full audience of the king's council at Paris, that he would unite
the dauphin with the duke of Burgundy or carry the dauphin back to
Hainault, if measures were not instantly taken for restoring peace to
the kingdom. The ministers, hearing this, resolved that the duke should
be arrested and confined until he had given up the dauphin to the king
his father.
The duke was secretly informed of this by a friend; and on the
morrow very early, under pretext of performing a pilgrimage to St
Maur-des-Fosses, and returning to Paris in the evening, he hastened
with only two attendants to Compiegne. He found the dauphin most
dangerously ill, insomuch that he died on Palm Sunday: his disorder was
an imposthume in the ear, which burst and suffocated him. When dead, he
was put into a leaden coffin, and buried at St Corneille[52], in the
presence of duke William, his lady, and the dauphiness, who gave large
sums for masses to be said for the welfare of his soul. The duke and
his family returned in great grief to Hainault.
It was commonly reported, that the dauphin had been poisoned by some of
those who governed the king, because he and his elder brother had been
too much attached to the duke of Burgundy.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 52: St Corneille de Compiegne,--an abbey near that town.]
CHAP. XLVII.
THE NEAPOLITANS REBEL AGAINST THEIR KING, JACQUES DE LA MARCHE, AND
MAKE WAR ON HIM.--THEY TAKE THE QUEEN PRISONER. THE CONSEQUENCES THAT
FOLLOW.
This year the Neapolitans rebelled against king James count de la
Marche, and would have made him prisoner, had he not been informed in
time of their intentions. They confined the queen, and made a bitter
war against him and his supporters. The constable and the lord de St
Maurice, his father-in-law, were imprisoned. The king, for his greater
security, embarked on board a brigantine for the castle del Ovo,
leaving a good garrison in Castel Nuovo.
This war lasted until the 27th day of October in the same year, when
peace was made on condition that all the French who held any offices in
the kingdom should depart and return to their own country, excepting
the very few employed personally to serve the king.
On the conclusion of the peace, the king and queen returned to Castel
Nuovo, when all persons renewed their oaths of allegiance, promising
to consider him as their king during his life, but that he was no
way to interfere in the government of the kingdom. His establishment
of guards, attendants and horses, were all arranged according to the
pleasure of the Neapolitans.
On the day the king returned to Castel Nuovo, there were great
rejoicings throughout the town, with bonfires, and illuminations on the
terraces of the houses; and on the morrow there was a grand ball at the
castle. But on the third day, the king was so strictly watched that
none were allowed to speak to him but in the presence of those who had
seized the government; and the French gentlemen were not permitted to
take leave of him on their departure. The rulers of the kingdom soon
after obliged the queen to join their party, lest the two when united
might be over much for them: however, in conformity to their oaths,
they shewed the king and queen all outward respect, but governed the
country as they willed.
The chief of these usurpers was one of the greatest and richest
families, called Hannequin Mournil, one in whom the king had placed
most confidence of all the Italians. The king was, for a long time,
kept under this restraint: at length he escaped, and fled by sea to
Tarentum, which had been given to him as a principality,--but he was,
soon after, driven out of the kingdom. The duke of Anjou, son to king
Louis, went thither on his expulsion, and was well received in the city
of Aversa; but it was not long before he was forced out of the realm by
the king of Arragon.
In regard to king James, besides the rebellion of his subjects, the
queen likewise, old and capricious, was much displeased and jealous of
his being a lover to young ladies of the country and neglecting her.
This was also the cause why the nobles whom he had brought from France
with him were generally hated.
CHAP. XLVIII.
THE EARL OF DORSET, GOVERNOR OF HARFLEUR, MAKES AN INCURSION INTO THE
COUNTRY OF CAUX, AND IS COMBATED BY THE FRENCH.--THE EMPEROR CREATES
THE COUNT OF SAVOY A DUKE.
At this same time, the earl of Dorset, who commanded in Harfleur, one
day marched three thousand english combatants toward Rouen, and thence
made a circuit through the country of Caux, where he remained three
days, doing great mischief with fire and sword. In the mean time, the
garrisons and nobles of those parts collected together under the lord
de Villequier, to the amount of three thousand men also, and met the
English near to Valmont, who instantly attacked them; but the French
defended themselves so valiantly, the English were defeated, and eight
hundred left on the field of battle. The remainder retreated with the
earl into a garden, surrounded by a strong hedge of thorns, and therein
continued the rest of the day, without the French being able to gain
further advantage over them, although they took much pains.
In the evening, the French retired to a village hard by, to refresh
themselves; but the earl of Dorset, doubtful of the event on the
morrow, marched out of the garden with his men about day-break, and
pushed forward to Harfleur. The French, perceiving this, pursued them,
and overtook them in the marshes, about two leagues from that town,
when they renewed the battle; but, as the French were not all come
up, they were defeated, and two hundred slain,--among whom was their
commander, the lord de Villequier, and other nobles of that country.
The emperor of Germany, on his return home, passed through Lyons, where
he was desirous of creating Amadeus count of Savoy a duke,--but the
king of France's officers would not permit it. He was very indignant
at this, and went to a small castle called Moulnet, that belongs to
the empire, and he there created him a duke. On his coming to France,
through the interference of duke Louis of Bavaria, brother to the
queen of France, and others of the Orleans faction, he had been of
the opposite party to the duke of Burgundy; but on his return, he had
changed his sentiments, and liked better the Burgundy faction than that
of Orleans.
[A.D. 1417.]
CHAP. XLIX.
DUKE WILLIAM, COUNT OF HAINAULT, DIES AT BOUCHAIN.--JOHN OF BAVARIA
DECLARES WAR AGAINST HIS NIECE, DAUGHTER TO THE LATE DUKE WILLIAM.
At the commencement of this year, duke William and his duchess, after
their return from Compiegne, went to visit the duke of Burgundy at
Douay, when many conferences were holden on the state of public
affairs, and on the answers duke William had received from the queen of
France and the king's ministers. When these were ended, duke William
returned to his castle of Bouchain, where he was seized with a violent
illness that put an end to his life in a few days. His body was carried
to Valenciennes, and buried in the church of the minorite friars. He
left one only daughter by the duchess, called Jacquelina of Bavaria,
who, as his legal heiress, took possession of all his inheritances,
which fell to her on the decease of the duke. Nevertheless, John of
Bavaria, her uncle on her father's side, made opposition to this, on
pretence that the succession of the late duke Albert, his father had
not been fairly divided in regard to him; adding, that Jacquelina could
not lawfully succeed to the country of Holland,--and, with the consent
of the inhabitants, he gained possession of Dordrecht and some other
towns, which acknowledged him for their lord.
He soon after declared open war against her, and resigned into the
hands of the pope his bishoprick of Liege, which bishopric was put into
commission. He made this resignation to strengthen his claims against
his niece,--and shortly married the duchess of Luxembourg, the widow of
duke Anthony of Brabant, brother to the duke of Burgundy.
CHAP. L.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY SENDS LETTERS TO MANY OF THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS IN
FRANCE, DESCRIBING THE STATE OF THOSE WHO GOVERN THE KINGDOM.
In these days, the duke of Burgundy sent letters, open and closed, to
many of the chief towns in France, to stir them to rebellion, and to
join his faction,--which letters were of the following tenour:
'John duke of Burgundy, count of Flanders and Artois, palatine of
Burgundy, lord of Salines and Mechlin, to all to whom these presents
shall come, health and peace.
'Whereas, by divine grace, we had in former times the government
of the kingdom of France; but since we have withdrawn ourselves
therefrom, persons of low degree, and of doubtful birth, have seized
the management of public affairs, with the sole intent of appropriating
to themselves by open or secret means the treasure of the realm,--and
so outrageous has been their conduct that my lord the king, his
family and officers were kept in the utmost penury. They neither paid
nor suffered to be paid the usual royal charities, nor did they see
to the repairs and maintenance of the various garrisons, with things
absolutely necessary for them; for notwithstanding the immense sums
yearly raised by taxes and loans, scarcely any part of them were
applied to public uses, or for the welfare of the kingdom.
'We therefore, having fully considered all these matters, and how
nearly we are by blood connected with my lord the king, being his
cousin-german, and holding from him the duchy of Burgundy and counties
of Flanders and Artois, and that we are in a double degree father and
dean of the peers of France, and that our various and great obligations
to him and to his crown are well known, have determined to provide a
sufficient remedy for the above evils, and that restitution be made to
the public treasury to the utmost of our power.
'We have had the above facts demonstrated by our ambassadors, in the
presence of the grand council at the Louvre in Paris, presided by our
very dear lord and son the duke of Acquitaine lately deceased, whose
soul may God pardon! requesting at the same time, that from his good
sense and for the acquittal of his conscience, he would check these
said abuses, and attend to the better government of the state. In
this matter we were joined by the members of the university of Paris,
who sent us letters to that effect, and which were publicly read in
the church of St Genevieve at Paris; and at that time there were
appearances that our remonstrances would be listened to.
'But their real intentions were otherwise; for it is notorious that
we have met with nothing but tricks and dissimulations of all sorts,
and perseverance in their evil government, whence have proceeded these
intestine wars; although we have never ceased to urge our remonstrances
against the present ministers, by able clerks, as well of the
parliament and university as otherwise, by prudent knights, and other
wise citizens, in whose presence ordinances were published by our
said lord the king, and sworn to in his court of justice, without any
novelties being introduced or exception of persons made.
'Nevertheless, grievous as it may be to relate, the contrary to
these ordinances has been done; and it is a well-known fact, that
the wretches have found means to keep me from the presence of our
said lord the king. Soon after these edicts were annulled, and every
sort of disorder was committed, taxes upon taxes were laid, loans on
loans, reductions of offices, banishments, beheadings, and innumerable
despotic acts done, to the very great dissatisfaction of my said
well-beloved lord and son lately deceased, and to which he had resolved
to put an end, by ordering us to come to him with a competent number
of men at arms, notwithstanding any orders we might receive to the
contrary; and, as proofs thereof, I have in my possession three letters
written and signed with his own hand, containing the above commands.
'In obedience to these orders, we came to St Denis, and advanced
toward the town of Paris but could not gain admittance to his person;
for the affair was become known to the aforesaid evil advisers, who
instantly laid hands on our very redoubted lord and his son, confining
them in the castle of the Louvre for a considerable time, with the
draw-bridges raised, and gates closed. They also imprisoned the greater
part of the king's servants, thus illegally depriving them of their
liberties, although they had certain intelligence upwards of a year
prior to this, that the enemies of the kingdom were preparing to invade
it; but, through their damnable avarice and concupiscence of wealth,
they made no provision whatever to resist them. Hence it happened
that our said lord and king has lost one of the finest sea ports in
his realm, the key to his country, and has suffered the almost total
destruction of his chivalry; and none can foresee the infinitive
misfortunes that may now ensue, but which God avert.
'We also, bound by our royal duty toward our sovereign, have assembled
for his service the greatest possible force we could to defend his
kingdom, as we are bounden to do by every tie. But the aforesaid evil
advisers have ordered several cities and towns not to permit us to
enter them, and have forbidden them to supply our men with provision,
as if we had been public enemies; but, notwithstanding such atrocious
conduct, our vassals and subjects have been, and still are, strongly
attached to his majesty's person.
'They have likewise, heaping grievance on grievance, imprisoned a great
number of notable inhabitants of many towns well affected to the king,
but who saw with displeasure the miserable state the nation was reduced
to by their wicked measures. But the worst part of their conduct has
been the poisoning of the said deceased well-beloved lord and son
(as the manner of his death plainly shewed,) the moment he was made
acquainted with their wickedness, and testified a resolution to remedy
the various evils they had caused; and this was done to increase and
strengthen their authority.
'When we witnessed their fury, to avoid all manner of quarrel as much
as in us lay, we retired to our countries of Flanders and Artois,
and to our very dear brother the count of Hainault, to explain to
our well-beloved nephew, my lord the dauphin, lately deceased, whose
soul may God receive! the honesty of our intentions, and the bad
consequences that would infallibly ensue if the present public measures
were continued.
'We did not expect to have done this immediately, because our foresaid
lord and nephew was in Holland, and could not instantly come to us in
Hainault, from the dangers of the sea: nevertheless, on his arrival
at Valenciennes we waited on him, and explained fully many matters,
and our desire for a general peace with all so inclined, excepting
king Louis of Sicily, with whom we had cause for quarrel that greatly
affected our honour and estate: with these explanations he was very
well satisfied, as was our aforesaid brother. For the more effectually
accomplishing this peace, and for the better considering of other
public affairs, they went from Valenciennes to St Quentin, in the
Vermandois, and thence to Compiegne; but these wicked ministers, by
their deceits, attempted to detain our brother in Paris, when he was
about to proceed on his journey toward Compiegne, with an earnest
desire of attending to the before-mentioned business, not supposing
that any attempt would be made against his person while he was
endeavouring to conclude measures of such interesting importance. They
would, however, have succeeded in their attempt, had not his good sense
provided a timely remedy, by hastily leaving Paris with few attendants.
He arrived at Compiegne early in the day, although the distance from
Paris is twenty leagues.
'Soon after his arrival, a grievous misfortune befel us; for about
vespers of that same day, our very dear lord and nephew was taken so
dangerously ill that he shortly after expired, having his cheeks,
tongue, and lips greatly swelled, and his eyes starting out of his
head,--in such wise that it was a most melancholy sight, considering
that such are the usual appearances of those who die by poison.
'These aforesaid rapacious ministers, poisoned him, as they had done
our very redoubted lord and son his brother, which we now relate with
grief, believing firmly that all the honest and good men of the kingdom
will be sorely displeased when they shall hear of these deaths.
'In this state remained public affairs while these infamous poisoners,
who governed the realm, would not listen to our terms of peace, nor
take pity on the poor people of France, destroyed through their
quarrels. In truth, the tempers of these men must be wretched, who are
only desirous of evil, and who have broken or infringed six treaties,
solemnly sworn to, namely, those of Chartres, Bicêtre, Auxerre,
Pontoise, Paris, and of Rouvres in Burgundy.
'We shall not detail, at this moment, how these treaties have been
broken,--for it would take too much time, and it is notorious to every
one. We only mention the circumstance, that you may be thoroughly
acquainted with the wickedness of these false, disloyal and perjured
traitors, who add murder, rapine and poison to their crimes, who are
without faith, and made up of treasons and cruelty.
'We also make known to you, that we, in former times, bore patiently,
as became us, all the insults and persecutions that were heaped on our
person,--having in our memory, what is to be found in history both
sacred and profane, that it was usual for the friends of God and of the
public good to be bitterly persecuted for their virtuous actions.
'Nevertheless, it is our fixed intention to follow up our measures,
with the aid of our Creator, and our whole force, with that of our
relations, friends, vassals, and well wishers to the king and crown of
France; and to prosecute to conviction those who are guilty of these
poisonings, their accomplices and adherents, so long as God shall grant
us life.
'At the same time also, we shall urge on those reforms of grievances
already begun by us, that press so heavily on the poor people under the
names of gabelles, tythes and other exactions; and we have determined
to employ every force we can collect to obtain so desirable an object.
'To this end, we entreat and summon you, on the faith and obedience
you owe to my aforesaid lord, and on your love of the public weal, to
eschew the crime of high treason,--and require that you, and each of
you, do aid, counsel and assist in the punishment of these destroyers
of the noble house of France, who are guilty of murders, treasons
and poisonings, as you are bounden to do by every law natural and
divine. By your conduct, we shall know whether you possess charity,
loyalty, virtue, and the fear of God,--and whether you be desirous of
repressing cruelty, disloyalty, vanity and avarice. This can alone save
the kingdom of France from ruin. By this alone, my lord the king will
recover his power, and be obeyed and honoured, which is the utmost
extent of our wishes in this world, and which it seems to us you should
be most desirous of also.
'Thus the kingdom will be at peace, the churches supported, the wicked
punished, and the injuries done to the people will cease. Surely these
are objects more worthy and fit to occupy your attention than seeking
the favour of these false and infamous traitors, in contempt of the
grace God.
'Doubt not of our intention to revenge the insults that have been shewn
us; for we promise, on the faith and loyalty we owe to God, to our
aforesaid lord, and to the public welfare of his realm, that our sole
bent and will is to prevent, to the utmost of our power, my aforesaid
lord and his kingdom from being completely destroyed, which these
disloyal traitors are compassing to accomplish,--and that satisfactory
justice be done on them, according to the advice and opinions of those
who shall assist us in these our intentions. For this end, we offer
peace to all who shall be inclined to accept of it from us, excepting
Louis king of Sicily, for the better prosecution of our intentions to
support the king and his realm,--being resolved to persist in these
loyal measures until death, without offering any conciliatory terms to
these profligate traitors and poisoners.
'This business has been too long delayed; for it may be clearly seen
that the aforesaid traitors are determined on the total ruin of the
royal house of France and the whole of the nobility, and that they are
resolved to deliver up the kingdom to foreigners; but we have firm
reliance and hope in God, who knows the secrets of every heart! that we
shall obtain a happy issue to our enterprise by means of the good and
faithful subjects of the realm, whom in this case we will support to
the utmost of our power, and maintain for ever in the fullest enjoyment
of their liberties and franchises.
'We will also exert ourselves that in future no taxes, impositions and
gabelles, may be ever again paid in France; and we will proceed against
all who shall say or act to the contrary by fire and sword, whether
they be universities, corporations, chapters, colleges, nobles, or any
others, of whatever condition they may be.
'In testimony whereof, we have signed these presents with our own hand
and our privy seal, in the absence of the great seal, in our castle of
Hesdin, the 24th day of April, 1417, after Easter.'
These letters were sent to the towns of Montrieul, St Riquier,
Abbeville, Dourlens, Amiens, Corbie, St Quentin, Roye, Mondidier,
Beauvais, and to many other places; and by their means several
principal towns and corporations were strongly excited against those
who then governed the king.
CHAP. LI.
SIR LOUIS BOURDON, KNIGHT, IS ARRESTED AND EXECUTED.--THE QUEEN OF
FRANCE IS BANISHED TO BLOIS, AND THENCE TO TOURS.
About this time, while the queen of France resided with her court at
the castle of Vincennes, she was visited by the king her lord. On his
return to Paris in the evening, he met sir Louis Bourdon, knight,
coming thence, and going to Vincennes, who, on passing very near the
king, made a slight inclination of his head as he rode by, and gaily
pursued his road. The king instantly ordered the provost of Paris to
follow and arrest him, and to take especial care to give a good account
of him. The provost performed his duty in obeying this command, and
confined sir Louis in the Châtelet of Paris, where he was, by command
of the king, very severely tortured, and then drowned in the Seine.
Some few days after, by orders from the king, the dauphin, and those
who governed in Paris, the queen, accompanied by her sister-in-law the
duchess of Bavaria, was banished to Blois, and thence to reside at
Tours in Touraine, with a very private establishment. She was placed
under the guard of master Willian Torel, master John Picard, and master
Laurence du Puys, without whose consent she could not do any thing, not
even write a letter, however pressing the occasion.
She thus lived a considerable time very unpleasantly, expecting,
however, daily to receive worse treatment. The dauphin, by the advice
of his ministers, took possession of the immense sums of money the
queen had placed in different hands in Paris. The three above-mentioned
warders of the queen had been appointed by those who governed the king
and the dauphin to prevent her from intriguing, or plotting any thing
to their prejudice.
CHAP. LII.
THE COMMONALTY OF ROUEN PUT TO DEATH THEIR BAILIFF, SIR RAOUL DE
GAUCOURT.--THEY SEIZE THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TOWN.--THE ARRIVAL OF THE
DAUPHIN AT ROUEN.
In these days, by the instigation of the partisans of the duke of
Burgundy, some wicked persons of the lower ranks in the town of
Rouen rose in rebellion. The leader was one Alain Blanchart, who was
afterward governor of the town. They first went armed, and with
staves, to the house of the king's bailiff, sir Raoul de Gaucourt
knight, at whose door they knocked loudly, and said to those within,
(although it was about ten o'clock at night), 'We want to speak to my
lord the bailiff, to deliver up to him a traitor whom we have just
arrested in the town,' the servants bade them detain their prisoner
in safe custody until the morrow: however, in consequence of their
importunity and violence, the door was opened to them.