accompanied by some of her children, namely, John duke of Touraine, and
Isabella, who had been queen of England. The dukes of Orleans and
Burgundy came thither also, as did the duchess of Holland, wife to duke
William count of Hainault, with her daughter Jaqueline de Baviere, count
Charles d’Angoulême, eldest son to the duke of Orleans, and many other
great lords, by whom the above were attended in great state. The legate
of the holy see at Rome, with many bishops, doctors and churchmen, were
likewise there,—when marriages were concluded between the duke of
Touraine, second son to the king of France, and Jaqueline de Baviere,
and between Charles d’Orleans and Isabella, late queen of England.
Isabella was cousin-german to Charles, who had been her godfather at her
baptism; but notwithstanding this difficulty, the marriage was
accomplished by means of an apostolical dispensation; and very great
feasts took place at Compiègne in consequence, consisting of dinners,
dancings, justs and other jollities.
A few days after, when every thing had been concluded, the duchess of
Holland and her brother-in-law John of Bavaria, with the consent of the
queen, the dukes before named, and the royal council, took with them the
new-married couple, John de Touraine and his bride, to Quesnoy le Conte
in Hainault, where duke William then resided, who received them most
kindly, and entertained them magnificently.
When these matters had been finished, and the dukes of Orleans and
Burgundy had mutually promised love and friendship during their lives,
the duke of Orleans departed, and carried his daughter-in-law, Isabella,
with his son to Château-Thierry, which the king, at the solicitation of
the duke, had given him.
The queen and council returned to Paris to the king, who had lately
recovered from his illness; and the duke of Burgundy, with his
attendants, went to Artois and Flanders. He ordered about six hundred
combatants from Burgundy to guard the frontiers of the Boulonois, and
make war on the English. They greatly destroyed the country round
Bethune, because the count of Namur would not suffer his subjects to pay
the duke of Burgundy a tax which the king had lately allowed him to
raise on the whole of Artois, for the payment of these soldiers who were
to guard the frontiers.
The vassals of the count de Namur, however, seeing that their refusal of
payment was attended with greater loss, consented to pay the whole
without delay,—and then the men at arms quitted their country.
About this time, the earl of Northumberland and lord Percy came to
Paris, and waited on the king, the princes of the blood, and the lords
of the council, stating their melancholy situation, and entreating to
have assistance and men at arms to make war on Henry king of England. In
making this request, they engaged to give up some of their friends as
hostages, that they would serve him loyally and faithfully against the
king of England; but in a short time they received a negative to their
demand, and returned home without any aid from the king of France.
Another war broke out between the dukes of Bar and Lorraine; and sir
Clugnet de Brabant, admiral of France, was sent thither with a large
army. He marched it through Champagne to Lorraine, and besieged Neuf
Chastel, belonging to the duke, which instantly surrendered to the king,
by the advice of Ferry de Lorraine[99], count de Vaudemont, brother to
the duke.
The duke of Lorraine immediately sent ambassadors to Paris to make
excuses for what had passed, who negotiated so successfully that the
king was satisfied, and remanded his army, which, in going and coming
back, committed great waste in all the countries through which they
passed.
The duke of Burgundy, accompanied by his two brothers and many great
lords, went to the town of Arras, where his duchess and his daughters
were waiting for him. Shortly after, the count de Cleves came thither,
and was married to Marie, daughter to the duke; and, on the morrow, the
count de Penthievre[100] espoused another, called Isabella. The town of
Arras was very gay with the numerous feasts caused by these weddings.
Some days after, the duke of Limbourg and the two new-married couples,
having enjoyed much festivity, took their leaves of the duke and duchess
of Burgundy, and returned to their own homes.
At this period, the duke William, count of Hainault, nobly accompanied
by his Hainaulters, went to Paris, where he was most handsomely received
by the king, queen, and all the princes then there.
During his stay at Paris, it was declared in the parliament, and
proclaimed throughout the town, that no one, whether ecclesiastic or
layman, should in future pay any tax or subsidy to pope Benedict, nor to
such as favoured his pretensions. This was likewise forbidden through
the kingdom of France, which caused much perplexity to many well meaning
persons in that realm from this schism in the church.
CHAP. XXVIII.
THE DUKE OF ORLEANS, BY THE KING’S ORDERS, MARCHES A
POWERFUL ARMY TO ACQUITAINE, AND BESIEGES BLAYE AND LE
BOURG.
This year, the duke of Orleans, by orders from the king, quitted Paris
to march a large army of men at arms and archers, amounting to six
thousand combatants, into Acquitaine, to wage war against the English.
He took with him the lord Charles d’Albreth, constable of France, the
marquis du Pont, son to the duke of Bar, the count de Clermont[101],
Montagu, great master of the household, with many other noble lords, who
marched in a body to lay siege to Blaye, which they sorely oppressed
with their engines.
In a short time, the town began to negotiate, and offered to surrender
to the duke, in case the town of Le Bourg, to which he intended to lay
siege, should set them the example. They also promised to deliver
provision to the duke’s army, during the siege of Le Bourg, at a
reasonable price. The duke accepted of these terms, and besieged Le
Bourg, which was strongly garrisoned by a numerous body of english and
gascon men at arms. Many engines were pointed against the walls and
gates by the French, which did them considerable damage; but,
notwithstanding, the besieged defended themselves vigorously.
While this siege was going forward, sir Clugnet de Brabant, admiral of
France, put to sea with twenty-two ships full of men at arms, to oppose
the english fleet, which was also at sea in great force. The two fleets
met, and had a sharp skirmish, in which many were killed and wounded on
both sides; but nothing more was done, and they separated. The French,
however, lost one of their ships, in which were Lionnet de Braquemont,
Agieux de St Martin, and several more, attached to the duke of Orleans,
who were carried by the English to Bordeaux.
The other Frenchmen, namely, sir Clugnet de Brabant, sir William de
Villanes, governor of la Rochelle, sir Charles de Savoisy, and the rest,
returned to Le Bourg, and related to the duke what had passed at sea.
The duke of Orleans, having remained in vain about three months at this
siege, considered the strength of the place and the great mortality in
his army, and held a council with his officers, when it was resolved
that he should march his men at arms back to Paris.
The people of France, and some of the nobility, murmured much against
him for this retreat, because there had been a very heavy tax levied for
the support of this army.
CHAP. XXIX.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY PREVAILS ON THE KING OF FRANCE AND HIS
COUNCIL, THAT HE MAY HAVE PERMISSION TO ASSEMBLE MEN AT
ARMS TO BESIEGE CALAIS.
During the absence of the duke of Orleans in Acquitaine, the duke of
Burgundy obtained liberty from the king of France and his council to
raise a sufficient force in his own countries to lay siege to Calais.
The king also promised that he should be assisted with men at arms, and
as much money as could be raised in the realm.
On this being concluded, he returned to his county of Flanders, and
issued his summons for all men at arms to meet him at St Omer: at the
same time, he prepared many engines of war,—and particularly, he caused
to be constructed in the forest of Beaulot two large bastilles, ready to
be conveyed to Calais. He likewise caused many engines to be made for
casting stones at different places.
On the other hand, the king had assembled a numerous body of combatants,
who, like the others, traversed Picardy in their road to Saint Omer,
doing much mischief to the country. Among the number were from four to
five hundred Genoese, the greater part of whom were cross-bows on foot.
When all were arrived at St Omer, they were found to amount to six
thousand armed with helmets, three thousand archers, and fifteen hundred
cross-bows, all picked men, without including those on foot from the
countries of Flanders, Cassel, and other parts, who were very numerous.
There were very many carts to convey bombards, cannons, artillery,
provisions, and other necessaries for the war. But notwithstanding all
these preparations had been made through the application of the duke of
Burgundy, and with the full approbation of the king and his council, as
has been said, and that the musters were about to be made for their
immediate departure, certain messengers came to the duke of Burgundy and
his captains, with letters from the noble king of France, to forbid them
to proceed further with this army.
The duke, on reading these orders, assembled a council of war, and
remonstrated with them on the commands he had received from the king,
saying it was shameful and disgraceful thus to disarm so noble an army
as he had assembled. The lords, however, considering that the king’s
orders muse be obeyed, concluded to break up the army, and to return
every man to his own country; for the king had also written to the count
de St Pol, to the master of the cross-bows[102], and to other great
lords, to forbid them, on any pretence, to proceed further in this
expedition, under pain of incurring his indignation. Thus was this
armament broken up on the night of Martinmas-day.
The duke of Burgundy, however, swore by a great oath, in the presence of
many of his people, that within the month of March ensuing, he would
return to St Omer with a powerful army, and thence march to make war
against the English in the Boulonois, and subject them to his obedience,
or die in the attempt.
The duke and his vassals left St Omer, and returned to their homes. This
retreat caused great discontent throughout Picardy, and the frontiers of
the Boulonois, against the king and his council, as well as against
those who had raised this army, and not without cause, for the
multitudes that had been collected had done infinite mischief to the
country.
Sir William de Vienne, lord of St George, and lieutenant-governor of
Picardy, resigned this office to the duke of Burgundy, who nominated in
his place the lord de Croy. The greater part of the king’s artillery was
deposited in the castle of St Remy, in the expectation that they would
be wanted in the ensuing season.
The duke of Burgundy, having left St Omer, passed through Hesdin, where
the duchess was, to Douay, where he received the intelligence that the
duchess of Brabant had been dead some little time. He was very indignant
at having been forced to disband the forces he intended to march to
Calais, and for that cause conceived a deep hatred against many of the
king of France’s ministers,—more particularly against the duke of
Orleans, for he had been told that the expedition had been countermanded
by his interference.
He held a numerous council at Douay on this subject, with many of the
nobles of his countries, when it was unanimously resolved, that he
should personally wait on the king, to entreat that the expedition
against Calais should be renewed the ensuing spring. He went, in
consequence, to Paris, nobly attended. He made strong remonstrances to
the king, the duke of Berry, his uncle, and others of the king’s
council, and heavy complaints for their having allowed him to raise so
large an army, at such a great expense, and then having disgraced and
dishonoured him, by ordering him to disband it, when on the point of
marching to Calais.
The king, however, and his ministers, gently appeased his wrath, by
informing him of many particulars which had made it proper that such
measures as he complained of should have been taken, both from necessity
and convenience. He was apparently satisfied with their reasons; and he
was given to understand, that within a short time the king would permit
him to accomplish his object of besieging Calais.
CHAP. XXX.
THE PRELATES AND CLERGY OF FRANCE ARE SUMMONED TO ATTEND THE
KING AT PARIS, ON THE SUBJECT OF AN UNION OF THE CHURCH.
At this period, all the archbishops, bishops, and the principal clergy
of France and Dauphiny, were summoned to Paris by order of the king, to
confer with his great council on the means of establishing an universal
union of the church. When all, or the greater part, were arrived, as the
health of the king was very indifferent, a grand procession was made,
and a solemn mass to the Holy Ghost was celebrated in the royal chapel
of the palace, by the archbishop of Rheims.
On the morrow, the conference was held at the palace, when the duke of
Acquitaine, dauphin of Vienne, represented the king. He was attended by
the dukes of Berry, Burgundy and Bourbon, and many of the nobles. A
learned Cordelier, doctor in theology in the university of Paris, opened
the business, and explained the reasons of this assembly. He eloquently
stated from facts the sufferings of the church, from the great
perversity and discord of two popes contending for the papacy, and that
it was absolutely necessary to provide a speedy remedy, otherwise the
church would be ruined.
On the day after the feast of St Eloy, the king, having recovered his
health, attended this conference, accompanied by the noble persons
before mentioned, and was seated on his royal throne. He promised to
execute whatever this assembly and the court of parliament should
resolve on; and shortly afterward, a proclamation was made throughout
the realm, that neither of the contending popes should dispose of any
benefices or dignities in the church which might become vacant; and
likewise that the sums of money usually paid into the apostolical
chamber should be discontinued to both the rival popes. It was also
proclaimed, that all benefices should in future be given by the
sovereign, or legal patrons, as had been formerly done, before the
reservations and constitutions made by pope Clement VI. of the name.
CHAP. XXXI.
THE LIEGEOIS EJECT THEIR BISHOP, JOHN OF BAVARIA, FOR
REFUSING TO BE CONSECRATED AS A CHURCHMAN, ACCORDING TO
HIS PROMISE.
This same year, John of Bavaria, surnamed ‘sans pitié,’ bishop of Liege,
and brother german to duke William, count of Hainault, was ejected by
the Liegeois from his bishoprick, for refusing to take sacred orders,
according to what he had promised and sworn to them. They elected
another lord and bishop in his room, a young man of eighteen years old,
or thereabout, and canon of the church of Saint Lambert of Liege. They
also made the lord de Pieruels[103], father to the new bishop, their
principal maimbourg, and governor of the whole territory of Liege.
John of Bavaria had, some time before, promised to resign the bishoprick
to the son of Pieruels, as was known to Anthony duke of Brabant, Waleran
count de St Pol, and several other respectable persons, which promise he
now refused to keep. At the instigation, therefore, of the lord de
Pieruels, the Liegeois had rebelled against John of Bavaria[104], and
chosen a new lord.
Their late bishop was much angered at their conduct, and had his town of
Bouillon, and other castles, well stored with every sort of warlike
provision, that he might thence carry on a war against the country of
Liege.
He then went to his brother duke William, in Hainault, to obtain his
assistance and men at arms. In the mean time, the Liegeois assembled in
great force, and marched to the town of Bouillon, which, with the
castle, they took by storm, and put to death all they found therein.
John of Bavaria shortly after entered the country of Liege, near to
Thuin, with four hundred combatants, and burnt many towns and houses,
carrying away a very great booty to Hainault.
The Liegeois soon after entered Hainault with a considerable army, where
they destroyed the tower of Morialines, and burnt the town. They thence
marched to Brabançon, and other places belonging to such knights and
esquires as had invaded their country, which they plundered, and in many
places burnt, wasting the country with fire and sword.
The Hainaulters assembled to repulse them; but the enemy were in such
superior numbers that they returned back, without effecting any thing
worth relating. War now raged between them,—and each fortified their
towns as strongly as they could.
The Liegeois sent ambassadors to the pope, to lay before him the conduct
of John of Bavaria, and his refusal to take orders according to his
promise, requesting that he might be ejected by the apostolical
authority, and that the son of the lord de Pieruels, whom they had
elected, might be admitted in his room.
The pope could not accede to their request, because he had been
faithfully informed that the Liegeois, after mature deliberation, had
fixed on a day for John of Bavaria to take orders, and that this day was
not as yet passed.
The ambassadors, therefore, returned to Liege, without having done any
thing. Those who had sent them were very indignant at pope Gregory for
not complying with their demands, and resolved to send another embassy
to his rival pope Benedict. This pope received them most graciously,
granted all their demands, and gave them his bulls for the confirmation
of them. They returned home greatly rejoiced at the successful issue of
their negotiation.
CHAP. XXXII.
ANTHONY DUKE OF LIMBOURG TAKES POSSESSION OF THAT DUCHY, AND
AFTERWARD OF THE TOWN OF MAESTRICHT, TO THE GREAT
DISPLEASURE OF THE LIEGEOIS.
Anthony duke of Limbourg, brother to John duke of Burgundy, after the
death of the duchess of Brabant, succeeded to that duchy, and to its
dependancies. All the Brabanters, clergy and nobles, did him homage,
promising him obedience as their lawful lord, except the town of
Maestricht. When he had taken possession of this duchy, he surrendered,
with the consent of the duke of Burgundy, the county of Rethel to his
younger brother, Philip count de Nevers, thus accomplishing the last
orders of his father and mother.
As the town of Maestricht was divided between the governments of Brabant
and Liege, one half belonging to each, the inhabitants said they were
bound only to do homage to one of them, and to him who first had
possession; and that, having formerly given their oaths to John of
Bavaria, they refused to pay homage to the duke of Brabant.
The duke was ill pleased with their refusal, and resolved, with the
advice of his council, to constrain them to it by force. He sought for
men at arms every where; and there came to him his brother, the count de
Nevers, the counts de St Pol and de Namur, the lords de St George and de
Croy, on the part of the duke of Burgundy,—with several others in
considerable number, sent to him by the king of France and the duke of
Berry.
When his forces were all assembled from different countries, he quitted
Brabant, attended by his nobles, and a large train of waggons carrying
the implements of war, taking the direct road to the town of Maestricht.
But on passing through, or near the territories of Liege, he found they
had collected a large army, which much impeded him in his march by
breaking down the bridges, and destroying the roads, in retaliation for
the affection the duke of Brabant had shewn to John of Bavaria their
adversary.
The Liegeois had assembled in the town of Maestricht full twenty
thousand armed men, with the new bishop at their head, being desirous
that he should be received by the duke as their legal bishop and lord.
This great assembly, however, separated without effusion of blood: for
the duke of Brabant had entered into secret negotiations with the
townsmen, who consented to receive him as their lord, and to swear to
him faith and loyalty.
When this was done, the duke returned and disbanded his forces. The
Liegeois, on hearing of it, instantly required those of Maestricht, that
since they had sworn obedience to the duke of Brabant, they would do the
same to their new bishop, who was their true lord. This demand was
refused; and they sent for answer, that having done homage to John of
Bavaria, and acknowledged him for their lord, they would not take
another oath.
The Liegeois were very indignant at this answer, as were the governor of
the town and bishop, and made preparations to wage war against them, and
besiege their town, as shall hereafter be more fully described.
CHAP. XXXIII.
AMBASSADORS FROM POPE GREGORY ARRIVE AT PARIS, WITH BULLS
FROM THE POPE TO THE KING AND UNIVERSITY OF PARIS.
Ambassadors arrived at Paris bringing bulls from pope Gregory[105] to
the king and the university, expressing that the pope was very ready and
willing to make any concessions the king and university should think
expedient for the union of the church, provided his rival Benedict would
agree to similar terms. The ambassadors and their bulls were received
with much joy,—and the contents of the latter were as follows:
‘Gregory, a bishop, and servant to the servants of God, sends health and
his apostolical benediction to his children of the university. We are
the more prepared to write to you, my beloved children, because of the
sorrowful concern which you have manifested on account of the schism in
the church, which, through the mercy of the all-powerful God, has much
affected you.
‘Innocent VII. our immediate predecessor, of enviable remembrance to
this age, was taken from us on a Saturday, the 6th of November. Our
venerable brethren the cardinals of the holy roman church, of whom I was
one, being by the grace of the Holy Spirit, summoned to a conclave, to
elect a roman pontiff,—after many things had been discussed, all eyes
were directed to me, a cardinal priest of the title of St Mark; and with
unanimous consent, they elected me bishop of Rome, which honour we
greatly feared, from a sense of weakness: however, we trusted in Him who
does marvellous works, that he would enable us to bear this burden,—and
we trusted not in ourself, but in the virtue of God, by whom we were
convinced the thing had been done.
‘This pastoral office has not fallen to us for our profit, but for the
glory of God and the public benefit,—to both of which we turn our
thoughts and courage, in order that this poisonous schism, in which the
Christian people have been so long bewildered may be destroyed. If, as
we hope, so great a grace may be shewn to us to bring this about, we
trust it may be shortly accomplished.
‘In order, therefore, to obviate, as much as in us lies, all obstruction
on our part to the much-desired union of the church, we offer to resign
our claim to the papacy, provided our adversary, or his successor,
whoever he be, shall engage solemnly to make a similar renunciation;
that is to say, that he renounce, fully and clearly, all claim to the
papacy, and that all those whom he may have created cardinals do unite
with those of our college, so that a canonical election of a roman
pontiff may ensue.
‘We offer, beside, any other reasonable concessions, so that this schism
may be put an end to; and that what we say may be depended on, we have
sworn and promised the above at the time of our election to the popedom,
in conjunction with our venerable brethren the cardinals of the same
church.
‘In case that either of us be re-chosen pope, we have engaged instantly
to send properly instructed commissioners to Constance, who shall both
privately and publicly labour to bring about this desired union of the
church.
‘Do you, therefore, my beloved children, have the goodness to exert all
your strength to aid us in the accomplishment of this business, that the
church may not longer labour under this disorder; and let affection aid
solicitude.—Given at St Peter’s, at Rome, the 11th day of December, in
the year 1406.’
When the ambassadors had fully remonstrated on the matter of their
coming, and made the same offers contained in the bull of the
renunciation of the popedom by Gregory, and had been well entertained at
Paris, having received promises of messengers being sent to pope
Benedict, they returned to their lord and master.