duke ordered the three estates of his country to assemble at Brussels
the 24th of April; and when they were met, he bade the bishop of
Tournay read to them the letter he had received from the duke of Berry.
He then told them, that it was his intention to raise the largest army
he had ever done, to assist the duke of Berry, and that he should give
the command of it to the count de Charolois, his son, who would require
that it should be in readiness to march on the 8th day of May. This
could not be done without a great expense; and for this purpose he
demanded from the county of Artois eighteen thousand francs, and from
his other territories sums in proportion to their abilities. The 12th
of May was fixed on for the payments, when the county of Artois granted
the eighteen thousand francs, and the other countries each according to
its extent and wealth.
During this time, the count Louis de St Pol, his three sons, James
de St Pol his brother, the lord de Ravenstein, nephew to the duke of
Burgundy, the two bastards of Burgundy, sir Anthony de Baudoin, and
almost all the knights and nobles, vassals to the duke in Artois, the
Boulonnois, Hainault, Flanders, Brabant, Holland and Zealand, made
their preparations to accompany the count de Charolois, and were in
such numbers that they were estimated at four thousand combatants,
consisting of fourteen hundred lances, eight thousand archers, and
cross-bowmen, carbineers, and other warriors, not including those who
attended the baggage, who were very numerous, each being armed with a
leaden mace. In this army were none from Burgundy, as they were to form
a separate body until they joined the count. They amounted to upward of
six hundred lances, and other troops, under the command of the marshal
of Burgundy, the prince of Orange, the lord d'Arqueil, the lords de
Chargny, de Toulongeon, and other great barons of that country.
While these preparations were making, John de Longueval, captain of the
archers of sir Anthony de Burgundy, having with him a body of troops,
went and took possession of the towns of Arleux and Crevecoeur, which
the king had formerly given to the bastard, but had since wrested from
him.--He summoned the governor of the castle of Crevecoeur to surrender
it amicably, or he would take it by storm; and the governor yielded
it up, on having his life and fortune spared, and returned to his own
country of Normandy. John de Longueval, having performed this exploit,
left a sufficient garrison in each for its defence, and then returned
to his other companions with the main army.
When the king of France was assured of this great force which the count
de Charolois had raised, he dispatched his chancellor to Amiens, and to
Abbeville, where he met the counts d'Eu and de Nevers,--and they issued
a proclamation, in the king's name, for all who had been accustomed to
bear arms to be in readiness to serve him; and every one was forbidden
to bear arms, or to serve any other lord than the king, on pain of
corporal punishment and confiscation of effects. Notwithstanding this,
many of the knights and nobles of that country, who had always been
attached to the house of Burgundy, joined the count de Charolois,
leaving it to chance how they were to be treated for what they held
under the king. There were others who served the king.
The count de Nevers, knowing that he was in the ill graces of
the count de Charolois, sent divers messengers to bring about a
reconciliation, but to no effect, for they were not admitted to an
audience,--which caused many who served the count de Nevers, and were
among the principal of his household, to abandon his service, and to
withdraw themselves to the count de Charolois, to preserve his favour.
The count de Nevers, seeing himself thus abandoned, sent to entreat the
lord de Saveuses to come and speak with him; but he would not comply,
although he was requested by the count several times. But the count,
having received information that the lord de Saveuses was to pass
through Bray sur Somme, went himself to Bray, where he met him, and
entered into a long conversation, to prevail on him to think of some
means of making up the quarrel between the count de Charolois and him.
This good lord promised willingly to undertake the business, provided
that he, the count de Nevers, would not bear arms for either of
the parties, and that he would not introduce any men at arms, as a
garrison, into Peronne,--and this he promised to perform. Now it
happened, that while the count de Nevers was returning from Bray to
Amiens, he received intimation from the inhabitants of Peronne, that
the count de St Pol had drawn up his forces before that town, and had
summoned them to surrender the place to the duke of Burgundy, or to his
son, and that they had demanded three days' delay to give their answer.
On receiving this intelligence, the count instantly departed from
Amiens, in company with Joachim Rohault, marshal of France. These two
noblemen had with them one hundred lances and two hundred of the king's
archers,--and they entered Peronne, the 15th day of May, with five or
six hundred horse.
It was the common report at that time, that the duke of Burgundy had
given to his nephew, the count de Nevers, on his marriage, the lands
and castlewicks of Peronne, Mondidier, and Roye, to enjoy during his
life, or until they were redeemed for thirty-two thousand crowns of
gold, or till he should have other lordships of, equal value to these
castlewicks. The count maintained, that he held them in perpetuity, by
grants from the king and the duke of Burgundy within a short time after
he had entered upon them. But the count de Charolois said, that they
now no longer belonged to the count de Nevers, he having since then
received other and more valuable lordships, namely, the counties of
Rethel and Nevers, with other lordships; from which he concluded that
the duke, his father, was entitled to have the three before-mentioned
castlewicks restored to him,--since, moreover, when his father had
given them to the count de Nevers, it was without his consent, who was
his only son and heir. The duke of Burgundy maintained, that he had
only given these lands until they were redeemed, or until superior or
equal lands should fall to the count de Nevers,--and that, if the count
had deeds containing different terms, they were drawn up without his
signature or seal.
The lord de Saveuses had exerted himself so effectually with the count
de Charolois that it was generally believed that the quarrel between
him and the count de Nevers would speedily be accommodated; but the
intelligence that he had thrown into Peronne a large body of men at
arms broke off the whole negotiation.
CHAP. XXXVII.
THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS TAKES LEAVE OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, AND
MARCHES HIS ARMY AND ARTILLERY TOWARD FRANCE.--HE CROSSES THE RIVER
SOMME, AND SUBJECTS TO HIS OBEDIENCE THE TOWNS OF NEELLE[38],
ROYE[39], AND MONDIDIER[40].--HE BESIEGES BEAULIEU[41], AND CROSSES
THE OISE.
On the 15th of May, the count de Charolois, hearing that his armies in
Flanders and in Burgundy were quite ready to march, took leave of the
duke his father at Brussels, who is reported to have thus addressed
him: 'My son, act well your part in the business you are going upon,
and take care of your health: prefer death to flight; and should you be
in danger, you shall not long remain therein, if one hundred thousand
more warriors can relieve you.'
The count, on taking his leave, went to lie at Quênoy in Hainault,
where two embassies were waiting for him: one from Brittany, and one
from the king of France. Of this last, the bishop of Mans, brother
to the count de St Pol, was the chief; but they had not any great
success,--and that from Brittany was soon dismissed.
On the morrow, the count advanced to Honnecourt, between Crevecœur and
St Quentin, where he waited for his artillery, which was astonishingly
numerous; for two hundred and twenty-six carriages had passed through
Arras, from the castle of Lille, full of bombards, serpentines,
crapaudeaux, mortars, and other artillery, besides other carriages with
military stores from Brabant and Namur, that passed through Cambray.
From Honnecourt, the count went to Roseil, two leagues from Peronne,
where he staid some days, with all his army and artillery, from which
conduct those in Peronne expected to be besieged,--but he had formed
different plans. On the 4th of June, the count moved with his army from
Roseil toward Bray sur Somme, when the inhabitants came out to offer
him the keys of their town. The count de St Pol and the bastard of
Burgundy then crossed the river with their men, and advanced to Neelle
in the Vermandois, and made pretence of an instant assault, when it
was surrendered, on condition that eight men at arms, who were within
it, should depart in safety, with their horses and arms, and that the
archers, amounting to about six score, should march away in their
doublets or jackets, each with a wand in his hand. The lord de Neelle,
however, who was found therein, was detained a prisoner.
The lord de Hautbourdin, bastard to the count de St Pol, marched a
body of men at arms and archers to the town of Roye, which they made
a similar pretence of attacking; but the inhabitants, fearful of the
event, surrendered the place to him for the count de Charolois. On
their entrance, they found there the countess of Nevers, to whom they
offered neither insult nor injury, but afforded her every facility to
retire whither she pleased. A few days after, she went to Compiègne,
under the escort of the lord de Ravenstein and five or six hundred
combatants.
Those of Mondidier surrendered their town, two or three days after,
to the count de Charolois, in which was Hugh de Mailly lord de
Boullencourt, a valiant and hardy knight, who had always been attached
to the house of Burgundy, and he remained governor of the place with
the approbation of the inhabitants,--for this town had ever been of the
Burgundy-party.
While these towns were surrendering to the count de Charolois, the
count de Nevers, fearing he should be besieged in Peronne, departed
thence with Joachim Rohault marshal of France, the lord de Moy, and
about two thousand combatants, thinking to enter the city of Noyon;
but that was not so soon effected, nor until they had promised that
their whole troop should not enter, and that they would not do, or
suffer any mischief to be done to the inhabitants. Nevertheless, they
all entered, and did mischief enough. It happened, that as some of the
townsmen were lowering down the portcullis of the gate, it fell on a
man at arms and killed him.
About the 15th of June, the count de Charolois left Roye, to besiege
the castle of Beaulieu, a strong place belonging to the lord de Neelle.
In the castle was a good garrison, who burnt the best part of the town
round the castle, which was a pity, for the castle was afterward so
battered by cannon that the garrison were glad to surrender on St John
Baptist's day, on having their lives and baggage spared. During this
siege, the lord de Hautbourdin found means to cross the Oise with a
body of men in boats, and entered the town of Pont St Maixence before
the inhabitants knew any thing of his coming. This body was part of the
van of the count's army, under the command of the count de St Pol. The
count de Charolois was with the main body,--and the bastard of Burgundy
commanded the rear.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 38: Neelle,--a town of Picardy, three leagues from Roye.]
[Footnote 39: Roye,--a strong town, seven leagues from Peronne.]
[Footnote 40: Mondidier,--nine leagues from Amiens.]
[Footnote 41: Beaulieu,--near Noyon, in Picardy.]
CHAP. XXXVIII.
THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS PASSES THE RIVER OISE, ADVANCES TO SAINT DENIS,
AND DRAWS UP HIS ARMY IN BATTLE-ARRAY BEFORE PARIS.--THE COUNT DE
SAINT POL GAINS POSSESSION OF THE BRIDGE OF SAINT CLOUD, AND CROSSES
THE SEINE WITH HIS DIVISION OF THE COUNT'S ARMY.
When the count de Charolois heard that his van were in possession of
Pont St Maixence, he advanced the remainder of the army thither, in
order to cross the Oise. The inhabitants paid him every obedience,
as lieutenant-general to the duke of Berry; and the count had it
proclaimed in the name of the duke of Berry, whose lieutenant-general
he styled himself, that he abolished all taxes, impositions and
subsidies whatever, as he had before done at Mondidier, and in the
other towns he passed through, to the great joy of the people.
The count entered the town of Pont St Maixence on the feast-day of St
Peter and St Paul, and remained there for some days. He thence marched
to St Denis, where he was joyfully received, as well in the name of the
duke of Berry as in his own, for they could not make any resistance to
him. He waited there, and between St Denis and Paris, with his whole
army, the remainder of the month of June, for the arrival of the dukes
of Berry, of Brittany, of Calabria, of Nemours, of Bourbon, and the
other lords, who had mutually promised each other to meet there. The
count, finding that none came, and that the time was elapsed for the
meeting, and that his Burgundians, whom he daily expected, had not
joined him, because the king's army kept them constantly in check, on
the 8th day of July assembled his army, and marched in battle-array so
near to Paris that they were plainly seen from the walls. To say the
truth, considering the smallness of their numbers, it was the proudest
army that could be seen.
Joachim Rohault left Paris to examine it the nearer, having kept on
its flanks all the way from Beaulieu and other parts, to make an
attack if he should espy a favourable opportunity, but found them
always so well prepared that he dared not venture to attack them; and
he was now forced to make a hasty retreat, to escape the light troops
of the count,--for he would have been completely surrounded by them,
had he not so speedily re-entered Paris. Instantly after his entrance,
the count fired off two or three serpentines over the town which
exceedingly frightened the inhabitants.
The count then, placing himself at the head of the three divisions of
his army, halted near a windmill close by the town, which made those
within Paris suppose an attack was about to commence; but it was not
so, for, in like manner as he had done to other towns, he informed
them, that his only object was the good of the kingdom,--that he had
come thither at the prayer and request of the duke of Berry, who
had promised to join him very shortly, and that his speedy arrival
showed his eagerness to serve him. He added, that whatever the duke
of Berry should do would be solely for the general welfare, and then
summoned them to surrender to him as lieutenant-general to the duke of
Berry,--but they would no way comply.
When Joachim Rohault had entered Paris, he met in the streets a canon
from Amiens, called Jacques de Villiers, who, having finished his
business there, was desirous to return. Joachim asked him whence he
came, and whither he wanted to go: he replied, that he was from Amiens,
and wanted to go back. Joachim then made him swear, that he would tell
the count de Charolois, that he, Joachim, had lately received letters
from the king of France, to signify to him for certain, that within
four days the king would be returned to Paris, and would advance to
meet the count, when it would be seen which was the stronger.
The canon kept his promise, and told the count, word for word, what
Joachim had ordered him, while he halted at the windmill. The count
replied, that he put no belief in what Joachim said, for before this he
had told him things that were untrue.
Having displayed his force before Paris, the count marched his army to
where the fair of the Lendit had been held, the booths for which were
still standing, and had it surrounded by his baggage-waggons, of which
he had an immense number, as well for the service of his artillery as
that belonging to the other lords who had accompanied him. While the
army was thus posted, the count de St Pol, commander of the van, saw a
large boat full of hay going to Paris, which having taken, and emptied
of the hay, he entered it, with the whole of his men, and passed over
to gain possession of the bridge of St Cloud, which was surrendered by
those who guarded it, on having their lives and fortunes spared.
The count de Charolois, on hearing this, ordered the whole of his army
to advance thither, cross the Seine, and march for Estampes, in the
hope of meeting there the dukes of Berry and of Brittany, who could not
pass the Seine by reason of the king's army that was following them.
The count crossed the Seine on the 15th of July; and, this same day,
the count de St Pol advanced the whole of the van to Montlehery, where
he fixed his quarters. Montlehery had a good castle, in which were a
party of the royal army,--but neither party seemed inclined to attack
the other. The count de Charolois remained with his, that night, within
one league of Montlehery; and the bastard of Burgundy, who had the
command of the rear division, was quartered in the rear of the count,
two leagues from Montlehery.
The count de St Pol sent off scouts from Montlehery, as far as
Chastres, three leagues on the road to Estampes, who met messengers
from the king to the Parisians, ordering them to be prepared on the
morrow to assist him in battle against the count de Charolois. These
messengers were brought to the count de St Pol, and assured him that
the king and his whole army were at this hour (eleven o'clock at night)
at or near to Chastres. On hearing this, the count dislodged from
Montlehery, and posted his division lower down, in a valley more toward
Paris, and sent information of what the messengers had related to the
count de Charolois, that he might instantly advance, or send him orders
how to act, for that the king would certainly give him battle the next
morning at daybreak. The count, having called a council, immediately
after decamped to join the count de St Pol, and sent orders for sir
Anthony of Burgundy to hasten the advance of the rear as much as
possible, which he did, so that the count de Charolois, and his brother
the bastard of Burgundy, formed a junction with the count de Saint Pol
on the 16th day of July, in the valley below Montlehery, by sunrise,
and there drew up in battle-array, to wait the arrival of the king of
France.
The king, who had been engaged in the Bourbonnois, where he had taken
several places, and destroyed much of the country, was informed, while
there, of the conduct of the princes in raising forces, and held an
army in readiness to oppose them. He was fearful lest the army from
Brittany should join that of Burgundy, and thus become too strong and
dangerous to combat; in consequence, he called the principal captains
of his army to a council of war, to ask their opinion, whether he
should first offer battle to his brother and the Bretons, or to the
count de Charolois. Although their opinions were divided, the majority
were for fighting the count de Charolois first; for if he succeeded in
overpowering his army, he could with ease conquer his brother and the
Bretons at any time, and even all the other lords of the confederacy;
and it was the more advisable to fight now before the count was joined
by the burgundian army, that had been kept in check, by a detached
force from the army of the king. Notwithstanding the majority were
for fighting the count de Charolois, the lord de Varennes, seneschal
of Normandy, declared loudly against it. He said that he was of a
contrary opinion, because he knew that the count de Charolois was not
of a character to retreat, nor give up any point,--and that he was
so much beloved by the Picards, and the others who formed his army,
and who had been accustomed to war, that they would never desert him
while they were alive: he was, therefore, for fighting the duke of
Berry first, because he had with him some of the great captains who
had served the late king Charles VII., and who, when they saw the king
advancing in person, would not have the heart to combat against him,
but most probably would turn to his side, and the remainder would be
at his mercy. The seneschal was told, that his advice was the effect
of fear; but he replied, that it was not,--and he would show plainly,
if a battle took place, that he was not afraid, and that what he had
said was purely from loyalty, in advising the king to the best of his
abilities.
CHAP. XXXIX.
THE KING DETERMINES TO COMBAT THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS.--A BATTLE TAKES
PLACE BELOW MONTLEHERY.--THE EVENT OF IT.
When the king had heard the opinions of his commanders, although they
were various, he eagerly determined to combat the count de Charolois,
and ordered all, under pain of death, to follow him. He made such
diligence that, on the 14th of July, he marched his army, as well by
day as by night, twenty-four leagues, and lay at Estampes. On the
morrow, he advanced to Chastres, three leagues from Montlehery. On
his march, he passed within seven or eight leagues of the army of the
dukes of Berry and of Brittany, ignorant that his messengers, whom he
had sent to Paris, were made prisoners, or that the count de Charolois
was so near him. The king dislodged from Chastres on the 16th, before
sunrise, and soon arrived near to Montlehery, whence he saw the enemy
drawn up in battle-array below in the valley.
The king instantly formed his army into three divisions: the van was
given to the command of the seneschal of Normandy, the son of the lord
de Norenton, the lord de Barbasan, Malortie, Flocquet Salzart, and
other captains: the main body was commanded by the king in person,
attended by many of his great lords: and the rear division, consisting
of seven or eight hundred men at arms, was given to the count du Maine:
so that the king had in his three divisions, as was commonly reported,
two thousand two hundred men at arms, or lances, the best appointed
that ever men at arms were, for they consisted of the flower of the
king of France's forces. There were also great bodies of archers and
infantry, besides many that were ill mounted, and on foot, who had
remained behind, but who always followed the train of the king.
The count de Charolois, observing the manner in which the royal army
had been drawn up, formed his own into three divisions also. The first
was under the count de St Pol,--the second he reserved to himself,--and
the bastard, his brother, commanded the third; but he ordered them
all into the line, closing his rear with the baggage-waggons, and
pointing his artillery in their front. He ordered his archers to plant
a sharp stake before them, to check the charge of the cavalry, if they
should attempt to break their line,--and in this state they waited
the attack of the king. This was not, however, the case; for the two
armies remained, without moving, in their different positions for four
hours, excepting some slight skirmishes of the light troops, who were
within cross-bow shot of each other. As part of the count's army was
too distant from the artillery, it was proposed by some to make their
horses fall back, keeping their fronts to the enemy; but the lord de
Hautbourdin disapproved of this manœuvre, and said, that were he to
retire one step from the place where he was, it would be dangerous and
disgraceful to him, and give the enemy courage to advance. In the mean
time, different pieces of artillery were played off on both sides, to
the destruction of numbers.
At length, the count de Charolois, fearful of the Parisians suddenly
appearing to aid the king, and, by falling on his rear, attack him on
all sides, and that, if he delayed the combat, his men would be starved
from want of provision, consulted his principal officers, and resolved
to begin the attack. They began their march in excellent order: one
division by the side of a wood, the other by the village, and the
center having the wood on its rear. The French, seeing this movement,
made part of their army advance also, in front of the count's division,
and crossed a ditch near the village; but the count's archers attacked
them so fiercely with their arrows that they were glad to recross it,
the count pursuing them into the village for some distance, having his
banner beside him, which was borne that day by the lord du Boys.