duchess and went to Mâcon, where he had a conference with the duke of
Savoy, and with ambassadors from the duke of Brittany, the principal
of whom was Arthur count de Richemont. While these conferences were
holding, Charles de Bourbon count de Clermont, the archbishop of
Rheims, the bishop of Puy, and some others, came to Mâcon, by orders
of king Charles, who among different matters, treated for a marriage
between the count de Clermont and Agnes, sister-german to the duke of
Burgundy. Charles de Bourbon promised the said archbishop, on the word
of a prince, that he would espouse her at the time that had been fixed.
When this, and other great affairs had been discussed and settled, they
separated, and each returned to the place he had come from.
Philip duke of Burgundy, hearing of the arrival of Humphrey duke of
Glocester in Hainault, was very indignant thereat, and issued his
summonses to the men at arms, and others accustomed to serve him
in war, throughout his countries of Flanders, Artois and his other
dominions, which were proclaimed in the usual places, ordering all
nobles, and others of every degree, able to bear arms, to prepare
themselves to support the duke of Brabant against the duke of
Glocester, under the orders of sir John de Luxembourg, the lords
de Croy, de l'Isle-Adam, and such other captains as should be
commissioned to command and conduct them.
In consequence of these proclamations, very many men at arms assembled
under the aforesaid lords, who marched them to Philip count de St Pol,
brother to duke John of Brabant, he having been appointed by the duke
commander in chief in this war against the duke of Glocester.
The principal adviser of the count de St Pol was Pierre de Luxembourg
count de Conversan, and Braine lord d'Anghien. There were also with him
sir Angilbert d'Anghien, le Damoiseau de Vissemale, de Rosbarre, and
other great lords and bannerets of the country of Brabant, a multitude
of the commonalty, and an infinity of warlike engines.
A bitter war now commenced, with fire and sword, throughout Hainault,
to the ruin of the poor people, for the duke of Glocester had strongly
garrisoned with English all the towns in that country under his
obedience; and in like manner had the count de St Pol done to those
on the borders, and what remained in Hainault subject to the duke
of Brabant. These garrisons made frequent sallies on their enemy's
country, and committed every kind of mischief.
CHAP. XXVI.
THE DUKE OF GLOCESTER SENDS A LETTER TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.--A COPY
THEREOF.
When the duke of Glocester heard that the duke of Burgundy had issued
his summons for men at arms to assemble against him, in support of the
duke of Brabant, he was highly displeased, and wrote to the duke of
Burgundy a letter, of which the following is an exact copy:
'High and potent prince, very dear and well-beloved cousin,--we have
heard that in your lands and territories a proclamation has been made
for all able men at arms to assemble and march under the orders of sir
John de Luxembourg and others, to the support of my cousin of Brabant,
against me, my friends, allies and subjects, and stating, as reasons
for the above, many charges contrary to the truth, which I have
discovered, in a copy of certain letters said to be written by you, in
your town of Dijon, the 21st day of last December.
'These letters, I am convinced, have been written with your knowledge,
and by your orders, although you cannot have forgotten all that I have
done in times past at your request and solicitation; nor how often
I have submitted the whole of my dispute with our cousin of Brabant
to the arbitration of my brother the regent and yourself,--what
appointments I have made, and what things I offered to relinquish to
my prejudice,--and which you know those of the party of the duke of
Brabant would not accept nor enter into any treaty, notwithstanding
these letters I allude to have given a contrary colour to the business,
as will be apparent if you compare the copy I inclose with the
originals.
'I know also, that what I have formerly done has not escaped your good
memory. You must also feel, that if proximity of lineage is of any
avail, you should be more inclined to serve me than my adversary,
seeing that my companion and spouse is your cousin-german by two lines,
and that my said cousin of Brabant is not so nearly related to you.
'You are likewise bounden to assist me by the treaty of peace solemnly
sworn to by us,--which the duke of Brabant has never done, but on the
contrary, as you know, made alliances inimical to your interests, which
should move you to act against him. The treaty between us has never
been infringed by me; and it would have grieved me to have even thought
of it,--for I should believe, that had I broken it, nothing fortunate
would have ever happened to me. I am also persuaded, that during your
life, you will not act contrary to it.
'You must likewise have noticed, that ever since I have been on this
side of the sea, I have alway endeavoured so to act as would be most
agreeable to you; that I have never, in the smallest degree done, or
suffered to be done, any damage to your subjects or your lands, but
have acted toward them as if they had been my own proper subjects, as
they can truly inform you.
'I have lately written to you, to declare I ask for nothing but what is
my own, but am contented to have what belongs to me in right of my said
companion, your cousin, and which, with the aid of God, I will guard
and preserve so long as she shall live, for that fortune is sufficient
for me.
'Should any circumstances have induced me to act against my said cousin
of Brabant, I am not as you know, any way to blame, but constrained
thereto by his enterprises, in the defence of my own honour, and for
the preservation of my country, which will make me exert myself to the
utmost of my power.
'Now as you are perfectly well acquainted with all that I have
mentioned, I can scarcely persuade myself that these said letters
have been written with your knowledge; and I most earnestly intreat,
most high and potent prince, my very dear and well beloved cousin,
that you would maturely consider of all that I have done for your
service, the different conduct of my adversary toward you, the
nearness of the relationship, the treaty of peace between us, which I
have never violated, and the enterprises of my opponent. I am firmly
convinced, that supposing the measures hitherto followed have had your
approbation, when you shall have maturely reconsidered the whole of
mine and of my adversary's conduct, you will be of a contrary opinion.
'Should, however, your intentions remain unaltered, God, to whom
nothing is hidden, will defend my just rights, if you be regardless of
the oath you have taken for the same purpose. High and potent prince,
my very dear and well-beloved cousin, let me know your intentions
by the bearer of this, and if there is any thing I can do for your
service, I will most heartily employ myself therein, as our lord knows,
and to his care I commend you.
'Written at my town of Mons, and signed with my signet, this 12th day
of January. High and potent prince, very dear and well-beloved cousin,
I send with this letter copies of the letters I have alluded to,
signed 'de Croy.'
The address on this letters was, 'To the high and potent prince, my
very dear and well-beloved cousin, the duke of Burgundy;' and lower
down, 'Your cousin the duke of Glocester, count of Hainault, of
Holland, of Zealand, and lord of Frizeland.'
The duke of Burgundy, on receiving this letter, laid it before the
whole of his council, and, after due deliberation, returned the
following answer to the duke of Glocester.
CHAP. XXVII.
COPY OF THE ANSWER OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY TO THE LETTER FROM THE DUKE
OF GLOCESTER.
'High and mighty prince Humphrey duke of Glocester, I, Philip duke of
Burgundy, earl of Flanders and of Artois, have received your letter
addressed to me, and written at Mons in Hainault, under your signet,
the 12th day of January last, containing, among other things, that
you have heard of proclamations having been issued throughout my
dominions, for all well disposed men at arms to assemble, and to march
under the command of our very dear and well-beloved cousin sir John de
Luxembourg and others, for the service and support of our very dear
and well-beloved cousin the duke of Brabant, in opposition to you,
your friends, allies and subjects, and which proclamations contained,
according to the tenour of your letter, many charges contrary to
truth,--the which, and other things, you have discovered in the copy
sent me, of certain letters said to have been written by me, on the
21st day of December, in my town of Dijon.
'With regard to this, high and mighty prince, and the greater part of
your letter, I shall forbear repeating, or making any reply thereto;
for as there is nothing but what touches my honour that I shall
consider, and this I will not suffer any one to treat or to blame
unjustly.
'You say, however, that the writings, of which you have inclosed a
copy, have been done with my knowledge, and by my command. To this I
answer, that I was moved thereto by your refusal to conform to the
articles of pacification entered into with great deliberation of
council, between your fair brother the regent and myself at Paris, to
put an end to the discord between you and our very dear cousin the duke
of Brabant.
'On the contrary, the duke of Brabant, (to gain the favour of God,
and to please your said brother and myself) agreed to abide by these
said articles, while you, persisting in your refusal, and without
waiting for the final decisions of your suit at the court of Rome, have
entered the country of Hainault with a powerful army, with the intent
of driving therefrom our said cousin of Brabant, and taking possession
of the same. These have been the reasons for my said letter, which
contains truths which you cannot any way deny, or be ignorant of.
'I have not therefore given any thing to be understood contrary to
truth, or by way of lie, with which you seem most wrongfully to charge
me in your letter, which I shall carefully preserve to shew in proper
time and place.
'I am sufficiently aware of all that you are attempting against our
said cousin of Brabant, and very displeasing has it been to me,
without your endeavouring to tarnish our own honour and fair fame,
which I will not endure from you nor from any one; and I am persuaded
that those with whom I am connected by blood, all my loyal friends,
subjects and vassals, who have been greatly attached to and have served
my predecessors, will not suffer such a slur to be passed over with
impunity. I therefore now summon and require of you to recall all that
you have said in your letter, touching what you have therein declared
to have been asserted by me contrary to the truth.
'Should you be unwilling to do this, and to support the charges you
have made against my honour and fame, I am ready to defend myself
personally against you, and to combat you, with the aid of God and our
lady, within a reasonable time, in the presence of that most excellent
and most potent prince, the emperor, my very clear lord and cousin.
'But that you and all the world may witness that I am anxious to
bring this matter to a speedy conclusion, and instantly to repel all
attempts on my honour, I am contented, should it be more agreeable to
you, that we choose for the judge of our combat your fair brother the
regent duke of Bedford, which you cannot reasonably refuse; for he is
such a prince that I know he will do the utmost justice between us, as
between the most indifferent persons. And for the honour of God, and
to avoid the effusion of Christian blood, and the destruction of the
poor people, whose sufferings I in my heart compassionate, you and I,
who are youthful knights, ought to accept of this proposal (supposing
you be determined to maintain what you have written), as it personally
concerns us, rather than engage in public warfare, by which numberless
gentlemen and others of each party will have their days miserably
shortened; and I must add, that it will be highly disagreeable to me
if this last mode shall be resorted to. It ought to be matter of regret
to us and all catholic princes, that Christian people should engage
in war one against another; for my part I repeat that it will be very
unwillingly that I shall engage in a public warfare, unless urgent
necessity forces me to it.
'High and mighty prince, have the goodness to send me a speedy
answer to the contents of this letter by the bearer, or by any more
expeditious mode, without prolonging matters by letters; for I am
impatient, that every thing touching my honour may be as briefly
settled as possible, and I will not that matters concerning it remain
as they now are.
'I should sooner have replied to your letter on this subject, had I not
been delayed by several concerns of high import that have retarded me.
'That you may be assured this letter is mine, I have signed it with my
own hand, and affixed my signet.
'Written the 3rd day of March, in the year 1424.'
This letter was read by the duke of Glocester with great attention, in
the presence of his council: in reply, he sent the following letter.
CHAP. XXVIII.
COPY OF THE SECOND LETTER SENT BY THE DUKE OF GLOCESTER TO THE DUKE OF
BURGUNDY.
'High and mighty prince, Philip duke of Burgundy, earl of Flanders, of
Artois, and of Burgundy,--I Humphrey duke of Glocester, son, brother
and uncle to the kings of England, count of Hainault, of Holland,
of Zealand, lord of Frizeland, and high chamberlain to the king of
England, have received your letter in form of a placart, addressed to
me, and written on the 3rd day of this month; which letter, that it
may appear to be from yourself, you have signed with your own hand,
and sealed with your signet. The contents of the greater part thereof
concern me as little as those of mine did you, addressed and written
in my good town of Mons in Hainault, under my signet, the 12th day of
January last past, excepting what you say of my refusing to agree to
terms of pacification between me and my cousin the duke of Brabant,
which is not true; for my very dear and well-beloved brother the regent
of France and the whole of the french council, as well as yourself,
know how I have acted therein. Should you wish to be ignorant thereof,
it is not in your power.
'You say, that I have in my letter wrongfully and falsely offended your
honour, by charges therein made, and that you were sufficiently hurt
at my attempts against my said cousin the duke of Brabant, without my
having attacked your honour and fame. You therefore summon and require
of me to recant what I have thus written in my letter, or else you
are ready to defend your honour in a personal combat with me. I make
known to you, that I hold for true the whole of the contents of my
said letter, and shall remain in the firm belief thereof, which has
indeed been confirmed by what your people have done and perpetrated in
my country of Hainault conformably to the tenour of your summons; nor
shall you nor any one force me to recal my words, but with the aid of
God, of our lady, and of my lord St George, I will, by personal combat,
oblige you to own their truth, before either of the judges you have
named, for they are both of them to me indifferent.
'I am equally desirous with yourself that the matter should be brought
to a short and speedy issue; but solely because my fair brother is
nearest at hand am satisfied to perform the combat before him, and
accept of him as judge of the field. Since you leave the appointment
of the day of combat to me, I shall fix on the feast of St George next
ensuing for that purpose, or any other day more convenient for my
brother, when, with God's favour, I shall be ready prepared to meet you
without fail.
'Should my said brother decline the office of judge of the field, I
am willing that the combat take place before the very high and potent
prince the emperor; and should he in like manner decline it, our
brother of Oldeberth[5], or any other indifferent person, may be the
judge.
'But, as I am doubtful whether you will abide by the terms under your
signet, I summon and require of you, by the bearer of this letter, that
you send me other terms sealed with your seal, in like manner as I have
done to these presents.
'With regard to the duke of Brabant, if you shall dare to say that
his right is superior to mine in this present dispute,--I am ready to
attack you body to body, on the day above-mentioned, and prove that I
have the better right, with the favour of God, of our lady, and of St
George. That these presents may appear fully authentic, and to shew
that I am resolved to abide by their contents, I have signed my name to
them, and have likewise affixed my seal.
'Written in my town of Soignies, the 16th day of March, in the year
1424.'
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 5: Oldeberth,--probably Oldenbourg.]
CHAP. XXIX.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY RETURNS TO FLANDERS, WHENCE HE SENDS HIS ANSWER
TO THE DUKE OF GLOCESTER'S LETTER.--A COPY THEREOF.
During the time of this correspondence between these two princes, the
duke of Burgundy returned to Flanders, and ordered a considerable force
to march thence to the aid of the duke of Brabant. He likewise sent an
answer to the duke of Glocester's last letter, accepting the day he had
fixed for their combat, the tenour of which was as follows.
'High and mighty prince Humphrey duke of Glocester, I, Philip, duke of
Burgundy, earl of Flanders and of Artois, have this day received your
letter, written and signed with your own hand, in answer to mine of the
3rd of this present month, in which I said that you had, after mature
deliberation, refused the terms of pacification between you and our
cousin of Brabant, that had been agreed on by my brother-in-law the
regent and myself.
'To this you reply, that it is not true. My fair brother the regent
and the whole council of France know full well to the contrary: I am
not ignorant thereof,--and were I inclined to be so, it is out of my
power. You persist in denying what the ambassadors sent to you by my
brother the regent and myself with a copy of these articles, can most
satisfactorily prove; and in the direct face of them you have invaded
the country of Hainault, notwithstanding my fair cousin of Brabant had
accepted of our terms; and you have called all these things which I had
written to you falsehoods. Your conduct toward my cousin of Brabant
was to me dishonourable and displeasing enough, without adding insults
against my honour.
'For this did I summon you to recant all that you have thus
offensively written; otherwise I was ready to defend my honour in
personal combat, in the presence of my fair brother the regent, or
before the emperor. You in reply maintain the truth of what you had
written, and that you shall remain in that belief, for what my troops
had done in Hainault was a full confirmation of the truth of what
you had advanced, and that you would not for me, nor for any one
else, recal your words, but would force me, by personal combat, to
acknowledge their truth, before either of the aforesaid judges.
'You add, that as the said regent is nearer at hand, you are content
to name him as judge, and fix on St George's day next ensuing, or
any other more agreeable to the regent, for the day of combat, being
equally desirous with myself that this matter should be speedily
brought to issue.
'I make for answer, that in regard to the judge and the day I am well
satisfied, and, with the aid of God and of our lady, I will defend
myself, and maintain the contrary to what you have advanced, with my
bodily strength, and prove fairly on which side the lie rests, to the
clearance of my loyalty and honour.
'With respect to what my troops may have done in Hainault, should it
be for the honour and success of my fair cousin of Brabant, I shall be
very much rejoiced. As you express a doubt whether our said brother the
regent will accept of the office of judge between us, I shall instantly
send him notable ambassadors earnestly to intreat that he would accept
of it; but should he refuse, I am willing, as I have said in my former
letter, that the emperor take his place.
'As to what you declare, that should I dare to say our cousin of
Brabant has the better right, you will force me by combat to retract
it publicly before the judge,--I reply, that the sentence of our holy
father the pope (before whom the suit is now pending) will make it
clearly known whose is the right, against which I am not inclined to
derogate or disobey. It therefore does not belong to either of us to
determine who has the right.
'And I have such confidence in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in his
glorious virgin-mother, that before the end of the combat thus fixed
on by you, I shall defend my good cause with such vigour that you will
not be soon forward to advance such novelties again. Since you require
that I send you a copy of my former letter which was sealed with my
signet, under my seal, I have complied with your request. And what I
have written I am fully determined to abide by and fulfil.'
CHAP. XXX.
THE TOWN OF BRAINE IN HAINAULT TAKEN AND DESTROYED BY THE ALLIES OF
THE DUKE OF BRABANT.
While these quarrelsome letters were passing between the dukes of
Burgundy and Glocester, a very large army was raised by Philip count
de Ligny and de St Pol, brother to the duke of Brabant, having in his
company the count de Conversan, the lord d'Anghien, the lords de Croy,
de l'Isle-Adam, sir Andrew de Malines, the bastard de St Pol, with
other captains, banners, and gentlemen, together with thirty or forty
thousand common men, whom he led before the town of Braine-le-Comte in
the country of Hainault.
There were not more than about two hundred English of the duke of
Glocester's party, in addition to the commonalty within the place.
It was closely besieged on all sides; but after it had been well
battered for eight days by their cannon and other engines, the
garrison, considering the great force of the enemy, entered into
terms of capitulation, that the English might depart with safety to
their persons, and with part of their baggage, and that the town
should return to the obedience of the duke of Brabant, taking oaths of
allegiance to him or to his commissioners, and withal paying a certain
sum of money by way of ransoming the town from pillage.
When this treaty had been signed, and the English were ready to march
out of it, a body of the common people who had come with the count de
St Pol rushed in by different gates, and slew the greater part of these
English, with many of the townsmen. They then plundered the houses,
and set them on fire, so that the whole town was completely burnt and
destroyed.
Thus did they break through the treaty which their captains had made,
and no prayers or entreaties could prevail on them to desist, which
greatly angered their leaders. However, some of the English were saved
by the exertions of the gentlemen and nobles, and sent away in safety.
At this siege of Braine, there were with the count de St Pol, Poton
de Saintrailles, Regnaut de Longueval, and others, all firm friends
of king Charles. When the town had been thus destroyed, the army of
the Brabanters remained where they had been encamped; for news of the
intended combat between the dukes of Burgundy and Glocester before the
regent had been notified to them, so that all warfare was suspended
between the Brabanters and the duke of Glocester, until victory should
declare for one of the dukes in their personal combat.
Shortly after, the count de St Pol marched away from before Braine,
on his return with the army to Brabant; but as the duke of Glocester
was with his lady in Soignies, the Brabanters were afraid of being
attacked, and therefore all the nobles and gentlemen marched in the
same array as if they were about to engage in battle. The commonalty
were likewise well drawn up; and they had not advanced far, when the
scouts, whom they had left in their rear to bring them information,
gave notice that the English had taken the field.