THE KING OF FRANCE'S SOLDIERS SEIZE THE MONEY THAT WAS SENT TO PAY
THE FLEMISH TROOPS, AND GAIN ALSO THE TOWN OF CONDÉ FROM THEM.--A
CORDELIER FRIER, NAMED ANTHONY FRADIN PREACHES AT PARIS, AND IS
AFTERWARDS BANISHED.--THE POPE SENDS A LEGATE TO THE KING OF FRANCE
AND TO THE DUKE OF AUSTRIA.--THE DECEIT OF THE LAST TOWARD THE
KING.--A TREATY CONCLUDED BETWEEN THEM.--SIR CHARLES D'AMBOISE REGAINS
MANY TOWNS FOR THE KING IN THE DUCHY OF BURGUNDY.
In the month of April, Guerin le Groin bailiff of St
Pierre-le-Monstier, and Robinet du Quesnoy, who had each the command
of one hundred lances for the king, received information, while
cantoned in Picardy, that the Flemings were sending a large sum of
money to Douay for the pay of their troops and the support of the
town. These captains took the field to intercept this money, which
they did, killing many, and making prisoners of others of the escort.
Intelligence of this was instantly carried to the garrisons in Lille
and Douay, who made all haste to recover the money and prisoners;
but although they were in great numbers the French not only saved
themselves but slew four score, or better, and carried off the money
in safety,--their loss not amounting to more than twenty-six or
twenty-seven men.
The king arrived in Picardy during the month of May,--but nothing of
consequence passed except gaining from the Burgundians the little town
of Condé, which was inconveniently situated for sending provisions and
stores to Tournay. A garrison for the duke of Austria was in the place,
who defended it for a short time; but when they saw the great army that
was advancing to besiege it, they surrendered the town and castle to
the king, on being allowed to march away in safety with their arms and
baggage.
In this year, a cordelier friar, a native of Ville-Franche, in the
Beaujolois, came to preach against the profligate manners of the
times at Paris. He preached long and strongly on the vices which
blemished the creatures of God, and with such good effect that many
women, who had abandoned themselves to carnal pleasures, and other
debaucheries, changed their course of life. Some gave themselves up
to religious pursuits, abandoning those pleasures they had of late so
wildly followed. He blamed all ranks, and preached on the justice and
government of the king, the princes, and great lords of the realm;
adding, that the king was ill served,--that he had about his person
servants who were traitors,--and that, if he did not discard them, they
would destroy him and the kingdom also. The king when told of this,
ordered that the friar should be forbidden to preach; and for this
purpose, master Olivier le Daim, the king's barber, came to Paris to
see that he was put under an interdict. This was very displeasing to
several of both sexes, who were much inclined to follow him, for the
sake of his sermons; and for fear any insult should be offered him,
they had him watched, night and day, in the convent of the Cordeliers
in Paris. It was said that numbers of women went to him secretly, by
day and night, with knives and staves hidden under their clothes,
to spike such as should endeavour to hurt him, or hinder him from
preaching: telling him not to be afraid for that they would perish
sooner than any mischief should befal him.
During this time, a legate from the pope came to the king in Picardy,
to remonstrate with him on the enormous evils the infidels were doing
to Christendom, and to exhort him to make peace with the duke of
Austria, and unite in opposing the further progress of the Turks. By
this means the war against the Burgundians was somewhat relaxed, in the
hope of establishing a peace; but although the war ceased on the part
of the king it was still continued by the enemy in the county and duchy
of Burgundy, where several towns were recovered from the king, and
numbers of his troops killed.
On Tuesday the 26th day of May, a public proclamation was made by
sound of trumpet, which was the ancient custom, in all the squares of
Paris, to forbid all persons, whatever might be their rank, to cause
any assemblies of the people in Paris without the express leave and
licence of the king,--for that, of late, many persons had assembled,
under pretence of hearing certain sermons preached in the said town
by friar Anthony Fradin, of the order of Cordeliers; and that numbers
had also assembled at the convent of the Cordeliers to guard the said
friar, to whom no insult whatever had been offered by the officers of
his majesty's justice, but to whom some of the king's counsellors had
been sent, to interrogate him on certain secret matters of which the
king was desirous to know the truth: that persons had remained for
nights in the said convent, under pretext of guarding, as they said,
the above friar, which was matter of great scandal.
In consequence thereof, and by the advice of the court of parliament,
and of the provost of Paris, all persons, of whatever rank or
condition, were henceforward forbidden to hold such assemblies in
the convent of the Cordeliers, or elsewhere, under pain of corporal
punishment and confiscation of effects. In regard to those who might at
that time be assembled at the Cordeliers, they were ordered instantly,
on this proclamation being made, to depart thence to their own homes,
under pain of the aforesaid penalties. All husbands were strictly
charged to forbid their wives going thither, and to hold similar
assemblies in future.
When this proclamation was read, many of the auditors, by way of
derision, said that it was all nonsense; that the king was ignorant of
the business, and that it was very ill judged to issue so foolish a
proclamation.
Monday, the 2d of June, the first president of the parliament and
others, who said they were so charged by the king, declared to friar
Anthony Fradin that he was banished the kingdom of France ordering him
instantly to quit the realm. This he did on the following day; but when
he left his convent great crowds of the populace sighed and cried on
account of his departure. They were so much angered thereat that, in
their rage, they uttered many marvellous and scandalous things. Numbers
of both sexes followed him far beyond Paris, and then returned.
The king remained in Picardy, with the intent of reducing to his
obedience such towns and places as the duke of Burgundy was possessed
of at the time of his death, and which he had acquired by his
rebellious conduct. For this purpose, he had with him the handsomest
train of artillery, and finest body of men at arms, franc-archers, and
other soldiers, that had been seen in France. He was long inactive, in
the expectation of receiving some propositions from the Flemings and
Maximilian duke of Austria, who, by his marriage with the princess Mary
of Burgundy, was their lord.
Ambassadors at length came from the duke of Austria to the king, while
at Arras and at Cambray, who proposed to restore peaceably to the
king the counties of Artois and of Bologne, with the towns of Lille,
Douay, Orchies, St Omer and others, together with the entire duchy of
Burgundy. In return for these, the king was to give up the possession
of Cambray, Quesnoy le Comte, Bouchain, and some other towns. For the
more ready communication on the above matters, the duke of Austria
marched his army, which was said to consist of twenty thousand
combatants, between Douay and Arras, where he encamped. Under pretence
of these exchanges, the duke amused the king with fine promises until
the end of June, when the king did not gain any one thing that had
been promised, although he had liberally restored to Maximilian all
the towns on his part, thinking that the duke would as liberally keep
the engagements on his side,--but he had been completely deceived
throughout.
The army which the king had sent to upper Burgundy, to recover the
towns in that district, under the command of sir Charles d'Amboise[86],
governor of Champagne, had been very successful. He reduced to the
king's obedience the towns of Verdun, Monsavion, and Semur-en-Auxois,
by assault or capitulation. He laid siege to the town of Beaune, which
lasted some time; but in the month of July, its inhabitants surrendered
on condition that they should have their lives and fortunes spared, on
payment of a fine of forty thousand crowns for their rebellion. They
were also condemned to make restitution to the merchants of Paris and
other towns in the kingdom for all wines sold, but not delivered, and
for all the sums of money they had borrowed. The garrison were allowed
to march, with their baggage, whithersoever they pleased.
In the month of July, a grand embassy came to the king, in Arras, from
duke Maximilian of Austria, and the chief towns in Flanders. They
were heard by the king in council,--and, after mature deliberation, a
truce was agreed on, to last for one whole year, during which a free
intercourse was to be allowed to the merchants of France and Flanders
with their merchandise. When this was settled the king departed for
Paris,--but did not enter the town, as he was told that an epidemical
disorder carried off numbers of the inhabitants. He went, therefore,
to Vendôme, where he staid some time, and thence went to Behuart, and
to other places of pilgrimage[87].