France, sent from Arras messengers to the French, to order them to
retreat, and restore the plunder they had taken; so that when the two
parties had been for some time drawn up in battle against each other,
they separated without coming to action, and returned the way they had
come; for the French, in obedience to the orders they had received
from their ambassadors at the convention, restored the greater part of
their prisoners, and the pillage they had collected,--but it was sorely
against their will. They lost about twenty men in killed and prisoners.
CHAP. LXXXVI.
THE KINGS OF ARRAGON AND NAVARRE ARE DEFEATED, AND MADE PRISONERS,
BEFORE GAIETA, BY THE ARMY OF THE DUKE OF MILAN.
On the 16th day of August, in this year, the kings of Arragon and of
Navarre, the grand master of the order of St James, their brother, the
duke of Sessia, and his son the count de Fondi, the prince of Tarentum,
his son sir Christopher Garganeymè,[21] surnamed the Eagle, the viceroy
of Sicily, and four hundred knights and esquires, were made prisoners
before the town of Gaieta, and their army, of four thousand soldiers,
defeated.
They had been employed in besieging the town of Gaieta by sea and
land, to the great displeasure of Philip Maria Visconti duke of Milan,
who had prepared an army and stores in Genoa to raise the siege and
revictual the place. The commander of this army for the duke of Milan
was the admiral of Genoa, who attempted to enter the port and throw in
succours; but the besiegers marched to the shore to combat him,--and
though they were far more numerous than he was, fortune favoured him,
and he completely routed the arragonian and neapolitan forces.
The kings and princes before mentioned were carried by the admiral
prisoners to Genoa, then under the protection of the duke of Milan,
and were soon after delivered up to him on certain terms agreed upon
between him and the Genoese, and also on his promising not to give them
their liberty without their consent.
This promise, however, he did not keep; for, after he had handsomely
entertained them in his town of Milan, he gave them their liberty
without ransom, or insisting on any terms, and even made them, on their
departure, many rich gifts. When this came to the knowledge of the
Genoese, they were very indignant thereat, and not without reason, for
they were their inveterate enemies; and they now withdrew themselves
from the obedience and protection of the duke of Milan.[22]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 21: Garganeymè. Q.]
[Footnote 22: 'In the year 1435, the town of Gaieta, in the kingdom
of Naples, offered to submit itself to the protection of the Genoese,
to avoid falling into the hands of Alphonso king of Arragon. In
consequence, Francisco Spinola and Ottolino Zoppo are sent with a good
garrison to defend the place. Alphonso hastens to besiege it,--and
Gaieta, ill provided with provision, is reduced to great distress.
'The Genoese, informed of the situation of the garrison, send thither,
on the 22d July, a fleet under the command of Luca Aseréto, a famous
captain, to their relief. Alphonso, hearing of this, embarks on board
his own fleet, with all the nobility and eleven thousand combatants.
The fleets meet near to the island of Ponza on the 5th August, and the
battle lasts from sun-rise to night, but victory is on the side of the
Genoese. It could not be more complete: the king of Arragon, his two
brothers, John king of Navarre, the infant don Henry, with a quantity
of nobles, are made prisoners; and of fourteen vessels, only one
escaped.
'The besieged, on learning this event, make a sally, drive the enemy
from their lines, and deliver the place. The prisoners are carried from
on board the fleet to Milan, where the duke entertains the king of
Arragon magnificently, enters into a league with him, and gives him and
his companions their liberty without ransom. This generosity causes the
Genoese to lose the fruit of their victory, and enrages them against
the duke of Milan. On the 12th December, they rise in arms, kill the
governor, drive away the Milanese, and shake off the yoke of the duke.'
_Art de Verifier les Dates._]
CHAP. LXXXVII.
THE CARDINAL OF WINCHESTER AND THE WHOLE OF THE ENGLISH EMBASSY LEAVE
ARRAS.--OTHER AMBASSADORS ARRIVE THERE.
The cardinal of Winchester, and the English embassy, left Arras on
the 6th day of September for England, without concluding on any terms
with the French, although there had been conferences for several days
between them for this purpose, and although the duke of Burgundy had
interfered with his council as much as possible to accommodate their
differences.
The English, notwithstanding, departed for Calais, and thence to
England, suspecting greatly, what happened soon after, that Charles
king of France and the duke of Burgundy would make peace; for they had
perceived, while at Arras, that great cordiality existed between the
duke and the French, which was far from pleasing to them.
Ambassadors continued to arrive at Arras from the kings of Navarre,
of Dacia, of Spain, of Cyprus, of Portugal, the constable duke of la
Puglia, the duke of Milan, the king of Sicily, the king of Norway, and
the duke of Brittany. The archbishop of Auch came thither, as did the
bishops of Alby, of Usez, of Auxerre, of Alba, of Vicenza, the abbot of
Vezelay, the archdeacon of Metz in Lorraine, procurator for the holy
council of Basil, the archdeacon of la Puglia, with numbers of others
of note and of authority.
CHAP. LXXXVIII.
A PEACE IS CONCLUDED BETWEEN CHARLES KING OF FRANCE AND THE DUKE OF
BURGUNDY, IN THE CITY OF ARRAS.
When the ambassadors from king Henry had quitted the city of Arras,
without agreeing to any preliminaries for a peace, the two remaining
parties, of the king of France and duke of Burgundy, met for some
few days at the accustomed place, when, by the exhortations and
interference of the cardinals de Santa Croce and of Cyprus, and other
prelates and nobles, a peace was finally concluded between them on the
following terms.
'We Philip, by the grace of God, duke of Burgundy, Austria, Brabant and
Limbourg, count of Flanders, Artois, Burgundy, palatine of Hainault,
Holland, Zealand and Namur, marquis of the holy empire, lord of
Frizeland, Salins and Mechlin, make known to all to whom these presents
shall come, that many assemblies and conventions have been holden for
the procuring of a general peace, as well in the cities of Auxerre and
Corbeil as latterly in our city of Arras for this desirable purpose.
'To this place our very-redoubted lord, king Charles, has sent our
most dear and well beloved brothers and cousins, the duke of Bourbon
and Auvergne, the count de Richemont, constable of France, the count
de Vendôme, grand master of the household, the very reverend father
in God the archbishop and duke of Rheims, chancellor of France,
Christopher de Harcourt, Gilbert lord de la Fayette, marshal of France,
master Adam de Cambray, first president of the parliament, master John
Tudart, dean of Paris and master of requests of the king's household,
William Charetier, Stephen Moreau, counsellors of the parliament, John
Chastignier and Robert Marlier, secretaries to the said king, as his
ambassadors.
'On the part of our very dear lord and cousin, the king of England,
there came the most reverend fathers in God the cardinal of Winchester
and the archbishop of York, our well beloved cousins the earls of
Huntingdon and Suffolk, the reverend fathers in God the bishops of
Norwich, St David's, and Lisieux, and many other churchmen, as his
ambassadors.
'We also came thither in person, attended by many of our blood, and
great numbers of our faithful and loyal subjects. Our holy father the
pope sent also to this convention the most reverend father in God,
and our especial friend, the cardinal de Santa Croce, invested with
sufficient powers from him. In like manner, the sacred council at
Basil sent thither, as its ambassadors, the most reverend father in
God, our dear and well beloved cousin the cardinal of Cyprus, the
very reverend fathers in God the bishops of Verona, of Alby, Nicholas
provost of Cracovia, Hugh archdeacon of Metz.
'In the presence of the above ambassadors from our holy father the
pope, and from the sacred council at Basil, we, as well as the
ambassadors from France and England, have appeared as often as it was
thought expedient, and have mutually made overtures and presents to
each other. And although the ambassadors from the king of France made
great and handsome proposals for the conclusion of a general peace,
and such as were thought by the cardinals and prelates to be just and
reasonable, and which ought not to have been refused,--and although
the cardinals de Santa Croce and of Cyprus, together with the other
envoys from the pope and council, even pressed the English ambassadors
to accede to these terms, remonstrating with them, that in case they
would not listen to the conclusion of a general peace, they had been
charged by their holy father, and by the sacred council, to summon us
to conclude a private peace with our lord the king, in so far as the
whole of our personal interests were concerned.
'Nevertheless, the English ambassadors, continuing obstinate, in
refusing the terms offered them, quitted our city of Arras without
coming to any conclusion, or fixing any period for their return
thither. For this cause, the cardinal legates, and the other ministers
from the pope and council, exhorted and required of us to conclude a
private peace with our said lord the king, provided that satisfactory
proposals should be made touching the death of our very dear lord and
father, whose soul may God pardon! by the ambassadors from him, and in
his name, so that we should be contented therewith.
'The following proposals from our said lord the king were delivered in
a written roll to the said cardinal legates, and other ambassadors from
our holy father the pope and sacred council, and by them given to us.
'These are the offers made by us Charles duke of Bourbon and of
Auvergne, Arthur count de Richemont constable of France, Louis de
Bourbon count de Vendôme, Regnault de Chartres archbishop and duke of
Rheims, great chancellor of France, Gilbert lord de la Fayette marshal
of France, Adam de Cambrai first president of the parliament, John
Tudart dean of Paris, counsellor and master of the requests of the
king's household, William Chartier and Stephen Moreau counsellors,
John Chastignier and Robert Morlier secretaries, ambassadors from
Charles king of France, now in the city of Arras, for and in the name
of our sovereign lord king Charles, to my lord the duke of Burgundy and
Brabant, respecting the death of the late lord John duke of Burgundy,
his father, and likewise touching other matters, that a treaty of peace
and concord may be concluded between them.
'In the first place, the king will declare, or others sufficiently
authorised by him shall declare, to the said lord the duke of Burgundy,
that the death of the late lord John duke of Burgundy, his father,
(whose soul may God pardon!) was iniquitously and treacherously caused
by those who perpetrated the deed, and through wicked counsel, which
was alway displeasing to him, and continues to be so in the sincerity
of his heart. That if he had been aware of the consequences, and of an
age to have judged of them, he would have prevented it; but at the time
he was very young, having little knowledge, and inconsiderately did not
prevent it. He shall entreat my lord the duke of Burgundy that what
hatred and rancour he may have conceived against him for this cause may
cease, and that henceforward good faith and peace may exist between
them,--express mention of which shall be made in the articles that
shall be drawn up in consequence.
'Item, the king will deliver up all who may have perpetrated the said
wicked deed, or were consenting thereto, and will use all diligence
to have them apprehended wherever they may be found, so that they
may be punished in body and goods. Should they not be discovered, he
will irrevocably banish them the realm of France and Dauphiny, with
confiscation of effects, and exemption from profiting by any treaty.
'Item, the king will not permit any of them to be received or favoured
in any place under his obedience; and will cause it to be proclaimed in
all parts of France and Dauphiny, where proclamations have been usually
made, that no persons do receive or favour them, under pain of corporal
punishment and confiscation of effects.
'Item, the aforesaid lord, the duke of Burgundy, shall, so soon as he
conveniently can after the signing of the treaty, name those who he
has been informed perpetrated the said wicked deed, or were consenting
thereto, that they may be proceeded against with diligence on the part
of our said lord the king. And whereas the said duke of Burgundy may
not at this present moment be sufficiently acquainted with the names of
all who were concerned in, or who actually perpetrated, the aforesaid
wicked act, at all times, that he may receive additional information,
he may signify the names of such persons, by his letters patent, or
otherwise, to the king, who shall be bound to pursue them, in his royal
courts of justice, in the most summary manner.
'Item, the following edifices and religious foundations shall be made
for the repose of the souls of the late John duke of Burgundy, of the
late sir Archambault de Foix, count de Noailles, who was put to death
with him, and for those of others who have been slain on this occasion,
or in the wars that took place in consequence of this event,--namely,
in the church of Montereau, where the body of the late duke John of
Burgundy was first buried, shall be founded a chapel and chapelry, in
which a low mass of requiem shall be daily chaunted; which chapel shall
be endowed with an annual income of sixty livres parisis in mortmain,
and furnished with a chalice, and all other ornaments sufficiently
handsome, at the sole expense of the king. The presentation to this
chapel shall be vested in my lord of Burgundy, and in his successors
the dukes of Burgundy, for ever.
'Item, within the said town of Montereau, or as near to it as well may
be, shall be constructed and endowed by the king, and at his expense,
a church, with a convent of Carthusians, to consist of a prior and
twelve monks, with cloisters, halls, refectories, granges and all
other necessary buildings. This monastery, consisting of a prior and
twelve religious, shall be founded by the king with well secured rents
in mortmain, to the amount of eight hundred livres parisis, for the
maintenance of the monks, the keeping up religious worship, and for the
repairs of the convent, church and buildings, according to the advice
of the reverend father in God the lord cardinal de Santa Croce, or
whomsoever he may nominate in his stead.
'Item, on the bridge of Montereau, where this murder was committed,
shall be erected a handsomely-sculptured cross, according to the device
of the said lord cardinal or those commissioned by him, at the king's
expense, and kept continually in perfect repair by his majesty.
'Item, in the church of the Carthusians at Dijon, where at present
reposes the body of the said duke John of Burgundy, shall be founded
by the king, and at his expense, a high mass of requiem, which shall
be daily chaunted for ever at the high altar of this church, at such
an hour as may hereafter be determined upon. And this foundation shall
have secured to it good annual rents, in mortmain, of one hundred
livres parisis, and shall be provided with chalices and other suitable
ornaments.
'Item, these said buildings and foundations shall be begun upon, and
take effect, so soon as conveniently may be,--and the masses shall
particularly commence the instant the treaty shall be signed. But with
regard to the intended buildings at Montereau, they shall be begun
three months after that town shall be reduced to the king's obedience,
and diligently continued without interruption until the whole of them
be perfectly completed within the term of five years.
'In respect to the said foundations, proper measures shall be taken
concerning them so soon as conveniently may be; and the moment the
treaties shall be signed, the high mass in the carthusian convent
at Dijon, before mentioned, shall commence,--and the monks shall be
provided with books, chalices, and all other necessary articles. And
when the town of Montereau shall be reduced to the king's obedience,
the daily low mass shall be sung, at the sole expense of the king of
France. Within three days after this town shall have submitted itself,
a sufficient sum of money shall be paid to the lord cardinal de Santa
Croce, or to whomsoever he may appoint to receive the same for the
commencement of the said edifices, and to purchase chalices, books, and
every other necessary article. And at the same time the annual income,
before declared, of eight hundred and sixty livres parisis, shall
be firmly established on lands, in mortmain, as near to the town of
Montereau as possible. This income, however, does not include the rent
of a hundred livres parisis allotted for the foundation of a high mass
at the carthusian convent at Dijon.
'Item, as a compensation for the jewels, and other personalities that
were either stolen or lost at the time of the decease of our late lord
John duke of Burgundy, and for the purchase of others, the king of
France consents, well and truly, to pay to the duke of Burgundy the
sum of fifty thousand golden crowns, old weight, of sixty-four to the
marc of Troyes, eight ounces to the marc, having twenty-four karats
of aloy, or other current money, by instalments, as follow: namely,
fifteen thousand on Easter-day twelvemonth, which will begin the year
1437; fifteen thousand on the Easter-day in the following year,--and
the balance of twenty thousand on Easter-day in the year 1439. The
duke of Burgundy shall not be prevented by this from persevering in
his researches after the rich collar of his late lord and father, nor
in his suits against those he may suspect to have it, as well as other
valuable jewels, in order to recover them, over and above this said sum
of fifty thousand crowns.
'Item, the king, from affection to the duke of Burgundy, agrees that
the following lands and lordships shall be firmly settled on the said
duke, his direct heirs and successors, whether male or female, namely,
the city and county of Mâcon and St Jangon, as far as the boundaries
thereof, with all the towns, villages, lands and revenues thereto
belonging, which at this moment appertain to and are dependant on the
domain of the crown of France, without any reservation, excepting the
homage due from these fiefs to the crown, and the patronage of the
churches and royal foundations, included in the droit de regale,
and all other royal prerogatives which may belong from ancient times
in this bailiwick to the crown of France. In all other respects the
said duke of Burgundy shall hold the county of Mâcon, with its towns,
villages, and dependances, and his heirs and successors, for ever, on
paying the usual homage to the king and crown of France, as a peerage
under the jurisdiction of the king and his court of parliament in a
similar manner, and with all the rights and prerogatives attached to
the peerage of France.
'Item, on the part of the king shall be yielded up to the duke of
Burgundy and to his heirs and successors, to whom, after his decease,
shall devolve this county of Mâcon, all profits and emoluments
whatever that shall become due from the royal towns of Mâcon and St
Jangon, whether from rights attached to royalty or from bailiwicks
in compensation for protection, or by confiscations, fines, profits
from the coinage; and all rights of every other description, shall
be enjoyed by the said duke and his heirs, during their respective
lives, on the terms and conditions following,--that is to say, on the
nomination of the said duke of Burgundy, and his heirs after him, of a
bailiff of Mâcon, the king shall appoint the same as his royal judge
and commissary, to take cognisance of all crimes and suits appertaining
to his sovereign jurisdiction throughout the county of Mâcon and its
dependances, according to the usual form and manner in which the royal
bailiffs of Mâcon and Saint Jangon have acted in former times,--but
henceforth the bailiwick of St Jangon shall be abolished. And in like
manner, on the recommendation of the said duke and his heirs, shall the
king appoint all officers necessary for the good government of this
county, such as governor, castellan, provosts and receivers, who shall
exercise such appointments in the king's name, but to the profit of the
said duke of Burgundy and his heirs.
'Item, in like manner, all profits from taxes shall be transferred
from the king to the said duke, together with the duties on salt, on
wines sold by retail, and every other imposition that may have been
established in the elections of Mâcon, Chalons, Autun, and Langres,
so far as these elections may extend into Burgundy or the county of
Charolois, and throughout the whole county of the Mâconnois, included
within the boundaries of the aforesaid duchy or county, to be enjoyed
by him and his heirs for ever.
'The recommendation of all officers necessary for the government of the
county of Mâcon and its dependances shall belong to the said duke of
Burgundy and his heirs, but the commission and institution shall remain
with the king of France.
'Item, in like manner shall the king of France transfer to the duke
of Burgundy and to his heirs, whether male or female, for ever, as
a perpetual inheritance, and as held in chief, the city and county
of Auxerre, with all its dependances and appurtenances whatever, in
regard to the administration of justice, domains, fiefs, patronage
of churches, collations to benefices, as held by the king of France
and his court of parliament, with the same rights, franchises, and
prerogatives, as the other peers of France.
'Item, and together with this cession the king of France shall transfer
to the said duke of Burgundy, and his heirs for ever, all revenues
payable by the city of Auxerre and its dependances, in as ample manner
as has been before stated when speaking of the county of Mâcon, as has
been already declared. And also, that on the nomination of the duke of
Burgundy and his heirs, of persons to fill up the various offices that
may become vacant, the king of France shall confirm their nominations,
and issue sufficient commissions and authorities accordingly; so that
the bailiff of Auxerre nominated by the duke of Burgundy shall have a
royal commission to judge and decide on all actions competent to his
tribunal within the city of Auxerre and its dependances, in the same
form and manner as has been heretofore done by the bailiff of Sens
instead of Auxerre; which bailiff of Sens shall not any more interfere
in these matters during the lives of the said duke of Burgundy, his
legal heirs and successors, but shall refer the same to the bailiff
of Auxerre, he having a royal commission for his authority. All the
revenues of taxes, and of every sort of imposition shall be transferred
to the said duke of Burgundy in a manner similar to what has been
before declared in the article relative to the cession of the same in
the county of Mâcon and its dependances.
'Item, in like manner shall the king of France cede to the duke of
Burgundy and to his heirs, whether male or female, descending in a
direct line for ever, as a perpetual inheritance, the castle, town,
and castlewick of Bar-sur-Seine, with all its domains, jurisdictions,
fiefs, patronage of churches, with all other rights and emoluments, for
him the duke to hold them under the king as a peerage of France, under
the royal sovereignty and jurisdiction of the parliament, on his fealty
and immediate homage to the king of France. The king shall likewise
transfer to the said duke and his heirs all profit from taxes and other
impositions, to be received by him from the receivers, who, having been
nominated by the said duke, shall be confirmed in their offices by the
king.