Malexander seiethe,
that voluptuous delitis led be sensualite be contrarie to the exercising
and haunting of armes. Wherfor, like and after the example of the boore
whiche knowethe not his power, but foryetithe his strenghte tille he be
chafed and see his owne bloode, in like wise put forthe youre silf,
avaunsing youre corageous hertis to werre, and late youre strenght be
revyved and waked ayen, furious, egre, and rampanyng as liouns ayenst alle
tho nacions that soo without title of right wolde put you frome youre said
rightfulle enheritaunce. And where is a more holier, parfiter, or a juster
thing than in youre adversary is offence and wrong-doing to make hym werre
in youre rightfull title, where as none other moenys of pease can be hadde.
And therfore considering be this brief declaracion that youre right and
title in alle this royaumes and contrees is so opyn--
[Sidenote: Mentio brevis de titulo ducatus Normandiae.]
Here is briefly made mencion of the first title of Normandie, and how frely
it holdithe.
[Sidenote: Nota pro titulo ducatus Normanniae.]
[Sidenote: Richardus dux Normandiae cepit in bello Lodovicum regem Franciae,
qui resingnavit totum titulum Ricardo de ducatu predicto.]
[Sidenote: ccccc.^{th}xxx.v^{te}.]
[Sidenote: Arma ducatus illius.]
For as youre first auncien right and title in youre duchie of Normandie, it
is knowen thoroughe alle cristen landes, and also of highe recorde by many
credible bookis of olde cronicles and histories, that William Conqueroure
descendid frome duc Rollo, after cristned and called Roberd, that came out
of Dennemarke aboute the yere of Crist .ix^c.xij., was righte duke of
Normandie by yeft of Charlys the symple, king of Fraunce, [who] maried his
doughter to Rollo and gave hym the saide ducdome. And after Richarde due of
Normandie, in the yere of Crist .ix^c.xlv. in plaine batelle before the
cite of Rone toke Lowes king of Fraunce prisoner, and the said Lowes
relesid the seide dukedom to the said Richarde and to alle his successours
to holde frely in souvereinte and resort of none creature but of God, as in
act therof is made mencion that was sene and rad uppon this writing. {23}
And after the said William Conquerour being king of Englond, of whome ye
and youre noble progenitours bene descendid and entitled this .v^c.xxxv.
yere, and beere in armes by the saide duchie of Normandie in a feelde of
gulis .ij. libardis of golde.
[Sidenote: Nota de tempore quo Rex Angliae intitulatus ducatui de Angew et
comitatui Mayne.]
How long the king is entitled to the righte enheritaunce of Angew and
Mayne.
[Sidenote: Matildis filia et heres Henrici primi copulata fuit imperatori,
et quo mortuo copulata fuit Galfrido Plantagenet, et ex ea Henricus .ij.
natus est.]
[Sidenote: 1127.]
[Sidenote: Angew. Nota, pro titulo ducat' Andegav'.]
And that as for youre next enheritaunce that fille to youre seide
progenitoures and to you in the duchie of Anjou and countee of Mayne and
Tourayne, it is also notorily knowen among alle cristen princes and be
parfit writing how that dame Maude, whiche was doughter and soule heire to
that puissaunt king Henry the first, that after she weddid was to the
emperoure of Almayne; after his decese the saide Maude emperesse was maried
the yere of Crist .M^l.cxxvij. to Geffry Plantagenest son to Fouke king of
Jherusalem, that was erle of Anjou, of Mayne, and Toreyne, by whome the
saide Maude had issue that most famous king in renome Henry the seconde,
whiche be right of his moder Maude was right king and enheritoure of
Englonde, also duke of Normandie seisid. And be right of his foresaide
father Geffrey Plantagenet was bethout any clayme or interupcion right
enheritour and seisid of the said countee of Anjou, Mayne, Toreyne
continued this .iij^c.xlvij. yer. [And the noble actys of the seyd erles of
Angew wyth her lynealle dessentys ben wryten yn the cronicles called _Ymago
historiarum_ that maister Raffe de Diceto dene of Poulys yn seynt Thomas
Canterbery days wrote notablye. And therfore the armys of the noble erlys
that for her prowesse were chosen king of Jerusalem wold be worshypped,
because yowr hyghnes ys descended of the eyr masle, that ys to wete of
Geffry Plantagenest erle of Angew, and the countee of Mayne by maryage was
unyoned to the erledom of Angew to longe to wryte.[119]]
{24}
[Sidenote: Gyen.]
Here is made mencion of the title of Gascoigne and Guien, and how long agoo
passed possessid.
[Sidenote: Nota, pro titulo Vasconiae.]
[Sidenote: M^{l}.cxxxvij.]
[Sidenote: Alienora et Aliciae filiae et heredes Will'mi ducis Guion.]
[Sidenote: Nota, divortio facta inter regem Franciae et Alienoram.]
[Sidenote: Henricus ij^{d'} Angliae rex superduxit Alienoram filiam et
heredem Willielmi ducis de Guien circa M.cxlvj^{ad}]
[Sidenote: Nota pro titulo Henrici ij.]
[Sidenote: Nota bene, Karolus vij rex Fraunciae primo intrusionem fecit in
ducatum Normanniae, Gascon, Guion, etc. circa annum M^{l}iiij^clj.]
And than for to be put in remembraunce of youre auncien enheritaunce,
verray right and title in youre duchies of Gascoigne and Guien, withe the
countrees, baronnyees and seignouries therto belonging. It is in like
fourme knowen of highe recorde, enacted in divers cronicles, as amongis
many other historialle bookis of auctorite, that aboute the yere of Crist
.M^l.cxxxvij. William the duke of Guien died bethout heire masle, uppon his
voiage he made to seint James, havyng .ij. doughters and heires, called
Alienore, the second Alice, and king Lowes of Fraunce in his yong age, by
the agrement of Lowys le gros his father, spoused the said Alienor, to
whome the said duchie was hole enheriter. And after the said king Lowes
came to yeris of discretion, the archebisshoppis of Sens, of Rayns, of
Rone, and of Burdeux, withe others barouns, made relacion to the said king
Lowes that the saide Alienor was so neere of his blode that he might not
laufullie be the chirche kepe her to wiffe, so be theire counceile they
bothe were departed laufully, and the said king Lowes maried after that
Constance the king of Spayne doughter. And the said Alienor the duches of
Gascoigne and Guien went to Burdeux. Than came the forsaid king Harry the
seconde of Englande, that was the Erle of Anjou is sonne and heire, and
wedded the said Alienor about the yere of Crist M^l.cxlvj. by whome he was
duke of Gascoigne and Guien, and his heires after hym, of whom ye bene
descended and come right downe. And the said king Henry the seconde bare in
armes frome that day forthe the saide libarde of golde withe the other two
libardis of the same that is borne for Duke of Normandie. So in conclusion
he was, be right of his moder dame Maude, the empresse, king of Englonde
and duke of Normandie, and, be right of his father Geffry Plantagenest,
erle of Anjou and of Mayne and Torayne; be right of his wiffe dame Alienor,
duke of Guien; of whiche duchie of Gascoigne and Guien your noble {25}
progenitours have continually be possessid and seased of, this
.iij^c.xxviij. yere complete, tille that by intrusion of youre said
adversarie Charlis the vij^{the}. of Fraunce have disscasid yow in or about
the monithe of June the yere of Crist M^l.iiij^c.lj., as he hathe late done
of youre enheritaunce of Fraunce and Normandie and of the counte of Mayne,
thoroughe umbre of the said fenied colour of trewes, ayenst alle honoure
and trouthe of knighthode.
How the historier procedithe in his matier of exhortacion.
[Sidenote: Nota bonum concilium.]
[Sidenote: Magister Alanus de Auriga dicit.]
And for to think to alle cristen nacions for to fight in bataile if the cas
require it soo, that youre said enheritaunce can not be recuverid by none
other due meane of pease, bothe for youre defens for the recuverey of youre
roiaume of Fraunce, duchie of Normandie, and sithen sone after the duchie
of Gascoigne, that alle cristen princes opynly may know it is youre verray
true enheritaunce, and for salvacion of youre enheritaunce by undew menys
lost; for that yt ys wryten by [maister Aleyn Chareter, _id est_ de Auriga,
in hys boke of Quadrilogue, secretaire to Charlys le bien amee, the yere of
Crist .1422. yn thys termys: "Ayenst Herry the .v^{th}., named kyng," yn
provokyng the adverse partye to werre ayenst the seyd king Herry. How[120]]
the famous clerke of eloquence Tullius seithe in his booke of retherique
that, like as a man recevethe his lyving in a region or in a countree, so
is he of naturall reason bounde to defende it; and law of nature, as welle
as law imperiall whiche is auctorised by popis and emperours, wol
condescend and agre to the same. Also Caton affirmithe withe the said
Tullie. Therfor late not this gret and importune losses now by infortune
and of over grete favoure and trust put to youre adversaries, fallen ayenst
this lande undre the umbre and coloure of trewes and abstinence of werre
late hadde and taken at Towris atwixen Charlis the .vij^{th}. youre
adversaire of Fraunce and your predecessour {26} Harry the sext, and now
uppon the exercise and usaige of bataile and left by so little a tyme,
forto discomfort or fere to a new recovere. Not so: God defende that! for
the famous poet Ovide seiethe that who so levithe the pursute and foloweing
of good fortune for one mysaventure, it shalle never come to hym. And
namely the said Water Malexander agreithe hym to the same saieng, and
affermyng that good courages of hertis be not mynissed, broken, ne lessid
for disusage and levyng armes for a litille season, nether for sodeyn
recountres and hasty comyng on, be force of whiche one mysadventure may
folow.
[Sidenote: Nota quod pro defectu excercicii armorum mala sequentur
exercitui Romanorum.]
How for the defaute of exercise of armes the gret nombre of Romains were
scomfited by men of Cartage.
[Sidenote: Syr Alanus de Auriga.]
[Sidenote: Notand' est.]
[Sidenote: Nota de cede Romanorum.]
[Sidenote: Nota de annulis inventis super digitos Romanorum occisorum.]
A, mercifulle God! what was the losses of the Romayns, whiche in defaute
and by negligence lost by a litille tyme left the exercise of armes was
fulle gret ayenst the doughty men of Cartage, whan alle the puissaunce of
the Romains were assembled in bataile, where that were so many noble men
and coragious peple, the whiche were innumerable, assembled and joyned in
bataile, that men say was betwene Camos and Hanibal prince of Cartage, the
whiche discomfit before duke Camos in Puylle be suche power that the ringis
of golde take frome the fingers of ded bodies of the said Romains, whiche
were men of price and renomme, and Titus Livius seiethe in his booke of
Romayne batailes were extendid and mesurid to the quantite of mesure of
.xij. quarters or more, whiche Hanibal brought withe hym to his countre of
Cartage in signe of victorie.
[Sidenote: Nota de experiencia armorum ex parte Romanorum.]
How after the seide gret descomfiture that a few nombre of Romans expert in
werre (_unfinished_)
But the worthy Romains, for alle that, left not the hope and trust of
recovering on another day, whan God lust, onnere and fortune, theyme so
exercised daily armes, [and] after accustumyng hem ayene {27} to werre,
were by experience lerned and enhardid, that, as by the exorting and
comforting of one of theire princes, he assembled another time in bataile
ayenst the litille residue that were left of the said Romayns, and by
subtile craft of wise policie and good conduyt in actis of werre they fille
and tooke uppon theym and charged theym so moche that by unware of theire
purveiaunce met withe the said Haniballe at certen streightes and narow
places fille into the handis of Romains, to the gret discomfiture and
destruccion of Haniballe his gret oost of Cartage.
[Sidenote: Exercitium armorum excedit divicias.]
How men of armes welle lerned and excercised is of a grettir tresoure then
any precious stones or riche tresour.
Dame Cristen saiethe in the first booke of the Tree of Batailes that there
is none erthely thing more forto be allowed than a countre or region whiche
be furnisshed and stored withe good men of armes well lerned and exercited;
for golde, silver, ne precious stones surmountethe not ne conquerithe not
ennemies, nother in time of pease wardithe the peple to be in rest, the
whiche thing a puissaunt man in armes dothe.
How a few nombre of the Romains that were expert and connyng in the werre
descomfited .c.iiij^{xx}.M^l. of Frenshemen that the prince of hem tolde
and set right litille by.
[Sidenote: Magister Alanus de Auriga. Id est compilam de libro suo.]
[Sidenote: In multitudine gencium non consistit victoria, ut infra. Nota
bene.]
[Sidenote: Averaunces. D'n's Talbot. D'n's Fauconberge. Harflete.]
[Sidenote: J. dux Som', Ed's Dors'. Cane.]
[Sidenote: Fastolf. Harynton.]
[Sidenote: Nota bene et applica.]
Also ye may consider by example of king Bituitus of the countre of Gaule
clepid Fraunce, the whiche went ayenst the Romains withe an hondred and
fourescore thousande men of armes; and he saw so few a companie of the
Romains comyng that he despraised hem, and seid of gret pride that there
were not inoughe of the Romains for to fede the doggis of his oost:
neverthelesse, that few company were so welle excersised and lerned in
armes that there were ynoughe whiche overcome and destroied the said king
of Gaule and alle his gret {28} oost; whiche storie may be verified in
every bataile or journay atwix youre adversarie of Fraunce and youre
predecessoures entreprises this .xxxv. yeres that continued in possession
frome king [named[121]] Henry the .v. is conquest till it was lost: for at
the bataile of Agincourt descomfited by seid king Henry the .v.^{th} [wyth
a few nomber.[121]] And at the bataile of the see ayenst the carrakes
descomfited by Johan duke of Bedforde and the erle of the Marche being
principalle cheveteins also in that bataile [wyth a few nombre yn
comparison of the grete Frensh navye.[121]] Also at the journay of
Kedecause descomfited be Thomas Beauforde erle Dorset after was duke of
Eccestre; [the erle of Armonak conestable of Fraunce beyng aboute x.M^l
fyghtyng men ayenst aboute .ix^c. accompanyed wyth the erle Dorset.[121]]
Also at the bataile of Cravaunt descomfited by [Johan duc of Bedford as by
hys lieutenaunt[121]] Thomas Montague the erle of Salisbury and Roberd
[lord[121]] Willugheby chiefeteynes. And at the bataile of Vernelle fought
and descomfited by Johan regent duke of Bedforde, the said erle of
Salisbury and the erle of Suffolke, [lord Wyllughby, lord Pownynnys, ser
John Fastolf, and many other noble men yn armys.[121]] Also at the bataylle
of Roveraye foughte [ayenst the bastard of Burbon, the bastard of
Orlyance,[121]] be ser Johan Fastolfe, ser Thomas Rempstone, chiefteins,
upon the vitailing the siege of Orliaunce. Also at the rescue of the cite
[of] Averaunces fought by Edmonde duke of Somerset and the erle of
Shrewisburie and lorde Fauconberge chiefeteins. And at the second wynnyng
of Hareflete fought [beseged[121]] by Johan duke of Somerset, by Edmund
erle of Dorset, and the erle of Shrewisbury, at the rescue of Cane fought
by ser Johan Fastolfe and ser Richarde Harington, and his felouship,
[ayenst .xxx.M^l. men.[121]] And so in many other [sodeyn jorneys and[121]]
sharpe recountres sodenly met and foughten, to long to write here. And also
for the gret part at any maner bataile, journey, enterprise, [seges,[121]]
and rescuse of places, it hathe bene alway seen that the power of Fraunce
have be in nombre of peple assembled ayenst youre power {29} by double so
many, or by the thrid part, yet youre right and title have bene so goode
and fortunat, and men so well lernid and exercised in armes, that withe few
peple have descomfited the gret multitude of your adverse partie.
How Vegesse in his Booke of Chevalrie also gretly recomendithe exercise in
men of armes.
[Sidenote: Vegescius de re militari.]
O then, seith Vegecius in his Booke of Chevalrie, therbe none that knowethe
the gret merveilles and straunge aventures of armes and knighthode, the
whiche be comprehendid and nombred in dedis of armes, to tho that be
exercised in suche labouris of armes, that withe wise conduyt prudently can
aventure and hardely take uppon theym such sodein entreprinses on hande.
[Sidenote: Animacio.]
[Sidenote: Concideracio.]
O then, ye noble Englisshe chevalrie, late it no mervaile be to yow, in
lessing youre courage ne abating of your hardiesse, they that ye renew
youre coragious hertis to take armes and entreprinses, seeing so many good
examples before yow of so many victorius dedis in armes done by youre noble
progenitoures, and that it hathe be a thing to moche left discorage you
not; for, thoughe that ye were in renomme accepted alleway withe the most
worthi as in dede of armes, but now at this time ye ben take and accepted
in suche marcialle causes that concernithe werre on the left hande, as
withe the simplest of price and of reputacion. And it is to suppose that it
is rather in defaute of exercising of armes left this .xxiiij. yere day
that the londes were lost, thoroughe the said coloure of trewes, and for
lak of good provisions bothe of artillery and ordenaunce for the werre and
soudeyng to be made in dew season, and for singuler covetice reignyng among
some peple endowed with worldly goodes, that can not depart but easily
withe finaunce [wagyng[122]] and soulde theim in tyme of nede, then for
defaut of good corage and manhode, whiche is to deme werre never feerser ne
corageouser to dedis of armes, so they may be cherished and avaunced
therafter, as ben at this day.
{30}
How dame Cristen counceilithe to make true paimentis to sowdieris.
[Sidenote: Hic nota optime pro solucione soldariorum.]
[Sidenote: Nota concilium.]
[Sidenote: Nota bene, ne forte.]
For ye shalle rede in the first part of the Arbre of Batailes, where dame
Cristen exhortithe and counceilithe that every chieftein and capiteyne of
men of armes ought to have goode paimentis and sewre for assignacion of
paiment for his sowdieris for so long tyme that he trustithe to endure and
be souded in that voiage and armes; for to that singlerly before thing alle
chieveteyns shulde have regarde, by as moche as it is the principalle and
chief cause of the good spede and conduit of here entreprise, and the
undoing and mischief of it [the contrarye[123]], if the paimentis be not
duely made to the soudeours; for late it be put in certein that no
cheveteyn can not have ne kepe long tyme good men of armes eville paied or
long delaied, but discoragethe them as sone as paiment failethe, and
takethe theire congie and licence of theire prince, if they can have
licence, orellis they departethe bethout licence. And also of overmoche
trust and avauntage gyven to your adversaries be this dissimiled trewes as
otherwise. And also when that the cheveteins take more kepe to good than to
worship [and] using justice. And as welle as in defaute of largesse to
youre obeissauntes, not rewarding ne cherisshing youre obeissauntes
subgettis yolden and sworne stedfastly abiding under your obeissaunce, but
suffring them to be oppressid and charged unduely in divers wises, as well
by over gret taskis and tailis rered uppon them, and therto they finding
bothe horsmete and mannysmete to youre soudeours riding be the contre
without contenting or agreing hem, becaus of nompower of youre said men ben
not paide of here wages and soude, by lak of simple payment [caused the
rather the ducdom of Normandy to be lost.[123]]
[Sidenote: Nota peroptimum concilium istud.]
[Sidenote: Inquiratur pro libro illo, bonum est.]
[Sidenote: Nota bene, ne forte.]
[Sidenote: Nota bene.]
[Sidenote: Dux Bedfordiae.]
[Sidenote: Nota bene.]
[Sidenote: Exhortacio.]
[Sidenote: Nota bene.]
[Sidenote: Exhortacio ad observandum ordinacionem principis in bello.]
[Sidenote: Verba m'ri Alani de Auriga.]