Havart, bailiff of Dreux and esquire-carver to the king, and bore the
royal pennon, which was of azure velvet, with three flowers de luce
embroidered thereon in gold, and the border of this pennon was of large
pearls.
In their attendance on the king were numbers of great lords, such as
the viscount de Lomagne, the count de Castres, Ferry lord of Lorraine,
sir John his brother, the lord d'Orval, the count de Tancarville, the
lord de Montgascon, son to the count de Boulogne and Auvergne, the lord
de Jalognes marshal of France, the lord de Beauveau, and more than I
can remember, all clad in complete armour, and their horses covered
with housings of velvet or satin, having on each a white cross.
Thus did the king advance until he came within bow-shot of the
beauvoisine gate, near to the carthusian convent, where the count
de Dunois, his lieutenant-general, came out to meet him, mounted
on a charger covered with crimson velvet, and himself dressed in
a crimson-velvet jacket trimmed with sables: he was girt with a
magnificent sword, whose pummel was set with diamonds, pearls and
rubies, to the Value of fifteen thousand crowns. The seneschal of
Poitou, and Jacques Coeur, master of the king's wardrobe, attended him
mounted on chargers covered and clad like to the lieutenant-general.
The bailiff of Evreux and sir William Cousinot were also there,--the
first mounted on a charger covered with crimson velvet, and himself
clad in the same stuff. Sir William Cousinot had lately been nominated
bailiff of Rouen, and was dressed in blue velvet with rich clasps of
silver gilt: his horse had housings of the same.
The lieutenant-general had brought from the town, to do reverence to
the king, the archbishop of Rouen, the bishops of Lisieux, Bayeux, and
Coutances, and the principal inhabitants. When these prelates had done
their obeisance, they returned into the town, leaving the citizens, who
were very numerous, clad in blue with red hoods, with the lieutenant,
who presented them to the king. After paying their humble reverence,
they delivered the keys of their town into the hands of the king, as
their sovereign lord; and after many fine speeches from them, which
he heard with kindness, he gave the keys to the before-mentioned
seneschal, appointing him governor of the place.
The king then began his entrance into the city in the same order as
I have described; but the moment he began to move a procession of
prelates and churchmen, in their pontifical habits, regulars and
seculars, bearing jewels and relics, and accompanied by the four
mendicant orders, came out to meet him, singing 'Te Deum laudamus,'
for the joyful arrival of the king of France, their sovereign lord.
They placed themselves before the chancellor of France, the lord de la
Fayette marshal of France, the lord de Gaucourt first chamberlain to
the king, the lord de Presseigny, and Jacques Coeur, who all had their
horses covered with velvet and satin, and had jackets of the same with
white crosses. The count de Dunois placed himself directly before the
king, near to the equerry of the stables.
It is certain, that in the memory of man, never was king seen with such
a handsome body of chivalry, so finely dressed, nor so great a number
of men at arms as the king of France had with him on his regaining
his good city of Rouen. At the entrance of the gates, a youth, aged
about twelve or thirteen years, and son to the lord de Presseigny, was
knighted by the seneschal of Poitou. At the gate of the bulwark were
four of the most distinguished of the citizens with an exceedingly rich
canopy, which they held over the head of the king until he came to the
church of our Lady in Rouen. All round this gate, and on the bulwark,
were immense crowds of people, who, on the king's entrance in the midst
of his men at arms, sang carols for joy at the happy event. In all the
squares were different pageants: in one was a fountain ornamented with
the arms of the town, namely, a lamb, who spouted out liquors from his
horns. Elsewhere was a tyger with its young ones, who were admiring
themselves in looking glasses; and near to the church of our Lady was
a flying stag, sumptuously made, having on his neck a crown,--and he
kneeled down, by way of reverence to the king as he passed on his way
to the church.
At this place were the count de Dunois with lord Talbot and the english
hostages at a window to see the pageant: the last were very pensive,
and hurt at heart, on witnessing a sight so disagreeable to their
interests. The king dismounted on his arrival before the church, where
he was received by the archbishop and his clergy, richly dressed in
their copes. Having entered the church, he continued some time in
prayer, and thence went to the palace of the archbishop, where he was
lodged.
Every one now returned to their homes,--and the populace made great
bonfires in all the streets, to testify their joy on the occasion.
The archbishop, on the morrow, led several solemn processions,--and
the day was kept sacred from all labour and work, the same as if it
had been Sunday. On the Wednesday and Thursday, the rejoicings were
continued, and tables were spread in the street, covered with meats and
wines for all comers, at the expense of the inhabitants. They also made
rich presents to the king, his officers, his heralds and pursuivants,
then present. While the king remained at the archbishop's palace, the
churchmen, citizens and inhabitants, required an audience of him,
touching certain requests they had to make. On its being granted,
they entered the great hall, where the king was seated on his throne
richly adorned, and himself dressed in cloth of gold, surrounded by his
ministers. They proposed various measures to him, and, in the number,
most humbly supplicated that he would be graciously pleased to pursue
his ancient enemies the English; for by means of the towns they yet
possessed in Normandy they were still enabled to do great mischiefs to
the country. To assist him in this measure, they offered their lives
and fortunes.
The king was well pleased with their proposal, more particularly
with their offers of service and of money, and made, by means of the
chancellor, a satisfactory answer to all they had proposed. They then
took their leave, and retired to their homes. The king staid some time
in Rouen to remodel the government of it; during which the English
surrendered all the places they had given hostages for namely, the
castle of Arques, Tancarville, Lillebonne, Monstierville[59] and
Caudebec. But although they had engaged to restore Honfleur, it was not
done, because the governor refused to obey, in this point, the orders
of the duke of Somerset, and, consequently, the lord Talbot with the
other hostages remained prisoners to the king of France. Sir Pierre de
Brézé, seneschal of Poitou, was appointed governor of Rouen.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 58: Fonteville. Fontenay.----MS. Du Cange.]
[Footnote 59: Monstierville--should be _Montivilliers_, a town in
Normandy, three leagues from Havre, eight from Fecamp.]
CHAP. XV.
THE CASTLE OF GAILLON SUBMITS TO THE OBEDIENCE OF THE KING OF
FRANCE.--FOUGERES SURRENDERS TO THE DUKE OF BRITTANY, AND BELLÊME[60]
TO THE DUKE OF ALENÇON.--A WELL-FOUGHT BATTLE TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE
FRENCH AND ENGLISH.
On the 23d of November, in this year, the impregnable castle of Gaillon
surrendered to the king's forces, after a siege of six weeks. The
english garrison amounted to from one hundred to six score, and marched
away on capitulation, to carry with them their effects to Harfleur, or
to any other place under their subjection.
About the same time, the duke of Brittany gained the town and castle
of Fougeres, after a siege of a month. He had battered the walls with
his cannons and bombards so that the breaches were nearly wide enough
to storm, when the English, seeing their danger, and knowing their
provisions were expended, surrendered on capitulation. Their captain
was sir Francis de Surienne, called the Arragonian, having under his
command from five to six hundred men,--and they were allowed to march
away with their horses and arms, but each with only a small bundle
before him. This sir Francis afterwards turned to the French, and took
the oaths of allegiance to the king, notwithstanding that he had taken
the town of Fougeres from the duke of Brittany, and thus had broken the
truce between the kings of France and England.
The duke of Brittany had, at that time, in his army, eight thousand
combatants, lords, knights and esquires; but after the surrender of
Fougeres they returned home, on account of the great mortality in the
army, which carried off very great numbers, and among the rest the
son of the viscount de Rohan, which was a great pity. The duke went
also into Brittany, after he had placed sufficient garrisons in his
conquests.
Toward the end of November, the duke of Alençon laid siege to his town
and castle of Bellême, then occupied by the English contrary to his
will. He had with him about three hundred lances, knights and esquires,
and a body of archers, without including the peasantry from the
countries of Maine and Vendôme, who were estimated at three thousand
fighting men. After several skirmishes and sallies, the English,
finding all resistance vain, entered on a treaty with the duke, and
engaged to surrender the town and castle on the 20th day of December,
unless their friends should appear on that day in sufficient force to
give the duke battle and conquer him.
The duke, therefore, intrenched his army on the plain to wait the
arrival of the English, who were on their march to relieve the place.
Two thousand of them had advanced to Torigny[61], and, on their
departure, had set it on fire, and proceeded to Thury[62], where they
received certain intelligence of the exact strength of the duke's army,
and in consequence marched back again. On the 20th day of December,
the duke of Alençon and the lord de Saintrailles drew their army up
in battle-array, and waited thus until the hour for the appearance of
the enemy was passed. The captain of the english garrison in Bellême,
called Matago[63], having about two hundred combatants with him, then
surrendered the place, and marched away in safety with their effects,
according to the terms of the capitulation, whither they pleased.
About Christmas-day, the english garrison in Vire[64], to the number of
twelve score, marched out to seek adventures, but were met by a party
of the constable's men in garrison at Gourey[65], near to the Croix de
Vamoux, under the command of sir Geoffry de Couvran, Joachim Rouhault,
and others, when a very sharp engagement took place,--but the English
were discomfited, so many being killed or taken that few escaped.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 60: Bellême,--a town in Perche, 10 leagues from Alençon.]
[Footnote 61: Torigny,--a small town in Normandy.]
[Footnote 62: Thury,--a small town in Normandy.]
[Footnote 63: Matago. Q. Matthew Gough?]
[Footnote 64: Vire,--on the river Vire in Normandy, diocese of Bayeux,
generality of Caen.]
[Footnote 65: Gourey. Q. if not Gournetz, a village in Normandy.]
CHAP. XVI.
THE KING OF FRANCE LEAVES ROUEN.--HE SENDS HIS LIEUTENANT-GENERAL TO
BESIEGE HARFLEUR, WHICH SURRENDERS ON CAPITULATION.--THE FAIR AGNES IS
TAKEN ILL.--HER DEATH, AND HER LAST TESTAMENT.
The king of France, having settled the government of Rouen to his
satisfaction, marched thence clothed in a brigandine, having over it a
jacket of gold tissue, accompanied by the king of Sicily, and the other
princes of his blood, magnificently dressed, more especially the count
de St Pol, whose horse's forehead-piece was valued at thirty thousand
francs.
Thus attended, the king rode to Caudebec,--in which town it was
resolved to lay siege to Harfleur; and in consequence, he advanced to
Montivilliers, which is but half a league distant from Harfleur, and
thence detached his lieutenant-general, the count de Dunois, to open
the trenches. The count had with him the counts d'Eu, de Clermont, de
Nevers, de Castres, with many men at arms, archers and franc archers,
so that his force was estimated at six thousand men, without including
the franc archers, who amounted to three thousand, or the cannoneers,
labourers, and followers, or the mariners who blockaded the place with
twenty-five large vessels, or those who had besieged the abbey of
Graville, amounting, in the whole, to more than a thousand men.
The siege was commenced on the 8th day of December, with many
difficulties,--for there were neither houses nor trees near at hand,
and the weather was more severe, by reason of frosts and inundations,
than had been experienced for some time. The besiegers suffered also
greatly from the sea, which at times destroyed their huts, which were
composed only of earth covered with juniper branches.
Sixteen large bombards were pointed against the walls, which the king
came frequently from Montivilliers to see fired. Deep trenches of
communication were formed, wherein the king often exposed his person,
armed only with a light helmet and covering shield, to witness the
effect of this battery against the walls. Covered trenches were carried
to the very walls of Harfleur; and these mines and trenches were formed
under the directions of master John Bureau, treasurer to the king,
in conjunction with his brother Jasper, grand master of the royal
artillery, both very expert and able in the sciences.
Thomas Aurmagan[66], governor of Harfleur, and the English with him,
to the amount of sixteen hundred, receiving pay, witnessing the great
preparations of the king of France, opened a treaty with the count de
Dunois, on the eve of Christmas-day, for the surrender of the place.
On the morrow, the capitulation was signed,--and they were to march
away with their baggage, and were allowed to transport their effects
by land or sea, the term for so doing being limited to the first
day of the year. Eight english gentlemen were given as hostages for
the due performance of the treaty, who were sent under an escort to
Montivilliers. On the first day of January, they were brought back to
Harfleur, for the accomplishment of the treaty. About vespers, Thomas
Aurmagan, the governor, presented the keys of the gates and towers to
the count de Dunois, with much reverence and kneeling, in the presence
of all the English, and even before master Sanice[67], who had brought
a reinforcement of five hundred English just before the siege.
The lieutenant-general, on receiving the keys, sent a party to take
possession of the towers, and to lower the english standard, of a red
cross on a white field, that was flying on one of them. He afterwards
ordered two heralds to replace it with the standard of France, which
was done with the shouts and rejoicings of the populace. The count also
posted a party of his men in the towers on the side toward Rouen. This
day, the greater part of the English departed; but as all could not be
ready by the return of the tide, the lieutenant-general listened to
their humble supplications, and permitted those who remained to tarry
there until the Friday and Saturday at midday, and appointed a guard
over them that they might not be ill treated. When the English were all
gone, the king gave the government of Harfleur to the count de Dunois,
who appointed the lord de Moy his lieutenant, with one hundred lances
and a proportionate number of archers for its defence, and for that of
the country around.
Jacques de Clermont, esquire, was made governor of Montivilliers,--and
he had likewise one hundred spears and archers for its guard, and for
the defence of other forts in the neighbourhood. The king, having made
these appointments, left Montivilliers on the 5th day of January: he
ordered detachments of his army to march through Rouen, Caudebec and
Tancarville, to besiege Honfleur, and went himself to the abbey of
Jamieges[68], on the Seine, five leagues below Rouen, where he remained
for some time, while preparations were making for the siege of Honfleur.
At this abbey, the king met the fair Agnes, who had come thither
(as she said) to give the king information that some of his officers
intended to deliver him up to his enemies the English. The king,
however, paid no attention to the intelligence, but laughed at it. This
fair Agnes had been five years in the service of the queen, during
which she had enjoyed all the pleasures of life, in wearing rich
clothes, furred robes, golden chains, and precious stones; and it was
commonly reported that the king often visited her, and maintained her
in a state of concubinage,--for the people are more inclined to speak
ill than well of their superiors.
The affection the king showed her was as much for her gaiety of temper,
pleasing manners, and agreeable conversation, as for her beauty. She
was so beautiful that she was called the Fairest of the Fair, and the
Lady of Beauté, as well on account of her personal charms as because
the king had given her for life the castle of Beauté, near Paris.
She was very charitable, and most liberal in her alms, which she
distributed among such churches as were out of repair, and to beggars.
It is true, that Agnes had a daughter, who lived but a short time,
which she said was the king's, and gave it to him as the proper father:
but the king always excused himself, as not having any claim to it. She
may indeed have called in help, for the matter was variously talked of.
At length, she was seized with a bowel-complaint, and was a long time
ill,--during which, she was very contrite, and sincerely repented of
her sins. She often remembered Mary Magdalen, who had been a great
sinner, and devoutly invoked God and the virgin Mary to her aid. Like
a true catholic, after she had received the sacraments, she called for
her book of prayers, in which she had written with her own hand the
verses of St Bernard, to repeat them. She then made many gifts (which
were put down in writing, that her executors might fulfil them, with
the other articles of her will), which, including alms and the payment
of her servants, might amount to nearly sixty thousand crowns. Her
executors were Jacques Coeur, counsellor and master of the wardrobe
to the king, master Robert Poictevin, physician, and master Stephen
Chevalier, treasurer to the king, who was to take the lead in the
fulfilment of her will, should it be his gracious pleasure.
The fair Agnes, perceiving that she was daily growing weaker, said
to the lord de la Trimouille, the lady of the seneschal of Poitou,
and one of the king's equerries called Gouffier, in the presence of
all her damsels, that our fragile life was but a stinking ordure. She
then required that her confessor would give her absolution from all
her sins and wickedness, conformable to an absolution, which was, as
she said, at Loches, which the confessor, on her assurance, complied
with. After this, she uttered a loud shriek, and called on the mercy
of God, and the support of the blessed virgin Mary, and gave up the
ghost on Monday, the 9th day of February, in the year 1449, about six
o'clock in the afternoon. Her body was opened, and her heart interred
in the church of the said abbey, to which she had been a most liberal
benefactress; and her body was conveyed, with many honours, to Loches,
where it was interred in the collegiate church of our Lady, to which
also she had made many handsome donations, and several foundations.
May God have mercy on her soul, and admit it into paradise![69]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 66: Thomas Aurmagan. Q.]
[Footnote 67: Master Sanice. Q.]
[Footnote 68: Jamieges,--a market-town on the Seine, two leagues from
Caudebec, six from Rouen.]
[Footnote 69: Agnes Sorel, says Moreri, was one of the handsomest women
of her time. She was a native of Promenteau, a village of Touraine, in
the diocese of Bourges. King Charles VII. no sooner saw her than he
fell in love with her. This prince made her great presents, and gave
her the castle of Beauté sur Marne. It is said that his affection for
her caused him to neglect public business, but that Agnes contrived
to excite him with such animosity against the English that he exerted
his utmost efforts to drive them out of the kingdom. It is added,
that she assured him that an astrologer had foretold to her that she
would captivate the affections of the greatest king in the world, but
that this prediction had no reference to him, since he neglected to
establish his authority in a state which his enemies had usurped, and
that, in order to accomplish it, she would be obliged to repair to the
court of the king of England. These reproaches roused the king from his
lethargy,--and he took the field to gratify, at once, his love and his
ambition. On this subject it is also said, that Francis I. being, one
day in the house of the count d'Estampes, who had been his governor,
and who was then grand master of France, he amused himself with looking
into a port-folio which was upon the dressing table of the countess,
who was fond of painting, and had drawn in it the portraits of divers
illustrious persons, and among others of Agnes Sorel. The king made
devices and verses for each of these portraits,--and under that of the
fair Agnes he wrote the following lines with his own hand.]
CHAP. XVII.
THE COUNT DE FOIX RAISES A LARGE ARMY TO BESIEGE THE CASTLE OF
GUISCHEN.--THE ENGLISH ASSEMBLE TO RAISE THE SIEGE, BUT ARE DEFEATED
BY THE LORD DE LAUTREC AND THE BASTARD DE FOIX.
About this period, the count de Foix raised a large army, and caused
the strong castle of Guischen, situated four leagues from Bayonne, to
be besieged by his brother, the lord de Lautrec, and the bastard de
Foix. The English, on hearing this, instantly took the field with four
thousand combatants, under the command of the constable of Navarre. He
had with him the mayor of Bayonne, George Saltviton[70],
'Plus de loüange et d'honneur tu merites,
La cause étant de France recouvrer,
Que ce que peut dedans un cloitre ouvrer
Close nonnain, en bien devot hermite.'
and many other English, who, having embarked their stores on the river
that runs through Bayonne, to convey them near to this castle, marched
as close to the vessels as they could.
News of their intentions was carried to the besiegers, who marched as
secretly as possible to meet them, and made so sharp an attack on the
English that they were driven from their boats, and lost twelve hundred
of their men in killed and taken. When Saltviton witnessed this defeat,
fearing it was impossible to recover the boats, he broke gallantly
through the french army with only sixty lances, and saved himself for
the moment in one of the outworks of the castle. Finding that he could
not long maintain himself in his present post, he marched away with his
men, thinking to regain Bayonne; but the bastard de Foix, knowing his
departure, immediately pursued him, and made him and the greater part
of his men prisoners.
On the morrow, the castle surrendered, and all the country between Dax
and Bayonne,--in which were from fifteen to sixteen strong places,
that surrendered to the count de Foix. When these forts had been
sufficiently garrisoned, the count's army was marched home.
The siege of Honfleur was commenced with great courage on the 17th day
of January, while the king remained at Jamieges, by his lieutenant
general, the count de Dunois, and the other lords before named. The
franc archers, who had been sent by these lords in advance ten or
twelve days before, to skirmish with the english garrison of Honfleur,
did their duty well.
When the blockade was completed, the king left Jamieges, and fixed his
quarters at the abbey of Grestain, two leagues from Honfleur. On his
arrival, the approaches and trenches were pushed forward with vigour,
and many cannons and bombards were pointed against the walls, to the
astonishment of those within the town.