English, and, on the faith of some english lords that his passport
should be renewed, remained there until the term was expired; but in
the end he was deceived, and king Henry caused him to be beheaded,--at
which the French greatly rejoiced, as he had surrendered Cherbourg, to
the prejudice of the king of France, through avarice.
CHAP. LXVII.
SIR JAMES DE HARCOURT ESPOUSES THE DAUGHTER OF THE COUNT DE
TANCARVILLE.--THE DEFEAT OF HECTOR DE SAVEUSES.--THE CONSTABLE LAYS
SIEGE TO SENLIS.
About this period, sir James de Harcourt espoused the heiress of the
count de Tancarville, with whom he had possession of all the count's
estates; and he placed garrisons in the whole of his towns and forts,
to defend them against the English.
At this time also, Philip de Saveuses being in garrison with his
brother Hector in Beauvais, set out one day with about six score
combatants, to make an inroad on the country of Clermont, as he had
frequently done before. On his return, he passed by a castle called
Brelle, in which were assembled a body of men at arms belonging to the
constable, who suddenly made a sally with displayed banners on Philip
and his men. The latter were overpowered by numbers, and put to the
rout, nor was it in the power of their captain to rally them, so that
they were pursued almost to Beauvais, and some killed, and the greater
part made prisoners. Philip de Saveuses, grieved at heart for this
misfortune, re-entered that town.
Within a few days after, having recovered some of his men, he went to
Gournay in Normandy, whereof he had been appointed governor, with the
consent of the inhabitants. Hector de Saveuses had some dissentions
with the inhabitants of Beauvais, and was forced to quit the town
shortly after the departure of his brother.
On the following Candlemas, king Charles, attended by the count
d'Armagnac his constable, and a considerable number of men at arms set
out from Paris for Creil, where he staid many days. As his men were
passing near to Senlis, which was garrisoned by the duke of Burgundy,
they were attacked, and several killed and made prisoners, to the great
vexation of the constable.
The constable, a few days after this, by the king's orders, laid siege
to Senlis, and had several large engines of war pointed against the
walls, which greatly harrassed the inhabitants. They therefore sent
messengers to sir John de Luxembourg and to the lord de Hangest,
requiring them, in behalf of the duke of Burgundy, to send aid to
Senlis. These lords having consulted the count de Charolois and his
council, assembled a large force, and marched to Pontoise, and thence
toward Senlis, with the intent to raise the siege; but they received
intelligence that their enemies were too numerous, and they could only
detach one hundred men, whom they sent into the town by a gate that had
not been guarded by the constable, with orders to tell the besieged
to be of good cheer, for that they should, without fail, be speedily
succoured.
Sir John de Luxembourg and the the lord de Hangest returned, with
their men at arms, through Pontoise and Beauvais to Picardy, without
attempting any thing further at this time. On the other hand, sir
Tanneguy du Châtel, provost of Paris, took the town of Chevreuse, and
was laying siege to the castle, when he was hastily ordered to leave
it, and join the king and the constable at the siege of Senlis; on
which account he left a part of his men at Chevreuse, and obeyed the
orders he had received.
CHAP. LXVIII.
THE KING OF FRANCE SENDS AMBASSADORS TO MONTEREAU-FAUT-YONNE TO TREAT
OF A PEACE WITH THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.--THE INHABITANTS
OF ROUEN TURN TO THE BURGUNDY FACTION.
Shortly after, king Charles and his constable sent as their ambassadors
to Montereau-faut-Yonne, the archbishop of Rheims, the bishops of Paris
and of Clermont in Auvergne, John de Harcourt count d'Aumale, sir
Mansart d'Esne and sir Regnault de Merquoiques knights, master Guerard
Marchet, the Judge Maye, John de Lolive, with others, to the number of
sixteen, able persons, to treat of a peace between them and the queen
and the duke of Burgundy.
On the part of the queen and the duke, the following ambassadors
were sent to Bray-sur-Seine, the archbishop of Sens brother to sir
Charles de Savoisy, the bishops of Langres and of Arras, sir John de
la Trimouille lord de Jonvelle, the lord de Courcelles, sir James de
Courtjambe, Coppen de Viefville, master Peter Cauchon, since bishop of
Beauvais, John le Clerc, since chancellor of France, Gilles de Clamecy,
master Thierry le Roi, John le Mercier, James Beaulard and master
Baudet de Bordes. These ambassadors had passports given them from each
party; and on their arrival at Montereau and Bray, they fixed upon the
village of la Tombe, which was half way between these two towns, as
the place to hold their conferences in. To this place the lord de la
Trimouille was ordered with a body of men at arms for the security of
their persons.
This conference lasted for about two months,--during which the
ambassadors of both sides frequently had recourse to their lords
personally, or by writing, in hopes of bringing the business to a happy
conclusion.
At the same time, union was restored to the universal church; for after
the consecration of pope Martin he released pope John from prison, who
threw himself on the mercy of the reigning pontiff. He was very kindly
received by him, and even created a cardinal,--but he died within a few
days afterward.
About this period also, the inhabitants of Rouen, who were very
favourable to the duke of Burgundy, sent secretly for some of the
captains of his party, whom, with a body of men at arms, they admitted
into their town; namely, sir Guy le Bouteiller, Lagnon bastard d'Arly;
and instantly joining them, they made a sharp attack on the castle,
which the king's men held out against the town, and continued it so
long that the garrison surrendered on condition that they might retreat
with safety. Sir Guy le Bouteiller was nominated governor. Lagnon
d'Arly behaved so gallantly at this attack, that he acquired great
renown, and the good will of all the inhabitants of Rouen. The king
of France and his ministers were very much displeased at this event;
but, to say the truth, the greater part of France was torn to pieces by
intestine wars and divisions: the churches and poor people were ruined,
and justice was no where obeyed.
[A.D. 1418.]
CHAP. LXIX.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY VISITS THE EMPEROR SIGISMUND.--THE COUNT DE
CHAROLOIS TAKES THE OATHS OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE QUEEN AND HIS FATHER
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.--THE SIEGE OF SENLIS IS RAISED BY THE PICARDS.
At the beginning of this year, John duke of Burgundy arranged the
establishment of the queen of France in Troyes; and having ordered
some of his captains, such as Charlot de Dueilly, John du Clau, John
d'Aubigny, and others, with two thousand men at arms, to march to
Senlis, and combat the army of the king and the constable, he took
leave of the queen, and set out from Troyes to Dijon to visit his
duchess and daughters.
Having resided there some time, he departed for Montmeliart, to meet
Sigismund emperor of Germany, with whom he had a conference. This
being finished, they separated with many tokens of respect for each
other, and the duke returned to Burgundy.
During this time, Philip count de Charolois came to Arras; and by
commands from the queen and his father, he convoked all the barons,
knights, esquires and clergy of Picardy and other parts under his
obedience, to meet him on a certain day in Arras. On their being
assembled, they were required by master Philip de Morvillers to swear
allegiance to the queen and the duke of Burgundy against all persons
whatever, excepting the king of France: which oath they all took,
namely, sir John de Luxembourg, sir James de Harcourt, the vidame of
Amiens, the lords d'Antoing and de Fosseux, the lord d'Auxois, sir
Emond de Lombers, and many more, who declared they would serve him with
their lives and fortunes so long as they should breathe.
Those who had been deputed from the principal towns were required to
raise a certain sum of money from their constituents. The meeting was
then adjourned to Amiens where they were desired to assemble,--for
within a few days the count de Charolois would go thither, to consult
on further measures for the relief of Senlis. The different commanders
were ordered to raise as many men at arms and archers as they possibly
could by that day.
The count de Charolois was at Amiens on the appointed time, whither
also came the aforesaid lords, and a number of deputies from the great
towns. There were likewise some from Rouen, who had been sent to
request advice and support from the count as the representative of the
duke of Burgundy, adding, that they were daily expecting to be besieged
by king Henry's army; that they had often been under the obedience of
the duke, in preference to the king, the dauphin, the constable, and
all others; and that should they fail of having succours from him, in
whom was their only hope, they could not expect them from any other
person.
The count by advice of his council, replied by requesting them to
nourish such good intentions,--and that within a short time they should
have, with God's pleasure, effectual aid. Letters, addressed to the
magistrates and principal citizens in Rouen, were also given them, with
which they returned.
When this matter had been settled, the count de Charolois directed
master Philip de Morvillers to declare to the assembly of nobles and
others from the towns, who were collected in the great hall of the
bishop's palace, that it would be necessary and expedient for each of
the towns to make a free gift in money, and for the clergy to pay half
a tenth, for the carrying on the war.
This business, however, could not be hastily concluded; and in the
mean time messengers arrived from those in Senlis, who brought letters
to the count, to say that if they were not succoured on or before the
19th of April, they must surrender the place to the king and constable
having given hostages to that effect.
The count and his council, on receiving this news, determined to
provide a remedy; and he was very desirous of marching thither
himself, but his council would not consent to it: he therefore ordered,
as principal commanders of the reinforcement, sir John de Luxembourg
and the lord de Fosseux, having under them the whole of the forces in
Picardy and on the frontiers.
These commanders, having collected their men, marched off in haste,
and arrived at Pontoise on the 17th of April, when they resolved to
proceed during the night of the morrow for Senlis. Their army might
amount to about eight thousand combatants, who gallantly took the field
at the appointed time. A body of light troops were ordered to advance
to different places on the road, toward Senlis, to gain intelligence of
the enemy.
With sir John de Luxembourg and the lord de Fosseux were le veau de Bar
bailiff of Auxois, the lord de l'Isle-Adam, sir Emond de Bonberch, the
lord d'Auxois, Hector and Philip de Saveuses, Ferry de Mailly, Louis
de Varigines, sir Philip de Fosseux, James and John de Fosseux, the
lord de Cohen, sir Janet de Poix, the lord de Longueval, the lord de
Miraumont, and in general all the nobles and gentlemen of Picardy, who
made a handsome appearance with vanguard, rearguard and main battalion,
and thus marched to within a league of Senlis.
The lord d'Armagnac, constable of France, was closely besieging the
town of Senlis, when he received intelligence from his scouts that
the nobles of Picardy were approaching with a large army to to offer
him battle: in consequence he commanded his men to arm without delay,
and advance in battle-array to the plain, that he might avoid being
attacked in his camp. The besieged, observing about day-break great
bustle and confusion in the enemy's camp, with good order and courage
made a sally from the town, set fire to the tents and quarters of the
constable, killed numbers of the sick, and others, whom they found in
the camp, and returned to the town with a large booty in sight of their
enemies.
The constable, vexed at this, sent them a summons to surrender the town
according to their promise, but on their answering that the time was
not yet expired, he caused the heads of four of the hostages to be cut
off, their bodies to be quartered, and hung on a gibbet. Of these four,
two were gentlemen, namely Guillaume Mauchelier and Boudart de Vingles:
the two others were citizens, named Guillaume Escallot and master John
Beaufort, king's advocate in the town. The remaining two (for there
were six in all), sir John Durant priest and a monk of St Vincent, were
carried prisoners to Paris.
In revenge, the besieged beheaded sixteen of the constable's men: two
were hanged and two women were drowned. The count d'Armagnac then
marched his army in battle-array to the Pas-de-Larron between Criel and
Gouvieux, to wait for the enemy; and dispatched some of his captains to
seek the king at Criel and make him take the road toward Paris.
Sir John de Luxembourg and the lord de Fosseux had advanced so rapidly
with their army that they were rather before hand with the king, and
halted at a place called l'Estoing, where the king and his army must
pass. Soon after, the van of the constable made its appearance, and the
light troops of both sides began a sharp skirmish, when many lances
were broken, and men at arms unhorsed, slain or terribly wounded.
Upon this, the king and the constable sent two heralds to these lords,
to know who they were, and what they wanted. The lord de Luxembourg
made answer, 'I am John of Luxembourg, having with me the lord de
Fosseux and many other noble men, sent hither by the duke of Burgundy
to serve the king, and to succour the good town of Senlis against the
count d'Armagnac, whom, and his abettors alone, we are ready to to
combat, if he be willing to afford us an opportunity, but not against
the king; for we are ready to serve him as his loyal vassals and
subjects.'
The heralds returned with this answer to the king and the constable,
when the latter said aloud, 'Since neither the duke of Burgundy
nor his son be with their army, we cannot gain much by battle: I
therefore advise that we retreat, for these are soldiers only anxious
for plunder, who have not themselves much to lose.' The constable
had already heard that Charlot de Dueilly and other captains were in
great force toward Dammartin: therefore he made the king and his army
retreat, in order of battle toward Paris, ordering a sufficient number
of his ablest combatants to his rear, to prevent the enemy from giving
them any disturbance.
Thus, without halting at any place did king Charles and his constable,
the count d'Armagnac, march back to Paris, to the great vexation of
many of the Parisians, who murmured loudly against the constable.
Sir John de Luxembourg and the lord de Fosseux returned with their
army to Pontoise, very much rejoiced to have accomplished their object
without any considerable loss or inconvenience. It would take up too
much time were I to detail all the skirmishes that took place: suffice
it to say, that very many on both sides behaved gallantly. The lord de
Miraumont commanded the picard archers, and, according to his orders,
kept them in handsome array. When these lords had refreshed themselves
at Pontoise, they all went to their different homes.
They were very much esteemed for their good conduct and valour in this
expedition by the duke of Burgundy, the count de Charolois, and by
all of that party. The bastard de Thian governor-general in Senlis,
Troullart de Moncruel, sir Mauroy de St Legier, and the other captains
within the town during the siege, had repaired the towers and walls
which had been much damaged by the engines of the constable, and then
kept up a more severe warfare against the king's party than before.
END OF VOL. IV.
H. Bryer, Printer, Bridge-street,
Blackfriars, London.
NOTES AND EMENDATIONS.
Page 1. line 15. _Châtel._] Hervè lord of Châtel, a powerful baron of
Bretagne, was the father of William lord of Châtel who was killed on an
expedition to the English coast, and is mentioned in the first volume,
Oliver (who succeeded him as lord of Châtel), and Tanneguy, chamberlain
to the king and provost of Paris.
Page 16. last line. _Coqueluche_.] The coqueluche was a contagious
disorder much dreaded in the fifteenth century. Its usual symptoms were
a violent defluxion on the chest, accompanied with severe pains in the
head.
_Dict. de Trevoux._
Page 18. line 12. _De Vertus._] Brother to the duke of
Orleans.--Vertus, from which he took his title, was originally a fief
of Champagne, and fell with that palatinate to the crown of France.
King John gave it to John Galeas, duke of Milan, as the dowry of his
daughter Isabel, wife to that duke. It descended to Valentina, his
daughter, and came with her into the house of Orleans: afterwards, by
the family-partition made in 1445, it passed to Margaret of Orleans,
wife to Richard count of Estampes, and was given to a bastard-branch of
the house of Bretagne.
Page 20. line 2. _Gaucourt._] John lord of Gaucourt died in 1393,
leaving Raoul V. lord of Gaucourt. Eustace lord of Veri, great falconer
of France, and John lord of Maisons sur Seine. Raoul V. was chamberlain
to the king, and bailiff of Rouen: he was killed in the year 1417, and
left a son, Raoul VI. who became grand master of France, and is much
distinguished hereafter.
Page 20. line 12. from bottom, _Saveuses_.] Saveuse, an ancient house
in Picardy.
Page 26. line 6. _Or joining the duke of Burgundy._] There must be some
mistake here in the original. It ought probably to be _against_ instead
of _or_.
Page 37. line 10. from bottom, _Montagu_.] Alexander, son of Hugh
III. duke of Burgundy, was the first lord of Montagu in 1205. From
him descended the two branches, of Sombernon, extinct in 1391, and
of Conches. Philibert de Montagu, lord of Conches, lived in 1404. He
married into the house of Vienne.
Page 41. line 14. _Vienne._] William IV. de Vienne, lord of St Georges,
&c. surnamed The Wise, was counsellor and chamberlain both to the
king and duke of Burgundy. He was at the bridge of Montereau when the
duke was killed in 1419, and died in 1434. There were several junior
branches of the house; but I cannot tell which is here meant.
Page 60. line 6. _Viscount de Poix._] This nobleman was a descendant
of Walter Tyrrel, who killed William Rufus in the New Forest. John
Tyrrel, third of the name, lord of Poix and Mareuil, married Margaret
de Châtillon, daughter to the lord de Dampierre. John IV. his eldest
son, married Jane des Quesnes. He died in 1400, and left one son,
John V. the viscount de Poix here mentioned. He was a counsellor and
chamberlain of the king, and was killed at Agincourt.
Page 75. line 16. _Burgion._] Probably Frederick of Hohenzollern,
burgrave of Nuremburg, to whom the emperor Sigismund gave the
electorate of Brandenburgh in 1417, and from whom are descended the
present royal family of Prussia.
Page 75. line 20. _Lorraine._] Charles the bold, duke of Lorraine,
Reginald IV. duke of Gueldres and Juliers. (The duchies were at this
time united.)
Page 75. line 20. _Tede._] George Demetrow is named as grand duke of
Prussia at this period. The meaning of _Tede_ I cannot discover.
Page 75. line 12. _Treves._] Theodoric count of Meurs, archbishop of
Cologne 1414. Werner count of Konigstein, archbishop of Treves 1388.
Page 75. line 24. _Bavaria._] John, brother of duke William count of
Hainault, often mentioned before.
Page 76. line 7. _Of Prussia._] Michael Kuckenmeister de Hemberg, grand
master of the Teutonic order, 1413.
Page 76. line 8. _Cleves._] Adolphus VI. count of Marck and Cleves.
Page 76. line 9. _Acusaire._] Theodore Palæologus was marquis of
Montferrat. Who his son _Acusaire_ can be, it is very difficult to say.
Page 76. line 10. _Saussebourg._] Saussenburg.
Page 76. line 14. _Nassau._] The three counts of Nassau were, first,
Adolphus III. count of Nassau, descended from Walram, eldest son of
Henry the rich; 2d, Adolphus count of Nassau Dillemburg, descended
from Otho, youngest son of Henry the rich; 3d, Philip count of Nassau
Weilborg, or Jarbruck, descended from Walram in another line.
Page 76. line 15. _Rayneck._] Rheineck.
Page 76. line 17. _Blancquehem._] Blanckenburg?
Page 76. note, _Vissegarde_.] Q. if not rather Wurtzburg? Pussau is
probably Passau; and the words 'in Hungary' refer only to the last
named place.
Page 78. line 4. _D'Ercles._] Perhaps Arckel, the name of a noble
family in Holland. Called in Latin Arculeas. See post.
Page 78. line 10. _Toncle._] Q. Tongres?
Page 80. line 17. _Torments._] Some say that this murder was committed
at the instigation of the Florentines. See Giannone, lib. 24. c. 8. The
whole story, however, looks like a fabrication; and it is at least much
more natural to suppose that Ladislaus was killed by his debaucheries,
which were excessive. He was succeeded by his sister Joan II.
Page 85. line 15. _Tonnerre._] Louis II. de Châlon, count of Tonnerre,
nephew of John IV. count of Auxerre and Tonnerre, who sold Auxerre to
king Charles V.
Page 87. line 3. _Sea-shore._] Peniscola in Valencia.
Page 96. line 20. _Pois._] Jehannot de Poix, second son of John III.
lord of Poix and Margaret de Châtillon, sister of James lord de
Dampierre. He received the rank of admiral, but never exercised the
office. He died of the plague in 1418. See note, p. 60.
Page 99. line 11. _Guy._] A mistake for Grey. Richard lord Grey of
Codnover was appointed by patent, 2 H. 4. admiral of the fleet from the
mouth of the Thames northward.
Page 102. line 4. _Chinon._] Chiny.
Page 110. line 7. _France._] This ought to be 'De Marle, grand butler
of France.' Robert de Bar, count of Marle, held that office from
the sixth October, 1413, to the time of his death, at the battle of
Agincourt.
Page 117. line 1. _Prayaux._] Préaux. James de Bourbon, third son of
James I. count of la Marche, lord of Préaux by marriage, and grand
butler of France. His sons were, Louis, killed at Agincourt, Peter,
lord of Préaux in 1417, and James lord of Thury. The two latter married
two daughters of the grand master Montagu.
Page 118. line 15. _Tynouville._] Q. Tignonville.
Page 122. line 11. from bottom, _Bar._] Bona de Bar, second wife of
count Waleran, by whom he left no issue.
Page 123. line 6. _Wife._] Waleran, count of St Pol, married for his
first wife Matilda de Roeux, by whom he had one daughter, Jane, married
to Anthony duke of Brabant. She died before her father, leaving two
sons, John and Philip, who successively possessed the duchy of Brabant
as heirs to their father, and the counties of St Pol and Ligny in right
of their mother. Guy count of Ligny, father of Waleran, was also father
to John count of Brienne, whose son Peter succeeded to the county of
St Pol on the death of Philip duke of Brabant, in 1430, without issue.
Page 128. line 12. _Bourges._] 'A stoute and prowde bishopp,' says
Grafton, p. 447.
Page 132. line 11. _Requests._] 'The king was nothing vexed nor
unquieted with the sayeings and prowde bragges of the unnurtured
archbishopp, but well remembering the sayeing of Salomon, &c. &c.
coldely and soberly answered the bishop, saying, 'My lorde, I little
esteem your _french bragges_,' &c.----GRAFTON.
It is very easy to bestow the terms of pride and insolence on whichever
side of the question it is most convenient.
Page 142. line 11. _Clarence._] Thomas duke of Clarence.
Page 142. line 11. _Glocester._] Humphry duke of Glocester.
Page 142. line 13. _York._] Edward duke of York, son of Edmund Langley,
fifth son of Edward III.