with tears; but he replied, 'Your father has ungratefully repaid what
he has received from this house. I sent to tell him to depart from
Peronne, and to go into his county of Nevers, or into the Rethelois,
and there remain until I should have induced my son to be satisfied
with him,--but he has done neither, and has armed himself against my
lord of Berry, and against my son, doing every thing in his power
to oppose them. He keeps possession of my inheritances of Peronne,
Mondidier and Roye, as if they were absolutely his own; but it is not
so,--for he holds them for a sum of money, the repayment of which was
offered him, but he would not accept it. I know not if he intends
seizing my other inheritances in the same way; but he shall not have
them,--for, if it please God, I will guard them well.' On saying this,
he left the lady.
Three or four days afterward, the duke of Cleves came to Brussels, to
speak with the duke, having left his troops in garrison on the borders
of Liege. He had not been with the duke for some time, on account of
these family quarrels. The good duke received him most kindly, and
entertained him handsomely, as he well knew how to do; for he had with
him the duchesses of Bourbon, of Cleves, of Gueldres, and other ladies.
In the month of June of this year, about six score houses were burnt
in the town of Ardres; and it was commonly said, that it had been done
through the wickedness of persons sent thither by the chancellor or
others of the party of the king of France, and who were to attempt the
like throughout the dominions of the duke of Burgundy. Some of these
incendiaries were taken at St Omer, but the rest escaped out of the
country.
It was full fifteen days after the battle of Montlehery, before the
duke of Burgundy received a true account of the event; for no one
dared to mention the reports until the event was certainly known,
lest he should have a relapse of his late illness, from which he was
not perfectly recovered. When, therefore, he was fully ascertained of
the truth, he sent a large sum of money to his son for the pay of his
troops, under the escort of the lord de Saveuses, accompanied by all
his men, as well cavalry as infantry. He brought it very safe to the
count at Conflans, in company with the lord de Hautbourdin, who had
been sent with a strong force, for greater security, to meet him at
Mondidier,--for the French had intended to attack and plunder him; but
on their junction, they durst not meet them.
The lord de Saveuses, on approaching Conflans, drew up his men in
order of battle, and thus waited on the count, who received him most
joyfully, and took great pleasure in seeing the old warrior so well
and so handsomely armed,--telling him, that he would have given forty
thousand crowns if he had been with him at the battle of Montlehery.
CHAP. XLIV.
THE INHABITANTS OF THE TOWN OF DINANT[44] INSULT THE COUNT DE
CHAROLOIS WITH MOCKERIES.--THE KING OF FRANCE MEETS THE COUNT DE
CHAROLOIS AT CONFLANS.--THE DUKE OF BOURBON TAKES THE TOWN OF ROUEN.
In the mean time, the inhabitants of Dinant, mortally hating the duke
of Burgundy and his son, trusting to the strength of their town, and to
their riches, and calling to remembrance, that, although they had been
besieged seventeen times by kings and emperors, the place had never
been taken, but that they had for a long time pillaged and robbed their
neighbours, more particularly the subjects of the duke of Burgundy, and
had increased their wealth daily by the riches they brought into the
town; foolishly believing in the first news brought them of the defeat
of the count de Charolois, determined in their folly to show their old
envenomed hatred to the house of Burgundy, by dressing up a resemblance
of the count de Charolois in his armour, and carrying it to the town of
Bovines hard by, which belonged to the duke of Burgundy as parcel of
the county of Namur. They were in great numbers, and in arms, and when
they were near to the walls of Bovines, they erected a gibbet, and hung
thereon this figure of the count de Charolois; shouting out to those in
the town, 'See here, the son of your duke! that false traitor the count
de Charolois, whom the king of France will have hanged as you see his
representative hanging here. He called himself the son of your duke: he
lied,--for he was a mean bastard, changed in his infancy for the son of
our bishop, the lord de Haisenberghe, who thought to conquer the king
of France.' Many other villainous expressions did they use against the
duke of Burgundy and his son, menacing their countries with fire and
sword.
By this outrageous and childish conduct, they greatly offended the good
duchess of Burgundy, mother to the count de Charolois, who was alway
reputed to be the most modest and chaste woman that was in the land of
Portugal. When, therefore, these things were told to the duke and the
count de Charolois, they were much angered,--and the son swore, that
he would make them dearly pay for it, as indeed happened very shortly
after.
While the confederated princes were surrounding Paris, the king left
the city in a boat, accompanied by about twenty persons, and rowed down
to Conflans, where the count de Charolois was posted. The count, on
hearing of the king's approach, went to meet him, when they embraced
each other like old and loving friends. A conversation ensued between
them; but I know not what passed, except that, shortly after, the
count wrote to his father, to say that the king had been to see him,
and had used very kind expressions in conversation. The king, on his
departure, told the count, that if he would come to Paris he would give
him a handsome reception; but the count replied, that he had made a vow
not to enter any great town until he was on his march home. He then
escorted the king back, attended by his archers, to whom the king gave
fifty golden crowns to drink together.
During this truce, the lord de Croy and his friends were at Paris,
and laboured most diligently to make their peace with the count de
Charolois: even the king exerted himself greatly in their favour,--but
the count would not listen to nor hear talk of it, as the lord de Croy
had once accompanied the king to Conflans; but the count de Charolois
ordered him not to come thither again. The king made frequent visits
there; and several secret conversations passed between him and the
count, to whom the king showed the greatest appearance of affection
and regard, which the truest friend could show another, frequently
sending back to Paris his guards, and remaining with the count with few
attendants, saying, that he thought himself fully as safe when in his
company as if he were in the city of Paris.
While these things were passing, it happened that the governor of the
castle of Boulogne sur mer, in conjunction with a sergeant, sold this
castle to the English of Calais and Guines, and was to give them
possession thereof on the 28th day of August, while they set fire
to the lower town, and during the confusion the English were to be
admitted. The sergeant, however, told their plan to a companion of his,
who betrayed them, and they were both instantly arrested, and, on the
fact being proved, were beheaded, the 2d day of September following,
and their bodies hung on a gibbet.
It was these two who had found means to displace the son of the lord
de Croy from his command in the castle, and replace him with those
attached to the count de Charolois, who, on this account, had given
them all the effects of the said de Croy that were in the castle. He
had also promised them other great favours: nevertheless, they had
betrayed him also.
In the month of August, in this year, king Henry VI. of England was
taken prisoner by a party of king Edward's. He was mounted on a small
poney, and thus led through the streets of London, when, according to
the orders of Edward, no one saluted or did him the least honour,--for
it had been forbidden, under pain of death. He was carried to the
tower of London, in the front of which was a tree, after the manner of
a pillory, round which he was led three times, and then confined in the
tower. This proceeding troubled many of the citizens of London,--but
they dared not show any signs of it, nor open their mouths on the
subject.
Toward the end of September, the Bretons took the town of Pontoise,
during the night, by means of the governor and other accomplices.
The duke of Bourbon also entered the castle of Rouen with a body of
men at arms, under pretence, and in the name of the duke of Berry.
He placed therein the widow of the late lord de Varennes, in whom,
however, the king had great confidence,--and the principal persons in
the town had advised her going thither. Shortly after, the duke went
to the town-house, where the commonalty waited on him, and submitted
themselves to his obedience, on behalf of the duke of Berry, as their
lord and duke of Normandy. The duke then went to the other towns in
the duchy, as far as Caen, who all surrendered to him for the duke of
Berry.
During this time, a destructive warfare was going forward in the
countries of the duke of Burgundy and Liege, which were alternately
overrun and plundered, more especially by those of Dinant,--so that it
was a pity to see the great mischiefs that ensued. Those from Dinant
were one day met by a party of Burgundians, who put them to the rout,
with great slaughter, and some little loss on their side. Those that
escaped made all haste back to Dinant, and, on their return thither,
to revenge themselves, ran to the town-prison, in which were three
burgundian prisoners, whom they led out, to hang them on the first tree
they should find without the town. One of them offered his vows to St
James the apostle, when the cord broke, and he escaped unhurt! Instead
of him, they seized a youth from Arras, the son of Martin Corneille,
as he was returning from his studies; and if some among them had not
remonstrated, that, instead of hanging him, they might force his father
to pay a large sum for his safety, he would infallibly have been put to
death.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 44: Dinant,--a town of the bishoprick of Liege, on the Maes,
16 leagues from Liege.]
CHAP. XLV.
THE DEATH OF THE COUNTESS DE CHAROLOIS.--THE COUNT DE NEVERS IS MADE
PRISONER IN THE CASTLE OF PERONNE.--THE LIEGEOIS ARE DISCOMFITED AT
MONTENAC.[45]--THE TREATY OF CONFLANS, BETWEEN THE KING OF FRANCE AND
THE CONFEDERATED PRINCES.
On the 25th day of September, in this year, the countess de Charolois
departed this life in the town of Brussels. She was the daughter of
the late duke of Bourbon, and a good and devout lady. She left behind
only one child, a daughter, named Mary, and had always the grace to be
humble, benignant, and full of the best qualities a lady could have,
and was never out of humour. The duchesses of Burgundy and Bourbon were
present at her decease, and were in great grief for her loss.
A Burgundy-gentleman, named Arkembarc, had made frequent visits to the
count de Nevers, in Peronne, for the space of a month, having passports
from the lord de Saveuses and from the king: he had likewise been with
the count de Charolois and the duke of Burgundy, to find means for the
count de Nevers to surrender Peronne. It is to be supposed that there
was some secret treaty entered into between them,--for on the 3d day of
October, at four o'clock in the morning, the said Arkembarc accompanied
by the lords de Roubaix and de Frommeles, and from five to six hundred
combatants, advanced to Peronne as secretly as they could.
When he came near the town, he left his companions, and, attended by
only twelve persons, approached the bulwark on the outside of the
castle, which he entered by scaling ladders, and making prisoners those
within, by their means entered the tower and dungeon of the castle.
They there found the count de Nevers, the lord de Sally, and some
others in bed, whom they laid hands on as day broke; but the count and
his companions began shouting so loud that they were heard in the town,
and the garrison hastily advanced in arms to enter the castle,--but
before this, from sixty to four score of the duke's men had followed
their companions into the castle, and, mounting the battlements,
harangued those below, declaring they were the duke of Burgundy's men,
who had sent them thither, and they now summoned them to surrender the
town to the duke. The garrison and townsmen retired apart, to confer
together, and, toward the evening, answered, that they were willing to
obey the duke, and opened their gates to the lord de Roubaix and all
his men.
Thus was the town of Peronne taken, and restored to the obedience of
the duke of Burgundy. It was currently reported, that the count de
Nevers had wished it to be thus managed, that it might appear to the
king, to whom he had sworn allegiance, that it had been won without his
consent: it was also added, that it was upon this condition he had made
up the disagreements between him, the duke of Burgundy, and the count
de Charolois. Whatever truth may have been in these rumours, the count
de Nevers was carried a prisoner to Bethune, and Arkembarc remained
governor of the town and castle of Peronne.
The 15th of this month of October, about five in the morning, the
heavens seemed to open, and the brightest light appeared, resembling a
bar of burning iron, of the length of a lance, which turned round, and
the end that was at first very thick became suddenly thin, and then
disappeared. This was seen, for more than a quarter of an hour, from
the town of Arras.
On the 19th of the same month, about eighteen hundred combatants, on
the part of the duke of Burgundy, entered the territories of Liege,
under the command of the count de Nassau, the seneschal of Hainault,
the lords de Groothuse and de Gasebecque, sir John de Rubempré grand
bailiff of Hainault, and other knights and esquires. They burnt and
destroyed the whole line of their march until they came near to the
large village of Montenac, situated five leagues from the city of
Liege, and which the Liegeois had fortified and garrisoned with a force
of four thousand men, then within it.
These Liegeois, observing the Burgundians march so near, without making
any attempt on the place because it was fortified, sallied out, and
posted themselves where the duke's men must pass, with the intent to
offer them combat. They surrounded themselves on all sides, except
the front, with their baggage-waggons,--and there they drew up their
artillery in a very orderly manner.
The duke's men, observing their enemies thus posted, and ready for
battle, held a council, and determined to attempt drawing them from
their strong position, and, in consequence, pretended to retreat from
fear. The Liegeois seeing this manœuvre, and mistaking it for fear
of them, instantly quitted their post, and began to pursue them. But
matters turned out differently from what they had thought; for the
duke's men wheeled about, and instantly attacked them with such vigour
that they were immediately discomfited and put to flight, leaving dead
on the field more than twenty-two hundred men; and as the duke's party
lost but one archer, it was a splendid victory to them.
During this time, the king of France remained in Paris, and the
confederate princes around it, while the negotiators on each side were
busily employed in establishing a treaty of peace between them. This
was at length accomplished, in manner following, which I shall relate
as briefly as I have been able to collect the articles.
First, it was ordered, that to remedy the grievances of the realm, and
to ease the people from the heavy exactions they had borne, the king
should appoint thirty-six of the most able and discreet persons of his
realm, namely, twelve prelates, twelve knights, and twelve counsellors,
well informed as to law and justice, who should have full powers and
authority to inquire into the causes of the grievances complained of,
and to apply a sufficient and permanent remedy to prevent such in
future; and the king promised, on the word of a king, that he would put
into execution all that they should recommend on this subject. They
were to commence their examinations on the 15th day of the ensuing
December, and to finish the whole within forty days afterwards.
Item, all divisions were now to be at an end,--and no one was to be
reproached for the part he had taken on either side, nor was any one
to suffer for his late conduct. Each person was to have restored to
him whatever had belonged to him before open hostilities commenced,
notwithstanding any acts to the contrary.
Item, the count de Dunois was to be repossessed of all the lands the
king had taken from him.
Item, the count de Dammartin was to have again his county of Dammartin,
and all other his lands which the king might have given away as
confiscated.
Item, the count d'Armagnac was to have again the lands the king had
seized.
Item, the duke of Bourbon was to have all his towns, castles, and
lands, which the king had conquered, restored to him; and he was,
besides, to receive an annual pension of thirty-six thousand francs,
on account of his marriage with the king's sister, and to be appointed
captain of the gens d'armes on the king's establishment.
Item, in consideration of the king having failed in his engagements
with the duke of Calabria, respecting the conquest of Naples, he was
to receive the sum of two hundred thousand golden crowns, and to have
the command of three hundred lances of the gens d'armes on the king's
establishment.
Item, the duke de Nemours was also to have the command of two hundred
of the said lances, and to be appointed governor of the Isle de France.
Item, the count de St Pol was constituted constable of France; and the
king invested him with his sword of office, with his own hand, publicly
in the palace at Paris.
Item, the duke of Berry, only brother to the king, was to have given
him, as his appanage, the duchy of Normandy, for him and the heirs-male
of his body, to hold in the same free manner as the dukes of Normandy
had anciently held the same from the kings of France; that is to say,
by fealty and homage; and thenceforward the dukes of Brittany and
Alençon should hold their duchies from the duke of Normandy, as they
had done in times passed.
Item, the count de Charolois should have restored to him all the lands
which had been repurchased by the king from the duke his father,
together with the county of Guines, to be enjoyed by him and his
heirs-male, in the manner as shall hereafter be expressed.
Item, the king promises, by this treaty, never to constrain any of
the said princes to appear personally before him, whatever summons he
may issue, saving on such services as they owe to the king on their
fidelity, and for the defence and evident welfare of the kingdom.
Item, all such towns, castles, and forts as may have been taken during
these said divisions, on either side, shall be instantly restored to
their right owners, with all or any effects that may have been taken
from them.
When these matters had been fully settled, each of the princes received
letters-patent from the king, confirming all the articles that
concerned each personally.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 45: Montenac,--a village of Messin, near Metz.]
CHAP. XLVI.
A ROYAL EDICT RESPECTING WHAT THE KING OF FRANCE HAD CONCEDED TO THE
COUNT DE CHAROLOIS BY THE TREATY OF CONFLANS.
'Louis, &c. Whereas by the advice and deliberation of our said brother
of Normandy, and of our very dear and well beloved cousins the dukes of
Brittany, Calabria, Bourbon, Nemours,--the counts du Maine, du Perche,
and d'Armagnac,--the presidents of our court of parliament, and other
able and well informed persons of our realm, we have given, conceded,
and yielded up, and by these presents do give, concede, and yield up to
our said brother and cousin the count de Charolois, in consideration
and in recompence of what has been before stated, and also because our
said cousin has liberally and fully supported, as far as lay in his
power, our said brother, and the other princes of our blood, in the
settlement of the late divisions, and for the restoration of peace,
for him and his heirs, males and females, legally descended from him,
to enjoy for ever the cities, towns, fortresses, lands, and lordships,
appertaining to us on and upon each side of the river Somme,--namely,
Amiens, St Quentin, Corbie, Abbeville, together with the county
of Ponthieu, lying on both sides of the river Somme, Dourlens, St
Ricquier, Crevecoeur, Arleux, Montrieul, Crotoy, Mortaigne, with all
their dependances whatever, and all others that may have belonged
to us in right of our crown, from the said river Somme inclusively,
stretching on the side of Artois, Flanders, and Hainault, as well
within our kingdom as within the limits of the empire,--all of which
our said uncle of Burgundy lately held and was in the possession of,
by virtue of the treaty of Arras, prior to the repurchase we made of
them,--comprehending also, in regard to the towns seated on the Somme
on the side nearest our kingdom, the bailiwicks and sheriffdoms of
these said towns in the same form and manner as our said uncle was
possessed of them, to be enjoyed by our said brother and cousin, and by
their legal heirs, males and females, descending in a direct line from
them, together with all the revenues, domains, and taxes, in the same
manner as enjoyed by our said uncle, without retaining to ourself any
thing, excepting the faith, homage, and sovereignty, as lord paramount
of the same.
'This mortgage we have made, and do make, in consideration of the
repayment of the sum of two hundred thousand golden crowns of full
weight, and of the current coin, and which neither we nor our
successors shall be enabled to recover again, by repayment of the
said two hundred thousand crowns, from our said brother and cousin
during their natural lives; but it may be lawful for us, or our
successors, to recover these lands from the direct heirs of our said
brother and cousin, or from their heirs descending in a direct line,
who may be in the possession of them, on paying back the said sum of
two hundred thousand crowns. For the security of our being enabled to
make such repurchase, our said brother and cousin shall deliver to us
letters-patent, in due form, for the better confirmation of the same;
and we will and understand that our said brother and cousin, and their
legal heirs, that may be in the possession of these territories, shall
have full powers to nominate and appoint, at their pleasure, all and
every officer that shall be necessary for the government and regulation
of these said towns and countries; and that such officers as shall be
necessary for the collecting of all royal taxes, aids, or impositions,
shall be nominated by us, at the recommendation of our said brother and
cousin, and their heirs, as was done during the time our said uncle of
Burgundy held these towns and countries.
'Whereas, by the treaty of Arras, it was agreed, among other articles,
that the county of Boulogne should remain to our uncle of Burgundy, and
the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten,--and whereas our late
lord and father bound himself to recompense all who claimed any right
to it,--we, for the causes and considerations before mentioned, and
without derogating from the treaty of Arras, confirm the above article
respecting the county of Boulogne, and declare that our said brother
and cousin, their heirs, male or female, lawfully begotten by them,
shall hold, during their lives only, the said county of Boulogne, in
the form and manner specified in the treaty of Arras, and that they
may reap the same advantages from it as if it were their own proper
inheritance. And we engage to make those consent to the same, who may
claim any right to the said county, and give them such compensation
as we shall judge proper, so that our said brother, cousin, and their
heirs, shall have peaceable possession of the same.