at which time my lord was ready to take his mule towards Amiens; and
passing on his journey thitherward, he was encountered from place to
place with divers noble and worthy personages, making to him divers
orations in Latin, to which he made answer again _extempore_; at whose
excellent learning and pregnant wit they wondered very much. Then was
word brought my lord that the king was coming to encounter him; with
that, he having none other shift, was compelled to alight in an old
chapel that stood by the high way, and there newly apparelled him into
more richer apparel; and then mounted upon a new mule very richly
trapped, with a footcloth and traps of crimson velvet upon velvet,
purled with gold, and fringed about with a deep fringe of gold very
costly, his stirrups of silver and gilt, the bosses and cheeks of his
bridle of the same[115]. And by that time that he was mounted again
after this most gorgeous sort, the king was come very near, within
less than a quarter of a mile English, mustering upon an hill side, his
guard standing in array along the same, expecting my lord's coming; to
whom my lord made as much haste as conveniently it became him; until
he came within a pair of butt lengths, and there he staid awhile. The
king perceiving that, stood still; and having two worthy gentlemen
young and lusty [with him], both brethren to the Duke of Lorraine, and
to the Cardinal of Lorraine; whereof one of them was called Monsieur
de Guise, and the other Monsieur Vaudemont: they were both apparelled
like the king, in purple velvet lined with cloth of silver, and their
coats cut, the king caused Monsieur Vaudemont to issue from him, and to
ride unto my lord to know the cause of his tracting. [This monsieur]
rode upon a fair courser, taking his race in a full gallop, even until
he came unto my lord; and there caused his horse to come aloft once
or twice so nigh my lord's mule, that he was in doubt of his horse;
and with that he lighted from his courser, and doing his message to
my lord with humble reverence; which done, he mounted again, and
caused his horse to do the same at his departing as he did before, and
so repaired again to the king; and, after his answer made, the king
advanced forward. That seeing my lord did the like, and in the mid
way they met, embracing each other on horseback, with most amiable
countenance entertaining each other right nobly. Then drew into the
place all noblemen and gentlemen on both sides, with wonderful cheer
made one to another, as they had been of an old acquaintance. The
prease was such and [so] thick, that divers had their legs hurt with
horses. Then the king's officers cried "_Marche, marche, devant, allez
devant._" And the king, and my Lord Cardinal on his right hand, rode
together to Amiens, every English gentleman accompanied with another
of France. The train of French and English endured two long miles,
that is to say from the place of their encounter unto Amiens; where
they were very nobly received with shot of guns and costly pageants,
until the king had brought my lord to his lodging, and there departed
asunder for that night, the king being lodged in the bishop's palace.
The next day after dinner, my lord with a great train of noblemen and
gentlemen of England, rode unto the king's court; at which time the
king kept his bed, being somewhat diseased, yet notwithstanding my lord
came into his bedchamber, where sat on the one side of his bed his
mother, Madam Regent, and on the other side the Cardinal of Lorraine,
with divers other noblemen of France. And after a short communication,
and drinking of a cup of wine with the king's mother, my lord departed
again to his lodging, accompanied with divers gentlemen and noblemen
of France, who supped with him. Thus continued the king and my lord in
Amiens the space of two weeks and more, consulting[116] and feasting
each other divers times. [And in the feast of the Assumption of our
Lady, my lord rose betimes and went to the cathedral church _de notre
Dame_, and there before my Lady Regent and the Queen of Navarre, in
our Lady Chapel, he said his service and mass; and after mass, he
himself ministered the sacrament unto my Lady Regent and to the Queen
of Navarre. And that done, the king resorted unto the church, and was
conveyed into a rich travers at the high altar; and directly against
him, on the other side of the altar, sat my Lord Cardinal in another
rich travers[117], three gressis[118] higher than the king's. And
at the altar, before them both, a bishop sang high mass, and at the
fraction of the host the same bishop divided the sacrament between
the king and the cardinal, for the performance of the peace concluded
between them; which mass was sung solemnly by the king's chapel, having
among them cornets and sackbuts. And after mass was done the trumpeters
blew in the roodeloft[119] until the king was past inward to his
lodging out of the church. And at his coming in to the bishop's palace,
where he intended to dine with my Lord Cardinal, there sat, within a
cloister, about two hundred persons diseased with the king's evil, upon
their knees. And the king, or ever he went to dinner, provised every
of them with rubbing and blessing them with his bare hands, being bare
headed all the while; after whom followed his almoner distributing of
money unto the persons diseased. And that done he said certain prayers
over them, and then washed his hands, and so came up into his chamber
to dinner, where as my lord dined with him[120].]
Then it was determined that the king and my lord should remove out of
Amiens, and so they did, to a town or city called Compeigne, which
was more than twenty English miles from thence; unto which town I was
sent to prepare my lord's lodging. And as I rode on my journey, being
upon a Friday, my horse chanced to cast a shoe in a little village,
where stood a fair castle. And as it chanced there dwelt a smith, to
whom I commanded my servant to carry my horse to shoe, and standing
by him while my horse was a shoeing, there came to me one of the
servants of the castle, perceiving me to be the cardinal's servant and
an Englishman, who required me to go with him into the castle to my
lord his master, whom he thought would be very glad of my coming and
company. Whose request I granted, because that I was always desirous to
see and be acquainted with strangers, in especial with men in honour
and authority, so I went with him; who conducted me unto the castle,
and being entered in the first ward, the watchmen of that ward, being
very honest tall men, came and saluted me most reverently, and knowing
the cause of my coming, desired me to stay a little while until they
had advertised my lord their master of my being there; and so I did.
And incontinent the lord of the castle came out to me, who was called
Monsieur Crequi, a nobleman born, and very nigh of blood to King Louis,
the last king that reigned before this King Francis. And at his first
coming he embraced me, saying that I was right heartily welcome, and
thanked me that I so gently would visit him and his castle, saying
furthermore that he was preparing to encounter the king and my lord, to
desire them most humbly the next day to take his castle in their way,
if he could so intreat them. And true it is that he was ready to ride
in a coat of velvet with a pair of velvet arming shoes on his feet, and
a pair of gilt spurs on his heels. Then he took me by the hand, and
most gently led me into his castle, through another ward. And being
once entered into the base court of the castle, I saw all his family
and household servants standing in goodly order, in black coats and
gowns, like mourners, who led me into the hall, which was hanged with
hand-guns, as thick as one could hang by another upon the walls; and
in the hall stood an hawk's perch, whereon stood three or four fair
goshawks. Then went we into the parlour, which was hanged with fine
old arras, and being there but a while, communing together of my lord
of Suffolk, how he was there to have besieged the same, his servants
brought to him bread and wine of divers sorts, whereof he caused me
to drink. And after, "I will," quoth he, "show you the strength of my
house, how hard it would have been for my Lord of Suffolk to have won
it." Then led he me upon the walls, which were very strong, more than
fifteen foot thick, and well garnished with great battery pieces of
ordnance ready charged to [be] shot off against the king and my lord's
coming.
When he had showed me all the walls and bulwarks about the castle, he
descended from the walls, and came down into a fair inner court, where
his genet stood for to mount upon, with twelve other genets, the most
fairest and best that ever I saw, and in especial his own, which was
a mare genet, he showed me that he might have had for her four hundred
crowns. But upon the other twelve genets were mounted twelve goodly
young gentlemen, called pages of honour; all bare headed in coats of
cloth of gold, and black velvet cloaks, and on their legs boots of red
Spanish leather, and spurs parcel gilt.
Then he took his leave of me, commanding his steward and other his
gentlemen to attend upon me, and conduct me unto my lady his wife, to
dinner. And that done he mounted upon his genet, and took his journey
forth out of his castle. Then the steward, with the rest of the
gentlemen, led me up into a tower in the gatehouse, where then my lady
their mistress lay, for the time that the king and my lord should tarry
there.
I being in a fair great dining chamber, where the table was covered
for dinner, and there I attended my lady's coming; and after she came
thither out of her own chamber, she received me most gently, like [one
of] noble estate, having a train of twelve gentlewomen. And when she
with her train came all out, she said to me, "For as much," quoth she,
"as ye be an Englishman, whose custom is in your country to kiss[121]
all ladies and gentlewomen without offence, and although it be not so
here in this realm, yet will I be so bold to kiss you, and so shall
all my maidens." By means whereof I kissed my lady and all her women.
Then went she to her dinner, being as nobly served as I have seen any
of her estate here in England, having all the dinner time with me
pleasant communication, which was of the usage and behaviour of our
gentlewomen and gentlemen of England, and commended much the behaviour
of them, right excellently; for she was with the king at Ardres, when
the great encounter and meeting was between the French king and the
king our sovereign lord: at which time she was, both for her person and
goodly haviour, appointed to company with the ladies of England. To be
short, after dinner, pausing a little, I took my leave of her, and so
departed and rode on my journey.
By reason of my tracting of time in Chastel de Crequi[122], I
was constrained that night to lye in a town by the way, called
_Montdidier_, the suburbs whereof my Lord of Suffolk had lately burned.
And in the next morning I took my journey and came to Compeigne upon
the Saturday, then being there the market day; and at my first coming
I took my inn in the midst of the market-place, and being there set at
dinner in a fair chamber, that had a window looking into the street, I
heard a great rumour and clattering of bills. With that I looked out
into the street, and there I espied where the officers of the town
brought a prisoner to execution, whose head they strake off with a
sword. And when I demanded the cause of his offence, it was answered
me, that it was for killing of a red deer in the forest thereby, the
punishment whereof is but death. Incontinent they had set up the poor
man's head upon a pole in the market-place, between the stag's horns;
and his quarters in four parts of the forest.
Thus went I about to prepare my lord's lodging, and to see it
furnished, which was there in the great castle of the town, whereof to
my lord was assigned the one half, and the other half was reserved for
the king; and in like wise there was a long gallery divided between
them, wherein was made in the midst thereof a strong wall with a door
and window, and there the king and my lord would many times meet at the
same window, and secretly talk together, and divers times they would go
the one to the other, at the said door.
Now was there lodged also Madame Regent, the king's mother, and all her
train of ladies and gentlewomen. Unto which place the Chancellor of
France came (a very witty man), with all the king's grave counsellors,
who took great pains daily in consultation. In so much as I heard my
Lord Cardinal fall out with the Chancellor, laying unto his charge,
that he went about to hinder the league which my said Lord Cardinal had
before his coming concluded between the king our sovereign lord and
the French king his master; insomuch that my lord stomached the matter
very stoutly, and told him, "That it should not lie in his power to
dissolve the amicable fidelity between them. And if his master the king
being there present forsook his promise and followed his counsel, he
should not fail after his return into England to feel the smart, and
what a thing it is to break promise with the King of England, whereof
he should be well assured." And therewithal he arose and went into
his own lodging, wondrously offended. So that his stout countenance,
and bold words, made them all in doubt how to pacify his displeasure,
and revoke him again to the council, who was then departed in a fury.
There was sending, there was coming, there was also intreating, and
there was great submission made to him, to reduce him to his former
friendly communication; who would in no wise relent until Madame Regent
came herself, who handled the matter so discreetly and wittily, that
she reconciled him to his former communication. And by that means he
brought other matters to pass, that before he could not attain, nor
cause the council to grant; which was more for fear, than for any
affection to the matter, he had the heads of all the council so under
his girdle that he might rule them all there as well as he might the
council of England.
The next morning after this conflict, he rose early, about four of
the clock, sitting down to write letters into England unto the king,
commanding one of his chaplains to prepare him to mass, insomuch that
his said chaplain stood revested until four of the clock at afternoon;
all which season my lord never rose once to ----, ne yet to eat any
meat, but continually wrote his letters, with his own hands, having
all that time his nightcap and keverchief on his head. And about the
hour of four of the clock, at afternoon, he made an end of writing,
conmanding one Christopher Gunner, the king's servant, to prepare him
without delay to ride empost into England with his letters, whom he
dispatched away or ever he drank. And that done, he went to mass, and
said his other divine service with his chaplain, as he was accustomed
to do; and then went straight into a garden; and after he had walked
the space of an hour or more, and said his evensong[123], he went to
dinner and supper all at once; and making a small repast, he went to
his bed, to take his rest for that night.
The next night following he caused a great supper to be provided for
Madame Regent, and the Queen of Navarre, and other great estates of
ladies and noble women.
There was also Madame Reneé, one of the daughters of King Louis, whose
sister, (lately dead), King Francis had married. These sisters were, by
their mother, inheritrices of the Duchy of Britanny, and for as much
as the king had married one of the sisters, by whom he had the moiety
of the said duchy, and to attain the other moiety, and so to be lord
of the whole, he kept the said Lady Reneé without marriage, intending
that, she having none issue, the whole duchy might descend to him, or
to his succession, after her death, for want of issue of her body.
But now let us return again to the supper or rather a solemn banquet,
where all these noble persons were highly feasted; and in the midst of
their triumph, the French king, with the king of Navarre, came suddenly
in upon them unknown, who took their places at the nether end of the
table. There was not only plenty of fine meats, but also much mirth and
solace, as well in communication, as in instruments of music set forth
with my lord's minstrels, who played there so cunningly and dulce all
that night, that the king took therein great pleasure, insomuch that he
desired my lord to lend them unto him the next night. And after supper
and banquet finished, the ladies and gentlewomen went to dancing; among
whom one Madame Fountaine, a maid, had the prize. And thus passed they
the night in pleasant mirth and joy.
The next day the king took my lord's minstrels and rode unto a
nobleman's house, where was some goodly image that he had avowed a
pilgrimage unto, to perform his devotion. When he came there, he
danced, and others with him, the most part of that night; my lord's
minstrels played there so excellently all that night, that the
shalme--[124], (whether it were with extreme labour of blowing, or
with poisoning, as some judged, because they were more commended and
accepted with the king than his own, I cannot tell), but he that played
upon the shalme, an excellent man in that art, died within a day or
twain after.
Then the king returned again unto Compeigne, and caused a wild boar
to be lodged for him in the forest there; whither my lord rode with
the king to the hunting of the wild swine within a toil; where the
Lady Regent stood in chariots or wagons, looking on the toil, on the
outside thereof, accompanied with many ladies and damosels; among whom
my lord stood by the Lady Regent, to regard and behold the pastime and
manner of hunting. There was within the toil divers goodly gentlemen
with the king, ready garnished to this high enterprise and dangerous
hunting of the perilous wild swine. The king being in his doublet and
hosen only, without any other garments, all of sheep's colour cloth;
his hosen, from the knee upward, was altogether thrummed with silk very
thick of the same colour: having in a slip a fair brace of great white
greyhounds, armed, as the manner is to arm their greyhounds from the
violence of the boar's tusks. And all the rest of the king's gentlemen,
being appointed to hunt this boar, were likewise in their doublets and
hosen, holding each of them in their hands a very sharp boar's spear.
The king being thus furnished, commanded the hunts to uncouch the
boar, and that every other person should go to a standing, among whom
were divers gentlemen and yeomen of England; and incontinent the boar
issued out of his den, chased with an hound into the plain, and being
there, stalked a while gazing upon the people, and incontinent being
forced by the hound, he espied a little bush standing upon a bank over
a ditch, under the which lay two lusty gentlemen of France, and thither
fled the boar, to defend him, thrusting his head snuffing into the same
bush where these two gentlemen lay, who fled with such speed as men do
from the danger of death. Then was the boar by violence and pursuit of
the hounds and the hunts driven from thence, and ran straight to one of
my lord's footmen, a very comely person, and an hardy, who held in his
hand an English javelin, with the which he was fain to defend himself
from the fierce assault of the boar, who foined at him continually
with his great tusks, whereby he was compelled at the last to pitch
his javelin in the ground between him and the boar, the which the
boar brake with his force of foining. And with that the yeoman drew
his sword, and stood at defence; and with that the hunts came to the
rescue, and put him once again to flight. With that he fled and ran
to another young gentleman of England, called Master Ratcliffe, son
and heir to the Lord Fitzwalter, and after[125] Earl of Sussex, who
by chance had borrowed of a French gentleman a fine boar spear, [very
sharp, upon whom, the boar being sore chafed, began to assault very
eagerly, and the young gentleman deliverly avoided his strokes, and
in turning about he struck the boar with such violence (with the same
spear that he had borrowed) upon the houghs, that he cut the sinews
of both his legs at one stroke, that the boar was constrained to sit
down upon his haunches and defend himself, for he could go no more;
this gentleman perceiving then his most advantage, thrust his spear
into the boar under the shoulder up to the heart, and thus he slew the
great boar. Wherefore among the noblemen of France it was reputed to be
one of the noblest enterprises that a man might do (as though he had
slain a man of arms); and thus our Master Ratcliffe bare then away the
prize of that feat of hunting, this dangerous and royal pastime, in
killing of the wild boar, whose tusks the Frenchman doth most commonly
doubt above all other dangers, as it seemed to us Englishmen then being
present.]
[In this time of my lord's being in France, over and besides his
noble entertainment with the king and nobles, he sustained diverse
displeasures of the French slaves, that devised a certain book, which
was set forth in diverse articles upon the causes of my lord's being
there: which should be, as they surmised, that my lord was come thither
to conclude two marriages; the one between the king our sovereign
lord and Madame Reneé[126], of whom I spake heretofore; and the other
between the then princess of England, (now being queen of this realm)
my Lady Mary the king's daughter and the French king's second son, the
Duke of Orleans, who is at this present king of France: with diverse
other conclusions and agreements touching the same. Of this book many
were imprinted and conveyed into England, unknown to my lord, [he]
being then in France, to the great slander of the realm of England, and
of my Lord Cardinal. But whether they were devised of policy to pacify
the mutterings of the people, which had diverse communications and
imaginations of my lord's being there; or whether [they] were devised
of some malicious person, as the dispositions of the common people
are accustomed to do, upon such secret consultations, I know not; but
whatsoever the occasion or cause was, the author hath set forth such
books. This I am well assured, that after my lord was thereof well
advertised, and had perused one of the said books, he was not a little
offended, and assembled all the privy council of France together, to
whom he spake his mind thus; saying, that it was not only a suspicion
in them, but also a great rebuke and a defamation to the king's
honour to see and know any such seditious untruths openly divulged
and set forth by any malicious and subtle traitor of this realm;
saying furthermore, that if the like had been attempted within the
realm of England, he doubted not but to see it punished according to
the traitorous demeanour and deserts. Notwithstanding I saw but small
redress[127]].
So this was one of the displeasures that the Frenchmen showed him, for
all his pains and travail that he took for qualifying of their king's
ransom.
Also another displeasure was this. There was no place where he was
lodged after he entered the territory of France, but that he was robbed
in his privy chamber, either of one thing or other; and at Compeigne he
lost his standish of silver, and gilt: and there it was espied, and the
party taken, which was but a little boy of twelve or thirteen years of
age, a ruffian's page of Paris, which haunted my lord's lodging without
any suspicion, until he was taken lying under my lord's privy stairs;
upon which occasion he was apprehended and examined, and incontinent
confessed all things that were missed, which he stole, and brought to
his master the ruffian, who received the same, and procured him so
to do. After the spial of this boy, my lord revealed the same unto
the council, by means whereof the ruffian was apprehended, and set on
the pillory, in the midst of the market-place; a goodly recompense
for such an heinous offence. Also another displeasure was; some lewd
person, whosoever it was, had engraved in the great chamber window
where my lord lay, upon the leaning stone there, a cardinal's hat with
a pair of gallows over it, in derision of my lord; with divers other
unkind demeanours, the which I leave here to write, they be matters so
slanderous.
Thus passing divers days in consultation, expecting the return of
Christopher Gunner, which was sent into England with letters unto the
king, as it is rehearsed heretofore, by empost, who at last returned
again with other letters; upon receipt whereof my lord made haste to
return into England.
In the morning that my lord should depart and remove, being then at
mass in his closet, he consecrated the Chancellor of France a cardinal,
and put upon him the habit due to that order; and then took his journey
into Englandward, making such necessary expedition that he came to
Guisnes, where he was nobly received of my Lord Sands, then captain
there, with all the retinue thereof. And from thence he rode to Calais,
where he tarried the shipping of his stuff, horses, and train; and in
the meantime he established there a mart, to be kept for all nations;
but how long it endured, and in what sort it was used, I know not, for
I never heard of any great good that it did, or of any worthy assembly
there of merchants or merchandise, that was brought thither for the
furniture of so weighty a matter.
These things finished, and others for the weal of the town, he took
shipping and arrived at Dover, from whence he rode to the king, being
then in his progress at Sir Harry Wyatt's house, in Kent, [it was]
supposed among us that he should be joyfully received at his home
coming, as well of the king as of all other noblemen: but we were
deceived in our expectation. Notwithstanding he went, immediately after
his coming, to the king, with whom he had long talk, and continued
there in the court two or three days; and then returned to his house at
Westminster, where he remained until Michaelmas term, which was within
a fortnight after, and using his room of Chancellorship, as he was wont
to do.
At which time he caused an assembly to be made in the Star Chamber, of
all the noblemen, judges, and justices of the peace of every shire that
were at that present in Westminster Hall, and there made to them a long
oration, declaring unto them the cause of his embassy into France, and
of his proceeding there; among the which he said, "he had concluded
such an amity and friendship as never was heard of in this realm in
our time before, as well between the emperor and us, as between the
French king and our sovereign lord, concluding a perpetual peace, which
shall be confirmed in writing, alternately, sealed with the broad seals
of both the realms graved in fine gold; affirming furthermore, that the
king should receive yearly his tribute, by that name, for the Duchy of
Normandy, with all other costs which he hath sustained in the wars. And
where there was a restraint made in France of the French queen's dower,
whom the Duke of Suffolk had married, for divers years during the wars,
it is fully concluded, that she shall not only receive the same yearly
again, but also the arrearages being unpaid during the restraint. All
which things shall be perfected at the coming of the great embassy
out of France: in the which shall be a great number of noblemen and
gentlemen for the conclusion of the same, as hath not been seen repair
hither out of one realm in an embassy. This peace thus concluded, there
shall be such an amity between gentlemen of each realm, and intercourse
of merchants with merchandise, that it shall seem to all men the
territories to be but one monarchy. Gentlemen may travel quietly from
one country to another for their recreation and pastime; and merchants,
being arrived in each country, shall be assured to travel about
their affairs in peace and tranquillity: so that this realm shall joy
and prosper for ever. Wherefore it shall be well done for all true
Englishmen to advance and set forth this perpetual peace, both in
countenance and gesture, with such entertainment as it may be a just
occasion unto the Frenchmen to accept the same in good part, and also
to use you with the semblable, and make of the same a noble report in
their countries.
"Now, good my lords and gentlemen, I most entirely require you in
the king's behalf, that ye will show yourselves herein very loving
and obedient subjects, wherein the king will much rejoice [at] your
towardness, and give to every man his princely thanks for such
liberality and gentleness, as ye or any of you shall minister unto
them." And here he ended his persuasion, and so departed into the
dining chamber, and dined among the lords of the council.