THE KING OF FRANCE FORMS A CAMP BETWEEN PONT DE L'ARCHE AND PONT DE ST
PIERRE.--ARMOUR WHICH THE DUKE OF BRITTANY HAD ORDERED FROM MILAN IS
INTERCEPTED.--THE KING TAKEN ILL AT TOURS.--DURING CERTAIN PILGRIMAGES
HE MAKES, HE VISITS THE DAUPHIN AT AMBOISE, AND GOES THENCE TO ST
CLAUDE.--A GREAT FAMINE THIS YEAR.
Early in this year the king ordered an inclosed camp, which he had
caused to be made of wood, to be erected on a large plain near Pont de
l'Arche, to be ready when he should take the field against his enemies,
and went thither to see it. Within were posted a numerous body of men
armed with pikes and halberds, according to his new regulations. The
command of these troops was given to sir Philip de Crevecoeur, lord
des Cordes, and to master William Picard, bailiff of Rouen. The king
ordered the men to remain in this camp the space of a month, to see how
it would answer, and what sorts of provision would be the most suitable
to them.
This camp was ordered to be ready on the 15th of June; and the king
on his way thither, celebrated the feast of Whitsuntide at the church
of our Lady in Chartres. Thence he came to Pont de l'Arche, and
to this large inclosure, which was formed between Pont de l'Arche
and Pont de Saint Pierre. One side of the inclosure had a ditch on
the outside,--and within were pitched tents and pavilions, with
the artillery and all requisite stores. The king judged from its
proportions what quantity of provision would be necessary were the
space completely filled with all he intended to send. When he had
visited and fully examined it, he departed, very well satisfied for
Chartres, Selome, Vendôme, and Tours, having ordered the troops that
had been encamped to march back to their former quarters.
The duke of Brittany had sent, in the course of this year, to purchase
armour at Milan; such as cuirasses, salades, &c. which were packed up
with cotton to prevent their rattling, and like bales of silks. These
packages were put on mules, and arrived in safety until they came to
the mountains of Auvergne, when the officers of John Doyac[99] seized
them and sent instant information thereof to the king, who, by way of
recompense, gave the armour to John Doyac and his servants.
The vines almost universally failed this year throughout France,--and
the wines of the preceding year, though of little worth, were sold, in
consequence, at an extravagant price: what at the beginning of the year
was sold for four deniers the bottle at taverns now rose to twelve.
Some merchants of Paris, who had preserved their wines at Champigny sur
Marne and other places, sold it by retail very dear, viz. at not less
than two sols parisis the bottle, which was at the rate of thirty-six
livres the hogshead. The scarcity was so great that the wine-merchants
were obliged to fetch wine from the farther parts of Spain, which was
brought to Paris.
The garrisons on the frontiers of Picardy and Flanders, regardless of
the truce, made constant inroads on each other, carrying on a deadly
warfare; for whatever prisoners were made, they were unmercifully
hanged by both parties, without ever accepting of ransoms.
The king, when recovering from his late illness, set out from Tours
for Thouars, where he had a relapse, and was in great danger of dying.
To obtain better health, he sent great offerings, and large sums of
money, to divers churches, and made many religious foundations. Among
others, he founded in the holy chapel at Paris, a perpetual mass, to be
daily chaunted at seven o'clock in the morning, in honour of St John,
by eight choiristers from Provence, who had belonged to the chapel of
the late Réné king of Sicily, and on his decease had been taken into
the service of the king of France. He established one thousand livres
parisis as the fund for this mass, to be received annually from the
receipt of taxes on all sea-fish sold in the markets at Paris.
The king had also vowed to make a pilgrimage to St Claude[100], which
he undertook, but went first to make his offerings to our Lady of
Clery, and thence departed for St Claude. For the security of his
person, he was escorted by eight hundred lances, and a large force of
infantry, amounting, in all, to six thousand combatants. Before he set
out from Touraine, he went to Amboise to see his son the dauphin, whom
he had but little noticed, gave him his blessing, and put him under
the care of the lord de Beaujeu, whom he made lieutenant-general of the
kingdom during his absence. The king declared to the dauphin that he
must obey the lord de Beaujeu in whatever he should order him, the same
as if he himself were present and gave the orders.
Corn was exceedingly dear this year throughout France, more especially
in the Lyonnois, Bourbonnois, and in Auvergne, insomuch that great
numbers of people died of famine; and had it not been for the profuse
alms and succours from such as had corn, the mortality would have
been more than doubled. Crowds of poor people left the above-named
provinces, and came to Paris and other great towns. They were lodged in
the barn and convent of St Catherine-du-Val-des-ėcoliers, whither the
good citizens of both sexes came from Paris to relieve and nurse them.
They were at length carried to the great hospital, where the most part
of them died; for when they attempted to eat they could not, having
fasted so long that their stomachs were ruined.