up in a large cloak, came to speak to them; but he had no sooner made
his appearance, than some of the party, who had disguised their faces,
cruelly murdered him.
They then left the house, and went to that of his lieutenant, John
Leger, whom they also put to death, and thence to different parts of
the town, and killed ten other persons; but many of the municipal
officers, such as the viscount and receiver-general, having had
information, of what was passing, fled to the castle, into which they
were admitted by sir James de Bourbon the governor.
On the morrow-morning, the commonalty again assembled in great numbers,
and marched in arms to the castle, with the intent of forcing an
entrance, but were prevented by the governor, who had under his command
one hundred of the king's troops to defend it. At length, after many
parleys, it was agreed that sixteen of the most notable citizens should
be admitted, to remonstrate with the governor on some matters that much
concerned him.
Upon their admittance, they offered many excuses for the murder of the
bailiff, and of the others, declaring that the whole commonalty of the
town would be rejoiced if the perpetrators could be discovered and
punished. They were greatly alarmed as to the conduct of the king and
the dauphin when they should hear of these deaths, and requested the
governor would permit them to have the guard of the castle, but it was
refused. They then required that the gate which led to the country
should be shut up, which was also refused.
Upon this they declared, that should the king and the dauphin attempt
to enter their town with an army, admittance should be denied,--at the
same time beseeching the governor to apologise for them to the king and
the dauphin. The governor replied, that he would make excuses for them
in proper time and place, provided they did not refuse to admit them
into the town should they come thither.
After this conversation, the citizens returned home; and, a few days
after, what they dreaded came to pass,--for the dauphin marched two
thousand men out of Paris to Pont de l'Arche, whence he sent the
archbishop of Rouen, brother to the count de Harcourt, to that town, to
exhort the inhabitants to a due sense of obedience.
On the archbishop's arrival at Rouen, he found several of the canons of
the cathedral church under arms, and inter-mixed with the citizens, to
whom he displayed the proclamation of the dauphin. They, in answer,
said, that it had been unanimously decreed that he should not enter the
town with his army; but that if he would come with few attendants, and
engage to pay his expenses, they would agree to it, but not otherwise.
The archbishop, seeing he could not conclude any thing satisfactory,
returned to the dauphin, and related all he had seen and heard.
Upon this the dauphin sent for sir James de Bourbon, and fixed his
quarters at St Catharine's on the hill. On the arrival of sir James, he
said, 'Cousin, return to your castle, and admit by the gate leading to
the country two hundred men at arms, and as many archers, whom we will
send thither.'
The townsmen were greatly enraged on hearing of this reinforcement
being admitted into the castle; however, within three days, the
dauphin, by negotiation, entered Rouen with his whole army; he rode
straight to the cathedral to offer up his prayers, and thence to the
castle, where he was lodged.
In the course of eight days, a treaty was made with the townsmen,
which confirmed them in their obedience,--for all that had passed was
pardoned, with the exception of the actual murderers of the bailiff.
The dauphin, having paid his expenses, departed for Paris with his
army, where he appointed the lord de Gamaches bailiff of Rouen, with
orders to inflict exemplary punishment on such of the murderers as
should be duly convicted. Some of them were punished; but Alain
Blanchart absented himself for some time; and when he returned to the
town, he enjoyed great authority and power, as shall hereafter be
related.
CHAP. LIII.
THE DEATH OF LOUIS KING OF SICILY. THE CONDUCT OF THE LEADERS OF
COMPANIES.--THE OVERTHROW OF RAYMONNET DE LA GUERRE.--THE DESTRUCTION
OF THE TOWN OF AUMALE.
In these days, king Louis, father-in-law to the daulphin, died, leaving
three sons and two daughters,--Louis, who succeeded to his crown,
René, afterward duke of Bar, and Charles. One of his daughters was
married to the dauphin, and the other, named Yolande, was but two years
old. By his death, the dauphin lost an able counsellor and friend; the
more to be lamented, as the greatest confusion now reigned in many
parts of France, and justice was trampled under foot.
The foreigners also that were attached to the party of the duke of
Burgundy, such as Gastellimas Quigny, and others before named, robbed
and plundered all the countries they marched through, and every person,
noble or not, even such as were of the same party as themselves.
Infinite mischiefs were done by them to poor countrymen, who were
grievously oppressed.
These foreign companies bent their march toward the Boulonois,
intending to treat it as they had done to other districts; but some of
the inhabitants assembled during the night, under the command of Butor,
bastard of Croy, and made an attack on the quarters of the lieutenant
of John de Clau, named Laurens Rose, whom they put to death, with
several of his men: the rest were robbed of all they had.
In revenge for this insult, the bastard de Thian, one of the captains
of these companies, seized a very proper gentleman, called Gadifer de
Collehaut whom he hanged on a tree. However, these strangers, seeing
they were likely to be strongly opposed, speedily retreated from the
Boulonois, and, shortly after took the town and castle of Davencourt
belonging to the heirs of the lord de Hangest. When they had rifled
it of its furniture, they set it on fire, so that it was totally
destroyed, and thence marched to lay siege to Neuf-Châtel sur Eusne.
Sir Raymonnet de la Guerre, and sir Thomas de Lersies bailiff of
the Vermandois, collected a considerable force in the king's name
to raise the siege, and to overpower these foreigners; but as their
intentions were known the besiegers marched to meet them, and in the
end completely put them to the rout, taking and killing full eight
score: the remainder, with Raymonnet and sir Thomas de Lersies, saved
themselves by flight, and took refuge in such of the strong towns
belonging to the king as they could first gain.
After this defeat, those of Neuf-Châtel surrendered the town, which the
foreigners having plundered it of its valuables, set on fire, and then
departed for the Cambresis, where they did infinite mischiefs.
At this same period, but in another part of the kingdom John de
Fosseux, Daviod de Poix, Ferry de Mailly, sir Louis de Thiembronne,
Louis de Varigines, Guerrard bastard de Brimeu, and some other captains
of companies attached to the duke of Burgundy, crossed the Somme near
to Blanchetaque, with full twelve hundred combatants, and, passing
through Oisemont, went to Aumale, belonging to the count de Harcourt.
They quartered themselves in the town, and then made a sharp assault on
the castle; but it was so well defended by the garrison that very many
of the assailants were dreadfully wounded. When they were retreating,
and during the night, they, through mischief or otherwise, set fire to
the town, which, with the church, was completely burnt. It was a great
pity, for it was a town that carried on a very considerable commerce.
John de Fosseux and his accomplices then marched away to quarter
themselves in the town of Hornoy, and in the adjacent villages in the
county of Vimeu, which district they totally plundered; and after three
days, they conducted their prisoners, with the cattle, sheep and pigs,
across the Somme, at the place where they had before passed.
In like manner, similar excursions were made into the countries of the
Beauvoisis, Vermandois, Santerre, Amiennois, and other districts under
the king's government,--in all of which the inhabitants were grievously
oppressed.
CHAP. LIV.
THE KING'S GARRISON IN PERONNE CARRIES ON A SEVERE WAR AGAINST THE
COUNTRIES ATTACHED TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.
During these times, the town of Peronne situated on the river Somme,
was strongly garrisoned by forces sent thither by the constable of
France, in the king's name under the command of sir Robert de Loyre.
They consisted of one hundred men at arms well appointed, one hundred
genoese cross-bowmen, and the same number of other combatants; and
they made very frequent excursions, day and night, over the countries
attached to the duke of Burgundy and his allies, bringing to their
garrison considerable plunder of cattle and other effects.
In like manner did the garrison of the castle du Main, belonging to sir
Collart de Calville, make war in the king's name on all the allies and
supporters of the duke of Burgundy.
The towns of Corbie and Amiens, suffered much from these continued
attacks; and the inhabitants of the latter town, by the command of the
duke of Burgundy, was forced to banish sir Robert d'Eusne the king's
bailiff, Hugh de Puys the king's advocate, and some others, because
they had acted with too much vigour, and contrary to his good pleasure,
against several of his adherents. He had even declared, that he would
make war on them if they pretended to support them against his will.
They consequently left the town and went to Paris, where they made
heavy complaints against the duke to the king and council, who were
very far from being satisfied with the conduct of the duke, who was
urging on matters from bad to worse.
CHAP. LV.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY SENDS AMBASSADORS TO MANY OF THE KING'S PRINCIPAL
TOWNS, TO FORM ALLIANCES WITH THEM.--THE OATHS THAT WERE MADE ON THE
OCCASION.
The duke of Burgundy sent the lords de Fosseux, de Humbercourt, and
master Philip de Morviller, as ambassadors, to several of the king's
principal towns, with letters patent from the duke, addressed to the
magistrates and commonalty.
They first went to Montrieul, which instantly assented to his
proposals, then to St Riquier, Abbeville, Amiens and Dourlens; and at
each place they had their letters publicly read to the commonalty;
after which master Philip de Morviller notably harangued them on the
good intentions of the duke to provide for the public welfare, and
with such effect that all the above towns formed alliances with the
ambassadors, which they solemnly swore to maintain, and mutually
exchanged the acts drawn up for this purpose.
The tenour of that of the town of Dourlens was as follows.
'To all those to whom these presents shall come; John de Fosseux
lord de Fosseux and de Nivelle, David de Brimeu lord of Humbercourt,
knights, and Philip de Morviller, councellors and ambassadors from
the very high and puissant prince our much redoubted lord the duke
of Burgundy, on the one part, and the governor, mayor, sheriffs, and
resident burghers of the town of Dourlens on the other part, greeting.
We make known, that we have entered into and formed a treaty of concord
and amity, the terms of which are as follow.
'First, the said governor, mayor, sheriffs, and resident burghers, will
aid and support the said duke of Burgundy in his endeavours to restore
the king our lord to the full enjoyment of his power and liberty,
so that his realm may have uninterrupted justice, and commerce an
unrestrained course.
'Item, they will assist the said duke to the utmost of their power,
that the king and his realm may be wisely and well governed and
secured against all enemies. They will admit him and his army into
their town, allowing him to have a superiority of force, and they
will, for money, supply him and his men with whatever provisions or
necessaries they may require, they taking on themselves the guard and
defence of the town, and permitting all merchants, as well of the
town as otherwise, to bring into it, without molestation, whatever
merchandises they may please.
'Item, during the time the said duke shall remain in possession of the
town of Dourlens, he shall not arrest, or cause to be arrested, any
of the inhabitants, of whatever rank or condition, without a judicial
enquiry having previously been held; and should any of the officers
of the said duke commit an injury or insult on the inhabitants, he or
they shall be severely punished by those to whom the cognizance of such
cases belongs.
'Item, the townsmen of Dourlens, of every degree, shall have free
liberty to repair to the countries of the said duke on their affairs,
without let or hindrance, either personally or otherwise.
'Item, my lord the duke will support and defend the townsmen of
Dourlens against all who may attempt to injure them, for having entered
into this treaty in favour of the king and our aforesaid lord.
'Item, it is not the intention of our said lord the duke to place any
garrison in Dourlens, nor to claim any right of dominion over the said
town; but he is contented that the town shall be governed in the king's
name, as it has heretofore been, to the honour of the said town, and to
the advantage of the public weal.
'The said town engages, on the other hand, never to admit any garrison
from the party in opposition to the said duke.
'Item, should there be any persons in the said town of Dourlens who may
any way injure and attempt to retard the operations of the said duke,
by speech or action, and the same be proved by legal evidence they
will cause such person or persons to be most rigorously punished as it
behoves them to do.
'Item, since the said town has been of late heavily oppressed in its
agriculture, more especially in the harvest of this present month of
August; and since many cattle have been carried away by men at arms
avowing themselves of the Burgundian party, by which the labourer
and poor people are much distressed, and unless a remedy be speedily
applied, must quit their habitations. We, therefore, the inhabitants
of Dourlens, most humbly supplicate you, my lords ambassadors, that
you would, out of your goodness and discretion, remonstrate with the
duke on these matters, that such remedies may be applied as the urgency
of the case requires, and the people of Dourlens will pray for your
present and future welfare.
'Item, for the more effectual security of the aforesaid articles, and
of each of them, the said ambassadors and the said governor, sheriffs,
and resident burghers of the town of Dourlens having exchanged the said
articles, sealed with their seals, and signed by the sworn clerk of the
shrievalty of the said town.
'We the said ambassadors, by the powers vested in us by our very
redoubted lord, and we the governor, mayor, &c. have promised, sworn
and agreed, and by these presents do punctually promise, swear and
agree, to preserve every article of this treaty, without any way the
least infringing of it, under penalty of confiscation of our goods,
without the smallest diminution. In testimony of which, we have affixed
our seals to these presents, in the town of Dourlens, the 7th day of
August, in the year of Grace 1417.'
CHAP. LVI.
KING HENRY OF ENGLAND RETURNS TO FRANCE WITH A LARGE ARMY, AND TAKES
MANY TOWNS AND FORTRESSES. THE COUNCIL OF CONSTANCE, WHERE POPE MARTIN
IS ELECTED HEAD OF THE CHURCH.
King Henry of England, accompanied by his brothers the dukes of
Clarence and Glocester, a number of other nobles, and a numerous army,
landed at the Port of Touques in Normandy, with the intent to conquer
the whole of that duchy. The royal castle at Touques was speedily
invested on all sides, which caused the governor, sir John d'Engennes,
to surrender it within four days, on condition that he and the garrison
should depart with their effects.
Within a short time afterward, the following towns and castles
surrendered to king Henry without making any resistance: Harcourt,
Beaumont le Roger, Evreux, and several others, in which he placed
numerous garrisons. He then opened negotiations for the surrender of
the towns of Rouen and Louviers.
The other towns in the duchy were astonished at the facility of king
Henry's conquests, for scarcely any place made a defence. This was
caused by the divisions that existed among the nobles, some taking part
with the king and others with the duke of Burgundy, and therefore they
were fearful of trusting each other. The constable had besides drawn
off the greater part of the forces in this district to Paris, to be
prepared to meet the duke of Burgundy, whom he daily expected in those
parts with a large army.
At this period, by orders from the holy council at Constance, Italy,
France, England and Germany, selected four discreet men from each
nation, who entered the conclave with the cardinals of the roman court,
to elect a pope, on the eve of Martinmas-day. During the time they were
shut up in conclave, Sigismund emperor of Germany, and king of Hungary
and Bohemia, was seated on his royal throne without the doors of the
conclave, having on his head an imperial crown, and in his hand the
sceptre, surrounded by a numerous body of princes, knights, and men at
arms.
By the grace of the Holy Spirit (it is to be believed), they
unanimously elected for pope the cardinal Colonna, a native of Rome. He
bore for arms a shield vermilion, having a column argent in the center
surmounted with a crown or. He was conducted to the cathedral church,
and consecrated by the cardinal of Ostia, dean of the cardinals, and
took the name of Martin V.
This nomination was instantly published throughout all nations, for
which the clergy and people returned thanks to God, with the exception
of the city of Paris; for they were afraid this new pope and the
emperor of Germany would be more favourable to the king of England and
the duke of Burgundy than to the king of France, his son, the count
d'Armagnac and others of the king's council.
CHAP. LVII.
THE LORD DE CANNY IS SENT BY THE KING OF FRANCE AMBASSADOR TO THE DUKE
OF BURGUNDY, WHOM HE FINDS AT AMIENS.--THE ANSWER HE RECEIVES FROM THE
DUKE.
The duke of Burgundy had been a long time in making his preparations
for a successful issue to his enterprise; and when all things were
ready, he marched his army from Arras on St Laurence's day, toward
Corbie, with the intent to continue his march to Paris.
On the same evening that he arrived at Corbie, Raoul de Roye, abbot of
the place, departed this life, to the great sorrow of the duke. After
remaining some days at Corbie, he went to Amiens, where he was most
honourably received by all ranks, and carols were sung in the streets
he passed through to his lodgings, at the house of master Robert le
jeune, his counsellor.
Before he left Amiens, he appointed a new set of officers, namely,
the lord de Belloy governor, the lord de Humbercourt bailiff, Andrew
Clavel attorney general; and he changed others according to his good
pleasure. During his stay at Amiens, letters were presented to him,
signed by the king himself, by sir Aubert lord of Canny and Varennes,
who said, 'Very noble prince, and renowned lord, it will appear by
these letters from the king our lord that I am commanded to enjoin and
order you in his name, that you do instantly lay aside the expedition
you have undertaken, by disbanding your army, that you return to your
own country, and that you write him your reasons why you have raised
this army contrary to his orders.'
The duke instantly replied, 'You, lord de Canny, are, if you please,
or if you do not please, of our kindred, by the flanders line;
notwithstanding which, in good truth, I have a great mind to have
your head struck off for having brought me such a message.' The lord
de Canny, greatly terrified at this speech, fell on his knees, and
humbly begged that he would hold him excused, for that he had been
constrained to obey the king's commands, shewing, at the same time, the
instructions that had been given him by the king and council.
The knights who surrounded the duke taking the part of the lord de
Canny, he was somewhat appeased, but said he would not inform him of
his intentions, and that another should carry his answer to the king;
that he should not pay any regard to the prohibitions the king had
sent, but would march his army to Paris as speedily as he could, and
reply, face to face, to his majesty, to all the charges he had made
against him.
The duke, notwithstanding, ordered his council to draw up separate
answers to the articles of the instructions given to the lord de
Canny, as well as to the different charges made by the king which he
gave to the lord de Canny, making him at the same time promise that
he would deliver this writing into the hands of the king and of none
other. It contained also the names of the traitors in the king's
council, and such of his officers as wished the destruction of the duke.
The lord de Canny, having finished his business, left Amiens and
returned to the king at Paris.
Here follow the instructions given to sir Aubert de Canny lord de
Varennes in the name of the king and council, prescribing his mode of
proceeding with the duke of Burgundy.
'He will first address the duke of Burgundy, and say that the king
and my lord the dauphin are greatly astonished at his conduct towards
the king and his highness, considering how near related to them he is
by blood, and under what obligations he lies to them, as he has often
avowed by his speeches, and by his various letters.
'He will strongly remonstrate with him on the open warfare which his
vassals, subjects and allies are carrying on against the king, by
taking towns and castles by storm, and committing numberless cruelties
by fire and sword against the liege subjects of the king, as bad or
even worse than his enemies the English could have done.
'He will remonstrate with him, that his officers, and others attached
to him, make the inhabitants of many of the king's towns swear
obedience to the duke of Burgundy, forbidding them henceforward to
pay any taxes or subsidies which they have usually done to the royal
treasury, which is an astonishing act of authority against the honour
and dignity of the king.
'He will likewise declare, that the above acts having been done so
nearly at the time of the invasion of the English, it has caused many
persons to suspect they were committed for their advantage, and to
prevent the king from making resistance against them, and that the duke
of Burgundy is their sworn ally.
'The lord de Canny, for these reasons, will, in the king's name, insist
that the duke of Burgundy do henceforth abstain from such acts, more
especially from attacking any of the towns in France, laying siege to
them, and forcing the inhabitants to take illegal oaths.
'He will at the same time require, that all the men at arms who have
been assembled shall be disbanded, and sent to their different homes;
for, considering the manner and time in which they have been collected,
the king is firmly persuaded they have been thus raised to afford
succour to the English, and to harrass the king and his realm.
'Item, to induce the duke to comply, sir Aubert, will dilate on the
great dishonour he will incur, and the shame and reproach that will
fall on him and his family, should he persevere in his present conduct;
and at the same time gently entreat him to consider well these matters,
and not to inflict such disgrace on the memory of his good father, who
was so valiant and loyal, and who enjoined him, on his death-bed, to be
ever obedient to the king and to his commands.
'Item, sir Aubert will, in like manner, remonstrate on all these
matters with the barons, knights, esquires, and others who may have
accompanied the duke of Burgundy, and to whom he may gain access,
requiring them, in the king's name, not to fall off from that loyalty
which they and their predecessors have alway shewn to the king and his
realm, nor to disgrace themselves by listening to evil advisers, or by
any act to draw on themselves and successors the opprobrium of being
reported in times to come not only disobedient to their king, but even
favourers of the enemies of the kingdom.