that had been allotted him,--and sir Philip de Culant remained governor
of Bergerac, with a garrison of one hundred lances and a body of
archers. On their march, they came before a castle called Jansac[112],
situated on the Dordogne, with the intent of besieging it; but they
won it by storm, with the loss of seven or eight of their men killed
and wounded: about thirty-five of the English were slain, and the rest
made prisoners: the castle remained under the obedience of the king of
France. The army advanced thence without delay to the town of St Foy,
on the same river, which surrendered without hesitation. Pursuing their
good fortune, they came before the town of Chalais[113], and besieged
it for some time; but the english garrison, amounting to fifty lances,
alarmed at seeing so large an army before it, delivered up the place,
on condition that they should march away in safety, with arms and
baggage. On their departure, Pierre de Louvain was made governor of it.
On the 26th day of October, in this year, master John de Xancoins,
receiver-general of the royal finances, was arrested, and confined
prisoner in the castle of Tours, for having, as it was currently
reported, wickedly employed for his own use the king's finances;
so that his majesty was greatly distressed to pay the troops in
Guienne,--and had he not found extraordinary means of raising money
for this purpose, his plans against that country would have failed.
During his imprisonment, he was examined by some of the great council
and others skilled in matters of finance, and convicted, on his own
confession, of high treason. He owned having taken very large sums of
money from the king's treasury, and that he had made many erasures
in his accounts which convicted him guilty of forgery,--a capital
offence! and he would have suffered the penalty, had not the king's
mercy converted the matter into a civil suit,--following in this the
example of our Saviour JESUS CHRIST, who declared, that 'he wished
not for the death of a sinner, but would rather that he should turn
from his wickedness and live.' The capital part of the offence being
thus done away, he was sentenced, by the mouth of the chancellor, to
be imprisoned for a certain time, and his property confiscated to the
king; from which, the king gave to the count de Dunois a handsome house
that he had built at Tours.
Xancoins was also condemned to pay to the king the sum of sixty
thousand gold crowns, which seemed but a trifling fine for the immense
sums he owned to have pillaged from the treasury for his own pleasures.
James Carrier, his clerk, was confined at the same time with him, but
in a separate prison, for having been an accomplice in the crimes of
his master,--and for having erased numerous articles in the account
of receipts, through the instigation of the enemy of mankind, and
converted many sums from the king's profit to his own; for all of
which, he would have suffered the sentence due to such capital crimes,
had not the king's mercy been extended also to him.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 106: Salades,--light helmets or head-pieces.]
[Footnote 107: Brigandine,--armour consisting of many-jointed and
scale-like plates, very pliant and easy for the body.]
[Footnote 108: Haubergeon,--a little coat of mail, or only sleeves and
gorget of mail.]
[Footnote 109: Conigan. Q. Cuningham? commander of the scots
auxiliaries.]
[Footnote 110: Ribaudequins,--huge cross-bows, fourteen feet in length.
Veuglaires, serpentines and crapaudines,--different sorts of fire arms,
greater or less.]
[Footnote 111: Bergerac,--seven leagues from Perigueux.]
[Footnote 112: Jansac. Gensac. Several villages in Gascony of that
name.]
[Footnote 113: Chalais,--a town in Perigord, near La Grolle.]
CHAP. XXIV.
THE LORD D'ORVAL DEFEATS THE MEN OF BORDEAUX.--DUKE PETER OF BRITTANY
DOES HOMAGE TO THE KING OF FRANCE.--THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY ATTEMPTS TO
LAY A TAX ON SALT THROUGHOUT FLANDERS.
On the last day of October in this year, the lord d'Orval, third son
to the lord d'Albreth, set out from Bazas[114] with his companions,
and from four to five hundred combatants, to invade the peninsula of
Medoc[115]; and they halted for the night, to refresh themselves, in a
forest within two leagues of Bordeaux. On the morrow, All-saints-day,
they were early mounted, thinking to enter the peninsula, when they
received information from Bordeaux, that from eight to nine thousand
persons, on horseback and on foot, as well soldiers as others, were on
their march to combat them.
The lord d'Orval did not for this abandon his enterprise, but drew up
his men in order of battle, although so greatly inferior in numbers to
the English, who were under the command of the mayor of Bordeaux. His
light troops showed a good countenance, advancing in battle-array, and
made prisoner a gentleman from Bordeaux, near to a coppice. The battle
now commenced, and was so well fought by the French that eighteen
hundred English and Bordelois were slain on the spot or in the pursuit.
The first runaway was the mayor, who, being on horseback, abandoned
his van, who were on foot, and whom he had advanced as a frontier to
his main division. The French made twelve hundred prisoners, which was
very honourable and profitable to them, considering how few they were
in comparison with their enemies. At the conclusion of this business,
the lord d'Orval marched his men back, with their prisoners, to Bazas,
much rejoiced at their good success.
On the morrow of the feast of All-saints, duke Peter of Brittany waited
on the king of France, as his sovereign lord, to do him homage for his
duchy of Brittany, and took the accustomed oaths before the count de
Dunois and de Longueville; when the king's great chamberlain took his
baudrick, sword and buckler, for his fee. After he had taken the oaths,
the chancellor of France said, that he was liege man to the king of
France on account of this duchy, but the duke's chancellor replied,
that, saving his respect to the king, he was not liege man to his
majesty on account of this duchy,--which caused a long altercation.
At length, the king accepted his homage according to the usages and
manner that his predecessors, the dukes of Brittany, had done. Shortly
after, he did another homage for his county of Montfort, for which he
acknowledged himself the king's liege man and vassal. He was grandly
entertained by the king and his chivalry, at the small town and castle
of Montbazon[116], where the court then resided,--and also by the
ladies and damsels, to whom he acquitted himself handsomely.
Many sports and pastimes of wrestling and other amusements took
place during the fortnight the duke staid with the king, who was in
high spirits and health. He had with him the count de Richemont his
constable, and many barons, knights and esquires, to the number of from
four to five hundred horses.
In the same year, according to the chronicles of Arras, Philip, then
aged about fifty-four years, duke of Burgundy, Lotriche[117], Brabant,
Limbourg and Luxembourg, count of Flanders, Artois, Burgundy, Hainault,
Holland, Zealand and Namur, marquis of the holy roman empire, lord of
Frizeland, Salins and Mechlin, required from the states of Flanders
(whom he had assembled for this purpose) that they would allow him to
lay a tax of twenty-four groats, flemish money, on each sack of salt
that should be used in that country; promising, in return, that, during
his life, he would not lay any additional impositions, by taxes on land
or otherwise.
The deputies from Ghent, having heard this proposal, demanded time to
consider of it. These deputies took the lead; and having fully weighed
the matter, and considering that the principal food of the commonalty
was salted meats and fish, absolutely refused their consent; adding,
that they would never, while alive, suffer such a tax to be laid on
their country. The deputies from Bruges, Ypres, and the Franc, in
conformity to what the ghent men had said, declared that they would act
in unison with Ghent, and refused their assent.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 114: Bazas,--a city of Gascony, on a rock, two leagues from
the Garonne, capital of the Bazadois, 12 leagues from Bordeaux.]
[Footnote 115: Medoc,--a country of Guienne, near the sea, in the
Bordelois: it is not fertile. Esparre is the capital.]
[Footnote 116: Montbazon,--in Touraine, five leagues from Tours.]
[Footnote 117: Lotriche. Q. Does this mean Austria? 'de l'Autriche.']
[A.D. 1451.]
CHAP. XXV.
THE KING APPOINTS THE COUNT DE DUNOIS HIS LIEUTENANT-GENERAL IN
GUIENNE, WHO BESIEGES MONT-GUYON.--IT SURRENDERS TO HIM.--HE LAYS
SIEGE TO TOWN OF BLAYE, WHICH IS TAKEN BY STORM.--THE CASTLE
CAPITULATES.
In the month of May, of the year 1451, according to the Chronicles
of St Denis, during the king's residence at Tours, he appointed the
count de Dunois and de Longueville, who had come thither for that
purpose, his lieutenant-general in Guienne, to reduce that duchy
to his obedience. Early in May, the king had issued his summons to
several knights and esquires, that they might prepare themselves for
accompanying the count on this expedition.
The lieutenant-general left Tours with a noble company, and marched to
lay siege to a castle called Mont-Guyon, where he was joined by the
count d'Angoulême, legitimate brother to the duke of Orleans, master
John Bureau, treasurer of France, Pierre de Louvain, and others, to the
amount of four hundred spears, with archers and guisarmes, and four
thousand franc archers, who instantly commenced the siege, without
waiting for the other great barons who were to come thither. This siege
lasted eight days; but the governor for the English, Regnault de St
Jean, esquire, and attached to the captal de Buch, and a few men at
arms, seeing the inutility of defence, against such an army, entered
into a capitulation, by which the place was yielded up to the king of
France.
On the 16th day of May, after the reduction of Mont-Guyon, the
lieutenant-general laid siege to one of the gates of Blaye[118]. He was
there joined by sir Pierre de Beauveau lord of la Bessiere, lieutenant
to the count du Maine and captain of his men at arms, and by sir
Geoffry de St Belin, having in their company about eight score spears,
guisarmes and archers. Thither came also sir James de Chabannes, grand
master of the household, and Joachim Rohault, who posted themselves
opposite the castle, and took their quarters at the hospital: they
had with them two hundred lances and archers, and two thousand franc
archers. At the same time, a large fleet arrived under the command of
sir John le Boucher, general of France, in which were numbers of men
at arms and archers, with great stores of provision for the supply
of the besieging army. This fleet, as it came near to Blaye, found
anchored in the port five large vessels well armed, which had arrived
from Bordeaux with stores for the relief of those in the town of Blaye.
An engagement took place, when the French fought valiantly, and killed
so many of the enemy that they were forced to weigh anchor and fly to
Bordeaux, whither they were chaced into the harbour. The french fleet
then returned to Blaye, where they anchored before the port, to prevent
any supplies from being thrown into the town.
Thus was Blaye besieged on all sides, by land and water; and as this
was completed, the count de Penthievre arrived, with one hundred
lances and three hundred cross-bows, and was quartered near to the
count de Dunois. Many gallant deeds were done, and deep trenches and
mines made,--and the walls were so much battered, by heavy cannon and
bombards, that there were breaches in several places. The most valiant
warriors on the part of the king of England, in Guyenne, were then in
the town; but a little before sunset, on the 28th day of May, at the
hour of sounding to mount the guard, some franc archers of the company
of John de Meauze, called the lord of Maugouverne, captain of the
franc archers of Touraine, mounted the walls of the town, and a storm
regularly followed,--when the place was won, and the English lost, in
killed and prisoners, full two hundred men.
The mayor of Bordeaux, together with the lord de l'Esparre, the lord de
Montferrant, and others--in all, about two hundred--hastily retreated
into the castle; but, consulting together, they thought further
resistance would be vain against such members, without hope of being
succoured, and surrendered the castle on capitulation.
Instantly on the reduction of the castle of Blaye, the count de Dunois
marched his forces to besiege the town and castle of Le Bourg[119].
The siege did not, however, continue more than five or six days; for
the garrison, observing the preparations for such large batteries of
cannon and bombards, and the great strength of the besiegers, offered
to surrender on being allowed to march away in safety with arms and
baggage. There were from four to five hundred combatants in the place,
under the command of sir Beraud de Montferrant, who departed with
them for Bordeaux; and sir James de Chabannes, grand master of the
household, remained governor of it for the king of France.
In this same month of May, the count d'Albreth, with his two sons the
lords of Tartas and of Orval, three hundred lances and two thousand
cross-bows, laid siege to Dax[120], on the side toward Bordeaux, and
at the end of the bridge over the Adour. About ten or twelve hours
after the siege had commenced, the count de Foix came thither, attended
by the viscount de Lautrec his legitimate brother, sir Bernard de
Béarn his natural brother, the barons of Nouailles, of Lausun, of
Rez, of Couraze, sir Martin Gratian captain of the Spaniards, Robin
Petit-Lot captain of the Scots, and many other knights and esquires;
in the whole, amounting to five hundred lances and archers, and two
thousand cross-bows. They besieged the town on the side of Navarre
and Béarn, and several gallant actions were performed on both sides.
The besieged kept up a stout resistance, until they heard that those
in Bordeaux had intentions of treating with the lieutenant-general or
his commissioners; and a promise was made them, at the request of the
count de Foix that they should be comprehended in whatever treaty the
Bordelois should conclude. Dax was thus delivered up to the king of
France,--and the counts de Foix and d'Albreth, with four barons of
Béarn, were appointed for the defence of the town and castle.
In the same month, siege was laid to Castillon[121], in Perigord, by
the count de Penthievre, the lord de Jalognes marshal of France, and
master John Bureau treasurer of France.
At this time, St Emilion[122], surrendered,--for the garrison saw
resistance would be vain,--and it was placed under the guard of the
count de Penthievre.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 118: Blaye,--on the Garonne, 13 leagues and a half from
Bordeaux.]
[Footnote 119: Le Bourg,--a village near Bordeaux.]
[Footnote 120: Dax,--an ancient city of Gascony, on the Adour.]
[Footnote 121: Castillon,--near Perigueux.]
[Footnote 122: St Emilion,--near the Dordogne, six leagues from
Bordeaux.]
CHAP. XXVI.
THE GREATER PART OF THE TOWNS AND CASTLES IN THE DUCHY OF GUIENNE
ENTER INTO TREATIES FOR THEIR SURRENDER, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
BAYONNE.--BORDEAUX SURRENDERS.
On the 2d of June, the count de Dunois sent a detachment to lay siege
to a town called Fronsac[123], while he remained in le Bourg to settle
the future government of the country for the king's advantage. Having
done this, he went in person against Fronsac, and sent a herald to
summon Libourne[124] to surrender to the king. The inhabitants sent a
deputation back with the herald to conclude a treaty with the count
which being done, the care of the place was given to the count of
Angoulême.
To return to the castle of Fronsac, which was the strongest in
all Guienne, and has been always guarded by a garrison of native
Englishmen, because it has a chambre royalle[125], and is the key to
Guienne and the Bordelois. The English, therefore, necessarily made
the greatest possible exertions in its defence, during a severe and
well-conducted siege of a fortnight. The English, then, seeing the
prodigious force brought against them, which was not a fourth part of
the chivalry the king had in those parts, with the numerous train of
battering cannon, and other artillery, and that the franc archers were
then besieging four places at once, without a possibility of any one
succouring the other, from the inundations of the Gironde and Dordogne,
caused by the melting of the snows among the mountains, and also that
the french army in Guienne was much superior to any the king of England
could then bring against it: having considered all these things, the
garrison in Fronsac demanded a parley with the count de Dunois, and
concluded a treaty on the terms that if they were not reinforced, so
as to be able to offer battle to the French on or before the eve of St
John Baptist's day, they would surrender the place. In like manner were
the barons of the country, and even the town, bounden to surrender; for
the French depended on being powerful enough to reduce all the places
in the duchy of Guienne, held by king Henry, to the obedience of the
king of France,--and, for greater security, hostages were demanded and
given.
The counts de Penthievre, de Nevers, de Castres, de Clermont, de
Vendôme, grandly accompanied with many knights and esquires, came
toward Fronsac about St John's day, to be present at the battle,--and
the whole made a most magnificent appearance. There were made
knights the count de Vendôme, the viscount de Turenne, the lord
de la Rochefoucault, the son to the lord de Commercy, sir John de
Rochedrouard, the lord de Grimaux, sir Pierre des Barres, sir Pierre de
Montingrin, sir Ferry de Gransy, sir John de Bordeilles, the lord de
Fontenelles, the bastard de Vendôme, sir John de la Haye, sir Tristan
l'Hermite, sir John de l'Estrange, sir Pierre de Louvain, and others,
to the amount of forty knights.
On the morrow, which was the eve of St John's day, the English,
receiving no succour, delivered Fronsac into the hands of the count
de Dunois, who appointed Joachim Rohault to the government of it.
The lieutenant-general then sent a herald with letters to the count
d'Armagnac, who was besieging Rions[126], and a duplicate of the
treaty of Bordeaux; in consequence of which Rions surrendered, and was
given to the guard of the lord d'Albreth. The herald then continued
his road to the count de Foix, with another copy of this treaty, and
letters,--and the city of Dax submitted to the obedience of the king of
France.
When the commissioners from the count de Dunois had settled every thing
for the surrender of Bordeaux, they returned to him, the chancellor,
and other members of the king's council, with the articles of the
capitulation mutually signed and sealed by each party. These lords and
their companions were much rejoiced at this event,--and the surrender
was delayed for eight days after the time fixed, for troops to arrive
from England. Nevertheless those in Bordeaux, contrary to their
engagements, in the full hope of succours arriving, demanded that a day
should be appointed for the combat, which was granted by the count; and
the 22d of June was fixed on for the battle, should succours arrive,
otherwise they were to deliver up the town on that day.
The French, in expectation of a combat, or a surrender of the town,
were drawn up in battle-array before it until sunset; when the men of
Bordeaux, seeing no appearance of succour, ordered a herald to cry
aloud for assistance from England for Bordeaux. No one making any
answer, nor any reinforcements appearing, each party retired to their
quarters, without more being then done.
The next morning, the chancellor and treasurer of France, with some
others, came before the gates,--when it was agreed, that on the
following Wednesday, the townsmen were to be prepared to deliver up
the keys of all the towers, havens, gates and barriers of the said
town, and to take the oaths of allegiance to the king of France, and
become henceforward his loyal subjects, according to the promises they
had made. The treasurer, John Bureau, in reward for the great diligence
he had shown in the recovery of the duchy of Guienne, was made mayor of
Bordeaux. For similar causes was Joachim Rohault made constable of the
place, and he directly took the oaths at the hand of the chancellor;
and the mayor did the same in the hands of the chancellor and constable
on the following Wednesday, the day fixed on for the delivery of the
town.
The inhabitants of Bordeaux and the neighbouring barons made great
preparations for the honourable reception of the count de Dunois
and his company. By orders from the lieutenant-general, sir Thibaut
de Valpergue bailiff of Lyon, and John Bureau, the new mayor, first
entered the city, to take possession of it in the king's name,--and all
the different keys of the strong holds were presented to them. The
franc archers were not permitted to join in this entry, as it was said,
by desire of the inhabitants, but sent to quarter themselves in and
about Libourne.
The entry commenced at sunrise by the gate, where were stationed the
lords de l'Esparre, de Montferrant, and some nobles of the town and
country. All the churchmen, as well monks as others, dressed in their
copes and robes, came out to meet the lieutenant-general, and gave
him a most honourable welcome. The archers of the van guard commenced
the march, estimated at a thousand or twelve hundred men, under the
command of Joachim Rohault, constable of Bordeaux, and the lord de
Pavansac, seneschal of Toulouse. Then came the men at arms of the van
on foot, estimated at three hundred, under their proper commanders, the
marshals of Lohéac and de Jalognes, superbly mounted: then the counts
de Nevers and d'Armagnac, and the viscount de Lautrec, brother to the
count de Foix, with three hundred men on foot also. These were followed
by the archers of the lord de la Bessiere, lieutenant to the count du
Maine, in number, three or four hundred: then a whole battalion of
archers, estimated at three thousand, under the command of the lords
de la Bessiere and de la Rochefoucault: then three of the lords of the
king's great council, namely, the bishop of Aleth[127], master Guy
Bernard, archdeacon of Tours, and the bishop duke of Langres[128],--the
chancellor de la Marche, and others the king's secretaries, who were
followed by sir Tristan de l'Hermite, provost to the marshals, on
horseback, with all his sergeants.
Four trumpeters of the king, with heralds and pursuivants dressed in
the royal tabards, and in the coats of arms of the lords present, next
entered the town, followed by a white hackney, covered with housings
of crimson velvet, and on his crupper a cloth of azure velvet, with
flowers de luce embroidered thereon: a small coffer, covered with azure
velvet, with flowers de luce of solid silver in raised work was placed
on the saddle, containing the great seal of the king. This hackney was
led by a valet on foot, having two archers on each side in the king's
livery. The chancellor followed on horseback, armed in a corslet of
steel, over which was a jacket of crimson velvet.
The lord de Saintrailles, bailiff of Berry and master of the horse to
the king, came next, mounted on a large war-horse covered with silk
trappings. He was in full armour, and held one of the royal banners:
the other was displayed on his left hand by the lord de Montagu,
mounted also on a richly-dressed war-horse. They rode immediately
before the lieutenant general, who was mounted on a white courser with
trappings of blue velvet, loaded with raised work of solid gold. He was
alone, and in full armour, but followed by the counts of Angoulême and
Clermont in armour, and their horses and pages most richly dressed.
Then came the counts de Vendôme and de Castres, with numbers of other
barons and great lords, splendidly equipped. After them came the
battalion of the men at arms, amounting to fifteen hundred lances,
under the orders of sir James de Chabannes, grand master of the
household, in complete armour, and his horse covered with rich housings.
Then entered the men at arms of the count du Maine,--in number, one
hundred and fifty spears,--under the command of Geoffry de St Belin,
bailiff of Claumont in Bassigny. The March was closed by the rear
guard, consisting of the men of Joachim Rohault and the men at arms of
the lord de Saintrailles.