it is situated on the river Dordogne, and was occupied by the English.
The lords de Lohéac and de Jalognes, marshals of France, were ordered
to conduct the siege, having with them many great barons, knights and
esquires, and from sixteen to eighteen hundred men at arms and archers.
In the above number are included the men at arms of the count du Maine,
under the command of sir Pierre de Beauveau lord de la Bessiere: those
of the count de Nevers, commanded by sir Ferry de Grancey: those of
the count de Castres, son to the lord de la Marche, under sir Louis du
Puy, seneschal of la Marche, Guillaume de Lusac and Jean de Messignac:
those of the duke of Brittany having for chief his nephew the count
d'Estampes, but commanded by the lord de la Hunodaie and the lord de
Montauban, because the count d'Estampes had remained with the king. The
royal artillery, both small and great, was also sent thither, under
the direction of master John Bureau and his brother Jasper Bureau,
master of the artillery. They had with them seven hundred labourers,
to work the guns and bombards. The two brothers first ordered the park
of artillery to be strongly surrounded with ditches, and made secure
against the enemy, before they attended to the siege.
The earl of Shrewsbury, hearing of this, hastily set off from
Bordeaux, with eight hundred or a thousand horse, attended by his son
lord Lisle, the lord Molyns, and many others, the most valiant of the
english captains, as well lords as knights and esquires, from the
Bordelois and from England. He was followed by four or six thousand
English on foot. The earl and his companions arrived at the siege
on the 17th of July, about day-break; and when the French saw him
advancing, they retreated into the field wherein the artillery had been
placed, and which had been fortified with ditches,--but he fell in with
some of the franc archers, who had been unable to effect their retreat,
and killed from one hundred to six score of them.
The French made great exertions to retire within the inclosure, for the
English were advancing fast on them, thinking that they were flying,
having abandoned their siege. The earl, in the mean time, as he was
waiting for the infantry, had a pipe of wine set on its end, and drawn
off to refresh his men. The French had now nearly all gained the park,
and were forming in handsome order: the cannoneers had also brought
their guns to the ditches, and pointed them against the English.
Those in Châtillon had found means to send information to lord
Shrewsbury at Bordeaux, that if he would hastily march to their
relief, the French would fly: he was therefore exceedingly surprised,
on his arrival, to see the manner in which the French had intrenched
themselves, and how well they had posted their artillery. The
commanders to oppose the English were the lords marshals, the grand
master of the household, the count de Penthievre, the seneschal of
Poitou, the lord de la Bessiere, sir John Bureau, and others having the
conduct of the siege, besides several great lords who had taken the
field against the king's enemies.
Lord Shrewsbury and his companions advanced boldly to the barriers,
thinking to force an entrance into the park; but he found there such
valiant opposers, who seemed eager to display their courage, as
astonished him, after the intelligence he had received from those
in Châtillon. The earl was mounted on a small hackney, and did not
dismount on account of his age[154]; but he ordered all others so to
do. The English had eight banners displayed, namely, that of the king
of England, of St George, of the Trinity, of the earl of Shrewsbury,
and others, with the standards of the nobility skilfully arranged.
The attack commenced with great valour, and each party fought manfully,
so that the business lasted a full hour,--at the end of which, the men
at arms of the duke of Brittany, under the command of the lords de
Montauban and de la Hunodaie, were sent for to relieve the French who
had been thus long engaged at the barriers. On their arrival, by the
aid of God and their own prowess, the English were forced to turn their
backs, and were beaten down, with all their banners, by these Bretons.
The artillery played so well that the English were constrained to fly,
but not without numbers being left dead on the spot. The hackney of
lord Shrewsbury was struck down by a culverin-ball, and he was put to
death by the French, as he lay under him[155].
Among the slain were the lord l'Isle, sir Hedoual Haul, Thomas Aurigan,
the lord de Pingulan, a gascon knight, and thirty of the most valiant
knights, as it was said, from England. Lord Molyns was made prisoner.
As the French were much fatigued, and on foot, they could not pursue
the enemy, so that numbers of English and Gascons escaped; and about
eight hundred or a thousand retreated into Châtillon, among whom
were the count de Candale, son to the captal de Buch, the lords de
Montferrant, de Rosem, and d'Anglades: the lord de l'Esparre escaped
also, who had been the principal author of this rebellion. Those who
could not enter the town fled by land or water,--but in regard to the
last, they were mostly all drowned.
The count de Penthievre, the bailiff of Touraine, and several French,
having at length mounted their horses, pursued the runaways as far
as the walls of St Emilion[157], killing all they could overtake.
When the French were recovered from their fatigues, they buried the
dead, consisting of four or five hundred on the side of the English.
On the morrow, the french marshals ordered all their artillery to be
brought to bear on the walls of Châtillon, to rejoice those within
it; but when the townsmen saw these vast preparations, they began to
humble themselves, and to lower the pride with which they were filled,
by surrendering themselves to the king's will; they were estimated
at fifteen hundred combatants: and the chief lords were constituted
prisoners to the king.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 151: St Jean d'Angely,--an ancient town in Saintonge, 38
leagues from Bordeaux.]
[Footnote 152: Challais,--in Saintonge near Saintes.]
[Footnote 153: Eight score,--probably eight hundred.]
[Footnote 154: His age. He was then 86 or 87 years old.]
[Footnote 155: 'He fell gloriously, together with his gallant son the
lord l'Isle, who, though entreated to escape by the dying hero, chose
to share his father's fate rather than quit the field[156].'
_Andrews' Hist. of Great Britain_, A.D. 1453, 4, 5.]
[Footnote 156: 'The herald of this glorious veteran sought out the body
amongst the heaps of slain, wept over it, and embraced it with these
pathetic words: 'Alas! my lord, and is it you? I pray God pardon all
your misdoings! I have been your officer of arms 40 years and more: it
is time that I should surrender to you the ensigns of my office.'--Thus
saying, with the tears gushing from his eyes, he threw his coat of arms
over the corpse, thus performing one of the ancient rites of sepulture.'
_Registre de Wyrkson_, apud _Anstis_.]
[Footnote 157: St Emilion,--on the Dordogne, near Libourne, six leagues
from Bordeaux.]
CHAP. LV.
AFTER THE REDUCTION OF CHÂTILLON, THE FRENCH TAKE ST EMILION AND
LIBOURNE.--THE KING JOINS HIS ARMY BEFORE BORDEAUX, IN WHICH WERE
GREAT NUMBERS OF ENGLISH.--THAT TOWN SURRENDERS ON CAPITULATION.
After the surrender of Châtillon, the french commanders marched the
army and artillery to St Emilion, the garrison of which instantly
submitted, as it was impossible to make any resistance, and were
mercifully received. Thence the army advanced toward Libourne, which
had not willingly turned to the English when lord Shrewsbury first
arrived at Bordeaux; but the french garrison, hearing of his coming,
had fled: the townsmen were, therefore, forced to submit,--and, on
this account, they were admitted into favour with the king.
At this time, the count de Clermont, as lieutenant-general for the king
of France in Guienne and the Bordelois, kept his army on the other side
of the Gironde. He had with him the count de Foix, the count d'Albreth,
the lord d'Orval his son, sir Theaulde de Valpergue bailiff of Lyon,
the lord de Saintrailles master of the horse to the king, sir Bernard
de Béarn, the viscount de Turenne, the lord de Lavedan, and many other
captains, to the number of eight hundred lances and archers, who acted
so prudently that the english forces in that country, and in Bordeaux,
to the amount of eight thousand combatants, never offered them battle,
nor prevented them making prisoners, or destroying convoys of provision
and wine. On the 14th day of July, the counts de Clermont, de Foix, and
d'Albreth, laid siege to the new castle in Medoc, and remained before
it fourteen days. The governor for the king of England was a knight of
Gascony, called the lord de l'Isle, who, seeing the impracticability
of defending it with success, surrendered it to these lords.
The french army was thence marched to besiege Blanquefort[158]; and the
count de Foix, with his brother the viscount de Lautrec, separated from
it to lay siege to Cadillac[159], while the lord de Saintrailles went
before St Macaire[160], and reduced it to the king's obedience. The
lord d'Albreth likewise left the siege of Blanquefort, and reduced the
towns of Langon[161] and Villendras to obedience,--so that two or three
sieges were going on at the same time. To regarrison their conquests,
these lords had with them about a thousand lances, and a sufficiency
of archers, comprehending the men of the count d'Armagnac, under the
command of an esquire called L'ainé de Lange, seneschal of Rouergue.
During the siege of Cadillac, the count de Clermont never quitted that
of Blanquefort until it had surrendered to him.
On the 16th day of July, the king left the city of Angoulême, to
join his army in the Bordelois: he was accompanied by the counts of
Angoulême, of Maine, of Nevers, of Estampes, of Castres, of Vendôme,
and many other barons, knights and esquires, to the town of Libourne.
His army was then before Fronsac, which was held by the English, who
afterward surrendered it on capitulation of being allowed to go to
England,--and they marched out with only staves in their hands. The
army then crossed the Dordogne, to subdue the country within the two
rivers, and captured many towns from the English.
The king advanced to Montferrant, and ordered a blockhouse to be
erected against Lormond, near Bordeaux, by a part of his army, while
another division was employed on the siege of the town and castle of
Cadillac.
On the other hand, the counts de Clermont, de Foix, d'Albreth, d'Orval,
and the bailiff of Lyon, with others to the amount of one thousand
lances and archers, had posted themselves near to Bordeaux, on the side
of the moors, to destroy all the corn and provision, that those within
Bordeaux might not reap any advantage or profit by them.
On the 18th day of July, the king, in person, led his army against
Cadillac, when it was taken by storm. The first who entered was
an esquire named Gonfroy de St Hellin, bailiff of Chaumont in
Bassigny,--but the English retired into the castle, which was very
strong. Notwithstanding the strength of the place, the English, alarmed
at the great power and good order of the king's army, which consisted
of a thousand spears and a proportionate number of archers, were
forced to submit. They surrendered themselves, in the month of October
following, prisoners to the king, when their captain, called Gaillard,
was beheaded.
In the blockhouse before Lormond were posted the lord de Lohéac marshal
of France, with many other lords, knights, and captains, to the amount
of fifteen or sixteen hundred spears, archers, and artillery,--and
near to it were anchored the king's fleet of victuallers from Brittany,
Poitou, Spain, Holland, Zealand and Flanders, which remained in the
river Gironde, until Bordeaux surrendered to the king.
In like manner had victuallers been sent from England; and on their
arrival the lord Cameise[162] had ordered their sails and stores to be
landed and secured in the town, that they might not depart _hospite
insalutato_; that is to say, without taking leave of their hosts. The
English also constructed another blockhouse opposite to and higher than
that of the French, although it profited them little, notwithstanding
so many in the town were attached to the king of England, namely, the
lord Cameise, the lord Clinton, the bastard of Somerset, the lord de
l'Esparre, the lord de Rosem, and from three to four thousand English,
and as many or more Gascons, one half of whom were quartered in the
town, and the other half in the blockhouse, to guard their fleet.
Thus were these powers employed on the same duty in their separate
blockhouses from the first day of August until the 17th of October,
annoying each other by every possible means. Provision began at length
to fail in Bordeaux, to the great alarm of the English, as was natural;
and as they daily heard of towns in all directions submitting, by
force of arms, to the king, they made offers of a surrender on a fair
capitulation. The king consented, for two reasons: first, because he
was ready to render good for evil: secondly, considering the mortality
that was to be dreaded, if matters were pushed to extremities, he was
glad to compound for the departure of the English on the following
terms.
The city of Bordeaux was to be yielded up to him, and the inhabitants
were to remain his true and loyal subjects,--they taking an oath never
to rebel again, but to acknowledge the king of France as their true and
legal lord. The English were to be allowed to transport themselves
in their own vessels to England, or to Calais, as they should please.
But because some of the lords of that country and city had maliciously
and traitorously sought the alliance of England, and had gone thither
for that purpose, contrary to their oaths and declarations made to the
king in the preceding year, who, at a very great expense and loss of
men, had conquered them, the king would reserve to himself the power
of banishing from the country of Bordelois twenty persons, according
to his pleasure, such as had gone to England to seek the aid of the
English, and particularly the lord de Duras, the lord de l'Esparre, and
others. This capitulation was signed on the 17th day of October, in the
year 1453.
In truth, the king laboured greatly in these matters, both in body and
mind; for, after the aid of God, he was indebted for the peaceable
recovery of this country to his own prudent conduct, and to the
gracious manner with which he received those who returned to their
obedience. He was also supported by his vassals and subjects with the
same earnestness as if the recovery of his kingdom had personally
concerned themselves.
Sir Pierre de Beauveau, lord de la Bessiere, died of his wounds three
days after the taking of Châtillon, which was a great loss. Sir James
de Chabannes, grand master of the household, was likewise slain there:
he was much lamented, as he was a most valorous knight.
The country being thus recovered, the king determined on going to
Tours, after leaving, for its defence, the count de Clermont his
lieutenant general, sir Theaulde de Valpergue, and sir John de
Bureau, treasurer of France and mayor of the city of Bordeaux, with
a sufficient force of men at arms, archers, and cross-bows. This
was become absolutely necessary by reason of their late treacherous
conduct, for, according to a maxim of law, 'Semul malus, semper
præsumitur malus.' It was therefore expedient to keep a heavy hand on
them, that they might be under greater subjection and prevented from
rebelling again.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 158: Blanquefort,--a town in Guienne near Bordeaux.]
[Footnote 159: Cadillac en Fransadois,--seven leagues from Bordeaux.]
[Footnote 160: St Macaire,--on the Garonne, nine leagues from Bordeaux.]
[Footnote 161: Langon,--one league from Cadillac from Bordeaux.]
[Footnote 162: Camus,--or Cameise. See Dugdale.]
CHAP. LVI.
THE GRAND TURK BESIEGES CONSTANTINOPLE, AND BATTERS THE CITY WITH
HEAVY ARTILLERY.--IT IS TAKEN BY STORM.--THE CRUELTIES COMMITTED
THERE.--A REMEDY PROPOSED TO RESIST THE TURK[163].
On the 4th of April, after Easter, in this same year 1453,
Morbesan[164], son of Orestes, great lords in Achaia, advanced near to
Constantinople, and, on the 5th day of this month, besieged that city
all round with two hundred thousand men,--sixty thousand of whom were
archers, and from thirty to forty thousand cavalry. About a fourth part
of them were armed with haubergeons and coats of mail, others after
the french manner,--some in the bulgarian manner, and in different
fashions. Many had helmets of iron, and others were armed with bows
and cross-bows. The greater part, however, of the sixty thousand were
without any other armour than targets and turkish blades. The remaining
hundred were composed of merchants, artisans, followers of the army,
pillagers, and destroyers of the country.
There were very many bombards and culverins made use of at this
siege,--and one particularly large bombard, that shot stones twelve
spans and four fingers in circumference, weighing eighteen hundred
pounds. These bombards shot daily from one hundred to six score
times,--and this thundering lasted for fifty-five days, expending
a thousand weight of powder each day, which was necessary for the
numerous culverins that were employed.
The Turk had likewise a fleet of sixteen or eighteen galleys, and
from sixty to eighty galiots, having each eighteen or twenty oars,
and from sixteen to twenty small barks, called Palendrins[165], to
transport horses in, and plenty of gun-carriages. When the siege had
been regularly formed, Sangombassa[166] principal minister to the Turk,
and who had the greatest credit and authority with him, had transported
over land, the distance of two or three miles, from sixty to eighty
galleys, and other armed vessels, into the Melse Mondagarin[167], near
to Pera, and between the two cities. The Turks could not by any other
means enter the harbour of Constantinople, as the Bosphorus and the
straits of the Dardanelles were strongly guarded by the Christians, who
were so posted that they could relieve each other when attacked.
The commander of this expedition was a Turk called Albitangoth[168],
who broke through four of the genoese ships. The Turk appointed
another commander to surround the city by sea and land. Constantinople
is a very strong city, of a triangular form, twenty miles in circuit
on the land side, and five miles wide from the land boundary to the
harbour and gulf. The walls on the land side are very strong and
high, having barbicans and loop holes on the top, well fortified
without by the ditches and ramparts. The principal walls are from
fifteen to twenty-two fathoms high: in some places six, and in others
eight fathoms wide: the outworks are twenty fathoms high and three
in thickness, and the ditches ten deep. The city contained from
twenty-five to thirty thousand persons, and six thousand combatants.
In the harbour were thirty ships and nine galleys, to defend the chain
that had been thrown across it: of this number were two armed vessels,
and three merchant ships, from the Venetians; three belonging to the
emperor,--and one to sir John Justinian, a Genoese in the pay of the
emperor.
Constantinople, although besieged by sea and land, and strongly
battered by bombards and cannon, held out for fifty days, during which
a captain of one of the galleys, in conjunction with others ordered
on this service, attempted to set fire to the turkish fleet; but the
galley was sunk by a heavy stone from a bombard, and the others ran on
the sharp stakes with which the Turks had fortified the van division of
their fleet.
On the land side, Sangombassa, king of the Albanians, had in his army
many who had been accustomed to work in gold and silver mines,--and
he ordered them to open fourteen mines under the walls of the city,
to throw them down. As these mines were opened at a distance from the
walls, the Christians countermined them, and at times stifled the Turks
in their mine with smoke, or suffocated them with stinks: at other
times they drowned them, by introducing water suddenly on them, or
destroyed them by fighting hand to hand. Sangombassa constructed a high
and strong tower of wood that overtopped the walls, and threw across
an arm of the sea a bridge of boats one thousand fathoms in length
and seven wide, for the army to cross, besides erecting other smaller
towers that were both light and strong, and could be moved from one
place to another when wanted. There were daily skirmishes, in which
many were slain on each side,--but for one that was killed in the town
one hundred were destroyed of the besiegers.
At this siege were many greek Christians, and others from different
parts, who, although subjects to the Turk, are not constrained to
renounce their religion: they therefore pray to and adore God at their
pleasure. There were beside several captains and powerful Turks,
who, out of spite to Sangombassa, as he oppressed them much, gave
information to those in the town, by letters fastened to arrows and
by all other possible means, of what was going forward in the camp.
Among other things, the Christians were informed of the grand Turk
having held a council of his ministers and principal persons for four
whole days; and that in this council a captain, called Colombassa[169],
had advised the raising of the siege, saying to the Turk, 'Thou hast
done thy duty: thou hast already given many great battles to the
Christians, and at each time numbers of thy people have fallen. Thou
seest from the fortifications and defence of the city that it is
impregnable,--insomuch that the more thou sendest to attack it, so many
more are left dead before it. Those who have mounted the walls have
been repulsed or slain,--and thy ancestors never had the power nor the
inclination to advance so far as thou hast done, which ought to satisfy
thy ambition, without wishing the total destruction of thy people.'
So much was said by others, in consequence of this harangue, that the
Turk doubted within his own breast whether he should return, and erect
two columns on the spot where he then was, to proclaim to the world
that he had done more than any of his predecessors had ever undertaken,
and to inform posterity that no Turk had ever before dared to approach
so near to Constantinople.
Sangombassa was of a contrary opinion, and thus addressed the Turk:
'Thou hast shown thyself the strongest. Thou hast overthrown part of
the walls; we will completely destroy the remainder. Only let us give
one more determined attack,--and, if we then fail of conquest, we will
submit to act according to thy pleasure.' He expressed himself with so
much warmth and earnestness that the Turk consented to his proposal;
and intelligence thereof was conveyed into the town, with exhortations
to hold out with courage for a few days longer, and the siege would
assuredly be raised.
The Turk, being resolved to storm the city, ordered a solemn fast to
take place three days before the time fixed on, in honour of the God of
Heaven, whom alone he adores. It was kept very strictly for the three
days, none of the army eating any thing during the day-time; but at
night they feasted, and their camp and fleet were then illuminated with
a multitude of torches, so that land and sea seemed on fire: they added
loud music with drums and other instruments, for with trumpets they
were ill provided.
When the time arrived for the storming, both parties seemed
determined on victory or death. The attack began very slowly in the
evening, and the Turk had made the following arrangement of his
forces:--Siglardy[170], captain-general of Turkey, was posted, with
twenty thousand men, at the gate of Pucchi, where was the heat of
the battle: Sangombassa, with about a third of the army, was posted
at the gate St Romain, about a mile distant from Pucchi. Ebbigabeth,
governor-general of Greece, was placed on the side of Galigaria[171],
near to the emperor's palace. The greater part of the mines were two
miles distant from St Romain. The renegade Albanian, Sangombassa, was
posted on the other side of the canal near to Pera, with other renegade
Christians; for, in these countries, many daily recant from their
religion.
At the commencement of the attack, the Christians defended themselves
well, particularly at St Romain, which was the weakest part of the
walls; for lately good part had been damaged, and even thrown down. The
heavy cannon and the culverins kept up so brisk a fire that breaches
were made of many fathoms wide in several places; and the firing was so
incessant that the sky could scarcely be seen for the thickness of the
smoke.
The besieged instantly repaired the breaches with old casks and bags of
earth, and defended themselves as well as they could. At this spot was
sir John Justinian, who behaved with great courage: indeed, the whole
city placed their dependance on his abilities.