^c. •^^- ,# .V^ ^*^ .^^' c'i<<. ^^•' -'*^ -„ .^' v\^^' ■■^>. ^^/- V* x^^ ''^- ■'-c- \> » A V" - -V v.' ^<- .^■^' .-N^ .-^ -^J- % f .\^'' ''^. •f^yi. C* .^^ %, -c:.^^^ .s\ V -/>, oV ^N^"^ -^^.- o ^^^ ■^^.. C^^ aV^ '^J' *-, •^^. .^^^' '* >^*' >-.'?-■ ./• \N y ■/>. •?.. o ,C^^ ■'■>■-, ^c ,\^ >■ ^^. *>. A^ ^<-'i' nO°<. ,-y' ^^. v^" -<• /X' 'oo^ \ %/ ^% >0o o>' A^^' '^r.. ,^ '''K '<^ .^^' % .^-^ ^^^ ■e^. >;-^' ^«,- "^.^ -^^ .>■ s^'^ ,^ -'V ay o. ^0 H > X'*''^ ■' » ' * •^^ s " « , ■''■ >:^'^ .^" .^^ ^. ■^^ A"! ^ .»■• i ^ ^ AV' v o5-' ,^.N^^ i^^' ■ \ %.^- %<^' X'"^^^' ^>, <0 c. o 0^ .j-i*^ "^^ v^^ V' ^^ - n N c „ - x^ >• ^A ^.■^^ «. -^A ^"'^ A^"^ "^^^ V » ^ '• " , -- HI'" ,■-. ^^- .^\^' ,*^ ^^ ..■^ .^ 'C^ V i;^" ^0m^^ cS-' A'' * CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, EKANCE. SPAIN. AND Y7 ^ THE ADJOINING COUNTRIES, FROM THE LATTER PART OF THE REIGN OF EDWARD 11. TO THE CORONATION OF HENRY IV. BY SIR JOHN FROISSART. TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH, WITH VARIATIONS AND ADDITIONS, FROM MANY CELEBRATED MSS. BY THOMAS JOHNES, ESU. TO WHICH ARE PREFIXED A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR, AN ESSAY ON HIS WORKS, AND A CRITICISM ON HIS HISTORY. WITH AN ORIGINAL INTRODUCTORY ESSAY ON THE CHARACTER AND SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE AGES, BY REV. JOHN LORD. *■ { NEW YORK: ■ I J. WINCHESTER. NEW WORLD PRESS,, % XXX ANN STREET. ^ ■> W^-' ■'t i AN ORIGINAL INTRODUCTORY ESSAY ON THE CHAEACTEK AND SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE AGES. BY REV. JOHN LORD. *' Did vou ever rend Froissart V said Claverhouse. " No 1" was Morton's answer. "I have half a mind," returned Claverhouse, " to contrive you should have si.t months imprisonment, in order to procure you that pleasure. His chapters inspire me with more enthusiasm than even poetry itself. And the noble Canon, with what true chivalrous feeling he confines his beautiful expressions of sorrow for tlte deatli of the gallant and high-bred knight, ol' whom it was a pity to see the fall, such was his loyalty to his king, pure faith to his reUgion, hardihood toward tiis enemy, and fidelity to his lady love 1" Old Mort.\lity. One of the last things to be expected in an essay like this, is a panegyric of those Chronicles which have stood the test of nearly five centuries, and, from the time they first appeared, have been the admiration of genius in every country of Europe. Who can add to the praises of St. Palaye, of Montaigne, of Gray, and sir Walter Scott ! Froissart — " the Herodotus of a barbarous age, with his sim. pie curiosity and religious credulity," has been the delight, for ages, of all who love to read "Of bold men's bloody combatings and gentle ladies' tears." He has presented a living picture of Europe in its boisterous spring-time, with all its tumultuous pleasures, its chivalric glories, and its magnificent superstitions. He has given us a type both of the splendor and the decline of the heroic world. He has transmitted to posterity brilliant examples of dauntless heroism, and perfect models of reproachless chivalry. With the sympathy and spirit of an eye-witness, and with the frankness of an old priest, anxious to entertain his noble patron with as good a story as was consistent with truth, he has detailed the most eventfiil exploits of our ances. tors, in one of the most interesting periods of English history, and one of the most exciting epochs in the progress of civilization. He has described, with a most charming simplicity, even with dramatic power, all that can excite curiosity in the usages of feudal warfare, in the lives and ibrtunes of nobles, in the squabbles of priests, and in the amusements of that class with whom he associated. It is trae, that his Chronicles chiefly pertain to battles and sieges, to marches and warriors, to tournaments and tills, to loves and wassailings ; but his age was warlike, and none for whom he wrote had an ear for anything but the martial and the romantic. He describes the spirit «/ his age, with fidelity and minuteness, without stopping to make philosophical generalizations, and ingenious theories on the progress of civilization. He did not pretend to be an historian in the modern sense, and he did not profess to reason concerning the interests of society with the spirit of a philosopher. He was a chronicler — a story-teller — a delineator of men and manners as he saw them — as he knew them. And it is his candor, his talent of observation, and his liveliness in detail, which give value to the book on which he spent his life. " It is history," says Montaigne, " naked and un- adorned; every one may profit from it according to the depths of his understanding." ^ Nor are the subjects which he narrates with so much spirit, with- out interest. " The age of chivalry indeed is gone." We have piled away its helmets and its spears : and its blazonry is invested with a more poetic charm. Still we love the past — we love the heroic in man's history. We hate to divest it even of its fictions. Sir Walter Scott proved how deep the sympathy exists for the chiv- alric glories. The independent spirit of chivalry, bent on the accom- plishment of lofty ends, without calculation of chances, or fear of failure, so generous in action, so munificent in courtesy, so frank in friendship, and so gallant in danger, ever must have rare attraction to the enthusiastic and the aspiring. There is something peculiarly delightful and exciting in those stories which represent the hero of the middle ages, loyal and brave, superbly mounted, cased in oUtter- ing steel, surrounded by his men-at-arms, and is.suing forth from his lordly castle, in quest of adventures, or on an errand of love. Who does not love to read of the fair and haughty dames encouraging their champions al the tilt, and rewarding their valor with sacred banners and embroidered scarfs, worked with their own hands ? Who does not dwell with delight on the gorgeous description of the tournament, where the place inclosed for combat " is surrounded with sovereigns and bishops and barons, and all that rank and beauty had ennobled among the fair ; when the combatants, covered with shining armor, and only known by a device or emblazoned shield, issued forth, not without danger, to win the prize of valor, bestowed by the queen of beauty, amid the animating music of minstrels, and the shouts of the assembled multitude ?" The Chronicles of Froissart are not only a faithful mirror of his age, which is all we want in chronicles, but the age itself is one of the most interesting in the history of Europe. It was an epoch. Society was passing through a new transformation. It was the j spring-time of European society, when the principles, which now agitate it, were then in the process of development, and when the institutions, which now are our pride and glory, were springing up amid chills and storms. A brilliant morning had dawned upon Europe, and the noxious vapors of a long night of one thousand years were vanishing away before the rising sun of modern civilization. In the fourteenth centurj', commenced the strife of new principles, the clash of new interests, and the rise of new powers. We behold a period of experiments, of combinations, and of reform. We see the conflict of factions, and orders, and interests, and new and grand developments of character and passion. We contemplate the con. fliet of faith with reason, of aristocracy with democracy, of monarchy with republicanism, and of papacy with dis.sent. In the whirl of contending principles and interests, we see the bursting forth of new and unknown energies. Commerce, manufactures, and agriculture received a new impulse. The fine arts attained the perfection of the antique models. Poetry became again inspired, and science sought for elementary principles. There was no monument of ancient genius which was not rivalled. There was no subject which philos. ophy did not investigate. There was no climate which adventurous curiosity did not explore. There was an unprecedented brilliancy of intellectual effort, and an unknown energy of moral purpose. Everywhere there was a vast expenditure of physical, intellectual and moral energies. To this era we trace the admission of commons into legislatures, the disfranchisement of slaves, and the freedom of cities. This was the period of popular insurrections, and of general fermentation. In this period Roman jurisprudence was revived, universities were established, the modern languages created, the Bible was translated, printing, gunpowder and the mariner's com- pass were invented, and religious and civil liberty dawned. Since the introduction of Chiistianity, there have been, strictly speaking, but two great epochs in European society. The one was that just referred to, the other that which succeeded the dissolution of the Roman Empire. When the vices of self-interest had eaten out the vitals of the state ; when there was left no longer a material on which either Christianity or literature could work, and both were equally corrupted ; when luxury, egotism, sensuality and unreasona. ble pride characterized the privileged classes ; while poverty, mean, ness and e.vcessive degradation were the misfortunes of the mil. lions ; when all the wealth of the empire was concentrated among a few enervated aristocrats, and there was no longer a central power to preserve order or law in the provinces, or even to keep the emperors on their throne ; when, in short, there was a dissohi. tion of all the bonds of society, then God sent violence on the earth. The barbarians advanced from their forests, to conquer, to deso. late, and to reconstruct. In the fifth and sixth centuries was that mixture of races and languages and institutions, when all the elements of the Roman and Barbaric world were mingled together that forms the first great epoch of European society. And this era was disastrous in the extreme. Society was depressed to a greater degree than at any other time in the hi? tory of Europe. There was incessant anarchy. The strong preyed upon the weak, and the law of brute force was terribly triumphant. Christianity was only " a dim taper which had need of snuffing." Moral power was weak. ORIGINAL INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. Treachery, rapine, last and murder were the characteristic vices of the times. Europe seemed destined to worse evils than tliose which disgraced the Roman world. But these evils passed away. Crea. tioii succeeded destruction. From the disordered elements of human strife, and the restless hcavings of human passion, there was heard, at last, a "melodious birth-song,'' and in praise o{ Him who overrules disastrous changes for the ultimate good of man. But the great evils and commotions incident to such a revolution did not pass away until Charlemagne, after a long reign of fiftyyears, had ful tilled his mission ; until he had stopped Barbarian invasion, liad centralized power, and had given to ecclesiastics authority, as a counterpoise to the power of nobles. From his death, may be dated what historians have been pleased to call the " dark ages," the period of repose between two e.xciting epochs. Society settled down under the control of two great princi- ples, the aristocratic and the autocratic, the government of nobles, and of priests. Then feudalism and the papacy were ripened into universal coercive systems. Under the operation of these systems, society seemed both slug- gish and torpid. During the 500 years in which they flourished, there is but little to interest the superficial or unreflecting mind. There were no great political events, no great military enterprises, except the Crusades, no brilliant discoveries, no great attainments, no striking advances in civilization. Society seemed to move round in a continual circle, as incapable of progression as it was of rest. Barons and priests shared between them the government and the wealth of Europe. Neither of the systems, which form the chief object of our interest In the history of Christendom for 500 years, are to be praised or admired, except so far as they were adapted to the times. In view of the times, however, theybotli answered useful ends, and are never to be spoken of with unmitigated contempt or censure. The feudal system prevented the people from roving robbers, and from tlie aggressions of powerful chieftains, except those who were licensed to oppress them. Oppression ever has been the fate of the poor man. It was less, however, under baronial rule than before feudalism was established. The serf was indeed compelled to labor like a slave. He was crushed beneath the iron weight of a martial aristocracy. His tears were often unheeded, and his sorrows re- ceived no sympathy. Feudalism begat in the breast of the haughty and isolated baron, the pride of birth, and the feeUng of personal con- sequence. It developed all the selfishness of an uncultivated nature, and prevented the appreciation of the miseries of dependents ; and it destroyed elevation of sentiment among the people themselves, led to mean servility, to poverty and dependetice ; and, for these rea- sons, the system was detestable, and the remembrance of it painful to the peasantry of Europe. But it had a bright side, if we consider the limes in which it flourished, and that state of utter disorganiza- tion and wretchedness, from which it rescued society in the seventh century. It developed the character of woman, and led to the appreciation of her virtues. The Germanic nations had ever held woman in veneration. In their ancient forests they looked upon her as a superior being. But this natural veneration, which neither Greek nor Roman shared, even in the most brilliant periods of an- cient civilization, even when Christianity had developed the heroism of the female martyr, was ripened into idolatry under the influence of feudalism. Woman, shut up in a castle with her lord, made her influence felt. The baron perceived her virtues, and honored them. He made her his equal companion. He made her the object of his devotion. In the feudal castle of the dark ages, woman's worth was first perceived, and first acknowledged; and the appreciation of this worth led to enthusiasm. Chivalry received its attractive form. " The love of God and the ladies, was enjoined as a simple duty, and he who was faithful to his mistress, was sure of salvation in the theology of castles, if not of cloisters." Women were present in tournaments, and in feasts, and in all amusements. A lady did not disdain to have a falcon on her wrist, and a grayhound following her. For her, the wandering minstrel sang the strains of heroism and love. Under her protection, sentimental poetry was cultivated. Not only were knights proud to utter her praises in the songs of Provence, but grave scholars forgot their studies in the composition of lyrics, whose pensiveness and devotion would have surprised and amused the amatory poets of antiquity. " You composed," said Eloise to Abelard, who had learned on the banks of the Seine the amorous dialect of 'I'houlouse, " many verses, so sweet both in their language and melody, that your name was incessantly in the mouths of all." Feudalism not only led to the appreciation of woman's worth, and ripened respect for her into devotion and gallantry, but it devel- oped, in the minds of the people, the sentiment of loyalty, attach- ment to country, attachment to friends, attachment to truth. This loyalty, applied to everything, was an antidote in the midst of pris- ons ; in the minds of serfs ; in the minds of barons. Treachery and hypocrisy became detestable. Courtesy, magnanimity, courage, hos- pitahty, became the virtues of the age. Great deeds were done in obedience to this principle, by the fraternity of knights. The baren forsook Ids castle, and the peasant his hut, to maintain the honor of a family, or to preserve the sacredness of a vow. It was this senti- ment of loyalty, which made the poor serf patient in his toils, and serene in his sorrows. It enabled his master to brave all physical evils, and enjoy a sort of spiritual romance. It bound the peasant to his master, and his master to his king. It was the principle needed to counteract the miseries of an infant state of civilization. So of the other institution which exercised so powerful an influ- ence in the middle ages : it is to be respected amid all its evills. No Protestant can love that system of ecclesiastical encroachment and fraud which the papacy encouraged, and no one would wish to see it restored ; nor should its corruptions be excused, or denied. Still, the papacy fulfilled a noble mission in a turbulent and ignorant age. It was a paternal authority, congenial to the minds and cir- cumstances of the Gothic races. They beheld, in the pope, their spiritual father, the vicegerent of the Invisible King, who held in his hands the keys of heaven and hell. When no earthly influ- ence could restrain the lawless passions of the violent nobility, they were curbed by the power of a ghostly superstition. They could not see their children refused the rights of baptism : they could not behold their relatives refused admission into heaven : they could not stand before the terrors of that awful anathema which consigned them to the wrath of God. Priestly power is bad enough, especially when abused ; but it is better than none. I question whether any other power than that which the Christian clergy exercised in the middle ages, though based on supersitious fear, could have restrained the outbreak of fiery and destructive passions in the breasts of the impetuous barons. Moreover, the papacy was a great central power, needed to control the princes of Europe, and settle the diffi- culties wliich arose between them. The popes, whatever may have been their personal character, were conservators of peace. They preserved unity amid anarchy, and restrained the impulses of pas- sionate kings. Again, the papacy, in its best ages, is thought by many profound historians to have been democratic in its sympathies. It guarded the interests of the people : it preserved them from the violence of their oppressors : it furnished a retreat, in monasteries, for the contemplative, the suffering, the afflicted, and the poor. The monks and nuns were taught by their quiet and industrious life, that -" There exists Aji higher tiian the warrior's excellence ; Tlmt vast and sudden deeds of violence. i Adventures wild, and wonders of tlie moment. ^* These are not tijey whicli generate The calm and i/lissful and otduring miglity." From their " beehives of industry," probably disgraced by the vices of concubinage and the follies of asceticism, they only issued to relieve the helpless, to succor the distressed, to teach the ignorant, and to ad- minister celestial consolation. It is in this view that the civil and religious structure of society in the dark ages should be viewed — as full of defects, if it were applied to modern life, when the blessings it formerly bestowed now proceed from other sources : but, after all, as admirably adapted to the times, and as indicating that superintending power which only gradually renovates the condition of society. And, so long as this structure was adapted to the times, it is both uncharitable and nnphilosophical to condemn it, certainly with wholesale abuse. It is also in view of the evils attending the new structure which the barbarians, unenlightened by science, and uninstructed by the experience of past generations, erected upon the bleeding surface of the earth, so long disgraced with every crime, and marked by every calamity, that so many have denounced the middle ages as a period of such unmitigated darkness and gloom. The times were dark and gloomy enough, every one knows. No one, in this age, but a vision- ary rhapsodist of the olden time, would deny the despotism of an iron age, and the countless miseries of a second infancy of society. Who would cover up the cruelties of the feudal system, or excuse the impostures of papal Rome? But in a formative state of society we expect disasters. The objects of nature, moral as well as phys- ical, arc ever slow in arriving at maturity. Barbarians could not be civilized in a day, especially under the guidance of a corrupted Christianity. It is something if we discern in them the elements of a noble people. Time and the Gospel would develop their wasted anergics. They were inexperienced, and could not be e.\pected to erect upon the ruins of the old world a faultless structure. They were not to be absolved from the penalty of violating natural laws. ■ They were ignorant, and hence could not but be exposed to the arts of designing priests. They were rude, and hence must endure poverty. They were obliged to develop from themselves the sleeping germs of a new civilization. They were doomed to many sufTerings, and disgraced by many crimes in the days of their pilgrimage ; but they were guided by the light of faith, and the impulses of generous youth. When, at last, they reached the promised land of liberty and light, they found many treasures which had escaped the wreck of the old classic world. And, then, of these well-preserved, but long-des- pisud ruins, they erected a far nobler temple than pagan antiquity had seen, which, dedicated to the God of Love, still remains a proud monument of their native genius, and a glorious emblem of their Christian faith. Christianity, in that dark age, while it shed a darkened light, while it introduced into Europe "the gloomy monk,'' " the military prophet," " the priestly despot," " the superstitious devotee," still preserved the beautiful flowers of humanity to more fortunate times. In the moral ORIGINAL INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. power of learning and sanctity we are tempted to exclaim, with Digby, these surely " were ages of highest grace to man." Again, the Germanic nations, with the profoundest respect for reli- gious institutions, and for the ministers of even a corrupted Chris, tianity, had also other most interesting qualities which should never be overlooked, even in their barbarism and superstition. They had a lofty sense of personal independence. They cherished the virtues of disinterestedness and fidelity. They loved social pleasures, the exercise of generous courtesies, and the e.\hibition of manly and heroic energies. They never desponded in adversity. They grew stronger after defeat and disaster. They were ever greater than their circumstances. There was an undying energy in their souls. Nor were they entirely deficient in intellectual force, as some histo- rians, who did not sympathize with their physical and intellectual toils, would lead us to suppose. True, they made no valuable addi- tions to physical science. Utility was unto them the perfection of wisdom. But did not the earlier schoolmen speculate on the highest truths of philosophy, and teach the most elevated lessons of moral wisdom, while the Norman and Provencal poets excited, by their romantic and allegorical songs, the enthusiasm of a passionate people ? It was in the " dark ages," that twenty-five thousand stu- dents flocked to Oxford, and thirty thousand to Paris, to learn theol- ogy, and jurisprudence, and medicine. It was in these slandered ages that we perceive the " living, precious germ of thought," the most wonderful intellectual activity since the age of Pericles. The eight- een folio volumes of Thomas Aquinas were filled with much else besides mere barbarous wranglings. " The schoolmen,'' says Schle. gel, " displayed not only the most subtle reasonings of the human mind, but the most refined tenderness of the enamored heart." Even Guizot admits " that they had merits as brilliant as they were varied, devoid of affectation and free from pedantry." And they were ele- vated in their solitary toil by the contemplation of boundless truth. Life, to them, was not in palaces and gardens, in velvets and wines, in chariots and liorscs. They made wisdom to consist in the tri- umph of the spiritual over the animal, and prized life for its simple pleasures, and devout contemplation. They may not have attained these exalted ends, but their respect for the spiritual in man was pro- found. In the chaos of a turbulent age, their minds acquired force and fire : they shone as morning stars in the intellectual and moral firmament of Europe. But, after all, the middle ages can never be adduced to show a high state of humanity. It was a period in which great energies were preparing. It was a state favorable to grand developments, and to the birth of new ideas. It was not a period of revolution or excitement, but of repose. Everything was settled. There was no breaking the iron fetters which feudalism had forged. There was no resisting the spiritual despotism which the clergy exercised. The thraldom of opinions was too strong to be assailed. Those who were impatient and inquiring were persecuted. The church was opposed to reformation of any sort, and was particularly hostile to free inquiry. But the age is instructing to contemplate, as a preparation for a great and new order of things, and for the gradual development of Christian ideas. It is only these ideas which can give grandeur to any history. Since these ideas are seen in all the struggles of our fathers in their long pilgiimage, let us be impressed with the morals which they teach. It may be sad to see so much human suffering, so many misdirected energies, such incessant blunders and follies. But then we are cheered with the view of the suftcring poor man, gradually breaking his fetters, becoming civilized by art, en. riched by industry, and powerful by association. We see him at length learning his duties from the Bible, and his politics from advancing civilization. His mind was soon to receive light from Heaven, and his soul to catch fire from the new impulses in action around him. y It is this awakening mercy in the prospects of the poor man, which constitutes the second grand epoch in European history. This is the epoch in which Froissart lived, and which he described, with so much beauty and so much fascination. As the high-born old canonist did not much concern himself with such vulgar aftairs as commerce, and the revival of the .spirit of liberty, and the progress of manufac- tures, or even the studies of old meditative monks ; and as all these things are worthy of our attention in the lustory of the times, and indeed according to modern historians, the 7itost icorthj, because they are based on great spiritual ideas, I proceed to offer a few remarks on the spirit of activity, which in various ways, was developed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. A glance at the main points of interest, in this exciting era, especially after allusion to the sluggish and sleepy times which preceded it, may prepare the reader for the greater enjoyment of the inimitable Chronicler, whose writings are fortunately placed so easily within his reach. It must be remembered the Crusades were ended. Five millions of men had been bnried in the plains of Asia. No immediate tro- phies consoled Europe for the loss. These religious wars had proved an unmitigated calamity. The object of the brave warriors was not attained, although at one time, the bloody victors, amid the loud an- thems of the clergy, had ascended the hill of Calvary, and bedewed with their tears the monument of their redemption. Never before, was such a waste of treasure and blood. For two centuries, Europe had precipitated itself into Asia, and had gained nothing but a few cities which were afterwards lost. Nor can these martial expeditions be justified on any principles, either of Christianity or enlightened rea- son. Their principle was a savage fanaticism and a deadly hate of Mohammedanism, because chiefly it did not encourage, and perhaps persecuted the pilgrims. Yet the power by which they were sus- tained, was grand, because it was spiritual. None but the Italian merchants ever dreamed of gain ; those adventurers sought at the holy sepulchre, no religious consolations, but only the treasures con- nected with it. But the gallant, brave, old knights, though collected from every country of -Europe, were bound together by a spiritual idea. It was to rescue the sepulchre from pollution ; it was to get a sight of the holy places connected with the sufferings of the Saviour, not to get treasures and kingdoms, which sustained, for two centu- ries, the most disastrous wars recorded in history. The enthusiastic and chivalrous heroes of the middle ages were animated by loftier desires than avarice or ambition, or even glory can excite. They showed that material interests can never be so strong as spiritual cravings, even though they may be fanatical. This is not the place to paint the history of the Crusades. But was there no good to result from them ? Were such enthusiasm and he. roism to be wasted, without accomplishing anything ? Was the flower of European chivalry, led on by such princes as Godfrey and Hugh the great, and Raymond, and the valiant Bohemond, and the heroic Tancred ; and, afterwards, by Richard Coeur de Lion, and Philip of France, and Frederic of Germany, the great Barbarossa — were all the vast forces which the great monarchs of Europe com- manded in person, and inspired with all the enthusiasm which reli- gion and chivalry and patriotism could e.xcite — were these to be buried with the broken columns of Asia Minor for nothing ? No. Providence is prodigal of courage, of virtues, of sacrifices, of men, in order to secure important ultimate good. From the graves of the Crusades there arose a spirit which gave the first great impidse to civilization. They gave the first shock to the political importance of the feudal aristocracy. The estates of the nobles were wasted in these wars, but the gainers were, first, the monarchs who gathered around their thrones despotic power ; and, secondly, the people who secured their farms and their shops. The cities increased in popu- lation, in consequence of the impulse which arts and manufactures and commerce received, and then the people in the cities aspired to political independence. By clubbing together, they discovered they could cope successfully with any feudal force which could be aiTayed against them. They formed political combinations as a counter- poise to the power of the barons. Europe passed from feudal vassal- age to the dominion of centralized power, whether collected around the thrones of princes, or emanating from republics and free cities. The Crusades encouraged commercial enterprise. The warriors needed ships, and the Italian merchants lent them and sold them. Every returning vessel from Asia brought the luxuries of the East. The silks and spices of India were thus exchanged, at the great Eu- ropean markets, for iron and flax and wool and skins. Thus an active intercourse was soon established between the north and south of Europe. Intercourse brought wealth. It brought more than wealth, liberality of mind, intelligence, refinement of man- ners, courteous habits, generosity and faith. It is this liberality and enlargement of mind, which is the greatest moral effect of 4he Cru- sades, although, in many cases, it was indirect. It was the insnla- tion of nations in the middle ages, which was a great cause of bar- barism. But, by the Crusades, nations became intermingled, and learned each other's customs and laws. Not only were the minds of the Crusaders divested of many prejudices against each other, but also against the .Saracens. Saladin was discovered to be as cour- teous and brave as Richard. The habits of the Musselmen were found to be more courteous and generous and refined, than even those of their invaders ; and the Eastern warriors no longer appeared as monsters, but as elegant strangers, with a love of science and song, a taste for architecture, and an appreciation of the beautiful. The luxury of their tents, the richness of their dresses, the polish of their manners, the vivacity of their wit, and the munificence of their coun. try struck the rude barbarians, nt least, with surprise. They could not detest them as cordially as before. They saw much to admire. .A.nd then they ceased to exterminate them. The Crusades could not be sustained so soon as the European learned liberality of mind. Fanaticism had no element to feed on, and died. When the Crusa. ders returned, the storming of castles seemed a small affair. They longed for great conquests. As they could not subdue the Moham. medans, they resolved to subdue each other. Hence those wars be. tween England and France which Froissart chronicled. When Froissart appeared, then the Crusades had ended, but mili- tary enthusiasm was not extinct. Chivalry, as an institution, was at its height. A spirit of enterprise and restless excitement pervaded the European mind. The rust of barbarism was worn off, but a true civilization was not established. The Hermit's voice had not been heard in vain. He had inspired Europe with the passion he had felt Those passions, being fanatical, had led their victims into the fire. But, from the fire, there issued a voice proclaiming liberty to the poor man. Evil was succeeded by good. The " world-Phoen;x" immolated herself in flame, that she might sing the clearer and soar the higher. ORIGINAL INTRODUCTORY ESSAY Having now alluded to tliohc events which prepared the age for tlie great convulsion and agitation which Froissart witnessed and described, 1 proceed to offer a few observations on those agitations. What were they ? They were the conflict of spiritual agencies — of great principles, in government, and in religion, and in social life. What were these principles ? One of the most important was the principle of association. This taught the people their strength. They always had the power, but not the wisdom to combine it. Until after the Crusades, they had never dreamed how strong they were when united for the attainment of noble ends. Hence, formerly, they were oppressed and crushed and mocked — in Greece, in Rome, in Europe, under the feudal system. But, by combinations, they could resist a feudal army, they could equip a merchant fleet, they could establish a foreign factory. This idea of association became the soul of commerce and of manufac- tures. It even led to political liberty. It extorted from monarchs those charters which secured the farm of the peasant and the shop of tlio artificer. It restored a substance and a life to the people in all of their relations and transactions with superiors. This idea is at the basis of popular representation. Nothing could resist it. It contained a great source of power and popular improvement. The people, having learned the secret of strength, never for a moment forgot it, even though sometimes repelled by a superior force. Under Wat Tyler, they marched in a body to London, and, had they pos- sessed a little more experience, would have extorted from the trem- bling monarch as great a charter of privileges as the barons obtained from John. It is singular to sec how this idea has become more and more important, with the progress of society. Nothing now is at. tempted, of any magnitude in a free country, without a combination. It is seen in all the ramifications of business, in all the mazes of politics, and in all the movements of philanthropy. The mill, the rail-road, the insurance office, and the missionary station, prove its present and increasing agency. It breaks the chains of despotism, rebukes injustice, gives teachers to the people, and missionaries to the heathen. It gives strength to the people, so long crushed and mocked by their superiors, even as the hair of Samson enabled him to pull down, upon the heads of his exulting enemies, the ancient temple of the Philistines. While, in the age of Froissart, the principle of association was building free cities, and encouraging commerce, and reviving arts, apd breaking fetters, and securing wealth and political importance to the people, the idea that men had a right to think for themselves was agitated. It had not, indeed, become established, nor was po- litical liberty established ; but the idea was born which was after- wards to secure it. The old scholastics had emancipated human reason from the trammels of priestly authority. They did not seek so much to change religious opinions, as to secure the light of free inquiry ; and this was the great point of dispute between the church and men of letters. As early as the first Crusade, the scholars of Abelard had requested him to give them " some philosophical argu- ments — such as- were fit to .satisfy their minds." "They begged," says G\iizot, " that he would instruct them not only to repeat what he taught them, but to understand the same. Especially, said they, is it necessary that we should strengthen one another with all the pov/ers of reason, so that in questions so difficult and complicated as compose the substaticc of the Christian faith, we may be able to hin. der the subtiUies of its enemies from too easily corrupting its purity.'' Thus, the scholastic philosophy endeavored to satisfy human reason, and to triumph over an imperious authority. Its whole tendency, tlierefore, was to lead to intellectual independence, and thus the old Doctors were the true precursors of the reformation in religion and philosophy. By the temerity of their speculations, they taught the human mind to think boldly, and raised an inquisitive spirit which it was impossible to repress. It is this inquisitive spirit which is the greatest glory of the age of Froissart. Not only did it seek to explore unknown seas, and discover new kingdoms, but incited students to pursue every department of literature and science. It was this which revived law, and medicine, and experimental philosophy. It sent scholars over every country of Europe to ransack libraries, and col. lect manuscripts, and study Greek. The whole lives of Italian scho- lars were spent in collecting and collating manuscripts, and the re- covery of one was regarded almost as important as the discovery of a kingdom. Emanuel Chryolorus revealed to the enthusiastic crowds who flocked to his lecturo-room in Florence, the richness and copious- ness of the Greek language, as gloriously as Abelard taught his dis- ciples in the wilderness of Paraclete, the depths of scholastic lore, when he was driven from Paris for his heresy and his crime. And even the early poetry of the moderns breathed the very spirit of free inquiry. The divine comedy of Dante is thought by some of the most distinguished critics to be merely allegorical of hatred to papal usurpation and love for intellectual freedom. Petrarch was as gre»t an enthusiast in liberty as in love, and his alliance and sympathy with Rienzi are well known. During the time the Popes had retired to Avignon — their Babylonian captivity — the main pillars of their throne were assaulted with weapons which no power could ever resist, by the invisible power of ideas and truth. Men dared to spe. culatc on their assumed right to impose their dogmas. The church, in this age, was still strong enough to put down open rebellion, but it could not extinguish the spreading fires of intellectual independ- ence. It was the strile for this right, not the possession of it, which was a grand feature of the times. It was the idea that the church had no right to shackle the human soul in his lofty inquiries, which was the spiritual cause of some of the mightiest movements, if not of the fourteenth century, at least of the succeeding ones. It was like the mighty fire which was smouldering in the bosom of volca- noes. Thefire was there, although repressed. Had this not existed, the volcano would not have burst forth, and its flames ascended to Heaven. It was, however, not until the time of Luther, that the European mind was awakened to the noble idea that men have a right to think for themselves. The right of private judgment is the bequest of the Reformation, and to all coming time. That right may be disputed by some romantic lovers of the dark ages, and of papal superstition, but it can never be put down. It is an idea, not only congenial to the wants of an improving age, but the very genius of the German race. It is astonishing what a stride Europe made in civilization so soon as the idea was agitated of the right of free inquiry, or rather as soon as it was established, which was not until the Reformation. Then new ideas, equally important, flashed upon the popular mind. The people, feeling that they had a right to thmk for themselves, soon felt that they had a right to rule themselves. This idea was at the basis of Puritan movements in England. The idea has never yet been realized as perfectly as the friends of freedom have desired. But it has prompted to the noblest struggles ever made by man. It has inspired the people with loftiness of ambition, and with the hope of a glorious destiny. Nor can it ever be relinquished, especially in a country like this, so long as Saxon blood flows in our veins ; so long as such heroes as Cromwell and Washington are remembered, and so long as the spiritual in man shall be more honored than the clay. It would be uncalled for in an essay like this, to show how the spirit of inquiry, in the exciting age of Froissart was directed to ev- erything which can interest the human mind, or how this spirit, dis- couraged and opposed in his day, by a church ever hostile to it, was triumphant in succeeding centuries. It is the object of the writer of this essay merely to hint to the two grand spiritual agencies which were in existence during the brilliant epoch to which the Chronicles of Froissart refer — the one applied to material life, the other to the intellectual. Other agencies might be mentioned, but those alluded to are sufficient to give the fourteenth century an unusual attraction. It was the forming period of modern civilization ; and a new civilization was established, after one thou- sand years of suffering and disaster, on the ruins of the old, estab- lished by the beautiful union of native genius with the treasures of the old classic world which had escaped the wreck. Tliis new formation, after a lapse of so many years of prepara- tion — this second grand epoch in European history — teaches one great truth. The new structure which arose from the old Gothic edifice shows that there is a Providence, and there is a progress. Progress is the central truth which all history reveals ; not that all generations are better than that which immediately preceded them, but that society, on the whole, through a superintending power, is advancing, and will continue to advance until the consummation of human happiness. He who cannot see this sublime truth, amid the revolutions and sorrows which have been sent upon mankind, has no eye to the only thing that can cheer us amid the ruin of private hopes, and the wreck of immediate interests. Progress is seen in those systems of fraud and tyranny which succeeded the dissolution of the Roman world. The epoch of misfortunes passed, and was succeodcd by eight hundred years' repose. Those sluggish times, disgraced by ignorance, superstition and imposture, were succeeded by a glorious awakening and uprising of disenthralled humanity in the fourteenth century. For five centuries, the European nations have been reaping the fruit of those ideas which were then advanced. There is now need of new combinations and reforms. Who shall say that Christendom is net now passing through a new transforma- tion ? CONTENTS. CBAF. ^J^Ot. Original Introduction •••••• Life of the Author 1 Essay on his Works 6 Criticism on tlie History of Froissart 9 1. Of the bravest knights of this present book 14 2. or some of the predecessoi-s of king Edward of England — 15 3. Of the relations of kins Edward the third 15 4. The occasion of iJie wars between the kings of England and France 15 5. How earl Thomas of Lancaster and twenty-two of the greatest nobles in England, were beheaded.15 6. The queen of England goes to complain of sir Hugh Spencer to her brother the king of France. .15 7. Sir Hugh Spencer causes the queen Isabella to be sent out of France 16 8. The queen Isabella leaves France and goes to Germany 16 9. Q,ueen Isabella anives in England with sir Jolm de Hainault 17 10. The queen of England besieges her husband in the city of Bristol 17 11. Sir HuKh Spencer Uie elder, and the earl of Arun- del, are adjudged to death 18 13. The king of England and sir H. Spencer are taken at sea, as they were endeavoring to escape from Bristol castle 18 13. Sir Hugh Spencer Judged and executed 19 14. The coronation of king Edward HI 19 15. Robert Bruce, king of Scotland, defies king Ed- ward 19 16. A dissension between the archers of England and the Hainaulters 30 17. Of the manners of the Scots, and how tliey carry on war 20 18. King Edward's first expedition against the Scots. ..21 19. King Edward marries the lady Philippa of Hain- ault 23 SO. Robert, king of Scotland, dies 24 £1. Philip of Valoii crowned king of France 25 23. The battle of Cassel in Flanders 25 SS. The earl of Kent and sir Roger Mortimer put to death 25 S4. King Edward pays homage to the king of France for the duciiy of Guienne 26 95. Robert, count d'Arlots, banished France 27 26. King Edward lakes the city of Berwick 27 27. King Philip of France and several other knights put on the cross 29 ^. King Edward is advised by his council to make wf-r against king Philip of France 29 29. Jacob Von Arlaveld governs ali Flanders 30 30. Certain nobles of Flanders defend the island of Cadsant against the English 31 31. The battle of Cadsant, between the English and the Flemings attached to the earl of Flanders. . . .31 39. King Edward makes great alliances in the empire. 31 33. Oavid, king of .Scotland, forms an alliance with Philip, king of France 32 34. King Edward of England made vicar of the em- pire of Germany 32 35. King Edward and his allies send cliallenges to the king of France ^ 36. Sir Walter Manny, after tlie challenges had been sent, makes the first incursion into France 33 37. The French, after the challenges, invade England. 33 38. King Edward besieges tlie city of Cambray 34 39. King Edwfird creates sir Henry of Flanders a knight, and afterwards marches into Picardy 34 40. The kings of France and England appoint a day for their armies to engage 35 41. The kuigs of France and England draw up their armies in battle array at Vironfusse 36 1 42. The two kings retire from Vironfosse without giving battle 36 43. King Edward assumes the arms and title of king of France 36 44. The French destroy the territories of sir John of Hainault j 37 45. The earl of Hainault takes and destroys Auben- ton. in Tierachc 38 46. Those of Tournay make an incursion into Flan- ders 33 47. John, duke of Normandy, marches into Hainault. .39 48. The gaiTison of Douay makes an incursion into Ostrevant, during the absence of the earl of Hainault in England and in Germany 41 4?. The duke of Normandy lays siege to Thin L'Eveque 41 50. The naval engagement between the king of Eng- land and the French, before Sluys 42 51. Robert, king of Sicily, endeavors to make peace between the kings of France and England 43 53. The king of England and Ids allies hold a confer- ence at Vilvorde 43 63. The king of England besieges the city of Tour- nay with a powerful army 43 54. The earl ofllainault destroys the towns of Seclm andOrcliies 44 j5. The Scots recover great part of their country during the siege of Tournay |....,,44 CHAP. PA.GE. 56. The king of France assembles a large army in order to raise the siege of Tournay 45 S!. Some of the garrison of Bouchain defeat a body of soldiers from Mortatiue before the town of Conde 45 58. Sir William de Bailleul and sir Vauflarts de la Croiz, make an excursion to Pont-k-Tressin 45 59. The earl of Hainault attacks the fortress of Mor- taque in various manners 46 60. Theeari of Hainault takes the town of St.Ar-js-. mand, during the siege of Tournay 46 61. Sir Charles de Montmorency, and many others of the French, captured at Pont-a.-Tressin 47 63. The Flemings advance at St. Omer during the siege of Tournay 47 68. The siege of Tournay raised by means of a truce.. 48 61. The duke of Brittany dies without heirs; upon which a war ensues for the succession 48 65. The earl of Montfort takes the town and castle of Brest 49 ■d6. The eari o*'Montfort takes the city of Rennes 50 67. The earl of Montfort takes the town and castle of Hennebon 50 68. The earl of Montfort does homage to the king of England for the dukedom of Brittany 51 69. Theeari of iSlontfort summoned before the parlia- _ ment of Paris, at the request of the lord Charles de Blois 51 70. The duchy of Brittany adjudged by the parlia- ment of Paris to the lord Charles de Blois 51 71. The lords of France enter Brittany with lord Charles de Blois 53 72. The earl of Montfort taken prisoner at Nantes, - and the manner of his death 52 73. The kingof England for the third time makes war upon the Scots 53 74. King David of Scotland advances with a large army to Newcastle-upon-Tyne 53 75. King David of Scotland takes and destroys the city of Durham &1 76. The king of Scotland besieges Wark Castle, be- longing to the earl of Salisbury 54 77. The king of England is enamored with the count- ess of Salisbury 55 78.^he eorls of SaUsbury and Moray are set at lib- erty in exchange for each other - 56 79. Lord Charles de Rh>''^ «'it»» ^ome other lords of Frnncw take tiie city of Rennes 56 80. The lord Charles de Blois besieges the countess of IMontfort in Hennebon 56 81. Sir Walter Manny conducts the English into Brittany 57 82. The castle of Conquet twice taken 67 83. The lord Lewis takes the towns of Dinant and Guerrande 53 84. Sir Walter &lanny defeats the lord Lewis of Spain, at Q,uimperle 58 K. Sir Walter Manny takes the castle of Guy la Foret 50 56. The lord Charles de Blois takes the town of Car- haix 59 87. Sir John Boteler and sir Matthew Trelawney are rescued from death 59 S8. Lord Charles de Blois takes tlie town and castle of Jugon 60 89. The king of Eaglajid makes great feasts and tour- naments at London, through affection for the • countess of Salisbury 60 90. The king of England sends the lord Robert d'Ar- tois into Brittany 61 91. A sea engagement, off Guernsey, between the lord Robert d'Artois and the lord Lewis of Spain. 61 92. The lord Robert d'Artois takes the city of Vannei.62 93. The death of the lord Robert d'Artois 62 94. The king of England continues tlie war in persen in Brittany 63 95. The lord of Clisson and sir Herve de Leon are taken prisoners by the English 63 96. The king of England takes the town of Dinant. The lord Lewis of Spain makes some cruises at sea "3 97. The duke of Normandy brings with him some lords of France, to oppose the king of England in Brittany 64 98. The king of England and the duke of Normandy encamp their armies opposite to each other, near to Vannes 64 99. The king of France orders tlie lord of Clisson, and many other lords of Brittany and Nor- mandy, to be beheaded 64 100. King Edward institutes the order of St. George at Windsor 64 101. The king of England sets at liberty sir Herve de Leon , 65 102. The king of England sends the earl of Derby to make war in Gascony. 65 103. The eari of Derby conquers Bergerac .66 104. The earl of Derby conquers many towns and fortresses in Upper Gascony 66 105. The earl of Oxfbrd ii taken prisoner in Gascony, but set at liberty bj- exchange 87 106. The count de Lisle, lieutenant for the king of CHAP. not France in Gascons^, la7s siege to the castle of Auberoche CT 107. The earl of Derby makes the count of Lisle, and nine more counts and viscounts, prisoners, be- fore Auberoche. . 68 108. The eari of Derby takes different towns in Gas- cony. in his road toward La Reole 69 109. Theeari of Derby lays siege to La Roche, which surrenders to him 69 110. Sir Waher Manny finds, in La Reole. the sepul- chre of his father 70 111. The earl of Derby conquers the castle of La ReoIe.Tl 112. Theeari of Derby takes castle Moron, and after- wards Villefranche, in Perigord 71 113. The earl of Derby conquers the city of Aogou- leme 71 114. Sir Godfrey de Harcourt banished from France. . . .78 115. Jacob Von Artaveld is murdered at Ghent ,78 116. William earl of Hainault is slain in Friezland, and many noblemen with him ,73 U7. Sir John of Hainault quits the alliance of Elng- !and for that of France 7J 118. The duke of Normandy marches with a great army into Gascony, against the earl of Derby 7J 119. Sir John Norwich escapes from Angoulerae, when that town surrenders to the French 74 120. The duke of Normandy lays siege to Aiguillon, with a hundred tliousand men ...74 121. The king of England marches into Normand/ with his army, in three battaUons 7S 122. The king of France collects a large force to op- pose the king of England 75 128. The battle of Caen. The English take the town. ,77 124. The English commit great disorders in Norman- dy. SirGodfreydeHarcourtencountersthemeo - - of Amiens, on their way to Paris, and king Ed- ward marches into Picardy 7B 125. The king of France pursues the king of England in the country of Beauvais ..73 126. The battle of Blanchetaque, between the king of England and sir Godemar du Fay 73 127. The order of battle of the English at Crecy, who were drawn up in three battalions on foot .89 128. The order of the French army at Crecy 80 129. Tlie battle of Crecy, between the kings of France and of England .81 130. The English, on the morrow, again defeat the French 82 131. The English number the dead slain at the battle of Crecy 8} 132. The king of England lays siege to Calais. The poorer sort of the inhabitants are sent out of it. . . .8S 133. The duke of Normandy raises the siege of Aguil-. -"^ Ion „ , .. ^ 88 134. Sir William Manny, by means of a passport, rides tiirough France i^om Aiguillon to Calais 83 1^. The earl of Derby takes many towns and castles in Poitou, and the city of Poitiers 81 136. The king of Scotland, during the siege of Calais, invades England 84 137. The battle of Nevii's Cross 85 138. John Copeland takes the king of Scotland pris- oner, and receives great advantages from it 8T 139. The young earl of Flanders is betrothed, through the constraint of the Flemings, to the daughter of the king of England. He escapes to France in a subtle manner 87 140. The lord Robert de Namur does homage to the king of England before Calais 88 141. The English conquer La Roche-d*Errien, to which place the lord Charles de Blois lays siege... 88 142. The combat of La Roche- d'Errien, where the lord Charles de Blois is made prisoner.... 83 143. The king of France collects a. great army, to raise the siege of Calais 89 144. The king of England guards all the passes round Calais, so that the king of France cannot ap- proach to raise the siege 90 145. The town of Calais surrenders to the king of Eng- land 90 146. The king of England re-peoples Calais 91 147. A robber of the name of Bacon does much mis- chief in Languedoc 93 148. A page, of the nameofCroquart, turns robber.... 93 149. Sir Amery de Pavie plots with sir Geoffry de Chargiiy.to sell the town of Calais 93 150. The battle of Calais, between the king of Eng- land, under the banner of sir Walter Manny, with sir Geoffry deChargny and the French 93 151. The king of England presents a chaplet of pearls to sir Eustace de Ribeaumont 94 Additions from two MSS. in the Hafod Library, not in any of the printed copies ..W 152. The death of king Philip, and coronation of his son John >9S 153. The king of Navarre causes the lord Charles of Spain, constable of France, to be murdered: w ith other matters 97 154. The tax of the gabelle imposed throughout France, by the three estates, on account of the war W lo5.^The kins of France arrests the '^^"S of Navarre. vni CONTENTS. CaiJ- TASB. and orders the carl of Haicourt and otJiers to be beheaded at Rouen ^ 166. The king of France issues out summons for as- sembling an army to combat the prince ofWales, who was overrunning the province of Berry 100 1B7. The prince of Wales takes the castle Romorantiii.lOl 158. The king of France leads a great army to the bat- tle of Poitiers 101 359. The disposition of the French before tlie battle of Poitiei-s 102 260. The cardinal de Perigord endeavors to make peace between the king of France and the prince of Wales, previous to the battle of Poitiers 103 161. The battle of Poitiers, between the prince of Wales and the king of France 103 162. Two Frenchmen, running away from the battle of Poitiers, are pursued by two Englishmen, who are themselves made prisoners 105 163- The manner in wliich king John was taken pris- oner at tlie battle of Poitiers 105 364. The prince of Wales makes a handsome present to the lord Jameb Audley, after ihe battle of Poitiers 106 165. The Englisli gaiu very considerably at the battle of Poitiers 106 166. The lord James Audley gives to his squires the pension of five hundred marcs he had received from Uie prince 107 167. The prince of ^V'ales entertains the king of ■' France at supper, the evening after the battle... 107 168. The prince of Wales returns to Bordeaux, after the battle of Poitiers 108 169. The three estates of France assemble at Paris, after Uie battle of Poitiers 108 170. The three estates send men-at-arms against sir Godfrey de Harcourt 109 371. The battle of Coutantin, between sir Godfrey de Harcourt and sir Raoul de Reyneval 109 372. The prince of Wales conducts the king of France from Bordeaux to England 110 173. Pavid Bruce, king of Scotland, obtains his lib- erty 110 174. Theduke of Lancaster lays siege to Rennes Ill 176. A knight of tlie county of Evreux, called sir William de Graviile, reconquers tlie city and castle of Evreux from tlie king of France, who had taken it from the king of Navarre Ill 176. The Archpriest assembles a company of meu-at- r arms. He is mucti honored at Avignon Ill 177. A Welclunan, of the name of RufBn, commands a troop of free companies 113 178. The provost of tlie merchants of Paris kills three knights in the apartment of the regent 112 iJ9. By what means the king of Navarre escapes out of prison 112 180. The king of Navarro makes a solemn harangue to the Parisians 112 381. The commencement of the infamous Jacquerie of Beauvoisis 112 183. The kiiig of Navarre defeats many of the villains in Beauvoisis. The provost of merchants builds a wall round Pari? .113 1B4. The battle of RIeaux in Brie, where tlje villains are discomfited by the earl of FoLx and the cap- tal of Buch 113 185. Paris besieged by tlie duke of Normandy, regent of France 114 386. Some Parisians are slain at St. Cloud, by the Eng- lish, who had been soldiers in Paris 114 167. The death of the provost ofthe merchants of Paris. 115 JS8. The king of Navarre declares war against France, the French king being at tlie time a prisoner in England 116 JS&. The Navarrois are besieged in the castle of Mau- conseil by the menof Picardy 116 190. Several ofthe citizens of Amiens attPuipt lo give up that city to the Navarrois. A famine in France 117 Ifil. The menof Picardy besiege the Navarrois in St. Valery. The kingdom of France is filled with Navarrois 117 192. The canon de Rohesart defeats" tlio Navarrois in the Laonnois, near to Creil 118 193. The Navarrois surrender St. Valery to the French, wlio had besieged it a long time 118 194. The lord Philip de Navane assembles three thou- sand men to raise the siege of St. Valery 118 195. Sir Peter Audley leads a party of Navarrois. in the night, to take Chalons Il9 396. The earl de Roucy taken a second time 120 197. Three queens, with Uie Navarrois, are besieged in ftlelun 120 398. Sir Broquart de Fenestrages. with many French, draw up in battle array against t^ir Eustace d'- Amhretiroiirt and the English in Chanipngne.. .120 199. The battle of Nugent-snr-Seine, between sir Bro- quart de Fenestrages and the French, and sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt and the English 121 200. The pillagers, who had kept possession of different fortresses in France, begin wonderfully to fall off.131 301. The French refuse to ratify the treaty which king John had entered into with England 122 303. Sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt obtains his liberty by a great ransom 122 203. Sir Brcquart de Fenestrates forces payment from the duke of Normandy, regent of France 122 304. Sir Robert Knolles makes an excursion into Berry and Auvergne. Jle is pursued by the gentlemen of those countries 122 CHAP. PAGB. 303. SomeGermanswait for the king ofEngland at Ca- lais, to attend him in his expedition into France, during the time king John was in England 123 206. The king of England leads a great army into France, during the time the king of France was a prisoner in England. The anangement ofthe army of England 123 207. The king of England leaves Calais. The order of his army in their march througli Picardy to- ward Rheims 124 208. The king of England lays aioeo to the cily of Rheims, and to the castle of Chargny. The war recommences between the duke of Normandy and the king of Navarre. ... 125 209. The lord of Roye and his company defeat the re- mainder of the troops of the lord of Gomegines. The castle of Commercy surrenders to tlie Eng- lish 127 210. ThekiiigofEngland, after he had raised the siege of Rheims, wastes and destroys all the countries he passes through. He comes to Guillon, where he remains. Great quantities of provisions fol- low the army 128 211. The king of England lays tliekingdom of France under great tribulation. A Cordelier friar pro- phecies. The English place an ambuscade for those wlio should come out of Paris 129 212. The form and tenor of the paper drawn up as ar- ticles of the peace which was concluded before Chartres, between the kings of France and England 130 213. The transactions of the two kings of France and England, when at Calais, respecting tlie duchy of Brittany and some lands ofthe late Godfrey de Harcourt. King John set^ out from Calais and returns home in freedom 133 214. Commissioners appointed on botli sides to see the garrisons in the kingdom of France evacuated. Different bodies of armed men overrun tlieking- dom, and do much mischief. 134 215. The lord James de Bourbon and his army are de- feated by these freebooting companies. The pope orders a crusade to he proclaimed, after they have taken the Pont du St. Esprit, and finds means to get rid of them 135 216. The deaths of the dukes of Lancaster and Bur- gundy, which last causes new dissensions be- tween the kings of France and Navarre. The prince of Wales crosses tlieseato Aquitaine 137 217. The kings of France and of Cyprus undertake and swear to perform a crusade against the infidels. The king of Cyprus makes earnest solicitations for assistance to many kings and princes in di- vers places oi ciii LitRiidoni 138 218. The king of England detains the hoaia^es as pri- soners. The king of Cyprus uses great entreaties with the kings of Navarre and England, and the prince of Wales, to induce them to under- take this croisade against the Saracens 139 219. King John returns, of his own free will, to Eng- land, and dies there 140 220. King Charles of France makes wise preparations against the king of Navarre, immediately after the death of John his father, and before his coro- nation 141 221 The king of Cyprus returns to Paris. The funeral of king John at St. Denis. The captal de Buch makes nn attack on sir Bcitrand du Guesclin 143 222. The battle between the French under sir Bertrand du Guesclin, and the Navarrois under the captal de Buch, at Cocherel in Normandy. Tlte captal is made prisoner, and victory declares for the French 144 223. Charles v., sumamed the Wise, is crowned king of France. His brother Philip is invested witli the duchy of Burgundy, and sent against the free companies of pillagers 146 224. The lord Lewis of Navarre makes incursions into France. The duke of Burgundy plans several expeditions against him, Imt is forced to go into Burgundy, to defend it against the eari de Mount- beliart .147 225. King Charles orders the duke of Burgundy to be- siege La Charit6. He wants it to surrender un- conditionally, that he may send assistance to lord Charles de Blois, who is contesting the duchy of Brittany with the earl of Montfort 148 22C. The lord Charles dc Blois advances against the earl of Montfort in order of battle. Sir John Chandos, after having drawn up the battalions of the earl of Montfort, prevents the treaty from taking place whicli the lord de Beaumanoir was negotiating between tlie two pretenders to tlie duchy of Brittany 149 227. The battle of Auray, in which sir Bertrand du Guesclin is made prisoner, Chas. de Blois is slain, and John de Montfort is victorious 150 2'2S. Tlie chiefs attached to the earl of Montfort retire after the victory at Auray. The earl's conduct on seeing Charles de Blois dead. Truces granted for burying the sin in. In what manner the kuig of England was informed ofthe event of this battle of Auray 151 229. The earl of Montfort conquers Auray and several other places from the widow of lord Charles de Blois. King Charles interposes between them and makes peace. A peace is also made between the kings of France and Navarre, through the medium ofthe captal de Buch 152 'ZiO A war in Spain between the king, Don Pedro, of CHAP. PAe«. Castille. and his bastard brother Henry, to whose aid the lord Johnde Bourbon and sir Bertrand du Guesclin lead their pUlaging companies. Henry, by tlieir means. Is crowned king of Ci.stille 153 231. King Don Pedro sends to entreat the prince of Wales' assistance against his brother Henry the Bastard. He retires into Guienne, where he is well received by the prince 155 232. The prmce of Wales holds a grand conference at Bordeaux on the afftfirs of the king of Castille. , He receives letters from the king of England to assent to the proposals of agisting Don Pedro. He makes overtures to the king of Navane, for a free passage through his kingdom, to enable him to conduct Don Pedro back to CastUle 156 233. The prince of Wales makes preparations for re- placing Don Pedro on his throne of Castille. Henry the Bastard, though late informed of it, endeavors to prevent it 1?7 234. The viscount of Narbonne, the seneschal of Tou- louse, with other French lords, having attacked some ofthe free companies, that were come into France according to theorders ofthe prince, are discomfited near Montauban. The pope forbids the prisoners whom the companies liad taken, and set free on their parole after the combat, to keep their faitli, or to pay any ransom 158 235. During the time tlie prince of Wales is preparing for his expedition into Castille, the king of Ma- jorca seeks refuge with liim against the king of Arragon. The prince displeases the lord d'Albret.l59 336. The birth of Richard, son ofthe prince of Wales. The arrival ofthe duke of Lancaster to accom- pany his brother on his intended expedition. New treaties with the king of Navarre, for the security of passing through hi? kingdom. Sic Bertrand du Guesclin returns to the assistance of king Henry 160 237. The prince of Wales and his army pass the mountains of Navarre, and arrive at Pampe- luna. King Henry of Castille writes letters to him. Sir William Felton commands an ad- vanced party of tlie army 161 338. The king of Navarre is made prisoner by sir Oh- vier de Mauny, a Breton and partisan of king Henry. TJie prince of Wales advances to Sal- vatierra in Spain. Sir William Felton skirm- ishes with tlic enemy, near the quarters of the king of Spain. The two armies advance toward each other 163 239. The arrival of sir Bertrand du Guesclin to the aid of king Henry. Don Tello attacks the advanced guard of the prince of Wales, defeats sir Wil- ham Felton and his body of men 164 240. Sir Arnold d'Andreghen gives good advice to king Henry of Castille. The prince of Wales sends a tardy answer to the king's letter 164 241. The battle of Navaretta, which the prince of Wales, supporting the part of king Don Pedro against his brother the bastard, gains. Sir Ber- trand du Guesclin is made prisoner, and king Henry fjrced to fly, after having fought moat valiantly 165 242. All Castille, after the battle of Navaretta, ac- knowledge Don Pedro. He protracts the stay of the prince of Wales at Valladohd, while he seeks for money to pay the army 168 243. King Henry of Castille, having escaped from the battle of Najnrra. makes ^var upon Aquitaine. I'he prince of Wales leaves Spain discontented with tlie king Don Pedro 163 344. After the return ofthe prince to Aquitaine, Henry king of Castille leaves Bagnieies in Bigorre, and retires to the kingdom of Arragon. Sir Bertrand du Guesclin obtains his ransom. The free com- panies of the prince enter the kingdom of France. Some of tlie great barons of Aqui- taine complain to king Cliaries of France of a certain tax, called Fouage, which the prince was about to lay on their lands 170 245. The bastard Henry of Castille, by the assistance of the king of Arragon and sir Bertrand du Guesclin, again makes war upon his brother Don Pedro. Having defeated him in a battle, he is made prisoner, and murdered. Henry re- mains king of Spain 172 246. King Charles V. is advised to declare himself lord paramount of Guienne and Aquitaine, on ac- count ofthe hearth fax which the prince of Wales was about to raise. This causes a renewal of the war between tlie French and English 174 247. The king of France sends a summons to the prince of Wales, to appear in the chamber of peers at Paris, in the matter of an appeal from the barons of Gascony 176 248. The prince of Wales imprisons the commission- ers from the king of France, who had brought him the summons of appeal from the lords of Gascony to the court of Fiance 176 249. The duke of Berry and several mare lords who had been hostages in England, return to France, 177 250. The earl of Perigord, the viscount of Carmaing, and other barons of Gascony, defeat the high steward of Rouergue 177 251. The king of France gains over several captains of the fi-ee companies. He sends his defiance to the king of England 178 252. Challenges from France are delivered to tlie king of England. The eari de Saint Pol and the lord deChalillon conquer the county of Ponlhieu.,- 178 CONTENTS. rBAP. PAGE- 363. The hing of Engla.iid sends a large body of men- it-arms to the bordei^ of Scotland. The dukes of Berry and Aiyou issue their orders for Iheii ■vassals to attack the prince of W a!e« 179 S35j. [Several captains of companies side with different parties. The king of England sends the earl of Cambridge and llie earl of Pembroke to the as- sistance of his son the prince of Wales. They paes through Brittany 179 2Sq. The earls of Cambridge and of Pembroke arrive at Angouleme. The prince sends them to over- run the country of Perigord. Some English are defeated near Lusignan 180 !B6. Sir Jolin Chandos tabes Terrieres. The earl of Perigord and many other knights lay siege to Realviile in Quercy 180 357. The arclibishop of Toulouse turns the city of Cahors and several other towns to the party of the king of France. The dukes of Gueldres and of Juliers send defiances to tlie king of France. . .181 2£B. The duke of Burgundy, brother to king Charles v., marries the daughter of the earl of Flanders. The king of Eiiglaiid enters into negotiations witli tlie king of Navarre 182 259. The constables of France and of Hainault under- take a grand expedition to attack Ardres. The fortress of Realviile is taken, and all ilie English who were in it put to the sword 183 360. The French lake La Roche Posay. The sene- schal of Poitou burns and destroys the lands of the lord de Chauvigny, and takes by assault his principal town of Brux 183 S6I. Sir Robert Knolles is appointed captain of the prince's company. He causes sir Perducas d'Al- bret t-s turn to the English. He besieges the French companies in the furt of Purmcl 183 368. Sir Robert Knolles and sir John Chandos raise the siege of Durmel. They lay siege to the cas- tle of Domme 184 363. Sir Robert Knolles and sir John Chandos march from Domme without doing anything. They lake Gavaches, Rochemador, and several other towns which had turned to the party of the French 184 3^. The earls of Cambridge and of Pembroke con- quer the garrison of Bourdeilles 185 SiM. Sir Robert Knolles, sir John Chandos, and sir Thomas Felton, marshal their men, and return to the prince of Wales 185 366. The free companies attached to the English lake tiie castle of Belleperche, and the mother of the duke of Bourbon who was in it. They also take the strong castle of St. Sauveurin Berry 186 267. The king of France, intending to send a large naval armament to the English coast, is pre- vented by the arrival of the duke of Lancaster at Calais 186 268. The castle of La Roche Sur Yon surrenders to the English. The governor of it put to death, by orders from the duke of Anjou 186 369. The duke of Burgundy marches from the city of Rouen, with the intention of coiijbnting tlie duke of Lancaster and the English. The two armies are encamped opposite to each other at Tourneheim 187 TiQ. Sir John Chandos does great mischief to the pro- vince of Anjou. He despoils the estates of the viscount de Roche-Chouart. except the fortresses and strongholds 187 271. The lord Louis de Sancerre surprises tlie earl of Pembroke. Several of his men are slain, and the earl is besieged in a house at Puirenon 188 272. Sir John Chandos comes to the assistance of the earl of Pembroke, besieged in Puirenon 189 273. The death of queen Philippa of England i she makes three requests to the king on her death- bed. Some Frenclimen, iiaving attacked the English camp at Tourneheim, are repulsed by sir Kobeit de Xamur 1^ 274- The duke of Burgundy and his anny decamp without a battle. The duke of Lancaster re- turns to Calais 190 275. The earl of Pembroke, desirous of avenging liim- self for the defeat he received at Puirenon, makes an incursion to Anjou. The Abbey of St. Salvia in Poitou is betrayed to the French and forfeited 191 276. The county of St. Pol in Picardy is pillaged and ruined by the English. Sir Hugh de Chastillon is taken prisoner 191 2/8. Sir John Chandos is slain in a skirmish. The FrencI), at first victorious, are in tlie end de- feated 192 279. The lord de Coucy and the lord de Poinmiers are unwilling to take part with either side in this war. The lords de Maleval and de Maraeil turn to the French 194 3B0. The form of the letter which the English king sent into Aquitaine. Chatelherant is taken by the French, and Belleperche is besieged 194 2Si. The earls of Cambridse and Pembroke cany off the mother of the duke of Bourbon with the ganison of Belleperche. The duke of Bourbon takes possession of that castle 195 9SS. The four brothers of France have a meeting. Their preparations for tlie war. The mother of the duke of Bourhon obtains her liberty. A treaty entered into hetweeu the kings of France and Navarre 196 S88- SirBertranddu Guesclin leaves Spain and arrives CHAP. PAOt:. at Toulouse, where the duke of Anjou receives him with great joy. They take together several castles from the English..... 197 284. The duke of Berry invades Limousin 197 285. Atruce is established between England and Scot- land. Sir Robert Knolles overruns, bums and ravages the whole countries of Picardy and Ver- mandois ..~. 158 286. The garrison of Noyon make the English prison- ers who had set fire to Pont L'Eveque. The king of France sends for sir Bertrand du Guesc- lin 198 2S7. The prince of Wales assembles his army at Cog- nac, where he meets his brother the duke of Lancaster. The dukes of Anjou and Berry break up their expedition, Limoges having turned to the French 199 288. The prince of Wales, anxious to recover Limo- ges, lays siege to it, and undermines it 199 289. Sir Robert Knolles, in continuing his incursions through different provinces of France, advances near to Paris. A knight of his anny, in return- ing from a vain-glorious expedition, is slain by a butcher of Paris 20O 290. Sir Bertrand du Gueschn takes tlie fortress of St. Vvrier in Limousin. The prince of Wales re- conquers Limoges 330 291. Sir Bertrand du Guesclin is made constable of France 201 293. Sir Bertrand du Guesclin and the lord de Clissou defeat Uie forces of sir Robert Knolles at Pont- Valin 203 293. Sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt is made prisoner and ransomed. Sir Raymond de Marneih a partisan of France, is taken, and in imminent danger, but saved by his keeper 202 294. The prince of Wales, having lost by death iiis eldest son, gives up the duchy of Aquitaine to the careofthedukeof Lancaster. Fourkoights of Brittany take the castle of Mont-Paon 203 295. The four kniglits defend themselves against the duke of Lancaster. Tlie duke, on takuig the place, admits them to ransom 203 296. The duke of Lancaster disbands his army, and returns to Bordeaux. The lord dePons turns to the French party 204 297. The English take the castle of Montcontour 204 298. Sir Bertrand du Guesclin, constable of France, besieges the town of Uses, which surrenders to him upon capitulation 205 299. The king of England's anger ngainst sir Robert Knolles is appeased. Peace is made between tlie English and Flemings 205 300. Tlie king of Majorca is ransomed from king Henry of Spain. lie makes war on the king of Arra- gon 206 301. The duke of Lancaster espouses the eldest daugh- ter of the late Don Pedro, king of Spain. Treat- ies of alliance are entered into between the kings of France and Spain 206 302. The duke of Lancaster appoints governors in Guienne: he returns to England, and carries his lady willi him. Sir Walter Manny dies in London 206 303. The king of England appoints tiie earl of Pem- broke governor of Aquitaine. The Spaniards, being allies of France, attack him atsca. off La Rochelle 207 304. The inhabitants of La Rochelle refuse to assist the earl of Pembroke. The seneschal and the lord de Tannaybouton, with others, come to his aid 208 305. Tlie earl of Pembroke is defeated, and made pris- oner by the Spaniards. Tliey sail from La Rochelle with their prisoners. The captal de Buch arrives there, but too late 208 306. Evan ofWalesdefeau the English off the island of Guernsey. The king of France sends him to Spam to seek for men-at-arms, to lay siege to La Rochelle 209 307. The king of England is much cast down at the capture of the earl of Pembroke. Evan of Wales meets tlie earl a prisoner in Spain 209 308. Tlie constable du Gueschn takes the castle of Monmorillon, and other places m Poitou 210 309. The constable of France takes Moncontour by a capitulation. He marches from thence to form a junction with tlie duke of Berry in the Limousin, when they lay siege to St. Severe 210 310. The garrison of St. Severe, after a sharp assault, surrender? to sir Bertrand du Guesclin. The city of Poitiers turns to the French party 311 311. The Frencli make the captal de Buch prisoner. La Rochelle turns to the French 211 312. Sir Bertrand du Guesclin takes several castles in the Rochellois. Tlie king of England embarks to come to the assistance of Tiiouars, but is prevented by contrary winds : upon which those of Tbouar«, and many others in Poitou, surren- der to the French 213 313. The duke of Brittany dares not openly declare for the king of England. Sir Bertrand du Guesclui lays siege to Civray. The Entjlish aredefeatcd, and the whole of the countries of Puitou, Sain- tonge, and La Rochelle, are given up to the French ^ 214 314- The siege of Becherel. Peace between the kings of France and Navarre. The death of the king of Scotland 315 315. The earl of Salisbury, sir Williana Neville, sir CHAP. PAOl- Philip Co urte nay, with many other men-at-arms, land in Brittany. The constable of France marches thither ; on which the duke of Brittany goes to England 216 316. The French besiege four different places. La Roche-Eur-Yon surrenders to the French. The siege of Brest is raised by a capitulation, wliich is not kept 217 217. The duke of Lancaster lands at Calais, and in- vades Picardy. A part of his army defeated by the lord de Boursiers before Ribemont. Another part of his army is t!efeated near Soiisonb by an ambuscade of Burgundians and French 218 318. The hostages sent from Derval are beheaded. Sir Robert Knolles retaliates on those prisones whom he had taken. The duke of Lancaster finishes his expedition 219 319. The duke of Anjou's campaign into Upper Gas- cony 220 320. The earl of Pembroke and his companions are ransomed. A short truce between the French and English. Becherel surrenders on terms. The death of the earl of Pembroke 230 321. Several towns in Gascony surrender to the king of France. Sir Hugh de Chastillon returns from prison. The castle of Becherel surrenders to the French 230 322. A truce agreed on at Bruges between the kings of France and England. The duke of Bnttany re- tires to his own country, and regains some of his towns and castles 231 323. Some Breton lords of the French party are near being taken by tlie duke of Brittany, but are de- livered by the treaties at Bruges 222 334. St. Sauveur Le Vicomte surrenders to the French. The lord de Coucy leads a large army into Aus- tria, which he claims as his uiheritance 222 325. The truce between Fiance and England is pro- longed. The death of the Black Prince. The lord de Coucy returns, having had indifferent success 23} 336. Richard, son to the prince of Wales, is ackow- ledged as presumptive heir to the crown of Eng- land. The negotiations for peace having failed, and the truces expired, the war is renewed be- tween the French and English 223 327. Pope Gregory XI. leaves Avignon, and returns to Rome. On the 'death of Edward HI.. Richard, son of the late prince of Wales, is crowned king of England 234 328. The king of France equips for sea a large fleet, which burns several towns in England 225 329. The town of Ardres surrenders to the French. The deatli of the captal de Buch and ofthe queen of France 225 330. The warrecommences between iheki-^gofFronce and the king of Navarre. The siege of Cher- bourg. Thedukeof Lancasterinvades Brittany. The castle of Auray surrenders to the French 2S 331. The French garrison of Montbourg is defeated by the Eiifihih at Cherbourg 236 voLuaiE n. 1. The duke of Anjou undertakes an expedition against the Enghsh in the Bourdelois 227 2. Sir Thomas Felton is defeated and made prisoner, with many uf the principal lords of Gascony, by a party of French at the siege of Bergerac 238 3. Bergerac surrenders to :he duke of Anjou. The lords de Duras and de Rosem, after having pro- mised to be of the French interest, return agaiD to the English £B9 4. Castillon, Sauveterre, and several other places in Gascony, surrender to the duke of Anjou 230 5. The duke of Anjou takes the town and castle of St. iMacaire by capitulation. The town of Du- ras by storm, but the castle receives quarter 230 6. The duke of Anjou returns to the duchess at Tou- louse, and the constable to the king of France. Evan of Wales lays siege to MoTtain-sur-Mer....231 7. King Charles of France instigates the Scots to make war on England. The Scots take the cas- tle of Ber^vick 232 8. The earl of Northumberland retaken the castle of Berwick 232 9. The earls of Northumberland and Nottingham enter Scotland with a large army 238 10. Sir Thomas Mu^grave and the English under his command are defeated by the Scots 23A U. The deaths of the queens of France and Navarre, and tlie renewal of the feuds between their two husbands 235 12. The death of pope Gregory XL After the sud- den death of his immediate successor the cardi- nals are constramed to elect Urban VI. which causes a schism in the church of Rome 235 13. The king of Navarre sends embassadors to France in hopes of regaining possession of l.is children. Two of his people are convicted of having at- tempted to poison the king of France .^fiG 14. The king of France orders the possessions ofthe kiitc of Navarre to be seized, as \vell in Nor- mandy as m lyanguedoc. The king of Navarre forms an alliance with the Eaglisli. The terms of that alliance 33® 15. The lords de Coucy and de la Riviere fake sflveral places in the county of Evreux, from (he king of Navarre .237 16. The duke of .^njou retains large bodies of men CONTENTS. at-amis against the Engliali- The Spaniards lay siege to Bayonne 238 17. The English, at this period, make excursions into various parts of the kingdom of France. The melancholy deatJi of Evan of Wales 238 18. The inhabitants of Evreux surrender to the French. The two armies assemble before St. Ma^o ^ 19. The English rai^e the si»ge of Mortuin i*) 20. The English recover several strong caslles from the French in Uie Bourdelois 241 21. The mine which the English had made at St. Male fails. In consequence, the siege is raised.. 341 ^. Sir Oliver du Guesclin is made prisoner by tiie garrison of Cherbourg 241 33. The French garrison of Bersat is defeated. The town surrenders to the English. The king of Navarre comes to Bordeaux, to solicit aid from the English 213 34. The infant of Castille besieges Pampeluna. Sir Thomas Trivet, in conducting succors to the king of Navarre, takes several places iu Gas- cony from the French 243 ^. Sir Thomas Trivet with the English come to the succor of ihe king of Navarre. The siege of Pampeluna is raised 243 36. The Engbsh and Navarrois overrun the kingdom of Spain. Tlie events that befel them there 244 27. Sir Thomas Trivet makes an excursion to the town of Alfuro in Castille. Peace concluded between the king^ of Spain and Navarre. The death of Henry king of Spain. His son John is crowned as his successor 244 as. The lord de Mucident turns to the English. The lordde Langurant is inovfaUy wonnded. The governor of Bouteville is defeated, and the cas- tle surrenders to the French 245 39. Sir Thomas Trivet returns to England with his companions. His herald relates to the duke of Lancaster the particulars of the deaili of king Henry of Castille, and the coronation of his el- dest son Don John 246 30. The earl of Flanders stops the progress of an em- bassador from the king of France to Scotland : this causes great dissensions between them 346 31. The duke of Brittany retires from Flanders to England. The young count de St. Pol. while a prisoner in England, maryes 247 32. The duke of Anjou makes war on Brittany. Sir William des Bordes is taken prisoner by the garrison of Cherbourg 348 38. Geoffrey Tete-Noir and Aymerigot Marcel, cap- tarns attached to England, take several strong places in Auvergne and Limousin from the French 248 34. A schism in tlie church. The cause of it. Tlie Bretons mcke war on the Romans. The queen of Naples gives up her territories to pope Clem- ent VII 249 %. Pope Clement goes to Avignon, fie makes the duke of Aiijou magnificent pre'^ents. Sir Silves- ter Budes and his companions are beheaded 3i0 36. The state of Flauders before tlie war. The causes of the disputes between the earl of Flanders and the FlemiB^s. John Lyon introduces the dis- tinction of White Hoods 250 37. By tlie exhortations of John Lyon, the inhabit- ants of Ghent send some of their principal citi- zens to the earl of Flanders, to demand tiie preservation of their liberties and franchises. The earl requests these citizens to abolish the White Hoods 251 ^. The Wiiite Hoods murder the bailiff of Ghent in the midst of the market. The bouses and goods of the family of the Matthews are destroyed. A grand confusion in Ghent 2K 33, Twelve citizens of Ghent are deputed to the earl of Flanders. The White Hoods pillage and burn the castle of Andreghien. of which Uie earl was very fond 354 40. The death of John Lyon. Tlie men of Ghent choose captains to command them. Several towns in Flanders ally themselves with Glient. . .265 41. The men of Ghent besiege the town of Oude- - narde on nil sides. They make a grand assault on the earl of Flanders in Dendremonde 256 42. Several assaults are made on Oudenavde. Peace concluded between the Flemings and the earl of Flanders, by means of the duke of Burgundy .257 43. The duke of Brittany returns from England, at the entreaty of his subjects. The English are desirous of marryinc tlieir. young king. The knighti of England sent to the aid of the duke of Brittany meet with great tempests at sea 258 44. Tlie town of Ghent sends embassadors to the earl of Flander?. to entreat him to come thither 259 45. The earl of Flanders enters the town of Ghent. and secretly departs from it. Tiie walls of Oudenarde are razed by the Wliite Hoods, their allies and accomplices 259 46. The men of Ghent surrender Oudenarde. They destroy the houses of the nobles. A cruel and pitiless war renewed between the men of Ghent and the nobility 260 47. The nobles make war on the Flemings 260 48. The death of sir Bertrand du Guesclin, constable of France 262 49. The duke of Brittany requests succor from the king of Englfiiid. The earl of Buckinshain, youngest son to the late king, is appointed com- mander of the expedition ,...962 CHAP. rAOB- 50. The earl of Buckingham marches with lui> army from Calais 363 51. The lord de Brimeu, his sons and his men, are taken prisoners by tiie English. The garrison of Peronue are driven back into that town 264 53. The English burn and despoil Champagne. They meet with various adventures on their march, and make many prisoners 265 53. The English come before Troyes. A skirmish at one of the gates. They take a foil which the duke of Burgundy iiad erected onllie outside. King Charles practices witli the inhabitants of Nantes 366 54. The English overrun the countries of Gatinois and Beauce. A French squire demands to tilt with an English squire ; they both behave very gallantly 267 55- King Charles of Fiance is taken ill. His last words on his death-bed 267 56. The Lord de Hangest is near taken by the Eng- glish. The lord de Mauvoisin remains their pris- oner. The English cross the river Sarte in disorder • 268 57. The death of Charles the Fifth, king of France. .268 58. The English arrive in Brittany. The duke excuses himself for having so long delayed coining to meet tliem. They undertake together the siege of Nantes 269 59. The coronation of king Charles VI. of France. ...370 Two additional cliapters, which are only in one of my MSS, and not in any printed copy 270 &). Theearlof Buckingham besieges Nantes. Sal- lies are made by the garrison 271 61. The duke of Brittany explains his reasons for not coming to the siege of Nantes. Tlie garrison continue most valiantly to make sallies 273 62. The English break up the siege of Nantes. The duke of Brittany sends handsome excuses to the earl of Buckingham 273 63. Tilts and tournaments are performed betbre the earl of Buckmgham between ceitain French and English knights 274 64. The duke of Brittany makes his peace with the king of France. The English return home. A combat between an English and a French squire. 375 65. Tlie war recommences between tlie earl of Flan- ders and the inhabitants of Ghent. The men of Glient and of Ypres are discomfited by the ambuscades of the earl of Flanders 376 66. The towns of Ypres and Courtray turn to tlie earl of Flanders. Ghent is besieged 278 67. The earl of Flanders raises the siege of Ghent. He defeats a great part of the army of Ghent, through the self-sufficiency of Uasse de Har- zeile, near to Nevele 378 68. Peter du Bois with tJie remainder of his army re- tire to Ghent. After having been in danger of his life, he besieges Courtray 379 69. Arnoul le Clerc, captain of some troops of White Hoods, defeats several of the earl of Flanders' nobility. He himself is after\vards defeated and slain. . i 280 70. During this war, the rich citizens of Ghent are subjugated by their soldiers. Philip Von Arta- veld is made governor of Ghent 261 71. A war betueen the kings of Castille and Portiigal.'JSa 73. The earl of Cambridge sail? for Portugal. The duke of Lancaster goes to the borders of Scot- land, to make a truce with the Scots 382 73. The populace of England rebel against the no- bility 283 74. The populace of England commit many cruelties on tliose in official situations. They send a knight as embassador to the king ...294 75. Tlie commonalty of England enter London, where they commit many cruelties and out-_ rages. They put to death the archbishop of Canterbury and several others • .285 76. The nobles of England are in great danger of be- ing destroyed. Three of the principal lenders of the rebels are punished, and the rest sent back to tlieir homes 286 77. A truce between the English and Scots. The duke of Lancaster remains in Scotland during the rebellion in England 288 78. King Richard journeys through England from town to town, punishing those who had been principals or active in the late rebellion. The duke of Lancaster returns from Scotland to England '^ Additions, from a MS. in the Hafod Library 289 79. The duke of Lancaster conceives anger against the duke of Northumberland, for the refusal of admitUuice into Berwick 290 80. The eari of Cambridge and his army arrive at Lisbon 290 81. The earl of Flanders again lays siege to Ghent. . . .290 83. The earl of Flanders raises the siege of Glient. Two rich citizens, desirous of negotiating a peace between the earl and tiie town, are put la death by Peter du Bois and Philip Von Arta- veld 291 83. An insurrection in Paris, on account of the in- tended taxes. The lord de Coucy appeases it. The duke of Anjou makes preparation for his journey to Naples 293 84.The English moke an expedition against the Span- iard.s, contrary to the orders of the king of For tugal. The castle of Fighiere is taken 293 85. After the conquest of the castle of Fighiere, the canon de Robersac, returning to his garrison, is CHA.P. P&dl. in great danger. Succors come from France to Castille 294 86. The emperor Wincesluus sends his sister Anne to king Richard of England, who makes her his queen 9^ 87. The king of France cannot obtain money from the receiver at Paris. The duke of Anjou marches into Italy with a noble attendance of kmghts 396 88. The earl of Savoy, who had accompanied the duke of Anjou to Naples, orders a man to he beheaded, who had boasted that he would gi\ e them possession of the castle del Ovo by en- chantment 297 89. The canon de Robersac makes another excursion contrary to the will of the king of Portugal, and takes several places adjoining to Seville 287 90. The canon and his companions gain much booty from tlie king of Castille. They mutiny against the king of Portugal, wlio orders their pay to be instantly delivered totliem 893 91. Tlie kings of Castille and Portugal assemble tlieii' forces. Peace made between them, against the will of the English 299 92. A joust between a French knight and an Enghsh squire. The earl of Cambridge leads back his army to England, with his son, wliose betrothed wife, the Infanta of Portugal, is afterwards married to tiie king of Castille 300 93. Ghent is in great distress for provisions. They are succored by the inhabitants of Liege 30O 94. Tlte earl of Flanders sends a harsh answer to those who wished to mediate a peace between liim and Ghent. The populace, under the name of Maillotins. rise again at Pari-- 301 95. The cirizens of Ghent, after having heard from Philip Von Artaveld tlic terms of peace which lie had brought from the conference at Tournay, march out. to the number of five thousand, to attack the eari of Flanders in Bruges SOS 96. The order of battle of the Ghent men. They de- feat the eari of Flanders and the men of Bruges. The means by which this was brought about.., .303 97. Bruges is taken by tlie Ghent army. The earl of Flanders saves himself in the house of a poor woman 3W 98. The Gheut men spare the foreign merchants in Bruges. The earl of Flanders quits Bruges, and returns to Lille, whither some of his people had already retreated 305 99. The conductor the Giieiit men at Bruges. AH Uie towns in Flanders surrender to them except Oudenarde 305 100. Philip Von Artaveld, on his return to Ghent, lives in great pomp. The earl of Flanders resides in Lille 306 101. Philip Von Artaveld and the Ghent men lay siege to Oudenarde 307 103. A detachment of the Ghent anny from before Oudenarde. in ovenunning the lands of their lord, burn some villages on the frontiers of France, which causes a war between the king of Franire' and them 307 103. The duke of Burgundy instigates his nephew king Charles to make war on Ghent and its allies, as well in revenge for tlie burnt villages as to assist iu the recovery of Flanders for the earl, who was his vassal. 307 104. Charles the Sixth, kuig of France, from a dream, chooses a flying hart for his device 308 105. During the siege of Oudenarde, the rebels entreat king Charles to make peace between them and the earl of Flanders. The king answers them with contempt. They then endeavor to draw the English into an alliance with thom 306 106. The embassadors from Ghent fail in forming an alliance with England 309 W. Tiie messenger which the Ghent men had sent to king Cliarles of France is delivered from prison. Some prisoners from Tournay and Courtray are exchanged for each other 910 108. King Charles orders commissioners to enter into certain treaties witli the Flemings. Tlieir mes- sengers are imprisoned at the moment they de- manded passports.. 310 109. The answer of Philip Von Artaveld to the French commissioners, which he sent by a prisoner of war from Oudenarde .., 3U 110. Philip Von Artaveld writes allectedly civil letters to Tournay. Tiie French commissioners return to the king 3U, 111. King Cliarles. after hearing the report of his com- missioners, at the instigation of the earl of Flan- ders, who was present, assembles his army in Artoisasainst the Flemings. Philip Von Arta- veld guards the passes into Flanders 312 112. Several knights of the party of the eari of Flan- ders, having passed Pont-Amenin, are defeated and killed on their attempt to repass it, the Fleni ings having broken down the bridge. Philip, hearing this news when at Ypres. makes use of it to encourage tlie inliabitants 312 113. Order of the French army in its march to Flan- ders, after they had heard the bridges were bro- ken and guarded 313 114. Some few of the French, not being able to cro^ the Lis at the bridge of Commines, find means of doing so, by boats and other craft, unknown to the Flemings 314 115. A small body of French, having crossed tlie Lis, draw up in battle array before the Flemings.,.. ?1S CONTENTS. XI .318 .322 323 128. Uff. The French who liad crossed the Li^ defeat, wltli ?reatslaughlei. Peter Du Boisandlhe Fleminss- The vaiisuaidofthe French army repair and puss over the hridee of Commines ■ ■ .316 117 Phihp Van .\rtaveld takes measures to resist the force of the king of France. He receives an an- swer from his embassadors in England .....JU U8 The king of France crosses the Lis at the bridge of Commines. The town of Ypres surrenders ^^^ to him U9. The king of France receives information ot a not among tlie Parisians. Several places in Flan- ders surrender to him •■Vn'. 120. The- king of France lodges m Ypres. Petei Du Bois prevents Bruaes from surrendeniiB to the king. Philip Van Artaveld assembles his forces to combat the French • • • •. la. Philip Van .\rtavekl, having entertained his cap- tains otsuppcr, gives them instructions how lliej- are to act on the morrow at the battle of Rose- becque. Wonderful appearances in the lieu- vcns are seen during the night • •ifl» 122 King Charles euteilains at supper his uncles and some others of his principal barons on the eve of the battle of Rosebecque. The constable de Clisson is e.'icused from attending the king's per- son during the battle ; .v;,"*^ la Philip Van Artaveld and his Flemings quit the strong position they liad taken in the morning, to encamp on Mont D'Or, near to \ pres. 1 he constable and admiral of France, with Uie bas- tard of Langres, set out to reconnoitre their ^ situation ■ .'i"'t?"*".^iV 124 The battle of Rosebecque. between the French and Flemings. Philip Van Artaveld is slam. and his whole amiy defeated ••••••■■ * 135 The number of slain at the battle of Rosebecque and pursuit afterwards. Philip Van Artaveld is hanged alter he is dead. The siege of Oude- narde is raised. Peter Du Bois retreats to Ghent. Tlie king of France fixes his quarters in the town of Courtray A4."'A.' 126. Bruges submits to the king's mercy. The Count de Blois -uards the country of Ilamault horn being pillaged. The inhabitants of Ghent gain courage from Peter Uu Bois. ...........•:■• ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 127 The treaty between the English and Fleming. i= broken. The king of France departs from V^'i'n atlempVs'made for' peace between the king of France and Ghent. The king on his returi. to ParLs, orders the chains to be taken away tlia. barricaded the streeU. He severely punishes the Parisians ^U"' i " 123. Several of the principal citizens of Pans are be- headed with Join. Des Marets. and many other. in the difieient towns and cities in France. ^. .... 130 The Ghent men renew the war. The earl ol Han- ders becomes an object of hatred to Uie Eng- m. Pope Urban semlibulis 'into Engiand for thede- slmctionof theClementist-s. The bishop ot Nor- wich appointed commander-in-chief against 133 ThebUho'pof Norwich, commander of the Eng- lish in the croisade of Urban against the Cle- menlists, disembarks at Calais with his army of Urbanists 1* : ■ ' 7i.! ' 138. The bishop of Norwich, commander of .he Ui- banisls. enters Flanders contrary to the opinion of sir Hugh Calverler. The earl sf Flanders sends embassadoi-s to the bishop, who returns a harsh answer " V»' The bishop of Norwich marches toward Dun- kirk. He defeats twelve thousand Flemmgs and takes the town V ' ^' 'i' ' ' 'i' ' 'i ' " 135. The English, under the command of the bishop of Norwich, having conquered all tlie coast from GraveHnes to Sluys. lay siege to \ pies JW IX The menofGhent assist the English in theirsiege ' of Ypres. The lord De St. Leger going to rein- force the garrison of Courtray. by orders of the king of France, is defeated by a party of Eng- lish near Commines ■ ^ij," 137 The bishop of Liege, not being able to brmg about a peace between the bishop of Norwich and the earl of Flanders, returns liome oH) 138 The king of France issues a grand summons, with the intention of raising the siege of Ypres. Some of the earl of Flanders' men are defeated by the English before the church of Emenin 330 139 The English and Ghent men make a sharp at- ' tack on Y' pres; but, learning that the king of France had marched an army into Artois, they instantly break up the siege.. • 332 140 Duke Frederick of Bavaria arrives at the army of tlie king of France. Count Guy de Blois, notwithstanding hU ill health, comes to Arras attended by his men-at-arms .(M2 141 The van of the French army takes Cassel ano Trughen The English abandon Bergues, and retire to Bourbourg, wherein the khig of France besieges them • ,■■■■::'■■;■,■■ 142. Francis Alremen surprises Oudenarde in the mgJit- time : ■,' " 143 Amcri-ut Marcel, an Engli.h Captain on the borders of Auvergne. takes by stratagem the castle of Mnrquel. Tiie countess Dauphiiie ransoms it for five thousand fcaiics 144 The king of France orders Bourbourg to be at- tacked. It is surrendered to him by capitula- tion, when the English quit Flanders. He then disbands his army. 334 .326 131. 145 The bishop of Norwich and those who accom- panied him in his expedition, are badly received on their return to England. Certain great per- sonages are deputed to negotiate a peace or truce between the kings of France and Eng- land. The duke of Bavaria dies 335 146. During these conferences, the Ghent men insult Tournay. A truce is concluded between the kings of France and England and their allies ... .336 147. The earl of Flanders dies. The ceremony of his funeral •..••• -^ 148 The earls of Northumberland and Nottingham raise a body of English to make an excursion into Scotland. Embassadors are sent from France to Scotland, to notify the truces which had been made between France and England. . .338 149. The barons and knights of Scotland, in conjunc- tion with some French knights, undertake an expedition into England without the knowledge of the king of Scotland, who sends a herald to make his excuses to the king of England 338 130. The truces which had been mode between the French, the English, and their allies, are pro- claimed in Scotland. The French knights, on their return from Scotland, are in great danger from the Zealanders • .."9 151. The lord Destournay assembles forces to retake Oudenarde. He conquers it by stratagem 3)0 153. The duke of Anjou dies at a castle near Naples. His widow is advised to solicit the Pope for the possession of Provence • ."O 1.53. Preparations are made in France for the renewal of the war with England. The duchess of Bra- bant succeeds in fSjrming a marriage between the children of Burgundy and those of Hainault. . . .341 154. The king and the nobles of France and Hainault lay in great provision of stores at Cambray. The duke of Lancaster sends embassadors to tlie earl of Hainault. The marriages of the children of Burgundy and Hainault are con- eluded ■ ,■■•**' 155 The duke of Berry betroths his daughter to the son of the count do Blois. The duke of Bour- bon and the count de la Marche issue their sum- mons to invade Limousin • ■ — **- 156. Sir John de Vienne, admiral of France, sads to Scotland, to carry on the war against tlie i.ng- lish at the expiration of the truce *" 157 The pillagers ofGlient.surnamedPorkers.com- mit much mischief. Francis Atremen defeaVs some French troops near Ardembourg Mi 158 The duchess of Anjou urges her claim to the pos- session of Provence. Galeus Visconti, count de Vertus, orders his uncle. Barnabo Visconti, to be imprisoned "" 159. William de Lignac, seneschal of Saintonge for the kins of France, conquers from the Lnglisft the castle of Aigle. The army of the duke of Bourbon takes Montlieu. and the bridge of Tadlebourg, while besicgmg that place 344 160 Sir John de Vienne, admiral of France, arrives in Scotland with his army. Ho meets with bad treatment there ■ ■ 161 The town of Ardembourg narrowly escapes be ing taken by surprise by Francis Atremen anc his Ghent men ;„' •";'",'ti"-' 162 Lewis of France, brother to kmg Charles VI.. is married by procuration to Margaret of Hungary. Madame de Brabant causes the daughter of duke Stephen of Bavaria to come to France to marry king Charles ••• '**' 163. Francis Atremen takes Damme. Those of Bruges attempt to retake it ■ ■ ' ',' "^ ' 't' ',! '"i-'n" 161. King Charles espouses the Lady Isabella of lia varia. He besieges Damme 165. Some citizens of Sluys are beheaded for treason to the French. The duke of Burgundy acquires Sluys from sir Vl^lUiam de Namur, by an ex- change for the lands of Betliune. ■■■■■■■ 1G6. Francs Atremen and his men abandon Damme. The town is destroyed by the !• rench ; they al.o ruin the country of the Quatre Mestiers.. . ... . .318 167 The king of France leaves Flanders, and dis- bands his army. During the time he is at Pans, treating with embassadors from Hungary^ news arrives that the Marquis de Blaucquefort had forcibly married the heiress of Hungary . . . . .349 168. The duke of Bourbon takes Verteuil in Poitou, and returns to the king of France at Paris.. .3aO 169 The Scottish anuy.with that of the admira of France, enter Northumberland; butthe English being on their march to meet them, they retreat ^ mslltirH^d-kd^'-hird-Raiph-Staf,^- The earl of Stafford demands justice from the king men very harshly. They return to France 3M 175. The slate of Flanders. Two honest burgesses of Ghent negotiate secretly a peace with the duke of Burgundy, with tlie assent of Francis Atre- men d5i 176. The two citizens fix on a day to assemble their friends, to accomplish their plan. All Ghent are unanimous for peace, notwithstanding the at- tempts to prevent it by the governor for the king . of England and Peter du Bois 351 177. Sir John d'Elle brings letters patent of peace and pardon to the men of Ghent, from the duke of Burgundy. This peace is confirmed at Tour- nay by other letters patent on each side. ........ .35* 178 The treaty of peace between duke Philip of Bur- gundy, earl of Flanders, in right of his wife, wilh the town of Ghent and its allies 356 179 Peter du Bois. after the conclusion of the peace, retires to England wilh the lord Bourchier, governor of Ghent 358 .315 .347 .348 .318 332 334 351 171. The king of England destroys the abbey of Mel- rose in Scotland. The barons of France and Scotland invade Cumberland. .«J 172. The king of England destroys Edinburgh, and great part of Scotland. The French and Scots do the same on the borders and m Northumber- land ■••• ■;■,;■■ V'A 173 The earl of SulTolk prevents the king of England from pursuing the French and Scots who had m- vadcd England. The English army return home the same way they had entered Scotland. The I French and Scots return in a similar manner. . . . .*i 1 174 The Scots treat the admiral of France and liis VOLUME m. 1. Froissart gives his reasons for vUiting the count deFoLx ...•■,■; *" 2 A short repetition of what U contained in some of the preceding chapters. Ibrtlie better under- standing the history of the war between kmg John of Castille and tlie bastard of Portugal, brother to the late king don Fernando «» 3. The count deFoix.at Uie entreaty ofthepnn- cess of Wales, remits the count d'Anuagnac sLxty thousand francs out of his ransom of two hundred and fifty thousand. The EngUsh garrison at Lourde governs the adjoining coun- try 3™ 4 Sir John Froissart, in his journey toward Beam, is accompanied by a knight attached to the count de Foix. who relates to him how the gar- rison of Lourde took Ortingas and Le Pallier, on the renewal of the war in Guyenne. after the rupture of the peace of Bretigny .dta 5 Sir John Froissart and the knight of Foix arnve at Casseres, where the knight relates to him the capture of the town by the Armagnacs. and also the recapture of it by the count de Foix : and, as they journey, they converse on different feats of arms between the Armagnacs and Foix- iens ^ 6. Froissart continues his journey with the knight of Foix. who relates to him several particulars rela- tive to the sieges of Brest and Denal. and how the duke of Anjou recovered Malvoisin and Trigalet from the English • ■ . .SSJ 7. Froissart continues his journey. In travellmj from Tournay to Tarbes. the knight relates to him how the garrison of Lourde had a sharp rencounter with the French from the ailjaceut garrisons, witli several particulars touching the sie-e of Lourde, and the death of the governor, who would not surrender it to his relation the count de Foix :.y'."":i' 8 During the journey from Tarbes to Morlens the knight of Foix relates to Froissart the quarre. and reconciliation between the duke of Berry and the count de Foi.x— and also the cause of the war between him and the count d'Annaguac. . . .x! 9. Sir John Froissart arrives at Orthes. An old squire relates to him the cruel death of the only son of the count de Foix. and liow strange dreams affected sir Peter de Beam, bastard- brother of the count ," ■ ' 10. The count de Foix holds solemn festivals on the feast of St. Nicholas and at Christmas ; during which Froissart becomes acquainted with le Bas- tot de Mauleon. who relnles to hiin. among other things, bow several of the captains of the free companies were defeated before the town of Saiicerie— how he.surprised the tomi of Thune in the Albigeois, and how one of the name of Limousin revenged an outrage committed a- gainst him by Louis Baimbaut .378 11 A short recapitulation of what has been before said of the war between king John of Castile and John of Portugal. This subject continued. .375 12. The inhabitants of Santarem rebel against some of the men-at-arms of Castille. The king of Castille having raised the siege of Lisbon, marches toward that town, when it makes lU peace '„",""^ — ', j 13 The Spaniards are jealous of the French and Bearnois. Five hundred English arrive to serve the king of Portugal 14. The king of Portugal issues his orders for the army to march toward Santarem. The king of Cas- tille quits that place to meet bun ...... ...3» 1^ The Portuguese fortify themselves, near the church of AUutarota, by the advice of the English. King John of CaslUle, through the counsel of the French and Bearnois, resolves to fight them. The hatreds and jealousies of the Castilhans still continue against the foreigners. .... ■■■••••;■■■■■ 16 The battle of Aljubarota, in w;^''eh t e French and Bearnois. in the interest of Castille, are de- feated and slam by the Portuguese, for not bemg Dtoperly supported by the Castdlians. who were fealous of them. They afterwards meet the 17Tte"kin'rofCaVtiile:afteri;iVdefearat'AJiuba-' rota retreats to Santarem. The kmg of Porta gal returns to Lisbon. A truce is concluded be- 376 .377 379 38S x« CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE. tween them 3^ 18. The count de Foix is rapidly, and in a secret manner, informed of wliat had happened at Al- jubarota. Froi^sart. in consequence of this, relates a story which had been told him of a fa- miliar spirit, called Orthon, who served the lord de Corasse in the like manner 382 19. Siege is laid to Brest. St. Forget, and several other Enghsh garrisons in the environs of ToQ- Jouse, are recovered by the French 384 30. The castle of Convalle is stormed by the French. Some other fortresses turn to the French in- terest 385 21. A short digression on tlie manners of the English and Gascons in the time of Froissart 386 2S. The arrival of Leon, king of Armenia, in France, on which occasion Frois?art describes the state of Genoa in his time, and relates the death of the king of Cyprus 387 28. The king of Armenia relates many stories of tlie Turks and Tartars 388 34. Continuation of the intelligence which the king of Armenia relates to tlie barons of France 388 25. During these wars of the Turks, dissensions con- tinue between the two popes, Urban VI. and Clement VII. Friar John de la Roche-Taillade delivers a good apologue, respecting the pa- pacy, to the cardinals 390 26. The reasons why the Portuguese prefer the Grand Master of Avis lor their king to don John, king of Castille, who had married Beatrice, daugh- ther ef don Ferdinand, late kin^ of Portugal — 391 27. Froissait travels to Rliddleburgh in Zealand, to make ineiuiries from a knight, wlio is going to Prussia, of the affairs ofPortusal 391 38. The Portuguese, after the battle of Aljubarota, send embassadorsto England to informthe king and his nobles of that event 393 29. Lawrence Fongasse, one of the embassadors from Portugal to England, relates lo the duke of Lancaster the events ^vhich had happened in Portugal since the earl of Cambridge had left, it .393 30. The embassadors from Povtunal return with sat- isfactory answers. The duke of Lancaster em- barks on an expedition to recover Castille 398 S- Many French knights and squires offer tlieir ser- vices to the king of Castille 399 38. The duke of Lancaster, in his voyage to Castille, attacks the French betbre Brest, and forces them to raise the blockade ....400 33. The duke of Lancaster arrives at Corunna in Ga- licia. The French, in the service of Spain, en- ter the castle to oppose him. They shortly after defeat a parly of his foragers 400 34. The duke of Lancaster, after remaining before Corunna upward of a month, marches his army to Saint Jago. which surrenders on capitulation. 401 35. The French knights leave Corunna. and join the hing of Castille. They acquire much wealth by plundering the country, in order to frustrate the English 402 36. Great preparations are made throughout France for the invasion of England. The death of Francis Atiemen 402 37. The French put themselves to useless expense on tlieir marine. The English make judicious pre- parations to oppc.se them 403 38. The king of Portugal, when informed of the duke of Laiica.ster*3 arrival at Saint Jago. writes him friendly letters. The king of Castille demands succors from France. The town of Rouelles in Galicia taken by the English 404 39. The marshal of the duke of Lancaster's army at- tacks and gains by treaty the town of Villeclope ill Galicia. The duke sends embassadors to the king of PoiLugal to arrange an interview be- tween them 405 40. The duke of Lancaster has an interview with the king of Portugal. A marriage is agreed upon between the king and the lady Philippa. daugh- ter of the duke 407 41. The duke of Lancaster's marshal gains for him several places in Galicia. The conduct of the king of Castille 408 42. The king of France noes to Lille, with the intent , to invade England. Sir Simon Burley advises the removal of the shrine of St. Tiiomas ii Becket from Canterbury to Dover castle, for fear of the French 411 43. Tlie king of France visits his fleet at Sluys. The king of .\rnienia crosses to England to attempt a reconciliation between the two kings. The answer he receives 412 44- The duke of Berry leave? Paris for Sluys. The constable, after suffering many delays from contrary winds, at length joins the king of France 413 45. The lord de Guistelles appeases an iasurrection of the men of Bruges against the French. The invasion of England is given up oil account of contrary winds, the near approach nf winter, and in contbrmity witli the advice of the duke of Berry, which causes great rejoicings in Eng- land 413 46. Two champions tilt at Paris for life or death 414 47. The death of Peler, king of Arragon. His suc- cessor, king .John, detains prisoner the arch- bishop of Bordeaux, who was negotiating, for the duke of Lanc.nster, the payment of certain Eums which he claimed as due to him from Ar- TQBon 415 CHAP. PAOE. 48. The duke of Lancaster makes war on Arragon. The archbishop of Bordeaux is released. The viscountess of Castle-Bon. suspected of having admitted the English into her castle, appeases the king of Arragon, through the interference of the count de Foix 416 49. Those companions who had conquered Dtiren, are defeated and slain by a stratagem of Ray- mond de Bachez, cousin to the king of Arra- gon 416 50. An achievement of arms performed before the seneschal of Bordeaux, between a knight at- tached to France and one attached to England. .417 51. Sir Oliver de Clisson delivers John of Blois. son of the late lord Charles of Blois. from his long imprisonment in England, and gives him his daughter in marriage, to tire great displeasure of the duke of Brittany 417 52. France makes preparations to assist king Johu of Castille. The dnke of Bourbon is appointed commander-in-chief of the French army.. 418 53. The English fleet defeats that of sir John de Bucq, admiral of Flanders for the duke of Bur- gundy. The English, after doing much mischief to Sluys, and that part of tlie country, return to London. 419 54. The king of Portugal sends embassadors to the duke of Lancaster to conclude his marriage with the lady Philippa. Sir Barrois des Banes is ordered by the king of Castille to the castle of Noya 430 55. The duke of Lancaster sends a reinforcement to the siege of Ribadavia. On that town being ta- ken by storm, Mautes instantly surrenders 420 j 56. The lady Philippa of Lancaster is married, by procuration, to the king of Portugal. The cere- mony is again performed with great magnifi- cence and feastings at Oporto....... 421 57. The duke of Lancaster marches his army to En- tenca. The inhabitants send, with the consent of the duke, to the king of Castille for succor.... 422 58. The duchess of Lancaster and her daughter visit the king and queen of Portugal. The inhabit- ants of Entenca. receiving neither answer nor succor from the king of Castille, surrender to the duke of Lancaster, according to the terms of their treaty 422 59. The count de Foix permits the French captains to passtlirough his territories, on condition they pay for whatever they take. They arrive at St. Jean Pied de Port, at the entrance of Navarre... 423 60. Sir John Holland and sir Reginald De Roye per- form a tilt, in the town of Entenca. before the king and queen of Portugal and the duke and duchess of Lancaster 424 €1. The king of Portugal promises to enter Castille while tlie duke of Lancaster finishes the con- quest of Galicia, and then lo unite their forces.. 426 6B. Sir William de Lignac and sir Walter de Hassac traverse the kingdom of Navarre with tlieir army, and an-ive at Burgos, where tliey meet the king of Castille 426 63. Many plans are ofl'ered to the king of Castille for carrying on the war; he is determined by the commanders of the French force to delay an en- gagement until the arrival of the duke of Bour- bon, and to make excursions from the dilferent garrisons 42i3 64. The constable de Clisson makes great prepara- tions to invade England. Much murmuring and discontent in England against king Ricliard and his council 428 65. The constable of France with several others make preparations to invade England. The duke of Brittany practices to prevent this ex- pedition 429 66. The duke of Brittany summons his barons and knights to a council at Vannes. Sir Oliver de Clisson and the lord de Beaumanoir are made prisoners in the castle of Ermine, and in great danger of their lives 430 67. The constiible de Clisson. through the exertions of the lord de Laval, obtains his liberty, by paying a large sum of money, and delivering up to the duke of Brittany some of his castles 431 68. The lord de Beaumanoir is set at liberty by the duke of Brittany, that he may collect t lie ran- som for the constable, who obtains his freedom on surrendering the places agreed on. The im- prisonment of the constable is known at the court of France 431 ^. The duke of Brittany dictates the terms of the treaties, for the surrender of different places by the constable. The expeditions from Trcguier and Ilarfleur are broken up. Tiie constable, on his deliverance, makes his complaint to the king of France, and resigns to him his office of con- stable 432 70. The duke of Gueldres sends a challenge to France, in favor of England 433 71. Two Breton captains, Iiavmg valiantly defended the town of Orense against the dnke of Lancas- ter, capitulate on terms oftered by the Enghsli. . .433 72. The king of Portugal, being repulsed in his at- tempts to storm the castles of Santarein, burns the town. lie marches to Ferio in Galicia 435 73. The king of Portugal, not lieiiig able totakeFer- rol by storm, gains it liy an ambuscndc, and puts it under the obedience of the duke of Lan- caster 435 74. The army of the duke of Lancaster comes before 1 CHAP. PAflB. Noya in Galicia. The English are received at the barriers, by Barrois des Burres and his com- panions 436 75. The king of France sends some of his nobles to demand from the duke of Brittany the reason o the insult offered to him in the person of his con- stable, sir Oliver de Clisson .437 76. Froissart mentions the person trom whom he learnt the arrest of the constable de Clisson ; who like- wise informs him thai sir Bertraud du Guesclin ought to be called Du Glay-Aquin 437 77. Embassadors from the king of France wait on the duke of Brittany respecting the anest of his constable. The duke, having heard them, gives them his answer 438 78. The dukes of York and Gloucester, uncles to the king, confederate, with other barons, against liim and his council. The people are discon- tented with the duke of Ireland. The Lon- doners, through the means of the duke o Gloucester and his friends, obtain from tiie king, that a day should be fixed for those who had managed the finances to render an account of them 439 79. The commissioners of accounts condemn sir Si- mon Burley to be imprisoned in the Tower of London. Sir Thomas Trivet is killed by a fall from his horse. Sir William Elmham is acquit- ted of havnig taken money for the surrenderor Bourbourg and Gravellnes 440 80. The king of England having left London, sir Si- mon Burley h Ijeheaded, to the great displeasure of the king and queen. A change of the min- istry 441 81. While the council, on the state of the nation, is sitting at London, king Richard, by the advice of the duke of Ireland, determines to wage war against his unc'es and the principal towns 443l 82. The king of England issues Jiis orders fur all ca- pable of bearing arms in the neighborhood of Bristol to march to London. Sir Robert Tresi- lian, sent thither as a spy, is discovered, and be- headed by command of the king's uncles •|43 83. When the news of t!ie death of sir Robert Tre-' silian is brought to the archbishop of York, and sir Nicholas Bramber, they confirm the king m iiis intention of making war on his uncles. The duke of Ireland, as Lieutenant-Geneaal, lea'ls the army to Oxford. 44-i 84. The duke of Ireland sends three knights to Lon- don to learn intelligence. The dukes of York and Gloucester take ilie field against tlie duke of Ireland and his army 444 85. The king's uncles gain a victory over t!ir duke of Ireland, who saves himself by flight with otiiets of his army 445 86. The duke of Ireland with some of hi; compan- ions escapes into Holland. Tlie archbishop of Canterbury is sent by the dukes of York and Gloucester to treat with tlie king. lie conducts him with honor to London 445 87. The king, by the advice of his uncles and coim- cil, summons the nobility and commonei-s of the realm to a parliament at Westminster, and to renew their homage to him 446 88. The king of Portugal and duke of Lancaster unite their forces. When distressed to cross the river Duero, aGalician squire, prUoner of war, directs them to a ford 447 80. Sir Walter de Passac and sir William de Lignac advise the king of Castille not to risk a battle before llie arrival of the duke of Bourbon. A party of the English skirmisli with the garrison of Vilalpaiulo. The duke of Lanc.isler is dis- pirited by his own ill health and the great sick- ness of his army 448 90. Tlie duke of Lancaster disbands his army. Three English knights, having obtained pass- ports, wait on tlie king of Castille, to nego- tiate a retreat fur the men-at-arms through his kingdom 448 91. The English embassadors obtain passports from the king for their sick to pass in safety through Castille, or to remain tliere to recover their heahh. Many knights and squires die in Castille. The duke of Lancaster dangerously ill at Saint Jago 449 93. Sir John Holland takes leave of the duke of Lancaster, and returns with his lady tlirougk Castille, Navarre, and Bayonne, to Bordeaux Sir John d'Ambreticourt goes to Paris, to ac complibli a deed of arms with the lord Bou- cicaut 450 93. The duke of Bourbon, on leaving Avisnon, con tinues his march to Burgos, where he meets the king of Castille. The duke of Lancaster, being informed of this, addresses himself to the king of Portugal. The duke of Bourbon, after a short stay, tnkes leave of the king of Castille, and returns to France 45X 94. The count de FoL\ receives the duke of Bourbon most magnificently, and makes him handsome presents. The men-at-arms who were under sir Waller de Passac and sir William de Lignac sack the town of St. Phagon, on their departure from Castille. The king is very wroth for this against the two captains, who had remained with him ., 452 95. The duke of Tjftncaster leaves Saint Jago for Co- imbra, and thence goes to Bayonne 453 96. The count d'Armagnac tafce^ g^reat pains to pre- CONTENTS. tto keep possession of Montferrant. They make a sally on some troops from Clermont, who had advanced to the barriers of the cap- tured town, and nistanlly defeat them ...464 156. Perrot le Bearnois and his companions having plundered Montferrant, retreat to their forts. His answer to the Dauphin of Auvergne. who complains of his having surprised this town during the time treaties wei-e in agitation for his leaving the country 4S1 107. The Lord Lewis of Blois marries the lady Mary of Berry, and the lord John of Berry the prin- cess 3fary of France, who dies shortly after. The death of the lady Jane of Armagnac, duchess of Berry 46i 108. VMiile the council of France i-. in deliberation whether or not to march an army against the duke of Gueldres, the duke of Berry sends the count d'Estampes to the duke of Brittany, to endeavor to win him over to the party of France, after having alienated hmiself from it by the ar- rest of the constable 465 109. The Castdlians and French, after the departure of the duke of Lancaster from Galicia, recon- quer, ill a very short time, all the towns and castles he had won. The English abuse Cas- tille, when in their own country. The king of France and his council invite the duke of Ireland, who had fled from England, to Paris.. 466 HO. The council of France disagree, as to the king's goins into Germany, on account of the state of the realm. The duke of Brittany strengthens his garrisons, und forms alliances with England and the king of Navarre. The English raise a large army 467 Hi. The Brabanters lay siege to the town of Grave. The constable of France gains the towns of Saint Malo and Sahit Mattlneu de Fine Po- terne.and garrisons them with liis men 468 113. The duke of Lancaster has intentions of marry- ing his daughter to Uie duke de La Touraine, brother to the king of France. The duke of Berry proposes himself for her husband. The duke of Lancaster is much satisfied thereat 468 113. The lord de Coucy and other barons of France are sent to the duke of Brittany. Before their arrival, he had restored to the officers of the constable the places he had taken from him 469 114. AVhite Ilehon de Lignac. embassador from the duke of Berry to the duke of Lancaster, is ne- gotiating the marriage with his daughter, the king of CastiMe sends embassadors privately to break it off, and to demand the lady in mar- riage for his son. Helion de Lignac is sentawny, the day of their arrival, with some tmces res- pecting the frontiers of Aquiiaine 470 115. The dukes of Berry and Bureundy leave Paris for Blois. to hold acunference with the duke of Brit- tany, who meets them there. They persuade him. against his inclination, to come to Paris.. . .471 U6. Lewis of Anjou, son to the late duke of Anjou, uncle to king Charles VI.. mak« liis pubhc entry into Paris as king of Sicily. The duke of Brittany comes there shortly after. Thomas Harpurgan, an Englishman, and John Des Borres, a Frenchman, perform a deed of arms before the king of France at Montereau siir y onne , , , t . . 1 m • . . , ■ i473 CHAP. PAGE. 117. Perrot Le Bearnois takes tlie field by command of ihe earl of Anmdel, who lands his forces at Marans, near La Rochelle 473 118. The Rocliellers skirmish with the Euglisli near Marans. Tiie English, after pillaging the country- round, retire with their booty to their fleet. Perrot le Bearnois does the same to his fort, with a great deal of plunder 474 119. The Brabanters press Grave hard by their siege. The Gueldrians burn a bridge the Brabanters had thrown over tlie Meuse, to enter Gueldres. . .475 120. The Brabanters, having passed through Raves- tein. enter Gueldreland. and are defeated by the duke of Gueldres. The siege of Gra^e is raised in consequence 475 121. The duke of Gueldres. after the defeat of tlie Brabanters, returns to Nimegaen. On the news of tliis victory, the king and council of France send embassadors to the emperor of Germany, the more securely to carry on the war against Gueldreland 476 122. The king of France and his council permit the duke of Brittany to return home. Tlie states of Brabant send e.\cuses to tlie king of France, for not allowins his army to pass through tlieir country. Tiie success of the embassadors with the emperor .* 477 123. The count de Blois send^ two hundred lances to sene the king in his expedition to Gueldres. The embassadors bring favorable answer^ from the emperor of Germany. The king of France conUnues his march toward the forest of Ar- dennes. Sir Hehon de Lignac makes his report to the duke of Berry, touching his marriage witli the daughter of the duke of Lancaster 478 134. The principal barons of Scotland assemble in arms to make war on England. They learn from a spy whom they take prisoner that the English are acquainted with their intentions 479 125. The Scots form their army into two divisions ; one. under the command of sir Archibald Douglas, marches to Carlisle, and the other to Newcastle on Tyne, commanded by the earl of Douglas, at the harriers of which place he con- quers the pennon of sir Ilenry Percy. 480 126. The eail of Douglas, when encamped before Ot- terboume. is attacked by sir Henry Percy, to reconquer his pennon, and a general battle en- sues ,..481 127. Tiie earl of Douglas, in rallying his men who were retreating, is mortally wounded. Sir Ralph Percy, badly wounded, surrenders to sir John I\Jaxwel!, who puts him in the hands of the earl of Moray 482 128. The earl of Douglas, though mortally wounded, orders his banner to be raised, as the bearer had been slain, and forbids his lamentable state to be made known to his men, urging them onto the combat, by which they defeat their enemies, and make sir Henry Percy, with many more, prisoner 483 129. The bishop of Durham is anxious to succor the English and rescue sir Henry Percy, but is so badly supported by his men, that he is forced to retreat. He makes sir Henry Lindsay prisoner, who had taken sir Matthew Redman 4Si The bishop of Durham marches on the morrow of the battle to the Scots camp, but retires witli- out daring to attack it. The Scots return to theic own country 485 The king of France enters the duchy of Luxem- bourg, on his march to Gueldres. Thedukeof Juliers. father of the duke of Gueldres, makes excuses forlm son to the king of France. He is graciously received, and has the territory of V'ierson restored to him, for which he pays hom- age to the king. 4?6 132. King Charles VI. quarters his army on a friend!>' footing in the duchy of Juliers, A squire of Auvergne is murdered by a wood-cutter whom he is leading away as his prisoner 497 133. The duke of JuUers and archbishop of Cologne leave the king of France, and gu to the duke of Gueldres at Nimeguen. By Ibeir remonstrances and negotiations, he obtains peace with the king of France and duchess of Brabant 487 134. The earl of Arundel and his fleet are driven by storms to La Palice, near La Rochelle. The lord Lewis de Sancerre. having had informa- tion of this, chases them at sea, hut m vain. The duke of Lancaster marries his daughter to the heir of Cnstilie 488 135. The king of France, while on the frontiers of Juliei"5, has part of his camp surprised, and several prisoners made, by some German pilla- gers. The king, being twenty-one years of age, takes on himself the government of his kingdom. He sends tt» the king of Castille, on hearing of the marriage of his son with the daughter of the duke of Lancaster, to remon- strate with him not to enter into any treaties that may be prejudicial to him or to his kingdom. .488 136. The duke of Berry, being disappointed in liis maiTiage witli tJie daughter of the duke of Lan- caster, sends to the count de Foi.\ to demand the daughter of the count de Boulogne, whom he had in wardship 489 137. Geoffry Tete-noire is wounded in the head, at a skirmish, and commits excesses which cause his death. He makes a will, and substitutes two govem?n of Ventadour in his room, ,,■-,.. t ■ ... 490 » 130. 131. ^ xrrr CHAP. PAQK 138. The duke of Gueldres is made prisoner in Pmssia; and, though deUvered by the knights of the Teutonic order, he returns to keep his faith to the person who had taken him 49© 139. Sir John de Vienne. having received his answer from the king of Castille, returns to France. The duke of Lancaster proceeds in the marriage of his daughter to the infant of Castille. The earl of Arundel, having made some cruises on the coasts of Normandy, returns with his fleet to England 43x 140. The lord Lewis de Sancerre visits the count de Foix at Orthcs. A deed of arms is performed, before the duke of Lancaster at Bordeaux, be- tween five French and five Englishmen 491 141. The duchess of Lancaster carries her daughter to Castille, to marry her to the intant. Ha\ins found the bones of her father, she has ihem conveyed to Seville, and buried with regal obse- quies 49.3 142. The duke of Berry negotiate? so successfully with the count de Foix. that he sends to liim his cousin of Boulogne, whom he instantly marries '. 493 143. Certain prudent men negotiate a truce, for three years, between the French and English, and all their alUe? 493 VOLUME rv. 1. Froissart relates his travels, afler iie had left Or* thes ^ 2 Queen Isabella of France makes her public entry into the city of Paris , 434 3. Sir John de Chatel-Morant brings from England the truces fur three years, sealed by king Rich- ard and his allies, Lewis of Anjou, king of Sicily, is betrothed and married to a daughter of ' the king of Arragon 497 4. The king of France is desirous of visiting the dis- tant parts of his kingdom. At the request of the lord de Coucy, lie orders tlie duke of Ireland out of France 497 5. King Charles of France visits his uncle the duke of Burgundy, nnd Pope Clement at Avignon . . .493 6. The king of France sends the dukes of Berry and Curgundy to their homes, to their great dissatis- faction, and continues his journey from Avignon to Languedoc 499 7. Di!rii;g the time king Charles of France is at Montpellier, three of his chamberlains imder- take to hold a tournament near to Calais, against all comers 499 8. During the king of France's residence at Beiiei-s, .accusations are made against Betiiisac. trea- surer to the duke of Berry. Thinking to be sent to the pope and escipe punishment, he confesses himself a heretic and sodomite, but is transferred over, by the official at Beziers, to the secular power, and burnt 501 9. AVhen the king of France is at Toulouse, he sum- mons the count de Foix, who, on his arrival, pays him homage for his county ot Foix 501 10. The king of France and his brother, the duke of Touraine, wager which shall arrive tlie soonest at Paris, from Montpellier, each attended by only one knight 505 U. The death of pope Urban ut Rome, called the anti-pope. Pope Clement writes to the king of France, his uncles, and the university of Paris, on the occasion. The election of pope Boni- ftice by tlie Roman cardinals 505 12. The surrender of the strong castle of Ventadour in Limousin, that had been the chief residence of Geoffry Tete-noiie 5OS 13. Three French knights hold a tournament at Saint Inglevere, near Calais, and defend the lists, for thirty days, against all comers, from England and elsewhere 509 14. The duke of Bourbon is appointed chief of an expedition to Africa, that is undertaken by sev- eral knights of France and England at the soli- citation of the Genoese 5H 15. Aymerigot Marcel, captain of the pillaging com- panies, having fortified La Roche de Vandais, on the borders of Limousin and Auvergne, ii besieged by the viscount de Maux, by command of the king of France 515 IG. Aymerigot Marcel endeavors, but in vain, to roise the siege of La Roche de Vandais, by letters and messages to the king of England, the duke of Lancaster, the viscount de Meanx, and eveu to ihe duke of Berry 51T 17. Aymerigot Marcel having left La Roche de Van- dais. to seek succor from other pillagers, his lieutenant, Guyot du Sel, is surprised by nn ambuscade, and the fort surrenders on capitula- tion .520 18. The messengers from England, hearing of tho surrender of La Roche de Vandais, take leave of the duke of Berry. Aymerigot letirestothe house of a relation, called Tournemine, who betrays him to the king of France. He is car ried to Paris, and there beheaded, and his body quartered .521 19. The Christian lords weigh anchor, and leave the island ofComino, in order to lay siege to the town of Africa. The manner in Avhich they conduct themselves , 532 20. The conduct of the Sarftceos during the siege of the town oi Africa. .They '^eFld to demand from IIV CONTENTS. CBiJ*. PAGE. the French the cause of their makine war against them 524 21. JSome nuraclea are shown to the Saracens, as they attempt to attack the camp of the chris- tians. Several skirmishes during the siege. Tlie ciiniate becomes unwholesome, and otiier acci- dents befal the besiegers 524 32. A challenge is sent by the Saracens to offer com- bat of ten agninst ten Christrians. The Sara- cens fail in their engagement. The town of Af- rica is stormed, but unsuccessfullj', and with the loss of many worthy men...,..,. 5^ 3B. A grand tournament is holden at London, The king of England gives splendid entertainments during the siege of the town of Africa by the Christians. The count D'Ostrevant receives Uie Order of the Garter, wliich displeases tlie king of France 527 34. The siege of Africa is raiseti. The cause of it. The knights and squires return to their own countries 529 25. King Charles of France proposes to march to Italy, to form a union of the Church by force, and thence to Barbary. Embassadors from England otfer proposals for a peace between him and king Richard. The death of John, king of Castille. lie is succeeded by his son Henry, who is crowned king, though but nine years of age ^ ,530 36. Of the expedition of cpunt John d'Armagnac ijito Lombardy. His death at the siege of Alex- andria 531 27 The king of England is anxious to make peace with France, The duke of Gloucester throws obstacles m the way. Sir Peter de Craon, ^ ftwmerly the favorite of king Ciiarles and his brother the duke of Tuuraine, incurs their hatred, and takes refuge willi the duke of Brit- tany 534 38. The death of the young count Louis deChastii- Jon, son to count Guy de Blois. The sudden death of Gasion count de Foix 535 3S. Sir Evan de Foix, bastard-son to the late count, intending to carry away privately the treasure of his father, is discovered by tlie townsmen of OrthCB, who, however, promise every assistance to him and to his brother that is not incompati- ble witii the true iieir to the count de Foix. the vjscouut de Chastelbon 536 30. The corpse of the count de Foix is brought from Rion to Orthes. The king of France sends the bishop of Noyon and tlie lord de la Riviere into the county of Foix, to make arrangements, ac- cording to the decree of tlie council 537 31. The viscount de Chastelbon, heir to the count de Foix, attends his funeral at Orthes. He is ad- vised to send to the before-named commission- ers from France, to demand possession of the succession which liad (iillen to him by the death of the count de Foix : He afienvards sends, to the same purport, to the king of France 537 33. The king of France and Uie duke of Brittany meet al Tours, to settle tlieir differences. Em- bassadors from England come thither also to negotiate a peace 539 33. Sir Roger d'Espaign and sir Espaign du Lyon, embassadors from the viscount de Chastelbon, practice so successfully with the court of France, that lie is declare*! heir and successor to the count de FoL\ by letters patent from tlie king of France 540 34. During the residence of the king of France and duke of Brittany at Tours, their differences are partly accommodated by means of the marriages of the duke's son with a princess of France, and a son of John of Brittany, son to the late Lord Charles de Blois, with a daughter of the duke of Brittany 54I 35. The count de Blois and Mary of Namur. his countess, sell to the duke of Touraine the county of Blois with other lands. The viscount de Chastelbon takes possession of tlie inheritance of the late count de Foix 54I 36. A grand assembly .it Amiens, of the king and lords of France and England, to treat of a peace between the two fcmgdoms 542 37. The French and English lords;, not being able to agree on the terms of peace, prolong the truce ene year. The English, on their return, are accompanied by the lord de Chastcau-Moront. to bring back tlie king of England's final an- swer 544 38. The first illness of king Charles. Count Beniard d'Armagnac does homnge to the king. The lord de Chnstclinorant returns from England witJi an answer respecting peace 544 39. Sir Peter de Craon, through malevolence, way- lays sir Oliver de Clisson, beats and severely wounds him. The king and council are greatly angered tli^reat 545 4(1 The king of France sendM his own physicians and surgeons to visit the constable during the night, orders the provost of Pari^ to pursue ?ir Peter de Craon, who had fled for refuge to tlie duke of Bri*t;iny. Some of his men, having remained at Paris, are executed 546 41. The king of France summons the duke of Brit- tany to deliver up Kir Peter dc Craon. ilis an- twemoibeingsatisfactory.the king declares war tenimi him. The kinj^'s uncles murmur at the CHAr. FAOK. great riches of the constable, which were dis- closed by his will .547 42. The duke of Touraine is created duke of Orleans. The constable of France being recovered, the king of France advances to Mans, with the in- tention of continuing his march to make war on the duke of Brittany M8 43. The king of France, during his stay at Man^;, again sends some 'noble personages to the duke of Brittany, with orders to dismiss sir Peter de Craon. The king is informed tliat sir Peter is arrested at Barcelona by command of the queen of Arragon 544 44. The king having left Mans to carry on his war against Brittany, is ordered to return by an un- known person. This same day, his mind is de- ranged, and he is brought back to Mans 544 45. King Charles VI. of France, continuing deranged in mind, is removed from Mans to Creil, on the Oise. the regency of the kingdom is given to tlie dukes of Berry and Burgundy by the three estates 5jl 46. The lord de Coucy introduces tlie great physicion. master William de Harseley, to cure tjie king of France. Various causes assigned for this dis- order 557 47. The dukes of Berry and Burgundy ruin those who had been the conlidential servants of the king. The duke of Burgundy treats rudely the constable de Clisson 552 48. Sir Oliver de Clisson, after the harsh answer of the duke of Burgundy, retires to Montlehery. Be- ing pursued thither, he has time to make lib re- treat to Chasteau Josselin 553 49. The lord de la Riviere, the principal minister of the king of France before his illness, is made prisoner by orders of the dukes of Berry and Burgundy. The duchess of Berry intercedes for him with her lord 553 50. After many adjourmneuts and delays, the consta- ble de Clisson is, by judgment of the court of parliament of Paris, banished the realm of France, condemned to pay a fine of one liun- dred thousand francs, and declared incapable of holding the office of constable of France 565 M. King Charles recovers his senses through the mercy of God, and the diligent attention of his physician, master William de Harseley 556 52. The truce is prolonged between France and Eng- land. The viscount de Chastelbon does homage for tlie county of Foix to the king of France 556 63- The king of France is in great danger of his life at a masked dance ol men dressed hke savages. Pope Boniface and his cardinals at Rome send a learned friar to the king 557 54. The duchess of Berry supports the lord de la Riviere, in opposition to the duchess of Bur- gundy 558 55. The lord de Coucy refuses to accept the sword of constable in the room of Clisson. The dukes of Berry and Burgundy invest the lord Philip d'Ar- tois, count d'Eu, with it, in consideration of his marriage with the ladyMary of Berry, widow of the lord Louis de Blois 55? 56. Tlie constable de Clisson, during his absence from France, wages war on the duke of Brittany 560 57. A treaty of peace concluded between the kings of France and England, through the media- tions of their uncles 560 58. The treaty of peace is nearly broken off by pope Boniface, and by tlie king of France re- lapsing into his former illness 562 59. The death of pope Clement at Avignon. The election of poi/O Benedict. A learned clerk in the arclibishopric of Rheims, supports the right of the see of Avignon, by his speeches and preachings 563 60. The king of England is advised to make a jour- ney to Ireland, and to settle on the duke of Lancaster and his heirs for ever the duchy of Aquitaine witli all its dependencies 563 6i. The death of the lady Anne of Bohemia, queen of England. The duke of Lancaster lands in Aquitaine, and the king of England in Ireland.. .564 63. Sir John Froissart arrives in England, and is pre- sented to king Richard by the duke of Vork, uncle to the king 565 63. The information Froissart gains in England, toucliing the opposition of the inhabitants of Aquitaine to the gift the king of England had made of it to his uncle the duke of Lancaster. The commissioners sent to remonstrate on the matter witli the king cannot obtain a decisive answer relative thereto 566 64. Froissart presents his Book of Love Poems to king Richard of England. He relates what he had heard of the last expedition ol the English to Ireland 568 65. The duke of Lancaster is ordered back from Aquitaine. King Richard receives a friendly answer to the proposals his embassadors iiad made to the king of France for a marriage be- tween him and the lady Isabella, princess of France 570 66. A squire of Normandy, called Robert the Hermit, having declared he had seen a vision, while at sea, ordering him to interfere in mak- ing a peace between France and England, is sent to king Richard and his uncles to this effecl.. 571 67. The lord de la Riviere and sir John le Mercier are delivered out of prison gfj, 68. The duke of Brittany and sir Oliver de CIis«)ii are reconciled. The dowager queen of SicUy institutes a law-suit in the courts of Paris against sir Peter de Craon 573 69. The kine of Hungary writes to the king of France his situation in respect to the sultan Ba- jazet. John of Burgundy . eldest son to the duke of Burgundy, marches, as commander-in-chief, an army to the sijccor of the Hungarians ff?5. 70. The count d'Ostrevanf. brother-in-law to John of Burgundy, being desirous to march to Hungary, is advised by his fatherto attempt, in preference, thereconquestofFriesland. which belonged lo them , 57ft 71. John of Burgundy, count of Ne vers, leads an army into Hungary against the Turks. The ne- gotiations for the marriage of king Richard of England with the eldest princej.3 of France are continued 57c. 72. The queen of Naples, widow to the late duke of Anjou, obtains judgment in parliament against sir Peter de Craon. 577 73. The marriage is concluded between king Richard of England and the lady Isabella, eldest daugh- ter to Charles VI. king of France. The duke of Lancaster marries again. Sir Peter ds Craon is. ■ after some time, delivered from prison, at the en- treaty of tlie young queen of England 577 74. John of Burgundy, count of Nevei-s. passes the Danube with his army. After tlie capture of several places, tiie town of Nicopoli is besieged.. 57& 75. A digression from the principal history to explain why John Galeos of Milan was moved to give the Turk information of the expedition intended against him e^ 76. While Bnj;tzet is raising a great army to oppose the Hungarians and French, the lord de Coucy, during the siege of Nicopuli. defeats a large body of Turks with an inferior force 581 77. The duke of Gueldres prevents the earl of Derby joining the counts of Hainauh and of Ostrevnnt in their expedition against Friesiand. Negotia- tions for peace between France and England are continued until king Richard crosses over to Calais, to conclude them with the duke of Bur- gundy 582 78. The counts of Hainault and of Osirevant raise a large army of mco-at-arms, knights and squires, to invade Friesiand. The king of France sends them assistance, under the command of count Walleran de Saint Pol and the lord Charles d'AIbret ggj 79. The earl of Hainault lands with his army in Freisland. He defeats the Frieslanders in battle, but is nevertheless (breed to retire to Holland, to pass the winter, without having gained anyiliinc in Friesiand 5$^ 80. The ceremony of the marriage of the king of England with a princess of France. The king of France delivers her to tlie king of England, in his tent between Ardres and Calais 68& 81. The Christians are forced to raise the siege of Nieopoli, by the arrival of Bajazet in Turkey. They are defeated, and the Hungarians put to flight, through the presumptuous folly of the French 597 82. The Turks, after the battle of Jiicopoli, put to death all their prisoners, except the count de Nevers and some other great lord; ggg: 83. The French and others who had been in Turkey suffer great hardships on their return home, after having escaped from tlie battle of Nicopoli. Sir James de Helly brings certain mtelligenceof this defeat to the king of France 5g9 64. SirJamesde Helly. having received his dispatches from the king of France, arrives in Hungary, in his way to Turkey. The king sends sir John de Chastelmorant. with presents to Bnjazet, and his recommendations in favor of the French prison- ers. The manner in which the)' are treated 690 85. Sir James de Helly, on his return to Turkey, ob- tains his liberty, and carries a pnsspi^rt from the sultan to sir John deChastelmorant in Hungory. Sir John de Chastelmorant is forced to send a messenger to the king of France, to inform him that the king of Hungary will not allow the presents to be carried to the sultan 591 86. The duchess of Orleans is susperted of causing llie k ing's illness 592- 87. The duke and duchess of Burgnndy diligently exert themselves lofiiid means to ransom tlie count de Nevers, their son. and his fellow-priso- ners in Turkey. The king of Hungary, tlirough the persuasion of the grand master of Rhodes, permits the embassador from the king of France to pass through his kingdom with the presents for the sultan B.tjazet 592 88. The duke of Gloucester phtts the de: ruction of his nephew the king of England. The king, having information of his practices, iias him ar- rested by tlie earl-marsha! 593 89. The lord dc Coucy and count d'Eu. constable of France, die in Turkey, before the treaty for their deliverance is arranged. A ransom is agreed oti for the other prisoners who were taken at the battle ol Nicopoli 597 90. The French lords who had been prisoners in Tur- key return by sea ig Venice , , ,, 598 CONTENTS. XV CBAY. PAOH. SI. The lord Louis de Soncerre is made constable of France, in the room of the count d'Eu. wlio liad died in Turkey. Bouciraut, during his iibsence with the count de Nevers, is nppuiiited marshal of France in the place of the lord Loui^ de San- cerre. The French lords who Jiad been prison- ers in Turkey return to France 600 92. The deaths ofthe duke of Gloucester and the earl of Arundel. Tlie manner in which the dukea of Lancaster and York, and tJie London- ers, take the matter 60J 93. A great assembly holden at Kheiins, by the em- peror of Germany and king of France, on the schism in theCImrch. and on the means of unit- ing the two parties 603 y4. The earl -marshal chulleiiges the earl of Derby, son to tlie duke of Lancaster, in the presence of the king and his council 603 95. King Richard of England banishes the earl of Derby from England for ten years, and the earl- marshal lor his lite 606 96. The earl of Derby, in conseciuence of his banish- ment, leaves England for France. The earl- marshal, in obedience to His sentence, goes to Flanders, and thence into Lumbardy 606 57. The count d'Osirevant sends embassadors to the earl of Derby. The carl arrives at Paris 607 96. The emperor and tlie king of France pursue the plans they had settled at Rheinis, for a union of the church. The bishop of Cambray is sent by them to the pope at Rome. The answer that is made him 607 96, The king of France, in conforcnity to the advice ofhU nobles and the university of Paris, sends the bishop of Cambray to pope Beuedict at Avignon, on the subject of a union of the church, and also his marshal Boucicaut thither ta constrain the pope to obedience by force of arms, should there be occasion 607 100. In consequence of the answer of pope Benedict, the marshal Boucicaut obliges him by force of arms to submit himself to the will of the king of France respecting a union of the church 606 101, The marshal Boucicaut returns to Hungoty against the Turks, The «arl of Derby sends t« CHAP. PAGE. request permission of the duke of Lancaster to accompany Boucicaut in this expedition. The king of England is solicited by the king of France to engage his subjects to a neutrality be- tween the two pope=, until a new election shall take place; but they refuse compliance with tlieir monarch's request 609 102. The answer the duke of Lancaster gives the knight who had been sent to him by the earl of Derby, to request his permission to join thee.x- pedition against the Turks. The death of the duke of Lancaster 610 103. The king of England makes the kins of France acquainted with the death of the dake of Lan- caster, but does not notice it to the earl of Derby, though sou to the late duke €10 104. Tiie treaty of marriage between the earl of Derby and the daughter of the duke of Berry is broken off by the king of England, through the means of tlie earl of Salisbury 611 105. King Richard of England proclaims a tourna- ment, which is attended by very lew persons. On setting out !br Ireland, he banishes the earl of Northumberland and his son the kingdom. . . ,612 106. Tlie English, and particularly the Londoners, rise in f'ivor of tiie earl of Derby against king Richard 612 107. The archbishop of Canterbury is sent to France by the Londoners, and others of tlieir parly in England, to bring back the earl of Derby G13 108. The earl of Derby takes leave ofthe king and lords of France, to visit his cousin the duke of ^ Brittany 614 109. The earl of Derby sails from Brittany to England. His reception by the citizens of London 615 110. The ear! of Derby, now dukeof Lancaster, un- dertakes the government of England, and, by the aid of the I^ndoners, determines to seize the throne. lie marches in arms against king Rich- ard at Bristol 615 111. King Richard is informed that the earl of Derby is marching against him with a powerful army. He retires to Flint castle 616 112. King Richard Gurrenders himself to the earl of perb^r, to ])^ conducted 10 London., >,.••■ i •■•• f .616 CHAP. PAOC. 113. The lady of Coucy is taken away from tlip vonng queen of England, and a new Iiousehold ap" :' pointed for her. King Richard i* confined in the tower of London 617 114. The earl of Rutland, constable of England, hear- ing the king has surrendered, disimsseb his mea- al-arms. Four knights ofthe king'b chamber, having been put to death by the Londoners, lie is advised by those who were imprisoned with him to resign hi? crown to the duke of Lancas- ter a? 115. King Richard of England resigns his crown and kingdom into tlie hands ofthe duke of Lancas- ter 618 116. A parliament meets at Westminster, when the duke wf Lancaster 'is publicly acknowledged king of England. The great magnificence of his coronation 619 117. Intelligence of the imprisonment of king Richard is carried to France by the lady of Coucy. King Charles is much displeased thereat. The duke of Bourbon attempts in vain to reduce Bor- deaux, and other towns in Aquitaine, to the crown of France 639 118 The council of France, by peimission of king Henry, send over persons to visit Isabella, queen to Richard 11 6a 119 The earls of Huntingdon and Salisbury, and some others, having failed to murder treacherously king Henry of Lancaster, rise in arms against him. They are defeated and beheaded, and their heads sent to the king .622 130. On the death of John of Montfort, duke of Brit- tany, the Bretons undertake the wardship ofthe young duke, and to be friendly to France. Tlie French king, dist;usting the sentiments of the new reign in England, makes provision against any sudden change 633 121. The death of king Richard. The truces are re- newed and kept between France and England. The earl-mar&hal, who had been banished Eng- land, dies at Venice 638 133. France preserves a neutrality between tJie popes of Rome and Avignon. The election of the «inpeio[ Robert . . . i •> > m i •• • n • • • 1 1 n • > ^ LIST OF ENGRAVINGS. PAGE. 1. Initial kttei T ■■■•■• " *■ 2. Group of Kiiiclils of the Fourtoentli Century 14 3. Portrait of Edward tlie Second 15 «■ 4. auecn Isabella's Visit to her Brother at Tan? 16 to. 5. Portrait of Eilward the Third •■ f 46. 6. Edward the Third's Expedition against the Scots.. il | 7. Portrait of Philip de Valois, king of France 25 i 47. 8. View of Berwick-upoQ-Twced 27 | «. 9. Visw in Ghent ; * I f- 10. Edward the Third sending a Challenge to King 50. Philip ~ 11. View of the City of Tournay. . « 12. Entry of John de Montfort and his Duchsss into Names ■ ® 13. Part of the Old Town Wall of Newcaslle-upon- Tyne " ^• 14. View of Wark Castle. Norlhumberland .54 54. la. A Tournament. From a Manuscript of the Fif- teenth Century 5i 16. The Trebuchet. a Machine for Casting Stones H) fo. 17. Wooden Tower, used for Storrainj Walls '0 56. 18. Dattleof Caen '' 57. 19. Battle of Crcssy 81 58. 20. Portrait of Queen Philippa. From lier Tomb 85 a. Uueen Phihppa haranguing her Troops at Ne- V ij's Cross Oi' 22. Xjochaber Axes ^ 33. Combat ef La Roche D'Errien , 8& 34. Battle of Calais S3 35. Portrait of John, King of France ^ 63. 26. Portrait of Edward the Black Prince 106 64 27. Battle of Jleau.\, in Brie 113 65. 38. War Waggons and Baggage Trains on their Maich 134 29. Cathedral and Part of the Old Town of Rheims. .120 30. Whole-lenalh Figure of "BertiandduCue«clin." from a woodcut in a scarce Folio, Printed 1490. . 141 31. Portrait of Charles the Fifth of France 143 33. Coronation of Charles V. and his Ciueen 147 33. Portrait of John of Gaunt (Duke of Lancaster).. .161 69. 34. Scenery of the Pyrenees on the French side 162 35. Scenery of the Pyrenees on the Spanish side 170 70. 36. Baule of Hlontiel— an irregular Combat of French, Spaniards. Moors, and Jews 173 71 37. Tomb of Ciueen Fhilippa, Westminister Abbey. . . 190 38. Sir John Chandos at the head of his Uoops, in 73 the act of making his Deathcharge on the French 193 74. 39. Edward the Black Prince in a Litter at the Sack of Limoges 201 40. The Round Tower of Wmdnor Castle, as it ap- 76. peared in the time of Etiward in 307 77. 41. Sea-fight off I^ ftocheUe 308 78. 43. Dunfermline Abbey— the Burial Place of Robert Bnice , 216 PAOE. Tomb of Edward the Black Prince. Canterbury Cathedral 223 Portrnitof Richard II 224 Tomb of Edward III., Westminster Abbey.. .... .234 Duke of Anjou with his army, marching against Bergerac ^ The Storming of Dura-^ 2-31 View of Alnwick Castle 233 View of E%'ieux, in Normandy .239 Oliver du Guesclin made prisoner by the Garri- rison of Cherbourg •■ -243 dueen Joanna of Naples, surrendering her Terri- ritories to Pope Clement VIl ^ Men of Ghent attacking the Earl of Flanders in Dendermonde ^" The HOtel-de- Ville. Oudenarde 260 The Ear! of Buckingham, with his Army, on their Voyage to Calais, to assist the Duke of Brittany 263 Portrait of Charles VI. of France 370 The H6tel-de-Ville. Ypres 277 John BaU preaching to the People in Kent 283 Richard the Second and the Rebels 285 Death of Wat Tyler 287 Citizens of Ghent begging a Peace of the Earl of Flanders 292 Tomb of Good Ciueen Anne, wife of Richard II., in Westminster Aubey 295 View of Castel del Ovo, Naples 396 A French Knight unfurling the Oriflumrae 314 Battle of Rosebecque 321 The Bishop of Norwich at the head of his ^ Troops 327 Funeral of the Earl of Flanders, bearing tlie body into the Chu-.ch ■ — 336 Funeral of the Earl of Flanders, placing the body before the Altar 337 Funeral of the Earl of Flanders, placing the body in the Tomb ■ ■■33' Genoese Cross-bowmen attacking the Bridge of Taillebourg 344 King Robert of Scotland and his Nine Sons who lo%-ed Arms ^ The Old Maison-de- Ville. Ghent 357 Froissart at the Court of the Count de Foil 359 Bishop of Pamiers singing the Mass at the Festi- val of St. Nicholas 372 Erelish and Gascon Lords at Bordeaux 387 Embassadors of Portugal presented to Riehard II. by the Duke of Lancaster 393 Attack on the Fortifications of Pontevedra 409 General View of Sluys 412 Battle-axe Fight between Sir John Holland and Sir Reginald de Rove ^ , View of the City of Burgos ,.,..«8 PAQIi. 80. Lord Beaumanoir paying the Ransom of the Constable de Clisson 432 81. Richard the Second at Bristol 443 82. Bayonne, as it appeared in tlie Seventeenth Cen- tury ;.463 83. The Emperor constituting the Duke of Brabant Keeper of the Public Roads 45tJ SI. Perrot le Bearnois and a company of Pillagers. . . .462 85. The Duke of Brittany presenting the Count d'Bs- tampes with a handsome white palfrey 466 86. Palace of the Louvre 473 87. View of Jedburgh 480 88. View of Brancepeth Castle 481 89. Deatli of Douglas at Olterbourne 483 90. Triumphal Entry of Ciueen Isabella into Paris — 495 91 . Entry of Charles, king of France, to Beziers 503 J^2. Count de Harcourt presenting the Comfit Box to the king 5»4 93. Coronation of Pope Boniface 50G S^. Tournament at St. Inglevere 509 95. English and French Knights under the Duke of -Bourbon on their voyage to Africa 513 96. Execution of Ajmerigot Marcel at Pans OT 97. Siege of the Town of Africa »& 9S. Richard the Second and his three Uncles, the Dukes of Lancaster, York, and Gloucester 5M 99. Assembly of the French King and the Lords of France and England, to treat of a Peace be- tween the two kingdoms 543 ICO. Shrine of St. Aduaire JoZ 101. King Charles and a Hawking Party S6j 102. The Masque at Paris, in which the king and oth- ei"s were in great danger yor 103. Marriage of Philip d'.'lrtois and Lady Mary de Berry ^» 104. Richard the Second on his Voyage to Ireland 664 105. Irish Chieftians making a Charge 569 106. King of Hungary holding a Council with the French Knights ^ 107. Battle of Nicopoli »' 108. William of Hainault on his Expedition against Friesland ■ -59* 109. Isabella and the king of England taking leave of the King of France, at the Camp between Ar- dres and Calais •.• ■ •*' 110. V isit of Richard the Second to his Uncle, tne Duke of Gloucester, in his Castle at Pleshy 596 111. The Earl-Marshal challenging the Earl of Derby l'"** 112. Earl of Derby taking leave of the King and Lords of France at Paris .614 U3. Richard the Second resigning the Crown into the hands of the duke of Lancaster 619 114. The Coronation of Henry the Fourlh mO 115. Funeral Procession of Richard the Second 683 ^>.*v^^^ _- — V t^ >17^ r 1 I (itnrlJ fj/, A fii I |lQco have wished to favor the French too much ; to have passed over the most brilliant actions of the English, where he quits the sense of his author, in writing otherwise than Froissart had done : this last reproach does not seem to me founded. With regard to omissions, he has taken that liberty which an abbreviator ought to be allowed, to attach himself chiefly in extracting what he thinks suitable for his purpose ; and that Sleidan, who at the time was living in France with Frenchmen, may, without any want of candor, have attached himself principally to those facts which con- cerned them. It will not be so easy to justify Bclleforet, who, giving a French abridgment of Froissart, has contented himself with trans, lating literally Sleidan, without ever mentioning the author whom he translated. The English, whom the reading of Froissart interests in so partic- ular a manner, have in their language a translation of the Chronicles of Froissart, composed by sir .lohn Bouchier, lord Berners, by order of king Henry VIII., and printed toward the end of his reign. There is also one in Flemish, printed by Guerrit Vander Loo, in folio; without counting that in the same tongue which Vossius had seen in manuscript. I shall not say anything of these translations, not having met with either. That of Bouchier is, they say, more correct than the French editions, in regard to proper names ;t this must, however, be under- stood to mean English names. The Flemish translation must have the same advantage with regard to proper names, and names of places in Flanders. They may both be of great utility to whoever should wish to give a good edition of Froissart. * M de St. Palaye is ignorant lio^v rich this country is in MSS. of Froissart. There are many magnificent ones in the British Museum, at Oxford, Cambridge, and in otlier public and private hbraries. I have in my library not less than six; but not one is a com- plete history. 1 1 am sorry 1 must contradict M. de St. Palaye. in his opinion of lord Berner's trans- lation. Had it been as he imagines, I should not have attempted to offer a new transla- tion to the public ; but, so far from being correct as to -names, be mangles them nearly as bad as old Froissart 1 cannot flatter myself with having succeeded to my own satisfaction, although I have tttken every possible pains to make it as complete as the difficulties would allow me. 14 PREFACE — CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. SIR JOHN FROISSART'S PREFACE TO HIS CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, &c, HAT the honorable enterprises, noble adventures, and deeds of arms, performed in the wars between England and France, may be properly related, and held in pei-petual remembrance — to the end that brave men taking example from them may be encouraged in their well- doing, I sit down to record a history deserving great praise ; but, before I begin, I request of the Saviour of the world, who from nothing created all things, ihat he will have the goodness to inspire me with sense and sound understanding, to persevere in such manner, that all those who shall read may derive pleasure and instruction from my work, and that I may fall into their good graces. It is said, and with truth, that all towns are built with many differ, ent stones, and that all large rivers are formed from many springs ; so are sciences compiled by many learned persons, and what one is ignorant of is known to another : not but that everything is known sooner or later. Now, to come to the matter in hand, I will first beg the grace of God and the benign Virgin Mary, from whom all comfort and success proceed ; and then I will lay my foundation on the true Chronicles formerly written by that reverend, wise, and discreet man, John le Bel, canon of St. Lambert's, at Liege ; who bestowed great care and diligence on them, and continued them, as faitlifuUy as he could, to his death, though not without much pains and expense : but these he minded not, being rich and powerful. He was also a man of courteous manners, generous, and a privy counsellor, well beloved by sir John de Hainault; who is spoken of in these books, and not without reason, for he was chief of many noble enterprises, and nearly related to several kings ; and by his means the above mentioned John le Bel could see, as through a perspective, the many gallant actions recorded in the following sheets. The true reason of my undertaking this book was for my amusement, to which I have ever been inclined, and for which I have frequented the company of many noblemen and gentlemen, as well in France as in England and Scotland, and in other countries, from whose acquaint- ance I have always requested accounts of battles and advenmres, especially since the mighty battle of Poictiers, where the noble king John of France was taken prisoner ; for before that time I was young in years and understanding : however, on quitting school, I boldly undertook to write and relate the wars above mentioned — which com- pilation, such as it was, I carried to England, and presented to my lady Philippa Hainault, queen of England, who most graciously received it Irom me, to my great profit. And perhaps as this book is neither so exactly nor so well written as such feats of arms require — for sucli deeds demand that each actor who therein performs his part nobly should have due praise — in order to acquit myself to all, as in justice is due, I have undertaken this present work on the ground before mentioned, at the prayer and reqviest of my dear lord and mas* ter, sir Robert de Namur, kniglit, lord of Beaufort, to whom I owe all love and obedience, and God give me grace to do always accord- ing to his pleasure. THE CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, PRANCE, SPAIN, &c. &c. CHAPTER 1. OF THE BKAVEST K.NIGHTS OF THIS TRESE-NT EOOK. To encourage all valorous hearts, and to show them honorable examples, I, John Frois. sart, will begin to relate, after the documents and papers of master John le Bel, formerly ^» canon of St. Lambert's, at Liege, as follow. " eth : That whereas various noble personages have frequently spoken of the wars between France and England, without knowing any- thing of the matter, or being able to assign the proper reasons for them ; I, having perceived the right foundation of the matter, shall neither add nor omit, forget, coiTupt, nor abridge my history : but the rather will enlarge it, that I may be able to point out and speak of each adventure from the nativity of the noble king Edward of England, who so potently reigned, and who was engaged in so many battles and perilous adventures, and other feats of arms and great prowess, from the year of grace 1326, when he was crowned in England. Although he, and also those who were with him in his battles and fortunate rencounters, or with his anny when he was not there in person, which you shall hear as we go on, ought to be accounted right valiant ; yet as of these there is a multitude, some should be esteemed supereminent. Such as the gal. lant king himself before named ; the prince of Wales, his son ; the duke of Lancaster ; sir Reginald lord Cobham ; sir Walter Manny of Hainault, knight ; sir John Chandos ; Sir Fulke Harley ; and many others who are recorded in this book for their worth and prowess ; for in all their battles by sea or land, in which they were engaged, their valor was so distinguished that they should be esteemed heroes of highest renown — but without disparagement to those with whom they served. In France also was found good chivalry, strong of limb and stout of heart, and in great abundance ; for the kingdom of Fance was never brought so low as to want men ever ready for the combat. Such was king Philip of Valois, a bold and hardy knight, and his son, king John ; also John, king of Bohemia, and Charles, count of Alen. (jon, his son; the count of Foix ; the chevaliers de Santrd, d'Arnaud d'Angle, de Beauveau, father and son, and many others that I con- Kniguts of the Fourteentu Cestury.— From original autborities in tlie Britii>h Museum. not at present name ; but they shall all be mentioned in due time and place : for, to say the truth, we must allow sufficient bravery and ability to all who were engaged in such cruel and desperate battles, and discharged their duty, by standing their groimd till the discomfiture. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. IS CHAPTER II. OF SOME OF THE PREDECESSOKS OF KING EDWAKD OF ENGLAND. The better to understand the honorable and eventful history of the noble king Edward of England, who was crowned in London on Christmas-day, in the year 1326, in the life time of the king and queen his parents, we must remark a common opinion of the Eng- lish, of wliich there have been proofs since the time of the gallant king Arthur, that between two valiant kings of England there is always one weak in mind and body ; and this is apparent in the ex- ample of the gallant king Edward, of whom I now speak ; for true it is that his grandfather, called the good king Edward the First, was brave, wise, enterprising, and fortunate in war. He was much en. gaged against tlie Scots. He conquered tliem three or four times, without tlieir being able to gain any advantage over him. Edward the Second —From a painting in the Bodleian Lib. Oxford. When he died, his son by his first marriage succeeded to the crown, but not to tlie understanding or prowess of his father, for he governed his kingdom veiy unwisely, through the evil counsels of others, the ill consequences of which he afterwards suffered severely, as you will see ; for, soon after his coronation, Robert Bruce, king of Scotland, who had given so much and such frequent trouble to king Edward above mentioned, and who well knew liis valor, reconquered all Scot- land, and took besides the good town of Berwick. He burnt and destroyed great part of the country, four or five days' march within the realm at two different times : he afterwards defeated the king and all the barons of England,* at a place in Scotland, called Stirling, in a pitched battle, when the pursuit lasted two days and two nights, and the king of England, accompanied with a few followers, fled to Jjondon. But, as tliis is no part of our matter, I shall here leave off. CHAPTER III. OF THE RELATIONS OF KING EDWARD THE THIRD. King Edward the Second, father of our gallant king, had two bro. thers : one was the Earl Marshal, of a wild and disagreeable tem. per ; the other was called lord Edmund of Kent : he was very wise and affable, and much beloved. This king had married the daughter of Philip the Fair, king of France, who was one of the greatest beauties in the world. He had by this lady two sons and two daughters. The elder son was the noble and valiant king Edward, of whom this history speaks ; the other was called John, and died young. The elder of the two daugli. ters was called Isabella, and was married to the young king, David of Scotland, son of king Robert Bruce. They were affianced from their earliest youth, with the consent of the two kings of England and Scotland, as a bond to cement the peace. The other was°mar- ried to the count Reginald, subsequently called duke of Guelderland, who had by this lady two sons ; one named Reginald, the other tdward, who afterwards reigned with great power. CHAPTER IV. THE OCCASION OF THE WARS BETWEEN THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND. History tells us that Philip, king of France, surnamed the Fair, had three sons, besides his beautiful daughter Isabella, married to the king ot England. These three sons were very handsome The eld est, Lewis, king of Navarre, during the lifetime of his father, was called Lewis Hutin ; the second was named Philip the Great or the • By batel arengyd the day of Saynt John Baptyst. in the 7th yere of ye reicne of the Mme kyng Edward, in the yereof onr Lorde 1314. The chase of this diicofetnre endu ed And on Mydlent-sonday in the yere of our Lorde 1316 the Scottis wan aeayne the cite orBenyylibytreason."-LoRDBERNERs. ■Ji.ajne me cite This passage of Lord Berners', though given in his text, appears to be an interpolation c„i ,r?'n "'■"' ,1'" "" ""' "'^ ^"''"''"'' "^"^ ^i^^emant leads to the idea ttatihe venld T^T.lf '■""t '™"';"1""«|>' -abse^uent to the battle, whereas t>yo mStatel^ vened. The battle spoken of was that of Bannockbum. Long ; and the third, Charles. All these were kings of France, after their father Philip, by legitimate succession, one after the other, without having by mamage any male heirs ; yet, on the death of the last king, Charles, the twelve peers and barons of France did not give the kingdom to Isabella, the sister, who was queen of England, because they said and maintained, and still do insist, that the king, dom of France is so noble, that it ought not to go to a woman ; con. sequently neither to Isabella, nor to her son, the king of England ; for they hold that the son of a woman cannot claim any right of succession, where that woman has none herself. For these reasons the twelve peers and barons of France unanimously gave the king- dom of France to the lord Philip of Valois, nephew to king Philip, and tlius put aside the queen of England, who was sister to Charles, the late king of France, and her son. Thus, as it seemed to many people, the succession went out of the right line, which has been tha occasion of the most destructive wars and devastations of countries as well in France as elsewhere, as you will learn hereafter ; the real object of this history being to relate the great enterprises and deeds of arms achieved in these great wars, for from the time of good Charlemagne, king of France, never were such feats performed. CHAPTER V. HOW EARL THOMAS, OP LANCASTER, AND TWENTY-TWO OF THE GREATEST NOBLES IN ENGLAND WERE BEHEADED. King Edward the Second, father to the noble king Edward the Third, of whom our history speaks, governed his kingdom very indifferently, by the advice of sir Hugh Spencer, who had been brought up with him from his youth. This sir Hugh had managed matters so, that his father and himself were the great masters of the realm, and were ambitious to surpass all the other great barons in England ; for which reason, after the great defeat at Stirling, the barons and nobles, and even the council of the king, murmured much, particularly against sir Hugh Spencer, to whom they imputed their defeat, on account of his partiality to the king of Scotland. The barons_ had many meetings on this matter, to consult what was to be done'; the chief of them was Thomas, earl of Lancaster, uncle to tlie king. Sir Hugh soon found it would be necessaiy for him to check them ; and he was so well beloved by the king, and so continually in his presence, that he was sure of gain, ing belief, whatever he said. He soon took an opportunity of informing the king, that tliese lords had entered into an alliance against him, and that, if he did not take proper measures, they would drive him out of the kingdom ; and thus operated so powerfully on the king's mind, that his malicious intentions had their full effect. The king caused all these lords to be arrested on a certain day when they were met together, and, without delay, ordered the heads of twenty-two of the greatest barons to bo struck off, without assigning any cause or reason. Thomas, earl of Lancaster, suffered the first. He was a discreet and pious man ; and eince that time many'mira- cles have been perfoiTned at his tomb in Pomfret, where he was beheaded. The hatred against sir Hugh Spencer was increased by this deed, particularly that of the queen and of the earl of Kent, bro. ther to the king ; which when he perceived, he fomented such a dis. cord between the king and the queen, that the king would not see the queen, or come to any place where she was. This quarrel lasted some time ; when the queen and the earl of Kent were secretly informed that, if they did not speedily quit the court, they would repent it, for sir Hugh was endeavoring to stir up much mischief against them. Then the queen, having made preparations fo- pass, ing secretly to France, set out as if to go on a pilgrimage to St. Tho. mas of Canterbury ; whence she went to Winchelsea, and that night embarked on board a vessel prepared for her reception, accompanied by her young son Edward, the earl of Kent, and sir Roger Mortimer. Another vessel was loaded with luggage, &c., and, having a fair wind, they landed the next morning at Boulogne. CHAPTER VI. THE QtJEEN OF ENGLAND GOES TO COMPLAIN OF SIR HUGH SPENCER TO HER BROTHER THE KING OF FRANCE. When the queen Isabella landed at Boulogne, with her son and her brother-in-law, the earl of Kent, the governor of the town and the abbot waited on her, and conducted her to the abbey, where she and her suite were joyfully received and remained two days ; on the third she continued her route toward Paris. King Charles, her brother, being informed of her coming, sent some of the greatest lords at that time near his person to meet her ; among whom were, sir Robert d'Artois, the lord of Crucy, the lord of Sully, and the lord of Roy, and many others, who honorably received and conducted her to Paris, to the king her brother. When the king perceived his sister (whom he had not seen for a long time) entering his apartment, he rose to meet her, and taking her in his arms, kissed her, and said, " You are welcome, my fair sister, with my fine nephew your son ;" then taking one in each hand, he led them in. The queen, who had no great joy in her heart, except being near her bro. ther, would have knelt at his feet two or three times, but the king would not suffer it, and holding her by the right hand, inquired very affectionately into her business and affairs. Her auaweis weie pru- 16 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE., SPAIN, &c. dent and wise ; and she related to him all the injuiies done to her by Sir Hugh Spencer, and asked of him advice and assistance. When the noble king Charles had heard the lamentations of his sister, who with many tears had stated her distress, he said, " Fair sister, be appeased— for, by the faith I owe to God and to St. Denis, I will provide a remedy." The qneen then kneeled down, in spite of the king, and said to him, " My dear lord and brother, I pray God may second your intentions.* The king then taking her by the hand, conducted her to another apartment, which was richly fur- nished for her and her young son Edward ; he then left her, and ordered that everything should be provided becoming the state of her and her son from his treasury. Queen Isabella's Visit to her Brother at Paris.— From an Ulumination in a MS. Froiaart. In a short time afterwards Charles assembled many great lords and harons of his kingdom, to have their advice what was most proper to be done in the business of his sister, the queen of England. Their advice was, that the queen should be allowed to purchase friends and assistance in the kingdom of France, and that he should appear ignorant of this enterprise, lest he should incur tlie enmity of the king of England, and bring a war upon his country — but that under. hand he should assist her with gold and silver, which are the metals wherewith the love of gentlemen and poor soldiers is acquired. The king acceded to this advice, and caused his sister to be in- formed of it by sir Robert d'Artois, who was at that time one of the greatest men in France. CHAPTER VII. SIR HITSH SPENCER CAUSES THE QUEEN ISABELLA TO BE SENT OUT OF FRANCE. Now let US speak a litde of this sir Hugh Spencer. When he saw that he had the king of England so much in his power, that he objected to nothing he said or did, he caused many noblemen and ethers to be put to death without law or justice, but merely because he suspected them of being ill-inclined to him. His pride was also hecome so intolerable, that the barons who remained alive in Eng. land, neither could nor would suffer it any longer. They required and entreated that all private quarrels should be made up ; and sent secretly to inform the queen (who had at this time remained in Paris three years.) that if she could collect about a thousand men-at-arms, and would come at the head of them herself, with her son, into England, they would immediately treat with her, and obey him as their lawful sovereign.t * Lord Bemers' version is more afiecting, and is almost word for word with the ori- sinal ; it runs thus— When the nohle kyng Ciiaries of France had harde his susters lamentation, who vaeepivslij had shewed hrni ail lier nede and liesynw^se. lie sayd to her, " Fayre suster, appe-ise yourselle, for, hy tlic faitii I owe to God and to sayntDenyce, 1 shall right well puruey for you some remedy." The qucne then kneled down wliether tjie kyng would or not, and sayd, " My rght dyere lord and fayre brotlier, I pray God reward you." IDieu vous en veuiUe ouir-l t Jolm le Bel, according to what M. Lancelot says in one of his memoirs respecting Kobert d'Artois, has heen much mistaken in the object of Isabella's journey to France, and the time she went lliither. It related to the homage due from Edward the Second to Charles, king of France. Charles had seized on parts of Guyenne. and the Spencers sent the qneen of France to make up the matter with her brotlier. and also to keep jier at a distance, as they knew she disliked them. There is a letter in Rymer, from king Edward to pope John XXll., dated March 8th, 1324, in which he says he is determined to send the queen to France to treat with her brother. This date is remarkable, because Froissart places the journey of the queen two years earlier ; for he says the queen of England remained at Paris three years. Now it is certain she returned to England the 22nd of September. liWfj ; she XQtlst, therefore, have arrived in France in 1323. But Froissart is mistaken ; her journey IHls posterior to the expedition against Guyenne, which lasted from May, 1324, to the The queen showed these private letters that she had received from England to the king, her brother, who replied, " God be your help ! your aflairs will prosper so much the better. Take of mv subjects as many as your friends desire ; I freely give my consent, and I will order the necessary suras of money to be distributed among them." The queen had already been active, and what with entreatfes, gifts, and promises, had gained over many great lords, young knights, and esquires, who had engaged to carry her back to England with a great power. The queen made all her preparations for her expedition very se. credy, but not so much so as to prevent its coming to the knowledge of sir Hugh Spencer, who thought, that his most prudent plan would be to win over to his interest the king of France ; for this efiect he sent over trusty and secret messengers, laden with gold, silver and rich jewels. These were distributed among the king and his ministers with such effect, that the king and his council were in a short time as cold toward the cause of Isabella, as they had before been warm. The king dis- concerted the expedition, and forbade any person, under pain of banishment, to aid or assist the queen in her projected return ta England. Sir Hugh also endeavored to get the queen into his and the king's power, and to this effect- made the king write an affectionate letter to the pope, entreating him to order the king of France to send' back his wife, as he was anxious to acquit himself toward her before God and the world j since it was not his fault that she had left him, for he was all love and good faith toward her, such as ought to be observed in marriage. There were similar letters written at the same time to the pardi- nals, and many subtle means devised to insure their success, wliich it may not be go proper here to mention. He also sent plenty of gold and silver to many cardinals and prelates, the nearest relations of the pope, and those most in his councils, by able and adroit messengers, who managed the pope in such a manner, by their presents and address, that he wrote to the king of France to send back Isabella, queen of England, to her husband, under pain of excommunication. These letters were carried to the king of France by the bishop of Xaintes, whom the pope sent thither as his legate. The king, on the receipt of them, caused his sister to be acquainted with their contents (for he had held no conversation with her for a long time,) and commanded her to leave the kingdom immediately^ or he would make her leave it with shame. CHAPTER VIII. THE QUEEN ISABELLA LEAVES FRANCE AND GOES TO GERMANY. When the queen heard this account, she knew not what to say, or what measures to adopt, for the barons had already withdrawn them- selves by the king's command, and she had no resource or adviser left but in her dear cousin Robert of Artois : and he could only advise and assist her in secret, for, as the king had forbidden it, he could not act otherwise. He well knew, that the queen had been driven from England through malice and ill-will, at wliich he was much grieved. This was Sir Robert's opinion ; but he durst not speak of it to the king, for he had heard the king say and swear, that whoever should speak to him in her behalf should forfeit his land, and be banished the kingdom. He was also informed, that the king was not averse* to the seizure of the persons of the queen, her son Edward, the earl of Kent, and sir Roger Mortimer, and to their being delivered into the hands of the king of England and sir Hugh Spencer. He therefore came in the middle of the night, to inform the queen of the peril she was in. She was thunder.struckt at the information— to which he added, " I recommend you to set out for end of September in the same year ; consequently her residence in France and Hainault was only about eighteen months. The same historian mistakes the object of her journey. He supposes her sole motive for going to France was to demand protection fVom the king, her brother, against the Spencers ; that her departure was secret ; and that she- carried the young prince of Wales witli her. All the documents which remain prove this to he groundless. She left England hy the desire of Edward ; she succeeded in Iier mission, and a treat7 was concluded tlic 31st of May, 1325. The Spencers were afraid of suffering Edward to pay tlie homage in person, ami therefore persuaded him to give tlie ducliy of Guyenne and county of Ponthieu to tJie prince of Wales : which was done on the 2nd and 10th of September, 1325. The prince of Wales embarked at Dover the 12th of the same month, to pay the homage, upward of si.x months after the passage of the queen his mother. It is tnie, that when he arrived at the court of Charles the Fair, she prevailed on him to stay longer than Edward and his favorites wished. She exerted herself as much as possible to procure men and money, which she intended to employ in forcing the king, ber husband, from the hands of the Spencers. For further particulars, wliicii. however, do not seem to me very material to this part of the history, I must refer to tiie Memoir itself in vol. X. des M^moires de i'Academie des Inscriptions, &c. * Was in mynde & will to make his stistfr to be taken, &c. — Lord Bbrners. t Tlien ye queue w.as greatly abasshed tebnhie] and required bym all wepyng ofhif good counsaile. Then he sayed, &c.— Lord Berbers. CHRO^fICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. the empire, where there are many noble lords who will greatly assist you, particularly William, earl of Hainault, and his brother, \#io are both great lords, and wise and loyal men, and much dreaded by their enemies." The queen ordered her baggage to be made ready as secretly as she could ; and having paid for everything, she quitted Paris, accom- panied by hor son, the earl of Kent, and all her company, and took th» road to Hainault. After some days she came into the country of Cambray. Wlien she found she was in the territories of the em- pire, slie was more at her case, passed through Cambresis, entered I'Ostrevant, in Hainault. and lodged at the house of a poor knight called Eustace d'Ambreticouil, who received her with great pleasure, and entertained Jier in the best manner he could ; insomuch that afterwards the queen of England and her son invited the knight, his wife, and all his children, to England, and advanced their fortunes in different ways.* The arrival of the queen in Hainault was soon known in the house of the good earl of Hainault, who was then at Valenciennes. Sir John, his brother, was also informed of the hour when she alighted at the house of the lord of Ambreticourt. This sir John, being at that time very young, and panting for glory like a knight- errant, mounted his horse, and, accompanied by a few persons, set out from Valenciennes for Ambreticourt, where he arrived in the evening, and paid the queen every respect and honor. The queen was at that time very dejected, and made a very lamentable complaint to him of all her griefs ; which affected sir John so much, that he mi.xed his own tears with hers, and said, " Lady, see here your knight, who will not fail to die for you, though every one else should desert you ; therefore will I do everything in my power to conduct you and your son, and to restore you to your rank in England, by the grace of God, and the assistance of your friends in those parts; and I, and all those whom I can influence, will risk our lives on the adventure, for your sake ; and we will have a sufficient armed force, if it please God, without fearing any danger | from the king of France." The queen, who was sitting down, and sir John standing before her, rose, and would have cast herself at his feet, out of gratitude for the great favor he had just offered her ; but the gallant sir John, rising up quickly, caught her in his arms, and Baid, " God forbid that the queen of England should ever do such a thing ! Madam, be of good comfort to yourself and company, for I will keep my promise — and you shall come and see my brother, and the countess his wife, and all their fine children, who will be rejoiced to see you, for I have heard them say so." The queen answered, " Sir, I find in you moi-c kindness and comfort than in all the world besides, and I give you five hundred thousand thanks for what you have said and offered me. If you will keep what you have promised me with so much courtesy, I and my son shall be for ever bound unto you, and we will put the kingdom of England under your management, as in justice it ought to be." After this conversation, sir John de Hainault took leave for the night, and went to Douay, where he slept at the abbey. The next day, after having heard mass and taken some refreshment, he returned to the queen, who received him with great joy. She had finished her dinner, and was going to mount her horse, when sir John arrived. The queen of England quitted the castle of Ambreticourt, and, in taking leave of the knight and his lady, she thanked them for their good cheer, adding, that she trusted a time would come, when she and her son would not fail to remember their courtesy. The queen set ofl', accompanied by sir John, lord of Beaumont, who with joy and respect conducted her to Valenciennes. Many of the citizens of the town came out to meet her, and received her with great humility. She was thus introduced to William, earl of Hain. ault, who, as well as the countess, received her very graciously. Many great feasts were give n on this occasion, as no one knew better than the countess how to do the honors of her house. This earl William had at that time four daughters, Margaret, Philippa, Joan, and Isabella ; the young king Edward paid more court and attention to Philippa than to any of the others ; the young lady also conversed more frequently with him, and sought his company oftener than any of her sisters. The queen remained at Valenciennes during eight days, with the good earl and countess Joan of Valois ; in the mean time the queen made every preparation for her departure, and sir John wrote very affectionate letters unto certain knights, and those companions in whom he put the most confidence, in Hainault, in Brabant, and Bohemia, beseeching them, from all the friendship that was between them, that they would accompany him in his expedition to England. There were great numbers in these countries who were willing to go with him from the love they bore him, and many who refused, notwithstanding his request ; and even sir John himself was much reproved by the earl, his brother, and by some of his council, because it seemed to them that this enterprise was of much hazard, on ac- count of the great divisions and enmities which at that time subsisted among the great barons and commons in England ; and also because the English are always very jealous of strangers, which made them doubt whether sir John de Hainault and his companions would ever return. But, notwithstanding all their blame and all their advice * HiB son was one oi* Uie first knights of the garter. See Asbmole'a Ifistory of the Ganer. 17 bestowed upon him, the gallant knight would not change his purpose saying, that he could die but once ; that the time was in the will of God ; and that all true knights were bound to aid. to the utmost of their power, all ladies and damsels driven from their kingdoms com- fortless and forlorn. CHAPTER IX. QUEEN ISABELLA ARRIVES I.V ENGLAND WITH SIR JOHN DE HAINAtTLT. Thus was sir John de Hainault strengthened and encourao-edin Ins resolution. He earnestly entreated the Hainaulters to be at Halle, the Brabanters at Breda, the Hollanders (of whom he had a few) at Uordi-echt, and the Bohemians at Gertruydenberg, by a fixed and limited day. The queen of England took leave of the earl and countess, thanking them much for the honor and entertainment they had shown her, and kissed them at her departure. The queen, her son, and suite, set off, accompanied by sir John, who with great dif- ficulty had obtained his brother's permission. He said to li?ni, when he took his leave, " My dear lord and brother, I am young, and be. lieve that God has inspired me with a desire of this enterprise for my advancement ; I also think and believe for certain, that this lady and her son ha%-e been driven from their kingdom wrongfully and sinfully. If it is for the honor and glory of God, and of the world, to comfort the afflicted and oppressed, how much more so is it, to help and succor one of such high birth, who is the daughter of a king descended from royal lineage, and to whose blood we ourselves are related ! I would have prefcned renouncing every expectation I have here, and gone and served God beyond seas, without ever returning, rather than this good lady should have left us without comfort and aid. If you will permit me to go, and grant me a willing leave, I shall do well, and thereby better accomplish my purpose." When the good earl had heard his brother, and perceived the gr^at desire he had for this enterprise, and that possibly it might turn out not only to his own honor, but to that of his descendants ; he said to him, " Dear brother, God forbid that there should be any hindrance to your wish : therefore I give you leave in the name of God !" He then kissed him, and squeezed his hand, in sign of great affection. Sir John set out, and went that night to Mons, in Hainault, where he slept, as did the queen of England. Why should I lengthen my story ? They travelled in such a manner as to arrive at Dordrecht by the time limited for their friends to meet them. At that place they provided themselves with vessels of different sizes, and having embarked their cavalry, baggage, &.C., they set sail, having fihgt recommended themselves to the care of the Lord. In this expedi- tion there were the following knights and lords of Hainault ; first, sir John de Hainault, lord of Beaumont, sir Henry d'Antoing, sir Michael de Ligne, the lord of Gommegines, sir Percival de Semeries, sir Robert de Bailleuil, sir Sanxen de Bouissoit, the lords of Vertaing, de Pocelles, de Villers, de Hein,dc Sars, de Boisiers, d'Ambreticouit, de Sermuel, sir Oulphart de Guistelle, and many other knights and esquires, all eager to sei-ve their master. When they left the harbor of Dordrecht, the fleet, considering the force, made a beautiful ap. pearance, from its good order, and from the weather being c'lear and temperate. They came opposite to the dykes of Holland the first tide after their departure. The next day they cast anchor and furled their sails, intending to follow the coast of Zealand, and to laud at a port which they had descried; hut they were prevented by a violent tempest, which drove them so far out of their course, that for two days they knew not where they were. In this God was very merciful to them ; for, had they landed at the port they intended, they woqld have fallen into the hands of their enemies, who apprised of their coming, waited for them at that place to put them to death. At the end of two days the storm abated, and the sailors descrying England, made for it with great joy, and landed upon the sands, having neither harbor nor safe port. They remained there three days at a short allowance of provisions, while they disembarked their cavalry, and landed their baggage. They were ignorant in what part of England they were, whether that part of the country was friendly to them or not. The fourth day they began their march, putting themselves under the protection of God and St. George, having suffered much from cold and hunger in addition to their late fears, of which they had not yet divested themselves. They marched over hill and dale until they came to some villages ; soon afterwards they saw a large monastery of black friars, called St. Hamons, where they refreshed themselves during three days.* CHAPTER X. THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND BESIEGES HEH HUSBAND IN THE CITT OF BRISTOL. The nevis of her arrival being spread abroad, soon came to the knowledge of those lords by whose advice she had returned ; they got themselves ready as soon as possible to join her son, whom they wished to have for their sovereign. The first who came was Henry, earl of Lancaster, surnamed Wryneck, brother to the earl Thomas, who had been beheaded, and father of the duke of Lancaster, who makes so conspicuous a figure in the following history. Tliis earl Henry was attended by a great number of men-at-arms. After him * P : Vir : says that tJiis company landetl in the county of Suffolk, and mentions a village called Orwel. in which they refieshed themselves. The Chronicle of Flandei* colls it Norwell, and adds that it io a sea-port.-.«nnf ta(«ns from DiNis SAtrviOl'i edition. 18 C HRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FKaNCE, SPAIN, &< -ame, from difterent parts, earls, barons, knights, and esquires, and with sneli an armed force,' that they no longer thought they had any- thing to apprehend. As they advanced, their forces were stiH in. creased ; so tlnU a council was called to consider if they should not march d'irectly to Bristol, where the king and the two Spencers then were. Bri-stol was at that time a large town, M'ell inclosed, and situated on a good port. Its castle was very strong, and surrounded by the sea. °The king, and sir Hugh Spencer, the elder, who was about .lincty years of age, and sir Hugh Spencer, his son, the chief gov- hcrfoij as jirijoners. Thus ended this bold and gallant enterprise of sir Jolin de llainault and his companions, who, when they embarked at Dordrecl'l. amounted to no more than tliree hundred men-at-arms. By thoir i.ie-iiis* queen Isabella recovered her kingdom, and destroyed her enemi'-'- ; at which the whole nation, except some few who were attached lo the Spencers, was greatly rejoiced. When ihe liing and sir Hugh Spencer were brought to Bristol by sir Henr) B.'dumont, the king was sent, by the advice of llie barons and knighlj:. to Berkeley castle, under a strong guard. Many atten- tions were paid to him, and proper people were placed near his peraon, 3rnor of the kin*, and adviser of all his evil deeds, shut themselves to take e^,':T\ care of him, but on no account to suffer him to pass tlie up in it. The earl of Arundel, who had married the daughter of tlie younger Spencer, was also there, as well as divers knights and esquires, ittcnding the Icing's court. The queen, with all her company, the lords of Hainault, and tlieir iuile, look the shortest road for that place ; and in every town through which they passed were entertained with every mark of distinction. Their forces were augmenting daily until they arrived at Bristol, which ttiey besieged in form. The king, and the younger Spencer, shut themselves up in the castle ; old sir Hugh, and the carl of Arundel, remained in tb.e town. When the citizens savvvthe 'queen's force, and the affections of almost all Ei.gland on her sule, alarmed at tlieir own perilous situation, they deteimiiied in council to surrender the town, on condition that their lives and property should be spared. They sent to treat with the queen on this subject ;' but neither she nor her council would consent to if, unless sir Hugh Spencer and the earl of Arundel were delivered jp to her discretion, for she had come purposely to destroy them. The citizens seeing they had no other means of saving the town, their lives, and their fortunes, acceded to the queen's terms, and opened their gates to her. She entered the town, accompanied by sir Jolin de Hainault, with all her barons, knights, and esquires, who took their lodging therein; the others, for want of accommodation, remained without. Sir Hugh Spencer, and the earl of Arundel, were delivered to tlie queen to do with them as it should please her. Her children ii'cre also brought to her — John and her two daughters, found there in the keeping of sir Hugh Spencer. As she had not seen them a long time, this gave her great joy, as well as to all her party. The king and the younger Spencer, shut up in the castle, were much grieved at what passed, seeing the whole country turned to the queen's party, and to Edward, his eldest son. CHAPTER XI. MR IHJGII SPEIfCEH THE ELDER, X^TD THE EARL OF ARU.NTIF.L, ARE ADTODGED TO DEATH. As soon as the queen and the barona were lodged at their ease, they made th.cir approaches to the castle as near as they could. The queen then ordered sir Hugh Spencer the elder, and tlie earl of Arun- del, to be brought before her eldest son, and the barons assembled, and said to them, that she and her son would see that law and justice should be done unto them according to their deeds. Sir Hugh replied, " Ah ! madam, God grant us an upright judge and a just sentence ; and that if we cannot have it in this world, we may find it in another !" Then rose up sir Thomas Wnger, a good knight, wise and courteous, and marshal of the army : he read, from a paper in his hand, the charges against them, and then addressed himself to an old knight, seated on his right l-.and, to decide the punishment due to persons guilty of such crimes. This knight consulted with the other barons and knights, and reported it as their opinion, that they deserved death for the many horrible crimes with which they had been charged, and which they believed to be clearly proved ; that they ought, from the diversity of their crimes, to suffer in three different manners : first, lo be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution, there to be beheaded, and afterwards to be hung on a gibbet. Agreeably to this sentence, they were executed before the castle of Bristol, in the sight of the king, sir Hugh Spender, and all those within it. This execution took place in October, on St. Denis's day, 13'2G. CHAPTER XII. THE KtKG or EUGLAND AND SIR HUGH SPENCEE AKE TAKEN AT SEA AS TUEV \VERE ENDEAVORING TO ESCAPE I'ROM THE CASTLE OF BRISTOL. This act of justice performed, the king and sir Hugh Spencer, seeing themselves so closely pressed, and being ignorant whether any succor was coming to them, embarked one morning with a few followers, in a small boat behind the castle, intending, if possible, to reach the principality of Wales : they were eleven or twelve days in this small boat, and notwithstanding every effort to get forward, the winds proved so contrary, by the will of God, that once or twice a day they were driven back within a quarter of a league of the castle whence they set out._ At length sir Henry Beaumont, son of the viscount Beau- mont of England, espying the vessel, embarked with some of his com- panions in a barge, and rowed so vigorously after it, that the king's boatmen, unable to escape, were overtaken. The king and sir Hugh Spencer were brought bock to Bristol, and delivered to the queen and I'oundsof the castle. Sir Hugh Spencer was delivered up to sir Thomas Wager, n):irsVml of the army. The queen and all the army set out for London, which is the prin- cipal cit}' in I'lngland. Sir Thomas Wager caused sir Hugh Spencer to be fastened on the poorest and smallest horse he could find, clothed with a tabiict. such as he was accustomed to wear. He led him thus in derision, in the suite of the queen, through all the towns they passed, where he w&s announced by trumpets and cymbals, by way of greater mockery, tilt they reached Hereford, where she and her suite were respectfully and joyfully received. The feast of All Saints was there celebrated w'th the greatest solemnity and magnificence, out of affec- tion to bei son, and respect to the noble foreigners that attended him. CHAPTER XIII. SIR imGU SPENCER JUDGED AND EXECUTED. WuKiV liif feast was over, sir Hugh, who was not beloved in those parts, was brought before the queen and knights assembled ; the charges wer-; read to him — to which he made no reply; the barons and knighi~ then passed the following sentence on him : first, that he should be. drawn on a hurdle, attended by trumpets and clarions, through all the streets in the city of Hereford, and then conducted to the market. plpce, where all the people were assembled ; at that place ho was to be bound upon a high scaflbld*, in order that he might be more easily seen by the people. First, his private parts were cut off, because he v>-as deemed a heretic, and guilty of unnatural practices, even with ib.e king, whose affections he had alienated from the queen by his wicked suggestions. His private parts were then cast into a large fire !; indled close to him ; afterwards, his heart was thrown into the same fire, because it had been false and traitorous, since he Iiad by his treasonable counsels so advised the king, as to bring shame and mischief on the land, and had caused some of the greatest lords lo be beheaded, by whom the kingdom ought to have been supported and defended ; and had so seduced the king, that he could not nor would not see tlu: queen, or his eldest son, who was to be their future aove- reign, both of whom had, to presen'e their lives, been forced to ijuit the kingdom. The other parts of sir Hugh thus disposed of, his head was cut otV and sent to London. After the execution, the queen and all the lords, with a great num- ber of common people, set out for London. As they approached it, great crowds came out to meet them, and received both her and her son, as well as those ^vho accompanied her, with great reverence. "The citizens presented handsome gifts to the queen, as well as to those of litr suite, where they thought them best bestowed. After fifteen d.tvn passed in feasts and rejoicings, the companions of sir John de lioJnauU were impatient to return home, for tliey thought they had « oil performed their duty, and acquired great honor. They took leave of the queen and of the nobles of the country, who besought them to tarry a little longer, to consider w-hat ought to be dune with the king, then a prisoner : but they had so great a desire to return home, that entreaties were of no avail. When the queen and lier coun- cil saw this, they addressed themselves to sir John de Hainault, and requested him to remain only till after Christmas, and that he would detain a.=> many of his followers as possible. That gallant knight, wishing to leave nothing undone that depended on him, courteously complied with the queen's request. He detained as many of liia companions as he could ; but small was the number, the greater part refusing to stay on any account, which angered him much. Though the queen and her council saw that no entreaties could prevail on his companions to stay, they showed them every mark of respect. The queen ordered a large sum of money to be given them for their expenses, besides jewels of high price, which she presented to each according to his rank ; so that all were perfectly satisfied. She also paid to each, in ready money, the value of their horses that tliey chose to leave behind, according to their own estimation, without any demur. Sir John and a few of his companions remained in England, ac- cording to the queen's desire, and the English paid to him and his companions all the respect in their power. There was at that time a great number of countesses and other noble ladies and damsels attendant on the queen, as well as others who came there daily, who were not behindhand in their attentions to sii- John, thinking the gallant knight very deserving of them. ^ Lord Beniers adds " & the lordes in Inglande." not tliijikiDg it tight that aX. Ihft praise should be given to the Hainaulters. * Tyed on his'i upoa a lodder.tescbelle }— liORB Bernebs, CHRONICLES OF KiNGJLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. 19 CHAPTER XIV. THE OOEONATION OF KI.JG EDWAED TUE TIIIFli. Most of the followers of sir John de Hainault having tt(urO«d home, the lord of Beaumont however remaining, tlie queen guve leave to many of her household, as well as othert-, to return to tlu'ir coBnlry. seats, except a few of the nobles, whom she kept wiih her o; her council, expressly ordering them to come back at Chrisliiiiis to a great court, which at that time she intended to hold. They took leave, pro- mising to be there at the time appointed, as well as many others who had notice of the feast. When Christmas came, she heki the court above mentioned, and it was very fully attended by all the nobles and prelates of the realm, as well as by the principal oflicert, of the chief cities and towns. In this assembly it was determined, 'linl the king- dom could no longer remain without a sovereign, and l;i:'.i all the acts of the king, then in prison, proceeding from his own will, or the evil counsel of others, and ill government of the realm, should be stated in writing, and read aloud to all the nobles and sages of tijf country, in order that they might take advice, and resolve how, and by whom, the country in future should be governed : and when al; ihe acts done by the king, or having his consent, as well as his condi'.ei iu priv.ite life, had been read, the chiefs of the assembly consulted i"gether, and agreeing, from their own knowledge, that the greater |j:jrt of what they had just heard read was true, that such a man was not worthy to be a king, neither to bear a crown, nor the title of kijiL'. ihey ur.ani- Edward TUS Thi.id.— From tlie tomb nt ^Ve:tiiiini5tcr *<■ mously resolved, that his elder son and tnie heir, then .ui' -eiil, iitould be crowned instead of the father; and that he should i-jke good and loyal counsel, that the kingdom might be henceforwatil better gov- erned. They ordered that his father should be kept a prisoner, having every attention paid to his rank, as long as he should ]\\c. .'ill v,as done, as agreed to by the chief nobles of the country > ml the pii.iiei. pal officers of tlie great towns. The young king Edward, since so fortunate in arnts. >- :i.^ erown.jd with a royal diadem, in the palace of Westminister, on (,' hristmaa- day, 132C. He completed his si.xteenth year on the fc"M of tlie con. version of St. Paul following. At this coronation, sir John de Hainault, and all his .-.Miipanions, noble or otherwise, were much feasted, and manv rich jewels were given to him and those th^at stayed with him. Ho and' liis friends remained during these grand feasts, to the great satiffi..;iion of the lords and ladies that were there, until Twelit'h-dav, when h- received infonnation that the king of Bohemia, the earl of HaiiMult'his bro- ther, and many great lords of France, had ordered a tournament to bo proclaimed at Cohde : sir John, therefore, would no lana: r slay, not- withstanding their entreaties, from the great desire he liad to attend this tournament, to see his brother and the other prin.-. s. especially that gallant and generous prince, Charles, king of Boliemia. V/hen the young king Edward, liis mother^ and tli.-, barons, saw- that it was not possible to detain him any longer, they tuvc hi]n-p.er- mia.sion to depart very much against their will. Th." king, by the advice of the queen, granted liim an annuity of four hundred. marks sterling, hereditable rent, to be held of him in fee, psxable in the city of Bruges. He gave also to Philip de Chateau> . I'lis pri,;ejpal esquire and chief counsellor, a hundred marks sterling -n rent, to be paid at the same time and place. He likewisO gave s .xMisidcrablo stun to defray his expenses, and those of his attendants, oji their re- turn home. He ordered many knights to accompany him to Dover, and that his passage should be free of all cost. He prr..?ented the countess de C4arennes, sister to the count de B;ir, an'.' "onte other ladies vvho had accompanied the queen to England, with many rich jewels, on their taking leave. Sir John and his company immediately embarked on board the vessels prepared for thern, to be in time fo.- the tournament. The kiiig sent with him iil'teen young and hardy knights, to attend him at this tournament, there to try their skill, and to get acquainted with the lords and linights that were to be there. Sir John and his com- pany paid them all the attention in their power, and on this occasion tournayed at Conde. CHAPTER XV. r.OBEKT BRUCE, KING OF SCOTLAKD, OEPIES KINS iiDWAKU. After the departure of sir John de Hainault, king Edward and his mother governed the kingdom, by the counsels of the good earl of Kent, and of sir Roger Mortimer, who possessed vast estates in Eng- land, to the amount of 700/. sterling a-year. Both of them had been banished with the queen. They also took the advice of sir I'homaE Wager, and of others, who were esteemed the wisest in the land. This, however, createtl much envy, which never dies in England, but reigns there as well as in other places. Thus passed the winter and Lent in perfect peace, until Easter ; when it happened that Robert, king of Scotland, who, though brave, had suflered niuoh m Ms warf with England, having often been defeated by king Edward, grand- father of the young king, being at this time very old, and afflicted with leprosy, hearing that the king had been taken prisoner and de. posed, and his counsellors put to death, thought it a favorable oppor tunity to send a defiance to the present king, as yet a youth, whose barons were not on tood terms with each other, and to attempt the conquest of some part of England. About Easter, ]337, he sent a defiance to king Edward and all the country, informing them that he would enter the kingdom, and burn it as far as he had done befort after the defeat of Stirling, in which the English suffered so much. When the young king and his council received this challenge, they published it throughout the kingdom, and ordered that all the nobles and ofiiers should come properly accoutred and aeeompunied, accord- ing to their different ranks, to York, the day of Ascension following. He also sent a considerable body of men-at-arms to guard the fron- tiers of Scotland, and messengers to sir John de Hainault, begging him very affectionately to assist and accompany him in this espe. dition, and to meet him at York on Ascension-day, with as raanj companions at arms as he could bring with him. When the lord of Beaumont received this request, he dispatched I letters and messengers into Flanders, Hainault an-i Brabant, Oj wherever he thought he could collect good comjjanions, praying , them to meet him, well equipped, at Wissan,* there to embark fo) ! England. Such as he sent to came, as well as others that heard o: it, in the expectation of gaining as large sums as tho.-c whn hati ac- companied liim in his former expedition to Englai^. When the lord of Beaumont came to Wissannie found vessels ready to transport him and his company. They embarked witli theii cavalry as expeditiously as possible, and crossed over to Dover, whence, without halting, they continued their march liU ihey reached York. The king, his mother, and a number of other lords and barons were there assembled, as well to advise as to attend the king. The} waited at York the arrival of sir John, of the men-at-arms and arch- ers, and of the common people from the different towns and cities. As they came in large bodies, they were quartered in the villages around York, at the distance of two or three leagues, and thence marched toward the borders. Sir .Tolm and his company reached York by the appointed lirne, and were ivelcomed and magnificently entertained by the king, queen, and all the barons. The handsomest suburbs of the cit)- were assigned them for their quarters, and a monastery of white friarf. WES allotted for him and his household. In company with thh knight, came from Hainault, the lord of Anghieu called sir Walter, sir Henry, lord of Antoing, the lord of Scignolcs, and the following knights: sir Fastres de Reu, sir Roi)ert de Bailleul, sir William de Bailleul, his brother, the lord of Haverelh castellan of Mons, si; .41»rt de Briseil, sir Jlichael de I.igne, sir John dc -VIontigny the younger and his brother, sir Sause de Boussac, sir Percival de Seve- ries, the lords of Gommegines, dc Biaurien and dc Feilion. There carae also from Fianders ; first, sir Hector de Vilains, sir John dc Rhodes, sir Vaufflat de Guistelle, sir Jiiines de fJuistelle, his brother, sir Gossuin de la Muelle, and the lord of Tarces. , Many came fron.. Brabant; as the. lord of Dusle, sir Thierry de Vaucourt, .sir Rasscs de Gres, sir .Tohn de Casseliegue, sir John Pilestre, sir Vv'illiam de Courterelles, the three brothers de Harlebequc, sir Walter de Hautt- bei'gue, and several others. Of the Bohemians were, sir .lo!m de Libeaux, Henry his brother, sir Henry do la Chappehe, sir Hugh dt Kay, sir John de Limies, sir Lambert des Prez, sir Gilbert dc Hers. There came also other volunteer knights cut of Gambrcsis and Ar- tois, in hopes of advaneemunt ; so that sir John had five hundrec good men in his company, well apparelled nnd richly mounl'>d. '^ Wissan is a town in the Uoulouois, generality «!' Calais. It is li.?licve'l by Camdei to l)e tiie i'urius /cctus from which Cinsar emtiarked tor Britain. This is discussed ic; one of tlie dissertations at the close of the Mfiinoires de Joinville.— Fifih volume of Uie Collection of Historical Memoirs relative to the (iistory of France. 20 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. After the feast of the Pentecost, sir William, who was afterwards duke of Juliers, by the death of his father, and sir Thierry de Ham. barque,- since earl of Los, arrived with a gallant company, to do hotaor to sir John de Haiiiault. CHAPTER XVI. ■ II & DISSENSION BETWEEN THE ARCHERS OF ENGLAND AND THE HAIN- AULTERS. The king of England, in order to entertain and feast (he strangers and their company, held a great court on Trinity-Sunday, at the house of the Black Friars, where he and the queen were lodged, and where each kept their household separate ; the king with his knights, and the queen with her ladies, whose numbers were considerable. At th^ court the king had five hundred knights, and created fifteen new ones. The queen gave her entertainment in the dormitory, where at least sixty ladies, who she had invited to entertain sir John de Hainault and his suite, sat down at her table. There, might be seen a numerous nobility well served with plenty of strange dishes, so disguised that it could not be known what they were. There wpre also ladies most superbly dressed, who were expecting with impatience the hour of the ball, or a longer continuance of the feast : but it fell out otherwise ; for, soon after dinner, a violent affray hap. pepe4 between some of the grooms of the Hainaulters, and the Eng- lish archers, who were lodged with them in the suburbs. This increased so much that the archers collected together with their bows strung, and shot at them so as to force them to retreat to their lodg- ings. The greater part of the knights and their masters, who were still at court, hearing of the affray, hastened to their quarters. Those that could not enter them were exposed to great danger; for the archers, to the number of three thousand, aimed both at masters and servants. It was supposed that this afiray was occasioned by the friends of the Spencers, and the earl of Arundel, in revenge for their having been put to death through the advice of sir John de Hainault. The English also, at whose houses the Hainaulters lodged, barricaded their doors and windows, and would not suffer them to enter : never- theless, some of them got admittance at the back doors, and quickly armed themselves, but durst not advance into the street, for fear of the aiTOws. The strangers immediately sallied from behind their lodgings, brealiing down the hedges and inelosures, until they came to a square, where they halted, waiting for their companions, till they amounted to a hundred under arms, and as many without, who could not gain admittance to their lodgings. L'nited thus, they hastened to assist their friends, who wft-e defending their quarters in the great street in the best manner they could : they passed through the hotel of Uie lord of Anghien, which had great gates before and behind open into the street, where the archers were dealing about their arrows in a furious manner. Many Hainaulters were wounded with them.* Here we found the good knights, sir Fastres de Rue, sir Percival de Ssveries, and sir Sause de Boussac, who, not getting admittance into their lodgings, performed deeds equal to those that were armed. They had in tlieir hands great oaken staffs, taken from the house of a carter : they dealt their blows so successfully that none durst approach them, and, being strong and valiant knights, beat down, that evening, upward of sixty men. At last the archers were dis. comfited and put to flight. There remained on the ground dead three hundred men, or thereabouts, who were all from the bishoprick of Lincoln. I believe that God never showed greater grace or favor to any one than he did in that day to sir John de Hainault and his company ; for these archers certainly meant nothing less than to murder and rob them, notwithstanding they were come upon the king's business. These strangers were never in such great peril as during the time they remained at York : nor were they in perfect safety until their return to Wissan ; for, during their stay, the hatred of the archers was so greatly increased against them, that some of the barons and principal knights informed the lords of Hainault, that the archers and others of the commonalty of England, to the number of Six thousand, had entered into an agreement to massacre and burn them and their followers in their lodgings either by night or day, and there was no one on the part of the king, or of the barons, that could venttire to assist them. The Hainaulters, therefore, had no other resource left than to stand by each other, and to sell their lives as dearly as possible. They made many prudent regulations for their conduct, were frequently obliged to lie on their arms, to confine themselves to their quarters, and to have their armor ready, and their hotses always saddled. They were also obliged to keep detichments continually on the watch in the fields and roads round the city, and to send scouts to the distance of half a league, to see if those people, of ^ In Leiand's Collectanea, tliere is a different account of the canse of tins affray. Part second of volume lir^t, p. 307 : " Aunu Diimiiii 1328, Hunaldi apnd Eboracum combusseruntdesuburbiocivitatisfere unam parochiain, quaj vocatar S. Nicliolai in Ousejate. propter contumeiiam motani inter hnrgenses et illus, quia ceperuntuxores burt'ensiuin.et tilias, et aiicillas, per vim in subiirbio civitati*. Burgeiises vero suburbii indifjnati de tali thcinore. congressi sunt cum Hunaldis more bellir.o: et ex utraque parte bene armati una die Marl is in Si^;}tcm- frn'tHnte solis, ortum in Wntetingate donniente tola civitate sunimo mane. Ibi cecide- rnut de Hnnaltlis 527, prieler eos out lactaliter viilnerati sunt et obierunt in 3 die et in 4 seijuenu. De Anulis cociderunt ai2. Submersi in Ousc, Hu. de Hunaldis. iuvenii sunt whom they had received information, were coming, with orders, that, if they perceived any bodies in motion advancing toivard the town, they were immediately to return to the detachments in the fields, in order that they might be quickly mounted, and collected together under their own banner, at an appointed alarm-post. They continued in the suburbs four weeks in this distressing situation, and none, except a few of the great lords, who went to court to see the king and his council, or to the entertainments to hear the news, ventured to quit their quarters or their amis. If this unfortunate quarrel had not happened, they would have passed their time very pleasaiiriy ; for there was such plenty in the city and surrounding countiy, that during more than six weeks, while the king and the lords of England, with upward of forty thousand men-at-arms, remained there, the provis- ions were not dearer ; for as much was to be bought for a penny as before their arrival. Good wines from Gascony, Alsace and the Rhine, were in abundance and reasonable ; poultry and other such provisions at a low price. Hay, oats, and straw, of a good quality, and cheap, were delivered at their quarters. CHAPTER XVII. OF THE MANNERS OF THE SCOTS, AND HOW THEY CARRY ON WAB. After remaining three weeks from the time of this afiray, the king issued a proclamation by his marshals, that every one in the course of the ensuing week should be provided with carts, tents, and everything necessary for their march toward Scotland : when every one was properly equipped, the king and all his barons marched out of the city, and encamped six leagues from it. Sir John de Hainault and his company were encamped near the king, as a mark of distinction, and to prevent the archers from taking any advantage of him, the king and this first division remained there two days and two nights, wait- ing the arrival of money for his expenses, as well as to examine whether anything were wanting. On the third day the army dis- lodged, and before daybreak marched till they came to the city of Durham, a long day's journey, at the entrance of a country called Northumberland, which is wild, full of deserts and mountains, and poor in everything except cattle. The river Tyne runs through it, full of flints and large stones. Upon this river is situated the town called Newcastle upon Tyne. The lord marshal of England was there, with a numerous army to guard the country against the Scots. At Carlisle was a considerable body of Welsh, untler the command of lord Hereford and lord Mowbray, to defend the passage of the Eden ; for the Scots could not enter England without passing one of these rivers. The English could get no certain information of the Scots until they arrived at this place : they had passed the river so privately, that neither those of Carlisle nor those of Newcastle had the smallest knowledge of it. These towns are said to be distant from each other four.and-twenty English leagues. The Scots are bold, hardy, and much inured to war. When they make their invasions into England, they march from twenty to four- and.twenty leagues without halting,* as well by night as day ; for tltey are all on horseback, except the camp followers, who arti on foot. The knights and esquires are well mounted on large bay horses, the common people on little galloways. They bring no car- riages with them, on account of the mountains they have to pass in Northumberland ; neither do they carry with them any provisions oi bread or wine ; for their habits of sobriety are such, in time of war, thnt they will live for a long time on flesh half sodden, without bread, and drink the river-water without wine. They have, therefore, no occasion for pots or pans ; for they dress the flesh of tlieir cattle in the skins, after they have t iken them off: and, being sure to find plenty of them in the country which they invade, they carry none with them. Under the flaps of his saddle, each man carries a broad plate of metal ; behind the saddle, a little bag of oatmeal : when they have eaten too much of the sodden fiesh, and their stomach appears weak and empty, they place this plate over the fire, mix with water their oatmeal, and when the plate is heated, they put a little of the paste upon it, and make a thin cake, like a cracknel or biscuit, which they eat to warm their stomachs : it is therefore no wonder, that they perform a longer day's march than other soldiers. In this manner the Scots entered England, destroying and burning everything as they passed. They seized more cattle than they knew what to do with. Their army consisted of four thousand men-at-arms, knights and esquires, well mounted ; besides twenty thousand men, bold and hardy, armed after the manner of their country, and mounted upon little hacknevs, that are never tied up or dressed, but turned, imme- diately after'the day's march, to pasture on the heath or in the fields. This armv was commanded by two valiant captains. The king of Scotland himself, who had been very brave, yet being old, and labor, ing under a leprosy, appointed for one tliat gallant prince, so re- nowned in arms, the earl of Moray, who bore upon his banner argent three pillows gules ; the other was sir James Douglas, esteemed the bravest and most enterprising knight in the two kingdoms : he bore for arms azure on a chef argent. These two lords were the greatest barons, and most renowned for their prowess and other feats of arms. * Wherever English leagues are mentioned, lord Berners translates them, and pro- bably correctly, in ties ; it is incredible that a body of men armed at all points, should tj-a\el from sixty to eighty miles a day on horseback, which the Scots must have dona if we are here to read leagncs.— Ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, Sec. 21 CHAPTER XVIII. KING EDWARD'S FIRST EXPEDITION AGAINST THE SCOTS. When the English king and all his host had seen the smoke of the fires, which the Scots had made, the alarm was immediately sounded, and every one ordered to dislodge and to follow his ban- ners : they all, therefore, withdrew to tlie fields, armed for imme- diate combat. Three battalions of infantry were formed ; each b?ttaUon having two wings, composed of five hundred meii-at-arms, who were to remain on horseback. It was said, that there were eight thousand men-at-arms, knights and esquires, and thirty thousand men armed and equipped, half of whom were mounted on small hackneys ; the other lialf were coun- trymen on foot, sent by the towns and paid by them. There were also twenty-four thousand archers on foot, besides all the crew of followers of the army. Thus being drawn up, they marched in battle array after the Scots, toward the place from whence tlie smoke came, until it was night. The army halted in a wood, by the side of a small river, to rest themselves, and to wait for their baggage and provision. j Edward the Third's first Expedition against the Scots.— From an illuminated Froissart. The Scots had burnt and pillaged all the country within five leagues* of the place where they were, without the English being able to come up with them. At daybreak the next morning every one was armed, and, with banners displayed, marched in good order over mountains and through valleys, but could never approach the Scots, who were advanced before them ; for there were so many marsiies and danger- ous places, that it was ordered, under pain of death, that no one should quit his banner, except the marshals. When it drew toward night, the cavaliy, and those who attended the baggage, more espe- cially the infantry, were so fatigued, that they could march no further. The lords saw that they followed the Scots to no purpose ; and that, if the Scots were willing to wait for them, they might post themselves on some mountain, or in some dangerous pass, where they could not be attacked but at extreme disadvantage. The king then ordered the marshals to encamp the army there for the night, in order that they might consider what was to be done the ne.\t day. The army lay in a wood upon the banks of a small river, and the king was lodged in a poor monastery hard by. The men-at-arms, horses and baggage, were much fatigued. When each had chosen a spot of ground to encamp himself on, the lords retired apart, to consider what would be the best method to force the Scots to battle, considering the situation of the country in which they were. It appeared to them, that the Scots were sheering off to their own country, burning and pillaging as they went, and that it would be impossible to fight with them in these mountains, without a manifest disadvantage, supposing they should overtake them, which they could not ; but, as they must repass the Tyne, it was deter- mined in full council, that if they were to get themselves ready about midnight, and hasten their march next day, they might cut ofi' the passage of the river, and force them to fight to a disadvantage, or remain shut up prisoners in England. After this resolution had been entered into, each retired to his *Lord Berners again translates " lieues" miles. Mr. Johnes's translation does not give so lively an idea of the audacity oftlie Scots, who destroyed the country as it were in bravado, as that of Lord Berners ; his words are : " .Ind ail that day [et lout le jour] Uie Scottis had brent, and wasted and pilled y*" country about within v myle of the Inglysshe oste, but the Inglysshmen coulde nat overtake them * * * * tlieyco'ulde neur aproche nere to the Set ttis, who went wastyng the countrey before them."— Ed. quarters, to eat and drink what he could find there ; and they desired their companions to be silent, in order that the trumpets might be heard : at the first sounding of wliich, the horses were to be saddled and made ready ; at the second, every one was to arm himself with- out delay; and, at the third, to mount their horses immediately, and join their banners. Each was to take only one loaf of bread with him, slung behind him after the manner of hunters. All unnecessaiy arms, harness, and baggage, were ordered to be left behind, as thoy thought they should for a certainty give battle the next day, whatever might be the consequences, whether they should win or lose all. As it had been ordered so was it executed, and all were mounted and ready about midnight. Some liad but little rest, notwithstanding they had labored hard the day before. Day began to appeal- as the battalions were assembled at their different posts : the banner-bearers then hastened on over heaths, mountains, valleys, rocks, and many dangerous places, without meeting any level country. On the sum- mits of the mountains, and in the valleys, were large marshes and bogs, and of such extent, that it was a miracle many were not lost in them ; for each galloped forward without waiting for either com- mander or companion : those who fell into them found difficulty in getting any to help them. Many banners re- mained there, and several baggage and sumpter horses never came out again. In the course of the day, there were frequent cries of alarm, as if the foremost ranks were engaged with the enemy ; which those behind believing to be true, they hurried foi-ward as fast as possible, over rocks and mountains, sword in hand, with their helmets and shields prepared for fighting, without waiting for father, brother, or friend. When they had hastened' about half a league toward the place from which the noise came, they found themselves disappointed, as the cries proceeded from some herds of deer or other wild beasts, which abounded in these heaths and desert places, and which fled before the banners, pursued by the shouts of the army, wluch made them ima. gine it was something else. In this manner, the young king of England, agreeably to the advice of his council, rode all that day over mountains and deserts, without keeping to any fixed road, or finding any town. About vespers, and sorely fatigued, they reached the Tyne, which the Scots had already crossed, though the English supposed they had it still to repass. Accordingly, they went over the ford, but with great diflleulty, owing to the large stones that were in the river. When they had passed over, each took up his lodging on its banks as he could ; and at this tune the sun was set. There were few among them that had any hatchets, wedges, or other instruments, to cut down trees, to make themselves huts ; many of them had lost their companions, and even the foot had remained behind, not know- ing what road to ask for. Those who were best acquainted with the country said, that they had travelled that day twenty English leagues* on a gallop, without stopping, except to arrange the fumi. ture of their horses, when it had been loosened by the violent exer- cise. They were forced to lie tills night on the banks of the river in their armor, and at the same time hold their horses by their bri- dles, for there was not any place where they could tie them. Thus the horses had nothing to eat, neither oats nor any forage ; and the men had only their loaf that was tied behind them, which was wetted by the sweat of the horses. They had no other beverage but the v.'ater of the river, except some great lords, who had bottles among their baggage : nor had they fire or light, not having anything to make them of; except some few lords, who had some torches, which they had brought on sumpter horses. In such a melancholy manner did they pass the night, without taking the saddles from oft' the horses, or disarming themselves. And when the long- expected day appeared, when they hoped to find some comfort for themselves and horses, or to fight the vScots, which they very much wished for, to get out of their disagreeable situation, it began to rain, and continued all the day, insomuch that the river was so increased by noon, that no one could pass over, nor could any one be sent to know where they were, or to get forage and litter for their horses, or bread and wine for their own sustenance ; they were therefore obliged to fast another night. The horses had nothing to subsist on but the leaves of the trees and grass. They cut down with their swords young trees, and tied their horses to them. They also cut down brushwood to make huts for themselves. Some poor peasants, coming that way in the afternoon, informed them they were fourteen leagues from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and eleven from Cariisle, and that there was not a town nearer whence they could get any accommodation. When this intelligence was » Berners has "xxiv English miles," and D. Sauvage's edition, "vmst-huH lieue« .\uglesche."— Ed. 22 HRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c - _ _ 1 1 1.-, *Un.r Q tlioTrt ttn • lint nnoh Imttnlinn mnrf>lif»rl Kif itc brought to the king and the principal lorda, they directly sent offmes. sengers with horses to brinp; tliem provision, and they caused a pro. clamation to be made in the lung's name in Newcastle, that wlioever wished to get money, he had only to bring provision, wine, &c., for which he would be instantly paid, and a safe conduct granted him. They were also informed, that tliey should not move from their present quarters, until they had information where the Scots were. The next day the messengers which the lords had sent for provision returned about noon with what they had been able to procure for them and their households ; but it was not much : and with them came people of the country, to take their advantage of the situation of tlie army, and brought with them on mules and small horses bread badly baked, in baskets, and poor thin wine, in large barrels, and other kind of provision to sell, with wliich the army was tolerably refreshed, and their discontent appeased. This was the case during the seven days that they remained on the banks of this river, among the mountains, expecting the return of the Scots, who knew no more of the English than they did of them. Thus they had remained for three days and three nights without bread, wine, candle, oats, or any other forage : and they were after, wards for four days obliged to buy badly baked bread, at the price of BLxpence the loaf, which was not worth more than a penny, and a gallon of wine for six groats, scarcely worth sixpence. Hunger, however, was still felt in the cantp, notwithstanding this supply ; and frequent quarrels happened from tlicir tearing the meat out of each other's hands. To add to their unpleasant situation, it had rained all the week, by which all their saddles and girths were rotted, and the greater part of the cavalry were worn down. They had not where, withal to shoe their horses that wanted it ; nor had they anything to clothe themselves, or preserve them from the rain and cold, but their jerkins or armor, and the green huts : nor had they any wood to burn, except what was so green and wet as to be of small service. Having continued for a whole week, without hearing any tidings of the Scots, who they imagined must pass that way, or very near it, in their return home, great murmurs arose in the army : and many laid the fault on those who had given such advice, adding, that it was done in order to betray the king and his host. Upon which, the lords of council ordered the army to make ready to march, and cross the river seven leagues higher up, where the ford was better ; and it was proclaimed, that every one was to be in readiness to march the next day, and to follow his banners. Tliere was another proclamation made, that whoever chose to take pains and find out where the Scots were, and should bring certain intelligence of it to the king, the mes- senger of such news should have one hundred pounds a-year in land, and be made a knight by the king himself. When this was made known among the host, many knights and esquires, to the number of fifteen or sixteen, eager to gain such rewards, passed the river with much danger, ascended the mountains, and then separated, each taking different routes. The next day the army dislodged ; marched tolerably well, consid- ering that they were but ill clothed ; and e.verted themselves so much, that they repassed the river, though with much danger, from its being swollen by the rains. Many were well washed, and many drowned. When they had crossed over, they remained there for that night, finding plenty of forage in the fields near to a small village, wliich the Scots had burnt as they passed. Tlie next day they marched over hill and dale till about noon, when they came to some burnt villages, and some fields where there were corn and hay, so that the host re. tnained there for that night. The third day they marched in the same manner ; but many were ignorant where they were going, nor had they any intelligence of the enemy. They continued their route the fourth day in this order ; when, about three o'clock, an esquire,* galloping up hastily to the king, said, " Sire, I bring you news of the Scots : they are three leagues from this place, lodged on a mountain, where they have been this week, waiting for you. They knew no more where you were than you did of them : and you may depend on this as true ; for I ap. proached so near to them, that I was taken and led a prisoner to their army, before their chiefs. I informed them where you were, and that you were seeking them, to give them battle. The lords gave me up my ransom, and my liberty, when I informed them that you had pro. mised one hundred pounds a.year to whoever should first bring intel. ligence of them, upon condition that he rested not imtil he brought you this information ; and I now tell you that you will find them in the place I have mentioned, as eager to meet you in battle as yourself can be." As soon as the king heard this news, he ordered his army to be prepared, and turned his horses to feed in the fields, near to a monastery of white monks, which had been burnt, and which was called in king Arthur's trnie Blanche Land. Then the king confessed himself, and each made his preparations according to his abilities. The king ordered plenty of masses to be said, to housel such as were devoutly inclined. He assigned one hundred pounds value of land, yearly, to the esquire, according to his promise, and made him a knight with his own hands, in the presence of the whole army. When they had taken some repose, and breakfasted, the trumpets sounded ; and all being mounted, the banners advanced as the young knight led * In Rymer is an order for Tiiomas de Rokesby to receive half-yearly, at Michaelmas and Eoster, £100 at the Exrlienuor. until he was provided with £100 in land for his hfe. Siened by the kias at Lincoln, Sept. 28, 1327. them on ; but each battalion marched by itself in regular array, over hill and dale, keeping their ranks according to order. Thus they continued marching, when about twelve o'clock they came within sight of the Scots army. As soon as the Scots perceived them, they issued forth from their huts on foot, and formed three good battalions, upon the descent of the mountain on which they lodged. A strong rapid river* ran at the foot of this mountain, which was so full of large rocks and stones, that it was dangerous to pass it in haste. If the English had passed this river, there was not room betsveen it and the mountain for them to draw up their line of batde. The Scots had formed their two first battalions on the two sides of the mountain, and on the declivity of the rock, which was not easy to climb to attack them : but they them- selves were posted so as to annoy them with stones, if they crossed the river ; which if the English effected, they would not be able to return. When the English lords perceived the disposition of the Scots, tliey ordered then' men to dismount, take off their spurs, and form three battalions as before. Many new knights were made ; and, when the battalions were formed, some of the chief lords brought the young king on horseback along the lines, to encourage the men. The king spoke most graciously to all, and besought them to take every pains to do him honor and preserve their own. He ordered, under pain of death, that no one should advance before the banners of the mar- shals, or move without orders. Shortly afterwards, the battalions were commanded to advance toward the enemy in slow time, keeping their ranks. This was done ; and each battalion moved on a con- siderable space, and came to the ascent of the mountain, where the Scots were posted. This manoeuvre was intended in order to see whether the enemy would retire or make any movement ; but neither one nor other was to be perceived : and the armies were so near each other, that they could see the arms on their shields. The army was ordered to halt to consider what was to be done ; and some compan- ions were mounted to skirmish with the enemy, and to examine the passage of the river and their appearance more clearly. They sent heralds to make an offer of retiring on the morrow, if they would pass the river, and fight upon the plain ; or, if the Scots would not consent to this, that they would do the same. When the Scots received this proposal, the chiefs retired to coun- sel, and returned for answer by the heralds, that they would do neither the one nor the other; that the king and his barons saw that they were in his kingdom, and had burnt and pillaged wherever they had passed ; and that, if it displeased the king, he might come and amend it ; for they would tarry there as long as it pleased them. When the council of the king of England heard the answer, he ordered it to be proclaimed, that each should take up his quarters where he was, without quitting the ground or his arms ; they there, fore lay that night veiy uncomfortably upon the hard ground, among rocks and stones, with their armor on; nor could they get any stakes for the purpose of tying their horses, or procure either litter, or forage, or any bushes to make fires. The Scots, seeing the English thus take up their quarters, ordered part of the army to remain where the battalions had been drawn up; and the remainder retired to their huts, where they made marvel, lously great iii'cs, and, about midnight such a blasting and noise with their horns, that it seemed as if all the great devils from hell had been come there. Thus were they lodged this night, which was the night of the feast of St. Peter, the beginning of August, 1327, until the next day, when the lords heard mass; afterwards, every one armed himself, and the battalions were formed as on the preceding day. When the Scots saw this, they came and lodged themselves on the same ground they had done before; and the two armies remained thus drawn up until noon, when the Scots made no move, ment to come toward the English, nor did these on their part make any advances, for they dared not to attempt it with so great dis. advantage. Several companions passed the river on horseback, as did some of the foot, to skirmish with the Scots, who also quitted their battalions to meet them, and many on each side were killed, wounded, and taken prisoners. In the afternoon the lords ordered every one to retire to their quarters, as it seemed to them that they were drawn up to no purpose ; in this manner they remained for three days. The Scots, on their side, never quitted the mountain ; but there were continued skirmishes on both sides, and many killed and taken prisoners ; in the evenings they made large fires, .and great noises with their horns and with sliouting. The intention of the English lords was to keep the Scots besieged there ; for, as they could not well fight with them, they hoped to starve them : they knew from the prisoners that they had neither bread, wine, salt, nor other provision, except cattle, of which they had plenty, that they had seized in the country — of these they might eat, indeed witlicut bread, which would not be very palatable. But they had some little flour to make such cakes as have been before mentioned, and which some of the English use on their inroads beyond the borders. The fourth day, in the morning, the English looked for the Scots on the mountain, but saw none of them, for they found they had decamped secretly at midnight. Scouts of horse and of foot were immediately dispatched through the mountains to know what was become of them ; they found them about four o'clock posted upon * Tile Were. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 23 another mountuin, much stronger than that they had left, upon the same river, near a large wood, to be more concealed, and in order more privately to advance or retreat at pleasure. As soon as this was known, the English had orders to dislodge, and to march in battle array toward the place where the enemy was posted ; and they encamped on a mountain opposite. They formed their battalions, and seemed as if they meant to advance to them. The Scots no sooner perceived this, tlian they sallied out of their quarters, and came and posted themselves by the side of the river, directly in front ; but they were unwilling to advance or come nearer. The English could not attack them in such a situation without great disadvantage and loss ; they remained full eighteen days in this situation upon this mountain, whence the lords sent frequent heralds to the Scots, to offer to give them full place of plain ground to draw- up their battalions, or else they would accept the same from them ; but they would not agree to either of these proposals. The two armies had little comfort during the time they remained in this position. The first night* that the English were posted on this second mountain, the lord James Douglas took with him about two hundred men-at-arms, and at midnight crossed the river, at such a distance from the camp that he was not noticed, and fell upon the English army most valiantly, shouting, " Douglas for ever! Ye shall die, ye thieves of England !" He and his companions killed more than three hundred ; and he galloped up to the king's tent, and cut two or three of its cords, crying, at the same tiine, " Douglas ! Douglas for ever!" when he set off; and in his retreat, he lost some of his followers, but not many: he returned to his friends on the mountain. Nothing more of the sort was attempted from that time ; but the English in future kept a strong and attentive guard, for they were fearl'ul of another attack from the Scots, and had placed sentinels and scouts to give notice of the smallest movement of the enemy ; the chief lords also slept in their annor There were frequent skirmishes, and many lives lost on both sides. The twenty-fourth day from the tune they had received intelligence of the enemy, a Scots knight was taken prisoner, who sore against his will gave an account to the lords of the state of the enemy. He was so closely examined, that he owned his lords had given orders that morning for every one to be armed by vespers, and follow the banner of lord James Douglas ; that it was to be kept secret ; but he was not, for a certainty, acquainted with their intentions further. Upon this the English lords held a council ; and they judged, from the information of the Scots kitight, that the enemy might perhaps come in full force at night to attack them on both sides at once, and, from their sufferings by famine, which they could endure no longer, make it a very bloodv and doubtful combat. The English formed into three battalions^ and posted themselves before their quarters, on three separate ^pots of ground ; they made large fires, in order to see better, and left their pages in their quarters to take care of their horses. They remained under arms all the night, and each was placed under his own standard or banner. Toward daybreak two Scots trumpeters fell in with one of the patrols, who took them, and brought them before the lords of the council, to whom they said, " My lords, why do you watch here ? You arc losing your time ; for we swear, by our heads, that the Scots are on their march home since midnight, and are now four or five leagues off — and they left us beliind, that we might give you the information." The English said, that it would be in vain to follow them, as they coidd never overtake them ; but, fearing deceit, the lords ordered tlie trumpeters to close confinement, and did not alter the position of the battalions until four o'clock. When they saw that the Scots wore really gone, they gave permission for each to retire to his quarters, and the lords held a council to consider what was to be done. Some of the English, however, mounted their horses, passed the river, and went to the mountain which the Scots had quitted, and found more than five hundred large cattle, which the enemy had killed, as they were too heavy to carry with them, and too slow to follow them, and they wished not to let them fall into the hands of the English alive. They found there also more than three hundred caldrons, made of leather with the hair on the outside, which were hung on the fires full of water and meat, ready for boiling. There were also upward of a thousand spits with meat on them, prepared for roasting; and more than ten thousand pairs of old worn-out shoes, made of undressed leather, which the Scots had left there. There were found five poor English prisoners, whom the Scots had bound naked to the trees, and some of them had their legs broken; they untied them, and sent them away, and then returned to the army, just as they were setting out on their march to England, by orders from the king and council. They followed all that day the banners of the marshals, and halted at an early hour in a beautiful meadow, where there was plenty of forage for their horses ; and much need was there of it, for they were so weakened by famine, that they could scarce move.t The next * The fyrst nyght that the englisshe ost was tlius lodged on the second moutaigne, the lorde William Duglas toke with hym aboute cc men-at-armes, & past the ryver farre afro the oste, so that he was not parceyued ; and sodely he brake into the englysshe ooste about raydnyght. crying, "Duglas! Duglas! ye shall all dye. theues of Inglande." And he slewe or he seased cc? men. some in their beddes, and some skan redy, and he $trake his horse witji the spurres ^- came to the kijngis owne tentc, alwayes crying Duglas. and stake a sundre ii or iii cordis of the kyng tent, & so departed.— L. Bebners. t Lord Bemers here adds, " The engliKlie croniclc sayth that the scottis had been day they decamped betimes, and took up their quarters still earlier, at a large monastery within two leagues of Durham. The king lay there that night, and tlie army in the fields around it, where they found plenty of grass, pulse, and corn. They remained there quiet the next day; but the king and lords went to see the church of Dur- ham. The king paid his homage to the church and the bishopric, which he had not before done, and gave largesses to the citizens. They found there all their carriages and baggage, which they had left in a wood thirty-two days before, at midnight, as has been related. The inhabitants of Durham finding them there, had brought them away at their own cost, and placed them in empty barns. Each car- riage had a little flag attached to it, that it might be known. The lords were much pleased at finding them again. The king and nobles reposed two days at Durham, and the army in its en\'irons, for there would not have been sufficient room to lodge them in that city. They had all their horses well shod, and set out on their march toward York. They made such haste, that in three days they arrived there, and found the queen mother, who received the king and nobles with great joy, as did all the ladies of the court and city. The lung disbanded the army, and gave permission for every- one to return to his home, and made many acknowledgments to the earls, barons, and knights, for the services they had rendered him by their advice and prowess. He kept near his person sir John de Hainault and liis company, who were much feasted by the queen and all the ladies. The knights made out their accounts for horses, which had been ruined or lost, or had died, and gave them in to the council ; and also a statement of their own expenses, which sir John do Hainault took upon him as his own debt tow-ard liis followers,, for the king and his ministers could not immediately collect such a sum as their horses amounted to ; but he gave them sufficient for their own expenses, and to carry them back to their own country.* They were afterwards all paid within the year the full amount of their losses. When the Hainaulters had received their demand for horses, they purchased small hackneys to ride more at their ease, and sent their carriages, sumpter horses, trunlts, and servants, on board of two ships, which the king had provided for them, and which landed them at Sluys, in Flanders. They took leave of the king, queen, the earls of Kent and Lancaster, and of all the barons, who paid them many honors ; and the king had them escorted by twelve knights and two hundred men-at-arms, for fear of the archers, of whom they w-ere not well ass'-red, as they must pass through the bishopric of Lincoln. Sir Jolin and all his company set out, escorted as above, and by easy journeys came to Dover, where they embarked on board vessels ready provided for them. The English who had accompanied them took their leave and returned to their homes. The Hainaulters arrived at Wissan, where they tamed two days, in order to deck out their horses and the remains of their armor ; during which time sir John de Hain. ault and some other knights, went on a pilgrimage to our Lady of Boulogne. They retm-ned together to Hainault, when they separated and each went to his own house ; but Sir John went to his brother, who was at that time_ at Valenciennes : he was received by him with great joy, as he was much beloved by him. The lord of Beaumont then related to him all the above mentioned history. CHAPTER XIX. KI.\a EDWAKD MARRIES THE LADY PHILIPPA OF HAINAULT. Shortly afterw-ards, the king, queen, the earl of Kent, his uncle, earl Henry of Lancaster, the earl of Mortimer, and all the barons who were of the council, sent a bishop, t two knights banneret3,t and two able clerks, to sir John de Hainault, to beg of him to be the means that the young king, their lord, should marry ; and that the count of Hainault and Holland would send over one of his daughters, for he would love her more dearly on his account, than any other lady. The fought williall ifsyr Roger Mortymer a lorde of Inglaiyje had not betraied the kyng, for he toke mede and money of the scottis, to tlientent they myght departe pryuely by nyghte unfoughte v/ith all."— Ed. -*= f n Rymer there is an order from king Edward to his treasurer to pay sir John de Hain- ault seven thousand pounds, in part of fourteen tliousand. the subsidy for himself and companions: d;itedYork, June 28, 1337. In the same year, dated July 4,Williaind'Irland is ordered to provide carriages for sir John de Hu inault a nd his company. This order, &c. is to continue in force until the followiug Michaelmas. There is another order to the treasurer from York, August 20, 1327, to pay sir John de Hainault on his arrival in Lon- don, four thousand pounds, on account of his loss in horses, and to pawn the jewels in the Tower, if tl-.ere were nota sufficiency of money for the purpose. .'V passport, of tlie same date, commanding none to do any liann, &c. to sir John de Hainault. An order, signed by the king at Evesham, June 28, 1328, for seven thousand pounds to sir John do Hainault, as part of tlie fourteen thousand pounds. t Dr. Roger Northborough, bishop of Lichfield and Coventry.— AsHMOLE. X On knights bannerets, translated from a manuscript which was in the Lamoignon library, but is now at Hafod ; vol. iv. p. 227, lirst part: " Knights bannerets were formerly gentlemen of great power, by landed possessions, and vassals, of whom they formed companies in times of war : they were called banner- ets from their having the right of bearing banners. " It was necessary, in order to obtain the prerogative, to be not only a gentleman by name and arms, but also to have for vassals gentlemen who would follow theu- banners to the wars, under the command of the banneret. " Diicange cites an ancient manuscript ceremonial, which points out the manner of making a knight banneret, and the number of men he was to have follow him. " Knight.^ bannerets, according to father Daniel, do not appear in our historj- before Piiilip .\ugustus; tliey continued until tlie formation of companies of ordonoance by Cliarles the Seventh ; and from that period there were no longer any banners or knights bannerets. 24 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &, lord of Beaumont feasted and paid many lionors to these messengers and commissioners from tlie English king. He then took them to Valenciennes, where his brother received them right honorably, and gave them such sumptuous entertainments as would be tiresome to relate. When tliey had told the cause of their mission, the count said he gave many thanks to the king, queen, and the lords by whose counsel they were sent thither, to do him so much honor ; and who on such an occasion had sent such able men that he most willingly complied with their request, il'the pope and the holy church of Rome were agreeable to the demand. This answer was fully satisfactory to them, and they immediately dispatched two of the knights and the clerks to the pope at Avignon, -to entreat his dispensation and consent to this marriage ; for without the pope's dispensation it could not be done, on account of their near relationship, being in the third degree connected, for their two mothers were cousins-german, being the issue of two brothers. As soon as they came to Avignon their business was done, for the pope and the college gave their consent most benignantly. When these gentlemen were returned to Valenciennes from Avig- non with all their bulls, this marriage was directly settled and con- sented to on each side, and immediate preparations were made for the dress and equipage of such a lady, who was to be queen of Eng. land. She was then married by virtue of a procuration, which the king of England had sent thither, and went on board a ship at Wissan, and landed at Dover with all her suite. Her uncle, sir John de Hainault, conducted her to London, where she was crowned ; and there were great crowds of the nobility, and feastings, tournaments, and sumptuous entertainments every day, which lasted for three weeks.* After some days sir John took his leave, and set out with his com- pany richly loaded with jewels, which had been presented to them from different quarters. But few of our countrymen remained with the young queen ; among whom was a youth called Wantelet de Manny, to attend on and carve for her, who performed afterwards so many gallant deeds of arms, in such various different places, that they are not to be counted. CHAPTER XX. KOBERT, KING OF SCOTLAND, DIES. After the Scots had in the night quitted the mountain, where the young king Edward and the nobles of England had held them besieged, as you have before heard, they marched twenty-two leagues from that desert country without halting, and crossed the Tyne pretty near to Carlisle, where by the orders of the chiefs all disbanded, and went to their own homes. Shortly afterwards some of the lords and barons so earnestly solicited the king of England, that a truce was agreed on between the two kings for three years. During this truce, it happened that king Robert of Scotland, who had been a very valiant knight, waxed old, and was attacked with so severe an illness, t that he saw his end was approaching ; he therefore summoned together all the chiefs and barons, in whom he most con- fided, and, alter having told them, that he should never get the better of this sickness, he commanded them, upon their honor and loyalty, to keep and preserve faitlifully and entire the kingdom for his son David, and obey him and crown him king when he was of a proper age, and to marry him with a lady suitable to his station. He after that called to him the gallant lord James Douglas, and said to him, in presence of the others, " My dear friend lord James Douglas, you know that I have had much to do, and have suffered many troubles, during the time I have lived, to support the rights of my crown ; at the time that I was most occupied, I made a vow, the non-accomplishment of which gives me much uneasiness — I vowed, that, if I could finish my wars in such a manner, that I might have quiet to govern peaceably, I would go and make war against the enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the adversaries of the Christ- ian faith. To this point my heart has always leaned ; but our Lord was not willing, and gave me so much to do in my lifetime, and this last expedition has lasted so long, followed by this heavy sickness, tliat, since my body cannot accomplish what my heart wishes, I will send my heart in the stead of my body to fulfil my vow. And, as I do not know any one knight so gallant or enterprising, or better formed to complete my intentions than yourself, I beg and entreat of you, dear and special friend, as earnestly as I can, that you would have the goodness to undertake tliis expedition for the love of me, and to acquit my soul to our Lord and Saviour ; for I have that opinion of your nobleness and loyalty, that if you undertake it, it cannot fail of success — and I shall die more contented ; but it must be executed as follows : " I will, that as soon as I shall be dead, you take my heart from my body, and have it well embalmed ; you will also take as much money from my treasury as will appear to you sufficient to perform your journey, as well as for all those whom you may choose to take with you in your train ; you will then deposit your charge at the Holy Sepulchre of our Lord, where he was buried, since my body cannot • The englisshe cronicle saith this marriage and coronation of tlie queen was done at Yorke with nioclie honour the sonday in the euyn of the couersion of saynt Paule in y" yere of our Lord mcccx.\vii.— Lord Berners. t La grosse Ma^adic— leprosy. go there. You will not be sparing of expense — and provide your. self with such company and such things as may be suitable to your rank — and wherever you pass, you will let it be known, that you bear the heart of king Robert of Scotland, which you are carrying beyond seas by his command, since Ids body cannot go thither." All those present began bewailing bitterly ; and when the lord James could speak, he said, " Gallant and noble king, I return you a hundred thousand thanks for the high honor you do me, and for the valuable and dear treasure with which you intrust me ; and I will most willingly do all that you com. mand me with the utmost loyalty in my power ; never doubt it, how- ever I may feel unworthy of such a high distinction." The king replied, " Gallant knight, I thank you — you promise it me then ?" " Certainly, sir, most willingly," answered the knight. He then gave his promise upon his knighthood. The king said, " Thanks be to God ! for I shall now die in peace, since I know that the most valiant and accomplished knight of my kingdom will perforin tliat for me which I am unable to do for myself." Soon afterwards the valiant Robert Bruce, king of Scotland, departed this life, on the 7th of November, 1337. His heart was embalmed, and his body buiied in the monastery of Dunfermline. Shortly after died also the noble earl of Moray, who was one of the most gallant and powerful . princes in Scotland; he bore for arms, argent, three pillows gules.* Early in the spring, the lord James Douglas having made provision of everytliing that was proper for his expedition, embarked at the port of ?iIontrose, and sailed directly for Sluys in Flanders, in order to learn if any one were going beyond the sea to Jerusalem, that he might join companies. He remainetl there twelve days, and would not set his foot on shore, but staid the whole time on board, where he kept a magnificent table, with music of trumpets and drums, as if he had been the king of Scodand. His company consisted of one knight banneret, and seven others of the most valiant knights of Scotiand, without counting the rest of his household. His plate was of gold and silver, consisting of pots, basins, porringers, cups, bottles, barrels, and other such things. He had likewise twenty-six young and gallant esquires of the best families in Scotland to wait on him ; and all thosti who came to visit him were handsomely served with two sorts of wine, and two sorts of spices — I mean those of a certain rank. At last, after staying at Sluys twelve days, he heard that Alj)honso, king of Spain, was waging war against the Saracen king of Granada. He considered that if he should go thither he should employ his time and journey according to the late king's wishes ; and when he should have finished there he would proceed further to complete that with which he was charged. He made sail therefore toward Spain, and landed first at Valencia ; thence he went straight to the king of Spain, who was with his army on the frontiers, very near the Saracen king of Granada. It happened, soon after the arrival of the lord James Douglas, that the king of Spain issued forth into the fields, to make his ap- proaches nearer the enemy ; the king of Granada did the same ; and each king could easily distinguish the other's banners, and they both began to set their armies iu array. The lord James placed himself and his company on one side, to make better work, and a, more powerful effort. When he perceived that the battalions on each side were fully arranged, and that of the king of Spain in motion, he imagined they were about to begin the onset ; and as he always wished to be among the first rather than last on such occasions, he and all his company stuck their spurs into their horses, until they were in the midst of the king of Granada's battalion, and made a furious attack on the Saracens. He thought that he should be sup- ported by the Spaniards ; but in this he was mistaken, for not one that day followed his example. The gallant knight and all his com- panions were surrounded by the enemy ; they performed prodigies of valor; but they were of no avail, as they were all killed. It was a great misfortune that they were not assisted by the Spaniards.t * Tlionias Randolph, first earl of Moray, was very eminent in the reign of Rohert Bruce, who grantetl iiim the earldom of Moray, together witli the seigniory of the Isle of Man, asu lief, and great estates in Scotland, ahout the year 1315. He was appointed by the parliament in 1315 governor of Scotland, in the probable event of the minority of the successor, and entered on tliat office on the death of Robert. Lord Hailes says, in his Annals of Scotland, anno 1332 : " Randolph, in consequence of the English prepar.itions, assembled an army, and advanced to Colbranspath, on tlie frontier of East Lothian ; but having received intelligence of the naval armament, ho marched northwards, to provide for the defence of the interior parts of the kingdom. Amid the excruciating pains of a confirmed stone, he ceased not to discharge the dutiesofhisofflcewithactivity and vigilance. He expired on the march C20th July.) A man he was to be remembered while integrity, prudence, and valor, are held in esteem among men." 1 have quoted the above as a more probable reason for his death than the report of some of the chroniclers, who have said he was poisoned by a monk, with the knowdedgs of Edward OL Lord Hailes has added a note to this passage, vol. ii., p. 146, which completely disproves it. t Mariana says, lib.xv. cap. 21, that the king of Arragon, although joined m alliance with the king of Castile against the Moors, did not bring his troops to the field. Lord Hailes's Annals of Scotland, anno 1330 : " The detached troops fought witll equal advantage, and the Moorish cavalry fled. Douglas with his companions eagerly pursued the Saracens. Taking the casket from his neck, which contained tlie heart of Bruce he threw it before him and cried, " JVoio pass thou onward as thou Kast want, ami Don-las mil follow tkrr. or die r The fugitives rallied— surrounded and over- whelniedliy superior numbers, Douglas fell, wlide attempting to rescue sir William St. Clare ofRoshn who shared bis fate. Robert and Walter Logan, both of them knighla, were slain with Douglas. His friend, sir William Keith, having had his arm broke CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 25 About this time many of the nobles and others, desirous of a settled peace between the Scots and English, proposed a marriage between the young king of Scotland and the sister of the king of England. This marriage was concluded and solemnized at Berwick, with great feasts and rejoicings on both sides. CHAPTER XXI. PHILIP OF VALOIS CROWNED KLN& OF FRANCE. Charles, king of France, son of Philip tlie Fair, liad been thrice married, and yet died without heirs male. The first of his wives, a daughter of the count of Artois, was one of the most beautiful women in the world ; however, she kept her marriage vow so ill, and be. haved so liadly, that slie was long confined in prison at Chateau Gaillard, before her husband was king. When the kingdom of France devolved upon him, he was crowned by the twelve peers of France and all the barons, who were not willing that such a kingdom should be deprived of male heirs ; they therefore strongly recom- mended his marrying again, with which he complied, and took to wife the daughter of the emperor Henry of Lu.xcmburgh, sister to the gal. lant king of Bohemia. His first marriage, with the lady in prison, was dissolved by the pope of tliat day. By this second wite, the lady of Luxemburgh, who was modest and prudent, the king had a son, who died very young, and the mother soon afterwards, at Issoudun, in BeiTy. The cause of their deaths was much suspected, and many were inculpated in it, and privily punished. The king was afterwards married a third time, to the daughter of his uncle, Lewis^count of Evreux and sister to the king of Navarre. She was called queen Joan. Slie was soon afterwards with child, and at the same time the king fell sick on his death-bed. When he per- ceived that he could not recover, he ordered, that, if the child should be a son, Philip of Valois, his cousin, should be his guardian, and regent of the whole lungdom, until such lime as his son should be of age to reign ; that, if it should happen to be a gul, then the twelve peers and great barons were to assemble to take counsel together, and to give the kingdom to him who appeared to them to have the clearest right. About Easter 1.326, the lung died ; and it was not long before the queen w-as brought to bed of a beautiful girl. The twelve peers and barons of France assembled at Paris without delay, and gave the kingdom, with one consent, to Philip of Valois. They passed by the queen of England, and the king her son, although Philip de Valois, Kino of France— From an ancient picture, engraved in Mezernay's History of France. she was cousin-german to the king last deceased ; for they said, that the kingdom of France was of such great nobleness, that it ought not »-as detained from die baule. His few surviviii" companions found liis body in the field, togellier witji tlie casliel, and reverently conveyed tliein to Scotland. The remains of Uouglas were interred in tlie sepulchre of his fathers, in the church of Douglas, and the heart of Bruce was deposited at Melrose. " His natural son, Arcliibald Douslas, erected a marble monument to his memorv ; tut his countrymen have more elfectuully perpetuated his fame, by bestowing on him the name of • the good sir James Douslas.' Fordun reports, that Douglas was thirteen times defeated in battle, and fitly-seven times victorious. " Perhaps my readers will not dislike to see the portrait of Douglas, drawn by Bar- bour, n 15 , p. 13. " In visase was he some deal gray. And had black hair, as I heard say ; But then, of limbs he was well made. With bones great, and shoulders braid ; His body well made and lenzie. As they that saw him said to me. When he was blytli, he was lovely. And meek, and sweet in company ; But who in baUle might him see. Another countenance had he ; .\nd in his speech he lispt some deal. But tliat set him right wonder well." to fall by succession to a female. They crowned the lord Philip king of France, at Rheims, the Trinity Sunday following. Immediately he summoned his barons and men-at-arms, and went with a power, tul army to Cassel, to make war upon the Flemings, especially those of Bruges, Ypres, and of the Franc,* who would not willingly obey their lord, the count of Flanders, but rebelled against him, and had driven him out of the country, sc that he could reside nowhere but at Ghent, and there miserable enough. King Pliilip discomfited full twelve thousand Flemings,+ who had for their captain one Colin Dannequin, a bold and courageous man. The above mentioned Flemings had put the garrison of Cassel under the command of the aforesaid towns, and at their charges, to guard the frontiers at that place. I will inform you how the Flemings were defeated and all tlirough their own bad conduct. CHAPTER XXII. THE BATTLE OF CASSEL, IX FLAHDERS. Those that were in the garrison at Cassel set out one day, about vespers, with a design to defeat the king and all his army. They niarclied very quietly without noise in three divisions ; the first of which advanced straight to the tents of the king, and was near sur- prising him, as he was seated at supper, as well as his whole house- hold. The second went to the tents of the king of Bohemia, and almost found him in the same situation. The third division attacked the quarters of the count of Hainault, and nearly surprised him : they pressed him so closely, that he and his people had scarce time to arm themselves ; and the lord of Beaumont, his brother, and his company, were in a similar situation. All the tlu'ee divisions came so quickly up to the tents, that neither the lords nor soldiers had time to assem- ble or properly arm themselves, and they w^ould all have been slain, if it had not been, as it were, a miracle of God: but by his grace, each of these lords defeated their enemies, and so completely, that, in the space of an hour, out of twelve thousand Flemings not one escaped. Their captain was also killed. Nor did any of these lords receive any intelligence of the other until the business was finished. Of all the Flemings not one turned his back ; but ihey were all slaughtered on the spot and lay in three large heaps, one upon the other. This battle happened in the year of grace 1338, on St. Bar- tholomew's day. The French then came to Cassel, and placed there the banners of France, the town having surrendered to the king. Afterwards Pope- ringue, and then Ypres, and all the castlewick of Bergues followed, and received the count Lewis their lord, and swore fidelity and loy- alty to him for the time to come. The king soon after set out with his troops toward Paris, where, in the neighborhood, he staid some time. He was much praised and honored for this enterprise, and for the service he had rendered to the count Lewis, his brother. He lived in great prosperity and increased the royal power. No king of France, it was said had ever kept so royal a state as king Philip. CHAPTER XXIII. THE EARL OF KENT AND SIR ROGER MORTIMER PUT TO DEATH. The young king Edward of England was governed for a long time, as you have before seen, by the counsels of his mother, the earl of Kent his uncle, and sir Roger Mortimer; at last a jealousy arose between the earl of Kent and sir Roger, insomuch that sir Roger, with the consent of the queen moiher, gave the king to understand that the earl of Kent would shorten his life by poison, if he was not upon his guard, to inherit the kingdom as the next heir ; for the young brother of the king, called John of Eltham,was lately dead.} King Edward believed these tales but too readily, and ordered his uncle, the earl of Kent, to be arrested and publicly beheaded, before any could come to intercede for him. The whole country were mucli concerned at it, and bore an ill will to the lord Mortimer ever after. Not long after, great infamy fell upon the queen mother — whether with just cause or not I am ignorant, but it was commonly said, that she was with child, and in this was the lord Mortimer inculpated. The king was likewise informed, that the lord Mortimer had been the author of all the charges respecting the earl of Kent, and conse- quently was the author of his death, through jealousy ; and that the whole country believed him loyal and honest. The king then ordered the lord Mortimer to be arrested and brought to London, before him and a very great number of barons and nobles of the realm. A knight, by the king's command, recited all the deeds of the lord Mortimer, from a declaration which he held in his hand. Every one was then asked, by way of counsel, what sentence should be passed. Judgment was soon given ; for each had perfect know-' ^ " Le Franc, Franconatus, Terra Franca, ft is part of French Flanders, and was yielded to the French by the peace of the Pyrenees ; it comprehends the bailiwicks of Bourb mr^', Cergue, St. Winox, and Furnes, and besides the capital towns of these baili- wicks, those of Dunkirk and Gravelines." — Dictionnaire Geographique. par Bal-dran.' t Lord Bemers here and in tlie previous chapter says sixteen thousand ; Dr. Sauvage has twelve thousand in one place and sixteen thousiiiid in another. X Froissnrt mistakes. John of Eltham lived more than six yearsaf^er thedeatli oftho earl of Kent. There were, besides his elder brother, Thomas of Brotherton, earlof Nor* folk, living, as well as the two sisters of the king. Joan and Eleanor. 2G CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN. &c. ledge of the facts, from report and good i,^ormation. They repUed to fhe king's question, that he ought to suffer the saine death as si Hugh Spenee?, which sentence had neither delay of ^xeet^tion or me^cy. He was immediately drawn upon a hurdle through the city of London, and placed on a ladder in the midst of the market-place ; when he had his private parts cut off, and cast into a fire, because he had thought and acted treasonably. His body was then quartered, and sent To the four principal cities in England ; his head remained in London*. The king, soon after, by the advice of his council, ordered his mother to be confined in a goodly castle, and gave her plenty of ladies to wait and attend on her, as well as knights and esquires of honor. He made her a handsome allowance to keep and maintain the state she had been used to ; but forbade that she should ever "O out or show herself abroad, except at certain times, when any shows were e.xhibited in the court of the castle. The queen thus passed her time there meekly ; and the king, her son, visited her twice or thrice a year. CHAPTER XXIV. EINO EDWAKD PAYS HOMAGE TO THE KING OF FRANCE FOR THE DUCHY OF GHIENNE. After kin" Edward had administered these two great acts of just- ice, t he took new counsellors, the wisest and best beloved by his people. About a year after the coronation of king Philip of i ranee, when all the barons and tenants of the crown had done him fealty and homage, except the young king Edward, who had neither ap. peared, nor had even been summoned, the king ot France, by tiie advice of his council, sent to him the lord of Ancems, the lord ot Beauxault, and two clerks learned in the laws, and of the parliament of Paris, named master Peter of Orleans, and master Peter of Maisiers. These four left Paris, and travelled on to Wissan, where they em- barked, passed over, and landed at Dover; there they remained one whole day, waiting for the disembarkation of their horses and baggage. Then they went forward and came to Windsor, where the king and queen resided. They sent to inform the king of the cause of their journey ; when king Edward, to do honor to his cousin tne king ot France, invited them to his presence, and treated them with much favor. After they had delivered their message to the king, he replied, that he had not then his council with him, but he would send for them, and they might now return to London, where such an answer would be given to them as should be sufficient. Upon hearing this, and after they had dined, to their great satisfaction, in the kmg's apartment, tliey set out, and lay that night at Coldbrook : the next day they arrived in London. The king did not delay long in following them, but came to his palace of Westminster, and ordered his council to assemble. They Bent for the messengers from France, who, when they had told why they were come, and had given the letters sent by the king their lord, withdrew. The king having asked of his council what was to be done, it was resolved to give an answer according to the ordinances and style of his predecessors, and that the bishop of London should deliver it, which was done as follows : " Gentlemen, who are come hereby the orders of the king of France, I bid you welcome : we have heard your speech, and read your letters. Wc inform you, that we advise the kin"-, our lord, to pass over to France to see his cousin, who so kindly has sent to him ; and, moreover, to perform his homage and loyalty, for in truth he is bounden to it by his duty. You wiU tell the king, your lord, that our king and master will shortly be with hmi, and do all that is proper and right for him to do." _ After the messengers had been well entertained, and received many rich presents and jewels from the king, they took their leave and returned to Paris, where they found king Ph.hp, to whom they related all that had passed. The king said, he should be very happy to receive his cousin, king Edward, whom he had never seen. When this new-s was spread over France, dukes, counts, and all the nobility, made great and rich preparations. The king of France sent letters to king Charles of Bohemia and the king of Navarre, to inform them ot the day that the king of England was expected to appear, and to desire they would be present. Accordingly they came in very great mag- nificence. The king of France was advised to receive the king ot EnMand in the city of Amiens. There were great preparations made to get apartments, houses, and provision for him and his attendants, as well as for the kings of Bohemia and Navarre, who were provided for by him, and the duke of Burgundy. The dukes of Bourbon and Lorraine, and lord John of Artois, were to be there, with upward ot three thousand horse ; and the king of England's suite was to consist of six hundred horse. The youu"' king did not forget, in this journey to France, to equip himself becoming his rank : he set out from England, accompanied by two bishops with the bishop of Londo n ; t four earls— Henry, earl ol ;• » Tills is not correct. His body, after hanging for two days and two niglits by the king's special command, through his favor, ivas granlcd to the Friars Minors, or Gray Friars, in London, who buried him in their church, now called Christ Church ; whence, many years afterwards, it was translated to Wigmore.— Dood.vle. T Lord Berners says "execuUons ;" a filter lemi. The death of the earl of Kent can scarcely be deemed an act of jitsUcc. The orisinal reads-" ces de jx grans justices," which last word is properly rendered esccutions. J Dr. Stephen Giavesend, bishop of London; Dr. Jolm_ Stratford, bishop of Winches- ter; Dr. Henry Burwash, bishop of Linct>In, Derby, his cousin-german, son of Thomas, earl of Lancaster, his uncle, surnamed Wryneck, the earl of Salisbury, th.e earl of Wanvick, the earl of Hereford ; and six barons — lord Reginald Cobham, lord Thomas Witgcr, the marshal of England, lord Percy, the lord of Manny, lord Mowbray, and more than forty other nobles and knights * There were upward of a thousand horse attending on and provided for by the king. They were two days in passing from Dover to Wis. san. Then the king and his company rode to Boulogne, where he staid one day — it was about m!d-A.ugust when the king arrived at Boulogne, t News being soon carried to king Philip, that the king of England was at Boulogne, he directly sent his constable, and a number of knights, to meet him ; they found him at Montreuil sur Mer. After many congratulations and professions of love, the king of England rode on, accompanied by the constable, and he and all his company arrived at Amiens, where king Philip was in all pomp ready to re- - ceive him, attended by the kings of Bohemia, Majorca, and Navarre, and a number of dukes, counts, barons, and other nobles. The twelve peers of France were also present, as well to do personal honor to the king of England, as to be witnesses when he should perform his homage. The king of England was most magnificently received, and he and his company remained there fifteen days, during which time many conferences were held and orciinances framed. It appears to me, that king Edward at that time did homage by mouth and words, but without placing his hands in the hands of the kmg of France, or any prince, prelate, or deputy doing it for him. And the king of England, by the advice of his council, would not proceed further in tliis business, until he should be returned to Eng- land, and have examined the privileges of old times, to clear up this homage, and see by what means a king of England was a vassal to the king of France. The king of France replied, " Cousin, we do not wish to deceive you ; what you have hitherto done has been very agreeable to us, and we will wait until you shall have retiuned into your own country and seen, from the deeds of your predecessors, what you ought to do." The king of England, taking a friendly leave of the king of France, and of the other princes who were present, returned to England. He journeyed on to Windsor, ivhere the queen received him with much pleasure. She made inquiries after king Philip her uncle, and after her other relations in France. The king, her husband, related to her all that had passed, and the particulars of his magnificent reception, and the great honors that were paid to him in France ; which were such that no other country could pretend to do the lilte. It was not long before the king of France sent into England the fol- lowing privy councillors : the bishops of Chartres and of Beauvais, the lord Louis de Clermont, the duke de Bourbon, the count de Harcourt, the count de Tancarville, and other knights and clerks learned in the laws, to attend the conference that was to be holden at London on the subject above mentioned. The king of England had exam- ined in what manner his predecessors had done their homage for what they held in Acquitaine, of which they were styled dukes. Many in England murmured, that their king should do homage to Philip, who had not so near a right to the crown of France as him- self. Neither the king nor liis council was ignorant of this ; how- ever, a groat parliament and assembly were holden on the subject of his homage. The embassadors from the king of France remained all the winter, till the month of May following, without being able to obtain any definitive answer. At last, the king of England, in conformity to his privileges, in which he put much faith, was advised to write letters in the manner of patents, sealed with his great seal, acknowledging what kind of homage he owed, and ought to pay to the king of France, which letters were in the following terms : " Edward, by the grace of God king of England, lord of Ireland, and duke of Acquitaine, to all by whom these letters shall be seen and heard, greeting. " We mttke known, that when we paid our homage to our excel. lent and well-beloved lord and cousin, Philip, king of France, at Amiens, it was required by him of us, that we should acknowledge such homage to be liege, and that we, in jiaying him such homage, should promise expressly to be faithful and true to him— which things we did not then do, as we were ignorant if they were due, and only paid him general homage in such terms, as saying, we entered into his homage in the same manner as our predecessors, the dukes of Guienne, had in former days entered into homage to the kings of France who for that time were, and being since better informed as to the truth, acknowledge by these presents, that the homage, which we paid to the king of France in the city of Amiens, by general words, was, is, and ou"ht to be-considered as liege homage, and that we owe him loyalty and truth, as duke of Acquitaine, peer of France, earl of Poitou and Montreuil ; and we promise to bear him loyalty and truth. That from henceforward no more disputes may arise, we promise for ourselves and our successors, dukes of Acquitaine, that the above mentioned homage shall be performed in the maniier following : " The kiuo- of England, as duke of Acquitaine, shall hold his hands » See Rymer. anno 13», for Uie names of tliose who passed over to France with kiiiG ^tTn Rymer, there is a memorandum that Oie king embarked at Dover for France, at midday, the 2™'="' of «'^ '■omase and 0,e witnesses to it, in king of France sent with them the earl of Eu, his constable, with a great company of men-at-arms. The earl William of Hainault then thought it time to interfere, and sent the countess, his lady, who was sister to king Philip, and the lord of Beaumont, his brother, to France, to intercede with the king for a respite and truce between him and the duke of Brabant. The king made many difficulties, but at last consented, upon condition that the duke should submit himself to whatever he and his council might judge proper for him to do toward the king of France, and toward those lords who had waged war against him. He was also ordered to dismiss the lord Robert from his territories within a certain time, wliich he was forced to perform, tliough much ogainst his will.* CHAPTER XXVI. KI.VS EDWARD TAKES THE CITY OF BERWICK. You have heard related all that passed between the English and Scotch, during the three years that the truce lasted : and for one year more the two nations were at peace. This had not happened before for two hundred years, during which they had been constantly at war with each other. It fell out that king Edward was informed, that the young king David of Scotland, who had married his sister, kept possession of Berwick, which of right belonged to his kingdom, and which king Edward his ancestor had held, and the king his father also, very peace, ably for a long time afterwards. He was also infoniicd, that the king, dom of Scotland was dependent on his crown as a fief, and that the young king of Scots, his brotlier-in-law, had never acknowledged it, or done homage for it. The king of England therefore sent embas. sadors to the king of Scots, to request, that he would withdraw his people from the city of Berw^ick, and give him possession of it, as it was his just inheritance, and liad always appertained to the kings of England his predecessors. They also summoned him to come and do his homage for the kingdom of Scotland, which he ought to hold from the crown of England as a fief. Berwick iton Tweed— siioiMng tlic remains of Uie old fortifieations. The king of Scotland took the advice and op>iions of his council and chief barons, and made this reply to the embassadors : " My lords, I and my barons marvel greatly at the claim you have preferred ; for we do not find that any of our ancestors acknowledged the kingdom of Scotland as a fief, or in any ways subject to the crown of England, citlier by homage or otherwise : my lord, the king our father, of happy memory, would never do homage to any preceding kings of England, whatever wars may have been made on the sub- ject — neither have I any intention or inclination to do it. As for the town of Berwick, king Robert, our father, conquered it from the late king of England by open war, and kept possession of it during his lifetime as his true heritage— I also hope and mean to keep posses, sion of it, and shall do everything in my power for that end. I shall request of you, that you would have the goodness to entreat the Idng, wliose sister we have married, that he would allow us to enjoy the same liberties as our ancestors have done, and to keep what our father won and held peaceably all his life ; and that he would not listen to any evil counsellors ; for, if any other prince should wish to do ua wrong, he ought to aid and defend us, from the lo\e he must bear to his sister, our queen." The embassadors replied, " Sir, we have well heard your answer, • For furtlier particulars respecting Robert d'Artois, his crimes, trial, &c. see the 8th and lOth volumes of the Memoires de I'Academie des Inscriptions, &c„ where there are three intercstinc memoirs concerning him br M. Lancelot, very dilferent from this account of Froissart, or rather of John le Bel. Tliey are loo long to be inserted as notes. S8 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. and will report it to the king, our lord, in the manner you have told it to us." They then took their leave, and returned to their king, to whom this answer was not very agreeable. He summoned to a par- liament, to be holden at London, barons, knights, and councillors, from the chief towns in the kingdom, to have their advice in the pres- ent state of affairs. During the term of parliament, the lord Robert of Artois arrived in England disguised as a merchant. The king received him very kindly, appointed him one of his councillors, and assigned to him the earl- dom of Richmond, which had belonged to his ancestors*. When the day of the meeting of parliament came, and the chiefs of the country were assembled in London, the king ordered what he had written to the king of Scotland to be read, and the answer to it from that king. He then desired they would give him such advice that the dignity of liis crown might be preserved. After they had consulted together, it appeared to them, that the king could no longer with honor endure the wrongs which the king of Scots did to him ; and they offered him such advice, that he immediately gave orders for every preparation to be made, not only to enable him to regain the good town of Berwick, but to penetrate into Scodand with so power- ful an army, that tlie king of Scotland should think himself happy, if permitted to do his homage, and make satisfaction. They added, that they were willing and desirous to accompany him in this expe. dition. The king gave them many thanks for their willingness to assist him, and begged of them to be ready, and properly prepared, according to their different ranks, to meet him at Newcastle-upon- Tyne by a day fi.ted. Eacli returned to his home to make prepara- tions. The king was not idle ; and sent other embassadors to the king of Scotland, his brother-in-law, to give him public notice, and, if he had not altered his mind, to bid him defiance. The day fixed on drew near ; king Edward and all his host came to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and waited there tliree days for the rear and followers of his army. The fourth day he advanced with his whole army toward Scotland, and passed over the lands of the lords Percy and Neville, who are two great barons in Northumberland, and marched forward to meet the Scots. Lord Roos, lord Mowbray, and lord Lisle did the same. The king with his army drew toward the town of Berwick ; for the king of Scotland had not sent any other answer by the second embassadors than he had by the first ; therefore he had been publicly summoned and defied. The king advanced with his army, and entered Scotland. He was advised not to stop at Berwick, but to march forward and burn the country, as his grandfather had done before ; he therefore marched and de. stroyed in this excursion all the plain country, and ruined many towns that were inclosed with dikes and palisades. He took the strong castle of Edinburgh, and placed his own garrison therein. He passed the second river in Scotland below Dunfermline ; and his people overran the whole country as far as Scone, and destroyed the good town of Dunfermline, but touched not the abbey, for the king had strictly forbidden it. They conquered the country as far as Dundee, and took Dunbarton, a very strong castle on the borders of the High, lands, whither the king, and the queen his consort, had retired.t No one dared to oppose the English; for the Scots had all retreated to the forests of Jedworth, which are impenetrable, except to those well acquainted with the coiintry. They had carried all their moveables with them, and placed them in safety, and held not what was left behind of any account. It was not to be wondered that the Scots were thus dismayed ; their king was but about fifteen years old ; the earl of Moray was still younger ; and a youth, named William Doug, las, nephew of him who was killed in Spain, was of a similar age ; so that Scodand was destitute of good captains. When the king of England had run over and scoured the plains of Scotland, and had remained there for three months, not seeing any come to oppose him, he garrisoned many castles which he had taken, and thought by their means to make war tipon all that remained. * This seems to be a considerable mistake; for the eaiMom of Richmond, according to Dugdale, bad been in tbe family of tlie dukes of Brittany a ions time. " In tlie 1st of Edward III., Jolm, duke of Brittany, obtained leave to grant tbe earl- dom of Richmond, with tbe cnstle, and likewise tbe castle of Bowes, unto Arthur, bis brother rind heir. On the deaih of this John, John de Dreux, son of Arthur, did homage for this earldom of Richmond. He died the 16th of May, in tlie 15th of Edward III. John, duke of Brittany, and earl of Monfort, soon af\erthis event did his homage for it. It continued in this family until John, sumanied the Valiant, united himself to tiie kiiig of France, contrary to bis allegiance, and forfeited it Ul the second year of Richard II." — Dugdale's Baronaok, vol. i. p. 40. t " Edward appears to have been at Belford on Iiis march northward, 7th May ; Fw- dera, tom. iv. p. 657. So tliat it is proliable, that, m a day or two after, he came to Ber- wick. Froissart relates, that Edward, leaving Baliol with his forces before Berwick, invaded Scotland, wasted the country, penetrated as fir north as Dundee, and from thence marched across the island to the neighborhood of Dunbarton ; that he took the castJes of Edinburgh and Dalkeith, and placed garrisons in them ; and that, after having employed six montlis in this expediUon, he returned to the siege of Berwick. This story has been transcribed by divers historians, who could not distinguish when Froissart was well informed, and when not. "Froissart has placed in 1333. events which, as to many particulars, occuiTed after- wards. This course of six months is an impossibility ; for Edward did not come to tlie siege of Berwick before May. and tlie place surrendered on the 20th of July. Besides, it appears from the Fffidera. tom. iv. pp. 658, 664, tjiat Edward was in the neighborliood'of Berwick, May 27th and 30th. the 2nd, 4th, 6tli 6th, 8tli. 26th June, and the 2nd, 6tJi, and 15t)i of July : so that he never could have been three weeks absent, and indeed, it is not probable that he was ever absent, from the siege. An invasion of Scotland at that lime could have served no purpose of conquest, and, by dividing the army, might have liad fetpj consequences."— Lord Hailes's Annals, He then made a handsome retreat toward Berwick, and in his way he took the castle of Dalkieth, which was the patrimony of the earl of Douglas, situate just five miles from Edinburgh ; he appointed a governor, with a good garrison. By short marches he came before the good town of Berwick, which is situate at the end of Northum- berland, at the entrance into Scotland. The king surrounded it on eveiy side, and said he would never quit the spot until he had reduced it, or the king of Scotland came to force him to raise the siege at the head of his army. It was well supplied with provision, and had a good garrison of men-at-arms from the king of Scotland, and, besides, was partly sun-ounded by an arm of the sea. There were assaults and skirmishes every day befoi'e the walls of the town, for those of the garrison refused to surrender themselves unconditionally, expecting succor to arrive, in which however they were disappointed. True it is that some Scottish knights formed an expedition to attack the English camp in the evenings, or before daybreak ; but they made little impression, for the English army was so much upon its guard, that the Scots could not make any attack with effect, or with- out loss of men. When those who were within the town saw that they had not any hopes of assistance, that their provision began to fail, and that they were so closely besieged by sea and land that nothing could enter, they began to treat with the king ; who was prayed to grant them a truce for one month upon condition that if, within that time, neither king David, their lord, nor any one from him, should come with a sufficient force to raise the siege, they should stmender up the town, upon having their lives and fortunes spared, and the soldiers liberty to return whither they would into their own country, without loss or hindrance. This treaty, however, was not immediately concluded, for the king was desirous of avoiding any conditions, to punish those who had held out so obstinately against him : at last he was persuaded to it, by the advice of his council, and particularly of the lord Robert d'Artois, who look a great deal of pains to bring it about. He had accompanied the king in this expedition ; and being always near his person, had often told him, from the opinions of several lawyers, that the crown of France belonged to him by right of blood, as he was the immediate heir, by his mother, to the last king. The lord Robert was anxious for the king's leaving Scotland, in hopes that he would carry his arms into France. By these and such like speeches the king was induced to consent to the ratification of the treaty of Berwick. The Berwickers made the king of Scotland and his council ac- quainted with their distressful situation, who, after much consideration, could not find any means to send them succors or assistance : the town of Berwick was therefore surrendered to the king 'St the end of the month, as well as the castle, which was very handsome and strong, and stood without the town. The marshals of the army took posses- sion of them both, in the name of the king. The citizens then came out to swear homage and fidelity to king Edward, and to acknowledge that they held the town from hini. The king made his public entry into Berwick with great pomp and sounding of trumpets, and tanied there twelve days. He appointed as governor thereof a knight, called sir Edward Baliol, with whom he left, when he quitted Berwick, many young knights and esquires, to assist him in keeping the con- quests he had made from the Scots, and to guard the frontiers. The king and all his people then returned toward London, and he gave full liberty for every man to go to his own home. He himself went to Windsor, where he chiefly resided, and the lord Robert accom- panied him, who never ceased, day or night, from telling him how just his right was to the crown of France ; to which the king opened a willing ear, and thought of it with much satisfaction. Thus ended the king's expedition against the king of Scots. He destroyed the greatest part of the country, and took many more forts than his people had achieved from the Scots for a long time. He placed in them several able and expert knights and esquires ; among whom were sir William Montacute and sir Walter Manny, who made many severe skirmishes and attacks upon the Scots, and according to custom were always victorious. In order the better to secure their entrance and retreat from Scotland, and to harass the country, fir William Montacute fortified the tower of Roxburgh, upon the borders of Scotland, and made it a strong castle, able to resist any attack. He gained so much favor by his enterpiises, that the king created him carl of Salisbury, and married him to a noble and honorable lady. The lord of Manny also, who was knighted on this expedition, was nominated a privy councillor, and highly advanced at court. True it is, that the Scots did greatly disturb the English ; they kept them- selves in the wild parts of Scotland, among marshes and forests, where no one could follow them, and harassed the English so constantly, that tliere were skirmishes almost every day ; in one of which the earl of Salisbury lost an eye, by his too great boldness. In the same forests where the Scots now hid themselves, the gallant king Robert had been forced to seek refuge, when king Edward, grandfather to the present king, overran and conquered the Scottish realm ; and many times was he so hard driven, that he could find none in his kingdom who dared to lodge him, or give him succor from any castle or fortress, through fear of this king Edward. The gallant Robert, after the king had returned to England, collect. ed his people together where he could find them, and reconquered his castles, fortresses, and cities, even as far as Berwick; some by force of arms, others by fair speeches, and through affection. When king CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 29 Edward heard of this he was sorely vexed, and summoned his host, and never ceased until he had discomfited the Scots, and reconquered the kingdom. Thus it happened between these two kings : and I have heard it related, that king Robert recovered his kingdom live different times. In such manner did these two kings, who were looked upon as the two most gallant knights of their time^bear them, selves, until the death of king Edward, at Burgh on the Sands. When he perceived he could not recover, he called to him his eldest son, who was afterwards king, and made him swear, in presence of all his barons, bv the Saints, that, as soon as he should be dead, he would have his body boiled in a large caldron until the flesh should be separated from the bones ; that he would have the flesh buried and the bones preserved ; and that every time the Scots should rebel against him, he would summon his people, and cany with him the bones of his father : for he believed most firmly, that Bs long as his bones should be carried against the Scots, those Scots would never be victorious. His son, however, did not fulfil what he had Bworn ; but had his father carried to London and buried — for which miich evil befell him, as you have before heard. CHAPTER XXVII. UNG PniLir OF FKANCE AND SEVERAL OTHER KNIGHTS TUT ON THE CROSS. About this time king Philip of France quitted Paris, accompanied by the king of Bohemia, the king of Navarre, and a numerous com- pany of dukes, earls, and other lords — for he kept a sumptuous table, and at a great expense — to visit his kingdom. After passing through Burgundy, he came to Avignon, where he was most honorably received by pope Benedict, and by all the college of cardinals, who treated him as magnificently as they could. He remained some time with the holy father and the cardinals, and was lodged at Villeneuve, out of the town. The king of Arragon came also at this time to the court of Rome, to witness these entertainments. There were great feasts and solemnities at their meeting, and they all remained there the whole of Lent. While they were there, certain intelligence came to the court of Rome, that the enemies of God were marching in great force against the Holy Land, and had reconquered almost the whole kingdom of Rasse,* and taken the king, who Iiad been baptised, and put him to the most cruel death. The infidels also threatened the holy church and all Christendom. The holy father preached, on the sacred festi- val of Good Friday, before these two kings, on the sufferings of our Saviour, and exhorted them greatly to put on the cross against these Saracens. The king of France was so much affected, that he took the cross, and entreated the pope to grant him liis consent, which he did, and confirmed it by giving him absolution for all sins and fi'ults, if confessed and truly repented of, and the same to all those who should accompany him in this holy expedition. The kings of Bo- hemia and Navarre, and tlie king of Arragon, put on the cross, as well as a number of dukes, barons, and other nobles, who were there : the cardinals of Naples, of Perigord, of Ostia, and the cardinal Blanc, adopted it also. The croisade was preached and published over the world, which gave much pleasure to many, especially to those who wished to spend their time in feats of arms, and who at that time did not know where otherwise to employ themselves. After the king of France and the lords above named had passed a considerable time with the pope, and had settled and managed the business, they took their leave and departed. The king of Arragon returned into his own country. The king of France and his com- pany went to Montpclier, where they remained a long time. During his stay there king Philip completed the peace which was in agita- tion between the kings of Arragon and Majorca. After having finished this, he set out on his return toward Paris, by short day's journeys, and at much expense, visiting his towns and castles, of which he had great numbers. He passed through the provinces of Auvergne, Berry, Beauce, and Gatinois, and came to Paris, where he was received with much joy. The kingdom of France was at that time powerful, rich, and com- pact, the inhabitants at their ease, and wealthy, and no talk of war. This croisade, which the noble king of France had undertaken to lead beyond sea, and of which he had declared himself the chief, was followed by many lords, and by some of them through devotion. King Philip made the greatest and most magnificent preparations that were ever seen to pass the seas ; those of the time of Godfrey of Boulogne, or any others, were not to be compared to them. He had engaged and placed in *be different ports of Marseilles, Aigues- mortes, and Narbonne, and in the neighborhood of Montpelier, such a quantity of ships, carracks, galleys, and barges, as might transport forty thousand men-at-arms and their stores. He laid in a laro-e stock of biscuit, wines, fresh water, salt meat, and all other provis- ions, in such plenty, that there might be sufficient, even if they remained there three years. He sent embassadors to the king of Hungary, who was a right valiant man, to request that he would make himself ready, and open his country to the pilgrims of God. The king of Hungary consented to it, and very willingly returned him answer that he was prepared. In the same manner the king sent information of it to the king of Cyprus, Hugh de Lusignan, and to the king of Sicily, who made to this end the necessary preparations. The king sent also to the Venetians, to beg that their frontiers might be opened, and sufficient guards and provisions collected, which they complied with, as did the Genoese, and all that coast. He dispatched the great prior of France into the island of Rhodes to make preparations there ; and the knights of St. John made an agreement with the Venetians for them to victual the island of Candia, which was under their depend- ence. In short, there were proper provisions made everywhere to receive the pilgrims of God ; and upward of three hundred thousand persons put on the cross, to undertake this holy voyage beyond sea. ^licrt/, if not Rascie. Rascia, whicli is a country in Turkey in Europe. It is tlie northern part of Servia, and takes its name from the river which empties itself into the Morawe. Its principal towns are Belgrade, Semendrie, and Galombaz. This country had formesly kings of its own. Audran. Die. Geo. Rasse may also be mistaken for L,vas,m Armenia, where Cassanus king of Tharsis, and seven thousand Christians. were filam by the Pagans about this period.-BAENEK, p X CHAPTER XXVIII. KING EDWARD IS ADVISED BY HIS COUNCIL TO MAKE WAR AGAINSS KING PHILIP OF FRANCE. At the time when nothing but this croisade was talked of, the lord Robert d'Artois was in England, very near the king's person, whom he was continually advising to make war upon the king of France for wrongfully withholding his inheritance. The king held many councils upon this subject, and consulted with his most special and privy councillors by what means he could maintain his right, for he would gladly amend himself if he knew how. The question was argued, supposing he should demand his right, and it was refused, as it was probable it would be, and he afterwards to sit quiet and not support his claim, he would be more blamed than if he had never moved in it. He saw clearly that it was impossible for him, and all the force he could biing from his own country, to subdue such a great kingdom as that of France, if he did not obtain powerful friends and assistance in the empire, and in other parts, by means of his money ; he therefore frequently demanded of his privy council what opinion they had on this subject. They at length gave this as their unanimous answer : " Dear sir, the question is of such importance, that we dare not advise yott definitively upon it, but recommend to you, dear sir, to send embas- sadors sufficiently instructed to the gallant earl of Hainault, whi^se daughter you have married, and to lord John, his brother, who has before so valiantly assisted you, to entreat their lordships to advise you how to act, for in such a matter they are better infomied than we can be : if they agree with you in opinion, they will give you counsel who are the lords most able to assist you, and also point out the most proper means of gaining them to your interest." The king agreed to this proposal, and entreated the bishop of Lincoln to under- take this journey through affection to him, and desired two knights bannerets, and two counsellors learned in the law, to accompany him on the embassy. They set out as soon as they could, embarked and landed at Dunkirk ; whence they rode through Flanders to Valenci- ennes, where they found William, earl of Hainault, so sorely afflicted with the gout and gravel that he could not move. The lord John, his brother, was there also, by whom they were much feasted : and to them they explained the object of their mission. Upon which the gallant earl said : " I vow to God, if the king can succeed in this, I shall be much rejoiced ; for as you may etisily imagine, I feel more interested for him who has married my daughter than for king Pliilip, who has never done anything for me although I am married to his sister. He also prevented, clandestinely, the marriage of the young duke of Brabant with my daughter ; on which account I will not faU my dearly beloved son, the king of England, in any respect, if his council should advise the undertaking of it. I will also give him every aid, as will John, my brother, now present, who has before assisted him. But know, that you must seek for other supporters more poweri'ul than we are, for Hainault is too small a territory to measure itself with the kingdom of France, and England lies too far off to be of help to it." " Certainly, sir, you have given us very excellent advice, and testi- fied great love and good will, for which, in the name of our lord and king, I return you my thanks," replied the bishop of Lincoln ; " but, dear sir, tell us the names of those lords th.at you think can best help our master, that we may report them to him." " Upon my soul," replied the earl, " I cannot think of any lords, that can so powerfully assist him as the duke of Brabant, his cousin- german, the bishop of Liege, the duke of Gueldres, who married his sister, the archbishop of Cologne, the marquis of Juliers, sir Arnold de Bacqueghen, and the lord of Fauquemont : these are the lords that can, in a short time, furnish greater numbers of men-at-arms than any I know ; they are very warlike themselves, and, if they choose, can easily make up ten thousand men completely armed and equipped ; but you must give them money beforehand, for they are men who love to gain wealth. If by your means the kin& my son- in-law and your lord, could ally himself with the lords whitai I have just mentioned, and were on this s?de of the sea, he might pass the river Oise to seek king Philip, and ofier him battle." The embassadors returned to London with the answer they had 30 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. received, wliich, when king Edward heard it, gave him much pleasure and comfort. News of what was going forward %vas soon carried to France, and by degrees magnified, so that king Philip grew very indifferent to this croisadc which had been preached, and of which he had undertaken to be the chief. He countermanded his officers (who were making very great preparations,) and gave them directions not to proceed further, until he should see upon what footing the king of England meant to act, as he was incessantly employed in assem- bling men-at-arms. The king of England ordered ten knights bannerets, and forty knights bachelors, in company with the bishop of Lincoln, who was a right valiant man, to cross the sea, and to go straight to Valenci- ennes, to treat with those lords of the empire, whom the carl of Hain- ault had named, and to act as he and his brother John might advise. When they were arrived at Valenciennes, all were emulous of the state they should hold, and spared no expenses ; for if the king of England had been there in person, they could not have done more. There were had ordered those who were in his confidence to remark whenever he should make a particular sign on meeting any person, and to murder him directly without fail, or waiting further orders, of what, ever rank he might be. This happened very frequently; so that many principal men were killed ; and he was so dreaded, that no one dared to speak against his actions, or scarce to contradict him, but all were forced to entertain lum handsomely. When his companions before mentioned had conducted liim to his hotel, each went home to his dinner, and immediately after returned to the street before his house, where they remained making a noise and brawling, until he pleased to come out and go round the town, to pass his time and amuse himself; and thus was he escorted until he chose to go to supper. Each of these soldiers had four Flemish groats a day, as wages, and for his expenses, which he had paid to him very regularly every week. He had also in every town and castlewick, through Flanders, sergeants and soldiers in his pay, to execute his orders, and serve him as spies, to find out if any were inclined to rebel against him, and to give him information. The in a town, he was banished or by which they gained great renown and reputation. among them many young knights bachelors, who had one of their instant he knew of any such bein, eyes covered with a piece of cloth so that they could not see with it. It was said they had made a vow to some ladies in their country, that they would never use but one eye until they had per- sonally performed some deeds of arms in France ; nor would they make any reply to whatever ques- tions were asked them ; so that all marvelled at their strange demeanor. After they had been sufficiently feasted and honored at Valenciennes, the bishop of Lincoln and the greater number of them drew toward the duke of Brabant, by the advice of the earl of Hainault. The duke treated them magnificently, and agreed afterwards to pro- mise his support and assistance to the king of England, to whom he was cousin-german, with all the means in his power, and to allow him to enter and quit his territories, armed or disarmed, as often as he pleased. He had also promised, by the advice of his council, and for a round ■sum of florins, that if the king of England, his cousin, would defy the king of France, and enter his territories with a sufficient force, and could obtain the aid of the lords before mentioned, he would defy him also, and join him with a thou- sand armed men. ~~^ --' The embassadors then returned to Valenci- ennes : by their negotiations and gold, they prevailed upon the duke of Gueldres, brother- in-law to king Edward, the marquis of Juliers for himself, and for the archbishop of Cologne, and his brother Waleran, and the lord of Fauquemont, to come to Valenciennes, to treat with them before the earl of Hainault, who was unable to ride on horseback ; and before his brother John. They managed matters so well, by a plentiful distribution of florins among the principals and others, that they agreed to defy the king of France, and to go with the king of Eng- land whenever and wherever he pleased, and that each w^ould serve him with a certain number of men-at-arms with helmets suimounted with crests. Now is the time come when we must speak of lances, swords, and coats of mail ; and I inform you, that the above named lords promised the embassadors from England, that they would ally themselves with the lords on the other side of the Rhine, who had the power to bring a large number of men-at-arms, but they must first be furnished with the means to fix them. These lords from Germany then took their leave', and departed to their own coun. try; the English lords remained some little time longer with the earl of Hainault. They sent many messages to Raoul, bishop of Liege, and would most willingly have drawn him over to their own party ; but he would do nothing against the king of France, whose liegeman ne was, and to whom he had sworn fealty. The king of Bohemia was not sent to, because they knew he was so connected with the king of France, by the marriage of John, duke of Normandy, with the lady Bona, daughter of that king, that he would never act against him. ^\ _ CHAPTER XXIX. JACOB TON AETAVELD GOVERNS ALL FLANDERS. DtmiNG these times of which I am speaking, there were gi-eat dis- sensions between the earl of Flanders and the Flemings ; for they would not oliey him ; nor could he venture to remain in Flanders without great danger to himself. There was in Ghent a man that had formerly been a brewer of metheglin, called Jacob Von Artaveld, who had gained so much popular favor and power over the Flemings, that everything was done according to his will. He commanded in all Flanders, from one eni to the other, with such authority, that no one dared to con. tradict his orders. Whenever he went out into the city of Ghent, he was attended by three or four-score armed men on foot, among whom were two or three that were in his secrets ; if he met any man whom he hated or suspected, he was instantly killed; for he killed without delay, and none were so great as to be exempted, for so early did he take such measures to guard himself. At the same time he banished all the most powerful knights and esquires from Flanders, and such citizens from the principal towns as he thought were in the least favorable to the earl ; seized one half of their rents, giving the other moiety for the dower of their wives and support of their children. Those that were banished, of which the number was very considerable, resided for the most part at St. Omer, and were called les avolez. To speak the truth, there never was in Flanders, or in any other country, count, duke, or prince, who had such perfect command as Jacob Vo'n Artaveld. He collected the rents, the duties on wines, and other taxes belonging to the earl, though they were the earl's lawful revenue, in whatever part of the country of Flanders he might reside ; he raised also extraordinary subsidies, which he spent and gave away, without rendering account to any one. When he said he was in want of money, he was immediately believed — and well it was for them who did believe him — for it was perilous to contradict him ; and if he wished to borrow money of any of the citizens, there was no one who dared to refuse him. The embassadors from England, and who kept such honorable state at Valenciennes, as you have before heard, thought among themselves, that it would give their king great comfort and assist, ance in what he was an.xious to undertake, if they could get the aid of the Flemings, who at that time were ill with the king of France, and with the earl their lord. They consulted the earl of Hainault on the subject ; who told them, that, in truth, it would be the great, est support they could get ; but he did not see how it cotdd be ob. tained, unless they previously could win the friendship of Jacob Von Artaveld. They replied, that they would directly do all in their power to obtain it, and soon after set out from Valenciennes for Flanders by three or four different roads. One party of them went to BnK-es, another to Ypres; but the largest went to Ghent, where they sp°ent such suras, that gold and silver seemed to fly out of their hands Thev sought friendship from all, promised largely to some, flattered others, where they thought it would have more effect in ■^ainin.- their ends. The bishop of Lincoln, however, and his com. Banioirs, acted their part so well in Ghent that, by fine speeches and otherwise, they acquired the friendship of Jacob Von Artaveld, and crrcat favor in the city, particularly with an old knight who lived m Ghent where he was much beloved ; he was called my lord le Cour- tisien,* was a banneret, and was looked upon as the most gallant '••U ie Siger. a noblem an of Courtray ; by allusion In his lands of f ontreisin, com- monly styled the lord of Couitesy."-CAETE, vol. ii. p. 429 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 31 knight and warlike man in all Flanders, who had served his lords right valiantly. This lord having kept company with the English lords, and much honored them (and every loyal knight sliould honor strangers,) he was criminally accused to the king of France for these distinctions he had paid the English, who instantly sent an order to the earl of Flanders, commanding him by some means or other to get hold of this knight, and to cut oft' his head. The earl, who dared not refuse obedience to tliis command, managed so tliat Courtisien, coming to the place which he had appointed, was immediately arrested and beheaded. This caused infinite grief to many, for he was much beloved by the gentry of the country, and it created much ill will against the earl. The English lords were so active in Flanders, that Jacob Von Artaveld assembled several times the chiefs of the princi. pal cities to confer with them on the business they were come about, 03 well as on the franchises and friendship which the king of Eng- land ofl'ercd to them. The matter being fully discussed, was brought to this conclusion ; the chiefs of the principal towns gave their eon- sent that the king of England and his amiy might pass through Flan- ders whenever he pleased ; but as they were so much obliged to the king of France, they could not annoy him, or enter his kingdom, witiiout sutVering too heavy a penalty in a large sum of florins, and entreated the embassadors to be satisfied with this answer for the present. They returned to Valenciennes much pleased with what they had done. They frequently informed the king, their master, how things were going ; and he sent them large sums of money, as well for their own expenses, as to distribute among the lords of Ger- many, who did not wish for anything more agreeable. About this time, the gallant William, earl of Hainault, died on the sixth day of June, 1337. He was buried in the church of Cordeliers, at Valenciennes ; the bishop of Cambray performed the funeral ser- vice, and sang the mass. There was a great attendance of dukes, earls, and barons, for he was exceedingly honored during his life by all ranks of men. After his decease, the lord William, his son, entered upon the countiies of Hainault, Holland, and Zealand ; he had to wife the daughter of duke John of Brabant ; her name was Joan, heiress of the rich and valuable lands of Binch.* The lady Joan, her mother, went and resided at the monastery of Fontenelles, upon the Scheld, where she passed her days in a devout and charita- ble manner. CHAPTER XXX. CERTAI.N .\0BLES OF INLANDERS DEFEND THE ISLAND OF CADSANT AGAINST TUE EKGLISH. King Philip, informed of these alliances, and of the influence which the king of England had acquired on that side of the water, would most willingly have attached the Flemings to his party ; but Jacob Von Artaveld had so entirely subjected them, that none dared to act contrary to his will ; even the earl, their lord, could not remain there in safety, and had sent his wife, and Lewis, his son, into France. However, certain knights and esquires in garrison on the island of Cadsant, which lies between the havens of Sluys and Flushing, among whom were sir Dutres de Halluyn, sir John de Rhodes, sir Giles, son of the lord de I'Estrief, kept possession of it as lords paramount, and defended the passage. They made war underhand upon the English, of which the lords that were in Hainault had information, and also, that if they passed that way into England, they might be encountered, the consequences of which would be disagreeable to them. Notwith. standing this, they rode over the country of Flanders according to their pleasure, and to all the large towns ; but they were indebted for this to Jacob Von Artaveld, who showed them every honor and support. These lords went afterwards to Dordrecht, where they em- barked to cross the sea, and to avoid the passage of the island of Cadsant, where the aforesaid knights and Flemings were in garrison, under the king of France and the earl of Flanders, as has been already related. The Englishmen returned in the best manner and as privately as they could, to their own country, and to king Edward, who was right glad to see them, and happy in the success of their mission. When he heard how the garrison of Cadsant harassed his people, he said he would shortly settle that business, and immediately ordered the earl of Derby, sir Walter Manny, and some other English knights and esquires, to make themselves ready. They collected a number of men-at-anns and archers, and embarked them in vessels on the Thames at London : there might be six hundred men-at-arms, and two thousand archers. When they were all on board, they weighed anchor, and with that tide came to Gravesend, where they lay that first night. The next day they weighed and came to Margate. At the third tide they hoisted and set their sails, and took to the deep, and passed over to Flanders, when, ha'ving assembled and properly arranged their vessels, they approached near to Cadsant. CHAPTER XXXI. THE BATTLE OF CADSANT, BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND THE FLEMINGS, ATTACHED TO THE EARL OF FLANDERS. When the English saw the town of Cadsant, whither they were bending their course to attack those that were within it, they con- f-.A town in the Low Countries, tliree leagues from Mons, and four ftora Maubeuge. sidered, that as the wind and tide were in their favor, in the name of God and St. George they would run close up to it. They ordered the trumpets to sound, and each made himself quickly ready ; they ranged their vessels, and placing the archers on the prows, made foU sail for the town. The sentinels and guards at Cadsant had plainly perceived the approach of this large fleet, and taking it for granted that it must be English, had already armed and placed themselves upon the dykes and the sands, with their banners in their proper posi- tion before them. They had also created a number of knights upon the occasion, as many as sixteen ; their numbers might be about five thousand, taking all together, very valiant knights and bachelors, as they proved by their deeds. Among them were sir Guy of Flanders, a good knight, but a bastard,* who was veiy anxious that all in Ms train should do their duty ; sir Dutres de Halluyn, sir John de Rhodes, sir Giles de I'Estrief, sir Simon and sir John de Bouquedent, who were then knighted, and Peter d'Aglcmoustier, with many other bachelors and esquires, valiant men-at-arms. There was no parley between them, for the English were as eager to attack as the Flem- ings were to defend themselves. The archers were ordered to draw their bows stifl" and strong, and to set up their shouts ; upon which those that guarded the haven were forced to retire, whether they would or not, for this first discharge did much mischief, and many were maimed and hurt. The English barons and knights then landed, and with battle-axes, swords, and lances combated their ene- mies. Many gallant deeds of prowess and courage were done that day ; the Flemings fought valiantly ; and the English attacked them in all the spirit of cliivalry. The gallant earl of Derby proved himself a good knight, and advanced so far at the first assault, that he was struck down : and then the lord of Manny was of essential service to him ; for, by his feats of anns, he covered him and raised him up, and placed him out of danger, crying, " Lancaster for the earl of Derby 1" They then closed with each other ; many were wounded, but more of the Flemings than of the English ; for the English archers made such continual discharges, from the time they landed, that they did them much damage. The battle was very severe and fierce before the town of Cadsant, for the Flemings were good men, and expert in arms ; the earl had selected and placed them there to defend the passage against the English, and they were desirous of performing their duty in every respect, which they did. Of the barons and knights of England, there were, first, the earl of Derby, son of Heniy of Lancaster, surnamed Wryneck ; the earl of Suffolk, lord Reginald Cobham, lord Lewis Beauchamp, lord William, son of the earl of Warwick, the lord Wil- liam Beauelerk, sir Walter Manny, and many others, who most vigor, ously assaulted the Flemings. The combat was very sharp, and well fought, for they were engaged hand to fist ; but at length the Flemings were put to the rout, and more than three thousand killed, as well at the haven as in the streets and houses. Sir Guy, the Bastard, of Flanders, was taken prisoner. Of the killed, were sir Dutres de Halluyn, sir John of Rhodes, the two brothers Bouquedent, sir Giles de I'Estrief, and more than twenty-six other knights and esquires. The town was taken and pillaged ; and when everything was put on board the vessels with the prisoners, it was burnt. The English returned without accident to England. The king made the lord Guy of Flanders pledge his troth, that he would remain a prisoner ; but in the course of the year he turned to the English, and did his homage and fealty to the king. CHAPTER XXXII. KING EDWARD MAKES GREAT ALLIANCES IN THE EMPIRE. The news of the discomfiture at Cadsant was soon spread abroad ; the Flemings said, that they were not sorry for it, as the earl had placed that garrison there without their consent or advice ; nor was Jacob Von Artaveld displeased at the event. He instantly sent over embassadors to king Edward, recommending himself to his grace with his whole heart and faith. He signified to the king, that it was his opinion he should immediately cross the sea, and come to Ant- werp, by which means he would acquit himself toward the Flemings, who were very anxious to see him ; and he imagined, if he were on that side of the water, his aflfairs would go on more prosperously, and to his greater advantage. The king of England, upon this, made very great preparations ; and when the winter was over, he embarked, accompanied by many earls, barons, and knights, and came to the cifv of Antwerp, which at that time was held for the duke of Brabant nn'iltitudes came thither to see him, and witness the great state and pomp in which he lived. He sent to the duke of Brabant, his cousin, t.) his hrother-in.law, the duke of Gueldres, to the marquis of Juliers, the lord John of Hainault, and to all those from whom he expected support and assistance, that he should be happy to have some con. versation with them. They all therefore came to Antwerp between Whitsuntide and St. John's day ; and when the king had sufliciently entertained them, he was eager to know from them when they could enter upon what ihev had promised, and entreated them to make dispatch : for this was his reason of coming to Antwerp ; and as he had all his preparations ready, it would be a great loss to him if they were tardy. These lords of Germany had a long consultation to- gether, and finally made this their answer : * Guy do Rickenburg. biutarJ brotliei to the earl of Flanders.-CiRTE. 33 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. "Dear sir, when we came hither, it was more for the pleasure of seeing you, than for anything else ; we are not yet in a situation to give a positive answer to your demand ; but we will return home, Ind conie again to you whenever you please, and give you so full an answer, that the matter shall not remain with "J. They fixed upon that day three weeks after bt. John's day. The kinc of Eno-land remonstrated with them upon the great expenses ajwrioss he "should be at by their delays, for he thought they would all have been ready with their answers by the time he had come thither ; and added, that he would never return to England, until he knew what their intentions were. Upon this the lords departed, and the king remained quietly in the monastery of St. Bernard : some of his lords stayed at Antvverp, to keep him company ; the rest went about the country amusing themselves in a magnificent style, and were well received and feasted wherever they came. The duke of Brabant went to Louvain, and made a long slay there ; thence he sent (as he had done before) frequently tj the king of France, to entreat that he would not pay attention to any reportii that were in. jurious to him, for he should be very sorry to form any connection or alliance contrary to his interests ; but the king of England being his cousin-german, he could not forbid his passing through his country. The day came when the king expected the answers -from the above- mentioned lords: they sent excuses, saying, they were not quite ready, neither themselves nor their men ; that he must exert himself to make the duke of Brabant prepare to act with them, as he was much nearer to France, and seemed to them very indifferent in the matter ; and that as soon as they should for a certainty be informed that the duke was ready, they would put themselves in motion, and be as soon in action as he should be. Upon this the king of England had a conference with the duke of Brabant, and showed him the answers he had received, and begged of him, by his friendship and his kindred, that no delay might come from him. for he suspected that he was warmly inclined to the aid of these German lords. The duke replied, that he would summon his council. After bng deliberations, he told the king, that he would be ready the moment the business required it — but that he must first see these lords ; to whom he wrote, to desire they would meet him at whatever place was the most agreeable to them. The day for this conference was fixed for the middle of August, and it was unani- mously agreed to be held at Halle, on account of the young earl of Hainault, who was to be there, as well as the lord John, his uncle. When all the lords of the empire were assembled in the city of Halle, they had long deliberations together, and said to the king of England, " Dear sir, we do not see any cause for us to challenge the king of France, all things considered, unless you can procure the con- sent of the emperor, that he will command us so to do on his account, which may easily be done ; for there is an ordinance of a very old date, sealed, that no king of France should take and keep possession of anything that belongs to the empire. Now lung Philip has gotten possession of the castles of Crevecceur, in Gambresis, and of Arleux, in Artois, as well as the citv of Cambray, for which the emperor has good grounds to challenge him through us, if you will have the good- ness to obtain it from him, in order to save our honor." The king of England replied, that he would cheerfully conform himself to their advice. „ t ,■ i u It was then dctennined, that the marquis of Juliers sliould go to the emperor, and with him knights and counsellors from the king, and some from the duke of Gueldres : but the duke of Brabant would not send any ; he lent, however, his castle of Louvain to the king tor his residence. The marquis of Juliers and his company found the emperor at Nuremberg : they obtained by their solicitations the object of their mission ; for the lady Margaret of Hainault, whom the lord Lewis of Bavaria, then emperor, had married, took great pains and trouble to bring it about. The marquis was then created an earl, and the duke of Gueldres, who was but an earl, was raised to the dignity of a duke. The emperor gave a commission to four knights an°d two counsellors in the law, who were members of his counci , investing them with powers to make king Edward his vicar over all parts of the empire ; and these lords took out sufficient instruments, publicly sealed and confirmed by the emperor. of France detained the king and queen of Scotland a long time ; they had everything they wanted delivered to them, for but little came from Scotland to support their state. He sent also embassadors to those lords and barons who had remained in Scotland, and were carrying on the war against the English garrisons, offering them assistance, if they would not consent to any pacification or truce without his approbation, and that of tjieir king, who had already promised and sworn the same. The Scottish lords assembled, held a conference on the subject, agreed most willingly to this request, and sealed and swore to what their king had before promised. Thus was this alliance first formed between the kings of France and Scotland, which lasted for many years. The king of France sent men-at-arms into Scotland to carry on the war, under the command of the lord Arnold d'Andreghen, afterwards marshal of France, the lord Garencieres, and many other knights and esquires. King Philip imagined that the Scots would find the English too much employment at home, for them to be able to cross the sea ; or if they did, at all events in too small .mnibers to hurt or molest him. CHAPTER XXXIII. DAVID, KINS OF SCOTLAND, FORMS AN ALLIANCE WITH PHILIP, KINO OF FRANCE. ABOtrr this time, the young king David of Scotland, great part of whose kingdom was seized by the English, which he could not re. cover from the power of the king of Engl.ind, quitted Scotland, with his queen and a few followers. They arrived at Boulogne, and thence came to Pans, where the king magnificently received them, gave them one bf his castles to reside in as long as they chose, and sup. plied them with money for their expenses, upon condition that the king of Scotland would never make peace with the king of England but with his consent ; for the king of Fiance knew well that king Edward was taking every measure to make war upon him.* The king * " In such circumstances, it became necessary to provide a safe place of refuge fur the young king and liis consort ; Malcolm Fleming found means to convey them from the castle of Dunbarton into France, where they were honorably entertained." "Whether David 11. was conveyed into France, after the battle of Duplin, in 13S2, or CHAPTER XXXIV. KING EDWAKD OF ENGLAND MADE VICAR OF THE EMFIKE Or GERMANY. When the king of England and the lords, his allies, had quitted the conference at Halle, the king returned to the castle of Louvain, which he set about preparing for his residence ; at the same time he sent to his queen, to inform her of his intentions, and that if she would come to him, it would give him much pleasure, for he should not be able to repass the sea this year. He sent backmany of his knights to guard the country, particularly the borders of Scotland. AVhile these things were going forward, the English knights remaining with the king in Brabant spread themselves all over the countries of Flanders and Hainault, living most sumptuously, and giving princely presents and entertainments to the lords and ladies, in order to acquire their good will and favor. Their behavior was such, that they were beloved by those of both sexes, and even by the common people, who were pleased with their state and magnificence. The marquis of Juliers and his company returned from the empire about All Saints day ; and when he sent to inform the king of this, he congratulated him on the good success of his mission. The king wrote him for answer, that he should come to him on the feast of Saint Martin, and de- manded of the duke of Brabant to name the place where he wished this conference to be holden, who replied at Arques, in the county of Los,» near to his own country. Upon this, the king gave notice of it, that all his allies might be there. The town-hall of Arques was hung with rich and fine cloths, like to the presence-chamber of the king. His majesty was seated five feet higher than the rest of the company, and had on his head a rich crown°of gold. The letters from the emperor to the king were pub- licly read, by which the king of England was constituted and estab- lished his vicar and lieutenant, and full powers granted to him to do all acts of lav/ and justice to every one, in his name, and also to coin money in gold and silver. These letters commanded all those in the empire, and all his other subjects, to obey his vicar as himself, and that they should do fealty and homage to him as vicar of the empire. Several knights and lords swore fealty and homage before him, and some took advantage of the opportunity of pleading their causes, tis if before the emperor, and they were judged as lawfully as if in his presence. On this occasion an ancient statute was renewed and confirmed, which had been made in former times at the court of the emperor ; it directed, that tiny one meaning to hurt or annoy another should send him a sufficient defiance three days before he committed any hostile act ; and that whoever should act otherwise should be degraded as an evil doer. When all this was completed, the lords took their leave, and gave each other their mutual promises to be fully equipped, with- out delay, three weeks after the feast of Saint John, to sit down before the city of Cambray, which of right belonged to the emperor, but had turned'to the French. The lords then set out each for his home, and kinf Edward, as vicar of the empire, returned to Louvain to his queen, who hud lately arrived there with many of the nobility, and well ac- companied by ladies and damsels, from England. The king and queen kept their courts there in great state during all the winter, and caused plenty of gold and silver coin to be struck at Antvverp. The duke of Brabant, however, was not neglectful in sending frequent messages to king Philip of Franco by the Lord Lewis de Travehen, his special counsellor, to excuse himself; for which pur- pose this knight had made many dilferent journeys ; and at last he was commanded to remain near the person of the king, in order to exculpate his master, and contradict any reports that might be circu- lated against him. The knight did everything in his power, and becoming his duty. litter the battle of Hahd^in. 1333, is a question of little mipmlance. Our later authors have deeded in tavor on333. and not without probable reasons : the chief |s, that Baliol. the "Srd November 1332. offered to marry .Tohanna. the inlant consort of David Bruce ; Foid tom iv pp 831^-539 ; which he would not have done, had she been conveyed to France immediately after the baHle of Duplin. 12th August, 1332. This is a more spe- cious ar-ument than anything drawn from the Chronicle of Froissarl. where dates and facts are strangely misplaced and confounded, as the manner is in colloquial history."— ""rhe county of Los had formerly its particular counts, and made part of the territories of the bishopric of Liese. THE NEW WORLD. 3J CHAPTER XXXV. KING EDWARD ASD HIS ALLIES SEND CHALLENGES TO THE KING OF FRANCE. Winter was now over, and the summer come, wlien the feast of St. John the Baptist approaching, the lords of England and Germany made preparations for undertaking their intended expedition. The king of France also made his preparations to meet them ; lor ho was well acquainted with part of what they intended, thouy;h he had not yet received any challenge. King Edward collected his stores in England, where he made his armaments ready, and, as soon as St. John's day was passed, transported them across the sea to Vilvorde,* whither he went himself. He made all his people, on their arrival, take houses in the town ; and when this was full, he lodged them in tents and pavilions in the fine meadows along the side of the river. He remained thus from Magdalen day until the feast of our Lady in September, expecting week after week the arrival of the lords of the empire, especially the duke of Brabant, for whom all the others were waiting. When the king of England saw that they came not, he sent strong messages to each of tliem, and caused them to be sura- be enabled to march in a fortnight, when they would be quite ready; and, that their cause might have a belter appearance, they detemiined to send challenges to king Philip. At the head of this defiance was the king of England, the duke of Gueldres, the marquis of Juliers, sir Robert d'Artois, sir .lohn of Hainault, the marquis of Nuys, the marquis of Blanckenburg, the lord of Fauquemont, sir Arnold de Bacqueghcn. the archbishop of Cologne, his brother sir Waleran, and all the lords of the empire, who were united as chiefs with the king of England. These challenges were written and sealed by all, ex- cept the duke John of Brabant, who said he would do his part in proper time and place. They were given in charge to the bishop of Lincoln, who carried them tj Paris, and performed his message so justly and well, that he was blamed by no one. He had a passport granted him to return to his lord, who, as said before, was at Mechlin. Edward the Third sending a Challenge to Kino Philip— From a MS. Froissart of the 15th century moned to be at the city of Mechlin on St. Giles's day, according to their promises, and to give reasons for their delays. King Edward was obliged to remain at Vilvorde, where he main- tained daily, at his own cost, full sixteen hundred men-at-arms, that had come there from beyond sea, and ten thousand archers, without counting the other followers of his army. This must have been a heavy expense ; not including the large sums ho had given to the German lords, who thus paid him back by fair promises ; and the great force he was obliged to keep at sea against the Genoese, Bretons, Normans, Picards, and Spaniards, whom king Philip supported at his cost, to harass the English, under the command of air Hugh Quiriel, sir Peter Bahucet, and Barbenoire, who were the admirals and conductors of this fleet, to guard the straits and passages between England and France ; and these corsairs only waited for int'ormation of the war being com- menced, and the English king, having challenged the king of France as they supposed he would, to invade England and ravage the coun- try. The lords of Germany, in obedience to the summons, came to Mechlin, where, after many debates, they agreed, that the king should * A small town in Brabant, between Brussels and Mechlin, on the river Senne. CHAPTER XXXV L SIR WALTER MANNY, AFTER THE CHALLENGES HAD BEEN SENT, MAKES THE FIRST incursion INTO FRANCE. Sir Walter Manny, a week after the challenges had been sent, and when he imagined the king of France had received them, collected about forty lances, on whom he knew he could depend, and rode through Brabant night and day ; so that he came into Hainault, and entered the wood of Blaton, before any of his follow- ers knew w^here and why they were thus 1 hastening : he then told some of his inti. ; ;■! mates, that he had made a promise in Eng- .'i ' land, before the nobles and ladies, that he would be the first that would enter France, and take some castle or strong town, and perform some gallant deed of arms ; and that his intention was to push forward as far as Mortaigne, to surprise the town, which was a part of the kingdom of France. Those to v.hom he thus opened himself cheerfully consented to follow him. They then regirthed their horses, tightened their armor, and rode in close order : having passed through the wood of Blaton, they came at one stretch, a little before sunrise, to Mortaigne, where luckily they found the wicket open. Sir Walter alighted with some of his companions, and having passed the wicket in silence, and placed there a guard, he then with his pennon marched down the street before the great tower, but the gate and the wicket were close shut. The watch of the castle heard their voice, and seeing them from his post, began to blow his horn, and to cry out " Treason ! treason !" This awakened the soldiers and inhabitants, but they did not make any sally from the fort. Sir Walter, upon this, retreated handsomely into the street, and ordered those houses to be set on fire that were near the castle : full fifty houses were burnt that morning, and the inhabitants much frightened, as they concluded they must all have been taken prisoners ; but sir Walter and his company m.arched away, and came straight to Cond^, where they passed by the pond and river Haynes, tak- ing the road to Valenciennes; leavingwhich on the right hand, they came to Avesnes, and took up their quarters in the abbey. They then pushed forward toward Bou- chain, and managed matters so well wth the governor, that the gates of the castle they crossed a river which empties itself into the Scheld, and which rises near Arleux. Afterwards they came to a very strong castle, called Thin-l'Evfcque, that belonged to the bishop of Cambray, which was so suddenly surprised, the governor and his wife were taken in it. Sir Walter placed a strong garrison there, and made his brother, sir Giles Manny, governor, who gave much disturbance to the Cambresians, as this castle was but a short league from the city of Cambray. When sir Walter had performed these enterprises, he returned into Brabant toward the king, his lord, whom he found at Mechlin, and related to him all that he had done. were opened to them : CHAPTER XXXVII. THE FRENCH, AFTER THE CHALLENGES, INVADE ENGLAND. Upon king Philip's receiving the challenges from king Edward and his allies, he collected men-at-arms and soldiers from all quarters ; he sent the lord Gallois de la Bausme, a good knight from Savoy, to the city of Cambray, and made him governor thereof, in conjunction with sir Thibault de Marneil and thelord of Roye : they might be, includ. 34 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. ing Spaniards and French, full two hundred lances. The king seized the county of Ponthieu, which the king of England had before held by right of liis mother ; and he also sent and entreated some lords of the empire, euch as the count of Hainault his nephew, the duke of Lorrain, the count of Bar, the bishop of Metz, the bishop of Liege, not to commit any hostile acts against him or his kingdom. The greater part of them answered as he could have wished ; but the count of Hainault, in a very civil reply, said that although he should be at all times ready to assist him or his realm against any one, yet as the king of England made war in behalf of the empire, as vicar and lieu, tenant of it, he could not refuse him aid and assistance in his coun. try, as he held lands under the empire. The king of France appeared satisfied with this answer, not however laying much stress on it, as he felt himself in sufficient strength to oppose his enemies. As soon as sir Hugh Quiriel, sir Peter Bahucet, and Barbenoire, were informed that hostilities had commenced, they landed one Sun- day morning in the harbor of Southampton, wliile the inhabitants were at church ; Normans, Picards, and Spaniards entered the town, pillaged it, killed many, deflowered maidens and forced wives ; and having loaded their vessels with the booty, they fell down with the tide, and made sail for the coast of Normandy. They landed at Dieppe, and there divided the plunder. CHAPTER XXXVIII. KINO IDWAKD BESIEGES THE CITY OF CAMBKAY. The king of England from Mechlin went to Brussels to see the duke of Brabant : liis people passed by without entering it. There a large body of Germans, at least twenty thousand men, joined the king, who asked the duke of Brabant what his intentions were — to go before Cambray or to desert his cause. The duke replied, that, as soon as he should know that Cambray was besieged, he would come thither with twelve hundred lances of good men-at-arms ; which answer pleased the king much. The king took his departure, and lay that night at Nivelle ; the next day he came to Mens, in Hainault, where he found the young count of Hainault and his uncle, who re. ceived him joyfully. The lord Robert d'Artois was always with the king, and of his privy council. He was attended by si.xteen or twenty great barons and knights from England, whom he carried with him by way of state, and also as his council. The bishop of Lincoln was among them, who was much renowned in this expedition for his wisdom and valor. The English pushed I'orward, and lodged them- selves on the roads in the flat countries through which they passed, and found provision at hand for their money ; but some paid and others not. When the king had reposed himself two days at Mons, in Hain- ault, he came to Valenciennes, which he entered, taking with him but twelve knights. The count of Hainault was already arrived there, accompanied by the lord .lohn, his uncle, the lord of Fagui- nelles, the lord of Vercliin, and the lord of Havareth, with many others, who attended on the person of the count, their lord. The count took die king by the hand, and led hi)n to the great hall, which was properly prepared to receive him, and as they were ascending the steps, the bishop of Lincoln, then present, raised his voice and said, "William d'Aussonne, bishop of Cambray, 1 admonish you, as proctor on the part of the king of England, vicar of the emperor of Rome, that you consent to open the gates of the city of Cambray ; and if otherwise you shall do, you will forfeit your lands and we will enter by force." No reply was made, for the bishop of Cambray was not present. The bishop of Lincoln continued, and said, "earl of Hainault, we admonish you on the part of the emperor of Rome, that you come and assist the king of England, his vicar, before the city of Cambray, with all your forces." The earl made answer, and said, "Willingly." They entered the hall, and conducted the king to his chamber. Shordy after the supper was served up, which was sumptuous and splendid. The ne.xt day the king departed, and came to Haspre on the Sellc. Having halted there two days, till the greater part of his forces had passed by, he set out and came before Cambray ; when, having fixed his quarters opposite to it, he sur- rounded with his anny the whole city, his forces every day increasing. The young earl of Hainault came thither with a large body of men, accompanied by his uncle, sir John, and they took up their quarters near to those of the king. They were followed by the duke of Gueldres, the marquis of Nuys, the earl of Mons, the earl of Saunes, the lord of Fauquemont, sir -\rnold of Bacqueghen, and all the other lords of the empire, allies of the king, with their forces. On the sixth day after the king and these lords had taken their position be- fore Cambray, the duke of Brabant arrived with a fine anny : there were full nine hundred lances, without counting the other armed men, of whom there were numbers. He took up his quarters at Ostrenant upon the Sclield, over which a bridge was thrown for the communication of one army with the other. The duke of Brabant was no sooner arrived, than he sent his challenge to the king of France, who was at Compiegne ; at which sir Lewis de Travehen, who had hitherto exculpated him, was so confounded, that he would not return into Brabant, but died of grief in France. During the siege of Cambray there were many skirmishes and •combats ; sir John of Hainault, and the lord of Fauquemont, as usual, made their excursions together, and burnt and destroyed much of the country of Cambresis. These lords, with five hundred lances, and a thousand other men-at-arms, came to the castle of Oisy, in Cambresis, and assaulted it so furiously, that it would have been taken, if the knights and esquires within had not most valiantly defended it for the lord of Coucy; so that little damage was done, and these lords returned to their quarters. The earl of Hainault and his forces came one Saturday to the gates of St. Quentin, and made a vigorous attack upon them. John Chandos, as yet but an esquire, (of whose prowess this book will speak much.) flung himself between the barrier and the gate, at the length of a lance, and fought very gallantly with an esquire of Vermandois, called John de Saint Dizier : each of them performed great deeds of valor ; and the Hainaulters got possession by force of the' barriers. The earl of Hainault and his marshals, sir Gerard de Verchin and sir Henry d'-4ntoing, were present, and ad- vantageously posted, as well as many others, who ventured boldly in the pursuit of honor. The lords of Beaumont, Fauquemont, Ang- hien, sir Walter Manny, with their forces, were at a gate, called Robert's gate, upon which they made a brisk attack ; but tliose of Cambray, and the soldiers whom the king of France had sent thither, defended themselves with so much valor and skill, that the assailants gained no advantage, but retreated to their quarters well beaten and tired. The young earl of Namur came to serve under the earl of Hainault, according to his request, and said that he would be of their party so long as they remained in the empire ; but, the moment they entered France, he should go and join the king of France, who had retained him, and entreated him to do so. This was also the inten- tion of the earl of Hainault, who had commanded his people, that none should dare to commit any acts of violence in the kingdom of France under pain of death. While the king of England was besieging the. city of Cambray with full forty thousand men-at-arms, and pressing it closely by dif- ferent assaults, the king of France assembled his forces at Peronne, in the Vermandois. About this time the king of England called a council of those irom his own country, and partieulai'ly sir Robert d'Artois, in whom he had much confidence, and demanded of them, whether it were best to enter the kingdom of France, and go to meet his adversary, or to remain before Cambray until he should have taken it. The lords of England, and his privy councillors, seeing the city was strong and well provided with men, provision, and artillery, and that it would take some time to conquer it — of which, however, they were not well assured, for no great deeds of arms had yet been performed — that the winter was fast approaching, and that they were there at a very great expense, gave their opinion, that the king should push forward into France ; for he could there find plenty of forage, and a great supply of provision. This counsel was followed ; and all the lords were ordered to dislodge and pack up their tents, pavil- ions, and baggage. They advanced toward Mont St. Martin, which is upon the borders of France, and they marched very regularly by companies, each lord with his own people. The earls of Northampton, Gloucester, and Suflolk, were the mar- shals of the English host, and the earl of Warwick was the constable of England. They easily passed the river Scheld, not far from Mont St. Martin, for it is not very wide at that place. When the earl of Hainault had accompanied the king of England as far as the boun- daries of the Empire, so that if he passed the Scheld he would be in the kingdom of France, he took his leave, saying he would not ad- vance i'urther with him at this time ; for as he had been sent to, and his aid requested by king Philip, his uncle, whose ill-will he wished not to incur, he would go serve him in France, as he had served the king of England in the Empire. The king replied, "God assist you." The earls of Hainault and Namur then turned back, and went to Quesnoy with all their troops ; the earl of Hainault disbanded the greater part of his, but desired of them to hold themselves in readi- ness, for he should shortly go to the assistance of the king of France, his uncle. CHAPTER XXXIX. KINO EI»VARD CREATES SIR HENRY OF FLANDERS A KNIGHT,* AND AFTER- WARDS HIARCHES INTO FICARDY. .\s soon as the king of England had passed the Scheld, and had entered the kingdom of France, he called to him the lord Henry of Flanders, who was but a young esquire, and knighted him — at the same time giving him two hundred pounds sterling a year, properly secured in England. The king was lodged in the abbey of Mont St. Martin, where he remained two days; his troops were scattered round about in the country. The duke of Brabant was quartered at the monastery of Vaucelles. When the king of France, who was at Compifegne, heard this news, he increased his forces everywhere, and sent the earl of En and Guines, his constable, with a large body of men-at-arms, to St. Quentin, to guard that town and the frontiers against his enemies. He sent the lords of Coucy and of Ham to their casdes, and a great number of men-at-arms to Guise, Ribemont,. Bouchain, and die neighboring fortresses on the borders of his king. * His name was Henry Entn. He was eight years afterwards knightcil. or, more pro. bably made o banneret, by the prince of Wales, who settled on him one hundred marks for liis life, payable from llie manor of Bradeaash in the county of Devon. He was also the twenty-fourtli knight of the garter.— .'Vsn.MOLE. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, .FRA NO E, SPAIN, >«? CH.\PTER LV. THE SCOTS RECOVER GREAT PART OF THEIR COCNTEY DURING THE SIEGE OF TOURNAY. The reader should be informed, that Sir William Douglas, son of the brother of sir James Douglas, who was killed in Spain,* the earl of Moray, the earl Patrick of Dunbar, the carl of Sutherland, sir Robert Keith, sir Simon Fraser, and Alexander Ramsay, had re. mained as governors of the remnant of Scotland, that was not in the possession of the English. During the space of seven years they had secreted themselves in the forest of Jedworth, in winter as well as summer, and thence had carried on a war against all the towns and fortresses wherein king Edward had placed any garrisons, in which many perilous and gallant adventures befel them, and from which they had acquired much honor and renown. While king Ed- ward was beyond sea before Tournay, the king of France sent over some forces to Scotland, which arrived safe in the town of Perth : and he entreated the noblemen above mentioned, to carry on so bitter a war in England, that king Edward should be obliged to desist from his present enterprise before Tournay, promising them every aid and assistance ; in consequence of which these lords collected their forces, and made themselves ready. They quitted the forest of Jedworth, traversed Scotland, retook as many fortresses as they were able, passed by Berwick, and, crossing the river Tync, entered Northumberland, which was formerly a kingdom of itself, where they found plenty of fat cattle. Having destroyed and burnt the whole country as far as Durham, and even beyond it, tliey returned by another road, doing the same to all the countries they passed through ; so that all the country on the borders of England, to the extent of three days' journey, was completely ruined and destroyed. They then reen- tered Scotland, and gained all the fortresses which the king of Eng- land held, except the good town of Berwick, and three other castles, which annoyed them much, and which are so strong, that you -will * Celebrated in Scottish story under the name of the Knight of Liddesdale. Lord Hailes mentions liim aloite as being sent on the embassy to France. Robert the Stewad was regent of the kingdom. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 45 scarcely tind their equals for strength in any country ; one 13 called Stirling, the other Roxburgh, and the third, which may be styled the Bovereign of Scotland, Edinburgh. This lost is situate upon a high rock, commanding a view of the country round about; and the mountain has so steep an ascent, that few can go up it without stop, ping twice or thrice. The governor of it at that time was a gallant English knight, called sir Walter Limousin, brother-german to him who had so gallantly defended the castle of Thin-l'Eveque against the French. A bold thought came into sir William Douglas's mind, which he mentioned to his companions, the earl of Dunbar, sir Robert Fraser, who had been tutor to king David of Scotland, and Alexander Ram. say, who all agreed to try to execute it. They collected upward of two hundred lances of Highlanders, went to sea, and purchased oats, oatmeal, coal, and straw, and landed peaceably at a port about three miles from the castle of Edinburgh, which had made a stronger resistance than all the other castles. When they had armed them- selves, they issued forth in the night time ; and having chosen ten or twelve from among them, in whom they had the greatest confi- dence, they dressed them in old threadbare clothes, with torn hats, like poor tradesmen, and loaded twelve small horses, with a sack to each filled with oats, meal, or coal ; they then placed the rest in am. buscade in an old abbey, that was ruined and uninhabited, close to the foot of the mountain on which the castle was situate. At day. break, these merchants, who were privily armed, took the road with their horses the very best way they could toward the castle. When they had got about half way up the hill. Sir William Douglas and sir Simon Frazer advanced before the others, whom they ordered to follow in silence, and came to the porter's lodge. They informed him, that they had brought, with many risks and fears, coal, oats, and meal, and, if there were any want of such articles, they should be glad to dispose of them, and at a cheap rate. The porter replied, that the garrison would thankfully have them, but it was so early, that he dared not awake either the governor or his steward: at the saiiie time he told him to come forward, and he would open the other gate. They all then passed quietly through, and entered with their loads to the gate of the barriers, which he opened for them. Sir William Douglas had remarked, that the porter had all the great keys of the castle gates, and had, in an apparently indiflerent manner, inquired which opened the great gate and which the wicket. When the first gate was opened, they turned in their nags, and flung off the loads oi' two, which consisted of coal, directly upon the sill of the gate, so tliat it could not be shut, and then seized the porter, whom they slew so suddenly, that he did not utter a word. They then took the keys, and opened all the gates ; and sir William Douglas gave a blast upon his horn, as a signal for his companions : they then flung off their torn clothes, and placed all the remainder of the coal between the gates, so that they could not be shut. When those in the ambuscade heard the horn, they sallied forth, and hastened forward to the castle. The noise of the horn awak- ened the watch of the castle, at that time asleep, who, seeing these armed men running up the castle hill, blew lustily on his horn, and bawled out, " Treason I treason ! Arm yourselves, my masters, as fast as you can, for here are men-at-arms advancing to our fortress." They all roused themselves as quickly as they could, and when armed came to the gate ; but sir William and his twelve companions defended the gate ; so that it could not be shut. The combat then grew hotter; but those from without maintained their ground with great valor, until their ambuscade anived. The garrison made a very gallant defence, killing and wounding many of their enemies; but sir William and his parly exerted themselves so much, that the fortress was taken, and all the English killed, except the governor and six esquires, to whom they showed mercy. The Scots remained in the castle all that day, and appointed for governor a squire of that country, called sir Simon de Vesci, and left with him many of his countrymen. This news was brought to the king of England while he lay before Tournay. CHAPTER LVI. TnE KING OF FRANCE ASSEMBCES A LAKGE ARMY, I.V ORDER TO RAISE THE SEIGE OF TOURNAY. It has been before related in what manner the king of England had besieged the city of Tournay, and that he pressed it very close ; for he had upward of one hundred and twenty thousand men, in- cluding the Flemings, who behaved very well in all their attacks. The commanders within the city, finding their provisions beginning to get low, sent out from it all those who had not laid in a proper quantity i''or the occasion. They were driven out about the middle of the day, and passed through the army of the duke of Brabant, who took compassion on them, and had them conducted in safety to king Philip at Arras ; he had remained there all this time, while those within Tournay were in great distress, and had need of assist- ance and advice. The king of France published a special summons throughout his lungdom, and also in many parts of the empire, for levying of forces. It had so good an effect, that Charles, king of Bohemia, the duke of Lorrain, the earl of Bar, the bishop of Metz, the bishop of Verdun, the earl of Montbeliard, the lord John of Chalons, the earl of Geneva, the earl of Savoy, and the lord Lewis, his brother, came to serve under the king of France, with as many men as they could collect together. There came to him also the dukes of Brittany, Burgundy, and Bourbon, the earls of Alcn^.on, Flanders, Foretz, Armagnac, Blois, Harcourt, and Dammaitin, the lord Charles of Blois, the lord of Coucy, and many other knights and barons. The king of Navarre afterwards came with a number oi men-at-arms, to serve for the lands he held in France, and for which he was a homager to the king. The king of Scotland was also there, under the appointment of the king of France, and had a handsome body of men given to him. CHAPTER LVII. SOME OF THE GARRISipN OF BOUCHAIN DEFEAT A BODY OF SOLDIERS FROM MORTAGNE,* BEFORE THE TOWN OP CONDE. When all these lords above-mentioned, and many others, were come to Arras, the king of France advanced to a small river, which is about three leagues distant from Tournay. It was very deep, and the country about it so marshy, that it could not be crossed, but by a very narrow causeway, on which two men would have difficulty to pass abreast. The king and his army encamped in the fields, as they could not cross this river. The next day they remained there also; and the lords about the king held a council, on the best means of building bridges, to pass over this river and the quagmires in safety. They sent some knights and armed men to examine the passages, who, after having well considered them, reported that it would be pains thrown away, and that there was no other means of crossing this river and country, but by the Pont.;\-Tressin. Everything, therefore, re- mained as before, and each lord took up his quarters among his own men. The news was soon spread abroad, that the king of France and his army were encamped between the bridges of Tressin and Bouvines, with the intention of giving his enemies battle ; so that all men of honor, who were desirous of fame, went and joined one side or other, as pleased them best. Three Gcinian knights, who were in garrison at Bouchain, heard, as ethers had done, that tlie two kings were near each other, and it w-as thought they would fight. Upon which two of them urged and entreated their companion that he would consent to remain in Bouchain, to guard and preserve it until they returned, and that they would make an excursion as far as Tournay, to seek adventures, and to see how things were going on. The two knights set out, whose names were sirCourrat d'Astraand sir Courrat de Lancenuch ;t they rode till they came to Estampons, above Valenciennes, for they were desirous of crossing the Seheld at Cond^. Between Fresnes and Estampons they heard a noise, and met many peojile running away ; upon which they spurred their horses, and pushed on toward the place from whence the outcry came, with their whole company. They were altogether about twenty.five lances. They inquired of the first they met of the mean- ing of all the noise and flight ; " Oh Lord, gentlemen," said they, " the soldiers from Mortagne have made an incursion upon us, and have collected a large booty in this neighborhood, which they are driving to their fortress, together with many prisoners they have taken." The two knights asked if they could conduct them to the road these soldiers were going ? Upon their answering in the affirm, ative, they pursued the French of Mortagne, and followed these honest men, w'ho showed them a way through the woods, so that they g.iincd ground upon them, near to Ndtre-Dame-au.x-Bois. The French were full one hundred and twenty men, and they were driving before them two hundred large cattle, with some peasants, prisoners. Their captain was a knight from Burgundy, called sir John deFrelais, under the orders of the lord of Beaujeu. As soon as the Germans perceived them they set up a loud shout, and ru.shed on full gallop. The combat was very sharp, for the Burgundy knight made a gallant defence, as well as some of his company, but not all, for several of them betook themselves to flight ; but they were so closely pursued by the Germans and peasants of the country, who had armed them, selves with stakes, that few escaped death. Sir John de Frelais was taken, and all the booty recaptured and given to the proprietors, who were very thankful to the Germans ever after. The knights then went forward to Tournay, where they were very well received. CHAPTER LVIII. SIR WILLIAM DE BAILLEUL AND SIR VAUFLART DE LA CROIX MAKE AN EXCURSION TO POKT-A-TRESSI.V. Soon after the king of France had taken up his quaiters, with his army, near the bridge of Bouvines, a company of Hainaulters put themselves in motion by the exhortations of sir Vauflart de la Croix, who told them he knew all the country well, and he could lead tliera to a part of the French army which they would be sure of conquer- ing. About one hundred and twenty of them, knights and esquires, set out one day through love to each other, to do some deeds of * MorUignc — a small town in Flanders, near the confluence of the Scarpe and Sclield, thrae leasnes fromTuurnay. t Sir Qjwn-a( d' Astra and sir Counat de Lancenuch. The names oftliese kniglits are, in the 46th chapter, said to have been Conrad. " Courrat" is found in both places, in Lord Berners and D'Sauvage : but in the lauer it is corrected in a marsinal note.— Ed. 46 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. arms, and advanced toward Pont-a.-Tressin. They made the lord Cf Bailleul their captain, and it was imder his banner that they were to enlist. That same morning, some of the Liegeois made also an excursion, •under the command of sir Robert de Bailleul, brother-german to the above-mentioned sir William de Bailleul, for he had made a promise to do this to the bishop of Liege, and was bound to execute it with his whole company. The Liegeois had passed Pont-4-Trcssin, were foraging for their horses, and looking out to see if they could find any chance to profit by. The Hainaulters had rode on, and passed the bridge, without meeting with any one ; for there was such a fog that they could not distinguish anything at the distance of a lance's length. When all had passed the bridge, they ordered sir William de Bailleul, and his banner, to remain there, and sir Vauflart de la Croix, sir Raflet de Monccaux, and sir .Tohn do Verchin, to advance as far as the quarters of the king of Bohemia, and bishop of Liege, "which were near the bridge, and to attack them. The lord of Rode- mach had had the guard that night of the army of the king of Bohe- mia, and was on the point of retiring, when the light-horse of the Hainaulters appeared. They attacked them, as they came up, very valiantly, and they were repulsed also by the Liegeois. The conflict ■was sharp, and the Hainaulters behaved themselves well. To secure a retreat, however, to their banner, the Hainaulters drew toward the bridge, where they were followed by those of Liege and Luxembourg, and the engagement was renewed. Sir William de Bailleul was ad. vised to recross the bridge with his banner, for many of his people remained there ; and many a gallant deed was performed, many a capture made, and many a rescue. Sir Vauflart unluckily was not able to gain the passage of the bridge, so he got out of the crowd, and saved himself the best way he could, by taking a road he was acquainted with, and hiding himself among thorns and quagmires, "where he remained a considerable time. The rest still continued the combat ; but the Liegeois, and those from Luxembourg, had overthrown sir William de Bailleul. While this was passing, sir Robert's company, who had been out foraging, returned, and, hearing the noise, came to the bridge. Sir Robert ordered his banner to advance, which was carried by a squire called James de Forsines, crying out, " Moriennes." The Hain- aulters, who were much heated, perceiving the banner of Moriennes, vhich is quite straight, thought it was their own, which they had been ordered to rally under, for there is but very little difl'erenee be- tween the two ; the Morienne arms having bars counterbarred wilh two chevrons, gules, and the chevron of sir Robert had on it a small cross or. The Hainaulters made a sad mistake, and ran into the midst of sir Robert's troop, who received them most fiercely, repulsed and discomfited them. They lost, on their side, sir John de Vargny, sir Walter de Pont-i.l'Arche, sir William de Pipempoix, sir John de Soire, sir Daniel de Bleze, sir Race de Monceaux, sir Lewis Dampelu, and many other knights and squires. Sir William de Bailleul saved himself in the best manner he could, but he lost a greit many of his men. Sir Vauflart de la Croix, who hid himself among the reeds in the marshes, hoped to have remained there until the night, but he waa perceived by some troopers, who were riding through these marshes : they made such a shouting and noise, that sir Vauflart came out and surrendered himself to them, who led him to the army, and gave him up to their commander. He detained him a whole day in his quarters, and would willingly, through pity, have saved him, as he knew his head would probably sufler. But the king of France, having heard of it, wished to take cognizance of it himself; so sir Vauflart was given up to him, and the king sent him to Lisle, where, as he had done much harm to the inhabitants, they would not accept of any ran.som, but put him to death. CHAPTER LIX. TIIE lAKL OF nAINAULT ATTACKS THE FOKTKESS OF JIOKTAGNE IN VARIOUS MANNERS. The king of France was much rejoiced at the arrival of sir Robert de Bailleul, and his defeat of the Hainaulters. Shortly afterwards, the earl of Hainault, sir John his uncle the seneschal of Hainault, with full six hundred laiices, Hainaulters and Germans, set out from the siege before Tournay. The earl had sent orders for those of Valenciennes to take another route, and place themselves between the Scarpe and the Scheld, to attack the town of Mortagne. Thev came there in a large body, and brought with them many engines, to throw things into the place. I have before told how the lord of Beaujeu had been sent thither as governor: he had expected an at- tack, from the situation of Mortagne upon the Scheld, and bordering upon Hainault, and had driven upward of twelve hundred piles into the bed of the river, to prevent its navigation. It was not long before the earl and his Hainaulters arrived on one side of the town °and the Valeuciennois on the other: they made preparations for an immediate attack. The Valenciennois ordered their cross-bowmen to shoot, and advance to the barriers; but they were unable to do so, for the wide and deep trenches which had been made before them. They then bethought themselves to cross th.c Scarjic at any rate below Chateau I'Abbaie, and passing near St. .\mand, to make an assault upon the gate which opens toward Maude. This they executed ; and full four hundred light troops armed crossed the river, and Mor- tagne's three gates were besieged. The weakest was certainly that leading to Mande ; however, that was tolerably strong. At that post the lord of Beaujeu placed himself; for he knew that all the rest were safe. He had armed himself with a very stout lance, having the head of tempered steel, and on the under side a sharp hook, so that, when he made his stroke, he could fix the hook into the jackets, or armor, of those who attacked, draw them to him, and make them fall into the river. By this means, in the course of the day, he caught and destroyed more than twelve of the assailants. At this gate, the conflict was much more severe than anywhere else, and the earl of Hainaidt was ignorant of it : he was hard by toward Brismal, drawn out in order of battle upon the bank of the Scheld. The lords took counsel how they might draw out the piles, either by force or ingenuity, from the bed of the river, so that they might ad- vance upon it up to the walls of the town. They ordered an engine to be made in a large vessel, to draw them out one after another; and all the carpenters were directly set upon this business. This same day the Valenciennois, on their part, erected a handsome engine, which cast stones into the town and casfle, and much annoyed the inhabitants of Mortagne. In this manner passed the first day, and the following night in assaulting and devising upon the best means to molest the town. On the morrow, they returned to the attack on all sides. The third day the vessel and engine were ready to draw out the piles, and those ordered upon that duty were set to work, but they had so much trouble and labor in drawing out one, that the lords thought they should never accomplish it, and therefore made them desist. There was, at that time, a very able engineer at Mortagne, who, having considered the machine of the Valenciennois, and how much it annoyed the town, for it was perpetually in action, made another in the castle, which was not very large, but well made and tempered, and so well pointed, that it was used only three times ; the first stone fell within twelve paces of the engine of the Valenciennois ; the second was nearer to the box ; and the third was so well aimed, that it struck the machine upon the shaft, and split it in two. The soldiers of Mortagne made a great shouting at this event. The Hainaulters were thus two days and two nights before Mortagne without conquering any part of it. The earl and his uncle thought it advisable to return toward Tournay, which they did ; and the Valenciennois went back to their town,, whence they had come. CHAPTER LX. THE EARI. OF HAINAULT TAKES THE TOWS OF ST. AHAND DDRESa THE SIEGE OF TOtmNAY. Three days after the earl of Hainault had been returned from before Mortagne, he made a request to his companions, that they would come with him to St. Amand ; for he had received many complaints of the soldiers of St. Amand having burnt the monastery of Hanon, and of their attempt to do the same at Vicoigne, as well as of many other vexations which they had committed upon the bor- ders of Hainault. The earl set out from the siege of Tournay, with three thousand combatants, and came before St. Amand by the way of Mortagne, which town was only inclosed with a palisade. A knight from Languedoc, and seneschal of Carcassonne, was governor of it, and he had told the monks of the abbey, as well as the inhabit- ants, that it was not tenable against any body of men ; not that he meant to give it up, but on the contrary, to defend it as long as he could, and mentioned it merely as a piece of information. These words were not much attended to, or believed ; however, he had some time before sent to Mortagne all the jewels of the monastery, and thither went also the abbot and his monks, who were not very well calculated to defend themselves. The Valenciennois, who had been ordered by the earl their lord to be before St. Amand on a certain day, as he would be there to meet them, came with twelve thousand combatants, and posting themselves before the town, armed all the cross-bowmen, and made them advance toward the bridge over the Scarpe. The conflict was here very sharp : it lasted all that day, without the Valenciennois being able to make any impression ; but they had a great many of their men killed and wounded, and the besieged, mocking them, called out, " Go your ways, and drink your good ale." Toward the evening they retired from before the town, nmch wearied and surprised that they had not heard any tidings of their lord ; they called a council, and resolved to return hack to their own town. On the morrow after their de- parture, the carl of Hainault arrived, as has been said, by the way of Mortagne, and he immediately began the attack : it was so violent, that the barriers were instantly won, and they advanced to the gate which opens toward Mortagne. The earl and his uncle headed this attack ; they fought most valiantly, and spared none. Each of them at this place received two such blows, from stones thrown down upon them that their helmets were split through, and themselves stunned. One present then said to the earl, " Sir, we shall never do anything cfiectual in this place, for the gate is very strong, the passage nan-ow, and it will cost you too many of your people to gain it; but if you will order some large beams of wood to be brought, and shod with iron in the manner of piles, and strike with them against the walls CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &( of the monastery, I will promise you that you will make breaches in many places: if once we get.into the monastery, the town is ours, for there is nothing to stop us between it and the town." The earl ordered this advice to be followed, for he perceived it was reasonable, and the shortest method of getting possession of the town. Great beams of oak were brought, formed, and sharpened like piles, and to each were ordered twenty or thirty men, who bearing it in their hands, retreated some paces, and then ran with it with i^rcat force against the wall, which tliey battered down in many places, so that they entered valiantly and crossed a small rivulet. The seneschal of Carcassonne was there, with his banner displayed before him, which was gules, with a chef argent, three chevrons in chief, and an indented border, argent, and near him were collected many companions from his own country, who received the Hainault- ers very gallantly, and fought as well as they were able, but it was in vain, as they were overpowered by numbers. It may be worth remembering, that, on their entering the monasteiy, there remained a monk, called sir Froissart, who did wonders, killing and wounding, at one of the breaches where he had posted himself, upw-ard of eigh- teen, so that no one durst venture to pass through: at last he was forced to tly, for he perceived that the Hainaulters were entering the monastery by various other breaches ; the monk, therefore, made otf as fast as he could, and saved himself in Mortague. As soon as the earl, sir John, and the knights of Hainault, had entered the monas- tery, the earl ordered no quarter to be given, so much was he enraged at the violences they had committed in his territories. The town was soon filled with soldiers, who pursued all they met from street to street, and from house to house ; very few escaped being put to death. The seneschal was slain under his banner, and upward of two hun- dred men with him. The earl returned that evening to Tournay. On the morrow, the men-at-arms of Valenciennes, and the com- monalty, came to St. Amand, burnt the town, the monastery, and the great minster : breaking and destroying all the bells, of which there were numbers of very good and melodious ones. The earl of Hainault made another excursion from the siege of Tournay, with about six hundred men-at-arms, in order to burn Orchies, Landas, and Le CoUe. He afterwards crossed, with his army, the river Scarpe above Hano«, and entering France, came before a large and rich monastery, at Marchiennes, of which sir Ayme de Vervaulx was governor, who had with him a detachment of cross-bowmen from Douay. The attack was violent, for the knight had strongly forti- fied the first gate, which was surrounded by wide and deep ditches, and the French and monks withinside defended themselves valiantly. The Hainaulters exerted themselves much ; and, having procured boats, they by this means gained entrance into the monastery, but a German knight, attached to the lord of Fauquemont, was drowned; his name was sir Bacho de la Wiere. At the attack of the gate, the earl, his uncle the seneschal of Hainault, and many others, proved themselves such good knights, that the gate was gained, sir Aym6 slain, and the greater part of the others. Many monks who were there were captured, the monastery pillaged, and burnt, as well as the village. The earl after this returned with his army to Tournay. 47 whom were sir Florent de Beaurieu, sir Latas de la Haye, marshal of ilie army, the lord John of Hainault, sir Oulphart de Guistelles, sir Robert Glewes, from the county of Los, at that time only a squire and many more ; amounting altogether to upward of three hundred good men-at-arms. They came to Pont-ii-Tressin, which they crossed without loss : they then held a council, on what would be the most advantageous plan for them to beat up and skirmish with the army of the French. It was determined, that the lord of Rau. dcrondenc, and his son, sir Henry de Kalkren, a mercenary knight sir Thilman de Saussy, sir Oulphart de Guistelles, sir I'AIIeman has' tard ot Hamault, sir Robert Glewes, and Jacquelot de Thiaulx should act as light-horse, and skirmish up to the tents of the French • that the rest of tlie knights and squires, who might amount to three hundred, should remam at the bridge, to keep and defend that pass, m cose of any attack. This advanced body then .set out : they were forty persons altogether, well mounted upon handsome and strong chargers : they rode on till they came to the French camp, when they immediately dashed in, and began to cut down tents and pavil. ions, and do every possible damage, by skirmishing with all that opposed them. That night, two great barons, the lord of Montmo. rency and the lord of Saulieu, had the watch, and were with their guard, when the Germans fell upon them. As soon as they heard the noise, they and their banners moved toward it. When the lord of Rauderondenc saw them approach, he turned his horse about, and ordered his pennon and his party to push for the bridge, the French following him closely. In this chase, the French captured sir Oulphart de Guistelles, for he could not follo%v track, his sight being indifferent. CHAPTER LXI. Sm CHARLES DE MONTMORENCY, AND MANY OTHERS OF THE FRENCH, CAPTURED AT PONT.A-TRESSIN. The siege of Tournay lasted a long time, and the town held out well ; but the king of England thought he must gain it, for he knew that there were within it great numbers of men-at-arms, and a scar- city of provision, which would oblige them to yield through hunger. But others said, that they would find supplies through the country of the Brabanters, who permitted frequent and large quantities of pro- visions to pass through their army, and even to enter the town. Those from Brussels and Louvain were quite weary of remaining there so long, and petitioned the marshal of their army for leave to return to Brabant. The marshal replied, that he was very willing to consent to their departure, but they must leave their arms and ac- coutrements behind them. This made them so ashamed, that they never again repeated their request. During this siege, the Germans made an excursion toward Pont-a-Tressin, where sir Robert de Bail, leul had defeated the Hainaulters. The lord of Rauderondenc, sir John of Rauderondenc his son, at that time a squire, sir John de Randebourgh, a squire also, and tutor to the lord of Rauderondenc's son, sir Arnold de Bacqneghen, sir Reginald d'Escouvenort, sir Courrat d' Astra, sir Bastien de Basties, Candrelier his brother, the lord Strauren de Leurne, with many others, from the duchies of Ju- liers and Gueldres, held a conference together, and resolved to make an excursion on the morrow, by break of day ; for which purpose they armed, and prepared themselves well that night. Some knights-bachelors* from Hainault joined them; among * The word bachelor, from whence has come ba^hdicr. does not signify baJi ckevalirr, Ijuta kiiightwho has not the number of bachefles ofljind requisite to display ahanner; that IS to say, four bachdtcs. The hachelle was composeil of ten mai or mcix (farms," or domains,) each of which contained a sufficiency of land fur the work of two oxen du- ring a whole year.— G/055. du droit. Fr. de Laurica. Bovatiis tcrriE. Tantum esse quantum hos unus cofat; sex bovati; quantum flex. In vet. autem statutorum mess, ad compositionem mensurarum, sic notatur. Octo bo- vata: terrie faciunt carucatam terra;, octo carucntaj faciunt unum feodum militis. xviii. Bene fiiciunt bovatam Xenm.—Svcimanni Olossarium. their He was surrounded by the enemy, and made prisoner, as were two esquires, of the names of Mondrop and Jacquelot de Thiaulx. The French galloped after them, but the Germans escaped ; and, being scarcely more than half an acre separated from them, they could plainly hear them crying out, " Ha, gentlemen, you shall not return as easy as you came."° Then one of his party rode up to the lord of Rauderondenc, and said, "Sir, consider what you are about, or the French will cut us off from the bridge." The lord of Rauderondenc replied, " If they know one road to it, I know another;'" and, turning to his right, led his party along a road tolerably well beaten, which brought them straight to the river before mentioned, which is very deep, and surrounded by marshes. On their coming thither, they found they could not ford it, so that they must return, and pass over the bridge. The French^ thinking to cut off and take the Germans, went on full gallop toward the bridge. When they were come near to it, and saw the large body of men waiting for them, they said to one another, " We are making a foolish pursuit, and may easily lose more than we can gain." Upon which many turned back, particularly the banner, bearer of the lord of Saulieu, as well as that lord himself. But the lord of Montmorency would not retire, but pushed forward courage, ously, and, with his party, attacked the Germans. This attack was very fierce on both sides, and each party had many unhorsed. While they were engaged, the light troops made a circuit, and fell upon their flank : notwithstanding this, and the hard blows given, the French stood their ground. But sir Reginald d'Escouvenort, know, ing the banner of Montmorency, under which the knight was, with sword in hand, dealing his blows about him, came upon his right hand, and, with his left hand seizing the reins of his horse, stuck spurs into his own, and drew him out of the combat. The lord of Montmorency gave many blows with his sword upon the helmet and back of sir Reginald, which at once broke and received them. How. ever, the lord of Montmorency remained his prisoner, and the Ger. mans fought so well, that they maintained their ground, and made fourscore gentlemen prisoners. They then repassed the bridge with, out hindrance, and returned t.) Tournay, where each retired to his own quarters. CHAPTER LXII. the FLEMINGS ADVANCE TO ST. OMER DURING THE SIEGE OF TOtJRNAY, We will now relate an adventure which happened to the Flemings, under command of sir Robert d'Artois and sir Henry de Flandres! They amounted to upward of forty thousand, from the towns of Ypres, Poperingue, Malines, Cassel, and Castlewick of Bergues. These Flemings were encamped in great array in the valley of°Cas. sel, to oppose the French garrisons which king Philip had sent into St. Omer, St. Venant, Aire, and other towns and fortresses in that neighborhood. By the king of France's orders, the dauphin of Au- vergne, the lords of Kaleuhen, Montay, Rochefort, the viscount de Touars, and many other knights from Auvergne and Limousin, posted themselves in St. Omer. In St. Venant, and in Aire, there were also a great many knights. The Flemings frequently skir. mishcd with the French ; and one day, to the number of four or five thousand lightly armed, they came to the suburbs of St. Omer, pulled down many houses, and pillaged wherever they could. The alarm was instantly spread in the town : the lords who were there soon armed themselves and their men, and sallied out at the gate opposite to where the Flemings were. They might amount to about six banners, two hundred armed with helmets, and six hundred infantry. They made a circuit round St. Omer, as their guides, who were well acquainted with the road, led them, and came opportunely upon the 48 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c. Flemings, who were busily employed in collecting everything they could find in the town of Arques, which is close to St. Omer, so that they were dispersed about, without oificers, and without order. The . French attacked them thus unawares, with banners displayed, and lancea in their rests, in regular order, ci7ing out, "Clermont, Cler. mont, for the dauphin of Auvergne." When the Flemings heard this, they were sore alarmed ; and, not attempting to rally in any order, they fled as fast as they could, throw- ing down all the pillage they had gotten. The French pursued them, and killed and knocked them down in great numbers. This pursuit lasted full two leagues : there were four thousand eight hundred slain, and four Imndrcd captured, who were carried to St. Omer, and there imprisoned. When those few, who had escaped, arrived at their own army, and related what had happened to them, it soon came to the ears of their captains, who told them they had deserved what had befallen them, for they had done tliis without orders, and without a leader. About midnight, as these Flemings were asleep in their tents, so sudden an alarm and fright came upon ihem, that they all got up, and could not make sulVicient haste to decamp. They directly pulled down their ienls and pavilions, flung them into the baggage-wagons, and took to their heels ; without waiting for any one, or keeping any order cr regular road. When the two commanders heard of this, they got up in the greatest haste, and ordered large iires and torches to be lighted : they mounted their horses, and, galloping after the Flemings, said to them, " Sirs, tell us what has ailed you, that you fly thus, when no one pursues you ; you ought to tiiink yourselves very secure, and yet you are still going on. Return back, for God's sake : you are exceedingly to blame, to run away without being pursued." But, notwithstanding all their entreaties, they would not stop, and each took the nearest way he could find to his own home. These lords, perceiving they could not prevail with thorn, ordered their bag- gage to be packed up in the wagons, and came to the siege of Tour, nay, where they related to the chiefs what had happened to the Flem- ings, which surprised all : some said, they must have been bewitched. CHAPTER LXIII. THE SIEGE OF TOURNAY KAISED, BY MEANS OF A TRUCE. The siege of Tournay had lasted a long time ; eleven weeks all but three days ; when the lady of John de Valois, sister to the king of France, and mother to the earl of Hainault, took great pains with both parties to make up a peace, so that they might separate without a battle. The good lady liad frequently, on her knees, besought it . of the king of France, and afterwards came to the lords of the em. pire, especially to the duke of Brabant, and the duke of Julicrs, who . had married her daughter, and to the lord John of Hainault. She at last 60 far prevailed, by the help and assistance of the lord Lewis d'Augimont, who was well beloved by both parties, that a day was fixed for a negotiation, when each of the parties was to send five well- qualified persons to treat upon the best means of bringing about a reconciliation, and a truce for three days was agreed upon. These commissioners were to meet at a chapel, situated in the fields, called Esplotin. On the day appointed, having- heard mass, they assembled after dinner, and took the lady with them. On the part of the king of France, there came Charles, king of Bohemia, Charles, earl of Alen9on, the king's brother, the bishop of Liege, the earl of Flan- ders, and the earl of Armagnac. On the part of the king of Eng- ;&nd, there came the duke of Brabant, the bishop of Lincoln, the duke of Gueldrcs, the duke of Juliers, and the lord John of Hainault. When they had all entered this chapel, they saluted each other most politely, with every mark of respect : they then began on the business, and the whole day passed in discussing the best means to accomplish what they were met for. The lady Joan entreated of them respectfully, but with earnestness, that they would e.\ert them- selves to bring about a peace : this first day, however, passed awny without anything being decided, when they all separated, promising to return on the morrow. The next day they came to their appoint- ment, began upon the treaty as before, and fell upon some arrange- ments which seemed likely to end to their mutual satisfaction ; but it was too late that day to put them in writing : ss> they separated, with a promise of returning on the morrow to complete and finish it. The third day these lords returned, and agreed upon a truce, to last for one year, between the two kings and all the allies that were present, as well as between those who were carrying on the war in Scot. land, Gascony, Foictou, and Saintonge ; and it was in these coun. tries to take place forty days from that day. Each party was to inform their adherents of the truce, and that they sincerely meant to abide by it ; but they wore to be left to follow their own inclinations, adhering to it or not. France, Picardy, Burgundy, and Normandy, agreed to it, without any exception ; and this truce was to take place immediately in the armies of France and England. The two kings also were to send four or five noble personages to Arras, where the pope was to send as many legates ; and to whatever these persons should determine upon they promised most faithfully to accede. One of the conditions of this truce was, that each person should retain whatever he had got in his possession. The truce was immediately proclaimed in each army, to the great joy of the Brabanters, who were heartily tired of the siege. The day after, at daybreak, tents and pavilions were struck, wagons loaded, and every on« in motion to depart ; so that any one who had been there before, and saw this, might have hailed a new era. Thus the good city of Tournay remained unhurt, but it had a nar. row escape ; for there were at that tiine no more provisions in it than would have been sufficient for three or four days. The Brabanters began their march immediately, for they were very impatient to re. turn. The king of England set out sore against his will, but it behoved him to consent to the will of others, and to agree to their counsels. The king of France could not well remain longer where he was, from the great stench of the dead cattle, and from the excee. sive heat of the weather. The French thought they had gained much honor in this business ; giving for reason, that they had prevented the city of Tournay from being lost, and separated the large army which had Iain before it and done nothing, notwithstanding the great prepa. rations that had been made. The lords of the opposite party claimed the honor of this affair ; because they had remained so long in the kingdom of France, and besieged one of the best towns the king had, burning and destroying his country before his eyes, and he not send- ing any succor or relief as he ought to have done : and lastly, be- cause he had consented to a truce with his enemies lying before his city, burning and wasting his kingdom. These lords then set out from Tournay, and returned to their own country. The king of England went to Ghent, where his queen was, and soon after crossed the sea with all his people, except those whom he left to attend the conference at Arras. The earl of Hainault re- turned to Valenciennes ; and upon that occasion there were great entertainments, and a tournament at Mens in Hainault. Sir Gerard de Verchin, seneschal of Hainault, was there, and tilted at this tour- nament, at which he was mortally wounded. He left behind him a son, called John, who was afterwards a bold and hearty knight, though he enjoyed but indifl'eient health. The king of France dis- banded his army, and went to amuse and refresh himself at Lisle, where the principal persons of Tournay came to see him. He re- ceived them with great joy, and, as a mark of favor for having so gallantly defended themselves against their enemies, so that they made no conquests from them, he granted them'back their franchises, which they had lost for some time. This made them very happy ; for sir Godemar du Fay. and many other knights, strangers to them, had been made their governors : they, therefore, immediately elected provosts and jurats from among themselves, according to their ancient customs. When the king had settled to his liking part of his business, he set out for Lisle, and took the road toward his good city of Paris. ■ The time approached for the meeting of the conference at Arras. Pope Clement VI. sent, as his legates, the cardinal of Naples, and the cardinal of Clermont, who came to Paris, where they were re- ceived most honorably by the king of France, and then proceeded to Arras. From the king of France, there came the earl of Alen^on, the duke of Bourbon, the earl of Flanders, the earl of Blois, the archbishop of Sens, the bishop of Beauvais, and the bishop of Aux- erre. On the part of the king of England there were, the bishop of Lincoln, the bishop of Durham, the earl of Warwick, the lord Robert d'Artois, the lord John of Hainault, and the lord Henry of Flanders. At this conference, there were many subjects brought forward for discussion, and a great deal of talk during the fifteen days which it lasted, but nothing positively detenuined upon ; for the English made large demands, which the French would not allow of; they agreed only to restore the county of Ponthieu, which had been given as a marriage portion with Isabella, to the king of Eng- land. This conference, therefore, broke up without doing anything, except prolonging the truce to two years, which was all that these cardinals could obtain. Ever>' one returned homeward ; and the cardinals took their road through Hainault, at the entreaties of the earl, who right nobly entertained them. CH. AFTER LXIV. THE DUKE OF BRITTANY DIES WITHOUT HEIRS, UPON WHICH A WAR ENSUES FOR THE SUCCESSION. As soon as the truce made before Tournay had been agreed to and sealed, the lords and all others set off for their own countries- The duke of Brittany, who had attended the king of France, with his army before Tournay, better accoutred than any other prince or lord, was, upon his return home, taken ill, insomuch that he was obliged to stop, and his disorder increased so fast, that iie died.* The duke, at his death, had no child, nor had the duchess, his wife, any expectations of one. He had a brother by his father's side, called the earl of Montfort, then living, and who had married the sister of earl Lewis of Flanders. The duke had also another brother, who was dead, but had left a daughter, whom her uncle, the duke, had married to the lord Charles of Blois, younger son of Guy earl of Bloie, by the sister of king Philip of France, then reigning, and had promised her, on her marriage, the duchy of Brittany, after his decease, though, * .Tohn in. duke of Brittany died at Caen, 3(Hh of April. \3iX. His body was carried to the Carmelites of PloeriDoi. Cliariesde Louvier, who hved at that period, assure* ua. in his S/mgc du Verger, that duke John seeing himself without children, declared tlie call of Montfort his heir. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 49 at the time, he was doubtful if the earl of iVIontfort would not claim it, as being nearest of kindred, though he was nit properly his brother- german. It seemed to the duke, that the daughter of his brother- german ought, by reason of her proximity, to have the duchy after his death, in preference to the earl of Montfort, his brother. And as he had long had his suspicions that the earl of Montfort would, at"ter his decease, enforce his claim, to the prejudice of his young niece, with all his power, he had married her to the lord Charles of Blois, with the intent that the king of France, his uncle, might more power- fully assist him in preserving his rights, should the carl of Montfort attempt to encroach on them. As soon as the earl of Montfort knew of tlie death of the duke his brother, he set oii* d irectly for t!ie city of Nantes, which is the capital of Brittany, and exerted himself so much among the citizens and the inhabitants of the neighborhood, that he was received as their lord, as being tl-.e next relation !o the duke just departed ; and they all swore fealty and homage to him. Then he and his wife, -who had the heart of a lion, took counsel together upon holding a solemn court, and a great feast at Nantes. Summons were ordered to be sent to all the barons and nobles of Brittany, and to the councils of the great towns, inviting them to attend this court, to do their fealty and homage as to their true lord, which was done. In the mean time, before the commencement of this feast, he set out from Nantes, with a great number of men-auarms, and went toward Limoges, where he had been informed his brother had placed the large sums he had amassed. On his arrival he entered the town in a most splen. did manner, and was nobly and honorablv received by the inhabitants, clergy, and commonalty of the place. They all did him homage, as to tlieir right lord ; and the grand treasury was delivered up to him, by the consent of the lords and burgesses, whom he gained by the presents and promises he made to them. When he had feasted and remained at Limoges as long as was agreeable to him, he departed with all the treasure, and came directly to Nantes, where the lady, his wife, was expecting him. They continued there in private, with The Entry of John de Montfort and ins Duchess into Nantes ; fioiii :i .Mt". Frois;.-irt of the I5lh century. much joy, until the day arrived for the grand court and solemn feast, and made great preparations for the celebration of it. On the day of the feast, no one appeared to the summons but one knight, sir Henry de Leon, who was a powerful and valiant man ; nevertheless, they continued the feast for three days with the citizens of Nantes, and those near the city, in the best manner they could. It was then resolved to expend the great treasure in obtaining possession of the duchy, to collect a numerous body of soldiers, both horse and foot, and to force all that should rebel against him to ask his mercy. This council was attended by all who were at Nantes, knights, clerks, and citizens. Soldiers were enlisted from all parts, and well paid ; so that they soon had a large body of horse, as well as foot, of those that were noble, as well as those that were not, and from all parts and countries. CHAPTER LXV. THE EABL OF MONTFORT TAKES THE TOWN AND CASTLE OF BREST. When the earl of Montfort found that he had men in plenty, he was advised to go and possess himself, either by violent or gentle means, of all the country, and to subdue his enemies. He sallied »ut, therefore, from Nantes, with a large army, and drew toward a very strong castle, situated upon the sea-coast, called Brest : sir Walter* de Clisson was governor of -it, a most noble knight, and on® of the greatest barons of Brittany. The earl, in his march toward Brest, so conquered all the country, except the fortresses, that th® inhabitants followed him, on foot or on horseback, for they dare^ not leave him : he thereby had a numerous body of men-at.amiai When he and his army were come before Brest, he ordered sir Henry de Leon to summon the governor, and require of him, in obedience to the earl of Montfort, as duke of Brittany, to surrender to him the castle and town of Brest, as to his liege lord. The governor replied, he would do nothing in the business, until he should have received orders iVom the lord to whom of right it belonged. The earl then retreated to a small distance, and sent challenges to those of the town and castle. On the morrow, after he had heard mass, he or- dered his men to arm, and make an assault upon the castle, which was very strong, and well provided with everything. The governor, sir Walter de Clisson, on his part, was not inactive he armed all the garrison, who were full three hundred good fighting men, and sent every one to the post he had assigned them, taking with him about forty of the bravest, and advanced out of the castle, ' 3ii Oarnicr de Clisson, Lord B«m«r's, and D.Sauvage'B adit— Ed. ■50 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, Sec. as far as the barriers. The assailants came there to make their at- tack, which was very sharp ; and many of them were slam and wounded : the governor performed wonders ; but at last, such num. bers came upon him, the earl urgod tliem on so sharply, and each exerted himself so much, that the barriers were won, and the defend- ers of them forced to retire toward the castle with great loss ; for their opponents had fought lustily: many were killed. The gov. crnor, however, comforted tliem as well as he could, and conducted thcni in safety to the chief gate. When those who kept the ward of the gate perceived the defeat of the governor's party, they were afraid of losing the castle, and let fall the portcullis, which shut them out : the knight however defended himself valiantly, though most ot his party were killed or wounded : the governor himself, though very badly wounded, would not surrender, in spite of all entreaties. Those within the castle exerted themselves with their cross.bows ; and, by throwing large stones upon the assailants, forced them to retire, and gave an opportunity of raising a little the portcullis, so that the knight and the remnant of his detachment entered: all ol them were dangerously wounded. The next day, the earl of Montford ordered machines to be made, and got ready to attack the castle more vigorously ; and he declared, that nothing should make him depart, until he had gained possession of it. On the third day he was informed that sir Walter de Clisson was dead of the wounds he had received, which was confirmed. Upon this the earl ordered his men to arm themselves, to renew the attack with vigor, and the machines which had been made to ad. vance, and large beams of timber to be thrown across the trenches, in order to come to the walls of the castle. Those within defended themselves with their cross-bows, and by throwing down upon the assailants stones, firebrands, and pots of hot lime, till toward mid- day, when the earl again summoned them to surrender, promising them indemnity for what was past, on their acknowledging him as their lawful lord. Upon this they had a long consultation, and the earl ordered a cessation of arms. After they had fully considered this proposal, they freely surrendered themselves, their persons and effects being preserved inviolate. The earl then entered the castle, with a few attendants, and received the fealty of all those of the cas- tjewick. He appointed a knight, in whom he had great trust, as the governor of it, and returned, very well pleased, to his camp. CHAPTER LXVI. THE EAKL OF MONTFOKT TAKES THE CITY OF KENNES. When the earl had concluded this business, and had established proper guards and garrison in the castle of Brest, he was advised to advance toward the city of Rennes, which was at no great distance. He ordered his camp to be broken up, and his army to march toward Rennes: through all the country he passed, he made the inhabitants Bwear homage and fealty to him, as their liege lord, and took as many with him as he could, to help and assist his army. None dared to refuse him, for fear of their persons. When he was arrived at Arras, he ordered his tents to be pitched, and placed his army round the town and suburbs. Those of the town made a show of defending themselves; their governor was sir Heniy de Spinefort, whom they much loved for his prowess and loyalty. He one day made a sally, with two hundred men, before the dawn, upon the enemy's camp, cutting down tents, and killing some few. Upon which the army cried out " To arms," and made ready for their de. fence : those who were upon guard, hearing these cries, and the stir, advanced to the place, and met those of the town returning home. An attack commenced, which was boldly fought on both "ides ; when the army had armed themselves, they advanced to the support of the guard ; which the town's.people seeing, lost courage, and ran away as fast as they could, but many remained on the field, killed and prisoners. Among the last was sir Henry de Spinefort, who being brought to the earl of Montfort, he determined to send him to the inhabitants of the town, to demand their surrender, or he would hang the knight before the gates : for he had heard how very much he was beloved by them. Upon this demand the commonalty had a long consultation. They loved sir Henry much, and greatly compassionated him : they had also made but very scanty provision for enduring a long siege, so that they wished to accept the terms offered : but the higher ranks of citizens would not agree to them, for they had laid in ample stores. This occasioned a quarrel among them ; and as those of the higher ranks were nearly allied to each other, they withdrew them, selves on one side, and said aloud, that all who were of this opinion should come to them : so many were of their way of thinking, and connected with them, that they amounted to full two thousand against accepting the earl's proposals. When the lower sorts saw this, they began to stir, and cried out against them, using many bad and villainous expressions, and at last fell upon them and killed many. The citizens perceiving their danger, begged for mercy, and promised to agree to whatever the people chose. Upon this the riot ceased, and the people ran to open the gates, and deliver up the city to the earl of Montfort. All the inhabitants, both great and small, did him homage and fealty, acknowledging him for their lord. This was done out of love to sir Henry de Spinefort, and he was made one of the earl's council. CHAPTER LXVII. THE EARL OF MONTFOKT TAKES THE TOWN AND CASTLE OF HENNEBON,* The earl entered the town of Rennes in great triumph ; and he quartered his army in the fields round about it. He made up the quarrel between the inhabitants, and then established bailifl^s, pro- vosts, sheriffs, sergeants, and other officers. He remained in the city three days, to repose himself and army, and to consider upon what steps he should next take. The fourth day he decamped, and marched to one of the best fortified castles, and the strongest town, without comparison, in all Brittany, called Hennebon. It is situated near the sea, and a river runs about it in deep trenches. When sir Henry de Spinefort was informed of his intentions, he began to be alarmed lest some mischance should befall his brother, who was governor of that place, and, taking the earl aside, said to him, " Sir, you have admitted nie to the honor of your council, and I have sworn fealty to you. I perceive that you mean to sit down before Hennebon : I think it, therefore, my duty to inform you, that the town and castle are so strongly fortified, that it will not be so easily won as you may think. You may lie before it a whole year, and never conquer it by dint of force : but if you will put your eonfi. dence in me, I will point out a method by which you may gain it. It is proper to use artifice when strength is of no avail. You will give me, if you please, five hundred men-at-arms, for me to act with as I shall think proper : I will advance with them half a league be- fore your army, with the banner of Brittany displayed. As soon as my brother, who is commandant of the town and castle, shall see the banner of Brittany, and distinguish me, I am sure he will open the gates, which I will enter and seize, as well as the town and castle, and arrest my brother, whom I will give up to your will, if he will not follow my advice, under your promise of honor that you will not do him any bodily harm." " No, by my head, I will not," replied the earl, " and you have hit upon a lucky expedient. I love you more than before for it, and shall be charmed with you, if you can bring it about that I may be master of the town and castle." Sir Henry de Spinefort, and his party, amounting to full five hun- dred armed men, took leave of the earl, and, in the evening, came before Hennebon. As soon as Oliver de Spinefort knew of his ar- rival, he permitted him and his forces to enter the gates, and went down the street to meet him. When sir Henry saw him approach, he stepped forward, and taking hold of him said, " Oliver, you are my prisoner." " How is this ?" replied Oliver : " I trusted in you, and thought you were come here to help and assist me in defending this town and castle." " Sweet sir," said sir Henry, " things do not go on in that manner. I take possession of this place for the earl of Montfort, who at this moment is duke of Brittany ; to whom I, as well as the greater part of the country, have sworn fealty and homage ; and you will, I am sure, do the same, for it will be more agreeable to do it out of love than through compulsion, and my lord the earl will think himself the more obliged to you for it." Oliver was so much pressed and entreated by his brother, that he consented to his proposals, and confirmed it to the carl, who entered the town tri- umphantly, which is a large place, and a good sea.port. After having taken possession of the town and strong castle, he placed in both, men-at-arms, for their garrisons. He then advanced toward Vannes, and was so active in treating with the inhabitants, that they surren- dered it, and swore fealty and homage, as to their true lord. He es- tablished in that town all manner of municipal oflicers, and tarried there three whole days. When he departed, he marched to besiege a very strong castle, called La Roche Ferion, the governor of which was the lord Oliver de Clisson, cousin-german to the lord of Clissont. The earl remained before it more than ten days, without being able to find out any means to gain this castle, it was so strong, nor obtain any parley or conference with the governor, so that he might attempt to gain him to his obedience, either by promises or by threats. He therefore left it until he should have a greater force, and went to besiege another castle, ten leagues off", called the castle of Aurai. Sir GeoflVy de Malestroit was governor of it, and he had for his compan- ion, sir Yves de Trisiguidi. The earl made two assaults upon it, but he saw he should lose more than he could gain : he consented to a truce, and a day of parley, through the earnest solicitations of sir Hervg de L^ont, who at that time was with him. The parley was so managed, that everything was amicably adjusted, and the two knights swore fealty and homage to the earl, who immediately de- parted, after having appointed them as his governors of the surround- ing country, and went toward a strong castle in that neighborhood, called Goy la Forest. He who was governor of it, perceiving that the earl had a strong force, and that all the country was submitting itself to him, by the advice and remonstrances of sir Herv^ de L^on (with whom he had formerly been companion at arms in Prussia, Grenada, and in many other foreign countries) yielded it up to the earl, and swore fealty and homage to him, who continued him as governor of the place. He then went to Carhaix, a good town, witli * Situated upon the river Biavet, in the diocese of Vannes, thirty-seven leagues from Nantes. t The Histoire de la Bretagne, by Pere Morice, a Benedictine monlc. says, that Oli- ver de Clisson was the true lord de Clisson. t Called Hmru de Leon in chapter 64. Bttth Lord Bernere tad D. Sauvase's ediuon read Henri/ throughout.— Ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, "&.c. 51 a strong castle. The lord of it was a bishop, who at the time was there : he was uncle to sir Herv6 de L^on, and by his advice and affection for him, he surrendered it to the earl, acknowledging him as his lord, until some other should come, and show a more just title to the dukedom of Brittany*. CHAPTER LXVIII. THE EARL OK MONTFORT DOES HOMAGE TO THE KtNS OF ENSLAND FOR THE DUKEDOM OF ERITTANYt. Why should I make a long story of it ? The earl of Montfort con- tinued his conquests, gained the whole country, and was eveiywhcre addressed as duke of Brittany. He advanced to a sea.port town called Roscoff, when he dismissed his troops, and sent them to garri- son and preserve for him the different towns he had won. He then embarked, and landed in Cornwall, at a poft called Cepsce, where, upon his inquiries after the king of England, he was informed that he was at Windsor. He set off for that place, and was received at Windsor, by the king, queen, and all the barons at that time there, with great joy. He explained to the king, the lord Robert d'Artois, and to the council, the manner of his seizing and taking possession of the duchy of Brittany, which had devolved to him, as next heir to his brother lately deceased. He suspected, however, that the lord Charles of Blois, and the king of France, would attempt to deprive him of it by force ; for which reason he had come to hold the duchy of the king of England, and to do him homage for it, provided he should be secured against the king of France, or any others that should attempt to molest him in his rights. The king of England, considering that his war against France would be strengthened by this means — that he could not have a better entry into that kingdom than through Brittany — that the Germans and Brabanters had done nothing for him, but cost him brge sums — and that the lords of the empire had led him up and down, taking his money, without making any return for it — was very happy to comply with the earl's request, and received his homage for the duchy by the hand of the earl, who was called and addressed by the title of duke. The king then gave his promise, in the presence of the lords who had accompanied him, as well as before those barons of England that were there, that he would aid, defend, and preserve him, as his liege man, against any one, the king of France, or any other, to the utteimost of his royal power. These promises and homage were written and sealed, and each party had a copy of them. After this, the king and queen made such rich presents of jewels, and other gifts, to the earl, and to those who had come over with him, that they pronounced him a gallant king, and fit to reign many years in great prosperity. They after- wards took leave, embarked, and landed at Roscoff, a town in Brit- tany, the place whence they had sailed ; and thence he went to Nantes, where his countess had remained, who told him that he had done well, and had acted wisely. CH.\PTER LXIX. THE EAKL OF MONTFORT SUMMONED BEFORE THE PARLIAMENT OF PARIS AT THE REQUEST OF THE LORD CHARLES OF BLOIS. When the lord Charles of Blois, who, by right of his wife, looked upon himself as lawful duke of Brittany, was informed that the carl John of Montfort was conquering, by force of arms, all the country and fortresses which of right belonged to him, he went to Paris, and complained of it to king Philip, his uncle. King Philip called upon his twelve peers for their advice what was best to be done in this business. They recommended, that the earl of Montfort should be sent to and summoned, by properly qualified messengers, to appear at Paris, to be interrogated judicially ; which was done. The mes- sengers found the earl in the city of Nantes, keeping great feasts, which he made them partake of, and told them, he would be obedient to the king's commands, and would cheerl'ully attend them. He made very magnificent preparations, set out from Nantes, and jour- neyed on till he came to Paris, which he entered with more than four hundred attendants on horseback, and tarried there that day and night. On the morrow, about eight o'clock, he and his attendants mounted their horses, and rode to the palace, where king Philip was waiting for him, surrounded by his twelve peers, great numbers of other barons, and the lord Charles of Blois. When the carl of Mont- fort was arrived at the palace, he withdrew to the chamber v/here the king and his barons were : he was civilly regarded and saluted by them. He advanced toward the king, and making him a reve- rence, said, '• Sir, I come here in obedience to your commands and good pleasure." The king replied, " Earl Montfort, I thank you for so doing ; but I am much surprised how you could think or dare, of your own accord, to invade the duchy of Brittany, where you have no * It was the bishop of Uuimper, Ai.ain le Gal. who was probably on his visitation round hi? diocese. The author of the History of Brittany before quoted, seems to doubt the relationsliip between the bishop and sir Herve de Leon. t Froissart seems to mistake this homage for the one the earl of Montfort paid to the king of England as earl of Richmond, whicli had llillen to the kins on the deatli of e,arl John, lint I cannot account for this, as Froissar* before says, king Edward created Robert d'Artois earl of Richmond. Montfort positively denied having paid any homage, wiien he attended the king of France, at Paris, in obedience to ids summons. The procuration to treat with the duke of Brittany, and the powers to receive his homage for the lands appertaining to the earldom of Richtoond, are given to tlie archbishop of Can- terbury, and sir Walter Scroop, both dated the 13th March, 1331.— Rymee. right, for there are nearer heirs than you, whom you attempt to dis. inherit : and, in order the better to strengthen your claim, you have been, as I am informed, to do homage for it to my enemy, the king of England." The earl answered, " Oh dear, sir, do not believe it ; for, in good truth, you have been misinformed : but, with regard to my claim of which you have just spoken, with all due deference to your giace, I believe you are quite mistaken ; for I know of no nearer relation to the duke, my brother, lately deceased, than myself: and I shall not think myself a rebel, or be ashamed, for not giving up my right."* " Sir earl," said the king, " you say well ; but I command you, by what you now hold, and expect to hold, from me, that you quit not the city of Paris for fifteen days, when the peers and barons shall try this claim of relationship; at which time you will know what your right is : and, if you act otherwi.se, you will incur my displeasure." " Your will shall be done, sir," answered the earl. He then left the court and returned to his hotel to dinner. When he was come there, he retired to his own chamber ; and having well weighed and considered some suspicions he had conceived, he mounted his horse and set out for Brittany, accompanied by a very small number of attendants, and arrived at Nantes, before the king or any others, except his own particular friends, knew anything of the matter. It was imagined, ill health kept him within his hotel. He related to his countess all that had happened, and wrote, according to her advice, to all the towns and castles which had been surrendered to him ; established in each able captains, with plenty of soldiers, cavalry as well as infantry, and paid them handsomely. CHAPTER LXX. THE DUCHY OF BRITTANY ADJUDGED, BY THE PARLIAMENT OF PARIS, TO THE LORD CHARLES DE BLOIS. It may be easily conceived, that the king of France, and lord Charles de Blois, were exceedingly enraged, on hearing that the earl of Montfort had escaped from them. However, they waited for the expiration of the fifteen days, when the peers and barons were to give their judgment to whom belonged the duchy of Brittany. They adjudged it wholly to the lord Charles de Blois, from the earl of Mont- fort, for two reasons. One was, because the wife of lord Charles de Blois, as the representative of her father (who after the last duke was the next brother, both by father and mother,) was a nearer relation than the earl of Montfort, who was the youngest of these brothers, by another mother; which mother had never been duchess of Brittany; so that he never could deduce any claim from her. Another was, that, supposing the earl of Montfort had any legal claim to the sue- cession, he had forfeited it, because he had done homage for it to another lord than the king of France, to whom he owed it ; and also, because he had transgressed the commands of the king of France, had broken his arrest, and had quitted Paris without leave. When the barons had publicly given their judgment in this affair, the king called to his nephew, the lord Charles of Blois, and said to him, " Good nephew, you have had adjudged to you a handsome and great heritage ; make haste to take possession of it, and conquer it from him who wrongfully holds it ; and entreat all your friends to aid and assist you in this undertaking. I will not fail you, but will lend you money in sufficiency, and will give orders to my son, the duke of Normandy, to take the command of the expedition." The lord Charles made a profound reverence to tlie king, and returned him many thanks. He soon after requested the duke of Normandy his cousin, the count d'Alen^on his uncle, the duke of Burgundy, the count de Blois his brother, the duke of Bourbon, the lord Lewis of Spain, the lord James of Bourbon, the count d'Eu, at that time con- stable of France, the count de G uines his son, the viscount de Rohan, and all the princes and barons then present, to assist him to gain his riirht ; which they all promised, and said they would cheerfully tbllow hi'ni, and their lord, the duke of Nonnandy, with all the forces they * Lord Berners, whose account agrees with that in D. Sauvage's edition, represents Montfort as willing to submit to judgment, if given against him ; and as this is afilvor- ahle opportunity for contrasting the style of Lord Berners' and Mr. Jobnes's transla- tions, we annex the whole passage. " The next day, he (the earl of Montfort) and all his mounted on their horses, and rode to the kynge's palaysc. Tlier the kynge and his xii peres, with other great lordes of Fraunce, taryed his commying, and the lorde Charles of Blois wiUi the. Than therle entred into the kynge's chambre : he was well regarded and saluted of every pereon. Than he enclyned hymselfe to the kyng, and sayd, Sir, I am corae byther at your comaundement and pleasure. Than the kyng sayd. earl of Mountfort. for your sodoing I can you good thanke, howbeit, 1 iiave marucyle howe that ye durste undertake on you Ihe duchy of Bietayne, wherein yo have no right, for there is another nerer than ye be andyewoldedisinherythym; and to mentayne yourquarell. ye have ben wt myne nd'nersary the kynge of Englande, and as it is shewed me ye haue done hym homage lor the saine. Than therle sayd. Sir belene it nat, Ibr surely ye are but yuell enformed in thathehiiir- but sir, as for the right that ye speke of, sauying your dis|3easur, ye do me therein wrong, for sir, 1 knowe none so nere to my brother that is departed as 1, ifit irrrc ill 'eil or playntn dtdnrrd by right that then were a notlier nerer than I. laolde not be rcbdl nor ashamed to leave it. Well, sir. quoth the kyng, ye say well ; but I coraaund you, in all that ye holde of me, that ye depart not out of this cytie of Parys thus TV dayes by which tyme the xii peres and lordes of my realme shall ludge this mater, and tha ye shall knowe what right ye haue, and if ye do otherwyse, ye shall displease Tbantherl sayd, sir. all shal bo at yor pleasure. Than he went fro the court to his lodovnge to dyner. Wliau he came to his lodgynge. he entred into his chambre, and tier, atte and ymanined nrnny doutcs. and finally, with a small company, he mounted on his hot^e and retourned ngayne into Bretnyne, or the king or any other wyst »vher ha become Some thought he had beeu but a lytell sicke m his lodgymg. -Ed. 52 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. could collect together. Upon which every one set off for his own home, to make himself ready, and provide properly for the occasion. CHAPTER LXXI. THE LORDS OF FRAKCE ENTER BRITTANT, WITH LORD CHARLES DE BLOIS. When all the lords of Normandy, the coiiut d'Alen^on, the duke of Burgundy, and the others that were to accompany the lord Charles de Blois, in his expedition to conquer Brittany, were ready, some of them set out from Paris, and the rest from different places, in (Order to meet togetlicr at Angers. From thence they proceeded to Anccnis which is at die extremity of the kingdom on that side. They remained there three days, for the purpose of arranging and ordering their army and baggage. Upon entering Brittany, they aumbered their forces, and found them to amount to five thousand Jnen-at-arms, witliout counting the Genoese, who were at least three thousand, under the connnand of three knights from Genoa : the name of one was Othes de Rae, and of another Charles Germanly.* There was a large body of foot soldiers and cro.ss.bowmen, led on by sir Galois de Baunie. When the whole army had marched out of Ancenis, they advanced toward a very strong castle, situated upon a high mountain, called Chateauceaux, on the borders of Brit, tauy, which was very well provided with men and ammunition. It was under the command of two knights from Lorraine ; one called sir Giles, and the other sir Valerian. The lords of France, on drawing near to tliis castle, were of opinion to besiege it ; for if tliey left a place of such strength behind them, it would do them much hai'm. They therefore surrounded it, and made many assaults, particularly the Genoese, who were eager to show themselves at the onset, and lost many of their men ; for tliose within made so gallant a defence, that these gentlemen remained a long time before it wilhoiit any success. At last, however, they brought such quantities of great beams and faggots as filled up the ditches, so that they could get to the foot of the walls of the castle, and attack it with greater vigor. The besieged flung down upon them stones, hot lime, and brands of fire, notwithstanding wliich, their opponents advanced close to the walls, having secured themselves by means of large beams, so that they could mine the walls under cover. Upon this the castle was surrendered, the lives and effects of the garrison being spared. When the lords of France had tluis gained the castle, the duke of Normandy, as commander-in-chief, gave it up to tlie lord Cliarles de Blois, as appertaining to him of right, who placed a garrison there, with a sufficient force to guard it and the neighboring country, and also to conduct sucli troops after liim as might arrive. t They then advanced toward Nantes, which is the principal town of Brittany, and where their enemy, the earl of Montfort, had fixed his residence. The marslials of the army, and the advanced guard, came to a tolerable good town, surrounded with ditches, which they immediately at- tacked. Those within were not very numerous, nor well aimed ; consequently the town was soon taken and pillaged : one half of it was burnt and the inhabitants slain. This town was called Carquefou, and is about four or five leagues from Nantes. The lords remained for the night in that neighborhood : the next day they advanced to Nantes, which they laid siege to, and pitched their tents and pavil- ions. The men-at-arms in the city, who were very numerous, and the citizens, having perceived this, hastened to arm themselves, and went to the diiferent posts assigned them for defending their town. The army before it, having fixed upon their quarters, went out a for- aging ; and some of the Genoese and foot soldiers advanced, as far as the barriers, to skirmish. Several young men of the town with a few soldiers sallied out to meet them, and many were slain on both Sides. Skirmishes were continually going on as long as the army Remained before it. One morning, some of the soldiers and citizens sallied forth, to SScek adventures. They met about fifteen carts loaded with provis- ions, going to the army, conducted by sixty persons. Those from the town were two hundred. They fell upon them, seized the carts, and slew many. Those that escaped fled to the army, and related what had passed ; when immediately a detachment was sent to rescue the prisoners. They came up with thcin near the barriers : the affiay then became more serious ; for tlinse from the army multiplied so quickly, that the citizens had enough to do. However, they tools the horses from the carts, and drove them into the town, that if their opponents should gain the field, they might not so easily carry off" the wagons or provisions. Other soldiers came out from the town, to help their friends or relations : it became every moment more severe, and of a long continuance : many were killed and wounded on both sides. At length, Sir Herve de L6on perceived it was time to retreat : for, by staying, they might lose more than they could gain ; he there. fore ordered those in the town to retire in the best manner lliey could ; hut they were so closely pursued, that numbers were killed, and more than two hundred burgesses of the town taken prisoners. The eari of Montfort was very angry at this, and blamed sir Herv^ much for having ordered the retreat so soon. Sir Hcrv6 took this to heart, and would never attend the councils of the earl, as he had formerly used to do ; which conduct surprised many. According to the Annals or Genoa, by Asostino Justinuino, 1 think their names onght to be Odoird dc Doric and Charles Orinmtdi.—DKm-a SiuvAGE. Vallani, in his Chronique Universelle, makes mention of.lnton Doris acid Charles Orimaldi, as captains of the Genoese, at the battle otCrecy.— /(iem. t The historian of Brittany says, the French kept this place, n nd tliat king John gave It as an appanage to his son, Lewis count d'Anjou. Cliarles V. acknoivlcdsed that it belonged to tlie dukes of Brittany, and gave it back. CHAPTER LXXII. THE EARL OF MONTFORT TAKEN PRISONER AT NANTES, AND THE MAM. NER OF HIS DEATH. It came to pass, as I have heard it related, that the burgesses, sec. ing their property destroyed both within and without the town, and their children and friends thrown into prison, were fearl'ul lest worse might happen to them : they therefore assembled privately, and, in their meetings, came to a determination to treat in an underhand manner, with the lords of PVance, about obtaining a peace, securing their property, and delivering their children and friends out of prison. Their proposals were acceded to ; and their friends were to be set at liberty, upon condition that they would allow them to pass through one of the gates of the town, to attack the castle, and seize the earl of Montfort, without doing hurt, either to the city or to any of the inhabitants. There were some people who seemed to say, that this treaty was brought about through the solicitation of sir Herv6 de L6on (who had formerly been one of the earl's chief advisers,) out of revenge for having been menaced and blamed by him, as before related. By this means they entered the city, accompanied by as many as they chose, went straight to the castle, broke down the gates, and took the earl of Montfort, whom they carried off to their camp, without injuring house or inhabitant in the city. This event took place in the year of grace 1341, about All-Saints day. The lords of France entered the city in great triiuiiph ; when all the burgesses and inhabitants did homage and fealty to the lord Charles de Blois, as to their true lord. They continued in the city for three days, keeping great feasts ;* tliey advised the lord Charles to remain there, and in its neighborhood, until another season, and to employ the soldiers of the garrisons from the places he had won in the most advantageous manner. These lords then took their leave and departed, and rode on till they came to Paris, where the king was, to whom they de- livered up the earl of Montfort, as his prisoner. The king confined him in the tower of the Louvre at Paris, where he remained for a length of time, and at last died tliere, as it has been told me for a truth.t I wish now to return to the countess of Montfort, who possessed the courage of a man, and the heart of a lion. She was in the city of Rennes when she heard of the seizure of her lord ; and, notwith- standing the great grief she had at heart, she did all she could to comfort and reanimate her friends and soldiers : showing them a young child, called John, after his father, she said, " Oh, gentlemen, do not be cast down by what we have suffered through the lose of my lord : he was but one man. Look at my little child, here : if it please God, he shall be his restorer, and shall do you much service. I have plenty of wealth, which I will distribute among you, and will seek out for such a leader, as may give you a proper confidence." When the countess had, by these means, encouraged her friends and soldiers at Rennes, she visited all the other towns and fortresses, taking her young son John with her. She addressed and encouraged them in the same manner as she had done at Rennes. She strength, encd her garrisons both with men and jirovisions, paid handsomely for everything, and gave largely wherever she thought it would have a good efl'ect. She then w'ent to Hennebon, near the sea. where she and her son remained all that winter; frequently visiting her gar- risons, whom she encouraged, and paid liberally. ''' The French remained at Nantes until the 18tb December : and the earl of Montfort surrendered the town himself to the duke of Normandy, on learning what were the real dispositions of the townsmen, and knowing* ho could not longer depend on them. It is said, he was deceived by the finespeeches of the duke, who promised, on oath, to deliver him again the town of Nantes, in the same state he received it, and granted liim pass- ports, &Lf:.—Hisl. of Brittamj. t Froissart has been misinformed. " It was about this time. (1445) that the earl of Montfort found means to escape from the tower of the Louvre, where he had been con- fined upward of three years. Some persons, touched with compassion, disguised him as a merchant, and agisted him in his escape. He went directly to England, and found king Edward at Westminster, who had just wriUen to the Pope, to complain of the in- fractions Philip de Valois was making on the truce concluded at Mnlestroit, and to ex- plain the reasons he had for declaring war against him. He was solely occupied with the great armament he was preparing against France, and the war he intended to carry on in Gasfony. Nevertheless, he thought proper to grant some troops to the earl of Montl'orl, to support him against Charles de Blois ; the command of which he gave to William Bohun, earl of Nortliampton, whom he had nominated his lieutenant-general, as well in Brittany as in France. " The earl of Montfort. before he quitteil England, paid homage liege to the king for tile duchy of Brittany, at Lambeth, in the apartment of the archbishop, in presence of the earl of Northampton, and several other lords. "He embarked with tiie troops for his duchy— made an unsuccessful attack on Quim- [ler, which he did not long sun'ive. He died the 26lh tfeplember. 1345, in the castle of Hennebon, and was tint buried in the church of the Holy Cross at Ivimperle, but wax afterwards tianslerred to tlie churcli of the Dominicans, in the same town. Before hit death he made a will, and appointed the king of England guardian to his son John of Brittany."— i/rsr. de Brcta^m. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 53 CHAPTER LXXIII. THE KING OF ENGLAND, FOK THE THIRD TIME, MAKES WAR UPON THE SCOTS. It has been mentioned before, how the lords of Scotland, during the siege of Tournay, had retaken many towns and fortresses from the English, which they possessed in Scotland. There only remained to them the castles of Stirling, Ro.xburgh, and Berwick. The Scots had laid siege to the castle of Stirling, assisted by some French lords, whom king Philip sent to aid them in their wars, and had pressed it so closely, that the English garrison found great difficulty in holding it out. When the king of England was returned into his own coun- try, he thought it advisable to make an incursion into Scotland, which he innnediately set about, and began his march between Michaelmas and All-Saints. He issued out his summons for all archers and men-at-arms to follow him to York. The English put themselves in motion to obey his commands, and came to the place appointed. The king arrived at York, where he remained waiting for his forces, who follow- ed him very quickly. When the Scots heard of the king'sarrival at York, they pushed on the siege of Stirling with the greatest vigor ; and by engines and cannons so pressed the garri- son, that they were forced to surrender it, pre- serving their lives, but not their eft'ects. This intelligence was brought to the king, where he lay. He began his march toward Stirling, and came to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where, and in the neighboring villages, he quartered his army, and continued upward of a month, waiting for their purveyances, which had been embarked between All-Saints and St. Andrew's day. Many of their ships were lost ; and they had sustained such contrary winds, that they were driven upon the coasts of Holland and Friezeland, in spite of all their efforts, .so tliat very few arrived at Newcastle. On whicli account the army of the king of England, which consisted of six thousand cavalry and forty thousand infantry, were in very great distress, and provisions exceed, ingly scarce. They could not advance farther, as the winter was set in, and no forage or provisions to be had ; for the Scots had se- cured all the cattle and corn in their fortresses. The Scottish lords, who, after the conquest of Stirling, had retired to the forest of Jedworth, understanding that the king of England was come to Newcastle with a large force, to burn and destroy their coun. try, collected together, to consider the best means to defend them- selves. They were not very numerous, and had carried on the war, night and day, for more than seven years, without a leader, very much to their own discomfort : and, seeing there was no expectation of re- ceiving succor from their own king, they determined to send to the king of England a bishop and an abbot, to solicit a truce. These embassadors set out, and came to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where they found the king surrounded by his barons; to whom, hav- ing come with a safe conduct, they e.xplained so handsomely their mission, that a truce was granted them for four months, upon condi- tion that the .Scots should send messengers to king David in France, and signify to him, that if, in the month of May fullowing, he did not return to his own country, with powers sufficient to defend it against king Edward, they W'ould own themselves subjects to the king of England, and never more acknowledge him for their lord. Upon this the two prelates returned to Scotland, when the Scots ordered sir Robert de Vesci and sir Simon Frazer, with two other knights, to set off fur France, to infomi the king of these conditions. The king of England, wlio remained at Newcastle with his whole army in a very uncomfortable manner, on account of the scarcity of provisions and other stores, the more readily granted this truce : he immediately set off homeward, and dismissed all his troops. The embassadors from Scotland to France took their way through Eng- land, and crossed the sea at Dover. King David, who had remained seven years in France, knowing that his country had been much desolated, and that his people had suffered exceedingly, determined to take his leave of the king of France, and return to his own king- dom, to endeavor to comfort and assist them. He flierefore had set out, accompanied by his queen, before these embassadors arrived, and had embarked at another port, under the guidance of a maiiner called sir Richard the Fleming,* so that he landed in the port of Moray, in Scotland, before any of the lords knew of it.t they conducted him to the town of Perth. Thither came people from all parts to see him, and to carouse : they afterwards remon. strated with him upon the destruction which king Edward and the English had done to Scotland. King David told them he would have ample revenge, or he would lose his kingdom, and his life into the bargain. By the advice of his council, he sent messengers to all his friends, far and near, to beg and entreat they would aid and assist him in this enterprise. The carl of Orkney was the first who obeyed the summons : he was a great and powerful baron, and had married king David's sister. There came with him many men-at-arms. There were such numbers from ail parts, that, when they were arrived at Perth and its neighborhood, on the day which king David had ap. pointed, they amounted to sixty thousand men on foot, and three thousand men more mounted on galloways, with arms, knights, and squires : in short, all the nobility and gentry of Scotland. When they were ready, they set out, to do as much mischief as possible to PiET OP THK Old Town Wall or Newcistle-upon-Tvne.— From an OrisiMl Diawins by Richardson. their neighbors in England : fur the truce was expired ; or to fight with the king who had destroyed their country. They left, there- fore, the town of Perth, in regular order, and came the first night to Dunfermline, where they lay. Oil the morrow, they crossed a small arm of the sea* hard by. When they had all passed, they pushed forward, and went under Edinburgh castle, traversing Scotland near to Roxburgh, where there was an English garrison, but without making an attack upon it, for fear of losing any of their men, or despoiling dieir artillery ; not knowing what force they might have to encounter, as they proposed doing some gallant deeds of renown before their return to Scotland. They then passed near to the town of Berwick, but without assault- ing it, entered the county of Northumberland, and came to the river Tyne, burning and destroying all the eountrj' through which they passed. They marched on until they were before the town of New- castle, where king David and his army halted that night, in order to consider if they could net achieve something worthy of them. To. ward daybreak, some gentlemen of the neighborhood, who were iix the town, made a sally out of one of the gates, in a secret manner, with about two hundred lances, to make an attack upon the Scots army. They fell upon one of the wings of the army, directly ou the quarters of the earl of Moray, who bore for his arms three pillows, gules on a field argent. He was in his bed when they took him prisoner, and killed a great many before the army was awakened. Having made a very large booty, they regained the town, which they entered with great joy and triumph, and delivered up the earl of Moray to the governor, the lord John Neville. t When the array was awakened and armed, they ran like madmen toward the town, even to the barriers, where they made a fierce assault, which lasted a considerable time. It availed them, however, nothing, but the loss of their people ; for the town was well provided with men-at-arms, CHAPTER LXXIV. KING DAVrO OF SCOTLAND ADVANCES WITH A LARGE ARMY TO NEW- CASTLE-UFON-TYNTi, When the young king David was landed in his own country, his subjects came to him in crowds ; and with great joy and solemnity * Malcolm Fleming of Cummimald. t l>avid II.. with his consort, Jolianna of England, landed from France, at Inver- bervie, Id Kincardineshire, 4th May, ISll. —Annals of ScotlaTld. * Probably at Queen's Ferry- t lie was afterwards exchanged for the earl of Salisbury, made prisoner by th« French near Lisle. The French would not release Salisbury, unless he made oath, never more to bear arms in France ; and Edward III. consented to this extraordinary condition, 20t]i May, 1M2.— .«?iiMb of Scotland, vol. 2, p. 210. Lord Berners describes this attack in these spirited words: "And in the morning a cerlayne nombre of pentylmen that were in the towne yssued out to the number of cc spercs, to make a shrtj in the scottysshe host: Uiey dashed into the Scotttixhe host, right on thrrte of Morets tentes, who bare in his armour, syluer three creylles goules ; ther they toke hym in his bed, and slewe many, orthoost%vas moued, and wan great pyllage. Than »hey returned into the towne boldely with great ioye. and delyuered therfe Moret as prisoner to the captayne of the castell, the lord John SJeuell."— Ed. 54 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &, c . ■who defended themselves valiantly and prudently, which obliged the assailants to retire with loss. CHAPTER LXXV. KING DAVID OF SCOTLAND TAKES AND DESTROYS THE CITY OF DURHAM. When king David and his council saw that their stay before New- castle was dangerous, and that they could neither gain profit nor honor, they departed, and entered the bishopric of Durham, burning and destroying as they marched. They came before the city of Durham, which they laid siege to, and made many attacks upon it, like men distracted in revenge for the less of the earl of Moray ; and they also knew that very great wealth was carried into it by all the inhabitants of the country who had fled thither. They, therefore, were every day more earnest in their attacks ; and the king of Scotland ordered some engines to be made, that they might approach to assault them nearer the walls. When the Scots had marched from before Newcastle, the governor, lord John Ne- ville, mounted a fleet courser, passed by them, for he was as well acquainted with all the by- roads and passes as a native,* and made such haste, that in five days he came to Chertsey, where the king of England then was, and re- lated to the king of England all that the Scots were doing. The king sent out immediately his messengers, ordering all knights, squires, and others, that were able to assist him, above the age of fifteen and under si.tty years, with- out fail, upon hearing these orders, to set out directly toward the marches of the north, to succor and defend the kingdom against the Scots, who were destroying it. Upon this earls, barons, knights, and the commonalties from the provincial towns, made themselves ready, and hastened most cheerfully to obey the summons, and advance toward Berwick. The king himself set off directly, such was his impatience, without waiting for any one ; and he was followed by his subjects, as fast as they could, from all parts. During this time, the king of Scotland made so many violent attacks with the engines he had con- structed upon the city of Durham, that those who were within could not prevent it from being taken, pillaged, and burnt. All were put to death without mercy, and without distinction of persons or ranks, men, women, children, monks, canons, and priests; no one was spared, neither was there house or church left standing. It was pity thus to destroy, in Christendom, tile churches wherein God was served and honored. t wood ; when he and his companions fell upon them, killed and wounded upward of two hundred, and took one hundred and twenty horses very richly laden, which they drove toward the castle. The criers and the runaways soon reached the lord William Douglas, who connnanded the rear-guard, and had already passed the wood. Whoever at that time had seen the Scots return full gallop, over mountain and valley, with sir William Douglas at their head, would have been alarmed. They made such haste that they soon came to the castle, and ascended the hill on which it is situated with great expedition ; but as they came to the barriers, those within had closed them, and placed what they had seized in safety. The Scots com- menced a violent assault, and the garrison defended themselves well; the two Williams did all they could devise to hurt each other. This lasted until the whole army, and even the king himself, arrived there. When the king and his council saw their people lying dead, and the assailants sore wounded, without gaining anything, he ordered them CHAPTER LXXVI. THE KING OF SCOTLAND BESIEGES WAKK CASTLE, BELONGING TO THE EARL OF SALISBURY. When the king of Scotland had done this, he was advised to fall back upon the river Tyne,t and retreat toward Scotland. As he was on the march, he halted one night hard by a castle belonging to the earl of .Salisburj', which was well furnished with men-at-arms. The captain of it was sir William Montacute, son to. the sister of the earl, and so called after an uncle who had that name. When the night was passed, king David decamped, to pursue his march to Scotland ; and the Scots passed through roads close to this castle, Heavily laden, with the booty which they had made at Durham. As Boon as sir William saw that they had passed the castle without halting, he sallied out of it well armed on horseback, with about forty companions, and followed in silence the last division, which consisted of horses so loaded with money and riches that they could scarcely get on, and came up with them at the entrance of a small * " Car 11 savoit l,ien les adresses et ie-s refuges du pjiys, comme ceiui t/iii at e^toit" are the words used by Froissart, and tJiey sliould probaMy be rendered, *' for he had a vative^s knowledge of the by-roads and passes." Sir .lohn Nevill here spoken of was the eldest son and heir of Ralph lord de Nevill, and father of the first earl of Westmore- land, and the estates of Uie family lay in the north.— Ep. t Lord Berners translates this passage rattier more correctly, as Froissart did not mean to say tliat the burning of churches in a pagan country would not be equally a pity as in Christendom. " The city was won by force, and robbed and dene brent : and all manner of people put to deth witJiout mercy, men. women, and chyldrent monkes, preestcs and chanons ; so that tlier abode alyne no manner of person, house nor church, but it was destroyed ; the wlnche was great pytte so to destroy cliristenUitde, and the churches of God wherein llnitGod was honoured and serued." This passage is remarkalile as an illustration of the superstitious feelings of these chi- vahic times. We have before had many accounts of burnings and massacres, nay, even of the violation of nuns, but all were passed by as mere matters of course. " I am now reading Jolines's Froissart." says Mrs. Barbauld in one of her elegant letters, " and I thmk I was never more struck with llie horrors of war-simply because he seems not at all struck with Uiem." It is only when the churches are included in the destrucUon that the compassion of the canon is excited.— En. t As Wark Castle is situated on tlie Tweed, it must be the Tweed, instead of Tyne 1 have, in conseduence, altered Scotland for Carlisle, as it is in the original ■ otherwise It would be incorrect as to the geography of the country. Waek Castle, Nokthuhberlakd. to desist, and to seek out for quarters ; for he was determined not to leave the place before he had seen his men revenged. Upon this eveiy one was employed in searching out where he could lodge himself, to collect the dead, and to dress the wounded. The king, on the morrow, ordered all to be ready for the attack of the castle : those within prepared themselves to defend it. This assault was very fierce and perilous, and many gallant deeds were performed. The countess of Salisbury, who was esteemed one of the most beautiful and virtuous women in England, was in this castle, which belonged to the earl of Salisbury, who had been taken prisoner, with the earl of Suffolk, near Lisle, and was still in prison at the Chfttelet in Paris. The king had given him this castle, upon his marriage, for his many deeds of valor, and for the services he had received from the said earl, who was formerly called sir William Montacute, as appears in another part of this book. The countess comforted much those within the castle ; and from the sweetness of her looks, and the charm of being encouraged by such a beautiful lady, one man in time of need ought to be worth two. This attack lasted a considerable time, and the Scots lost a great many men ; for they advanced boldly up to it, and brought large trees and beams to fill up the ditches, that they might briijg their machines, if possible, nearer, to play upon the castle : but the garrison made so good a defence, that they were forced to retreat ; and the king ordered the machines to be watched, to renew the attack the next day. Each retired to their quarters, except those who guarded the machines : some bewailed the dead, others comforted the wounded. Those of the castle saw that they had loo hard a task, for they were much fatigued ; and, if king David were steady to his purpose, they should have diflSculty to defend it. They therefore thought it advisable to send some one to king Edward, who was arrived at Berwick,* which they knew for truth, from some of the Scots prisoners they had taken, and wore looking out for a proper person for this business : for not one would agree to quit the defence of the castle, or of the beautiful lady, in order to carry this message, and there was much strife among them: which, when their captain, sir William Montacute, saw, he said, " I am very well pleased, gentlemen, with your loyalty and heartiness, as well as for your affection to the lady of this house; so that, out of my love for her and for you, I will risk my person in this adventure. I have great confidence and trust in you, and that you will defend the castle until I shall return. On the other hand, I have the greatest hopes in cm- lord the king, and that I shall bring * This seems incorrect, as in that case the English army would have intercepted the Scots on their return. Lord Berners read )'(ir4. and Sauvage's edition fi'anDitk.~ED. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 55^ back with me, speedily, such succor, to your great joy, that you will all be rewarded for the gallant defence you shall have made." This speech cheered both the countess and all present. When night came, sir William prepared himself the best way he could, to get out of the castle privately, and unseen by any of the Scots. Fortunately for him, it rained so hard all nighl, that none of them quitted their quartere : he therefore passed through the army without being noticed. Shortly after, and about daybreak, he met, on his road, two Scotsmen, about half a league from their army, driving thither two oxen and a cow : sir William, knowing them to be Scotsmen, wounded them both very severely, killed the cattle that they might not carry them to the army, and said to them, " Go and tell your king, that William Montacute has passed through his army, and is gone to seek for succor from the king of England, who is now at Berwick." When the vScots lords heard this,* they said to one another, " The king often makes his men be wounded and killed without any reason ;" and, believing that the king of England would come to give them battle before they should gain the castle, they went in a body to the king, and told him, that his longer stay there would neither bring him honor nor profit; that their expedition had turned out exceedingly well, and that they had done much mischief to the English by rein.aining in their country twelve days, and burning and destroying the city of Durham ; that, ever^'thing considered, it was now proper for them to return to their own kingdom and homes, and carry off safe the booty they had made ; and that, at another season, they would follow him to England, according to his will and pleasure. The king did not choose to act contrary to the opinions of his chieftains, but consented to their advice, sore against his will. On the morrow, he and his whole army decamped and marched straight for the forest of Jedworth, where the wild Scots lived at their case ; for he was desirous of knowing what the king of Eng- land meant to do, whether he would return to his own kingdom, or advance further northward. t CHAPTER LXXVII. THE KING OF ENGLAND IS ENAMORED WITH THE COUNTESS OF SALISBUKY. That same day that the Scots had decamped from before the castle of Wark, king Edward, and his whole army, arrived there about midday, and took up their position on the ground which the Scots had occupied. When he found that they were returned home, he was much enraged ; for he had come with so much speed, that both his men and horses were sadly fatigued. He ordered his men to take up their quarters where they were, as he wished to go to the casile to see the noble dame within, whom he had never seen since her marriage. Every one made up his lodgings as he pleased; and the king, as soon as he was disarmed, taking ten or twelve knights with him, went to the castle, to salute the countess of Salis- bury, and to examine what damage the attacks of the Scots had done, and the manner in which those within had defended them- selves. The moment the countess heard t of the king's approach, * Froissan's words, according to D. Sauvage's edition, with which Lord Bernere nearly agrees, are as follows: "They talked one to another while king David still contnnud to make fierce attacks, and seeing that the king caused his people to be \v'Oundcd and sarritlced (martyrer) without reason, and that the king of England might well come and give them battle before the castle should he taken, they said to king David witJi 0!ie;iccord, lliut his longer stay." &.C.— Ed. t All Uiis seems to be fabulous, and to have been invented by some person who meant to impose on the imnmitive credulity of Froissart. It cannot be reconciled with known hisloricnl dates, with the characters and conditions of the persons therein mentioned, or with the general tenor of authenticated events. Had David violated the patrimony of St.Cuthhert in tiie savage manner related by Froissart, the English histories would have teemed with declamations on an enormity, more heinous, in the opinion of those days, than any crime proliiljited by the decalogue. Besides, tlie sacking of Durham, related by Froissart. was an event too singular and momentous to he altogether omitted ; and yet the F.nelish historians make no mention of it; neither does Fordun, whose simple iiarratmn I have chosen to fotiow.— .in nals of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 211. I We hope our reuders will pardon our again transcribing a passage from the terse oldEuf^hshof LordBerners, butwe could not refrain from giving his beautiful ro- mance, for it is no more, in his very poetical diction, which does full justice tn, if indeed it do not surpass, his author. " As none as the lady knewe of the kynge's comyng, slie set opyn the gates and came out so richly besene, that euery m,in manieyled <"f her beauty, and coudenat cease to regard her nobleness, with her great beauty and the gra- cyous wordes and countenaunce that she made. Wlien she came to the kyng'^she knelyd downe to the yerth, thankyng hym of his sucour, and so ledde hym into the castell to make hym chere and honour as she that coude ryght well do it. Euery man regarded her maruelnssly ; the kynge hymselfe coud nat witholde his regardyng of her, fur he tlioiight lliat he neuer saw before so nohle nor so fayre a lady ; he was strijkni t/urwith U> tJirkert tcitA a spercle of fyne louc that endured long after ; he thouiiht no lady in the worlde so worthy to be beloude as she. Thus they*entred into tlie castell hande in hande; the lady ledde hym first into the hall, and after into the chamhre nobly nparelled. The king regarded so the lady that she was abasshed ■ at last he went to a wyndo to rest hym. and so fell into a great study. The lady went about to make chere to the lordes and knyghtes that were ther, and comaunded to dresse the hall for dyner. Whan she had al deuysed and comaimded them she came to the kynge with a mery cliere, (who was in n great study) and she said Dere sir, wJiy do you •study so, fur your grace nat dyspleaseri, it aparteyneth nat to you so to do : rather ye shutde make good ciiere and be joyfull seying ye haue chased away your enniies who durst nat abyde you; let other men study for the remynant. Than the kyng sayd, A dere lady, knowe for trouthe that syth I entred into the castell tlier is a study come to'my mynde so tliat I can nat chuse but to muse, nor I can nat tell what sliall fall thereof- put it out of my herte I can nat. A sir, quoth the lady, ye ought alwayes to make good cJiere to comfort Uierwilh your peple. God hath ayded you so in your besynes and haUi gyuen you so great graces, that ye be the moste douted and honoured prince in all chrlstendome. and if the kynge of ScoUes haue done you any dyspyte or damage ye may she ordered all the gates to be thrown open, and went to meet him, most richly dressed ; insomuch, that no one could look at her but with wonder, and admiration at her noble deportment, great beauty, and affability of behavior. When she came near the king, she made her reverence to the ground, and gave him her thanks for coming to her assistance, and then conducted him into the castle, to entertaia and honor him, as .she was very capable of doing. Every one was delighted with her: the king could not take his eyes oif her, as he thought he had never seen so beautiful or sprightly a lady ; so that a spark of fine love struck upon his heart, which lasted a long time, for he did not believe that the whole world produced any other lady so worthy of being beloved. Thus they entered the castle, hand in hand : for the lady led him first into the hall, then to his chamber, which was richly furnished, as belonging to so fine a lady. The king kept his eyes so continually upon her, that the gentle dame was quite abashed. After he had sufficiently examined his apartment, he retired to a window, and leaning on it, fell into a profound reverie. The countess went to entertain the other knights and squires, ordered dinner to be made ready, the tables to be set, and the hall ornamented and dressed out. When she had given all the orders to her servants she thought necessary, she returned, with a cheerful countenance, to the king, who continued musing, and said to him, " Dear sir, what are you musing on? So much medititing is not proper for you, saving your grace : you ought rather to be in high spirits, for having driven your enemies before you, without their having had the cour- age to wait for you, and should leave the trouble of thinking to others." The king replied, "Oh, dear lady, you must know, that since I have entered this castle, an idea has struck my mind that I was not aware of; so that it behoves me to reflect upon it. I am uncertain what may be the event, for I cannot withdratv my whole attention from it." " Dear sir," replied the lady, "you ought to be of good cheer, and feast with your friends, to give them more pleasure, and leave off thinking and meditating; for God has been very bountiful to you in all your undertakings, and showed you so much favor, that you are the most feared and renowned prince in Christendom. If the king of Scotland have vexed you by doing harm to your kingdom, you can, at your pleasure, make yourself amends at his expense, as you have done before : therefore come, if you please, into the hall to your knights, for dinner will soon be ready." " Oh, dear lady," said the king, " other things touch my heart, and lie there, than what you think of; for, in truth, the elegant car- riage, the perfections and beauties which I have seen you possess, have very much surprised me, and have so deeply impressed my heart, that my happiness depends on meeting a return from you to my flame, which no denial can ever extinguish." "Sweet sir," repUed the countess, "do not amuse yourself in laughing at, or tempting me ; for I cannot believe you mean what you have just said, or that so noble and gallant a prince as you are would ever think to dishonor me or my husband, who is so valiant a knight, who has served you faithfully, and who, on your account, now lies in prison. Certainly, sir, this would not add to your glory ; nor would you be the better for it. Such a thought has never once entered my mind, and I trust in God it never will, for any man Hy- ing : and, if I were so culpable, it is you who ought to blame rae,- and have my body punished through strict justice." The virtuous lady then quitted the king, who was quite astonished, and went to the hall to hasten the dinner. She afterwards returned to the king, attended by the knights, and said to him, '* Sir, come to the hall ; your knights are waiting for you, to wash their hands, for they, as well as yourself, have too long fasted." The king left his room, and came to the hall ; where, after he had washed his hands, he seated himself, with his knights, at the dinner, as did the lady also ; well amaide it whan it shall please you. as ye haue done dyuerse tymes or this. Sir. leaue your musing and come into the hall if it please you ; your dyner is all redy. A fayre lady, quoth the kyng. other tliynges lyeth at my hert that ye knowe nat of, but surely your swete behauyng, the pertect wysedom. the good grace, noblenes and excellent beauty tliat I see in you. hath so sore surprised my hert that I can nat but loue you, and witJiout your loue I am but deed. Than the lady sayde, A ryght noble prince for Goddes sake mocke nor tempt me nat ; I can nat beleue that it is true that ye say. nor that so noble a prince as ye be wolde tliynke to dyshonour me and my lorde my husbande, who is so valyant a knyght and hath done your grace so godeseruyceandas yet lyethe in pri- son for your quarell. Certely sir ye shulde in tliis case haue but a small prayse and nothing the better therby. I had neuer as yet such a thoght in my liert, nor I trust ia God, neuer sliall haue for do man lyueng: if I hadanysuche intencyon your grace ought nat all onely to blame me, but also to punysshe my body, ye and by true iiistice to be dismembred. Therwitli the lady departed fro the kyng and went into the hall to hast the dyner ; than sbe returned agayne to the kyng and brogiit some of his knyghtes with her. and sayd, Sir. yf it please you to come into the hall your knyghtes abidetli for yoa to wasslie ; ye haue ben to long fastyng. Than the kyng wentinto the Iiall and wassht and sat down among his lordes and the lady also. Tlie kyng ete but lytell, he sat styll musing, and as he durst he cast his eyen upon the lady. Of hissadnesse his knyghtes had maruell for lie was nat acustonied so to be ; some thought it was because the Scotts were scaped fro hym. All that day the kyng taryd ther and wyst nat what to do. Sometime he ymagined that iionour and troutli defended hym to set his hert in such a case to dys- honour such a lady and so true a knight as her husband was who had alwayes well and truely serued hym. On thother part loue so constrayned hym that the power therof sur- mounted honour and trouth. Thus the kyng debated in hymself all that day and all that night. In the momyng he arose and dyssloged all his boost and drewe after the Scottes to chase tliem out of his realme. Than he toke leaue of the lady sayeng. My dere lady to God I coniende you tyll I returne agayne, requiryng you to aduyse you otherwyse than ye haue sayd to nie. Noble prince, quoth the lady, God the father glorious be your conduct, and put you out ofallvylayne thoughts. Sir lam and euer shal be redy to do your grace seruyce to your honour and to niyne. Therwith the kyng departed all abasshed."— Ed. 36 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. but the king ate very little, and was the whole time pensive, casting his eyes, whenever he had au opportunity, toward the countess. Such behavior surprised his friends ; for they were not accustomed to it, and had never seen the like before. They imagined, therefore, that it was by reason of the Scots having escaped from him. The king remained at the castle the whole day, without knowing what to do with himself. Sometimes he remonstrated with himself, that honor and loyalty forbade him to admit such treason and falsehood into his heart, as to wish to dishonor so virtuous a lady, and so gal- lant a knight as her husband was, and who had ever so faithfully served him. At other times, his passion was so strong, that his honor and loyalty were not thought of. Thus did he pass that day. and a sleepless night, in debating this matter in his own mind. At day- break he arose, drew out his whole army, decamped, and followed the Scots, to chase them out of his kingdom. Upon taking leave of the countess he said, " My dear lady, God preserve you until I return ; and I entreat that you will think well of what I have said, and have the goodness to give me a different answer." " Dear sir," replied the countess, " God of his infinite goodness, preserve you, and drive from your heart such villainous thoughts ; for I am, and always shall be, ready to serve you, consistently with my own honor, and with yours." He left her quite surprised, and went with his army after the Scots, following them almost as far as Berwick, and took up his quarters four leagues distant from the forest of .Tedworth, where, and in the neighboring woods, king David and all his people ■were. He remained there for three days, to see if the Scots would venture out to fight with him. During that time there were many skirmishes ; many killed and taken prisoners on both sides. Sir William Douglas, who bore for arms argent on a chef azure,* was always among the foremost in these attacks. He performed many gallant exploits, and was a great annoyance to the English. CHAPTER LXXVIII. THE EARLS OF SALISBUEV AND MORAY ARE SET AT LIBERTV I.\ EXCHANSE FOR EACH OTHER. During these three days, tliere were some discreet men on both -Sides, who held conferences, in order if possible to conclude a treaty of peace between the two kings ; at last they succeeded in obtaining a truce for two years, provided the king of France assented to it ; for there was so close an alliance between the kings of Scotland and France, that he could not make peace, or a truce, without the king of France agreed to it. If king Philip should refuse his consent, then the truce was to last only until the first of May. The earl of Moray was to have his liberty, if the king of Scotland could obtain that of the earl of Salisbury from the king of France. This was to be done by the feast of St. John the Baptist. The king of England consented the more readily to this truce, because he was carrying on war in France, Gascony, Poictou, Saintonge, and Brittany, and had soldiers everywhere. The king of Scotland then departed, and sent embas- sadors to the king of France, that the truce might be confirmed. The king agreed to it, and sent the earl of Salisbury immediately into England, when, as soon as he arrived, the king of England sent the earl of Moray to king David in Scotland. CHAPTER LXXIX. .LORD CHARLES OF BLOIS, WITH SOME OTHER LORDS OF FRANCE, TAICE THE CITY OF RENNES. You before have heard how the duke of Normandy, the duke of Burgundy, the duke d'Alcncon, the duke of Bourbon, the earl of Blois, the constable of France, the earl of Guines his son, sir James de Bourbon, sir Lewis d'Espagne, and the other barons and knights from France, had left Brittany, after conquering the strong castle of Chateauceaux, and the city of Nantes, ami had taken and given up to the king of France the earl of Montfort, whom he had confined in the tower of the Louvre at Paris. The lord Charles of Blois had remained in the city of Nantes, and in that country, which he had reduced to obedience, until a more favorable opportunity for carrying on the ■war than winter. When the summer was returned, the above-men. tioned lords, and a great many others, came, with a large army, to assist the lord Charles in reconquering the remainder of the duchy of Brittany. They resolved to besiege the city of Rennes,^which the countess of Montfort had well fortified, and placed there as captain sir William de Cadoudal, a Breton. The French lords surrounded it on all sides, and did a great deal of damage, by the fierce assaults they made upon it ; but the garrison defended themselves so valiantly, that their opponents lost more than they gained. As soon as the countess of Montfort was informed of the return of the French lords into Brittany, with so great a force, she sent sir Amauri de Clisson to king. Edwartl in England, to entreat his assistance, upon condition * The most prominent feature in the Douglas arms, as now borne, is tlie Heart, which was added to it in consenuence of lite honor conferred by Robert Bruce on his death-bed, fts haa been already related, but when this distinctive mark was adopted, 1 believe is uncertain. (LordBemeiH gives the original arms— "Azuve a comblesyluer, three starresgoules;" which ts correct.— Ed.] that her young son should take for his wife one of the daughtera of the king, and give her the title of duchess of Brittany, The king, at that time, was in London, feasting the carl of Satis, buiy, newly returned from prison. When sir Amauri de Clisson had made known to the king the cause of his visit, his request was was readily complied with. The king ordered sir Walter Manny to collect as many men-at-arms as sir Amauri should judge proper, and to make every possible haste to go to the assistance of the countess of Montfort ; and also to take with him two or three thousand of the best archers of England. Sir Walter, therefore, embarked with sir Amauri de Clisson ; and with them went the two brothers de Laud-Halle, sir Lewis and sir John, le Haze of Brabant, sir Herbert de Fresnoi, sir Alain de Sirefonde, and many others, with si.x thou, sand archers. But they were overtaken by a great tempest, and, by contrary winds, forced to remain at sea forty days. The lord Charles, in the mean tiine, kept Rennes closely besieged, and harassed the citizens so much that they would willingly have surrendered it ; but sir William de Cadoudal would not listen to them. When they had been harder pressed, and saw no likelihood of any succors arriring, they became impatient ; but sir William continued fii-m : at length the commonalty seized him, flung him into prison, and sent word to lord Charles that they would surrender themselves to him on the morrow, on condition that those of the Montfort party might retire in safety to wherever they thought proper. The lord Charles com. plied with these terms ; and thus was the city of Rennes surrendered, in the year 1342, in the beginning of May, Sir William de Cadou- dal, not desiring to remain at the court of lord Charles of Blois, left it, and went to Hennebon, where the countess of Montfort was, who had not had any tidings of sir Amauri de Clisson, or of his company. CHAPTER LXXX. THE LORD CHARLES OF BLOIS 'BESIEGES THE COUNTESS OF MONTFORT I.N HENNEBON, SooN after the surrender of Rennes, and when the inhabitants had performed their homage and fealty to lord Charles of Blois, he was advised to set out for Hennebon, where the countess of Montfort resided ; for as her husband was safe confined at Paris, if he could but get possession of her person, and of her son's, the war must be concluded. The countess had with her in Hennebon, the bishop of L6on, uncle to sir Herv6 de Ldon, who was attached to lord Charles, and had ever been so since the capture of the earl of Mont, fort ; sir Yves de Tresiquidi, the lord of Landreman, the before- mentioned sir William de Cadoudal, the governor of Guingamp, the two brothers de Quirich, sir Oliver, and sir Henry de Spinefort, and many others. When the countess and her knights heard that their enemies were coming to besiege them, and that they were hard by, they ordered the alarm-bells to be rung, and every one to arm himself for defending the town. Lord Charles drew near to Hennebon, and then encamped his men. Some of the youths among the Spaniards, French and Genoese advanced to the barriers to skirmish ; which those in the town seeing, sallied out to meet them ; so there was a sharp conflict, and the Genoese lost more than they gained. About vespers, they all retired to their different quarters. On the moiTow, the lords determined to make an assault on the barriers, to see what mien those within had, and to try to gain some advantage. On the second day, therefore, they made so very vigorous an attack upon the barriers early in the morning, that those "within made a sally : among them were some of their bravest, "who continued the engagement till noon with great courage ; so that the assailants retired a little to the rear, carrying off with them numbers of wounded, and leaving behind them a great many dead. When the lords of France per- ceived their men retreat, they were much enraged, and made them return again to the assault more fiercely than before ; while those of the town were in earnest to make a handsome defence. The countess, who had clothed herself in armor, was mounted on a war-horse, and galloped up and down the streets of the town, entreat, ing and encouraging the inhabitants to defend themselves honorably. She ordered the ladies and other -women to .unpave the streets,* carry the stones to the ramparts, and throw them on their enemies. She had pots of quicklime brought to her for the same purpose. That same day the countess performed a very gallant deed : she ascended a high tower, to see how her people behaved ; and, having observed that all the lords and others of the army had quitted their tents, and were come to the assault, she immediately descended, mounted her horse, armed as she was, collected three hundred horsemen, sallied out at their head by another gate that was not attacked, and gallop, ing up to the tents of her enemies, cut them down, and set them on fire, without any loss, for there were only sei-vants and boys, who fled upon her approach. As soon as the French saw their camp on fire, and heard the cries, they immediately hastened thither, bawling out, " Treason ! Treason !" so that none remained at the assault. * Lord Berners reads, "Slie caused damoselles and other women "to cut sluyrte their kyrtels" instead of "to unpave the streets," as Mr. Johnes translates it. The words in D- s'auvage's ediUon are, " d6pecer e5chauss6es," to tear up the causewaj/s, but when we consider that the streeU of cities were very rarely paved at this period. Lord Berners' version appears the more probable, ami may be reconciled to the text if we read ' chausses" for " chaussies," which is not milikely lobe an error in tnins- scribing.— Ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 57 The countess, seeing this, got her men together, and, finding that she could not reenter Heiuiebon without great risk, took another road, leading to the castle of Brest, which is situated near. The lord Lewis of Spain, who was marshal of the army, had gone to his tents, which were on fire ; and, seeing the countess and her company galloping oft' as fast as they could, he immediately pursued them with a large body of men-at-arms. He gained so fast upon them, that he came up witli them, and wounded or slew all that were not well mounted ; hut tlie countess, and part of her company, made such speed tliat they arrived at the castle of Brest, where they were received with great joy. On the morrow, the lords of France, who had lost their tents and provisions, took counsel, if they should not make huts of the branches and leaves of trees near to the town, and were thunder, struck when they heard that the countess herself had planned and executed this enterprise : while those of the town, not knowing what was become of her, were veiy uneasy ; for they were full five days without gaining any intelligence of her. The countess, in the mean while, was so active that she assembled from five to six hun- dred men, well armed and mounted, and with them set out, about midnight, from Brest, and came straight to Ilennebon about sunrise, riding along one side of the enemy's host, until she came to the gates of the castle, which were opened to her : she entered with great triumph and sounds of trumpets and other warlike instruments, to the astonishment of the French, who began arming themselves to make another assault upon the town, while those within mounted the walls to defend it. This attack was very severe, and lasted till past noon. The French lost more than their opponents : and then the lords of France put a stop to it, for their men were killed and wounded to no purpose. They next retreated, and held a council whether the lord Charles should not go to besiege the castle of Aurai, which king Arthur had built and inclosed. It was determined that he should march thither, accompanied by the duke of Bourbon, the earl of Blois, sir Robert Bertrand, marshal of France ; and that sir Herv^ dc L^on was to remain before Hennebon, with a part of the Genoese under his command, and the lord Lewis of Spain, the viscount of Rohan., with the rest of the Genoese and Spaniards. They sent for twelve large machines which they had left at Rennes, to cast stones and annoy the castle of Hennebon ; for they perceived that they did not gain any ground by their assaults. The French divided their army into two parts : one remained before Hennebon, and the other marched to besiege the castle of Aurai. The lord Charles of Blois went to this last place, and quartered all his division in the neighborhood; and of him we will now speak, and leave the others. The lord Charles ordered an attack and skirmish to be made upon the castle, which was well garrisoned : there were in it full two hundred men-at-arms, under the command of sir Henry de Spinefort and Oliver his brother. The town of Vannes, which held for the countess of Montfort, was four leagues distant from this castle ; the captain whereof was sir Geoffry de Malestroit. On the other side, was situated the good town of Guingamp, of which the captain of Dinant was governor, who was at that time with the countess in the town of Hennebon ; but he had left, in his hotel at Dinant, his wife and daughters, and had appointed his son, sir Reginald, as governor during his absence. Between these two places there was a castle * which belonged to the lord Charles, who had well filled it with men-at-arms and Bur- gundian soldiers. Girard de Mauliu was master of it ; and with him was another gallant kniglit, called sir Peter Portebffiuf, who harassed all the country round about, and pressed these two towns so closely that no provisions or merchandise could enter them, without great lisk of being taken ; for these Burgundians made constant excursions, one day toward Vannes, and another day to Guingamp. They continued their excursions so regularly, that sir Reginald de Dinant took prisoner, by means of an ambuscade, this sir Girard de Maidin and thirty-five of his men, and at the same time rescued fifteen merchants and all their goods, which the Burgundians had taken, and were driving them to their garrison, called la Roche Perion ; but sir Reginald conquered them, and carried them pris- oners to Dinant, for which he was much praised. We will now return to the countess of Montfort, who was be. sieged by sir Lewis of Spain in Hennebon. He had made such progress by battering and destroying the walls with his machines, that the courage of those within began to falter. At that moment, the bishop of L^on held a conference v;ith his nephew, sir Her^"^ de L^on, by vi'hose means, it has been said, the earl of Montfort was made prisoner. They conversed on different things, in mutual con- fidence, and at last agreed, that the bishop should endeavor to gain over those within the town, so that it might be given up to the lord Charles : and sir Hcrv6, on his side, was to obtain their pardon from tlie lord Charles, and an assurance that they should keep their goods, &.C., unhurt. They then separated, and the bishop reentered the town. The countess had strong suspicions of what was going forward, and begged of the lords of Brittany, for the love of God, that they would not doubt but she should receive succors before three days were over. But the bishop spoke so eloquently, and * La Roche Perion. This Dinant is a ditrerent place from tlie town of the same name, in the diocese of St. MuJa.—Hist. de Brctagne. 1 should imagine, it must be St. Sauveur de Dinan, which is a village in Drittany. made use of such good arguments, that these lords were in much suspense all night. On the morrow he continued the subject, and succeeded so far as to gain them over, or very nearly so, to his opinion ; insomuch that sir Herv^ dc L(;on had advanced close to tlie town to take possession of it, with their free consent, when the countess, looking out from a window of the castle toward the sea, cried out, most joyfully, " I see the succors I have so lo^ng expected and wished for coming." She repeated this expression twice ; and the towns-people ran to the ramparts, and to the windows of the castle, and saw a numerous fleet of great and small vessels, well trimmed, making all the sail they could toward Hennebon. They rightly imagined, it must be the fleet from England, so long detained at sea by tempests and contrary winds. CHAPTER LXXXI SIR WALTER MANNY CONDUCTS THE ENGLISH INTO BRITTANY. When the governor of Guingamp, sir Yves de Tresiquidi, sir Galeran de Landreman, and the other knights, perceived this suc- cor coming to them, they told the bishop that he might break up his conference, for they were not now inclined to follow his advice. The bishop, sir Guy de L^on, replied, " My lords, then our com. pany shall separate ; for I will go to him who seems to me to have the clearest right." Upon which he sent his defiance to the lady, and to all her party, and left the town to inform sir Herv6 de L^ou how matters stood. Sir Herv6 was much vexed at it, and imme- diately ordered the largest machine that was with the army to be placed as near the castle as possible, strictly commanding that it should never cease working day nor night. He then presented his uncle to the lord Lewis of Spain, and to the lord Charles of Blois, who both received him most courteously. The countess, in the mean time, prepared, and hung with tapestry, halls and chambers, to lodge handsomely the lords and barons of England whom she sav? coming, and sent out a noble company to meet them. When they were landed, she went herself to give them welcome, respectfully thanking each knight and squire, and led them into the town and castle, that they might have convenient lodging : on the morrow she gave them a magnificent entertainment. All that night, and the following day, the large machine never ceased from casting stones into the town. After the entertainment, sir Walter Manny, who was captain of the English, inquired of the countess the state of the town and of the enemy's araiy. Upon looking out of the window, he said, he had a great inclination to destroy that large machine which was placed so near, and much annoyed them, if any would second him Sir Yves de Tresiquidi replied, that he would not fail him in this his first expedition ; as did also the lord of Landreman. They went to arm themselves, and sallied quietly out of one of the gates, taking with them three hundred archers ; who shot so well, that those who guarded the machine fled ; and the men-at-arms who followed the archers, falling upon them, slew the greater part, and broke down and cut in pieces this large machine. They then dashed in among the tents and huts, set fire to them, and killed and wounded many of their enemies before the army was in motion. After this, they made a handsome retreat. When the enemy were mounted and armed, they galloped after them like madmen. Sir Walter Manny, seeing this, exclaimed, " May I never be embraced by my mistress and dear friend, if I enter castle or fortress before I have unhorsed one of these gallopers." He then turned round, and pointed Iris spear toward the enemy, as did the two brothers of Lande-Halle, le Haze de Brabant, sir Yves de Tresiquidi, sir Galeran de Landre- man, and many others, and spitted the first coursers. Many legs were made to kick the air. Some of their own party were also un- horsed. The conflict became very serious, for reinforcements were perpetually coming from the camp ; and the English were obliged to retreat toward the castle, which they did in good order until they came to the castle ditch ; there the knights made a stand, until all their men were safely returned. Many brilliant actions, captures, and rescues might have been seen. Those of the town who had not been of the party to destroy the large machine now issued forth, and, ranging themselves upon the banks of the ditch, made such good use of their bows, that they forced the enemy to withdraw, killing many men and horses. The chiefs of the army, perceiving they had the worst of it, and that they were losing men to no purpose, sounded a retreat, and made their men retire to the camp. As soon as they were gone, the townsmen reentered, and went each to his quarters. The countess of Montfort came down from the castle to meet them, and with a most cheerful countenance, kissed sir Walter Manny, and all his companions, one after the other, like a noble and valiant dame. CHAPTER LXXXI I. THE CASTLE OF CONQtJET* TWICE TAKEN. The next day, the lord Lewis of Spain called to him the viscount de Rohan, the bishop of Ldon, sir Herv^ de L^on, and the commander of the Genoese, to have their advice what was to be done ; for they * Le Conquet, a seaport town in Brittanr, fiv« leagues from Brest. 58 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. saw how strong the town of Hennebon was, and that succors had arrived there, particularly those archers who had always discomfited them. If they remained longer, it would be but lost time ; for there was not the smallest appearance that they could gain an advantage ; they therefore resolved to decamp on the morrow, and make for Aurai, which the lord Charles was besieging. They broke up their huts and tents, and set off, as they had before determined : the towns, people, pursuing them with hootings, and attempting to harass their rear, were driven back, and lost some of their men before they could reenter the town. When the lord Lewis of Spain was come to lord Charles with his army and baggage, he explained to him the reasons why he had quitted the siege of Hennebon. It was then determined, by a full and long council, that the lord Lewis should inarch to besiege the good town of Dinant, which was only defended by a palisade and ditch. During his march, he passed near an old castle called Conquet, in which the countess had placed as governor, a Norman knight of the name of Mencon, who had with him many Eoldiers. The lord Lewis drew up his army, and made an assault upon it, which was very sharp, and lasted until midnight ; for those ■within defended themselves well. Finding he then could not do more, he lay with his men before it, and renewed the attack on the morrow. The assailants came quite close up to the walls, for the ditch was not deep, and made a large breach in them ; through which they entered, and put all to death, except the governur, whom they made prisoner. They appointed another in his room, and left with him si.\ty soldiers to guard it. Then the lord Lewis departed, and marched to lay siege to Dinant. The countess of Montfort, upon hearing that the lord Lewis of Spain was with his army before Conqufit, sent for sir Walter Manny and his brethren at arms, and told them, that if they could break up the siege before this castle, and discomfit the lord Lewis, they would obtain great glory. They assented to it, and, on the morrow, left Hennebon with so many volunteers that few remained behind. They pushed on till they came to the castle about noon, and found there the French garrison who, the evening before, had conquered it ; upon which sir Walter said, he would not leave it before he knew what they were made of, and how they got it. But when he was informed that the lord Lewis was gone to besiege Dinant, he was much grieved, as he should not have an opportunity of fighting with him. He and his friends made ready to attack the castle, and began the assault well covered with their shields. The garrison, seeing such a force coming against them, made as good a defence as they were able ; but the attack was very severe, and the archers came so close that they dis- covered the breach through which the castle had been gained the preceding evening. They also entered by this breach, and killed all within, except ten, whom some knights took under their protection. They then returned to Hennebon, for they did not think it safe to be at too great a distance from it, and left the castle of Conquet without any garrison, for they saw that it could make no resistance. CHAPTER LXXXIII. THE LORD LEWIS TAKES THE TOWNS OF DINAMT AND GUERRANDE. To return now to the lord Lewis ; he quartered his aniiy in haste all round the town of Dinant, and ordered boats and vessels to be im. mediately prepared, that he might attack it by sea as well as by land. When the inhabitants of the town, which was only defended by a palisade, saw this, they were much frightened, both great and small, for their lives and fortunes : on the fourth day after the army had en. camped before it, they surrendered, in spite of their governor, sir Reginald de Guingamp, whom they murdered in the market-place, because he would not consent to it. After the surrender of the town, when the lord Lewis had received the homage and fealty of the citi. zens, he tarried there two days, and gave them for governor sir Ge. rard de Maulin, whom he had found there prisoner, and the lord Peter Porteboeuf, as his colleague. He then marched toward a large town, situated upon the sea coast, called Guerrande. He besieged it on the land side, and found at Croisic a great many boats and ships full of wine, which merchants had brought thither, from Poictou and Ro. chelle, for sale. The merchants soon sold their wine, but they were badly paid for it: the lord Lewis seized these vessels, in which he em- barked men-at-arms, with some of the Genoese and Spaniards, and assailed the town on the morrow, by sea and land. It was so ill fortified that it could not make any defence : it therefore was soon taken by storm, and pillaged without mercy. Men, women, and children were put to the sword, and fine churches sacrilegiously burnt : at which the lord Lewis was so much enraged, that he immediately ordered twenty-four of the most active to be hanged and strangled upon the spot. The booty they gained there was immense, every one got as much as he could carry ; for the town was very rich, from Its great trade. After they had taken this town of GueiTande, they were uncertain which way they should proceed to gain more : the lord Lewis therefore, in company with sir Antony Doria and some other Genoese and Spaniards, embarked in the vessels they had seized, and sailed to seek adventures at sea. The viscount of Rohan, the bishop of L(;on, sir Herv^ de L^on his nephew, and the others, re- turned to the army of the lord Charles, which was lying before Aurai. They found there a great many lords and knights newly arrived from France ; such as sir Lewis of Poietiers, count de Valence, the count d'Au.xerre, the count de Porcien, the count de Joigny, the count de Boulogne, and many others, whom king Philip had sent to their as- sistance ; some had come as volunteers, to see the lord Charles, and to serve under him. The strong castle of Aurai was not yet won ; but there was so severe a famine in it, that for the last seven days they had eaten nothing but horse flesh. Lord Charles would grant them no other conditions, than that they should surrender thciuselves for him to do with them as he thought proper. When they saw, there- fore, that they could not e.tpect anything but death, they issued out by God's will silently in the night, and passed through one of the wings of the enemy's army. Some few were perceived, and killed: but sir Henry de Spinefort and his brother Oliver saved themselves ; they escaped through a little wood hard by, and came to the countess in Hennebon. Thus the lord Charles conquered the castle of Aurai, after having lain more than ten weeks before it. He had it put in good repair, well supplied with men-at.arms, and all sorts of provis- ions ; he then set out with his army to besiege the town of Vannee, which was commanded by sir Geoffry de Malestroit, and encamped all round it. On the morrow, some Bretons and soldiers, that lay in the town of Ploermel, issued forth in hopes of gain ; they fell upou the army of lord Charles, and gave them an alert ; but they were surrounded by the enemy, lost many of their men, and the rest who fled were pursued as far as the gates of Ploermel, which is near to ^'annes. When they were returned from this pursuit, they made, that same day, so violent an assault on the town of Vannes, that they took by storm the barriers, and one of the gates of the town : there the conflict became more violent, and many were killed on both sides. It ended with the night, when a truce was agreed upon, to last all the next day. The citizens assembled together to consult if they should surrender or not ; and, on the morrow, they determined to surrender, in spite of their governor, who, when he saw this, got se- cretly out of the town, during their conferences, and went away to Hennebon. The conference ended in such a manner, that the lord Charles and the lords of France entered the city, where they remained five days, and then set out to besiege another town called Carhaix. CHAPTER LXXXIV. SIR WALTER MANNY DEFEATS THE LORD LEWIS OF SPAIN, AT QUIJirERLE. When the lord Lewis of Spain had embarked with his company at the port of Courrande, they sailed toward Lower Brittany, and came to the port of Quimperl^, which is near to Quimpercorentin and St. Mah^. They disembarked, and began to pillage and destroy the country ; where they found a great deal of riches, which they carried to their vessels, and then set off" to do the same in other parts, not finding any to oppose them. As soon as this news was brought to sir Walter Manny and sir Amauri de Clissou, they had a great desire to go after them ; and having opened themselves on this subject to sir Yves de Tresiquidi, the governor of Guingamp, the lord of Lan. dreman, sir William de Cadoudal, the two brothers de Spinefort, and to all the other knights at Hennebon, they consented cheerfully to follow them. They immediately set off, embarking with them three thousand archers, and never slackened sail until they came to the port where the vessels of the lord Lewis were. They entered the harbor, killed all those who guarded the vessels, and were astonished at the quan- tity of riches they found in them. They then disembarked, and went to many places, hurning the houses and villages. Having divided themselves into three divisions out of prudence, the more readily to find their enemies, and leaving three liundred archers to guard the vessels and the riches they had taken, they set out after them by dif- ferent roads. News of this event was soon carried to the lord Lewis of Spain, who collected his army together, and began liis retreat with great speed toward his vessels ; but, meeting with one of the three divisions, he saw he must fight, and put a good countenance upon it. He made many knights upon the occasion, especially his nephew named Alphonso. When the lord Lewis and his party made their first onset, it was so brilliant, numbers were unhorsed ; and they would have carried the day, if the other two divisions had not come up, alarmed by the noise and cries of the country people. The attack was then very serious, and the English archers performed so well, that the Genoese and Spaniards were discomfited, almost all being killed or wounded ; for the country people pursued them with stones and slings, so that the lord Lewis had difiiculty to escape, very badly wounded. He fled toward his vessels : and of the six thousand, which his aniiy consisted of, he did not save more than about three hundred : he left dead his nephew, whom he much loved. When he came to his ships, he was prevented from entering them by those archers who remained to guard the fleet. He then embarked, in the greatest haste, on board a vessel called a liquet with as many of his people as he could collect together, and escaped with all possible expedition. As soon as sir Walter Manny and his party were come to the fleet, in pursuit of the lord Lewis, they embarked on board the first ves- sels they found ready, and hoisting every sail, made after him, leaving those of the country to take care of what remained of his army, to revenge themselves, and recover what they had been robbed of. Sit CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, & c . 59 Walter and his company had a favorable wind ; but, though they were within sight, all the time, of the lord Lewis, they could not come up with him. His mariners made such exertions that they got into the port of Redon, where he immediately landed, with all those who had escaped: having entered the town, he made no longstay there, for the English had disembarked, and were close after, to fight with him ; so he hastened away, mounted upon such horses as he could borrow in the town, and made for Rennes, which was not far off. Those who could not get any were obliged to do as well as they could, and follow their companions on foot. Many were so tired and badly mounted, that they fell into the hands of their enemies. The lord Lewis, however, made such speed that he got into Rennes ; and the English and Bretons returned to Redon, where they reposed themselves that night. On the morrow they embarked, in order to return to the countess, their lady, at Hennebon ; but they had con. trary winds, which forced them to land about three leagues from the town of Dinant. They advanced into the country, destroying it as they marched, and taking what horses they could lay hands on ; so that some were mounted without saddles or bridles, and went for- ward until they came to Roche Perion ; wOicn sir Walter Manny addressing his companions, said, " Gentlemen, I should like much to attack this strong castle, all fatigued as I am, if I had any to assist me, to see if we could not conquer it." The other knights replied, " Go on, sir, boldly ; we will follow you until death." They then all set forward to the assault of the castle. The captain of it was Girard de Maulin ; the same who had been prisoner at Dinant, as before related : he armed his people, and placing them upon the bat- tlements and other parts of the defence, without sheltering himself behind them, prepared for the assault. It was very sharp and peril- ous ; among many who were severely wounded were, sir John Bo- teler of Warrington, and sir Matthew Trelawney ; insomuch that they were obliged to be carried off, and laid in a field, with the other •wounded. CHAPTER LXXXV. SIR WALTER 3IANNY TAKES THE CASTLE OF GOY LA FORET. Tms Girard de Maulin had a brother of the name of Rene de Maulin, who was captain of another little fort, called Faouet, situated at least half a league from Roche Perion. When Rene heard that the English and Bretons were attacking his brother, he armed forty of his companions, and set out for Roche Perion, to adventure his own person, and to see if by any means he could give aid to his brother. Rent; therefore came suddenly upon those knights and squires, who lay wounded in the field, attended by their servants ; and falling upon them, made them prisoners, and drove them before him to Faouet, wounded as they were. Some of their attendants fled to sir Walter Manny, who was eagerly engaged at the assault ; when they had informed him what had happened he put an end to it, and with all his company hastened toward Faouet, in order to overtake those who were carrying his friends away prisoners ; but, with all his speed, he was not in time to hinder Ren^ from entering his castle with them. When the English and Bretons had come there, they directly made an assault, tired as they were ; but they did little, for the garrison defended themselves valiantly, and the night was far advanced. They lay betore it that night, in order to renew the assault the next day. Girard de Maulin was soon informed of what was passing, and mounting his horse, set out alone for Dinant, where he arrived a little before daybreak. He related to the lord Peter Portebceuf, governor of Dinant, the cause of his coming ; who, when it was day, summoned all the citizens to the town-hali. Girard de Maidin then so eloquently displayed the reasons of his arrival, that the citizens and soldiers were unanimous to assist him. All sorts of people im- mediately armed themselves, and set off toward Faouet in the best manner they could; in all, they were six thousand persons at least. Sir Walter Manny was informed of this by a spy ; and calling a council of his companions, they considered it would be best for them to retreat toward Hennebon; for their situation would be very dan- gerous, if those from Dinant should attack them on one side, and the army of the lord Charles of Blois on the other : they might be sur- rounded and taken prisoners or slain. They therefore judged it most expedient, for the present, to leave their friends in prison, and gave up all thoughts of assisting them till a better opportunity should offer. As they were returning to Hennebon, they passed near a castle, called Goy la Forfit, which a fortnight before, had surrendered itself to the lord Charles. Sir Walter told his companions, he would not ad. vance a step farther, in spite of his fatigue, until he had made an assault on this fort,and seen who were within it. Then hanging his target to his neck, he galloped up to the barriers and ditch of the castle, the English and Bretons following him. The attack was sharp, and those within defended themselves vigorously. Sir Herv^ de L6on and sir Guy de Goy were with the lord Charles before Carhaix. The as. sault lasting some time, sir Walter encouraged his men, by posting himself at their head in the most dangerous situations ; the archers shot so dexterously, that those within the castle dared not show them, selves. Sir Walter and his party made such exertions, that the ditches on one side were filled with straw and wood, ao that they could approach the walls ; in which, with mallets and pick.axea, they made an opening six feet wide. They then entered through this opening, took the castle by storm, and slew all that were within. They remained there that night ; on the moiTow they continued their march, and arrived at Hennebon.* CHAPTER LXXXVI. THE LORD CHARLES DE BLOIS TAKES THE TOWN OF CARHAIX. f When the countess of Montfort was informed of the return of the English and Bretons, she went out to meet them, and most nobly thanked them with kisses and embraces ; she gave a grand dinner and entertainment to all the knights and squires of renown. At this period, the lord Charles had conquered the town of Vannes, and was besieging Carhaix. The countess and sir Walter Manny sent spe- cial messengei-s to king Edward, to inform him how the lord Charles of Blois, and the lords of France, had recaptured Rennes, Vannes, and many other large towns and castles in Brittany ; and that, unless there were succors speedily sent, they would gain the remainder of that duchy. The embassadors set out from Hennebon, and arrived at Cornwall, whence they journeyed toward Windsor. We will now return to lord Charles of Blois, who had so pressed the town of Carhaix by his attacks and his engines, that it was sur- rendered to him, the lives and fortunes of the inhabitants being pre- served. He pardoned what was past, and the inhabitants swore homage and fealty to him, acknowledging him for their true lord. Lord Charles placed new officers in the town, and remained there with the lords of France, to recruit themselves and the army. He held a council upon marching to Hennebon, which being determined on, they besieged it as closely as they were able. That town was very well provided with men, provisions, and ammunition. The lord Lewis of Spain came to these lords the fourth day after they had begun the siege : he had remained at Rennes six weeks, in order to have his wounds properly attended to and cured. They were rejoiced to see him, as he was much esteemed by these noble- men. The French army increased every day ; for as great numbers of barons and knights were daily returning from the king of Spain (who at that time was at war with the king of Granada and the Sara- cens,) in passing through Poitou, hearing of this war in Brittany, they turned their steps thither. The lord Charles had erected fifteen or sixteen large engines before Hennebon, which threw great stones over the walls into the town : but those within were not much alarmed at them, for they liad taken every precaution to shelter themselves against their effects : they frequently came to the walls and battle- ments, and, by way of joke, kept nibbing them, crying out, " Go your ways, and seek your friends who are sleeping in the plains of Quimperl^ ;" which vexed mightily the lord Lewis of Spain and the Genoese. CHAPTER L XXXVII. SIR JOHN EOTELER AND SIR MATTHEW TRELAWNEY ARE BESCtlED FROM DEATH. The lord Lewis of Spain came one day into the tent of lord Charles of Blois, where were numbers of the French nobility, and requested of him a boon for all the services he had done him, and as a recom- pense for them. The lord Charles promised to grant whatever he should ask, as he held himself under many obligations to him. Upon which the lord Lewis desired that the two prisoners, sir John Boteler and sir Matthew Trelawney, who were in the prison of the castle of Fouet, might be sent for, and delivered up to him, to do with them as should please him best. *• This is the boon I ask ; for they have discomfited, pursued, and wounded me, have also slain the lord Alphonso my nephew, and I have no other way to be revenged on them than to have them beheaded in sight of their friends who are shut up in Hennebon." The lord Charles was much amazed at this request, and replied, " I will certainly give you the prisoners, since you have asked fur them ; but you will be veiy cruel and much to blame if you put to death two such valiant men ; and our enemies will have an equal right to do the same to any of our friends whom they may capture, for we are not clear what may happen to any one of us every day. I therefore entreat, dear sir and sweet cousin, that you would be better advised." Lord Lewis said, that if he did not keep his promise, he would quit the army, and never serve or love him so long as he lived. When the lord Charles saw that he must comply, he sent off messengers to the casde of Faouet, who returned with the two prisoners, and carried them to the tent of lord Charles. Neither prayers nor entreaties could prevail on lord Lewis to desist from his purpose of having them beheaded after dinner, so much was he enraged against them. All the conversation, and everything that passed between the lord Charles and lord Lewis, relative to these two prisoners, was told to sir Walter Manny and sir Amauri de Clisson by friends and spies, * I suspect, although the historian of Brittany copies Froissart exactly, that La Iloche Perion must be Rosperden, which is in Bleau's map of BritUiny ; and Benieis calls it Rosteman ; but I cannot find anywhere this Dinan, for Dinan le Sauveur is in the dio- cese of St. Malo, which must have been too far off. Therfl is much confusion in tb« names ofplaces. t Cathais, a town in the diocew ef Quiniper, 60 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. who represented the danger in which the two knights were. They bethought themselves what was best to be done, but, after consider, ing difi'crent scliemes, could fix on none ; at last sir Walter said, " Gentlemen, it would do us great honor if wc could rescue these two knights : if wc adventure it, and should fail, king Edward would hold himself obliged to us ; and all wise men who may hear of it in times to come, will thank us, and say that we had done our duty. I will tell you my plan, and you are able to undertake it ; for I think we are bound to risk our lives in endeavoring to save those of two such gallant knights. I propose, therefore, if it be agreeable to you, that we arm immediately, and form ourselves into two divisions : one shall set off, as soon after dinner as possible, by this gate, and draw up near the ditch, to skirmish with and alarm the enemy : who, you may believe, will soon muster to that i)art ; and, if you please, you, sir Amauri de Clisson, shall have the command of it, and shall take with you a thousand good archers, to make those that may come to you retreat back again, and three hundred men-at-arms. I will have with me a hundred of my companions, and live hundred archers, and will sally out at the postern on the opposite side privately, and coming behind them, will fall upon their camp, which we shall find unguarded. I will take with me those who are acquainted with the road to lord Charles's tent, where the two prisoners are, and will make for that part of the camp. I can assure you, that I and my companions will do everything in our power to bring back in safety these two knights, if it please God." This proposal was agreeable to all ; and they directly separated, to arm and prepare themselves. About the hour of dinner, sir Amauri and his party set otf ; and having had tiie principal gate of Hennebon opened for them, which led to the road that went straight to the army of lord Charles, they rushed forward, making great cries and noise, to the tenbj and huts, which they cut down, and killed all that came in their way. The enemy was much alarmed, and, putting themselves in motion, got armed as quickly as possible, and advanced toward the English and Bretons, who received them very warmly. The skirmish was sharp, and many on each side were slain. When sir Amauri perceived that almost the whole of the army was in motion, and drawn out, he retreated very handsomely, fighting all the time, to the barriers of the town, when he suddenly hailed : then the archers, who had been posted on each side of the ditch before- hand, made such good use of their bows.that the engagement was very hot, and all the army ran thither, except the servants. During this time, sir Walter Manny with his company issued out privily by the postern, and making a circuit, came upon the rear of the enemy's camp ; they were not perceived by any one, for all were gone to the skirmish upon the ditch. Sir Walter made straight fur the tent of lord Charles, where he found the two knights, sir John Boteler and sir Matthew Trelawnoy, whom he immediately mounted upon two coursers which he had ordered to be brought for them, and, returning as fast as possible, entered Hennebon by the same way as he sallied fordi. The countess came to see them, and received them with great joy. The English and Bretons continued still fighting at the barriers, where they gave their enemies sufficient employment. News was soon brought to the nobles of France, that the two knights had been rescued ; which, when the lord Lewis heard, he was sorely disappointed, and inquired the way the English and Bre- tons, who had rescued them, had taken : they informed him, that they had immediately returned, and were probably now in Hennebon. The lord Lewis, upon this, left the assault, and retired to his tent in despite ; and all the rest of the army began to retreat from the bar- riers. In this combat, two knights of the countess's wore captured, who had adventured too far ; the lord of Landreman and the governor of Guingamp ; which gave the lord Charles much pleasure. They were carried to his tent, where they were so efiectually talked to, that they turned on his side, and swore homage and fealty to him. Three days after, there was a council of all the nobles held in lord, Charles's tent, to consider what was best to be done ; for they saw that the town and castle of Hennebon was too well provided with men and provisions for them to expect to make any impression there ; and, on the other hand, the country round about was so destroyed that they had difficulty in finding forage : winter was also approach- ing. They therefore determined to separate ; and they earnestly advised lord Charles to place sufficient garrisons, with able and val- iant captains, in all the castles and towns he had taken, to prevent his enemies from reconquering them : they agreed, that if any person should interfere, and propose a truce, to last until Whitsuntide, they would readily consent to it. CHAPTER LXXXVIII. LOUD CHARLES OF BLOIS TAKES THE TOWN AND CASTLE OF JCGON.* All the army agreed to what this council had determined upon ; for it was between the feasts of St. Remy and All Saints 1342 : they then separated, and went each to his country. Lord Charles marched to Cnrhaix, and took with him all the barons of Brittany that were of his party. He also kept with him many of the French nobles, to advise with and consult. While he was in Carhaix, settling and * lo the diocese of the 6t. Pol de l^on, live leaeuee fiom the sea, and seven from St JBrieux. ordering his different garrisons to their posts, it happened that a rich citizen and great merchant of the town of .Tugon was met by hia marshal, sir Robert de Beuvais,* whom he captured, and brought to lord Charles in the town of Carhaix. This citizen provided all the pun'cyanccs for the countess of Montfort, in the town of Jugon and elsewhere, and was much beloved and esteemed in that town, which is well inclosed and finely situated : the castle is also handsome and strong. He was very much afraid of being put to death, and begged that ho might be allowed to pay for his ransom. To make short of it, the lord Charles had him so often examined on different subjects, that at last he agreed to betray the town of Jugon to him, and en- gaged to deliver one of the gates of it at a certain time in the night ; for he was so much respected in the town, that he had the keeping of the keys ; and, to give security for his promise, he left his son as hostage for him. Lord Charles promised to give him five hundred livers of yearly rent. The day fixed for the opening of the gate of Jugon arrived, and lord Charles entered the town at midnight, with a large force. The watch of the castle, perceiving this, gave the alarm, and cried out, " Treason ! treason !" The inhabitants, not suspecting anything, began to stir ; and, when they saw that their town was lost, they ran in crowds toward the castle. The citizen who had betrayed them ran thither also, in order to hide his treachery. As soon as it was day, lord Charles and his party entered the houses of the inhabitants, to repose themselves ; and took whatever they pleased. When he saw that the castle was so strong and full of citizens, he declared he would never quit the place, until he should have possession of it. The governor, sir Girard de Rochefort, and the citizens, soon found out they had been betrayed; they seized, therefore, the traitor, and hung him on the battlements, on the outside of the walls of the castle. Having received notice of the lord Charles's declaration, that he would not depart until he had gained the castle, and finding that they had not provisions for more than ten days, they consented to surrender it, upon having their lives spared, and the remnant of their chattels re- stored to them. This was granted ; and they swore homage and fealty to lord Charles, who continued the same sir Girard de Roche- fort governor of it, having reinforced the town and castle with men and provisions. While these things were passing, some prudent and wise men in Brittany were busy in proposing a truce between the lord Charles of Blois and the countess of Montfurt, who consented to it, as did all her allies : for the king of England had advised them so to do, by the messengers which came to him from the countess and sir Walter Manny. As soon as this truce was concluded, the countess of Montfort embarked, and passed over to England. CHAPTER LXXXIX. THE KING OF ENGLAND MAKES GREAT FEASTS AND TOtJRNAMENT.S AT LONDON, THROUGH AFFECTHN FOR THE COUNTESS OF SAHSBURT. It has been related in the foregoing parts of this history, how the king of England had great wars in many distant parts and countries, and that he maintained everywhere armies and garrisons at a heavy expense ; that is to say, in Picardy, Normandy, Gascony, Poitou, Saintonge, Brittany, and in Scodand. You have also heard how passionately he was smitten with the charms of the noble lady, Cath- erine of Salisbury ; insomuch that he could not put her out of his mind, for love reminded him of her day and night, and represented her beauty and lively behavior in such witching points of view, that he could think of nothing else, notwithstanding that the earl of Salis. bury was one of his most trusty counsellors, and one who in England had most loyally served him. Out of affection for the said lady, and his desire to see her, he ordered a great feast and tournament to be proclaimed, to be holden in London the middle of August. He sent ins proclamation into Flanders, Hainault, Brabant, and France, pro- mising passports to all knights and squires, trom whatever country they might come, for their arrival and return. He commanded, that all barons, lords, knighls, and squires, of his own realm, should be there without fail, if they had any love for him : and he expressly ordered the earl of Salisbury to have the lady his wife there, with as many young ladies as he could collect to attend her. The earl very cheerfully complied with the king's request ; he thought of nothing evil ; and the good lady dared not say nay. She came, however, much against her will ; for she guessed the reason which made the king so earnest for her attendance, but was afraid to discover it to her husband, imagining, at the same time, by her conduct and con- versation, to make the king change his opinion. There were at this feast, which was very noble and magnificent, William earl of Hainault, sir John his uncle, and great numbers of barons and knights of high birth : the dancing and feasting continued for the space of fifteen days. The lord John, eldest son of the vis- countt Beaumont in England, was killed at this tournament. He was a handsome and hardy knight, and bore for arms a shield azure, besprinkled with flower-de-luces, or, with a lion or rampant, and a battoon gules upon the shield. The ladies and damsels were most superbly dressed and ornamented, according to their different degrees, ♦Robert de Beaumanoir, mareschol de Bretnene.— //is(. rfe Brctag^ie. t No nientjoa is made of this in Dugd&le, and there were no viscounts, but barons, at that period. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c SI except the countess of Salisbury, who came there in as plain attire as possible. She was not willing that the king should give up loo much time to admire her; for she had neither wish nor inclination to obey him in anything evil, that might turn out to her own or her husband's dishonor. At this feast were Henry, surnamed Wry-neck, carl of Lancaster, sir Henry his son earl of Derby, lord Robert d'Ar- lois earl of Richmond, the carl of Northampton and Gloucester, the carl of Warwick, the earl of Salisbuiy, the earl of Pembroke, the fewlA-vii^a^>^PP^-^^¥^HJ!a TouRNA-MENT— from a MS. Froissnrt. of the fifteenth century. ear! of Hereford, the earl of Arundel, the earl of Cornwall, the earl of O.xford, the earl of Suffolk, the lord Stamford, and m^ny other barons and knights of England. The king, on the departure of these nobles, received letters from different lords in the countries of Gas. cony, Bayonne, Flanders, and from his great friend Jacob von Arta- veld. He also heard from tlie borders of Scotland, from the lord Roos of Hamlake and lord Percy, and the lord Edward Baliol, who was governor of Berwick, that the Scots kept the truce, which had been agreed to last year between the English and Scot^, very indif. ferently ; and that they had issued out proclamations for assembling a large force, but he was uncertain to wdiat part they would direct it. The garrisons which he kei)t in Poitou, Saintonge, la Rochelle, and the Bourdolois, wrote to inform him that the French were making great preparations for war ; and that as the truce agreed to by the kings of France and England, after the breaking up of the siege of Tournay, was near e.xpiring, it behoved his majesty to have good advice. He answered every part of their letters. CHAPTER XC. THE KING OF ENGLAXD SENDS THE LORD ROBERT D'aRTOIS INTO BRITTANY. DuRiNS the sessions of a parliament held at London, the king was desirous of putting everything else aside, and to succor the countess of Montfort, who at that time was on a visit to the queen of England. He entreated, therefore, his dear cousin lord Robert d'Artois, that he would collect as many men-at-arms and archers as he could, and pass over with the countess into Brittany. The lord Robert made his preparations, and, having assembled his number of men-at-arms and archers, went to Southampton, where they lay a considerable time on account of contrary winds. About Easter, they embarked and put to sea. At this same parliament, the barons earnestly advised the king, in consideration of the multitude of business he had upon his hands, to send the bishop of Lincoln to his brother-in-law the king of Scotland, to treat for a firm and stable truce to last for two other years. The king was loath to do it ; as he was desirous to carry on the war against the .Scots in such a manner that they them- selves should request a truce. His council, however, with all due' deference, said, that that would not be the most advisable means, considering he had before so ruined and destroyed that country, and that he had more important affairs on his hands in other parts. They added, that it was great wisdom, when engaged in different wars, to pacify one power by a truce, another by fair words, and make war on the third. The king was persuaded, by these and other reasons, and begged the above-mentioned prelate to undertake this mission. The bishop would not say nay, but set out on his journey. He soon re- turned without doing anytliing, and related to the king, that the king of Scotland had no power to make a truce without the will and con- sent of the king of France. Upon hearing this, tlie king exclaimed aloud, that he would shortly so luin and destroy the kingdom of Scotland, it should never recover from it. He issued out a procla- mation through his realm, for all persons to assemble at Berwick, by the feast of Easter, properly armed, and prepared to follow him wherever he should lead them, except those who were to go into Brittany. When Easter came, the king held a great court at Berwick. All the princes, lords, and knights, who at that time were in England, were there, as well as great numbers of the common people of the country. They remained there three weeks, without making any excursion ; for prudent and good men were busily employing them. selves to form a truce, which at last was agreed and sworn to, for two years; and the Scots had it confirmed by the king of France. The king of England sent all his people to their own homes ; ho himself returned to Windsor. He sent the lord Thomas Holland and sir John Darvel to Bayonne, with two hundred men-at-arms and four hundred archers, to guard that frontier against the French. CHAPTER XCI. A SEA INGAGEMENT, OFF GUERNSEY, BETWEEN THE LORD EGBERT D'AR> TOIS AND THE LORD LEWIS OF SPAIN. We must now return to lord Robert d'Artois and his army. Easter fell 80 late that year, that it was about the beginning of May ; and •62 CHRONICLES OF ENGL AND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,i the middle of that month was the period when the truce between the lord Charles and the countess of Montfort was to expire The lord Charles had received information of the countess of Montfort's jour- nev into England, of her solicitations for assistance, and of the succor •the kine of England was to give her : on which account, the lord Lewis of Spain, sir Charles Grimaldi, and sir Otho Dona, were sta- tioned off Guernsey, with thirty-two large vessels, havnig on board three thousand Genoese, and a thousand men-at-arms. The lord Robert d'Artois, the earl of Pembroke, the earl of Salisbury, the earl of Suffolk, the earl of Oxford, the baron of Stamford, the lord De- spencer, the lord Bouchier, with many other knights from England, and their followers, were accompanying the countess of Montfort to Brittany, and had a wind to their wish : when in an afternoon, as they were near the island of Guernsey, they perceived the fleet of the Genoese, of which the lord Lewis was commander. Upon this, the sailors cried out, " Gentlemen, arm yourselves and make ready, for here are the Genoese and Spaniards bearing down upon us." The Eno^lish then sounded their trumpets, spread out their pennons to the wind, ornamented with the devices of their arms and with the banner of St. George. Every one posted himself properly at his .quarters, and filling up the intervals with archers, they advanced full sail toward the enemy. They might be about forty.six vessels, great and small ; but there were none so large as nine of those under tlie lord Lewis, who had likewise three galleys, in each of which were the three leaders, the lord Lewis, sir Charles Grimaldi, and sir Otho Doria The fleets approached each other, and the Genoese began to shoot 'with their cross-bows at random, which the English archers returned. This continued some time, and many were wounded : but when the barons, knights, and squires were able to come to close combat, and could reach each other with their lances, then the battle raged, and they made good trial of each other's courage. The countess of Montfort was equal to a man, for she had the heart of a lion; and, with a rusty sharp sword in her hand, she combated The Genoese and Spaniards, who were in these large vessels, threw down upon their enemies great bars of iron, and annoyed them much with very long lances. This engagement began about vespers, and lasted until night parted them ; for, soon after vespers, there came on such a fog, they could scarcely distinguish each other ; they there, fore separated, cast anchor, and got their ships in order, but did not disarm, for they intended renewing the fight the next day. About midnight, a violent storm arose ; and so tremendous was it, that it seemed as if the world would have been destroyed : there were not, on either side, any so bold, but who wished themselves on shore ; for these barges and vessels drove so furiously against each other, that they feared they would go to pieces. The English lords inquired of the sailors what was best to be done : they answered, to disembark aa soon as they could ; for there were such risks at sea, that if the wind should continue as violent as it then was, there would be danger of their being all drowned. They therefore drew up their anchors, set their sails about half a quarter, and made off'. On the other hand, the Genoese weighed their anchors, and put off' to sea ; for their ves- sels being so much larger than the English, could weather the tempest more securely ; and also, if they should drive too near the shore, they ran a risk of being wrecked, which made them take to the deep. As they were going off", they fell in with four English vessels, laden with provisions, which had kept out of the engagement : they seized them, and took them in tow. The wind and tempest were so vehement, that in one day, they were driven more than a hundred leagues from the place where they had fought. The lord Robert gained land at a ^small port near the city of Vannes ; and they were all rejoiced when they set foot on shore. CHAPTER XCII. THE LORD KOBEKT D'ARTOIS TAKES THE CITY OF VANNES. Thus by this tempest was the engagement at sea interrupted, be- tween the lord Robert and lord Lewis and their fleets. It is difficult to say to whom the honor belongs ; for they separated unwillingly, on account of the badness of the weather. The English, having landed near Vannes, disembarked, on the sand, their horses, provis- ions and arms. They then ordered their fleet to make for Henne. bon,' and determined to lay siege to Vannes. The lords Herv^ de Lfion and Olivier de Clisson were in it, as governors for the lord Charles of Blois : the lords of Tournemine and Loheac were there also. When they perceived that the English were coming to besiege them, they looked well to the castle, their watch-towers, and gates ; and at every gate they posted a knight, with ten men-at-arms and twenty archers among the cross-bows. To return to the lord Lewis and his fleet, who were, all that night and the morrow until noon, violently driven about by the tempest, and in very great danger : they lost two of their ships, with all that were on board. The third day early, the stormy weather abated, when the knights asked the sailors which was the nearest land ; who answered, the kingdom of Navarre: and the masters of the vessels said, the tempest had driven them more than one hundred and twenty leagues from the coasts of Brittany. They cast anchor, and waited for the return of the tide. When the flood came, they had a tolerably fair wind to carry them toward La Rochelle. They coasted by Bayoime, but did not touch there : and falling in with four vessels belonging to Bayonne, which were coming from Flanders, they attacked and took them, and put all whom they found on board to death. They made for La Ro. chelle, and, in a few days, came to Guerrande, where they landed ; and, having heard that the lord Robert d'Artois was laying siege to Vannes, they sent to lord Charles, who was at Rennes, to know how he would have them act. The lord Robert, as you have heard, was before Valines, with a thousand men-at-arms, and three thousand archers. He overran, burnt, and destroyed all the country round about as far as Dinant and Goy la Foret, so that no one dared remain in the flat country. During this siege of Vannes, there were many skirmishes and attacks at the barriers of the town, the inhabitants of which were eager to defend themselves. The countess remained all the time with the lord Robert at the siege. Sir Walter Manny, who had continued in Hennehon the whole time that the countess was in England, gave up the charge of it to the lord of Cadoudal ; and taking with him sir Yves de Tresiquidi, a hundred men-at-arms, and two hundred arch, ers, came to the army before Vannes. Soon after his arrival, the town was assaulted in three places at once ; and the English archers shot so quickly, that scarcely any one dared to show themselves at the battlements. This combat lasted a whole day, and many were killed and wounded on both sides. Toward evening, the English retired to their quarters, and the inhabitants to their houses, quite tired, when they disarmed themselves: but the army did not so; they only took off' their helmets, and drank once to refresh them, selves. Presently after, by the advice of lord Robert, the army was drawn out again in three divisions : two of them were led to that part of the town where they intended to make the strongest assault, and the third was ordered to remain quiet, until the engagement should have lasted some time, which would probably bring all the inhabitants to that quarter to defend themselves: they were then to advance to the weakest part of the place, and, being provided with rope ladders and iron hooks, they were to attempt to scale the walls and conquer the town. This was executed. The lord Robert marched with the van division, and skirmished close up to the bar. riers : the earl of Salisbury did the same at another gate : and be- cause it was very late, to alarm the inhabitants more, tliey made gi-eat fires, so that the flames lighted the whole town ; which made many think their houses were on fire. They cried out " Treason ! treason '. arm yourselves ;" for many were already gone to rest, as they had worked hard in the day time. They got up as quickly as they could, and ran, without any order, and without speaking to their captains, to the part where the fires were. The lords also, who were in their hotels, armed themselves. In the midst of this bustle, the earl of Oxford and sir Walter Manny advanced, with the third divi. sion, to a part where there was no guard ; and, having fixed their ladders, mounted them, with their targets on their heads, and entered the town very quietly, without the French or Bretons, who were within it, having the least suspicion until they saw their enemies in the streets. They then all took to flight, each to save himself: their captains, not having time to get into the castle, mounted their horses, and, passing ffirough a postern, gained the fields, to save their lives : happy were those who could by this means escape. However, the four knights mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, saved them, selves, and a part of their people ; but all who were encountered by the English were slain or made prisoners. Tlie town of Vannes was overrun and sacked ; all sorts of people entered into il ; and the countess of Montfort made her entr)' there with lord Robert d'Artois, to her great joy. CHAPTER XCIII. THE DEATH OF THE LORD ROBERT d'ARTOIS. Thus, as I have related, was the town of Vannes taken. Five days after that event, the countess of Montfort, sir Walter Manny, sir Yves de Tresiquidi, and many other English and Breton knights, returned to Hennebon. At the same time, the earl of Salisbury, the earl of Suff'olk, the earl of Pembroke, with three thousand men-at. arms and three thousand archers, took leave of the lord Robert lelt Vannes, and went toward Rennes, which the lord Charles and his lady had quitted four days before, and were gone to Nantes ; but they had left in that city great numbers of knighus and squires. 1 He lord Lewis of Spain remained at sea with his Genoese and bpan. iards, and so carefully guarded the coasts of England, that no one could come from thence, or go into Brittany, without much danger; and this year he did great damage to the English. The country was much agitated by the capture of the city of Vannes; for they imagined that the captains who were wUhm it ought to have defended it against all the world, as it was sufficiently strong, very well provided with men-at-arms, art.ller>', and all other sorts of provision. The lord of Clisson and sir Herve de L6on were quite ashamed of their mishap; and, their enemies speaking vdlain- ously of what they had done, they sent to a great number ol knights and squires of Brittany, and entreated they would meet them at an appointed rendezvous, by a certain day, with as many f"! 7"«^ they could bring. They all cheerfully promised, and exerted them, ehes so much, as did many of the people in Brittany, that, by the appointed time, there came before the town of Vannes twelve thou- EXTRA NEW WORLD. 63 sand men aimed, including freemen and feofl's. Thither came, with a numerous body, the lord Robert de Beaumanoir, marshal of Brit- tany; and having besieged the city on every side, they began to assault it very sharply. When the lord Robert found himself thus besieged in Valines, he was not negligent to defend itvalinntly against the Bretons, who repeated their attacks with great courage and eager- ness, lest those who had gone for Rcnnes should return and disap- point their enterprise. They gave one assault so well supported by the knights, squires, and even by the commonalty of the country, that they overpowered the barriers of the town, then the gates, and entered the town by storm, putting the English to flight, killing and wounding many. ' Among the last was the lord Robert, who was very badly wounded, insomuch that it was with difficulty he escaped being taken : he fled through a postern gate, and lord Staflbrd with him. At this capture of Vannes, the lord Despencer, son of the lord Hugh Spencer, mentioned at the beginning of this history, was taken prisoner by sir liei\6 de L6on ; but he was so badly wounded that he died the third day afterwards. Thus did the French regain the town of Vannes. Lord Robert d'Artois continued some little time in Hennebon ; but at last he was recommended to return to England, where he would find more skilful surgeons and physicians. On liis voyage, be was so much affected and oppressed by sea-sickness that his wounds grew worse : he survived but a short time after he had been carried to London. He was courteous, courageous, and gallant, and of the first blood in the world. He was buried at London in the church of St. Paul ; and tlic king uf England made his obsequies as solemn as if they had been for his cousiii-german the earl of Derby. The lord Robert was much lamented in England ; and when the king was informed of his death, he swore he would never rest until he had revenged it : he would go himself into Brittany, and reduce the country to such a situation that it should not recover itself for forty years. He issued out his summons for all manner of persons to get themselves in readiness to follow him at tlie end of the month ; and he collected a numerous fleet, well provided with everything that was necessary. At the end of the month he put to sea, and anchored near Vannes, at the same place where lord Robert had landed with his army. It took them three days to disembark their horses, provisions, &c.: on the fourth, they advanced toward Vannes. The earls of Salisbury and Pembroke, with the English before named, were all this time carrying on the siege of Rennes. CHAPTER XCIV. THE KING OF ENGLAND CONTINtJES THE WAR IN TEESON I.V BRITTANY. The English king was so active from the time of his landing in Brittany, that he advanced with his whole army before Vannes, and laid siege to it. At that time there was in Vannes Olivier de Clis. son, sir Herv^ de Leon, the lord of Tournemiue, sir Geoflry de Malestroit, sir Guy de Loheae, who having imagined for some time that the king of England would come to Brittany, had amply pro- vided the town and castle with men, and every kind of stores and provisions. When the king had quartered his men, he ordered an assault, and his archers to make good use of their bows. This lasted half a day ; but he won nothing, though he labored hard, so well was the town defended. As soon as the countess of Montfort knew of the arrival of the king of England, she set out from Hennebon, ac- companied by sir Walter Manny and other knights and squires, and came toward Vannes to compliment the king, and entertain him and all the barons of his army. After a stay of four days, she and her suite returned to Hennebon. We must now speak of the lord Charles of Blois, who remained in the city of Nantes. Wlicn he was informed that the king of England was come into Brittany, he signified it to the king of France, his uncle, in order to obtain assistance. The king of England per. ceiving that Vannes was strong, and well provided with every neces- sary, and hearing from his people that the country round about was poor, and so destroyed that they had difficnity in getting forage for themselves and horses, as they were very numerous, ordered the earl of Arundel, the baron of Stafford, sir Walter Manny, sir Yves de Tresiquidi, sir Girard de Rochefort, with five hundred men-at-arms and si.x thousand archers, to remain there. He himself, with the rest of his army, advanced tow;ard Rennes, burning and ruining the country on all sides, and was most joyfully received by his army, who lay before it, and had been there for a considerable time. When he had tarried five days, he learnt that the lord Charles was at Nantes, collecting a large force of men-at-arms. He set out, therefore, leaving those whom he found at Rennes, and came before Nantes, which he besieged as closely as he could ; but he was unable to surround it, such was its size and extent. The marshals, therefore, and their people, ovciTan the country, and destroyed it. The king of England drew out one day his army in battle array on a hill near Nantes, in expectation that the lord Charles would come forth, and ofier him an opportunity of fighting with him : but, having waited from morn- ing till noon in vain, they returned to their quarters : the light horse howeve-r, in their retreat, galloped up to the barriers, and set fire to the suburbs. The king of England, in this manner remained before Nantes ; the lord Charles, who was within it, sent frequent information to the king of France of the state of his affairs, who had already ordered his son, the duke of Normandy, to his assistance, and which duke was then come to Angers, where he had fixed the rendezvous for his forces that came to him from all quarters. During this siege, the king of England made frequent skirmishes, but without success, always losing some of his men. When, therefore, he found he could gain nothing by his assaults, and that the lord Charles would not come out into the plains to fight with him, he established there the earl of Oxford, sir Henry Beaumont, the lord Percy, the lord Rocs, the lord Mowbray, the lord Delawar, sir Reginald Cobham, sir John Lisle, with six hundred men armed and two hundred archers. He himself advanced into the country of Brittany, wasting it wherever he went, until he came to the town of Dinant, of which sir Peter Portebauif was governor. He immediately laid siege to it all round, and ordered it to be vigorously assaulted : those within made a val. iant resistance. Thus did the king of England, in one season and in one day, make an assault by himself, or those ordered by him, upon three cities in Brittany and a good town. CHAPTER XCV. THE LORD OF CLISSON AND SIR UERVE DE LEON ARE TAKEN PRISONERS BY THE ENGLISH. DtTKiNG the time that the king of England was thus overrunning the country of Brittany, his army that was besieging Vannes made every day some sharp assaults upon one of the gates : all the most expert warriors of each side were attracted to that place, and many gallant deeds of arms were performed ; for those of Vannes had opened the gate, and posted themselves at the barriers, because they had noticed the banners of the earl of Arundel, the earl of Warwick, the baron of Stafford, and sir Walter Manny, who ap])cared to them to adven- ture themselves too rashly. Upon which the lord of Clisson, sir Herv^ de Leon, and some other knights, took more courage. The engagement was well supported on both sides, and lasted a consider- able time : but finally the English were repulsed, and driven back from the barriers. The Breton knights, opening the barriers, pushed forward, sword in hand, leaving behind them six knights, with a suf- ficient force, to guard the town, and pursued the English, who fought well as they retreated. The conflict became stronger ; for the Eng- lish increased and were strengthened, which forced the Bretons to retire, but not so regularly as they had advanced. The struggle now was very hard : the Breton knights had much difficulty to return, and many were killed and wounded. When those at the barriers saw their people retreating and driven back, they closed them, but so untimely that the lord of Clisson was shut out, and also sir Herv^ de Leon, who were botli taken prisoners. On the other hand, on the part of the English, who had advanced too eagerly, was the baron of Stafiord, who was inclosed between the barriers and the gate, where the combat raged fiercely. The lord Stafiord was taken, and many of his people were made prisoners, or slain. So the English retreated to their quarters, and the Bretons into the city of Vannes. CHAPTER XCVI. THE KING OF ENGLAND TAKES THE TOWN OF DINANT. THE LORD LEWIS OF SPAIN MAKES SOME CRUISES AT SEA. In the manner above related were these knights taken prisoners. After that engagement, there were not many others of consequence ; for each side was upon the guard. The king of England had laid siege to Dinant, who when he had been four days before it, collected a great number of boats, in which he placed his archers, and had them rowed up to the palisades of wood with which the town was inclosed. They shot so well that no one dared scarcely to show him- self at the windows, or anywhere else, to defend it. With the archers, there were others who with sharp axes, while the archers made use of their bows, cut the palisades, and in a short time did so much damage that they flung down a large part of them, and entered the town by force. The towns-people fled to^vard the market-place ; but there was little regularity or order among them, for those who had passed the ditch in boats, and had entered the town, advanced to the gate, and opened it, so that every one might pass. Thus was the town of Dinant in Brittany taken, sacked and pillaged, and the governor, sir Peter Portebceuf, made prisoner. The English took whatever they pleased, and made a rich booty, for the town at that time was very wealthy and full of merchandise. When the king of England had achieved this deed, and had conquered the town, he left it empty, not having any intention of keeping it, and advanced toward Vannes, where he took up his quarters. We must now speak of the lord Lewis of Spain, the lord Charles Grimaldi, and the lord Otho Doria, who at this time had under their command eight galleys, thirteen barges, and thirty. nine vessels, man- ned by Genoese and Spaniards. They kept cruising between Eng- land and Brittany, and at times did great mischief to the English, who were coming to recruit their countrymen with troops and pro- visions. Once among other times, they attacked the fleet of the king of England, that lay at anchor in a small port of Brittany near 64 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. Vannes, which not being sufficiently guarded, they slew a great part of the mariners, and would have done much more damage, if the English, who were before Vanne?, had not hastened to their assist, ance. When this news was brought to the army, every one was in motion : but, notwithstanding the speed they made, they could not prevent'the lord Lewis and his party from carrying olf four vessels laden with provisions, and sinking three others, the crews of which were all drowned. The king was then advised to send one part of his fleet to the harbor of Brest, and the other to that of Henncbon, which he complied with, and continued to besiege both Vannes and Rennes. CHAPTER XCVII. THE PUKE OF NORMANDY BRINGS WITH IIIM SOME LORDS OF FRANCE, TO OPPOSE THE KING OF ENGLAND IN BRITTANY. We will now return to the army which the duke of Normandy was marching into Brittany, to assist his cousin the lord Charles of Elois. The duke, after having collected his forces, was informed how the king of England was laying waste all the country of Brit- tany ; that he was besieging three cities, and had taken the town of Dinant; he set out therefore with a very great force from the city of Angers, having more than four thousand men-at-arms, and thirty thousand others. All the baggage took the high road for Nantes, under the command of the two marshals of France, the lord of Mont, morency, and the lord de St. Vcnant. After them came the duke of Normandy, the carl d'Alen^on his uncle, the earl of Blois his cousin, the duke de Bourbon, the earl de Ponthieu, the earl of Bou- logne, the earl of Vend6me,the carl of Dammartin, the lord of Craon, the lord of Coucy, the lord of Sully, the lord of Fresnes, the lord of Roye, and so many barons and knights from Normandy, Auvergne, Limousin, Berry, Maine, and Poitou, that it would take too much time to name them all ; and they were every day increasing, for the king of France had reiterated his summons. The English lords be- fore Nantes received intelligence that the duke of Normandy was on his march with forty thousand men ; this news they sent off in great haste to king Edward ; the receiving of which made him very thoughtful ; and he had at one time the idea of breaking up the siege of Vannes, as well as that of Rennes, and to retire toward Nantes. He was, however, advised to continue where he was, as his position was strong, and near to his fleet, and to wait for his enemies. He was also advised to send for the division of his army that was before Nantes, and continue the siege of Rennes ; as that place was not so far distant but that his army could come to his assistance, if there should be any necsssity for it. The king followed this counsel, and sent for those that were before Nantes, where the lord Charles, and a number of knights were. The lords were lodged in the town, and the army round about ; for there was not room for them in the city or suburbs. CHAPTER XCVIIL the king OF ENGLAND AND THE DUKE OF NORMiNDY ENCAMP THEIR ARMIES OPPOSITE TO EACH OTHER, NEAR TO VANNES. During the time the duke of Normandy remained in Nantes, the lords of England who were before Rennes made a vigorous assault upon that city ; they had, for a long time before, prepared machines for this attack. Though it lasted a whole day, they gained no ad- vantage, but lost many of their men. The baron d'Ancenis, the lord du Pont, sir John de Malestroit, Yvain Charruel, and Bertrand du Guesclin, then a squire, were in the town, and, as well as the bishop, defended themselves so valiantly, that they sufl'cred no loss. Not- withstanding this, the English remained before the place, and wasted and destroyed the country round about. The duke of Normandy left Nantes with his army, and was ad. vised to advance toward Vannes, that he might the sooner meet the enemy ; for he had heard that that town was much straitened, and in greater danger of being lost than Rennes. He and his whole army, therefore, took their route to Vannes, under the command of the two marshals and sir Geoflry de Charny : the earl of Guines, son to the constable of France, had the rearward. They continued their march until they came pretty near to Vannes, on the opposite side to where the king of England was quartered ; they then halted, en. camped in a fine meadow, and made a large ditch in their front. The marshals, and sir Robert de Beaumanoir, marshal of Brittany, made frequent excursions : there were skirmishes on both sides, which occasioned the overthrow and death of many. The king of England Bent for the earl of Salisbury, the earl of Pembroke, and the rest who were besieging Rennes. The English, and flic Bretons of the Mont- fort party, might amount to nearly two thousand five hundred men. at.arms, six thousand archers, and three thousand men on foot. The French were four times that number, well conditioned and well armed. The king of England had taken such a position before Vannes, that the French could not attack him but to their disadvan- tage ; and since the arrival of the duke of Normandy, he liad not made any assault upon the town, wishing to spare his men and his artillery. Thus these two armies lay near each other for a long time. When the winter set in, pope Cleraeut VI. sent thither the cardinal of Pre- neste and the cardinal of CleiTnont, who made frequent visits from one army to the other, to endeavor to reconcile them ; but they would not consent to a peace.* There were frequent engagements between the foragers, and many killed on each side. The English were obliged to go out foraging in large parties, for fear of falling into am. buscades ; and evciy time they went abroad they were in great dan- ger of them. Add to this, that the lord Lewis of Spain, and his fleet, guarded so carefully the coast, that the English army could scarcely receive anything from England, which made them suffer much. It was the intention of the duke to keep the king thus in a manner besieged : but the French endured much pain from the incle- mency of the weather, for it rained night and day, which destroyed the greater part of their horses, and forced them to dislodge and lie in the open fields, from the great quantity of water which inundated their camp. The cardinals now exerted themselves so eflectually, that a truce for three years was agreed to ; and the king of England and the duke swore, as is customary, not to infringe it during that time. CHAPTER XCIX. THE KING OF FRANCE ORDERS THE LORD OF CLISSON, AND MANY OTHER. LORDS OF BRITTANY AND NORMANDY, TO BE BEHEADED. Thus these great ai-mies were separated, and the siege of Vannes raised. The duke of Normandy retired to Nantes, and took the two cardinals with him ; the king of England went to the countess of Moutfort at Henncbon. There was an exchange made of the lord of Clisson for the baron of Stafford. When the king of England had been some time at Henncbon with the countess, and had arranged his affairs, he gave her in charge to the two brothers de Spinefort, sir William de Cadoudal, and others, and set out with his knights for England, where he arrived about Christmas. t The duke of Nor- mandy returned into France, and having disbanded his army, each went to his own home. Soon afterwards, the lord of Clisson was arrested, upon suspicion of treason, and confined in the prison of the Chdtelet in Paris ; at which all who heard it were much surprised. The barons and knights of France asked each other what could be the reason, for they could not make out anything satisfactory : but they imagined it might be occasioned by jealousy, because the king of England had preferred to exchange him for lord Stafford to sir Hervd de L(;on, who was still a prisoner; so that the favor the king of England had shown to the lord of Clisson in preference to sir Herv6, his ene. mics thought had been improperly gained, and grounded upon that the suspicion for which he lost his head at Paris, and which occa. sioned great grief, for no one could find a sufficient reason for it.t Shortly afterwards, many other knights were accused of similar crimes. The lord of Malestroit and his son, the lord of Avaugour, sir Tibaut de Morillon, and other lords of Brittany, to the number of ten knights and squires, were beheaded at Paris. Four other knights of Normandy, sir William Baron, sir Henry de Malestroit, the lord of Rochetesson, and sir Richard de Persy, were put to death upon reports, whether well founded or not I am ignorant, which caused afterwards great troubles in Brittany and Normandy. The lord of Clisson left behind him a son, named Olivier de Clisson after his father, who withdrew himself immediately to the castle of Mont- fort, with the countess and her son, who was nearly of the same age with himself, and without a father ; for in truth the earl of Montfort had died in the Louvre at Paris.^ CHAPTER C. KING EDWARD INSTITUTES THE ORDER OF ST. GEORGE, AT WINDSOR. About this time, the king of England resolved to rebuild and em- bellish the great castle of Windsor, which king Arthur had firet founded in time past, and where he had erected and established that noble round table from whence so many gallant knights had issued forth, and displayed the valiant prowess of their deeds at arms over the worid. King Edward, therefore, determined to establish an or- der of knighthood, consisting of himself, his children, and the most gallant knights in Christendom, to the number of forty. He ordered ft to be denominated "knights of the blue garter," and that the feast should be celebrated every year, at Windsor, upon St. George's day. He summoned, therefore, all the earls, barons and knights of * Tlie lii-sl of lliese pielates was Petei des Pres, bom in Quercy, cJmncel or of the church of Rome. a:iJ bishop of Frescali ; the other was Annibal de Cecano, b.shop of Palestine. Tlie conference was held m the priory of the Magdalen ui tlie town of Males- troit. Tlie commissioners on the part of France were, Eute (ulie ol Burej'ndy, and Peter duke of Bourbon ; on the part of Englanil, Henry earl of Lancnsler. W.lham Bo- hun and William Montacule.-i/ist.iifBi-rfasiie. , , , ^ „. , „ t Edward embarked about tlieend of February, and landed at Weymouth, on afaun- day, 2nd March, 1343.-RVMER. , ^ .,c j o .. 1 The lord Stafford was eschanscd for Olivier de Clisson, and Godfrey de Harcourt They entered iuUi a treaty wiUi Edward, and the earl of Salisbury was tlie pei-son to whom it was intrusted. On the earl's return to Emrland. on hearing from his countess Edward's conduct to her during his absence, he retired from the court secretly, and went to France, wlien he delivered up to PIrilip de Valois the ingBBement^ of Olivier da Clisson and tlie other knights. Olivier was beheaded, and his body hung on tlic gibbet at Montfaucon. Godl'rey de Harcourt, being banished the kingdom, retired to England- —Hist. de Bntagne, vol. i. p. 268. % See a former note, p. K!, tespecting his death. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 65 his realm, to inform them of his intention? ; tliey heard it with great pleasure ; for it appeared to tlicm highly honorable, and capable of increasing love and friendship. Forty knights were then elected, according to report and estimation the bravest in Christendom, who sealed, and swore to maintain ami keep the feast and the statutes which had been made. The king founded a chapel at Windsor, in honor of St. George, and established canons, there to serve God, with a handsome endowment. He then issued his proclamation for this feast by his heralds, whom he sent to France, Scotland, Bur. gundy, Hainault, Flanders, Brabant, and the empire of Germany, and oifered to all knights and squires, that might come to this cere- mony, passports to last for fifteen days after it was over.* The cele. bration of this order was fi.xed for St. George's day ne.xt ensuing, to be held at Windsor, 1344 ; and the queen was to be present, accom- panied by three hundred ladies and damsels, all of high birth, and richly dressed in similar robes. t i Abbeville, where they procured horses ; but sir Hervd was so- ill, hs could not bear the motion of the horse : he was therefore put in a litter, and came to Paris, to king Philip, to whom he delivered his message, word for word; but he did not live long. He died in re. turning to his own country, in the city of Angers. God have mercy on his soul ! CHAPTER CI. THE KING OF ENOLAND SET.S AT LIBERTY SIR HERVE DE LEON. While the king of England was employed in making preparations for the reception of the lords and ladies whom he expected at this feast, news was brought him of the death of the lord of Clisson and the other knights. He was so much enraged at it, that he had deter, mined to retaliate upon the body of Sir Hervd de L6on, who was his prisoner, and would surely have executed it, if the earl of Derby, his cousin, had not remonstrated, and showed in council such good rea. sons, as, for the sake of his own personal honor, induced him to re- frain from this revenge. He added, "My lord, if that king Philip has, through rasliness, had the villainy to put to death such valiant knights as these were, do not suffer your courage to be tainted by it ; for in tnith, if you will but consider a little, your prisoner has no- thing to do with this outrage : have a goodness, therefore, to give him his liberty, at a reasonable ransom." The king ordered the cap- tive knight to be brought before him, and said, "Ha, sir Herve, sir Herve, my adversary, Philip de Valois, has shown his treachery in too cruel a manner, when he put to death so many knights. It has given me much displeasure ; and it appears as it were done in de. spite of us. If I were to take his conduct for my example, I ought to do the like to you ; for you have done me more harm in Brittany than any other; but I shall endure it, and let him act according to his own will. I will presei-ve my own honor unspotted, and shall allow you your liberty at a trifling ransom, out of my love for the earl of Derby, who has requested it ; but upon condition, that you perform what I am going to ask of you." The knight replied, " Dear sir, I will do, to the best of my power, whatever you shall command." The king said, " I know, sir Hcrv^, that you are one of the richest knights in Brittany; and, if I were to press you, you would pay nie thirty or forty thousand crowns for your ransom. But you will go to king Philip de Valois, my adversary, and tell him from me, that, by putting so many knights to death in so dishonorable a manner, he has sore displeased me : and I say and maintain, that he has by this means broken and infringed the tmce which we had agreed to ; and that from this moment I consider it as broken, and send him by you my defiance. In consideration of your carrying this message, I will let you off' for ten thousand crowns, which you will pay, or send to Bruges, in five days after you shall have crossed the sea. You will also inform all such knights and squires as wish to attend my feast, for we shall be right glad to see them, not to de. sist on this account, for they shall have passports for their safe return, to last for fifteen days after it be over." " Sir," answered the knight, " I will perform your message to the best of my abilities ; and God reward you and my lord of Derby for your kindness to me." Sir Herv^ de Leon did not after this remain long in prison, but, having taken leave of the king, went to Southampton, and embarked on board a vessel, with the intention of landing at Hai-fleur. A vio- lent storm, however, which lasted fifteen days, prevented it. He lost his horses, as well as those of his servants, which were thrown overboard ; and he himself was so ill by it, that he never after en- joyed good health. At last the mariners, with much danger, landed at Crotoy ;t from whence sir Herv(S and his suite went on foot to »Tlie number of kniglits of the garter were only twenty-sLt: underneath are the names of the first knights : 1. King Edward. M. Thomas lord Holland. 3. Edward pnnce of Wales. 15. John lord Gray of Codnore. 3. Henry earl of Lancaster. 16. Sir Richard Fitzsiraon. 4. Tliomas earl of Warwick. 17. Sir Miles Stapleton. 5. Piers de Greilly, captnl of Bach. 18. Sir Thomns Wale. 6. Halph lord Stafford. 19. Sir Hugh Wrottesley. 7. William earl of Salisbury. 20. Sir Nele Lorinj. 8. Roger earl of March. 21. Sir John Chandos. 9. John lord Lisle. 23. Lord James Audley. Y>- "lltnolomew i')rd Burglierst. 23. SirUthoHi.lIand. U-. John lord Beauoliamp. 24. Sir Henry Earn ofDrabant. 12. John lord Moliun of Dunster. 25. Sir Sanchio d'Ambreticourt. 13. Hugh lord Courtenay. 26. Sir Waller Paveley. For furtlier particulars respecting tlie order of the garter, see Ashmoleand Anstis. t The tirst mention of robes for the queen, &c., is an. 7 Ric. 2 ; but it is supposed tlie custom originated at the institution.— Ashmole. t Crotoy, a town in Picardy, situated at the moutli of the Somme, opposite to St. Valery. CHAPTER CII. THE KI.XG OF ENGLAND SENDS THE EARL OF DERBY TO MAK£ WAK IN GASCONY. St. George's day drew near, when the grand feast was to be cele. brated at the castle of Windsor. The king had made great prepare, tions for it ; and there were earls, barons, ladies, and damsels, most nobly entertained. The festivities and tilts lasted a fortnight. Many knights came to them from beyond sea, from Flanders, Hainault, and Brabant, but not one from France. During the holding of theea feasts, the king received intelligence from different countries, par- ticularly from Gascony. The lord de I'Esparre, the lord do Chau. mont, the lord de Mucident, were sent thence by the other barons and knights who at that time were dependent on the king of England ; such as the lord d'Albret, the lord de Pumiers, the lord de Montfer- rant, the lord of Duras, the lord of Craton, the lord of Grailley, and many others ; and some were likewise sent by the cities of Bordeaux and Bayoune. These embassadors were most courteously entertained and received by the king and his council ; to whom they explained the weakness of the country of Gascony, and that his good friends in that country and the loyal city of Bordeaux wanted aid : they there- fore entreated, that he would send thither such a captain and force of men-at-arms, as he might think able to make head against the French, who kept the field in opposition to all that were sent to meet them.*^The king soon afterwards appointed his cousin the earl of Derby leader of this expedition, and nominated those knights that he had fi.xed upon to be under him; first, the earl of Pembroke, the earl of O.xford, the lord Stafford, sir Walter Manny, sir Frank van Halle, sir Henry Earn of Brabant, sir Richard Filzsimou, sir Hugh Hastings, sir Stephen Tombey, sir Richard Haydon, sir John Nor wich, sir Richard Radcliffe, sir Robert O.xendon, and several more. They were fully three hundred knights and squires, six hundred men. at-arms, and two thousand archers. The king advised the earl his cousin to take plenty of gold and silver with him, and to bestow it liberally among the knights and squires, in order to acquire their good opinion and affection. The king also, dhring the time of these festivals, sent sir Thomas Dagworth into Brittany, to reinforce the countess of Montfort, and assist her in preserving that country ; for notwithstanding the truce, he doubted not but that king Philip would begin the war, on account of the message he had scut to him by sir Herve de L^on. He there, fore dispatched thither one hundred men-at-arms, and two hundred archers, under the command of sir Thomas. He likewise ordered the earl of Salisbury into the county of D'ulnestre ; for the Scots had rebelled against him, had burnt much in Cornwall, and had advanced as far as Bristol, and besieged the town of D'ulnestre.* However, the earl of Salisbury marched thither, with three hundred men. at-arms, and six hundred archers well appointed. Thus the king sent forth- his people, and directed his treasurers to deliver out to the command, ing officers a sufficiency of money for their own expenses, and to pay their fellow-soldiers ; and each set out according to the orders he had received. We will speak first of the earl of Derby, as he had the greatest charge, which he conducted to Southampton, and embarking oa board the fleet stationed there for him, made sail for Bayonne : it was a handsome city, and had always held out for the English. He arrived there, without accident, on the 6th day of June, 1344, when he disembarked and landed his stores ; they were joyfully received by the inhabitants, and he remained there seven days, to refresh him- self and his horses. The earl of Derby and his army left Bayonne the eighth day after his arrival, and set out for Bordeaux, where a grand procession came out to receive him. The earl was lodged in the abbey of St. Andrew and his people within the city. When the count de Lisle was informed of the arrival of the English, he sent for the count de Comminges, the count de Perigord, the count de Carmain, the viscount de Villemur, the count Duras, the count de Valentinois, the count de Mirande, the lord of Mirade, the lord de la Barde,the lord of Pincornet, the viscount de Chatillon, the lord of Chateauneuf, the lord de Lescun, the abbot of St. Savin, and for all the other lords who were attached to the king of France. As soon as they were all assembled, he demanded their counsel on the arrival of the earl of Derby. The lords, in reply, said, they were sufiiciently strong to defend the passage of the river Dordogne, at Bergerac, against the English. This answer mightily pleased the * This passage has puzricd me much. Mr. Barnes, in his Lile of Edward III., says, it was the i/oune earl of Salisbury. One of my JISS. calls him ihe lord William earl of Salisbury, which was the name of the earl's son. But Dugdale contents himself with saying, that in the 18th of Edward III., "the earl of Salisbury" (speaking ot the first earll '• was sent into the north, with the narl of Ulster, one hundred men-at-arms, and six hundred a-'chers. against the Scots, then in hostility." If the Scots had advanced to Bristol, then it may perhaps be Dunster castle. Froissart seems to have been under a mistake, from misinformation, as I cannot lina any traces of this invasion. 66 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. count de Lisle, who was at that time like a king m Gascony, and had been so since the commencement of the wars between the two kmgs. He had taken the field, captured towns and castles, and waged war upon all who were of the English party. These lords sent imme- diately to assemble their dependents on all sides, and advanced to Ber. Berac, where they entered the suburbs, which are large, strong, and partly suiTounded by the Dordogne. They had all their purveyances brought to them there in safety. CHAPTER cm. THE EARL OF DERBY CONQUERS BERKERAC." When the earl of Derby had remained at Bordeaux for about lifteen days, he was informed that the barons and k:iiglits of Gascony were in Bergcrac : he therefore, one morning, marched that way witli his army, and ordered his marshals, sir Walter Manny and sir Frank van Halle, to push forward. The English marched that morning no more than three leagues, to a castle called Montcroullier, which belonged to them, and was situated a short league from Bergerac. At this castle of Montcroullier, they tarried that day and night. The day following, their scouts were sent as far as the barriers of Bergerac : and, on their return, they related to sir Walter Manny, that they had recon- noitred the position of the French, which did not appear to them any- thing very formidable. This day, the English dined early ; and, during the repast, sir Walter Manny, addressing himself to the earl of Derby, said, " My lord, if we were good knights, and well armed, we might, this evening, partake of the wines of these French lords who are in garrison in Bergerac." The earl answered, "that it should not be his fault if they did not." When their companions heard this, they said, " Let us hasten to arm ourselves ; for we will ride toward Bergerac." It was no sooner said than done : they were all%rmed, and mounted, in an instant. When the earl of Derby perceived such willingness in his men, he was exceedingly joyful, and cried out, " In the name of God, and of St. George, let us march to our ene- mies." They then rode on, with banners displayed, during the greatest heat of the day, until they came to the barriers of Bergerac : which was not a place easily to be taken, for a part of the river Dor- dogne surrounded it. The French lords who were in the town, Beeing the English coming to attack them, said they should be well received, and sallied forth in battle array : they had with them a mul- titude of foot soldiers, and country people badly armed. The Eng. Ush made their approaches in close order, so that they were plainly to be distinguished by the townsmen, and the archers began to shoot thickly. When the foot soldiers felt the points of the arrows, and saw the banners and pennons glittering in the air, which they had not been accustomed to see, they fell back upon their men-at-arms : the archers continued to shoot with great quickness, doing nnich mis- chief to them. The lords of England then advanced, mounted on their excellent coursers, with lances in their rests, and, dashing into the midst of this infantry, drove them down at pleasure, and killed and wounded the French men-at-arms in abundance ; for they could not in any way exert themselves, as these runaways had blocked up the road. There was a severe engagement, and many were killed and un horsed : for the English archers, being posted on each side of the toad, shot so well together, that no one dared to venture upon it. Thus were those of Bergerac driven back again to the suburbs, but with so much loss, that the first bridge and bars were taken by storm, and the English entered with them. Upon the pavement were many knights and squires slain and wounded, and many prisoners made of those who came forward to defend the passage. The lord of Mirepoix was slain under the banner of sir Walter Manny, who was the first that entered the suburbs. When the count de Lisle saw that the English had got possession of the suburbs, and were knocking down and killing his people without mercy, he and the other lords of Gas- cony made a handsome retreat toward the town, and passed the bridge with great difficulty. At this place the engagement was very severe, and lasted a considerable lime : the noblemen of France and of Eng- land, named in the preceding chapters, combated most valiantly hand to hand : neither knight nor bachelor could there conceal himself. Sir Walter Manny had advanced so far among his enemies, that he was in great danger. The English made prisoners of the viscount de Bousqnetin, the lords of Chatillon, of Chateanneuf, and of Lescun. The French retreated into the fort, let down the portcullis, and, getting upon the battlements, began to throw stones and other things, to drive their enemies away. This assault and skirmish lasted until vespers, when the English retreated, quite weary, into the suburbs, which they had woir ; where they found such quantities of provision and wine, that might, on occasion, have lasted them for four months most plentifully. When the morrow dawned, the earl of Derby had his trumpets Bounded, and his forces drawn out in battle array, to approach the town, and make a mighty assault, which lasted until noon. They had not much success ; for they found that there were within it men who defended themselves valiantly. At noontide, the English retreated, perceiving that they only lost their time. The lords then assembled in council, and determined to attack the town on the side next the river ; for it was there only fortified by palisades. The earl of Derby sent therefore to the fleet at Bordeaux for vessels, which he ordered to come to him up the Dordogne ; there were upward of sixty barks and other vessels lying at Bordeaux, that came to Bergerac. In the evening of the following day, the English made their arrangements, and at sunrise, all those who were ordered to attack the town, and the fleet, were quite ready, under the com- mand of the lord Stafford. There were many knights and squires who had requested to be on tins expedition, in hopes of prefer- ment, as well as a body of archers. They advanced in haste, and came to some large round piles placed before the palisades, which they flung down. The townsmen, seeing this, went to the count de Lisle, the lords, knights, and squires, who were present, and said to them, " Gentlemen, we pray you to take heed what you are about; for we run a great risk of being ruined. If the town be taken, we shall lose all we have, as well as our lives : it will therefore be much better that we surrender it to the earl of Derby, before we suffer more damage." The count replied, " We will go to that quarter where the danger is ; for we will not consent to surrender it so easily." The Gascon knights and squires came, therefore, to de- fend the palisades ; but the archers, who were in the barks, kept up so quick an attack with their arrows, that none dared to show them- selves, unless they chose to run the risk of being killed or wounded. In the town there were with the Gascons two or three hundred Ge- noese cross-bowmen, whose armor shielded them from the arrows ; they kept the archers well employed all the day, and many on each side were wounded. At last, the English who were in the vessels exerted themselves so much that they broke down a large piece of the palisades ; those of Bergerac then retreated, and requested time to consider if they should not surrender the place. The remainder of that day and night was granted them, upon condition that they did not attempt to repair the breaches : and every one retired to his quarters. The lords of Gascony held, that night, a long council ; and about midnight, having packed up all their baggage, they set out from Bergerac, and followed the road to la Rfeole,* which is not far distant, whose gates were opened to them, and there they took up their quarters. The English, on the morrow morning, reeinbarked on board their fleet, and came to the part where the palisades had been broken down ; they found in that place great numbers of the townsmen, who intreated the knights, that they would beseech the earl of Derby to have mercy on them and allow them their lives and fortunes, and thenceforward they would yield obedience to the king of England. The earl of Pembroke and the earl of Oxford replied, that they would cheerfully comply with their request, and went to the earl of Derby who was not present, and related to him what the inhabitants of Bergcrac had desired of them. The earl of Derby answered, " He who begs for mercy should have mercy shown him : tell them to open their gates, and let us-enter, and we will assure them of safety from us and from our people." The two lords returned, and reported what the earl had said. Upon which the townsmen went to the market-place, where eveiy one men and women being assembled, they rang the bells, threw open the gates, went out in procession to meet the earl of Derby, and with all humility conducted him to the church, where they swore homage and fealty to him, acknowledging him as their lord, for the king of England, by virtue of a procuration which he had with him. * A populous town in Perigord, diocese of Perigueu.'c. CHAPTER CIV. THE EARL OF DERBY CONQX.-ERS MANY TOWNS AND FORTRESSES IK UPPER GASCONY. The same day that the count de Lisle, the barons and knights of Gascony, had retreated to la Reole, they held a council, and resolved to separate, and v\ithdraw into fortresses, to carry on the war from these'ganisons, and to form a body of four or five hundred combat, ants, by way of a frontier guard, under the command of the seneschal of Toulouse. The count de Villemur was ordered to Auberoche ;t sir Bertrand des Pres to Pelagrue ;{ the lord Philip de Dyon to Mon. tagret ;^ the lord of Montbrandon to Mauduran ; sir Arnold de Dyon to Montgis ; Robert de Malmore to Beaumont, in Laillois ; sir Charles de Poitiers to Pennes in the Angenois. All these knights departed for their different garrisons ; but the count de Lisle remained in la Rfeole, and had the fortress put in proper repair. When the earl ot Derby had taken possession of Bergerac, and staid there two days, he asked the seneschal of Bordeaux, what was most advisable for him next to undertake, as he wished not to remain idle. The senes- chal replied, that he thought it would be best to go toward Perigord and upper Gascony. The earl of Derby then gave out his orders to march toward Perigord, and left sir John de la Sante|| captain ot Bergerac. As the English advanced, they came to a castle called * Reole— a town of tlie Bazadois, on the Garonne. t In Perigord, diocese of Perigueux. t A small town of Condomois. in the diocese of Condom. § A town in Perigord. diocese of Periyueux. II In one MS. it is Sonce ; in Barnes's liistory of Edward IIT., sir Jolin St. Jolin ; but he does not mention liis authority for so altering il. In my printed copy and anoUut MS. it is Same, and is so in lord Bernei's translation. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 67 Langon,* of which the provost of Toulouse was governov : they halted there, not thinking it prudent to leave such a post in their rear, and the marshal's battalion immediately began the assault, which lasted all that day, but they gained nothing. Almost the whole army was employed against it llic next day ; and, with wood and faggots they filled up the ditches, so that they could approach the walls. Sir Frank van Halle asked the French if Ihcy were willing to surrender, because they might delay it until it was too late. Upon this, they demanded a truce to consider of it, which being granted them, after some little time spent in counsel, they all set out for Monsac,t in the French interest, but took nothing with them. The earl of Derby appointed a squire called Aymon Lyon, governor of the castle of Langon, t and gave him thirty archers. The earl of Derby then rode on toward a town called Le Lac; but the tov.'nsmen came out to meet him, brought him the kejia of the town, and swore homage and fealty to him. The earl passed on, and came to Mandarant, which he took by storm : after he had placed a garrison in the fortress, he came before Montgis, won it in the same maimer, and sent the governor prisoner to Bordeaux. He afterwards advanced to Punach, which he took, and did the same to the town and castle of Lieux§, where he staid three days to refresh himself and army. On the fourth day he marched to Forsath. || which he gained easily enough, and then the tow'n of Pondaire. He next came to a town of considerable size, called Beaumont en Lail- lois, which was a dependency on the count de Lisle. The earl was three days before it, and many vigorous attacks were made ; for it was well provided with men-at-arms and artillery, who defended themselves as long as they were able ; at last it was taken, with much slaughter on all those that were found in it. The earl of Derby recruited his forces there with fresh men-at-arms, and then advanced toward the principal town of the inheritance of the count de Lisle, which was under the connnand of the Lord Philip de Dyon and the lord Arnold de Dyon. He invested it on all sides, and made his archers advance to the barriers, where they shot so well that none durst appear to defend them ; the English having won the barriers, and everything even to the gate, retired in the evening. On the next morning, they renewed the attack in different places at once, and gave those within so much to do, that they did not know which way to defend themselves. The iidiabitants therefore requested two knights who were there to treat with the earl of Derby for a peace, that their fortunes might he saved. They sent before them a herald, who obtained a short truce, to see if any agreement could be entered into. The earl of Derby ordered his men to retire, and came him. self, accompanied by the lord Statlurd and sir Walter Manny, to the bars, to confer with the inhabitants. The earl at first would hear of nothing but unconditional submission : at last it was settled, that the town should put itself under the dependency of the king of En„ land, as duke of Guienne, and that twelve of the principal citizens should be sent to Bordeaux as hostages. The French knights and squires left the place with passports, and went to la Reole. dismounted, and, sword in hand, fought with the English, and main- tained their ground so well that they lost nothing. The English returned to the earl of Derby, who marched forward until he came before Pelegrue, where lie remained six days, and many an assault was made upon it. During the time he continued there, the earl of Oxford and his companions were exchanged, for the viscount de Bousquetin, the viscount de Chatillon, the lord of Lescun, the lord of Chateauneuf ; and upon condition that the lands of Perigord should remain in peace for three years : not, however, but that any knight or squire might take up arms, without forfeiting the treaty ; but nothing was to be burnt or pillaged in that country for that space of time. The English therefore departed from before Pelagrue, as it was part of Perigord, and rode toward Auberoche,* where there is a handsome and strong castle, appertaining to the archbishop of Toulouse. The English took up their quarters round about it, as if they meant to remain there for a length of time, and sent word to those within, that if they did not surrender speedily, when the town was taken, they should be all put to the sword with- out mercy. The inhabitants of the town and castle were much alarmed; and, seeing no appearance of any succor coming to them, they put themselves under the obedience of the earl of Derby, upon condition that their lives and fortunes were spared, and acknowledged him as their lord, for the king of England. The earl then made a handsome retreat toward Bordeaux, having left in Auberoche a sufficient garrison, under the command of sir Frank van Halle, sir Alain de Finefroide, and sir John Lendal. On his road he came to Libourne, a fair and large town, twelve leagues from Bordeaux ; to which he laid siege, and told those about him, that he would not quit it before he had got possession of it. The inhabitants consulted together ; and considering well the good and evil of being assaulted and vexed, they surrendered themselves to the earl of Derby, and did homage to him during the three days he remained there. The earl of Derby sent the earl of Pembroke to Bergerac, and left the lord Stafford, sir Steven de Courcy, and the lord Alexander de Haulfiel,t with their men, in Libourne. He him- self, accompanied by the carl of Oxford and sir Walter Manny, took, the road for Bordeaux, where they arrived. CHAPTER CV. THE EARL OF OXFORD IS TAKEN PRISONEK IN GASCONT, BUT SET AT UliEKTV BY EXCHANSE. After this conquest, and that the earl of Derby had left there men-at-arms and archers, he came before Bonneval,ir and made a violent attack upon it, in which many were killed and woimded. At last he took it, and showed mercy. After he had reinforced it with men-at-arms, and another governor, he pushed forward, and, entering the country of Perigord, passed by Bordelles,** but did not attack it, as he saw it would be only pains thrown away. He still advanced, until he came before Perigueux.tt There was in the town the earl of Perigord, the lord Roger de Perigord his brother, the lord of Duras, and fully six.seore knights and squires of that country. When the earl of Derby came there, he considered in what manner he might attack it most advantageously, for he saw it was»very strong. But, after having maturely weighed it, he thought it most prudent not to waste his time : he therefore retreated two leagues, and took up his quarters upon the banks of a river, in order to attack the castle of Pelagrue. It Toward midnight, about two hundred lances, well mounted, sallied out of Perigueux : they rode so fast, that before daylight they came to the English camp, and falling upon it, killed and wxiunded many. They entered the tent of the earl of Oxford, whom they found armino- himself: he was immediately attacked and taken prisoner, as well as three knights of his household, otherwise he would have been Blain. The Gascons finding they had awakened the whole army, netired, and took their road to Perigueux. It was time for them to do so : and fortunately they found the gates of the barriers open ; for they were so closely pursued that they were thrown into con- fusion: but the Gascons, as soon as they could rally themselves, * Langen-a town in Bavadois, upon the Garonne, aboutsix leagues from Bordeaux T A town in Perigord, diocese ofSarlat. t Barnes calls liim an English squire, Timothu Lyon ; but I see no authority for it ^ In tjascony, diocese of Coniminge. ]l Fronsac-upon the DordoBiie. six Ipacues from Bordeaux. ;+ . ,, "" '" 'J'" '","'^*'^ of Agen. »* Capital of Perisord. Tt A village in Bazadois, election of Condom, « A town in the Condomois. CHAPTER CVI. THE COUNT DE LISLE, LIEUTENANT FOR THE KINS OF FRANCE IN GAS rONY, LAYS SIEGE TO THE CASTLE OF AUBEROCHE. The earl was joyfully received on his return to Bordeaux : the clergy and inhabitants of the town came out to meet him, in a grand procession ; they allowed him to take provisions, and wdiatever else lie desired, according to his will and pleasure ; and he and his army continued in the town, amusing themselves with the citizens and their wives. We will now return to the count de Lisle, whom we left in la Rfeole ; as soon as he was informed that the earl of Derby had returned to Bordeaux, and had taken up his residence there, he did not think it probable he would undertake any more expeditions this season. He sent letters therefore to the earls of Perigord, of Car- main, of Comminges, of Bruniguel, and to all the barons oflGaseony that were in the French interest, to desire that they would collect as many people as they could, and come with them properly armed, by an appointed time, to meet him at Auberoche, as he intended to besiege it. They all obeyed his summons ; for he was as a king in these parts of Gascony, The knights who were in Auberoche were not aware of this, until they found themselves so closely besieged on all sides that no one could go out of the garrison without being seen. The French brought from Toulouse four large machines, which cast stones into the fortress night and day ; and they made no other assault; so that in six days' time they had demolished all the roofs of the towers, and none within the castle dared to venture out of the vaulted rooms on the ground floor. It was the intention of the army to kill all within the castle, if they would not surrender themselves unconditionally. News was brought to the earl of Derby, that Auberoche was be. sieged ; but he did not imagine his friends were so hard pushed. When sir Frank van Halle, sir Alain de Finefroide, and sir .Tohn Lendal, who were thus besieged, saw how desperate their situation was, they asked their servants, if there were not one among them who would, for a reward, undertake to deliver the letters they had written to the earl of Derby at Bordeaux, One from among them stepped forward, and said, he would be the man who would cheer- fully undertake the commission, not through lust of gain, but from his desire to deliver them from the peril they were in. The follow- ing night the servant took the letters, sealed with their seals, and sewed them up in his clothes. He was let down into the ditches : when he was at the bottom, he climbed up the opposite side, and took his road through the army ; for he could not avoid passing through it. He was met by the first guard, but was not stopped, for he under stood the Gascon language well, and named one of the lords of the army, as if belonging to him ; so he was~ suffered to pass on : but he was afterwards arrested, and detained under the tents of some other lords, who brought him to the main watch. He was interrogated. * A to^vn in Perigord. t Barnes makes liiin Six Alexander Hussey. 68 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. searched, and the letters found upon him, and guarded until morning, when the principnls of the army assembled in the tent of the count de Lisle, where the letters were read. They were rejoiced to find fiiat the garrison was so much straitened tliat they could not hold out' lono-er ; and, seizing tlie servant, they hung the letters round his neck thrust him into one of the machines, and flung him into Auberoehe. The valet fell quite dead amid the other valets of the castle, who were much terrified at it. About this time, the earl of Perigord, his uncle sir Charles de Poi- tters, the earl of Carmain, and the lord of Duras, mounting their horses, rode as near to the walla of the castle as they could, and calling out totliose within by way of derision, said, " Gentlcinen, inquire of your messenger where he found the earl of Derby, and whether he is prepared to assist you, since your man was so eager to quit your foMress, and has returned as quickly." Sir Frank van Halle replied, "By my faith, gentlemen, if we be so closely confined in this place, we will sally forth whenever it shall please God and the earl of Derby. I wish to Heaven he were acquainted with our situation ; for if he were, the proudest of you all would be afraid of standing your ground ; and, if you will send any one to give him this information, one of us will surrender himself to you, to he ransomed as becomes a gentle. man." The French answered, " Nay, nay, matters must not turn put so: the earl of Derby, in proper time, shall be made acquainted with it ; but not until our engines have battered your walls level with the ground, and you shall have surrendered yourselves to save your lives." " That, for certain, will never happen," said sir Frank van Halle , for we will not surrender ourselves, should we all die upon the walls." The French lords then rode on, and returned to their army. The three English knights remained in Auberoehe, quite confounded by the force of these engines, which flung such quantities of stones, that in truth it seemed as if the thunder from Iieavcn were_battering the walls of the castle. The Trebuchet, a machine for casting stones, ensraved in Grose's Military Antiquities. From an ivory curving of tlie period. CHAPTER CVII. THE EAKL OF DERBY MAKES THE COUNT OF LISI,E AND NINE MORE COUNTS AND VISCOUNTS PKISONEKS, BEFORE AUBEROCHE. All these speeches, the treatment of the messenger, the contents of the letters, and the perilous situation of Auberoehe, were known to the carl of Derby, by means of a spy he had in the French army. The earl therefore sent orders to the earl of Pembroke in Bergerac, to meet him at an appointed place and hour ; and also to the lord Staflord and sir Stephen Tombcy, who were at Libourne. The earl of Derby then, accompanied by sir Walter Manny and the forces he had with him, took the load toward Auberoehe as seci-etlyas possible; for he had guides who were acquainted with all the bv-roads. They came to Libourne, where they stiid a whole day for tlie earl of Pembroke ; but hearing no tidings of him, and being impatient to succor their friends .v'ao were so distressed, the earl of Derby, the earl of Oxford, sir Waller Jlanny, sir Richard Hastings, sir Stephen Tomboy, the lord t errers, and other knights, set out from Libourne : riding all night, tliey came on the morrow within two leagues of Auberoehe. They entered a wood, when, alighting from their horses, they tied them to the trees, and allowed them to pasture, in expectation of the arrival of the earl of Pembroke ; they waited all that morning, and until noon, in vain, not knowing what to do ; for they were but three hundred lances and six hundred archers, and the French were from ten to twelve thousand men. They thought it wotdd be cowardice to suffer their friends to be lost, when they were so near them. At last sir Walter Manny said, " Gentlemen, let us who are now here mount our horses, skirt this wood, and advance until we come to their camp ; when we shall be close to it, we will stick spurs into our horses, and, with loud shouts, fall upon them. It will be about their hour for supper ; and we shall see them so much discomfited, that they can never rally again." The knights present replied, that they would all do as he had proposed. Each went to his horse, re.girthed him, and tightened liis armor : they ordered their pages, servants and baggage, „to remain where they were. , They advanced in silence by the side of the wood until they came to the other end, where the French army was encamped in a wide valley, near a small river : they then displayed their banners and pennons, and sticking spurs into their horses, dashed into the midst of the French and Gascon forces, who were quite confounded and unprepared for this attack, as they were busy about their suppers, many having set down to table. The English were well prepared to act, and crying " Derby, Derby forever!" they cut down tents and pavilions, and slew and wounded all that came in their way. The French did not know where to turn, so much were they surprised ; and when they got into the plains, if there were any large body of them, the archers and eross.bowmen made such good use of their weapons, that they were slain or dispersed. The count de Lisle was taken, in his tent, badly wounded ; the earl of Perigord in his pavilion, and also sir Charles, his uncle ; the lord of Duras was killed, and so was sir Aymery de Poitiers ; but his brother, the earl of Valentinois, was made prisoner. Every one took to his heels as fast as he could ; hut the earl of Comminges, the earls of Carmain, Ville. mur, and Bruniguel, the lords de la Barde and de la Taride, with others, who were quartered on the op. posite side of the castle, displayed their banners, and having drawn up their men, marched for the plain : the English, however, who had already defeated the ^ largest body of the army, fell upon them most vigor- '^^ ously. In this engagement, many gallant deeds of arms were performed, many captures made, and many rescues. As soon as sir Frank van Halle and sir John Lendal, who were in Auberoehe, heard the noise, and perceived the banners and pen;ions of their friends, they hastened to arm themselves, and all those that were with them ; when, mounting their horses, they sallied out of the fortress, made for the plain, and dashed into the thickest of the combat, to the great encouragement of the English. ' Why should I make a long story of it ? All those who were of tlie count de Lisle's party were discom- fited, and almost all taken prisoners, or slain. Scarcely any would have escaped, if night had not closed so soon. Nine carls and viscounts were made prisoners, and so many barons, knights and squires, that there was not a man-at-arms among the English that had not for his share two or three. This battle before Auberoehe was fought on the eve of St. Laurence's day, in the year 1314. The English treated their prisoners like friends : they received many upon their promises to surrender themselves by a certain day at Bordeaux, or Bergerac. The English retired into Auberoehe ; and the earl of Derby entertained at sup. per the greater part of the prisoners, earls, viscounts, barons, and knights. They gave thanks and praises to God, for having enabled them to overcome upward of ten thousand men, when they themselves were not • mDi-e than one thousand, including every one, and to rescue the town of Auberoehe, in which were their . friends, that must have been captured in two days' time. On the next morning, a little after sunrise, the earl of Pembroke arrived with three hundred lances and four thousand archers ; he had been in. formed of the event of the battle as they came along, and said to the earl of Derby, " Certainly, cousin, you have neither been courteous, nor behaved honorablv, to fight my enemies without waiting for me, seeing that you had sent for me ; and you might have been assured, that nothing should have prevented my coming to you." The earl replied, " Fair cousin, we were very anxious for your arrival, and we waited for you from the morning until vespers : when we saw no appearance of your coming, we dared not wait longer ; for had our enemies been informed of our arrival, they would have had the ad. vantage over us ; but now, thanks to God, we have conquered them, and w'e pray of you to help us in. conducting them to Bordeaux." They remained that day and night in Auberoehe :_on the next day early, they were armed and mounted, and set oft", leaving there a Gascon knight in their interest, as governor, named the lord Alex- ander of Chaumont. They took the road to Bordeaux, and carried with them the greater part of their prisoners. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN &c. 69 CHAPTER CVIII. THE EARL OF DEKBY TAKES DIFFERENT TOWNS IN GASCONY, IN HIS ROAD TOWARD LA REOLE. The earl of Derby and his army, upon their arrival at Bordeaux, were received with very great rejoicings : the inhabitants thought tliey never could enough testify their joy to the earl, and to sir Walter Manny, for their enterprise ; in whicli the count de Lisle and more than two hundred knights were made prisoners. The winter passed 'over, without any action taking place in Gascony that is worthy of being recorded. Easter, which may be reckoned the beginning of the year 1345, was about the middle of May, and the earl of Derby, who had tarried all the winter in Bordeaux, collected a very large body of men-at-arms and archers, and declared he would make an expe- dition to la Rcole, where the French had fixed their head-quarters. He went the first day from Bordeaux to Bergerac, where he found the earl of Pembroke ready with his troops. These two noblemen, with their forces, remained for three days in Bergerac, and on the fourtli departed. When they were got into the open country they halted their men, counted them, and found that they had about a thousand men-at-anns, and two thousand archers. They pushed forward, until they came to a castle called St. Basile, to whicli they laid siege. Those within, considering that the principal barons of Gascony were pris- oners, and that they had no expectations of receiving succors from any place, resolved to swear fealty to king Edward of England. The earl of Derby continued his route, and took the road toward Aiguil- lon* ; but, before he arrived there, he came to the castle of Roche, milon, which was well provided with soldiers and artillery ; never- theless, the earl ordered it to be vigorously assaulted. As the English advanced to the attack, those within threw down upon them stones, bars of iron, and pots full of hot lime ; by which many were slain and wounded who adventured themselves too rashly. I Wjien tlie earl of Derby perceived that his men were laboring in vain, and getting themselves killed without any advantage, he sounded a retreat : on the morrow, he ordered the peasants to bring great quantities of brushwood, faggots, straw, and turf, and to throw them all into the ditches of the castle, and plenty of earth with them. When a part of the ditch was so filled that one might get to the foot of the walls, he assembled three hundred archers, well armed, and in battle array, and sent before them two hundred countrymen covered vith shields, t having large pick-axes and hooks : while these first were employed in picking the walls, the archers made such good use of their bows, that no one dared to show himself on the battlements. This lasted the greatest part of tlie day, when the pick. axe men made so large a breach in the walls, that ten men might enter abreast. The inhabitants of the town and castle were quite confounded ; some fled toward the church, and others by a back way out of the town. The fortress was immediately taken and pillaged ; and all the garri- son were put to death, excepting such as had taken refuge in the church, whom the earl of Derby pardoned, for they had submitted to his mercy. The earl placed in the castle a fresh garrison, under the command of two English captains, Richard Willes and Robert Scot ; and then he came before Monsegur,t where he ordered his men to prepare huts for themselves and horses : he continued before it fifteen days. The governor of the town was sir Hugh de Bastefol, and there never passed a day without some assault being made upon it. They sent for large machines from Bordeaux and Bergerac ; and the stones which they cast into the town destroyed roofs, tiles, and the princi- pal buildings. The earl of Derby sent every day to let them know, that if they sufliered the town to be stormed, every one would be put to the sword : but, if they M'ould render obedience to the king of England, he would pardon them, and treat them like friends. The townsmen would cheerfully have surrendered ; and they went to the governor to consult him, and to sound his intentions, who answered tliem by ordering them to the battlements, for that he had provision of every sort in sulliciency to hold out for half a year, if it were ne- cessary. They left him in apparent good-humor ; but about the time of vespers they seized him, and closely confined him ; assuring him at the same time, he should never be set at liberty, if he did not as- sist them to make some terms with the earl of Derby. When he had sworn that he would do everything in his power, they let him go ; ne went directly to the barriers of the town, and made signs that he wished to speak with the earl of Derby. Sir Walter Manny being present came to the governor, who said to him, " Sir Walter Manny, you ought not to be surprised if we shut our gates against you, for we have sworn fealty to the king of France : but not perceiving any one comi'iig from him to stop your career, and believing that you will still proceed further — for these reasons, in behalf of myself and the inhabitants of this town, we wish you would allow us these terms, namely, that no hostilities be carried on against us for the space of one month ; and if in that time the king of France, or the duke of Normandy, come into this country in such force as to give you battle, we then shall hold ourselves free from our engagement ; but il neither of them come, we will then enter under the obedience of the king of England." * A town of Gtriennc. situated at the confluence of tlie Lot and Garonne, t Prfvisses, says Lord Berners, that is large shields or coverings of planks, which being Bupported by some of the party, sheltered the others while at their work.— Ed. X A town of Bazadois, election of Condom, near to la Reole. Sir Walter Manny went to relate this proposal to the earl of Derby, who acceded to it, upon condition that there should not in the mean time be any repairs made to the Ibrtifications of the town, and that, if any of the English army should want provisions, they might be at liberty to purchase them. Upon this there were sent twelve of the principal citizens as hostages, who were ordered to Bordeaux. The English refreshed themselves with provisions from the town, but none were suffered to enter it. They then continued their march, bm-ning and destroying all the country as far as Aiguillon ; the gov. ernor of which place came out to meet the earl, and surrendered the town and castle to him, on condition of their lives and fortunes being spared, to the great astonishment of all the country, for it was one of the strongest castles in the world, and almost impregnable. When the squire, who had thus surrendered Aiguillon, came to Toulouse, which is seventeen leagues distant, the townsmen arrested him on suspicion of treason, and hung him. This castle is situated on the point between two navigable rivers. The earl ordered it to be re. victualled, and the fortifications repaired, in order to its being fit to receive him on his return, and that it might serve for a secure guard to his other possessions. He gave the command ofit to sir Johnde Gombry.* He then came to a castle called Segart, which he took, by storm, and put all the foreign soldiers he found in it to death ; from thence he came to the town of La Rfeole. CHAPTER CIX. THE EARL OF DERBY LAVS SIESE TO LA REOLE, W^HICH StTRRENDERS TO HIM. When the earl of Derby was arrived at la Reole, he encompassed it closely all round, erecting towers in the plains, and near to every road, that no provision of any kind could enter it. He caused it to be assaulted almost every day. This siege took up much oi the sum- mer ; and, when the time had expired which those of Monsegur had fixed for surrendering themselves, the earl of Derby sent thither, and the inhabitants of the town became liege men to the earl, who in all these cases, was the representative of the king of England. Even sir Hugh de Bastefol served under the earl with the men of Mouse, gur, for a certain salary, which he received from the said earl, for himself and his fellow-soldiers. The English, who were besieging la R^ole had lain before it more than nine weeks, and had con. structed two large towers of great beams of wood, three stories high : each tower was placed on wheels, and covered over with prepared leather, to shelter those within from fire and from the arrows : in each stoiy were one hundred archers. These two towers, by dint of men's force, were pushed close to the walls of the town ; for, du- ring the time they were building, they had filled up the ditches, so that these towers could easily pass over them. Those that were in them began immediately to shoot so well and quick, that none dared to appear upon the battlements unless he were well armed, or had a shield. Between these two towers were posted two hundred men with pick-axes and bars, to make a breach in the walls ; which they did, and cast away the stones. The inhabitants seeing this, came upon the walls, and inquired for some of the chiefs of the. army, to speak to them. The earl of Derby, being informed of it, sent thither sir Walter Manny and the lord Stafford, who found the townsmen willing to surrender the town, on condition of their lives and fortunes being spared. When the governor, sir Agos de Bans, a Provencal, found that the inhabitants wanted to surrender the town, he retired into the castle of la Rfeole, with his fellow-soldiers ; and, while this treaty was go- ing on, he had conveyed into it great quantities of wine and other provision. He then ordered the gates to be fastened, and said, he would never surrender in so shameful a manner. The two knights returned to the earl of Derby, and related to him that the townsmen were desirous of surrendering upon the terras above named : the earl sent them back, to know what the governor's intentions were re- specting the castle. They returned with the answer, that he had sinit himself up in the castle, and would not yield it. After a little consideration, the earl said, " Well, well, let us have compassion on the inhabitants : by means of tlie town, we shall soon gain the cas- tle." The knights again went to the townsmen, and received their submissions. They all came out to the plain, and presenting the keys of the town to the earl, said, " Dear sir, from this day forward, we acknowledge ourselves as your loyal subjects, and place ourselves, in every respect, under the obedience of the king of England." They swore by their heads, that they would not in any manner, assist or succor those in the castle, hut on the contrary, distress them all in their power. The earl forbade under pain of death, that any hurt should be done toward the inhabitants of la Risole. He then entered it with his army, and surrounding the eastle, erected all his machines against it ; but they did little mischief, for the castle was very high and built of a hard stone. It was erected a long time since by the Saracens, who laid the foundations .so strong, and with such curious workmanship, that the buildings of our time cannot be compared to * Barnes says, to the lord John Moubrny ; but 1 do not see upon wbat grounds. I should rather imagine it was John vith von Artaveld, who kept continually reminding him of their quarrel, and exhorting them to disinherit earl Lewis, their natural lord, and his youngest son Lewis, in favor of the son of the king of England : but they declared they never would consent to such a thing. At the last conference, which was held in the harbor of Sluys, on board the king's ship, the CaUierine (which was of such an enormous size that wonders might be told of it,) they made this unanimous reply: "Dear sir, the request you have made has given us much uneasiness, and may in times to come be prejudicial to Flanders and our successors. True it is, that there is not in the world any prince whom we love so much, or for whose profit and advantage we would exert ourselves so greatly as for you : but we alone cannot agree to this proposition, unless all the commonalties of Flanders give their consent. Therefore each of us will return to our different towns, and will explain in a general way this business to the inhabitants: when, if the greater part of them shall consent, we also will agree to it : we will return to you again witliin a month, and bring such answers as we hope will be satisfactory." Neither tlie king of England nor Jacob von Artaveld could at that time ob. ■ tain more or any other answer. They wished to have had a shorter day appointed, but in vain : so the king answered, he was satisfied that it should be as they determined. The conference broke up, and each returned to the town from whence he had been deputed. '^ Summoned to piirliameiit tlie IGtIi anil 34tli Edw.Trd III.— See Dugdale. tSir Godfrey de llarcovirt's dis^'iace was caused by a quai-rel he had with the mariS chal de Briquebec, on account of a marriage beins broken. They fought. The king ordered the artltir to be discussed in lii> itarUainent: but Harcourt, instead of appearing, besieged a castle belonging to tlie bishop of Bayeux, brother to the marshal, entered into negotiations with the enemies of his country, and by his hatred to his king gained the favor of Edward, Grands Chroaiques de St, Denis, a beautiful copy on vellum in the Hafod Library. They had formed a part of the celebrated library of Diane de Poitiers, at Anet. IGodfrey de Harcourt did homage to, king Edward, as king of France, the 13th June. 1345 ; when Edward engaged, if he conlol not recover for him his estates in Normandy. to give him their eijuivuleat in England.— Ry,mer. Jacob von Artaveld remained some little time longer with the king of England, in order to be made acquainted with all his affairs : he, in return, promised and assured him that he would bring his country, men over to his opinion ; but he deceived himself, and did wrong in staying behind, and not being at Ghent at the time when the citizens who had been deputed by the corporations of the town arrived there : for as soon as they were returned, taking advantage of the absence of von Artaveld, they collected a large meeting of high and low in the market-place, and there explained to them the subject of the late conferences at Sluys, and what the king of England had required of them, through the advice and information of Jacob von Artaveld. The whole assembly began to murmur against him ; and this request was received unfavorably by all. They said, " that if it pleased God, they never would be pointed out, or found so disloyal, as to disinherit their natural lord, in favor of a stranger." They then left the mar- ket-place much discontented, and angry with Artaveld. Now, see how unfortunately it fell out ; for if he had gone to Ghent, instead of Bruges and Ypres, and had remonstrated with them upon the quarrel of the king of England, they woidd all have consented to his wishes, as those of the two above-mentioned towns had done : but he trusted so much to his prosperity and greatness, that he thought he could recover everything back in a little time. When on his return he came to Ghent about midday, the towns- men, who were informed of the hour he was expected, had assembled in the street that he was to pass through ; as soon as they saw him, they began to murmur, and put their heads close together, saying, " Ilere comes one who is too much the master, and wants to order in Flanders according to his will and pleasure, which must not be Ion. ger borne." With this they had also spread a rumor through the town, that Jacob von Artaveld had collected all the revenues of Flanders, for nine years and more ; that he had usurped the government with, out rendering an account, for he did not allow any of the rents to pass to the earl of Flanders, but kept them securely to maintain his own state, and had, during the time above-mentioned, received all fines and forfeitures : of this great treasure he had sent part into Eng. land. This information inflamed those of Ghent with rage ; and, aa he was riding up the streets, he perceived that there was something in agitation against him ; for those who were wont to salute him very respectfully, now turned their backs, and went into their houses. He began therefore to suspect all was not as usual ; and as soon as he had dismounted, and entered his h6tel, he ordered the doors and win- dows to be shut and fastened. 'yj Scarcely had his servants done this, when the street which he in. habited was filled from one end to the other with all sorts of people, but especially by the lowest of mechanics. His mansion was sur. rounded on every side, attacked and broken into by force. Those within did "all they could to defend it, and killed and wounded many : but at last they could not hold out against such vigorous attacks, for three parts of the town were there. When Jacob von Artaveld saw what efforts were making, and how hardly he was pushed, he came to a window, and, with his head uncovered, began to use humble and fine language, saying, " My good people, what aileth you ? Why are you so enraged against me ? by what means can I have incurred your displeasure ? Tell ine, I will conform myself entirely to your wills." Those who had heard him made answer, as with one voice, " We want to have an account of the great treasures you have made away with, without any title or reason." Artaveld replied in a soft tone, " Gentlemen, be assured that I have never taken anything from the treasures of Flanders ; and if you will return quietly to your homes, and come here to-morrow morning, I will be provided to give sogood an account of them, that you must reasonably be satisfied." But they cried out, " No, no, we must have it directly, you shall not thus es- cape from us ; for we know that you have emptied the treasury, and sent it into England, without our knowledge : you therefore shall sufil;r death." When he heard this, he clasped his hands together, began to weep bitteriy, and said, "Gentlemen, such as I am, you yourselves have made me : you formerly swore you would protect me against all the world ; and now, without any reason, you want to murder me. You are certainly masters to do it if you please ; for I am but one man against you all. Think better of it, for the love of God : recollect former times, and consider how many favors and kind, nesses I have conferred upon you. You wish to give me a sorry recompense for all the generous deeds you have experienced at my hands. You arc not ignorant, that, when commerce was dead in this country, it was I who restored it. I afterwards governed you in so peaceable a manner, that under my administration you had all things according to your wishes ; corn, oats, riches, and all sorts of mer. chandisc which have made you so wealthy." They began to bawl out, " Come down, and do not preach to us from such a height ; for we will have an account and statement of the great treasures of Flan- ders, which you have governed too long without rendering any ac count ; and it is not proper for an officer to receive the rents of a lord, or of a country, without accounting for them." When Jacob von Artaveld saw that he could not appease or calm them, he shut the window, and intended getting out of his house the back way, to take shelter in a church adjoining ; but his h6tel was already broke into on that side, and upward of four hundred were there calling out to him. At last he was seized by them, and slain without mercy : his death-stroke was given him by a saddler, called Thomas Denys. In CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 73 this manner did Jacob von Avtaveld end his days, who in his time had been complete master of Flanders. Poor men first raised liini and wicked men slew him. News of this event was soon spread abroad ; some pitied him, while others rejoiced at it. The carl Lewis had remained all this time at Dendremonde, and «'ith much pleasure heard of Jacob von Artaveld's death, as he had very much opposed him in all his undertakings: nevertheless, he durst not yet place con- fidence in those of Flanders, nor return to Ghent. When the king of England, who was waiting at Sluys for the re- turn of the deputies, was informed in what manner the inhabitants of Ghent had slain his faithful friend and companion Artaveld, he was in a mighty passion, and sore displeased. He immediately departed, put to sea, and vowed vengeance against the Flemings and all Flan, ders, declaring that his death should be dearly paid for by them. The councils of the principal towns guessed that the king of England would not be much enraged against them ; they therefore considered that their best method to soften his anger, would be to go and excuse themselves from the murder of Jacob von Artaveld, especially those of Bruges, Ypres, Courtray, Oudenarde, and the franc of Bruges. They sent to the king and his council for a safe conduct, that they might come over to make their excuses ; and the king, whose anger was somewhat cooled, granted it to them. The principal persons of all the chief towns in Flanders, e-xcept those of Ghent, came into England about Michaelmas. The king was at that time in Westminster, near London. They made very fair e.xcuses, and swore most solemnly that " they were guiltless of the murder of von Artaveld, which, had they suspected, they would have guarded and defended him: that they were exceedingly vexed at his loss, and regretted it most sincerely ; for they knew how kind he had been to them, how useful he was in all their affairs, and that he had reigned and governed Flanders most wisely : that since those of Ghent had slain liim, they should make ample amends for it." They also explained to the king and his council, '' that though Jacob von Artaveld was dead, he was not the lees beloved, or less in the good graces of the Flemings, save and except in the investiture of Flanders, which he wished to be taken from the earl, their natural lord, however he may be attached to the French interest, and from his son, their lawful lieir, to give it to the prince of Wales ; for the Flemings would not, on any account, listen to it. But, dear sir, you have a fitie family of sons and daughters ; the prince of Wales, your eldest son, cannot fail being a great prince, with an ample inherit- ance, without desiring that of Flanders : and you have also a young daughter ; w-e have too a young lord, whom we are bringing up and taking care of, that will be lord of Flanders : it perhaps may be, that a marriage could be brought about between them, so that the country of Flanders will in the end be possessed by one of your children." These speeches softened very much the anger and ill-will of the king of England ; and, in the end, both he and the Flemings were equally satisfied with each other. Thus, by degrees, was the death of Jacob von Artaveld forgotten. CHAPTER CXVL WILLIAM EiRL OF HAISfAULT IS SLAIK IN FRIEZLAND, AND MANY NOBLEMEN WITH IIIM. At this time and season, William earl of Hainault was laying siege to the town of Utrecht, and had been there for a long time, in order to recover some rights which he claimed as belonging to him. He pressed the siege so closely by his vigorous assaults, that he brought it back to its duty, and obtained everything he wished for. Soon afterwards, in the same year, about the feast of St. Remy (1st of October,) the earl collected a large body of men-at-arms, knights and squires, from Hainault, Flanders, Brabant, Holland, Gueldres, and Juliers; and, embarking them on board a considerable fieet at Dordrecht, made sail for Friezland ; for the earl considered himself as lord thereof. If the Friezlanders had been people to listen to the legality and reasonableness of the claim, the earl was entitled to it ; hut, as they were obstinate, he exerted himself to obtain it by force, and was slain, as well as a great many other knights and squires. God have mercy on their souls '. i Sir John of Hainault did not accompany his nephew, but went to another part. On hearing of his nephew's death, he wanted to com- bat the Friezlanders like one out of his senses ; when his servants found the state he was in, they took him and carried him on board a vessel, whether he would or no. Sir Robert de Glewes, who was his body squire, was most active in saving him. They returned in small numbers, and in disorder, to Gertruydenberg in Holland, where the lady Jane his niece, the wife of the above-mentioned carl, was wait, ingfor him. She was the eldest daughter of the duke of Brabant, and from that moment withdrew to the territory of Binch,* which was her dower. The county of Hainault remained vacant some time, and was governed by sir John of Hainault, until the lady Margaret, mother to earl Albert, came thither, and took possession of the heri- tage ; to whom all the lords did homage and fealty. This lady Mar- garet, counters of Hainault, was married to the lord Lewis of Bavaria, emperor of Rome and king of Germany. ' Biocli, near Mons, in Hainault. CHAPTER CXVII. SIR JOHN OF HAINAULT QUITS THE ALLIANCE OF ENGLAND FOR THAT OP FRANCE. Soon after this, king Philip of France endeavored by a treaty, through the means of the earl of Blois, to persuade sir John of Hainault to take part with France. He promised to allow him the same subsidy which he received from England, and would assign it upon whatever lands his council might think best. But sir John waa not willing to comply; for he had spent the flower of his youth in fighting for England, and king Edward had always much loved and esteemed him. When the carl of Blois, who had married his daugh. ter, and had three sons by her, Lewis, John and Guy, found that ho could not succeed in this business himself, he endeavored, by means of the lord of Faguinelles, who was the chief friend and adviser of sir John, to gain his point. In order to make him alter his opinion of the English, they made him believe that they would not jiay him his subsidy fur a considerable time. This put sir John so much out of humor, that he renounced all treaties and agreements which he had entered into with England. The king of France was no sooner informed of it, than he sent to him persons sufficiently authorized, who retained him, as well as his council, for France, at a certain salary ; and he recompensed him in his kingdom with a greater revenue than he derived from England. CHAPTER CXVIII. THE DUKE OF NORMANDY MARCHES WITH A GREAT ARMY INTO GAS- CONY AGAINST THE EARL OF DERBY. The king of France having received information of the expeditions and conquests that the earl of Derby had made in Gascony, issued a special summons for all nobles, and others, that were capable of bearing arms, to assemble in the cities of Orleans and Bourges, and in that neighborhood, by a certain day. In obedience to this sum- mons, there came to Paris, Eudes duke of Burgundy, and his son the earl of Artois and Boulogne ; they presented themselves before the king with a thousand lances. Next came the duke of Bourbon, the earl of Ponthicu his brother ; then the earl of Eu and of Guignes, constable of France, each attended by a numerous body of men-at- arms. The earl of Tancarville, the dauphine of Auvergne, the earls of Forfils, Dammartine, Vendbme; the lords of Coucy, of Craon, of Sully, of Fresnes, of Beanjcu, of Roye, the bishop of Beauvais, the lord John of Chdlons, and many others, assembled at Orleans : and those from the west side of the Loire ; those from the eastern side and beyond Poitou, Saintonge, la Rochelle, Quercy, Limousin, Au- vergne, assembled in the neighborhood of Toulouse. These all advanced toward Rouergue, where they found great multitudes col- lected in the city of Rhodez, and on the borders of Auvergne and Provence. At last these lords were all assembled, with their men, in and near Toulouse, for they were too great in numbers to be lodged in the city : they amounted, in the whole, to upward of a hundred thousand persons. This was the year of grace 1345. Soon after the feast of Christmas, the duke of Normandy, who was the com- mander-in-ehief of this army, set out to join it, and ordered his mar- shals, the lord of Montmorency and the lord of St. Venant, to advance with the van. They came first to the castle of Miraumont, which the English had conquered in the summer, and most vigorously as. saulted it. There were within about a hundred Englishmen for its defence, under the command of John Briscoe. With the French were the lord Lewis of Spain, and a number of Genoese cross-bowmen, that spared none ; those within could not defend themselves against so superior a force, but were taken and the greater part of them slain, even their captain. The marshals, having recruited their battalion with fresh inen, advanced further, and came before Villefranche, in the county of Agenois. The army halted there, and surrounded it on all sides. Sir Thomas Cook, the governor, was not there, but at Bordeaux, whither the earl of Derby had sent for him. However, those within made a vigorous defence ; but, in the end they were taten by storm, and the greater part of the garrison put to the sword. The army then marched toward the city of Angouleme, leaving the town and castle of Villefranche stand- ing undemolished, and without any guard. The city of Angou- leme was closely besieged, and the governor of it for the king of England was sir John Norwich. The earl of Derby, who was at Bordeaux, heard of the arrival of this great army from France, and that they had already recaptured Miraumont, and Villefranche, which they had iilundcred and burnt, except the citadel. Having sent for four of his knights, in whom he placed much confidence, he ordered them to take sixty men-at-arms and three hundred archers, and set out for Villefranche to gain pos- session of the castle, which was empty, and put it, as well as the gates of the town, into good repair ; if the French should come to attack them, to make a good defence, for he should hasten to their assistance, let it cost what it would. These 'knights did according to their orders, and their names were sir Stephen Tombey,sir Richard Heydon, sir Ralph Hastings, and sir Normaut de Finelroide. The earl then requested the car! of Pembroke, sir Walter Manny, sir Frank van Halle, sir Thomas Cook, sir John Touchet, sir Richard 74 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. de Beauvais,* sir Philip Radclifi", sir Robert Neville, sir Thomas Bis. set, and many other knights and squires, that they would immediately Bet off to defend Aiguillon, for he should be very much displeased if he lost that town. They departed, in number about forty knights and squires, and three hundred men-at-arms and archers. They got into the castle of Aiguillon, where they found about six score brotlier soldiers, whom the earl of Derby had left there. They laid in a suffi- cient stock of meal, and all other sorts of provision. As the four first-mentioned knights were on their road to Villefranche, they col- lected a quantity of cattle, sheep, corn, and all other provision, which they drove before them to Villefranche. They entered the castle, and repaired its walls, as well as those of the town, and were upward of fifteen hundred fighting men, well supplied with provision for si.\ months. The duke of Normandy was a long time before Angoul^me ; and, when he found that he made no impression by his assaults, so well was it defended, but lost many of his people every day, he ordered them to cease from their attacks, and to take up their quarters nearer the city. One day during this siege, the seneschal of Bcaucairc came to the duke, and said, " Sir, I am very well acquainted with all this country ; and, if you will let me have six hundred men-at. arms, I will make an excursion, in search of cattle and provision ; for very shortly, if we remain here, we shall be in need of both." This was very agreeable to the duke and his council ; and on the morrcfw morning, the seneschal took those knights and squires who were desirous of advancement. Among those who placed them- selves under his command were the duke of Bourbon, his brother the earl of Ponthieu, the earls of Tancarville, Forets, the dauphine of Auvergne, the lords of Pons, of Partenay, of Coucy, of Daubigny, of Aussemont, of Beaujeau, sir Guiscard d'Angle, the lord of Saiiitre, and many others, to the amount of nine hundred lances. Toward tlie evening they mounted their horses, and riding all night, came about the dawn before a large town called Athenis,t which had but lately surrendered to the English. A spy came to the seneschal, and informed hiin that in the town there were six score men-at-arms, Gascons and English, and three hundred archers, who would defend themselves well, if they were attacked : " but," added the spy, " I have ohsci-ved that their cattle are without the town ; and in a meadow underneath it are two hundred large beasts feeding." The Beneschal then addressed himself to his companions, and said, "Gen. tiemen, I think it most advisable that you should remain in this val- ley: I will go, with sixty men, to collect the booty, which I will drive this way ; and I am mistaken, if the English do not sally out, thinking to rescue them, which will throw them into your power." This was executed ; and the seneschal, accompanied by sixty com- panions well mounted, rode through by-roads round the town, until he came to the fine meads, where the cattle were pasturing. He then separated his companions, for them to collect the beasts to- gether, and drive them under the walls of the town by a difierent road. The watch on the walls and on the castle, seeing this, began to make a great noise, and to sound the alarm to awaken their fellow- Boldiers and the townsmen ; for, as it was very early, many were .asleep: they immediately began to stir, and, saddling their horses, assembled in the market-place. They came there as well armed as they could, and left none in the town but servants. The English ■were very eager in the pursuit, to recover their cattle, crying out to the French, "You must not think to get off so." The seneschal hastened the more, so that the English fell into the ambuscade, which attacked them ; and, through the disorder they were in by their too great eagerness, in the space of an hour they were all over, come. Their captain, sir Stephen Lacy, was made prisoner, as well as those who, through a point of honor, were around him : the rest were slain. The French then made for the town, which they en. tered by storm ; for there were none to defend it. The first battal- ion which entered was that of the duke of Bourbon. These lords took possession of it ; and, having placed a new garrison and gov- ernor, they set out with all their booty and prisoners, and returned the next day to the army before Angoulfime. Notwithstanding there were many greater lords in this expedition than the seneschal of Beaucaire, he had all the honor and glory of it. CHAPTER'CXIX. SIR JOHN NOKWICn ESCAPES FROM ANGOULEME, WHEN THAT TOWN SURKENDEKS TO THE FRENCH. The lords of France remained for a very considerable time before Angouleme. The French overran all the country which had been conquered by the English : they created much trouble, and, when, ever they found a fit opportunity, brought to their camp many pris- oners and much pillage : the two brothers of Bourbon acquired great praise from all, as they were the foremost in every excursion. When sir John Norwich, the governor of Angouleme, found that the duke of Normandy would not break up the siege until he had gained the * Bayeux.— Barnes. t Mr. Bames makes it .^ticenis ; but that is too far off; and he quotes Du Clicsne. pace 663. In my opinion, it must be Si. Jmn d'Mtigdt/, as that is m Saintonge, and not too Tar distant for this excursion. 1 city ; that his provisions were growing short, and that the earl of Derby showed no signs of coming to his relief: having also per- ceived that the inhabitants were much inclined to the French, and would have turned to them before, if they had dared : he began to be suspicious of treason, and bethought how he could best save him- self and his companions. On the eve of the Purification, he came on the battlements of the walls of the city alone, without having- mentioned to any one his intentions, and made signs with his cap that he wanted to speak with some one from the army. Tliose who had noticed the signal came to know what he wanted : he said, " he wished to speak with my lord the duke of Normandy, or with one of his marshals." They went to inform the duke of this, who came there, attended by some of his knights. As soon as sir John saw the duke, he pulled oil" his cap, and saluted him. The duke returned the salute, and said, " Sir John, how fares it with you ? Are you inclined to surrender yourself?" " I have no intentions to do that," replied sir John ; " but I could wish to entreat of you, in reverence to the feast of our Lady, which is to-morrow, that you would grant us a truce for that day only, that neither of us may hurt the other, but remain in peace." The duke said, "Jie was willing to consent to it." Early the next morning, which was Candlemas day, sir John and his companions armed themselves, and packed up all they had. They then ordered one of the gates to be opened, and issued forth ; which being perceived hy the army, some part of it began to put itself in motion : sir John, upon this, rode up to them, apd said, " Gentlemen, gentlemen, beware that you do no harm to us ; for we have had a truce agreed on for this whole day, as you must know, by the duke of Nonnandy ; and we shall not touch you. If you have not been informed of it, go and inquire ; for we can, upon the faith of this truce, ride and go wherever we please." This information was brought to the duke, and he was asked what was to be done, who replied, "Let them go, in God's name, whatever way they chcose ; for we cannot force them to stay. I will keep the promise I made them." Thus sir John Norwich passed through the whole French army unhurt, and took the road to Aiguillon. When those who were in garrison there heard in what manner he had escaped and saved his men, they said he had acted very cunningly. The inhabitants of Angouleme held a council on Candlemas day, and determined to surrender themselves to the duke : they sent persons properly authorized to treat, who managed so well, that the duke showed them mercy, and pardoned them. He entered the city and castle, where he received their homage, and appointed sir Anthony de Villiers governor, with a hundred soldiers to defend it. The duke afterwards decamped, and came before the castle of Damazan,* which he laid siege to for fourteen daj's. There were continued assaults ; but at last it was taken, and all within it, Gascons and English, put to the sword. The duke gave this castle and its depend- encies to a squire, from Bcausse, named the Borgne de.Nully. He then came before Tonniens,t which is situated on the Garonne, and which he found well provided with Gascons and English. There were many attacks and skirmishes ; and he remained some lime be- fore it. However, at last they surrendered, tipon condition of pre- serviTig their lives and fortunes, and to be conducted in safety to Bordeaux. When these foreigners had left it, the town entered un- der obedience to the duke, who staid here with his whole army, and on the banks of the Garonne, until after Easter, when he advanced toward Port St. Marie upon the same river. There were about two hundred English to defend the town and this passage, who had strongly fortified it ; but they, and all within, were taken by assault. The French, after they had repaired and reinforced it with men-at- arms, set out and took the road toward Aiguillon. CHAPTER CXX. THE DUKE OF NORMAHDY LAYS SIEGE TO AIGUILLON WITH A HtJNDRED THOUSAND MEN. The noblemen of France, under the command of the duke of Normandy, pushed on until they came before the castle of Aiguillon, when they encamped and divided their forces in the extensive and handsome meadows on the banks of the river Garonne, which is navigable for great vessels. Each lord was posted with his own people, and every company by itself, according to the orders of the marshals of the army. This siege continued until the beginning of October ; and there were upward of one hundred thousand men in arms, including cavalry and infantry. Those within were obliged to defend themselves against this army two or three times every day, and most commonly from noon untd eve without ceasing ; for there were continually pouring upon them fresh forces, Genoese or others, who gave them no repose. The chiefs of the French army found they could never attack, with advantage, the fortress, unless they passed the river, which was wide and deep : the duke therefore ordered a bridge to he constructed, that they might cross it : three hundred workmen were employed at this bridge, who worked day and night. As soon as the knights who were in Aiguillon perceived that this bridge was nearly finished, and that one half of it was com- pleted, they prepared three vessels, in which they embarked, and. * A town in Gascony, in the election of Condom. t Diocese of Agen. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 75 besieged let off four martinets,* whicli tliey had newly constructed, to defend themselves against these towers. These four martinets cast such large stones, and so very rapidly, that the men-at-arms in tlie towers were nmeh hurt by them : and, having no means to shield themselves, they returned back as fast as they were able ; but in their retreat one of the vessels foundered and sunk : the greater number of those tliat were on board were drowned, which was a groat pity, as they were chiefly valiant knights who were eager to distinguish themselves. When the duke found that this scheme did not answer his expectations, he ordered them to disembark from the three remaining vessels. He was at a loss what plan to follow, by which he could gain the castle of Aiguillon; for he had vowed he would never quit the place until he was master of it and the garrison, imlcss the king, his father, ordered otherwise. The lords therefore advised him to send the constable of France and" the earl of Tahcarville to Paris, to inform king Philip of the state of the siege, and to know if the king wished the duke of Normandy to continue before Aiguillon, until he had, through famine, made himself master of it, since he could not gain it by force. The king of England, having hc-ard how much pressed his people were in the castle of Aiguillon, determined to lead a great army into Gascony. He set about making his preparations, summoned all the vassals in his kingdom, and collected forces from whatever quarter he could, that v/^re willing to enter into his pay. About this time sir Godfrey de Harcourt, who had been banished from France, arrived in England. He was received by the king in his palace ; and he assigned over to him a handsome estate in England, to main- tain him, suitable to his rank. Soon after this, the king assembled a large fleet of ships at Southampton, and sent thither his men-at-arms and his archers.t About St. John the Baptist's day, 1316, the king took leave of the queen, and, setting out, left her to the care of his cousin, the earl of Kent. He appointed the lord Percy, and the lord Neville of Raby, the archbishop of Yorlc, the bishop of Durham, and the bishop of Lincoln, to be his lieutenants for the northern parts of his kingdom ; and he did not take so many forces out of the realm but tliat there was a sufficiency of men-at-arms left to defend it, should there be occasion. He took the road to Southampton, where he tarried until he had a favorable wind, when he embarked with his whole army. On board the king's ship, were the prince of Wales and sir Godfrey de Harcourt : the other lords, earls, and barons em- barked with their men, as they had been ordered. There might be about four thousand men-at-arms, and ten thousand archers, not including the Irish and the Welch, who followed the army on foot. ■I will enumerate the names of those lords that accompanied king Edward. I must mention first the prince of Wales, who at that time was only thirteent years old, or thereabouts : tliere were Humphry Bohun carl of Hereford and Essex, his brother William Buhun earl of Northampton, Thomas Beauchamp earl of Warwick, Richard Fitzalan earl of Arundel, John Vere earl of Oxford, William Clinton earl of Huntington, Robert Huflbrd earl of Suffolk : of barons, there were the young lord Roger Mortimer, the lord Gerard Lisle, and his kinsman the lord John Lisle, the lord Reginald Cobham, the lords 'John and Roger Beauchamp, and the lord John P^owbray, the lord William Rocs of Hamlakc, the lord Thomas Lucy of Cockermouth, the lord William Felton, the lord Thomas Bradestan, the lord Ralph Basset of Sapcoat, John lord Willoughby of Eresby, the lord Peter Manly fifth of the name, Thomas lord Ughtred, John lord Fitzwalter, William lord Kerdestoh, the lord Roger Say, the lord Almaric de St. Amand, the lord Robert Bourehier, the lord John le Strange, the lord Edward Montagu, the lord Richard Tnlbot, the lord John Mohun of Dunster, William lord Boteler of Wemme, Robert lord Ferrers, John lord Seymour, John lord Grey, William lord Botreaux, the lord Hugh Spencer, the lord John Striveling, Michael lord Poynings, Robert lord Morley, Thomas lord Ashley, John lord Sutton, the lord Nicholas Cantilupe, and others ; of knights-bachelors, sir John Chandos, the lord Peter Audley, and the lord James Audley, the lord Bartholomew Burgherst junior, the lord Thomas Holland, the lord Fulk Fitzwarren, sir Richard Pcmbridge, and several others. There were few strangers : only sir Oulphart de Guistelles, from the country of Hainault, and five or six knights from Germany, whose names I have forgotten. When they embarked, the weather was as favorable as thi> king could wish, to caiTy him to Gascony ; but on the third day, the wind was so contrary, that they were driven upon the coasts of Cornwall, where they cast anchor, and remained for six days and six nights. During this time, the king altered his mind with respect to going to- ward Gascony, through the advice and representations of sir Godfrey do Harcourt, who convinced him that it would be more for his inte. rest to land in Normandy, by such words as these : " Sir, that pro- driving away the workmen and guards, instantly destroyed what had taken so much time to make. The lords of France, seeing this, got ready other vessels to attack them, in which they placed a number of men-at-arms, Genoese cross-bowmen and infantry, and ordered the workmen to continue their works, under the support of these guards. When these workmen were thus employed, sij- Walter Manny, and some of his companions, embarked about noon, and, dashing upon them, made them quit their work and run off': he soon destroyed all that they had done. This kind of skirmish was continued daily ; but at last the French sent such large detachments to guard tlie work- men, that the bridge \yas completed in a good and strong manner. The army then passed over it in order of battle, and attacked the castle for tlic space of one whole day, but did no harm ; and, in the evening, they retreated to their camp, where they were plentifully supplied with everything. Those within the castle repaired what damage had been done, for they had plenty of workmen. On the morrow, tlie French resolved to divide their army into four divisions ; the first of which should make an attack on this fortress from the dawn until about nine o'clock; the second from that time. until noon ; the third from noon till four o'clock ; and the fourth division from that time till night. This mode of attack was continued for six successive days. How- ever, those within the castle were never so much harassed but that they could de.'end themselves valiantly ; and their enemies gained nothing but the bridge, which was before the castle. The French lords, upon tliis, held a council, and sent to Toulouse for eight of their largest battering engines, and constructed four other large ones upon the spot. These twelve engines cast stones into the fortress day and- night ; but the besieged had taken such pains to avoid what mischief they could do, that they only destroyed the roofs of the houses : they had also made counter-engines, which played upon those of their enemies, and in a short space of time totally ruined six of them. Daring this siege, sir Walter Manny made frequent excursions beyond the river, with about six scoje companions, to forage, and often returned with his booty in sight of the army. One day the lord Charles of Montmorency had been on a foraging party, with five or six hundred men, and was conducting a great number of cattle to victual the army, when he met sir Walter Manny under the walls of Aiguillon. They immediately began an engagement, which was very sharp ; and many were killed and wounded on both sides. The French were at least five to one. News was brought of this into Aiguillon, when every one sallied out for the fastest, and the earl of Pembroke with the foremost : they dashed into the midst of them, and found sir Walter Manny unhorsed, and surrounded by his ene. mies, but fighting most valiantly. He was directly rescued and remounted. Daring the heat of the engagement, the French hastened to drive off the cattle to a place of safety, or they would have lost them ; for the English were coming in crowds to succor their countrymen, "and, falling upon the French vigorously, they put them to flight, rescued those they had made prisoners, and captured also many from them. The lord Charles de Montmorency had great difficulty to escape, and retreated as fast as he could, quite discom- fited. When it was over, the English returned to Aiguillon. Such skirmishes frequently happened, for scarcely a day passed without some engagement. The French having one day drawn out their army, ordered those noblemen that were from Toulouse, Car- cassonne, and Beaucaire, and their dependencies, to make an attack ■with their men, from the morning until noon ; and those from Rou- ergue, Cahors, and Agenois, to continue it from their retreat until the evening. The duke promised to any of his soldiers who should gain the draw-bridge of the castle, a reward of a hundred golden crowns.* The duke, in order to assist this attack, commanded a number of vessels and barges to come down the river, in which many embarked to cross it, while the remainder passed over the bridge. Those in the castle made a gallant defence ; but at last, some of the French got into a small boat, and, passing under the bridge, fastened strong hooks and chains to the draw-bridge, with which they pulled so lustily, that they broke the iron chains which held the bridge, and forced it down. The French, so eager were they to gain the promised reward, leaped upon the bridge in such haste that they tumbled over each other. The besieged flung down upon them stones, hot lime, large l)eams, and boiling water, so that many were hurt, and drowned in the ditches. The bridge, however, was taken, though it cost them more than it was worth : but they could not gain the gate : therefore, as it was late, they returned to their camp, for they had need of rest; and those within the castle sallied out, and repaired the bridge, making it stronger than ever. On the next day, two principal engineers came tothe duke, and said. If he would find them wood and workmen, they wotdd build for him f lur sue h high towers, as, when they were advanced to the walls of the castle, should overtop them. The duke commanded all the carpenters of the country to be sent for, and handsomely paid. These four towers were constructed, and placed on the decks of four large vessels ; but they took a long time in making, and cost much money. Those ordered upon this attack embarked on board the vessels, and, when they were about half way over the river, the * 65. fid. each.— Barnes. * Du Cange. supplement, under the word Martinetus, ca)ls it an instrument ot war and quotes this passace for his authority, but does not explain it furtlier. t Edward appoints Ins son, Lionel, lieutenant of the realm, during his uhsence. by an ordinance dated Porchester. 5lh June, 134B.— Rymer. He was nt Porchester the 1st and 2nd of Juir, 1346.— Rymer. John de Oflbrd, chancellor, delivered up the great seal to John de Thoresby. tJie2nd July, in the Isle of Wight. 1 This is a mistake ; for he was born tlie 15th June, 1330 ; he must therefore have been si.xteen. I liave copied the names out of Barnes's Life of Edward III., wherein he mentions that twenty-two of them, from lord T'ghtred. are taken from an old MS. in C. C. C. library, Cambridje. intituled, " Acta Edwardi filii, Edwardi tertii." 76 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, & < ■vince is one of the most fertile in the world ; and I will answer on my head, that you may land in any part of it you shall please without hindrance, for no one will think of opposing you. The Normans have not been accxistomed to the use of arms.; and all the knight- hood, that otherwise would have been there, are at present with the duke before Aiguillon. You will find in Normandy rich towns and handsome castles, without any means of defence, and your people will gain wealth enough to suffice them for twenty years to come. Your fleet may also follow you, up the river Orne, as far as Caen. I therefore entreat you will listen, and give belief to what I say." The king, who at that lime was in the flower of his youth, and who desired nothing belter than to combat his enemies, paid much atten- tion to what sir Godfrey de Harcourt, whom he called cousin, had said. He commanded his sailors to steer straight for Normandy, and ordered the flag of the admiral, the earl of Warwick, to be hoisted on board his ship ; he took the lead, as admiral of the fleet, and made for Normandy, with a very favorable wind. The fleet anchored near to the shores of Coutantin,* and the king landed at a port called La Hoguc St. Vast. News of his arrival was soon spread abrOad : it was told itU over the country, that the English had landed with a very great army. Messengers were instantly dispatched to Paris, to the king, from the towns of Coutantin. He had already been informed, that the king of England had embarked a numerous army, and was on the coasts of Normandy and Brittany ; but he was not sure for what particular part he intended to make. As soon, therefore, as he heard the English had landed, he sent for his con. stable, the earl of Guignes, and the earl of Tancarvillc, who were just come from Aiguillon, and ordered them to set off' directly for Caen, to defend that place and the neighborhood against the English. They replied, they would cheerfully do it, to the utmost of their power, and left the king at Paris, taking with them a number of men-at-arms, whose ranks were every day increasing, and rode on to Caen, where they were received most joyfully by the inhabitants and the good people of the country, who had retired thither, with their effects. These lords immediately made inquiries into the state of the town, which at that time was not walled, and ordered arms to be prepared, to supply every one with them according to his degree. We v.'ill now return to the king of England, who had landed at la Hogue St. Vast, not far from St. Sauveur le Vicomte,t the inherit- ance of sir Godfrey de Harcourt, who at that time was a partisan of England.! CHAPTER CXXI. THE KINO OF ENGLAND MAKCHES INTO NORMANDY WITH HIS ARMY IN THREE BATTALIONS. When the fleet of England was all safely arrived at La" Hogue, the king leaped on shore first ; but by accident he fell, and with such ■violence that the blood gushed out of his nose : the knights that were near him said, " Dear sir, let us entreat you to return to your ship, and not think of landing to-day, for this is an unfortunate omen.*' The king instantly replied, " For why ? I look upon it as very favorable, and a sign that the land is desirous ef me." His people were much pleased with this answer. The king and his army lay that night upon the sands. In the mean time, they dis. embarked their baggage, armor, and horses ; and there was a council held, to consider how they could act most advantageously. The king created two marshals of his army ; one was sir Godfrey de Har- court ; the other the earl of Warwick : and he made the earl of Arundel his constable. He ordered the earl of Huntington to remain with his fleet, with a hundred or six score men-at-arms, and four hundred arehers. He then held another council respecting the order of march, and determined to divide the army into three battalions ; one of which should advance on his right, following the sea. coast, and another on liis left ; and he himself, with the prince his son, and the main body, in the centre. Every night, the marshal's battalion was to retire to the quarters of the king. They thus began their march, as ihcy had resolved upon : those who were on board the fleet coasted the shores, and took every vessel, great and small, they met with. Both the armies of sea and land went forward, until they came to a strong town, called Barfleur,§ which they soon gained ; the inhabitants having surrendered immediately, for fear of losing their lives : but that did not prevent the town from being pillaged and robbed of gold, silver, and everything precious that could be found therein. There was so much wealth, that the boj'S of the army set no value on gowns trimmed with fur. They made all the townsmen quit the place, and embarked them on board the fleet ; for they did not choose that, after they had continued their march, they should collect together, and attack them. After the town of Barfleur had been pillaged, but not burnt, they spread themselves over the country, near the sea.coast, where they did whatever they pleased, for there were none to oppose them. They advanced until they came to a considerable and wealthy town * Coutantin— n district of Normandy, of which Coutances is the capital town. t Diocese of Coutances. i On tiie Itine's landing at La Hoguo, lie created the prince of Wales a knight, and, in consequence, demanded tJie usual aid on such occasions, dated Calais, the Nativity of our Lady. 134ti.— Rymer. 5 Diocese of Coutances. called Cherbourg,* which they burnt and pillaged in part ; but they could not conquer the castle, as it was too strong, and well garri- soned with men.at-arms ; they therefore passed on, and came before Moutbourg, near Valognes, which they pillaged, and then set fire to it. In this manner did they plunder and burn a great many towns in that countiy : and acquired so much riches that it would have been difficult to have counted their wealth. They afterwards marched to a very considerable town, and well inclosed, called Carentan.t which had a strong casfle, gart-isoned by a number of soldiers. Those lords that were on board the fleet then disembarked with their peo- ple, and made a vigorous attack upon it ; which, when the townsmen perceived, they were fearful of losing their own lives, as well as those of their wives and children, and opened the gates to them, in spite of the men-at-arms and soldiers that were within the town. They voluntarily offered the English all they had, thinking it best for their advantage. The men-at-arms, finding the inhabitants deter- mined to admit the English, retired into the fortress, which was very strong ; and the English entered the town ; but, not thinking it right to leave so strong a place behind them, for two successive days tliey kept up a strong assault against the castle. Those within, not hear, ing of any assistance coming to them, surrendered, on condition of their lives and fortunes being spared. They marched out, and withdrew to another part of the country. The English did what they pleased in the town and castle ; but, finding that they could not conveniently keep them, they burnt and destroyed both, and forced the inhabitants to embark on board their fleet, and go with them, as they had done to those of Barfleur, Cherbourg, Montebourg, and all the other towns which they had plundered on the sea-coast. We will now return to the expedition of the king of England. As soon as he had sent part of his arnij', under the command of the earl of Warwick, one of his" marshals, and the lord Reginald Cob- ham, along the sea-coast, as you have heard, he set out from La Hogue, where he was lodged, under the guidance of sir Godfrey de Harcourt, who was well acquainted with every part of Normandy. Sir Godfrey, as marshal, advanced before the king, with the van- guard of five hundred armed men and two thousand archers, and rode on for si.x or seven leagues' distance from the main army, burn- ing and destroying the country. They found it rich and plentiful, abounding in all things : the barns full of every sort of corn, and the houses with riches : the inhabitants at their ease, liaving car^^ carts, horses, swine, sheep, and everything in abundance which the country afforded. They seized whatever they chose of all these good things, and brought them to the king's army ; but the soldiers did not give any account to tlieir officers, or to those appointed by tlie king, of the gold and silver they took, which they kept to them!;elves. In this manner did sir Godfrey, every day, proceed to the left of the king's army ; and each night returned, with his party, to the place where he knew the king intended fixing his quarters. Sometimes, when he found great plenty of forage and booty, he was two or three days before he returned. The king, therefore, with his army and baggage, advanced toward St. Lo,t in Coutantin ; but, before he arrived there, he took up his quarters on the banks of the river, to wait for the return of that part of his army which he had sent along the sea-coast. When they were come back, with all their booty safely packed in wagons, the earl of Warwick, the earl of Suffolk, the lord Thomas Holland, and the lord Reginald Cobham, took their march, w'ith their battalion, on the right, burning and destroying the country in the same way that sir Godfrey de Harcourt was doing. The king marched, with the main body, between these two battalions ; and every night they encamped together. CHAPTER CXXII. THE KINiJ OF FRANCE COLLECTS A LARGE FORCE, TO OPPOSE THE KING OF ENGLAND. Thus, while the English were burning and destroying great part of Normandy, the king of France was not idle, but had issued out his sunnnons to the lord John of Hainault, who came to him with a powerful company of knights from Hainault and elsewhere ; he also sent to every earl, baron and knight that were dependent on him. They obeyed his summons in such numbers as France had not seen for a hundred years ; but as those in foreign countries were at great distances, they were long before they arrived, and the king of England had overrun and destroyed the whole district of Coutan. tin in Normandy, to its great detriment. When king Philip first heard of the destruction the king of Eng- land was making in his realm, he swore that the English should never return without his having combated with them ; and, that the mischief they had done to his people should be dearly paid for. He hastened, therefore, to dispatch his letters : he sent first to his good friends in the empire, because tlicy were at the greatest distance, and also to the gallant king of Bohemia, whom he much loved, and to the lord Charles of Bohemia his son, who had then the title of king of Germany, which he had obtained, as was well known, through the influence of his father and the king of France, and ho * Diocese of Coutances. t About tliree leagues from the sea, diocese of Coutances. X Diocese of Coutances. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 7T had already quartered the arms of the empire. King Philip entreated of them to come speedily to his assistance, for he was impatient to meet the English, who wu-e despoiling his kingdom. These lords had no intention of excusing themselves, but set about collecting a large body of men-at-arms, from Germany, Bohemia, and Luxem. bourg, and came to the King of France with a powerful army. The king of France wrote also to the duke of Lorraine, who came to serve him with upward of three hundred lances. Tlie earl of Battle of Caen— From a MS. Froissart of tiie Fifteenth Century Savoy,* the carl of Saltzburgh, the earl of Flanders, and earl William of Namur, came also to king Philip, each of them with a very hand- some company. You have before heard the manner of the king of England's march : the two marshals, on the right and left, and the king and prince of Wales in the centre. They advanced by short marches ; and every day they encamped between ten and twelve o'clock. They found the country so abounding with provisions, that they had no need to seek for forage, except wines, of which there was a reasonable quantity. It is not to be wondered at, if the people of the country were alarmed and frightened ; for they had never seen any men-at- arms, and knew nothing of war or battles : they therefore fled before the English, as soon as ever they heard they were coming, leaving their houses and barns quite full, for they had neither means nor art to save them. The king of England and prince of Wales had, in their battalion, about three thousand mcn-at-arnis, six thousand archers, ten thou- sand infantry, without counting those that were under the marshals ; and they marched on in the manner I have before mentioned, burn, ing and destroying the country, but without breaking their line of battle. They did not turn toward Coutances, but advanced to St. Ld, in Coutantin, which in those days was a very rich and com. mereial town, and worth three such towns as Coutances. In the town of St. L5 was much drapery, and many wealthy inhabitants: among tlieni, you might count eight or nine score that were engaged in commerce. When the king of England was come near to the town, he encamped : he would not lodge in it for fear of fire. He sent, therefore, bis advanced guard forward, who soon conquered it, at a trifling loss, and comjiletely plundered it. No one can imagine the quantity of riches they found in it, nor the number of bales of cloth. If there had been any purchasers, they might have bought enough at a very cheap rate. The English then advanced toward Caen, which is a much larger town, stronger, and fuller of draperies and all other sorts of mer- chandise, rich citizens, noble dames and damsels, and fine churches. In particular, there are two very rich monasteries ; one dedicated to St. Stephen, and the other to the Tritiity. The castle is situated on one si de of the town : it is the handsomest in all Normandy : and * The earl of Suvoy tlid not come, as you will see further on. sir Robert de Blargny was governor, with a garrison of three hundteij Genoese. In the heart of the town was the earl of Eu and of Guignos, the constable of France, and the carl of TancarviUe, with a crowd of men-at-arms. The king rode on very prudently; and,hav!ng united his three battalions, he took up his quarters, for that night, in the fields, two short leagues from Caen, near a town called Estreham,* where there is a haven. He ordered the carl of Huntington, whom he had made admiral of his fleet, to sail for that place. The con. stable of France, and the other lords who were assembled in Caen, watched it well that night ; and, on the morrow, they armed themselves, and all the inhabitants. After they were drawn out, the constable and the earl of TancarviUe ordered that no one should leave the town, but should guard well the bridge, the gates, and the river. They gave up the suburbs to the English, because they were not inclosed ; and they thought they should find sufficient em- ployment to guard the town, which was only defended by the river. The townsmen, however, said, they would march out into the plains, as they were in suflicicnt force to fight with the English. When the constable perceived their willingness, he said, " It shall be so then ; but, in God's name, you shall not fight with- out me." They then marched out of the town, in handsome order, and made a show as if they would fight valiantly, and risk their lives upon the. event. CHAPTER OXXIir.. THE BATTLE OF CAEN THB. ENGLISH TAKE THE TOWN. O.N this day the Englisli rose very early, and made themselves reatly to march to Caen : the king heard mass before sunrise, and afterwards mount- ing his horse, with the prince of Wales, and sir Godfrey de Har_ court (who was marshal and director of the anny, and through whose advice the king had undertaken this expedition) inarched for- ward in order of battle. The battalion of the marshals led the van, and came near to the handsoine town of Caen. When the townsmen, who had taken the field, perceived th& English advancing, with banners and pennons flying in abundance, and saw those archers whom they bad not been accustomed to, they were so frightened that they betook themselves to flight, and ran for the town in great disorder, without regarding the constable and the men-at-arms who were with them. The English pursued them> eagerly; which, when the constable and the earl of TancarviUe saw,- thcy gained a gate at the entrance of the bridge in safety, and a few- knights with them, for the English had already entered the town. Some knights and squires of the French, who knew the road to- the castle, made for it ; and the governor, sir Robert de Blargny, received thcin r.ll : as the castle was very large, and plentifully vict- ualled, those were safe that could get there. The English, who were after the runaways, made great havoc ;. for they spared none. When the constable, and those that had taken refiige'with him within the gate of the bridge, looked round them, and saw the great slaughter the English were making, for they gave- no quarter, they began to fear lest they should fall into the hands of some of those archers, who would not know who they were. But they perceived a knight who had but one eye, named sir Thomas Holland (whom they had formerly known in Prussia and Grenada,) coming toward them, in company with five or six other knights ^ they called to him, and asked if he would take them as his prisoners? Sir Thomas and his company advanced to the gate, and, dismount- ing, ascended to the top, with sixteen others, where he found the above-mentioned knights, and twenty-five more, who surrendered themselves to sir Thomas. t Havin" left a sufficient guard over them, he mounted his horse. *Estreham-diocese of Bayeux, at the mouth of the river Orne, four leagues from Caen. t " But here whatsoever Froissart doth report of the takine of this town, and of Uie- ylelduig of these two nolilemen, it is to be proved, Uiat the said eail of TancarviUe wa3. 78 CHRONICLES OF ENGL AND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. rode through the streets, and prevented many acts of cruelty: as did also other knights and squires, to whom several of the citizens owed their Hves, and many a nun was protected from violation by their interference. It was fortunate for the English, that it was ebb tide in the river, which carries large vessels, and the water very still, so that they could pass and repass it without any danger from the bridge.* Those inhabitants who had taken refuge in the garrets flung down from them, in these narrow streets, stones, benches, and whatever they could lay hands on ; so that they killed and wounded upward of five hundred of the English, which so enraged the king of England, when he received the reports in the evening, that he ordered the remainder of the inhabitants to be put to the sword, and the town burnt. But sir Godfrey de Harcourt said to him : *' Dear sir, assuage somewhat of your anger, and be satisfied with what has already been done. You have a long journey yet to make before you arrive at Calai?, whither it is your intention to go : and there are in this town a great number of inhabitant^,, who will defend themselves obstinately in their houses, if you force them to it: be- sides, it will cost you many lives before the town can be destroyed, which may put a stop to your expedition to Calais, and it will not redound to your honors therefore be sparing of your men, for in a month's time you will have call for them; as it cannot otherwise happen, but that your adversary king Philip must soon come to give you battle, and you may meet with many difficulties, assaults and skirmishes, that will find full employment for the number of men you have, and even more if we could get them. We are complete masters of the town without any more slaughter; and the inhabitants, and all they possess, are at our disposal." The king replied : " Sir Godfrey, you are our marshal ; therefore order as you please ; for thi-^' time we wish not to interfere." Sir Godfrey then rode through the streets, his banner displayed before him, and ordered, in the king's name, that no one should dare, under pain of immediate death, to insult or hurt man or woman of the town, or attempt to set fire to any part of it. Several of the inhabitants, on heaiing this proclamation, received the English into their houses ; and others opened their coffers to them, giving up their all, since they were assured of their lives. However, there were, in spite of these orders, many atrocious thefts and murders committed. The English continued masters of the town for three days ; in this time, they amassed great wealth, which they sent in barges down the river of Estreham, to St. Sauveur, two leagues off, where their fleet was. The earl of Huntington made preparations therefore, with the two hundred men-at-arms and his four hundred archers, to carry over to England their riches and prisoners. The king pur- chased, from sir Thomas Holland and his companions, the constable of France and the earl of Tancarville, and paid down twenty thou- sand nobles for them.t taken by onesurnamed Le{,'h, ancestor to sir Petev Let;!: now living : whether in tlie fight or within the tower I imve not to say ; hut for the taking of the said earl, and fur other manlike pro^vess showed here and elsewliere in this journey, king Edward, in recom- pense of his agreeiihle service, gave Iiim a lordship in the county of Chester, called Hanley, which tiie saiil sir Peter Leg h dulh now possess, as successor and heir to his ancestor, the foresaid Peter Legli, to whom it was so first given."— Hollisgshed. *This is scarcely intelHgihle. Lord Berners says, "the ryuer was so lowe that men went in and out bcst/de the hridge," that is across the bed of the river, avoiding the danger of pressing in crowds over a narrow bridge.— Ed. tAs llie reader may perhaps wish to see another account of Edward's progress, by an eye-witness, I copy from Robert de Avesbury's " Historiade iilirabihbus Gestis Edwardi -tertii," the foJlowing very curious letter : a Dc Pi-o^rcssit Rcgi,"! Anglm dc Hogges itsque Cadamum. ■> " You may remember that our ford tlie king and his army landed at La Hogue St. Vast, the twelfth day of July, and remained there some days to unship the horaes, and repose himself, anil his people, and provide bread, until the f not meiiUoned in the printed editions, it seems probable that lie followed u MS. v a.yiiis irom those exam- ined by Mr. Jolmes. The whole passage is so spirited and grapiiic that we e've ll entire, for tlie gratification of the render.— En. •• Whan ;lie genowayes were assembled loguyder and beganne to aproclic, Ihey made a creat leape and crye to ubasshe thenslysshmeii. but they >iodc nyll and slyredile naC for all that. Than the genowayes agayne the secoi.de ty.i.e n.iide imolher leape and a fell crye and stepped Ibrwarde a iytell. andtlient-lysshinen roir.ened natone fote : thirdly a.aynethej leapt and cryed, and went forthe tyll they came within shotle ; than Uiey sholtefeersly with their crosbowes. Than llienel)s,lie archers slepllurlhe one pase and lette fly their arowes so hotly and so Uiycke that itsen.ed snowe. VV bail Uie genowayes fclle the arowes persynge through heedes, armes. and brestes .n:„iy ol then, '-n^t lowne heir crosbowes and did culle their strynges and, retonrned dy.connted Whnnshe,nen ih=re werecer.ayne rascally "hat went a fo.e with great knyues, and they wen. in amijiig ihe men """"■«^ »"'' s lewe and n.urdredde many as they lay on the groiin.le, both eries barownes. ki.yehu. and sooyerrwhereof the kyng of Englande was after dyspleased. lor be had raU.er U^J had beea taken prisoners." 82 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, Sec. * HisblindnesB was supposed "• , I" right of hi's mother, Susanna Crawford, herit- able shcritrolAirshire, ancestor of the earl of Loudon Ken^ed'y." '^' Carrick-ancestor of the earl of Dassilis. His son assumed the name of " Robert Chisholm. a™Sfri,!^,^°n"°"''"T'if"'i'?''""'°"'",' ''>'K"reWon, and by Abercrombie Uopodahan, m Calloway, although the name has a German air. king of Scotland was taken prisoner, fighting most gallantly, and badly wounded, before he was captured by a squire of Northum'oer. land, named John Copeland ; who, as soon as he got him, riushed through the crowd, and with eight other companions, rode off, and never stopped until he was distant from the field of b?ittle about Heads of LociiiBER A.xes— From specimens presetted in the Tow^r of Newcastle-upon-Tyne- fifteeii miles. He came about Vespers to Ogle castle, on the liver Blythe, and there declared that he would not surrender his prisoner, the king of Scotland, to man or woman e.xcept to his lord the king of England, That same day were taken prisoners, the earls of Mur- ray and March, lord William Douglas, lord Robert de Wersy, the bishops of Aberdeen and St. Andrews, and many other barons and knights. There were about fifteen thousand slain, and the remainder saved themselves as well as they could. This battle was fought near Newcastle, in the year 1346, on a Saturday preceding Michaelmas day* " Fergus (leCrawfurtl. — Roger deCrawfurd. " Bartholomew de Derniond— a German, as the record in Foedern hears. This is mentioned because Abercronibie, vol. ii. p. 99. says, ' perhaps Drumv:ond,* although he had perused Fffdera. "John Douglas, The elder— probably the younger brother of William Douglas of Liddesdale,. sincestor of the earl of Morion. " William Douglas, the elder.— This person, I am confident, is^ViIliItm Douglas, the bastard brother of William Douglas of Liddcsdnle, Tliere is no evidence that Wil- liam lord Douglas, son of Arcliibnid. surnamed Tineman, and first earl ofthat family, was made prisoner at Durham, or indeed tlial he was present at the battle. Fordim, I. xiv, c. 6, expressly says, that he did not come from France till ofier the battle. We learn from Fcrdera, that he was at liberty while otiiers were prisoners ; and ue do not learn from Fa-dera, that he was ever a prisoner. To support an erroneous hypothesis of Boece, concerning William lord Douglas, records have been misconslructedand mis,- applied. " Patrick de Dunbar. Adam de Fiillarton. John GifTard. Laurence Gilibrand. '■ Da-vid Graham — of Montrose ; ancestor ofthe duke of Montrose. " Alexander Haliburton— .John de Haliburton. Douglas, Peerage, p. 321, conjec- tures, not improbably, that tliey were the brothers of Walter de Haliburlon. But he ouglit lint to have referred to Fordun, v. ii. [I.xiv. c. 3] in. proof of this, for Fordun mentions them Jiot. " Walter de Haliburton— predecessor ofthe lords Haliburton of Dirleton. "Patrick Horon. William deJardin. " Roger de Kirkpatrick.— Made prisoner by Rnlpli de Hastings. Hastings died of his wounds. He bequeathed the body "f Roger de Kirkpatrick to his joint legatees, Ed- nnmd Hastings ofKynthorp and Jolm de Kirkeby ; Fo^dera, t. v. p. 535. "Thomas de Lippes— called, in Calendars of Ancient Chorters, chevalier. If he was not a foreigner, I know not who he was. " William de Livingston. " Lorein— said in the record, to have been the son of Eustace Lorein. This Eustace, called Tossy by Fordun, l.xiv.c.5, was captain of Rokesburgh under Doug- las of Liddesdale, the governor. "Duncan M'Uonne!.— Not in the list iaFcedera. t. v. p. 533, but mentioned as a pris- oner, Fa:dern, t. v. p. 554. Duncan M'Donnel.— See Ftcdera. ib. the son ofthe former. ■ — — de Makepath.— VV'ere it not for the particle de, 1 should suppose that some person ofthe name tif J^VBvtli was here understood. " Johnde Maxwell— of Carlaverock, ancestor uf the earl of Nithsdale. "Walter Moine. David Moray. William de Moray: William Moore. William Moubray. " Patrick dePolwarth, ancestor of the earl ofMarclimont. '•J()hnde Preston— supposed to have been the ancestor of Preston lord Dingwall. "Alexander de Ramsay. Henry de Ramsay. Ness de Ran)sny. " William de Ramsay.— Proliably sir William Ramsay of Collutiiy. He was nt the battle ot Poictiers in 135C. and was made prisoner there. William de Salton.— Not in Fcedera ; but mention is made of him. Calendar o^ Ancient Charters, p. 199. ' John St. Cluir. Alexander Steel. Alexander Stewart. 'John Stewart— of Dalswinston. as the record bears. Ancestorof the earl of Gal- loway. " Jolm f^tr'vvart— a bastard, as the record bears. "Johnde Valence. William deVaux. Robert Wallace. .Iiinals of Scat/a7>d, vo'i. ii. App. No. 6, p. 321, ctse>i. . ^ It was on the 17th October. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 87 CHAPTER CXXXVIII. JOHN COPELAND TAKES THE KINS OF SCOTLAND PKISONER, AKD EECEIVXS GREAT ADVANTAGES FROM IT. When the queen of England, who had remained in Newcastle, heard that her army had gained the day, she mounted her palfrey, and went to the field of battle. She was informed that the king of Scotland had been made prisoner, by a squire of the name of .lolm Copeland, but who had rode ofl' with him they could not tell whither. The queen ordered liim to l)e written to, to bring the king of Scots to her, and to tell him that he liad not done what waa agreeable to her,, in carrying off his prisoner without leave. All that day the queen and army remained on the field of battle, which they -had won, and on the morrow returned to Newcastle.* When the letter from tlie queen was presented by a knight to John Copeland, he answered that he would not give up his prisoner, the lung of Scots, to man or woman, except to his own lord, the king of England : tliat they might depend on his taking proper care of him, and" he would be answerable for guarding him well. The queen, upon this, wrote letters to the king, which she sent off to Calais. She therein informed him of the state of his kingdom. The king then ordered John Copeland to come to him at Calais, who, having placed his prisoner under good guards, in a strong castle on the bor- ders of Northumberland, set out, and, passing through England, came to Dover, where he embarked, and landed neaT Calais. When the king of England saw the squire, he took him by the hand, and said, " Ha 1 welcome, my squire, who by his valor has captured my adversary the king of Scotland." John Copeland, falling on one knee, replied, " If God, out of his great kindness, has given me the king of Scotland, and permitted me to conquer him in arms, no one ought to be jealous of it ; for God can, when he pleases, send his grace to a poor squire, as well as to a great lord. Sir, do not take it amiss, if I did not surrender him to the orders of my lady, the queen : for I hold my lands of you, and my oath is to you, not to her, except it be througli choice." The king answered, •' John, the loyal ser^'ice you have done us, and our esteem for your valor is so great, that it may well serve you as an excuse ; and shame fall upon all those that bear you any ill-will. You will now return home, and take your prisoner, the king of Scotland, and convey him to my wife ; and, by way of remuneration, I assign lands, as near your house as you can choose them, to the amount of five hundred pounds sterling a-yeai-, for you and your heirs ; and I retain you as a squire of my body and of my household. "t John Copeland left Calais the third day after his arrival, and returned to England ; when he was come home, he assembled his friends and neighbors, and in com- pany with them, took the king of Scots and conveyed him to York, where he presented him, in the name of the king, to the queen, and made such handsome excuses that she was satisfied. When the queen had sufficiently provided for the defence of the city of York, the castle of Roxburgh, the city of Durham, and the town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as well as for all tlie borders, and had appointed the lords Percy and Neville governors of Northum- berland, to taltc proper care of it, she set out from York and returned to London. She ordered the king of Scots, the earl of Murray, and the other prisoners, to be confined in the tower of London, and, hav- ing placed a sufficient guard over them, set out for Dover, where she embarked, and, with a favorable wind, arrived before Calais tluee days preceding the feast of All-Saints. t The king, upon her anival, held a grand court, and ordered magnificent entertainments for all the lords who were there, but more especially for the ladies ; as tlie queen had brought a great many with her, who were glad to accom- pany her, in order to see fathers, brothers, and friends, that were engaged at this siege of Calais. * " Froissart supposes that Philippa, t'le consort of Edward III,, was their leader ; and in this he has been impliciUy IVilIowed by the later historians of both nations. A young and comely princess, the mother of heroes, at the head of an army in the absence of her lord, is an ornament to histor>- ; yet no English viTiter of considerable antiquity mentions this circumstance, which, if true, they would not have omiHed. Baliol also i£ said to have been next in command to queen Philippa ; yet the ancient English wri- ters say nothing of it ; and the whole strain of the Ftedera is inconsistent with the hj- pothesis of his having any such command. Barnes, page 3?8, says, that the English ' were in number twelve hundred men-at-arms, three thousand archers, and seven thou- sand footmen, besides a choice band of expert soldiers, newly come from before Calais, the whole amounting to sixteen thousand complete.' For this he quotesGiovanni Vil- lani, the Florentine historian, lib. xii. c. 75. Villani's account of the battle of Durlmm is exceedingly superlici:il ; and, which is remarkable, he says nothing of what Barnes quotes as l>om him. See Jlurntori Scrip. Ital. t. xiii. p. ^^."—,3nnals of Scotlaitii. t "Copeland was made a banneret, with a salary of 500/. yearly, to him and to bis heirs, until lands of the like yearly amount should he bestowed on him. lie obtained a pension lor life of lOOA, under condition of furnishing twenty men-at-arms. He was also made warden of Berwick. Be.-ides all this, it appears that he obtained the office of sheriff of Northumberland, and keeper of Roxburgh castle. Robert de Bertram had a pension of 200 marks given to him and to his heirs, until the king should provide him in lands of equal value, for his capture of the knight of Liddesdale." -intiois— and Fadera. t Knyghton. p. 2S*2, relates, that by command of Edward m., David Bruce was con- ducted to the tower, underan escort of 20,000 men. well armed ; tliat the different rom- panjKof London, in their proper dresses, were present at the procession: and that BaviaBruce lode on a tall Wact horse, so as to be seen by all men. CHAPTER CXXXIX. THE TOUNG EAKL OF FLANDERS IS BETROTHED, THROUGH THE CONSTRAINT or THE FLEMINGS, TO THE DAL'GHTER OF THE KING OF ENGLAND. HE ESCAPES TO FRANCE m A SUBTLE MANNER. The siege of Calais lasted a long time ; during which many gal. lant feats of arms and adventures happened : but it is not possible for me to relate the fourth part of them : for the king of France had posted so many men-at-arms in the fortresses, and on the borders of the counties of Guines, Artuis, Boulogne, round to Calais, and had such numbers of Genoese, Normans, and others in vessels on the sea, that none of the English could venture abroad on horseback ot on foot, to forage, without meeting some of these parties : there were frequent skirmishes near the gates and ditches of the town, which never ended without several being killed and wounded : sometimes one side gained the advantage, and sometimes the other. The king of England and his council studied night and day to invent new en- gines more effectually to annoythe town : but the inhabitants were equally alert to destroy their effect, and exerted themselves so much, that they suffered nothing from them. However, no provisions could be brought into the place but by stealth, and by the means of two mariners, who were guides to such as adventured : one was named Marant, and the other Mestriel ; botli of them resided in Abbeville. By their means, the town of Calais was frequently -victualled ; and by their boldness they were often in great danger, many times pur- sued and almost taken ; but they escaped, and slew and wounded many of the English. The siege lasted all the winter. The king had a great desire to keep on good terms with tlie municipalities of Flanders, because he thought that through them he should the more easily obtain his end. He made, therefore, frequent protestations of friendship to them, and gave them to understand, that, after he should have succeeded atCalai.a, he would reconquer for them Lisle, Douay, and all their dependencies : so that the Flemings, believing in such promises, put themselves in motion, about the time that the king was in Normandy, whence he came to Crecy and Calais ; and they laid siege to Bethune. They had chosen for their commander the lord Oudart de Renty, who had been banished from France, and had closely besieged' the town, and mueli damaged it by their attacks : hut there were within four knights for the king of France, who well defended it; their names were, sir Geoffry do Chargny, the lord Eu. stacc de Ribeaumont, the lord Baudoin d'Anequin, and lord John de Landas. The town of Bethune was so well defended, that the Flemings conquered nothing : they returned therefore to Flanders, not having been more successful than before. When the king of England was come to Calais, he did not cease sending flattering messengers and promises to the municipalities of Flanders, to presen-e their friendship, and lessen their opinion of the king of France, who was taking great pains to acquire their affec- tions. The king of England would have gladly seen the earl Lewis of Flanders, who at that lime was but fifteen years old, married to his daughter Isabella, and set so many engines to work among the Flemings that they acceded to it, which mightily rejoiced the king; for he imagined that by this marriage he would easily govern that' country. The Flemings also thought that this alliance would enable them more effectually to resist the French ; and that it would be more profitable to be connected with the king of England than with the king of France. Their young earl, however, who had been educated with the royal family of France, and who at the time was in that kingdom, would not agree to it, and declared frankly, that he would never take to wife the daughter of him who had slain his father. On the other hand, duke John of Brabant was very eagerly trying to make a match between the earl and his daughter, and promised to obtain for him the full enjoyment of Flanders, by fair or foul means. The duke also gave the king of France to under- stand, that, if the marriage took place, he would manage the Flem- ings, that they should attach themselves to him in preference to the king of England. Upon the strength of these promises, the king of France consented to the marriage of the earl of Flanders witli the duke of Brabant's daughter. After the duke had obtained this con. sent, he sent messengers to all the principal citizens of the great towns in Flanders, who colored the union with so many specious reasons, that the councils of the principal towns sent to the earl, and informed him that if he would come to Flanders, and follow their advice, they would be his true friends, and would give up to him all royalties,, rights, and jurisdictions, in a greater degree than any earl had hitherto been possessed of. The earl was advised to go to Flanders, where he was joyftdly received ; and the chief towns made him rich and handsome presents. As soon as the king of England was informed of this he sent the earls of Northampton and Arundel, and lord Reginald Cobham, into Flanders; who managed matters so well with the leading men in the place, and with the corporations, that they were more desirous their lord should marry a daughter of the king of England, than the daughter of the duke of Brabant : they very affectionately entreated their lord so to do, and supported it by many strong and good argu- ments, which would be too tedious to detail here ; insomuch that those of the duke of Brabant's party could say nothing to the con- trary. The earl, however, would not consent to it, notwitlistanding CHRONICLES OF EN LAND, FRANCE, SPAIN. &c. their fair epeeches and arguments, but rcpe:ited his former declara- tion, that he would never marry the daughter of hira who had killed his father, were he to Iiave a moiety of the kingdom of England for her dower. When the Flemings heard this, they said, their lord was too much of a Frenchman, and very ill advised, and that he must not G,\pcct any good from them, since he would not listen to their counsels. They arrested him, and confined him, though not a close prisoner, and told him, he should never have his liberty until he would pay attention to their advice : they added, that if the late earl, his father, had not loved the French so much, but had listened to them, !ie would have been the greatest prince in Christendom, and would have recovered Lisle, Bethune, and Douay, and been alive at this day. While all this was passing, the king of England fitill held on the siege of Calais. He kept his court there at Christ- mas in a royal and noble manner ; and in the ensuing Lent, the earl of Derby, the earl of Pembroke, the earl of O.tford, and many kniglus and squires who had crossed the sea with them, returned from Gas. cony. The Earl of Flanders was for a long time in danger from the Flemings, and, being a prisoner, was perfectly weary of it. He therefore made them understand, that he was willing to follow their advice, for he could receive more advantages from them than from those in any other country. These words pleased the Flemings much : they gave him his liberty, and allowed him to partake of one of his favorite amusements, hawking, of which he was very fond. However, when he went to follow this sport, they set a gaod watch over him, that he did not escape, nor was stolen from those "who had undertaken to guard him, on pain of death. These guards were of the king of England's party; and watched him so closely that they would scarcely allow him to make water. This. conduct lasted so long, and was so offensive to the carl, that he agreed to marry the king of England's daughter. The Flemings immediately, informed the king of it, and desired that the king and queen would come to the monastery at Bergues, accompanied by their daughter, and they would bring their earl there, and conclude the marriage. You may easily imagine how pleased the king and queen were with this news: they said the Flemings were very good sort of people. A day was fixed on for all parties to be at ISergues St. Vino.x, be- tween Newport and Gravelines. The most powerful and leading men of the principal towns of Flanders came hither in great pomp, bringing their lord with them. He respectfully saluted the king and queen, who were there in great state. The king took the earl gently by the hand, led him forth, and said, to e-xcuse himself as being the cause of the death of his father, that, as God should help him, he had never hfeard, on the day of the battle of Crecy, nor on the mor- row, that the carl had been there. The young earl appeared to be satisfied with this e.\cuse. The subject of the marriage was ncct discussed, and .certain articles and treaties v/ere agreed upon between the king, the earl, and the states of Flanders, which were promised and sworn to be adhered to*. The earl was then betrothed to tiie lady Isabella, daughter of the king and queen of England, whom he engaged to espouse ; but the day of marriage was put ofl', until the king should have more leisure. The Flemings returned home, ta. king with them their lord ; and they quitted the king, queen, and the council, in very good humor : the king went back to the siege of Calais. Things remained in this state : while the king was making preparations for rich presents of cloths and jewels to distribute on the wedding-day, the queen was employed in the same manner, as she was anxious to acquit herself on the occa.?ion with honor and generosity. The earl of Flanders, who was returned to his own country, and among his own people, was continually hawking, and pretended that this English alliance was perfectly agreeable to him. The Flemings believed all he said, and did not keep so strict a guard upon him as before : but they were nSt then acquainted with the dispo- sition of their lord ; for, however much he might dissemble in his outward behavior, he was in his heart devoted to the French. It happened one day, in the same week that he was to espouse the English princess, he went out a hawking ; the falconer fled his hawk at a heron, and the earl did the same with his : the two hawks pur- sued their game, and the earl galloped oflf, as if following them, cry- ing, " Hoye, hoyc." When he was at some distance from liis keepers, and in the open fields, he stuck spurs into his horse, and made such speed that he was soon out of sight ; he did not stop until he was got into Artois, where he was safe. He then went to king Philip in France, and related to him and his nobles his adventures, who .told him he had acted wisely; but the English, on the contrary, ac- cused him of betraying and deceiving them. The king of England, nevertheless, did not fail for this, to cultivate the friendship of the riemings ; for he knew that what had happened was not through their consent, but, on the contrary, that they were very much enraged at it ; so he was immediately satisfied with the excuses they made on the occasion. * There ie in the Foedem Uie Treaty of Marriase, dated Dunkirk, 3rd Marcli, 1346 : but the Beal has been torn ofT, probably as not having been carried into eifect. CHAPTER CXL. THE LORD KOEEET BE NAMUR* DOES HO.MAGE TO TILE ICIXG OF ENGLAND, BEFORE CALAIS. Many barons and knights, from Flanders, Hainault, Brabant, and Germany, came to pay their respects to the king and queen, while they were besieging Calais ; and none returned without considerable presents. About this time, the lord Robert de Namur was newly returned into the county of Namur, from an expedition to the Holy Land,+ where he had been knighted by the ■lord Dcspentin. He was very young, and had not been solicited for his assistance by either of the two kings. He set out with a rich and immerous attendance, and came to Calais, accompanied by many knights and squires, where he was kindly received by the king, queen, and all the barons. He gained their favor and esteem, from bearing the same name as his uncle, the lord Robert d'Artois, who had been formerly so vs-ell be. loved by them, and from whose counsel they had reaped so much benefit. Lord Robert dc Nanmr from this time became a loyal ser. vant to the king of England, who granted him a pension of three hundred pounds sterling a-year, and assigned the payment of it on his clit^st at Bruges. He remained with the king at the siege of Calais, until the town was won, as you will hear related. CHAPTER CXLI. THE ENGLISH CONQUER LA ROCHE-D'EREIEN.t TO WHICH PLACE THE LORD ^CHARLES OF BLOIS LAYS SIEGE. I HAVE abstained a long time from speaking of tlie lord Charles of Blois, at that time duke of Brittany, and of the countess of Mont- fort ; but it has been occasioned by the truce agreed to before Vannes, which was strictly observed : each party, during that time, kept peaceably all that they had gained. As soon as the truce was ex. pired, the war was renewed with vigor. The king of England had sent into Brittany sir Thomas Daggeworth^ and sir .lohn Hartwell ; and they had quitted the siege of Calais with two hundred men-at. arms and four hundred archers. The countess of Montfort remained in the town of Hennebon ; and she had with her sir TanegTiy du Chitel, a knight from lower Brittany. The English and Bretons made frequent attacks upon the lord Charles's party, and with various success ; but the country was completely ruined and destroyed by these men-at-arms, and the poor people paid dearly for it. Three knights one day set out to besiege a towir called la Roche- d'errien : they had collected a number of men-at-arms on horseback, and foot soldiers, and made some violent attacks upon the town ; but it was so well defended, that the English could not gain any advantage. The captain of the garrison for lord Charles was Tassart de Guines.ll but three parts of the inhabitants were more attached to the English than to the French ; so they arrested sir Tassart, and declared they would murder him, if he would not join them in sur. rendering the place to the English. Upon this, he said he would comply with whatever they W'ished : they then let him go, and ad- vanced toward the English army, whom they adiliitted into their town. Sir Tassart was continued as before, governor of it. When the English returned to Hennebon, they left with him a sufficiency of men-at-arms and archers, to defend tlie town and castle. Lord Charles when he heard this, swore things should not go on thns. He summoned all his partisans iir Brittany and Normandy, and as- sembled in the city of Nantes sixteen hundred men in armor, and twelve thousand foot soldiers. There might be four hundred knights and twenty-three bannerets, who all came to lay siege to la Roche- d'errien. They brought with them large engines, which threw stones into the town day and night, and nuich annoyed the inhabitants. The townsmen sent off" messengers to inform the countess what was going forward ; as she had promised them assistance, if they should bo besieged. Upon this, the countess sent everywhere that she could think likely to procure men, and in a short time collected a thousand men in armor, and eight thousand foot soldiers, which she put under the command of the threell knights before mentioned. These knights declared that they would either raise. the siege of la Roche-d'errien, or perish in the attempt; and, taking the field, they advanced very near to the army of lord Charles : they took up their quarters on the banks of a river, with the intention of fighting the next day. About midnight sir Thomas Dagworth and sir John Hartwell armed one half of their people, and, setting off in silence, fell upon one of the wings of lord Charles's army, and slew a great number of his men. They remained in this action so long, that the whole army was roused "and arined ; they could not therefore retreat, without encountering the whole of the lord Charles's force. They were surrounded, and so sharply dealt with that they could not withstand the powers of the * Lord Robert de Namur was Froissart's sreat patron ; and to him we are indebted for this history, as he himself mentions in his preliice. He was created a knisht of the garter, in Richard II. 's reign, and isthe 85th kniglit of tliat order. See .^shmoie's His- tory of the Order of tlie Garte'r. t Lord lierners says, "at the loly sepulchre."— Es. t A town in Britlafly, about two leagues from 'I'reguier, near Gningamp. § Sir Thomas Daggeworth was appointed commander in Brittany, by writ of privy seal, daled Reading, January 10, 1347.— FtEDKRA. ji The historian of Brittany seems to think this person should be Richard Toussaint. It From what (bllows, one may suppose these three knights were, air Thomas Dag- worth, sir John Hartwell, sir Taneguy du C'hatel. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. French. Sir Thomas Dagworth was taken prisoner, after having been severely wounded. Sir John Hartwell escaped as well as he was able, with all that he could bring off with him, by making for the liver. He related to sir Tancguy du Cha.tel the ill success of their attack ; and they held a council, whether they ought not to return to HenneKon.* CHAPTER CXLII. THE COMBAT OF LA KOCHE-B'ERKIEN, WHERE THE LORD CHARLES OF ELOIS IS MADE PRISONER. At the time they were holding this council, whether to decamp or not, there came to them a knight from the countess, called Gamier, lord of Cadoudal, with a hundred men-at-arms, who had been pre- CoMBAT OF LA Roche-d'errien. Lord Charles OF Blois TAKEN PRISONER— From a MS. Froissart of the lolii century. vented from coming sooner. When be was informed of the resolu- tion they were about to take of returning, " Oh come," said he, " arm jourselves (Juickly, and mount your horses ; and lie that has no horse, let him follow on foot ; for we will go and look once more at our enemies, who are now so elated thijt we shall be sure to conquer iheni." Those that had horses soon got themselves in readiness, and set out, and the foot followed them ; so that, about sunrise, they came upon the army of the lord Charles, which they found wrapped lip in sleep, for they did not imagine they should have any more dis- turbance. The English and Bretons began immediately to cut down and destroy tents and pavilions, and to slay all those whom they had thus surprised ; for they had thought themselves so secure, they had not set any watch. Thus were those of the party of lord Charles defeated, and all the barons of Normandy and Brittany that were with him taken prisoners that night. The siege of la Roche-d'errien was raised, and lord Charles conducted to Hcnnebon. Nevertheless the towns and fortresses that he had before gained, still held out for him ; for his wife, who called herself duchess of Brittany, undertook most cheerfully to continue the war. * Our historians relate this affair differently. See Dugdule's Baronage. Sir Thomas Dagworth was not made prisoner, nor wounded ; he was Uie person who advised the second attack, not the lord of Cndondal, as [''roissart relates. Tlie kin;, forhiseood conduct, »ade him his lieutenant-general of tiie duchy of BriUany; and llie ensuing year he was called up to tlie hou^e of peers. In the Histoire de Dretagne. so often quoted, the account of these engagements is very different, and in part not very much to the honor of sir Thomas Dagworth, if the firts be true. Vol. i. pp. 762, 277. CHAPTER CXLIII. THE KINS OF FRANCE COLLECTS A GREAT ARMY TO RAISE THE SIEGE OF CALAIS. King Philip of France, who felt that his subjects in Calais must be severely opjiressed, commanded all the knights and squires of his realm to rendezvous at Amiens, or near that town, on the feast of Whitsuntide. No one dared to disobey this order, but all were punc- tual in being there at the appointed time. King Philip kept a solemn court at Amiens, at which were present the duke of Normandy his eldest son, the duke of Orleans his youngest son, Eudes duke of Bur- gundy, the duke of Bourbon, the earl of Foix, the lord Lewis of Savoy, the lord John of Hainault, the earls of Armagnac, Valentinois, Forets, and a great many other earls, barons and'knights. When all these noblemen were assembled in -\iniens, they held many councils. The king of France was very anxious to have a free passage through Flanders, that he might send through it a part of his army by way of Gravelines, to rein, force the garrison of Calais, and to attack and fight with the English on that side of the town. He sent, there- fore, a very magnificent embassy into Flanders, to treat with the Flemings on this subject : but the king of England had so many friends there, that they would not grant him hig request. The king upon tliis said, he would then ad- vance as far as Boulogne. The king of England, vi'ho found ho could not conquer Calais but by fam. ine, ordered a large castle to be constructed of strong timbers, in order to shut up the communication with the sea ; and he directed it to be built and embattled in such a manner that it couldnot be destroyed. He placed it between the town and the sea, and fortified it ■with all sorts of warlike in- struments,* and garrisoned it with forty men-at-arms and two hundred archers, ■who guarded the liarbor and port of Calais so closely, that nothing could go out or come into the town, without being sunk or taken. By this means he more sorely r.ggrieved the Calesians than by any- thing he had hitherto done, and sooner brought famine among them. About this time, the king of England was so active among the Flemings (with whom, as you have just heard, the king of France wanted to make a treaty,) that they, to the amount of a hundred thousand men, marched out of Flanders, and laid siege to the town of Aire :t they then burnt all the country round it, as far as St. Venant, Mourville la Gorge, Estelly le Ventre, and a tract of cojmtry round Loo, and even as far as the gates of St. Omert and Terouenne.§ The king of France took up his quarters at Arras. |1 He sent a large body of men to strengthen his garrisons in Artois, and in par- ticular sir Charles d'Espagne, his constable, to St. Omer ; for the earl of Eu and of Guines, who had been constable, was a prisoner, as I have before related, in England. The Flemings kept advancing into the country, and gave the French employment enough before they retreated. When the Flemings were returned, after ha-ving made themselves well acquainted with the parts about Loo,^ the king of France and his army left Arras, and came to Hesdin :** the aiTny and baggage occupied three leagues of country. When the king had rested one day at Hesdin, he advanced the next day to Blangy,+t where he halted, in order to consider whither he should march next. * " Springalles, hombardes, bows and other artillery."— Lord Berners. t A strong town in Artois, generality of Amiens, fourteen leagues from Ualaif. i A strong town in .\rtois. ten leagues from Calais. § An ancient town in Artois, destroyed by Charles V. 1553. 11 A strong city in .\rtois, twenty-feven leagues from Calais. ^ Loo — a town to the south of Fumes. ** A strong town in Artnis. diocese of Anas, tliirteen leagues distant fiom it. tt ■Village in Artois, bailiwick of St. Pol. 90 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. He was advised to make for that part of the couiitiy called la Belune, and accordingly began his inarch thither, his arn\y following, which amounted, including men of all descriptions, to two hundred thou- sand. The king and his army passed through the country of Fau- kenberg,* and came straight to the hill of Sangate,t between Calais and Wissant: they marched armed, with banners flying, by moon, light; so that it was a beautiful sight to see their gallant army. When those in Calais perceived them, from the walls, pitching their tents, tliey thought it had been a new siege. CHAPTER CXLIV. THE KING OF ENGLAND GUARDS ALL THE PASSES ROtJND CALAIS, SO THAT THE KING OF FRANCE CANNOT APPROACH TO RAISE THE SIEGE. I WILL now relate what the king of England had done, and was doing, when he saw with what a prodigious force the king of France was come to raise the siege of Calais, which had cost iiini so much money and labor. He knew that the town was so nearly famished, that it could hold out but a very short time : therefore it would have sorely hurt liim to have been forced at that time to raise it. He considered, that the French could neither approach his army nor the town of Calais but by two roads ; the one by tlie downs along the sea-shore ; the other higher up the country, which however was full of ditches and bogs ; and there was but one bridge, called the bridge of Nieullet, by which they could be crossed. He posted, therefore, his fleet along the shore, as near as he could to the downs, and pro- \ided it with plenty of every warlike engine ;t so' that the French could not pass that way. He sent the earl of Derby, with a suflicient force of men-at-arms and archers, to guard the bridge of Nieullet. The French, therefore, were prevented from advancing thither, unless tliey attempted crossing the marshes between Sangate and the sea, which were impassable. There was also, nearer to Calais, a high tower, which was guarded by thirty archers from England ; and they had fortified it with double ditches, as a stronger defence of the pas- sage over the downs. When the French had taken up their quarters on the hill of Sangate, those from Tournay, who might amount to about fifteen hundred men, advanced toward this tower : the garrison shot at them, and wounded some , but the men of Tournay crossed the ditches, and reached the foot of the tower with pick-axes and bars. The engagement was then very sharp, and many of the Toumaymen were killed and wounded ; but, in t)ie end, the tower was taken and thrown down, and all that were within it put to tlie sword. The king of France sent his two marshals, the lords of Beaujeu and the lord of St. Venant, to examine the country, and see where the army could pass, in order to fight with the English ; but, after they had well examined all the passes, they returned and told the king there was not any possibility of doing it, but with infinite loss of men. Things remained in this state that day and the following night ; but on the morrow, after the king of France had heard mass, he sent to the king of England the lord Geoffry de Chargny, the lord Eustace de Ribeaumont, sir Guy de Nesle, and the lord of Beaujeu, who, as they rode along, observed how strongly all the passes were guarded : they were allowed to proceed freely, for so the king of England had ordered, and praised very much the dispo- sitions of the earl of Derby, who was posted at the bridge of Nieullet, over which they passed. They rode on until they came where the king was, whom they found surrounded by his barons and knights : they all four dismounted, and advanced toward the king, with many reverences ; then the lord Eustace de Ribeaumont said, " Sir, the king of France informs you through us, that he is come to the bill of Sangate, in order to give you battle ; Ijut he cannot find any means of approaching you : he therefore wishes you would assemble your council, and he will send some of his, that they may confer together, and fix upon a spot where a general combat may take place." The king of England was advised to make his answer as follows: "Gen- tlemen, I perfectly understand the request you have made me from my adversary, who wrongfully keeps possession of my inheritance^ which weighs much upon me. You will therefore tell him from me, if you please, that i have been on this spot near a twelvemonth : this he was well informed of, and, had he chosen it, might have come here sooner ; but he has allowed me to remain so long, that I have expended very large sums of money, and have done so much that I must be master of Calais in a very short time : I am not therefore inclined, in the smallest degree, to comply with his request, or to gratify his convenience, or to abandon what I have gained, or what I have been so anxious to conquer. If, therefore, neither he nor his army can pass this way, he must seek out some other road."§ The four noblemen then returned, and were escorted as far as the bridge of Nieullet, and related to the kuig of France the king of England's answer. • Wfeie the lung of France was devising hifeans to fight with the * A village in Artois, bailiwick of Aire. t A village ill Picardj'. goveriinieiit of Calais. t " Bomliardes, crossbowes, arcliers. springalles, and other artiljevy."— L. BERNERg. 5 By a teller from Edward to the archbishop of Canterburs'. which is at length in Avesbury. pp. 1112, &c. he says Ac accepted this cliallenge. hut that the enemy varied in his t«rnis cl acceptance, so that they could not agree ; and that the French, selUn; fire to tlieii tents ran off with precipitation, as if they had been defeated. English, two cardinals, from Pope Clement, arrived as embassadors in the camp. Immediately on their arrival, they visited each aiTny, and exerted themselves so much that they procured a sort of truce ; during which time, four lords of each party were to meet, and en. dcavor to form a peace. On the part of the king of France, were nominated the duke of Burgundy, the duke of Bourbon, the lord Lewis of Savoy, and sir .John of Hainault. The English conimls. sioncrs were, the earl of Derby, the earl of Northampton, lord Regi. nald Cobham, and sir Walter Manny.* The two cardinals were the most active persons in this business, going backward and forward J from one army to the other. These commissioners were three days I together ; and various propositions for peace were brought forward, ' though none took eflect. During which time the king of England was strengthening his army, and making wide and deep ditches on the downs, to prevent the French from surprising him. When these three days were passed without any treaty being effected, the two cardinals went to St, Omer. The king of France, perceiving he could not in any way succeed, decamped on the morrow, and took the road to Amiens, where he disbanded all his troops, the men-at- arms, as well as those sent from the different towns. When the Calesians saw them depart, it gave them great grief. Some of the English fell on their rear, and captured horses, and wagons laden with wine and other things, as well as some prisoners; all which they brought to their camp before Calais, CHAPTER CXLV. THE TOWN OF CALAIS SUKRENDEKS TO THE KING OF ENGLAND. After the departure of the king of France, with his army, from the hill of Sangate, the Calesians saw clearly that all hopes of succor were at an end ; which occasioned them so much sorrow and dig- tress, that the hardiest could scarcely support it. They entreated, therefore, most earnestly, the lord John de Vienne, their governor, to mount upon the battlements, and make a sign that he wished to hold a parley. The king of England, upon hearing this, sent to him sir Walter Manny and lord Basset. When they were come near, the lord de Vienne said to them, " Dear gentlemen, you who are very valiant knights, know that the king of France, whose subjects we are, has sent us hither to defend this town and castle from all harm and damage : this we have done to the best of our abilities. All hopes of help have now left us, so that we are most exceedingly straitened ; and if the gallant king, your lord, have not pity upon us, we must perish with hunger.t I therefore entreat, that you would beg of him to have compassion on us, and to have the goodness to allow us to depart in the state we are in, and that he will be satisfied with having possession of the town and castle, with all that is within them, as he will find therein riches enough to content him." To this sir Walter Manny replied: "John, we are not ignorant of what the king our lord's intentions are ; for he has told them to us : know then, that it is not his pleasure you should get off so ; for he is re- solved that you surrender yourselves solely to his will, to allow those whom he pleases their ransom, or to put them to death ; for the Calesians have done him so much mischief, and have, by their ob. stinate defence, cost him so many lives and so much money, that he is mightily enraged." The lord de Vienne answered : " These con- ditions are too hard for us. We are but a small number of knights and squires, who have loyally served our lord and master, as you would have done, and have suffered much ill and disquiet ; but we will endure more than any man ever did in a similar situation, before we consent that the smallest boy in the town should fare worse than the best. I therefore once more entreat you, out of compassion, to return to the king of England, and beg of him to have pity on us: he will, I trust, grant you this favor : for I have such an opinion of his galljantry as to hope, that, through God's mercy, he will alter his mind." The two lords retured to the king, and related what had passed. The king said he had no intentions of complying with the request, but should insist that they surrendered themselves uncondi- tionally to his will. Sir Walter replied : " My lord, you may be to blame in this, as you will set us a very bad example ; for if you order us to go to any of your castles, we shall not obey you so cheerfully, if you put these people to death ; for they will retaliate upon us, in a similar case." Many barons who were then present sujiported this opinion. Upon which the king replied : " Gentlemen, I am not so obstinate as to hold my opinion alone against you all : sir Walter, you will inform the governor of Calais, that the only grace he must expect from me is, that six of the principal ciiixens of Calais march out of the town, with bare heads and feet, with ropes around their necks, and the keys of the town and castle in their hands. These six persons shall be at my absolute disposal, and the remainder of the inhabitants pardoned." Sir Walter returned to the lord de Vienne, who was waiting for him on the battlements, and told him all that he had been able to gain from the king. "I beg of you," replied the governor, " that * The edition of D. Sauvage and lord Berners, here botli term Sir Walter Manny " the Lorde (Monseigneur) Gnaltier of Manny," and it appears from Dugdule that he had a summons to parliament among the barons of the realm, from the 21st to the 44lb of this kins's reign, inclusive.— Ed. f We must all dye or els enrage for famyn."— Lord Bernirs, CHRONICLES OFENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 9i you would be so good as to remain here a Utile, while I go and relate all that lias passed to the townsmen ; tor, as they have desired me to undertake this, it is but proper they should know tlie result of it." He went to the market-place, and caused the bell to he rung ; upon which all the inhabitants, men and women, assembled in the town, hall. He then related to them what he had said, and the answers he had received ; and that he could not obtain any conditions more favorable, to which they must give a short and immediate answer. Tins information caused the greatest lamentations and despair ; so that the hardest heart would have had compassion on them ; even the lord do Viemie wept bitterly. After a short time, the most wealthy citizen of the town, by name Eustace de St. Pierre, rose up and said : " Gentlemen, both high and low, it would be a very great pity to suffer so many people to die through famine, if any means could be found to prevent it ; and it would be highly meritorious in the eyes of our Saviour, if such mis. ery could be averted. I have such faith and trust in finding grace before God, if I die to save my townsmen, that I name myself as first of the si.x." When Eustace had done speaking, they all rose up and almost worshipped him : many cast themselves at his feet with tears and groans. Another citizen, very rich and respected, rose up and said, he would be the second to his companion, Eustace ; his name was John Daire. After him, James Wisant, who was very rich in merchandise and lands, offered himself, as companion to his two cousins ; as did Peter Wisant, his brother. Two others then named themselves, which completed the number demanded by the king of England. The lord John de Vienne then mounted a small hackney, for it was with difficulty that he could walk, and conducted them to the gate. There was the greatest sorrow and lamentation all over the town ; and in such manner were they attended to the gate, which the governor ordered to bo opened, and then shut upon him and the six citizens, whom he led to the barriers, and said to sir Walter Manny, who was there waiting for him, " I deliver up to you, as governor of Calais, with the consent of the inhabitants, these six citizens ; and I swear to you that they were, and are at tliis day, tlie most wcaltliy atid respectable inhabitants of Calais. I beg of you, gentle sir, that you would have the goodness to beseech the king, that they may not be put to death." " I cannot answer for what the king wiU do with them," replied sir Walter, " but you may depend that I will do all in my power to save them." The bar. riers were opened, when these six citizens advanced toward the pavilion of the king, and the lord de Vienne reentered the town. When sir Walter Manny had presented these six citizens to the king, they fell upon their knees, and, with uplifted hands, said, " Most gallant king, see before yon six citizens of Calais, who have been capital merchants, and who bring you the keys of the castle and of the town. We surrender ourselves to your absolute will and pleasure, in order to save the remainder of the inhabitants of Calais, who have suffered much distress and misery. Condescend, there, fore, out of your nobleness of mind, to have mercy and compassion upon us." All the barons, knights, and squires, that were assembled there in great numbers, wept at this sight. The king eyed them with angry looks, (for he hated much the people of Calais, for the great losses he had formerly suffered from them at sea,) and ordered their heads to be stricken off. All present entreated the king, that he would be more merciful to them, but he would not listen to them. Then sir Walter Manny said, " -4h, gentle king, let me beseech you to restrain your anger : you have the reputation of great nobleness of soul, do not therefore tarnish it by such an act as this, nor allow any one to speak in a disgraceful manner of you. In this histance, all the world will say you have acted cruelly, if you put to death six such respectable persons, who, of their own free will, have surren. dered themselves to your mercy, inorder to save their fellow-citizens.'" Upon this, the king gave a wink, saying, " Be it so," and ordered the headsman to be sent tor ; for that the Calesians had done him so much damage, it was proper they should suffer for it. The queen of England, who at that time was very big with child, fell on her knees, and with tears said, " Ah, gentle sir, smce I have crossed the Bea with great danger to see you, I have never asked you one favor : now, I most humbly ask as a gift, for the sake of the Son of the blessed Mary, and for your love to me, that you will be merciful to these six men." The king looked at her for some time in silence, and then said ; " Ah, lady, I wish that you had been anywhere else than here : you have entreated in such a manner that I cannot refuse you ; I therefore give them to you, to do as you please with them." The queen conducted the six citizens to her apartments, and had the halters taken from round their necks, after which she new clothed them, and served them with a plentii'ul dinner : she then presented each with six nobles, and had them escorted out of the camp in safety.* *" Froifisart alone among his contemporaries relates this remarltable fact: and the simplicity of his style may give even to fal,le the Hppear.ance of truth. Edward was generous: he is liere represented as n tt'rocious conqueror, whotn love alone could soften, and who obstinately persists to punish a courage which he ought to have es- teemed. The action of tiiese six men, tlius devoting themselves for their fellow citi- zens, was sufficiently great to have been trumpeted through all France by the thousand and thousand voices of Fame. This action, however, brilliant as it was, and which tile wretches driven out of Calais would Iinve spoken of everywhere, was unknown in llie capital. If it had been otherwise, the Chronicle of St. Denis, and other histories of the time, would not have been silent on the subject ; and yet not one mentions it. Aves- btuy, an £aelishman and contempoiary, who is very particuliir ae to all the circum- CHAPTER CXLVI. THE KINS OF ENGLAND BE.PEOPLE'S CALAIS. Thus had the strong town of Calais been besieged by king Edward of England, as you have heard, about St. John's day, in August, in the year 1346, and surrendered about the end of August, 1347. The king, after he had presented these six citizens to the queen, called to him sir Walter Manny, and his two marshals, the earls of Wanvick and Stafford, and said to them, " My lords, here are the keys of the town and castle of Calais : go and take possession of them. You \^■ill put into prison the knights you may find there : but you will send out of the town all the other inhabitants, and all sol. diers that may have come there to serve for pay ; as I am resolved to re-people the town with English alone." These three noblemen, with only one hundred men, went and took possession of Calais, and from the gates sent to prison the lord John de Surie, the lord John de Vienne, the lord John de BcUebourne, and other knights. They then ordered every sort of arms to be brought and piled in a heap in the market-place. They sent out of the town all ranks of people, retaining only one priest, and two other old men, that were well acquainted with the customs and usages of Calais, in order to point out the different properties, and gave directions for the castle to be prepared for lodging the king and queen, and different h6tels for their attendants. When this had been done, the king and queen mounted their steeds, and rode toward the town, which they entered at the sound of trumpets, drums, and all sorts of warlike instruments.* The king remained in it until the queen was brought to bed of a daughter, called Margaret. t The king gave to sir Walter Manny, lord Stafford, lord Warwick, sir Bartholomew Burghersh, and other knights, very handsome houses in Calais, that they might re-people it : and his intentions were, to send thither, on his return to England, thirty-six substantial citizens, with all their wealth, and to exert himself in such a manner that the inhabitants of the town should be wholly English : which he after- wards ticcomplished. The new town and fortifications, which had been built before Calais, were destroyed, as well as' the castle upon the harbor, and the great boom which was thrown across was brought into the town. The king posted different persons to guard the gates, walls and towers of the town ; and what had been damaged he got repaired, which, however, was not soon done. The lord John de Vienne and his companions were sent to England ; they remained in London about half a year, and then were ransomed. In my opin. ion, it was a melancholy thing for the inhabitants of both sexes of the town of Calais, thus to be sent abroad, with their children, from their inheritances, leaving everything behind ; for they were not stances of the siege of Calais, is equally silent. Villani alone goes even beyond Froissart ; for he says, that Edward intended to hang all the citizens of Calais ; and he adds, they were all forced to abandon the town naked, alt but their shirts. This falsehood should render the other parts of his recital doubtful. Froissart, an historian and poet, and who has too often expanded over history the privileges of poetry, has only embroidered a little what truth ottered him. Wlien the Calesians saw the retreat of Phi lip, tliey struck the flag which was flying on the great tower : John de Vienne ordered the gates to be openetl.and lefY the town mounted on a small hackney, fur he had been wounded. The warriors who accompanied liim held llieir swords pointed to the ground ; and many of the citizens followed with halters round their necks, and witji their heads and feet bare. Edward kept, as prisoners, the governor, fifteen knights, and some citizens ; but he did not send them to fcingland, until he had loaded them with presents : he hastened to dis- tribute food among the inhabitants who had remained in the town. We only see, in all these circumstances, the humiliation of the inhabitants, wishing by it to aft'ect the con- queror, and the generosity of the prince, " Froissart supposes that the queen of England was melted into tears at tlie fate of these cilizens, condemned by lier husband, and tliat she humbled herself so as to cast hei-self at the feet of the infle.\ible conqueror to obtain their pardon ; and we see. some days afterwards, this queen, so generous, obtain, for her own profit, the confiscation of the houses of this John Daire, whose life, it is said, she saved. On the other hand, Ed- ward is described as obstinately bent on having the venerable Eustace de St. Pierr* be- headed : and we see, shortly after, this same Eustace de Si . I'lerre overwhehned, as it were, witii gifls. The conqueror gives him houses, considerable pensions, and even deigns to express himself, that he only grants these lirst favors until he shall have more amply provided for him : they are recompenses by which lie acknowledges beforehand the services Uiis citizen may render him, either by keeping good order in the town of Calais, or in watching over its security. Here then is this famous St, Pierre, one day the hero, and the next the complaisant betrayer of his country ; one moment the object of the revenge and cruelty of Edward, the next of his confidence and favor. The interests of this prince forced him to a necessary rigor. He wished to preserve Calais, as it opened to him an entrance into France: and he could not leave their inhabitants too much attached to their own country not to hate its destroyer. Those who refused to swear fidelity to him were obliged to quit the town, and make room fir ft new population imported from England ; and this St, Pierre, tliis St. Pierre whose noble courage should have rendered him the most to be dreaded, is one of those whom ttie conqueror retainj, and who is by him charged to overlook the conduct of others. " The English monarch certainly showed signs of severity. We see, by the leUer he wrote to the archbishop of Canterbury, that when Philip, encamped near to Calais, had demanded, as a preliminary of peace, that the inlinbitanis should have liberty to quit the town with their fortunes, it was refused : and when Edward granted to the humilia- tion of tlie townsmen what he had refused to Philip, he only detained as prisoners some of the principal citizens; but detaining theiu as prisoners is very dill'erent from havine them put to death before his eyes. The king of France did not forsake the miserable Calesians when they were driven out of tlieir town, but gave them all the offices wliich were then vacant in his realm, with powers to sell them, or exercise them by deputies. He also granted them landed or other estates tliat raigiit escheat to llie crown. But xvhetber these resources came too late, or were insufficient ; whether the monarch met wiUi contradictions in these acts of beneficence, it is asserted that a great number ol the Calesians were reduced to beggary." La Prance sous Ics ctn/j Premiers ValmS, par M, LevesQue, pp 518, &c. • " Trumpets, Uibours, nakquayres and homes."— Lord Bernees. t .'Margaret of Calais was married to the lord John Hastings, earl of Pembroke, but died before her husband, without issue,— Bab«I3. ■92 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. allowed to carry off any of their furniture or wealth ; and they re. ceived no assistance from the king of France, for whom they had lost their all. They did, however, as well as they were able ; and the greater part went to St. Omer.* The cardinal Guy de Boulogne, who was come into France as ■embassador, and was with his cousin king Philip in the city of Amiens, labored so earnestly, tliat he obtained a truce between the two kings and their adherents, which was to last for two years. This truce was agreed to by all parties except the rivals for the duchy of Brittany ; but there the two ladies carried on the war ngainst each other. The king and queen returned to England ; and sir Aymery de Pavie was appointed governor of the castle of Calais: he was a native of Lonibardy, and had been much promoted by the king.t The king sent the thirty-six substantial citizens, with their wives and families, to Calais : their number increased daily ; for he multiplied and enlarged their privileges so much, that many were eager to go there, in order to gain fortunes. t About this time the lord Charles of Blois, who called himself the duke of Brittany, was brought prisoner to London. He was sent to the Tower, but not as a close prisoner, where the king of Scotland and the earl of Moray were also confined. He did not, however, long remain there, but at the entreaties of the queen of England, to whom he was cousin-german, was set at liberty on his parole, and rode all over London wherever he pleased ; but he was not permitted to lie a night out of the Tower, except it was in such places where the royal family were.9 The earl of Eu and Guines was also in London a prisoner : he was a very gallant knight, and so amiable th^t he was always well received by the king, queen, barons, and ladies of the court. CHAPTER CXLVII. A EOEBEK, OF THE NAME OF BACON, DOES MUCH MISCHIEF IN LANQtTEDOC. All tills year of the truce, the kings remained at peace. But lord William Douglas, and the Scots, who had taken refuge in the forest of Jcdworth, carried on the war against the English, wherever they could meet with them. Those in Gascony, Poifou, and Sain- tonge, as well French as English, did not observe the truce any better, but conquered towns and castles from each other, by force or intrigue, and ruined and destroyed the country day and night. There were frequently gallant deeds of arms performed, with alter- nate success. Poor rogues took advantage of such times, and robbed both towns and castles ; so that some of them, becoming rich, constituted them- selves captains of bands of tliieves : there were among them those worth forty thousand crowns. Their method was, to mark out the particular towns or castles, a day or two's journey from each other: they then collected twenty or thirty robbers, and, travelling through by-roads in the night-time, entered the town or castle they had fixed on about daybreak, and set one of the houses on fire. When the inhabitants perceived it, they thought it had been a body of forces sent to destroy them, and took to their heels as fast as they could. || * We subjoin Lord Berneis' version of this passage; it is mucli more stiijiing aiu! affecting. " We thynl\ it was gieut pyte ol' the burgesses and other men of the towne -of Calys anil women and chyldren, whan they were I'ayne to forsake tlieir Jiouses, hery- tages and goodes, and to here away nothing ; and tiiey had no restorement of the frenche kyng fur wliose sake they lost all. The most part of tJiem went to Saynt ■Omers."— Ed. t Sir John Montgomery was appointed governor of the town of Cahiis, the 8th Octo- ber, 1^47, by tiie king at Calais; sir John Gauesden was at the same Ume nominated marshal of the town.— RvMKR. t An ancient manuscriptgives the annexed establishmcntof thearmy of king Edward ni., in Normandy and before Calais, in the 20th year of his reign, with their several stipends : • ^t per diem. £. s. it. My lord the prince 1 Bishop of Durham .....U 6 8 13 earls, each 6 8 44 barons and bannerets 4 104t) knights 2 4022 esquires, constables, centenary, and leaders 1 5104 vintenai-s and archers on horseback G 335 pauncenars. 500 hobblei-s. 15,480 loot archers q q 3 314 masons, carpenters, smiths, engineers, tent-makers, miners, armorers, gunners, and artillery-men— some at 12d., lOd., 6d., and 3d. per diem. 4474 VVelsh foot, of whom 200 vuitenars at 4 The rest at 2 700 masters, constables, marinei-s, and pages. 900 ^lup^, barges, baliuger?, and victnulers. Simi total lor the aforesaid men, besides lords 31,2M;. ; and for some men from Ger- many and France, who each receive for their wages 15 florins per month. The sum total of the wages nf war, with tJie wages of tlie mariners, from the 4lh day of June, m the 20th of the said king Edward, to the 12th day of October in tlie 21st of the Slime king, for one year, 131 days, us appears from the book of particular acrounU of Walter Wentwaght, then treasurer of the household, entitled, "Wages of War in Normandy, France, unil before Calais," was 127,201;. 2s. 9irf.-GROsE'3 MUitary MntiQuittes, vol. 1. p. 330. 5 George de Lesiien, physician to Charles de Blois, and Oliver de Bignon, his valet de chanihre, affirmed that their master was closely confined for two years ; that he was shut up every right in the tower, from whence he only came out to walk in the court of tlic castle, where the English soldiers insulted him ; and tliat he never mounted a horsa during these two yeais.— ^tst. u Cfingo ad. crrb. Capit^lis. * The pennon was ttie proper ensign of a baclielor or simple knight. Du Fresne shows, lliat even squires iniglilljear pennons, provided they could bring a sufticientsuit of vassals to the tield. — J^otc in Grasc\'t Mihtarv .'Intiquitics. See also p. 206, vol. i., for an accountoftiie banner und banneret, and p. 256, vol. ii. In computing the numbers of an army, every man-at-arrr.s sliouid be counted as three ; for each liad liis squire "to bear his lance, &c.. and also Jiis body squire. Villarot, in Jiis History of France, says that three thousand men-at-arms amounted to nearly twelve thousand men. Vol. v. 4th edit, p. 179. that is the only road for an attack, one must pass through the midst of them. This lane has no other entry ; and it is so narrow, that scarcely can four men ride through it abreast. At the end of this lane, amid vines and thorns, where it is impossible to ride or march in any regular order, are posted the men-at-arms on foot ; and they have drawn up before them their archers, in the manner of a harrow, so that it will be no easy matter to defeat them." The king asked, in what manner they would advise him to attack them : " Sir," re- plied sir Eustace, " on foot : except three hundred of the most expert and boldest of your army, who must be well armed and ex- cellently mounted, in order to break, if possible, this body of archers, and then your battalions must advance quickly on foot, attack the men-at-arms hand to hand, and combat tkcm valiantly. This is the best advice that I can give you ; and, if any one know a better, let him say it." The king replied ; " Thus shall it be then ;" and, in company with his two marshals, he rode from battalion to battalion, and selected, in conformity to their opinions, three hundred knights and squires of the greatest repute in his army, each well armed and mounted oir the best of horses. Soon after, the battalion of the Germans was formed, who were to remain on horseback to assist the marsha's : they were commanded by the earls of Saltzburg, Neydo^ and Nassau. King John was armed in royal armor, and nineteen others like him*. He had given his eldest son in charge to the lord of St, Venant, the lord of Landas, and the lord Theobald de Bodenay. The lord Geofiry de Chargny carried the banner of France, as be- ing the most valiant and prudent knight of the army. The lord Reginald de Quenolle t, surnaiued the Archpriest, wore the ftdl armor of the young earl of Alen^on. CHAPTER CLX. THE CAKDINAL DE PERIGOKD ENDEAVOKS TO MAKE PEACE BETWEEN THI KING OF FRANCE AND THE PRINCE OF WALES, PREVIOUS TO THE BATTLE OF POITIERS. When the battalions of the king of France were drawn up, and- each lord posted under his proper banner, and informed how they were to act, it was ordered, that ail those who were armed with lances should shorten them to the length of five feet, that they might be the more manageable, and that every one should take oft' his spurs. As the French were on the point of marching to their ene- mies, the cardinal de Perigord, who had left Poitiers that morning: early, came full gallop up to the king, making a low reverence, and entreated him, with uplifted hands, for the love of God, to halt a moment, that he might speak to him : he thus began : " Most dear sire, you have here with you all the flower of knighthood of your kingdom against a handful of people, such as the English are, when compared to your army ; you may have them upon other terius than by a battle ; and it will be more honorable and profitable to you to gain them by these means than to risk such a fine army, and sucht noble persons as you have now with you. I therefore beseech you, in all humility, and by the love of God, that you will permit me to go to the prince, and remonstrate with him on the dangerous situa. tion he is in." The king answered, "It is very agreeable to us; but make haste back again." The cardinal upon this, set off', and went in all speed to the prince, J whom he found on foot in the midst of his army, in the thickest part 1 of a vineyard. When the cardinal came there, he dismounted, and advanced to the prince, who most aflably received him, and, after he had made his reverence, said : " Fair son, if yon have well consid- ered the great army of the king of France, you will permit me to make up matters between you both, if I possibly can." The prince, who was but in his youth, replied : " Sir, my own honor, and that of my army saved, and I am ready to listen to any reasonable terms." The cardinal answered : " Fair son, you say well : and I will bring * This custom of arming several in lilto manner to the commander of an army, seems to have been usual, and was carried down to our Richard lll.'s time. ShajLspeare makes Ricliard say in the tijurlh scene of Uie last act ; " I think, there be six Richmonds in the tield : p'ive have I slain to-, and with an army in disorder, while the batUe of Poitiers commenced eaijy in the m, rnin. and the French array well arranged. There were many nK.re gallant deeds w fo ned wi hout comparison, in this than in the former battle; and there were no somaTy great lords slain Those tlmt were there behaved themselves so loyally, that their heirs, to thU day. are honored for their sake." CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 105 armed as the young earl of Alcn9on. There were also from Au- vergne, the lord de Marcucil, the lord do !a Tour, the lord de Cha- lenton, the lord de Montagu, the lord de Rochcfoit, the lord de la Chaire, the lord d'Achon ; and from Limousin, the lord de Linal, the lord de Naruel, and the lord Pierre de Buffiere. From Picardy, there were tJie lord William de Merle, the lord Arnold de Renne- val, the lord Geoffry de St. Dizier, the lord de Chouny, the lord dc Heiy, the lord de Monsant, the lord de Hagncs, and many others. The lord Douglas,* from Scotland, was also in the king's battalion, and for some time fought very valiantly ; but, when he perceived that the discomfiture was so complete on the side of the French, he saved himself as fast as he could ; for he drended so much being taken by the English, that he had rather have been slain. The lord James Audley, with the assistance of bis four squires, was always engaged in the heat of the battle. He was severely wounded in the body, head and face ; and as long as his strength and breath permitted him, he maintained the fight, and advanced forward : he continued to do so until he was covered with blood : then, toward the close of the engagement, his four squires, who were as his body-guard, took him, and led him out of the engagement, very weak and wounded, toward a hedge, that he might cool and take breatli. They disarmed him gently as they could, in order to examine his wuunds, dress tliem, and sew up the most dangerous. King John, on Ms part, proved himself a good knight ; and, if the fourth of his people had behaved as well, the day would have been his own. Those, however, who had remained with him acquitted themselves to the best of their power, and were either slain or taken prisoners. Scarcely any who were with the king attempted to escape. Among the slain, were the duke Peter de Bourbon, the duke of Athens, constable of France, the bishop of Chalonst in Champagne, the lord Guiscard de Beaujeu, and the lord of Landas. The archpriest, sir Theobald de Bodenay and the lord of Pompadour, were made prisoners, badly wounded. In another part of the field of battle, the earls of Vaudemont and Genville, and the earl of Ven- d6me, were prisoners. Not far from that spot were slain, the lord William do Nesle and the lord Eustace de Ribeaumont, the lord de la Tour and the Lord William de Montagu. Tlie lord Lewis de Melvai, the lord Pierre de Buffiere and the lord de Senerach, were taken. In this engagement, upward of two hundred knights and squires were killed or captured. A band of Norman knights still kept up the battle, in another part of the field ; and of these, sir Guinentun de Chambly and sir Baudrin dc la House were slain : many others were discomfited, who were fighting in small bodies. ■■* " Lord Douglas, tbrgetfiil of his religious pilgriinage, ottered his sword to the French kiiig. tie was received with di'^lingiiished honors. 'was made a knight of his hande,' Scala Chron. ap. Leiaiid, and his ser^'ice was accepted. To say that a person received Uie honor of knighthood, is, in modern language, uninteresting, and sometimes it is Uidi- crou3. This must always be the case, when names and ceremonies are retained, while from a total change of manners, that which gave dignity to such names and ceremonies is forgotten by tlie vulgar. " Great carnage was made of the Scots at the battle of Poitiers. Lord Douglas, after having been wounded, was forced off tlie field by his sur\'iving cooipanions. Archibald Douglas, a warrior eminent in our history, fell into the power of the enemy ; but, by the axtraordinary presence of mind of sir AViHiam Ramsay of Colluthy, he was concealed, and escaped unknown. Tlie story of Archibald Douglas's escape, as related by For- dun. is curious. It shall be translated as nearly as possible in liis own manner. 'Archi- bald Douglas, having been made prisoner along with the rest, appeared in more sump- tuous armor than the other Scottish prisoners; and, tlieret'jre, he was supposed by the Englisli to be some great lord. Late in the evening after the battle, when the English were about to strip off his armor, m Wilbam Ramsay of Colluthy, happening to be pres- ent, fixed his eyes on Archibald Duuglas, and affecting to be in a violent passion, cried out, " You cursed, damnable murderer, how comes it, in the name of mischief (ex parte diaboli.) tliat you are thus proudly decked out in your master's armor? Come hitlier, and pull off my boots." Douglas approached trembling, kneeled down, and pulled off one of the boots. Ramsay, taking up the boot, beat Douglas with it. The En g lish bystanders, imagining him out of his senses, interposed, and rescued Douglas. They said, that the person whom he had beaten was certainly of great rank, and a lord. "What, he a lord "?" cried Ramsay: "he is a scullion, and a base knave, and as 1 suppose, has killed his master. Go. you villain, to the field, search for the body of my cousin, your master ; and when you have found it, come back, that at least [ may give him a decent burial." Then he ransomed the feigned ser\'ing-man for forty shillings; and. having buffeted him smartly, he cried, "Get you gone; fl#" Douglas bore all this patiently, carried on the deceit, and was soon beyond the reach of his enemies.' "This story, as to some of its circumstances, may not seem altogether probable; yet, in the main, it lias the .ippearance of truth. Had I been at liberty to vary the nan-ative, I would have made Ramsay suspect, that the feisned serving man had stripped his master, after he had been slain or mortally wounded. This Archibald was the natural son of the renowned sir James Douglas, slain by the Saracens in Granada."— Lord Haile's ./Jnnala of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 240, 241. t The bishop of Chalons. We see, by the example of this prelate and of the archbishop of Sens, who assisted at the battle of Poitiers, that the custom, arising out of the feudal law, which obliged ecclesiastics to personal senice in the armies, subsisted in many parts of France. The laws of the church condemned this practice, to which their temporal possessions subjected the clergy. This contradiction in the form of our government with the spi'-it of our religion e.visted until the practice was insensibly abolished by different dis- pensations, and exchanged for contributions of money and men. Francis I. by his edict of die 4th July, 1541, regulated the clauses for their exemption. Since that period, the clergy have been exempted from service of ban and arriere ban, by different letters patent and particularly by an edict of the 29th April. 1636, under Lewis XIII.— Villarbt, Hist dc France, vol. v. 2. 104. CHAPTER CLXII.* TWO FRENCHMEN, KUNNING AWAY FROM THE BATTLE OF POITIERS, AKE PrRSVED BY TWO ENGLISHMEN, WHO ARE THEMSELVES MADE PRISONERS. Among the battles, skirmishes, flights ami pureuits, which hap. pened in the course of this day, an adventure befel sir Edward de Roucy, wliich I cannot omit relating in this place. He had left the field of battle, as he perceived the day was irrecoverably lost; and, not wishing to fall in the hands of the English, vias got about a league oft"; when he was pursued by an English knight, his lance in rest, who cried to him, '• Sir knight, turn about : you ought to be ashamed thus to fly." Upon this, sir Edward halted, and the Englishmau attacked him, tliinking to fix his lance in liis target ; but he failed, for sir Edward turned the stroke aside, nevfflTlieless he did not miss his own : with his spear he hit his enemy so violent a blow on the helmet, that he was stunned and fell to the ground, where he re- mained senseless. Sir Edward dismounted, and, placing his lance on his breast, told him he would certainly kill liim, if he did not surrender himself his prisoner, rescued or not. The Englishman sur- rendered, and went with sir Edward, who afterwards ransomed him. It happened that, in the midst of the general pursuit, a squire from Picardy, named John de Helennes, had quitted the king's division, and, meeting his page with a fresh horse, had mounted him, and made off" as fast as he could. At that time, there was near to him the lord of Berkeley, a young knight, who, for the first time, had that day displayed his banner : he immediately set out in pursuit of him. When the lord of Berkeley had followed him for some little time, John de Helennes turned about, put his sword under his arm in the manner of a lance, and thus advanced upon the lord Berkeley, who taking his sword by the handle, flourished it, and lifted up Ms arm in order to strike the squire as he passed. John de Helennes, seeing the intended stroke, avoided it, but did not miss his own ; for as they passed each other, by a blow on the arm he made lord Berkeley's sword fall to the ground. When the knight found that he had lost his sword, and that the squire had his, he dismounted, and made for the place where his sword lay : but he could not get there before the squire gave him a violent thrust which passed through both his thighs, so that, not being able to help himself, he fell to the ground. John upon this dismounted, and, seizing the sword of the knight, advanced up to him and asked him if he were willing to sun'onder. The knight required his name : "I am called John de Helennes," said he, " what is your name?" "In truth, companion," replied the knight, "my name is Thomas, and I am lord of Berkeley, a very handsome castle situated on the river Severn, on the borders of "iVales." Lord of Berkeley," said the squire, " you shall be my prisoner : I will place you in safety, and take care you are healed, for you appear to me to be badly wounded." The knight answered, " I surrender myself willingly, for you have loyally conquered me." He gave him his word that he would be his prisoner, rescued or not. John then drew his sword out of the knight's thighs and the wounds remained open ; but he bound them up tightly, and, placing him on his horee, led him a foot-pace to Chatelherault. He continued there, out of friendship to him, for fifteen days, and had medicines administered to him. When the knight was a little recovered, he had him placed in a litter, and conducted him safe to his house in Picardy; where he remained more than a year before he was quite cured, though he continued lame ; and when he departed, he paid for his ransom six thousand nobles, so that this squire became a knight by the great profit he got from the lord of Berkeley. CHAPTER CLXIII. THE MAN.>reK IN WHICH KING JOHN WAS TAKEN PRISONER AT THE BATTLE OF POITIERS. It often happens, that fortune in war and love turns out more fav orable and wonderful than could have been hoped for or expected. To say the truth, this battle which was fought near Poitiers, in the plains of Beauvoir and Maupertius, was veiy bloody and perilous : many gallant deeds of arms were performed that were never known, and the combatants on each side suft"ered much. King John himself did wonders : ho was armed with a battle-axe, with which he fought and defended himself. The earl of Tancarville, in endeavoring to break through the crowd, was made prisoner close to him : as were also sir James de Bourbon, earl of Ponthieu, and the lord John d'Ar- tois, earl of Eu. In another part, a little farther ofl^, the lord Charles d'Artois and many other knights and squires were captured by the division under the banner of the captal de Buch. The pursuit con. tinued even to the gates of Poitiers, where there was much slaughter and overthrow of men and horses ; for the inhabitants of Poitiers had shut their gates, and would suft"er none to enter : upon which account, there was great butchery on the causeway, before the gate, where such numbers were killed or wounded, that several surrendered themselves the moment they spied an Englishman : and there were many English archers who had i'our, five, or six prisoners. The lord of Pons, a powerful baron in Poitou, was slain there, as * Thi5 cimp. in the original ed. is numbered CLX. and chap. XIX. is there numbered XVIH. ; consequently from the latter point to this chapter, the present numbering is one higher, and henceforward will be two higher, than the originnl ed. of Mr. Johnes. This is here noticed to avoid confusion ia Quotations.— Ed. 106 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SF AIN, &c. were several other knights and squires. The viscount de Roche- chouart, the lords de Partenay and de Saintonge, and the lord of Montendre, were taken prisoners : as was the lord John dc Saintre, bst so beaten that he never afterwards recovered hia health : he was coked upon as the most accomplished knight in France. The lord Guiscard d'Angle was left for slain among the dead : he had fought well that day. The lord de Chargny, who was near the king, com. bated bravely during tlie whole engagement: he was always in the crowd, because he carried the king's sovereign banner : his own also was displayed in the field, with his arms, which were three escutch- eons argent on a field gules. The English and Gascons poured so fast upon the king's division that they broke through the ranks by force; and the French^erc so intermixed with their enemies, that at times there were fiv^iien attacking one gentleman. The lord of Pompadour and the lord Bartholomew de Brunes were there captured. The lord dc Chargny* was slain, with the banner of France in his hands, by the lord Reginald Cobhara ; and afterwards the earl of Dammartin shared the same fate. There was much pressing at this time, through eagerness to take the king ; and those who were nearest to him, and knew him, cried out, " Sun-ender yourself, surrender yourself, or you are a dead man." In that part of the field was a young knight from St. Omer, who was engaged by a salary in the service of the king of England ; his name was Denys de Morbeque ; who fur five years had attached himself to the English, on account of having been banished in his younger days from France for a murder committed in an aff"ray at St. Omer. It fortunately happened for this knight that he was at the time near to the king of France, when he was so much pulled about ; he, by dint of force, for he was very strong and robust, pushed through the crowd, and said to the king in good French, " Sire, sire, surrender yourself." The king, who found himself very disagreeably situated, turning to him, asked, "To whom shall I surrender myself ; to whom? Where is my cousin the prince of Wales ? if I could see him, I would speak to him." " Sire," replied sir Denys, " he is not here ; but surrender yourself to me, and I will lead you to him." " Who are you?" said the king. " Sire, I am Denys de Morbeque, a knight from Artois ; but I serve the king of England, because I cannot be- long to France, having forfeited all I possessed there." The king then gave him his right hand glove, and said, " I surrender myself to you." There was much crowding and pushing about, for every one was eager to cry out, " I have taken him." Neither the king nor his youngest son Fliilip were able to get forward, and free themselves from the throng. The prince of Wales, who was as courageous as a lion,t took great delight that day to combat his enemies. Sir John Chandos, who was near his person, and had never quitted it during the whole of the day, nor stopped to make prisoners, said to him toward the end of the bat le ; " Sir, it will be proper for you to halt here, and plant your banner on the top of this bush, which will serve to rally your forces, that seem verj' much scattered ; for I do not see any banners or pen- nons of the French, nor any considerable bodies able to rally against us; and you must refresh yourself a little, as I perceive you are very much heated." Upon this the banner of the prince was placed on a high bush : the ministrcls began to play, and trumpets and clarions to do their duty. The prince took off his helmet, and the knights at- tendant on liis person, and belonging to his chamber, were soon ready, and pitched a small pavilion of crimson color, which the prince entered. Liquor was then brought to him and the other knights u ho were with him : they increased every moment ; for they were return, ing from the pursuit, and stopped there surrounded by their prisoners. As soon as the two marshals were come back, the prince asked them if they knew anything of the king of France : they replied, " No, sir, not for a certainty ; but we believe he must be either killed or made prisoner, since he has never quitted his battalion." The prince then, addressing the earl of Warwick and lord Cobham, said; " I beg of you to mount your horses, and ride over the field, so that on your return you may bring me some certain intelligence of him." The two barons, immediately mounting their horses, left the prince, and made for a small hillock, that they might look about them : from their stand they perceived a crowd of men.at.arms on foot, who were advancing very slowly. The king of France was in the midst of them, and in great danger ; for the English and Gascons had taken him from sir Denys de Morbeque, and were disputing who should have him, the stoutest bawling out, " It is I that have got him :" " No, no," replied the other.s, " we have him." The king, to escape from this peril, said, " Gentlemen, gent'emen, I pray you conduct me and my son in a courteous manner to my cousin the prince ; and do not make such a riot about my capture, for I am so great a lord that I can make all sufficiently rich." These words, and others which fell from the king, appeased them a little ; but the disputes were always beginning again, and they did not move a step without riot, ing. When the two barons saw this troop of people, they descended from the hillock, and sticking spurs into their horses, made up to tliem. On their arrival, they asked what was the matter : they were answered, that it was the king of France, who had been made pris- oner, and that upward of ten knights and squires challenged him at the same time, as belonging to each of them. The two barons then pushed through the crowd by main force, and ordered all to draw aside. They commanded, in the name of the prince, and under pain, of instant death, that every one should keep his distance, and not ap- proach unless ordered or desired so to do. They all retreated behind the king; and the two barons, dismounting, advanced to the king wilh profound reverences, and conducted him in a peaceable manner to the prince of Wales. Edwaed THE Black PmscK— From the Tomb at Caaterbury. CHAPTER CLXIV. THE PRINCE OF WALES MAKES A U.'NDSOME PRESENT TO THE LORD JAMES AITHLEY, after THE BATTLE OF POITIERS. Soon after the earl of Warwick and the lord Reginald Cobham had left the prince, as has been above related, he inquired from those knights who were about him of lord James Audley, and asked if any one knew what was become of him : " Yes, sir," replied some of the company, " he is very badly wounded, and is lying in a litter hard by." " By my troth," replied the prince, " I am sore vexed that he is so wounded. See, I beg of you, if he be able to bear being carried hither : otherwise I will come and visit him." Two knights directly left the prince, and coming to lord James, told him how desirous the prince was of seeing him. " A thousand thanks to the prince," answered lord James, "for condescending to remember so poor a knight as myself." He then called eight of his servants, and had himself borne in his litter to where the prince was. When he was come into his presence, the prince bent down over him, and em- braced him, saying ; " My lord James, I am bound to honor you very much ; for, by your valor this day, you have acquired glory and re- nown above us all, and your prowess has proved you the bravest knight." Lord James replied ; " My lord, you have a right to say whatever you please, but I wish it were as you have said. If I have this day been forward to serve you, it has been to accomplish a vow that I had made, and it ought not to be thought so much of." " Sir James," answered the prince, " I and all the rest of us deem you the bravest knight on our side in this battle ; and to increase your renown, and furnish you wilhal to pursue your career of glory in war, I retain you henceforward, for ever, as my knight, with five hundred marcs* of yearly revenue, which I will secure to you from my estates in EJhgland." " Sir," said lord James, " God make me deserving of tha good fortune you bestow upon me." At these words he took leave of the prince, as he was very weak, and his servants carried him bach to his tent : he could not have been at a great distance, when the earl of Warwick and lord Reginald Cobham entered the pavilion of the prince, and presented the king of France to him. The prince made a very low obeisance to the king, and gave him as much com- fort as he was able, which he knew well how to administer. He ordered wine and spices to be brought, which he presented to the king himself, as a mark of his great affection. * Monscigneur Geoffrey de Chargny.— D. Sauvage. t Courageous and cruel as a Uon, says Lord Berners; the edition of D- Sauvage lias fie same word^. CHAPTER CLXV. THE ENSLISH GAIN VERY CONSIDERABLY AT THE BATTLE OF POITIERS. Thus was this battle won, as you have heard related, in the plains of Maupertius, two leagues from the city of Poitiers, on the 19th day of September, 1356.t It commenced about nine o'clock, and • Themarcisl3s.4d.-PHILUP3 , „ . . ■.. i, „ t Froissnrt calls it on the 22nd day of September, 1367 ; but Bouchet proves it to bo a mWliike in his Aiinales d' Aquitaine, from the regbters of the convent where tlie noble- men Iha't were slain were buried: and in mv two MSB. it is 1356. AUo in tlie Aiioales Kerum 'Vnglicarum, Wilhelmi Wincestcr, ISM. " Hoc amio, .\L\ die Septembns. coptio i regUJohannis Franciie. perEdwardum priiicipem." CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 107 -was ended by noon ; but the English were not all returned from the pursuit, and it was to recall his people that the prince had placed his banner upon a high bush. Tliey did not return till late after vespers from pursuing the enemy. It was reported that all the flower of French knighthood were slaiu ; and that, with the king and his son the lord Fhilip, seventeen earls, without counting barons, knights or squires, were made prisoner, and from five to six thousand of all sorts left dead in the field. When they were collected, they found they had twice as many prisoners as themselves : they therefore con- sulted, if, considering the risk they might run, it would not be more advisable to ransom thetn on the spot. This was done : and the prisoners found the English and Gascons very civil, for there were many set at liberty that day on their promise of coming to Bordeaux before Christmas to pay their ransom. When all were returned to tlieir banners, they retired to their camp, which was adjoining to the field of battle. Some disarmed themselves, and did the same to their prisoners, to whom they showed every kindness ; for whoever made any prisoners, they were solely at his disposal, to ransom or not, as he pleased. It may be easily supposed that all those who accompanied the prince were very rich in glory and wealth, as well by the ransoms of his prisoners, as by the quantities of gold and silver plate, rich jewels, and trunks stuffed full of belts, that were weighty from their gold and silver ornaments, and furred mantles. They set no value on armor, tents, or other things ; for the Frencli had come there as magnificently and richly dressed as if they had been sure of gaining the victory. CHAPTER CLXVI. THE LORD JAJIES ATTDLEY GIVES TO iilS SQUIRES THE PENSION OF FIVE HUNDRED JrARCS HE HAD RECEIVED FROM THE PRINCE. When the lord James Audley was brought back to his tent, after having most respectfully thanked the prince for his gift, he did not remain long before he sent for his brother sir Peter Audley, the lord Bartholomew Burghersh, sir Stephen Coffington, lord Willoughby of Eresby, and lord William Ferrers of Groby : they were all his rela. tions. He then sent for his four squires that had attended upon him that day, and, addressing himself to the knights, said: " Gentlemen, it has pleased my lord the prince to give nie five hundred marcs as a yearly inheritance ; for which gift I have done him very trifling bodily service. You see here these four squires, who have always served me most loyally, and especially in this day's engagement. What glory I may have gained has been through their means, and by tlieir valor; on which account I wish to reward them. I therefore give and resign into their hands the gift of five hundred marcs, which my lord the prince has been pleased to bestow on me, in the same form and manner that it has been presented to me. I disinherit myself of it, and give it to them simply, and without a possibility of revoking it." The knights present looked on each other, and said, *' It is becoming the noble mind of lord James to make such a gift ;" and then unanimously added : " May the Lord God remember you for it I We will bear witness to this gift to them wheresoever and whensoever they may call on us." They then took leave of him; when some went to the prince of Wales, who that night was to give a supper to the king of France from his own provisions : for the French had brought vast quantities with them, which w^ere now fallen into the hands of the English, many of whom had not tasted bread for the last three days. CHAPTER CLXVII. the PRINCE OF WALES ENTERTAINS THE KING OF FRANCE AT SUPPER, THE EVENING AFTER THE BATTLE, When evening was come, the prince of Wales gave a supper in his pavilion to the king of France, and to the greater part of the princes and barons who were prisoners. The prince seated the king of France and his son the lord Philip at an elevated and well-covered table : with them were, sir James de Bourbon, the lord John d'Artois, the earls of Tancarville, of Estampes, of Dammartin, of Graville, and the lord of Partenay. The other knights and squires were placed at different tables. The prince himself served the king's table, as well as the others, with every mark of humility, and would not sit down at it, in spite of all his entreaties for him so to do, saying, that *'hc was not worthy of such an honor, nor did it appertain to him to seat himself at the table of so great a king, or of so valiant a man as he had shown himself by his actions that day." He added also with a noble air : " Dear sir, do not make a poor meal because the Al- mighty God has not gratified your wishes in the event of this day ; for be assured that my lord and father will show you every honor and friendship in his power, and will arrange your ransom so reason, ably, that you will henceforward always remain friends. In my opinion, you have cause to be glad that the success of this battle did not turn out as you desired ; for you have this day acquired such high renown for prowess, that you have surpassed all the best knights on your side. I do not, dear sir, say this to flatter you, for all those of our side who have seen and observed the actions of each party, have unanimously allowed this to be your due, and decree you the prize and garland for it." At the end of this speech there were murmurs of praise heard from every one ; and the French said, the prince had spoken nobly and truly, and that he would be one of the most gallant princes in Christendom, if God should grant him life to pursue his career of glory.* * Extract taken troni the convent of the Freres Mineurs, in the city of Poitiers, of the names oriliose knights who were slain in the battle of Poitiers, and otlier gentlemen that were bnried in that convent. " First, tlie underneatli knights : The duke of Athens, constable of France Sir WilHam de Linnierea The bishop of Chalon, (Regnauld Chaveau Sir Ohvier de St. Giles — Clironique de VVassebourg) M. Andre, viscount de Chauvigny Sir IjCwis de Bros?e Sir John, iord of Mailly in Berry Sir Geoftry de Chargny in Champagne W. de Montjouan Sir John de L-isIe Sir Gris Mouton de Chambcly Sir Peter de Chambely. his brother ai. de Chateau Vilain, in Champagne Sir Jolm de Montigny Sir John de Maulniont Sir John de Bourbon Sir Philip de Boutenniilier Sir Hugh deMaille Sir Geoftry de St. Uizier Sir Ayniery de la Barre SirWdliamdeBIese Sir John de Griilon M.de CJiitre, lord ofRademonde M. Clerin de Clierucs M. Baudiii de Gargalingaea Sir Ansiaulnie tie Hois Sir Micliael de Pommoj' Sir Richard de Beaulieu Sir AVilliain de Fuylle Sir Hugh Bonnyn M. Dannee de Meloa Sir William de Creneur Sir 'William de Ilomeneuil Sir John de Cianches M. Yvon du Pont. lord ofRocbecheniieie Sir William (te Mongy Sir John de Tigny Sir John Brigdene Sir John de Noirterre Sir Wilham de Puty Sir Robert de Chalus Sir Adam de BeauviUiers Sir Bonabes de Roges Sir Vynies de St. Denis Sir Mace de Grosbois Sir Louis de NuDy Sir Simon Oynepuille Sir Henry, his brother M. de Champrecour Sir William Sauvage Sir WiUiam du Retail Sir Sequin de Cloux M. !e Vidnme de la Koche Dagon Sir Raol de Resay Sir John de la Mirabeau Sir Guiscard de Chantylon M. Ancelin deCarou, lord ofHes M. Guy des Barres, lord of Chaumont Sir John de Cloys M. le BorgnedePrie. Bernard de Douzenac Robert Gilles de Miraumont Guichenux de Maronnay Gintrd de Pierre Witliatn de la Fosse Robert de la Roche Pierre de Bras John Ribriche, lord of Corbon Ceiart Herausant Hopart de Hanpedourt Guynion Pery William de la Jarracere William Griau Olivier de la Rosay Girard Delec Berart de Lemont Heymonnet Embert Jobertd*Artoy Richard deVendel William Seurin John du Flume SQUIRES. John Uefleat Guy de Boumay Le lyoine de Montigny Guinet de Biyssou John de Bnnac Vmbert de Chamborant Brunet d'Augun John Sarrayn Peter de St. Denis Perrine de Pache Ferry Pate John Dynie Le Petit d'Inchequin Jehannot de Moutabis Jolivet BufTart John deBourmeuiiie John Martin " Ardouyn de la Touche William de Lusange Le Petit Bidaut de la Rochedegon. " Many other bodies slain at tiie aforesaid battle, by licence from the official, and pe> mission of the mayor of Poitiers, were brought in carts from the Freres Mineurs of that town, and buried in large graves in their church-yard, without the church, the feast-siay of St. Valentine, 1356 ; and honorable obsequies were performed in all the churches and convents in the town of Poitiers, at the cost of the good citizens of that town. " Underneath are the names of those who were buried in the church of les Freres Pres- cheurs, of (he town of Poitiers, which I have taken and extracted from the book called the Kalendar of the Convent, and translated froru the Latin into French, chapter fiflh. The duke of Bourbon on the right of the great altar. Theniarechal de Clermonton the opposire side. Lower down, hut near him, sir Aubert d'Anget. Alter him the viscount de Rocliechouart. In the middle of Uie choir, Aymer de la Rochefoucault. At the entrance of the choir, on the right. Sir Jolm de Sancerre. Ill the chapel ofthe Magdalen, Sir John de St. Didier. In the same cliapel, nearthewall.Thjbaut de Laval. In the chapel ofthe Apostles, near the wail, sir Thomas deMotiiz. In the cliapel ofour lady, sir Wal'er de Montagu. Adjoining to him, sir Raoul Rabinard. In the nave, near the door, sir John Ferchaut. Near to him, sir Peter Marchadier, and Heliothis brother. Opposite the statue of St. Michael, sirOliverde Mouvilie. On ihe other side, sir Philip ." replied the citi- zen, " for the governor is strongly attached to the French interest ; and, without having gained the castle, we dare not show ourselves, for he is master of the town and suburbs." Sir William answered : " I will tell you. You must get three or four citizens of your friends, that are of the same way of thinking as yourself, and till your houses well with armed men that can be depended on ; and I promise you on my head, that we will enter the castle by a trick, without incur- ring any danger." The citizen was so active, that he soon collected a hundred of his friends, who were as well inclined as himself. Sir William went in and out of the town without any suspicion ; for he had not borne arms in the last expedition with the lord Philip de Navan-e, because the greater part of his property lay near to Evreux, and the king of France, at the time he conquered Evreux, had made all the landholders in the neighborhood swear allegiance to him, otherwise he would have taken possession of their lands ; he had thus only gained outwardly their affections, but their hearts re- mained attached to the interest of NavaiTC. If king John, however, had been in France, this sir William would not have dared to attempt what he performed. But he perceived the embarrassed state of pub- lic affairs, and that the three estates were desirous of giving the king of Navarre his liberty. Sir William having made his preparations, the citizens were ap- prized what they were to do : he armed himself at all points, put on • Twenty youne men of quality, and among tlicm the eldest son of tlie Stewart were to be given as hostages ; and for further securily. three of tlie followinj; great lords were to place thems- ffether.— Lord Bernurs. Barnes calls him Grijfitk, hut mentions no authority, t A town in Beauce, election of Dourdon. 5A town in Beauce. election of Chartres. II A city in Beauce. thirteen leagues from Paris. II A city of Orleanois. capital oi Beauce. twenty-two leagues from Pail*. * «A town in the isle of France, seven leagues from Parrs, tt A market-town in Gatinois. ijSt. Matliurin de Lnrchant. a town in Gatinois. a A town in Beanco. election of Chfiteaudun. nil Capital ofGatinois, twenty-seven leagues and a lialf trom Paris. HI? Mi part-ie bleu. ■ *"*" E'ieune JIarcel was provost of ttw raerdiants. The president, Henauh. only men- tions Robert de Clermont, marcchal de Norraandie, and Jean de Connans. marechal de Champagne, as havrng been slain in the aparlment of the regent. Mezeray says the same, bimon de Bnci he states as premier president, and ennobled 1369. This inwilence rf Marcel ire puts under tire year 1368. ai,d the king of Navane's escape from prison CHAPTER CLXXIX. BY WHAT MEANS THE KING OF NAVARRE ESCAPES Ot!T OF PRISON. Shortly aflor this happened, the lord John de Piquigny and some other knights, through the advice of the provost of merchants and the principal persons of some of the other considerable towns, went to the strong castle of AUeres* in Pailleul, situated in Picardy, where the king of Navarre was imprisoned, under the guard of sir Tristan du Bois. These gentlemen brought such certain and assured tokens to the governor, that he allowed them to watch the opportu- nity when sir Tristan should be absent, so that by their means the king of Navarre was delivered out of his prison, and carried by them with great joy to Amiens, where he was gladly and honorably received. He dismounted at the house of a canon, who was much attached to him, whose name was the lord Guy Kjtcc. The king v.-as con- ducted thither by the lord John de Piquigny; and he remained with the canon fifteen days, until he had completed his equipage, and was assured of the duke of Normandy's dispositions ; for the provost of the merchants, who much loved him, obtained by entrea- ties his pardon from the duke, as well as from his fellow-citizens at Paris. Upon this, the king of Navarre was escorted to Paris by the lord John de Piquigny and others, citizens of Amiens, where he was gladly seen by all sorts of people : even the duke of Normandy en. tertained him ; for it was necessary he should do so, as the provost and his faction had exhorted him to it ; and the duke dissembled his own inclinations, to comply with those of the provost and the Pa- risians. CHAPTER CLXXX. THE KING OF NAVARRE MAKES A SOLEMN HAKANGFTE TO THE PARISIAN*. When the king of Navarre had been some time in Palis, he col- lected an assembly of all sorts of people ; prelates, knights, and the students at the university. He made to them a very long and studied harangue in Latin. The duke of Normandy was likewise present. He complained of the grievances and ills he had unjustly suffered, and said that no one could possibly entertain a doubt that his sole wish must be to live and die defending the realm and crown of France. It was his duty so to do ; for he was descended from it, in a direct line, both by father and mother ; and by his words he gave them to understand, that if he chose to challenge the realm and crown of France for himself, he could show that his right to them was incontcstablystronger than that of the king of England. It must be observed, that he was heard with great attention, and much commended. Thus, by little and little, he won the hearts of the Parisians, who loved and respected him more than they did the regent, duke of Normandy. Many other cities and towns in Franco followed this example : but, notwithstanding all tlie love and affec. tion which the provost of merchants and the Parisians showed to the king of Navarre, the lord Philip de Navarre would not be seduced by it, or consent to come to Paris, He said, that in connnonaltics there was neither dependence nor union, except in the destruction of everything good. CHAPTER CLXXXI. THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE INFAMOUS JAQUERIE OF EEAUl'OISIS. Soon after the deliverance of the king of Navarre out of prison, a marvellous and great tribulation befel the kingdom of France, in Beauvoisis, Brie, upon the river Marne, in the Laonnois, and in the neighborhood of Soissons. Some of the inhabitants of the country towns assembled together in Beauvoisis, without any leader : they were not at first more than one hundred men. They said that the nobles of the kingdom of France, knights and squires, were a die- grace to it, and that it would be a very meritorious act to destroy them all: to which proposition every one assented, and added, shame befal him that should be the means of preventing the gentlemen from being wholly destroyed. They then, without further counsel, collected themselves in a body, and with no other arms than the stSves shod with iron, which some had, and others with knives, marched to the house of a knight who lived near, and breaking it open, murdered the knight, his lady, and all the children, both great and small ; they then burnt the house. After this, their second expedition was to the strong castle of another knight, which they look, and, having tied him to a stake, many of them violated his wife and daughter before his eyes : they then murdered the lady, her daughter, and the other children, and last of all the knight himself, with much cruelty. They destroyed and burnt his castle. They did the like to many castles and hand- some houses ; and their numbers increased so much that they were in a short time upward of six thousand : wherever they went, they received additions, for all of their rank in life followed them, while every one else fled, carrying ofi" with them their ladies, damsels, and children, ten or twenty leagues distant, where they thought they * Q. if not Allcry. which is n town in Picardy, near to Amiens. It was said before, tJiat the castle of Crevacojur was bis prison. Barnes says It was ArleuT, a town in the diocese of CTainbray and Douay. CHRONICLES OFENGL AND. FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. «ould place them in security, lea-ving their houses, with all their riches in thorn. Tliese wiclccd people, wit'ioiit leader and without arms, plundered ■«nd burnt all the houses they came to, murdered every gentleman, tnd violated every lady and damsel they could find. He who com- mitted the' most atrociou.s actions, and such as no human creature Battle of Mkaux, in Brie, wliere the Jacquerie were defeated by the count de Foix and the captal de Buch From a MS. Froissart of the Fifteenth C^nturj-. ■would have imagined, was the most applauded, and con.^idered as the greatest man among them. I dare not write the horrible and inconceivable atrocities they committed on the persons of the ladies. Among other infamous acts, they murdered a knight; and having fastened him to a spit, roasted him before the eyes of his wife and his children, and, after ten or twelve had violated her, they forced Tier to eat some of her husband's flesh, and then knocked her brains out. They had chosen a king among them, "who came from Cler- mont in Beauvoisis : he was elected as the worst of the bad, and they denominated him .Tames Goodman.* These wretches burnt and destroyed in the county of Beauvoisis, and at Corbie, Amiens, and Montdidier, upward of sixty good houses and strong castles. By the acts of such traitors in the country of Brie and thereabout, it behoved every lady, knight, and squire, having the means of escape, to fly to Meaux, if they wished to preserve themselves from being insulted and afterwards murdered. The duchess of Normandy, the duchess of Orleans, and many other ladies, had adopted this course lo save themselves from violation. These cursed people thus sup- ported themselves in the countries between Paris, Noyon, and Sois- sons, and in nil the territory of Coney, in the county of Valois. In the bishoprics of Noyon, Laon, and Soissons, there were upward of one hundred castles and good houses of knights and squires de- stroyed. 113 have amounted to more than one hundred thousand. ^VIlcn they were asked for what reason they acted so wickedly ; they replied, they knew not, but they did so because they saw others do it ; and tLcy thought that by this means they should destroy all the nobles and gentlemen in the world. At this period, the duke of Normandy, suspecting the king of Navarre, the provost of merchants and those of his faction, for they were always unani. mous in their senti. ments, set out from Paris, and went to the bridge at Charenton. upon. Marnc, where he issued a special sum- mons for the attend, ance of the crown vassals, and sent a de- fiance to the provost of merchants, and to all those who should supporthim. The pro- vost, being fearful he would return in the night-time to Paris, (which was then un- inclosed,) collected as many workmen as pos. sible from all parts, and employed them to make ditches quite round Paris. He also suiTounded it by a wall with strong gates. For the space of one year, there were three hundred workmen daily employed ; the e.\pense of which was equal to maintaining an army. I must say, that to surround, with a suflicient defence, such a city as Paris, was an act of greateu utility than any pro. vest of merchants had ever done before ; for otherwise it would have been plundered and destroyed several times by the different factions. the CHAPTER CLXXXIII. THZ KtNG OF .VAVAKRE DEFEAT.? MANY OF THF-SE VILLAINS IN BEAU. VOISIS. THE PROVOST OF MERCHANTS BUILDS A WALL ROUND PARIS. When the gentlemen of Beauvoisis, Corbie, Vermandois, and of lands where these wretches were associated, saw to what lengths their madness had extended, they sent for succor to their friends in Flanders, Hainault, and Bohemia : from which pkces numbers soon came, and united themselves with the gentlemen of the co'-'ntry. They began therefore to kill and destroy these wretches wherever they met them, and hung them up by troops on the nearest trees. *!'..-.; king of Navarre even destroyed in one day, near Clermont in Beau- voisis, upward of three thousand : but they were by this tiine so much increased in number, th at had they been altjgether, they would * Jacquea Bod Homme. CHAPTER CL XXXIV. THE BATTLE OF MEAUX IN BKIE, WHERE THE VILLAINS ARE DISCOMFITED BY THE EARL OF FOIX A.VD THE CAPTAL OF BUCH. At the time these wicked men were overrunning the country, the earl of Foix, and his cousin the captal of Buch were returning from a croisade in Prussia.* They were informed, on their entering France, of the distress the nobles were in ; and they learnt, at the city of Chalons, that the duchess of Orleans, and three hundred other ladies, under the protection of the duke of Orleans, were fled to Meaux on account of these disturbances. The two knights resolved to go to the assistance of these ladies, and to reinforce them with all their might, notwithstanding the captal was attached to the English ; but at that time there was a truce between the two kings. They might have in their company about eixtv lances. They were most cheer, fully received, on their arrival at Meaux, by the ladies and damsels ; for these Jacks and peasants of Brie had heard what number of ladies, married and unmarried, and young children of quality, were in Meaux ; they had united themselves with those of Valois, and were on their road thither. On the other hand, those of Paris had also been informed of the treasures Meaux contained, and had set out from that place in crowds: having met the others, they amounted together to nine thousand men : their forces were augmenting every step they advanced. They came to the gates of the town, which the inhabitants opened to them, and allowed them to enter ; they did so in such numbers that all the iitreets were quite filled, as far as the maiket-place, which is tolerably strong, but it required to be guarded, though the river Marne nearly suiTounds it. The noble dames who were lodged there, seeing such multitudes rushing toward them, were exceedingly frip-htened. On thi?, the two lords and their company advanced to the gate of the market-place, which they had opened, and marching ui>J .r the banners of the earl of Foix and duke of Orleans, and the * Barnes .nys that the lord Fauconbridga was with them, and quotes Dugdale. vol. li P 4 ; but I do ^ot see that he mentions anrthing ralative to tbi> matter, except that it viade a vpytLgt to the Holn Land. 114 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. pennon of the captal of Buch, posted themselves in front of this peas- antiy, wlio were badly armed. When these banditti perceived such a troop of gentlemen, so well equipped, sally forth to guard the mar- ket place, the foremost of them began to fall back. The gentlemen then followed them, using their lances and swords. When they felt the weight of their blows, ihey, through fear, turned about so fast, they fell one over the other. All manner of armed persons then rushed out of the barriers, drove them before them, striking them down like beasts, and clearing the town of them ; for they kept neither regularity nor order, slaying so many that they wore tired. They flung them in great heaps into the river. In short, they killed upward of seven thousand. Not one would have escaped, if they had chosen to pursue them further. On the return of the men-at-arms, they set fire to the town of Meau.x, burnt it ; and all the peasants they could find were shut up in it, because they had been of the party of the Jacks. Since this discomfiture which happened to them at Meaux, they never collected again in any great bodies ; for the young Enguerrand de Coucy* had plenty of gentlemen under his orders, who destroyed them, wlierever ihey could be met with, without mercy.t CHAPTER CLXXXV. PARIS BESIESED BY THE DUKE OF NORMANDY, KEGENT OF FRANCE. Not long al'ter this event, the duke of Normandy assembled many noblemen and gentlemen, as well those of his own kingdom as from the empire, by means of subsidies. They might amount, in the whole, to more than three thousand lanees. With this force he marched to lay siege to Paris, toward the suburbs of St. Antoine, along the river Seine. He took up his quarters at St. lVIaur,t and encamped his army in that neighborhood ; whence he made excur- sions with it every day toward Paris. Sometimes the duke resided at Charenton, at others at St. Maur. Nothing cotdd enter Paris, by land or water, on that side ; for the duke had "possession of the two rivers, Marne and Seine : his people had burnt all the villages around Paris, which were not inclosed, in order to chastise more severely the Parisians. Paris itself would have been destroyed if it had not been fortified, as before related ; and no one dared to enter or go out of it, for fear of the duke's army, who scoured both sides of the Seine as they pleased, for none ven- tured to oppose them. The provost of merchants still continued his attachment to the king of Navarre as strong as ever ; as did the council and commonalty of Paris ; and, as before said, he employed people night and day the more strongly to fortify the city. He had also a large body of men-at-arms, Navarre soldiers and English arch- ers, and other companions with him. There were among the inhab- itants some very determined and able men, such as .Tohn Maillart, Ws brother Symon, and many of their relations, by whom he was very much disliked on account of his hatred to the duke of Normandy; but the provost had attached to himself such a strong party, that no one dared to contradict him, unless he wished to be murdered with, out mercy. The king of Navarre, who was acquainted with all this variance between the duke of Normandy and the Parisians, justly imagined, that things could not long continue in their present state ; nor had he •any very great confidence in the commonalty of Paris : he therefore quitted Paris as handsomely as he could, and went to St. Denis, where there w»s a large body of men-at-arms in the pay of the Pari- sians. In this position, the king remained for six weeks, and the duke at Charenton. The two armies pillaged and ruined the country on all sides. The archbishop of Sens, the bishop of Anxerre, the bishop of Beauvais, the lord of Montmorency, the lord of Fiennes and the lord de St. Venant, undertook to mediate between them. They managed so wisely with both parties, that the king of Navarre, of his own free will and accord, went to the duke, his brother-in-law, at Charenton, and made excuses for having given him cause of suspi- cion. First, for the death of the two marshals and master Simon de Buci ; also for the insult which the provost of the merchants had offered to him in his own palace at Paris, which he swore had been done without his knowledge. He promised the duke to remain with him at all events, during this expedition. Upon this peace was made between them. The king of Navarre added, that he would have the Parisians corrected for the evil deeds they had committed. The com- monalty were to be included in this peace ; but the duke was to have the provost of the merchants delivered up to liim, and twelve of the citizens, according to his choice, to punish in what manner he should think best. These things being settled, the king of Navarre returned to St. Denis, and the duke went to Meaux in Brie, where he dismissed hie army. Some of the citizens of Paris, to whom the treaty had given more freedom to speak their minds, entreated the duke to return to Paris, in all security, and that they would pay him every honor in their power. The duke answered, •' that he should consider the peace as good, having sworn to if, that it should never, with God's per- mission, be infringed by him ; but that he would never again enter Paris, unless he had satisfaction from those who had insulted him." The provost of the merchants, and those of his faction, frequently vifitod the king of Navarre at St. Denis : they remonstrated with him on the indignation of the duke, which they had incurred on his ac- count (for they had delivered him out of prison and brought him to Paris,)and that in the name of God, they would not place any confi- dence in the duke, nor in his council. The king replied : " Be assured, gentlemen and friends, that you shall not sufier any ills without my partaking of them ; and, as you have at present the government of Paris, I would advise you to pro- vide yourselves with gold and silver, so that, if there shoidd be any necessity, you may know where to find it, and send it confidentially here to me at St. Denis, trusting to my faith : I will take good care of it, and will keep seciedy a body of men-at-arms, and other com- panions, with whom, in case of need, you may make war upon your enemies." The provost of the merchants followed this advice ; and thrice* every week afterwards, he conducted two horses laden with florins to the king of Navarre, at St. Denis, who most cheerfully received them. SOME FAKISIANS * Erieucrrand de Coucy was one of the hostages given by France to England, at the treaty Ibrtlie liberty of king John. Bdward, to attach him to Iiis interest, niorried him to Isabella his second daughter, and gave him very large possessions in England. He erecicd llie bnrony of Bcdtord into an earldom in his favor. For further particulars relutiiif* to Enguerrand de Coucy, see M. de Zurlauben's r^^ moir, in th(? xxvth vol. of the Mernoires de I'Acaddmie des Inscriptions, p. 168. t Barnes says, ihat "tlieir captain, James the Goodman, heing here taken "'^e, was fcent to tlie daupliin, wlio, understanding that he had assumed the name of a king, caused him to lie crowned with a trivet, or tlie tiiree-legged frameof an irc'l shellet, red liot, and so to he hanged, in requital for all his harbarous cruelties. t Probably St. Maur des-Fossez, in tbe Isle of France. CHAPTER CLXXXVI. ABE SLAIN AT ST. CLOUD, BY THE ENGLISH WHO HAD BEEN SOLDIERS IN FAKIS. TuERE had remained in Paris a great number of the English and Navarre soldiers, whom the provost and commonalty of Paris had in their pay, to assist them against the duke of Normandy, and very loyally and well had they served them during the time the war lasted. When the treaty was concluded, between the duke and the Parisians, some of these soldiers left Paris, others remained. Those that quitted it went to the king of Navarre, who retained them all, but there were left behind in Paris about three hundred, who enjoyed themselves, and spent their money cheerfully. There happened, however, a quar- rel between them and the inhabitants, when upward of sixty English were slain. The provost was exceedingly angry at this, and blamed die Parisians highly ; but to appease the commonalty, he seized one hundred and fifty of the English, whom he confined over three gates, and told the Parisians, who were so much incensed that they ^yanted to murder them, that he would have them punished, according to their deserts, which satisfied them. When night came, the provost set them at liberty to go where they pleased ; they went to St. Dems to the king of Navarre, who accepted their services. In the morning, when the Parisians found that the English were let out of prison, they were much enraged against the provost ; but he, who was a prudent and wise man, knew well how to dissemble what part he had in it, and to turn it otV, so that it was soon forgotten. When these soldiers, English and Navarrois, were all collected to- n-ether at St. Denis, they were upward of three hundred. They re- solved to be revenged for the murder of their companions and the insults they themselves had sustained. They first sent a challenge to the Parisians, and then made war upon them, cutting oil and slay- in" all those who issued out of the town, so that no one dared to venture beyond the gates. The provost of the merchants was, upon this, required to arm a part of the commonalty, and take the held, for they were desirous of fighting these English. He complied with their request, and said he would accompany them. He armed, there- fore, a body of the Parisians, and marched out, to the number ot twelve hundred, who, when they were in the plains, were informed that the English they were in search of were in the neighborhood of St Cloud. Upon this intelligence, they divided themselves in two bodies, and took separate roads. These two parties were on their march all that day round Montmartrc, but did not meet their enemies. It chanced that the provost had the smallest division, and, alter searching all about, entered Paris by St. Martin's gate, without having done anything. The other division, who were ignorant ot the return of tlie provost, kept the field until vespers, when they be. -ran their retreat, but without any regular order, like those who did not look for or expect any hindrance. They came back in crowds quite fatigued; some carried their helmets in their hands, others slung them round their necks ; some dragged their swords alter them on the ground, while others hung theirs on their shoulders. They had taken their road so as to enter Paris by the gate of bt. Honor^.t when suddenly tiiey came upon the English, to the amount of four hundred in a hollow road, who, upon seeing them began to shout, "Here are the Frenchmen!" and fell upon them, which made them fly in every direction. At the first onset, there were upward of two » Lord Bereers and D. Sauvaee say tmcc.-ED. t At that period the gate of St. Honor* wet neat the Quinw-Vinsts.-,;tfemnrM H* I'AcQLiimie, torn. xvii. p. 696. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 115 handred overthrown. The French, who had not kept any order in their march, were so mucli astonished that they never thought of rallying, hut made the best of their way to escape, and were killed in their flight like so many sheep. There were upward of six hun- dred slain in this pursuit ; they were followed even heyond the bar. riera of Paris. The connnonalty of Paris threw all the blame of this accident on the provost of the merchants, and said that lie had betrayed them. On the next morning, the near relations and friends of those that had been slain, issued out of Paris with cars and carts, to seek fur the bodies of the dead to bury them : but the English iiad placed an ambuscade near the field of battle, when they killed and wounded more tlian six score of them. The Parisians were tlirown into great trouble and dismay, for they did not know whom to trust. They were night and day under much alarm, for the king of Navarre was grown cold in his proffered as- sistance to support them, on account of the peace which he had fiworn to the duke of Normandy, and also for the outrage which the Parisians had committed on the English soldiers : he connived, therefore, at the chastisement they had received. On the other hand, the duke of Normandy was much enraged, that the provost of the merchants should still keep the government of Paris. The provost and his faction were not quite at their ease ; for the Parisians, as they were well informed, despised them exceedingly. CHAPTER CLXXXVri. THE DEATH OF THE PROVOST OF THE MERCHANTS OF PARIS. The provost and those of his party held many secret councils among themselves, to consider in what manner they could best keep their authority. They knew they should not find mercy from the duke of Normandy, whose general answer to the Parisians was, that he would never make peace with them, until twelve persons from Paris should be given up to him, according to liis choice, for him to deal with as he pleased. This declaration had very much alarmed the provost and his friends ; they thought it preferable to remain alive in good prosperity than to be destroyed, and that it was much better to slay than to be slain. They entered, therefore, into a secret treaty with the English, to continue on the war against Paris. It was agreed upon between them, that the provost and his friends should be posted over the gates of St. Honore and St. Anthony, so that the English and Navarrois might together enter Paris at midnight, pro- perly prepared to ruin and destroy the town, except such parts where signals should be placed at the doors or windows : wherever this signal M-as not found, they were to put men and women to the sword. The night on which this enterprise was to take place, God showed his mercy to some of the citizens who had always been attached to the duke, that is to say, John Maillart, his brother Symon, and many others, by divine inspiration (as one may well suppose it) gained in- formation that Paris was to be sacked and destroyed. They there- fore armed themselves secretly, made all their party do the same, and whispered their suspicions abroad, in order to acquire more help. They all came properly armed, a little before midnight, to the gate of St, Anthony, where they found tlie provost of the merchants witli the keys of the gate in his hand. Upon this, .Tohn Maillart said to him, cal- ling him by his name ; " Stephen, what do you here at this time of night?" The provost replied: "John, why do you ask it? I am here to take care of, and to guard the city, of which I have the government." *' By God," answered John, " things shall not go on so : you are not here at this hour for any good, wliich I will now show you," addres- sing himself to those near him ; " for see how he has got the keys of the gate in his hand, to betray the city." The provost said, "John, you lie." John replied, " It is you, Stephen, who lie ;" and rushing on him, cried to his people, " Kill them, kill them : now strike home, for they are all traitoi-s." There was a very great bustle ; and the provost would gladly have escaped, but John struck him such a blow with his axe on the head, that he felled him to the ground, although he was his comrade, and never left him until he had killed him. Six others, who were present, were also killed : the remainder were carried to prison. They then put themselves in motion, and awakened every one in the different streets of Paris. John Maillart and his party went to the gate of St. Honor^, where they found those of the provost's faction, whom they accused of treason, and whose excuses were of no avail. Many of them were taken, and sent to different prisons : those who would not suffer themselves to be made prisoners, were slain without mercy. Tiiis same night, all those who were inculpated in the treason, for which the provost was slain, were taken in their beds ; for those who had been sent to prison had confessed the fact. On the morrow morning, John Maillart assembled the greater part of the commonalty of Paris in the market-place ; where, having mounted a scaffold, he explained, in general terms, his reasons for having killed the provost of the merchants. All those w^ho had been of the faction of the provost were then condemned to die by the elders of the commonalty, and were accordingly executed with various tortures. _ These things done, John Maillart, who was so much in the Pari- sians'' favor, and some of the elders attached to him, sent Symon Maillart and two masters in Pariiamcnt, sir John Alphonso, and master John Pastorel, to the duke of Normandy, who resided at Charenton. They related to the duke the event that liad happened in Paris, and besought him to return thither to direct and counsel the city henceforward, as all his adversaries were slain. The duke replied, that he would willingly comply with their request. He ac- cordingly came to Paris, attended by sir Arnold d'Andreghen, the lord of Roye, with many other knights, and took up his lodgings ia the Louvre.* * All this chtipter I have translated from my coiiy printed on vellum, which is con- formable to Denys Sauvuge's edition, and to lord Bernere'a translation : but, on compar- ing it with two of my manusciipts, there is a very great difference; they are perfectly- similar in the text to the three manuscripts mentioned by M. Dacier in his memoir, "To whom ought to be attributed the glory of the revoUition which saved Pans during the captivity of king JohnV'—Memaires de VJicademic dca Inscriptions, fitc, vol. xliii. p. 5G3. M. Dacier provc-s \eiy clenrly, tliat ,lohn Maillart, so far from being tlie liero who saved his country, was a rebel, and connected wi'h the provost : that the regent, on that, account, confiscated the properly \\ liich John Maillart had in the county of Danipmar- tin, and gave to John de Clmitilson, earl of Porcien, and his heirs for ever, on account of the servicer he had rendered, and was still rendering to the king, a rent charge of five hundred livres of tliii confiscated property in 0ampmartin and elsewhere. Extracted from the Tr6sor des Chartres— Regi&tro 86, piece 142. , M. Ducier continues: "If this piece phould leave any doubts upon the want of exact- ness in the narration of Froissart, I hope to be able to show, that the commonly-received narration is not the true text. I believe I have found this text in three manuscripts in the king's library, two of which nre perhaps the most ancient and authentic that exist in any library. One, numbered 8318, has a date, which marks its age ; upon one of the leaves of tlie vellum, at tlie beginning, is written : " ' This is a part of tlie chronicles done by master John Froissart, a Hainnulter, from the lime of king Charles IV., of the wars between France and England ; which chron- icles master Willian^ Boisnitier, master of requests of the kitig's palace, one of his coun- selloi-s, and coimsellor also to the duke of Berry his lord, gave to the oforcsaid duke his hird, in his hotel de Neelle, the 8th day of November in the year 1407.*— Signed Fl\mel. "The manuscript cannot be later than this date ; and one may see by the signature of VV. Bi>isriitier, whicli is on a leaf of parchment pasted on the inside of tiie cover, that he had been owner of it some time before he presented it to the duke of Beiry ; so thjit it may, without difficulty, be estimated as having been written the latter end of Uie 14th century. The second manuscript is so perfectly conformable to the tirst in the quality ot the velluni, the color of the ink, ajid the form of the letters, that it cleariy belongs to the . same period." M. Dacier does not believe these manuscripts copied from the same original, nor from each other. He then goes on to the "Third manuscript, numbered 6760, which is less ancient. It appears to have been written toward tlie middle of the loth century. In comparing it with the two precedmg, I have found some ditierences that prove it is not a copy from them. This (brms a third testimony in favor of tlie text of Froissait. As this text has never been publifihed, I shall transcribe the whole chapter, except the first twenty Hnes. in which the historiaa lays down the plan of the conspiracy of Marcel similar to what is in the printed editions. " That very night which was to disclose all this mischief, (that is to say. the destruc- tion of Paris,) God inspired and alarmed some of the citizens of Paris, who were and ever had been attached to the duke of Normandy, of whom sir Pepin des Essarls and sir John de Chamy were the leaders ; and these were, as we may suppose, intiirmed by divine inspiration that Pari^ was to be overrun and destroyed. They soon armed them- selves, made all those of their party do the same, and secretly spread abroad their intel ligence in different quarters, that they might have more asiistance. This sir Pepin Ihea set out, with many other determined companions, well armed. Sir Pepin displayed the banner of France, crying out .^ii Rot, and j^u Due, followed by crowds of people, until they came to the gate of St. Anthony, where they found tlie provost of tl»e mcr chants, holding the keys in his hands. "John Maillart was likewise there, who, having had that day a dispute with the pro- vost and with Josseran de Mascon. had joined the party of the duke of Normandy. The provcst was severely taunted by words and arguments; and there was such a noise made by the crowd, that scarcely anything could be heard: they kept crying out, 'Kill them, kdl them ! kdi the provost of the merchants and his allies, for they are all traitors.* There was a great tumult ; and the provost, who was standing on the steps of the fort of St. Anthony, would willingly have escaped, but he was so beset that he could not. Sir John de Cliorny struck him to the ground by n blow of his battle-axe on the head. He was then attacJied by master Peter Foviace and others, who never quitted him until he was dead, as well as six of his paily : among whom were Philip Guifl'art, John de Lille, John Poiret, Simon le Paoniiier, and Giles Marcel. Many more were taken and sent to prison. Tliey then made search in all the streets of Paris, put the town in a state of security, and kept a strong guard nil that night. " You must know, that ns soon as the provost of the merchants and the others, had been slain and made prisoners, which liappened on Tuesday, tlie last day of July, 1368, in the afternoon, messengers were sent in hoste to carry this news to tlie duke of Nor- mandy, at that time at Meaux, which gave him, and not without reason, greot pleasure. He made preparations for his journey to Paris ; but, before hi> arrival. J<.^'^el■an de Mas- con who was the treasurer to the king of Navarre, and Charles Toussac. sheriff' of Paris, who had been made prisoners, were executed in the square of the Grtive, by hav- ing their heads cut off", because they had been traitors, and were of the provost's party. The body of this provost and of those that iud been slain witii him, were dragged intu the court of the church of St. Catherine du Val des EcoHei^, and, naked as they were, extended before the cross in that court, and left there a considerable time for the view of all those that chose it : they were afterwards thrown into the river Seine. "The duke of Normandy, who had sent a sufficiency of men-at-arms to Paris, to de- fend and reinforce it against the English ond Navarrois, who were in the neighboriiood continually harassing it, set out from Meaux, where he then resided, and came with, speed to Paris, attended by a noble and numerous escort of men-at-arms. He was re- ceived by the good town of Paris, and by all persons with great joy, when he dismounted at the Louvre. John Maillart was at that time near his person, and mucli in his grace and favor ; and, to say the truth, he wab then ver>- deserving of it, ns you have heard related above, notwithstanding he had been fonneriy, as it was said, one of the allies of the provost of the merchants. Shortly afterwards, the duke sent for tlie duchess of Nor- mandy his wife, and all the ladies who had for some time taken refuge nt Meaux in Brie. When they came to Paris, the duchess alighted at the hotel of the duke, which had been the hotel de St. Pol, whither he had retired, and where he had remained for a con- siderable time." ■' M. Dacier then adds: ^ ,, ,^ "This is the new reading I announced, and which appears to me far preferable to the common one, because it unites the double advantage of coming from the most authentic manuscripts we know, and of agreeing much better than the printed copies, as well Willi the contemporary historians, as with the other monuments of the times, to which it may serve both as a commentary and supple iTtent." I shall refer the reader, for further proofs that John Maillart was not the hero who saved Paris, to the memoirof M. Dacier* in the xliiid. vol. of tlic Memoirs of the Academy of Inscriptions, &c. 116 CHRONICLKS OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. CHAPTER CLXXXVIII. IBZ KING OF NAVARRE DECLARES WAR AGAINST FRANCE, THE FRENCH KING BEING AT THE TIME A PRISONER IN ENGLAND. "When the king of Navarre was informed of the death of his great " friend the provost of the merchants, and of those who were attached to him, he was sorely vexed ; for tlie provost had always been very favorable to liis designs. And because he had tlie reputation of being the chief cause of the provost's treasons, the lord Philip Uc Navarre, who at that time was at St. Denis with him, advised him, as he could not see any means of getting clear of this suspicion, to declare war against the kingdom of France. He sent liis challenge to the duke of Normandy, to the Parisians, and to the whole realm of France. He quittpd St. Denis, and his people overran the whole country, plundering it as far as Mclun-sur-Seine,* where the queen Blanche his sister, the widow of king Philip, resided. That lady received him cheerfully, and gave up to him everything she possessed. The king of Navarre made this town and castle his principal gar- rison. He collected men-at-arms from all parts, and soldiers from Brabant, Germany, Hainault, and Bohemia. People everywhere came willingly to serve under him ; for he paid them largely out of the treasures he had amassed, through the means of the provost of merchants, from the city of Paris, as well as from the neighboring towns. The lord Philip de Navarre withdrew his forces to Mantes, t and Meulan,t upon the river Seine, where he posted garrisons. Every day their forces were increased by those who were desirous of geting money. In this manner did the king of Navarre begin his war upon the kingdom of France, which was especially directed against the city of Palis, for he was master of the three rivers, the Seine, Marne, and Oise. The Navarrois multiplied so fast, that they took the strong town of Creil ;§ they were besides the masters of the river Oise, and the strong castle of Heriellell three leagues distant from Amiens, and afterwards of Mauconseil.1? The capture of these three fortresses was the cause of innumetable ills to the realm of Franco. There were at least fifteen hundred combatants who were overrunning the country, witliout any attempt made to oppose them. They soon spread further, and took, shortly afterwards, the castle of St. Valery,** of which they made a very strong garrison. Sir William de Bonne- jnare and .John de Segares+t were governors of it. They had under them full five hundred fighting men, with whom they scoured the country as far as Dieppe and Abbeville, along the sea-coast, to the gates of Crotoy, Roye, and Montreuil.sur.mer. These Navarrois, whenever they had determined to take a castle, whatever its strength might be, never failed of succeeding. They frequently made e.KCur- sions of thirty leagues in a night, and fell upon a country that never suspected they could come to them. Thus did they ruin and destroy the fortresses and castles in the kingdom of France. They took pleasure to summon knights, ladies, and damsels, before they were out of bed. for their ransoms. Sometimes they seized all they had, and then turned them out of doors. The lord Fondrigais of Navarre was chief governor of Creil-upon- Oise. He gave passports to those who wished to go from Paris to Noyon, or from Noyon to Compiegne, or from Compeigne to Sois- sons, or Laon, as well as to odier parts in the neighborhood. These passports were worth to him, while he remained at Creil, one hundred thousand livi-es. Sir John de Piquigny, who, though of Picardy, was strongly attached to the cause of Navarre, resided in the castle of Herielle. His troops grievously oppressed the inhalntants of Montdidier, Arras, Peronne, Amiens, ami all that part of Picardy on the river Homme. In the castle of Mauconseil were three hundred men, under the command of Rabigeois de Dury,tt Charles Frang- nelin, and Hannequin Francois ; they plundered the country all round Noyon, and all the large towns and monasteries which were not fortified, if their inhabitants did not ransom themselves from these captains, by paying them a certain number of florins weekly. On any other conditions they would have been burnt and destroyed, for these ruflians were very cruel to their enemies. From such causes as these, the lands were uncultivated ; for no one dared to till them j so that very great scarcity soon added to the disasters under which the kingdom already labored. CHAPTER CLXXXIX. THE NAVARROIS ARE BESIEGED IN THE CASTLE OF MACCONSEIL, BY THE MEN OF PICARDY. When the duke of Normandy, who resided at Paris, heard that these mcn-nt-arms were destroying the country, under the name of * Metun— an iiiicient town in the Isle of France, ten leagues und u half from Paris. t Mantes— ill the Isle of France, capital of the Mantois, fourteen leasnes from Paris. t Meulan. or MeuUent— in tlie Isle of France, four leagues from Mantes, len from Paris. § Creil— a town in tlio Isle of France, on tlie Oise, twenty leagues and a half from Ainiens, ten leagues and a half from Paris. II La Herielle— a village in Picardy, in the election of Montdidier, near Breteuil. IT (i. If not Maucourl, wliich is a village of Picardy near Noyon. ** A town in Picardy, at the mouth of the Somme, four leagues and a half ftom Abheville. ft Sir .lolni Segar, an Englishman.— Barnks. XX Barnes snys, that "in Mauconseil were three hundred men-at-arms, under these Captains. Kalii^'oi^i of Derry, an Irishman, Franklin and Hawkins, two squires of Eng- lond, sir Robert KnoUes his companions." Page &M. the king of Navarre, and that their numbers were daily increasing, he sent to all the principal towns in Picardy and Vermandois, to require that each should, according to his proportion, send a certain number of men-at-arms, on foot and on horseback, to oppose the Navarrois, who were ruining ihc kingdom of which he had the gov. ernmont. The cities and chief towns willingly Cimplied with his request; they taxed themselves, according to their fortunes, with men-at-arms, both horse and foot, archers, and cross.bownien. These advanced first toward the good city of Noyon, making straight for the garrison of Mauconseil, because they thought this the weakest of the fortresses of the Navarrois, and that which had most harassed the inhabitants of Noyon and the country of Vermandois. The bishop of Noyon, the lord Raoul do Coucy, the lord de Ra- venal, the lord de Chauny, the lord de Roye, and sir Matthew de Roye, his brother, were the captains and leaders of these men-at- arms, and the other troops. These lords iiad with them many other knights and squires from Picardy and Vermandois, who, laying siege to Mauconseil, made many assaults on it, and hardly pressed the garrison ; who, when they could not hold out much longer, sent to inform sir John de Piquigiiy of their distressed situation. He then resided in the castle of la Herielle. All these garrisons and places were under his command. He made haste, therefore, to suc- cor his good friends in Mauconseil, and sent orders piivately to the garrison of Creil, to arm diemselves directly, and to march to a cer- tain spot which he pointed out to them ; for he meant to make an excursion through the country with all the men-at-arms under his command. When they were all assembled, they amounted to one thousand lances at least. They rode on, tinder the direction of guides, all that night, without halting, and came before the castle of Mauconseil at daybreak. There was so thick a fog that morning, that they could not see the length of an acre of ground. Imme- diately on their arrival, they fell suddenly on the French army, who, not expecting them, nor having a sufficient guard, were sleeping as if in perfect safety. The Navarrois set up their cry, and began to kill and cut down both men, tents, and pavilions. The skirmish was very sharp, insomuch that the French had not time to arm them- selves or collect together, but ran off, as fast as they could, to No- yon, wliich was hard by, and the Navarrois after tliem. Many were slain and unhorsed between Noycn and Orcnmp,* and between Noyon and Pont TEvcque,! and in that neighborhood. The dead and wounded lay in heaps on the ground, on the highways, and be- tween the hedges. The pursuit lasted as far as the gates of Noyon, M'hich put that town in great danger of being ruined ; for some of both parties who were there, have declared, that if the Navarrois had chosen, they might for a certainty have entered the town, as those who belonged to it were so much frightened, when they returned, that they forgot, or had not time to shut the gate leading to Compiegne. The bishop of Noyon was taken prisoner, near the barriers, and gave his word to surrender himself, or he would have been killed. On the morrow the lord Raoul de Coucy was taken, as were the lord Raoul de Ravenal, the lord de Chauny, and his two sons, le borgne J de Rouvi'oy, the lord de Turte, the lord de Vendueil, the lord Anthony de Coudun, and full one hundred knights and squires. There were upward of fifteen hundred m»n slain ; the greatest loss fell upon those who came from the city of Tournay ; they suf- fered much, as many had come from that part. Some said, that of the seven hundred which they at first were, scarcely any returned back, but all were either killed or taken prisoners. The garrison of Mauconseil made a sally, to complete this defeat, which happened in the year 1358, on the Tuesdsy following the feast of our Lady, the middle of August. The Navan-ois conducted the greater part of their prisoners to Creil, because it was a good and strong town. They acquired by this expedition much wealth, as well in jewels as- hy the ransoms of their prisoners. From this time they became rich, and ransomed the citizens of Tournay and those of the other towns whom they had captured cheerfully, for such sort of ware as swords, axes, spearheads, jackets, doublets, housings, and for all the differ- ent sorts of tools they were in want of. The knights and squires took their payments in ready money, in coursers or other horses ; and one poor gentleman that had not wherewithal to pay, they made serve for a quarter of a year : two or three were treated in this man- ner,§ With regard to wines and provision, they had plenty : for all the flat countries supplied them handsomely by way of ransom. The towns got nothing, but in an underhand manner, or by means of their passport", which they sold at a high price. By this method they could obtain all they wanted,except hats of beaver, ostrich fea- thers, and spearheads ; which things they never would insert in their passports. The garrison of Mauconseil destroyed the greater part of the fine abbey of Orchamps, at which the governor was much en- raged when informed of it. These Navarrois spread themselves over many places, along the banks of the Somme and the Oise ; and tv/o of their men-at-arms, called Rabigeois do Dury and Robin l'Escot|| took by escalade, the * t "Villages near Noyon. t a. Borgne— whether one-eyed ; or acme litle, as captal or souUlich 1 § Ai-.d ol°a poor gentylinan Uiat had nothing to pay, they took their seruyce for a duarter of a yereorahalle or line quafiers. as they could agree."- /.ord .BfrTier.s— ivho in this cgrees with D. Sauvage,- Ed. II Q. The first, see note }}, Ist col.; the second. Kobin Scott. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 117 good town oi Berly,* in which they placed a garrieon, and strongly fortified it. These two companions had in pay, under their com- mand, about lour hundred men, to whom they gave fixed wages, and paid tliem every month. The garrisons of Beaulieu, Creil, Maucon- eeil, and la Herielle, scoured all parts of the country, as no one op- posed them ; the knights having sufficient employment in guarding their houses and castles. These English and Navarrois went armed or unarmed, and rode over the country at their pleasure, to amuse themselves, from one garrison to another, as if all had been at peace. The young lord de Coucy had his towns and castles extremely well guarded ; he was also lord paramount of that part of the country. The canon de Robesart watched the Navarrois better than any other, and harassed them much ; for frequently he had overthrown many of them. CHAPTER CXC. SEVERAL OF THE CITIZENS OF AJIIENS ATTEMPT TO GIVE UP THAT CITY TO THE NAVARROIS. A FAMINE IN FRANCE. The lord John de Piquigny, who was much attached to the king of Navarre, was the chief of his council, and through whose assist- ance he had escaped from prison, resided at la Herielle, three leagues from Amiens. He had tampered so successfully, by fine speeches and otherwise, with several of the principal citizens of Amiens, that they had consented to admit the Navarrois into the city. These treacherous citizens had even hid in their chambers and garrets some of the Navarrois that were to assist in destroying their town. Lord John de Piquigny, lord William de Graville, lord Fricquet de Fii- quant, lord Lin de Belaysy, and the lord Fondrigay, came one night, with upward of seven hundred men. to the gates of the city, which lead to la Herielle, on assurance of their friends within the town, that they should be open; and they kept their promise. Upon thi.s, those who had been hid in cellars and garrets sallied forth, shouting, " Navane 1" while the inhabitants, being awakened, cried out, " Treason, treason 1" and collecting themselves together, hastened toward the gate where the greatest tumult was, between the suburbs and the city. The first coiners defended the gate well, and with good courage : numbers were slain on both sides. If the Navarrois had hastened to enter the city instantly on their arrival, they would have won it ; but they loitered in the suburbs, and performed the enterprise in a cowardly manner enough. This same night, God inspired the lord Morel de Fiennes, consta- ble of France, and the earl de St. Pol, who %vcrc at Corbie in great force, with the design to go to Amiens. They rode there so fast, and came so opportunely, that the Navarrois had but just gained the suburbs : they were exerting all their efforts to win the city, and must have succeeded, if these gentlemen had not arrived. As soon as they had entered the city of Amiens by another gate, they advanced to the place where the battle raged, and having displayed their ban- ners, drew up their men in the street, without passing through the gate to the suburbs ; for they gave them up as lost, which in truth they were. They, by this timely succor, inspired courage into the men of Amiens, who lighted the streets with a number of torches, and with pitched ropes in iron lanterns. The lord John de Piquigny, and the Navarrois, on hearing that these lords and their squadrons were arrived, and drawn up in the city, riiought that, if they remained, they ran a risk of losing more than they could gain : lord John, there. fore, collected his people together, and sounded a retreat, which he made as handsomely as he could, but not before he had destroyed and burnt the suburbs. There were at least three hundredt houses, and a number of handsome h6tels, with parish churches, burnt ; for nothing was spared. Thus did the Navarrois carry off with them great wealth, which they had found in the large suburbs of Amiens, and rett;med with many prisoners to their dift'erent garrisons. The constable and the earl of St. Pol, upon the retreat of the Navarrois, separated their troops, and sent them to all the diflerent gates of the city, with orders, under pain of death, to suffer no one to quit the town. On the morrow morning, these two lords, and some of the citizens of Amiens, who were acquainted with the man- ner in which the town had of late been governed, and who suspected some of the citizen's of both sexes of this treason, went to the houses of those they v/ere in search of, and arrested seven, who were soon after beheaded in the public market-place. The abbot of Gars was among the number, who had been an accomplice to this treason, and even lodged some of the Navarrois in his house. Shortly after, six of the principal inhabitants of Laon were arrested and executed, for a similar crime : and it would have gone hard with the bishop of that place if he had been caught, for he was accused of being con- cerned, which afterwards he could not deny : but he quitted the town secretly, as he had good friends, who gave him notice of what was likely to happen, and went immediately to the king of Navarre, at Mehm-sur-Seine, who most courteously received him. Such adventures as these happened often in France : on which account, the barons and knights, as well s the cities and principal towns, were always upon their guarr To speak truly, the king of Na. vai-re had many friends inteiV ;d in every part of France ; and, if they had not been discovered, much worse tilings would have been done, though in truth they did enough. During this time, the duke of Normandy and his brothers resided at Paris. No merchants nor others dared to venture out of the town, to look after their concerns, or to take any journey : for they were attacked and killed, whatever roads they took. The kingdom was so full of the Navarrois, they were masters of all the flat coun- tries, the rivers, and the principal towns and cities. This caused such a scarcity of provisions in France, that a small cask of herrings was sold for thirty golden crowns, and everything else in proportion. Many of the poor died with hunger. This famine lasted more than four years. The great towns, in particular, were much distressed for salt, which could only be had through the ministers of the duke of Normandy, who sold it at a very dear rate, in order to collect more money to pay the soldiers. * Q. If not Beaulieu, which y t Lord Berners and D. Squv^ . in Picardy in thedioc«e and clectioD ofNoyon. throe (/Mfifsanrf-— Ed. CHAPTER CXCI. THE MEN OF PICAr.DT EESIEOE THE NAVARROIS IN ST. VALERY. THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE IS FLLLED WITH NAVARROIS. The constable of France and the young carl of St. Pol acquired great popularity in Picardy, for the succors which they had brought to Amiens. The knights and squires of that province united them, selves to them ; and they thought they were now in sufficient force to lay siege to St. Valery. The constable sent to all the principal towns, to inform them of it : upon which those of Tournay, Lisle, Douay, Arras, Bethune, St. Omer, St. Quentin, Peronne, Amiens, Corbie, and Abbeville, met together : they engaged to find a certain number of men, whom they sent to the constable and the earl of St. Pol. Even the knights and squires of Hainault put themselves in motion, and came thither, on account of the estates they had in France. The lord d'Andreghen sent thither the young seneschal of Hainault, the lord John de Verthin, magnificently equipped, the lord Hugh d'Antoing his cousin, with many others ; when they marched to lay siege to St. Valery. There were full two thousand knights and squires ; and the chief towns had sent twelve thousand common soldiers at their expense ; Abbeville, in particular, was too heavily taxed, for thence they took all their purveyances. The siege of St. Valery lasted some time. There were many sharp assaults and skirmishes. Almost every day there was some- thing of the sort going forward ; for the young knights and squires were eager to make trial of their arms, and they readily found those who would gratify them. The lord William de Bonnemare, sir John Segar, and several other knights, who were in the garrison, advanced from the barriers of the castle, to tilt and skirmish with those of the army ; so that there were generally some killed or wounded on both sides daily. There might have been in St. Valery three hundred companions, without counting those of the town, whom they forced to fight and assist them, otherwise it would have ended badly. The chiefs of the besiegers ordered engines of war to be brought from Amiens and .\bbeville, and to be pointed against St. Valery, which east large stones, and much harassed the inhabitants, who had cannon and springalls,* with which they annoyed the army. While this siege was oorrying on, and the king of Navarre making war in all parts of France, the captal of Buch, cousin to the king of Navarre, arrived at Cherbourg, according to his entreaties, being retained by him, with two hundred lances in his pay. The captal, on his arrival in Normandy, took the field, and, passing through the lands of the king of Navarre, came to Mantes, where he found the lord Philip de Navan-e, with whom he tarried some days. He then set out secretly with all his companions, and made such expedition in one night, tlirough the good country of Vexin and Beauvoisis,t that he arrived at Clermont t in Beauvoisis, which is a large town, though not inclosed, with a handsome castle, having one large tower walled all round. Immediately after having sura, moned it, he took it by escalade, though the tower had hitherto been deemed impregnable. Nevertheless he succeeded by means of rope, ladders, and by using arrow'-heads to attach them to the walls. The first person who entered was sir Bernard de la Salle, climbing like a cat. He, in his time, had taken many other places by similar means. The captal de Buch exerted himself so much that he con. quered Clermont, which he and his companions kept possession of for a long time. He from that post harassed the countries of Vexin and Beauvoisis, with the assistance of the Navarrois, who were in garrison in the neighboring fortresses, such as Creil, la Herielle, and Mauconseil. All the flat countries were at their disposal, as there were none to oppose them. In such manner was the whole kingdom of France kept in a state of warfare, under the name of the king of Navarre. Many strong castles were taken in Brie, Champagne, and Valois, in the bishoprics of Noyon, Soissons, Senlis, and Laon, of which divers knights and * Espringnlles, orcspringolds, orspringolds, were machines whence come shot, stones, or bolts. — Skinner's Dictiimary. " And eke within the caslil were Springoldis, gunnes, bowes, and archers," Chaucer's R(mtm de Id Rose, verses 490, 4M, t A small province in the ble of France, Beauvais is the capital, j Fifteen leagues from Paris. 118 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. squires from foreign parts were made governoi-s. In that part of the country, near Pont-aur-Seinc,* toward Provins,+ Troyes,t Auxerre,6 and Tonnerre,|| they were so overrun with soldiers tliat no one dared to venture out of the strong cities and well-fortified towns. Sir Peter Audley resided in the castle of Beaufort, between Chalons and Troyes, which was part of the duke of Lancaster's inheritance. Sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt, a Hainaulter, resided sometimes at Pont- Bur-Seine, sometimes at the castle of Nogent, with about five liun- dred combatants, who pillaged all the country round about. In another part of Champagne, lived a squiie from Germany called Albret. These three captains kept possession of Champagne and the country on the Marne, and upward of sixty castles and fortified houses. At any time they pleased, they could bring into the field more than two thousand co7nhatants. That whole district ^\-as under their subjection : they ransomed or robbed every one. They had pillaged and burnt the good tosvns of Ay, Epernay,ir and Vertus,** and all the chief towns on the Marne, as far as the Chateau-Thierry tt, with those that were in the neighbor. hood of Rheims.tt They had also taken the good town and castle of Ronay,§§ and the strong castle of Hans|||l in Champagne, ascending the river as far as St. Antoine in Pertois.iriT Further advanced on the borders of Burgundy and Pertois, Thibat de Chaufour and John de Chaufour had taken up tlieir quarters in the name of the king of Navarre. They had got possession of a strong castle called Mont Sangon,*** in the diocese of Langres ; in which they had a garrison of four hundred men, who scoured the country as far as the bishopric of Verdun and the country of Soissons. Between Laon and Rheims were other pillagers, whose principal garrison was at Vely, in which were six hiuidred men. Rabigeois de Dury, an Englishman, was the governor of it. He retained all sorts of persons, who wished to serve under him ; and, as he paid well and punctually, he was duly obeyed. He had with him Robert Scott, as companion in his gains and losses, who, during the Christ- mas holidays, won and plundered the strong castle and town of Roucy,ttt in which he established a garrison that was a great griev- ance to the neighborhood. He ransomed the earl, his lady, and daughter, for the sum of twelve thousand gold florins a« mouton, and kept po-ssession of the town and castle all that winter and enduing Bummer of 1359. As soon as the earl of Roucy had paid his ransom, he went to reside in Laon, and in divers other places. During this period, there was not any tilling of the ground, so that it caused a great scarcity in a short time. CHAPTER CXCII. THE CANON DE ROBESARI DEFEATS THE NAVARKOIS IN THE LAOXNOIS, NEAR TO CKEIL. About this time, as I have been informed, the canon de Robesart performed a very gallant action. It fell out, that as the lord of Piuon, a knight-banneret of Vermandois, was riding from one strong place to another, accompanied b>- about sixty men-at-aruis, the garrisons of Velyttt and Roucy, to the number of three hundred, but without their captains, were also abroad to see what they could capture. As they advanced toward Creil, they perceived the lord of Pmon march- ing in good order, in the plain near that town, with his pennon dis- played. They immediately saw they were French : the lord of Pinon also knew they were his enemies, and that he had no way to escape from them. However, he and his little troop turning to the right and skirting Creil, for the Navarrois had cut off his retreat the way he had come, stuck spurs into their horses to save themselves, if possible, by flight ; but the Navarrois pursued them, crying out, ** St. George, Navarre !'' and, being better mounted, would have come up with them in less than half a league. It chanced that the lord de Pinon, in his flight, met with a large and deep ditch, inclosed on one side by strong hedges, and having only one entrance, which was sonarrow horses could not pass through. As soon as he was come near, he noticed the advantage that might be made of it, and said, " Dismount, dismount : it is much better to wait here the chance of war, and defend ourselves, than to be slain or made prisoners in our flight." Upon which, all his people dis- mounted ; as did the Navarrois on their arrival. In the troop of the lord de Pinon, there was a knight,§§^ v.ho, calling his page, said, " Mount my courser, and spare him not, but gallop to the garrison of * A town in Cliampagne, diocess of Sens, twenty-eight leagues from Paris. t An ancient city of Brie, diocese of Sens, twenty-two leagues from Paris X A laige city of Clinnipagiie, ihirty-eiglit leitynes niul n Iialf fiom Pan's. § An anrient city of Burgundy, capital of tlie Auxerrois, forty-one leagues nnd a half from Paris. II A town in Cliainpagne, diocese of Langres, forly-eicht leagues and a half from Paris. IT An ancient city of Champagne, diocese of Eheims. thirty-three leagues from Paris. ** A town in Champagne, near Epemay. tt A city in Brie, diocese of Soissons, twenty-one leagues nnd a half &om PoriB. tt All ancient city and archbishopric in Champagne, thirty-eight leages from Paris. §§ A viliiige in Champagne, diocese and election of Troyes. nil A village in Chanipngne, election of t5t Menehould. HIT Pertois, a fertile country of Champagne. *** a. if not Mansaujon ? which is in tlie diocese of Langres. TTT A town in Picardy, diocese atad election of Laon. ttX Vely, a chaltellany in Picardy, diocese of SoissDns. 55§ A SQuire according to D. Hauvage and Lord Berners.— Ed. Pierrepont,* and entreat the canon de Robesart to come to our assist. ance." The page answered, " Suppose I should meet with him, how will it be possible for him to arrive in time, for it is five leagues distant from hence ?" The knight said, " Do thy duty." Tiie page immediately set oft", and left his master fiercely attacked Iiy these plunderers of Vely and Roucy. The lord de Pinon and his company defended themselves with great valor. He kept possession of the advantageous position in the ditch, without any loss, from ten o'clock in the morning until the afternoon. I will now return to the page, who never broke gallop until he came to PieiTepont in the Laonnois. He delivered his message to the canon de Robesart, who replied that he would do his duty, and hasten to the place where the lord de Pinon was engag'cd, as he was perfectly acquainted with the spot. He ordered his trumpet tosound, and his companions, who might be about six score, to mount their horses. At the same time, he sent ofl' one of his servants to Laon, w^hich \s as not far distant, to inform a captain who was stationed there what was going forward. He would not wait for the arrival of this reinforcement, but set off" directly, full gallop, which he con- tinued until he came to the lord de Pinon and his company, whom he found so hard pressed by the Navarrois, that they could not have held out much longer. The canon immediately placed his lance in its rest, and rushed upon the Navarrois with such force, that he struck down three the first onset. His people being fresh and in spirits, drove down the Navarrois, who were quite fatigued with having combated the whole day. The canon de Robesart gave such deadly blows with his battle-axe, that none could stand before him. These plunderers were totally routed : more than one hundred and fifty were left dead on the field of battle ; and if any attempted to sa\e themselves they were met by the detachment from Laon, who made such a slaughter, that, of the three hundred they amounted to at first, fifteen only escaped ; the rest were either slain or made prisoners. CHAPTER CXCIII. THE ^AVARKOIS SURRENDER ST. VALERY TO THE FRENCH, WHO HAD BE- SIEGED IT A LONG TIME. I HAVE before related, that the lords of Picardy, Artois, Ponthieu and the Boulonnois, were a considerable time before St. Valcry ; that they had made many grand attacks upon it by machines and other instruments. Among other events, it chanced that the lord de Bacien from Picardy, having got into a boat to reconnoitre more particularly the castle, wa.? stmck with a bolt from an cspringal, of whicli he died. The garrison had such quantities of artillery, that every attack upon them was attended with great danger. This siege, therefore, lasted from the beginning of August until the following Lent. The lords then declared they would starve them to a surrender, since they could not take it by assatdt. They therefore remained a long time inactive, but took great care to guard all the passes, so that nothing could enter the town by sea or land. Their provisions soon began to lessen, for they could not venture , abroad to forage : on the other hand, they saw no appearance of any succors coming to them. They therefore determined in council to treat with the constable of France, the earl of St. Pol and the other barons of the army, to surrender the fortress upon condition that their lives and fortunes should be spared, and that they might be allowed to go wherever they pleased. This was granted them ; but they were to leave the place unarmed. Some difficulties also attended the com- pliance with their proposals, for the earl of St. Pol insisted on their surrendering unconditionally. At this time, the lord Philip de Na. varre was advanced toward St. Valery, to raise the siege, v.hich he would have done, if the garrison had not been in such haste to sur- render. He and his army were very angiy at the event ; but they could not now by any means prevent it. CHAPTER CXCIV. THE LORD PHlLir DE NAVARRE ASSE:.IBLES THREE THOUSAND MEN TO RAISE THE SIEGE OF ST. VALERY. The lords of France were still drawn up in the plain ; and, though no one had left the army, yet they were about departing; their tents, pavilions and baggage were packing up ; when news was brought them that the Navarrois were upon their march, and not more than three leagues off. It was the lord Philip of Navarre who governed all the territories of the king his brother ; that is to say, the coimty of Evreux; and all the different parties that were making war on France obeyed his orders. He had been informed by sir John de Piquigny, tliat the garrison of St. Valery was on the point of sur- rendering. The lord Philip was encouraged ti3 attempt raising the sifge : and for this purpose he had assembled secretly, at Mantes and Meulan, three thousand men, one with the other. The young earl of Hareourt, the lord de Granville, sir Robert KnoUes, and sir John de Piquigny, were there, with many other knights and squires, who had followed him to within three leagues of St. Valery when it was surrendered. He was assured of the truth of it, by the arrival * A village in Picardy. diocese of L&on CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 113 of the lord de Bonnemare and sir John Segar, who met him on his march. When the French, who had taken possession of St. Valery, heard of the approach of the Navanois, tlie constable, the earl of St. Pol, the lord de Cha.li^on, the lord dc Poix, the lord de Beausault, the lord de Helly, tiie lord de Creslkcs, lord Odoart de Renty, lord Baudoyn d'finnekin, and some other barons and knights who were present, retiied into the castle, to a council ; when it was resolved they should advance to combat their enemies. The constable issued his orders for every one to fall into his rank, and prepare for combat; upon which they all marched forward in good order, as if they were immediately to fight with the lord Philip. The Navarrois, learning that the French were marching toward them in battle-array, to the amount of thirty thousand men, did not think it advisable to wait for them, but crossed the river Somme as speedily as possible, and took post in the castle of Long* in Ponthieu, with their horses, bag- gage, and whatever else they had, which straightened them much for room. They had scarcely entered it, when the French, who were in pursuit of them, came before it, about the hour of vespers. Their numbers were continually increasing ; for the common soldiers from the cities and chief towns could not march so fast as the men. at-arms. The lords held a council, and determined to take up their quarters that night before the castle, to wait for more troops, which were dropping in one after another, and on the morrow to make a general assault upon it. This was done. But the Navarrois within the castle, being short of provit^ions, as soon as it was midnight sal- lied out at a back way, without any noise, and took the road for the Vermandois. • They were more than two leagues off before the French kjiew of their departure : they immediately armed themselves, and set out after them, following the tracks of their horses. Thus did both par- ties push forward, the Navarrois firtt, and the French behind them, until the Navarrois came to the little village of Thorigny, which is situated on an eminence whence there is a good view of all the country round about. It is in the Vermandoi?, between the St. Quentin and Peronne. There the Navarrois halted, to refresh them- selves and horses, and to fight their enemies, if they were forced to it. They had formed themselves in a circle on the summit of the eminence, so that they might profit from the situation of the place. They had not remained long before they saw the whole country below them covered over, and full of Frenchmen, who seemed to amount to upward of thirty thousand. When the Navarrois perceived they had the appearance of coming to attack them, they issued out of the town, and drew up their army in three battalions : the first of them was given to sir Robert Knolles, the second to sir Lewis de Navarre, and the third to the earl of Hareonrt. Neither of these battalions consisted of more than seven hundred fighting men. They cut their lances to five feet in length, and ordered their servants to carry their spurs to the slope of the hill, where they were to fix them with the rowels uppermost; so that their enemies might not ascend the hill at their ease. The lord Philip de Navarre knighted the young earl of Hareourt, who displayed his banner, as did also the young lord dc Granville. The French halted in sight of the Navarrois, and dismounted, for many were desirous to give them immediate combat, while others were against it, saying, " Our people are fatigued ; besides, we have such numbers in the rear, that it is proper we wait for them, and take up our quarters where we are for the remainder of the day. It will be night soon, and we can fight them to-morrow in better order." Ill this situation, the French encamped themselves, placing all their baggage-wagons round them, of which they had great numbers. When the Navarrois found that there was no intention of attacking them, they retired toward evening into their village of Thorigny, making great fires and smoke, to let them understand they meant to remain there that night : but as soon as it was dark, they got their horses ready, having previously made every other preparation, and set off in silence. The night was dark and foggy ; and they marched dowi\ to the river Somnie, which they crossed at a ford, near a small ■villoge not far distant from Bethencourt ;+ thence they took the road to the wood of Bohain.J which they skirted: they marched that night upward of seven leagues, which caused many of the worst mounted to remain behind, who were made prisoners by the inhabitants of Bohain. The peasants also of the country slew many who were un- able to keep up with their masters, and ail who had lost their road. The French were informed of the departure of the Navarrois a little before daybreak ; when they resolved to cross the Somme by the bridge at St. Quentin,§ and to push forward toward Lianne3,'|| and by this means to come up with them. Every one, tlierefore, mounted his horse as quickly as possible, and galloped on for the fastest, taking the road for St. Quentin, where they arrived as day appeared, for it was but tvvo short leagues distant. The constable and the eari of St. Pol were among the first. When the guards of the town who were stationed over the first gate heard the bustle of llieir arrival, they began to be alarmed, as they knew the enemy was * Lons et le C.-istlelet— a villace of Picardy. noor AbbeviUe. T A village in Picunlj-, election of Peronne. t Bohain— a small town in Picnrdr. election of Guise, near St. Queolin i A strong cay in Picnrdy, diocese of Noyon, generality of Amiens. 11 Liatuies, n village in Picardy, generality of Amiens. in tlieir neighborhood ; but recollecting that the drawbridge was up, tliey were somewhat reassured, as that would prevent them from doing any mischief. They asked, who ihcy were that were come tliere at such an unusual hour : the constable answered, " We are such and such person-s, and wish to pass through this town in pursuit of the Navarrois, who have stolen away from Thorigny, and are flying from us: we command you therefore, in the king's name, in. stantly to open the gates." The guard replied, that the keys were with the magistrates in the town. Two of the guard went to those that had the keeping of the keys, who told them they would not consent to open the gates till they had consulted the inhabitants. By this means, so much time was lost that it was al'ler sunrise, before they had considered what answer to give : they then ascended over the gateway, and, putting their heads out of the windows, thus ad- dressed the constable and the euil of St. Pol, wlio were waiting: " Dear lords, have the goodness to take compassion and excuse us this time; but it is the determination of the commonalty of the town, that only five or six of you may enter, out of the respect we bear you: the others must go any other way they choose." The lords were so much enraged at this, that many high words and abusive language ensued ; nevertheless, those of St. Quentm would not open their gates. These lords, therefore, gave up all thoughts of following further the Navarrois, as it would have been in vain. By the advice of the constable, the French separated themselves, and the earl of .St. Pol went to liis castle of Bohain, In such a rage that no one dared to speak to him. CHAPTER CXCV. SIR PETER AVDLEY LEADS A PARTY OP NAVARROIS, I.V THE NiaHT, TO TAKE CHALONS. Thus did this grand expedition end ; the French separating, went one way, and the Navarrois another : the last came that day to Vely, where they crossed the river Oise at a ford : when, finding they were out of all danger, they halted and refreshed themselves. As soon as they thought proper, they returned into Normandy, and journeyed from fortress to fortress in perfect security, as they were masters of all the rivers and flat country. Having again entered the district of Coutantiri, they carried on their excursions, as before, through Nor- mandy. During this time, the king of Navarre remained at Melun. sar-Seine, with a large body of men-at-arms. It happened that while sir Peter Audley was governor of Beaufort, which is situated between Troyes and Chllons, he imagined, that if he could cross the Marne above the town of Chalons, and advance by the side of the monastery of St. Peter, he might easily take the town. To carry this scheme into effect, he waited until the river Marne was low, when he secretly assembled his companions from five or six strong castles he was master of in that neighborhood. His army consisted of about four hundred combatants. They set out from Beaufort at midnight. He led them to a ford of the river Marne, which he intended to cross, for he had people of the country as guides. On coming thither, he made them all to dismount, and give their horses to their servants, when he marched them through the river, which was very low. All having crossed, he led them slowly toward the monastery of St. Peter. There were many guards and watchmen scattered over the town of ChJtlons, and in the public squares; those who were nearest to the monasteiy of St. Peter, which is situated above the town, heard very distinctly the noise of the Navarrois : for as they were advancing, their arms, by touching each other, made a noise and sounded. Many who heard this won- dered what it could be : for all at once, .sir Peter having halted, the noise ceased„and, when he continued his march, the same sounds were again heard by the sentinels posted in St. Peter's street, as the wind came from the opposite quarter ; and some among them said, " It must be those English and Navarrois thieves that are advancing, to take us by escalade : let us immediately sound the alarm, and awaken our fellow-citizens." Some of them went to the monastery, to see what it might be. They could not, however, make such speed but that sir Peter and his army were in the court-yard ; for the walls in that part were not four feet high ; and they immediately rushed through the gate of the monastery into the street, which was largo and wide. The citizens were exceedingly alarmed, because there were cries from all parts of, "Treason, treason! To arms, to armsl" They armed themselves in haste, and, collecting in a body to be the stronger, advanced to meet their enemies, who overthrew and killed the foremost of them. It happened, very unfortunately for Chilons, that Peter de Chalons, who had been governor of the city upward of a year, with a hundred lances under his command, had lately left it, on account of not being able to get paid according to their wishes. The commonalty of the city were numerous, and set themselves in earnest to make a good defence. It was high time ; but they suffered much, and the Navar- rois conquered all the lower town, as far as the bridges over the Marne. Beyond the bridges, the citizens collected themselves, and defended the first bridge, which was of great service to them. The skirmish was there very sharp : the Navarrois attacked and fought well. Some of the English archers advanced, and, passing over the 120 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. supports of the bridge, shot so well, and so continually, that none from Chalons dared to come within reach of their arrows. This engagement lasted until midday. It was said by some, that Chalons must have been taken, if sir Odes de Grancy had not learnt, as it were by inspiration, this excursion of the Navarrois. In order to defeat it, he had entreated tlie as.sistance of many knights and squii'es ; for he knew that there was not one gentlemim in Chalons. He had come therefore, day and night, attended by sir Philip de Jan- court, the lord Anceau de Beaupr^, the lord John de Guermillon, and many others, to the amount of sixty lances. As soon as they "Were come to Chalons, they advanced toward the bridge, which the inhabitants were defending against the Navarrois, who were exerting themselves to the utmost to gain it. The lord de Grancy displayed his banner, and fell upon the Navarrois with a hearty good will. The arrival of the lord de Grancy mightily rejoiced the people of Chalons ; and well it might, for without him and liis company they would have been hard driven. When sir Peter Audley and his friends saw these Burgundians, they retreated in good order the way they had come, and found iheir servants with their horses on the banks of the Marnc. They mounted them, and, crossing the river without molestation, re- turned toward Beaufort, having by a trifle missed their aim. The inhabitants of Chalons were much pleased at their departure, and gave thanks to God for it. After expressing their obligations to the lord de Grancy for the kindness he had done them, they presented him with tive hundred livres for himself and his people. They en- treated the lord John de Besars, who was present and a near neighbor, to remain, to advise and assist them. He consented to their request, for the handsome salary they allowed him, and set about fortifying lite city in those places which were the weakest. CHAPTER CXCVI. THE EARL DE ROCCY TAKEN A SECOND TIME. Abodt this period, the two garrisons of Vely and Roucy* united together, and took by assault the town of Sissonne,* which they gar- risoned with all sorts of people : the captain of it was Hannequin Francois, t a lad from Cologne on the Rhine. He was so cniel in all his excursions, that he showed neither pity nor mercy to any one who fell in his way. He burnt all the country, slaying men, women and children, whom he could not ransom according to his will. The earl of Roucy, who had still at heart the loss of his town and castle, which these robbers had wrested from him, entreated the assistance of those knights and squires who were his neighbors. He collected upward of a hundred lances and forty horsemen, whom he conducted from the city of Laon. Among them were the earl de Poreien,' numerous when all were assembled. Sir Robert Knolles and his troops, who were all called Englishmen, continued their march from Brittany unmolested, until they came to the borders of Auvergne. The lords of Auvorgne, witli their array, advanced to within a short day's journey of sir Robert. They ob- served from a mountain, where they had posted themselves, all that the Engii'll were doing. On the morrosv, they marched to that part ; there were only two short country leagues between tliem ; when they halted, and took post on a mountain, and the Engiisli did the same on another ; eacli army saw the fires the oilier was making. The next morning, the French decamped, and advanced still nearer to meet them, for they were well acquainted with the country, and, about noon, took up their quarters on an eminence right before the English : the two armies were only separated by a meadow of about twelve acres. The Engiisli immediately drew up in order of battle, and placed their archers on the declivity of the hill, in the front. The French lords then drew up their army in two battalions, each of which consisted of upward of five thousand men. The count de Clermont, dauphin of Auvergne, commanded the first battalion ; his name was Berault. He was knighted on tiie spot, and displayed his banner, which was quartered with the arms of Auvergne and Clermont.* Th%re were near to his person, his uncle the lord Robert Dauphin, the lord of Montagu, the lord of Talen^on, the lord of Rochefort, the lord of Serignac, the lord Godfrey of Boulogne, and many young squires from Limousin, Quercy, Auvergne, and Rouergue. In the second battalion, were the count de Forests, the lord John of Bou- logne, the count d'Auvergne, the lord d'Archer and his sons, the lord d'Achon, the lord d'Uzes, the lord Reginald de Forests, brother to the count, and great numbers of knights and squires, with a thorough good will for the combat, as was apparent. On the other hand, sir Robert Knolles and his troops showed an equally good countenance to engage. Thus then they remained until the evening, each in their intrench- ments, without moving, e.\cept some young knights and squires, who, in hopes of gaining glory by feats of arms, descended into the mea- dow, with the leave of their marshals, in order to tiit with their oppo- nents. He who conquered his adversary carried him off prisoner. Toward night, each jjarty retired to his quarters, and kept a good and great guard. The lords of France held a council, and resolved at the hour of midnight to descend the mountain, not on the side next the Engiisli, but by that which they had ascended ; when, by making a circuit of only two leagues, they would come to the opposite side of the liiil where the English were posted, which part was not high nor difficult of ascent : they had hopes to arrive there so early, that the English would not be all armed. Each lord was to give these orders to his own people : this, however, was not done so secretly but that the English were informed of it by one of thei; t:ounti-ymen, a prisoner in the French army, who made his escape, and told sir Robert K..olles of their intentions. Sir Robert summoned a council of those in whose opinion he most confided, who, considering the superiority of the French forces, thought it not advisable to wait for them. Upon this, their baggage was immediately loaded : they de- camped, and were conducted by those of the country whom they had made prisoners. At midnight, the French were drawn up in battle array, and marched according as it had been ordered. They arrived by day- break on the mountain, where they thought to have found the Eng- lish : but, when they saw they had decamped, they sent off some of their most expert and best mounted, over the hills, to see if they could get any tidings of them. They returned about nine o'clock, and reported that they had seen them on their march, named the roads they had taken, and added they were advancing toward Linio. ges. When the lords of Auvergne heard this, they broke up their expedition, and each returned to his own home. Very soon after, a treaty of marriage was entered into, and com- pleted, between the gallant knight the lord Berault, dauphin of Au. vergne, with the daughter of the count de Forests, whom he had by a sister of the lord James de Bourbon. CHAPTER CCV. SOME GErv.AIANS WAIT FOR THE KING OF ENSLAND AT CALAIS, TO ATTEND HIM IN III3 EXrEDITION INTO FRANCE, DtJRING THE TIME KING JOHN WAS IN ENGLAND. During all this time, the king of England was making such great preparations for his expedition into France, that the like was never seen before : on which account, many barons and knights of the German empire, who had formerly served him, e.x-erted themselves In all my manuscripts and priuteO editions, it is Auvergne and Merquel. Denys aauvage says, tliat Uiere must be some roistoke, and proposes CUrmmit in lieu uf Mer- quel, which, as he was count de Clermont ns well m, dauplun of Auvergne, seems to ine proiwr. Barnes changes tlie word Merquel into MartcQius ; but he gives no reason or authority lor so doing. The counts of Auvergne added the title of dauphin, in rivaUhip to the dauphin of Viennois, IIST. How long they continued it I knoiv not. The last dauphin of Viennois was Humbert, who ceded the title and his estttes to the crown of France, 1345, on con- ation of the heir apparent to that crown bearing it. Danphin was formerly a title of aonor, ss duke, marquis, &c. is now. much this year, and provided themselves handsomely in horses and equipage in the best manner they could, each according to his rank, and hastened as fast as possible, by the frontiers of Flanders, to Ca- lais, where they remained, to wait for the king of England. It hap- pened that the king could not come thither with his army by the time ajipointed, which caused such numbers to remain at Calais, that there were no. lodgings for them, nor stables for their horses. In ad- dition to this, bread, wine, hay, oats, and all sorts of provisions, were so scarce, that none could be had for money. Thus did these mercenary Germans, Bohemians, Brabanters, Flem. ings, Hainaulters, both poor and rich, wait from the beginning of August until St. Luke's day ; so that many were forced to sell the greater part of their jewels. If the king had arrived then, they would not have known where to have lodged him and his people, except in the castle, for the whole town was occupied. There was also some doubt if these lords who had spent their all, would have quitted Calais, for the king or any one else, if their expenses had not been allowed them. Tlic king had not sent for a fourth part of them. Some came out of good- will to him, in hopes of grace and favor; others, with the expectation of gaining from the plunder of France. The king of England at last ordered the duke of Lancaster to Ca- lais, with four hundred men in armor and two thousand archers and Welchmen. When the duke came to Calais, he was much rejoiced to see so many foreign lords, who made earnest inquiries after the king. He excused the king for not coming, on the impossibility of getting all preparations ready for so large an aimy by the time he had fixed. He then told these lords, that a longer residence there would be of no service ; that as he intended making an excursion into France, to see what he could find, he entreated of them to accom- pany him, ofl'ering to lend to each a sum of money, to pay their land- lords and other expenses, as well as to supply them with as much pro. vision as their horses could carry. They accepted the duke's proposal, for they were ashamed to refuse it: and having had their horses new shodden, and packed up their baggage, they set out from Calais in a magnificent train, accompanying the duke toward St Omer. They might be about two thousand men with armor, without counting the archers or footmen. They passed by St. Omer, riding on toward Bethune,* which they also left unmolested, and came to Mont St. Eloy,t where there was a largo and rich monastery, situated two leagues distant from Arras. Here they halted four days, to refresh themselves and their horses, as they found a sufficiency for both in the monastery. When they had robbed and plundered the country round about, they advanced until they came to the town of Brave,} which they attacked a whole day. A knight-banncrct§ of England was slain there, with many others ; for the townsmen defended themselves valiantly, owing to a reinforcement which the count de St. Pol and the lord de Lameval, witli others, to the amount of two hundred lances, hod thrown into the back part of the town. When the Eng- lish perceived they could make no impression, they marched off, following the course of the river Soiiime, being in great distress for bread and wine, until they came to a town called Cherisy,|| where they found enough of both. They crossed the river at this last place by the bridge, which was not destroyed, and remained there that night and the feast of All-Saints. That day, a messenger brought the news to the duke, that the king was arrived at Calais, with orders for him and his troops to join him immediately. Upon which they all returned to Calais. In this expedition was sir Henry of Flan- ders, with two hundred lances. From Brabant, there were sir Henry de Beautresen, lord of Bergues, the lord Girard de la Harde, and lord Franqifc de Halle. t From Hainault, the lord Walter de Manny and the lord John de Gommeguines. From Bohemia, sir Walter de la Hautepomme, sir Reginald de Bouliant, the lord God- frey de Hardueniont, and the lord John his son, the lord Duras, Thierry de Ferram, the lord Russe de Jumeppe, the lord Giles Scr- ies, the lord John de Berniont, the lord Reginald de Bergehes, and many other noblemen. The Germans and mercenaries from strange countries, I am unable to name ; therefore, for the present, I shall be silent on that head. CHAPTER CCVI. THE KING OF ENGLAND LEADS A GREAT ARMY INTO FRANCE, DURING THE TIME THE KING OF FRANCE WAS A FRISONER IN ENGLAND THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE ARMY OF ENGLAND. As tlie duke of Lancaster, with his barons and knights, were re- turning to Calais, to salute tlie king of England, who was impatient to see them, they met, within four leagues of Calais, such a multi- tude of people, the whole country was filled with them ; and they were so richly armed and dressed out, that it was a pleasure to view their arms glittering in the sun, their banners waving in the wind, and the whole army inarching slowly in battle array. When the * A strong town in Artois. t .\ village of .\rtois, diocese of Arras. X Braye.sur-9onime— a village in Picardy. § Barnes says it was sir Thomas Murrers, but gives no authority. II A village in Picardy, diocese of Noyon. ^ Sir Francis van Halle was afterwards captain of Calais, and a commissioner fol treating of peace with France. He was insLaUed knight of the garter in the 22rd ctoll, in Uie room of sir OihoHoUtuid.— ]Jc3W«i.i.'s .iicoymt of the Oarter, No. 50. 124 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. to eixty year?, that did not go ; so that almost all the earls, barons, knights, and squires of the realm went to Dover, except those whom the king and his council had ordered to remain to guard his castles, bailiwicks, mayoralties, sea-ports, havens, and marches. When all were collected together at Dover, and the vessels ready, the king or. dered both small and great to assemble at a particular place out of the town, where he distinctly told them, that his intentions were to pass into France, and never to return until he should have put an end to the war, and obtained an honorable and efficient peace; that he would die sooner than not accomplish this object ; and that if there were any among them who disapproved of what he had said, he desired they ft'ould return home. They all approving, embarked on board the ships, to the cries of " (4od and St. George !" and arrived at Calais two days before the feast of All-Saints, 1359. CHAPTER CCVII. THE KJMt> OF ESSLAMD LEAVES CALAIS. THE ORDEK OF HIS ARMV IN THEIR MARCH THROUGH FICARDY TOWARD EHEIMS. When the king of England was arrived at Calais, attended by the prince of Wales and three other sons, namely, Lionel earl of Ulster, John earl of Richmond, and Edmund, afterwards earl of Cambridge, the youngest of the four, with the following lords And duke and the above-mentioned lords were come to the king, he re- ceived them very graciously, and thanked them much for their ser- vices. Shortly afterwards, these mercenary- Germans, Brabanters, and Bohemians, having assembled together, informed the king, that, having spent their money, and sold their horses and armor, very little rem.iined with them for his service, according to the design of their coming, and that, if there should be occasion, they had not where, withal to return to their own country : they en'reated him, out of his generosity, to pay some regard to their situation. The king thus replied : " I am but ill prepared at this place to give you a complete answer; and, as I imagine, you must all be much fatigued ; if you will go and refresh yourselves in Calais for two or three days, I will consider your requests this night, and to-morrow will send you such an answer as ought to be satisfactory to you in reason, and according to my means." These lords then left the king and the duke, and advanced toward Calais. When they had marched about half a league, they met a great number of handsome wagons, and soon after the prince of Wales, who, as well as all his attendants, were most brilliantly armed, and in such numbers that the whole country seemed covered with them: they marched slowly in close order, as if they were about to engage in battle, and always a league or two in the rear of the king's division, with their baggage and provisions between them ; which arrangement the foreign lords viewed with delight. These lords attentively con- sidered this army, and respect- fully saluted the prince, the barons, and the other lords that were with him. After the prince bad courteously and handsomely received tliem, like one who knew well how^ to do so, on their taking leave, they informed him also of their poverty and situa. tion, beseeching him that he would have the goodness to at- tend to their necessities. The prince listened to them, and cheerfully complied with their request. They then rode on, and came to Calais, where they took up their lodgings. The second day after they had been there, the king of England sent them his answer by three worthy knights, who told them plainly, that the king had not with him adequate sums of money to pay all their expenses, nor what they might perhaps demand : that he had brought wath him only suf- ficient for the enterprise he had tmdertaken : that, however, if they thought proper to accom- pany him, and partake of his good and bad fortune, should any success ensue, they should partake of it, and largely; but VVak Waoons and BiaoAtiE Traius os thkir March. From Authorities of the Fifteenth Century. Engraved and de«ril)es La CTiuui marba it clearly vu., I have tierefore followed it. set out early in hopes of gaining honor or booty by pillaging the country; and we may perchance meet with them, and make them pay our score. His companions immediately agreoid to this proposal, kept it secret among themselves, and were ready with their horses saddled at break of day. They took the field in good order, and, leaving the road which led to Peronne, skirted the woods to see if they could meet with any one : they arrived at a village, the inhabit, ants of which had fortified the church : sir Galahaut dismounted at this place, where there was wine, with bread and meat in plenty, which were offered to them by those within. While they were at this place, sir Galahaut called to him two of his squires, one of whom was Bridoul de Tallonnc, and said to them : " Ride forward, and examine the country round, to see if you c*n perceive any one : and, if you find nothing, return here to us : we will wait for you." The two squires set off, mounted on good horses, and made for a wood which was about half a French league distant. The same morning, sir Reginald de BouUant, a German knight belonging to the duke of Lancaster's division, had rode forth since daybreak, and, having made a large circuit without seeing any one, had halted at that spot. The two squires, being come thither, in)^. ined they might be some persons of the country, who had placed themselves there in ambuscade, and rode so near that each party saw the other. The two Frenchmen, therefore, consulted together, and said, " If they be Germans, we must pretend we belong to them : if they be of this part of the country, we will tell them who we are.'* When they were so near each other that they could speak, the two squires soon perceived, by their uniforms, that they were Germans and their enemies. Sir Reginald de BouUant spoke to them in German, and inquired whose soldiers they were. Bridoul de Tal- lonne, who well Mnderstood that language, answered, "We belong to sir Bartholomew Burghersh." "And where is sir Bartholomew ?" " He is," replied he, " in that village." " For what reason has he stopped there ?" " Sir, because he has sent us forward, to see if we can find anything to forage in this part of the country." " By my faith, there is not," answered sir Reginald ; " for I have been all over it, and have not been able to pick up anything. Return to him, and tell him to advance, and we will ride together as far as St. Quentin, and see if we cannot find out a better country, or some good adventure." "And who are you?" demanded the squire. "I am called Reginald de BouUant," answered the knight, " and say so to sir Bartholomew." Upon this the two squires turned about, and went to the village where they had left their master. As soon as sir Galahaut saw them, he asked, "What news? have you found or seen anything?" "Yes, sir, enough, in conscience: beyond this wood is sir Reginald de DouUant, with about thirty more : be has been riding about this neighborhood all this morning, and desires much to have your company to ride further forward toward St. Quentin." "How," replied sir Galahaut, "what are 5-ou saying ? sir Reginald de BouUant is a German knight, and in the ;ervice of England." "All this we know well," answered the squire. "Then how could you get away from him?" " Sir," said Bridoul, " I will tell you." He then related to him all that conversation v.hich has just been mentioned. When sir Galahaut heard what had passed, he was for a moment thoughtful, and then asked the opinions of sir Roger de Cologne and some other knights present, what was best to be done. The knights answered, " Sir, you are seeking for adventures, and, when they fall into your mouth, take advantage of them, for by all means, allowed by the laws of arms, every man ought to molest his enemy." To this advice sir Galahaut cheerfully assented, for he was very desirous of meeting the Germans. He ordered his steed to be got ready, and put on his helmet with the visor down, that he might not he known: the rest did the same. They quitted the viUage, and. getting into the fields, rode to the right for the wood, where sir Reginald was waiting for them. They might be about seventy men-at-arms, and sir Reginald had but thirty. As soon as sir Reginald perceived them advancing, he collected his men together in a very orderly manner, and thus left his ambuscade, with his pennon displayed before him, and marched with a gentle pace to meet tlie French, whom he be- lieved to be English. When he was come up with them, he raised his visor, and saluted sir Galahaut, by the name of sir Bartholomew Burghersh. Sir Galahaut kept his face covered, and replied in a low voice, adding, " Come, come, let us ride on." Upon which, his people drew off on one side, and the Germans on the other. When sir Reginald de BouUant noticed his manner, and that sir Galahaut was eyeing him askance without saying a word, sorne doubts entered his mind. He had not rode a quarter of an hour before he stopped short, under his banner, in the midst of his people, and said aloud : "Ihave somesuspicions, sir knight, that you are not sir Bartholomew de Burghersh ; for I am well acquainted with sir Bartholomew, and hitherto I have not seen your face ; therefore, you must tell me your real name, before I ride any farther in your company." At these words, sir Galahaut raised his visor, and advanced toward the knight, in order to seize the reins of his horse, crying out, " Our Lady of Ribemmont I" which was echoed by sir Roger de Cologne, crying, " Cologne to the rescue I ' Sir Reginald, perceiving his mistake, was not much frightened, but laying his hand quickly on his sword of war, which he wore by his side, that was both stiff and strong, drew it out of the scabbard ; 126 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, PPAIN. &.e. and, as sir Galahaut advanced to take the bridle, sir HcgmM gave him 30 furious a stroke with this sword, that it penetrated the armor, and passed tlirough his body. Having drawn it back again, he stuck spurs in his horse, and left sir Galahaut grievously wounded. The companions of sir Galahaut, perceiving their master and cap- tain in such a condition, were like madmen : they threw themselves up, and attacked the party of sir Reginald most fiercely, when some of iiem were unhorsed. As for sir Reginald himself, he had no sooner struck sir Galahaut, than, clap- ping spurs to his horse, he had galloped oft'. Some of sir Gal- ahaut's squires pursued Jiim, while others were engaged with the Germans, with the in- lention of being fully revenged: but sir Reginald, who was a bold and accomplished knight, was not much alarmed : how- ever, when he found himself so cfosely pursued, that it was pro. per to turn about or be dis- graced, he wheeled round, and struck the nearest so violently witli his strong sword, that he had not any desire to follow him further: thus, as he was Tiding off, he beat down and severely wounded three ; and had lie had a sharp battle-axe in his hand, every one of his strokes would have killed a man. In this manner did the knight escape from the French, without receiving the smallest wound, which his enemies, as well as all those who heard of it, considered as a most gal- lant act : but it fared otherwise with his people, as they were almost all killed or made pris- oners, scarcely any escaping. They placed sir Galahaut de Ribemmont, who was very se- verely wounded, on a litter, and carried him to Peronne to a physician. He was never perfectly cured of this wound; lor he was a knight of such courage that he would not al- low it time to heal, so that he died shortly al'terwards. We will now return to the king of England, and relate how he laid siege to the city and castle of Rheims. Burghersb, in riding toward St. Qiientin, accidentally met the governor of that place, sir Baldwin d'Annequin, when both riders and horses met together: there was great confusion, and many were unhorsed on each side ; but in the end the English gained the field, and sir Baldwin d'Annequin was captured by sir Bartholomew Bnrg- hersh, to whom he had been before a prisoner at the battle of Poitiers. The Erofiish returned to the king, who that day was lodged in CHAPTER CCVIII. THE KIXG OF ENGLAND LAVS SIEGE TO THE CITY OF KHEIMS, AND TO THE CASTLE OF CHAKaNY. THE WAR RECOMMENCES BETWEEN THE DUKE OF NORMANDY AND THE KING OF NAVARRE. ^ The English continued their march, until they had passed through Artois, the low country of which they found in great i)ovcrty and distress for provisions, and had entered Cambresis, \vhe.re all tilings were in greater abundance : for the inhabitants of the plains had not carried their provisions into any fortresses, thinking themselves secure from the English, as forming a dependence of the empire ; but the king of England did not consider them in that light, nor look upon Cambresis as part of the empire. The king took up his quarters in the town of Beaurevoir in Cam- bresis, encamping his army in the neighborhood, where they halted four days to refresh themselves and Iiorsep, and from whence they overran the greater part of the country of Cambresis. The bishop, Peter of Cambray, and the councils of the lords of the country and the principal tcrwns, sent divers messengers, under a passport, to inquire the grounds of the war. They received for answer, that some time ago they had contracted alliances with the French, had aided them much, had supported them in their towns and fortresse.=, and had before made part in the war as enemies : that these were the reasons why the war was carried on in their country : nor could ihey get any other answer. The Cambresians were therefore obliged to put up with their losses and grievances as well as they could. The king continued his route through Cambresis, and entered Tierache ;* but his people overran the country to the right and left, and took provisions wherever they could lay hands on llieni. It chanced, that in one of these foraging parties sir Bartholomew * Tierache-^a fertile country in Picardy, watered by the OiMj and the Bene, to the west of Champagne, and south of HaioauJt. Rbeiks. The Cathedral and part of the old town, as it appeared during the Siege. Designed from Original sketches. the abbey of Femy,* where they found great plenty of provisions for themselves and horses ; they tiien passed on, and continued their march without any hindrance, so that they arrived in the environs of Rheims. The king's quarters were at St. Waal beyond Rheims, and the prince of Wales's at St. Thierry,! where they held their courts. The duke of Lancaster, after them, kept the greale.«t household. The couiits, barons, and knights, were quartered in the neighboring villages to Rheims, so that they were not very comfortable, nor had' they weather to please them ; for they had arrived there in the depth of winter, about St. Andrew's day, when it was very rainy : their horses were badly housed, hardly treated, and ill fed, as the whole country was so destroyed, by having been for two or three years before the theatre of war, that no one had tilled or sowed the ground* There was such scarcity of corn of all sorts, many were forced to seek forage ten or twelve leagues off. These parties met frequently with the garrisons of the neighboring fortresses : sharp skiniiishes ensued between them : sometimes the English lost, at others were victorious. Sir John de Craon, archbishop of Rheims, the count de Porcien, sir Hugh de Porcien his brother, the lord de la Bone, the lord de Canency, the lord Dannore, the lord de Lore, were governors and captains of the town at the time the king of England besieged it. Many other barons, knights and squires of the district of Rheims were also there, who exerted themselves so much 'that the town suf- fered but little loss or damage from the siege : besides, it was strong, ' well fortified, and as well defended. The king of England was not desirous of storming it, lest his army might suffer too much from i wounds or fatigue ; he remained, therefore, before it, from St. An. drew's day to the beginning of Lent. Detachments from his army, however, scoured the country in search of adventures. Some of them went over the whole country of Rhetel, as far as Warq,t to Maisicres,§ Doncliery,|| and Mouson :T they quartered themselves * remy— a village in Cambresis, on tlie borders of Hainault. I t?t. Thierry— a small village in Champagne, diocese of Kheims. X Warq-les-Maisoiis— a village of Champagne, election of Rhetel. § Mezieres— a strong city of Champagne, diocese of Rheims, election of Rhetel. II Donchery— a town oi Cliunipagne, on the .Meuse, dioee^e of Kheini5, election ef Rhelfi. IT Mouson— a town of Champagne, diocese of Rheims. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 127 ta the country for three or four days ; and after having pillaged it ^thout let or hindrance, they returned again to their army. During the time that tlie king of England was before Rheims, sir Eustace d'Ainbrelicourt had taken the good town of Achery-sur- Aine ;* in which he had found a great quantity of provisions, and, in particular, upward of three thousand butts of wine. He sent a large portion of it to the king of England and his sons, for which they were very thankfid. While this siege lasted, many knights left it, to seek what good fortune they might find. Among others, sir John Chandos, sir James Audlcy, the lord of Mucident, sir Richard de Ponlchardon, with their companies, advanced so near to Chalons in Champagne, that thry came to Cliargny-en-Dornois,t where there was a very handsome and strong castle. Having carefully examined it, they were very desirous of gaining this ca.'Jtle, and directly made an assault on it. Within it were two good and valiant knights as governors : the name of one was sir John do Caplcs, who bore for arms a cross anchored sable on a shield or. The attack was sharp and long : the two knights and their garrison defended themselves well : and it behoved them so to do, for they were assaulted very roughly. The lord of Mucident, who was a powerful and rich lord in Gascony, advanced so forward at this at- tack, that he received a severe blow from a stone on his helmet, through which it found a passage to his head : he was so badly wounded, that he could not be carried away, but died in the arms of his people. The other barons and knights were so enraged at the death of the lord of Mucident, they swore they would never quit the place until they had conquered the castle, and all that were in it. They renewed the assault with double vigor : many gallant deeds were performed : for the Gascons, being irritated by the loss of their lord, rushed mto the ditches, close to the walls of the castle, without sparing themselves, and, placing their shields over their heads, clindjcd up them : the archers, in the meantime, kept such a continual volley of arrows, that no one dared to appear. I'he castle was so briskly assaulted, that it was won, but it cost them dear. When the English were masters of it, they made the tvvo knights prisoners who had so valiantly defended it, and some other squires and gentlemen: the rest of the garrison they put to the sword. They destroyed much of the castle of Chargny. because they did not wish to keep it, and returned to the ki:ig and his barons, to relate v.-hat they had performed. During the time they were before Rheims, great animosities and hatred arose between the king of Navarre and the duke of Normandy. I am not perfectly well informed of the real cause, t but so it was, for the king of Navarre quitted Paris suddenly, and went to Mantes- sur-Seine, from whence he sent his challenge to the duke and his brothers. Many a baron was much surprised at this, and wondered for what cause the war was to be renewed. However, a squire from Brussels, whose name was Waustre Ostrate, under pretence of this war took the strong castle of RouUeboise upon the Seine, a short league from Mantes, which was afterwards a great annoyance to the Parisians and all the neighborhood. While the king of England was besieging Rheims, with his whole army, it happened that the lord Gomegines, who had returned to the qneen in England, at the time the king of England had sent all strangers out of Calais, as had been before related, repassed the sea, and with him some squires of Gascony and England, who accompa. nied him into Hainault, intending to join the army before Rheims. The young lord of Gomegines, being eager to advance himself, col- lected some men together on his return to Hainault. Many men.at. anns joined him, and served under his pennon. When they were all assembled, they might amount to about three hundred. They set out from Maubeuge,§ where they had been mustered, and came to Avesnes,|| which they pa.ssed through, and then to Trelon.lf The lord of Roye, at this period, was in garrison at Roye** in Tierache : there were a great many companions with him, as well knights as squires ; and he had been informed, by the spies he kept in pay on the borders of Hainault, of the lord of Gomegines having collected a body of forces, which he was marching to the assistance of the king of England before Rheims, and that he and his troops must pass through Tierache. As soon as the lord of Roye had as- certained the truth of this intelligence, he communicated it secretly to all his fellow.soldiers in the neighborhood, and particularly to the lord Robert, canon de Robersart, who at that time inanaged the estates of the young carl de Courcy, and resided in the castle of Marle.tt When the canon heard it, lie was not slow in obeying the summons, but came to the lord of Roye with full forty lances. The lord of Roye was chosen chief of this expedition, as indeed he had reason to expect, for he was a powerful baron in Picardy, and for the times * Acliery— a town in Picardy, on tlie Oise, diocese of Laon. The river Airio falls into the Oise noiir Conipiegne. t Dormois— a country of Cli.inina^ne. diocese of Rheims. t Probably occasioned by the kins of Navarre's treason.ible designs being discovered. £?ee Vdlaret's Hist, of France, pp. 216. &c. It is said tjiere, tliat Die castje of RouUe- boise was taken by one of the king of Navarre's captains. § A strong town in Hainault, on tlie Sanibre, diocese nf Ciinibray. II Avesnes— a strong town in Hainault, diocese of Cambray. IT Trelon— a village in Flanders, near Avesnes. ** Eoye— a strong town in Picardy. My printed copies have it Ray, two M.=!S. Roy, onie Rosoy. tf Marie— a town in Picardy. diocese of Laon. was a good man, and a gallant soldier, much renowned, and well spoken of in various places. These French men-at-arms, who might amount to three hundred, posted themselves in ambuscade, on the road the lord of Gomegines and his troops must necessarily pass, who was quite ignorant of their intentions, and who thought to continue his march unmolested ; he entered, therefore, Tierache, and taking the road to Rheims, came very early in the morning to a village called Habergny,* where they determined to halt for a short time to refresh themselves and horses, and then to continue their route without any more delay. They dismounted in this village, and began to make preparations for feed, ing their horses. While his companions were thus employed, the lord of Gomegines, who was then young and wilful, said, he would ride out of the village to see if he could not meet with something better to forage. He called to him five or six of his companions, and Christopher de Murt his squire, who bore his pennon : they quitted the village furiously, but without any order or regularity. It happened that the French knights and their troojis were in am- buscade near thi5 village : they had followed them the preceding day and night, in order that they might combat them with more certainty ; and, if a proper opportunity had not offered itself in the plain, they intended to have entered the village, for the purpose of attacking them ; but the lord of Gomegines fell into their hands. When the French lords perceived the lord of Gomegines and his company ad- vancing on this secret excursion, they were at first surprised, and could not conceive who they might be. They sent two scouts on the look-out, who brought back word that they were enemies. This news was no sooner heard than they quitted their ambuscade, each crrying out, "Roye, for the lord of Roye !" The knights advanced before the lord nf Roye, who had his banner displayed in front. There were sir Flamen de Roye his cousin, sir Lewis de Robersart, the canon de Robersart his brother, who was a squire, sir Tristrant de Bonne-roye, and others, each armed according to his condition, with their swords hanging to their wrists, and their spears couched, toward their enemies, crying out, " Roye, for the lord of Roye 1" When the lord of Gomegines perceived the ambuscade he had fallen into, he was much astonished ; but he determined to stand his ground, and wait his enemies, for both himself and followers dis- dained to fly : they couched their spears, and formed themselves in order of battle. The French, being well mounted, charged these English and Gascons, who were not very numerous ; and, at the first charge, the lord of Gomegines was run through with a spear, and had not afterwards an opportunity, from the situation of the place, to remount his horse. His people fought valiantly, and many gallant deeds were done ; but in the end the lord of Gomegines could not hold out : he was therefore made pri-soner, on his parole. Two of his squires had fought valiantly, but were forced to yield, or they would have heen slain, as well as Christopher de Mur, a valiant squire, who bore the pennon of the lord of Gomegines. To make an end of this affair, all those of the Gomegine party were either slain or made prisoners, except the valets, who being well mounted, saved themselves by flight. No pursuit was made after them, more weighty considerations occupying their enemies. CHAPTER CCIX. TUE LOUD OF KOYE AND HIS COMPANY DEFEAT THE REMAINDER OF THE TROOPS OF THE LORD OF GOMEGINES. THE CASTLE OF COMHERCVt SURRENDERS TO THE ENGLISH. The knights who had taken the lord of Gomegines, and overthrown all those who had followed him out of the village, did not wish to lose time, but. putting spurs to their horses, galloped into the above-men- tioned village, calling out, "Roye, for the lord of Roye!" Those who were there were much alarmed at this cry, and surprised to find their enemies so near them, as they were chiefly disarmed and scat- tered about, so that they could not rally nor collect together. The French made prisoners of them at their pleasure, in houses, barns, and ovens: and the canon de Robersart had many who surrendered themselves to him, because his banners were better known than those of the others. It is true, indeed, that some of them retreated to a small fortified house, surrounded by a moat, which is situate in this village of Harcigny, and consulteel among themselves whether to defend it until the king of England, who was before Rheims, might hear of their disaster (for the mansion could very soon be made strong enough to enable them to hold out,) when they thought, that as soon as he should know of their situation, he would without doubt send forces to relieve them. While they were thus debating, the lord of Roye and his companions came before it, and said to them : " Listen, gentlemen ; if you force us to make the slightest attack, we will not suffer any one of you to escape death ; for, if we begin, we will con. tinne the attack until we take it." These and such. like words threw them into confusion, and even the boldest were alarmed : they sur- rendered, therefore, on having their lives spared. They were all * Habergny. Barnes calls it Harcigny, which is a village in Picardy. diocese of Laon. Ilabergny is not in the Gazetteer. t Barnes makes him an Englishman, of the name of Moor, but I see no cause for it. i Commercy is not in the Gazetteer. Barnes calls it Cormicy, which is a town ia Champngne, diocese of Rheims. 128 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. made prisoners, and sent to the castle of Coucy, and the other gar- risons from whence tlie French had marched. This disaster happened to the lord of Gomegincs and iiis parly about Christmas, 1359. When the king of England was informed of it, he was mightily enraged ; but he could not amend it. We will now return to the siege of Rheims, and speak of an ad. venture which happened to sir Bartholomew Burghersh, who had laid siege to the town and castle of Cormicy, in which was a knight of Champagne, whose name was sir Henry de Vaulx ; he wore black armor, and bore for arms five almonds argent on a field sable : his war-cry was " Viane."* During this siege of Rheims, the earls, barons, and great lords ■were quartered in Ihe neighborhood, as you have before heard, in order to prevent any provision being carried into that city. Among them was sir Bartholomew Burghersh, a great baron of England : he and his suite, with his company of archers and men-at-arms, were lodged near Cormicy, where there is a handsome castle belonging to the archbishop of Rheims, who had put into it the knight before- mentioned, with many good companions, to guard it against their enemies. They were far from fearing any attack ; for the castle had a large square tower, whose walls were very thick, and it was •well furnished with arms of defence. When sir Bartholomew had surrounded this castle, and, by well reconnoitering its strength, found he could not take it by assault, he ordered a number of miners, whom lie had with him in his pay, to get themselves ready and do their duty in undermining the fortress, when he would reward them handsomely: upon which they replied, they would cheerfully undertake it. The miners immediatelv broke ground, and, having lodged themselves in their mine, worked night and day : insomuch that they advanced far under the great tower ; and, as they pushed forward, they propped up the work, that those within knew nothing of it. When they had thus completed their mine so that they could throw down the tower when they chose, they came to sir Bartholomew Burghersh, and said to him : " Sir, we have carried our works so far that this tower, great as it is, shall be thrown down whenever you please." " It is well," replied sir Bartholomew, " but do nothing more without my orders :" to which they willingly consented. The knight immediately mounted his steed ; and taking John de Guistellest with him, who was one of his companions, they advanced to the castle, and sir Bartholomew made a signal that he wished to have a parley with those within. Upon this, sir Henry came forward on the battlements, and demanded what he wanted. " I want you to surrender," replied sir Bartholo. mew, " or you will all infallibly be destroyed." " By what means ?" answered the French knight, who began to laugh ; " we are per- fectly well supplied with everything ; and you wish us thus simply to surrender : certainly it shall not be to-day," added sir Henry. "Certainly," said the English knight, "if you were truly informed what your situation is, you would surrender instantly, without more words." " Why, what is our situation ?" demanded sir Henry. " If you will come out, upon my assurance of your safety, I will show you," replied sir Bartholomew. Sir Henry accepted the con. dition, and came out of the fortress, witn only three others, to sir Bartholomew and John de Guistelles, who immediately conducted them to the mine, and showed them that the great tower was only supported on props of wood. When the French knight saw the peril he and his garrison were in, he told sir Bartholomew, that he had very good reasons for wOiat he had said, and that his proceedings were truly gallant and noble : " Wc shall therefore surrender ourselves to your will." Sir Bartho- lomew took them all his prisoners, made them leave the tower one after the other with their baggage, and then set fire to the mine. The timber was soon on fire ; and, when the props were burnt, the tower, which was e.\tremely large, opened in two places, and fell on the opposite side to where sir Bartholomew was standing, who said to sir Henry and the garrison of the fortress, " Now, see if I did not tell you the truth." " We own it, sir," replied they, " and remain prisoners at your pleasure. We also return" you our best thanks for your kindness to us ; for if the Jacquerie, who formerly overran this country, had had the same advantage over us that you have, they would not have acted so generously." Thus were all the garrison of Cormicy made prisoners, and the castle thrown to the ground. The king of England remained before Rheims for upward of seven weeks, but never made any assault upon it, as it would have been useless. He began to tire ; and as his army found great difliculties m obtaining forage and provision, their horses perished. He broke up his camp, and marched ofl' toward Chalons, in Champagne, in the same order as before. The king and his armv passed very near to Chalons, and sat down before Bar-sur-.-Vube, and afterwards before the city of Troycs. He took up his quarters at Mery-sur-Seine.t The whole army lay between Mcry and Troycs, which is reckoned to be eight leagues di stant from each other. While he was at Mery- „* '" ^" ''"' printed books I liave seen, liis name is Henry de Noir, but ut tlie end il U Henri de Vaulx. My two MSS. liavo, " Mcssire Jlonri de Vaul.«, ct s'armoit ledit messire Henri, de noir a cinq nmans d'nrgent, et criet Viane." a. Amans— not in any of my dictionaries. Mr. Lodge supposes they must mean almonds. sur-Seine, his constable,* who commanded always the van battalion, advanced and came before St. Florentin,t which wa,s under the com- mand of sir Odoart de Rency ; and, after having displayed his banner (which was blazoned, or and azure, a cliief pally, and at each of the two corners girons, and an escutcheon argent in the midst of the shield,) before the gate of the fortress, made a fierce attack on it, but in vain. The king of England and his whole army came and took up their quarters at Saint Florentin and the neigh, borhood, on the banks of the river Arman^on.t When tlicy marched from thence, they came before Tonnerrc,^ which was so briskly attacked, tho town was won, but not the castle. The English, how. ever, found in that town upward of three thousand butts of wine, which were of great service to them. At this period the lord de Fiennes, constable of France, was in the city of Auxerrell witi; a number of men-at-arms. t Amans, in Norman French, mean diamonds, or, in heraldic phrase, lozenges; the arms of Henri de Noir or de Vaulx, are not given in D. Sauvage's or Lord Berneis.-ED.l t Rjures calls him lord John de Botetourt : but he gives no authority for it. ., Mery-sur-Seine-diocese and election of T royes, veven leagues from Troyes. CHAPTER CCX. TnE KINS OF ENSLAND, AFTER HE HAD RAISED THE SIEGE OF RHEIMS, WASTES AND DESTROYS ALL THE COtJNTRIES HE PASSES THROUGH. HE COMES TO GUILI.ON, WHERE HE REMAINS. GREAT QVANTITIES OF PROVISION FOLLOW THE ARMY. The king of England and his army remained five days in Ton. nerre, on account of the good wines he found there. The castle was often assaulted : but it was well provided with men-at-arms, com- manded by sir Baldwin d'Annequin, master of the cross-bows. When they had well reposed and refreshed themselves in Tonnerre, they marched off, and crossed the river Arman^on. The king of England left the road to Au.xerre on his right hand, and took that which leads to Noyers:1i his intentions were to enter Burgundy and pass his Lent there. He and his whole army marched above Noyers ; but ho would not suft'er any attack to be made on it, as the lord of it was his prisoner since the battle of Poitiers. They inarched on for their quarters to a town called Montroyal,** situated on a river called Sellettes ; and, when the king left it, he went up that river, and pro- ceeded straight to take possession of his lodging at Guillen, tt which is also on its banks ; for one of his squires, called John d'Alen^on, who bore for his arms a scutcheon argent in a field azure, had taken the town ofFlavignyJt in its neighborhood, and had found wilhin it a sufiiciency of jirovision for the whole army for a month. This was very fortunate, as the king remained there from the night of -'Vsh-Wednesday until Mid-lent. His marshals and light troops scoured the country round, burning and destroying it, and frequently bringing to the army fresh provisions. I must inform you, that the king of England and his rich lords were followed by carts laden with tents, pavilions, mills, and forges, to grind their corn and make shoes for their horses, and everything of that sort which might be wanting. For this purpose there were upward of six thousand carts, each of them drawn by four good and strong horses which had been transported from England. Upon these carts also were many vessels and small boats, made surpri. singly well of boiled leather : they w"cre large enough to contain throe men, to enable them to fish any lake or pond, whatever might be its size : and they were of great use to the lords and barons during Lent: but the commonalty made use of what provisions they could get. The king had, besides, thirty falconers on horseback, laden with hawks : sixty couple of strong hounds, and as many greyhounds ; so that every day he took the pleasure of hunting or fishing either by land or water. §§ Many lords had their hawks and hounds as well as the king. Their army was always in three divisions, and each person kept to his division : there was also a vanguard to every one of them, and their quarters were one league distant from each other, the king being with the third and largest division. This order was constantly kept on their march from Calais, until they came before the town of Chartres. During the time the king of England remained at Guillon, wlicre he was living on the provision which John d'Alen^on had found iu * Roger earl of Mortimer. See more of liim and his arms, in Ashmole, p. G92. Mr. Lodge says, tlie arms of Mortimer have puzzled heralds nt all times ; but tho terms heralds now use in blazoning the arms nf Mortimer are these: "Barry of six or and azure, and an escutcheon argent ; on a chief of the first lliree pallets of tlie seconti, between two girons or." [The arms of Mortimer, fiiveu in Burke's " Extinct, dormant, and susiiended Peerages," are as follow: Barry of six or and azure on a chief of the first, three pellets between two esquires, bust dexter and sinister, of the second, and an escutcheon argent.— Ed.] t St. Florentin— situated on the Armani^on, thirteen leagues from Troyes. X III the printed copies it is Mouson, but in my MSS. .\rmancon. ^ Tonnerre— situated on the Armancon, diocese of Langres. li It is Dnmpierre in the printed copies. Denys Sauvage thinks it ought to have been Auxerre. It is Auxerre in my MSS. If Noyers— a town in Burgundy, on the river Serin, diocese of Langres. ** I cannot find Montroyal, nor the river SelleUes, in tlie GazeUeer. It (iuillon— a town in Burgundy, in the bailiwick of Avaloii. U Flavigny— a town of Burgundy, situated near the Onzerain, bailiwick of Seinur- en-Auxois. §§ Lord Berners says " he either hunted or hawked al tlie ricrr." It is not to be sup- posed that he or his lords could find much pleasure in fishing in their leather boats or coracles, although they were useful to obtain a supply of fish for them in Lent. Tlie words in H. Sauvage's ed. are, " Le roy avoit bieii pour lui trenl faiiconioi"s il clie^aJ, charges d'oiseaux, et bien soixantes couples de forts cliiens et autant de louriers: dtiit il alloi: chdcun jour ou en chace ou en riviere."— Ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. 199 FInvigny, his thoughts were employed in devising means to keep and maintain himself in France. The young duke of Burgundy and his council, at the request of liis subjects, sent to the kinij divei-s lords and knights, as embassadors to treat with him, so that the duchy of Burgundy should not be destroyed or pill-aged. The under, named lords accepted this commission : firet, the lord Anselmo de Sallins, great chancellor of Burgundy ; sir .lames de Vienne, sir .Tohn Derie, sir Hugh de Vienne, sir William de Tlioroise and sir .Tohn de Montmartin. These lords managed the ailair so well, and found ' the king of England in such good humor, that a treaty wa.s soon : entered into between them ; and a composition w.ns made, that for three years no part of the duchy of Burgundy should be overrun, on condition of having 200,000 livrcs paid down.* When this treaty was finished and sealed, the king and his whole army dislodged, and set out on his return, taking the straight road for Paris, fixing his quarters at Avalont upon the river Cousin, below Vezelay.t The quarters of his army extended from the river Yonne as far as Clamecy,§ to the entrance of the county of Nevers. The English entered Gatinois ; and the king made such forced marches that he came so near Paris as to take up his quarters within two short leagues of it, at Bourg-la.Reine. As he and his aniiy passed through the country, they destroyed it on all sides. On the other hand, the garrisons which he had in Picardy, Beauvoisis, the I^le of France, Champagne and Brie, carried on a continual war, and ruined the country. The king of Navarre resided in Normandy, and made a cruel "War against France, insomuch that that noble kingdom was so griev- ously oppressed, it did not know which way to turn itself. But above all, sir Eustace d'Ambrcticourt was the most active : his quarters were at Cheny-sur-Aisne, where he had a strong garri- son of soldiers and men.at-amis, who overran, pillaged and ransomed the good county of Rethel, from Donchery to Mezieres, and as far as Chesne-le-Pouilleux and Stenay,|l in the county of Bay.^ They quartered themselves wherever they chose in all that country, for two or three nights, without opposition from any one, and then re- turned unmolested to their garrison at Cheny, to refresh and recruit themselves. It is true indeed, that all the neighboring lords, knights and squires, threatened them much : they met together, and appointed different days for their assembling, to take the iield and besiege sir Eustace in Ijis casde of Cheny ; but nothing in fact was done. It happened that these adventurers (whose whole thoughts, night and day, were occupied on the best means of taking towns, and in what parts of the country they should find most to pillage) came one night to a good town with a strong castle, situated in the Laonois,** tolerably near to Montagu,tt and in a very deep marshy country, the name of which was Pierrepont.Jt -A.t this time, there were in it a great many people of the country, who had carried thither their goods, trusting to the strength of the place. When sir Eustace's companions arrived, the guard was asleep : they marched, therefore, through the deep marshes with much loss, for their avarice urged them on, and they came to the walls of the town, which they entered without resistance, and robbed at their pleasure. They found in it more riches than in any other place ; and, when it was day, they burnt the town, and returned to Cheny, well laden with booty .§^ CHAPTER CCXI. THE KI.VC OF ENGLAND LAT3 THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE UNDER GREAT TRIBULATION. A CORDELIER FRIAR FROFHESIES. THE ENGLISH PLACE AN AMBUSCADE FOR THOSE WHO SHOULD COME OUT OF PARIS. About this period, a Franciscan friar, full of knowledge and under- standing, [[1| was at Avignon : his name was .Tohn de Rochctaillade ; and pope Iimocent VI. kept him a prisoner in the castle of Baignou.x, not only on account of the great prophecies he made of the tunes to come, chiefly and principally relating to the heads and prelates of * See this treaty in Rrnier. anno ISM. The sum \r.is 200,000 moutons— 50,0(0 to be poid at the ensuing feast of St. John the Baptist, 100,000 at Christmas, and 50,000 at £aeter. t Avaloii— a town of Burgundy, on tlie Cousin, which falls into tlie Yonne. t Ve/elay— a town in Niveinois, diocese of Aulun, four leagues from Clamecy § Chimecy— a small city of tlie i\i%ernois, diocese of Auxerro, on the conflux of the Yonne and Beuvron. II Stenay— in the diocese of Treve?, on the Meuse. IT 1 cannot find, in any dictionary, the county of Bay. It is Buy in Denys Sauvage. Stenay is in the diocese of Treves : but even the connection of names is so wide, t can- not suppose it to be a mistake for Treves. ** Laonoii— in Picardy. tt Montagu— in Picardy, diocese of Laon. Jl Pierrepont— village of Picardy, dioce=e of Laon. §& This passage is one of tliose so excellently translated by Lord Berners, ihat we are induced to subjoin it. " These companyons who ymagined nyght and dayc howe they might geat and steale townes and fortresses on a night ther, came to a stronge towne and a good castell in Laonnoyse nere to Montague; this fortresse was called Pierpont standyng in a niaresse ; the same season there were within the towne great nombre of men of the countrey tliat had brought tliither tlieyr goodes on trust of the strength of tlie place. When they of Cheny came thitlier the watche within was aslepe; they spared not the dangerous maresses, but went through them and came to tlie walles and so entered into the towne and wanne it without defenre and robbed it at their pleasure. They found ther more riches than ever they found before in any towne. And whan it •w.as day they brent the towne and returned to Cheny well fumysshed witli great pyl- lage."— Ed. Ilir'Plein de grand clergie ct de gtande eutendement," are the words used in D. Sauvage's ed.— Ed. tiie holy church, by reason of their pride and the expensive life they led, but also concerning the kingdom of France, and the great lords of Christendom, for their heavy oppressions on the common people. The above-mentioned John was willing to prove all he said from the Apocalypse, and by the ancient books of the holy prophets, xvhicU were opened to him through the grace of the Holy Ghost, by which he uttered things that were diflicult to be credited. Some of the predictions he had made were seen to come to pass within the time, which he never could have foretold as a prophet but by means of the ancient Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit, that had given him the power of understanding these ancient prophecies, and of announcing to all Christians the year and time when they were to he fulfilled. He made many books, full of much science and learning. One was written in the year 1346, which contained many marvellous things, difficult of belief, but of which some had come to pass already. When he was questioned concerning the war against France, he answered, that what they had seen was nothing to what vva.s to happen ; for there would be no peace until the realm of France was destroyed and ruined from one end to the other*. This indeed happened afterwards ; for that kingdom was completely spoiled at the time the friar had fixed, in the years 1356, 1.357, 1358, and 1359 ; insomuch that none of its princes or gentlemen dared to show them, selves against those of the low estate collected from all parts, and who had arrived, one after the other, without leader or chief, while the country had not any means of resisting them. They elected (as you have before seen,) in different parts of the country, captains ifom among themselves, to whom they paid obedience. The cap- tains, when they enrolled any man in their companies, made certain agreements with them respecting their shares of booty and the ransom of prisoners : they found so much pillage, that all the leaders became rich from the great wealth they amassed. King Edward was lodged at Bourg-la-Rcine, two short leagues from Paris, and his army in difl'erent parts between that and Mont- Ihery t. He sent from thence his heralds to the duke of Normandy in Paris, who had with him a great number of men-at-arms, to offer him battle : hut the duke would jiot accede to it. His messengers, therefore, returned without having done anything. When the king found that his enemies would not venture out of Paris, he was mightily enraged : upon which that good knight, sir Walter Manny, stepped forth and besought his lord that lie would permit him to make an excursion and assault as far as the barriers of Paris. The king consented to his request, and named himself those knights that should accompany him. He made also many new knights on the occasion ; among whom were, the lord Delaware, the lord de Silva- cier, sir Thomas Banastert, sir William Torceaux, sir Thomas le Despensicr, sir .Tohn Neville, sir Richard Dostniay, and many others. Colart d'Ambrcticourt, son of sir Nicholas, would have been of the number ; for the king was desirous of it, as he was attached to his person and squire of his body ; but the young man excused himself, by saying he could not find bis helmet. Sir Walter Manny set out on this enterprise, and carried with him these new knights to skirmish and to make an attack on the barriers of Paris. Many hard blows were given and received ; for there were within the city several valiant knights and squires, who would willingly have sallied forth, if the duke of Normandy had given his consent. They, however, guarded the gates and barriers so well that no damage was done to them. This skirmish lasted until twelve o'clock, and many were killed on both sides. Sir Walter then retreated with his people to their quarters, where they remained together that day and ihe following niglit. On the morrow, the king dislodged, and took the road to Montlhcry. When the camp was breaking up, some English and Gascon knights planned the following enterprise. They thought, that as there were so many knights in Paris, some of them would sally out after them : and some young adventurers would endeavor to gain, by their valor, both honor and booty. They therefore placed two hundred picked men, v.-ell armed, in an old empty house, three leagues from Paris. The chiefs of the Gascon party were, the captal de Buch, sir Aymery de Pommiers, and the lord de Courton ; of the English, the lord Neville, the lord Mowbray, and Sir Richard de Pontchardon. These six knights \vere the leaders of this ambus, cade. When tlte French who were within Paris perceived that the king of England was decamping, some young knights collected together, and said among themselves : " It will be a good thing for us to sally out secretly, and follow a while the army of England, to see if we * There is adilTerence here in Lord Berners, and we have therefore transcribed hit version. The ed. of D. Sauvage agrees with Mr. Johnes. It will he seen that Lord Berners makes the tmi pnrticutarli/ predict Ihe Jacquerie, while in Mr. Johnes's ver- sion a general prophecy alone is ascribed to him. " The wiiiche sayeing was well seen after, for tJie noble realine of Fraunce was sore wasted and exyled, and specially in that'terme that the sayd frete Iiad sette, the which was in the yeres of our Lorde MCCCLVI, VII, Vni, and VIX. He saydc in those years the prt/itcis and gentyl- men of therealme shulil notfarfrarc shcwe themsetfcagynsl t/ie people of lowe estate assembled of all couutres without heed or capitayne, and tliey sluilde do as they lyste in tlio realme of Fraunce, the whiclie felle after as ye liave herde. howe the companyons assembled tlieyni toguether and by reason of tlicyr robbery and pyllage wa.xed riche and became great capitaynes," are the words of Lord Berners.— Ed. t Montlhery— a (own in the Isle of France, seven leagues from Paris. t SirThomos Banastcr was afterwards elected knight of the garter in this king's reisn. See his life, in .^nstis's Hiitory of the Gaiter, vol. ii. p. 153. 130 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. cannot gain something." They were all mstatilly of this opinion, so that sir Raoul de Coucy, sir Raoul de Ravenal, the lord de Mon- sault, the lord de Helay, the constable of Beauvais, le begue de Villaines, the lord de Beausiers, the lord of Ulbarin, sir Gauvain de Valouel, sir Flaniant de Rove, sir Azelles de Cavilly, sir Peter de Fermoises, Peter de Savoises, and upward of a hundred lances with them, sallied out well mounted, with a thorough good w^ill to do something ; but they must first find the occasion. They took the road to Bourg-la-Reine, which they passed, and gained the open fields, when they foUow^ed the track of the cavalry and army of England, and rode beyond the ambuscade of the captal and his company. They were no sooner passed than the English and Gascons marched out of it, after them, with their lances in their rests, shouting their war-cry. The French turned about, wondering who they could be : but they soon found they were their enemies. They immediately halted, and drew themselves up in battle array, and, with couched spears, prepared to meet the English and Gascons, who soon joined them. At this first onset many were unhorsed on both sides, for both parties were well mounted. After this tilting-bout, they drew their swords, and attacking each other more closely, many hard blows were given, and many gallant deeds performed. This attack lasted a considerable time, and the ground was so well disputed, that it was difficult to say which of the two would be conqueror. Tlie captal de Buch shone particularly, and did with his hand many deeds worthy so good a knight. In the end, however, tlie English and Gascons fought .so valiantly, that the field remained to them : they were more than half as many again as the French. Tiie lord of Campreny showed himself a valiant knight on the side of the French, and fought gallantly under his banner, the bearer of which was slain : his banner was argent, a buckle gules, between si.v martlets sable, three above and three below. The lord of Cam. preny was made prisoner. The other French knights and squires, who saw the ill success of their attempt, and that they could not recover themselves, took the road toward Paris, figliting as they retreated, and the English pursuing them most eagerly. In this retreat, which continued beyond Bourg-'a-Reine, nine knights, as well bannerets as others, were made prisoners ; and, if the English and Gascons who pursued them had not been afraid that others might sally out of Paris to their assistance, not one would have escaped being killed or taken. When this enterprise was finished, they returned toward Montlhery, where the king was. They carried -.heir prisoners with them, to wliom they behaved very courteously, and ransomed them handsomely that same evening, allowing them to return to Paris, or wherever else they chose, taking readily their word of honor as sufficient security for their ransom. The intention of the king of England was to enter the fertile country of Beauce, and follow the course of the Loire all the summer, to recruit and refresh his army in Brittany until after August ; and as soon as the vintage was over, which from all appearances prom- ised to be abundant, he meant to return again and lay siege to France, that is to say, to Paris ; for he wished not to return to Eug. land, as he had so publicly declared, on setting out, his determina- tion to conquer that kingdom, and to leave garrisons of tliose who were carrying on the war for him in France, in Poitou, Champagne, Ponthieu, Vimeu, Valguessin,* in Normandy, and throughout the whole kingdom of France, except in those cities and towns which had voluntarily submitted to him. The duke of Normandy was at this time at Paris with his (wo brothers, their uncle the duke of Orleans, and all the principal coun- cillors of state, who, well aware of the courage of the king of England, and how he pillaged and impoverished the whole realm of France, knew also that his situation could not last, for the rents both of the nobles and clergy were generally unpaid. At this period, a very wise and valiant man was chancellor of France, whoso name ■was sir William + de Montagu, bishop of Therouenne : by his advice the kingdom was governed : every part of it profited from his good and loyal counsel. Attached to him were two clerks of great pru- dence ; one was the abbot of Clugny, the other friar Symon de Langres, principal of the predicant monks, and doctor in divinity. These two clerks just named, at the request and command of the duke of Normandy and his brothers, the duke of Orleans their uncle, and of the whole of the great council, set out from Paris with certain articles of peace. Sir Hugh de Geneve, lord of Autun, was also their companion. They went to the king of England, who was overrunning Beauce, near to Gallardon.t These two prelates and the knight had a parley with the king of England, when they began to open a treaty of peace with him and his allies. To this treaty the duke of Lancaster, the prince of Wales, the earl of March,^ and many other barons were summoned. How. ever, this treaty was not concluded, though it was discussed for a long time. The king of England kept advancing into the country, seeking for those parts where was the greatest abundance. The commissioners, like wise men, never quitted the king, nor suffered * Most probably Vexin. Vexin Norman is boundetl on one side by the Seine. t The president Ilciiault calls him Gille Aycelin de Montagu, cardinal and bishop of Therouenne, vol. i. 4to, p. 263. t Gallardon— a town in Beauce. diocese and election of Chartres. 5 This is a mistake, for the earl of March was killed a month prior to this treaty, the aeth of February, at Kouvray ia Burgundy. —Barsiss. their proposals to drop ; for they saw the kingdom in such a miserable situation, that the greatest danger was to be apprehended if they should suffer another summer to pass without peace. On the other hand, the king of England insisted on such conditions as would have been so very grievous and iirejndicial to France, that the commis- sioners, in honor, could not assent to them : so that their treaties and conferences lasted seventeen days, the two prelates and the lord of Autun constantly following the king of England this last was much listened to at the court of the king. They sent every day, or every other day, their treaties and minutes to the duke of Normandy and his brothers at Paris, that they might see what state they were in, and have answers thereto ; as well as to know in what manner they were to act. All these papers were attentively examined and considered privately in the apartments of the duke of Normandv, and then the full intentions of the duke were written down, with the opinions of his council to these commissioners ; by which means, nothing passed on cither side without being fully specified and examined most cau- tiously. These aforesaid Frenchmen were in the king's apartments, or in his lodgings, as it happened, in the different places he halted at, as well on his march toward Chartres as otherwise ; and they made great offers, to bring the war to a conclusion ; but the king was very liard to treat with : for his intention was, to be in fact king of France, al'hough he had never been so, to die with tlint rank, and also to put Brittany, Blois and Touraine in the same situation as those other provinces where he had garrisons. If his cousin, the duke of Lan- caster, whom he much loved and confided in, had not persuaded him to give up such ideas, and advised him to listen to the offers of peace, he never would ha\c come to any terms. He very wisely remon. strated with hiin, and said : " My lord, this war which you are car- rying on in the kingdom of France is wonderful to all men, and not too favorable to you. Your people are the only real gainers by it ; for you are wasting your time. Considering everything, if you per- sist in continuing the war, it may last you your life ; and it appeal's to me doubtful if you will ever succeed to the extent of your wishes. I would recommend therefore, while you have the po\^'er of closing it honorably, to accept the jiroposals which have been offered to you ; for, my lord, we may lose more in one day than wo have gained in twenty years." These prudent and sensible words, which the duke of Lancaster uttered loyally, and with the best intentions, to advise the king of England to his good, converted the king to his opinion, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, who also worked to the same effect : for an accident befel him and all his army, who were thea before Chartres, that much humbled him, and bent his courage. During the time that the French commissioners were passing back- ward and forward from the king to his council, and unable to obtain any favorable answer to their offers, there happened such a storm and violent tempest of thunder and hail, which fell on the English army, that it seemed as if the world was come to an end. The hailstones were so large as to kill men and beasts, and the boldest were fright- ened. The king turned himself toward the church of Our Lady at Char- tres, and religiously vowed to the Virgin, as he has since confessed, that he would accept of terms of peace. He was at this time lodged in a small village, near Chartres, called Bretigny; and there were then committed to writing, certain rules and ordinances for peace, upon which the following articles were drawn out. To follow up this, and more completely to treat of it, the councillors and lawyers of the king of England drew up a paper called the Charter of Peace, with great deliberation and much prudence, the tenor of which follows. CHAPTER CCXII. THE FORM AND TENOR OF THE PAPER DRAWN HP AS ARTICLES OF THE PEACE, WHICH WAS CONCLtTDED BEFORE CHARTRES, BETWEEN THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND. " Edward, by the grace of God, king of England, lord of Ireland and of .\quitaiiie, to all to whom these presents shall come, greeting. As, in consequence of the dissensions, variance, discord and strife, that have arisen, or that might have been expected to arise between us and our very dear brother the king of France, certain commis- sioners and procurators from us and from our dear son, Edward piince of Wales, having sufficient power and authority for us, for him and for our kingdom on the one part, and certain others commissioners and procurators from our said brother, and from our very dear nephew Charles duke of Normandy and dauphin of Vienne, eldest sen to the aforesaid king of France, having power and authority from his father, in this instance, for his father and for himself on the other part, have been assembled at Bretigny, near Chartres : in which place the above- mentioned dissensions, variances and strife were discussed, debated, and finally closed ; and the commissioners from us and from our son, for us and for him, and the commissioners from our aforesaid brother and nephew, for his father and for himself, did swear upon the holy Evangelists, to preserve, keep and fulfil the aforesaid treaty, as we have also sworn and will swear to whatever is said or concluded in the above treaty. " And in this treaty, among other articles, our brother of France and his son aforesaid, are held and have promised to give up and sur- render to us, our heirs and successors for ever, the counties, cities. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 13 towns, castles, fortresses, lands, islands, rents, and revenues, and other things which follow, witli all that we are now in possession of in Guienne and Gascony, to hold forever by us, our heirs and succes. sors, in the same niamior that the kings of France liave always held them : tUat wliicli is in demesne in demesne, and that which is in fief in ficf, in such manner as will be hereafter explained ; that is to say, the city, castle and county of Poitiers with all the lands and country of Foitou, together with the fief of Thouars* and the lands of Belleville :t the town and castle of Saintes, and all the lands and territory of the county of Saintonge on each side the river Charente, with the town and fortress of la Rochelle, their appurtenances and appendages ; the city and castle of Agen, and the country of Age- nois : the city, town, castle, and all tlie lands of Pcrigord, with the whole country of Periguex : the city and castle of Limoges and country of Limousin : the city and castle of Calinrs and country of Cahorsin : the city, castle and country of Tarbes , the territory of the country of Bigorre : the country and lands of Game : the city and castle of Angoulemc, with all tlie country of Angoumois : the city and castle of Rodais, and the county and country of Rouergue : and if there should be any lords in the duchy of Guienne (such as the count de Foix, the count de Armaguac, the count de Tlsle, the viscount de Carmaiu, the count de Pcrigord, the viscount de Limorges or others,) that hold any lands within the butmdaries of the above-mentioned places, tliey shall be bounden to do us homage, and all other services and duties due on account of their lands and places in the same man- ner as they formerly have performed them : and we shall reenter upon all that we, or any other kings of England have possessed, as well as upon these places whence we formerly had received nothing. " The viscounty of Montreuil-sur-mer has been also promised to be given up to us in the same manner as in former times, and all whatsoever we or any other king of England possessed there : and whereas there have arisen disputes relative to the division of this ter- ritory, oiu- brother of France has promised, that he will declare it to be ours as speedily as possible after his return to France. " Item, it is also promised that the county of Ponthieu shall he delivered over to us entire, save and except that if any part of it should have been alienated by the kings of England wlio reigned before us, and were formerly possessors of it and its appurtenances, to others than the kings of France, neither our aforesaid brother, nor his successors, shall be bounden to surrender them : and if the said alienations have been made to any former kings of France, imme- diately, without passing througli a third i)erson, and our aforesaid brotlier be in possession of them, he shall render them wholly up to us : excepting that if the kings of France have had them from us in exchange for other lands, we will deliver up such lands so exchanged: but if any of the kings of England at former times should have alien- ated or disposed of any parts to others than to the kings of France, and it should afterwards have come into the hands of our aforesaid brother, he shall not bo obliged to surrender them : and if the parts aforesaid owe homage to us, or our successors, he shall grant them to others, who will pay us that homage ; but, if they do not owe homage, he shall give them to a tenant that shall do us suit and ser- vice, within the year ensuing upon our departure from Calais. y " Item, the castle and town of Calais ; the castle, town, and lord- ship of Merle ; the towns, castles, and lordships of Sangato, Cou. loigue, Ham, Walles, and Oye, with the lands, woods, marshes, rivers, rent-s, lordships, advowsons of churches, and all other appurtenances and places lying within the limits and bounds Ibllowing ; that is to say, irom Calais to the course of the river before Gravelines, and also by the course of the river which fa'ls into the great lake of Guines, as far as Fretun, and from thence by the valley round tlte mountain of Chalk, inclosing that mountain, and as far as the sea, including San. gate and all its appurtenances. " Item, the king of England shall also possess the castle, town, and the whole county of Guines, with all its castles, towns, fortresses, woods, lands, men, homages, lordships, forests, rights, as completely as the last count of Guines, lately deceased, held it during his life : and the churches and good men, being within the boundaries of the said county and other places above mentioned, shall obey him in the same manner as they did our aforesaid brother, the count of Guines, for that time. All these things comprehended in the present article, and in the preceding one of Merle and Calais, we shall hold in de. mesne, excepting the inheritances and possessions of the churches, which shall remain wholly to the said churches, wherever they may be situated ; and also except the inheritances of the other people of the countries of Merle and Calais, as far as the value of one hundred pounds a.year in land, according to the current coin of the country; whicli inheritances shall remain to them of the abovesaid value and under ; but the habitations and inheritances in the town of Calais, and tlieir appurtenances, shall remain in demesne to us, for us to order and do as we please with them : and also all the possessions of the houseliolders and inhabitants of the county and town of Guines shall remain to them, and shall be restored fully, save and except what is said and declared relative to the bounds and frontiers above mentioned, in the article of Calais. * Tliouare— an ancient nity on a hill, and on the river Thoue, sLrteen leagues from Poitiers. t Belleville. There are two villages in Foitou of this name— one near N"ion, the other near les Sables d'OIoiine. " Item, the king of England shall have possession of all islands adjoining to the lands or places above. irientioned, together with all other islands he was possessed of at the time of this treaty. "And it lias also been discussed, tliat our aforesaid brother and his eldest son should renounce all riglit and sovereignty which they may have over the above-mentioned places, and that we should pos. sess them as a neighbor, without any vassalage or dependence on our said brother, or on the kingdom of France ; and that our brother aforesaid shall give up to us in perpetuity all right and dominion \vhich he may have over the places bet'orc mentioned. "-A.nd it has also been discussed, that in like manner we and our said son shall expressly renounce all those things that are not to bo given up and surrendered to us by the said treaty, more especially the name of king of France, and all right and title to that kingdom, and to the homage, sovereignty, and domain of the duchy of Nor. mandy, the county of Touraine, and the counties of Anjou and Maine ; and to tlie sovereignty and homage of the county of Flan, ders ; and to the sovereignty and homage of the duchy of Brittany (excepting the right of the count de Montfort, and what claim he may have on that duchy and country of Brittany, which we reserve, and by express words put out of our treaty; saving, however, that when we and our aforesaid brother shall come to Calais, we will so man;ige the business, by the advice of able counsellors and other deputies, that we will establish peace and concord between the count de Montford and our cousin sir Charles de Blois, who claims and challenges the inheritance of Brittany:"! and we renounce whatever claims we made, or may have made, of any sort whatever, except those things t^bove.mentionod which are to be given to us and our heirs ; and we give up and cease from making any claims on all other things, but those which arc to be yielded to us. " Upon this subject, after many altercations had taken place, end- ing in a mutual agreement that these renunciations, transportations, cessions and aforesaid surrenderings should be made as soon as our said brother shall have given up to us, or to our people especially deputed for that purpose, the city and castle of Poitiers, with all the territory of Poitou, together with the lief of Thouars and of Belle- ville : the city and castle of Agen, with all the territory of the Agen- ois ; the city and castle of Pcrigord, with the territory of Perigueux ; the city and castle of Cahors, with the territory of Cahorsin ; the city and castle of Rodais, with the territory of Rouergue ; the city and castle of Saintes, with the territory of Saintonge ; the city and castle of Limoges, with all the territory of Limousin ; and that which we or other kings of England have held in the town of Montreuil-sur. mer, with its appurtenances. Item, the whole county of Ponthieu, save and except the contents of the article contained in the said treaty which makes mention of the said county. Item, the castle and town of Calais; the castle, town and lordship of Sangate, Col. loigne, Ham, Walles, Oye, with the lands, rivers, marshes, rents, woods, lordships and other things mentioned in the article respecting them. Item, the castle, town and entire county of Guines, with all the lands, castles, towns, fortresses, places, men, homages, woods, lordships, forests and rights, according to the tenor of the article which in the treaty makes fuller mention of them, and with the islands adjacent to the said lands, countries and places before men- tioned, together with those other islands which we are now in the possession of (that is to say, at the date of this article and of the peace.) We, and our brother the king of France, have promised by faith and oath to each other to preserve and keep this treaty and maintain the peace, and to do nothing against it ; and we are bounden, us and our said brother the king of France, and our eldest sons before mentioned, by obligation and promise and by faith and oath to each other pledged, to make certain renunciations one to the other accord, ing to the form and tenor of the aforesaid article of peace. " Item, it is agreed, that the king of France and his eldest son the regent, for them and for their heirs for ever, shall as soon as possible, and without any double dealing, at the latest w'ithin the feast of St. Michael next ensuing, deliver up and give to the king of England, his heirs and successors, and convey to them the honors, royalties, services, homages, allegiances, vassalages, iiefs, obediences, acknow- ledgments, oaths, rights, seizures, and all manner of jurisdictions, both criminal and civil, appeals, securities, lordships and sovereignties which appertained, now appertain, or may hereafter appertain to the kings or to the crown of France, or to any other person on account of the king or for the aforesaid crown of France, in whatever time it may have been, in the cities, towns, castles, fortresses, islands, coun. tries and places before named, or in any one of them, their appur. tenances and appendages, wherever they may be, whether held by princes, dukes, counts, viscounts, archbishops, bishops, abbots or other prelates of the church, barons, knights, nobles or others whomsoever, without reserve to themselves, their heirs and successors, or to the crown of France, or to any other person whatever : nor shall they challenge or demand, at any future period, anything of the above from the king of England, his heirs or successors, or from any one of his vassals or subjects aforesaid, in any one of the places or coun- tries before-mentioned, in behalf of the king or crown of France. Thus, therefore, all the before-named persons, and their heirs and successors, shall be liege men and subjects of the kijig of England, his heirs and successors for ever ; and they shall hold and keep all persons, cities, counties, lands, islands, castles and places before. 132 CHRONICLEy OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. mentioned, with all their appurtenances and appendages, and shall remain fully and peaceably foi- ever in their lordship, sovereignty, obedience, loyalty and subjection, as the preceding kings of France had and kept them in former times: and the aforesaid king of Eng- land, his heirs and successors, shall and will maintain, peaceably and perpetually, all the countries before-named in full freedom and liberty for ever, as sovereign and liege lord, and neighbor to the king of France and said kingdom of France, without acknowledging any sovereignty or paying any obedience, homage, jurisdiction or sub- jection, and in time to come without doing any service or acknow- ledgment to the king or crown of France for the cities, counties, castles, lands, territories, islands, places and persons before-named, or for any one of them. Item, it is agreed, that the king of France and his eldest son shall expressly renounce the said jurisdictions and sovereignties, and oil those things which by this present treaty ought to belong to the king of England ; and in like manner the king of England and his eldest son shall renounce all those things which, by this present treaty, are not to be granted to the king of England, and all those claims he made on the kijig of France, and particularly the litle, right, and arms, and the challenge he made of the crown and king- dom of France ; the homage, sovereignty and domain of the duchy of Normandy, of the county of Touraine, the counties of Anjou and Maine, and the sovereignly and homage of the county and territory of Flanders, and all other claims which the king of England made at the time of the aforesaid challenge, and might make in tirjies to come upon the said realm of France, through any reason whatever, except those things which by the present treaty are granted to the king of England and his heirs ; and they will convey, surrender, and yield, one king to the other, in perpetuity, all the right which each has or may have on all those things and places which by the present treaty are to remain or to be granted to each of them ; and with regard to the time and place when these renunciations arc to be made, the two kings will consult each other, and order it when they shall be at Calais together. " And because also our said brother of France and his eldest son, in order to maintain and keep the said articles of peace and agree- ment aforesaid, have expressly renounced the jurisdictions and sove- reignties comprised in the srud articles to all rights which thty had or might have had on all the above-mentioned things which our said brother has granted, delivered, and abandoned to us, and in those Other things which henceforward ought to appertain and belong to us by the said treaty of peace. We, among these said things, renounce expressly all those which are not to be granted to us, for ourselves and our heirs, and all those claims which we made or might make on our said brother of France, and especially to the title and right to the crown of France and the sovereignty of that kingdom, and to the homage, sovereignty, and domain of the duchy of Normandy, the counties of Anjou, Maine, and Touraine ; and to the sovereignty and homage of the county and territory of Flanders ; and other claims which we made, or might have made, on our said brother, for whatever cause there might be, save and except that which by this present treaty is to remain to us and our heirs : and we yield, abandon, and give up to him, and he to us, mutually to each other, in the securest way we can, all the rights which each of us may have, or may have had in all things, which by the said treaty are to be respectively granted to each of us: reserving to the churches and to churchmen that which appertains or may appertain to them ; and all that which has been occupied or detained of their property, on account of the wars, shall be made good and restored to them. The towns, fortresses, and all dwellings of the inhabitants, shall retain and enjoy such liberties and franchises as before they came into our hands ; and, if required, they shall be confirmed by our said brother of France, if not contrary to what has boon already agreed on. ' " And with regard to ourselves, we submit all things belonging to us, our heirs and successors, to the jurisdiction and coercion of the church of Rome, and are willing and desirous that our holy father the pops should confirm all these things by giving monitions and gentle mandates, for the accomplishment of the.n against ourselves, our heirs and successors, our commonalty, colleges, universities, or any particular persons whatsoever, and by giving general sentences of cxconnnunication, suspension or interdict, which we may incur by ourselves or by them, by this act, when we shall, either by our- selves or by others, infringe the peace, by taking or occupying any town or castle, city or fortress, or in anything else, by giving advice, aid, or assistance, public or private, against the said peace ; from which sentences they cannot be absolved until they shall have made full satisfaction to all those who by this act shall have sustained or might sustain any damage. And with this we desire and consent, that by our holy father the pope (in order that the same iriay more firmly be kept, maintained, and observed for ever) all the agree- ments, confederatiims, alliances and conventions, under whatever name they may be, in case they become prejudicial or inimical to the said peace in the present moment or hereafter (supposing they were closed under penalties and by oaths, and confirmed by our holy father the pope or others,) should be broken and annulled as contrary to the public welfare, to the good of the peace, unprofitable to all Chris, tendom, and displeasing to God : and that all oaths, in such a case made, shall be reported to our holy father the pope, that it may be decreed thut no one should be bounden to keep such oaths or con- ventions ; and if, in fact, any one attempted to act contrary, they shall from this moment be broken and annulled, and of no weight, nevertheless w-e shall punish such by coiporal punishment and confi.s- cations, as violators of the peace, if the case should require it, or it should appear reasonable : and if we should cncournge or suffer any- thing to be done hurtfid to the peace (which God forbid I) we are wil- ling to be counted as liars and disloyal, and also to suffer in this case sucli blame and disrepute as a sacred king ought to undergo for such conduct : and we swear upon the body of Jesus Christ to conclude, maintain, and keep the aforesaid treaty, and neither by ourselves nor by others, to depart from it for any cause or reason whatsoever. And in order that these premises may be concluded and maintained, we bind ourselves, our heirs, our property, and the properly of our heirs, over to our said brother the king of France, and to his heirs, and swear by the holy Evangelists, bodily touched by us, that we will complete, conclude, and preserve (according to the articles aforesaid) all the preceding conditions by us promised and agreed to, as is be. fore mentioned. And vcc will, that in ease our brother, or his depu- ties at the place and time, and in the manner before stated, do his duty, that from that time our present letters, and whatever is compre. bended in them, should have as much force, effect, and vigor as any of our other letters shall have that have been promised and granted by us, as has been already said: saving, however, and reserving for us, our heirs and successors, that the letters above incorporated shall liave no effect, or be of any prejudice or damage until our said brother and nephew shall have performed, sent, and given the above renunciations, in the manner before specified ; and therefore they shall not avail themselves of them against us, our heirs and successors, in any manner but in the case above-mentioned. " In testimony of which, we have caused our seal to be put to these present letters, given at Calais this twentieth day of October, in the year of grace and of our Lord one thousand three hundred and sixty."' When this private charter (which is called letter of renunciation, as well from one king as the other) was written, engrossed, and scaled, it was read and published generally in the council chamber, when the two above-named kings were present with their counsel- lors. It appeared to each to be handsome, good, well dictated and well ordered; and then again the two said kings and their two said eldest sons, swore upon the holy Evangelists, bodily touched by them, and upon the sacred body of Jesus Chkist, to conclude, keep and maintain, and not to infringe any of the articles included in it. Afterwards, by the advice and deliberation of the king of France and his council, and toward the end of the conference, the king of England was requested to make out and give a general commission to all those who for the time, and under shadow of the war held towns, castles and forts in the kingdom of France, that they may have knowledge of what had passed, with orders to give them up and quit them. The king of England, who was sincerely desirous of maintaining a good understanding and peace between himself and the king of France, his brother, as he had before sworn and promised, readily acceded to tliis request, which he thought reason, able. He ordered his people to make it out in the clearest manner they could, to the satisfaction of the king of France and his council. The most able of the counsellors of the two kings aforesaid, united, and then was drawn up, written and engrossed by the advice of each other, a conmiission, the tenor of which is underneath. " Edward, by the grace of God, king of England, lord of Ireland and of Aquitaine, to all our captains, governors of towns and castles, adherents and allies, being in parts of France, as well as in Picardy, in Burgundy, in Anjou, in Berry, in Normandy, in Brittany, in Au. vergne, in Champagne, or Maine, in Touraine, and within the bounda. ries and limits of France, greeting. As peace and concord is now established between us, our allies and adherents on the one part, and our dear brother the king of France his aUies and adherents on the other part, in regard to all quarrels or discords which wc may have had in times past ; and having sworn upon the body of Jesus Chf.ist, as well our dear eldest son and others our children, and those of our blood, as likewise many prelates, barons and knights, and the principle men of our kingdom ; and also our said brother, and our nephew the duke of Normandy, and our other nephews his children, with many barons, knights and prelates of the said kingdom of France, to maintain and firmly keep the peace : and as it may fall out or happen that some warriors from our kingdom, or other of our subjects, may endeavor to do or undertake things contrary to the said peace, by taking or detaining forts, towns, cities and castles, or in pillaging and arresting persons, and taking from them their goods, merchandise or other things, acting against the said peace (the which will sorely displease us, and we will not ."uffer it, nor pass it over under any sort of dissembling;) We, willing to remedy these aforesaid things with all our power, wish, desire and ordain, by the deliberation of our council, that none of our subjects, or allies, wOiatever their state or condition may be, do, or endeavor to do, anything contrary to the said peace, by pillaging, taking, or detain, ing forts, persons, or goods of any sort in the kingdom of France, or belonging to our said brother, his subjects, allies or adherents whom, soever. °And in case there should be found any one that acts con. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. 13? trary to tiiis said peace, antl who does not cease from so doing, nor renders back the damages he may have committed, within tlie space of one month from the time he shall be reqnired so to do by any of our officers, sergeants or public persons, for this act alone, without other suit or condemnation, he shall be reputed banished from our realm and from our protection, as well as from tlie kingdom and territories of our said brother ; all his goods confiscated and sub- jected to our governance ; and if he should be found in our king. dom, we command and expressly will, that punishment should be inflicted on him, as a rebel and traitor to us according to the cus- tomary punishment for leze majesty, witliout any pardon, grace or remission : and we will that the same be done to our subjects, of whatever condition tliey may be, who, in our kingdom on either side of the sea, shall seize, occupy or detain any forts whatever, contrary to the will of those to whom they belong ; or who shall burn or ran- som towns or persons, and shall pillage or be guilty of robberies, or who shall stir up war w'ithin our realm against our subjects. We therefore order, command and expressly enjoin all our senes. chals, bailifts, provosts, captains of castles or others our officers, under pain of incurring our high displeasure, and of losing their offi- ces, that they proclaim, or cause to be proclaimed, these presents in the most public places of their districts, bailiwicks, provostships and castlewicks ; and that no one, after having seen and heard this proc- lamation, remain in any fort which belongs to the kingdom of France, except according to the tenor of the treaty of peace, under pain of being considered as an enemy to us and to our aforesaid brother the king of France ; and that they, in all the aforesaid points, conform to, preserve and make to be strictly observed in every par- ticular. And be it known to all, that if they fail, or are negligent, in addition to the punishment aforesaid, we will make them pay the losses to all those who through their fault or neglect may have been aggrieved, or suffered any loss ; and with this we will punish them in such a manner that they shall be an example to all others ; in testi- mony whereof, we have had these letters patent drawn up, given at Calais the 24th dav of October, in the vear of grace and of our Lord 1360." CHAPTER CCXIII. THE TRAXSACTI0N3 OF THE TWO KINGS OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND, WHEN AT CALAIS, RESPECTING THE DUCHY OF BRITTANY AND SOME LANDS OF THE LATE GODFREY DE HARCOURT. KING JOHN SETS OUT FROM CALAIS AND RETURNS HOME IN FREEDO.M. When all these letters had been drawn up, and the different com- missions delivered, which were mutually done by the advice and to the satisfaction of each other, there was some conversation respecting sir Charles de Blois and sir John de Montfort, and the state of Brittany, for each of them claimed it as their right of inheritance : and though there was a conference holden, how these matters could be settled, nothing was definitely done ; for, as I have since been informed, the king of England and his party had no great desire of agreeing to it. They presumed, that henceforward, all men-at-arms attached to them would be obliged to surrender every fort and strong place which they at present held and possessed in the kingdom of France, and that they would retire to whatever parts they chose ; it was therefore much better and more profitable that these warriors and pillagers should retire into the duchy of Brittany, which is one of the richest and best foraging countries in the world, than that they should come to England, which might be pillaged and robbed by them. This consideration made the English shortly break ug the confer- ence respecting Brittany. It was a pity, and ill done that it so hap. pened ; for, if the two kings had been in earnest, peace would have been established, by the advice of their counsellors, between the parties, and each would have held what should have been given him. Sir Charles de Blois would have recovered his children, who were prisoners in England, and probably have lived longer than he did. As nothing was done at this conference, the wars in Normandy were more bitterly carried on than before the peace we have just spoken of (as you will hear in the continuance of this history,) and even between the knights and barons of Brittany who had supported different interests. The duke of Lancaster (who was a valiant and discreet knight, full of devices, and who too strongly loved the count de Montfort and his advancement) then addressed himsell' to the king of France, in the presence of the king of England and the gieater part of the counsellors: "Sire, the truces of Brittany, which were made and agreed to before Reiines, will not expire before the first of the ensu- ing month of May ; then, or within that time, the king our Lord will send, by the advice of his council, persons from him, and from his son-in-law the young duke, sir John de Montfort, to you in France, and they shall have power and authority to explain and declare those rights the said sir John claims from the inheritance of his father in the duchy of Brittany, and accept them in such manner as you, your counsellors and ours assembled together, shall ordain ; for greater safety, it is proper the truces should be prolonged until the feast of St. John the Baptist next ensuing." All this was agreed to, as the duke of Lancaster had proposed, and then the lords conversed on different matters. King John, who had a great desire to return to France (as was natural,) testified most heartily to the king of England every proof of that affection which he had for him and for his nephew the prince of Wales ; the king of England made an equal return : and, for a stronger confirmation of their friendship, the two kings (who by the articles called each other Brother) gave to four knights of each party eight thousand francs, French money of revenue ; that is to say, two thousand to each. And because the lands of St. Sauveurle Vicomte,in Coutantin, came to the king of England from sir Godfrey de Har- court by the sale the said sir Godfrey had made of them to the king, as has been before related in this history, and that the said lands were not included in the articles of peace, it was necessary for those who should hold the said lands to do homage and service to the king of France : the king of England, therefore, had reserved and given it to sir John Chandos, who had done him and his children many notable services ; and the king of France, through his great affection and love, confirmed and sealed it, at the entreaty of the king of Eng- land, to the said sir John Chandos, as his right and lawful inheritance. It is a very fair estate, and worth full sixteen hundred francs of yearly rent. In addition to these things, many other letters and alliances were made, of which I cannot relate the particulars ; for, during the fifteen days or thereabouts, that the two kings, their children and their counsellors, were at Calais, there were every day conferences, and new ordinances made, strengthening and confirming the peace ; and, moreover, other deeds were drawn up, without annulling or changing the former ones; and they were all made to one date, as more sure and certain, of which I have seen copies in the chanceries of the two kings. When everything relative to the peace had been so concluded and settled, that no one could think of any means to strengthen or amend it, and that nothing could be devised to add to the strong alliance between the two kings and their children, which bound them, and by which they had sworn to maintain tlie peace from being infringed, which was indeed kept, as you will hereafter see in reading this book ; and that those who were to be the hostages for the redemp. tion of the king of France were arrived at Calais, whom the king ot England had sworn to guard in peace in England, until the six hun- dred thousand francs* were paid to the deputies of the king of England, that king gave to the king of France a most magnificent and grand supper in the castle of Calais : it was well arranged ; and the children of the king, and the duke of Lancaster with the greatest barons of England, waited bare-headed. After this supper, the two noble kings took final leave of each other, in a most gracious and affectionate manner, and the king of France returned to his hotel. On the morrow, which was the vigil of St. Simon and .St. Jude, the king of France set out trom Calais, with all those of his party who were to accompany him.t The king of France went on foot, in pilgrimage to our Lady of Boulogne. The prince of Wales and his two brothers, Lionel and Edmund, accompanied him : and ill this manner they arrived, before dinner, at Boulogne, where they were received with great joy. The duke of Normandy was there waiting for them, when all these aforesaid lords went on foot to the church of our Lady of Boulogne, where they made their offerings most devoutly, and afterwards returned to the abbey at Boulogne, which had been prepared fur the reception of the king of France and the princes of England. They remained there that day, and on the following night returned to the king their father. All these lords crossed the sea together with the hostages from France : it was the vigil of All-Saints, in the year 1360. It is proper that I shouldnanie the nobles of France who went to England as hostages for the king of France. First, sir Philip, duke of Orleans, son of the late king Philip of France ; his two nephews, the dukes of Anjou and Berry : after them the duke of Bourbon, the count d'Alen^on, sir John d'Es- tampes, Guy de Blois, for his brother the count Louis de Blois: the count de St. Pol, the count de Harcourt, the count dauphin of Au- vergne ; sir Enguerrant, lord of Coucy ; sir John de Ligny ; the count de Porcien, the count de Breme, the lord of Montmorency, the lord of Roye, the lord of Preaux, the lord d'Estouteville, the lord de Cle- ritcz, the lord de St. Venant, the lord de la Tour d'Auvergne, and manv others, but I cannot name them all.t There were also from * Tliis seems a mistake ; for ia the lourteentli article of the peace of Bretigny in 1360, ill Ilymer. particular mention is made of the value of the crown, two of wjiich shall be worth an E.'-gUsh noble. Htii article.—" It is asreed that llie king of France shall p.^y to the king of England three niilhons of crown* of gold, tioo of which shall be of the value of an Knglish noble. " And there shall be paid to the said king uf England, or his deputies, six hundred thousaud crowns at Calais, in fourteenths, from the time the king of France shall be at Calais '■ And within the ne.\t year ensuing, there shall be paid four hundred thousand crowns of the above value, in the city of London. " And from Uienceforward, every fullowmg year, four hundred thousand crowns, like to the above, shall be paid in tlie said city, until such time as the aforesaid three mil- lions shall be paid." According to Cotgxave. a noble m his time was worth fifteen shillings. t Froissart seems to have been mistaken as to the day king John left Calais, when he says it w,is tlio eve of St. Simon and St. Jude, the 27tii October ; for in an ancient state of Brittany, by Nicholas Vignier. page 3S3, there a a letter from king John, dated BoulognP-sur-5Ier, October 26. 1360. X In the fifteenth article, in Rymer, they are mentioned as underneath ; Monsieur Louis, comte d'Anjou: M. Jean,comte de Poitiers; le due d'Orleans; le ducde Bourbon; le comte de BloLs, ou son frcre: le comte d'.AIencon. ou M "ieTre d'Aiencon son trere ; le comte oe portien ; le comle ae Vaienlinois ; le comte de Breme : le comte de Vaudcmont ; le comte de Forez ; le vicompte de Beaumont ; le site da 134 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, fee. the good city of Paris, from Rouen, Rheims, Bourges m Berry, Tours in Touraiiie, Lyons upon the Rhone, Sens in Burgundy, Orleans, Troyes in Champagne, Amiens, Beauvais, Arras, Tournay, Caen in Normandy, St. Omer, L'Isle, Douay, from each city two or four burgesses, who all crossed the sea, and shortly arrived in London.* The king of England commanded all his officers, under pain of incurring his displeasure, to behave courteously to all these lords and their attendants, and to preserve peace between them and his subjects, as they were under his special care. The king's orders were strictly obeyed in every respect ; and the hostages were allowed to enjoy themselves, without any danger or molestation, in the city of London and its neighborhood. The lords followed the chase or hawking, according to their pleasure, and rode out as they pleased to visit the ladies without any constraint, for the king was right courteous and amiable. We will now speak a little of the king of France on his arrival at Boulogne, after he had quitted Calais. CHAPTER CCXIV. COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED ON BOTH SIDES TO SEE THE SAKRISOXS IN THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE EVACUATED. DIFFERENT BODIES OF ARMED MEN OVERRUN THE KINGDOM, AND DO MUCH MISCHIEF. The king of France did not remain long at Boulogne, but set out soon after All-saints, and went to Montreuil and Hesdin : he con- tinued his journey until he came to Amiens ; and wherever he passed he was most magnificently and honorably received. After he had lemained at Amiens until Christmas was passed, he set out for Paris, ■when he was solemnly and reverently met by all the clergy of Paris, and conducted to the Palace,T where he dismounted, as did sir Philip his son, and all the nobles who accompanied him. The dinner was grandly magnificent, and the tables well covered ; but I can never tell liow warmly the king of France was received on his return to his kingdom, by all sorts of people, for he was much wished for. They made him rich gift.^ antl presents, and the prelates and barons of the realm feasted and entertained him as became his condition ; and the king gave them a most gracious reception. Soon after king .lohn was returned to France, the commissioners appointed by the king of England crossed the sea, to take possession of the lands, countries, counties, bailiwicks, cities, towns and castles, that were to be given up to him, according to the articles of the peace. But this was not so soon accomplished ; for many of the nobles in Languedoc at first absolutely refused to obey them, or to surrender themselves to the king of England, though the king of France had acquitted them of their fidelity and homage to him : for they thought it highly contrary and adverse to their interests to be obliged to obey the English. The count de la Marche, the count de Perigord, the count de Comminges, the viscount de Chitillon, the viscount de Carmaing, the lord of Pincornet, in particular, with many others in the distant countries, wondered much that the king of France should force them from his jurisdiction. Others said, it •was not in his power thus to free them ; and it Avas not in his right EO to do ; for, as they were Gascons, thry had very old charters and privileges from the noble Charlemagne (who was king of France,) which placed them under the jmisdiction of his court, and of no other. On which account, these lords would not at first yield obedience to the commissioners; but the king of France, who wished to uphold and maintain what he had sworn and sealed, sent thither his dear cousin sir James de Bourbon, who appeased the greater part of these nobles ; and those who were bounden became liege men to the king of England ; such as the count d'Armagnac, the lord d'Albrct, and many others, who at the entreaties of the king of France and of sir James de Bourbon, obeyed, but very unwillingly. On the other hand, it was very displeasing to the barons, knights and inhabitants of the towns on the sea-coast, and in the coimtry of Poilou, the Rochellois and all Saintonge, that they should be given up to the English : in particular those in the town of La Rochelle would not consent to it ; they made frequent excuses, and would not, for upward of a year, suffer any Englishmen to enter their town. The letters were very affecting which they wrote to the king of France, beseeching him, by the love of God, that he would never liberate them from their fidelity, nor separate them from his govern- ment and place them in the hands of strangers; for they would pre- fer being taxed every year one half of what they were worth, raiher than be in the hands of the English. The king of France (who knew their good will and loyalty, and had frequently received their Couci; le sire de Frenlea ; le sire de Preaus; le sire de St. Veiiaiit ; ic sire do Gaun. trines; le dauphin d'Auvergne; le sirede Ilangest; le sire dc Montmorency; monsire Guiilanme de Craon ; monsire Louis de Ilarcourt ; monsire Jean de Ligny. * Chalons, Chartres, TouhiusG, Compiegne, are mentioned, in addition to those of Froissart, in the treaty in Rymer. t Palace.— I believe the king of France's palace at that time was the hotel de Nesle. I find, by Villaret's history, that he was lodged there after his coronation at Kheims. This hotel was built on the banks of the Seine, where tlie liytel de Nevers was after- wards constructed, and nearly upon the site which the College Mazar'in and tlie hotel de Conti now occupy. This hotel must be distinguished from another hotel de Nesle, which was built at the same time. This second hotel de Nesle was situated on tlie spot where the hotel de Soissons was built, and which was demolished 1747. excuses) felt great pity for them ; he wrote, therefore, very affec- tionate letters, and sent to inform them, that it was necessary they should obey, or otherwise the peace woidd be infringed, which would be too prejudicial to the kingdom of France. When the inhabitants of La Rochelle received these letters, and saw the situa- tion they were in, that neither excuses, prayers nor entreaties, were of any avail, they obeyed ; but it was sore against their inclinations. The principal persons of the town said, " We will honor and obey the English, but our hearts shall never change." Thus had the king of England seisin and possession of the duchy of Aquitaine, the counties of Poitou and Guignes, and of all those lands which he was to have beyond the sea, that is to say in the kingdom of France, which were given to him by the articles of the peace. This year sir John Chandos crossed the sea, as regent and lieutenant of the king of England, to take possession of all the lands aforesaid, and receive the faith, fidelity and homage of the counts, viscounts, barons, knights, towns and castles ; he instituted every, where seneschals, baililTs and officers, according to his will, and fixed his residence at Niort. Sir John kept a noble and great establishment ; and he had the means of doing it ; for the king of England, who loved him much, wished it should be so. He was certainly worthy of it ; for he was a sweet-tempered knight, courteous, benign, amiable, liberal, coura- geous, prudent and loyal in all affairs, and bore himself valiantly on every occasion : there was none more beloved and esteemed by the knights and ladies of his time. While the commissioners and deputies of the king of England w-ere taking seisin and possession of the aforesaid lands, according to the articles of peace, other commissioners and deputies were on the frontiers of France with commissioners from that king, ordering all men-at-arms, who were garrisoned in the different castles and forts of France, to evacuate and surrender them to the king of France, under pain of confiscation and death. There were some knights and squires attached to England who obeyed, and surrendered, or made their companions surrender such forts as they held : but there were others who w-ould not obey, saying that they had made war in the name of the king of NavaiTe. There were also some from difi'ercnt countries, who were great captains and pillagers, that would not, on any account, leave the country ; such as Germans, Brabant. ers, Flemings, Hainaultcrs, Gascons and bad Frenchmen, who had been impoverished by the war: these persons persevered in their wickedness, and did afterwards much mischief to the kingdom. When the captains of the forts had handsomely delivered them up, with all they contained, they marched off, and when in the plain, they dismissed their people : but those who had been so long accus- tomed to pillage, knowing well that their return home would not be advantageous for them, but that they might perhaps suffer for the bad actions they had committed, assembled together, and chose new leaders from the worst disposed among them. They then rode on, one party following the odier, and made their first stand in Burgundy and Champagne, where they formed large squadrons and companies, which were called the Latc-comens, because as yet they had but little pillaged that part of the kingdom of France. They suddenly came before and took the fort of Joinville,* with great wealth in it, which the whole country round had brought thither, confiding in the strength of the place. When th.ese troops found such riches as were valued at a hundred thousand francs, they divided it among them as far as it would go, and held the castle for a time, from whence they scoured all the country of Champagne, the bishoprics of Verdun, "Toul and Langres : but, when they had plundered suffi- ciently, they departed, and sold the castle of Joinville to the inhab. itants of the country for one thousand francs.t They then entered Burgundy, where they reposed and refreshed themselves until they were all collected, and did many bad and vil. lainous actions ; for they had among them some knights and squires of that country, who advised and conducted them. They remained some time in the neighborhood of Besan5on, Dijon and Beaune, de. spoiling everywhere, for none went out to oppose them. They also took the good town of Guercheyt in the Beaunois, which they sacked, and remained for a time near Vergy,^ on account of the fertility of that country. Their numbers were perpetually increasing : for those who quitted the castles and towns on their being surrendered, and who were disbanded by their captains, came into those parts ; so that bv Lent they amounted to at least sixteen thousand combatants. When they found their numbers so great, they appointed many captains, whom all obeyed implicitly. I am able to name some of their greatest leaders ; and first, a knight from Gascony, called sir Seguin de Batefol, who had under his command two thousand com. batants. There were also Tallebert Tallabaton, Guy du Pin, Espi. ote, le petit Mechin, Battailler, Hannequin Francois, le BourgH de I'Espare, Nandoz dc Bauguerant, le Bourgcamus, le Bourg de Bre. teuil, la Nuyt, Arbrethoury the Scot, Bourdonnelle the German, Ber. nard de la Salle, Robert Briquet, Carnelle, Aimenon d'Ortige, Garsiot du Chatel, Gironet du Paux, I'Ortingo de la Salle, and many others. » Joinville-an ancient town in aiampagne, on tl.e Mariie, diocese of Chalons. t Lord Bernerssnys, for 20,000 francs.— Ed. J A village ui Champagne, near Joigny. I Vergy— a village of Burgundy, bailiwick of .\uils. II See note, p. 136. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 135 These leaders, about the middle of Lent, resolved that they would advance with their forces toward Avignon, and pay a visit to the pope and cardinals. They therefore traversed the country of Bur- gundy and Mascon, making for the rich and fertile country of Fo- retz, and for Lyons situate on the Rhdne. When the king of France was intornied in what manner these freebooting troops overran and pillaged his kingdom, he was mightily enraged. It was stated, by special orders of the council, to his majesty, that unless these bands were repressed, they would multiply so much and do such mischief, to judge from wliat they had already done, that the kingdom of France would suffer equally as during the war with the Knglish. The council, therefore, advised the king to send a sufficient force to fight them. The king in consequence wrote especial letters to his cousin the lord .Tames de Bourbon* (who was at that time in the town of Montpelicr, and had lately put sir .Tohn Chandos in full pos- session of the cities, lands, towns and castles of the duchy of Gui. enne, as has been before mentioned,) ordering him to put himself at the head of the force that was to be sent against these freebooters, and to take a sufficient number of men-at-arms to give them combat. When the lord James de Bourbon received these orders, he set off immediately for the city of Agen,t witliout stopping anywhere, and sent off letters and messengers to the nobles, knights, and squires, requiring, in the king's name, their instant attendance. Every one most willingly obeyed his orders, and followed him to the city of Lyons ; for he was eager to fight with these wicked people. The lord James of Bourbon was much beloved throughout the kingdom of France, and all most cheerfully obeyed his orders. Knights and squii-es, therefore, came to him from all quarters ; from Auvergne, from Limousin, Provence, Savoy and DauphiniJ. On tlie other hand, many attended him from the duchy of Burgundy, whom the young duke of Burgundy had sent to him. This army began its march, making no halt at Lyons, but advanced into the country of Mascon. The lord James entered the county of Foretz, which was dependent on his sister in right of her children, for the count de Foretz was lately dead, and was governed by Reg- inald de Foretz in the interim, who was brother to the late count. He received the lord James and his company with great joy, and feasted them in the best manner he was able. The two nepliews of the lord James de Bourbon were at home : he presented them to him, who received them very graciously, and ordered tliem to be posted near his person, that they might aid to defend their country. Tlie free companies were advancing toward this neighborhood ; for those who were at Chalonst upon the Saone and near to Turnus,^ and in that fertile country, having heard that the French were as- sembling an army to fight with them, their captains called a council, to determine what steps they should take. Tliey made a muster of their troops, and found they amounted, one with another, to sixteen thousand combatants. They then resolved to go and meet the French, who were so desirous of it, and to offer them battle, in such situations only as would be for their advantage, but upon no other terms. " If fortune," said they, " should be favorable to us, we may all be rich, and at our ease for a long time, as well by the valuable prisoners we shall make, as from the fear we excite ; for no more troops will be hardy enough to come against us : but, if we lose the battle, we shall have hard blows for our pay." This resolution was adopted : they broke up their camp, and marched toward the mountains, in order to penetrate into the county of Foretz : they came to the river Loire, and, in their road, to a good town called Charlieu,|| in the bailiwick of Mascon, which they surrounded and attacked. They exerted tliemselves to take it by assault, which employed them a whole day, but they could do nothing, for it was well defended and guarded by the gentlemen of the country, who had flung themselves into the town ; otherwise it would have been won. They then marched off, and revenged themselves on the estates of the lord of Beaujeu, which were near, and where they did very considerable miscliief, and en- tered the diocese of Lyons. As they advanced, they took all the smaller forts, and lodged themselves m them, and did much damage wherever they passlid. They took a cattle, and a lord and lady in it; which castle was called Brignais,ir and is situate on the Rh6ne, three leagues from Lyons. There they halted and took up their quarters, for they were informed that the French army was drawn out in the plain in order ol battle. wL^ah"vrfc!ththf°,h??' ^""r*'? ''' l^""" ?1}'-''^ f""" kins John, to whom he S?.?'"."'.', '^",'""'; the county of Poiith.eu and the dignity of conskible. He was : hrst in that of Crecy, where he was wounded : next in that of famous in three battles : Poitiers, when he was taken prisoner; .ind iastly in that of Brignano vhere he ron quered. But soon atler, a company of disbanded soldiers .^"t™-'- "ere he con- Lyonnois, lord Ja , ^ ravaging Cliiimpaffne and the .„^ w P '"" "'"'^';' '"^■■""" ""■'"■ "1"!''. being overpowere,! by nnmbe™ e Anri^ lS? ^T'"'^'^ T"S">- ""■""'I''''' »"<• 'iie-l three days after^vards at LyonfeU^ April, 13S3.-Anderson's Komi Omealosies. '-yons, oiii he'wrm,;ntr;;ru„tT ' ""^ ""''''''■ '"' "■^' ''''^"™' "-- «"^-«. -'-= Un^l?ft^?"'f'"''^^''fV '" Gnienne.the capital of the Agenois, twenty-ei-ht leagues from Toulouse, and Ihirty-six from Bordeaux- J Cbalons-au ancient toivn in Burgundy, twenty nine leagues from Lyons ^^ Tou,„us-an ancient town of Burgundy, on the Sa5„e. m the ro^ad K Lyons to II Charlieu— a town of the Lyonnois CHAPTER CCXV. THE LORD JAMES DE BOURIiON AXD HTS AR3IY ARE DEFE.\TED EY THESE FREEBOOTING COMPANIES. THE POPE ORDERS A CROISADE TO BE PRO- CLAI.1IED, AFTER THEY HAVE TAKEN THE PONT DU .ST. ESPRIT, AND FINDS MEANS TO GET RID OF THEM. The men-at-arms, assembled under the lord James de Bourbon, were in the city of Lyons upon the Rh6ne, when tliey heard that these companies were approaching in great strength, and had taken by assault the town and castle of Brignais, as well as several others, and were pillaging and ruining the whole eouiitrv. This was very unpleasant news to the lord James, who had taken the management of the estates of the county of Foretz for his nephews, as well as to all the other chiefs. They immediately took the field, and were a numerous body of men-at-arms, knights and squires. They sent out their scouts for intelligence respecting these companies,' to know where they were, that they might find them. I must now mention the grand trick which these free companies played. They were encamped upon a high mountain,* on the sum. mit of which there was a plain that could not be seen : in this place they had posted the geater part of their army, and permiited the French scouts to come so near, they could have taken them if they had chosen it, but they were allowed to return nnhurt.t They in. formed the lord James de Bourbon, the count d'Usez, the lord Regi- nald de Foretz, and those lords who had sent them, all thcv had ob- served and heard, adding, " We have seen the companies drawn up in array upon a hillock, and, according to our understanding, well formed ; but, having attentively considered them, they cannot be more than five or six thousand men, and seem marvellously ill-armed." When lord James de Bourbon heard this, he said to the archpriest, " You told me they amounted to at least sixteen thousand combat, ants, and you now hear the contrary." " .My lord," answered he, " I still think they are not less in number : if it should be otherwise, we may thank God for it, and it is so much the better for us : yon will therefore determine what you will do," " In the name of God," said tlie lord James, " we will go and fight them." The lord James ordered all the banners and pennons to halt innnediatelv. and formed his battalions in good order to begin tlie combat, for they saw their enemies before them. He then created many new knights : the first was his eldest son Peter, who displayed his banner ; his nephew, the young count de Foretz, did the same ; the lord of Tournon, the lord de Molinier, and the lord de Grostee, in Dauphing. Among the no- bility, there were, sir Louis and sir Robert de Beaujeu, sir Louis de Chalons, sir Hugh de Vicnne, the count d'Usez, and many other worthy knights and squires, eager to advance to the combat, both for their own honor and to destroy these freebooters, who were wastin" the country without right or reason. The archpriest. whose name was Arnaut de Cervole, was ordered to take the command of the first battalion. He willingly obeyed ; for he was an expert and hardy knight, and had under his command about sixteen hundred com. batants. The freebooters, from their situation on the hill, saw but too clearly all these arrangements of the French, who could not see what they were about, nor approach them without danger and loss ; for there were at least a thousand cart-loads of flints ready to be thrown against the first assailants by that body of men who 'appeared so ill. armed to the scouts. I must mention, that the only xvay these French men-at-arms, who were so desirous to fight the companion]? at any rate, could approach them, was to ascend sideways tlie hill on which they had placed themselves. "Wlien they, therefore, attempted this, tliose who were on the hill began to throw down on them the stones and flints, of which they had made so large a provision that they had only to stoop and pick them up : and, having full time to aim them well, they wounded and killed many, so that others were afraid to push forward. This advanced battalion was so severely treated, it was not of any good use afterwards. The other battalions marched to its succor, under the lord James de Bourbon, his son and his nephews, with their banners, and many other respectable gentle, men, who rushed on to their own destruction, so that it was a pity they had not formed better plans, or listened to wiser counsel. The archpriest and some other knights had truly said, they were going to fight xvith these companions at a disadvantage, with certain loss, considering the situation they had chosen for themselves. They advised waiting until they should have been dislodged from the strong-hold where they had posted themselves, that then they would Iiave a better chance of success, but they were never listened to„ Thus then, when the lord James de Bourbon and the other lords, with banners and pennons flying, approached and ascended sideways * A hish mountain." Denys Sauvage has written a long note to say, ihat he had visited this spot m 1659, and that it ought not to be called a higk mountain, for it was but a hillock. This Froissart himself allows in the followine lines, where the scouts call It a tertre. D. Sauvage says, the place corresponds to the description, and that dif- ferent weapons have been found in the adjoining grounds. t Lord Beniers, who here agrees with D. Sauvage, has these words : " Now shall I shewe you the great malice of these conipanyons who were lodged on a mountnyne, and there they had such a place that they could nat be discryed nor aucwed ; and spe- cmlly the chief of them, who were bestc harnessed : for the residewe (who were worste harneysed) arenged alonge on the hylle side, and suffered the frenche currouis to aproche nere to them, and to relourne agayne without" any damage." The stratagem pracuced is here plainly described, but is scarcely intelligible in Mr. Johnes's version.— 136 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. this hill, the weaker and less completely accoutred of the freeboot- ers were enabled to harass llieni ; for they flung upon them so rap. idly and vigoroasly stones and flints, that the boldest and best armed were in dread of them. When they had thus for some time kept them in check, their grand battalion, fresh and untouched, advanced by a secret road round the hill, and being in close order like a brush, with their lances cut down to six feet or fhereabouts, with loud cries, and a thorough good will, fell upon the French army. In this first attack, very many were unhorsed, and many gallant deeds per- formed; but the freebooters fought so hardily, it was marvellous to think of it, and the French army was forced to retreat. That good and valiant knight the archpriest fought excellently well : but he was so overpowered by numbers that, after being grievously wounded, he was made prisoner, as well as several kniglits and squires of his company. Why should I make a longer talk of this afl'air ? in fact, the French had the worse of the day : lord James do Bourbon and the lord Peter his son were very badly wounded : the young count de Foretz was slain : sir Reginald de Foretz his uncle, the count d'Usez, the lord Robert de Beaujeu, the lord Louis de Cheilons, and upward of one hundred knights, were made prisoners. It was with great difliculty the lord James de Bourbon and his son the lord Peter were brought back to Lyons. This battle of Brignais was fought on the Friday after Easter, in the year of our Lord 1361. All the bordering countries were thrown into the greatest confu- sion, when they heard that the army had been discomfited ; and there was no one so bold, who had even the strongest castle, that did not tremble ; for the wisest among them immediately supposed the greatest mischiefs would ensue and multii)ly, if God did not directly bring some remedy. The inhabitants of Lyons were con. founded when they first heard that victory had declared for these freebooting companies. They, however, received in the kindest niamier all those who returned from the battle, and were much hurt at what had befallen the lord James de Bourbon and his son the lord Peter. The ladies, both young and old, visited them in the kindest manner ; for they were much beloved in the city of Lyons. The lord James departed this life the third day after the battle, and his son did not long survive him. They were much pitied and regretted. The king of France was greatly aflected at the death of the lord James de Bourbon; but as it was not now to be amended, he was obliged to bear his mourning as well as he could. We will now return to these freebooters, who, having resolved to keep themselves united, were rejoiced at the fortunate issue of this battle. They had been great gainers, as well by what they had seized on the spot as from the ransoms of their wealthy prisoners. These companies had the whole country under their disposal, for no one now ventured to attack them. Soon after the battle at Brignais, tlvey entered and overspread the county of Foretz, which they com. pletely sacked and ruined, except the fortresses ; and because they were in such large bodies tliat no small extent of countz'y could maintain them, they divided themselves into two parties ; sir Seguin de Eastefbl commanded the smallest, which, however, consisted of about three thousand fighting men. He advanced toward Ance,* near to Lyons, where he fixed his quarters. He then strongly forti- fied and rebuilt parts of it, and kept his troops in its neighborhood, whicli is one of the richest countries in the world. He overran and ransomed at his ease all the countries above and below the Sabne, such as the county of Mlcon, the archbishopric of Lyons, the terri- tories of the lord of Beaujeu, and the whole country as far as Mar. silly les Nonnains,t and the county of Nevers. The other division of these free companies under the command of Nandoz de Baugcrant, Espiote, Carnelle, Robert Briquet, Ortingo and Bernard de la Salle, Lannuyt, le Bourgcamust, le bourg de Bre- teuil, le bourg de I'Esparre, and many others of the same sort and with the same intentions, advanced toward Avignon, saying they would go and visit the pope and cardinals, in order to have some of their money ; otherwise they should be well vexed. They waited in that neighborhood to receive the amount of their ransoms for the prisoners taken at Brignais, as well as to see if the peace that had been made between the two kings was likely to be lasting. In their route to Avignon, they took towns, castles, and forts; for nothing could stand before them. The whole country was in alarm ; for in those parts they had not had any war, and the guards did not know * Ance— ail ancient town of tlie Lyoniiois, situated near the Saone, diocese and elec- tion of Lyons, aliout a ieaRue from Viilefranche. t Mai-=il!y les Nonnains. I cannot find in the Gazetteer this name. There is Marcilly- sur-Saone, a village in Bursundy. near Auxonne, which is, I suppose, the same. X Baurs, in the dictionaries ot the old French language, seems to mean bustard or illegitimate. Bui'si, in Ducange's Glossary, is as follows ; " Calepino ex Tit. C. de fund, rei pri- vata;. ' Qui collegio. vel curia?, vel burgis caiterisque corjioribus servieril. An inde, an non potius it burggravius per contractioneni BoiirgSy appellati sunt castcllani, et pre- fect! cnslrnrum, per arcium. apud Froissartem,' torn. ii. cap. 34. ' Si etoient de sa route les capitaines des autres chateaux, comme le bourg Calart, le bifurg Anglois, le bourg de Champagne, et Raymond de Force, &c. " Burgi, adde, ' A genuina vocis Gallica; bimrg notione longe aberrari mihi videtur, cnm ex Froissarte exponitur de t-'astellano sur burgi prEcfecto. Bonrg enim eo loci, queniadmodum et in uliis ejusdem levi historicis, spurium. nothum sonat. Call, batard ; quod npprime docet Gerry in Hist. Chronol. Carol, VII. ad an. 1432. ubi queni bourg dicit, paula infra appellat bastard : sic et ad an. 1430, h bourg dc Matiguarcn. Bonrc in Litt. Remiss, an. 1411 ex reg. 165. Charloph. leg. ch. 219. Icelui Pierre appellast le suppliant arlot, tacain, bourc ; qui vaut antant ?i dire en hingaa ige du Pais de par de K gar^un. truant, bastart. Bort, eodem sensu usurpunt Hispani. Vide in hac voce.' " how to defend or to keep their strong holds against such men.at. arms. These companions got information, that at the Font du St. Esprit*, seven leagues from Avignon, there was very great wealth ; and that all the riches of the country thereabouts had been earned thither, as to a place of safety, trusting to the strength of its castle. They therefore consulted together, and agreed that if they could get pos- session of this town of St. Esprit, it would be of the greatest advan- tage to them ; for they then would be masters of the Rl;5ne as well as of Avignon. After they had well digested their plan, Guyot du Pin and the little Mechin (as I have heard it related) mounted their horses, and, with their companies, rode one whole night to the e.xtent of fifteen leagues. They aiTived by break of day at the town of ,St. Esprit, which they took, and all those of both se,xes which were therein. It was a pitiful sight ; for they murdered many a discreet man, and violated many a virgin. They gained immense riches, and provision sufiicient to last them a whole year. They cotild from this town escape easily, in an hottr's time and without danger, into the kingdom of France, and in another hour into the empire. They collected their companies together, and kept advancing toward Avig. non, at which the pope and cardinals were much alarmed. These companions had chosen, at the Pont du St. Esprit, a captain to com- mand the whole of their forces, who was commonly styled the friendt of God, and the enemy of all the world. There were at that time in France, besides these coinpanics. many other pillagers, English, Gascons, and Germans, who were desirous of living there,! and who maintained many garrisons in fortresses. Although the commissaries from the king of England had ordered them to evacuate these castles, and to leave tlie country, tliey had not obeyed, which was very displeasing to the king of France, as well as to his council. But when many of them learnt (for they had possession of different places in France) that their brethren had overthrown the lord .Tames de Bourbon with two thousand knights and squires, had taken a great many prisoners, and had very lately surprised and conquered the town of St. Esprit, where they had found immense riches, and that they had expectations of gaining Avignon, where they would have the pope and cardinals at their mercy, as well as all Provence, each was eager to join them, in the hopes of gain and doing more mischief. This was the reason why many warriors left their forts and castles, and advanced before their companions, expecting greater pillage. When Pope Innocent VI. and the Roman college saw themselves thus threatened by these accursed people, they were exceedingly alarmed, and ordered a croisade to be published against these wicked Christians, who were doing everything in their power to destroy Christianity (like Vandals§ of old, without right or reason) by ruin- ing all the countries whither they resorted ; by robbing, wherever they could find anything; by violating women, both young ond old, without pity ; and by killing men, women, and children, without mercy, who had done no ill to them ; for he was reckoned the bravest, and most honored, who could boast of the most villainous actions. The pope and the cardinals had therefore a croisade publicly preached. They absolved from every crime and sin|| all those who should take the cross, and voluntarily give themselves up to destroy these wretches. The cardinals elected the lord Peter de Monstier, cardinal d'Arras, by some called cardinal d'Ostia, to be the chief of this croisade ; who, upon his nomination, immediately left .'Vvignon, and went to Carpentras, seven leagues distant, where he fixed his quarters. He retained all soldiers, and others, who were desirous of saving their souls, and of gaining the foresaid pardons : but he woidd not give them any pay, which caused many of them to depart and go into Lorabardy ; others returned into their own countries, and some joined these wicked companies, which were daily increasing. They divided themselves into several companies, over each of which they nominated captains, and took up their quarters in diflx-rent places. Thus they harassed the pope, the cardinals, and the merchants in die neighborhood of Avignon, and did a great deal of mischief until the summer was far advanced of the year 13G1. It happened that the pope and cardinals cast their eyes upon a very * Pont du St. Esprit— a town of lower Languedoc, on the Rhcjne, diocese aud receipt of Uzes; so called from one of the most beautiful bridges in Europe built over the Rhone, in the road irom Montjwlier to Paris. It is probnhle that the town of Pont St. Esprit was taken twice ; for a chronicle, writ- ten in tlie reign of king John, assures us positively, ' que les compagnons qui etoient sorlis de la France, et qui se faisoient oppeler la grande compasnie,' look possession of tlie town and castle of St. Esprit on Innocents' day, IStiO.— C?iroJH«iic, MSS. du Roi Jean, Bibliot. du Koi. No. 9t»2. t "Friend." Denys Sauvagesays. in anotc on the margin, that instead of ami it was emicmi in all the editions ; but that he had corrected it from the two abridgments. He is cerlauily right as to the printed editions of Verard and Eustace, as well as in lord Kerncrs's translation and Barnes's History of Edward IH. ; but it is ami in my two MSS. , ,,,.,„ t Lord Berners uses these words, " who sand they must iiedcs lime, which fully ex- press the feelings and condition of these disbanded soldiers.— [Ed. § " Vandals." Denys Sauvage has Bavdes, and says it is so in all the editions, but th,al he thinks it should be Vandals. It is raiides in all my printed editions, as well as MSS. [Lord Berners's vei-sion is. " And than ordeyned a croysey agaynst these yuell christen people who dyde their payne to distroy chri'stendome as other bolides had done before without tytell of any reason." May not this have reference to tlie expedition of the archpriest mentioned before, instead of the Vandals'?)- (Ed. 11 A poena et ciilpix,— Loxr- Bep.xep.s. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. 137 accomplislied kiiigiit and good wnrrior ; that is to say, upon the mar quis c!e Moiitferrat,* who for a long time had been engaged in war against the lords of Milan, and wds at this time so employed. They sent to him to come to Avignon, where he was received with much honor by the pope and cardinals. A treaty was then entered into with him. He agreed, for a con. siderable sum of money, to free the territories of the pope and the neighborliood of those frecbooting companies, and to lead them witli him into Lombardy. The marquis negotiated, therefore, with the captains of these companies, t and managed so well, that by means of sixty thousand florins w hich he divided among them, and the high pay he promised them, they consented to follow him into Lombardy ; but they also insisted on receiving pardon and absolution from all crimes and sin. Every article was fulfilled, and the money paid : they gave up the town of St. Esprit. quitted the territory of Avignon, and marched away with the marquis of Montferrat. King John and his whole kingdom \vere much rejoiced, when they found themselves dclivejed from these people ; but many of thein returned back into Burgundy : sir Seguin de Batefol, who kept his garrison at Ance, would not surrender it for any treaty or promise they made him : ho\vcvcr, France was, in many places, more at peace than it had been. When the greater part of these companies had quitted the country, and had marched with the marquis de Montferrat into Piedmont, the marquis managed his affairs well against the lords of Milan. He conquered many towns, castles, and forts, and gained much territory from them. He had also many skirmishes and attacks, which turned out to his proiit as well as honor; and these companies, witliin the year, gave hini a superiority in the war, and were in a great measure the cause that the lords Galeas and Bernabo Viseonti,t v/ho were sovereigns of Milan, and who since reigned there in great prosperity, came to a proper understanding with him. About this time sir Seguin de Batefol, who had retained his garri- son at Ance upon the river Saone, took by escalade a good city in Auvergne, called Brioude, and which is situated on the river Allier. He maintained himself therefor upward of a year, and fortified it so strongly that he was not afraid of an attack : from this place he overran all the country as far as Clermont, § Tilhac, Puy,|| Case Dieu,ir Moatferrant,** Rion!,ttla Nonnette,}t Ussoire,§§ Oudalle,|||| and the lands of the count Dauphin, who was at that time a hostage in England, and committed the greatest damages. When he had very much impoverished the whole country, he marched away, according to an agreement, carrying off with him great riches. Sir Seguin de BatefulU H returned into Gascony, whence he had originally come. Of this sir Seguin I know no more, except that by accident I heard it related that he died in an extraordinary manner. God pardon him for all his misdeeds ! CHAPTER CCXVI. THE DEATHS OF THE DtTKES OF LANCASTER AND OF BUKGUNDY, WHICH LAST CAUSES NEW DISSEXStONS BETWEEN THE KliXSS OF FRANCE AND NAVAERE. THE PRINCE OF WALES CROSSES THE SEA AT AQUITAINT:. At this period died in England the good duke of Lancaster,*** ^ The iimniuis de Montferrat. .Toljii Pala-ologvis, IGtIi marckgrave of Moiitfeirat, 1338, died 1371, reigiied 33 years.— Anderson's Roi/al Genealogies. t " Captains of ijiese companies." Barnes says, tliat the principal leader was si,- John Hawkvvoud ; Itut the following quotation from the life of sir John Hawkwood, published in tlie (jUi viduine of the Bibhut. Tyiiog. Dritan. page 6, shows it was not so. "Tlie company of Englisli adventnrei-s wlio now entered into llie service of tlie mar- quis of Montferrat. 1363, is said, by Muralori, vol. xii, p. 207, to have been commanded by one ^'llliarct. " Upon tlie conclusion of liie peace between tlie manjuis of Montferrat and Galeazzo, tlie few English wlio remained with the former went and joined tlieir comitrynien in Tuscany, and soon after furnied a body under Hawkwood." There must be a mistake resfiecting the date of 1363, lor Froissalt. as well as Denys Sauvage, lixes it positively 1361. t In the year 1354. Matthew II., Bernabo and Galeas II., all three sons of glophen Visconti, brother of John, sut-coeiled their uncle in the state of Milan and divided it into equal portions, except Milan and Genoa, which the two last individually held. Matthew dying williout male children, the 2l5tli September, 1355, his two brothers inherited his portion, except Bologna, which they sulli;red Visconti d'Olegio to carry from them. They ohlaincd the same year, from the emperor Charles IV. the viceresency of Lom- bardy. Thoir union delondcd them against a powerful league, formed by the Florentines tlic marquises of Eslc. of .Mantua, and of Jlontlerrat. In 1359, Galeas asM. Murnlori gives a very bad character of him See more of the house of Vi,conli, in I'Art de Verifier les Dates, whence the above IS taken. § I'lermont. or Clermont-Fen-ard, capital of .\uvergne. li Puy— a village in Auvergne, diocese of Clermont, TI Case Dieu, Q. an abbey, diocese of Auch. *^ Montferrnnt— a town in Auvergne, near Clermont. Tt Rion, Riom— a city of .'Vnvergne. near Clermont, tt La Nonnelte— a town of .Auvergne, election of Issoire. 5§ Ussoire, Ussoil— a town of Auvergne, four leagues from Brioude. III! Oudalle, 1 cannot find, nor Tilhac. HIT '• Sir Seguin de Batefol." Mezeray calls him Simon Batefol. Vdlaret calls hiin genti horame navarrois, and says that he died from some poisoned oranges, which Charles le Mauvais, king of Navanre, had served at dinner, in order to get rid of him He was desirous ol engaging sir Seguin de Batefol to make fresh disturbances in France contrary to the promise he had made king John, on surrendering Brioude ; but he asked too nrge a sum ; and, having possession of Charles's secret, he thus poisoned him that it might not be divulged.-//,sto,>f de France, par yuiaret. torn. v. p. 258. *** "Henry dukeof Laiica»ter, who died ofthe plague of 1360, was buried on the south whose Christian name was Henry. The king and all his barons, knights, and squires, were much afflicted, and wished it had not been so. He left two daughters, the lady Maude and the lady Blanche. The eldest was married to the earl of Hainault of the name of William, son of the lord Lewis of Bavaria and Margaret of Hainault. The youngest w as married to the lord John, earl of Rich- mond, son of the king of England, who was afterwards duke of Lan- caster, in right of his wife, and by the death of Henry duke of Lancaster. In this season also died the young duke Philip of Burgundy,* carl of Burgundy, of Artois and of Boulogne, palatine of Brie and Cham- pagne. He married the daughter of Louis carl of Flanders, by one of the daughters of John duke of Brabant, to whom fell the earldom of Burgundy, by the near relationship of Margaret his motlier, who did homage and fealty for it to the king of France. The lord John of Boulogne, earl of Auvergne, came, by the same means, into pos- session of the earldom of Boulogne, and was homager to the king of France. King John also, from his proxiitiity, took possession of and retained the duchy of Burgundy, and all rights over Champagne and Brie, which was highly displeasing to the king of Navarre ; but he could not help himself ; for he claimed Champagne and Brie, as being the nearest heir : his reasons were not listened to, for king John hated him much, and declared that he should never possess a foot of ground in Champagne nor in Brie.t About this time, the king of France had formed a resolution to go to Avignon, and visit the pope and cardinals, and, in his road, to amuse himself by inspecting the duchy of Burgundy, which had lately fallen in to him. The king, therefore, ordered preparations to be made, and set out from Paris about St. John's day 1362, having left his eldest son Charles duke of Normandy, regent andgovernor of the kingdom during his absence. The king took with him the lord John of Artois, his cousin, whom he much loved ; the earl of Tancarville, the earl of Dampmartin, Boucicault marshal of France, sir Arnold d'Andreghen, the grand prior of France, and several others. He travelled slowly and w^ith much expense, making soiue stay in all the cities and towns of Burgundy, so that he did not arrive at Ville- neuve,{ until about Michaelmas. It was there that his hbtel was prepared, as well for himself as for his attendants. He was most magnificently received and feasted by the pope and the college at Avignon ; the king, pope, and cardinals, visited each other often. The king remained at Villeneuve during the whole time.§ About Christmas pope Innocent VI. departed this life ; and the cardinals were in great discord about the election of another, for each was desirous of that honor ; more particularly the cardinals of Boulogne and Perigord, who were the greatest in the college. Their dissensions kept the conclave a long time shut up. The conclave had ordered and ari'anged everything according to the desires of the two before-mentioned cardinals, but in such a manner that neither of them could succeed to the papacy : upon which they both agreed, that none of their brethren should wear the papal crown, and elected the abbot de St. Victory of Marseilles, who was a holy and learned man, of good morals, and who had labored hard for the church in Lombardy and other places. The two cardinals sent to inform him of his elevation, and to desire he would come to Avignon : which he side ofthe high altar of the collegiate chun^h of Leicester, Ibnnded by his father (not hy him, as in Dugdale.j and on the next niche to him lay a lady, by likelihood his wife." — Gocgh's Sep. Mtin. " lie lelt issue by his wife Isabel, daughter of Henry lord Beaumont, two daughters, his heiresses. Maude first married to Rahih, son and heir to Ralph Lord Stafford, and afterwards to W'illiamduke of Zealand : and Blanche (by virtue of a special dispensa- tion from the pope, in regard totheir near alliance) to John of Gaunt, earl of Richmond, tbiirlli son to Edward Hi. and afterwards duke of Lancaster.— Dugd.\le'.s Baronage- Maude came to England soon after her father** death, and died, supposed by poison.— Knyoiitox. * Philip duke of Burgundy succeeded to the earldoms of Boulogne and Auvergne at the age of fifteen by the death of his mother, 29th September, 1360. Toward the latter end ofNovember. 1371, he died at Rouvie, and was buried at Citeaux. He lived but a short time, and was \-ery much regretted, as he promised well. The duchy of Burgundy passed to the king of France, not by virtue of the law of appanages, but as being nearest Iieir to duke Philip. The earldom of Burgundy, by the same right, passed to Marga- ret, who married I'hdip, fourth son of John king of France, who was created duke of Burgundy by letters patent, 6th Sept. 1363.— Z,'.4rf de verifier les Dales. t In place of this paragraph lord Berners has the following: "The lord James of Burbone abode styll pursuynge the treaty bytwene the lord John de Mountforde and the lord Charles of Bloys tor the right of the duthy of Bietayne acordyng to the treaty begon at Calais as ye have herd before. And for lacke of concludyng thereof great wanes and yuels fell after in the countri of Bretayne as ye shall here in this hystovie."— Ed. I Villeneuve d'-\vignoli — a town of Lower Languedoc, on the Rhone, opposite to Avignon. § Villaret seems to think Froissart has made a mistake respecting this visit of tlie king, and that it was to prevent the marriage of Edmund earl of Cambridge, son of king Ed- ward III. with the widow ofthe late dukeof Burgundy, by means of the pope. " Since his {the king's) return from London, he made only one journey to the court of Avignon, where he did not arrive tdl after the death of Innocent VI." This opinion will not agree with what Froissart says ofthe entertainments and feasts he received from the pope. John must have made two journeys, at a short distance from one another. The contrary, however, is proved by the letters of this king, preserved in the fourth vol- ume des Ordonnances. Froissart will have, without doubt, confounded tins journey with Ihe one made before his imprisonment.- /fis(. de Pravee, vol. v. p. 270, note. In tJie Grands Clironiqnes de St. Denis, vol. ii. fouillet273. "In the month of August, 13r2, the king of France set out to visit the pope. Innocent, at Avignon, who was then alive, and that same year, the 22nd Dec, he died." " King John entered Avignon St. Catherine's day, the 22nd November. Pope Urban received him very honorably in consistory, and retained him to dinner." Tliere must be some mistake in these dates. I) "Abbot de St. Victor." Urban V. William Grimoald. abbot de St. Germain d'Auxerre. then abbot of St.Victor de Marseille, was elected pope, 28th September, 136S. at the age of 53 years ; he died 19-..'i December, 1S70. 138 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. did as soon as possible, and received tliis gift with joy. He was called Urban V., and reigned with great prosperity : ho augmented much the power of the church, and did great good to Rome and other parts. Soon after this election, the king of France heard that the lord Peter de Lusignan, king of Cyprus and Jerusalem, was on his road to Avignon, having crossed the sea ; upon which he resolved to wait for him, as he was anxious to see one of whom so many handsome things had been related, for having made war upon the Saracens. Lately, the new king of Cyprus had taken the strong city of Sati- lie* from the enemies of God, and had slain, without any exceptions, all the inhabitants of both sexes whom he had found there. There was, during this wintei-, a full parliament holden in Eng- land, respecting regulations for the country, but more especially to form establishments for the king's sons. They considered that the prince of Wales kept a noble and grand state, as he might well do ; for he was valiant, powerful, and rich, and had besides a large inher- itance in Aquitaine, where provisions and everything else abounded. They therefore remonstrated with him, and told him from the king his father, that it would be proper for him to reside in his duchy, which would furjiish him withal to keep as grand an establishment as he pleased. The barons and knights of Aquitaine were also de- sirous of his residing among them, and had before entreated the king to allow him so to do ; for although tlie lord John Chandos was very agreeable and kind to them, they still loved better to have their own natural lord and sovereign than any other. The prince readily as- sented to this, and made every preparation becoming his own and his wife's rank.t When all was ready, they took leave of the king, the queen and their brothers : set sail from England, and were landed, with their attendants, at La Rochelle. But we will for a while leave this prince, and talk of some other regulations which were made at this time in England. It was enacted by the king and his council, that the lord Lionel, the king's second son, and who had borne the title of earl of Ulster, should from thence- forward bear that of duke of Clarence ; and the lord John, wlio was called carl of Richmond, was created duke of Lancaster, which estate came to him by his wife, the lady Blanche, as heiress to the good duke of Lancaster, her father. It was also taken into consideration by the king and his council, that the lord Edmund, the king's young- est son, who was called earl of Cambridge, should be well provided for, and, if it were possible, that he should be united in marriage ■with the daughter of the earl of Flanders, at that time a widow. However, that matter, though proposed, was not fully entered upon ; for it would be necessary to go cautiously to work about it ; besides, the lady herself was sufficiently young. About this time, the lady Isabella of France, mother of the king, died. She was daughter of Philip the Fair. The kiiig ordered a most magnificent and pompous funeral for her, at the Friar Minors,} at wluch nil the prelates and barons of England, as well as the lords of France who were hostages for the performance of the articles of peace, attended. This happened before the prince and princess of Wales left Eng- land ; soon after which they set out, and arrived at La Rochelle, where they were received with great joy, and remained four whole days. As soon as the lord John Chandos (who had governed the duchy of .\quitaine a considerable time) was informed that the prince was coming, he set out from Niort§ where he resided, and came to La Rochelle widi a handsome attendance of knights and squires, where they feasted most handsomely the prince, princess, and their suite. The prince was conducted from thence, with great honor and rejoicings, to the city of Poitiers. The barons and knights of Poitou and Saintonge, who at that time resided there, came and did homage and fealty to him. The prince rode from city to city, and from town to town, receiv- ing everywhere due homage and fealty. He at last came to Bor- deaux, where he resided a considerable time, and the princess with him. The earls, viscounts, barons, knights, and lords of Gascony, came thither to pay their respects to him : all of whom he received in so gracious and pleasing a manner, that every one was contented. Even the count de Foix came to visit him, whom the prince and princess received most honorably, and treated him magnificently. A peace was at this time concluded between him and the count d'jVr- * City of Sat^lie— is tlie AUalea of the ancient?, situated in Paniphiliu, a province If liicli at this day maltes part of Caraniania. Antalia. or Satklie— at llie bottom of the gulf of Satihe.— D'Am'lLLli's map, Oio- Sraphie ModEnic. Peter de Lusignan had succeeded his father ftugli. He did not arrive at Avignon until Die 29tli Marcji, 1362. the Weibiesilayof tlie holy week. Valdeiuar. king of Denmark, was there at the same lime, who came to place his per- son and kingdom under the protection of tjie holy see,— Villaret, Hist, de France. Peter I, succeeded his lather Hugh, as king of Cyprus, in IS61. January 18, 1372, he was assassinated by two lords whom he had abused. He disgraced the glories and fame of his early life by Ids debaucheries and cruelties in his latter ins.—.irt dc veri- fier les Dates. t "His wife's rank." The prince of Wale^ married Ibis year the lady .Toan. daugh- ter of Kdmimd Plantagenet earl of Kent, commonly called the fair countess of Kent. She was a widow, and of the blood royal of Enjland. She was first married to the earl of Saluhuiy. and divorced from him, then she was married to sir Thomas nollanj.— Fabian. X fliar Jlinors— commonly called tlic Gray Friars, now a parish church colled Christ Church.— Grafton § Niort, a city in Poitou, diocese of L» Rochelle. magnac, with whom there had been a continual warfare for a \try considerable time. The lord John Chandos was soon after appointed constable of all Guienne, and sir Guiscard d'Angle marshal. The prince thus provided for the knights of his own country and his house, hold, particularly those he loved most, with these noble and hand. some oflices, which were at his disposal in the duchy of Aquitaine. He nominated to all his stewartries and bailiwicks knights from England, who kept up greater state and magnificence than the inhab. itants of the country could have wished : but things did not go ac. cording to their desires. We will now leave the prince and the princess of Wales, to speak of king John of France, who at this time was at Villeneuve d'-4vignou. CH. AFTER CCXVII. THE KINGS OF FKANCE ASD OF CYPRtTS tTJDEKTAKE AND SWEAR TO PER. FORM A CROISADE AGAINST THE INFIDELS. THE KING OF CYPRUS MAKES EARNEST SOLICITATIONS FOR ASSISTA.VCE TO MANY KINGS AND PRINCES IN DIVERS PLACES OF CHRISTENDOM. About Candlemas,* 1362, the king of Cyprus came to Avi^jnon : at which event the whole court was much rejoiced, and many cardi. nals went out to meet him, and to conduct him to the palace of pope Urban, who received him very graciously, as did the king of France, who was present. When they had remained together some time, and had had wines and spices served to them, the two kings took leave of the pope, and each went to his hotel. During this time, there was a public combat before the king of France, at Villeneuve, from pledges given and received, between two valiant and noble knights, whose names were sir Aymon de Pommiers and sir Foiilqucs d'.4rchiac. When they had fought well and valorously for a length of time, the king of France appeased them, and made up their quarrel. The two kings remained the whole Lent at Avignon, or there- about. They often visited the pope, who received them with joy. During these frequent visits, the king of Cyprus remonstrated w-ith the pope, the king of France, and the cardinals present, how noble and praiseworthy a thing it would be for Christendom, to open a liolj' passage beyond sea, and to fall upon the enemies of the true faith. The king of France listened eagerly to this discourse, and proposed that for himself he would willingly undertake such an enter, prise, if he should live three years only, for two reasons: one was, that king Philip, his father, had formerly made a vow to do the same; the other was, to draw out of his kingdom all those men-at-arms, called free companions, who pillaged and robbed his subjects with- out any shadow of right, and to save their souls. These reasons, however, the king of France kept to himself, without mentioning them to any one, until Holy Friday, when the pope preached in his chapel before the kings of France and Cyprus, and the college of Cardinals. After the sermon, which was very humble and devout, the king of France, through his great devotion, put on the cross, anil requested the pope, with great sweetness, to confirm it to him. The pope immediately and benignantly complied with his request, and crossed in like manner the lord Talleyrand cardinal de Perigord, the lord John d'Artois, the earl of Eu, the carl of Dampmartin, the earl of Tancarville, the lord Arnold d'Andreghcn, the grand prior of France, the lord Boucicaut, and many knights there present. The king of Cyprus was highly pleased, and returned fervent thanks to the Lord for having inspired their hearts. Thus, as you have heard, the king of France, and those barons and knights that were with him, put the red cross upon their outward robes. The holy father gave it his benediction, and ordered it to be preached in many places : not, however, throughout all Christendom, for a reason I will give. The king of Cyprus (who had come thither with the intention of forming this croisade, having promised himself much pleasure in visiting the emperor and all the great barons of the empire, the king of England, and the chief princes of Christendom, which he did, as this history hereafter will show you.) offered to the holy father and to the king of France his personal services, his wealth, and his eloquence, wherever he should arrive or make any stay, in remonstrating and arguing the grace and devotion of this expedition, in order to excite all those princes and lords to join in it who before had not had much religion. This said king was so much honored, as it was but just he should be, that, from the eloquence and warmth widi which he would display the value of this expedition to the dif. ferent princes, he would gain more hearts than all the preachments. The pope assented to this proposal, which was then resolved on. Soon after Easter, 13G3, the king of Cyprus left Avignon, saying he was going to visit the emperor and the lords of the empire, and then return by Brabant, Flanders, and Hainan] t, to the kingdom of France. He took leave of the pope and the king of France, who on every occasion showed him marked attentions; the pope gave to hun and to his attendants presents of jewels and benedictions.t Soon * " Candlemas." Denys Sauvage says, in a note on the margin, that Froissart forgets hi this place to begin tlie year the first of January. " By an edict given by Charles LX. at Roussillon Chateau in Dauphin^, 15&4, he fixed the beginning ot the year 1565 at the first of January ; whereas formerly Ihe year com- menced at Easter. It appears to me Uiat its commencement ought to he tlio 21st of March."— jEssar's HintoriQites sur Paris, tome iii. p. 328. t Many fayre gyfts and ieawels and pardo7(5.— Lord Berners. i CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 130 after the departure of tlie king of Cyprus, the king of France took leave of the pope, and went toward the city of Monlpelior, in order to visit Languedoc, wliere he liad not been for a long time. We will, now return to the king of Cyprus, and to tlic journey which he made. After many days' travel in Germany, he came to a city called Prague, and found there the emperor of Gennany, tlie lord Charles of Bohemia,* who received Iiim magnificently, as did all the lords of tlie empire who were with him. The king of Cyprus remained in Prague and in ifs environs three weeks, and greatly exerted himself in exhorting all the Germans to assist in this holy expedition. The emperor defrayed his expenses during the stay he made, and tor his journeys in Germany. The king of Cyprus went next to the duchy of Juliers, where the duke received him with much feasting and rejoicings. From the duchy he went to Brabant, where the duke and duchess received him magnificently in the good town of Brussels. He was there entertained with grand dinners, suppers, tournaments, and other sports, in which he knew well how to play his part ; and, at his departure, they made him many presents of rich jewels. When he left Brussels, he went to Flanders, to visit earl Lewis, who received and feasted him grandly. He found at Bruges the king of Denmark, who had come thither to see him. They were magnificently treated at Bruges ; insomuch that the two kings were very well pleased with eail Lewis, and with the knights and barons of liis country. The king of Cyprus thus passed his summer, since he had left Avignon, in liis journey through the empire and along its frontiers, exhorting all to undertake this expedition against the Saracens. This gave much pleasure to many of the great lords, who were desirous that it should be accomplished ; but many others excused themselves from taking part in it. CHAPTER CCXVIII. Tin: KING OF EXSLAND DETAINS THE HOSTAGES AS PRISONERS. THE KING OF CVPRDS tJSES GREAT ENTREATIES WITH THE KINGS OF NAVARRE AND ENGLAND AND THE PRINCE OF WALES, TO INDUCE THEM TO UNDERTAKE THIS CROISADE AGAINST THE SARACENS. About this time, the king of England showed much favor to four dukes, viz. the duke of Orleans, the duke of Anjou, the duke of Berry, and the duke of Bourbon. These lords had returned to Calais, whence they had liberty to make excursions whither they chose for three days; but tiiey were to return on the fourth day by sunset. Tlie king had granted this favor with the good intent of their being nearer to make solicitations to their friends, and that they might hasten their ransoms, which they were eager to do. During the time the four above-mentioned lords were at Calais, they sent many and pressing messages to the king of France, and to the duke of Normandy his eldest son, who had nominated them as hostages, to remonstrate with them on the subject of their ransoms, which they had sworn and promised to attend to at the time they went to Eng- land, otherwise they would have undertaken it themselves, threaten- ing no longer to consider themselves as prisoners. But although these lords were, as you know, very near relations to the king of France, their solicitors and messengers were not listened to, nor themselves ransomed, which was very displeasing to them, more particularly to the duke of Anjou, who declared he would himself find a remedy, happen what would. At this moment, the kingdom and the councils of the king and duke of Normandy wore hardly pressed, as well on account of the croisade which the king had undertaken, as for the war \vith the king of Navarre, who was harassing the realm of France, and who had recalled some of the captains and companions from Lombardy, in order the better to carry on his designs. This was the principal reason why they could not immediately attend to the ransoms of the four dukes, nor give satisfactory answers by their messengers, w'hen they came to France. We will now return to the Sing of Cyprus. When he had visited the empire and other countries, as you have heard, he returned to France, where he was magnificently received by the king and the great lords of his court. Several councils were held on the subject of this croisade, to discover in what manner it could turn out to the honor of the king of France or to the good of his realm. The wisest were of opinion, that seeing the kingdom so much harassed, robbed, and ruined, by the companies and thieves that invaded it from all parts, this expedition ought not to take place until the kingdom were in a better state, or till peace were made with the king of Navarre. However, notwithstanding the good sense of this advice, the king would not listen to it, nor allow his ardor for this croisade to be eooled. He confirmed his engagement to the king of Cyprus, and promised to be at Marseilles in March the ensuing year (wliich would be 1364,) and that then he would without delay cross the sea, and order purveyances to all who were willing to do the same. Upon this, the king of Cyprus took his leave of the king of France, finding that he had sufficient time to return to his own country and make his preparations. He considered with himself, if he should ♦Lord Clmrles of Bohemia— Charles IV. emperor of Germany. He published tlie famous Golile]! Bull, that has ever since regulated all the elections of emperors of Ger- many. not do well to pay a visit to his cousin the king of Navarre, and endeavor, if possible, to make a peace between him and the king of France. He therefore set out from Paris with a grand equipage, and took the road to Rouen ; where, when he was arrived, lie was most handsomely received by his cousin the lord John d'Alen<;on, archbishop of Rouen, who entertained him very agreeably for three days. On the fourth he departed, taking the road to Caen, and continued his route to Cherbourg, where he found the king of Na. varre, the lord Louis* liis brother, and a very small company with them. These two lords of NavaiTe received the king of Cyprus gra. ciously and honorably, feasted him grandly, as they had the means, and knew M'cll how to use them. While he was there, he endeav- ored to begin a treaty between them and the king of France, and talked to diem fretiuently and eloquently upon this subject ; for he was a man of excellent understanding, master of many languages, and much beloved. The two brothers made very handsome replies to him, but excused themselves by saying, it was not their fault if they were not good friends with the king and realm of France ; for their great desire was to be so, but the king must give back their inheritance which he held from them wTongfuUy. The king of Cyprus would willingly have brought this business to a conclusion, for the king of NavaiTe would have left it to him, had not their differences been too great. When the king of Cyprus had remained at Cherbourg about fifteen days, having been entertained by the king of Navarre and his brother suitably to his rank, he took leave of them, saying he should not rest until he had been in England, and exhorted king Edward and his children to put on the cross. He departed from Cherbourg, and arrived at Caen ; thence he crossed the sea at Pont de l'Arclie,t and entered Ponthieu ; having passed the Sonime at -Abbeville, t he came to Rue,^ to Montreuil.jl and to Calais, where he found the three dukes of Orleans, Berry and Bourbon : for the duke of Anjou had returned to France, but by what means or in what condition I know not.lT These three dukes, prisoners, though they were in the town of Calais, received the king of Cyprus very joyfu'Iy, and the king be- haved with equal politeness to them. They continued together for twelve days. When the king of Cyprus had a favorable wind, he crossed the Straits, and arrived at Dover. He remained there two days to recover himself, while they unloaded his vessel and disem. barked his horses. The king then continued his route by easy day journeys, until he aiTived at the good city of London. He was honorably received on his arrival, as well by the barons of France, who were there as hostages, as by the English lords, who had rode out to meet him ; for king Edward had ordered some of his knights, viz. the earl of Hereford,** sir Walter Manny, the lord Despencer,tt the lord Ralph de Ferrers, tf sir Richard Pembridge,'^^ sir Richard Staftbrd,|||| and others to meet him, who accompanied and conducted him to the lodgings which w^ere prepared for him in the city of London. It would take me a day were I to attempt relating to you the grand dinners, suppers, and other feasts and entertainments that were made, and the magnificent presents, gifts and jewels which were given, especially by queen Philippa, to the accomplished king of Cyprus. In truth, he was deserving of them, for he had come a long way and at a great expense, to visit them, to exhort the kmg to put on the red cross, and assist them in regaining countries now * " Lord Louis." Charles had two brothers, Philip and Louis: hut which is here meant, I know not. Denys Sauvage says it was Phih'p, my MSS. Louis. t Pont de I'.^rche— a town of Normandy, on the Seine, diocese of Evreux. t Abheville — a considerahletown in Lower Picardy, diocese of .Amiens. § Rue— asmall town in Picardy. II Montreuil— a town in Picardy, diocese of .Vmiens. IT See Rynier, atnio JStS, for different letters from king John while at Avignon, and other matters respecting the ransoms of tliese princes of the blood. It appears tlint they were all promised their Ireedom, on possession being given to the officere named by kinef Edward of certain lands and castles belonging to each of them, dated at Westminster, 2Glh May, 1363. Tlie dukeof Anjou and other hostages broke thci,- parole and escaped. In the FcEdera 13C4, there are various remonstrances made by Edward on this subject. Stowe says, in his Chronicle, that the duke of Anion, by breaking his word and oatli to return to England as one of the hostages for king.tohn, and thus deceiving him, w.as the cause of his majesty's death, through grief. Carte says, " Their negotiations not succeeding, the duke of Anjou made use of that indulgence to escape into France: the kin;?, his father, blamed him exceedingly, and, to repair his son's faults, resolved to go himself to England, and, by n personal treaty with Edward, remove the obstructions which bad hitherto prevented the foil e.xecution of the treaty ot^ Bretigny. His ministers tried, in vain, to dissuade him from this resolution; tor be told them, that though good faith were banished out of tlie rest of the world, it ought stdl to be found in the words of princes, and as the performance of the articles of that treaty was the condition of his, he would at any rate see them executed." "* The earl of Hereford— son of William Ilobun, earl of Northampton, succeeded to the title and estates ol Hereford, on the death of his uncle, Humphrey de Boliun, in 1361. He was afterwards nominated embassador to the duke of Milan, respecting the mar- riage of his daughter Violante to tlie duke of Clarence, and died shortly after. tt Lord Despencer— grandson of Edward that was executed at Hereford. Heenjoyed much favor under Edward IH., and was buried at Tewkesbury. Xt " Lord Ralph de Ferrera." I cannot find in Ilugdale's Baronage any of this family that bore the name of Ralph. TliereisRauf de Ferried, banneret, in Ashmole, which I suppose must bo the same. §§ Sir Richard Pembridge— was tifty-third knight of the garter. He died 1^5, and bis tomb Is in Hereford cathedral. The only account I can find of him is in Mr. Cough's first volume of Sepulchral Monuments, to which I refer. III! Sir Richard Statford— was son to sir Richard Stafiord, brother to Ralph, earl ot Stafford. He served in Edward IH.'s wars in Gascony, and was summoned to parUa- ment among the barons, from «th Edward III. untd 4th Richard II. inclusive. 140 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, 6i.c. occupied by the enemies ol' God. But the king of England politely and wisely excused himself, by saying : " Certainly, my good cousin, I have every inclination to undertake this expedition ; but I am o-rowing too old, and shall leave it to my children. I make no doubt, that when it shall have been begun, you will not be alone, but will be followed most willingly by my knights and squires." '* Sir,'' replied the king of Cyprus, " what you say satisfies me. I verily believe they will come, in order to serve God, and do good to them- selves ; but you must grant them permission so to do ; for the knights of your country are eager in such expeditions." " Yes," answered the king of England ; " I will never oppose such a work, unless some things should happen to me or to my kingdom which I do not at this moment foresee." The king of Cyprus could never obtain anything more from king Edward, in respect to this croisade ; but, as long as he remained, he was politely and honorably feasted with a variety of grand suppers. About this time, king David* of Scotland had some affairs to transact with king Edward, that made it necessary for him to come to England ; so that when he heard the king of Cyprus was there, he hastened his journey, in order to meet him, and made such dis- patch that be arrived in London before he had left it. The two kings were much rejoiced to meet, and congratulated each other upon it. The king of England gave them two grand enterttiinments in his palace of Westminster, At the last of these, the king of Cyprus took his leave of the king and queen of England, who made him very magnificent presents : king Edward gave him also a ship called the Catherine, which was very beautiful and well built. The king of England had had her constructed, by his orders, to make the voyage to Jerusalem. She was valued at twelve thousand francs, and lay in the harbor of Sandwich. The king of Cj'prus was much pleased witli this gift, and returned many tiianks for it. He made no long stay after this in England, but returned to the king of France. The king of England, howe\cr, defrayed all his and his attendants*' expenses during the lime he remained, as well as the cost of his journeys in coming and return, ing. I do not know how it was, nor for what reason, but he left the ship in the harbor of Sandwich ; for, two years afterwai'ds, I saw it there at anchor. The king of Cyprus left England,t and crossed the sea to Boulogne. Having learnt on the road, that the king of France, the duke of Nor- mandy, the lord Philip, youngest son to king John, and the council of state, were to be in the good town of Amiens, the king of Cyprus took that road, and found the king of France just arrived, with part of his council. He was kindly received by them, and related to iheni the greater part of his travels, which they listened to with pleasure. When he had been there some time, he said that as yet he had done but little, until he should have seen the prince of Wales ; and that, if it pleased God, he would go visit him, as well as the barons of Poitou and Aquitaine, before he returned home. The king of France made no objection to this, but earnestly entreated, that when he set out on his return home, he would take his departure from France, to ■which the king of Cyprus readily assented. He therefore left Amiens, taking the road to Beauvais, passed the Seine at Pontoise, and con- tinued his route to Poitiers. At this lime, the prince was at Angouleme, where there were shortly to be grand entertiinmenls and justs by forty knights and as many squires, in honor of the princess, who had lately been brought to bed of a handsome son, called Edward,! after his father. As soon as the prince was informed of the arrival of the king of Cj'prus at Poitiers, he sent by special command, sir John Chandos, attended by many knights and squires of his household, to meet him. They accompanied him, with great joy and respect, to the prince, who leceived him kindly and honorably. We will now leave the king * "King David." It nppears, by RymeT, from liie passport gr"inte(l him by kiiij JEdward. the 20th Feliruary, 13l>4.ihut David Brace's journey into England was to pay Jiis devotions at the shrine of Our Lady at Walsiiigham. The same religious inolive> niiglit have made him so eager to converse with the lung of Cyprus on the sulyect of the croisade. His passport was to continue in force until the ensuing Michaehnas. Ifis new queen, Mor^'aret Logie, had at the same time a. passport, to pay her devo- tions at tlie shrine of Thomas il Deciiel. at Canterbury. t Barnes, in his history of Edward III. says, rliat the king of Denmark and the duke of Davaria accompanied him to England, and tliat their passports were dated tith De- cember. In Rymer, there is a passport for Waldemar, kinjr of Denmark, dated the Ist of Feb Tiuiry, 13tf4, to continue to the ensuing Micliaehiias, for himself and three Jmndred horse- jneu, &c., but not one word is said of the king of Cyprus nor of the duke of Bavaria. "Aimo reg. 31. 1357.— Kenry Picard, viiilner, mayor of London, in one day did sumptuously feiist Edwtird king of England, John king of France, the king of Cyprus (then newly arrived in England,) David king of Scots, Edward prince of Wales, witli many noblemen and others: and after, the siiid Henry Picard kept his hull against all comers whosoever that were willing to play at dice and hazard. In like manner, the lady Margarel, his wife, did Jilso keep her chamber to the same intent. Tlie king of Cyprus, playing with Henry Picard in his hall, did win of him tifry marks; but Henry l>eins very skilful in thut art, altering his hand, did afier win of the said king the same filty marks and fifty marks more ; which wJien the said king began to take in ill part, although he dissembled tlie same, Henry said unto him. ' My lord and king, be not ag- grieved : I covet not your gold, but your play ; f^jr I have not bid you hither to grieve you. but that among other things Imighttry yourplay ;* and gave him his money again, plentifully bestowing his own among the retinue. Besides, he gave many rich gitls to tJie king and other nobles and knights, who dined with him, to the great glory of the citizens of London in tliose days."— Stowk's Chronicle. t " By her (the princess) lie had two sons, namely, Edward the eldest, born at Angou- lerae in February, 1365 tLeland saith 1364,) who died in Gascoigne at seven years of age," and Richard, who was afterwards king of England.— Ashmolb's Garter, p. 676. of Cyprus for a while, and return to the king of France, to relate what were the reasons wliy he and his council had come to Amiens. CHAPTER CCXIX. KING JOHN KETUEN.S, OF HIS OWN FREE WILL, TO ENGLAKD, AND DIES THERE. . I WAS informed, and indeed truly, that king John had a wish to go to England, to visit his hrother king Edward and the queen his sister, and for this effect had summoned part of his council. They could not make him change his mind, though they gave freely their opinion.? on the subject: and many of the prelates and barona of France told him, he would do a very fuo'i.^ii thing, if he again put himself in the power of the king of England. But the king answered, that he had found so much loyalty and honor in his brother the king of England, the queen, and his nephews their children, that he could not sufficiently praise them: he did not in the least doubt but that they would be courteous, polite, and loyal, and friends to him in all situations. He was also anxious to go to England, in order to make excuses for his son, the duke of Anjou, who had returned to France. On hearing this, not one of the comicil had a word more to say, since his majesty had thus ordered and sctUed ii. He again appointed his son, the duke of Normandy, regent of France during his absence. He promised his youngest son, the lord Philip, that on his return from the journey he was about to make,* he would create him duke of Burgimdy, and that he should inherit the lands of that duchy. When all things were prepared according to his orders, and- his pui-veyances sent to Boulogne, he departed from the city of Amiens, and, having begun his journey, continued it until he came to Hesdin, where he remained to pass his Christmas. The earl, Louis of Flan- ders, vi'ho was much attached to him, came there to visit his majesty; and they continued together about three or four days. On Innocent's day, he left Hesdin, rode forward to Boulogne, wliere he took up his quarters in the abbey, and remained there until he had a favorable wind. He was accompanied, when he crossed the sea, by the fol- lowing nobles of his reulm : the lord John d'Artoi?, the earl of Eu, the earl of Dampmartin, the grand prior of France, the lord Bouci- caut, marshal of France, sir Tiistan de Maguellcs, sir Peter and sir John de Villiers, sir John d'Anville, sir Nicholas Bracque, and several great knights. When their vessels were laden, and the mariners had a wind to their wishes, they informed the king, who embarked on board his vessel about midnight, as did his attendants on board of theirs. Having set their sails for the coast of England, they arrived at Dover about vespers. It was on the day preceding the vigil of the feast of the Three Kings, called the Epiphany.t News was brought to the king of England (who at that time was with the queen at Elthnm, a very magnificent palace which the king had, seven miles from London,) that tlie king of France had landed at Dover. He immediately ordered many knights of his household to go and congratulate the king on his arrival ; the lord Bartholomew Burghershjt: sir Richard Pembridge,^ sir Allan Boxhall,|l and several others. They took leave of king Edward, and rode toward Dover, where they found the king of France, who had remained there since his arrival. They attended and conducted him with every mark of respect and honor, as they well knew how to do. Among other compliments, they told him the king their lord was much rejoiced at his coming, which the king of France readily believed. On the morrow morning, the king and his attendants were on horseback early, and rode to Canterbury, where they dined. On entering the cathedral, the king paid his devotions to the shrine of St. Thomas k Becket, and presented to it a rich jewel of great value. The king of France remained two days in the city of Canterburj'. The third day he set out, taking the road to London, and rode on until he came to Eltham, where the king of England was, with a number of lords, ready to receive him. It was on a Sunday, in the atternoon, that he arrived ; there were, therefore, between this time and supper, many grand dances and cards. The young lord de Coucy*ll was there, who took pains to shine in his dancing and sing- ing whenever it was his turn. He was in great favor with both the French and English; for whatever he chose to do he did well and with grace. I can never relate how very honorably and magnificently the king * That on his return, &c. King John's passport is in Uynier, dated lOlh December, T3i>3. Therein also iii that excellent collection, the iiatent of the creation of Philip duke of Burgimdy, which is dated Germigny-sur-Marne, 6tii September, 1363.— Carte, vol. ii. There are two Germignys, Gernii^ny I'Eveiue and Gerinigny sous Colonie, villages of Brie, in the diocese and election of Meaux. t This, accordmg to a marginal note of Deiiys Sauvage, makes it 13C4, beginning the year the 1st of January. t Lord Burghersh-kniglit of the Garter. SeeDOGDALE's Baronage. § Sir Richard Pembridge. See p. 139, note. II Sir Allan Boxhall— fifly-seeond knight of the Garter. See AshMOLe. Walsing. Ypodigma, p. 136. saith : " Hoc anno Rob. I laule scutifer fuit occisu* in ecclesia Westnion. tempore niajoris missje per quosdom regis satellites quorsum ductor exiitit Alanusde Buxhalle. miles per ante uon l^nobilis, sed hoc facto postea semper infaniis ;" for which lie w;ls by name excommunicated. Anno 1378. sir Ralph de Ferrars was excommunicated with liim for the same offence. IT "Lord deCoucy." Enguerrund deConcy, son of Enguerrand deCoucyand Cath- erine, daughter of Leopold. fir«t dnkc of Swabia (the present Imperinl fiimily.) He ■ married Isabella, eldest daughter of Edward tlie TJiJrd.— Aspsrson's Rortal Ocncalo- gics. CHRONICLES OF EN Cx LAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 141 and queen of England received king John. On leaving Eltliam, he wejit to London ; and, as he came near, he was met by the citizens dressed out in their proper companies, who greeted and welcomed him with much reverence, and attended him with largo bands of minstrels, unto tlie palace of the Savoy, which had been prepared for tliem. The princes of the blobd-royal that remained, as his hostages, in England, were also lodged in the same palace ; namely, his brother the duUo of Orleans, his son the duke of Berry, his cousin the duke of Bourbon, the earl of Alenjon, Guy de Blois, the earl of St. Pol, and many more. The king pa-ssed there part of the winter very gayly with his coun- trymen. The king of England visited him often ; as did his chil- dren, the duke of Clarence, the duke of Lancaster, and tlie lord Ed- mund his youngest son. There were several great feastings between them, in dinners, suppers, and other entertainments, at this hotel of the Savoy, and at the palace of Westminster, which is not far off, whither the king went in a private manner, whenever he chose it, by the means of the river Thames. They both frequently regretted the loss of the lord James dc Bourbon, and said that it was a very unfortunate business ; for no one deserved better his rank among nobles. We will now leave the king of France for a short time, and speak of the king of Cyprus, who had come to Angouleme to visit his cousin the prince of Wales. He was most graciously received by his royal highness, and by all the barons, knights and squires of Poitou and Saintonge who were tlien with the prince, such as the viscount de Thouai-s, the young lord of Pons, the lord of Partenay, sir Louis de Harcourt, sir Guiscard d'Angle ; and, among the Eng- lish, by sir John Chandos, sir Thomas Felton,* sir N61e Loring.t sir Richard de Pontchardon,t sir Simon de Basselles,^ and several others, as well ef that country as from England. The king ofCyprus was magniticently entertained by the prince, princess, and the barons and knights above-mentioned. He staid there upward of a month ; and then sir John Chandos accompanied him, for his amusement, into different parts of Poitou and Saintonge, and showed him the good town of La Rochelle, where there was a grand feast made for him. When he had seen everytliing, he returned to Angouleme, to assist at the noble tournament which the prince held, where there were plenty of knights and squires. Soon after this feast, the king of Cyprus took his leave of the prince and of the knights of the coun- try, but not before he had related to them the principal reason of his visit, and for wliat cause he had put on the red cross which he wore, how the pope had blessed this expedition, which was deserving of every praise ; and how the king of France through devotion, as well as many other great lords, had put it on, and had sworn to its exe- cution. The prince and the knights made him a courteous answer, saying, that in truth it was an expedition in which every man of worth or honor was interested ; and that, if it pleased God, and the passage were open, he would not be alone, but would be followed by all those who were desirous to advance themselves. The king of Cyprus was well pleased with this speech, and took his departure : but sir John Chandos attended him, until ho had quitted the principality. It ap- pears to me, that he went back into France, and took the road toward Paris, in the hopes of finding the king of France returned home ; but it was not so ; tor he was still at the palace of the Savoy, confined to his bed by sickness, of which he grew worse every day, to the great uneasiness of the king of England and his queen, as the most learned physicians had declared him to be in much danger. The duke of Normandy was informed of all this at Paris, where he resided, having the regency of the realm ; for the lord de Bouci- eaut had crossed the sea, to convey the news of this illness to him. The king of Navarre also heard of the progress of this disorder, which gave him no displeasure, for he hoped, if the king of France died, to carry on his war more to his satisfaction : he sent letters, therefore, to the captal de Buch,|| who at that time was with his brother-in-law the earl of Foix,^ to desire that he would come to him in Normandy, and that he would exalt him in dignities above all other lords and knights. The captal, who was fond of arms, and cousin to the king of Na- varre, complied with his request. He left the earl of Foix, taking his road through the principality of Aqnitainc, where he solicited several knights and squires to go with him ; but he succeeded with only a few. Neither the English, Gascons, nor Poitevins were wil- ling to take up arms for the king of Navarrre, against the crown of ^ " Sir Thomas Felton." of Lutoham in Norfolk, forty-ninth knight of the Garter. He was grand senesch.ll and comniaiidant ile Guienne for Richard II. He was killed in opposing Henry Transtamare, hefine ihe hattle of Najara. Sir Thomas Hoo. knighl of rhe Garter, married his daughter. — An.stis'3 MS. Colfrettons. t " Sir Nele Lorins." tuentieth knight of the Gatler. See his Ufe in .(Vshmole. He was chamberlain to the RIack Prince. He died the 9lh liiclmrd II. and was buried at Dunstable.— .'Vnstis's Jl/.S. Collections. J " Sir Richard de Pontchardon." I cannot find anythin* about him. § " Sir Simon de Basselles." probably Bas-set. but I cannot say more. j; " Captal dc Buch," fifth knight of the Garter, M, .\nitice, in his second volume, says, " It was sir JohndeGreilly, of royal lineage, and Ihe most renowned commander at that time, whose una'terable loyalty to the crown of England was such, that he chose to die a prisoner at Paris, 1397, rather than deviate from it." ; " Buch is a small promontory lying along the coast from Bayonne to Medoc," ice. See Akstis, H " Earl of Foi.\." Gaston IT. succeeded his father, 1344. HisslsterBlancaw.lsmarried ' to John de Greilly, France ; for they considered the treaties and alliances entered into and sworn by the king of England, their sovereign lord, with the king of France at Calais, so sacred and strong, they would not by any means infringe or break them. During the time the captal de Buch was journeying toward the king of Navarre, John king of France departed this life in England. The king, queen, the princes of the blood, and all the nobles of England were exceedingly con. corned at it, from the great love and affection he had shown to tliem since the conclusion of the peace. His brother, the duke of Orleans, and his son, the duiie of Berry, were in great affliction at his death, and sent in haste to inform the duke of Normandy of the melancholy event ; who, when he was cer- tain it was true, was much affected by it, as he had reason to be ; lint considering that everything which is created must in the course of nature have an end, and that he could not remedy this loss, he bore it as patiently as he was able. Finding himself thus successor to the inheritance of the kingdom of France, and being well informed that the king of Navarre was daily reinforcing his garrisons in the county ofEvreux, and that he was engaging men-at-arms to carry on the war, he resolved to provide himself with an able council, and to oppose this evil by every means in his power. CHAPTER CCXX. KING CHARLES OF FRANCE MAKES WISE PREPARATIONS AGAINST THE KUKf OF NAVARRE, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DEATH OF JOHN HIS FATHER,. AND BEFORE HIS CORONATION. At this period, there was a knight of Brittany, who had always borne arms in favor of the French, called sir Bertrand du GuescUn.*" Bertrand du Guesclin. From a wood-cut in a rare Gothic folio, printed at LyonF,- 14,'10, preserved in the Uibiotheque Iloyale, Paris; and called the "Chronique do Bertrand du Guesclin." His worth and fame were but little known except among tlie knights of Brittany, who were his neighbors in that countr)', where he had resided and carried on the war in favor of the lord Charles of Blois. This sir Bertrand was ahvr.ys much esteemed by them as a valiant knight, and well beloved by his brethren-at-arms : he was already in the good graces of the duke of Normandy, on.account of the great acts of valor that he had heard related of him. It happened that the duke of Normandy, soon after the death of the king his father, had veiy strong suspicions of the king of Navarre : he therefore gave orders to the lord of B mcicaut, saying, " Set out from hence as speedily as you can, with as many friends as possible, * " Bertrand du Guesclin." For more of him see his memoirs in the third and fourth' volumes of Les Memoires Historique?, and &bso in Ilbt. de la Bretagne, &c. 143 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. and ride toward Nonnandy, where you will meet sir Bcrtrand du Guesclin : I shall then desire that you both fall on the king of Na- varre, and retake Mantes ; !)y which means we shall be masters of the river Seine." The lord de Boucicaut answered, " Sir, this I will most willingly perform."* He then quitted Palis, taking with him a great number of knights and squires. He followed the road toward Nonnandy, through St. Germain-en-Laye, and gave those to understand who accompanied him, that he was going to attack the castle of Roulleboise,t which was detained by certain persons called free companions, who did every mischief possible. RouUeboise has a very good and strong castle upon the river Seine, about a league distant from Mantes, and was at that time filled and garrisoned by these companies and their men-at-arms, who carried on the war for their own benefit, and at- tacked the friends of the kings of France and of Navarre witliout dis- tinction. They had a captain of the name of Wautaire Austarde,t a native of Brussels, whom they impUcitly obeyed. He paid them according to a fi.xed proportion of wages, and was an expert soldier of great courage. He and his people pillaged the country all around ; so that none dare travel from Paris to Mantes, nor from Mantes to Rouen or Pontoise, for fear of them ; for they attacked both French and Navarrois, pressing especially the people of Mantes verj'hard. When the lord de Boucicaut left Paris, though he made it to be understood he was going to that part of the country, nevertheless he missed taking the right road to RouUeboise. He waited therefore for sir Bertrand du Guesclin and his army, who a short time before Iiad made an excursion to Evreux,^ and held a parley with the in. habitants of that city ; but instead o( opening their gates to him, they severely attacked him with stones, &,c.: he retreated, and made for the marshal, who had halted for him in a road not far from Roulle. boise. Upon mustering their forces, they were full five hundred nien-at-arms. These two captains had a long conference together, upon the best means of subsistijig themselves, and what would be the surest method of gaining the town of Mantes, their principal object. They determined that the lord de Boucicaut, with one hundred of his knights only, should ride to Mantes, and feign them- selves to be much frightened, crying out that the garrison of RouUe- boise was in pursuit of them, and begging that they would give them .admittance. If they consented, they were to seize the gates, and sir Bertrand would directly follow with the remainder of the army : they would then be masters of the place. Should this plan fail, they did not sec by what other means they could gain it. The council being dissolved, the lords kept the secret among themselves. The lord de Boucicaut set out, according to their plan, and took the road to Mantes ; sir Bertrand went with the rest of the troops another road, "but placed himself and men in ambush not far from the town. When the lord de Boucicaut was near to Mantes, he and his troops separated, like to people that had been beaten and were pursued. The marshal, attended only by ten others (followed, however, by the rest at a small distance,) came to the barricadoes of the town, and cried out, " Hollo I good people of Mantes, open your gates, I beg of you, and let us come in ; for the thieves of RouUeboise have dis- comfited us, and are now at our heels." "Who are yon ?" asked those whom he had addressed. " I am, gentlemen, the lord de Bou- cicaut, marshal of France, whom the duke of Normandy had sent against RouUeboise : but those rogues there have beaten us, and made us fly, whether willing or not ; and they will capture me and my people unless you open yourgates to us." The people of Mantes, thinking he had said nothing but truth, replied : '■ Sir, we know well that those in RouUeboise are our enemies as vi'cll as yours, and that it is indifi*erent to them on which party they make war: on the other hand, the duke of Normandy hates us, on account of our attachment to the king of Navarre our lord : we are therefore in great doubt, if we shall not be betrayed by you, who are marshal of France." " By my faith, gentlemen, that shall itever be ; for I am come into this country solely to destroy the garrison of RouUeboise." At these words they opened the gates. The lord de Boucicaut entered, with some of his companions ; but he was followed so slowly by the re. mainder, that the people of Mantes had not time to shut their gates upon sir Bertrand's men, who came in with the last of the lord de Boucicaut's party: for though the lord de Boucicaut went with his men directly to an hotel, where they disarmed themselves, in order the better to blind the inhabitants, sir Bertrand and his forces came full gallop into the town, crying, " St. Yves Guesclin ! death to the Navarrois." They entered, pillaged the houses of whatever they found, and made prisoners of whom they pleased : they also mur- dered several. ■ Soonafter they had possession of Mantes, a detachment of Bretons advanced to Meulan, a league distant, and very cunningly entered it. They said they were men-at-arms whom sir William de Graville had sent thither, and that as many or more had remained at Mantes. The * It does not ajipear from tlie memoirs of Bertrand ilu Guesclin, republished in tire third and fourth volumes of LesMemoiresHistoriques, that the mareclial de Boucicaut Jiad anything to dp with the taking of .Mantes, &c. a,s iiis name never once occur?^. Nor are the chronicles agreed as to tiie exact date when this happened.— Pee Note 19, Mem. Hist. t RouUeboise villiiire in Normandy, on the Seine. t " Wautaire Austnrde." Barnes culls him Vanlnir Austart. § EvreuA*. an ancient city of Normandy. Its bishop is sutfragau to the archbishop of Houen. people of Meulan believed the truth of this the more readily because they came by the road from Mantes, and because they could not have crossed the river but by the bridge of Mantes. Thinking what they had told them must be true, they opened their gates, which were instantly seized by the Bretons, who entered, crying out, " St. Yves Guesclin !" and began to lay about them with their arms. When the inhabitants found themselves thus deceived, and that there were no hopes of redress, they fled and saved themselves as well as they could. Thus were Mantes and Meulan taken, to the great joy of the duke of Normandy. The king of Navarre was in a furious rage when he was informed of it : he directly reinforced all his towns and castles with troops and well-tried officers : for he was much chagrined at losing Mantes and Meulan, as they were to him convenient entrances into France. This same week, the captal de Bnch arrived at Cherbourg with tour hundred men-at-arms. The king of Navan-e was well pleased thereat, and received him most graciously. In his complaints against the duke of Normandy, he was very sore upon the losses of the towns of Mantes and Meulan, which, he said, had been taken from him by stealth. The captal replied : " My lord, if it please God, we will go and meet your enemies, and exert ourselves so efl'ectually that, God willing, you shall speedily have again possession of these, as well as many other towns and castles. It is said that the king of France will very soon go to Rheims, for his coronation : we will therefore at that time begin our attack on his country." The king of Navarre, being much rejoiced at the arrival of the captal de Bnch, said he should send him on an excursion into France. The king sought for men-at-arms wherever he could get them, or where there was any likelihood of obtaining them. There was at that time in Normandy, an English knight who for- merly had borne arms for the king of Navarre : his name was sir •Tohn Jouel ; a very able and expert man in his profession. He com- manded about two or three hundred lances. The king of Navarre sent to entreat him to serve under him, together with his men ; which sir .Tohn Jouel* consented to, and waited on him to place liimself under his orders. The duke of Normandy was infonned that the king of Navarre was collecting large bodies of men-at-arms, and that the captal de Buch was to be the commander of them. He therefore formed his resolutions, and wrote to sir Bertrand du Guesclin, to order him and his Bretons to make a stand against the Navarrois, and that he would speedily send him sufficient reinforcements to ofier battle to the troops of the king of Navarre. At the same time, he ordered the lord de Boucicaut to remain at Mantes and Meulan. Sir Bertrand and his Bretons departed, and took up their quarters near to Vernon. In a few days afterwards, the duke of Normandy sent to him some noble men-at-arms ; such as the earl of Auxerre, the viscount de Beaumont, the lord de Beaujeu, the lord Lewis de Chfilons, the archpriest, the master of the cross-bowmen, and many other knights and squires. About this time, several knights of Gascony came to serve under the duke of Normandy: among ^vhom were the lord d'Albret, sir Aymon de Pommiers, the souldich de l'Estrade,t sir Petiton de Cour- ton, and several more. The duke of Normandy felt himself much obliged to them for coming to his assistance, and begged of them to go into Normandy to oppose his enemies. The above-named lords willingly obeyed, and, having put their men in proper array, marclied toward Normandy, except the lord d'Albret, who remained with, the duke ; but his troops went on the expedition. At this period a knight, called Beaumont de Laval, came from the French frontiers of Brittany, and advanced toward Evreux, with about forty lances under him. A young knight, sir Guy de Graville, hap. pened to be in that town at the time, who no sooner heard of the alarm than he hastened to arm himself, ordering all the ganison to do the same : they were soon mounted, and in pursuit after them. But sir Beaumont had already succeeded in his enterprise. How. ever, by the fleetness of his horse, sir Guy de Graville came near enough to cry out, " Beaumont, you must not go ofl" thus ; the men of Evreux must speak to you, for they wish to be better acquainted with you." When sir Beaumont thus heard himself called upon, he turned his horse about, lowered his lance, and made straight for sir Guy. These two knights met each other with such force, that their lances were shivered on their shields ; but they were so firm in their seats that neither was unhorsed, as they passed each other. On their return, they drew their swords ; and, at the same time, both their companies began to fight so furiously, that in the course of the ren. counter many were unhorsed on each side. The Bretons acquitted themselves most loyally; but in the end they coidd not maintain their ground, for numbers increased upon them every moment, so that they were all killed or made prisoners : none escaped. Sir Beaumont de Laval was taken by sir Guy de GraviUe, and brought as his prisoner to the castle of Evreux, whither all the other prisoners were con- ducted. Thus ended this adventure ; for which sir Guy was much praised, and beloved by the king of Navarre and the citizens of Evreux. * " Sir ,Iohn Jouel." Barnes calls him sir John Jones; but he quotes no authority for this change from all the chronicles and memoirs of the limes. t " The souldich de I'Estrade." He was afterwards created a knight of the Garter. , See .4n5tr5'.* Oarirr, vol- ii. p 157. He calls him sir Sandich de Trnne. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 143 CHAPTER CCXXI. THE KING OF CVrilUS RETURNS TO PARIS. THE FUNERAL OF KIXG JOHN AT ST. DEMS. THE CAPTAL DE BUCil MAKES AN ATTACK ON SIR BEB- TRAND DU GUESCLIN. The king of Cyprus, who was now returned from Aqiiitoinc to France, went to meet the king, who had before borne the title of duke of Normandy. His two brothers, the duke of Anjou, and the lord Philip, sinee duke of Burgundy, were with the duke waiting for the corpse of their father, M-hich was on the road from England. The king of Cyprus very cordially condoled with them on the subject of their loss, and was himself much affected by the death of the Idng of France, because his expedition would be retarded by it-; he clothed himself in black for his mourning.^- When tlie body of the king of France, which hnd been embalmed and put into a coffin, approached near lo Pans, attended by the lord John d'Artois, the earl of Dampmartin, and the grand prior of France, the duke of Normandy, his brothers, the king of Cyprus, and the greater part of the clergy of Paris, went on foot beyond St. Denis, to meet it. On being brought thither, it was buried with gi-eat solem- nity; and the archbishop of Sens said mass on the day of interment. After the service was over, and dinner ended, (which was very mag. tiificent,) the gi-eat lords and prelates returned to Paris. There were then held many councils on the state of the kingdom, which could not any longer do well without a king ; and it was determined by the prelates and nobles, that they should immediately go for Rhcima. The duke of Normandy (for such was still liis title) T,vrote to his uncle, PoRTR-UT OF Ch-VRLes V., suRNAMED THE WisE— From a Print in Mezeray's Uist. de France. Winceslaus duke of Brabautt and Luxemburgh, and also to his cousin the earl of FIandors,t to request their attendance at his coronation, which was fixed for Trinity-day next ensuing. § * And tlie kyng of (7ypre Imlpe tliein lo comphiyiic t'le dotiie of the kyng, and wiU inarueyoinly tUspleased tlierewitlj, because cf the hyndring^e of his vyage of the croyse ; EnH so he dntlied hyinscif with tlie vesture of dolourc. — Ed. t VVincesldus- duke of Brahnnt, sun of the emperor Clinrlcs iV.— Anderson's Royal OeTtcalosi^s. t Ear! of Fhindors— Luwis IT. vlie In^t enrl of Flanders. lie was >tal>bed in a quarrel by Johi\ Sun of the king nf France, at Buulugnc, 1382. — Andlrson. § As tlie account of the funerni of king John is v«ry diHerent in the superb edition of Les Grandes Chronifjues de St. Denii-, in iny possession, I translate it. "This Tuesday, the 1st day of May, 1364, the hody of king John, who had died at London, as has been reltiled. was brought to tiie ahhey of St. Anthony, near Pan'?. It Teniained tlicre until the Sunday following, that preparations might he made for llie funeral. On tliat day, the 5lh of May, it was transported from thence to the church of Notre-Dame, attended by processions on foot from all the churches of Paris, and by three of the king's sons, namely, Charles duke of Normandy, Lewis duke of Anjou, and Philip duke of Terouenne ; the king of Cyprus was also there. " Tlie body was carried by llie members of his parliament, a? hail been the usnge with otlier kings, because they represent the person of the king m matters of justice, which is the fairest jewel in his crown, and by which he reigns. On the Monday morning solemn mass was sung in the church of Notre-Danie; and, soon afterwards, the body was car- ried to St. Denis in the same manner as it had been hiought from the abbey of St. Anthony. Tlie three princes and the king of Cyprus fallowed on f.mt. as fur as the gale of St. Landri,fl where they mounted their horses, and accompanied the body to the town of St. Denis, where, on tlieir arrival, they dismounted, and, as before, followed the body on foot to the church. " On Tuesday, the 7th day of JIay. the obsequies of the kite king were performed in the church of St. Denis, and the body was inleiTed on the lell of the high altar. "Shortly after mass, king Charles, the eldest son of the late king, went into the meadow, and there received the liomugesof the peers of France and other great barons. He tlien went to dinner, and remained at St. Denis that and the following day. On the Thursday, king Charles left that town, to prepare for his coronation, which was fixed for the Trinity Sunday following." a There was formerly a gate called Port St. LAndri, near to St. Gerraain-rAuxerrois. It was built up in the year 155S.-M. Sauval, .UtiqaiUs dc Paris. While these things were going forward, and the nobles were making preparations for the coronation, the French and Navarrois were advancing toward each other in Normandy: the captal do Buch was already in the city of Evreux, collecting his men-at-arms and soldiers from ever>^ place he coidd get them. We will speak of him and of sir Berlrand du Gucsclin, as well as of a famous battle which was fought the Thursday preceding Trinity Sunday, the day the duke- was to be crowned king of France (as indeed he was) in the cathedral of the city of Rbeims. When the lord John de Greilly, known by the appellation of the captal de Buch, had completed his numbers of archers and foot-sql- dicrs in the city of Evreux, he made bis final arrangements, and appointed as governor of it a knight called the lord Michael d'Orgery. He sent to Conches* the lord Guy de Graville, to defend that place as a sort of frontier. He then marched with all his men-at-arms and archers ; for he had heard that the French were ahr -ad, but was not certain in what quarter. He took the field, very desirous of finding them ; and> having mustered his army, he found he had seven hundred lances, and full three hundred archers, with five htindred other serviceable men. There were among them several good knights and squires, especially a banneret of the kingdom of Navarre, named the lord Saulx; but the greatest and most expert, with the largest company of men-at- arms and archers in his train, was an English knight, called sir John Jouel. There were also the lord Peter de Saque-ville, the lord Wil- liam de Graville, the lord Bortrand du Franc, Basque de Mameil, and many others, who were eager lo meet sir Bertrand du Gueselin, to give him battle. They marched toward Passyt and Pont de I'Arche, thinking the French would pass the Seine there, if in truth they had not already crossed it. It chanced that, as on the Whitsun-Wednesday, the captal and his companions were riding through a wood, he met a herald, whose name was Faucon,t and who had that morning left the Frencli army. As soon as the captal saw him, he recognized him, for he was one of the king of England's heralds, and asked him from whence he came, and if he could give them any intelligence of the French army. " Yes, that I can, in God's name, my lord, replied he ; " for I only left them this day : they are seeking after you, and are very anxious to meet with you." "Where are they?" asked the captal, " on this or on the other side cf Pont de TArche ?'' " In the Lord*s name,'* answered Faucon, " they have passed Pont de I'Arche and Vernon, and are, as I believe, at this moment very near to Passy." " Tell me, I pray thee," said the captal, " whal sort of people they are. and who are their captains ?" " In God's name," replied Faucon, "they are full fifteen hundred combatants, and all good men-at-arms. Sir Bertrand du Gueselin is there, who has the largest company of Bretons : there are the earl of Auxerre, the viscount de Beaumont, the lord Lewis de Chalons, the lord oi Beaujeu, the lord Baudoin d'Ennequin, grand master of the cross-hows, the archpriest, the lord Odoart de Renty. Some lords from Gascony, your own coimtrymen, are like- wise among them, with the men-at-arms of the lord d'Albret ; as also the lord Aymon de Pommiers and the lord Souldieh de la Trane." When the caplal heard the names of these Gascons, he was mar- vellously astoni-shed, and turned red with anger : recovering his * Conches— a market-town in Normandy, four leagues from Evreux. t Passy—a town in Normandy, four le.i gues from Evreux. J Faucon was the title, not the name of this herald. Noble, in his History of the College of Arms, says under the title Falcon : "This heraldship was anciently written Faucon. The falcon was a badge of Edward DI., who had an oflicer of that name ; but wlielher king, herald, or pnr<=uivaiit, author? are not agreed. Richard 11. had Fal- con king-at-arms ; in the vcign of Edward IV. the office was fallen to that of herald.'* Both Lord Berners and D. Sanvage calls him " king Faucon." — Ed. Lord Berners's version is so spirited that we arc induced to subjoin it: " So it happened that the Friday in the whytson weke rtie captal! and his company rode out of a wode, and byauenture they met a haraude ofarnies called hiingc Faucon, fi\\i\ the same moni- ynge he was departed fro the Frcnche Iioosf. As sone ns the ciiptall se iiym he knew« hyni well, and made him great cliere, for lie was perteynyng to the kyng of England. Then he deinaunded of hyni fro wheng iic came, and if he knewe any tidyngs of tlie Frenchmen. ' Sir,' quoth he, ' in tlie name of God, I Icjiowe well wiiere they be ; I de- parted fro them to-day ; they seke you as well as ye do them.' ' Where be they,' quoth tlie captall: 'beyond the bridge of Tharche, or a this sydeV 'Sir,' quoth Faucon, 'they be passed the bridge at Vernon ; and, as I beleue, tliey are nowe about Passy.' * What nombre he they,' quoth the captall, ' and what capjtens haue they ! I pray you shewe me.' *Sir,' quoth Faucon, 'they are weU.a xvc figlityng men, and there is sir Bertrand of Clesqny (Gueselin) who hath the grettest company of Bretoni? ; also there ii therle of Aiicer, the vycount of Beaumont, the lorde I.oys of Chalon, the lord of Beauieu, the master of the cross-howes, tharchprcest, the lorde Edward of Remy ; and of Gascone, there isthe company of the lorde Dalbret, and the lorde Aymon of Punyer^, the lorde of Saldychc and of L.estrad :' and when the captall herd t hose Gascons named, he mareu- yled gretly, and blussed for displeasure, and sayd, * Faucon, is this true ye snye, that the=e li»rdes of Gascone are there, and the lord Dalbret's company V ' Sir,' quotli the herald, ' ye without fail.' 'And where is the lorde Dalbret himselt V quoili the captall. ' Sir,' quoth Faucon, ' he is at Parys with the regent-duke of Normandy, who aparelieth hiin-;elle togotoReynes, for it is say d thaton Sunday next coniyng he shuldc be crowned kyns:.' Than the captall layft his hand on his own heed and said in great displeasure ' By Siiint Antones en/) Gascon against Gascon.' 'Sir,' quoth Faucon, ' hereby taryeth for nvC a harald of tharchpreest, sent to speke with you fro hym ; and as I understand by the harald. tharchpreest wolde speke wilJi you.' Than the captall sayd, "A Faucon, say to the Frenchc harald he nede not to go any farther ; let him shewe to tharchpreest that I wyll not speke with him.' Than sir Johan Jouell stept forthe and sayd, ' Sir, why wyll ye nat spake with hym, perauenture, it is for our profyte.' Tiian the cantatl said, ' Nay. I warrant you it is not for our profyte, for tharchpreest is so great a brauler, that if he come to us. he wyll but iangle, and in the mcantyme ymagen our strengthe, jnd anewe our nombre. the which, parauenture, shall come more to our preiudice thon ad- uantnge— therefore I haue no hast to speke with hym.' Than Faucon the haraudwent to thother hnraud and excused the captall so wysely, that he was well content, and than he went to the tharchprie^t and shewed him all as Faucon had sayd."— Ed. 144 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. epeech, he said, "Faucon, Faucon, is it indeed true what thou hust just told me of these Gascon lords being in the French army? and the men attached to the lord d'Albrct?" " Yes, in good faith, it is really as I have said," answered the herald. "And where is the lord d'Albrct himself ?" asked the captal. "In God's name," answered Faucon, " he is at Paris, with the regent-duke of Normandy, who is making preparations for going to Rhcims, to be crowned ; for it is commonly reported that that ceremony is to take place on Sunday next." The captal then put his hand to his head, and cried out in anger : " By the head ol' St. Anthony, Gascons against Gascons will make mischief enough." Then Faucon spoke concerning Prie (a herald whom the archpriest had sent thither,) and said to the captal, " My lord, there is a herald hard by waiting for me, whom the archpriest has sent to you, and who, as I understand from the herald, would willingly speak to you." The captal made answer, saying, "Ha, Faucon, Faucon, tell this French herald, that he need not come nearer ; and let him say to the archpriest, that I do not wish to have any parley ^vith him." Sir John Jouel, upon this, stepped forward, and said, "Why, my lord, will you not sec the archpriest ? perhaps he may give us some infor- mation that we may profit by." The captal replied, "John, John, it will not be so ; for the archpriest is so great a deceiver, that if he were to come among us, telling his tales and his nonsense, he would examine and judge of our strength and numbers, which would turn out probably to our disadvantage : therefore I do not wish to hear of any parleys." Faucon, king-at-arni'^, upon this returned to the herald Prie, who was waiting for him at the end of the hedge, and made such good and sensible excuses for the captal that the herald was perfectly satisfied, went back to the archpriest, and lelated to him all that Faucon had told him. By the reports of the two heralds, both armies were acquainted with each other's situation. They therefore made such dispositions, as would speedily force them to meet. When the captal had heard from Faucon the numbers the French army consisted of, he imme- diately dispatched messengers to the captains who were in the city of Evreux, with orders for them to send him as many recruits and young gallants* to his assistance as they could possibly collect : they were to meet him at Cochcrel ;t for, supposing tliat he should find the French in that neighborhood, he had determined to fight them wherever he should meet them. When the messengers came to Evreux, the lord Michael d'Orgery had it publicly cried, and strictly ordered all those who were horsemen to join the captal. Upon this, there inmiediately set out one hundred and twenty young companions from that town. On the Wednesday the captal de Buch took up his quarters, about two o'clock, on a mountain, and encamped his army. The French, who were wishing to meet them, marched straight forward until they came to a river, called Yton, in that country, which runs toward Evreux, having its source near Conches, and encamped themselves at their ease, tliis same Wednesday, in a handsome meadow, through which this river runs. On the morrow, the Navarrois decamped, and sent their scouts out, to examine whether they could learn any news of the French. The French also sent their scouts on the same errand. Before they had gone two leagues, each brought back to his army such intelligence as could be depended upon. The Navarrois, conducted by Faucon, marched straight by the way he had come, and, by four o'clock in the morning, found them- selves in the plains of Cocherel, ^^■ith the French in front of them, who were already drawing up their army in battle array. There were a great many banners and pennons flying ; and they seemed to be in number more than half as many again as themselves. The Navarrois directly halted on the outside of a small wood. The cap- tains assembled together, and began to form their men in order of battle. They first formed three battalions well and handsomely on foot, sending their baggage and attendants into the wood. Sir John Jouel commanded the first battalion of English, which consisted of men- at-arms and archers. The captal de Buch had the second battalion, which, one with another, was about four hundred combatants. With the captal, there were the lord of Saulx in Navarre, a young knight who had a banner, the lord William de Graville, and the lord Peter de Saque.ville. The third battalion had three knights; the lord Basque de Marneil,t the lord Bcrtrand de Franc and the lord Sauseloppins, and were in the whole about four hundred men under arms. When they had formed their battalions, they marched them not far distant from each other, taking advantage of the mountain which was on their right, between them and the wood, posting their front upon this mountain facing their enemies, and fixing, by orders of the captal, his banner in the midst of a large thorn bush. He com- manded sixty men to remain tliere, to guard and defend it. They had so placed it to serve as a standard for them to rally round, if by chance of war they should be dispersed or separated ; and they strictly ordered, that no one should, on any pretence, descend the * " Youns gallants." In nil llie originals, it is " jcunes arinerels," which D. Sauvage thinks shouia be bannerets, but 1 ilo not see why. In Du Cange. .irmaret is a gallant, and thus I havetrnnshued it. t Cocherel—a village in Normandy, diocese of Evreux. t " Lord Basque de Mnrneil." In the memoirs of Berlrand, he is called Bascon de Manuel, and ihe baron de Marceuil. mountain; but if their enemies wished to fight, they must come to seek them. CHAPTER CCXXII. THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE FRENCH l-NDEK SIR BERTRAND DtJ CUES- CLIN, AND THE 'NAVARROIS UNDER THE CAPTAL DE BUCH, AT COCU. EREL, IN NORMANDY. THE CAPTAL IS MADE FKISONER, AND VICTORY DECLARES FOR THE FRENCH. Thus drawn out and formed were the English and Navarrois, who remained, as I have said, upon the mountain. The French, in the mean time, arranged themselves into three battalions also, and a rear, guard. Sir Berlrand du Guesclin commanded the first battalion, which was. composed of all his Bretons, and tliey were fronted opposite to the battalion of the captal. The carl of Auxerre had the second battalion. There were with him, as his advisers, the viscount do Beaumont, and the lord Baudoin d'Enncquin, grand master of the cross-bows. There were also in that battalion French, Picards, and Normans, and sir Odoart de Kenty, sir Enguerrant de Hesdin, sir Louis de Havenquerque, with several other good knights and squires. The third battalion consisted of Burgundians, commanded by the archpriest : with him were the lord de Chftlons, the lord de Beau. jeu, the lord John de Vienne, the lord Guy de Felay, the lord Hugh de Vienne, and many more. This battalion was to oppose Basque de Marneitand his company. The other battalion, which was to serve as a rear-guard, was entirely composed of Gascons ; and they were coimnanded by the lord Edmund de Pommiers, the lord Sold, dich de la Trane, the lord Perdiccas d'Albret, and the lord Petiton de Courton. These captains had a grand consultation. They considered the arrangement of the captal, and that his people had fixed his banner in a l)ush, with part of his men guarding it, as if it were to sen'e as a standard : they therefore said, " It is absolutely necessary, when the combat shall begin, that we march directly for this banner of the captal, and that we exert oui-sclves as much as possible to gain it ; for, if we be successful, our enemies will be much disheartened, and incur great danger of being conquered." These Gascons thought also of another plan which was of great service to them, and was the cause of their gaining the day. As soon as the French had formed their line, the principal Gascon chiefs withdrew together, and eon. suited for a long time how they could best act ; for they saw that their enemies, from their position, had greatly the advantage over them. One of them made a proposal, which was cheerfully listened to : " My lords, we well know that the captal is as hardy a knight as can be found upon earth ; and, as long as he shall be able to keep with his men and fight, he will be too much for us. I therefore think that if we order thirty of our boldest and most expert cavalici-s to do nothing but to follow and attack the captal, while we are making for his banner, his men will be thrown into some confusion : and then our thirty, by their own strength and that of their horses, will be able to push through the crowd, and advance so near the captal, that they may seize hiin and carry him otf between them to some place of safety, where they will remain until the end of the battle ; for, if he can be taken by such means as this, the day will be ours, as his army will be panic-struck."* The Gascon knights immediately assented to this plan, saying it was well thought of, and should be followed. They chose from their battalion thirty of the most enterprising men-at-arms, and mounted them upon the strongest and most active horses they had with them. They then marched into the plain, well instructed what they were to do. The army remained where it was, on foot, in order of battle. When the French had thus drawn up their forces, and each knew what he was to do, the eliiefs held a consultation, and long debated what war-cry they should use, and whose banner or pennon they should fix on as a rallying point. They for a long time determined to cry, " Notre Dame Auxerre 1" and to make the earl of Auxene their commander for that day. But the earl would not by any means accept of it, excusing himself by saying: " My lords, I return you many thanks for the good opinion you have of me, and tor the honor you offer me ; but at this moment I cannot accept of such an office, for I am too young to undertake so honorable a charge. This is the first pitched battle I was ever at : for which reason I must beg of you to make another choice. We have here many very able and enterprising knights, such as my lord Bertrand du Guesclin, my lord the archpriest, my lord the grand master of the cross.bows, my lord Lewis de Ch.llons, my lord Edmund de Pom'uiers, and sir Odoart de Renty, who have been in many hard engagements, and know mucJi better than I do what in such ca.ses is proper to be done. I must, therefore, entreat you to excuse me from accepting your honor- able off'er." The chiefs, after looking at each other, said : " Earl of Auxerre, you are the highest by birth, and of the largest property and estates of any of us ; you have therefore the right of being our chief." " Cer- triinly, my lords," replied the earl of Au.\erre, " what you say is very pleasing to me ; but this day I will only rank as one of your com. panions ; and, whether I live or die, I will hazard the adventure * The editors of the Mil-moires Hi^toriques doubt very much tliisfacl. in a note to tli6 M6moiie3 de Guesclin, and Ihmk Froissart must have heard it from a Gascon. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 145 among you ; but, as to the command, I am determined not to accept it." They again looked at each other, in order to sec wliom th(?y should fix on for tlitir cliief. Sir Bt^rtrand du Guesclin was unan- imously thought on, and considered as the best knight of tiic whole company, one who had been engaged in tlie greatest number of bat. ties, and who was tlie best informed in military affairs. It was therefore resolved they should cry, " Notre Dame Guesclin !" and that the whole arrangement of that day should be as sir Bertrand would order it. Everything, therefore, being settled, each lord re- tired to his banner or pennon. They found that their enemies were still upon the hill, and had not quitted their strong situation (not hav. ing a desire or thouglit of so doing,) which very much vexed tlie Frencli, seeing that they had greatly the advantage where they were, and that the sun was beginning to be high, which was the more to their disadvantage, for it was at that season ver}' hot. This delay was what the most able and expert knights dreaded ; for they were as yet fasting, and had not l^rouglit with them any wine or victuals worth mentioning, except some of the lords, who had small flagons of wine that were soon emptied, and none had been procured or thonght of in the morning, as they imagined the engagement would begin on their arrival : but this, as it appeared, was not the case. The EngUsh and Navarrois deceived them thus by subtlety, and it. ■was a late hour before they engaged. When the French lords perceived their situation, they assembled in council, to know what would be the best for them to do, and whether they should march to attack them or not. In this council, all were not of the same opinion. Some wished to fight, whatever might be the consequences ; for, they said, it would be shameful for them to make any difficulties about it. But others, better advised, said, that il they should begin the combat, situated as they were so much to their disadvantage, they would be in the greatest danger, and oul of five men they wt^uld certainly lose three. In short, they could not agree to fight in their present position. During this time, the Navarrois saw them very plainly, and how they were formed : they said to each other, " Look at them : they will very soon come to us, for they have a good will so to do." There were among thent some knights and squires of Normandy, that had been made prisoners by the English and Navarrois, who had been allowed perfect liberty to go and ride about wherever they pleased, upon the faith of their word of honor, provided they did not bear arms in favor of the French. They rode toward the French army, and, in conversation, said to the French lords: "My lords, consider what you are about j for, should this day pass without an en- gagement, your enemies will to-morrow receive a very large rein- forcement ; as it is reported among them, that the lord Lewis de Navarre is on his road to join them with at least four hundred lances." This intelligence much inclined the French to attack the Navar- rois at all events : they were made ready for it two or three different times : but the wiser advice got the better. Those lords said, " Let us wait a Utile longer, and see what they will do ; for they are so proud and presumptuous that they are as eager to fight us as we are to meet them." Many of them were very ill and faint, from the great heat, as it was now about noon ; they had fasted all the morn- ing, and had been under arms : they were therefore much heated by the sun, which affected them doubly through their armor. They said, therefore, "If we attempt to fight them by ascending the hill in our present state, we shall certainly be beaten ; but if we retreat to our quarters, through the necessity of the case, by to-morrow morning we shall form a better plan." Thus had they different opinions on what was to be done. When the knights of France (to whose honor the command of this army was intrusted) saw the English and Navarrois were not inchned to quit their stronghold, and that it was now midday; having heard the information which the French prisoners who had visited their army had given, and having considered that the greater part of their men were exceedingly faint, through the heat; they met to- gether, by the advice of sir Bertrand du Guesclin, whose orders they obeyed, and held another council. " My lords," said he, " wc perceive that our enemies are very eager to fight us, and have a great wish for it ; but, however violent they may be, they will not descend from their strong position, unless by a plan which I sliall propose to you. We will make dispositions, as if for a retreat, not intending to fight this day, (our men, indeed, are severely afllicted by the great heat;) and order our servants, baggage, horses, &,c. to cross the bridge and river, and retire to our quarters : we will, at the same time, keep close to them, watching attentively the enemy's motions. If they really wish to fight us, they will descend the hill, and follow us into the plain. As soon as we shall perceive their motions, if they act as I think they will, we shall be ready armed to wheel about, and thus shall have them more to our advantage." This proposal was ap. proved of by all, and considered as the best that could have been offered. Each lord, therefore, remrned to his people, under his ban. ner or pennon. The trumpets sounded as for a retreat, and every knight and squire ordered his servants to cross the river with their baggage. This the greater part did, and afterwards the men-at-arms followed, but very slowly. When sir John Jouel (who was an expert and valiant knight, and eager to engage with the French) saw the manner of their retreat, he said to the captal, " My lord, my lord, let ua now descend boldly : do you not see how the French are nmning away ?" " Ha," replied the captal, " they are only doing so out of malice, and to draw us down." Sir John Jouel upon this advanced for\vard (for he was very de- sirous of fighting,) crying out, " St. George 1" and said to his bat. talion, '• March : those that love me let them follow luc, for I am go. ing to engage." He then drew his sword, and, with it in his hand, marched at the head of his battalion. He and his company were almost down the hill before the captal moved : but when he found tliis to be so, and that sir John Jouel meant to fight without him, he considered it as a great presumption, and said to those around them, "Come, let us descend the hill speedily, for sir John Jouel shall not fight without me." The company of the captal advanced forward, with him at their head, his sword in his hand. When the Frencli, who had been watching them all the time, saw them descend and enter the plain, they mightily rejoiced, and said, " See, now, what we have been waiting for all this day has come to pass !" They then faced about, with a thorough good will to meet their enemies, crying out, " Notre Dame Guesclin '." They dressed their banners in front of the Navarrois, and began to form under them from all parts and on foot. On the side of the Navan'ois, sir John Jouel advanced, sword in hand, most valiantly, and drew up his battalion opposite to that of the Bretons, which was commanded by sir Bertrand du Guesclin, and performed many gallant deeds of arms ; for he was a bold knight ; but he found there one who was too able a match for him. The knights and squires then spread themselves over the plain and began to fight with all sorts of weapons, just as they could lay hands upon them ; and each party met the other with great courage. The English and Navarrois shouted out, " St. George !" the French, "'Notre Dame Guesclin I" In this battle, there were many good knights on the side of the French : sir Bertrand du Guesclin, the young earl of Auxerre, the viscount de Beaumont, sir Baudoin d'En. nequin, grand master of the cross-bows, the lord Louis de Chfllons, lord Anthony the young lord de Beaujeu, who raised his banner for the first time, the lord Anthony de Kanerley, sir Odoart de Rentj', sir Enguerrand de H6din. In like manner, in the battalion of Gas. cons, who were drawn up by themselves, there combated most val- iandy, sir Aymon de Pommiers, sir Perdiccas d'Albret, the soulJieh de la Trane, sir Petiton de Courton, and several others of the same sort. This battalion was fomied opposite to that of the captal, which consisted of Gascons also, and they were very desirous of meeting. There were many hard blows given, and many valorous deeds of arms performed on each side ; for no one should 'wilfully lie.* It may be asked, " What became of the arehpiiest, who was an excellent knight, and had the command of a battalion, that I have not hitherto made any mention of him ? I will tell the truth. As soon as the archpriest saw the enemies drawn up, and that the battle was going to begin in earnest, he quitted his company, but said to his people, and particularly to his banner-bearer : "I order and com- mand you, under pain of my greatest displeasure, that you remain where you are, and w-ait the event of the battle. I set out directly from hence, not meaning to return ; for I can neither bear arms nor fight against some of the knights that are with the enemy. If any one should inquire after me, tliis is the answer that you will give him." He then set out, accompanied by a single squire, recrossed the river, and left the others to make the best of it. They did not notice his absence, as they saw his banner, and thought that he was among them until the business was over. I will now speak of this battle, and how it was stiffly maintained. At tlie commencement of the conflict, when sir John Jouel had descended the hill, he was followed by all as closely as they could, and even by the captal and his com- pany, who thought they should have gained the day ; but it turned out otherwise. When they perceived that the French had wheeled about in good order, they immediately found they had been deceived. However, like determined men, they were not panic.struck at the dis- cover)', but were resolved to recover it by their gallantry in the combat. They retreated a little, then assembled together, and after that they opened the ranks to give room to their archers, who were in their rear, to make use of their bows. When the archers were advanced in front, they extended themselves, and began to exert themselves handsomely in shooting ; but the French were so strongly armed and shielded against their arrows, they were but little hurt by them, if at all, and for this did not fight the less valiantly, but intermixed themselves with the English and Navarrois, as did the English with them, equally eager in the combat. There was much hacking and cutting of each other, with lances and battle. axes, seizing each other by main strength and wrestling. They took and ransomed prisoners from each alter- nately, and were so much intermixed together, that they engaged man to man, and behaved with a degree of valor scarcely to be credited but by eye-witnesses. You may easily imagine that, in such a crowd and so situated, numbers were thrown down, wounded and killed : for neitherside spared the other. The French had need not to sleep on their bridles ; for they had opposed to them men of ability and determined enterprise. Each, therefore, loyally agreed, not only * These words "for no oneshoviM wilfully lie," in their present position, do not seem at nil necessiiry. It appears probable that they originally betonced to the next pnra- graph. where tliey are natural and proper. The word " for" does not occur in D. Sau- vage, the sentence being quite unconnected with the preceding ; but as his arrangement, with lliis exception, is the same as Mr. Johnes's, we have not ventured to alter the text.— (Ed. 14G CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c. to defend himself and his post most vigorously, but to take evcvy advantage that should ofl'er ; if they had -not done so, they must have been defeated. In- truth. I must say, that the Bretons and Gascons were good men, and perfonned many gallant fcat% of arms. I wish now to speak of the thirty who had been selected to attack the captal. They had been excellently mounted, on the best horses of the anny, and attentive to nothing but their orders (as, being so charged, they were bound to do) : they advanced in a close body toward the captal, who was using his battle-axe manfully, and gave such deadly strokes with it that none dared approach him. They ptished through the crowd by the strength of their horses, as well as by the help of some Gascons who had accompanied them. These thirty men, who, as you have seen, were so well mounted, and who knew well what they were to do, neither looking to tiie risk nor danger, made up directly to the captal and surrounded him. They all fell upon him, and carried him off by dint of force, quitting the spot directly. This created great confusion, and alt the battalions drew thitherward ; for the captal's men were like to madmen, shout- ing out, " Rescue, rescue the captal !" All this, nevertheless, was of no service or help to them : for, in fact, the captal was carried off in the manner I have related, and placed in safety. However, at the moment this happened, it was not truly known which side had the best of the batde. In this grand bustle and confusion, while the Navarrois and English, like madmen, were following the captal, who had been captured before their eyes, sir Aymon de Pornmiers, sir Petiton de Courton, the souldich de la Trane, and the company of the lord d'Albret, determined unanimously to make for the banner of the captal, which was fixed in a bush, and which served as a standard for the Navarrois. The attack and defence was equally sharp and vigorous ; for it was guarded by good men : particularly by sir Bascon de Marneil and sir Geoffry de Roussillon : many were wounded, killed, un- horsed, and rescued. The Navan'ois, at last, who were near this bush and about the banner, were broken in upon and forced ti retreat. Sir Bascon de Marneil with several others were slain. Sir Geoffry de Roussillon was made prisoner by sir Aymon de Pornmiers. The banner of the captal was immediately seized : and those who defended it were either killed, taken, or had retreated so far that there was no news of them. While the banner of the captal was thus conquered, torn and dragged upon the ground by the Gascons, the Bretons, the French, the Picards, the Nonnans and Burgundians were most valiantly fighting in another part of the field ; and well it behoved them so to do, for the Navarrois had made them retreat. Among the French, there was already killed the viscount de Beau- mont ; the more the pity, for he was a young knight well formed to do great things. His people, to their great sorrow, b.ad carried him out of the battle, and guarded him, as I have heard related, by those of both sides. No one had ever seen a battle, with the like number of combatants, so well fought as this was ; for they were all on foot, and combated hand to hand, intermixing with each other, and striv- ing for victory with the arms they used, and, in particular, with those battle-axes which gave such astonishingly fatal blows. Sir Petiton de Courton and the souldich de la Trane were sorely wounded, insomuch that they could do no service during the remain- der of the day. Sir John Jouel, by whom the combat began, and who had most courageously attacked and fought the French, per- formed, that day, many very gallant feats of arms, and never deigned once to retreat. He had been engaged so far in the batde that he was grievously wounded in several parts of the head and body, and at last made prisoner by a squire of Brittany under sir Bertrand du Guesclin ; he was then carried out of the crowd. At length, the French gained the field ; but on their side there were killed the grand master of the cross-bows, sir Louis de Havenquerque, and many others. On the side of the Navarrois, the lord de Saulx and numbers of his people were slain. Sir John Jouel died in the course of the day. There were made prisoners, sir William de Graville, sir Peter de Sequainville, sir Geoffry de Roussillon, sir Bretrand du Franc, and several more. Few of the Navarrois escaped being slain or taken. This battle was fought in Normandy, pretty near to Cocherel, on a Thursday, the 24th day of May, 1364.* After this defeat, when all the dead were stripped, and those who had made prisoners had put them aside and attended to the wounded ; when the greater part of the French, having repassed the bridge, were retiring bruised and weary, to their quarters ; sir Guy de Gra- ville, son of sir William de Graville, who had been made a prisoner, having in haste left Conches (agairison town of the Navarrois,) with fifty lancemen,t intending to join the captal, came on full speed to the field where the battle had been fought. Upon which the French in the rear cried out, " Let us turn back, for here are more enemies." On hearing this, sir Aymon and his company, who had remained on the field, seeing these Navarrois advancing, fixed his pennon aloft in a bush as a rallying-post for the French. When sir Guy saw this. » "It is singular enougii, that the date of so memornhle a battle should not have been more certaimjr liaowii. Historians place it tlie 23rd May, 13S4. Du Chitelet re- ports ancient act*, which prove it to have been tlie 16lh May. " Froissart, in relating this battle, diftere from our memoirs in several details," &c.— Jlimoires Historitines, vol. iv. t Lord Berners and D, Sauvage say fifty spears; when individuals are meant, the word combatlans, lighting-men, is generally to he made use of by Froissart. Mr. Johnes's reason for translating "Innces" tancemen in this instance is not apparent.— Ed. and heard the shout of "Notre Dame Guesclin !" and that none of his party appeared, but plenty of dead bodies were lying around, he soon found that the Navarrois had been discomfited ; he therefore quickly faced about, and returned the way he cante. In the evening, the French examined those prisoners whom they had in their tents. The archpriest was much inquired about and spoken of, when it was found that he had not been in the engagement : his people made the best excuses for him they could. You must know that the thirty cavaliers who had carried off the captal, as you have heard, never halted until they had brought him safe to Vernon, and lodged him in the castle. On the morrow the French decamped, and marched to the city of Rouen, where they left a part of their prisoners. CHAPTER CCXXIII. CIIAKLES V, SVKMAMED THE WISE, IS CROWXED KINti OF FKANCE, HIS EROTHER PIIILrP IS INVESTED WITH THE DUCHY OF BUKIaU.NDY, AND SENT AGAI.XST THE FREE COJIFANIES OF PILLAGERS, On Trinity-day, 1364, king Charles, eldest son of the late John of France, was crowned and consecrated king, in the great church of our Lady at Rheims, by the archbishop of that city ; and with him his queen, the daughter of duke Peter of Bourbon. The king of Cypnis, the dukes of Anjou and Btirgundy, the lord Wenceslaus of Bohemia, duke of Luxembourg and Brabant, the earls of Eu, of Dampmartin, of Tancarville, of Vaudemont, and great numbers of other lords aiul prelates, were present at this ceremony. There were great entertainments and feasts at Rheims, during the time the kuig remained, which was five days : he then .departed for Paris. It would take me a long time were I to relate all the fine shows and feasts the Parisians made for him at his entry. The lords after this, that is to say, the strangers who had come to his corona- tion, rcttirned to their own countries. When the king of France was conic back to Paris, he gave the investiture of the duchy of Bur- gundy to his youngest brother, who left Paris with a nolile company, in order to take possession and receive the homage of the barons, knights, cities, casdes and large towns in that duchy. After he hacl visited the whole country, he returned to Paris, He brought with him the archpriest, who appeased the anger of the king, which he had incurred by not fighting at the batde of Cocherel, by the fair reasons he gave for not bearing arms against the captal.* The captal had been brought a prisoner to Paris, and, through the intercession of the lord d'-\lbret, obtained his liberty on his parole. He also assisted the archpriest to excuse himself toward the king, as well as toward the French knights who had talked very scurvily of him, notwithstanding he had overthrown lately, in a part of Burgundy, beyond Dijon, four hundred pillagers; over whom Guillot du Pin, Taillebert, Taillebourdon and John de Chaufour were captains. About this time, the king of France ordered sir Peter de Sequain- ville to be beheaded in the city of Rouen, for having taken the part of the Navarrois. Sir William de Graville would have undergone the same punishment, if his son, sir Guy. had not signified to the king of France, that whatever treatment his father suffered, he would do the like to sir Beaumont de Laval, a great lord of Brittany, whoni he kept as his prisoner. Upon this, the family of sir Beaumont in. terceded with the king, anti exerted themselves so eflectually that they obtained the exchange of sir Beaumont for sir William de Gra- ville. t Sir Bertrand du Guesclin, at this time, gained the castle of RouUeboise, by presenting the governor of it, sir Vautaire Austard, with six thousand francs, who retired to Brabant, whence he had come. Many large companies of pillagers still kept possession of different forts in the countries of Caux, Normandy, Beauce, and Perche, whence they greatly harassed the kingdom of France ; some under pretence of serving the king of Navarre ; others, for themselves robbed and destroyed the country, without any claims of right or of reason. The king of France sent his brother, the duke of Burgundy, against the pillagers, who appointed his rendezvous in the city of Chartres. He then took the field, accompanied by sir Bertrand du Guesclin, the lord de Boucicaut, the earl of Auxerrc, the lord Louis de Chalons, the lord de Beaujeu, sir Aymon de Pommiers, the lord Raineval, Pierre de Villaines, stirnamed le Bfeguc, the lord Nicholas de Ligne, grand master of the cross-bows, sir Odoart de Renti, sir Enguerrand de Heden, and full five thousand combatants. When they found they mustered so strong, they divided themselves into three bodies ; from which sir Bertrand took, at the most, one thousand fighting men, and marched for the country of Coutantin, toward the » The archpriest, according to thelife of Charles V. by the abbe de Choisy.had often- times changed sides 1 sometimes for the king of France, but oftcner for llie king of Na- varre, because there was more licence allowed the soldiers of his army, .\fter Uie peace, he pillaged various provinces of France. In his retreat from the emperor Charles IV., near Macon in Burgundy, he was assassinated by bis own men. His death gave great j oy to the people, whom he had robbed for ten years successively.— Hi;,toi>e de Ckarlea F., P.S8. ., , T In the .Mumoires Ilistoriques, note 31, of Bertrand du Gueschn, it is said, that sii William de Graville was ransomed from sir Guy de Bayeuz. who bad tukea him. fur one Uiousand florins, and that the king was so much angered by it. against Bayeux, and his children, they were forced to leave the kingdom : the king afterwards pardoned theip. In the continuation, however, of this note, it is related nearly the same as Fioisaait tells us. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. i 147 neighborliood of Clierbourg, to guard the frouticrs, and to prevent the Navarrois from doing any mischief to Normandj-. The lord of Sancerre, tlie earl of Joigny, the lord Arnold d'Andreghen, and a crowd of knights and squires from Brittany and Normandy, accom. panied sir Bcrtrand. Another division was under the command of tlie lord John de la Riviere ; and with him were many knights and squires of France and Picardy, whom he sent toward Evrcux. The duke had the largest division. He went and laid siege to the castle of Marcheville,* which was a very strong fortress, in possession of the Navarrois. He ordered many machines to be brought from Chartres, by which he flung into it stones and other things day and night, tliat mucli annoyed the garrison. ffl'K I ^ril 1 lu ^— , , , IP I II' Iffl'R I flfll 1 1 Coronation of Cu.vrles V. and ms Qceen. From a MS. Fioissart of tlie 15th Century CHAPTER CCXXIV. THE LOKD LEWIS OF KAVAERE MAKES IKCUKSIOXS I.NTO TKAXCE. THE DUKE OF BtTRGUNDY PLANS SEVEKAL EXPEDITIONS AGAINST illjl, BVT IS FORCED TO GO INTO EUKUUNDV, TO DEFEND IT AGAINST THE EAKL DE KONTBELLIAED. While these men-at-arms were harassing the Navarrois, and enemies of the realm, in Beauce and in Normandy, tlte lord Lewis of Navarre (the lord Philip being dead) had taken upon himself the management of the war for his brother the king of Navarre, and had sent a challenge to the king of France, liecause the object of tliis war was personal to their family, being for a right of inheritance. He had therefore assembled men-at-arms ev'er since the battle of Co- ckerel, and was collecting them from every part he could get them. He had been so active himself, and by means of the captains of com- panies, of which great numljers still remained in France, that he liad assembled upward of twelve hundred lances. With him were sir Robert Knolles,t sir Robert Ceny.t and sir Robert Briquet de Cars- nelle.§ The men-at-arms, who were every day increasing, were quartered between the rivers Loire, and Allier,|| and had overrun a part of the Bourbonnois and Auvergne, between Moulins,ir St. Pierre le Moustier** and St. Poursaint.tt From this body, whom tlie lord Lewis d'Navarre commanded, a company of about three thousand were detached under tlie orders of Bertrand dela Salle and Ortingo. They crossed the Loire above Marcilly les Nonnains.U and pushed for- * Marchevil le — a town in Beauce, diocese of Chartres. T Sir Roljort Knolles was n great captain, and the maker of his own fortune. There H a doubt if he were or were not a kniglit of the Garter (No. 74.) See Jil. j3iistis. Hav- ing considered the different very ereat etnploymenU iie held, &;c.. I am inclined to believe he was of the Garter. } " ^ir Robert Ceny," sir Robert Cheny, See bis pedigree in M. Cough's Sepulchral Monuments. His descendants were called to the house of Peers. 3rd Henry VIl. § "Sir Robert Briquet de Carsnelle." I can fnid nothing about him. II Allier— a river in Langnedoc. which rises in the Gevaudan, near the village of Cou- dray, whence, flowing northward, it traverses Auvergne and the Bourbonnois. and then, entering the Nivernnis, falls into the Loire, abou; a league above Kever?. IT Moulins— capital of the Bourbonnois. on the Allier. ** St. Pierre le Monslier— a town of the Nivernois. tt St. Ponrsaint— a town of .\uvergne. Z'. Marcilly les Nonnains— a village in Berry, election of La CharilO. ward with so much haste, that by daybreak, they came before La Charitt^,* a large and well inclosed town upon the Loire. , This they immediately scaled without any opposition ; and, having entered the town, took possession of that part of it ; but as they were fearful lest the townspeople might have laid an ambuscade for them, they dared not advance further until it should be broad day. During this delay, the inhabitants of the town embarked all their most valuable things in boats which were on the river Loire, and hav- ing also placed their wives and children in them, sailed oft'in safety toward the city of Nevers, which was five leagues distant. The English, Navarrois and Gascons, who entered the town, upon day appearing, marched forward, but found all the houses empty. Upon this, they called a coun. cil, to consider if they should keep possession of the town, and fortify it ; for it wotdd be very convenient for them, as a place of strength, to attack each side of the Loire. They sent to in. form the lord Lewis de Navarre of their situa- tion, \\-ho was at that time in Auvergne, and who iinmcdiate'y dis. patched to them sir Ro- bert Briquet, with three hundred armed men. They crossed the coun- try without niolestation, and entered the town ot La Charity, by the bridge over the Loire. When they were thus assem- bled together, they were in such force, they be. gan to make grievous war upon the kingdom of France. We will return to the duke of Burgundy, whom we left besieging Marcheville. He had done so much by his machines and by his as- saults, that the garrison surrendered upon hav- ing their lives and for- tunes spared. The duke sent the lord de Bouci- caut, and the lord John de Vienne, marshal of Burgundy, to take possession of it. He gave the castle to a sipiire of Beauce, called William de Chartres, and forty men to guard it. The duke then led his army to the castle of CaraeroUes, which he surrounded, for it is situated in the flat country. It is time to say something of the lord John de la Riviere, who was besieging Acquigni, near to Passy, in the county of Evxeux. He had under him two thousand good combatants ; for he was so great a favorite with the king that he managed the finances according to his pleasure. The castle of Acquigni was garrisoned by English, Nor- mans, French and Navarrois, who had fled thither after the battle of Cocherel. They defended themselves well, and were amply provided with artillery and provision. Notwithstanding this, matters were so well managed, that they surrendered upon having their lives and fortunes spared, and carried their property with them to Cherbourg, whither they retire^. Tiie lord John placed a new garrison in the castle, and marched towtird the city of Ev^'eux. Under his com- mand, were sir Hugh de Chatillon. the lord of Sanny, the lord Louis de Sancerre, sir Matthew de Roye, the lord of Monfang, the lord of Eloy, the lord of Crequi, the lord of Campy, sir Odoart de Renti, sir Enguerrand de Hedin, and many other knights and squires of France. In the mean time, the duke of Burgundy pressed so hard upon the ganison of Camerolles, that they were forced to surrender at discre- tion. All the foreign soldiers were pardoned ; but some French pillagers, who had token refuge there, were put to death. Some of the principal burgesses of Chartres came to the duke's camp, to entreat of him to give them the castle of Camerolles, as a recompense for the use of their machines ; for it had done them much harm in former times. The duke consented to their request ; and immediately they sent workmen, who levelled the castle with the ground. The duke marched next to a castle called Drue, which is situated in the plains of Beauce, and was in the possession of pillagers. He took it by storm, and killed all that were foundln it. He then halted before a castle called Preux, and suiTounded it on all sides. He made many an assaiUt, in hopes of carrying it ; but at last the garrison sur- rendered on having their lives spared : they carried nothing with them ; but all the French remained prisoners at the duke*s will. The ' L^ Cbaritc, a town in the Nivernois. 148 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. duke ordered tlie castle to be taken possession of by liis marshals, and made a present of it to a knight of Beauce, called sir Peter du Bois, in order that he might sufficiently guard and repair it. The duke, and the greater part of his army, went after this to Chartree, to refresh themselves. When he had been there five or six days, he set out to besiege the castle of Connie,* which had done so much mischief to all the country round, and pointed against it six large machines. During the time these sieges, assatilts, and conquests were going forward in Beauce and Normandy, the lord Lewis de Navarre was overrunning Au. vergne. He kept the field, and impoverished the whole country ; for no one went forth against him. Those also who were at La Charite upon the Loire did in those parts just what they pleased. On the other hand, the earl of Montbelliard, with some allies from Germany, had entered the duchy of Burgundy, near Besan^on, and was despoiling it. On which account, the king of France ordered the duke of Burgundy to raise the siege of Connie, and come to Paris; for it was necessary that he should go into Burgundy. The duke, on receiving this news, was very pensive ; for he had publicly declared, that he would never depart from Connie until he had subjected it to his will. But those of his council made him un- derstand, that since the king, who had sent him thither, ordered him to return, he might very well leave the place without disgrace. Those in Connie had no information whatever respecting this : they were, therefore, summoned by the marshals to surrender unconditionally, which they refused. They said, they were willing to surrender, on having their lives and fortunes spared. These terms were then agreed upon. The duke gave the castle to a squire of Beauce, whose name was Philip d'Arcieres, who repaired it, and garrisoned it with good and trusty men. The duke went to Chartres, and then gave up the command of the greater division of liis army to the earl of Anxerre, Boucicaut, and the lord Lewis de Sancerre. He set out for Paris, taking with him the lord Louis d'Alen^on, the lord of Beaujeu, and the lor-d of Vienne. He ordered the Burgundians to march toward Burgundy as speedily as possible. But the duke himself went to meet the king, who was at that time at Vaux-la-Comtesse in Brie. Ho remained but one day there, and then set out for Troyes in Champagne ; whence he took the road to Langres, sending everywhere for men-at-arms. The Burgundians were already collected, and drawn out as a frontier to their enemies : the archpriest, the lord of Chateau- Vilain, the lord of Vergey, the lord of Grancy, the lord of Soubournon, the lord ol Rou- gemont, and a very rich man called John of Boulogne, the lord of Prises, sir Hugh de Vienne, the lord du Chatel, the bishop of Langres, and several more, who .were all mightily rejoiced on the arrival ot the lord duke. They immediately marched against their enemies, who were full fifteen hundred lances ; but they retreated across the Rhine. Upon which, the Burgundians entered the county of Jlontbelliard, and burnt the greater part of it. CHAPTER CCXXV. BIKG CHAELES OEDEKS THE DUIiE OF BUEaUNDV TO BESIEGE LA ClIAKIIE. HE WANTS IT TO SUEREXDEK UXCOSDITIONALLY, THAT HE MAY SEND ASSISTANCE TO LORD CHAKLES DE BLOIS, WHO IS CONTESTINS THE DDCHY OF BEITTANY WITH THE EAEL OF MONTFOET. In the interim, the king of France sent his constable, the lord Moreau do Finnes, and two marshals, the lord de Boucicaut and John de Mauqnerchi, lord of Blainville, accompanied by many knights and squires, to besiege La Charity upon the Loire. On their arrival, they attacked it one side, and every day had skirmishes with the garrison of the place. When the duke of Burgundy and the greater part of his troops, who had accompanied him into the county of Montbelliard, were re- turned to Paris, the king sent him, with upward of a. thousand lances, to La Charite. There were then at that siege three thousand knights and squires, of whom many went every day to skirmish with the garrison ; wlien several were killed and wounded on both sides. At a sally which the garrison made, the lord Robert of Alen90n, son of the earl of Alen^on, who was killed at Crecy, and the lord Louis d'Auxerre, who was the son of the earl of Auxerre, then present, were knighted, and displayed their banners. The inhabitants of La Charity were vei7 hard pressed, and would willingly have surrendered upon terms ; but the duke was resolved to have them unconditionally, and for that reason had guarded the river so that no provision could enter tlie town. During this time, the lord Lewis de Navarre, who was destroying everything before him in the country of Auvergne, exerted himself much, and assembled a sufficient body of men to enable him to raise the siege of La Charity : he had collected two thousand combatants at the least, and had also sent into Brittany to request that sirRobert KnoUes, sir Walter Huet, sir Matthew Cournay, and several other knights and squires, would hasten to his assistance. They would have complied cheeifully ; but at the time they were engaged with the earl of Montfort, besieging the castle of Auray,t who had sworn he would not depart until it had submitted to his pleasure. * Connie— a village in Bennce, election of Ciiateaudun. t Auray— a sea-port in Brittany— diocese of Valines. One of my MSS. says, it was iouuded iiy Arthur. When the lord Lewis found he could not have their aid, he re- treated, by the orders of his brother, toward Cherbourg. Upon wliioh, (he king of France, that the lord Charles de Blois might have more men-at-arms, commanded the duke of Burgundy to treat with the gaiTison for their siu-rendering the town and fort, on condition ot not bearing amis for the king of Navarre during three years. The gar- rison complied with these terms, surrendered La Charitfi, took nothing with them, and marched out on foot : they passed through the king- dom of France under passports of the duke of Burgundy. The old inhabitants of La Charit(S now returned back to it, having been forced to reside in other jjlaces. The duke went to Paris. After this, the king of France granted permission for his cousin, the lord Charles dc Blois, to raise in his kingdom a thousand lances. He again wrote to .=ir Bertrand du Guesclin, who at the time was in Normandy, to march to the assistance of the lord Charles, against the earl of Montfort. These orders gave sir Bertrand great pleasure, for he had always considered the lord Charles as his natural lord. He set out, therefore, from Normandy, with all the troops that were under him, and marched through Tours, in his way to Brittany. The lord de Boucicaut went to guard NoiTnandy in his place. Sir Ber- trand continued his march until he came to Nantes, where he met the lord Charles de Blois and his lady. They received him very kindly, and thanked him much for coming to their assistance. They had then a long conference, upon what was to be done : for they were in the best parts of Brittany, which were much attached to the lord Charles dc Blois, as their duke and lord, and willing to support him. They conferred also on the means of raising the siege of Au- ray, and fighting with the lord John de Montfort. Within a very short time, many barons and knights came thither from Franco and Normandy : among whom were the earl of Auxeire, the earl of Joigny, tlie lord de Franville, the lord de Prie, le Begue de Villaines, and many other knight-i and sipiires, all of the right sort, and good men-at-arms. News was brought to the lord John de Montfort, at that time be- sieging Auray, tliAt the lord Charles de Blois was assembling large bodies of men ; that a number of the lords of France were come to him, and were daily arriving, to assist him, in conjunction with those barons, knights and squires of Brittany, who had remained steady to his interest. As soon as lord John heard this, he made it known in the duchy of Aquituine to the knights and squires of England who were there, and in particular to sir John Chandos, earnestly entreat- ing them to come to liis aid in the difficulties they were about to eiM-ounter : adding, that he expected Brittany would afford such a field of honor, that all knight! and squires who were desirous of ad- vancing their name ought most cheerfully to come thitlier. When sir John Chandos saw himself thus affectionately entreated by the earl of Montfort, he spoke of it to the prince of Wales, to know how he should act. The prince said, he might go there with, out any blame, since the French had already liken part against the earl in support of the lord Charles ; and he advised him to accept the invitation. Sir John Chandos was much rejoiced at this, and made accordingly grand preparations. He asked several knights and squires of Aquitaine to accompany him ; but few went except the English. However, he conducted full two hundred lances, and as many archers, and marching through Poitou and Saintonge, entered Brittany. He went straight to the siege of Auray, where he found the earl of Montfort, who was vciy happy at his arrival ; as were sir Olivier de Clisson. sir Robert Knollcs, and the other companions. It seemed to them, that now no evil coidd befal them, since sir John Chandos was in their company. t^ , j Many knights and squires crossed the sea in haste from England, eager to advance their fortunes, and to fight with the French. They caine to the aid of the earl of Montfort, before Auray, who received them all with great joy. They were therefore in all, as well Bretons as English, when mustered, sixteen hundred men-at-anns, and from' eight to nine hundred archers. "Wc will now return to the lord Charles de Blois, who remained in the good city of Nantes, and made there his muster of knights and squires from all parts ; for he had been informed that the earl of Montfort had been strongly reinforced by the English. He there, fore entreated those barons, knight-i and squires whose homage he had received, to assist him in guarding his inheritance, and in de- tending him against his enemies. Among the barons of Brittany who came to serve him, in obcdfc ence to his summons, were the viscount de Rohan, the lords de L^on, Charles de Dinan, de Rioux, de Tournemine, d'.A.nccms, de Malestroit, de Quentin, d'Avaugour, de Loh^ac, du Pont, and many others whom I cannot name. These lords and their companies were quartered in the city of Nantes, and in the villages around it. When they were mustered, thev were estimated at two thousand five hun- dred lances, including those who had come from France. These lords did not wish to make any long staj-, but advised the lord Cnaries to march against his enemies. When the lord Charles was about to set out; and was taking leave of the lady his wife, she said to him, in the presence of sir Bertrand du Guesclin and some of the barons of Brittany : " My lord, you are "oing to defend your inheritance and mine (for that which is mine is vours,*) which the lord John de Montfort had seized, and has kept for » Johanna, countess of Pentliievre, born 131?, was made heiress ol Brittany by her CHR'ONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 149 a long time most wrongfully, without any right, aa God knows. The barons of Brittany, who are here present, know well that I am the rightful heiress of it. I therefore most earnestly beg and entreat of you, that you will not listen to any treaty, or composition, which may be offered, so that the whole body of the duchy may be ours." The lord Charles promised to comply with her request. All the lords, knights, and barons who were at Nantes departed, each having bid adieu to his lady, whom he considered as his duchess, they began their march, and took the road to Rennes,* where, on their arrival, they were quartered, and in its environs. They halted there to refresh themselves, as well as to learn the numbers and countenance of their enemies, and to consider of the best place to offer battle, in case they should not be able to find a situation which might give them an advantage. Many fine speeches and harangues were made by the knights and squires of France and of Brittany, who had come to the succor of the lord Charles de Blois. Lord Charles was very courteous and polite, and perhaps would willingly have listened to tenns of peace, and been content with a part of Brittany, without much wrangling : but he was, in God's name, so hard pressed by the last words of the lady his wife, and the knights of his party, that he could neither draw back nor dissemble. CHAPTER CCXXVI. THE LORD CHARLES OF BLOIS ADVANCES ACAIKST THE EARL OF MONTFORT IN ORDER OF BATTLE. SIR JOHN CHANDOS, AFTER HAVING DRAWN UP THE BATTALIONS OF THE EARL OF MONTFORT, PREVENTS THE TREATY FROM TAKINO PLACE WmCH THE LORD DE BEAUMANOIR WAS NEGOTI- ATING BETWEEN THE TWO FRETENDERS TO THE DUCHY OF BRITTANY. Between Vannes and Auray, where the earl of Montfort was en- camped, there are eight country leagues ; so that news was soon brought to him that the lord Charles was advancing with the finest body of men-at-arms, the handsomest equipped and the best ordered that had ever left France.. This intelligence gave great joy to the English who were there ; for they were eager for the fight. These companions, therefore, immediately set about putting iheii' armor in good repair, and refurbishing their lances, daggers, battle-axes, coats of mail, helmets, skull-caps, visors, swords, and all sorts of weapons, as they well imagined they should soon have use for them. The commanders of the army then waited on the earl of Mont- fort ; first, sir John Chandos (whose advice he meant in particular to follow,) sir Eustace d'Ambreiicourt, sir Robert Knolles, sir Hugh Calvery, sir Matthew Gournay.t These knights and barons, having deliberated on their present situation, resolved that it would be most advantageous to quit their quarters early in the morning, and take the field. They might then consider on the best mode of acting against the enemy, when they should have had more exact informa- tion concerning them. Ordei-s were therefore given, that the whole army should, on the following morning, be ready amied and in batlle- array, as if they were immediately to begin the engagement. This night passed quietly. On the morrow, wliich was a Saturday, the English and Bretons issued forth from their quarters, marching gayly in order of battle, to the rear of the castle of Auray, where they halted, and, having chosen a situation, declared they would wait there the coming of their enemies. Almost immediately after day. break, the lord Charles and his army appeared. They had marched on the Friday after dinner from Vannes, and had rested that night three small leagues distant from Auray. The troops of the lord Charles were in the handsomest and best order, and drawn up in the most brilliant manner that could be seen or imagined. They marched in such close order, that one could not throw a tennis-ball among them, but it must have struck upon the points of some of their lances, so stiflly did they carry them. The English took great pleasure in looking at them The French halted in tliis order in front of their enemies, and took their ground on an extensive heath. Their marshals gave strict charge that no one should quit his ranks without orders, and that there should be no tilting, justs, or assaults. The men-at-arms, having halted, formed their line of battle, and made preparations for an im. mediate combat, as they expected nothing less, and were very de- sirous of it. The lord Charles de Blois, by the advice of sir Bertrand du Guesclin, (who was a great captain, and much praised and con- fided in by the Bretons,) formed his army again. He divided it into three battalions and a rear.guard. It seems to me, that sir Bertrand had the command of the first ; and with him were numbers of knights and squires of Brittany. The earl of Auxerre had the second, with the earl of Joigny and many knights and squires from France. The third battalion was commanded by the lord Charles himself: under him were the principal lords of Brittany ; among whom were the uncle, John UI., wlio, to strengthen lier title, gave lier in marriage to Charles de Blois Jord of Guyse and Mayenne. nephew of Philip IV. kins of Franco. •'When the earl of Montfort gained the dukedom, and held it from the crown of I' ranee, he engaged to give Johanna lands that should yield her 20,000 francs yearly besides Pentluevre and Limoges."— Anderson. * ••Rennes." I believe, with Denys Sauvage. it should he Vannes, consistently with what follows ; but it is Rennes, in all my printed editions and MS. and also in tlie His- toire de Dr6tagne. \ ?" ?'"'"="="' ''" Gournay. See more of hira in the second volume of Cough's Se- pulchial Monuments, page 20. He died at the age of 96. viscount de Rohan, the lords de Ldon, d'.\vaugour, Charles de Dinan^ d'Ancenis, de Malestroit, and several others. In the rear-guard were, the lords de Raix, de Rieux, de Tournemine, du Pont, and many good knights and squires. Each of these battalions was composed of a thousand men. The lord Charles de Blois entreated every one in the fairest manner, that they would loyally and discreetly assist him. He ^ swore, upon his soul, and his hopes of Paradise, that it was for a just and right cause they were going to engage. He assured each, that, if they acquitted themselves well, he should feel himself ever obliged to them. We must now speak of the dispositions of the English and Bretons, and in what manner they drew up their army. You first must under- stand that, though the earl of Montfort was the commander-in-chief, yet it was under the sole direction of sir John Chandos : for the king of England had thus settled it with the earl of Montfort. He had also ordered sir John Chandos to have especial regard to whatever con. cerned the interests of his son-in-law ; for the earl of Montfort had received one of the king's daughters* in marriage. In obedience to such orders, sir John Chandos advanced before the knights and squires of Brittany who were about the person of the earl of Montfort, and having well considered the dispositi ins of the French in his own mind, thought so Iiighly of them, he could not remain silent, but said: " -A.s God is my help, it appears to me that all the flower and honor of chivalry is there, most wisely and expertly drawn up." He then added aloud to those knights who were within hearing: '• Gentlemen, it is time that we form our line of battle ; for the enemy have set us the example." Those who heard him replied: ".Sir, you say truly; and, as you are our commander, you will form us according to your wish ; for there is none higher than yourself to look to, and you know much better than any one how to order such things." Sir John Chandos formed three battalions and a rear-guard. He placed over the first, sir Robert Knolles, sir Walter Huet, and sir Richard Burley.t The second battalion was under the command of sir Olivier de Clisson,t sir Eustace d'.^mbreticourt, and sir Matthew Gournay. The carl of Montfort had the third, which was to remain near his person. There were in each battalion five hundred men-at- arms, and four hundred archers. When he came to the rear-g-uard, he called sir Hugh Calverly to him, and said : " Sir Hugh, yon will take the command of the rear-guard of five hundred men, and keep on our wing, without moving one step, whatever may happen, im- less you 'shall see an absolute necessity for it ; such as our battalions giving way, or being by accident broken : in that case, you will hasten to succor those who are giving way, or who may be in disor. der : and assure yourself, you cannot this day do a more meritoriooa service." When sir Hugh heard sir John Chandos give him these orders, he was much hurt and angry with him, and said : " Sir John, sir John, give the command of this rear-guard to some other; for I do not wish to be troubled with it ;" and then added, " Sir knight, for what man- ner of reason have you thus provided for me ? and why am not I as fit and proper to take my post in the front-rank as others ?" Sir John discreetly answered : " Sir Hugh, I did not place you with the rear-guard because you were not as good a knight as any of us ; for, in trath, I know that you are equally valiant with the best: but I ordered you to that post, because I know you are both bold and prudent, and that it is absolutely necessary for you or me to take that command. I therefore most earnesdy entreat it of you ; for, if you will do so, we shall all be the better for it ; and you yourself will ac. quire great honor : in addition, I promise to comply with the first re- quest you may make me." Notwithstanding this handsome speech of Sir John Chandos, sir Hugh refused to comply, considering it as a great affront offered him, and entreated, through the love of God, with uplil'ted hands, that he would order some other to that command; for, in fact, he was anxious to enter the batde with the fii-st. This con- duct nearly brought tears to the eyes of sir John. He again ad- dressed him, gently saying : " Sir Hugh, it is absolutely necessary that either you or I take this command : now, consider which can be mo.'t spared." Sir Hugh, having considered this last speech, was much confused, and replied : " Certainly, sir, I know full well that you would ask nothing from me wliich could turn out to my dishonor; and, since it is so, I will very cheerfully undertake it." Sir Hugh Calverly then took the command of the battalion called the rear- guard, entered the field in the rear, on the wing of the others, and formed his line. It was on Saturday the 8th day of October, 1364, that these bat. talions were drawn up facing each other, in a handsome plain, near to Auray in Brittany. I must say, it was a fine thing to see and reflect on ; for there were banners and pennons flying, with the richest ar. mor on each side : the French were so handsomely and grandly drawn up, it was great pleasure to look at them. While either party was forming or dividing its battalions, the lord of Beaumanoir, a very great and rich baron of Brittany, was going to and from each army, with propositions for "peace. Very willingly * The princess Mary, t Sir Richard Burley— was nephew of sir Simon Burley, knight of the Carter, who wasbelieaded early in Richard II.'s reign.— Cough's Sep. J\fo». vol. i., p, 150. i ••Sir Olivier deClisson." DoniMorice. in his Histoirede la Br^tagne, says that this Olivier de Clisson was not the nephew of sir Walter de Clisson, who was killed, 1^, at the siege of Chateauceau, but seems to have been the •'veritable seigneur de ClissoD." -Vol, i. p. 14S. 150 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. would he have labored.if he had been able to ward off the perils that were on the point of happening. He was earnest in the business : and the English and Bretons on the side of Montfort, allowed Mm to pass and repass, to parley with sir John Chandos, and the earl of Montfort, because lie had pledged his honor, as a prisoner, and there. fore could not bear arms against them. This same Saturday, he brought many proposals, in hopes to make a peace ; of which,-ho\v- ever, none succeeded : he was occupied with one party or the other until noon. He nevertheless obtained, through his good sense, a truce between the two armies for tliis day and the following night, until the morrow at sunrise. Each army retreated to their quarters, and refreshed themselves with what they had. During the time the truce lasted, the governor of the castle of Au. ray came out of it, on Saturday night, and v>'ent peaceably to the array of the lord Charles de Blois, wlio graciously received liim. The name of the governor was Henry de Hautcrnelle, a very expert war- rior, who brought with him forty lances, good companions, well armed and well mounted, who had aided him in guardiiig that fortress. When the lord Charles saw the governor, he asked Mm, laughingly, the state of the castle. '■ In God's name," replied the squire, " and praise bo to him, we arc still sufficiently provided with everything for two or three month?, should there be occasion." " Henry, Heniy," answered lord Charles, " to-morrow by daybreak, you shall be made free in every respect, either by a treaty of peace or by a battle." " My lord," replied the sipiire, " God grant us his assistance." " By my faith, Heniy," said the lord Charles, " I have under my connnand t%vo thousand men-at-arms, of as good stuff, and as much inclined to acquit themselves well, as there are in the kingdom of France." " My lord," answered the squire, " tins is a great advantage : you should therefore praise God, and thank him most gratefully: likewise sir Bertrand du Guesclin, and the Barons of France and Brittany, who have come so courteotisly to your assistance." Thus the lord Charles amused himself in conversation with sir Henry, and with one or another, and passed the night much at his ease. In the course of this evening, some English knights and squu-es earnesrty begged of sir .lolm Chandos that he would not listen to any overtures of peace between the earl of Montfort and the lord Charles de Blois ; for they had expended their whole fortune, and were so poor, that they hoped by means of a battle, either to lose thek all, or to set themselves up again. The knight assented to the request. When Sunday morning came, each^army made itself ready, and armed. Many masses were said in that of lord Charles, and the sa- crament was administered to all who wished i^. The same was done in the army of the carl of Montfort ; and a little before sunrise, each person posted himself in the same battle array as on the preceding day. Shortly after, the lord de Beaunianoir, who had prepared different proposals of peace, and who would willingly have brought them to some agreement, had he lieen able, returned to the charge, and came galloping toward sir .Tolm Chandos, who left his battaUon and the earl of Montfort, at the time with him, as soon as he perceived his intentions, and advanced into the plain to meet him. When the lord de Beaumanoir came up, he saluted liim very humbly, and said ; " I entreat of you, sir John Chandos, in the name of God, that we may bring these two lords to some agreement ; for it is a great pity that so many good persons who are here should slaughter each other in support of their opinions." Sir John Chandos gave him a very dif- ferent answer than what he expected, from what had passed on the preceding evening : " Lord de Beaumanoir, I would advise you not to make any more attempts at peace to-day ; for our men declare that, if they can inclose you within their ranks, they will kill you. You will say to lord Charles de Blois, that happen what may, the lord John de Montfort is determined to risk the event of a combat. Have done, therefore, with all ideas of peace or agreements ; for he will this day be duke of Brittany, or die in the field." When the lord de Beaumanoir had received this aiiswer from Chandos, he was mightily enraged, and replied : " Chandos, Chan- dos, that is not less the intention of my lord, who has as good a will to fight as the lord John de Montfort ; his army are also of the same mind." At these words, he set off without saying anything more, and went to lord Charles and the barons of Brittany, who were wait- ing for him. Sir John Chandos returned to the earl of Montfort, who asked, " How goes on the treaty ? What does our adversary say ?" " What does he say ?" replied Chandos : *' why, he sends word by the lord de Beaumanoir, who has this instant left me, that he will figlit with you at all events, and remain duke of Brittany, or die in the field." This answer was made by sir John, in order to excite the courage of the earl of Montfort; and he continued saying, " Now consider what you will determine to do, whether to engage or not." "By St. George," answered the earl of Montfort, " engage I will, and God assist the right cause : order our banners to advance immediately." With regard to the lord de Beaumanoir, he said to lord Charles de Blois ; " My lord, my lord, by St. Ives I have heard the proudest speech from John Chandos that my ears have listened to for a long time ; he has just assured me, that the earl of Montfort shall remain duke of Brittany, and will clearly show to you that you have not any right to it." These words brought the color into lord Charles's cheeks ; when he answered, " Let God settle the right, for he knows to whom it belongs ;" and thus said all the barons of Brittany. He then ordered Ills banners and men-at-arms to march, in the name of God»and St. Ives. CHAPTER CCXXVII. ini: BATTLE OF AUEAY, IN WHICH SIK 'BERTRAND DIJ GUESCLIN IS MADE PRISONER. CHARLES DE BLOIS IS SLAIN ; AND JOHN DE MONTFORT IS VICTORIOUS. A LITTLE before eight in the morning, the two annies advanced near to each otlier It was a very fine sight, as I have heard those relate who saw it ; for the French were in such close -order that one could scarcely throw an apple among them without its falling on a helmet or lance. Each man-at-anns carried his spear right before him, cut down to the length of five feet ; a battle-axe, sharp, strong, and well steeled, with a short handle, was at his side, or hung from his neck. They advanced thus handsomely a foot's pace, each lord in array and among his people, with liis banner or pennon before liim, well knoviing what they were to do. On the other liand, the English were drawn up in the handsomest order. The Bretons, under tlie command of sir Bertiand du Guesclin, posted themselves with his banner opposite to the battalion of sir Robert KnoUcs and sir Walter Huet. The Bretons of cither party placed the banners of their Xv/o lords, who was each called duke, opposite to (he other. In tliis first onset, there were hard blows between the lancemen, and a sharp scuffle. True it is, that the English archers shot well at the commencement; buttheir arrows hurt not, as the French were too well armed and shielded from them. Upon this, they flung away their bows ; and being light and able men, they mixed with the men. at-arms of their party, and attacked those of tlie French who had batde-axes. Being men of address and courage, they immediately seized several of these axes, with which they afterwards foughtVal- iantly and successfully. There were many gallant feats of arms performed ; many a struggle, many a capture, and many a rescue. You must know, that whoever had the misfortune to fall, found great difficulty to rise again unless he was speedily succored. The battalion of lord Charles marched straight to that of lord Jolm de Montfort, which was veiy strong and deep. In his company were the viscount de Rohan, the lords de L^on, Charles de Dinan, de Quintin, d'Ancenis, and de Roclifort, each with his banner dis. played before him. The engagement betn-een these two battalions was very severe and desperate, and well fought on both sides. That of the carl of Montfort was at first thi'own into confusion ; but sir Hugh Galverly, who was upon its wing with a good battalion of gal- lant men, jicrceiving them giving way and opening their ranks, drove the enemy back, and replaced everything by force of arms. This action was certainly of great use to them. In another part of the plain, sir Olivier de Clisson, sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt, sir Matthew Gournay and several other valiant knights and squires, fought valorously with the battalion of die earls of Auxerre and Joigny, which was very numerous and deep, and crowded with several able men-at-arms. Many bold actions were performed on both sides : prisoners and rescues were frequent. The French and Bretons fought in earnest with their battle-axes. The lord Charles showed himself a marvellously good knight, eagerly seeking for and engaging his enemies. His adversary, the earl of Montfort, fought with equal gallantry; and each person spoke of them according to their deserts. Sir John Chandos proved lumself more able than liis opponents ; for he was at the same time bold and hardy, redoubted by his adver- saries in battle, as well as wise and discreet in council, giving the clearest orders. He advised the earl in everything, and, in order to animate hiin and his people, said to them, " Do so and so ; march to to this side or to that." The young earl of Montfort believed all he said, and followed his advice. In another jjart, sir Bertrand du Guesclin, the lords du Pont, de Tournemine, d'Avaugour, de Raix, de Loh^ac, de Malestroit, de Prie, and many other able knights and squires of Biiltany and Nor- mandy, who were there on the side of the lord Charles, fought very determinedly, and did many handsome deeds of arms. The battle was so warmly contested that all the battalions were engaged, except the rear-guard of the English, which sir Hugh Calveily commanded. This battalion kept always on one wing, and never engaged with any, but was solely occupied in recovering and bringing back to their ranks tliose who were thrown into confusion. Among other knights, sir Olivier de Clisson played his part hand- somely, and did marvels with his batde-axe, by which he opened and cut through the ranks, so that none dared to approach him. Once, indeed, his eagerness brought him into great peril ; for he advanced so forward that he had the battalion of the earl of Auxerre and Joigny upon lihn, and had hard work to extricate himself. He re- ceived in this affair a stroke of a battle-axe, which struck off the visor of his helmet ; and its point entered his eye, which he afterwards lost. Ho was not, however, for this, a less gallant knight during the whole of the day. Battalions and banners rushed against each other, and someUmes were overthrown, and then up again. Among the knights, sir John Chandos showed his ability, valorously fighting with his battle-axe : he gave such desperate blows, that all avoided him : for he was of CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 15l- great stature and strength, well made in all his limbs. He advanced to attack the battalion of the earl of Auxerre and the French. Many bold actio-ns were performed ; and through the courage' of himself and people, he drove this battalion before him, and threw it into such disorder that, in brief, it was discomfited. All their banners and pennons were tlirown on the ground, torn and broken : their lords and captains were in the greatest danger ; for they were not succored by any, their people being fully engaged in fighting and defending themselves. To speak truly, when once an army is discomfited, those who are defeated are so much frightened, that if one fall, three follow his example, and to these three ten, and to ten thirty ; and also, should ten run away, they will be followed by a hundred. Thus it was at the battle of Auray. These lords shouted again and again their cries of war, as well as their banner-bearers, wliich some who heard them answered ; but others were too much in the rear, and from the greatness of the crowd could not advance, so that the carl of Auxerre was desperately wounded, and taken, under the pennon of sir John Chandos : he gave his pledge as a prisoner, as well as the earl of .Toigny and the lord de Prie, a great banneret in Normandy. The other battalions fought very valiantly, and the Bretons made a good appearance still. It must however, to speak loyally of this battle, be allowed, that they did not keep their line nor array (as it seemed) like the English and Bretons on the side of Montfort. The wing commanded by sir Hugh Calverly was to them, in this battle, of the greatest advantage. When the English and Bretons of the Montfort party perceived the French to be in confusion, they were much rejoiced. Some of the French had their horses got ready, which they mounted, and began to fly as fast as they could. Sir John Chandos then advanced v.-ith a part of his company, and made for the battalion of sir Bertrand du Guesclin, where many cour- ageous deeds were doing ; but it had been already broken, and several good knights and squires slain. Many a hard blow was given by the battle-axes, and many a helmet opened, so that several were wounded and killed. To say the truth, neither sir Bertrand nor his people were able to withstand the strength of their adversaries. Sir Bertrand was made prisoner by an English squire, under the pennon of sir John Chandos. In tliis conflict, sir John received the pledge as prisoner, from a baron of Brittany, called the lord of Raix, a won- derfully hardy knight. After this, the Bretons and their battalion being broken, were as good as defeated : the others being in disorder, took to flight, each in the best way he could to save himself, except some good knights and squires of Brittany, v.ho would not quit their sovereign, the lord Charles de Blois, preferring death to reproach. They collected themselves together, and rallied round him, fighting valiantly. The lord Charles and his companions kept their ground a long time, by their valor in defending themselves : at last, however, it was of no avail, for they were defeated and put to the rout by ntmibers ; fur the whole strength of the English was drawing toward them. The banner of the lord Charles was conquered, cast to the ground, and the bearer of it slain : he himself was also killed facing his enemies, as well as a bastard of his called the lord John de Blois, with many other knights and squires of Brittany. It appears to me, that orders had been given to the English army, that if they should gain the battle, and the lord Charles were found or made prisoner, no ransom should be taken for him, but that they should kill him. In a similar case, the French and Bretons had given the like orders respecting the lord .fohn de Montfort ; for in this day each party wished, by batfle, to put an end to the war. When a pursuit took place, great slaughter and many miseliiefs happened, and -several good men were killed or inade prisoners. The whole flower of chivalry, who had that day taken the side of lord Charles de Blois, were either piisoners or slain, particularly the bannerets of Brittany. Among the dead, lay the lord Charles de Dinan, the lords de L(;on, d'jVncenis, d'Avaugour, de Loheac, de Gargolle, de Malcstroit, du Pont, and many whose names I cannot remember. There were made prisoners, the viscount de Rohan, sir Ciuy de L^on, the lords de Rochefort, de Raix, de Rieux, de Tourne- mine, sir Henry de Malestroit, sir Olivier de Manny, the lords de Riville, de Franville, de Raineval, with several from Normandy, and many good knights and squires from France, with the earls of Au.x- erre and Joigny. In a word, the defeat and loss were immense : numbers were slain in the field, as wellas in the pursuit, which con- tinued for eight good leagues, even as far as Vannes. A variety of accidents happened this day which had never come to my knowledge, and many a man was killed or made prisoner. Some fell into good hands, where they met with kind and civil masters. This battle was fought near to Aurav, in the year of our Lord 1364. CHAPTER CCXXVIII. THE CHIEFS ATTACHED TO THE EAKL OF MONTFORT KETIKE .AFTER THE VICTOr.Y AT AUr.AY. THE EARL's C0:fDS TO E.NTREAT THE PRLVCE OF WAI.ES'S ASSIST- ANCE AGAINST His BROTHEK, HENRY THE BASTARD. HE RETIRES INTO CUIE.VNE, WHERE HE IS WELL RECEIVED BY THE fRINCE. You have heard how don Pedro had cast himself into the castle of Corunna near the sea, with only his wife, his two daughters, and don Fernando do Castro ; while in the mean time, his brother, the bastard, through the assistance of the men-at-arms, whom he had drawn from France, was conquering Castille, to whom the whole country had sun'endcred. All this much alarnied him ; and he did not think himself in perfect safety in the castle of Corunna ; fur he had a great dread of his brother the bastard, and well knew that, if he were informed where he was, he would come and seek him with his forces, to besiege him in the castle. He would not wait this dan- ger, but embarked on board a vessel, with his wile, his daughters, don Fernando de Castro, and wliatever he had amassed of money and jewels, and put to soa in the night. The wind, however, was so contrary, that they could not clear the coast, but were obliged to return, and again to enter the castle of Corunna. Don Pedro then demanded from his knight, don Fernando"de Castro, complaining of his evil fortune, which was so much against him, what was best to be done. " My lord," replied the knight, " before you leave this ■place, I think it would be proper tliat you send some person to your cousin, the prince of Wales, to know if he will receive you, and to entreat of Mm, for God's sake, that he would attend to your distress. He is in a manner bound to it, from the strong connection that hos subsisted between the king, his father, and yours in former times. The prince of Wales is of such a noble and gallant disposition that, ■when he shall be infonned of your misfortunes, he will certainly take compassion on you; and, if he should determine to replace you on your throne, there is no one, sir, that could oppose him, so much is he redoubted by all the world, and beloved by soldiers. You are now safe where you are ; for this fortress will hold you out until some intelligence shall be brought you from Aquitaine." Don Pedro immediately assented to this: a letter, in a most lament- able and piteous strain, was written : and a knight, with two squires, having been instructed to undertake this employ, cheerfully accepted it, directly put to sea, and made sail for Bayonne, a city dependent on the king of England, where they safely anived. They made inquiries after the prince, and learnt that at that time he was at Bor. deaux. Upon this, they rode to Bordeaux, and took up their quar. ters at an inn. Soon afterwards they made for the monastery of St. Andrew, where the prince resided. The knight and squires ■who had come from Spain informed the knights of the prince, that they were Spaniards, and embassadors from don Pedro, of Castille. The prince, when informed of it, wished to sec them, and to know what business had brought them. They were, upon this, introduced, and having cast themselves on their knees, saluted him according to their custom, recommendiiig the king their lord to him, as they presented him his letter. The prince made them rise : having taken the letter, he opened it, and after- wards read it more at his leisure. He found that don Pedro had written a most melancholy account oi' himself, informing him of his hardships and distress, and in what manner his brother the bastard, by means of the great alliances he had made, first, with the pope, then with the kings of France and Arragon, and the free companies, had driven him out of his inheritance, the kingdom of Castille. In that letter, he entreated the prince, for the love of God, and for pity's sake, that he would attend to his situation, and find some remedy to it ; for it was not a Christian-like act, that a bastard, through force, should disinherit a legitimate son, and seize his possessions. The prince, who was a valiant and wise knight, ha^ving folded up the letter in his hands, said to the embassadors, who had remained in his presence, " You are welcome to us from our cousin the king of Castille : you will stay here in our court, and will not return with, out an answer." The knights of the prince were already prepared; for they well knew what was proper to be done, and took with them the Spanish knight and his two squires to entertain them hand- somely. The prince had remained in his apartment, thinking much on the contents of the letter from the king of Castille. He imme- diately sent for sir John Chandos, and sir William Felton, the chiefs of his council : one was high steward of Aquitaine, and the other constable. When they were come, he said, smiling, " My lords, here is great news from Spain. The king, don Pedro our cousin, complains giiev- ously of Henry his bastard brother,, who has seized his kingdom, and driven him out of it, as perhaps you may have heard related by those who are come hither. He entreats of us help and assistance, as his letter will more fully explain to you." The prince then again read it over, word for word, to the knights, who lent a willing ear. When he had read it, he said, " You, sir John, and you, sir William, who are my principal counsellors, and in whom I have the greatest confidence and trust ; tell me, I beg of you, what will be most advisable for us to do in this business." The two knights looked at each other, but uttered not a word. The prince again appealed to them, and said, " Speak boldly, whatever be your opinion." The prince was then advised by these two knights, as I have heard it told afterwards, to send a body of men-at-arms to king don Pedro, as far as Corunna, where he was, and whence he had dated his letter; to conduct him tJ Bordeaux, in order more fully to h^arn what were his wants and intentions : that then they should be better informed from his conver- sation how they were to act. This answer pleased the prince. Sir William Felton was ordered to take the command of the expedition; and the prince asked sir Richard Pontchardon, sir Nele Loring, sir Simon Burley* and sir William Trousseaux to accompany it into Galicia, to escort from Co. runna tlie king don Pedro, and the remnant of his army. The armament for this expedition was to consist of twelve vessels, which were to be filled with archers and men-at-amis. The above-named knights made proper purveyances for the occasion, and set out from Bordeaux accompanied l)y the embassadors from don Pedro. They continued their jouniey to Bayonne, where they remained three or four days, waiting for a favorable wind, and to load the ships. On the 6th day, as they were on the point of sailing, don Pedro, king of Castille, arrived there. He had left Corunna in great suspense, being afraid to stay there longer, and had brought with him a few of his people, and as much of his treasures as he could carry away. This was great news for the English. Sir William Felton and the other knights waited on him, on his landing, and received him hand- somely. They informed him, that they had prepared themselves, and w.?re on the point of sailing to Cori'unna, or farther, had it been ne- cessary, to seek for him, by orders from the prince their lord. Don Pedro heard this with great joy, and returned his warmest thanks to the prince, as well as to the knights then present. Sir William Fel- ton immediately sent the prince informotion of the arrival of the king of Castille at Bayonne, who was much pleased thereat. These knights did not make any long stay at Bayonne, but, taking the king with them, made for the city of Bordeaux, where they safely arrived. The prince, who was anxious to see his cousin the king, don Pedro, and also to do him the more honor, rode out of Bordeaux, attended Iiy his knights and squires, to meet him. When they met he saluted him very respectfully, and paid him every attention by speech and action ; for he knew perfectly well how so to do : no prince of his time understood so well the practice of good breeding. After their meeting, when they had refreshed themselves as was becoming them to do, they rode toward Bordeaux. The prince placed don Pedro on his right hand, and would not suficrit to be otherwise. During their return, don Pedro told the prince his distresses, and in what manner his brother the bastard had driven him out of the kingdom of Castille. He complained bitterly of the disloyalty of his subjects ; for all had deserted him except one knight, don Fernando de Castro, then with liim, and whom he pointed out to tlie prince. The prince comforted him by a most courteous and discreet answer : he begged of him not * Sir Simon Burley— knight of the Garter, tc— beheaded in the reJRD of Richard U. 156 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. to be too much cast down ; for, if he had lost everything, it was fully in the power of God to give him back what he had loat, and more, as well as vengeance upon his enemies. Conversing on this subject, as well as on other topics, they rode on to Bordeaux, and dismounted at the monastery of St. Andrew, the residence of the prince and princess. The king, don Pedro, was conducted to an apartment which had been prepared for him. When he had dressed himself suitably to his rank, he waited on the princess and the ladies, who all received him very politely. I could enlarge much on the feasts and entertainments which were made : but I will briefly pass them over, and relate to yo\i how don Pedro conducted himself toward his cousin the prince of Wales, whom he found cour- teous and affable, and willing to attend to his request of aid, notwitli- standing some of his council had given him the advice I will now mention. Before the arrival of don Pedro at Bordeaux, some lords, as well English as Gascons, who had much wisdom and forethought, were of the prince's council, and by inclination as well as duty, thought themselves bound to give him loyal advice, spoke to the prince in words like the following : " My lord, you have often heard the old proverb of ' All covet, all loee."* True it is, that you are one of the princes of this world the most enlightened, esteemed, and honored, , in possession of large domains and a handsome principality on this side of the sea, and are, thank God, at peace with every one. It is also well known, that no king, far or near, at tiiis present moment dares anger you ; such reputation have you in chivalry for valor and good fortune. You ought, therefore, in reason, to be contented with what you have got, and not seek for enemies. We must add, like- wise, that this don Pedro, king of Castillo, who at present is driven out of his realm, is a man of great pride, very cruel, and full of bad dispositions. The kingdom ofCastille has suflcred many grievances at his hands : many valiant men have been beheaded ajid murdered, without justice or reason ; so that to these wicked actions, which he ordered or consented to, he owes the loss of his kingdom. In addition to this, he is an enemy to the church, and excommunicated by our holy father. He has been long considered as a tyrant, who, without any plea of justice, has always made war upon his neighbors ; such as the kings of Arragon and Navarre, whom he was desirous to de- throne by force. It is also commonly reported, and believed in his kingdom, and even by his own attendants, that he murdered the young lady, his wife, who was a cousin of yours, being daughter to tlie duke of Bourbon. Upon all these accounts, it behoves you to pause and reflect before you enter into any engagements ; for what he has hitherto suffered are the chastisements of God, who orders these punishments as an example to the kings and princes of the earth, that they should never commit such wickedness." With simdar language to this was the prince also addressed by his councils, on the arrival of the king of Castille at Bordeaux : but to this loyal advice they received the following answer : " My lords, I take it for granted and believe that you give me the best advice you are able. I must, however, inform you, that I am perfectly well ac- quainted with the life and conduct of don Pedro, and well know that he has committed faults without number, for which at present he suf- fers : but I will tell you the reasons which at this moment urge and embolden me to give him assistance. I do not think it cither decent or proper that a bastard should possess a kingdom as an inheritance, nor drive out of his realm his own brother, heir to the country by lawful marriage ; and no king, or king's son, ought ever to sufll-r it. as being of the greatest prejudice to r03*alty. Add to this, that my lord and father and this don Pedro have for a long time been allies, much connected together, by which we are boundcn to aid and assist him, in case he should require it." These were the reasons that in- stigated the prince to a.ssist the king of Caslille in his great distress, and thus he replied to his council. No one could afterwards make the smallest change in his determination, but every day it grew firmer. When don Pedro arrived at Bordeaux, he humbled himself to the prince, offering him many rich presents, and the promise of further advantage ; for he said, he would make his eldest son, Edward, king of Galicia, and would divide among him and his people the great riches he had left in Castille, where it was so well secured and hidden that no one could find its situation except himself. The knights paid a. willing attention to these words; for both English and Gascons are by nature of a covetous disposition. The prince was advised to summon all the barons of Aquilaine to an especial council at Bor- deaux, 30 that there might be a grand conference held ; when the king don Pedro might lay before him his situation, and his means of satisfying them, should the prince undertake to conduct him back to liis own countiy, and to do all in his power to replace him upon his throne. Letters and messengers were therefore sent to all parta, and the lords summoned : first, the earl of Armagnac, the carl of Com- minges, the lord d'Albret, the earl of Carmaing, the captal de Buch, the lord de Tande, the. viscount de Chatillon, the lords de I'Escut, de Rosem, de I'Esparre, de Chaumont, de Mucident, de Courton, de Pincornet, and other barons of Gascony and Guienne. The earl of Foix was requested to attend ; but he would not come, and excused himself, having at the time a disorder in one of his legs, which pre- vented him from mounting on horecback : he sent, however, his coun- cil in his stead. * He that to moche cmbrasefh, houldcth the ivekelyer.— L jrd Bkrners. CHAPTER CCXXXII . THE PRINCE OF WALES HOLDS A GRAND CONFERENCE AT BORDEATIX ON THE AFFAIRS OF THE KING OF CASTILLE. HE RECEIVES LETTERS FROM TIIR KING OF ENGLAND, TO ASSENT TO THE PROPOSALS OF ASSISTINO DON PEDRO. HE MAKES OVERTURES TO THE KING OF NAVARRE, FOR A FREE PASSAGE THROUGH HIS KINGDOM, TO ENABLE HIM TO CONDUCT DON PEDRO BACK TO CASTILLE. To this conference, which was holden at Bordeau.x, there came all the counts, viscounts, barons, and men of abilities, in Saintonge, Poi- tou, Querey, Limousin, Gascony. and Aquitaine. When they were all assembled, they formed a parliament ; and, having entered upon the business of their meeting, they for three days discussed the situ- ation and future prospect of this don Pedro, king of Casfille, who was all the time present, placing himself near his cousin the prince, who spoke in his behalf, and gave the best account he was able of his affairs. It was at last resolved, that the prince should send sufHcient embassadors to the king, his father, in England, to know his opinion on the subject : and that, as soon as they should have the king's answer, they would then assemble, and give the prince such good advice as reasonably ought to be satisfactory to him. The prince immediately named four knights ; the lord Delawar, sir Nele. Loring, sir John and sir Hely de Pommiers ; and ordered them to set out for England. This conference then broke up, and each returned to his home. The king, don Pedro, remained at Bor- deaux with the prince and princess, who entertained him handsomely, and with due honor. These four knights began their journey, according to their orders, for England ; and, having embarked on board two ships, they arrived safely at Southampton, through God's good will and favorable win. made at Salvatierra, supposing that they were instantly to have a. general engagement. The duke of Lancaster marched straight for a small hill : he was followed by sir John Chandos, the two marshals, and several other knights, who drew themselves up in order of battle. After a short time, the prince and don Pedro came thither, and, as they advanced, formed themselves in like manner. Don Tello and his brother were also very desirous of gaining this eminence, it being a favorable position ; but they were disappointed in their wishes, as you have just heard. When, therefore, they saw that they could not attempt it, without great risk, for the whole Eng- lish army was in motion, they formed themselves into a compact body, to return to their own army, and thus retreated, marching in handsome array, and hoping to have some fortunate adventure ere they got home. Before they had retired, several gallant actions were per- formed ; for some of the English and Gascons had quitted their ranks, to tilt with these Spaniards, many of whom they had unhorsed : but the main body of the English army remained upon the mountain, expecting a general engagement. When the Spaniards, in their retreat from the prince's army, were approaching their own, they met the detached part of the English under the command of sir William Felton and his brother, sir Hugh Hastings, sir Richard Causton, the earl of Angus, and many more, who might amount in the whole to two hundred knights and squires, as well Gascons as English. They immediately charged them in a wide valley, shouting out, " Castiile, for king Henry !" The above- named knights, perceiving they had but little chance of success against such superior numbers as the Spaniards were, comforted themselves the best they could, and, advancing into the plain, took possession of a small eminence, where they drew up in order of battle. The Span- iards marched toward them, and halted to consider what woidd be the most advantageous manner of fighting them. Sir William Felton performed that day a most brilliant action : descending the hill full gallop, with his lance in its rest, he dashed into the midst of the Spaniards, when meeting a Spanish knight, he he drove his spear with such force, it passed through his armor, body and all, and threw him dead on the ground. Sir William was sur- rounded on all sides ; but he fought as manfully as any knight could have done, and did them much mischief before they were able to bring hira down. His brother and the other knights were witnesses, from the eminence, of his valor, and the gallant acts he was doing, as well as the peril he was in ; but it was out of their power to assist him, without running every risk themselves. They remuined, there, fore, steadily upon the mountain in order of battle. The knight fought as long as his strength lasted, but in the end was unfortunately slain. The French and Spaniards, after this, began to attack the English, and to endeavor to take them that had drawn themselves up on the hill. That day, many good actions were done. At one time, they made a general attack, and descended in a body upon their enemies ; and then, wheeling suddenly about, they wisely regained their moun- tain, where they remained until high noon. Had the jirince known their dangerous situation, he would have relieved them ; but he waft quite ignorant of it. They were therefore obliged to wait the issue of this business in the best way they could. When the combat had been thus carried on, advancing and retreat- ing, until the hour I have mentioned, don Tello, tired at their holding out so long, ciied angrily aloud : " My lords, shall we remain here all the day, with this handful of men ? By St. Jago, we ought to have swallowed them up before this time. Forward I forward ! let us attack them in a better and more vigorous manner than before. One cannot gain anything without t.iking some pains." Upon hear- ing this, the Spaniards and French advanced courageously, mounted the hill, with their spears presented before them, in such close order and in such numbers, that the English could neither break nor force through them. Many valorous deeds were done on this mountain ; for the English and Gascons defended themselves most valiantly, but, from the moment the Spaniards had gained the hill, they could not make any long resistance. They were all taken or slain ; and not one of the knights escaped : only a few boys saved themselves by the fleetness of their horses, who returned to the army of the prince, which had all that day continued drawn up in battle array, in the expectation of an engagement. CHAPTER CCXL. SIR ARNOLD D'ANDREGHEN GIVES GOOD ADVICE TO KING HENRY OF CASTILLE. THE PRINCE OF WALES SENDS A TARDY ANSWER TO THE KING'S LETTER. After having conquered the before -named knights, don Tello and don Sancho returned with their detachment in great joy to the army, and went in the evening to the quarters of king Henry. The two brothers who had been in this expedition made a present to the king of their prisoners, and related to him, in the presence of sir Bertrand du Guesclin, sir Arnold d'Andreghen and others, how the day had passed, and what road they had taken ; how they had first fallen in with the people of sir Hugh Calverly, whom they had slain or chased even to the army of the English : that they had beaten up the quar. ters of the duke of Lancaster, alarmed the whole army, and done much miscliief : that upon their retreat they had met those knighta. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 165 whom they had taken prisoners. King Henry, who had listened to tiua account with great pride, replied most graciously to liis brother, don Tello, and said : "Amiable brother, well have you performed your promise : I will reward you handsomely for it; and I feel, that all the rest of our enemies must ultimately come to this pass." Sir Arnold d'Andreghen, on this, stepped forth and said : " Sire, sire, with your permission, I wish not to doubt your majesty's words, but to make an amendment by informing you, tliat when you shall meet the prince of Wales in battle, you will find men-at-arms such aa they ought to be ; for with him is the flower of chivaliy of the whole world, and hardy and tough combatants : those who, in truth, would rather die on the spot than think of flying. It therefore behoves you to weigh maturely this point, before you determine : and, if you will believe what I am going to say, you may take them all, without striking a stroke. You have only to guard the passes and defiles, so that no provision can be brought them, when famine will do die business for you : they must then return back to their own country in disorder and spiritless, so that you may easily gain your object, and defeat them without stiaking a blow." King Henry answered, " By the soul of my father, marshal, I have such a desire to see this prince, and to try my strength with him, that we will never part without a battle. Thank God, I have enow of men to assist me. In the first place, there are already in our army seven thousand men-at-arms, each mounted on a good courser, and so well covered with armor that they fear not the arrows of the archer. In addition, I have twenty thousand more, mounted on genets and armed from head to foot. ' I have besides forty thousand common soldiers, with lances, darts and shields, who will do much service, for they have all sworn they will rather die than leave me ; so that, my lord marshal, I ought not to be afraid, but rather place great con- fidence in the power of God and of my men." Tims ended this conversation : wine and spices were brought in by some knights, of which the king and the lords present partook ; and then they all retired to their quarters. The knights and squhes who had that day been made prisoners, gave their oaths as such, and were put under the care of difierent knights. We will return to the prince, to speak of his arrangements. He and the duke of Lancaster had remained in the position they had taken in the morning, until about vespers, when they were informed that their advanced detachment had been all taken or killed ; at which they were much vexed, but they could not then amend it. They retired to their quarters, where they remained that night. On the morrow morning, they called a council, and determined to leave their present position, to advance more into the country. They de- camped, and took up their quarters nearer to Vittoria, marching full armed, as if immediately to engage ; for they had heard that king Hemy and his brothers, with their anny, were not far distant : how- ever, they made no advances to meet them. You must know, the prince and his brother were in great want of provision for themselves and their horses, as they had entered a very barren country, while king Henry and his army enjoyed a quite con- trary situation. A loaf of bread, and of no great size, was sold in the prince's army for a florin ; and many were very eager to pay this price, whenever they were able to get it. The weather was also extremely bad, with high wind, rain and snow ; and in this miser- able distressing plight they remained for six days. When the prince and his lords found the Spaniards make no ad- vances to offer them battle, and that their distress was great where they were, they held a council, and resolved to seek elsewhere for a passage over the Ebro. They therefore decamped, and took the road toward Navarretta, through a country called La Guardia, which having passed, they came to a town called Viana. There the prince, the duke of Lancaster, the earl of Armagnac and the other lords, halted two days, to refresh themselves. They then crossed the river which divides Castillo from Navarre, at the bridge of Logrono, in the midst of gardens and olive trees. They found there a richer country than that, which they had left ; but even here they were much dis- tressed for want of provision. When king Henry was told that the prince and his army had crossed the Ebro at the bridge of Logrono, he left St. Miguel, where he had kept his quarters for a long time, advanced to Najarra upon the same river, ^nd there encamped. News was soon brought to the prince of king Henry's approach. This gave him great joy ; and he said aloud, " By St. George, this bastard proves himself a valiant knight, from the desire he shows to meet us in battle. We shall certainly soon see each other ; for we cannot fail doing so much longer." He then summoned his brother, the duke of Lancaster, and some other barons of his council who were there, and wrote, with tlieir advice, an answer to the letter which king Henry had sent to him, in the following terms : " Edwakd, by the grace of God, prince of Wales and of Aquitaine, to the renowned Henry earl of Trastamare, who at this present time calls himself king of Castille : " Whereas you have sent to us a letter by your herald, in which, among other things, mention is made of your desire to know why we have admitted to our friendship your enemy, our cousin the king don Pedro, and upon what pretext we are carrying on a war against you, and have entered Castille with a large army ; in answer to this, we inform you, that it is to maintain justice and in support of reason, as it behoveth all kings to do, and also to preserve the firm alliances made by our lord the king of England, with the king don Pedro, in former times. But as you are nmch renowned among all good knights, we would wish, if it were possible, to make up these dif- ferences between you both ; and we would use such earnest en. treaties with our cousin, the king don Pedro, that you should have a large portion of the kingdom of Castille, but you must give up all pretensions to the crown of that realm, as well as to its inheritance. Consider well this proposition ; and know further, that we shall enter the kingdom of Castille by whatever place shall be most agreeable to us. Written at Logrono, the 30th day of March, 1367." When this letter was finished, folded up and sealed, it was given to the herald who had brought king Henry's, and who had waited for an answer for three weeks. He took his leave of the prince and the other lords, and rode on until he came to Navarretta, near to which place the king was encamped upon the heath. He made for the king's tent, followed by the principal lords of the army, who, having heard of the return of the herald, were anxious to know what news he had brought. The herald, on his knees, presented the king the letter which the prince had sent by him. The king took and opened it, calling sir Bertrand du Guesclin, and some of the lords of his council, to its perusal. When the letter had been read and well considered, sir Bern-and du Guesclin thus spoke to king Henry : " Sire, be assured that very shortly you must have a battle : from what I know of the prince, I am convinced that it must be so. I therefore advise you to look well to this business, to order and arrange your men the best pos- sible manner." "Sir Bertrand," replied king Henry, "in God's name so it shall be. I have no dread of the prince's army : for I have three thousand barbed horses, which will be on our two wings, seven thousand warders,* and upward of twenty thousand men-at-arms, the best that can be found in all Castille, Gallicia, Portugal, Cordova and Sicily, besides ten thousand cross-bows, and full fortyt thousand foot, armed with lances, darts, swords and all sorts of weapons, who have sworn to die rather than desert me. I trust, therefore, sir Bertrand, that through God's grace, in whom I put my trust, we shall have the best of it, as well as from the justice of our right in this affair. I therefore entreat you all to be of good courage." Thus the king and sir Bertrand conversed together, as well as on different subjects, laying aside all thoughts of the letter which the prince had sent, for king Henry was determined to have a battle. Don Tello and don Sancho began to draw up their men in proper order, and to busy themselves in preparing everything : they were much esteemed, for the success of their late expedition. But we must now return to the prince, and show how he was going on. CHAPTER CCXLI. THE BATTLE OF NAVAKRETTA, WHICH THE PRINCE OF WALES, SUPPORTINS THE PART OF KING DON PEDRO AGAINST HIS BROTHER THE BASTARD, GAINS. SIR BERTRAND Di; GUESCLIN IS MADE PRISONER, AND KINS HENKV FORCED TO FLY, AFTER HATING FOUGHT MOST VALIANTLY. On Friday, the 2nd of April, the prince decamped from Logrono, where he and all his army had halted. He marched in order of battle, as if an engagement were on the point of commencing ; for he knew that king Henry was not far distant. After having marched about two leagues, he arrived before the town of Navarretta, about nine o'clock, where he took up his quarters. As soon as they had dismounted, the prince sent his scouts, to obsei-ve the countenance of the enemy and where they lay. These scouts, being mounted on the best of horses, left the army, and advanced until they saw the whole of the Spanish force encamped upon the heaths beyond Navarretta : they instantly informed the prince of this, who was very glad to hear it. Toward evening he gave out secret orders for the army to hold itself in readiness at the first sound of his trumpet : that at the second sound it should arm, and on the third mount, and immediately follow the banners of the marshals and the pennon of St. George ; and that no one, under pain of death, should break his rank, without being ordered so to do. King Henry had done exactly as the prince of Wales, and had sent out his scouts on this Friday evening, to learn the condition of the prince's army, what appearance they made, and where they were quartered. Those sent brought back true intelligence : upon hear- ing it, the king and sir Bertrand held a consultation on the subject. They made their men sup and go to bed very early, that they might be more fresh and hearty by midnight, when they were commanded to make themselves ready, arm, and take the field in batde-array ; for they well knew that a battle must ensue on the morrow. The Spaniards, therefore, made themselves merry, for they had where- withal largely to do so : but the English were in the greatest want of provision ; for which reason they were anxious to fightl. The trumpets of king Henry sounded at rhidnight : on which, his whole army was on foot : at the second blast, they left their tents, *Tliis word in D. Sauvage is " guetteurs"— a warder, a watcher, or a spy: this is not very mtelligible. Lord Berners says gcnetours ; that is, men mounted on the light Spanish horses called g-cne(5.— Ed. t D Sauvage and Lord Berners say sizti/.—Eo, X They had great desyre to fght ruther to icymc or to lese all.— LoRO BERNERS. 166 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. The first battalion Roquebertin, a viscount of Arragon. pionprs as well from France as froir. , - »i i two baro- f— " "---•It- the lord d' Antomg and s-;r Alard lord de Brisucil, Under him were all the for. from France as from other countries : among whom barons from Hainault, the lord d' Antoing and s-;r There was also in this division the bfegue de Vil- laines, the bfegue de ViUiers, sir John de Bergettes, sir Gauvam de BaiUeul, I'Allemant de Saint Venant, who was there created a Slight, with many other knights from Arragon, France, Provence ^^d'the neighbon'ng countries. There were m this battahon full four thousand knights and squires, excellently armed, and drawn up according to the French manner. , , , , Don Tello and his brother don Sancho commanded the second division. There were under them twenty-five thousand lancemen, as well on horse as on foot,* who drew up a little behmd the division of sir Bertrand, on his left hand. The third and largest battalion without comparison, was com- manded by king Henry himself. There were in it, and drawn up in aiTay, upward of seven thousand horsemen and fortyt thousand in- fantry among the cross-bowmen. , , , When they were thus formed, king Henry mounted a handsome and strong mule, according to the custom of his country, and rode through the ranks, paying his compliments to the lords, gi-aciously entreatini' them to exert themselves this day in defending his honor, and pointing out to everv one of them what they were to do with so much cheerfulness and good-humor, that they were all in high spirits. After he had thus visited his army, he returned to his own battahon. It was soon broad day. About sunrise, they began their march toward Navarretta, in order of battle, to meet and engage the enemy. , , , , ■ The prince of Wales, as it has been before related, drew up his army in the manner he intended they should engage, while he lay before Vittoria, when the enemy did not appear according to his expectations. He had not since then made any alterations concern- ing it, and had always marched in this order. At break of day, therefore, the prince's army took the field, marching in battle-array, as expecting to meet the Spaniards. No one advanced before the battalion of" the marshals excepting those who received orders, as scouts ; and the two leaders, as well as both the armies, knew, from the intelligence of the scouts, that they should shortly meet; they therefore marched forward with a gentle pace. When the sun was risen it was a beautiful sight to view these bat- talions, with their brilliant armor glittering with its beams. In this manner, they nearly approached to each other. The prince, with a few attendants, mounted a small hill, and saw very clearly the enemy marching straight toward them. Upon descending this hill, he extended his line of battle in the plain, and then halted. The Spaniards, seeing the English had halted, did the same in order of battle ; then each man tightened his armor, and made ready as for instant combat. Sir John Chandos advanced in front of the battalions, with his banner uncased in his hand. He presented it to the prince, saying : " My lord, here is my banner ; I present it to you, that I may dis. play it in whatever manner shall be most agreeable to you ; for thanlis to God, I have now sufficient lands to enable me so to do, and maintain the rank which it ought to hold." The prince, don Pedro being present, took the banner in his hands, which was bla- zoned with°a sharp stake gules on a field argent : after having cut off the tail to make it square, he displayed it, and, returning it to him by the handle, said : " Sir John, I return you your banner. God give you strength and honor to preserve it.t" Upon this, sir John left the prince, went back to his men with the banner in his hand, and said to them: "Gentlemen, behold my banner and yours : you will therefore guard it as it becomes you." His companions, taking the banner, replied with much cheerfulness, that " if it pleased God and St. George, they would defend it well, and act worthily of it, to the utmost of their abilities." The banner was put into the hands of a worthy English squire, called William Allestry, who bore it with honor that day, and loyally acquitted himself" in the service. The English and Gascons soon after dis. mounted on the heath, and assembled very orderly together, each ♦Lord Bernerssays, "In- that batayle witli the ^oietours there were^fecTi thousand a fute and a liorseback." D. Sauvage here uses the word Qenctaircs instead oC euettexirs, but no reason appears Ibi Mr. Jobnes's omitting it altogether. The differ- ence in tile numbers is remarkable. D. Sauvage liad this note in thematfiin; "The abridgments say sUtecii thousand ; but Sala adds horses only ; and La Chaux, simply men.— En. t Lord BerneR and D. Sauvage both say six(]/.— Ed. t This ceremony gave Chandos the rank of Knight Banneret, which it is surprising that he, who lind seen so many stricken fields, bad not received before. This order of knighthood was llie most honorable, being conferred oirly on the field of battle. All ttie treatises on heraldry say that it must be conferred after the battle, although in this case we see an instance of its being obtained before the fight, the strict rule being probably waived in consideration of the knight's former fields. It is generally supposed that this order, which took precedence of all others below barons, and whose members Partenay were anciently called to parliament by summons, originated in the reign of Edward I., butEdmondson in his Body of Heraldry says they were first created in 736: be does not however (juote any authority in support of his assertion. The order was hereditary in France, but in England endured only for lite. Knights Bannerets were allowed to bear arms with supporters, which is denied to all others under lire degree of a baron. The last Knighf Banneret created in England was sir John Smith, who was advanced to the dignity after the battle of Edgehill for rescuing the royal standard; he was slain ia battle at Airebford in Hampshire.— Ed. lord under his banner or pennon, in the same battle array as whea they passed the mountains. It was delightful to see and examine these banners and pennons, with the noble anny that was under them. The two armies began to move a little, and to approach nearer each other ; but, before they met, the prince of Wales, with eyes and hands uplifted toward heaven, exclaimed : " God of truth, the Father of Jesus Christ, who has made and fashioned me, condescend, through thy benign grace, that the success of the batde of this day may be forme and my anny; for thou knowest, that in truth I have been solely emboldened to undertake it in the support of justice and reason, to reinstate tliis king upon liis throne, who has been disinherited and driven from it, as well as from his country." After these words, he extended his right arm, took hold of don Pedro's hand, who was by his side, and added, " Sir king, you shall this day know whether you will have anything in the kingdom of Castille or not." He then cried out, "Advance, banners, in the name of God and St. George !" As he said this, the duke of Lancaster and sir John Chandos came up to him. The duke said to sir William Beauchamp : " William, there are our enemies ; you shall see me this day act like a true knight, or die for it." At these words, the two armies advanced. The first conflict was between the battalion of the duke of Lancaster and sir John Chandos and that of sir Bertrand du Guesclin and the marshal d'Andreghen, who had under thenr four thousand men-at- arms. At its commencement, there was a terrible medley of spears and shields. They were in this situation a considerable time before they could make any opening into each other. Many gallant deeds were performed, anil many a knight unhorsed, who could not again raise himself. When these two divisions were thus engaged, the others were not willing to remain idle, but advanced to the combat with eagerness. The prince of Wales, accompanied by the king don Pedro of Castille, and don Martin de la Carra, who represented the king of Navarre, charged the division wliich was commanded by don Tello and don Sancho. But it seems that, as the prince and his battalion were on the point of engaging, a sudden panic seized don Tello, so that he wheeled about, and fled in disorder without striking a blow, carrying with him two thousand cavalry of his division. No one knew how- to account for this conduct. This second division was no sooner broken than it was discomfited ; for the captal de Buch and the lord de Clisson, quitting the battalion of the earl d'Armagnac with their men, fell upon them, and slew and wounded immense numbers. The prince and don Pedro, upon this, advanced to the division commanded by king Henry, in which there were at least forty thousand men, as well on foot as on horseback. The fight now began in earnest on all sides ; for the Spaniards and Castillians had slings, from which they threw stones with such force as to break helmets and scull-caps, so that they wounded and unhorsed many of their opponents. The English archers, according to their custom, shot sharply with their bows, to the great annoyance and death of the Spaniards. On one side, there were shouts of " Castille, for king Henry !" on the other, " St. George, for Guienne !" During tliis time, the first battalion, commanded by the duke of Lancaster, sir John Chandos, and the two marshals, sir Guiscard d'Angle and sir Stephen Cossington, was warmly engaged with that of sir Bertrand du Guesclin andthe other knights from Arragon and France. Many valorous actions were done ; and each tried his strength to open a passage through the enemy. Several fought with their spears in both hands, with which they dealt about lustily their blows ; others made use of short swords and daggers. At the com- mencement the French and Arragonians made a desperate resistance, and gave the good knights of England much trouble. Sir John Chandos showed himself an able knight, and perfomied many gallant deeds under his banner ; but, in his eagerness in fighting and driving his enemies before him, he was so far engaged as to be surrounded, and in the crowd unhorsed. A large man of Castille, called Martin Ferrand, who was much renowned for courage among the Spaniards, threw himself upon him with a determined resolution to kill him, and kept him down in the greatest danger. Sir John, however, bethought himseh' of a knife he had in his bosom, which he drew, and struck so well with it this Martin in the sides and back that he gave him his death-blow as he was lying under him : he then turned him over, and rose up as speedily as he could : his people were now all ready about him, for they had with great diflicuUy broken through the crowd to come to the place where he had fallen. It was on a Saturday, in the morning, between Najarra and Navar- retta, that this severe and bloody battle was fought, in which multi- tudes of men were slain. In this engagement many were the bril- liant actions performed by the prince of Wales, his brother the duke of Lancaster, sir John Chandos, sir Guiscard d'Angle, the captal de BucJi, the lords de Clisson and de Raix, sir Hugh Galverly, sir Mat- thew Gournay, sir Louis de Harcourt, the lords de Pons and de On the other hand, among the Gascons, the lords d'Ar- magnac, d'Albret, de Pommiers and his two brothers, de Mucident, de Rosem, the earis de Perigord, de Comminges, de Carniain, the lords de Condon, de I'Esparre, de Chaumont, de Pincornet, Btirtholo- mew de Cande, de Geronde, sir Bernard d'Albret, sir Aiinery de Tarse, the souldich de I'Estrade, sir Petiton de Courton, with many other knights and squires, gave equal proofs of gallantry. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 16T Under the pennon of St. George, and attached to the banner of sir John Chandos, were the free companies, who had in the whole twelve hundred streamers.* Among them were good and hardy knights and squires, whose courage was proof; namely, sir Robert Cheney, sir Perducas d'Albret, Robert Briquet, sir Garsis du Chastel, sir Gaillard Viguier, sir John Charnels, Nandon de Bagerant, Ayme. mon d'Ortige, Perrot de Savoye, le bourg Camus, le bourg de I'Es- parre, le bourg de Breteuil, Espiote, and several others. I must therefore say, that sir Bertrand du Guesclin, sir Arnold d'Andreghen, don Sancho, don Gomez Garilz,t and the French and Arragonian knights who had engaged witli this battalion, did not find themselves the better for it, as these companies were composed of tried men, who had been long accustomed to arms. There were besides many other knights and squires from England, under tlie banners of the duke of Lancaster and sir John Chandos; among wliom were sir William Beauchamp, son to the earl of War- wick, sir Ralph Camois, sir Walter Urswick, sir Thomas de Demery, sir John Grandison, sir John Draper, sir John du Pr^-, sir Aimery de Rochechouart, sir Gaillard de la Motte, and upward of two hundred other knights whom I am not able to name. To say the trutli, sir Bertrand du Guesclin, the marshal d'An. dreghen, le bfegue de Villaines, the lords d'Antoing and de Briseuil, sir Gauvain de BaiUeui, sir John de Bergettes, le bfegue de Villiers, I'Allemand de St. Venant, and the good knights who were then from France, acquitted themselves most valiantly : truly, had the Spaniards as well performed their parts, the English and Gascons would have suffered more than they did. Those who were near king Henry did their duty like men ; for he had before entreated of them to behave courageously. He himself set the example, and performed such valorous acts as gave courage to all around him. He advanced before those who were beginning to give way ai.d fly, calling tn them : " My lords, I am your king. You have placed me upon the throne of Castillo, and have sworn that you would die sooner than forsake me. For the love of God preserve your oaths sacred which you have sworn to me, and behave yourselves handsomely in my cause. I will acquit myself toward you, for I will not fly one step as long as I shall see you combating by my side." By these words, or others of a similar tendency, did lung Henry thrice bring back his men to the coaibat. He himself behaved so valiantly, that he ought to be much honored and respected. This battle was fought with great perils : many were slain, wounded, and put to flight. The .Spanish commonalty made use of slings, to which they were accustomed, and from which they threw large stones which at first much annoyed the English ; but when their first cast was over, and they felt the sharpness of the English arrows, they kept no longer any order. King Henry had in his battalion a large number of good men-at-arms, as well from Spain as from Lisbon, Arragon, and Por- tugal, who acquitted themselves exceedingly well, and did not give up so easily, but fought very courageously with lances and guisarmes,} pikes, and swords. He had also upon his two wings bodies of lance- men, mounted on excellent coursers, who kept up the courage of his division ; for when they saw any part of it likely to be broken, or willing to give way, they galloped up to them, and drove them back. The English and Gascons had not much advantage here, but what they gained from their experience and by dint of deeds of prowess and vigor. The prince had indeed with him the flower of chivalry, and there were under him the most renowned combatants in the whole world. A little to the right of the battalion of the prince was the king of Majorca and his company, who fought vigorously, and exerted them- selves to the best of their power. On the other hand was don Martin de la Carra, who represented the king of Navarre, and did his duty well. I cannot particularize all that were deserving of notice ; but the prince had in his division many well-famed knights from England and Gascony : namely, sir Richard de Pontchardon, sir Thomas Despenser, sir Thomas Holland, sir Nele Loring, sir Hugh and sir Philip Courtenay, sir John Combes, sir Nicholas Bond, sir Thomas Combes, and several others, such as the seneschal of Saintonge, sir Baldwin de Franville, the high stewards of Bordeaux, of la Rochelle, of Poitou, of Angouleme, of Rouergue, of Limousin, of Perigord, sir Louis de Marnel, sir Raymond d'Ondueil, and many more. All these you must know fought in earnest, as indeed they had need to do : for the Spaniards and Castillians were near one hundred thousand men in arms, so that tlieir great numbers kept up their courage : there could not but be among them many who fought well and did their utmost. The king don Pedro was much heated, and very anxious to meet his brother the bastard : he galloped about, calling out, " Where is this son of a whore who calls liiniself king of CastiUc ?" King Henry ■was engaged in another part of the field, where he fought manfully, and kept up the courage of his men, as well as he could, by his * " Vennonceaus"—l}ie pejisels, as lord Berners calls them, or flags attached to the lance of a knight ; they were in the form of a swallow's tail, and when the points were cut off, as in the case of sir Julm Chandos, the flag hecaine a banner, and its master a leader.^wilh Irnighu as well as squires under his particular guidance.— Ed, t " Gomez Garilz." Gomez (Jarillo di Quintano,— Dillon's PeU-r the Cruel. 1 Guisarme— "a kind of (off"ensive) long-handled and long-headed weapon: or (as the Spanish risarma) a stiff that hath within it two long spikes, which, with a shoot or thrust forward, came forth.— Cotorave's DktionaT]/. speeches to them ; he said, " My good people, you have made me your king, and have crowned me : help me to defend the inheritance which you have given to me." By such words as these which he every now and then addressed to them, many were so bold and valorous that for their honor they fell on the spot, disdaining to fly. The division on the side of the Spaniards which behaved the best, and was also the best fought with, was that commanded by sir Ber. trand du Guesclin ; for there were on both sides true men-at-arms, who exerted themselves to the utmost of their abilities. Many gal- lant deeds were performed by them. Sir John Chandos distinguished himself particularly. He governed, that day, the duke of Lancaster, in the same manner he had done the prince of Wales at the battle of Poitiers ; for which he was exceedingly praised and honored, as was indeed but just ; when such a valiant and good knight thus acquits himself toward his lords, ho is worthy of honor and respect. Sir John, therefore, during the day, never thought of making any pris- oners with his own hand, but was solely occupied in fighting and pushing forward. However, many good knights and squires from Arragon, France, and Brittany, were made prisoners by his people, and under his banner : particularly sir Bertrand du Guesclin, sir Arnold d'Andreghen, the bfegue de Villaines, with upward of sixty knights ; consequently the battalion of sir Bertrand was discomfited. All those who had come thither from France and Anagon were either slain or taken. Among the slain was the bfegue de Villiers. The lord d'Antoing in Hainault, the lord de Briseuil, sir Gauvin de Bailleul, sir John de Bergettes, sir I'Allemand de St. Venant, with many others, were made prisoners. Upon this the banners and pennons, that is to say, the banner of the duke of Lancaster, the banner of sir John Chandos, the banner of the two marshals, and the pennon of St. George and others, returned toward the division which was commanded by king Henry, shouting out, " St. George, forGuienne !" Upon this the Spaniards, and those who supported them, were repulsed. On one side, was seen the captal de Buch and the lord de Clisson manfully engaged : on another, sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt, sir Hugh Calverly, the souldich do I'Es- trade, and sh- John Devereux, showed themselves good knights. The prince shone preeminently : he proved his noble birth, and the gallantry of his knighthood, by his eagerness to seek his enemies,. and bravely fighting with them. On the other hand, king Henry acquitted himself right valiantly in every situation : he more than once rallied his men to the combat ; for when they saw don Tello take flight, accompanied by two thou. Sand men, they began to be cast down, and the greater part of them were so much frightened, that they were willing to follow his ex. ample ; but king Henry galloping up to the foremost, said, " My good lords, what are you doing ? why would you thus seek to abandon and betray me? you who have chosen me for your king, and placed the crown of Castille upon my head, giving me the inheritance of it ? Return back, and help me to guard, defend, and maintain it : remain steady near to me, for, through God's grace, the day shall still be ours " By such speeches as these, he encouraged many, and caused them to fight boldly : they could not for shame fly, when they saw their king and lord act himself so vigorously in the combat, and address such friendly words to them. More than fifteen hundred persons lost their lives by this management, who would otherwise have been saved by taking advantage of a favorable opportunity, it it had not been for their love of the king. After the defeat of the battalion of sir Bertrand du Guesclin and the marshal d'Andreghen, when all the divisions of the prince were formed into one large body, the Spaniards could no longer keep their ground, but began to fly in great disorder, much frightened, toward the town of Najaixa,* and to cross the river which runs by it : in spite of everything king Henry could say, they would not rally nor return to the fight. When king Henry perceived that his army was totally defeated, without hopes of recovery, he called for his horse, mounted it, and gal- loped among the crowd of runaways, but was careful not to take the road either to Najarra or to the river : for he wished not to he sur- rounded ; he followed another road, to avoid every danger ; in which he acted wisely, as he was fully aware that, if he should be made prisoner, he would be slain without mercy. The English and Gas. cons now mounted their horses, and went in pursuit of the Spaniards, who were flying in dismay, as far as Najarra. There was much slaughter and effusion of blood at the entrance of the bridge : many were killed and drowned : for great numbers leaped into the river, which was both rapid and deep, preferring the being drowned to being murdered. In this flight, there were two valiant men of Spain, knights at amis, who wore, however, the dress of monks : one was called the grand prior of St. Jago, the other the grand master of the order of Calatrava : they and their attendants threw themselves for safety into the town of Najarra, but were so closely pursued by the English and Gascons, who were at their heels, that they- won the bridge with great slaughter, and entered the town with them. They took poa- * D. Sauvage will have it NavarrelUl ; but I think it must beNojarra, for they would never run away toward Xavanelta, but on the contrary toward their own homes. The battle was fought between Najarra and Navarrelta. A river runs by Nnjarra, none by Navarretta. The Ebro is not far distant ; but, if they had crossed that river, there would have been mention made of Logrono : and besides, they would then have been in an enemy's country. •168 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. session of a strong house, which was well built with worked stone : but this was soon gained, the knights taken, many of the people killed, and the whole town pillaged. The English and Gascons gained considerable riches ; they went to the lodgings of king Henry and the other Spanish lords, where the first comers found quantities ■of plate and jewels ; for king Henry and his army had come thither with much splendor, and after the defeat had not leisure to return to .place in security what they had left behind them in the morning. The defeat was very complete and dreadful, especially upon the banks of this river, where numbers were slain. Some said, as I have heard from those who were there, that the river below Najarra was tinged with the blood of men and horses there killed. This battle was fought between Najarra and Navarretta, in Spain, on Saturday the third day of April, in the year of our Lord 1367. CHAPTER CCXLII. ALL CASTILLE, AFTER THE BATTLE OF NAVAERETTA, ACKNOWLEDGES DON PEDRO. HE PROTRACTS THE STAY OF THE PRINCE OF WALES AT VALLA. BOLm, WHILE HE SEEKS FOR MONEY TO PAY THE ARMY. After this defeat at the battle of Navarretta, which was com- pleted before noon, the prince of Wales ordered his banner to be fixed in a bush, on a small eminence, as a rallying-point for his men, on their return from the pursuit of the enemy. The duke of Lan- caster, sir John Chandos, the lord de Clisson, the captal de Buch, the earl of Arraagnac, the lord d'Albret and the other barons came ■thither ; their banners were displayed to assemble their men, who formed themselves under them as they returned. The lord James, king of Majorca, was there, with his banner before him : his men collected themselves. A little higher was don Martin de la Carra, with the banner of his lord, the king of Navarre. In similar order were all the other earls and barons drawn up ; so that it was a beau- tiful sight to look at and contemplate. The king, don Pedro, came thither in a great heat from the pur- suit, mounted upon a black courser, with his banner, emblazoned with the arms of Castille, borne before him : he dismounted as soon as he perceived the banner of the prince, and advanced toward it. When the prince saw him coming, he hastened, out of respect, to meet him. Don Pedro would have cast liimself on his knees, to return thanks to the prince, but he would not suffer it, and took him by the hand ; upon which don Pedro said : "Dear and fair cousin, I owe you many thanks and praises for the event of this day, which I have gained through your means." The prince replied ; " Sir, render your thanks to God ; for to liim alone belongs the praise : the victory comes from him, and not from me." The lords of the council of the prince were now assembled, and conversed on difterent matters. The prince remained there so long that all his men were retm-ned from the pursuit, when he ordered four knights, with as many heralds, to search the field of battle, and see what men of rank had been killed ; and also to know of a truth what was become of king Henry called the Bastard, if he were among the dead or not, for at that time they knew nothing certain about him. After having given these orders, the prince and his barons descended toward the quarters of king Henry and the Spaniards. The army, according to orders, spread itself abroad among the tents of the enemy, where they found plenty of every sort of provision, from the want of which they had so lately suffered. They made themselves very comfortable, and supped with great joy. After sup- per, the knights and heralds who had been sent to examine the field of battle, returned, and reported, from the account they had taken, that only five hundred and sixty men-at-arms lay dead; that they had not found the body of king Henry, which was displeasing informa- tran to don Pedro. Among the dead, they had only found four knights of their party ; two of whom were Gascons, one a German, and the other an Englishman. But of the commonalty they said there were about seven thousand five hundred dead, without counting those drowned, the numbers of whom they were ignorant of; and of their own party about forty common men. They reposed themselves this Saturday night at their ease ; they were well enabled to do so, from the great plenty of provision and wine they had met with. They remained there the whole of the en- suing day, which was Palm-Sunday, to refresh themselves. On that morning, about six o'clock, when the prince was risen and dressed, he came forth from his tent, and the duke of Lancaster, the earl of Annagnac, the lord d'Albret, sir John Chandos, the captal de Buch, the lord de Pommiers, sir Guiscard d'Angle, the king of Majorca, with a great number of knights and squires, advanced to pay their respects to him. Soon afterwards, the king don Pedro came thither, to whom the prince paid every respect and honor. Don Pedro, having saluted him, said ; " Dear lord and fair cousin, I entreat and beseech you, as a mark of your friendship, that you will have the kindness to deliver up to me the traitors to my country, especially my brother Sancho the bastard, and the others, that I may cut off their heads ; for they have done me much injury." The prince of Wales, after having considered for a moment the request which don Pedro had just made him, answered : " Sir king, I have also a request to make you ; and I beg of you, in the name of our friendship and connection, that you will not deny it to me." Don Pedro, who could refuse him nothing, assented, saying : " My lord and fair cousin, whatever I have is yours." Upon which the prince replied : " Sir king, I entreat and beg of you to pardon all the ill which your rebellious subjects have done against you. You will do an act of kindness and generosity, and will by this means remain in peace in your kingdom. But I except from this amnesty Gomez Ga- rilz; for I am willing you should do with him as best pleases you." The king don Pedro granted this favor, though much against hia inclination : he dared not refuse it, feeling himself under so many obligations : he therefore answered, " Fair cousin, I will grant your request." All the Spanish prisoners who were in the army of the prince were then sent for, and he gave them up to the king don Pedro, their lord. The king kissed the earl don Sancho, his brother, and forgave him all his misdeeds toward him, as well as all the others, on condition that they would swear fealty, homage, and ser. vice, and would become his vassals, and acknowledge him for their lord. This courtesy and much more did the prince to don Pedro, who but very little remembered them, as you will see in the continuation of this history. He made very liberal presents to the barons of Spain who had been his prisoners. If the king could have had them given up to him, in his rage he would infallibly have put them all to death. Gomez Garilz- was delivered up to him ; for whom he would not hear of any ransom, so much did he hate him, but had him beheaded before his eyes, on the outside of the tent. After this, don Pedro mounted on horseback, attended by his brother don San. cho, and all those who were again become his subjects, with the two marshals of the priace, sir Guiscard d'Angle and sir Stephen Cos- sington, and upward of five hundred men-at-arms ; they set out from the army of the prince, and rode toward Burgos, where they arrived on the Monday morning. The inhabitants of Burgos, who had been informed of the defeat of king Henry, had neither the will nor inclination to shut them- selves up in the town, to hold out against their prince. The richest and principal persons of the city went out of the gates, to present the keys to don Pedro, whom, after acknowledging for their lord, they conducted with all his company, in great pomp and solemnity, into the city of Burgos. The prince remained all Sunday in his newly-acquired quarters. On Monday, after vespers, he and his army decamped, and marched to Villorado, where he halted until the Wednesday following, when he marched to Burgos. The prince entered the town in great parade. With him were the duke of Lancaster, the earl of Armagnac, and others of the principal lords. The army encamped in the plains with, out the town, in which there was not room to quarter them comfort- ably. The prince visited his army every day during its encampment on the plain ; for his tent was there pitched, and he gave judgment concerning arms and all things thereunto belonging ; he there kept the field and wager of battle ; so that one may truly say, all Spain was for some days under his command. The prince of Wales and the king don Pedro celebrated the fes. tival of Easter in the city of Burgos, where they tarried upward of three weeks. On Easter-day, the deputies from Asturias, Leon, Cordova, Seville, and from all the other towns and provinces de. pendent on the crown of Castille, came to Burgos to do homage to don Pedro. That loyal knight of Castille, don Ferdinand de Castro, came also thither to pay his respects, whom they handsomely enter- tained, and were happy in seeing. When the king don Pedro had resided in Burgos rather more than the time I have mentioned, and had learnt from exact information that the rebellion was at an end, all having returned to their allegi- ance, the prince of Wales, in order to satisfy his army, and to act conformably to what was becoming him, said to the king : " Sir king, you are now, thanks to God, king and lord over your country : all rebellion and opposition to you are at an end : we therefore remain here at such very great expense, that I must desire you will provide yourself with money suflicient to pay those who have replaced yoa in your kingdom, and that you now fulfil all the articles of the trea- ties which you have sworn and sealed to perform. We shall feel ourselves obliged by your so doing, and as speedily as it may be possible, which may be the more profitable to you ; for you know that men-at-arms will live, and, if they be not paid, will help them- selves." The king don Pedro replied as follows : " Sir cousin, we will punctually perform, as far as shall be in our loyal power, what- ever we have promised and sworn to : but at this moment we have no money : we will therefore set out for Seville and its environs, and will there collect a sufficiency to satisfy every one. If you will march to Valladolid, which is a fertile country, we will return to you, as soon as it shall be in our power, but at the latest by Whit- suntide." This answer was agreeable to the prince and his council. The king don Pedro left the prince abruptly, and went to Seville with the intention of procuring money. The prince marched to Vallado- lid, where he fixed his quarters. The army was spread over the country about that town, in order to find provision for themselves and horses ; they continued there with little profit to the peasants, for the companies could not refrain from pillaging. News was immediately carried through Fiance, England, Ger- many, and other countries, that the prince of Wales had defeated CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN &- c . 1G9 king Henry (who was himself either taken, dror.ned, or slain,) with upward of a hundred thousand men, in a regular battle. The prince was therefore the more honored and renowned for it wherever true knighthood and deeds of enterprise were esteemed, particularly in the empire of Germany and in England. The Germans, Flemings, and English declared the prince of Wales was the mirror of knight- hood, and that such a prince was worthy of governing the whole world, who, by personal prowess, had gained three glorious victories : the first at Crecy in Ponthicu, the second at Poitiers ten years after- wards, and the third in Spain at Najarra. The citizens of London made solemn shows, triumplis, and feasts, for this victory ; such as were formerly done in honor of their kings, who had taken a town or defeated their enemies. But in France, there was much lamentation for the knights of that kingdom, who had been cither slain or made prisoners ; more espe- cially for sir Bertrand du Gueschn, sir Arnold d'Andreghen, and several others, who, however, were courteously treated, and some immediately set at Uberty on their ransom. Sir Bertrand had not his freedom so soon ; for sir John Chandos, whose prisoner he was, being unwilling to consent to it, sir Bertrand was not over-pressing on the subject. We will now speak a little of king Henry, what became of him after his flight from the battle, and then return to the prince of Wales and king don Pedro of CastiUe. CHAPTER CCXLIII. KIKG nENRT OF CASTILLE UAVING ESCAPED FROM THE BATTLE OF NAJAR- KA, MAKES WAK rrON AQUITAINE. THE FKINCE OF WALES LEAVES SPAIN, DISCONTENTED WITH THE KIKG DON PEDRO. King Henry, as has been before related, escaped the best w'ay he could, and leaving his enemies behind him, conducted his wife and children as quickly as he was able to the city of Valencia, where the king of Arragon resided, who was his godfather and friend : to iiim he related the ill success of the battle. Upon considering the state of his affairs, he deteniiined to make a long journey, and visit the duke of Anjou, who was then at Montpellier, to tell him of his njis- fortunes. The king of Arragon approved of this plan, and consented to his leaving him, because the duke was an enemy to the prince of Wales, who was his too near neighbor. King Henry then departed from the king of Arragon, leaving his wife and children in the city of Valencia. Pursuing his journey, he passed through Narboune, which is the first city of the realm of France on that side ; then through Beziers, and that country, until he arrived at Montpellier, where he found the duke of Anjou, who loved him much and as cordially hated the English, though he was not at war with them. The duke, who had before heard of his ill fortune, received king Henry in the handsomest manner and comforted him by every means in his power. He remained with him some time, and then set out for Avignon, to visit pope Urban V., who was about to depart for Rome, which he shortly afterwards did. King Henry then returned to Montpellier, to the duke of Anjou, when some treaties were entered into between them. It was related to me, by those who at the time thought themselves well informed of what was going on (and there is every appearance from ensuing circumstances that it was true,) that king Henry bought or borrowed of the duke of .\njou, a castle near Toulouse, upon the borders of the principality ; which castle was called Roquemaure.* He there assembled some of the free companies, such as Bretons and others, who had not fallowed the prince into Spain : they amounted, at this commencement, to tliree hundred. News was immediately dispatched to the princess of Wales, who had remained at Bordeaux, that king Henry was seeking for assist- ance, and making preparations on all sides, to wage war upon the principality and the duchy of Guienne. She was much astonished on hearing it ; but, since he was upon the territories belonging to the crown of France, she sent special embassadors to the king of France, to entreat he would not suffer the bastard of Spain to make war upon her, nor to have any support from France to carry such designs into effect, for too serious evils would arise from it. The king of France immediately assented to the request of the princess : he sent messengers in haste to the bastard Henry (who still remained in the castle of Roquemaure, near to Montauban, and who had already begun to make war upon Aquitaine and the territories * " Roquemaure." From all tlie searches 1 Lave made, Froi>^art seems to have been misinformed as to the castle king Henry retired to from Montpellier. " Henry and the duke of Anjou went together to .'Vvignon. On their return, they en- tered into a treaty, as well against don Pedro as the English; hut this was kept secret. Henry then retired to his coirite do Cessenon, in the diocese of St. Pons and of Beziers. Being distressed tor money, he sold this county, with the castles of Cessenon, of Servian. Thesim, &c,. to the king of France, for the sum of 27,000 gold francs. Henry gave a receipt for this sum, 27lh July, and then went with his family to reside at the castle of Pierre Pertnse, where he had rested on coming from Spain "—Hist, dc Lan^edoc. This castle of Pierre Pertuse 1 believe to be the castle which J'roissart calls Roque- maure. It was demolished by Lcmis XIV. after the peace of Nimeguen, who built the castle of Bellegarde on its ruins. It is a very strong situation, commanding the Col de Pertos. Roussillon at that time was attached to the crown of Arragon. There is a town called Roquemaure in tipper Languedoc, near to and in the diocese of Montauban, so that Froissart may be ritjht, notwithstanding what the historian of Irftnguedoc says, which I have just quoted. of the prince,) commandin-g him as he was a resident in his kingdom, not to wage war on the principality of his dear nephew the prince of Wales and of Aquitaine. To give greater weight to these orders, and as an example for his subjects not to form any alliance with the bastard Henry, he sent the young earl of Au.xerre to prison in the castle of the Louvre in Paris, because he had entered into treaties with king Heniy, and as it was said, was to join him with a large body of men-at-arms : the king of France made him give up this expedition, and dissolve the connection. King Henry paid obedience to the orders of the king of France, as it was natural he should : but for all this he did not think the lees of his attempt. He departed from the castle of Roquemaure, with about four hundred Bretons, having for his allies the following knights and squires : sir Arnold de Limousin, sir Geoffry Ricons, sir Pons de Laconet, Silvester Budes, Allot de Calais,* and Alain de St. Pol. These men-at-arms, Bretons as well as others, advanced into the territories of the prince, and galloping boldly through the mountains, entered the principality by Bigone, and took by escalade a town called Bagnieres.t They repaired and fortified it very strongly ; whence they made irruptions on the territories of the prince, to which they did much mischief. But the princess sent after them sir James Audley, who had remained as governor in Aquitaine, to guard the country. Notwithstanding this, king Henry and the Bretons did a great deal of damage ; for his army was continually increasing. We will now return to the prince of Wales and his army, who had been encamped at Valladolid and its environs waiting for the return of don Pedro. The prince had continued at Valladolid until after the feast of St. John the Baptist, expecting don Pedro, who did not return, nor could he learn any certain tidings of him. He became very melancholy, and assembled his council, that they might deliberate what was best to be done. The council advised the prince to send two or three knights to remonstrate with the king on his situation, and to demand the reason why he did not keep to the engagement he had made, nor return the day he had himself appointed. Sir Nele Loring, sir Richard Pontchardon, and sir Thomas Banister were ordered to make themselves ready to wait on don Pedro. These knights of the prince set out immediately, and rode on until they came to the city of Seville, where don Pedro was, who, in outward appearance, received them with great joy. The knights delivered their message punctually and literally, as they had been ordered by the prince. The king don Pedro replied, and by way of excusing himself, said : " It is, my lords, very dis- pleasing most certainly to us, that wc have not been able to per. form what we covenanted to do with our cousin the prince. We have remonstrated ourselves, and made others do so with our sub- jects, frequently on this business ; but our people excuse themselves, and say they cannot collect any money as long as the free companies remain in the country, for they have killed three or four of our treas. urers, who were carrying sums of money toward the prince our consul. You will therefore tell him from us that we entreat he will have the goodness to send out of our kingdom these wicked com- panies, and that he wiU leave us some of his knights, to whom, in his name, we will pay such sums of money as he demands, and which we hold oiK'selves obliged and botmd to pay him." This was all the answer the knights could obtain. They took leave of don Pedro, and returned to the prince at Valladolid ; to whom, and to his council, they related all they had seen or heard. This answer made the prince more melancholy than before, because he clearly found that, though the king don Pedro entered into agree- ments, he put off the fulfilling of them. During the stay the prince made at Valladolid, which was upward of four of the hottest months, the king of Majorca was confined to his bed, through sickness ; at which the prince and the other lords were very much concerned. At tliis place sir Arnold d'Andreghen, and le bfegue de Villaines, with several knights of France and Brit- tany, who had been made prisoners, were ransomed, or exchanged, for sir Thomas Felton, sir Richard Causton, sir Hugh Hastings, and others. But sir Bertrand du Guesclin remained still in the power of the prince, for he was not ransomed so soon. The English and council of the prince thought, that if he obtained his liberty, he would immediately join the bastard Henry, and carry on the war with fresh vigor. The prince heard that Henry had entered Bigorre, had taken Bagnieres, and was wasting his principality : on which account he was not in any haste to grant sir Bertrand his liberty. When the prince of Wales had considered the answer of don Pedro, he was more disturbed than ever, and ordered his council to give him their opinions on it. His people, who were anxious to re- turn, (for the air and heat of Spain had been very hurtful to their health ; even the prince himself was unwell, and in low spirits ;) re- commended a retreat, and declared that don Pedro had shamefully and dishonorably failed in his engagements. Orders were immediately given for the returii of the army. When they were on the eve of their departure, the prince sent sir Hugh Courtenay and sir John Chandos to inform the king of Majorca of the reasons why he was about to quit Spain ; and that he shoidd be very * Barnes calls him Eliot du Carhais. t " Bagnieres"— a town of Bigorre, diocese of Tarbes, 170 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. much concerned to leave him behind, in case he wished to return. The king of Majorca replied to the knights : " I give my lord the prince, our brother soldier, my best thanks ; but i'or the present I cannot ride, nor, until God please, can I raise my foot to the stirrup." The knights answered, by inquiring if he wished the prince should leave behind some men-at-arms, as a guard for him, and to conduct him when he should be in a situation to mount on horseback ? The king said, " By no means, for it is imcertain how long I may be forced to remain here." Upon this, the knights took leave of the king, and returned to the prince ; to whom they related what had passed, with the answers of the king of Majorca. He replied, "Be it so, then." The prince and his whole army now be- gan their march toward a good city called Madrigay,* where he stayed a short time. He then advanced to a val- ley called de Foirie,t upon the borders of Spain, Arra- gon, and Navarre, where he and his army remained up- ward of a month : for some of the passes on the borders of Arragon were shut against him ; and it was reported in the army, that the king of Navarre (who had lately come out of prison) had com- promised his quarrel with the bastard of Spain and the king of Arragon, and had engaged to cut off the retreat of the prince through his dominions. However, as it appeared after- wards, there was no truth in this report : nevertheless, it was suspected, because he was in his kingdom, and had not waited on the prince. While the prince remained in this situation, he sent nego- tiators to an appointed place between Spain and -Arragon, where they met others from the king of Arragon, with whom they had long confer- ences for several days : at last, it w'as finally agreed, that the king of Arragon should open his country for the peaceable return of the prince and his army : through which they were to pass, without doing any violence or molestation, and paying courteously for whatever they should want. The king of Navarre, when he found that a treaty had been en. tered into with the king of Arragon, came to meet the prince, at- tended by don Martin de la Carra. He paid him every respect and honor, handsomely offering a passage through his dominions, for himself, his brother, the duke of Lancaster, as well as for several barons and knights of England and of Gascony ; but he was anxious that the free companies should take any other road than through Navarre. The prince and the lords, who knew that their march would be much shortened by going through Navarre, were not willing to re. nounce such a favor : they therefore greatly thanked the king for his offer : and the prince managed him so well that he obtained the same permission for the companies as for the rest of his army, assuring the king, upon his word and oath, that they should pass so peaceably, and pay so well for what they might want, that he would be satisfied with them. The prince, therefore, and his men-at-arms, quitted the kingdom of Castille, on their return, marching as quietly as they could through Navarre. The prince was attended by the king of Navarre and don Martin de la Carra, as far as Roncevaux ; whence he continued his march to Bayonne, where he was received with great joy. He re- mained there four days, to repose and recruit himself. When he approached Bordeaux, he wa.s received with great solemnity ; the princess of Wales came out to meet him, accompanied with her eldest son, Edward, who was then about three years old. He there disbanded his army ; the men-at-arms departed difleren; ways : the lords, barons, and knights of Gascony, to their castles ; the knights of England to their governments, or high stewardships; and the free companies as they returned, remained in the principal- ity waiting for payment. The prince, who thought himself much obliged to them, was desirous of satisfying them as far as was in his power, and as soon as money could be raised. He said, that " al- though don Pedro had not kept his engagements, it was not becom- ing him to act in like manner to those who had so well served him." * "Madrigay." Agreda— Col-LlNs's Hist, of the Black Prince. t "Foirie/* Vale of Sona, between Arragon and Spain.— Collins. CHAPTER CCXLIV. AFTEK THE KETUBN OF THE PRINCE TO AQUITAINE, HENRY KING Ol CASTILLE LEAVES BAGNIEKES IN BIGORRE, AND RETIRES TO THE KIIfG. DOM OF ARRAGON. SIR BERTEAND DU GUESCLIN OBTAINS HIS RAN. SOM. THE FREE COMPANIES OF THE PRINCE ENTER THE KINGDOM' OF FRANCE. SOME OF THE GREAT BARONS OF AQUITAINE COMPLAIN TO KING CHARLES OF FRANCE OF A CERTAIN TAX, CALLED FOUAGE,* WHICH THE PRINCE WAS ABOUT TO LAY ON THEIR LANDS. As soon as king Henry, who had remained in the garrison of Bag- niers for a considerable time, heard of the prince's return from Spaia into the principality, he set out, accompanied by all his men.at.arms. Scenery of the Pyrenees, on the Spanish side. From an original Sketch. Bretons and companions, toward the king of Arragon, who had much affection for him, and who received him with great joy. He passed there the whole winter: when new treaties were entered into between them, to carry on the war against don Pedro. The Bretons, who were his adherents, had already made incursions into ' Spain, in the name of king Henry : they were commanded by sir Arnold de Limousin, sir Geoffry Ricons and sir Pons de Lakonet. We will now relate how sir Bertrand du Guesclin obtained his liberty. After the prince was returned to Aquitaine, liis brother the duke of Lancaster to England, and all the other barons to their dif- ferent homes, sir Bertrand du Guesclin remained prisoner to the prince and to sir John Chandcs ; for he could not by any means ob- tain his ransom ; which was highly displeasing to king Henry, but he could not remedy it. Now it happened (as I have been informed) that one day, when the prince was in great yood humor, he called sir Bertrand du Gues. clin, and asked him how he was. " My lord," replied sir Bertrand, "I was never better: I cannot otherwise but be well, for I am, though in prison, the most honored knight in the world." " How * Foimse ; " a yearly tax levied in old lime, by supreme lords, upon every chimney or house fire kept within their dominions. In Charles V.'s time, it was four livres tournois Since that time, in most places the tallies have been introduced in lieu thereof. The tallies were originally only allowed in ft>ur cases: nouvelle ehevolerie. marriage des filles, voyage d'oiitre-iner.et caplivile. Charles VII. made them nniinary. All gentle men, orsuchol'n get,tlemanly profession, are exempted from them."— Cotgrave's/?zc iionnry — Fouagc — Taille. " The taille was levied on goods, moveable and immoveable. It amounted to the tenth part of the revenues. A false declaration occasioned Ibe conliscauon of the over- plus.— iBcaumanoir, cliap. I..) VVIien the kings imposed the taille on the subjects ol their domain, those barons who were bound to serve them in their wars laid it on their vassals. According to a regulation ol St. Louis, the parishes elected thirty or forty men, who from among tliemselves chose twelve that were appointed to apportion this lax : and they swore on the Gospels, neitber to favor nor injure any one through love or batted. These tvi-elve men elected in their turn four who were appointed to raise this "The aide was a tax which the principal barons levied in money from Uieir vassale. There were two sorts of aides, ' I'aide legitime,' which was rigorously exacted in cer- tain instances, such as the ransom of the lord, t'ne marriage of the eldesl daughter, Uie knighthood of the son, the accession of the presumptive heir to the estate. I' rom Uus aide, the clergy were not exempted. The other was called '■ rnule gracienx. It was demanded as a gift in certain cases, and depended on the will of the inferior. It wa» granted when the lord wentcroisa.ling to I'alestmi^wbeu he himself or bis bvoli.er, ww armed kni-ht-when he married his sister or younger children-when he built or repaired any castle-when be was at war for the defence of bis lands. This voluntary lax was not long before it became a forced one."-Introduction to M. Levksque s Utst. et France under the first five Valois. vol. i. pp. 325, &c. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 171 ao ?" rejoined the prince. " They say in France," answered sir Bertrand, " as well as in other countries, that you are so much afraid of me, and have sucli a dread of my gaining my liberty, that you dare not set me free ; and this is my reason for thinking myself so much valued and honored." The prince, on hearing these words, thought sir Bertrand had spoken them with much good sense ; for, in truth, his council were unwilling he should have liis liberty, until don Pedro had paid to the prince and his army the money he had en- gaged to do : he answered, " What, sir Bertrand, do you imagine that we keep you a prisoner for fear of your prowess V By St. George, it is not so ; for my good sir, if you will pay one hundred thousand francs, you shall be free." Sir Bertrand was an.\ious for his liberty, and now having heard upon what terms he could obtain it, taking the prince at his word, replied, " My lord, through God's will, I will never pay a less sum." The prince, when he heard this, began to repent of what he had done. It is said, that some of his council went farther, and told him ; " My lord, you have acted very wrong, in thus granting him so easily his ransom." They wanted to break through the agreement; but the prince, who was a good and loyal knight, replied, " Since we have granted it, we will keep to it, and not act any way contrary ; for it would be a shame, and we should be blamed by every one for not agreeing to his ransom, when he has oflercd to pay so largely for it as one hundred thousand francs." From the time of this conversation, sir Bertrand was taking great pains to seek the money, and was so active, that by the assistance of the king of France and the duke of Anjou, who loved him well, he paid in less than a month the hundred tliousand francs, and went to the aid of the duke of Anjou, with two thousand combatants, in Provence, where the duke was laying siege to Tarascon, which held out for the queen of Naples. At this period,* a treaty of maniage was entered into between the lord Lionel, duke of Clarence and earl of Ulster, with the daugh. ter of the lord Galeas, sovereign of Milan. This young lady was niece to the earl of Savoy, being daughter of the lady Blanche, his sister. The treaty was so well conducted on both sides that it was agreed upon. The duke of Clarence came from England, attended by a great number of English knights and squires to France, where he was received by the king, the duke of Burgundy, the duke of Bourbon, the lord de Courcy, and magnificently feasted at Paris. He passed through France, and entered Savoy, where the gallant earl received him most honorably, at Chamberry : he was hand. 49omely entertained there, during three days, by the ladies, both young and old. On the fourth day, he departed. The carl of Savoy conducted him to Milan, where he espoused his niece, the daughter of the lord Galeas, on the Monday after Trinity, in the year 1368. We will now return to the afi'airs of France. You have before heard of the expedition which the prince of Wales made into Spain ; how he had left it, discontented with the conduct of don Pedro, and was returned to Aquitaine. When he arrived at Bordeaux, he was followed by all the men-at-arms ; for they were unwilling to remain in Spain longer, because they could not obtain their pay from don Pedro, according to the engagements he had entered into with them. At the time of their return, the prince had not been able to collect money sufficient for them as speedily as he could have wished ; for it was wonderful to imagine how much this expedition had impoverished and drained him : for which reason, those men kept their quarters in Aquitaine, and could not be prevented from doing mischief, as they were upward of six thousand fighting men. The prince had them spoken to, and en. treated that they would change their quarters, and seek elsewhere for a maintenance, for he could not longer support them. The captains of these companies (who were all English or Gas- cons ; namely, sir Robert Briquet, John Tresnelle, sir Robert Che- ney, sir Gail'ard Viguier, la bourg de Breteuil, le bourg Camus, Ic bourg de I'Espane, Nandon de Bagerant, Bernard de la Salle, Ortigo, la Nuit, and several others) were not willing to anger the prince ; they therefore quitted the principality as soon as possible, and en- tered France, which they called their home, by crossing the river Loire. They halted in Champngne, in the archbishopric of Rheims, in the bishobrics of Noyons and Soissons, and their numbers were daily increasing. They were .so much blamed for their former deeds by the French, which greatly irritated them, that they would willingly, as it appeared, have fought with all France, if they had been listened to : and to put this to the hazard, they made incur- sions through the kingdom of France, where they did so much dam- age and such wicked acts, as caused great tribulation. Complaints were frequently made of them to the king of France and to his council ; but they could not remedy it, for they were afraid of risk- ing a battle, and some of those who had been made prisoners from the French garrisons said that the prince of Wales encouraged them underhand. Many in France were astonished at this conduct of the prince. At last, the king of France sent for the lordde Clisson, and appointed him captain againe^t these disorderly companies, because he was a good and hardy knight, for which the king was very fond of him. At this time, a marriage was concluded between the lord d'Albret ♦See Rymer. 1366. 1367, 1368, where the treaty is at length, and the names of those who accompanied the duke of Clarence to Milan. and the lady Isabella de Bourbon, which was not very agreeable to the prince of Wales, who would have wished that he had chosen hia wife from another house. He spoke very coarsely and rudely both of him and his bride. The principal persons of his council, as well knights as squires, made excuses for him as well as they could, by saying, " Every one advances and aggrandizes himself in the best way he can ; and a gallant knight ought never to be blamed, if he seek for honor and profit in the way most agreeable to himself, pro- vided he do not fail in his service to the lord whose vassal he is." By these, and such like words, was the prince answered, in hopes of appeasing him : but nevertheless, in spite of appearances, he was very far from being satisfied ; for he was well aware that this mar- riage would cause an estrangement of aflfection from him and from his party, as in truth it happened, according to what will be hereafter more fully explained. Duiing the time the companies were quartering themselves in France, the prince of Wales was advised by some of his council to lay a tax on the lands of Aquitaine : the bishop of Rhodez in Rouer- gue, in particular, took great pains to persuade him to it. The estab- lishments of the prince and the princess were so grand, that no prince in Christendom maintained greater magnificence. The barons of Gascony, Poitou, Saintonge and Rouergue, who had the right of remonstrating, as well as those from the principal towns in Aquitaine, were summoned to a council on this tax. This parliament was held at Niort ; when the bishop of Rhodez, chancellor of Aquitaine, in the presence of the prince, explained fully the nature of this tax, in what manner it was to be levied, and, that the prince had not any intentions to continue it longer than for five years, or until he should have satisfied the large debt which had been caused by the Spanish expedition. The deputies fiom Poitou, Saintonge, Limousin, Rouergue and La Roehelle, were agreeable to this impo- sition, provided the prince would keep his coin to the same standard for seven years : but it was refused by those from the upper parts of Gascony, namely, the earl of Armagnac, the lord d'Albret, his nephew, the earl of Comminges, the viscount of Carmain, the lord de la Barde, the lord de Cande, the lord de Pincornct, and several great barons from the counties, cities and good towns under their jurisdiction, saj'. ing, that " in former times, when they were under the vassalage of the king of France, they were not oppressed by any tax, subsidy, or imposition or gabelle, and that they never would submit to any such oppression so long as they could defend themselves : that their lands and lordships were free from all duties, and that the prince had sworn to maintain them in this state. Nevertheless, in order to leave the parliament of the prince in an amicable manner, they declared, they would, when returned to their own country, consider this business more fully : and that they would consult several prelates, bishops, abbots, barons and knights, to whom it belonged to speak more de- liberately on this demand than had hitherto been done." The prince of Wales and his council not being able to gain more at this time, the parliament broke up at Niort, and each person returned to his own home ; but they were commanded by the prince to return again by a certain day, which had been fixed tipon before they broke up. These lords and barons of Gascony being arrived in their own country, and having their opinions strengthened, were resolved neither to return again to the parliament of the prince nor to suffer this tax to be imposed upon their lands, even should they be obliged to oppose force in preventing it. Thus this country began its rebel, lion against the prince. The lords of Armagnac, d'Albret, de Com. minges, the earl of Perigord, and several great prelates, barons, knights and squires of Gascony, went to France, to lay their com- plaints before the court of the king of France (the king and his peers being present) of the wrongs the prince was about to do them. They said, they were under the jurisdiction of the king of France, and that they were bound to return to him as to their sovereign lord. The king of France, who was desirous not openly to infringe the peace between the king of England and him, dissembled his joy at these words, and replied in a guarded manner to the barons of Gas- cony, saying ; " Certainly, my lords, we shall always be very an.xious to preserve and even augment the jurisdiction of our inheritance, and of the crown of France ; but we have sworn, as onr father had done, to several articles of the peace, all of which we do not now recollect ; we will have them looked into and examined, and all that shall be in them to our and to your advantage we will aid you to preserve. We will endeavor to make up your difl'erences with our dear nephew the prince of Wales ; for perhaps it has been through evil advisers that he has wished to encroach upon you and your vassals' franchises." With this answer, which the king made to them ofl'.hand, the Gas- cons were mightily satisfied, and remained at Paris, near the king's person, without wishing to return home. The prince was not pleased at this conduct. He continued to per- severe, and to make his council persevere, in the affair of the hearth. tax. Sir John Chandos, who was one of the principal of his council and a valorous knight, was of a contrary ophiion, and wanted the prince to desist : so that, when he saw he could not succeed, in order that he might not be accused, nor have any blame, he requested leave of the prince to visit his estate of St. Sauveur le Vicomte, of which he was lord, for he had not been there these three years. The prince granted him leave ; and sir John Chandos set out from Poitou to Coutantin, and remained in the town of St. Sauveur upward of 172 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, & c . half a year. In the mean time, the prince proceeded with this tax, which, if it had been properly managed, would have been worth twelve hundred thousand franca, one paying with the other one franc each fire. We will now return to king Henry, who had remained in the kmgdom of Arragon, and relate how he conducted his affairs. CHAPTER CCXLV. THF BASTARD HENRY OF CASTILLE, BY THE ASSISTANCE OF THE KIXG OF ARRAGON AND SIR BERTRAND DU GtJESCLIN, AGAtN MAKES WAR UPON HIS BROTHER DON PEDRO. HAVING DEFEATED HIM IN A BATTLE, HE IS MADE PRISONER, AND MURDERED. HENRY REMAINS KING OP SPAIN. The situation of the prince of Wales and the state of his affairs were well known to the neighboring monarchs ; particularly to the king of Arragon and king Henry ; for they took great pains to gain information concerning them. They had been truly told how the barons of Gascony were gone to Paris, to wait on the king; and that all that country was beginning to rebel against the prince. This intelligence was not displeasing to either of the above-mentioned kings, especially king Henry, who looked forward to the conquest of Castille, which he had lost through the power of the prince of "Wales. King Henry took leave of the king of Arragon, and set out from the city of Valencia, accompanied by the viscounts de Roquebertin* and de Rhodcz. They had with them three thousand men-at-arms and six thousand infantry, including some Genoese, who served for a subsidy. This body of men-at-arms advanced into Spain, to the city of Burgos, which instantly opened its gates, and surrendered to king Henry, receiving him as its lord. From thence they marched to Valladolid ; for king Henry had received information that the king of Majorca had been loft there, which gave him great joy. When the inhabitants of Valladolid heard that those of Burgos had surrendered and had acknowledged king Henry, they no longer thought of making any resistance, or holding out against him, but surrendered also, and received king Heniy as their lord, in the same manner as formerly. As soon as king Henry had entered the town, he inquired where the king of Majorca was lodged, and when the place was pointed out to him, he immediately, on his going thither, entered the hdtcl and the room where he was confined by illness. King Henry advanced toward him, and said : " King of Majorca, you have been our enemy, aud have entered our kingdom of Castille with a large army ; for which reasons we lay our hands on you, and make you our prisoner, or you are a dead man." The king of Ma. jorca, sensible of the difiiculty of his situation, and that opposition would be of no avail, replied : '■ Sir, I am certainly dead, if you order it so ; but I am very willing to surrender myself as your prisoner, and to you alone. If you intend to place me in any other's hands, say so ; for I had nmch rather die than fall into the hands of my adver- sary the king of Arragon." " By no means whatever," answered king Henry, " will I act so disloyally by you, for which, and with good reason I should be greatly blamed. You shall remain my pris- oner, for me to ransom or set at liberty according to my own will and pleasure."! Thus was the king of Majorca made prisoner, on his oath, by king Henry, who placed a numerous garrison in Valladolid, for the more securely guarding it, and then advanced toward the city of Leon in Spain, which immediately opened its gates on hearing he was marching that way. Upon the surrender of the city of Leon to king Henry, the whole province of Galicia did the same, and changed their party. The principal barons and lords, who had lately done homage to the king don Pedro, came out to meet king Henry ; for, notwithstanding their outward appearances of friendship to don Pedro during the presence of the prince of Wales, they could not love him, from the cruelties he had formerly exercised upon tlieni, and from their doubts of what he might do in future ; while king Henry had always treated them kindly : not only did he not oppress them, but promised to do them much good : all the country, therefore, returned to their allegiance to him. Sir Bertrand du Guesclin had not as yet arrived in Spain, but was hastening to join king Henry with two thousand fighting men. He had left the duke of Anjou, who had put an end to the war in Pro- vence, and broken up the siege of Tarascon by a capitulation with its inhabitants, the terms of which I do not know.t He had there- fore set out for Spain, attended by several French knights and squires who were desirous of signalizing their prowess, and had already entered Arragon to join king Henry, who was laying siege to the city of Toledo. News was brought to the king don Pedro of all these conquests ; that the whole country was turning to his brother the Bastard, during » Rocaberti.— Fkrreka's Hist. Om. d'Espngne, translated by d'Hermilly. t The k'ing of Mnjorca was afterwiirds ransomed by lijs wile, the too celebrated Joan of Naples, whose tliiid husband he was, for 28,000 florins of gold.— J^'iVrfe Du GuescUn. t " The duke of Anjou and Bertrand du Guesclin having crossed llie RhSne, laid siege to Tarascon, which is opposile to Beaucairc. the 4th March, 1368. Tlie real history of thissiege is unknown to us ; for we cannot place any reliance on the diflerent authors of the life, or rather romance of Bertrand du Gueschn, who relate various circumstances about it. What may be depended on is, that the duke of Anjou, having besieged Tarascon by sea and land, the inhabitants, who had an understanding witii him, de- livered up the town, of which he made himself master."— ifj^t. Gen dc Lanevcdoc vol. iv. p. 336. • . the time he tarried in the neighborhood of Seville, and on the border* of Portugal, where he was but little loved. Upon hearing theae tidings, he was in a violent rage against his brother and against the Castillians, who had abandoned him, and declared with an oath, that he would avenge himself so severely upon them, they should be a warning to all others. He immediately issued his commands to all those from whom he expected help or service. He sent to some, however, who never came, but excused themselves to the best of their ability : while others turned to king Hcnrj', and paid to him their homage. When the king don Pedro found his people were wavering, and failed to obey his summons, he began to be alarmed : he therefore applied to don Fernando de Castro for counsel, who had never yet deserted him. He advised him to collect as large a force as he could from all countries, as well in Granada as elsewhere, and to hasten to meet his brother before he should have made any further progress into the kingdom. Don Pedro did not hesitate following this advice, but sent to the king of Portugal, who was his cousin-german, from whom he had a large body of men ; and also to the kings of Granada, Bellemarine, and Tramesames,* with whom he entered into alliances, and engaged to support them in their kingdoms, and not to make war against them for the space of thirty years. These kings, on their part, sent him upward of twenty thousand Moors to assist him in his war. Don Pedro used so much activity that he had assembled, as well Christians as Moors, forty thousand men, in the country round Seville. While these treaties and negotiations were going forward, and du- ring the time of the siege of Toledo, sir Bertrand du Guesclin, with his body of two thousand men, arrived in the camp of king Henry, where he was received with great joy, as was naturally to be ex- pected : the v,'hole army was happy at his arrival. The king don Pedro, who, as I have already said, had assembled his whole force at Seville and in its environs, was desirous of giving his brother bat. tie : he left Seville with his numerous army, in order to raise the siege of Toledo. There may be between these two places, Seville and Toledo, seven days' march. Intelligence was brought to the army of king Henry, that don Pe- dro was approaching with forty thousand men, including those of every description. He called a council, to consider what was to be done, to which all the French and Arrngonian knights were sum. moned ; and in particular sir Bertrand du Guesclin, by whose 0])inion they wished to act. Sir Bertrand gave the following advice, which was followed ; namely, that king Henry should immediately collect as many of his army as he could spare from the siege, advance by forced marches to meet don Pedro, and, in whatever situation ho should meet him, begin the battle ; " For," added he, " we have heard that he is marching against us with a strong army, and he would be too powerful, were he to come regularly upon us : let us, therefore, be beforehand with him, without his knowing anything of our iuten. tions; that we may surprise him and his army so unexpectedly as to have the advantage, and, I doubt not, defeat him." This plan of sir Bertrand was applauded and followed. Toward evening, king Henry s«t out with a chosen band of men-at-arms, and left the command of the siege to his brother don Telle. On his march, he had his spies dispersed over the country, in order to bring him exact intelli- gence the moment they should see or hear of don Pedro and his army, and what condition they were in. The king don Pedro was ignorant of everything his brother was doing, even of his marching to meet him ; so that he and his army were advancing slowly, in a very disorderly manner. It fell out, that upon the dawn of day king Henry and his army met don Pedro and his force ; for, the preceding night, he had slept in a castle called Montiel, where the lord of Montiel had received him with all possible honor and respect. He had left it very early in the morning, and was continuing his march in the same disorderly manner, for he never expected to fight that day, when suddenly king Henry, his brother don Sancho, sir Bertrand du Guesclin, by whose orders they acted, Ic b^gue de Villaines, the lord de Roquebertin, the viscount de Rliodez,t and their companies, with banners flying and prepared for action, came upon them : they might be six thousand fighting men : (hey advanced in very close order, and at a full gallop, so that they fell heavily and with a good will upon the first they met, crying out, " Castille for king Henry !" and " Our Lady, for Guesclin !" They overthrew and defeated all whom they first encountered, driving them before them. Many were slain and unhorsed ; for none were made piisoners, according to the orders of sir Bertrand du Guesclin the preceding day, on account of the great number of Jews and infi. dels who were in don Pedro's army. When don Pedro, who was advancing with the largest division of his army, received the news that his van had been defeated by his brother the Bastard and the French, he was amazed where they could come from : he perceived that he had been betrayed, and was in * Bellemarine— Tramesames. Probably Benmarin and Tremecen, kingdoms in Bar- bary. Neither Mariana nor Ferraras makes mention of any other king than Mahomet king of Granada, who joined don Pedro with six thousand cavalry and about thirty thousanj men.— Hist. Om. de i'Espusne, vol, v. p. 40O. t M. Dillon, in his history of Peter the Cruel, says, "While Henry lay belnre Toledo, embassadors arrived at his camp from Charles V. of France, who sent his chamberlain, Francis de Perelles, viscount de Rlioder, and John de Ric, lord of Neburis, to ncquanrt him, that war was declared between England and France, &c."— Vol, U,. p. 104. Tills John de Ric may perhaps betheGeoffry Rlcon of Froissart. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 173 danger of losing everything ; for his men were very much dispersed ; so that like a bold and valiant knight as he was, and of great resource and enterprise, he halted upon the spot, and ordered his banner to be displayed- in the wind to rally his men. He sent orders for the rear to advance with all speed, for that the engagement was begun. Upon this all men of courage hastened toward his banner, which was fluttering in the wind. The battle now became more general and hot : many of don Pedro's army were slain and unhorsed ; for king Battle of Montiel.— A mixed and irregular combat of French, Spaniards, Moors and Jews, in the Uarleian and Cuttonian Libraries. Henry, sir Bertrand, and their friends, fought them so manfully, that none could stand before them. The battle, however, was not so soon over : for don Pedro had such immense numbers, as to be at least six to one : but they were so closely followed that it was won- derful to see how they were discomfited and slain. This battle of Spaniards against Spaniards, and the two brother kings, with their allies, near Monticl, was very grand and horrible. Many were the good knights on king Henry's side ; such as sir Bertrand du Gucsclin, sir Geoffry Ricon, sir Arnold de Limousin, sir Gauvain de Bailleul, le begue de Villaines, Alain de St. Pol, Allot de Calais, and the Bretons who were there. From the king- dom of Arragon were the viscount de Rocaberti, the viscount de Rodais, witii many other good knights and squires whom I cannot name, who performed various gallant deeds of arms, as in truth they had full need. They had strange people to encounter, such a.a Moors and Portuguese : the Jews who were there very soon turned their backs, and would not fight ; but those from Grenada and Belle. marine fought valiantly : they were armed with bows and lances, of which they made good use, and behaved themselves right well. Don Pedro was in the midst, and with intrepid courage fought so valiantly with his battle-a.xc that scarcely any dared to come near him. King Henry drew up his division opposite to his brother, in very compact order, and full of bold combatants, who shouted loudly, making good use of their lances ; so that the army of don Pedro was thrown into confusion, and those near his person began to be alarmed. Don Fernando de Castro, who had watched over the king his lord, soon perceived (so good was his judgment) that their army would be beaten : for they were too much frightened fiom having been so suddenly attacked : he therefore said to don Pedro, " Sir, save yourself, and hasten back to the castle of Montiel, which you left this morning : if you retire thither, you will be in safety ; but if you be taken, your enemies will slay you without mercy." The king approved of this advice, set out directly on his retreat to the castle of Montiel, and arrived there so ii.propos that he found the gates of the castle open, where he was received with only eleven followers. While this was passing, the remainder of his men, who were dis. persed over the plain, continued the combat as well as they could ; for the Moors who were among them, and had not any knowledge of the country, were indifferent whether they were directly slain or sufiered a long pursuit : they therefore ?old their lives dearly Others also acted marvellously well. Intelligence was brought to king Henry and to sir Bertrand, that don Pedro had retreated to the castle of Montiel, where he had shut himself up ; that the bfegue de Villaines and his men had pursued him to the castle, which had but one path to enter or come from it, and that le bfegue had there placed himself and fi.xed his pennon. King Henry and sir Bertrand were delighted with this news : they advanced toward that place fighting and slay- ing multitudes, killing them like beasts : they were quite fatigued with this business of butch- ery. The pursuit lasted more than three long hours, and there were upward of fourteen thousand killed and wounded : very few es- caped ; those who did were from that part of the country, and ac- quainted with its strong^ places. This battle was fought under Montiel, and its environs, th& 13th day of August, 1368. After the defeat of don Pedro and his army, king Henry and sir Ber- trand encamped them- selves before the castle of Montiel, where don Pedro was ; they sur- rounded it on all sides : for they said truly, that what they had hitherto done would be of no ef- fect, unless they took the castle of Montiel with don Pedro, who had shut hiiriself up in it. They seiU the prin- cipal part of their force back to Toledo, in order to reinforce the be- siegers, which was very agreeable to don Telle, who commanded there.* The castle of Montiel was of sufficient strength to have held out a considerable time, if it had been properly victualled; but when don Pedro entered it, there was not enough for four days, which much alarmed him :md his companions. They were so strictly watched that a bird could not escape trom the castle without bting noticed.^ Don Pedro was in great anguish of heart at seeing himself thus sur- rounded by his enemies, well knowing that they would not enter into any treaty of pence or agreement with him ; so that considering hig dangerous situation, and the great want of provision in the castle, he was advised to atttiupt an escape with his eleven companions about midnight, and to put himself under the protection of God : he was ofTcred guides that would conduct him to a place of safety. They remained in the castle, with this determination, until mid- niyht, when don Pedro, accompanied by don Fernando de Castro and others of the eleven companions, set out. It was very dark. At this hour the bdgue de Villaines had the command of the watch, with upward of three hundred men. Don Pedro had quitted the castle with his companions, and was descending by an upper path, but so quietly that it did not appear as if any one was moving: however, the b^gue de VilKnines, who had many suspicions, and was afraid of losing the object of his watch, imagined he heard the sound of horses' feet upon the causeway ; he therefore said to those near him : " Gentlemen, keep quiet : make no movement : for 1 hear the steps of some people. We must know who they are, and what they seek at such an hour. I suspect they are victuallers, who are bring- ing provision to the castle ; for I know it is in this respect very scantily provided." The bfegue then advanced, his dagger on his wrist, toward a man who was close to don Pedro, and demanded, " Who art thou ? Speak, or thou art a dead man." The man to whom the bfegue had spoken was an Englishman, and refused to answer : ho bent himself over his saddle, and dashed forward. The begue suffered him to pass ; when addressing himself to don Pedro, and examining liim earnestly, he fancied it was the king, notwith- standing the darkness of the night, from his likeness to king Henry his brother, for they very much resembled each other. He demanded from him, in placing his dagger on his breast, " And you, who are Designed from various MS. authorities * M. Dillon says, that Manrique, archbishop of Toledo, assisted by some able oflicerSr^ had the command of the blockade of Seville, when Henry inarched to meet don Pedro and Uiat don TeWo had joined the king of Navan« in spoiling the kingdom of Spain*- 174 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. you ? Name yourself, and surrender this moment, or you are a dead man." In thus saying, he caught hold of his horse, and would not suffer him to escape as the former had done. King don Pedro, who saw a large body of men-at-arms before him, and found that he could not by any means escape, said to the b^gue de ViUaines, whom he recognized : " B6gue, bfegue, I am don Pedro king of Castille, to whom much wrong has been imputed, through evil counsellors. I surrender myself, and all my people, but twelve in number, as thy prisoners : we place ourselves under thy guard and disposition. I beseech thee, in the name of thy gentility, that thou put me in a place of safety. I will pay for my ransom what- ever sum thou shalt please to ask ; for, thank God, I have yet a sufficiency to do that ; but thou must prevent me from falling into the hands of the Bastard." The begue (according to the information I have since received) replied, that he and his company might come with him in all security ; for that his brother should not from him have any intelligence of what had happened.* Upon this consider- ation, they advanced, when don Pedro was conducted to the tent of the begue, and into the chamber of sir Lyon de Lakonet. He had not been there an hour, when king Henry and the viscount de Roca- berli, with their attendants, but not in great numbers, came thither. As soon as king Henry had entered the chamber where don Pedro was, he said, " Where is this son of a Jewish whore who calls him- self king of Castille ?" Don Pedro, who was a bold as well as a cruel man, stepped forward, and said : " Why thou art the son of a whore, and I am the son of Alphonso." On saying this, he caught hold of king Henry in his anus, began to wresUe with him, and, being the strongest, threw him down under him upon unc aubarde qu'on dit en Francois coestf de malerats de soyc :f placing his hand on his poniard, he would infallibly have killed him, if the viscount de Rocaberti had not been present, who seizing don Pedro by the legs, turned him over, by which means king Henry being uppermost, im- mediately drew a long poniard which he wore in his sash, and plunged it into his body. His attendants entered the tent, and helped to dispatch him. There were slain with him a knight from England called sir Raoul Heline, who had formerly had the surname of the Green Squire, and another esquire of the name of James Roland, because they had put themselves in postures of defence.t But no harm was done to don Fernando de Castro, nor to the rest of don Pedro's attendants : they continued, therefore, prisoners to le bfegue de Villaines and to sir Lyon de Lakonet. Thus died don Pedro, king of Castille, who had formerly reigned in great prosper- ity. Those who had slain him left him three days unburied, which was a pity for the sake of humanity ; and the Spaniards mode their jokes upon him. On the morrow, the lord of Montiel came to surrender himself to king Henry, who received him graciously, as well as all those who returned to their allegiance. News was soon spread abroad of the death of don Pedro, to the great joy of his enemies and sorrow of his friends. When the king of Portugal heard in what manner his cousin don Pedro had been slain, he was mightily vexed at it, and swore he would have satisfaction for it. He immediately sent a challenge to king Henry, and made war upon him, remaining master of all the environs of Seville for one whole season. This, however, did not preventking Henry from following his enterprise : he returned before Toledo, which surrendered to him as soon as it learnt the death of ■don Pedro ; as did all the other parts of the country dependent on the crown of Castille. Even the king of Portugal did not wish to continue the war longer against king Henry ; so that there was a treaty of peace concluded between them, by means of the barons and prelates of Spain. King Henry, therefore, reigned in peace over all Castille. Sir Bertrand du Guesclin, sir Olivier de Mauny, and some others from France, Brittany, and Arragon, continued with him, to whom king Henry behaved very handsomely : indeed, he was in justice bound so to do, for without their aid he woidd never have been able to have accomplished this business. Sir Bertrand du *Tiiere are different accounts of this affair. Ferreras attributes the capture of don Pedro to Bertrand du Guesclin, and not rnucli to his Itonor: but I cannot beheve this, as avarice was not a vice of sucli gallant men. and am inclined to believe Froissart lias been rightly informed. t Not knowing how to translate this, I have leiV it as in the original. Du Cange. in the last volume of his Glo^ary, refers the word ajibartlc to abbarda, in the first volume of the Supplement, which is ns follows: '\/lbbaril(i, Clitella— fl(/(/c Provinctalibus bardo, nostris olim barde, equi armatura. Aubarde vero dixerunt, pro culcitrn, vulgo coitc de matdii.'i. Froissart," (quoting the expressions in the text.) ^Ibnrdarha.—Ga]]. Hallebarde. Vide supra Alabardn.— Bu Cimsc. [ Unc nubarde qn'on dit mFranrois coeste d£ nmterats de soye, that is, " an aubarde. nr, as it is called in French, a silken counterpane or quilt;" literally the silk covering of a mattress. Lord Berners trans- lates it a bench, and probably he is not far wrong. According to the quotation from Du Cange, the original meaning of the word was a war-saddle, which might not unnatu- rally be applied to the camp-bed of a tent, wliich serves for a seat or a couch as occasion requires, and may tlience be aptly likened to a soldier's saddle, which serves him for a pillow in a bivouac. As Froissart however confines the meaning to the covering of the couch, this conjecture may very possibly be wrong, but in that case the etymology still escapes us.]— Ed. t " With this unfortunate monarch there also fell two gallant Englishmen, who were slain for having drawn their swords in his defence when grappling with Henry. These were sir Ralph Holmes and James Rowland. The life of Fernando de Castro was spared, on account of his long attachment and fidelity to his sovereign. " Don Fernando de Castro, after the death of King Peter, made his escape into Por- tugal, and nflerwards retired to Guienne, wliere he died. Over his tomb was placed the following inscription: Add Y*CK don rBRNANDO pkrez ni castro, toda la fiDELlDAD HE ESPANA.— DiLLOs's Hist, of Petcr the Critcl, vol. ii. p, 119. Guesclin was made constable of Spain, and received the estate of Soria, worth twenty thousand francs a-year. The king gave to his nephew, sir Olivier de Manny, the estate of Ctecte, worth ten thou- sand francs a-year ; and so on to the other knights with such libe- rality that they were all contented. King Henry went to Burgos with his queen and children, to hold his court there, which he did in a princely style.* The kings of France and of -\nagon, as well as the duke of Anjou, who loved him personally, were very much re. joiced at the fortunate event of the war. About this time died the lord Lionel of England, who had crossed the Alps, as has been before related, and had taken for his wife the daughter of the lord Galeas Visconti, sovereign of Milan. But, as his death appeared extraordinary ,t the lord Edward Despenser, his companion, who had remained with him, declared war against Galeas, and slew many of his subjects at dift'erent times : at last, however, the earl of Savoy made peace between them. Let ttsnow return to what was going forward in the duchy of Aquitaine. CHAPTER CCXLVI. i;iNG CHARLES V. IS ADVISED TO DECLAP.E HIMSELF LOKD PARAMOUNT OF GUIENNE AND AQUITAINE, ON ACCOUNT OF THE HEARTH-TAX WHICH THE PKINCE OF WALES WAS ABOUT TO RAISE. THIS CAUSES A RENEWAL OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND THE ENGLISH. We have before related how the prince had been advised to raise a hearth-tax in his dominions: by which many thought themselves over burdened, especially the Gascons ; for those of the low conn, tries of Poitou, Saintonge, and la Rochelle had acceded to it with tolerable good humor, as living nearer the residence of their prince, and as being more obedient and more tractably disposed to the or- dinances of their lords, more to be depended on, and firmer in their allegiance than those from the more distant parts of the country. In order to carry these intentions of the prince into effect, several parliaments were held at Niort, Angouleme, Poitiers, Bordeaux, and Bergerac : but the Gascons declared they would never pay this tax, nor suffer it to be laid upon their lands, and asserted, that they had an appeal to the courts of the king of France. This claim of appeal much angered the prince, who answered, that they had no such ap. peal ; for that the king of France had surrendered all right to appeals and jurisdictions, when he had given these tenitories to his lord and father, as was fully apparent by the treaties of peace ; for that the negotiators of this peace had not reserved the slightest article where- by an appeal to the king of France could be made. To this the Gascons replied, that it was not lawful for the king of France, nor in his power, nor had ever been in his power, to free them from appeal- ing to him, without the will of the prelates, barons, cities, and prin. cipal towns of Gascony, who would never have consented to it, nor ever will consent to it, if it were to be proposed, because it woiUd be the cause of a perpetual warfare with France. Thus were the prince and the barons of Gascony quarrelling with each other ; for either party supported his own opinion, and main, taincd that it was the right. The earl of Armagnac, the earl of Comminges, the lord d'Albret, the earl of Perigord, and several other barons from Gascony, remained quiet at Paris, near the person of the king, and at his leisure moments informed his majesty, that the * King Henry assembled the states of the realm at Medina d'el Campo, to make ar- rangements for recompensing the French and other knights. They paid Bertrand du Guesclin one hundred and twenty thousand gold tlorins. The king also gave Sorm, Almazan. Aticnca, Monteagudo, and Seron. with their dependencies, to sir Bertrand : to Olivier de Mauny, Agreda : Rihadeo, with the title of count, to the Vigucr de Vil- lames, whom he married to a lady uf tlieGuzman family ; Aquilar de Campo to Geoffry Relor, and Villalpand to Arnold golier."— Ferrera's Hist, d' Espagnc, vol. v., pp. m. 415. t "Anno Domini 1367, et regni 42 Edwardi, Leonellus dux ClnrentiiC obiit in nntali S. Mari;8, ut fertur. potionatus."— Lelandi CoUectavca, vol. i. p. 251. "(iuo amro C13t>S,) inense .^prilis, Leonellus du.\ Claieiicia;, regis Kdwardi tertii filins, cum electa multitudine nobiliuni Anglicorum transivit versus Mediolanum. an accipiendum in uxorem filiam domini Gallias, domini Mediolani, cum qua medietatem ejusdem dominii fuernt habiturns. Sed tamen modico tempore super conjuge vel domi- nio guadere permissus est, morte (quie cuncta disjungit &. >epnrat) mox pra?ventus. Ce- lebrato nempe inter eos cum maxima gloria matrimonio, Leonellus, circa festum nati- vitatis bentac Mariie proximo scqueutein diem clausit extremum."— Tlio. Walsing- HAM. Hist. Jlngli. F.die. III. pp. 132, 8. " Moreover, at the coming of Leonell, such abundance of treasure was in the most bounteous manner spent, in making of most sumptuous feasts, setting forth stately sights, and honoring with rare gifts above two hundred Englislunen who accompanied hisson in-law, as it seemed to surpass the greatness of the most wealtby princes : for the banquet at which Francis Petrarch was present among tlie cliiefest guests, had about thirty courses of service at the table, and betwixt every course there were as many pres- ents of wondrous price intermixed ; all which John Galeasius, chief of the choice youth, bringing to the table, did oflcr to Leonell. There were in one only course se- venty goodly horses, adorned with silk and silver furniture ; and in another silver ves- sels, falcons, hounds, armor for horses, costly coats of mail, breast-plates glistering of massy steel, helmets and cnrseleli decked with costly crests, apparelled distinct with costly jewels, soldiers' girdles, and lastly, certain gems by curious art set m gold and purple, and cloth ofgold for men's apparel in great abundance. .\nd such was the sumptu- ousnessof that banquet, that the meats which were brought from table would snlti- ciently have served ten thousand men. But not long after. Leonell, living with his new wife, while alter the manner of his own country, as forgetting or not regarding his cbaiige of air, he addicted himself overmuch to untimely hanquetings, spent and con- sumed with a lingering sickness, died at Alba." This account from Stowe. pp. 267, 2tj8, edition 1631, seems very naturally to account for the death of the duke of Clarence, without supposing it caused by treachery. For a more particular account of this entertainment, see Corio's History of Milan, printed at Milan, 1503. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 175 prince, through pride and presumption, was desirous of trampling them under foot, and oppressing them witli taxes upon their lands which lia.d not been heard of before, and which they would never permit to be levied. They demonstrated to the king, that they had an appeal to him, and demanded that the prince should be summoned before the parliament and the peers, to answer for the grievances and oppressions he intended to lay on them. The king of France listened with complacency to these lords of Gascony, wiien they requested from him help and assistance as from their sovereign lord, adding, that should he refuse it lo them, they would withdraw their allegiance, and apply to some other court ; so that, for fear of losing his claim to this sovereignty, he in the end complied with tlieir re([uest. He was, however, sensible that this afiair must cause a war, which he was desirous not to begin without some appearance of right : besides, his kingdom was not recovered from the effects of the late war, nor from the oppressions of the free companies and other enemies. In addition also to these reasons, his brother the duke of Berry was still a hostage in England ; so that he ■was determined to act with prudence and caution. About this time, sir Guy de Ligny, earl of .St. Pol, had returned to France from England, without permission of the English, by a very ingenious trick. As the full detail of it would take a considerable time, I pass it over. This earl hated the English more than words can express, and took much pains that the king of France should ac- cede to the request of the Gascon lords ; for he was well aware, that if the prince of Wales were summoned to appear before the parlia- ment, it would create a war. Many prelates, barons, earls, and knights of France had united themselves with the earl of St. Pol, and had told the king, that the king of England had not in any way main- tained the peace, nor paid any respect to what he had sworn and sealed, according to the tenor of the treaties which had been made at Bretigny near Chartres, and afterwards confirmed at Calais ; for the English had carried on the war with France in an underhand manner, as much, if not more, since the peace had been made than before. They remonstrated with the king on the subject, adding, that if he would have the articles and treaty of peace read, which had been accepted by the king of England and his eldest son upon their faith and oath, he would iiiid the truth of what they had told him. Upon this, the king of France, to be better informed, and to pre- ser\'e the rights of the crown, ordered all the papers relative to the last peace, to be brought to the council-chamber, where they were read several times, that the different points and articles might be fully examined. They were very carefully inspected, and among them they found one relating to the territories given up, which the king and his council fixed on with greater attention, because it spoke fully and clearly on the subject they were desirous to discuss. The paper was in these terms : " Edward, by the grace of God, king of England, lord of Ireland and of .\quitaine, to all those to whom these present letters shall come, greeting. Know all, that in the agreement and final peace entered into between our very dear brother the king of France and ourselves, there are two articles of the following tenor : Item, the aforesaid kings shall be found to have all the before.mentioned things con- firmed by our holy father the pope ; and they shall be strengthened by oaths, sentences, and censures of the court of Rome, and by every other bond in the strongest manner possible : and there shall be obtained from the aforesaid court of Rome dispensations, absolutions, and letters in regard to the perfecting and accomplishing this present treaty, which shall be forwarded to the different parties within three ■weeks at the latest after the king shall be arrived at Calais. Item, in order that the aforesaid things, which have been gone through and treated of, may be more firm and stable, the securities which follow shall be given ; that is to say, letters drawn up in the best possible manner by the councils of the two kings, and sealed with the seals of the two kings, and also with the seals of their two eldest sons. The aforesaid kings, their eldest sons, and their children, as well as others of the branches of the royal family, and of the principal nobi- lity of their kingdoms, to the number of twenty, shall swear they will keep, and help to keep as far as in them lies, all these articles which have been made, entered into and agreed upon, and will keep them without doing anything contrary, either by fraud, malice, or by any hindrance whatever. And if there should be any persons in the two before.mentioned kingdoms of France and England who shall be rebellious, and not consenting to the aforesaid treaties, the two afore. said kings together shall use every exertion of body, fortune, and friends, to bring the aforesaid rebels into true obedience, according to the form and tenor of the aforesaid treaty. And withal, the two aforesaid kings will submit themselves and their kingdoms to the coercion of our lioly father the pope, in order that he may constrain by ecclesiastical censures, or other means, him who shall be rebel- lious, according to what shall be thought reasonable. And among the securities and assurances aforesaid, the two kings shall renounce for themselves and their heirs, upon their faith and oath, all wars and actions of war : and if through disobedience, rebellion, or power of some of the subjects of the kingdom of France, or through any other just cause, the king of France shall not be able to accomplish and fulfil all the things aforesaid, the king of England aforesaid, his heirs and kingdom, or any of them, shall not make war, nor cause war to be made upon the aforesaid king of France, nor upon his heirs nor kingdom ; but both together shall unite and e.xert themselves in bringing back the aforesaid rebels to their proper obedience, and to the fulfilling the aforesaid things. And also, if in the aforesaid kingdom, and under the obedience of the king of England, there should be any not willing to surrender and give up those castles, towns, or fortresses which they hold in the kingdom of France, nor to obey the aforesaid treaty : or if, through any just cause, the king of England shall be prevented from accomplishing what is laid down in the aforesaid treaty, neither the king of France, his heire, nor any one for them, shall make war upon the king of England, nor upon his kingdom ; but both of them together will, with all their might, endeavor to regain the aforesaid castles, towns, and fortresses, and to bringbaek such rebels to their proper obedience, so that the per- feet fulfilment of the aforesaid treaties may be wrought. And there shall bo mutually given on both parts, according to the nature of the act, every sort of security which may be devised, as well by the pope and college of Rome as by others, for the maintaining the peace and other articles of the treaty. For which reasons, wishing to preserve and cherish a pei-petual peace and love between us and our aforesaid brother and kingdom of France, we have renounced, and by these presents do renounce, all war and offensive acts against our brother atoresaid, his heirs and successors, the kingdom of France, and his subjects. And we promise and swear, and have promised and sworn upon the body of Jesus Christ, for ourselves and successors, that we will not do, nor suffer to be done, any act or word against this renun. ciation , nor against any thing contained in these aforesaid articles. And if we shoulddoor suffer to be done anything to the contrary, which God forbid, "we are willing to be reputed false, wicked and perjured, and to incur such blame and infamy as a consecrated and crowned king ought to incur in similar cases. We renounce all idea of importun. ing any dispensation or absolution from the pope from our oath afore- said ; and if obtained, we declare it to be null and of no weight, and that no advantage whatever ought to be made of it. In order more fully to strengthen the aforesaid declarations, we submit ourselves, our heirs and successors, to the jurisdiction and coercion of the church of Rome, and will and consent that our holy father the pope confirm all these things by ordering monitory and general mandates for the accomplishment of them, against us, our heirs and successors, and against our subjects, (whether commonalties, universities, colleges, or private persons of whatever descriptions,) and by granting sen- tences of excommunication, suspension, or interdict, to be incurred by us or by them, as soon as we or they shall attempt or do anything contrary to these articles, by occupying towns, castles, fortresses, or any other act, by giving comfort, aid, advice, or assistance, that may in any way infringe upon the true meaning of this treaty. " We have caused our very dear eldest son, Edward, prince of Wales, to swear to the aforesaid articles, in like manner as ourself ; and also our younger sons, Lionel earl of Ulster, John earl of Rich- mond, and Edmund of Langley ; and also our dear cousin Philip de Navarre, the dukes of Lancaster and Brittany, the earls of Stamford and Salisbury, the lord of Manny, the captal de Buch, the lord de Montfort, lord James Audley, sir Roger Beauchamp, sir John Chan- dos, lord Ralph Ferrers, lord Edward de Spenser, sir William and sir Thomas Felton, sir Eustace d'.\mbreticourt, sir Franque van Halle, sir John Moubray, sir Bartholomew Burghersh, sir Henry Percy, and several other knights. And we will have the aforesaid articles in like manner sworn to, as soon as we well can, by our other children, and by the greater part of our prelates, churchmen, earls, barons, and other nobles of our realm. In witness whereof, we have affixed our seal to these presents, given in our town of Calais, the 24th day of October, in the year of grace 1360.''* Among other letters which had been drawn up, as well at Bretigny near Chartres as at Calais, during king John's residence there, was the above letter, now under examination of king Charies, his eldest son, and the principal persons of his council. After it had been maturely considered by the prelates and barons of France who had been summoned to this council, they told the king, that neither the king of England nor the prince of Wales had kept or fulfilled the articles of the treaty of Bretigny; but, on the contrary, had taken possession of castles and towns by force, and had remained in the aforesaid kingdom of France, to its great loss ; where they had pil- laged and ransomed its subjects, by which means the payment for the redemption of the late king John was still part in arrear : that upon this, and upon other points, the king of France and his subjects had good right and just cause to break the peace, to make war upon the English, and deprive them of the possessions they had on this side the sea. , , ,-. The king was also secretly advised, after much deliberation, in such words as these : " Dear sire, undertake with corn-age this war : vou have a very good cause to induce you to do so : and know, that "as soon as you shall have determined upon it, you will find that many in the duchy of Aquitaine will turn to your side ; such as prelates, barons, earls, knights, squires, and citizens of the principal towns ; for as the prince proceeds in levying this hearth-tax, in the same proportion will hatred and ill-will follow from all ranks, as they wiU be very miserable should he succeed in his attempt. As for those ot Poitou, Saintonge, Rouergue, Quercy, and La Rochelle, from their nature they ca nnot love the English, who, in their turn, being proud r See Uiis aad othei treaUes, in the Foedeto, relative W the peace of Bretigny. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 176 and presumptuous, have not any affection for them, nor ever had. Add to this, that the officers of the prince are such extortioners, as to lay their hands on whatever they can find, and levy such heavy taxes, under the name of tlie prince, that they leave nothing to the subject : besides, the gentlemen of the country cannot obtain any ofKces, for they are all seized on by the English knights attached to the prince." By these arguments, the king of France was determined to declare war ; and the duke of Anjou, who at that time was at Toulouse, took great pains to bring it about ; for he was very desirous that the war should be renewed with tlie Englisli, as he was one who could not love them for some afi'ronts they had put upon him in former times.* On the other hand, the Gascons frequently said to the king of France : " Dear sire, we insist that we have an appeal to your court, (and therefore supplicate you to do us justice, as being the most up. right prince in the world, J in regard to the great injuries and extor- tions which the prince of Wales and his people want to impose upon us. Should you refuse, liowcver, to do us right, we will seek for it in other courts, and we will place ourselves under tliat lord who will exert himself to preserve our rights ; by which means you may lose the principaUty." The king of France, who very unwillingly would have suffered this loss, for it would have been of the greatest prejudice to his king- dom, made a courteous reply : " that never, for want of law or advice should they apply to any otlicr court than his own ; but it was proper such affairs should be treated with much deliberation and prudence." In this manner, he kept them in expectation for one year, detaining them privately at Paris ; where, besides paying all their expenses, he made them handsome presents and gave them rich jewels. He, however, inquired secretly, whether, in case the peace be broken, and war with the English recommence, they would support him : they replied, that he ought not to be alarmed, nor prevented from carrying on the war in their country, as they were sufficiently able to make head against the prince, and the force he could employ. The king at the same time, sounded those of Abbeville, if they would return to their allegiance, and become good Frenchmen : tliey desired nothing more earnestly than to do so, for much did they hate the English. Thus did tlie king of France acquire friends on all sides : otherwise, he would not have dared to act as he did. At tliis time was born Charles of France, eldest son to the king of France, in the year of grace 1368, which gave great joy to tlic kingdom. Before this time, had been born Charles d'Albret. The birtli of these two children, wlio were cousins.gernian, was highly pleasing to the whole realm, but particularly to the king of France. CHAPTER CCXLVII. THE KING OF FRANCE SENDS A SU.MMONS TO THE PRINCE OF WALES, TO APPEAR IN THE CHAMBER OF PEERS AT PARIS, IN THE MATTER OF AN APPEAL FROM THE BARONS OF GASCONY. The king of France was so strongly advised by his council, and SO strenuously entreated by the Gascons, that an appeal was drawn up, and sent to Aquitaine, to summon the prince of Wales to appear before the parliament of Paris. It was in the name of the earl of Armagnac, the lord d'Albret, the earls of Perigord and of Comminges, the viscount of Carmaing, the lords de la Barde and de Pincornet, who were the principal appellants. In this appeal, the said Gascons complained of certain oppressive grievances which the prince of Wales and of Aquitaine was about to inflict on them and their vas sals ; and that the said Gascons appealed to and claimed the juris, diction of the king of France, wliom as a matter of right, they had chosen for their judge. When tliis appeal from the said barons and lords of Gaseony had been well drawn out, and reduced to writing, after different corrections in the best possible manner by the wisest of the French council, and after it had been very fully considered, tliey resolved that it should be signified to the prince of Wales, that they summoned him to appear in person, in the chamber of peers at Paris, to answer the complaints made against him and attend the judgment : to which effect, orders were given to an eloquent lawyer, that the business might be more properly done, and a very noble knight of Beauce, called Caponnel de Caponnal. These two commissionere left Paris with their attendants, taking the road toward Bordeaux. They passed through BeiTy, Touraine, Poitou, Saintonge, and came to Blaye, where they crossed the Ga ronne : from thence they went to Bordeaux, where the prince and princess at that time resided, more than at any other place. These commissioners declared, wherever they passed, that they were come by orders of the king of France ; by which means they were in all places well received. When they entered the city of Bordeaux, they took up their quarters at an inn (for it was late, about the hour of vespers,) and remained there all that night. On the following day, at a proper hour, tliey went to the abbey of St. Andrew, where the prince of Wales kept his court. The knights and squires of the prince received thein kindly, out of respect to the king of France, by whom they said they were sent. l,LY'''^/'°J"' r'''/"', '""''?^u ^^'^''Vei diihonorubly from England, ivhere he was an Hostage for his father king John. The prince of Wales was soon informed of their arrival, and ordered them to be brought to liim. When they came into his presence, they bowed very low, and saluted him with great respect (as was on every account his due, and they well knew how to jiay it.) and then gave him their credential letters. The prince took them, and, after having read every word, said, " You are welcome ; now communicate all that you have to say to us." " Respected sir," said the lawyer, " here are letters which were given to us by our honored lord the king of France ; which letters we engaged on our faith to publish in your presence, for they nearly relate to you." The prince upon this changed color, from his great difficulty to conjecture what they could relate to : the barons and knights who were with him were equally astonished : but he restrained himself, and added, " Speak, speak : all good news we will cheerfully hear." The lawyer then opened the letter and read, v/ord for word, the contents of it, which were: " Charles, by the grace of God king of France, to our nephew the prince of Wales and Aquitaine, health. Whei'eas several prelates, barons, knights, universities, fraternities and colleges of the country and district of Gaseony, residing and inhabiting upon the borders of our realm, together with many others from the country and duchy of Aquitaine, have come before us in our court, to claim justice for cer. tain grievances and unjust oppressions wliich you, through weak coun. sol and foolish advice, have been induced to do them, and at which we arc much astonished. Therefore, in order to obviate and remedy such things, we do take cognizance of their cause, insomuch that we, of our royal majesty and sovereignty, order and command you to appear in our city of Paris in person, and that 5 ou sb.ow and pro- sent yourself before us, in om" chamber of peers, to hear judgment pronounced upon the aforesaid complaints and grievances done by you to your subjects, who claim to be heard, and to have the jurisdiction of our court. Let there be no delay in obeying this summons, but set out as speedily as possible after having heard this order read. In witness whereof, we have affixed our seal to these presents. Given at Paris, the 25th day of January, 1369." CHAPTER CC XL VI II. THE PRINCF. OF WALES IMPRISONS THE COMMISSIONERS FROM THE KI.TO OF FRANCE WHO HAD BROUGHT HIM THE SUMMONS OF APPEAL FROll THE LORDS OF GASCONY TO THE COURT OF FRANCE. WuEN the prince of Wales had heard this letter read, he was more astonished than before. He shook his head ; and after having eyed the said Frenchmen, and considered awhile, he replied as follows : " We shall willingly attend on the appointed day at Paris, since the king of France sends for us ; but it will be with our helmet on our head, and accompanied by sixty thousand men." The two French- men, upon this, fell upon their knees, saying, *' Dear sk, have mercy, for God's sake : do not bear this appeal with too much anger nor indignation. We are but messengers sent by our lord the king of France, to whom wc owe all obedience (as your subjects in like manner do to you,) and to whom it is proper we should pay it : therefore, whatever answer you shall wish to charge us with, we will very willingly report it to our lord." " Oh no," replied the prince, " I am not in the least angry with you, but with those who sent you hither. Your king has been ill advised, thus to take the part of our subjects, and to wish to make himself judge of what he lias nothing to do with, nor any right to interfere in. It shall be very clearly demonstrated to him, that when he gave possession and seisin of the whole duchy of Aquitaine to our lord and father, or to his commis- saries, he surrendered also all jurisdiction over it ; and all those who have now appealed against us, have no other court to apply to but tliat of England, and to our lord and father. It shall cost a hundred thousand lives, before it shall be otherwise." On saying this, the prince quitted them, and entered another apartment, leaving thfin quite thunderstruck. Some English knights came to them, and said ; " My lords, you must go from hence, and return to your hdtel ; you have well exe- cuted the business you came here upon, but you will not have any other answer to it than what you have just heard." The knight and lawyer returned to their inn, where having dined, they soon after packed up their baggage, and mounting their horses, set out from Bordeaux, taking the road to Toulouse, to relate to the duke of An- jou what they had done. The prince of Wales was much cast down by this appeal which had been made against him. His knights and barons were not in better spirits : they wished, and even advised the prirfee to kill the two messengers, as a salary for their pains ; but the prince forbade it to be done. His thoughts, however, were ill-inclined to them : when he heard they were set out, and had taken the road to Tou- louse, he called sir Thomas Felton,* the high steward of Ronergue, sir Tliomas de Pontchardon, sir Thomas Percy, his chancellor the bishop of Rliodez, and several others of his principal barons ; of whom he asked, "Have these Frenchmen who have gone away any passports from me ?" They answered, that they had heard nothing about it. " No," replied the prince, shaking his head, " it is not right that they should so easily leave our country, and go to relate * Barnes says sir Thomas Felton was seneschal of Aquitaine, and sir Thomas Wafee seneschal of RouerRue. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, Sec. 117 their piattlc to tlie duke of Anjou, who loves us little, and say how they have summoned us personally in our own palace. They are, upon due consideration, messengers from my vassals, the earl of Ar. magnac,- the lord d'Albret, the earls of Ferigord, Comminges and of Carmaing, rather than from the king of France ; so that, for the vexation they have given us, we consent they should be detained and thrown into prison." The council of the prince were well pleased on hearing this, as it was before their advice, and said it had been but too long delayed. The high steward of Agiinois was charged with this commission : his name was sir William le Moine, a very gallant and noble knight of England; %vho immediately mounted his horse with his attend- ants, ^nd left Bordeaux. Ho made such haste, in pursuing these Frenchmen, that he overtook them before they had passed the dis- trict of Agenois. Upon coming up with them, he arrested them under title of his office, and found another pretence for so doing without compromising the prince, whose name he never mentioned, but said, their host of the preceding evening had complained to him that they had taken one of his horses in mistake from his inn. The kniglit and lawyer were astonished on hearing this, and endeavored to excuse themselves, but in vain, for they could not obtain their liberty. They were conducted to the city of Agen, and put in the prison of the castle. The English suffered some of their attendants to return to France ; who, passing through Toulouse, related to the duke of Anjou everything as it had happened. The duke was not much displeased thereat ; for he thought it would be the beginning of the war, and prepared to take his measures accordingly. News of tlie imprisonment of his commissioners was soon carried to the king of France ; for their servants being returned to court, told all they had seen and heard from theii- masters, in regard to the state, government and countenance of the prince of Wales ; which, coming to the ears of the king, inflamed his anger : he was greatly vexed, and thought much upon it, as well as upon the words of the prince, on receiving this appeal, namely, that he would attend the appeal in person, with his helmet on his head, accompanied by sixty thousand men. This haughty and proud answer occupied the mind of the king of France : he therefore, most prudently and wisely, be- gan to make preparations for supporting the weight of this ensuing war ; for in truth it was likely to be very heavy as well as hazardous, and to draw upon him the whole force of the king of England, against whom liis predecessors had labored so much in former times, as has been related in this history. But he was strongly solicited by the great lords of Guycnne on the other hand, who demonstrated to him the extortions of the English, and the great losses which this might in future occasion to him, the truth of which he well knew. What appeared to affect him most, in beginning this war, was his consideration for the destruction of his poor people, which might continue for a long time, and the dangers and opprobrium which his nobles had suffered from the last war. CHAPTER CCXLIX. THE DVKZ OF EERKV AND SEVERAL MORE LORDS, WHO HAD BEE>' HOST- AGES IN ENGLAND RETURN TO FRANCE. The king of France and his council, not regarding tlie haughty answer of the prince of Whales, made every preparation which might be necessary for the grand event about to take place. At this pe. riod, the lord John of France, duke of Berry, had returned home, through the favor of the king of England, who had granted him per- mission to remain a year in France. He acted so prudently, and made so many excuses, that he never went back ; for the war speed- ily broke out, as you will hear related. Sir .John de Harcourt had also returned to his own countrj', where his estates had been granted him, through the solicitations of sir Lewis de Harcourt his uncle, who was from Poitou, and at tlie time one of the prince's knights. Sir John de Harcourt fell sick, which happened to him very oppor- tunely, for it lasted until the renewal of the war, so that he never again returned to England. Sir Guy do Blois, who at that time was a young squire, and brother to the earl of Blois, obtained his liberty also ; for when he perceived that the king of France, for whom he was hostage, had not thought of ransoming him, he made overtures to the lord de Coucy, who had married one of the king's daughters, and who had a very great revenue in right of his wife, assigned to him on the king's treasury. This treaty advanced so well between the king, his son-in-law, and sir Guy, that the latter, with the permission of his two brothers Louis and John, and with the consent of the king of France, gave up wholly and absolutely into the hands of the king of England, the county of Soissons ; which county the king of England gave again, and presented to the lord de Coucy, who released it for four thousand livres a-year annual rent. Thus were these agreements and cove- nants finished. The earl Peter d"Alen9on had, through the good will of the king of England, returned also to France, where he re- mained so long, and made so many excuses, that he never went back to resume his duty as hostage ; but, I believe, at last he paid thirty thousand francs, to acquit his faith and oath. Before this time, a fortunate circumstance happened to duke Louis •de Bourbon, who was one of the hostages in England. By favor of the king of England, he had returned to France ; and while he was at Paris with his brother-in-law king Charles, it chanced that the bishop of Winchester, chancellor of England, died. There was at that time a priest in England of the name of William of Wykeham : this William was so high in the king's grace that nothing was done, in any respect whatever, without his advice. When the chancellor- sl:ip and bishopric thus became vacant, the king immediately wrote to the duke of Bourbon, at tlie request and prayer of the said Wil- liam, to beg of him, through the affection he had for him, to go to the holy father Urban, and prevail on him to grant the vacant bish- opric of Winchester to his chaplain ; and that, in return, he would be very courteous to him as to his ransom. When the duke of Bourbon received the messengers with the- let. ters from the king of England, he was much pleased, and explained to the king of France what the king of England and sir William wanted him to do. The king advised him to go to the pope. The duke therefore, with his attendants, immediately set out and travelled, until they came to Avignon, where pope Urban resided, for he had not as yet set out for Rome. The duke made his request to the holy father, who directly granted it, and gave to him the bishopric of Win- chester, to dispose of as he should please ; and if he found the king of England courteous and liberal as to his ransom, he was very wil- ling that Wykeham should have this bishopric. The duke upon this returned to France, and afterwards to England, where he entered into a treaty with the king and his council for his ransom, showing at the same time his bulls from the pope. The king, who loved Wyke- ham very much, did whatever he desired. The duke had his liberty, on paying twenty thousand francs ; and sir* William Wykeham was made bishop of Winchester and chancellor of England. In this manner, the French lords who were hostages in England obtained their liberty. We will now return to the war in Gascony, which first broke out on account of the appeal which has been already spoken of. CHAPTER CCL. the EARL OF PERIGORD,! THE VISCOL^NT OF CARMAING AND OTIIEK BARONS OF GASCONY, DEFEAT THE HIGH STEWARD OF ROUERGUE. You have heard how much the prince of Wales was offended by the summons which had been served on him to appear at the court of the parliament in Paris. It was fullv his intention to perform the answer he had given to the commissioners from the king, namely, that in the course of the summer ho would come and take his seat, and personally appear at the feast of the lendit.t He therefore sent orders to those captains of English and Gascon companies who were attached to him, and in quarters upon the banks of the Loire, not to march to any great distance from that river, for he should shortly have occasion for them, and would find them employment. The greater part of these companies were much rejoiced at the news. The prince would not have failed in his intentions, but that his illness and the swelling daily increased (which had been caused by his ex- pedition into Spain :) so that his attendants were very much alarmed at it, for he could not at this moment mount his horse. The king of France had received accurate information of all this, and had been furnished with the statement of his case drawn up in writing ; from which the physicians and surgeons of France judged that he had a confinned dropsy, and declared him unable ever to recover. As soon as the capture of sir Caponnel de Caponnal and the man of law was publicly known, who, as it has been before said, were arrested by sir William le Moine, and carried prisoners to .'Vgen, the earl of Comminges, the earl of Perigord, the viscount of Carmaing, sir Bertrand Taude, the lord de la Barde, the lord de Pincornet, and many more knights and squires who resided on their estates, and lordships, were very much offended at this measure ; since for them, and upon their account, had they undertaken this commission. They determined to have revenge for this violence, and to begin the war in • " The custom of prefixing the addilion of Sir, to the Christian name of a clergyman was formerfr usual in this country. Fuller, in his Ciiurch History, book vi.. enumerates seven chantries, part of a much larger number, in the old cathedral of St. Paul, in the time of king Edward VI., with the names of Uie then incumbents, most of whom had the addition of sir; upon which lie remarks, and gives this reason why there were for- merly more sii-5 than knights ; such priests as have the addition of sir, before their Chris- tian names, were men not graduated in the university, being in orders, but not in degrees ; while others, entitled masters, had commenced in the arts. This ancient usage is alluded to in the following humorous catch : * Now [ am married. Sir John I'll not curse ; He joined us together for better for worse. But if I were smgle, I do tell you plain, I'd be well advis'd.ere I married again.' " Sir John Hawkins's Hist. Music, vol. ii. p. 518. T The earls of Carmaing have since taken the name of FoLv. by an alliance with aa heiress of this name, who brought to tlieiu the county of Foix, in theUtli century. The earls of Perigord bear to this day the same name ; they are likewise known under those of princes of Chnlais, earls of Perigord, or earls of Talleyrand, which is the principal name of their house. M. de Talleyrand de Perigord was bishop of Autun. of which office he divested himself, when, in the course of the revolutionar>- furor, episcopacy became unpopular, and is now minister for foreign aflairs to the republic of Prance. 1803. [Prince Talleyrand has within these few days (May, 1838; departed tbis hfe, attet reconcUing himself to the church of Rome.-Eo.l .,„,■- t Lendit-a great fair kept I in a field near St. Denis) from the second Wednesday in June until Midsummer eve— whence /rn&ts-gate-money, fairings, or yearly presents. l>estowed by the scholars of the university, especially those of Pans, on their tutors.— COTORAVE. 178 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. their own country, by making prisoners some ot those attached to the party of the prince. They had information that sir Thomas Wake was on his road to Rhodez, to examine the strength of the castle ; that he was at Villeneuve d'Ag^nois, from whence he was to be escorted by only sixty lances. When these knights heard this news, they were in high spirits, and resolved to lay an ambuscade for sir Thomas, consisting of three hundred lances ; so that about two leagues from Montauban, as the liigh steward was continuing his route with sixty lances and two iiimdied archers, they were attacked by this large ambuscade of Gas. cons. The English were very much surprised : for they, not sus. pecting sucli an attack, were quite unprepared for it : however, they began to exert themselves stoutly in self-defence ; but the Gascons, who had formed their plans at leisure, were too many for them, and at the first shock numbers were dismounted : the English, not being able to resist the violence of the Gascons of Perigord, Comminges and Camiaing, were thrown into disorder, and, being defeated without much resistance, turned their backs. Many were taken and slain. Sir Thomas was obliged himself to fly, otherwise he would have been made prisoner ; and he owed liis safety to the fieetness of his horse, which carried him to Montauban. The Gascons and others returned to their own country, carrying with them their prisoners and booty. News was very soon brouglit to the prince of Wales, who at that time resided at Angouleme, how his high steward of Rouergue had been defeated by the earl of Perigord, and by those other noblemen who had summoned him by appeal to tlie chamber of peers at Paris. Much enraged was the prince, when it was told him : he said, he would have a severe and early revenge for this, upon the persons and lordships where this outrage had been committed. He wrote directly to sir John Cliandos, who had retired to his estate at St. Sauveur le Vicomte in Coutantin, ordering him to come to him, without delay, as soon as he should have received his letter. Sir John Chandos, desirous of obeying the prince, made all possible haste, and came to Angouleme to the prince, who received him with great joy. Soon after, the prince sent him to Montauban, with a large body of men-at-arms and archers, to make war upon tlie Gas- cons and French, who were every day increasing in numbers, making incursions upon the territories of the prince. Sir Thomas Wake collected his scattered men as well as he could, and went to Rhodez, which he amply reinforced and revictualled, as well as the castle of Milhaud upon the confines of Montpellier ; and in every place he put men-at-arms and archers. Sir John Chandos made the town of Montauban his head-quarters, and gallantly defended tlie frontiers against the Gascons and French, ■with the other knights whom the prince of Wales had sent thither : such as, the captal de Buch, tlie two brothers de Pommiers, sir John and sir Helie, the souldieh de I'Estrade, the lord of Partcnay, the lord of Pons, sir Louis de Harcourt, the lord de Pinaine, the lord de Tannaybouton, and sir Richard de Pontchardon. These knights, with their companies, made frequent attacks upon the forces of the carl of Armagnac, the lord d'Albret, the earls of Perigord and Com- minges, the viscounts of Carmaing and of Tharide, the lord de la Barde, and several other barons and knights of the same connection, ivho, with their companies, were upon this frontier. Sometimes one side was victorious, sometimes the other, as in war such things com- monly happen. The duke of Aiijou remained very quiet, and made not the smallest movement, notwithstanding the rumors he heard ; for the king of France had strictly ordered him not to make war upon the prince of Wales, nor on his subjects, until he should receive from him positive orders for so doing. CHAPTER CCLI. THE MNG OF FRANCE GAINS OVEK SEVERAT, CAPTAINS OE THE FREE COM. PANIES. HE SENDS HIS DEFIANCE TO THE KING OF ENGLAND. The king of France, all this time, was secretly and ably gaining over several of the captains of the free companies, and others attached to the party of the Englisli, who had ascended the river Loire, and were on the confines of Berry and Auvergne, where the king of France had given permission for them to reside. Not one of the companies of France was in motion ; for the king did not wish that his name should yet be made use of in this war, lest it might do his affairs harm, and lest he should lose the country of Ponthieu, which he was very anxious to regain. Had the king of England perceived that the king of France in. tended war, he would easily have prevented the loss of Ponthieu by reinforcing the garrisons of Abbeville with English, and others at. tached to him ; so that he would have been master of the whole country ; and in the like manner would he have done to all the other garrisons dependent on that county. The king of England had at this time, for high steward of Ponthieu, a good English knight called sir Nicholas Louvain, in whom the king had great confidence, and ivith justice ; for, sooner than commit any cowardly or unworthy deed, he would have had his limbs torn from him. At this period, the king of France sent to England the earl of Saltz- burg and sir William des Dormans, to remonstrate with the king and his council, and to complain that part of the country of France had been, and still was, much harassed, as well by the daily incursions of the free companies, who had for these last six years made war upon France, as by other oppressors, of which the king of France and his council had had information, and were very ill satisfied that the king of England and his eldest son the prince of Wales should act in such a manner as to countenance them. These two person, ages remained in England for the space of two months ; and during this time, they proposed various agreements and reasons to the king, which made him frequently out of humor and in a passion ; but they did not pay much attention to this, for they had received instructions from the king of France and his council how to act and what to say. When the king of France had received such information as he could depend on, that the inhabitants of -\bbeville were in their hearts Frenchmen ; that the war was begun in Gascony ; that all the men-at-arms in the kingdom of France were prepared, and eager to wage war upon the prince of Wales and to enter his territories ^ he was anxious that no reproach might be cast on him, either at the present moment, or in times to come, for haviag ordered an army into the territories of the king of England, or the prince of Wales, to take cities, castles, towns or fortresses, without having sent them a challenge : he therefore resolved to defy the king of England ; which he did by sealed letters. One of his valets, who was from Brittany, carried them. He met at Dover the earl of Saltzburg and sir William des Dormans, who were returning from England to France, having accomplished the business they had been sent on. The Breton, according to the orders he had received, told them what he was going about ; which they no sooner heard than they set off as quickly as possible, and crossed the sea. They were very happy when they found themselves in the town and fortress of Boulogne. About this time, sir Guiscard d'Angle, marshal of Aquitaiue, had been sent by the prince of Wales to pope Urban V. at Rome, on affairs relating to Aquitaine. He had found the pope very polite in complying with the requests he had to make to him. On his return, he first heard the news of war being made on the prince, and that the French had entered the principality. He was very much sur- prised at this, and dubious how he should be able to continue his journey. He went, however, to the gallant carl of Savo)', whom he found at the town of Pignerol, in Piedmont, engaged in war with the marquis de Saluces. The earl of Savoy received sir Guiscard and his company with great pleasure : he entertained them for two days with much magnificence, and presented them with handsome gifts, particularly sir Guiscard, who had the larger share : for the gal- lant earl respected him greatly, on account of his hardy knighthood. When sir Guiscard and his companions had left the earl of Savoy, the nearer they approached the boundaries of Franco and Burgundy the worse news they heard, and more disagreeable to their feelings. Sir Guiscard having well considered all the information he could gain, saw that it would be impossible for him to return to Guyenne in the state he travelled. He therefore delayed as much as he could, and gave the command of his whole army and attendants to a knight called sir John Shore, who had married his daughter. Sir John came from Brittany, and spoke very good Frencli : he took the command of all the attendants and baggage of his father-in-law : when coming to the estate of the lord of Beaujeu, he crossed the river Sa6ne, and became so well acquainted with the lord of Beaujeu that he conducted him and his whole company to Rion in Auvergne, to the duke of Berry : he there ofiered to become a true Frenchman, provided he were suffered to return peaceably to his house in Brittany, as it had before been settled between him and the lord of Beaujeu. In the mean time, sir Guiscard, under the disguise of a poor chap, lain, ill mounted and badly equipped, passed through France, Bur- gundy, and Auvergne, and with great difficulty entered the principality. On his arrival at Angouleme, he was heartily welcomed by the prince of Wales. Another knight, whose name was sir William de Sens, who had accompanied him on this embassy to Rome, took refuge in the abbey of Clugny in Burgundy, from whence he never stirred for five years, and at last turned Frenchman. We will now return to the Breton who was the bearer of the chal- lenge from Charles king of France to Edward king of England. CHAPTER CCLII. CHALLENGES FROM FRANCE ARE DELIVERED TO THE KING OF ENGLAND, TirE EARL DE ST. POL AND THE LORD DE CHATILLON CONQUER THE COUNTY OF PONTHIEU. The valet before mentioned made haste to London, as he had heard the king of England and his council were assembled at the palace of Westminster. The king had for some time held various councils upon the state of the prince's affairs, who was at war with the barons and knights of Gascony, to examine into the best means of assisting him, and to consider whom he should send from England to the prince's aid. He soon heard other news, which troubled him more than before ; for the valet who was the bearer of these letters man. aged so as to enter the chamber where the king and his council were sitting. He said he was a valet belonging to the household of the king of France, and had been sent by that king with letters addressed to the kin" of England, but was ignorant what were their contents, nor did it belong to him to know. He presented them on his knees CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 179 to the king; wlio, being desirous to know what might be tlieir sub- ject, ordercj them to be taken, opened, and read. Ti\e Idng and all those witli him were much surprised when they heard the challenge tliey contained. They examined them very carefully every way, as well as the seal, and clearly saw that the challenge was good. They ordered the valet to withdraw, telling him he had done his business well, and tluit he might boldly set out on his return, for he would not meet with any obstacle to his doing so, as indeed he did not: he therefore went back to France as speedily as possible. The earl dauphin of Auvergne, the earl of Porcien, the lord de Maulcvrior, and several others at this time in England, as hostages for the king of France, were in the greatest anxiety on hearing the above intelligence ; for they were doubtful of the intentions of the king of England and his council, and what they meant to do to them. It is proper to be known that the king and his council were greatly offended that this challenge should have been brought by a valet : they said it was not decent that a war between two such great lords as the kings of France and of England should be announced and de. clared by a common servant ; that it would not have been unworthy of a prelate, or of a valiant baron or knight, to have been the bearer of such a declaration ; however, nothing more was done. In this council, the king was advised to send directly reinforce- ments of men-at-arms to Ponthieu, to guard that country, more par- ticularly to Abbeville, which ran much risk of being taken. The king approved of this, and ordered the lord Percy, the lord Neville, the lord Carbestone* and sir William Windsor on this business, with three hundred men-at-arms and one thousand archers. While these lords were making their preparations, and were already as far advanced on their road as Dover, to cross the sea, other news was brought which did not please them much. For as soon as the earl Guy de St. Pol and sir Hugh de Chatillon, who was at that time master of the cross-bows of France, could suppose that the king of England had received the defiance, they advanced toward Ponthieu, having before sent privately their summons to the knights and squires of Hainault, j^rtois, Cambresis, Vermandois, Vimeu, and Picardy ; so that their whole force amounted to not less than a hun- dred and twenty lances, with which they appeared before Abbeville. The gates were immediately opened, as had before been privately concerted ; and these men-at-arnis entered the town without doing any harm to the inhabitants. Sir Hugh de Chatillon, who was the leader of this expedition, marched to that part of the town where he thought he should find the high steward of Ponthieu, sir Nicholas Louvain, and exerted himself so eflectually as to make him his prisoner, as well as a very rich clerk and valiant man who was treasurer of Ponthieu. The French made this day many a good and rich prisoner ; for the Eng. lish lost everything they had in the town. On the same day, the French advanced to St. Valery, which they took by stonn ; they did the same to Crotoy,t as well as to the town of Dernet upon the sea. Shordy after, the earl of St. Pol went lo Pont de St. Remy on the Somme, where some English were collected. The earl ordered them to be attacked. There was a grand skirmish, with many valor- ous deeds of arms. His eldest son, Galeran, was created a knight, and did honor to his new knighthood. The English were so roughly handled, that they were either slain or made prisoners, and the bridge and fort conquered by the French. In short, the whole territory and county of Ponthieu were freed from the English, so that none re- mained who could any way do mischief. News was brought to the king of England, who \vas at London, how those of Ponthieu had deserted him, and turned to the French. The king was much enraged at this, and at first had intentions of severely retaliating upon those of the hostages who were still in Lon- don ; but he thought it would be cruel to make them answer for his ill fortune. Nevertheless, he sent all the citizens who had been given as hostages from the cities and principal towns of France, to other towns, castles, and forts in his kingdom, and did not allow them the same liberty they had before enjoyed. He ransomed the earl dauphin d'Auvergne for thirty thousand francs, and the earl of Porcien for ten thousand. The lord de Roye, however, remained in prison, in great peril ; for, as he was not in any favor at the court of England, he was obliged to endure much ill treatment, until delivered by accident and great good fortune, as you will hear in the continu- ance of this history. CHAPTER CCLIII. THE KINS OF ENSLAXD SENDS A LAKKE BODY OF MEN-AT-ARMS TO THE BORDERS OF SCOTLAND. THE DUKES OF BERRY AND OF ANJOD IS- StJE THEIR ORDERS FOR THEIR VASSALS TO ATTACK THE PRINCE OF WALES. When the king of England thus saw himself defied by the king of France ; the county of Ponthieu lost, after having cost him such sums in the reparation of towns, castles, and houses (for he had ex. * Barnes says, lord Henry Percy, lord William Neville, and lord William Windsor, and one lord more. Ijut does not name hini. t Crotoy— a town opposite to St. Valery, on the Somme, X " Derne." No such place. Q. if not Rue, which is a small town on the coast, two miles from >St. Valery 1 pended one hundred thousand francs in addition to the revenues he drew from it;) he was in a mighty passion. He had, however, more fears of a war from Scotland than from France : he knew the Scots did not love him, for the great mischiefs he had done them in former times. He therefore sent large detachments of men-at-arms to Ber- wick, Roxburgh, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and to the whole border, to guard it. He also ordered detachments to Southampton, Guernsey, and to the island of Blisso ;* for ho had procured information that the king of France was making great preparations, and collecting a number of ships, in order to invade England. He did not know what part to guard the most ; and, to speak truth, the English were very much alarmed. As soon as the dukes of Berry and of Anjou were certain that the challenge had been delivered, and war declared, being unwilling to remain idle, they issued their special orders ; one in Auvergne, the other at Toulouse ; for their vassals to enter the principality. The duke of Berry had under his command all the barons of Auvergne, of the bishoprics of Lyons and Macon, the lords de Beaujcu, de Vil- lars, de Tournon, sir Godfrey de Boulogne, his brother-in-law sir John d'Armagnac, sir John de Villemur, the lords de Montagu and de Talencon, sir Hugh Dauphin, the lord de Rochefort, and several more. These men-at-arms immediately advanced to Touraine, and to the borders of Berry, from whence they carried the war into the fine country of Poitou ; but they found it well filled with knights and squires, who did not permit them to gain much advantage. Sir Louis de St. Jidian, sir William des Bourdes, and Garnet !e Breton, were at that time in garrison in the French castles of Tou- raine. These three were great captains, brothers in arms : they performed many gallant deeds, and did much harm to the English, as will hereafter be more fully related. CHAPTER CCLIV. SEVERAL CAPTAINS OF COMPANIES SIDE WITH DIFFERENT PARTIES. THE KING OF ENCtLAND SENDS THE EARL OF CAMBRIDGE AND THE EARL OF PE.MBR3KE TO THE ASSISTANCE OF HIS SON THE PRINCE OF WALES. THEY PASS THROUSH BRITTANY. The duke of Lancaster possessed, as part of his inheritance in Champagne, a castle situated between Troyes and Chitlons, called Beaufort ; of which an English squire, named the Poursuivant d'.^inourt was the captain. When this squire perceived that the war was renewed between the kings of France and England, he turned to the king of France, and swore to him faith and loyalty from this time forth, as a good Frenchman. The king for this en- riched him greatly, and left this castle under his care, in conjunction with another squire of Champagne called Yvain.t The poursuivant and Yvain were great friends. They performed many feats of anns against the English, and against their partisans. The canon de Robesart, who had before been a loyal and a good Frenchman, on the renewal of the war turned to the English, and became the liege man of the king of England, who was well satis- fied with his services. In this manner several knights and squires changed their party. The duke of Anjou had been so active among the free companies of Gascony that sir Perducas d'Albret, le petit Mechin, le bourg de Breteuil, Aimenon d'Ortige, Pcrrot de Savoye, Jacquet de Bray and Arnaudon de Pans, turned Frenchmen ; which much displeased the English, as their forces were greatly weakened by it. Naudon de Bagerant, le bourg de I'Esparre and le bourg Camus, remained steady to the English ; as well as the most approved captains among them, such as sir Robert Briquet, Robert Thin, John Tresnelle, Gaillard de Motte, and Aimery de Rochechouart. These companies of English and Gascons, with their followers, fixed their quarters in the bishopric of Mans in lower Normandy ; where they took a town called Vire,§ and destroyed and ruined all the neighboring country. Thus these free companies changed their sides ; but all of them were engaged for the French or English. The king of England determined to send his son, Edmund ot *'■ Blisso." Q. of Wight, Lord Bemers says the Isle of Wish!.— Ed. t Pouisuivant d Wmour, was a title that knights and squires gave theaiselves, on ac- count of tlieir wearing the portrait or colors of their mistresses, and challenging each other to tight in honor of their ladies. Barnes calls him Percival Damorie, but I do not see on what foundation : it seems lo me to he a corruption of Poursuivant d'Amour, " The duke of Lancaster at this same time lost his castle of Beaufort, between Troyes and Chalons, He had intrusted this place to tlie guard of Evan of Wales. Tins Evan was called le Poursuivant d'.\mour. He wasthe son of Edmund, llie last of the ancient sovereigns of Wales, who had been beheaded by Edward, He had been brought up at the court of Philip de Valois, as page of honor to his chamber, and made his first cam- paign under king John, At the peace, the duke of Lancaster, w^ho was probably igno- rant of his birth, made him governor of his castle of Beaufort, Being naturally an enemy to the English, he eagerly seized this ojiportunity of revenging himself for the ancient injuries of his house. The king of France accepted his otfers of service, and gave him the command of some ships, with which he made incursions on the English coasts."— Hist, de France, par filtaret, tome v, p. 3%. There must be some mistake in the preceding account from Villaret. for Wales was finally conquered by Edward I, in 1283, by the defeat of Llewehn, and the disgraceful manner in which Edward murdered his brother David, The surrender of the castle of Beaufort happened nearly one hundred years afterwards, so that Evan could not have been a son of one of our last sovereigns, 1 It seems probable that this chevalier was the Welshman mentioned in the foregoing note, and that the Poursuivant was a totally different person. Who Evan really was it is not easy to discover,— Ed, 5 Vire— a town in Normandy, on the tiver Viie, diocese of Bayeux. 180 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. Langley earl of Cambridge, and his son-in-law, John Hastings earl of Pembroke, to the assistance of the prince oJ Wales in the duchy of Aquitaine, with the command of a body of men-at-arms and cross-bowmen. He also named such as he thought right to send with them : and in the number were, the lord Braddeston,* sir Bryan Stapleton. sir John Trivet, sir Thomas Banaster and divers olhers, They embarked as speedily as they could, and put to sea, having with tliem four hundred men-at-arms and as many archers. They steered their course for Brittany; and, having a wind to their wish, they landed at the port St. Malo. When John de Montfort, duke of Brittany, was informed of their arrival, he was much rejoiced, and immediately sent some of his knights to receive and entertain them ; namely, sir Joiin de Laigniguay and sir John Augustin. The earls of Cambridge and Pembroke were well pleased on seeing these knights : but they were not perfectly assured if the barons and principal towns of Brittany would permit them to pasi througli the country, in their way to Poitou. The English lords, therefore, made this their rec|ucst to the duke and to the country. The duke, being very partial to the English, complied directly with their wishes, and acted so efficaciously with the barons and principal towns, that it was agreed they should pass through the country in a peaceable manner, upon paying for whatever they might have occasion to use : to which terms the English joyfully assented. The earls of Cambridge and Pembroke prepared to march with their army to join those free companies who were in the province of Maine, at ChELteau Gonticrt and at Vire ; where they had destroyed and pillaged the whole country ; declaring their intentions to advance farther into the interior of the kingdom. The Bretons entered into treaty with them ; and it was agreed that they should have liberty to pass through that country, by crossing the river Loire at the bridge of Nantes, engaging not to do any mischief on their march. At this time, sir Hugh Calverley was on the borders of Airagon, with a lai-ge body of the free companies, who had lately quitted Spain. As soon as he heard that the French were making war upon the prince, he set ofi" with all the men-at-arms of the companies, passed through Arragon and Foix, entered Bigon"e, and hastened until he came to the prince, who at tliat time held his court in the city of Angoul6me. When the prince saw him arrive, he gave him a handsome reception, and thanked him much for the assistance he had brought. He prevailed with him to be his guest until the com- panies which had left Normandy (having first sold those fortresses which they held there) were come ; for the Bretons allowed them to pass through their country, provided they behaved themselves well. As soon as they were arrived at Angoulemc and in that neighbor, hood, the prince appointed sir Hugh Calverley to be their captain. They were in the whole, including those who had come with them from Arragon, two thousand fighting men. The prince immediately ordered them to march to the estates of the earl of Armagnac and the lord d'Albrct, to burn and destroy them. In consequence of this order, they made a very disastrous war, and did great damages. CHAPTER CCLV. THE EAKLS OF CAMBRIDGE AND OF TEMBROKH AKRIVE AT ANGOt^LEME. THE PRINCE SENDS THEM TO OVERRUN THE COUNTY OF FERIGORD. SOME ENGLISH ARE DEFEATED NEAR TO LUSIGNAN. The earls of Cambridge and Pembroke remained at St. Malo with their troops, as has before been said, until all the free companies of their party had come through the country with the assent of the duke of Brittany. When they had sufficiently recmited themselves, and had permission to march, they set out from St. Malo, and by easy days' journeys arrived at Nantes, where the duke received these lords most honorably, and kept them with him for three days, which were spent in magnificent feasts. On the fourth day they crossed the great river Loire over the bridge at Nantes, and then continued their march until they came to Angouleme, where they found the prince and princess. The prince was much rejoiced at the amval of his brother the earl of Cambridge and the earl of Pembroke. He inquired after the healths of the king his father, the queen, and his other brothers: to which questions he received satisfactory answers. After they had remained with him three days, and had refreshed themselves, the prince ordered them to set out from AngoulSme, to make an excursion into the county of Perigord. The two lords and knights who had come with them from Eng- land instantly made preparations to provide themselves with every- thing that might be necessnry. Having taken leave of the prince, they marched off in grand array. They were, in the whole, full three thousand combatants: among these were several knights and squires from Poitou, Saintonge, Limousin, Quercy and Rouergue, whom the prince ordered to accompany them. These lords and men-at-arms entered hostilely the county of Perigord, which th.ey overran, and did much mischief to it. When they had burnt and destroyed the greater part, they laid siege to a fortress called Bor- deilles,t of which two squires of Gascony were governors : they * In Froissart. itis "lesiredeTarbestonne." which I think must be Bradileston. See J)ugdale's Baronage. t ChateauGontier— a town in Anjou, diocese of Angers. 4 Bordeilles— a town in Perigord, diocese of Perigueux. were brothers, named Ernaldon and Bcrnardel de Batefol. There were in this garrison of Bordeilles with the two captains, a number of men-at-arms, whom the earl of Perigoi'd had sent thither. It was also amply provided with artilleiy, wine, provision and every- thing else that might be necessary to hold out for a considerable time; and those in garrison were well inclined to defend it: so that during the siege of Bordeilles many gallant deeds of arms, many a skirmish and many an assault, were daily performed. The two before-mentioned squires were bold, proud and enterprising ; they little loved the English, and in consequence advanced frequently to their barriers to skirmish with them. Sometimes one side con. quered, sometimes the other, as it happens in such adventures and deeds of arms. On the other hand, there were full one thousand combatants, French, Burgundians, Bretons, Picards, Normans and Angevins, in Poitou, and on the borders of .\njou and Touraine, who were over- running the lands of the prince of Wales, and daily committing great devastations. The leaders of these men-at-arms were, sir John de Bueil, sir William de Bourdes, sir Louis de St. Julian and Carnet le Breton. In order to oppose this force, some knights and squires of the prince, in particular sir Simon Burley and the earl of Angus, were quartered on the borders of Poitou and Saintonge : but they were scarcely a fourth part of the strength of the French. Whenever the French made any excursions, they amounted always to a thousand fighting men : whereas the English were never more, at the utmost, than two or three hundred; for the prince had sent ofi" three very large detachments- — one to Montauban, of five hundred men-at-arms, under sir John Chandos, to ravage the lands of the earl d'Armagnac and the lord d'Albret — another of considerable numbers, under sir Hugh Calverley — and the largest division under the command of his brother, the earl of Caminidge, before Bordeilles. Notwithstanding this, those who were in Poitou did not fail to acquit themselves gal- lantly, and to do their duty in making excursions on the lands of France, and in guarding their own. The English, with their parti. sans, have always acted in this manner, and have never refused nor dreaded the combat because they were not in greater numbers. It happened then one day, tliat the French had gained exact infor- mation how the Engli-sh had taken the field and were out on an ex- cursion, w'hich gave them such spirits that they collected all their forces, and placed themselves in ambuscade, to fall upon the English as they returned from the inroad which they had made between Mirebeau* and Lusignan.t It was on a broken causeway that the French, to the amount of five hundred men, commanded by the before-mentioned captains, sir John de Bueil, sirWilliamdes Bourdes, sir Louis de St. Julien, and Carnet le Breton, advanced to attack them. A sharp engagement ensued, when many were unhorsed ; for the English defended themselves bravely, and fought gallantly as long as it lasted. Many valorous actions were performed. Sir Simon Burley and the earl of Angus proved themselves good knights : but in the end they had the disadvantage, for they were only a hand, ful of men when compared with the French. They were therefore defeated, and compelled to fly. The earl saved himself as well as he could, and gained the castle of Lusignan ; but sir Simon Burley was so closely pursued, and surrounded on the broken causeway near Lusignan, that he was made prisoner by the French : most of his people being killed or taken, for very few escaped. The French returned to their garrisons rejoiced at the issue of this adventure, as was also the king of France when he heard it. Not so the prince of Wales, who was much vexed, and bitterly lamented the capture of his good knight sir Simon Burley, whom he loved well, as indeed he had reason ; for, to say the truth, he was a most expert man-at-arms for his time, very courageous, and had always carried himself valiantly for his lord the king of England and his countiy. His companions who had been slain or made prisoners on the causeway had behaved equally well ; for whose loss the prince was in great sorrow, and much enraged. It is a common saying, that one man is worth a hundred, and that a hundred is not worth one man ; for, in tnith, it happens, sometimes, that by the good con- duct and courage of one man, a whole country is preserved, while another person may totally ruin and destroy it. Thus things fre. quently fall out CHAPTER CCLVI. SIR JOHN CHANDOS TAKES TEERlERES. THE EARL OF PERIGORD AND MANY . OTHER KNIGHTS LAY SIEGE TO REALVILLEt IN QUERCY. After this defeat, which happened, as has been related, between Mirehcau and Lusignan, the English and Poitevins, when thev made any excursions, acted with greater prudence and keptino'-c; together. We will now speak of sir John Chandos, sir Guiscnrd d Angle,^ and * " Mirebeau"— atown in Poitou. T '■ Lusignan"— a town in Poitou. seven leagues from Poitiers. i "nealville"~a town of Quercy, on the river Aveyron, about two leagues from Ulniitaubau. § SirGuiscard d'Angle was created a peer, by the title nf earl of Huntingdon, IslRic. II. He was also a knight of the Garter, which dignily tie received for having been in- strumental to the marriasc of the duke of Lancaster with a daughter of don Pedio of Castille. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. ISl others who were in Montauban, seven leagues distant I'rom Toulouse, and who made frequent sallies fioni that place very nmch to their honor. However, while they were there, they tliought they could employ their time more profitably than in guarding the frontiers, and in consequence determined to lay siege to Terneres in the Toulousin. They made therefore every necessary preparation, and, marching from Montauban in grand array, came to TerriSres. The whole army being arrived, it was surrounded closely ; for they depended on gaining it bj^ means of mines, as it could not easily be taken by assault. Their miners were set to work, who labored so well that at the end of fifteen days they took the town ; all who were in it were killed, and the place pillaged and destroyed. In this excursion, they had intended to take another town, three leagues from Toulouse, called Laval, and had placed an ambuscade in a wood near that place. They advanced witl) about forty men, armed, but dressed in peasant's clothes. They were, however, disappointed by a country boy, who, following their footsteps, discovered. their intentions; by ■which means they failed, and returned to Montauban. The earl of Perigord, the earl de Comminges, the earl de I'Isle, the viscount de Carmaing, the viscount de Brunikel, the viscount de Talar, the viscount de Murendon, the viscount de Laustre, sir Ber- trand de Tharide, the lord de la Barde, the lord de Pincornet, sir Perducas d'Albret, the little Mechin, the bourg de Breteuil, Aime- mon d'Ortige, Jacquet de Bray, Perrot de Savoye, and Arnaudon de Pans, took the field about this period. There were among these free companies full ten thousand fighting men. By orders from the duke of Anjou. who at that time resided in Toulouse, they entered Quercy in great force, where they brought on much tribulation by burning and destroying the whole country. They advanced to Rfealville, wherein they besieged the high steward of Quercy, who had before provided it with everything necessary for the defence of a town, and with good English soldiers, who had resolved never to surrender but with their lives : notwithstanding the inhabitants were well in- clined to the French. During the time these knights and barons of France were besieg- ing this town, they sent to Toulouse for four great engines, which were immediately brought thither. They were pointed against the walls of Rfealville, into which they flung night and day large stones and pieces of timber that did much mischief and weakened it. They had also miners with them, whom they set to work, and who boasted that in a short time they would take the town. The English, how- ever, behaved like good and brave men, supported each other, and in appearance held these miners very cheap. CHAPTER CCLVII. Tins ARCHBISHOP OF T0CL0t;SE TURNS THE CITY OF CAHORS AND SEVERAL OTHER TOWNS TO THE TARTY OF THE KIN& OF FRANCE. THE DUKES OF GUELDRES AND OF JULIERS SEND DEFIANCES TO THE ZING OF FRANCE. While the French men-at-arms were thus quartering themselves in Quercy, and upon the borders of Limousin and Auvergne, the duke of Berry was in another part of this last province, where he had a large body of men-at-arms, under sir John d'Armagnac, his brother- in-law, the lord John de Villemur, Roger de Beaufort, the lord de Beaujeu, the lords de Villars, de Sergnac, de Calencon, sir Griffon de Montagu, sir Hugh Dauphin, and a great many other good knights. They made inroads on the confines of Rouergue, Quercy, and Li- mousin, and can-ied ruin and devastation wherever they went, for nothing was able to stand before tliem. By the advice of the duke of Berry, the duke of Anjou sent the archbishop of Toulouse from that city, during the time these annies were overrunning the countiy, to the city of Cahors, of which place his brother was bishop. This archbishop was a very learned clerk, as well as a valiant man. He preached up this quarrel of the king of France so earnestly, and so well, that the city of Cahors turned t;i the French side : and the inhabitants swore that from this time forth tbey would be loyal and faithful subjects to the king of France. After this, the archbishop continued his journey through the country, preaching everywhere, with such good success, the rights of the king of France, that all the people of those parts embraced his opinions ; and upward of sixty towns, castles, and fortresses were turned to the king of France, with the assistance of the army of the duke of Berry ; that is to say, of sir John d'-4.rmagnac and the others who were overrunning the country. He caused also Sigeac, Gaignac, Capedonac, and several other prin. cipal towns and strong castles to change sides ; for he remonstrated and preached, that the king of France had a good and clear right in this quarrel, with such effect, that all who heard hint were con- vinced : besides, naturally in their hearts they were more French than English, which greatly helped this business. In like manner, as the archbishop went preaching and remonstra- ting on the justice of the quarrel of the king of France along the confines of Languedoc, there were in Picardy many prelates and lawyers who were as active in doing the same duty, by preaching and converting the people of the cities, large towns, and villages. Sir William des Dormans, in particular, distinguislied himself by preaching this quarrel of the king of France from city to city, and from town to town, so wisely and ably that all people listened to iim willingly ; and it was wanderful how well he colored the whole business through the kingdom by his harangues. In addition to this, the king of France, moved by devotion and humility, ordered frequent processions of the whole clergy : when he himself, as well as the queen, attended without stockings, and bare-footed. In this manner, they went praying and supplicating God to listen to them, and to the necessities of the kmgdom of France, which had been lor so long a time under tribulation. The king ordered all the sub. jects of his realm to do the same, by the advice of the prelates and churchmen. The king of England acted in a similar manner in his kingdom. There was at that time a bishop of London* who made several long and fine sermons ; he demonstrated and preached in these sermons, that the king of France had most unjustly renewed the war, and that it was against right and reason, as he plainly showed in different points and articles. In truth, it was but proper, that both kings, since tliey were determined on war, should explain and make clear to tlteir subjects the cause of the quarrel, that they might understand it, and have the better will to assist their kings ; to which purpose they were all equally alert in the two kingdoms. The king of England had sent to Brabant and Hainault, to learn if he could have any assistance from either of them ; and had fre- quently, on account of his near connection, requested duke Albert, who at that time governed the country for his brother, to allow him to pass through his territories, or to remain there, if there should be occasion, and to enter through his country the kingdom of France, to carry the war into the heart of it. Duke Albert would willingly have complied with the requests of the king of England, his uncle, and of queen Philippa his aunt, through the mediation and advice of lord Edward de Gueldres, who was of the king's party, and also by means of the duke of Juliers his cousin-german, but he had been already gained, as you will hear. These two were in those times strictly connected, by faith and homage, to the king of England, who had desired each of them to engage for him as many as a thousand lances, for which they should be well satisfied. On this account, these two lords would have been very glad to have had duke Albert in alliance ivith the king of England. The duke was much tempted to join them by the magni. ficent presents which the king offered to make him ; which promises were frequently repeated by these two lords, as well as by other knights whom he sent over to him, and principally by the lord de Cominest, who chiefly on this account had returned to Hainault, after having resided some time with the king. But the king ot France and his council had gained over the lord John de Verchin, seneschal of Hainault, who governed the whole country. He was a wise man, a valiant knight, and a good Frenchman, This high steward had so much weight, and was so beloved by the duke and duchess, that he overset all the expectations of the English, with the assistance of the earl of Blois, sir John de Blois his brother, the lords de Ligny and de Barban^on, and exerted himself so that duko Albert and the whole country remained neuter, and would not take either side, which was the answer made by the lady Jane duchess of Brabant. King Charles of France, who was wise and artful, had taken the previous measures, and settled all this business three years t before. He well knew that he had good friends in Hainault and Brabant, especially among the greater part of the counsellors of the principal noblemen. In order to put a better color on his war, he had copies made by learned men of different papers relative to the peace, which were signed at Calais, in which he slated all the facts in his favor, and those articles the king of England and his children had sworn to maintain, and to which they had submitted by sealed deeds, with the orders which they ought in consequence to have given to their subjects : in short, ail the points and articles which were favorable to liim, and condemned the actions of the English. These papers were made public in the town halls, and in the presence of different noblemen and their counsellors, that they might be fully informed on the subject. On the other hand, the king of England acted in like manner ; for he sent memorials and remonstrances through Germany, or wherever he expected to gain assistance. The duke of Gueldrea (who was nephew to the king of England, being the son of his sister, and thus cousin-german to the children of the king,) and the duke of Juliers, were at that time true and loyal Englishmen : they had been very much affronted by the manner of the king of France sending his challenge by a servant, and rebuked the king for it, highly blaming both him and his council for this unbecoming form of°sending it. They said, that war between such great and renowned * Dr. Simon Tibald. alias Sudliury.— Barnes. f'Lord lie Comines." My MSS. liave Gommecines. Tins passage seems verj much confiiseil. Lord Berncrs says, in his translation, that the lord de Connnes was at the French court, and came away to prevent duke Albert joining the king of England.— IThis passage has been, as D. Sauvage expresses it. " horribly corrupled." He had considerable difficulty in settling it, and quotes the parallel passage from two other copies besides his own text, all varying from each other. It is not at all clear from these that Comines or Gommegines was not on the French party as lord Berners represents him to be, and this appears more probable from a former passage, where he is repre- sented as attached to the French party ; and, again, at page 4U, Mr. Johnes in that place uses a third orthography, and spells the name Comminges, but all Uirce appear to be the same name.]— Ed. t Three years. Denys Sauvag* suspects it ought to be three months, but gives no reason for it. 182 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. lords as the kings of Fiance and of England should have been declared by proper messengers, such as dignified prelates, bishops or abbots. They added, that the French had not followed this usual mode, through pride and presumption. These lords sent their chal. lenge'to the king of France in a handsome manner, as did several other knights of Germany. It was their intention immediately to have entered France, and to have done such deeds there as twenty years should not efface : but their schemes wore broken by means they did not expect, as you will hereafter find recorded in •'-■" liistory. this CHAPTER CCLVIII. THE DUKE OF BtTR&traDY, BROTHER TO KINS CHARLES V. MARRIES THE DAUOHTER OF THE EARL OF FLANDERS. THE KINO OF ENGLAND ENTERS INTO NEOOTIATIONS WITH THE KING- OF NAVARRE. It has been before related how much the king of England solicited and intrigued, during upward of five years, the marriage of his son, Edmund earl of Camliridge, with the daughter of the earl of Flan, deis. As the detailed account of the different negotiations would be too long, I shall briefly pass them over: but you must know ihat the king of England could not by any means whatever obtain from pope Urban V. a dispensation. As this was absolutely necessary, the marriage remained in suspense. The earl of Flanders being solicited, on the other hand, by the king of France, for his brother the duke of Burgundy ; and seeing that the marriage not being likely to take place with England, his daughter ought to marry, as he had not any other children ; having also learnt that the countess of Artois, his mother, was favorable to the duke of Burgundy's suit, for it was a grand and well assorted alliance ; for these reasons he Bent noble embassadors to England, to treat with the king for an ac- quittal of his engagements between them. These embassadors managed the business so ably that the king of England, who always wished to act honorably, assented to the earl of Flanders' request. They returned, therefore, to Bruges, and re- lated to the earl their lord what they had done. The earl was much pleased at their success. It was not long before the marriage of the duke of Burgundy with the heiress of Flanders was determined on. There were great treaties, agreements and alliances made between both parties ; and it was then told me, that the earl of Flanders, in consideration of this marriage, received upward of fifty thousand crowns ;* that the towns of Douay and Lille were given up to him, oil account of the money which the king of France was to give his brother on this marriage. The earl of Flanders took possession of these towns, put Ids own subjects into them, and they were esteemed as part of Flanders, on account of the sums they were pledged for. But I know nothing fuvthur. Soon after these arrangements were concluded, they proceeded to the marriage, which was celebrated in the city of Ghent. There were great feasts at the solemnity of the wedding, and afterwards, which were attended by crowds of lords, barons and knights. The gallant lord of Coucy was there, whose presence was so acceptable at a feast, of which none knew better how to do the honors ; it was for this reason the king of France had sent him thither. After they had been magnificently entertained, as well with tournaments as otherwise, they separated, and returned to their homes. The king of England, who saw that from this marriage the earl of Flanders must become the ally of the king of France, was ignorant whether the earl would take part against him with the duke of Bur- gundy his son, who of course would be his heir to the county of Flanders, and what treaties had been entered into by the earl with the king of France. The king, therefore, was much harder upon the Flemings than before, and harassed them by sea and land, and when- ever he found them in his own country with their merchandise. The king of France was not displeased at this, and would willingly have seen a war declared between the Flemings and the English : but the prudent men of Flanders and the citizens of the principal towns were averse to it, for the commonalties of Flanders maintained the quarrel between the two kings to be more just on the part of England than of France. King Edward was gaining friends on all sides, and much need had he of them, from the appearance of the great wars and rebellions that were breaking out in his dominions beyond sea. He was given to understand, that his cousin king Charles of Navarre, who at that time resided in lower Normandy, would join his party ; for he hated the king of France, on account of some estates which the king of Na- varre claimed as his inheritance, and which the king of France denied his right to. Counsellors on each side had frequently met, but they could never come to any agreement. The affair had remained in this situation, and each was on his guard. The king of Navarre had amply provided his towns and castles in Coutantin, in the county of Evreux, as well as his principal towns in Normandy, with all sorts of stores : he had filled Cherbourg, where he resided, with men-at- arms. At this time, sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt was with the king of Na- varre : he was governor of a town called Carentan,* beyond the fords of St. Clement in Coutantin, which he held under the king of Na. varre, being part of his inheritance : sir Eustace was also one of his privy counsellors : so that the king of England sent to him ;for he was his liege man and knight,) to sound the intentions of the king of Navarre. He found him well inclined, and treated so successfully that the king of Navarre, with a small retinue, embarked on board a shij) called the Lynne, and visited the king of England, who was right glad to see him. He entertained him handsomely ; and they had many conferences together, in which they understood each other so well that, on the return of the king of Navarre, he was to declare war against the king of France, and to admit English garrisons into all his castles. After those engagements and treaties had been concluded, the king of Navarre returned to Cherbourg in Normandy. He was es- corted thither by some of the knights of the household of the king and queen of England, who were unfortunate as they came back ; for they met some pirates of Normandy that attacked their vessels, and, being the strongest, overpowered them, and killed every person: they gave no quarters to any one. The king of England was much enraged when he heard this but he could not possibly then remedy it. Soon after the return of the king of Navarre to Cherbourg, sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt (who had been sent for by the prince of Wales, and whose heralds had summoned his attendance) took his leave, in order to obey the prince. The king parted with him with much regret, but sir Eustace explained his reasons so fully that he allowed him to depart. He embarked with his attendants, and sailed for St. Male, where he landed, and then rode to Nantes, in order to to pass the river Loire, with the permission of the duke of Brittany and the inhabitants, who as yet had not taken any part in this war. He continued his journey until he arrived in Poitoii, at the town of Angouleme, where the prince received him with great pleasure, and shortly afterwards sent him to sir .Tolin Chandos and the captal de Buch, who were in Montauban, guarding the frontiers against the French. Sir Eustace, on his arrival, was most joyfully greeted by his former companions. t * One of the fragments or abridgments made use of by D. Saavage in his ed. and quoted by hun as " io C/iaui," has 100,1X10 crowns.-Eo. CHAPTER CCLIX THE CONSTABLES OF FRANCE AND OF HAINAULT UNDERTAKE A SRAND EXPEDITION TO ATTACK ARDRES. THE FORTRESS OF REALVILLE IS TAKEN, AND ALL THE ENGLISH WHO WERE IN IT PUT TO THE SWORD. The knights of Picardy, about this period, were preparing a grand expedition of men-at-arms, with the intention of paying a visit to those of Ardres.t Sir John Moreau de Fiennes, constable of France, and sir .Tohn Werthin, constable§ of Hainault, were appointed, by order of the king of France, the leaders of it. Their rendezvous was in the good town of St. Onier. They amounted, in the whole, to a thousand lances, knights and squires. These men-at-arms advanced, to show their array, before the fort of Ardres, which was well gar- risoned with English. They encamped there, and gave out that they intended to lay siege to it. The English in Ardres were not alarmed, but made every necessary preparation to defend themselves, if they should be attacked. One day these lords of France and of Hainault drew out their army to the field in gay spirit, and in noble array. It was a fine sight to behold the banners of these lords flying before them, and the gallant muster they made. They began an attack, but with little advantage : for many were killed and wounded ; and nothing gained. -According to the inl'ormation which I then received, I believe it was on the fifth day they left Ardres, without any other action, and each man returned to his own home. Thus was this expedition put an end to. We will now return to what was going forward in a distant part of the country, and relate the siege of R^alville in Quercy by the French. There were upward of twelve thousand combatants, all good men-at-arms ; and at two days' march were the duke of Berry, sir .lohn d'Armagnac, sir John de Villemur, the lord de Beaujeu, and others from Auvergne and Burgundy, in all about three thousand fighting men, wiio were ready to advance should there be occasion. Sir John Chandos, the captal de Buch, sir Guiscard d'Angle, and the others who were guarding the frontiers of Montauban, knew well what was passing at Realville, and what the strength of their own forces in that part of the country consisted of. They found they were not strong enough to fight, nor to raise the siege : for the earls of Cambridge and Pembroke, who were besieging Bourdeilles, would not give up that siege. The French had set their miners to work at Realville, and by their * Carentan— a town of Normandy, three leagues from tlie sea-coast, diocese of Coutances. t l''rom the Fwdora it would appear, Unit Charles of Navarre sent two embas-iadors to England; fur there is a passport far Peter Terturon. Ins secietary, and one also tor Wilham Dordane, dated the Cth June, 1370. The king's passport is dated the 12th Au- gust, 1370, when. I suppose, he came to England, where he must have remained some time, fur tlie passport for Ins return is dated the 2Sth November. 1370. Tlie convention between the two kings is in the Fredera, to which I refer for further particulars, Tlio king of Navarre, when returned to Cherbourg, sent other embassadors to England, as their passport in the Fojdera is dated Die 1st December, 1370. X Ardres— a strong town in Picardy, four leagues from Calais, Near this place wa» held the famous interview between Henry VUI. and Francis I. § Sir John Werthin, or Verchin, constable. lie was before seneschal. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, J' RANGE, SPAIN, &. c . 183 machines, which cast stone?, &c.into It day anJ night, had harassed the garrison so much, they could not sufficiently watch these miners, who succeeded in tlreir operations, and flung down a great part of the walls '; by which means the town was taken, and all the English in it were put to death witliout mercy, which was a pity, for there were among them several good squires. The inhabitants were par. doned on their promising from that time forth to be loyal Frenchmen, The French commanders appointed captains and men-at-arms to guard if, as well as others to give advice in the article of repairs, or in whatever other business occnsion might require. After the conquest of R^alville, the army dispersed itself over tVe countries of Qucrcy and Rouergue, to get refreshments and recruit themselves. The companies went to the city of Cahoi-s and its neighborhood. Their leadei-s were, Aimemon d'Orfige, Perrot de Savoye, le petit Mechin, Jacques de Bray and .^rnaudon de Pans, who despoiled the whole country. The earl of Perigord, the earl de risic, the earl de Comminges,* the viscount de Carmaing and flic other lords returned to their own estates; for sir Hugh Calvcrley, sir Robert Briquet, ,Iohn Tresnelle, Lanut, Naudonde Bagerant, lebourg Camus, le bourg de I'Esparre and other captains of these free com- panies, were carrying on a destructive war there, and had burnt and ravaged the lands of the earl d'Armagnac and the lord d'Albret. Tliere was at this time, as high steward of Rouergue, a very val- iant man and good knight, an Englishman, called sir Thomas Whiteval.t He resided in the town and castle of Milhaud,t a day's journey from Montpellier ; and notwithstanding the whole country surrounding it had changed sides, and was conquered, he kept this garrison upward of a year and a half, and also another fortress in Rouergue called Vauclerc. He made many expeditions, and difier- ent sallies much to his honor, until sir Bertrand du Guesclin drove him out, as you will hear related anon in the course of this history. The town and casile of Bourdeilles sfill remained besieffed. CHAPTER CCLX. THE FRENCH TAKE LA ROCHE TOSAY.§ THE SENESCHAL OF POITOC BURNS AXD DESTROYS THE LANDS OF THE LORD DE CHAtTVIGNY, AND TAKES BY ASSAULT HIS PKINCIPAL TOWN OF BKUX. Sir John de Bueil, sir William des Bourdes, sir Louis de St. Julien and Carnet le Breton, remained on the frontiers of Poitou, with up- ward of twelve hundred fighting men, and studied night and day by what means they could take, gain by surprise or otherwise, any towns, castles or fortresses in Poitou. From these measures it hap. pened that they took by scalado a castle called La Roche Posay, at the entrance of Poitou, on the river Creus, two leagues distant from La Hayell in Touraine, and tolerably near to Chitelhcraut on the same river. The whole country was e.\ceedingly alarmed at this ; for the French placed a large garrison in it, repaired the walls, and amply provided it with all sorts of provision, ammunition and artillery. When this news was brought to the prince, he was much dis. pleased ; but he could not prevent it. He sent orders to sir Guiscard d'Angle, sir Lewis de Harcourt, the lord de Partenay, the lord de Pinane, and several others who were at Montauban with sir John Chandos, to return to him directly, as he wanted to employ them in another part of the country. The aforesaid lords, in consequence of this command, left Montauban, and journeyed to Angouleme, where the prince was, who inunediately sent them to Poitiers, to guard that city and defend the frontiers against the French. There had lately turned to the French party a great baron of Poitou, called the lord de Chauvigny, viscount de Brux. This town had followed his example, which he had filled with Bretons and men-at- arms : he himself had left the country, and gone to France to the king. The prince and all the barons of Poitou were exasperated at this defection. The viscount de Rochechouart was also suspected : and the prince, being informed that he was about to change sides, sent for him to Angouleme, where he told him what he had heard. The viscount denied it, and excused himself as well as he could : notwithstanding this, he was committed a close prisoner, and re. mained a considerable time in this dangerous situation. Sir James Audley was at this period high steward of Poitou, a right sage and valiant knight. He made preparations for a grand expedition. There were with him sir Guiscard d'.4ngle, sir Louis de Harcourt, the lord de Pons, the lord de Partenay, the lord de Pinane, sir Geoffry d'Argenton, sir Maubrun de Linieres, the lord de Tannaybouton, sir William de Montaudire, and many other knights and squires of Poitou. They amounted in the whole to twe've hun- dred lances ; and there was also with them sir Baldwin Freville, high steward of Saintonge. These lords made Poitiers their place of rendezvous : from that place they rode in grand aiTay, and ad. vanced until they entered BeiTy, where they began to burn and de- 1 stroy the country, and to pillage poor people, to whom they did great j damage. They then returned to Touraine. Wherever they passed, I the countries suffered most exceedingly ; for none ventured to oppose * See note page 181. t VVIiiteval. Q. If riofWTiilwell. Barnes calk liim sir Tliomas Woke. ; Milhaud, or Millau— a town i-i Rouersue. on tlie river Tarne. I /.I Roche Posay— a town in Touraine. on the Creuse, noted for its medicinal springs. La Ilayo— four leagues from Chateilieraul. them, as they were in such force as to be masters of the country. These men-at-arms entered the lands of the lord de Chauvigny, whose lord had lately turned Frenchman, which they burnt and de. stroyed without hindrance, except the towns and strongholds. They came to his principal town of Brux,* attacked it, and continued the attack a whole day with their men-at-arms, but gained nothing. They then encamped, and declared they would not thus leave it, for it was to be ttdcen. They rose at daybreak, and, having made everything ready, sounded their trumpets for an assault. The Poit- evins and English being formed into battalions, each lord with his men under his own banner, they made, on this Saturday, a most fierce attack. It lasted some time : for there were in the town men. at-arms, and some from the companies, who defended themselves as well as they could, as they knew their lives depended upon it. Many, therefore, were the gallant deeds of arms performed. The two high stewards of Poitou and Saintonge were anxious to gain the town. They made their archers shoot so quickly that scarcely any one dared to appear on the walls to defend il. On this Saturday morning, the town of Brux was so vigorously attacked, that it was won at last, and the gate thrown open for every one to enter it who chose. All the men-at-arms of the viscount were taken ; and the lords of the army had sixteen of them hanged in their annor, from hatred to the viscount, who was not in the country, but with the king of France at Paris. The town was burnt, and the inhabitants lost their all : there were besides very many slain and drowned. The English returned to Poitiers with their army, the better to refresh themselves. CHAPTER CCLX I. SIR ROBERT KNOLLES IS APPOINTED CAPTAIN OP THE PRINCE'S COMPANY. HE CAUSES SIR PEEDUCAS D'ALBRET TO TURN TO THE ENGLISH. HE BESIEGES THE FREN'CH COMPANIES IN THE FORT OP DURMEL. Sir Robert Knolles resided in Brittany, where he had a fine and large estate : he had always been a good and loyal Englishman, and had served under the king of England, and the prince of Wales his eldest son, in their different expeditions, by whom he was much loved : having heard that the French were carrying on a disastrous war against the prince, and meant to take from him his inheritance of Aquitaine, which he had assisted in gaining for him, he was very much surprised and displeased. He therefore resolved in his own mind to collect a-s many men-at-arms as he possibly could, and go with them to serve the prince of Wales at his own cost and charges. As he had resolved, so did he execute : he sent to summon all his vassals, and to entreat his friends to accompany him. He gathered about sixty men-at-arms, with as many archers of his own dependents and friends, and made his preparations for embarking them on board four large vessels, at a town and seaport in Brittany called Conquet.t When all his purveyances had been completed and sent on board, he set out for his castle at Derval,t and followed them, when he embarked on board his vessel, perceiving that his people were already at sea. He made sail, and arrived at the quay of La Rochelle, where the inhabitants gave him a grand entertainment, much against their inclinations; but they dared not do otherwise. He found there sir John Devreux, who commanded for the prince of Wales, as hiffli steward, sir Thomas Percy being with sir John Chandos. Sir John Devreux received sir Robert Knolles with great joy, and entertained him in the best manner he could. Sir Robert remained there two days, to refresh himself and his people. On the third day, he set out, taking the road to Angouleme, and continued his journey until he arrived there. The prince and princess were exceedingly pleased to see sir Robert, and it seemed they could not do enough to show it. The prince appointed him captain of the knights and squires of his household, out of love to him, and as a reward for his valor and honor. He ordered them to pay sir Robert the same obedience a3 to himself, which they promised willingly to do. When sir Robert had remained with the prince about five days, and those who were to accompany him in an expedition were ready, he was informed to what part it was meant that he should lead them: he took his leave of the prince, and set out from Angouleme well attended by the prince's knights. There were sir Richard de Pont- chardon, sir Stephen Cossington, sir Dagloiret, sir Nele Loring, sir William Torceil, sir Hugh Hastings, sir John Trivet, sir Thomas Despenser, sir Tancon,^ sir Thomas Banaster, sir Nicholas Bond, sir William le Moine, the high steward of the Agenois, sir Baldwin Freville, and upward of sixty knights. They amounted in the whole to about sixty men-at-arms, five hundred archers, and as many foot soldiers, all in high spirits, eager to meet the French. || This small army, of which sir Robert was the leader, advanced toward Agen, to enter Quercy, where the free companies had quartered themselves, and continued their march until they came to the city of Agen. * Brux— a town in Poitou, near Cliaunay, diocese of Poitiers. TConquet — a seaport, situated five leagues from Brest. Tins name is much disfigured in all my copies, e.\cept in the Lamoignon manuscript. t Derval— a village hetween Nantes and Rennes. thirteen leagues from Nantes. , § "Tancon." Q. Sir Richard Taunton.— Barnes. il There seems some mistalie relative to the nnmber of men-at-arms : for sir Robert l>rought with him sixty men-at-arms. We must suppose, that many ot the prince's household were at tlie lime of sir Robert's arrival with sir John Cliandos or sir James Audley, and, though mentioned by name, were not perhaps present. 184- CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, !•' RANGE, SPAIN, &c. They halted there a short time to refresh themselves, and to wait for the enemy. While sir Robert made this halt at Agen, he learnt that sir Perducas d'Albret (a famed captain of the free companies, who had upward of three hundred men under his command) was in that part of the coiintry, and that, through the solicitations of the duke of Anjou, he had embraced the French side. Sir Robert immediately sent to him a herald, with other messengers, who managed so well, that he consented to meet him at an appoint^^d place in the open fields, on the faith of his passport. When sir Rohert met sir Per- ducas d'Albret, he feasted him well, and then by degrees entered upon the business of his having left the prince. He blamed him very much for having turned Frenchman, and for quitting the service of a prince who loved him so much, and who had advanced him to honors. Why should I make a long story of it? Sir Robert argued and talked the matter over so ably that sir Perducas d'Albret changed to the English party, and went over to them with upward of five hundred Gascons from the free companies. The duke of Anjou was much angered at this when he heard it, and held sir Perducas cheap for Iiis breach of promise, as did all the others who were of the French party, and hated the English more than ever. This news was soon canied to the city of Cahors, and to the other free companies, who formed a large garrison there, and had done so for a considerable lime. When their leaders, Aimcmon d'Ortige, le petit IMechin, Jacques de Bray, Perrot de Savoye and Arnaudon dc Pans, heard that sir Perducas ti'Albret had, with his whole company, gone over to the English, they were very much disheartened and alarmed. Finding that the city of Cahors was of too great an extent for them to hold out against the English, they departed, after having given up the town to the bishop and the inhabitants. They went to the priory of Durmel, that was not far distant, which they had forti. fled some time before, and was not difficult to defend. They entered this place in good order, to wait for their enemies, who came as soon as they knew they had retired thither : they surrounded it, and made many a gallant attack : but those within, being tried men-at-arms, and well supplied with everything, made very light of it. As soon as sir John Chandos, sir Thomas Felton, the captal de Buch, sir John de Pommiers, sir Thomas Percy, sir Eustace d'Ambrelicourt, and the other knights attached to the prince in Montauban, heard that sir Robert KnoUes was besieging the companies in Durmel, they determined to march to his assistance ; for it seemed to them that much glory might be acquired. Upward of three hundred lances went from Montauban, leaving behind in garrison fidl two hundred, tinder the command of sir Ainiery de Chartres, the souldich de I'Estrade, sir Bcrnardet d'Albreth, and the lord de Gironde. They pressed their march to arrive at the siege of Durmel. In their road, they came to a tolerably strong French town, called Moissac* It was only guarded by the townsmen, for there was not a gentleman in it. They sent their scouts to examine the place, who brought inforination that it was suflicicntly strong, and that without a siege they could not well gain it. The leaders immediately called a coun- cil, to see what was best to be done ; and they resolved in this council, that it should be wrong for them to stop at this place, which would interfere with their intentions regarding Durmel. They there- fore continued their march: it was but early morning : and they had not advanced more than a league from the place before they met four carriers' horses laden with provision, who were innnediately stopped and seized. They inquired whence they came, and whither they ■were going. The carriers truly answered, that they had come from Toulouse, and were going to Moissac, with the intent of selling their provision. They were then questioned as to the state of that town, and what was the force within it. The carriers, not daring to tell a lie, said, that the town was much distressed by a scarcity, and they did not believe there were in it provisions for four days, if they should be besieged ; and that there were no gentlemen in it, nor had it any defenders but the citizens. The chiefs then called a council, and determined not to march further till they should have conquered this town. They returned, and, Iceeping the provision for themselves, gave the carriers their horses, telling them to go and seek for more. They halted before Moissac, and encamped as if they meant to fix their quarters before it for a month: this first day they made preparations seemingly for an assault on the. following, and pointed their cannon against the walls. When the inhabitants of Moissac saw what was going for- "ward, they were much frightened, knowing they could not long hold out : for they were in great want of all sorts of provision ; they opened a treaty with the English knights, which was soon concluded. By it they acknowledged the prince of Wales for their lord, and agreed to hold the town from him for ever, without fraud or treachery. On which they had peace granted, and nothing was taken from them. Sir John Chandos and the other knights, at the request of the inhab- itants, appointed a knight, called sir Robert Mytton.t governor, with twenty mcu-at-arms, and forty archers, to be maintained and paid at the expense of the town. They then marched to Durmel, where sir Robert KnoUes and his army were. There was great joy at their arrival, and thus all meeting together again. The new comers united with their former friends in pushing on the siege with vigor. * Moissac— a town of duercy, on the Tarne, seven leagues from Monlauboti. '~t"Mytton." Barnes calls him Mutton, and quotes "tlie true use of armory, in tlie Jife of the lord John Chandos," p. 68. CHAPTER CCLXII. SIE KOEERT KNOLLES AKD SIR JOHN CHANDOS KAISE THE SIEGE OF DtJR. MEL. THEY LAY SIEGE TO THE CASTLE OF DOM.ME.* DuRiNs the siege of Durmel, there were many attacks, skirmishes, and gallant feats of arms; for they were good and able men, as well those who besieged the place as those who defended it. Had they not been such skilful soldiers, they could not have held out as they did. The English and their partisans who lay before it, did not gain much advantage, for they were overpowered in two ways : it rained night and day, which hurt both men and horses ; added to this, there was such a scarcity of provision, they had great difficulty in procu- ring wherewithal to satisfy their hunger. A loaf was sold there for tlu'ee old groats. They were distressed to obtain any even at such a price. Of wines, they had a sufficient quantity, which to them were of the greatest comfort. In this situation, they remained up. ward of five weeks. When they perceived that they made no impres- sion, nor were likely to take the garrison of Durmel, and that they remained there in a very comfortless state, they determined to raise the siege, and to march for the town and castle of Domme, wliich was situated in a richer country. >Sir Robert de Domme, the lord of it, was governor of the town and castle ; and there was with him a knight, his cousin, called sir Peter Sanglet. These two knights had collected large quantities of everything necessary from the low countries, which they had brought into the town. When the English and Gascons, who were fii'teen hundred men-at arms, two thousand archers and foot soldiers, anived at Domme, they drew up in anay, to lay siege to it, and began a brisk attack on the place. They pointed large machines against the walls ; and many severe skirmishes and assaults were made on each side. Alter they had besieged this place for fifteen days, and found they did not gain any advantage, nor were likely to conquer it, but were nmch straitened themselves, they determined to inform the prince of Wales of their situation, who was at that time at Angouleme. Chan- dos, the herald, was ordered to carry this message, who immediately set out, and journeyed until he came to Angouleme, where he found the prince with very few attendants, for all his knights and squires were away on different expeditions. When the herald, Chandos, was arrived in the presence of the prince, he dropped on his knees, and recommended to liim his mas- ters who had sent lum, and whom he had left at the sieg-e of Domme, He then related their situation most wisely, as he had been ordered to do, and gave the credential letters, which be had brought to the prince. The prince listened attentively to all that was told Iiim, and said he would consider this subject. He kept the herald with him five days, and, on the sixth, he had letters delivered to him under the prince's seal, who said to him on his departure, " Chandos, salute from me all our companions." He replied, " Most willingly, my lord." AVhen the herald set out, he took the road through Quercy. I will now relate what passed in the army, and what things they did during the absence of this herald. CH.4PTER CCLXIII. Sm KOBERT KNOLLES AND SIR JOHN CHANDOS MARCH FRO.M DOMME, WITII- OUT DOING ANYTHING. TUEY TAKE GAVACHES,t R0CHEMAD0UR,t AND SEVERAL OTHER TOWNS WHICH HAD TURNED TO THE PARTY OF THE FRENCH. Soon after Chandos had left his masters at the siege of Domme, sir John Chandos, sir Robert KnoUes, sir Thomas Felton, the captal de Buch, sir James Audley, and other knights, held a council, and resolved to break up the siege, for they gained nothing, and to make an incursion more into the country, in order to conquer such towns and garrisons as had lately turned to the French, through the means of the duke of Berry, and the free companies. They decamped, and marched from Domme, taking the road for Gramat, which im. mediately surrendered : the inhabitants turned again to the English the moment they came before it. The chiefs and the army remained for three days in Gramat, to refresh themselves, and during that time considered whither they should go next. When they went away, they made for a fortress which the companies had newly taken, called Frons. As soon as the garrison perceived the English advancing with so great a force, and learnt that those of Gramat had become English, they also changed their side, and swore that they would be faithfid to the English ; but they lied. The English continued their march, and halted before Roquemadour. The inhabitants had strongly fortified themselves, not having any inclination to surrender. The English having well examined the situation of the town of Roquemadour and the countenance of its inhabitants, brought for- ward their engines and artillery, and began to attack it with great vivacity and vigor. I can say, that many and sharp were the attacks: several were slain and wounded by the arrows from those within and without. This assault lasted one whole day- Toward vespers, the English retired to their camp, with the intention of renewing th« * Domme— a town in Perisord. election of Sarlet, on tlie Dordogne- t Gavaches. I cannot lind tins in the Gazetteer, and suspect it must be Gramat, a -■ town in Quercy, election of Figeac, near Peyrac. t Rocliemador— Rotiuemadour— a town iu Quercy, election of Figeac, near Peyrac. ■ CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 185- attack on the rnorrow : but during the night those of Roquemadour, who the preceding day had severely felt the courage of tlieir oppo- nents, and how liardly they had pushed them, called a council. The wisest among them said, that in time they must surrender ; and if Ihey were taken by assault, they would all be slain, the town burnt without mercy ; and that, weighing the bad and good, they advised opening an immediate treaty with the English. This was soon con- cluded. They declared that from that day forward, they would be true to the English, which they afterwards solemnly swore to observe. , They were also obliged to supply the army with fifty horse-load of provisions from the town, during the space of fifteen days, which 1 were to be paid for at a certain fi.xed price : and'thus Roquemadour obtained peace. The English continued their march toward Villefranche, in the Toulousin, burning and destroying the flat countries, bringing great calamities on the poor inhabitants, and conquering such towns and castles as had changed sides ; some by treaty, others by force. They came at length before Villefranche, which was tolerably wedl inclosed, and provided with provision and artillery ; for all those of the sur- rounding flat country had retired into it. They commenced the attack, on their arrival, with much intrepidity. During the four days they lay before it, frequent were the assaults, and many were killed on both sides. The garrison having reflected on their situation, found tliey could not hold out much longer, and, as there was no appear- ance of help coming to them, they surrendered to the English, on condition that neither themselves nor their town should receive any harm. In this manner did Villefranche, on the borders of Toulouse, become English ; which when told to the duke of Anjou, who was at Toulouse, grieved him much. Sir John Chandos appointed gov. ernor and captain of Villefranche an English knight, called sir Rob- ert le Roux,* and then continued his march, burning and destroying i the country. We will now return to the siege of Bourdeilles, and relate how the earls of Cambridge and Pembroke persevered in it. CHAPTER CCLXI V. THE EAHLS OF CAMBRIDGE AND OF PEMBROKE CONQtlEK THE GARRISON OF BOURDEILLES. While these last-mentioned barons and knights of England, with their army, were making excursions and conquests in Rouerguc, Quercy and the Ag^nois, where they continued a considerable time, the siege of Bourdeilles was still going on. It had lasted upward of nine weeks. All this while there were daily skirmishes, attacks and gallant deeds of arms. The besieged had a custom of advancing every day with their whole army without the gate, where they skir- mished valorously with all comers, and behaved themselves so gal- lantly that they acquired great praise even from the enemy. The garrison remained in this situation some time, and would have con. tinued so longer, if pride and presumption had not tempted them ; for they were iu sufficient numbers, all tried men, with plenty of provision, and artillery to defend themselves. The besiegers began to grow weaiy, notwithstanding they acted much to their honor, for they considered that their expenses were greater than the conquest Ihey were attempting was worth. After holding a council, to con- sider by what means they could the sooner bring this business to an end, they determined to arm all their people by four o'clock in the merning, and to keep them in their quarters, sending a part of them to akirmish with the garrison as usual : for the gairison were so eager for these combats, they would frequently march into the open fields to engage in them. Tlie English ordered their party to make a feint, and to retreat by degrees toward their own army, as if they were de- feated, in order to draw them further out, and then a body of cavalry was to sally forth, and by getting between them and the town, pre- vent them from entering it again. The plan was adopted ; for they said, if they could not win the place by this means, they should not easily gain it. On the morrow morning they armed themselves, and sent two hundred to skirmish with the garrison. When the companies in Bourdeilles, and their captains Ernaudon and Bernardin, saw them approach, they were very much rejoiced, and quickly made themselves and their men ready. There might be about seven score young men, active soldiers, who, having or- dered the gate to be thrown quite open, advanced to their barriers, and met the English lances and bucklers very handsomely. They fought so well that the English gave way, and retreated as they had been ordered ; which being observed, those of the ganison ordered their standard to be advanced, crying out at the same time, " By St. Anthony's head, we shall take them." On which they attacked them with greater fury as they were flying before them, so that some were unhorsed, wounded or made prisoners. But because they were so eager to gain everything, and as the proverb says, " All covet, all lose," they had advancetl so far from the town that when they wished to return they could not ; for sir John Montague,t who had the command of the ambuscade, which consisted of five hun- dred chosen men, placed himself between them and the town. He was knighted on the field, by the eari of Cambridge, and directly * Sir Robert le Roui. Barnes calls him sir John Roos. Why not sir Robert Rous ? t Sir John Montague— nephew and heir to the earl of Salisbury.— Bar.nes. attacked them with great vigor. When the companies of Bour- deilles saw themselves thus entrapped, they were sensible of their folly in pursuing so far: however, they collected themselves in a- body like brave men, and began to fight valiantly, and to perform such feats of arms as were marvellous to behold. This combat lasted upward of two hours : and they annoyed their enemies so much, and behaved so gallantly, that the English lords were much delighted with them. Sir John Montague proved himself deserving of his knighthood, by his valor and prowess in attacking the enemy. At. last, those of tlie Bourdeilles were entirely defeated : all were killed or made prisoners, for not one of them escaped. Those of the En^ glish who had been taken were rescued. Sir John Montague made the two governors, Ernaudon and Bernardin de Batefol, his prison- ers. During the time of this skinuish, the earls of Cambridge and Pem- broke had advanced to the barriers and gate, which having gained^- they entered the town, the earl of Cambridge's banner displayed before them. Thus did the English conquer Bourdeilles. They made the inhabitants swear fealty and allegiance to the prince. The chiefs ordered the lord de Mucident to remain there as governor, and gave him sixty archers, in addition to his own people. They then broke up their encampment, having determined to march to Angouleme, to know from the prince what he wished them next to do. Thus ended the siege of Bourdeilles ; and the lords with their companies set out on their return. We will now speak of those knights of England and Gascony, who were making imroads in. Quercy, and of Chandos the herald, and the news he brought from, the prince of Wales. CHAPTER CCLXV. SIR ROBERT KNOLLES, SIR JOHN CHANDOS, AND SIR THOMAS TELTOlt JIAESHAL THEIR MEN, AND RETtIRN TO THE TRINCE OF WALES. As these knights and their army were making incursions on the borders of Rouergue and Quercy, taking towns and castles, and dis- tressing the whole country, Chandos the herald returned. He found them before a castle in Quercy, which they had hard pressed. When they saw the herald, they received him joyfully, and inquired what news he had brought. He told them that his highness the prince saluted them all, and was very desirous of seeing them ; and at these words he gave them the letters from the prince, wliich the barons took and read. They found that, with many assurances of affection and friendship, he desired that sir John Chandos, sir Thomas Felton, and the captal de Buch should return to him at Angouleme ; and that sir Robert KnoUes with his army, and all the free companies, should remain where they were to continue the war. When these three lords, who were the cliiefs of the army, heard the prince's orders, they looked at each other, and asked what was best to be done. With one voice, they addressed themselves to sir Robert Knolles, and said, " Sir Robert, you see and hear how our lord the prince orders us back, and directs that you should remain in this country to be the leader of the army." " My lords," replied sir Robert, " his highness the prince does me more honor than I could wish. Know, that I will never remain here without you, and that, if you go I will not stay behind." So they resolved to return all four to the prince, to learn more fully what were his intentions. This grand expedition was broken up : and, when the time of sepa- ration arrived, they ordered sir Perducas d'Albret to the town of Roquemadour with his company to defend that part of the frontiers against the French. The lords then addressed the other free com. panics as follows : " Gentlemen, you hear how our lord the prince sends for us to come to his presence ; for what cause we are as yet ignorant. We will therefore explain to you what we wish you to do in our absence. You will collect all your forces into one body, and with them pass the frontiers of Limousin and Auvergne, to carry the war thither ; for without war you cannot subsist ; and we swear and promise you faitliluUy, that whatever town, castle or fortress of France ye shall take and conquer, wherever it may be situated, and shall be besieged in it, we will fly to your assistance, and will cause the siege to be raised." Those who heard this promise replied, " It is well spoken, and we will abide by it ; for perhaps we may be obliged to have recourse to you." In this manner they separated : the excursion was put an end to by the lords on one side, and the companies on the other. The lords returned to the town of Angouleme, where the prince entertained them handsomely. A short time before, the earls of Cambridge and of Pembroke, with sir John Montague and several others, had also returned from Perigord. We will now mention the companies and men.at-arms who had separated from sir John Chandos, and how- they prospered. 186 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. CHAPTER CCLXVI. THE FREE COMPANIES ATTACHED TO THE ENGLISH TAKE THE CASTLE OF BELLEPERCHE,* AND THE MOTHER OF THE DUKE OF BOURBON WHO WAS IN IT. THEY ALSO TAKE THE STRONC CASTLE OF ST. SAUVEURt IN BERRY. Among tlie leaders of these companies, there were three squires from the territories of the prince, who were great captains and val- iant men-at-arms, very enterprising, and determined scalers of for- tresses. One of them was named Ortingo, another Bernard de Wiflc, and the third Bernard de la Salle.t These three captains wished not to remain long idle, nor without being spoken of for some gallant deed of arms. They marched with their companies into Limousin, to refresh themselves. At that time, sir John Devreux was sines- chal and governor of the province for the prince. These three squires, having considered what castle they might conquer from France, fi.xed upon that of Belleperche, in the Bourbonnois. It was beautiful and strong. The mother of the duke of Bourbon, and of the queen of France, made it her residence. They learnt by their spies that the good lady was alone, and had not any guards with her except her own household ; and that the governor of the castle, making frequent incursions from it, was very far from being attentive or on his guard. These captains, and such companions whom they had picked out, did not let their intentions sleep after they had formed them, but rode day and night, and arrived by break of day at Belleperche, which they took by escalade, and the mother of the queen of France who was in it. Finding the castle was so strong, and handsome, and in so rich a country, tliey declared they would keep it against all oppo- sers. In that same night, they also took another castle, called St. Sauveur, on the borders of Limousin, and gave it to sir John Dev- reux. News was soon eanied to France, that Belleperche was taken by the English, and the mother of the queen made prisoner. The king was very much vexed at this, as were the queen and duke ol Bour- bon, but they could not better themselves, at least for the present. About this time, sir Louis de Sancerre was nominated a marshal of France : he was a valiant and hardy knight. Sir Arnold d'Andreg. hen was srill alive, but so old and worn out with bearing arms, and from his former labors, that in truth he could not be of any service, nor was he able to do the duties of his office ; but he was willing to carry arms whenever it might be necessary. We will say a little of the affairs of Picardy, as we have been some time with those of the distant parts, and speak of an assembly which was held in the city of Rouen. CHAPTER CCLXVII. THE KINS OF FRANCE, INTENDING TO SEND A LARGE NAVAL ARMAMENT TO THE ENGLISH COAST, IS PREVENTED BY THE ARRIVAL OF THE DUKE OF LANCASTER AT CALAIS. The king of France, during the summer (1369,) had made great preparations of ships, barges and other vessels in the port of Har- fleur, with the intent of sending a large force to England, well fur. nished with men-at-arms, knights and squires. His brother, the lord Philip, duke of Burgundy, was appointed commander of this army, which was to destroy all England. Tlie king of France fixed his residence in the good city of Rouen in order to attend more promptly to this business. He visited his fleet two or three times every week, to which he showed much afl'ection. Added to this, his summons were so extensive that it was wonderful to see the number of men- at-arms who were collected in Vexin, Beauvoisis, and in the neigh- borhood of Rouen. Provisions and other stores were so abundantly brought there, that they would have been sufficient for a voyage to Spain or Portugal. The lord de Clisson, who was one of the privy counsellors to the king, approved not of this expedition to England, and did all he could to dissuade the king and his nobles from it. He told them, they were not so much accustomed to naval engagements as the English, and urged many reasons in support of this, as one who was better acquainted with the manners and habits of the Eng. lish, and the state of that country, than many others. Notwithstand- ing this, neither the king nor his council would change their mind, but resolved this armament should sail. The king of England and his son the duke of Lancaster, as well as several of his council, had received information of this army, and of the intentions of the French to invade and carry the war into England. They were much rejoiced at this, and had provided all the ports and harbors opposite to Ponthieu and Normandy with suf- ficient garrisons of men-at-arms and archers to receive them, if they should come. The whole kingdom of England was ready prepared to give them a good reception whenever they should land. The king, having determined to send the duke of Lancaster, with a body of men-at-arms to Calais, immediately named those whom he ordered to accompany him. There were the earl of Salisbury, the earl of Warwick, sir Walter Manny, the lord Roos of Hamlake, sir Henry * Belleperche— a town and abbey on the Garonne, in the diocese of M ontauban. near to Castel Sarasin. t St. Sanveur — a village in Berry, diocese and election of Bourses. i ti. these three names. One of my MSS. calls the second Bernard de Wiske, and so does Barnes. Percy, the lord Basset, the lord Willoughby of Eresby, the lord De- i laware, the lord de la Pole, sir Thomas Grandison, sir Alan Boxhall, I sir Richard Stury,* and many others; the whole force amounted to } about five hundred men-at-arms, and as many archers. They marched | to Dover and its neighborhood. When the transports were ready, ' they embarked, and having a favorable wind, arrived at the strong town of Calais, where they landed, and by little and little disem- barked everything which belonged to them. They took up their quarters in the town. About this time the king of England sent embassadors to entreat , most earnestly sir Robert de Namur to assist him in the war, with' ! all tlie men-at-arms that were dependent on him. Sir Robert, who ' \ had ever been steady and loyal to the English, replied, that he should'J be as soon on his march as was necessary ; for having been informedfjl ': ihat the king or one of his sons was to be at Calais, to make an ' incursion, the moment he should hear of the duke of Lancaster's arrival, he would summon all his companions, and those whose assist- ance he wished for ; his arms and everything else being already'j prepared. We will now return to what was passing in Poitoti. as- J de^fl CHAPTER CCLXVIII. THE CASTLE OF LA ROCHE SUR YON SURRENDERS TO THE ENGLISH. THE I GOVERNOR OF IT PUT TO DEATH, BY ORDERS FROM THE DUKE OF ANJOtJ.| You will remember, that when the herald Chandos brought the, orders from the prince of Wales, the barons and knights of Guienne, who were upon an expedition in Quercy and Rouerguo, returned with one accord to the town of Angouleme, where they found the prince, w-ho received them with great joy. Some little time before,' the earls of Cambridge and Pembroke had also returned with their army, after the conquest of Bourdeilles, as you have before heard. The lords and barons rejoiced exceedingly at this meeting, andgrea*'^ - entertainments were made by them. They considered whicli way they should next march, to make the most of the season. They ' found, on examining the country, that there was near the borders of Anjou a fine and strong castle called la Roche sur Yon,t which was < a dependency of Anjou ; there they resolved to march, lay siege to it, and conquer it if they were able. They made their preparations^ and set out for that part of the country. They were joined by a'" the barons and knights of Poitou : sir James Audley, the lord de Pons, the lord de Partenay, sir Louis . dc Harcourt, sir Guiseard d'Angle, the lord de Pinane, the lord de Tannaybouton, sir Maubran de Linieres, and the seneschal of La Rochelle, sir Thomas Percy. These men-at-arms and gallant company of lords, when they were all assembled, amounted to more than three thousand lances. They took the field, and came before the castle of la Roche sur Yon, which was well built and strong, with a good garrison, and well pro. vided with provisions and artillery. The duke of Anjou had ap. pointed governor a knight called sir John Blondeau, who had under his command many good companions, at the charge and pay of tha duke. The lords and barons foi-raed the siege in a handsome manner, and with great display. They surrounded the castle, for they were strong enough to do so, and had ordered from Poitiers and Thouarst large engines on carriages, which they pointed against the fort, as well as several cannons and springalls, with which the army was provided, and from long custom had always carried with them. They had also great plenty of provision, wdiich was brought to them daily from Poitiers and the adjacent country. Sir John Blondeau, finding: himself thus besieged by so many good men-at-arms (for almost all the knights of Aquitaine were there,) and that no aitl was likely to be sent to him, began to be alarmed ; he well knew that those lords would never leave the place until they had won it by fair or foul means. In the army of the earl of Cambridge, with sir John Chandos and the other barons, were some knights from Poitou well acquainted with the governor, and who in former times had been his companions in arms. These knights advanced to the barriers, and upon their faith and assurances held a conversation with him, and talked the matter over so ably (for he was not a sensible man, though a valiant knight,) that he entered into a treaty to deUver up the castle, if he were not succored, nor the siege raised, within a month ; when he was to receive the sum of six thousand francs for the provisions in it. The treaty thus entered into was ratified ; and the garrison re- mained quiet, under condition, that if the castle was not relieved within a month, it should be surrendered. This being done, the knight sent information of it to the king of France, the dukes of Anjou and of Berry, and to all the lords from whom he expected as- sistance, in order that he might be secure from any reproaches they might cast upon him. Notwithstanding these informations, that the castle was strong, and absolutely essential to France, on account of the provinces of Touraine and Anjou, no relief was sent ; so that, when the month was expired, the English lords summoned the gov. I * Stiirie. Barnes cails him Sterrie; HoilingsheJ, Sturrie. t La Roche sur Voii— alown in Poitou, on tlie Yon. eight leagues from Lunon, four- teen from Nantes. I Thouara— an ancient city of Poitou sixteen leagues from Poitiers. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 18T ernor to perform his promise, for which he had given good hostages. Sir John did not intend to break his engagement : he said to his companions, " Since the king of France and the duke of Anjou are detennined to lose this castle, I cannot defend it alone :" he there fore delivered it up to tlie English, who took possession with great joy. The governor received the sum of si.x thousand francs, as agreed upon for the provision in the castle, which was well worth it : and he and his garrison were escorted to the town of Angers. Instantly on his arrival, he was arrested by the governor of An- gers, and thrown into prison ; and, as I have heard, was the same night put into a sack, cast into the river, and drowned by the orders [ of the duke of Anjou, for having accepted money to surrender a eas- ; tie, which had been well provided, and was strong enough to have held otit for a year, if tlie governor had chosen. Thus did the Eng- ( lish gain the castle of la Roche stir Yon in Anjou, which they welt ganisoned and strengthened:' they then returned to the prince of 1 Wales at .'^ngoulemc. 1 After the conquest of la Roche sur Yon, wh:ch enraged the . French much, the lords, as I have said, returned to Angouleme, ■where the prince gave leave for some to go to their homes. Lord James Audley, the valiant knight and seneschal of Poitou, went to his residence at Fontenay le Comte,* wdiere he was attacked by so severe a disorder that it ended his life. The prince and princess were exceedingly grieved at this event, as were all the knights and barons of Poitou. His obsequies were performed at Poitiers in a most magnuicent manner, and were attended by the prince in person. t Soon afterwards, at the request of the barons and knights of Poitou, sir John Chandos, who was constable of Aquitaine, w'as appointed seneschal of Poitou, and went to the city of Poitiers, which he iixed on for his residence. He frequently made excursions upon the French, and kept them under such continual alarms, they never dared to venture abroad but in very large bodies. About this time, the viscount de Rochechouart obtained his liberty. The prince of AVales had kept him a prisoner, because he suspected him of being inclined to the French ; but at the solicitations of his friends in Poitou, who were at that lime with the prince, he gained his freedom, and was restored to his estate. When the viscount de Rochecliouart had got his liberty, he went in disguise as speedily as he could to Paris, to the king of France, where he turned French, man, and then came back to his estate, without any one being informed of the matter. Having placed Tiiibaut du Pont, a Breton and expert man-at-arms, in his castle, he directly sent his challenge to the prince of Wales, against whom he kept up a vigorous warfare. CHAPTER CCLXIX. TBE DtJKE CF BUKGl'NDY MARCHES FROM THE CITY OF KOtJEN, WITH TUE I.\TE.\TION OF COjrtBATISO THE DUKE OF LANCASTER AND THE E.VGLISH. THE TWO ARMIES ARE ENCA.1IPED OPPOSITE TO EACU OTHER AT TOURNEHEM.t When the duke of Lancaster was arrived at Calais, as has been 1 before mentioned, and had refreshed his army a little, he was not willing to remain there without performing some warlike deeds upon the French : he therefore marched out with his two marshals and full three hundred lances, with as many archers. They passed through Guines,^ and continued their march until they had crossed the river Dostre. and overran that whole country. They hirned toward I the abbey of Liqucs,|| where they collected a large booty, which they brought safe with them to Calais. On another day, he made an excursion toward Boulogne, where he did much damage to the flat countries. The count Guy de St. Pol and sir Galeran his son were at the time in the city of Terouenne, with many men-at-arms ; but they made no sally against the English, when they were on these expeditions, for they did not think themselves sufficiently strong to oppose them in the field. News was brought to the king of France, who at that time was holding his court at Rouen in the greatest pomp and magnificence, jthat the duke of Lancaster was come to Calais, and that from thence he was daily making inroads into France. When the king and his council heard this, their minds were occupied on a difT-rent subject ; for this same week the duke of Burgundy was to embark with his whole army, consisting of upward of three thousand fighting men, :to invade England. The king demanded from his prelates and council what wa.s best to be done, supposing the English had crossed the sea, whether to advance to them and offer battle, or to continue their plan of operation for the invasion of England. This last pro- position was given up, and orders sent to the French army to break up their quarters in and near Rouen as soon as possible, and to pre- pare everything for marching toward Calais with the duke of Bur- I * Fontenay le (Jorale-a city in Poitou. near la Vendee, diocese of la Rochelle twenty -five leagues from Poitiers. ' t Barnes says tins is a mistake-of liie son for llie father. Sir James Audley, son of ord James Audley, seneschal of Poitou, died in Gascony about this time ; and on this Joss, lord James, with the prince's leave, retired to Bngland, where he hved many years. He died in 138b, m the seventy-third year of his age. Sir John Chandos was nominated seneschal of Poitou, on loirt James retiring to England. ^ ■; * Tournehem— a small town of Artois, bailiwick of St. Omer. I S .i",°^^~" '""■" '" P'^^r'^!'. '"-o lengues and a half from Calais. II Abbey of Liques— diocese of Boulosne-sur-mer. gundy. Such were the commands of the king of France, for he was desirous of combating the English on that side of the water. The men-at-arms heard these orders with great joy, and were soon ready. The duke of Burgmidy with his whole army, took the field, and formed his march so as to cross the river Somme at Abbeville. He continued until he came to Montreuil-siu'-mer,* and from thence to Hesdint and St. Paul,t where they halted for the rear of the army to join them. News was brought to the duke of Lancaster, that the French were on their march to offer liim battle ; upon which the duke, with his whole army, left Calais, and took up their quarters in the valley of Tournehem. He had not been long there before that gallant knight sir Robert de Namur came in grand array to serve under him, with a hundred lances of good men-at-arms, accompanied with knights and squires. The duke of Lancaster was much rejoiced on his arrival, and said : " My good uncle, you are heartily welcome ; for they say that the duke of Burgundy is on his march, and wishes to fight with us." Sir Robert replied, " My lord, by God's help, we will willingly meet him." The English found good quarters in the valley of Tournehem, where they fortified themselves with strong hedges, and there came daily to them provision in abundance from Calais. Their light horse scoured the country of Guines, but they gained little ; for all the low countries had been spoiled, and their most valuable things cairied for safety to the adjoining fortresses. The duke of Burgundy anived with all his chivalry, and fixed his quarters at the hill of Tournehem, where his marshals immediately encamped the men-at-arms opposite to where the English lay. The French lodged themselves orderly, and without delay : they took up much ground, and with good reason ; for I have had it men- tioned to me as a certain fact, that the duke of Burgundy had under his command four thousand good knights. You may judge there, fore of the great difterence between the two annies. Each army remained in these positions a considerable time without doing any. thing; for the duke of Burgundy, notwithstanding he was so much superior in force, and had with him, of good men-at-arms, seven to one, would not engage without the positive orders of the king of France, his brother, who was not desirous of it. In truth, had the French come forward to battle, the English would not have refused it ; for tliey were daily drawn ou*, and in readiness to receive them. They had made every preparation, and each person knew what he was to do, shotdd the enemy show any inclination to fight : but be- cause they were so small a body, and so well fortified, they would not foolishly lose an advantage by quitting their camp. Some knights advanced from each army to skirmish ; and, as usual in such cases,- sometimes one side gained, and sometimes the other. The earl of Flanders, at this time, was very anxious for the honor and reputation of the duke of Burgundy, his son-in-law : he resided in a handsome house which he had lately built near to Ghent: he frequently heard from or sent to the duke, by messengers who were constantly employed on this service. The earl strongly advised his son-in-law,, for his own honor, not to exceed, on any account, the orders which he had received from his brother the king of France, or from his. council. We will now return to the affairs of the distant provinces, where the knights had frequently more employment, and me; with adven- tures in greater abundance than anywhere else, on account of the? war being carried on more vigorously. CHAPTER CCLXX. SIR JOHN CnANDOS DOES GREAT MISCHIEF TO THE PROVINCE OF ANJOC- BE DESPOILS THE ESTATES OF THE VISCOUNT DE ROCHECHOUART^ EXCEPT THE FORTRESSES AND STF.ONGHOLDS. During the time of this expedition to Tournehem, and in that neighborhood, some feats of arms were performed in Poitou, which ought not to be i'orgotten. Sir John Chandos, being seneschal of Poitou, and a hardy and valiant knight, had a great desire to meet the French : he therefore did not remain long idle, but collected, during the time he passed at Poitiers, a body of men-at-arms, Eng lish and Poitevins, and said he would make an excursion with them toward Anjou, and return by Touraine, to look at the French wiio were assembled in those parts. He sent information of the expedi- tion hemejitated to the earl of Pembroke, § who was in garrison at Mortagne-sur-mer|| with two hundred lances. The earl was much pleased with this intelligence, and would wil- lingly have been of the party ; but his attendants and some knights of his council prevented him, by saying: " My lord, you are a vouno- and noble knight, formed to excel: if you at this moment' unite yourself with sir John Chandos and his army, he will obtain all the glory of the expedi'ion, and you will be only named as his com- * Montreuil— a town in Picardy, seventeen leagues and a half from Calais. t Hesdin— a strong town in Artois, eighteen leagues and a half from Calais. t St. Paul— a small town in Picardy, diocese of Beauvais, § Lord John Hastings, second earl of Pembroke, only son of the earl mentioned in the former part of this history. He was not more than 21 years old at this period, and it seems doubtful whether lie had yet succeeded to the title, as the received date of his father Lawrence's death is 1375, and the events above related took place in 13t>9.— Er. II " Mortagne "—a town ir. Saintonge, on the Garonne. 188 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. panion. It is tlierefore more proper for you, who are of sucli high rank and birth, to act for yourself, and let sir John Chandos do so on his part, who is but a Icnight-baehelor when compared with you." These and such like words cooled the ardor of the earl of Pembroke, who having no longer any wish to go, sent an excuse to sir John Chandos. Sir John would not, however, give up his enterprise, but ordered his rendezvous at Poitiers ; from whence he marched witli three hundred lances, knights, and squires, and two hundred archers. In tliis number were lord Thomas Percy, sir Stephen Cossington, sir Richard de Pontchardon, sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt, sir Richard Taimton, lord Thomas Spencer, sir Nele Uoring, the earl of Angus,* sir Thomas Banaster, sir John Trivet, sir William de Montendre, sir Maubrins do Linieres, sir Geoffry d'Argenton, and several other ]inight.«. and squires. These men-at-arms marched boldly forth and in good array, as if going upon some grand enterprise, and having passed througli the province of Poitou, entered that of Anjou. When they were arrived in that country, tlicy fixed their quarters in the flat parts of it, and sent out their light divisions to burn and destroy everything. They did infinite mischief to this rich and fine country, without any one attempting to prevent them : and they remained there upward of fifteen days, especially in that part of it called the Loudunois. They retreated from Anjou down the river Creuse, which separates Touraine from Poitou ; and sir John Chandos, with Iris army, entered the lands of the viscount Rochcchouart, where everything, except the fortresses, was ruined. They advanced to the town of Rochcchouart, and vigorously assaulted it, but without effect ; for there were excellent men-at-arms within it, commanded by Thibault du Pont and Helyons de Talay, who prevented it from being taken or injured. The English continued their march to Chauvigny,t where sir John Chandos received information that the lord Louis de Sancerrc, mar- ■shal of France, with a great body of men-at-arms, were at la Hayet in Touraine. He was very desirous to march that way, and sent in great haste to the earl of Pembroke to signity his intentions, and to beg of him to accompany him to la Haye in Touraine, and that he would meet him at Chatelheraut.§ Chandos the herald was the bearer of this message. He found the earl of Pembroke at Mor- tagne, busily engaged in mustering Iris men, and preparing, as it appeared, to make an excursion. He excused himself a second time, by the advice of his council, saying he could not accompany him. The herald, on his return, found his master and the army at Chatel- ■heraut, to whom he delivered his answer. When sir John Chandos heard it, he was very melancholy, knowing that pride and presump- tion had made the earl refuse to be a party in the expedition, and only replied, " God's will be done." He dismissed the greater part of his army, who separated, and he, with his attendants, returned to .Poitiers. CHAPTER CCLXXI. THE LORD LOUIS DE SANCERKE SURPRISES THE EARL OF TEMBROKE. SEVE- RAL OF HIS MEN ARE SLAIN AND THE EARL IS BESIEGED IN A HOnSE AT PUIRENON. We will now relate how the carl of Pembroke prospered. As -soon as he knew that sir John Chandos had disbanded his array, and was returned to Poitiers, he assembled his of n forces, which con- sisted of three hundred English and Poitevins, and marched from Mortagne. He was joined by some knights and squires of Poitou and Saintonge, as well as by some English knights that had been in sir John Chandos's army. These men-at-arms, therefore, advanced under the command of the earl of Pembroke, and took the direct road to where sir John Chandos had been, burning and despoiling all those parts of Anjou which the first had left, or which had been ransomed. They halted to refresh themselves in the Loudunois, and then took the road for the lands of the viscount Rochcchouart, to which they did great damage. The French who were in garrison on the frontiers of Touraine, Anjou, and Poitou, consisting of a large body of men-at-arms, "heard the whole truth of these two excursions, and how the earl of Pembroke, who was a young man, would not, through pride, serve under air John Chandos. They therefore resolved to conquer him, if they could ; for they thought they should more easily defeat him than sir John Chandos. They made, in consequence, a secret levy of their forces from all their garrisons ; and sir Louis de Sancerre, marshal of France, took the command of them. They marched all night to la Roche-posayH in Poitou, which was in the French interest. There were in this expedition sir Robert de Sancerre, cousin to the marshal, sir John de Vienne, sir John de Bueil, sir William des Bourdcs, sir Louis de St. Julien, and Carnet le Breton ; in the whole, seven hundred fighting men. The earl of Pembroke had finished his excui-sion, and reentered * David, king of Scotland, created sir .lohti Stunrt of Bonkill earl of Angus. He aiid liis heirs held tlie estates, but tlie Umpliravilles of England (the earl mentioned in (he text) grasped at tlie title for many generations.— Pinkertdn's History of Scotland, vol. i. p. 7. t " Chauvigny"— a town in Poitou, six leagues from Poitiers. t *' La Haye" — a town in Touraine, on tlie Creuse. % '* Chatelheratit"— a town in Poitou, on the Vienne i\ " La Roche-posay"— a town in Touraine, on the Creuse. Poitou, having completed the total destruction of the viscount de Rochechouart's estate. In this company were, sir Baldwin de Fran ville, seneschal of Saintonge, lord Thomas Spencer, lord Thomas Percy, the earl of Angus, sir John Orwich,* sir John Ilarpcdon, sir James de Surgeres, sir John Cousins, sir Thomas de St. Alban, sir Robert Twiford, sir Simon Ausagre, sir John de Mortain, sir John Touchet, and several others. The English and Poitevins marched on without any thought or precaution, having heard nothing of these men-at-arms : they had entered Poitou with all their pillage, and came, one day about noon, to a village called Puirenon, where they halted, after the manner of persons in perfect security. But when the servants were about to put the horses in the stable, and to pre. pare the supper, the French, M-ho well knew what they were about, entered the village of Puirenon, with their lances in their rests, bawling out their cry, " Our Lady, for Sancerrc the marshal !"t and then overthrew all they luet in the streets. The noise became so violent, that the English ran to the head-quarters with great alarm, to inform the earl of Pembroke, lord Thomas Percy, sir Baldwin de Franville, and the others, that the French had suddenl)' attacked and surprised them. These lords were soon armed, and sallying out from their hotels, collected their men together; but they could not all assemble, for the numbers of the French were so considerable that the English and Poitevins were overpowered ; and, in this first attack, more than one hundred and twenty were killed or made pris- oners. The earl of Pembroke and some knights had no other remedy but to retire, as quickly as they coidd, into an unembattled house, which belonged to the knights-templars, without a moat, and only inclosed with a stone wall. All who could get there in time enough shut themselves in : the greater part of the others were slain or made prisoners, and their arms and horses taken. The earl of Pembroke lost all his plate. The French, who closely pursued thom, finding those who could get together had shut themselves up in this house, were much rejoiced, saying among themselves : " They must be our prisoners, for they cannot escape ; and we will make them dearly repay the damage they have done in Anjou and Touraine." On which, they advanced to this house in regular order, and with a good will to assault it: when they were come thither, it was evening : after they had examined it narrowly on all sides, to see if it might be easily taken, they began the aitack, in which were performed many gallant deeds of arms, for the French were all well tried men. They made different attempts on this house, which was very strong., and gave the earl of Pembroke and his men enough to do ; for the English being so few, labored hard to defend themselves, as it was to them of the utmost consequence. Scaling ladders were brought, and fixed against the walls, which some bold adventurers mounted, with their shields over their heads to shelter themselves from stones and arrows; but when they were got to the top they had done nothing, for they found there, ready to receive them, knights, squires, men-at- arms, with lances and swords, with which they handsomely fought hand to hand, and made them descend much quicker than they iiad mounted. Add to this, that there were English archers intermixed with these men-at-arms, at two feet distance on the walls, who shot so well that the French beneath suffered much. The English continued under constant alarm, repelling these at- tacks until night, when the French, tired with fighting and fatigue; sounded their trumpets for the retreat, saying tlicy had done enougi for one day, but that they would return to the attack on the morrow; adding, that, as they could not escape from them, they would starve them to surrender. They returned to their quarters in high spirits, and made merry, having placed a strong guard in front of the house to be more secure of their enemies. It will readily be believed that the earl of Pembroke and those who were thus blockaded were not much at their ease : they were aware that this house was not of Buf. ficient strength to hold out long against so many men-at-arms. It was as badly provided with artillery, to their great sorrow, as with pro. . vision ; but this last was not of much consequence, for they could well fast a day and night, if necessary, in defending themselves. When it was dark, they entreated a squire, an expert soldier, and in whom they placed great confidence, to set out directly by a postern, and ride as fast as he could to Poitiers, to inform sir John Chandos and his friends how awkwardly they were situated, and to beg they would come to their assistance ; in the hopes of which they would hold out until noon ; and, if he made haste, he might easily make this journey by early morning. The squire, who perceived the extreme danger in which all the lords were, very cheerfully under, took it, but boasted a little too much of his knowledge of the roads. He set out about midnight by a postern gate, and took the straight road, as he thought for Poitiers ; but it so fell out, that during the whole night he wandered about, before he hit upon the right road. At daybreak, the French, who were besieging the English at Pui- renon as you have before heard, sounded their trumpets to arms, say. ing it would be better to make their attacks in the cool of the morning than in the heat of the day. The earl of Pembroke and the knights shut up with him, instead of sleeping, had fortified themselves with, whatever they could find, making use even of benches and stones, * " Sir John Orwicli," Ci. Barnes calls him Nele Loring. Why not Norwich ? t And cricrf their cryes, ' ' Our lady of Sanxerre for the marshal of Fraunce."— LORtt ■' Bernkrs. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 189 which they had carried to the top of the walls. They found the French were preparing to renew the attack, and comforted each one upon it. Some time before sunrise, the French were ready, when they marclicd by companies, and with great vigor, to the assault of the hfttel. Tliey acquitted themselves too well, and having brought scaling ladders, placed them ogsinst the walls, mounting them with the utmost eager- ness, covered by their shields, otherwise they would not have ven. tared : it was held highly honorable to those who mounted the first, as in truth it was a very brave act. The English were not idle nor faint-hearted in their own defence, but fought mar\-eUously well, and flung down upon the shields of the assailants stones and great beams of wood, with which they beat them so severely, that they lulled or wounded several. They did their duty excellently well, and so small a fort was never seen to hold out so long against such a force. This tissBult continued from early dawn until six o'clock. CHAPTER CCLXXII. SIR JOHN CHAMDOS COMES TO THE ASSISTANCE OF THE EARL OF PEM- BROKE, BESIEGED IN PUIRENON. Between six and nine o'clock, after the heat of the attack, the French, indignant that the English had made so long a defence, sent ordere to all the villagers thereabouts to bring pick-axes and mattocks to undermine the walls, which was what the English were most afraid of. The earl of Pembroke called one of his own squires and said to him, ■• My friend, mount a horse, and sally out from the back gate, where they will make way for you,* and ride as fast as possible to Poitiers to sir John Chandos, to tell him our situation and the immi- nent danger we are in : recommend me to him by this token." He then took off his finger a rich ring of gold, adding, " Give him this from me : he will know it well again." The squire who thought him- self much honored by this commission, took the ring, monnted the best courser ho could find, and set off by the back gate during the attack, fur they opened it for him. He took the road to Poitiers; and, while he was making all the haste he could, the a-ssault was carried on warmly by the French, and as vigorously opposed by the English : indeed, it behoved them so to do. We will now say something of the first squire, who had left Puire- non at midnight, and who, having lost his road, had wandered about all the night. When it was broad day, he knew his road, and made straight for Poitiers ; but, his horse being tired, he did not anive there until about nine o'clock, when ho dismounted in the square before the hotel of sir John Chandos, and immediately entered it, having learnt that he was at mass : he approached him, and, falling on his knees, delivered his message. Sir John Chandos, who had not yet recovered his vexation at the carl of Pembroke's refusal to join him in his expe- ditions, was not very eager to give him assistance ; he coldly said, " It will be almost impossible for us to get there in time and hear the whole mass." Soon after mass the tables were spread, and dinner set out. His servants asked sir John, if he would dine : " Yes," said he, "since it is ready,'' and then entered the hall, where his knights and squires had preceded him with water to wash his hands. As he was thus employed, and before he had sat down to table, the second squire from the earl of Pembroke entered the hall, and, hav- ing knelt down, drew the ring from his purse, saying : " Dear sir, my lord the earl of Pembroke recommends himself to you by this token, and entreats you most earnesdy to come to his assistance, and rescue him from the imminent danger he is now in atPuirenon." Sir John Chandos took the ring, and, having examined it, knew it well. He then replied, " It will not be possible for us to arrive there in time, if they be in the situation you describe." He added, " Come let us dine." Sir John seated himself with his knights at table, and ate of the first course : as the second was served, and indeed begun on, sir John Chandos, who had much thought on this business, raided his head, and, looking at his companions, spoke as follows, which gave much pleasure to those around him : " The earl of Pembroke (a lord of such high birth and rank that he has even married a daughter of my natu- ral lord the king ot England, and is brother-in-arms as in everything else with my lord of Cambridge,) entreats me so courteously, that it behoves me to comply with his request to succor and rescue him, if it be possible to arrive in time." He then pushed the table from him, and, rising, said to his knights and squires, " Gentlemen, I am de- termined to go to Puirenon." This was heard with joy, and they were soon ready to attend him. The trumpets sounded, and every man-at-arms in Poitiers was mounted in the best way he could ; for it had been speedily told abroad, that sir John Chandos was marching to Puirenon, to the assistance of the earl of Pembroke and his army, •who were there besieged by the French. When these knights and squires took the field, they amounted to upward of two hundred lances, and increased every moment. They marched with all haste: news of this was brought to »he French, who had constantly been engaged at this assault from daybreak until noon, by their spies, who said : " Dear lords, look well to yourselves ; for sir John Chandos has marched from Poitiers with upward of two hundred lances, and is advancing with great haste and a greater desire to meet with you." ' * And ire shall make you way. says lord Berners, which is more likely than that tlie French would wUhngly permit a messenger to depart. When sir Louis de Sancerre, sir John de Vienno, »it John de Beuil, and the others who were present, heard this, the best infoimed among them said, '■ Our men are tired and worn down by their aa- saidts upon the English, yesterday and to-day: it will be much wiser for us to make a handsome retreat with all we have gained, and our prisoners, than to wait the arrival of sir John Chandos and his com- pany, who are quite fresh ; for we may lose more than we can gain." This plan was immediately followed, for there was not a moment to lose : the trumpets were ordered to sound a retreat ; their men as- sembled in a body, and, having sent ofl'theij baggage, they themselves took the road to la Roche-Posay. The earl of Pembroke and those with him, imagining the French must have had some intelligence, said among themselves : "Chandos must certainly be on his march, for the French are retreating, not daring to wait his coming : come, come, let us immediately quit this place and take the road toward Poitiers, a«d we shall meet him." Those who had horses mounted them ; and others went on foot, and several rode double. They thus left Puirenon, following the road to Poitiers : they had scarcely advanced a league before they met sir John Chandos and his army in the condition I have before told: some on hoi-seback, some on foot, and some riding double. Much joy was shown on both sides at this meeting ; but sir John said, he was sorely vexed that he had not been in time to have met the French. They rode together conversing for about three leagues, when they took leave of each other and separated. Sir John Chandos returned to Poitiers ; the earl of Pembroke to Mortagne, the place he had marched from ; and the marshal of France and his army to la Roche- Posay. where they refreshed themselves and divided their booty ; they then retired to their garrisons, carrying with them their prisoners, whom they courteously admitted to ransom, as the French and Eng. lish have always been accustomed to act toward each other. We will now return to the armies in Tournehem ; and speak of the death of the most courteous, noble, and liberal queen that reigned in her time, the lady Philippa of Hainault, queen of England and Ireland.* CHAPTER CCLXXIII. THE DEATH OF QUEEN PHILIPPA OF ENGLAND : SHE HAKES THREE RE- qi'ESTS TO THE KING ON HEK DEATH-BED. SOME FRENCHMEN, RAVING- ATTACKED THE ENGLISH CAMP AT TOURNEHEM, ARE REPULSED BY SIR ROBERT DE NAMUR. During the time that such numbers of the noblemen of the king- dom of France were assembled at I'ournchem under the command of the duke of Burgundy, and the duke of Lancaster was encamped with his army in the valley opposite to them, a circumstance hap- pened in England, which, though so very common, was not the less unfortunate for the king, his children, and the whole kingdom. That excellent lady the queen of England (who had done .«o much good, and during her whole life had assisted all knights, ladies, and dam- sels who had applied to hcr,+ who had had such boundless charity for all mankind, and who had naturally such an afiection for the Hainault nation, being the country from which she sprung,) lay at this time dangerously ill at Windsor castle, and her disorder daily increased. When the good lady perceived her end approaching, she called to the king, and, extending her right hand fiom under the bed-clothes, put it into the right hand of the king, who w as very sorrowful at heart, and thus spoke : " We have enjoyed our union in happiness, peace, and prosperity : I entreat, therefore, of you, that on our sepa- ration you will grant me three requests." The king, with sighs and * Tlie moost gentyll quene, moosl lyberall. iind moost courlesse that ever was quene in lier dayes, the wliiche was the fayre lady Philipp of Heynault, quene of England and Ireiande.— Lord Bkrneus. t Froissart does not intimate that s)ie waited to be applied to, and indeed his own case shows tliat siie needed no instigation hut her own " hberal and most courteous " nature to prompt her bounty. Tlie passage is one of tiie gems of Lord Berners, and is worthy ro be "iven entire. "There fell in Englande a lieuy case and a comon, howbeit it was right pyteouse for the kyng. his cliyldren.andall his realme. For the good quene of Eng- lande, that so many good dedes had done in her tyme, and so many knights socoured, and ladyes anddamosels comforted, and had so largely departed of hcrgoodes to her people, and naturally loued always the nacyon of Heynaulte, the countrey where she was borne: She fell sicke in the castell of Wyndsore, the which sickenesse conlynewed on her so longe. that there was no Temcdije btit dethe. And the good ladye, whanne she knewe and parceyued that there was with her no remedye but dethe, she desyred to speke with the kynge her husbande. And \vhan he was before her sue put out of her bedde her right hande and toke the kynge by his right hande, who was right sorrowful! at his hert. Than she sayd, * Sir. we ha ue in peace, ioyc, and great prosperyte used aH our tyme toguyer. Sir, nowe, I pray you, at our deiiartyng, that ye will graunte me thre desyres,' The kynge, ryght sorowfully wcpynge, sayd. ' Madame, desyre what ye wyll, I graunt it.' ' Sir,' sayd she. 'I requyre you. firsteof all, that all innner of people, suche as I liaue dault wilhall in their marcliaundyse, on this syde the see or beyond, that it may please you to pay euery thynge that I owe to thoym. or to any other. And, secondly, sir, all such ordynaunce and proinyses as I haue made to the churches as well of this countrey as beyond the see, whereas I linue hadde my deuocyon, that it maye please you to accomplysshe and to fully II the same. Thivdely, sir, I requyre you that it may please you to take none other sepulture, whansoeuer it shall please God to call you out of this transytorie lyfe, but besyde me in Westmynster.' The kynge, all wep- ynge. sayd, ' Madame, I graunt all your desye.' Than the good lady and quene made on her the sigue of the crosse, and cnmmaunded the kynge her husbande to God, and her youngest son, Thomas, who was there besyde her. And anone, after, she yelded up the spiryte. the w liiche I beleue surely the holy angels reoeyued with great ioy up to heuen, for in all her lyfe she dyd neyther in thought nor dede thyng whereby to lese her soul, tis ferr as any creature coulde knowe. Thus the gootl quene of Englande dyed ia the jen of our lorde mccclxix, in tlie vigyll of our lady in the wyddes of August,"— Ed. 190 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. tears, replied, " Lady, ask : whatever you request simll be granted." " My lord, I beg you will acquit me of whatever eiigageinents I may have entered into with merchants for their wares, as well on this as on the other side of the sea. I beseech you also to fulfil whatever gifts or leyaeies I may have made, or left to churches, here or on the continent, wherein I liave paid my devotions, as well as what I may have left to those of both se.xes who have been in my service. Thirdly, I entreat that, whenever it shall please God to call you hence, you will not choose any other sepulchre than mine, and that you will lie by my side in the cloisters of Westminster." The king, in tears, replied, " Lady, I grant them." Soon after, the good lady made the sign of the cross on her breast, and, hav- ing recommended to God the king and her youngest son, Thomas, who was present, gave up her spirit, which, I lirmly believe, was caught by the holy angels and carried to the glory of Heaven ; for she had never done any- thing, by thought or deed, that could endanger her losing it. Thus died this queen of England, in the year of grace 1369, the vigil of the assumption of the Virgin, the 15th of August. Information of this loss was caiTied to the English army at Tournehem, which greatly afflicted every one, but particularly the duke of Lancaster. However, as there is no death but what must be passed over and forgot- ten, the English did not neglect to keep up very strict discipline in their camp, where they remained a long time facing the French. It happened that Bome of the French knights and squires, seeing the enemy every day before their eyes, held a conversation, and, after dis- cussing the matter, agreed to meet on the morrow, at daybreak, to skirmish with them, and beat up the guard. There were upward of three hundred knights and squires, the greater part of them from the Vermandois, Artois, and Corbiois, who had entered into this agreement, and, without mentioning it to their marshals, had each informed the other of their intentions. When the inorning came for this expe- dition, they were all ready ariued, mounted, and assembled. They rode forth in this array, nothing doubting of success, and began to make a circuit round the hill of Tournehem, in order to gain an advantageous position, and to fall upon one of the wings of the English army. This wing was allotted to sir Robert de Namur and his people. Sir Robert had been on guard that night, but toward daybreak had entered his tent, and was then sitting at supper, quite armed, except his helmet, and the lord Dcspontin' with him. The French at this moment arrived at the quarters of sir Robert, which were also those of some other German and English lords ; but the guard very fortu- nately had not disarmed themselves : they inunediately opposed the Frenchmen who came up spurring and galloping, and checked their career. News soon reached sir Robert that his men were fighting, having been attacked by the French. In an instant, he pushed the table from him where he had been seated, and said to the lord Des- pontin, " Come, come to the assistance of our men." Instantly he fixed his helmet on his head; and ordered his banner, which was placed before his tent, to be displayed. Some one said, " ]\Iy lord, send to the duke of Lancaster, and do not engage without hiui." He bluntly replied, " Not I : I shall go the shortest way I can to help my men. Those may send to my lord of Lancaster who will ; but let all who love me follow me." He then advanced, sword in hand, to meet the eneiny: the lord Despontin and sir Henry de Sancelle were with him, as well as his other knights, who directly engaged in the battle, having found their men fighting with the French, in great numbers, and who, to speak truth, ought to have done much this day : but no sooner did they perceive sir Robert de Naiviur marching with his banner than they wheeled about and gave up their plan, for they thought the whole army was ready to fall on them : indeed it was so in difi'erent parts of the camp, for the sun was now risen. A Vermandois knight was slain under the banner of sir Robert de Nanmr, called sir Robert de Coulogne, who was much regretted ; for he was rich, amiable, and courteous, and an honorable knight in every station. Thus ended the aPbir. The French retreated without doing anything more, for they were afraid of greater loss than gain. Sir Robert did not pur- sue them farther than was wise, but brought back his men when he found the enemy was quite gone, and returned to his quarters. ''' Lord Despontin. Q. Barnes calls him lord of Ponthieu. CHAPTER CCLXXIV. THE DUKE OF BVRGfNDY AND HIS ARMY DECAMP WITHOUT A BATTLE. THE DUKE OF LANCASTER SETURXS TO CALAIS. Si.vcE this last affair, nothing happened worth relating. It was very displeasing to many on both sides that they thus remained so long without a battle : evei-y day it was said, " We shall engage to- morrow ;" but that morrow never came ; for, as I have said before, the duke of Burgundy would not act contrary to the orders of the king. The orders he received were very strict ; for there were con. tinually messengers going from the king to the duke, and from the Tomb ov Ciui;EN Piulii'Pa, Westmi.nstkr Adbey. From an Original Drawing. duke to the king on this subject. At last the duke of Burgundy, as I was then informed, having considered, that he was encamped at a ' vei7 heavy expense, and could not remain so much longer with any honor ; for he had upward of four thousand knights, while the enemy was but a handful in comparison, with whom, however, he had not fought, nor had had any intentions of so doing : the duke, I say, sent some of his knights to lay his situation before the king, and to explain to him his wishes. The king thought the duke judged rightly, and ordered him, on the receipt of his letters, to break up his camp, to dismiss his army, and come to Paris, where he himself was going. When the duke received these orders, he sent for the principal lords of his army, and told them secretly their contents ; saying, " We must break up our camp, for the king sends for us back." When it was midnight, those to whom he had given this informa. i tion, having packed up everything, were mounted, and had set firei to their quarters. At this hour, sir Henry de Sancelle was return- < ing to his tent, having been on guard with sir Robert de Namur'a men, to whom he was attached ; and seeing first one, then two, and then three fires in the enemy's camp, he said to himself, " These French think, perhaps, to surjirise us : they have the aiipearance of ^ intending it. Let us go," said he to those near him, '• to sir Rob- ert's tent, and awaken him, that, should it be so, he maybe prepared in time." Sir Hcm-y went thither, and, calling his chamberlains, told them, they must instantly awaken sir Robert. They went to his bed-side and sir Henry de Sancelle with them, who awakened him, and told him all that he had seen. Sir Robert made answer, "We shall soon hear other news: let our men be instantly armed and made ready." He himself was soon armed. When his men were drawn up, he had his banner displayed, and marched to the tent of the duke of Lancaster, who was arming also, for he had re- ceived similar information. It was not long before the different lords came thither, one after another: as they arrived, they were drawn up and remained quiet without any light. The duke of Lancaster ordered his marshals to march the archers to where he hoped the French would make their attack, if they came ; for he certainly expected a battle. When they had remained at their posts for two houi-s, and saw no one advancing to them, they were more suiprised than before. The duke called to him his lords, and asked them what he had best now to do. Some replied one thing, and some another, and each defended his own opinion. The duke, perceiving that valiant knight sir Walter Manny, said. CHRONICLES OP ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 191 " AiiJ you, sir Walter, what do you advise ?" "I do not know,'-' replii-d sir Walter, " but, it' you will follow my advice, I would draw up my inen-at.arms aud archers in order of battle, and would advance slowly ; for, as it will soon be day, we shall then see clearly before us." The Duke assented to this proposal : but others were of a contrary opinion, an^l advised him not to march from where he was. This discussion continued until orders were given for some of the troops of sir Robert do Namur and sir Waleran de Bourne* to mount their horses, because they were lightly accoutred and rode ■well. Thirty horsemen were chosen from the best mounted, and sent off trj\i'ard the French camp. While they were gone on this expedition, sir Walter Manny, addressing the duke, said, "My lord, never believe me again, if these French be not lied : mount your horse, and order the others to do the same, that you may pursue them, and I will engage you will have a fine day of it." The duke replied, " Sir Walter, I have hitherto always followed the advice of my council, and intend now doing so; for I can never believe that so many brave men-at-arms and noble knights would thus run away. Perhaps the fires we see may have been lighted to entrap us. Our scouts will soon return, and then we shall know the truth." -\s they were thus conversing, the scouts returned, and confirmed all that sir Walttr Manny had thought: they said they had fouTid none but some poor victuallers, who followed the army. Sir Walter Manny gained great credit. The duke went to his tent to disarm : he would that day have diited in the French camp, but the fire was too great : he and his men-al- arms, however, supped there, and took up their quarters on the moun- tain for the night, and made themselves comfortable with what they found there. On the morrow they decamped, and returned to Calais. The duke of Burgundy, when he marched ofl^, made his quarters at St. Omer, where he and all his army remained until they were disbanded, and every man returned to his home. There was after- wards much trouble to reassemble them again. CHAPTER CCLXXV. THE EARL OF TEMEKOKE, DESIROUS OF AVENGINI5 IiniSELP FOR THE DEFEAT HE RECEIVED AT TUIRENON, MAKES AN INCURSION TO ANJOU. THE ABEEV OF ST. SALVIN IN TOITOC IS BETRAYED TO THS FRENCH, AND FORTIFIED. The same week that the armies quitted Tournehem, the earl of Pembroke (who was in Poitou, and had been much mortified at the defeat he had suflered from sir Louis de Saneerre, sir John de Vienne, sir John de Bueil and the others at Puirenon, as has been related) re- solved to have his revenge, if possible ; and for this end he marched from Mortagnc with his anny, wdiich consisted of about two hundred lances, and came to Angouleme, where the prince received him most courteously. The earl entreated of him permission to lead another expedition, and to lend him some of his men, as he was very anxious to avenge himself of the affronts he had suffered from the French. The prince, who had much afl'ection for him, immediately granted his request. Sir Hugh Calverley was just returned from his excur- sion into the county of Armagnac, with five hundred fighting men ; and the prince gave him leave to accompany the earl of Pembroke in his intended expedition. He also requested the company of sir Louis de Harcourt, sir Guiscard d'Angle, sir Perceval de Coulogne, the lords de Pons, de Partenay and de Pinane, lord Thomas Percy, sir Richard de Poutchardon, and several knights of the prince's household, who willingly accepted the invitation, for they were ready for any excursion : so that, when they were assembled, they amounted to five hundred lances, three hundred archers, and fifteen hundred foot soldiers, armed with pikes and shields, who followed the army on foot. This anny marched, under the command of the earl of Pembroke as their leader, and took the road toward Arjou : where tliey no sooner arrived than they began to destroy, and to do every damage to the country they passed through, by razing castles and forts, burning such towns as could not hold out against them, and levying contributions on all the flat country as far as Saumurt on the Loire. They gained possession of the suburbs, and began an assault on the town ; but they could not take it, for Sir Robert de Sancerrre was in it with a large body of men-at-arms, who defended it from suffering any damage : all the country round about it, how- ever, was pillaged, burnt, and ruined. Sir Hugh Calverley and his division advanced to a bridge on the Loire, called le Pont de C^ ;t when he defeated those who guarded it, took the bridge, aud placed such a garrison of his own men there, after he had fortified it well, that they kept possession of it for a long time. The English, in this expedition, took a large abbey at St. Maur,§ on the Loire, which they repaired and fortified, and placed therein a considerable garrison, which, during the ensuing winter and summer, did great mischief to the adjacent country. At this time, there was in Poitou an abbey, which still exists, called St. Salvin,|| situated seven leagues from Poitiers ; and in this *Sir Waleran de Bourne. Q. Barnes call? him Van Bornico. f Sauniur— on the Loire, diocese of Angers. X Pont de Oi-Pnnt de S6-two leasues from Aneers. 4 St. Maur— on the Loire, elootion of Sauniur. Jl St. Salvin— St.Sovin— a village in Poitou, election of Poitiors. abbey there was a monk who hated the abbot, as he afterwards showed. It was on account of this hatred which ho bore him that he betrayed the abbot and the whole convent, and delivered up the abbey and the town to sir Louis de ,St. Julicn aud to Carnet le Breton, who took possession of it, and made it a strong gaiTison. Sir JoJm Chandos was much vexed at ,St, Salvin being thus surprised, and not being able to retake it ; for, as he was s<;neschal of Poitou, he was angry that such a house should have been taken in his government, and declared, that if he should live long enough, he would have it again by some means or other, and make them pay dearly for the insult they had put upon him. We will now quit Poitou, and return to the duke of Lancaster, CHAPTER CCLXXVl. THE COVNTY OF ST. POL IN FICARDY IS PILLAGED AND RUINED BY THE ENOLISH. SIR HUGH DE CHASTILLON IS TAKEN PRISONER. When the duke of Lancaster had retreated to Calais after the decampment of Tournehem, as has been before related, and had re- freshed himself and men for three days, he resolved, by advice of his council, to draw out his troops, and make an excursion into France, His marshals, the earl of Warwick and sir Roger Beauchamp, were ordered to muster the army, which orders they very readily obeyed, for they were desirous of making an inroad on France. The men- at-arms and archers marched from Calais in excellent array : every man was apprized what he was to do, and where he was going. The first day's march was only five leagues from Calais. On the morrow, they came before St. Omer, where there were many skir. mishes at the gates ; but the English did not make any long halt : they continued their march, and that night encamped on the heights of Hersault.* On the third day, they arrived at the city of Terou. enne,+ where was the count de St. Pol with a large company of men-at-arms. The English did not halt, but continued their march, taking the road to Hesdin,} and fi.xed their quarters at night on a small river. When the count de St. Pol found that the English were taking the road to his country, he knew they were not going thither for his good, for they hated him too much : he set out, therefore, in the night, and gave the government of the city to the lord de St. Py and sir John de Royo ■,^ and riding hard, he arrived at his town of St. Pol.|| The English came before the place very early on the morrow morning, and several severe skirmishes happened ; but the arrival of the count was fortunate for himself and for the town, as he, with the assistance of those who had accompanied him, prevented the place from being taken. The duke of Lancaster, therefore, and his army refreshed themselves at their ease in the county of St. Pol, which they over- ran, and did great damage to all the flat country. They advanced to the castle of Pcrncs,11 where the countess dowager resided. They examined well the fort, and the duke sounded the depth of the ditches with a lance : notwithstanding this, they made no attack, though they showed every appearance of it. They made no long stay, but continued their inarch, and went toward Lucheux,** a handsome town, which belonged to the coimt. They burnt the town, and without touching the castle, continued their road for St. Riquier.+t The English did not march more than three or four leagues a-day, so that they burnt and destroyed all the countries they passed through. They crossed the river Sonnne at Blanchetaque below -Abbeville, and then entered the country of Vimeu,tt with the intention of pushing forward to Harficur on the Seine, in order to burn the navy of the king of France. The count de St. Pol, and sir Moreau de Fiennes, constable of France, with a large body of men-at-arms, pursued and hovered about the English army, so that they could not disperse nor quit the straight road, but were obliged to keep in a compact body, to be ready to combat the French should they be so inclined. In this manner they marched through Vimeu and the county of Eu : enter- ing the archbishopric of Rouen, they passed Dieppe, and continued their march until they came before Harfleur, where they fixed their quarters. The count de St. Pol out-marched them, and had entered the town with two hundred lances, at the utmost. The English re- mained three days before Harfleur, but did nothing : on the fourth, they decamped, and returned through the lands of the lord d'Estoville, whom they did not love much, and burnt and destroyed tJie whole or greater part. They then passed through Vexin Noiinand in their way to Oisemont,^§ to recross the Somme at Blap<:hctaque. Sir Hugh de Chastillon, master of the crow-bows in France, was at this time captain and governor of AJ'Oevilfe. When he heard * llergaull. Q. If not Herissart : hut tip*.' seen"' to he too great a distance. t Terouennc-Ls now in nuns. It w~ take- W Henry VIII. hy a stratagem of point- ing « oodeii guns painted, whicli v^re thought to he real ones, ond threatened to bolter down the town, if not surrendered. J Ilesdin-a strong town i" Artois, on the Canche . ^ . „ r, S Two of my MS,S. have di/TereJil name,, the lord de ,Sampy, sir Cuy de Roye. On9 hnssir John de Roye. II Si. Pol— a town in Anois. five leagues from Ile'din. IT Castle of Pen'es— fi town in Artois. tliree leagues from St. Pol. ** LucheuA— a town of Picardy. near Doulens. tt St lii'iuier— an ancient town in Picardy. two leagues and a half from AbbevUIo.- it V'inicu— in Piciirdy, St. Valery is its cupitul. J§ Oisemonl— a market town in Picardy, five leaRoei fiom Abbeville. 192 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,( that the duke of Lancaster was returning that way, he armed himself, and ordered twelve of his people to do the same. On mounting their horses, he said he was going to view the guard of the gate of Rou- vray, that it might not be wanting in defence, and that the English should not find it too weakly guarded. It was early in tlie morning, and there was a thick fog. Sir Nicholas Louvaine, who had been seneschal of Ponthicu, and whom, this very year, sir Hugh de Chas. tillon had taken and ransomed for ten thousand francs, remembered this so sorely that, having a great desire to recover his losses, he set out on the point of day from the duke's army, accompanied by only twenty men. As he was well acquainted with all the roads and passes of that country, having resided there for upward of three years, he intended lying in ambuscade between Abbeville and the castle of Rouvray, in tlie hope of taking some prize : he had crossed a small rivulet which ran through a marsh, and hid himself and men in some old uninhabited houses. Sir Hugh never dreamed that the English would form an ambus- cade so near the town. Sir Nicholas and his men kept themselves very quiet : they perceived sir Hugh de Chastillon riding down the road which leads to Rouvray, with only twelve others, armed at all points, except his helmet, which one of his pages bore on a courser behind him. He crossed the little rivulet, and made for the gate of Rouvray to see what the guard of cross-bowmen were about, and to inquire if tliey had heard or seen the English. When sir Nicholas Louvaine, who was on the watch, saw him, he recognized him directly, and was more rejoiced than if any one had given him twenty thousand francs. He sallied out from his ambush, saying, '' Follow me : here is what I wished for : it is the master of the cross-bows, and I ask for nothing better." Then sticking spurs into his horse, and pointing his lance, he came upon sir Hugh, crying, " SuiTender, Chastillon, or thou art a dead man." Sir Hugh, who was much puz- zled to conjecture whence these men could come, had neither time to put on his helmet nor to mount his courser : finding himself in such a strait, he asked, " To wliom am I to surrender ?" Sir Nich- olas replied, " To Louvaine, to Louvaine." In order, therefore, to avoid the danger he could not escape from, he said, " I surrender." He was then taken, and told, " Ride on quick'yj for the army of the duke of Lancaster marches on before us." On this occasion was slain, a very valiant citizen of Abbeville, called Lawrence Dancons,* who was nmch regretted. Thus was taken and entrapped sir Hugh de Chastillon, at that time master of the cross-bows in France and governor of Abbeville, through the good fortune of sir Nicholas Lou- vaine : with which capture the duke of Lancaster and the English were much rejoiced. On the other hand, the inhabitants of Abbe- ville were exceedingly vexed at it ; but for the present they could not better themselves. The English marched on, crossed the Somme at Blanchetaque, and then passed through the towns of Rue-sur-mer and Montreuil-sur-mer, until they at last arrived at Calais. The duke of Lancaster there dis- missed all the foreigners, when sir Waleran de Bourne and the Ger. mans departed. The duke returned to England, and the Gerinans to their own country, as there was not any intention of continuing the war until the ensuing summer, fornowMartinma3was passed : but the duke informed them, that in the approaching spring, he should cross the sea with a greater force than he had hitherto done, and should entreat his cousins the dukes of Gueldres and .Tuliers to accompany him into France. We shall now be silent as to the affairs of Picardy, for indeed nothing of great moment happened since this time, and return to Poitou, where warlike deeds were oftener performed. CHAPTER CCLXXVIII. SIR JOHN CHANDOS IS SLAIN IN A SKIRMISH. THE FRENCH, AT FIRST VIC. TORIODS, ARE IN THE END DEFEATED. Sir John Chandos, being seneschal of Poitou, was seriously afflicted with the loss of St. Salvin : he was continually devising means to retake it, whether by assault or by escalade was perfectly indifferent to him, so that he could gain it. He made many nightly ambuscades, but none succeeded ; for sir Louis, who commanded in it, was very watchfid, as he knew the capture of it had highly angered sir John Chandoa. It happened that, on the night preceding the eve of the new year (1370,) sir John Chandos, who resided in the city of Poi. tiers, had seiit out his summons to the barons and knights of Poitou to come to him ascecrctly as they could, for he was going on an ex. pedition. The Poitev.ng would not refuse him anything, being much beloved by them : they obeyed his summons, and came to Poitiers. Sir Guiscard d'Angle, sir Loul, de Harcourt, the lords de Pons, de Partenay, de Pmane, de Tan,.aybouton, sir Geoffiy d'Argenton, sir Maubrun de Lmieres lord Thomas Pt.cy, sir Baldwin de FranviUe, sir Richard de Pontchardon, came thither, with manv others. When they were all assembled they were full three hundred lances. They left Port.ers in the night, and no one, e.vcept the principal lords, knew whither they were going. Th„ English, however, had scahng.ladders and everything they might have occasion for with them. They marched to St. Salvin ; and, when there arrived were told what was intended ; upon which they all dismounted, and.giv. * Dancons. My two JISS. have DenteU, ing the horses to their valets, the English descended into the ditch. It was then about midnight. They were in this situation, and would very shortly have succeeded in their expedition, when they heard the guard of the fort wind his horn. The reason was tliis. That very night Carnet le Breton had come from la Roche-Posay, with forty lances, to St. Salvin, to request sir Louis de St. Julien to accompany him in an expedition to Poitou : he therefore awakened the guard and those within the fort. The English, who were on the opposite side, ignorant of the in- tentions of this body of Frenchmen wanting to enter the fort, thought tliey had been seen by the guard, or that spies had given informa. tion of their arrival to the gan'ison. They immediately left the ditch, and said, " Let us away ; for this night we have been disappointed in our scheme." They mounted their horses, and advanced in a body to Chauvigny on the river Creuse, two short leagues distant. When all were arrived there, the Poitevins asked sir John Chandos if he wished them to remain with him ; he answered, " No : you may re- turn in God's name : I will to-day stay in this town." The Poite- vins departed, and with them some English knights : in oil, about two hundred lances. Sir John Chandos entered an hotel, and ordered a fire to be lighted. Lord Thomas Percy, seneschal of la Rochelle, and his men, remained with him. Lord Thomas asked sir John Chandos if he intended staying there that day: "Yes," replied sir John; "why do you ask ?" " Because, sir, if you be determined not to go further, I shall beg of you to give me leave to make an excursion, to see if I shall meet with any adventure." " In the name of God, go then," replied sir John. At these words, lord Thomas Percy set out, attended by about thirty lances. Sir John Chandos remained with his own peo- ple. Lord Thomas crossed the bridge of Chauvigny, taking the longest road to Poitiers, having left sir John Chandos quite low- spirited for having failed in his intended attack on St. Salvin. He continued in the kitchen of the hotel, wanning himself at a straw fire which his herald was making for him, conversing at the same time with his people, who very readily passed their jokes in hopes of curing him of his melancholy. After he had remained some time, and was preparing to take a little rest, and while he was asking if it were yet day, a man entered the hotel, and came bsrore him, saying, " My lord, I bring you news." " What is it ?" asked sir John. " My lord, the French have tiken the field." " How dost thou know this?" " My lord, I set out from St. Salvin with them." "And what road have they taken ?" " My lord, that I cannot say for a certainty ; but it seemed to me they followed the road to Poitiers." "And who arc these French ?" " My lord, they ore sir Louis de St. Julien and Carnet le Breton, with their companies." "Well, it is indifferent to me," replied sir John : " I have not any inclination to exert myself this day : they may be met with without my interference." He re- mained a considerable time very thoughtful ; after having well con- sidered, he added : " Notwithstanding what I have just said, I think I shall do right to mount my horse ; for at all events, I must return to Poitiers, and it will be soon day." " It is well judged," replied the knights who were with him. Sir John ordered everj'thing to be got ready, and his knights having done the same, they mounted and set off', taking the road to Poitiers, following the course of the river. The French might be a good league before them on this same road, intending to cross the river at the bridge of Lussac* The English suspected this from perceiving the tracks of the horses, and said among themselves, " Eidier the French or lord Thomas Percy are just before us." Shortly after this conversation, day appeared ; for in the early part of January the mornings begin to be soon light. The French might be about a league from the bridge of Lussac, when they perceived lord Thomas Percy and his men on the other side of the river. Lord Thomas had before seen them, and had set off full gallop to gain the bridge. They said, " There are the French : they are more in number than we are ; let us hasten to take advantage of the bridge." When sir Louis and Carnet saw the English on the opposite side of the river, they also made haste to gain the bridge : however the English arrived firet, and were masters of it. They all dismounted, and drew themselves up to defend and guard it. The French likewise dismounted on their arrival, and giving their hi/rses for the servants to lead them to the rear, took their lances, and ad- vanced in good order to attack the English and win the bridge. The English stood firm, although they were so few in comparison with the enemy. While the French and Bretons were considering the most advanta- geous manner to begin the onset, sir John Chandos arrived with his company, his banner displayed and flying in the wind. This was borne by a valiant man-at-arms, called James Allen, and was a pile gules on a field argent. They might be about forty lances, who eageriy hastened to meet the French. As the English arrived at a small hillock, about three furiongs from the bridge, the French ser- vants, who were between this hillock and the bridge, saw them, and being much frightened, said, " Come away : let us save ourselves and our horses." They therefore ran off, leaving their masters to shift as well as they could. When sir John Chandos, with displayed banner, was come up to the French, whom he thought very lightly of, he began from horseback to rail at them, saying : " Do you hear, * *• Lu5snc"— a iovm ia Poitou, diocese of Foiticrs. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, & c. 193 Frenchmen! you arc mischievous men-at-arms: you make incur, sions night and day at your pleasure ; you take tjwns and castles in Poitou, of wliicli I am iciicschal You ransom poor people without my leave, as if the country were your own ; but, by God, it is not. Sir Louis, sir Louis, you and Carnet are too mucli the masters. It arm, hit him so severely that it entered as far as the brain, and then the squire drew it back to him again. The great pain was too much for sir John, so he fell to the ground, and turned twice over m great agony, lilie one who had received his dealh-wound. Indeed, since the blow, he never uttered a word. you. Now', thanks to God, I will do so, and will tell you my mind. We will now try which of us is the strongest m this country. It has been often told me that j'ou were very desirous cf seeing me : you have now that pleasure. I am .lohn Chandos : look at me well ; and, if God please, we will now put to the proof your great deeds of arms which lU'e so renowned.'' With f uch words as these did sir John Chandos greet them ; he would not have wished to be any- where else so eager was he to fight them. ^ \>;7, vitrei: is upward of a year and a half that I have been endeavoring to meet His people, on seeing this mishap, were like madmen. His uncle, i^ir Edward Clifford, hastily advanced, and striding over the body, (for the French were endeavoring to get possession of it,) defended it most valiantly, and gave such well-directed blows wilh his sword that none dared to approach him. Two other knights, namely, sir John Chambo and sir Bertrand de Cassilies,* were like men distracted at seeing their master lie thus on the ground. The Bretons, who were more numerous than the English, were much rejoiced when they saw their chief thus prostrate, and greatly hoped he was mortally wounded. They therefore ad. vanced, crying out, " By God, my lords of England, you will all stay with us, for you cannot now escape." The English performed wonderful feats of arms, as well to ex- tricate themselves from the danger they were in as to revenge their com- mander, sir Johti Chandos, whom they saw in so piteous a state. A so.uire attached to sir John marked out this James de St. Martin, who had given the blow; he fell upon him in such a rage, and struck him with his lance as he was flying, that he ran him through both his thighs, and then withdrew hislance: however, in spite of this, James de St. Martin contin- ued the fight. Now if lord Thomas Percy, who had first arrived at the bridge, had im. Egined anything of what was going forward, sir John Chandos's men would have been considerably reinforced ; but it was otherwise decreed : for not hear, iiig anything of the Bretons since he had seen them advancing in a large body toward the biidge, he thought they might have retreated ; so that lord Thomas and his men continued their march, keeping the road to Poitiers, ignorant of what was passing. Though the English fought so bravely at the bridge of Lussac, in the end they could not withstand the force of the Bretons and French, but were defeated, and the greater part made prisoners. Sir Edward Clifford stood firm, and would not quit the body of his nephew. If the French had had their horses, they would have gone off with honor, and have carried with them good prisoners ; hut, as I have before said, their servants had gone away with them. Those of the English also had retreated, and quitted the scene of battle. They remained therefore in bad plight, which sorely ve.xed them, and said among themselves, " This is a bad piece of business : the field is our own, and yet we cannot return through the fault of our servants. It is not proper for us who are armed and fatigued to march through this country on foot, which is quite against us ; and we are upward of six leagues from the nearest of any of our fortresses. We have, besides, our wounded and slain, whom we cannot leave behind." As they were in this situation, not knowing what to do, and had sent off two or three of the Bretons, disarmed, to hunt after and en- deavor to find their servants, they perceived advancing toward them, sir Guiscard d'Angle, sir Louis de Harcourt, the lords de Partenay, de Tannaybouton, d'-^-rgenton, de Pinane, sir James de Surgeres, and several others. They were full two hundred lances, and were seeking for the French ; for they had received information that they were out on an excursion, and were then following the traces of their horses. They came forward, therefore, wilh displayed ban- ners fluttering in the wind, and marching in a disorderly manner. SlItJoBN Chandos at the head of his troops. the act of making his death charge on the French, die Harieiun and Cottonian Libraries. Designed from various MS. authorities in Sir Louis and Carnet kept themselves in a close body, as if they were willing to engage. Lord Thomas Percy and the English on the other side of the bridge knew nothing of what had passed, for the bridge was very high in the middle, which prevented them from seeing over it. During this scoffing of sir John Chandos, a Breton drew his sword, and could not resist from beginning the battle ; he struck an English squire, named Simliin Uodenhale, and beat him ao much about the breast witli his sword that he knocked him off his horse on the ground. Sir John Chandos, who heard the noise be- hind him, turned round, and saw his squire on the ground and per- sons beating him. This enraged him more than before : he said to his men, " Sirs, what are you about ? how suffer you tliis man to be slain? Dismount, dismount :" and at the instant he was on foot, as were all his company. Simkin was rescued, and the battle began. Sir John Chandos, who was a strong and bold knight, and cool in all his undertakings, had his banner advanced before him, surrounded by his men, with the scutcheon above his arms. He himself was dressed in a large robe which fell to the ground, blazoned with Ids arms on white sarcenet, argent, a pile gules ; one on his breast, and the other on his back ; so that he appeared resolved on some adven- turous undertaking ; and in this state, with sword in hand, he advanced on foot toward the enemy. This morning there had been a hoar-frost, which had made the ground slippery ; so that as he marched he entangled his legs with his robe, which was of the longest, and made a tumble : during which time a squire, called James de St. Martin (u strong expert man,) made a thrust at him with his lance, which hit him in the face, below the eye, between the nose and forehead. Sir John Chandos did not sec the aim of the stroke, for he had lost the eye on that side five years ago, on the heaths of Bordeaux, at the chase of astag : what added to this misfortune, sir John had not put down his vizor, so that in stumbling he bore upon the lance, and helped it to enter into him. The lance, which had been struck froai a strong « " Sir John Cliambo,— sir John Cassilies." G. Barnes colls the last Case. 194 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE. SPAIN. &c. The moment the Bretons and French saw them they knew them for their enemies, the barons and knights of Poilou. They there- fore said tu the English : " You see that body of men coming to your assistance : we know we cannot withstand them ; therefore," calling each by his name, •' you are our prisoners ; but we give you your liberty, on condition that you take care to keep us company ; and we surrender ourselves to you, for we have it more at heart to give our. selves up to you than to those who are coming." They answered, "God's will be done." The English thus obtained their liberty. The Poitevins soon arrived, with their lances in their rest?, shouting their war-erics ; but the Bretons and French, retreating on one side, said, " Holla ! stop my lords : we are prisoners already." The English testified to the truth of this by adding, " It is so : they belong to us." Garnet was prisoner to sir Bertrand de Cassilies, and sir Louis de St. Julien to sir John Chambo : there was not one who had not his master. These barons and knights of Poitou were struck with grief when they saw their seneschal, sir John Chandos, lying in so doleful a way, and not able to speak. They began grievously to lament iiis loss, saying, ** Flower of knighthood! oh, sir John Chandos I cursed be the forging of that lance which wounded thee, and whicli has thus endangered thy life." Those who were' around the body most ten- deriy bewailed him, which he heard, and answered with groans, but could not articulate a word. They rung their hands, and tore their hair, uttering cries and complaints, more especially those who be. longed to his household. Sir John Chandos was disarmed very gently by his own servants, laid upon shields and targets, and carried at a foot's pace to Morte. mer, the nearest fort to the place where they were. Tiie other barons and knights returned to Poitiers, cariyiiig with them their prisoners. I heard that James Martin, he who had wounded sir John Chandos, suffered so much tVom his wounds that he died at Poitiers. That gallant knight only survived one day and night. God have mercy on his soul ! for never since a hundred yeai^s did there exist among the English one more courteous, nor fuller of every virtue and good quality than him. When the prince, princess, earls of Cambridge and Pembroke, and the other English knights in Guienne heard of this event, they were completely disconcerted, and said, they had now lost everything on Doth sides of the sea. Sir John was sincerely regretted by his friends of each sex : and some lords of France bewailed his loss. Thus it happens through life. The English loved him for all the excellent qualities he was possessed of. The French hated him because they were afraid of him. Not but that I have heard him at the time regretted by renowned knights in France ; for they said it was a great pity he was slain, and that, if he could have been taken prisoner, he was so wise and full of devices, he would have found some means of establishing a peace between France and England ; and was so much beloved by the king of England and his court, that they would have believed what he should have said in preference to all others. Thus were the French and English greater losers by his death, for never have I heard otherwise ; but the English the most, for by his valor and prudence Guienne might have been totally recovered.* Lord Thomas Percy was appointed seneschal of Poitou after the death of sir John Chandos. His estates of St. Sauveur le Vicomte fell to the king of England, who gave them to one of his own knights, by name sir Aleyne Boxhull^t an uncommonly able man. The prince of AVales succeeded as heir to the other riches of sir John Chandos, as he never was married, and therefore had no children, to the amount of four hundred thousand francs. t Shortly afterwards, those captains who had been made prisoners at the bridge of Lussac were ransomed, and received their freedom on paying down the sums agreed on, in which the king of France assisted them. Sir Louis de St. Julien, sir William des Bourdes, and Garnet le Breton returned to their garrisons. * Sir John Chandos was btiried at Morte- mer. Uncterneatii is his epitrifih, from les Annales d'Aquilaiiie par Boucliet. Je Jehan Ch.indault. des aiiglois cnpilaiie. Fort chevalier, de Poicton seneachal Apresavoir fait giievre tres Injutaiiie Au rois fram^ois, Uint i pied qu'il clieval, EtprisBertrancI dediescliii en un val, l.es Poitevins prC5 Lussac, me diffirent, A Morleiiicr, in;ni corps eiitorrer lirent, En un cercueil elev^ tout de neuf. Ij'an mil trois cens avecsoixante neuf. [For the satistaction of the English reader, we have endeavored to iniiUite these rhymes as closely as a metrical ver- sion will jierniit. The reader must pardon their beini; as rude as the original. I John Chandos, an EiiglUh knislif, S6nesclial of all Poicton, Against the French king oft did fight On foot and horseback ; many slew : Bertrand du Guesctin priKiner too By me was taken in a vale. At Lussac did the foe prevail ; My body then at Mortemer In a new tomb my friends inter. In tlie year of grace divine, Tiiirteen hundred sixty-nine.— Ed.] CHAPTER CCLXXIX. THE LORD DE COUCY A:>JD THE LORD DE POMMIERS ARE tJNWILLlXG TO TAKE PART WITH EITHER SIDE IN THIS WAR. THE LORDS DE MALEVAL AND DE MARXEIL TURN TO THE FRENCH. At this time there were knights in France greatly hurt at seeing this war between the two kings carried on with increasing vigor; and in particular, the lord de Coucy, who was nuich interested in it, as indeed he ought to be, for ho held a very large estate in England, as well in his own right as in that of his wife, who was daughter of the king of England ; which estate it would be necessary for him to re- nounce, if he wished to serve the king of France, whose kinsman and countryman he was : he therefore thought it most profitable to dissemble between the two kings, and to travel to foreign parts. He very wisely took all his measures ; and, having obtained leave of the king of France, he set out with few attendants, and went to Savoy, where he was handsomely received by the earl, barons and knights of that country. When lie had remained there as long as he judged proper, he departed, and, continuing his road, entered Lombardy, visited the lords of Milan, the lords Galcas and lord Barnabo Viseonti, when at first he was made heartily welcome by them. In like man- ner did sir Aimemon de Pommiers, who was one of the prince's knights, quit the duchy of Aquitaine. He declared, that during the war, he would not bear arms for one side nor the other. This knight crossed the sea to Cyprus. He visited the holy sepulchre, and trav- elled to several other places. At this period, sir .tohn de Bourbon* came to Paris. He held some lands of the prince ; and the king of France would have gladly seen him return the homage to the prince, but the count de la Marche would not listen to it. The lord de Pierre Biiffiere, a Limousin knight at that time at Paris, followed his example. But the two other barons and great lords in Limousin un- fortimately acted otherwise : sir Louis de Maleval and sir Raymond de Marneil his nephew, who being at Paris turned Frenchmen, and from their fortresses afterwards made a disastrous war on the prince. The king of England and his council were much ve.xed at this; for it appeared that the barons and knights of Guienne thus changed their sides without any constraint, and of their own free will. The king therefore, by the advice of his council, ordered letters to be written and sealed with his seal, which he ordered to be sent by two or three of his knights, into Poitou and Aquitaine, to publish tliem in all the cities, castles and principal towns. At tliis time, sir Caponnel de Caponnal was delivered from his prison at Agen, in exchange for one of the prince's knights, by name Thomas Banaster, who had been taken in a skirmish before Perigord. But the counsellor of state who had been sunt with him remained prisoner in Agen, and sir Caponnel returned to France. We will report the letter which the king of England sent into Aquitaine. He founded and endowed the Cnrmelite convent at Poitiers. " He was never married. Elizabeth and Eleanor, two of his sisters, (the latter being the wife of sir Roger Collins) and Isabella, diuighter to Rlarparet tlie third sister, at that time married to sir John Anne>ley, were found to be his next heirs."— Barnes. t Sir Aleyne Boxhull was the o2nd knight of llie Garter, constable of the Tower of liOndon. cuslos of tho parks of Clarendon, fcc. He lies buried near St. Erkenwalde*s shrine in St. Paul's church, about tlie year 13S0. Sir Aleyne Boxhull had a commission to restrain the excesses of Charles de Navarre, in Normandy, and to put tlie castle in good repair, dated the 24:ii November, 1370.— RVMKR. X 1 should imagitie Froissart must mean that the prince inherited all he possessed in Aquitaine, &c. but his sistei's children were his heiri in England. CHAPTER CCLXXX. THE FORM OF THE LETTER WHICH THE ENGLISH KI.VG SENT INTO AQtH- TAINE. CHATELHERALT IS TAKEN BY THE FRENCH, AND BELLEPERCOE IS BESIEGED. Edward, by the grace of God, king of England, lord of Ireland and of Aquitaine, to all who shall see or hear these present letters: know, that we having considered the matter of the boundaries of our lordship of Aquitaine, as well as its extent under various lords, have had iiitormation relative to some oppressions done, or intended to have been done, by our very dear son the prince of Wales, to this lordship aforesaid; for which cause we hold it a duty to endeavor to obviate and remedy any such improper acts, and to conciliate all hatred and rancor that may have arisen between us and our loyal friends and subjects. We therefore announce, pronounce, and or- dain, out of our deliberate and perfect good will, and by the resohi- tions of our council for this cause assembled, that our very dear son the prince of Wales desist from all sorts of exactions, done or about to be done ; and that he restore and make restitution to all of each sex who may have been o])pressed by him, or by his officers in Aquitaine, with all costs, fees and expenses that they may have in- curred under the name of these taxes, aids or fouages. And if any of our feal subjects and friends, as well prelates as other members of the church, universities, barons, knights, townships, inhabitants of cuves and large towns have turned, or may be willing to turn, through bad information or weak advice, to the party of our adversary the king of France, we pardon this misdeed, if, after having read this letter, they shall return to us within one month from the date hereof. And we entreat those our loyal and trusty friend?, that they so com- port themselves not to draw on them any reproach as to their faith and homage; which thing would greatly displease us, and with sor- row should we perceive it. If our very dear son tlie prince of Wales, or any of his dependents, complain of being hurt or oppressed, either- now or in former times, we will have such oppressions amended;- so that in reason it may be sufficient to encourage love, peace and concord, between us and those within our boundaries in our afore- * "Sir John de Bourbon." lie was sonof sir Jamea de Bourbon who combated the free companies, chapter ccxxvii., and was count de la Marche— Denvb Sai/\'aok— .annot. 120. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 195 aoid lordship. And, in order that these things may be publicly known, we will that each person have a copy of this present letter, the conditions of wliicii \vc have solemnly swore to observe, and not break through, upon the body of Jesus Chri-t, in ihe presence of our very dear son John, duke of Lancaster, William, earl of Salisbury, the earl of Warwick, the earl of Hereford, Walter Manny, the bas- tard of Percy, lords Neville, Bourchier and Slafford. Richard Fern- bridge, Roger Bcauchamp, Guy Brian, the lords Mohun and Delaware, Aleyne BoxhuU and Richard Steny, knights. Given at our palace of Westtninster, the fifth day of November, in the fourty-fourth year of our reign.* This letter was carried by t^vo of the king of England's knights into the principality and duchy of Aquitaine, proclaimed and pab. lished everywhere. Copies of it were promptly and secretly sent to Paris, to the viscount de la Rochcchouart, the lords -de Maleval and de Mariieil, as well to several others of the French nation as to those who had turned to that interest. Notwithstanding the letter they had proclaimed in the country of Aquitaine and elsewhere, I never heard that it had any effect, or that any one was prevented by it from following his own inclinations ; but that more turned to the party of France, and the French daily advanced in their conquests. As soon as sir Louis de Julien w as returned to la Roehe-Posay, sir William des Bourdes to his ganison of La Have in Touraine, and Garnet le Bretont to St. Salvin, they secretly planned a new expedi- tion of men-at-arms, and companions well mounted on whom they could depend. They set ofl"lo scale the walls of the town of Chat, elheraut, and, ariiving there at early morn, would have made prisoner air Louis de Harcourt, who was sleeping at his hotel in the town, not any way suspecting such an enterprise, if he had not fled with his bed-clothes, without shoes or stockings, from house to house, and irom garden to garden, in great dread of being taken by the French, who had scaled the walls of the town, until at last he arrived at the bridge of Chatelheraut, which hi? people had fortified : there he saved liiniself, and remained a considerable time. The Bretons and French, however, were masters of the whole town, and placed a strong garrison in it, of which Carnet was captain. This garrison advanced daily to engage with those who still kept possession of the bridge ; and many a gallant skirmish and feat of arms were performed. Duke Louis de Bourbon was much enraged that the English and free companies should keep possession of his country, the Bourbon- iiois, and that Ortigo, Bernard de Wist and Bernard de la Salle, should hold his castle of Belleperche, and detain his mother prisoner in it: he resolved, therefore, to set on foot an expedition of men-at- arms, and lay siege to the castle of Belleperche, which, he declared he would not quit until he had retaken it. He spoke of it to the king of France, who instantly promised to assist him in the siege with i7ien and money. He left Paris, having ordered his rendezvous at Moulins in the Bourbonnois, and at St. Poursaint,t whither there ■came a numerous body of men-at-arms and able coinbatants. The lord de Beaujeu came to serve him, with three hundred lances : the lords de Villars and de Roueillon, with one hundred ; and numbers of barons and knights from Auvergne and Forets, of which he was lord paramount, through the lady his wife, the daughter of that gal- lant lord Beroald count dauphin. The duke arrived and fixed his quarters before the castle of Belleperche, where he built a large and strong redoubt, in which liis men might be sheltered cverv' night, and skirmish with the garrison during the day. He had also brought and pointed against the castle four large machines, which kept con- tinually throwing, night and day, stones and logs of wood, so that they broke jhrough the roofs of all the houses, and beat down the greater part of the towers. The mother of ihe duke of Bourbon, who was a prisoner within the castle, was much alarmed, and sent frequently to entreat her son to abstain from tliis mode ot attack, for these machines annoyed her exceedingly ; but the duke, who knew for certain that these requests came from his enemies, replied that he would not desist happen what would. When the garrison found themselves so much harassed, and that flie French force was daily increasing ; for sir Louis de Sancerre, marBhal of France, had just arrived with a large body of men-at-arms ; they resolved to send and acquaint sir John Devercux, seneschal of liimousin, who resided at La Souteraine,§ two short days' journey from tliem, of their distress, and who knew that, when these lords of Poitou and Gascony had made an excursion from Quercy, it was upon the faith, that if tlicy should take any castles in France, and were besieged in them, they would be assisted. They wrote their Jetters, and sent them oH' in the night by one of their servants to the castle of sir John Devercux. Sir John recognized the messenger by the tokens he mentioned, and, having read the letters, said, " that he would most willingly acquit liimself of his engagement, and that the more efi'ectually to do so, he would immediately wait on the prince and the lords who were with him. at Angouleme, and exert himself so that the ganison of Belleperche should be reinforced." *This I-iUer is not in Rrmer. t His name was Jean de Keranlouet. In the proo6 attached to the Histoire de la Bretagne. are several acquittances from Jean de Keranlouet. in whicti lie is styled, Ecuyer, Huissier, d'Armes du Roi notre Sire, Capitaiiie de la Ville de la Roche-Posay for his own pay fi9 well as fur his soldiers. He was to conduct four hundred cumbataols into Guyenne, 1371 ; and also to march to the assistance of Moncontour. t Si. Poursaint— atown in Auverpne. diocese of Clermont. 4 lie Souterauie— a towu ia lamousin, about two leagues from Limoges. Sir John Devercux set out, after having given proper directions respecting his castle and garrison to his officers, and, being arrived at Arrgiiulume, found there the prince, the earl of Cambridge, the eail of Pembroke, sir John Montague, sir Robert KnoUes, lord Thomas Percy, sir Thomas Felton, sir Guiscard d'Angle, the captal de Buch, and many others. He explained to them, how these free companies in the castle of Belleperche were besieged and much straitened by the French under the duke de Bourbon and the count de .St. Pol.* The lords, on hearing this statement, replied with great cheerfulness, that they must be relieved, according to the promises which had been made to them. This business was intrusted to the earls of Cam- bridge and Pembroke ; and the prince issued a summons to all his vassals, who, on sight of it, were V) a.ssemble in the town of Limoges. Upon which, knights, squires, free companies, and men-at-arms, marched to that place, according to their orders ; and, when they were mustered, they amounted to upward of fifteen Imndred lancea and about three thousand others. They rriarched to Belleperche, where they encamped themselves opposite to the French. The French kept themselves close in their redoubt, which was as strong and as well fortified as a town might be. The English foragers were at a loss where to seek for provisions, so that, whenever it was possible, some were brought to them from Poitiers. Sir Louis de Sancerre, marshal of France, gave exact information of the number and condition of the English to the king of France, and to those knights who had remained at Paris: he sent also a proc- lamation, which he had affixed to the gates of the palace. It ran in these words : " Ye knights and squires who are anxious of renown, and seek for deeds of arms, I inform you for a truth, that the earl of Cambridge and the earl of Pembroke are arrived with their troops at Belleperche, with the intention of raising the siege which we have so long made : we have so much straitened the garrison of the castle that it must immediately surrender, or our enemies beat us in a pitched battle. Come therefore hither, directly, for you will have opportunities of exhibiting your prowess in arms ; and know that the English are encamped so much apart, and in such positions, that they may be wonderfully annoyed." Upon this exhortation and request of the marshal, several good knights and squires of France advanced to those parts ; and I know myself that the governor of Blois, named Alart de Toustanne, went thither with fifty lances ; as did also the count de Porcien, and his brother sir Hugh de Porcien. CHAPTER CCLXXXI. THE EARLS OF CAMBRIDGE AND PEMBROKE CARRY OFF THE MOTHER OP THE DUKE OF BOURBOX WITH THE GARRISON OF BELLEPERCHE. THE DUKE OF BOURBON TAKES POSSESSION OF THAT CASTLE. When the earls of Cambridge and Pembroke had remained before the French army at BeJIcperche fifteen days, and did not see any signs of the French quitting their redoubt to fight with them, they called a council, in which they resolved to send them a herald, to know what they meant to do. Chandos the herald was ordered on this business, and it w-as repeated to him what he was to say : he therefore went to them, and said : " My masters and lords send me to you, and inform you by mj' mouth, that they are quite astonished you have allowed them to remain fifteen days here, and you have not sallied out of your fort to give them battle. They therefore tell you, that if you will come forth to meet them, they will permit you to choose any plot of ground for the field of battle ; and let God give the event of it to whomsoever he pleases." The duke of Bourbon made to this the following reply : " Chandos, you will tell your masters, that I shall not combat as they may wish or desire. I know well enough where they are : but for all that, I will not quit my fort nor raise the siege, until I shall have reconquered the castle of Belle- perche." " My lord," answered the herald, " I will not fail to report what you have said." The herald set out, and on Ids return gave the duke's answer, which was not very agreeable. They called another council, and when it was over, gave to Chandos a proposal, for him to carry to the French. He did so, and said : " Gentlemen, my lords and masters let you know, that since you are not willing to accept the ofler they have made you, three days hence, between nine and twelve o'clock in the morning, you my lord duke of Bourbon, will see your lady- mother placed on horseback, and carried away. Consider this, and rescue her if you can." The duke answered : "Chandos, Chandos, tell your masters, they carry on a most disgraceful war, when they seize an ancient lady from among her domestics, and carr>- her away like a prisoner. It was never seen formerly, that in the war between gentlemen, ladies or damsels were treated as prisoners. It will cer- tainly be very unpleasant to me to see my lady-mother thus carried off: we must recover her as soon as we can: but the castle they cannot take with them : that, therefore, we will have. Since you have twice come hither with propositions, you will bear this from me to your masters, that if they will draw out fifty men, we will draw » Denys Snuvage thinks it ought to be the count de Sancerre, as the count de St. Pol's name has not been mentioned hetbre. i should be of this opiaioo, if every copy I have* printed and MS., did not say St. Pol. 196 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. out the same number, and let the viotoi7 fall where it may." " My lord," replied the herald, "I will relate to them everything you have told me." „ , , , , , , At these words, Chandos left them, and returned to the earls of Cambridge and Pembroke and the other lords, and told them the offer tlic'duke of Bourbon had sent them. They were advised not to accept it. Preparations were therefore made for the departure of the army, and to carry of!" with them the lady and the garrison, which had been exceedingly harassed by the machines of the enemy. When the appointed day arrived, they ordered their trumpets to sound at early morning : upon which evei-y one armed himself and drew up, both horse and foot, in order of battle, as if they expected a combat, -with their banners and pennons flying before them. In this manner were they arrayed ; and on this day sir John Montacute,* nephew to the earl of Salisbury, displayed his banner. They had ordered their trumpets and minstrels to sound very loud ; and at nine o'clock the garrison and madame de Bourbon came out of the castle of Belle, perche. They mounted her on a palfrey handsomely equipped for her. She was accompanied by her ladies and damsels. The Eng- lish army marched asvay at midday. Sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt and sir John Devereuxt attended upon madame de Bourbon ; and in this manner they returned to the principality, where the lady remained a considerable time a prisoner to the free companions at La Roche Vaucloix in Limousin.! This capture never pleased the prince, who, whenever it was men- tioned, said, that if any other than the free companies had taken the duchess, she should instantly have had her liberty : and when the captains of these free companies spoke to him on the subject, he told them to make some sort of an exchange, for him to get back his knight, sir Simon Burley,^ whom the French had taken. You may suppose the duke of Bourbon was greatly incensed when he saw hi? lady-mother carried away from the castle of Belleperche in the Bour- bonnois. Soon after her departure, he marclied from the redoubt, and sent his men to take possession of his own castle of Belleperche, which ihe English had left quite empty. Thus ended this grand expedition, and each withdrew to his usual place of residence. The French who were under the duke of Bourbon, retired to the garrisons from whence they had come. The duke returned with his knights and squires to the king of France, who received them wilh great joy, and entertained them handsomely. The earl of Cambridge went to his brother at Angoulemc ; and the earl of Pembroke and his troops to Mortogne in Poitou. Those free companies and men- at-arms who had been in Belleperche went into Poitou and Saint- onge, seeking for provisions, and committing many disgraceful acta, from which they had not the inclination to refrain themselves, nor power to restrain others. Sir Robert KnoUes, shortly after this, left the prince, and returned to his castle of Derval in Brittany, where he had not been a month, before the king of England sent him positive orders to set out, with. out delay, and cross the sea to him in England, as he would find his profit in it. Sir Robert very willingly obeyed this summons : having made his preparations, he embarked and landed in Cornwall, at St. Michael's Mounl, and thence continued his road until he arrived at Windsor, where ho found the king, who was right glad to see him, as were all the English barons ; for they thought they should have much need of liim, as he was so great a captain and leader of men- at-arms. CHAPTER CCLXXXII. THE rOUK BKOTHERS OF FRANCE HAVE A MEETING. THEIR PREPARATIONS FOR THE WAR. THE MOTHER OF THE DUKE OF BOUKBON OBTAINS HER LFBERTV. A TREATY ENTERED INTO BETWEEN THE KIN&3 OF FRANCE AND NAVARRE. At this time the duke of Anjou set out from Toulouse, and marched in great array through the kingdom of France ; he continued his route until he arrived in Paris, where he found the king and his other brothers the dukes of Berry and Burgundy, who received him with infinite pleasure. The four brothers, during the time they were together at Paris, held many councils and consultations on the state of the kingdom, and in what manner they should best act during the ensuing summer. It was determined to raise two large armies, and make an incursion to Aquitaine. The duke of Anjou was to com- * Son of sir .lolin Montacute before-mentioned, and third eiirl of Salisbury.— Ed. t Sir John Devereux— banneret— 76tb knitrhtol'tlie Garter, a baron from tbeStbto tbe 16th Richard U. See Dugdale, Steward of the liouseliold to Ricliard II, constable and governor of the cinque ports. Died suddenly 16tli Richard II. Buried at Grayfiiars, Xiondon. " Sir Nicholas Louvaine held Pensliurst44th Kdward 111, and married Margaret, eld- est daughter of John Vete, earl of 0.\ford— remarried to Henry lord Beaumont, and afYer to sir John Devereux, knight of the Garter, lord warden of the cinque ports, stew- ard of the household lltli Richard II,; in whose 16lh year he bad license to embattle his mansion house at Pensburst. and his daughter and heiress was married to William lord Fitzwalter, but he only enjoyed this manor in right of his wife,"— Anstis's MMS.from Philpofs Kent, p, 270. % In the curious life of the duUe de Bourbon, printed at Paris, 1613, from old MSS. the account of tliis siege is very ditVerently related, and entirely to Uie honor of the French. The duchess is there said to be carried prisoner to the tower of Bron near to Brouage, on theseacoast. § Sir Suiion Burley— knight- was 75th knight of the Garter, warden of the cinque ports, governor of Windsor and Dover costlei,. Beheaded 1388.— See Hollingshed. mand one of these armies, which should enter Guiennc by La Rdole and Bergerac ; the duke of Berry the other toward Limoges and Quercy, when these two armies were to unite and march to Angou- leme, to besiege therein the prince of Wales. It was also proposed and determined in these consultations to rccal that valiant knight sir Bertrand du Guesclin, who had so gallantly and loyally fought for the crown of France, and entreat him to accept the charge of con- stable of France. When king Charles, his brothers, and his council, had completely arranged their future plans, and had enjoyed themselves together for some time, the duke of Anjou, early in May, took his leave of them, to return the first to his government, for he had the longest journey to make. He was escorted by the barons and knights of France, being much beloved by them, and pursued his journey until lie came to Montpellier, where he tarried upward of a month, and then returned to Toulouse. lie directly collected as many men-at-arms as he was able, wherever he could hour of them, and soon had a Inr^e force from those who had kept the field guarding the frontiers of tlie Eng- lish in Rouergue and Quercy: for le petit Mcchin, Naudon de Pans, Perrot de Savoyo, le bourg Camus, Antoine le Negre, Lanuit, Jacques de Broy, and numbers of their companions, had remained all the year at Caliors, where they had ravaged and ruined the country. On the other hand, the duke of Berry went to Bourges in Berry, where he had issued a grand summons to all knights and squires of France and Burgundy. The duke of Bourbon had gone into his own country, where he had given orders concerning this intended expedition, and had collected a large body of k.-.ights and squires from the country of Foreis and the Bourbonnois. His brother, count Peter d'Alen^on, made preparations in another part, and with good effect. Sir Guy de Blois, at this period, was returned from Prussia, where he had been made a knight, and displayed his banner in an enterprise against the enemies of God. As soon as this gallant knight arrived in Hainault, and was informed of the expedition which his cousins of France were about to undertake in Aquitaine, he made immediate preparations for joining it ; and, setting out from Hainault with all his array, he arrived at Paris to present himseli" to the king. He was gladly received by him, and ordered to join the duke of Berry with a command of knights, sqnires, and men-at-arms in the expedition. Sir Guy de Blois, therefore, left the city of Paris, and rode to Orleans in his way to Berry. In like manner as the king of France had arranged his armies, so did the king of England by two armies and two expeditions. It was ordered that the duke of Lancaster should march with four hundred men-at-arms and as many archers into Aquitaine, to reinforce his brothers; for it was thought that the greatest force of the enemy would be sent to that country. The king and his council determined that another army of men-at-arms and archers should enter Picardy under sir Robert KnoUes, who was perfectly capable of such a com- mand, having learned it under the most able masters for a considera. ble time. Sir Robert, at the request of the king, willingly undertook this expedition : he promised to cross the sea to Calais, to pass through the whole kingdom of France, and to fight with the French, if they were bold enough to meet in the field. Of this he seemed quite cer- tain, and made wonderful preparations for himself, as well as for all those who were to accompany him. •■ The mother of the duke of Bourbon about this time obtained her liberty, being exchanged for sir Simon Burley, the prince of Wales's knight. Sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt was very instrumental in bring- ing this business to an end, for which the duke of Bourbon and the queen of France testified their obligations to him. There had been, for a considerable time, long negotiations carried on Ivetween the king of France and the king of NavaiTe, who resided at Cherbourg. The ministers of both kings managed the business in such a manner that they informed the king of France he had not any reason for wa- ging war against his brother-in-law the king of Navarre. They added, that tor the present he had enough on his hands wilh his war with England, and that he had better leave things as then they were, lest greater evils might arise ; for, if the king of Navarre should consent to admit the English into his forts in Coutantin, they would harass the country of Normandy most grievously, which was a thing to be well considered and attended to. Upon receiving this information and advice, the king of France consented to a peace. He went to the town of Rouen, where all the treaties were drawn up and con- firmed. The archbishop of Rouen, the count d'Alen^on, the count de Sallebruche, sir William des Dormans*" and sir Robert Lorris, waited on the king of Navarre, whom they found at Vernon. He made for them grand dinners and magnificent feasts; after which they conducted him to the king of France at Rouen, when these trea. ties and alliances were again read, sworn to, confirmed, and scaled. It seems that the king of Navarre, by the articles of this peace, was to renounce whatever engagements he might have entered into with the king of England ; and that he himself, on his return to Navarre,, was to declare war against him. For greater security of the affec. tion between him and the king of France, he was to leave in his hands his two sons, Charles and Peter, as hostages. Upon this treaty being concluded, the two kings left Rouen, and came to Paris, where there were again great feasts. When they had sufficiently enjoyed and amused themselves, they took leave of each other. The king of * Sir William des Dormans was chancellor of France. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 197 Navarre quitted the king of France in the most amicable mnnner, leaving his two children with their uncle. He set out for Montpel- lier, and returned through that country to Foix, and from thence to his own kingdom of Navarre. We will now return to what was passing in Aquitaine. CHAPTER CCLXXXIII. SIR BERTHAND DU GtJESCLIN LKAVES SPAIN AND ARRIVE.? AT TOCLOUSE, WHERE THE DUKE OF ANJOU RECEIVES HIM WITH GREAT JOY. THEY TAKE TOGETHER SEVERAL CASTLES FROM THE E.N'GLI-SH. You know, as v.-e have before mentioned it, that the d\ike of Anjou had been in France, and tliat, according to arrangements then made \tpon his return to Languedoc, he was to invade, with his whole force Guienne ; for he never loved the prince of Wales nor the English, and made no pretensions to that eH'ect. Before ho left Paris, the king of France, by his desire, had sent letters and embassadors to the king of Castille, to request he would send back sir Bertrand du Guesclin, for by so doing he would very much oblige him. At the same time, the king and duke of Anjou wrote most friendly letters to sir Bertrand himself. The envoys made haste on their journey, and found king Henry with sir Bertrand in the city of Leon in Spain, to whom they delivered their letters and the message from the king of France. The king of Spain never wished to detain sir Bertrand, nor would have forgiven himself for so doing. Sir Bertrand therefore made his pre- parations in haste, and, taking leave of king Henry, set out with his attendants, and continued his road until he came to Toulouse, where the duke of Anjou was. He had already there assembled a very large force of men-at-arms, knights, and squires, and waited for nothing but the arrival of sir Bertrand du Guesclin : so that upon his coming the duke of Anjou and all the French were mightily rejoiced. Orders were given to march from Toulouse, and invade the territo- ries of the prince. The duke of Lancaster at this time was arrived at Southampton, with four hundred men-at-arms, and an equal number of archers. He embarked them and every necessary provision and stores on board ships, with the intent of sailing for Bordcau.^c, provided they might have a favorable wind. With the duke, and under his command, were the lord Roos (of Hamlake,) sir ^lichael de la Pole,* sir Rob- ert le RouXjt sir John de St. Lo, and sir William Beauchamp-t The duke of Anjou left the city of Toulouse with a great and well ordered an'ay. He was attended by the count d'.'irmagnac, the lord d'Albret, the count de Perigord, the count de Comniinges, the viscount de Carmaign, the count de Lisle, the viscount de Bruni- guel, the viscount de Narbonne, the viscount de Talar, the lord de la Barde, the lord de Pincornet, sir Bertrand Tande, the s<;neschal of Toulouse, the seneschal of Carcassonne, the seneschal of Beaucaire and several others, amounting in the whole to upward of two thou, sand lances, knights and squires, and six thousand footmen, armed with pikes and shields. Sir Bertrand du Guesclin was appointed to the command of all this force. They directed their march through the Ag^nois ; and being joined by more than a thousand combatants from the free companies, who had waited for them all the winter in Quercy, they made for Agen. : The first fort they came to was that of Moissac.^ The whole country was so frightened at the arrival of the duke of Anjou, and the large army he had brought, that they trembled before him, and neither towns nor castles had any inclination to hold out against him. When he arrived before Moissac, the inhabitants instantly surrendered and turned to the French. They then advanced to Agen, which followed this example. They afterwards marched toward Tonneinsjl on the Garonne ; and the French went on un- molested, following the course of the river Garonne, in order to have plenty of forage : they came to Port St. Marie,1T which immediately surrendered. The French placed men-at-arms and garrisons in all these towns. The town and castle of Tonneins did the same, in which they placed a captain and twenty lances to guard it. They afterwards took the road to Montpezat»* and -\iguillon,tt burning and destroying all the country. When they came before Montpezat, which is a good town and has a strong castle, those within were so • much frightened by the duke of Anjou that they direcdy opened their gates. The French then advanced to the strong castle of Aiguil'on, where they only remained four days ; for then the garrison surrendered to the duke, not being such men as sir Walter Manny commanded, when he defended it against John duke of Normandy, afterwards king of France. The inhabitants of Bergerac were very much astonished at their ha%'ing so done ; for the governors, at this time, of Bergerac, were the captal de Buch and sir Thomas Felton, who had with them one hundred lances, English and Gascons. • Sir Michael de la Pole, afterwards earl of SufTolt, and favorite of Richard II.— See Ddodalk. T Barnes calls him sir Robert Ros. t Sir William Bcaucharap— Lord -Abergavenny.— DooDALE. 5 Moissac— a town in Uuercy. twelve leajues from Asen. II TonneuiM town of Aecaois, on the Garonne, forty-one leacues from Toulouse. \ Port St. Mane— on the Garonne, below Agen. *• Monlpezat-a villase in Guieune, near Tonneins. tt AiguiUon-a town of Guienne, one league from Tonneins. CHAPTER CCLXXXIV. THE DUKE OF BERRY INVADES LIMOUSIN. JrsT as the duke of Anjou and his army had invaded the terri- tories of the prince by the way of Toulouse and Agen, so did the duke of Berry with his army enter the Limousin. He had full twelve hundred lances and three thousand footmen, who conquered towns and castles, and burnt and destroyed the country they marched through. With the duke of Berry were, the duke of Bourbon, the count d'Alen^on, sir Guy de Blois, sir Robert d'Alen<;on, count du Perche, sir John d'.A.miagnac, sir Hugh Dauphin, sir John de Villemur, the lords de Beaujeu, de Villars, de Denac, sir GeofTry de Montagu, sir Louis de Maleval, sir Raymond de Marneil, sir John de Boulogne, his uncle sir Geoffry de Boulogne, the viscount d'Uzes, the lords de Sully, de Talenton, de Confant, Dappechere, Dacon, sir John Damenue, Ymbaut de Peschin, and many other good barons knights and squires. This army entered Limousin, where they did infinite mischief, and advanced to besiege the city of Limoges. In this city were a body of English, whom sir Hugh Calverley the seneschal of Limousin had placed there ; but he was not the master, for the bishop of the city governed it, in whom the prince of Wales put much confidence, looking upon him as his steady friend. The prince of Wales, who kept his court at Angouleme, had received information of these two grand expeditions of the dukes of iVnjou and of Berry, and how they had invaded his principality at two different places. It was also told the prince, that as far as could be imagined, they were marching to form a junction near An. gouleme, to besiege him and the princess therein, and advised him to consitler of it. The prince, who was valor itself, and full of resources, replied, that " his enemies should never find him shut up in a town or castle, and that he would immediately march and take the field against them." Clerks and knights were instantly employed to write and send ofl" letters to loyal friends and subjects in Poitou, Saintonge, La Rochelle, Roucrgue, Quercy, Gorre, Bigone and Agdnois, commanding them, with as many men as they could bring, to meet him at the town of Cognac. His rendezvous was fixed there ; and he soon left --Vngouleme, attended by the princess and his young son Richard. But during the time this summons was sent, and every one ma. king his preparations, the French kept advancing, burning and rava. ging the country. They came before Linde, a good town situated upon the river Dordogne, one league from Bergerac : a valiant knight of Gascony, named sir Thonius de Batefol,* was the governor of it. The duke of Anjou, the count d'Armagnac, the lord d'Albret, the count de Perigord, the viscount de Carmaing, and all the other barons with their men, came thither and formed the sitge in a regular manner, saying they would not depart without having taken it. This town was large, strong and well provided with all sorts of provision and artillery ; for the captal de Buch and sir Thomas Fel. ton had been there a fortnight before, and had reinforced it. They thought that Linde was very capable of holding out, if those within were determined, considering the assistance they might draw from Bergerac, should there be occasion. But the inhabitants were so wonderfully inclined to the French, that they entered into a negotia- tion with the duke of Anjou, and listened to his promise, which made them press the governor, sir Thonius, that he also consented to be a true Frenchman, upon consideration of receiving a large sum of money, and having a good annuity from the duke for his life Everything being thus settled, the town was to be delivered up to the French. This treaty was, however, known at Bergerac the evening preceding the day of surrender. The earl of Cambridge had just arrived there with two hundred lances, and was present when this information was given. The captal and sir Thomas Felton were thunderstruck at the intelligence, and said they would be present at this surrender. Having ordered their troops, they set out from Ber- gerac after midnight, and rode toward the town of Linde. They came there by daybreak, and, ordering one of the gates to be opened, pushed forward without stopping until they arrived at the other gate, through which the French were to enter : indeed, they were already assembled there in crowds, for sir Thonius was about to allowithem to e.'.ter the gate. On seeing which, the captal, grasping his sword, dismounted, as did all his troops, and, advancing to sir Thonius, said: " Sir Thonius, thou wicked traitor, thou shall be the first dead man : and never more shalt thou commit another treason." Upon which he thrust his sword into him, and with so much force that it went through his body and came out upward of a foot on the other side, and struck him down dead. The French, on seeing the banners of the captal de Buch and sir Thomas Felton, immediately retreated, having failed in their attempt. Thus did the town continue English, but was in great danger of being burnt, and the inhabitants slain, because they had consented to this treaty. They excused themselves wisely and prudently, say- ing that what they had done and consented to was through fear, and principally through their governor, who had brought this business * Sir Thonius de Batefol. It is so in all my printed copies, but otherwise in the MSS. One has Thomas. Q. if itshould not be so. [Or rather Anthony! though Lord Bemera and Barnes both read Thomas.— Ed. 1 198 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. about. The lords appeared to believe all this, and the iuhabitanta remained in peace : but the caplal and sir Thomas Felton continued in the town as long as the duke of Anjou lay before it, and until he had taken another road. We will now speak a little of the state and condition of England, for that is now necessary ; and of the invasion of France by sir Robert Knollea CHAPTER CCLXXXV. A TRUCE IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. SIR KOBEKT KNOLLES OVERRUNS, BURNS AND EAVACiES THE WHOLE COU.NTRIES OF PICARDY AND THE VERMANBOIS. When sir Robert KnoUes was about to leave England, there were many councils held between the English and Scots. They were so well conducted by the able ministers of both kingdoms, that a truce was established between each king, kingdom, subjects and adherents, for nine years. The Scots, by this treaty, might arm and hire themselves out to others for subsidies, taking wliich side they pleased, English or French ; by which means sir Robert increased his army with one hundred lances.* When sir Robert and all who were to accompany him were ready, and had arrived at Dover, they passed the sea, he himself crossing the last, and landed at Calais, where, on his disembarking, he was received with great joy by the governor, sir Nicholas Stambom-n, and his brother soldiers. When they had refreshed themselves for seven days, and had formed their plans with respect to the parts of France into which they should carry their attack, they ordered their baggage and stores to advance, and took the field in a very handsome manner. They were about fifteen hundred lances and four thousand archers, including the Welshmen. Sir Robert was accompanied, according to the king's orders, by sir Thomas Granston.t sir Aleyne Boxhull, sir Gilbert Gif- ford, the lord de Salvatier,t sir John Bourchier,^ sir William de Mer- ville,|| sir Geoffry Urswell.f and many other knights and squires, expert and able men-at-arms, who marched this first day pretty near to Fiennes.** Sir Moreau de Fiennes, who at that time was constable of France, resided in his castle, witli a great number of men-at-arms, knights, and squires, all prepared and ready to receive the English. On tlie morrow, when they advanced toward the castle and drew up to the attack, they found they should not gain anytliing, so they marched off through the country of Guines, and entered that of Faukenbourg, burning everything on their road, and came before the city of Te- rouenne, but did not attack it : for it was so well garrisoned with men-at-arms that it would only have been lost trouble. They con- tinued their march through the country of the Terouennois, to enter Artois ; and, as they only advanced three or four leagues a-day, on account of their baggage and infantry, they took up their quarters in the large villages at the early hour of midday or noon. Thus did they advance with their whole army, nntil they came before the city of Arras. The lords and principal captains were lodged in tlie town of Mount St. Eloy, near Arras, and their army in the environs ; whence they pillaged and ravaged the country round, as far as tliey dared to extend tliemselves. The king of France had at this season ordered a number of men-at-arms to the different cities, fortresses, large towns, castles, bridges and fords, to guard and defend those which should be attacked, and which they were not to quit on any account. When sir Robert Knolles had refreshed himself and his army for two days, he quitted St. Eloy, and marched from before Arras in good array. Sir William de Merville and sir Geoffry Urswell, who were the marshals of the army, could not resist a wish to see those of Arras a little nearer. They quitted, therefore, the battalion, and advanced with about two hundred lances and four hundred arcliers, as far as the barriers of the suburbs of Arras which they found well guarded by men-at-arms and cross-bows. The lord Charles de Poi- tiers was at that time in the town with madame d'Artois, but he made not any attempt to sally out on the English or otherwise attack them. The English having finished their course, had halted a short time at the barriers ; and seeing no appearance of any one coming to them, they set out on their return to the main army, who were wait, ing for them drawn up in a line of battle. However, before they departed, they wished to leave a remembrance behind, and set fire to the suburbs of Arras, in order to entice the inhabitants out of the town, who had not any good mil to do so. This fire did much mis- chief, for it burnt a large monastery of preaching friars, cloisters, and all that was without the town. After this, the English continued their march, taking the road to Bapaume,* burning and ravaging the whole country. The army was constantly in motion, and having entered the Vermandois, arrived at Roye ;t which town they burnt, and then marched toward Hamt in Vermandois. All the inhabitants of the flat country had retired into this town, and into St. Qucntin and Peronne, carrying with them everything portable. The English found nothing but barns full of unthreshed corn, for it was now after August. They advanced by easy marches, without any labor or fatigue, until they came to a rich country, where they halted for two or three days. During this time, sir Robert Knolles sent parties to a town or castle which commanded the surrounding country, and the marshals having obtained a parley with the governors, asked, " How much will you give us for all this country, if we will not despoil it?'' A treaty and composition was entered into with sir Robert, and a large sum of florins paid down. This country was respited from being burnt. Sir Robert gained by this treaty a sum amount- ing to one hundred thousand francs, for which lie was afterwards ill at court, and accused to the king of the English for not having done his duty faithfully, as I shall fully relate in the continuance of this history. The lands of the lord de Coucy were unmolested ; and never did the English hurt man or woman, nor take from them a farthing, who said, •' I belong to the lord de Coucy." They marched unto the good town of Noyon,§ which was well provided with men-at-arms, and halted in the neighborhood : they made their approaches veiy near, to see if it were possible to carry it by assault, but found it well fortified, and able to defend itself should there be occasion. Sir Robert was lodged in the abbey of Orcanip.H and his men in the neighborhood. They advanced one day in order of battle to the walla of the city, to see if the garrison and inliabitants would issue forth, but in vain. There was a Scots knight in the English army who performed a most gallant deed of arms. He quitted his troop, with his lance in its rest, and mounted on his courser, followed only by his page ; when, sticking spurs into his horse, he was soon up the mountain and at the barriers.' The name of this knight was sir John Assueton.lf a very valiant and able man, perfect master of his profession. When he was arrived at the barriers of Noyon, he dismounted, and, giving his horse to his page, said, " Quit not this place :" then, grasping his spear he advanced to the barriers, and leaped over them. There were on the inside some good knights of that country, sucli as sir John de Roye, sir Launcelot de Lorris, and ten or twelve others, who were astonished at this action, and wondered what he would do ne.^t : however, tlicy received him well. The Scots knight, address- ing them, said: "Gentlemen, I am come to see you; for, as you do not vouchsafe to come beyond your barriers, I condescend to visit you. I wish to try my knighthood against yours, and you will eon. quer me if you can." After this, he gave many grand strokes with his lance, which they returned him. He continued in this situation against them all, skirmishing and fighting most gallantly, upward of an hour. He wounded one or two of their knights ; and they had so much pleasure in this combat, they frequently forgot themselves. The inhabitants looked from above the gates and top of the walls witli wonder. They might have done him much hurt with their arrows, if they had so willed : but no ; the French knights had forbidden it. While he was thus engaged, his page came close to the barriers, mounted on his courser, and said to him aloud, in his own language, " My lord, you had better come away : it is time, for our army is on its march." The knight, who had heard him, made ready to follow his advice ; and after giving two or three thrusts to clear his way, he seized his spear, and leaped again over the barriers Mithout any hurt, and, armed as he was, jumped up behind the page on his courser. When he was mounted, he said to the French, " Adieu, gentlemen : many thanks to you," and spurring his steed, soon rejoined his companions. This gallant feat of sir John Assueton was highly prized by all manner of persop.s. * Mczeray says, this truce was for three rears— Buchanan, fourteen— Froissart, nine,- JVoti in Barnes, p. 800. I cannot lind this truce in the Fcedera. On liie contrary, there is an offensive and defensive treaty witli the king of France, dated .at Edinburgh Castle, 28tli October, 1371, in wiiich it expressly mentions that no truce is to lie entered into, without including both France and Scotland, by either of the parties. For more particulars see Rynier. t Sir Thomas Granston—82iid knight of the Garter. See Grandison in Dugdale. t " Le sire de Salvatier." Ci. § Sir John Bourchier— 86th knight of the Gartei-— a baron. See Dugdale. II "De Merville." Q. if not Neville. I believe it to be sir William Neville, one of the sons of Ttalpli lord Neville, of Raby. See Dued.-ile. Barnes names sir Hugh Meinel. sir Wal:«r Fitzwalter, and sir John Menlsreworth, If I have culled t'lis person Urswell^ nfler Barnes : but as Froissart writes it OnTcdny. It is probably one of the Worseley family. It may also be sir Hugh Wrotlesley, spelled Jfortheslcij in Mills, who was Itlth knight of the Garter, and i^erhaps with more proba- bility. ** Fiennes— a village in lh« Bouloonotd, generality of Amiens. CHAPTER CCLXXXVI. THE SARRISON OF NOYON MAKE THE ENGLISH PRIS8NERS WHO HAD SET FIRE TO FONT-L'EVEQUE. THE KING OF FRANCE SENDS FOR SIS BER- TKAND DU GUESCLIN. Sir Robert Knolles and his army, on their departure from the town ot Noyon, set fire to Pont-l'Eveque on the river Oise, where there were several handsome hotels. Those knights and squires in the town of Noyon were exceedingly angry at this proceeding, and, understanding that sir Robert and his 'forces had proceeded, left the city of Noyon with about fifty lances, and came so well in time to the town of Pont- I'Evfique, that they found there those who had burnt it, and others occupied in the pillage. They were attacked most furiously, and the greater part of them slain or made prisoners. The French took * Bapauine— a strong town of Artois. si.\ lengues from Anas. ^ Roye— a strong town in I'icardy. eighteen leagues from ,\rrns. t Ham— a town in Picardy, on tlie Sonime, si.\ leagues from Roye, § Noyon— now a village in Picardy, diocese of Amiens. II Orcamp, or St. Anne — avdlage in Picardy, near Noyon. t Sir John Aisuetou. Probably Seton. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 199 more tlian sixty horses, and rescued many prisoners wliom tlie enc. my intended carrying off. Several good houses woidd have been burnt if they liad not come tliere so opportunely. They returned to Noyon witli upward of fifteen English prisoners, whom they be- headed. The English continued their march in battle array, intending to enter the Laonnois, and to cross the river Oise* and Aine.t They committed no devastation in the county of Soissons, because it be. longed to tlie lord de Coucy. True it is, they were fcllowed and watched by some lords of France, such as the viscount de Meaux, the lord de Cliauny, lord Raoul de Coucy, lord William de Melun, son of the count de Tancarville, and their tbrces ; so that the Eng- lish, not daring to quit their line of march, kept in a compact body. The Frencli did not attacli them, but every niglit took up their quarters in castles or strong towns ; while the English encamped in the open plains, where they found provision in (ilenlyand ne^v wine, with which they made very free. Tims did tliey advance, burning, ravaging, and oppressing all the country, when they crossed the river Marne,t and entered Champagne, and then passed the Aube,§ returning to the country about Provins :|| wlicn tliey several times passed the Seine, and made appearances of marching toward Paris ; for they had heard that the king of France had collected a large force of mcn-at-arras under the command of the count de St. Pol and the lord de Clisson, with whom they were very eager to engage, and for tliat end made every preparation as if they only wished for the combat. Upon tliis, the king of France wrote to sir Bertrand du Guesclin, who was in Aquitaine with the duke of Anjou, to order him, as soon as he should have read tlic letters, to set out for France, as he intended to employ him in another part of his kingdom. Pope Urban V. came back about this time to Avignon, after hav- ing resided nearly four years at Rome. He returned, in the hope of making peace between tlie two kings : for this renewal of war was very displeasing to him. All those of Avignon and the country around it were very happy at the return of the pope, as they thought it would be more advantageous for them. We will now say how the prince of Wales carried on his affairs. CHAPTER CCLXXXVII. THE PKIKOE OF WALES ASSEMBLES HIS AKMY AT COGNAC, WHERE HE MEETS HIS BROTHER THE DUKE OF LANCASTER. THE DUKES Or AN.IOU ANO BERRY BREAK UP THEIR EXPEDITION, LIMOGES HAVING TURNED TO THE FRENCH. You have before heard of the prince of Wales fixing his rendez- vous at Cognac, with the intent of advancing to combat the duke of Anjou, who was burning and despoiling his territories. The barons, knights, and squires of Poitou and Saintonge, and all who were vas- sals to the prince, hastened to obey his summons. The carl of Pem- broke quitted his garrison, with a hundred lances, and came to meet him. The duke of Lancaster and his army arrived about this time at Bordeaux, at which the country rejoiced much. He made not any long stay there ; for, hearing that the prince was about to march against his enemies, he departed, and met, one day's march from Cognac, the earl of Pembroke, who was likewise going thither. They were very happy to see each other, and rode together to Cog- nac, where they found the prince, princess, and earl of Cambridge, who were greatly pleased at their arrival. Men-at-arms daily came in from Poitou, Saintonge, La Roehelle, Bigorre, Gorre, Gascony, and the surrounding coimtries under the obedience of the prince. The duke of Anjou, the count d'Armagnac, the lord d'Albret, and the counts, viscounts, knights, and squires of that army, who as be- fore has been related, conquered cities, towns, and fortresses to the number of more than forty, by merely showing themselves before them, and who had advanced within fifteen leagues of Bordeaux, burning and ravaging the country round Bergerac and Linde, hearing that the prince had summoned his forces to meet him at Cognac, and that the duke of Lancaster was arrived with a strong body of men- at-arms and archers from England, called a council to consider what measures would be now most proper for them to pursue. It was at this time that the king of France had sent back sir Bertrand du Guesclin to the duke of Berry, who was besieging the city of Limo- ges, and had pressed it so hard that it was upon the point of surren- dering, but upon good terms. Sir Bertrand was summoned to attend this council of the duke of Anjou, as was right, and many were the debates at it. At last, after well considering the business, the duke of Anjou was advised, for the present, to break up this expedition, to order his men to different garrisons, and to carry on the war from thence, as he had done sufficient in the open field. It was therefore highly behoving the lords of Gascony who were present, such as the count d'Amiagnae, the count de Perigord, the lore d'Albret, and others, to retire to their own country to guard and defend it ; for they knew not what the prince might be inclined to * "Oise"— a river in Picardy— rises in Hainault. t " Aine"— or Aisne, a river wliich rises in Champagne, and joins the Oise a. little above Conipiegne. X " Marne"— a large river wliich rises near Bassiny. § '* Aube"— a considerable river in Champagne. It rises at Auberive, near Langres. tl " Provins"— an ancient town of Brie, on the Morin, which runs uito the Manic, 22 leagues from Paris. do with so large an army. They then separated, each going on his own business. The duke of Anjou returned to the city of Cahors: his men and the free companies spread themselves over the country which they had conquered, and quartered themselves in diflerent gar- risons. The count d'Armagnac and the other lords went to their homes, and amply stored their towns and castles with all sorts of provision and artillery, as if they expected a war : they ordered out their vassals, and trained them to defend their country should need be. We will now speak of sir Bertrand du Guesclin, who, on his departure from the duke of Anjou, marched witli his men to the siege of Limoges, where the duke of Bourlion, and the great knights of France were employed. The French were in high spirits on the arrival of sir Bertrand, and it was a grand piece of news both within as well as witliout the city. He immediately followed up some treaties which had been before opened between the bishop and citizens with the duke of Berry, and managed that they were con. eluded by the bishop and citizens turning to the French. The dukes of Berry and Bourbon, sir Guy de Blois, and the lords of France, entered the town w-ilh great state, when they received from the inhabitants their homage and fealty. After they had rested them- selves for three days, they followed the same resolutions as had been determined upon in the council held by the duke of Anjou, and each man retired to his own country to guard his towns and castles against sir Robert KnoUes, who still kept his ground in France, and also because they had done enough by taking such a city as Limoges. The lords then separated, but sir Bertrand remained in Limousin with two hundred lances, which he posted in the castles of the lord de Maleval, who had turned to the French. When the duke of Berry left Limoges, he ordered into the city, at the request of the bishop, sir John de Villemur, sir Hugh de la Roche, and Roger de Beaufort, with one hundred men-at.anns. He then retreated to Berry, and the duke of Bourbon to the Bourbon- nois. The other lords who had come from distant parts went to their different countries. We will now return to the prince. CHAPTER CCLXXXVIII. THE PRINCE OF WALES, ANXIOUS TO RECOVER LIMOGES, LAVS SIEGE TO IX, AND UNDERMINES IT. When intelligence was brought to the prince that the city of Li- moges had become French, that the bishop, who had been his com- panion, and one in whom he used to place great confidence, was a parly to all the treaties, and had been much aiding and assisting in the surrender, he was in a violent passion, and held the bishop and all other churchmen in very low estimation, in whom formerly he had put gieat trust. He swore by the soul of his father, which he had never perjured, that he would have it back again, that he would not attend to anything before ho had done this, and that he would make the inhabitants pay dearly for their treachery. When the greater part of his forces were arrived, he mustered them : they amounted to twelve hundred lances, knights and squires, a thousand archers, and a thousand footmen. They marched from the town of Cognac. Sir Thomas Felton and the captal de Buch remained at Bergerac, to guard that frontier against the French and the free com- panies who were dispersed over that part of the eountr)'. With the prince were, his brothers of Lancaster and Cambridge, sir Guiscard d'Angle, sir Louis de Harcourt, the lords de Pons, de Partenay, de Pinane, de Tannaybouton, sir Percival du Coulogne, sir Geoffry d'Argenton, Poitevins : of Gascons there were, the lords de Montferrant, de Chaumonf, de Longueren, sir Aimery de Tharse, the lords de Pommiers, de Mucident, de I'Esparre, the souldich de la Trane,* the lord de Gironde and several more : of English there were, lord Thomas Percy, the lord Roos, sir William Beauchamp, sir Michael de la Pole, sir Stephen Cossington, sir Richard de Pont- chardon, sir Baldwin de Franville, sir Simon Burley, the earl of An- gus, sir John Devereux, sir William Neville, and more whom I can. not name : of Hainaulters, were sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt : of the free companies, sir Perducas d'Albret, Naudon de B^gerant, Lanuit, the bourg de I'Esparre, the bourg de Breteuil, Espiote, Bernard de Wist, and others. All these men-at-arms were drawn out in battle an'ay, and took the field, when the whole country began to tremble for the conse- quences. At that time the prince of Wales was not able to inouixt his horse, but was, for his greater ease, carried in a litter. They followed the road to Limousin, in order to get to Limoges, where in due time they arrived and encamped all round it. The prince swore he would never leave the place until he had regained it. The bishop of the place and the inhabitants found they had acted too wickedly, and had greatly incensed the prince ; for which they were very re- pentant, but that was now of no avail, as they were not the mastere of the town. Sir John de Villemur, sir Hugh de la Roche, and Roger *" " The souldich de la Trane." See Anstis, vol. ii. where there is a long account of him. and mention also is made of tlie lords de Montferrant and de I'Esparre. CA pedi- gree of the family is given, and it is clearl/ shown that the name of Souldich de la Trane, or more properly Tran, was only a title, and that his family name was de Preii- sac— Ed.1 200 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. de Beaufort, who commanded in it, did all tliey could to comfort them by saying, " Gentlemen, do not be alarmed : we are sufficiently strong to hold out against the aniiy of the prince : he cannot take us by assault, nor greatly hurt us, for we are well supplied with artil- lery." When the prince and his marshals had well considered the strength and force of Limoges, and knew the number of gentlemen that were in it, they agreed that they could never take it by assault, but said they would attempt it by another manner. The prince was always accustomed to carry with him, in his expeditions, a large body of miners : these were immediately set to work, and made great pro- gress. The knights who were in the town soon perceived they were undermining them, and on that account began to countermine, to prevent tlie effect. But we will now leave the prince a little, to re- turn to sir Robert Knolles. CHAPTER CCLXXXIX. SIR ROBERT KNOLLES, IN CONTINUING IIIS INCURSIONS THROUGH DIFFER- ENT PROVINCES OF FRANCE, ADVANCES NEAR TO PARIS. A ZNIGHT OF HIS ARMY IN RETURNING FROM A VAINGLORIOUS EXPEDITION, IS SLAIN BY A BUTCHER OF PARIS. Sir Robert Knolles, as has been before related, had entered France ■with a hirge body of men, and was marching by short stages through that kingdom with a magnificence for which the people and the rich provinces paid dearly. The English, as they advanced and retreated, did infinite mischief, at the same time showing as if they only wished for a battle. Having passed through the countries of Artois, Ver- mandois, the bishopric of Laon, the archbishopric of Rheinis in Cham- pagne, they returned into Brie, and from thence came near to Paris, and quartered themselves for a day and two nights in the villages around it. King Charles of France was at that time in the city, and he could see from his palace of St. Pol the fire and smoke which the enemy were making in the Gatinois. There were also in the city the con- stable of France sir Moreau de Fiennes, the count de St. Pol, the count de Tancarville, the count de Saltzburg, the viscount Meau.v, sir Raoul de Coucy, the seneschal of Hainault, sir Odoart de Renii, sir Enguerrand d'Audin, the lord de Ch-lteau-julien, sir John de Vienne, the lord de la Riviere, and many more great knights and valorous men of France, but not one of them sallied forth, for the king had strictly forbidden them so to do. The lordde Clisson, who was of the king's cabinet council, and more listened to than the rest, said everything he could to prevent any knight from quitting the town, adding, among other things, " Sire, why should you employ your men against these madmen ? Let them go about their busi- ness. They cannot take your inheritance from you, nor drive you out of it by smoke." The count de St. Pol, the viscount de Rohan, sir Raoul de Coucy, the lords de Canin, de Cresquos, sir Odoart de Renti and sir En- guerrand d'-\udin, were at the barriers of St. James's gate. Now it happened one Tuesday morning, when the English began to de- camp, and had set fire to all the villages wherein they were lodged, so that the fires were distinctly seen from Paris, a knight of their army, who iiad made a vow the preceding day that he would advance as far as the barriers and strike them with his lance, did not break his oath, but set oft' with his lance in his hand, his target on liis neck, and completely armed except his helmet, and spurring his steed, was followed by his squire on another courser carrying the helmet. When he approached Paris, he put on the helmet, which his squire laced behind. He then galloped away, sticking spurs into his horse, and advanced prancing to strike the barriers. They were then open ; and the lords and barons within imagined he intended to enter the town, but he did not mean any such thing, for, having struck the gates according to his vow, he checked his horse and turned about. The French knights who saw him thus retreat cried out to him, •' Get away ! get away ! thou hast well acquitted thy- self." As for the name of this knight, I am ignorant of it, nor do I know from what country he came ; but he bore for his arms gules b. deux fousses noir, with une bordure noire non endentee. However, an adventure befel him, from which he had not so fortunate an es. cape. On his return, he met a butcher on the pavement in the sub- urbs, a very strong man, who had noticed him as he had passed him, and who had in his band a very sharp and heavy hatchet with a long handle. As the knight was returning alone, and in a care- less manner, the valiant butcher came on one side of him, and gave him such a blow between the shoulders that he fell on his horse's neck : he recovered himself, but the butcher repeated the blow on his head so that the axe entered it. The knight, through excess of pain, fell to the earth ; and the horse galloped away to the squire, who was wailing for his master in the fields at the extremity of the suburbs. The squire caught the courser, but wondered what was become of his master ; for he had seen him gallop to the barriers. Strike them, and then turn about to come back. He therefore set out to look for him ; but he had not gone many paces before he saw him in the hands of four fellows, who were beating him as if they were hammering on an anvil : this so much frightened the squire that he dared not advance further, for he saw he could not give him tny effectual assistance : he therefore returned as speedily as he could. Thus was this knight slain : and thoee lords who were posted, at the barriers had him buried in huly ground. The squire returned to the army, and related the misfortune which had befallen his mas- ter. All his brother-warriors were greatly angered thereat : and they marched to take up their quarters for the night, between Montle. hei-y* and Paris, upon a small river, where they encamped at an early hour in the day. CHAPTER CCXC. SIR BERTRAND DU GUESCLIN TAKES THE FORTRESS OF ST. YRIER IN LIMOU SIN. THE PRINCE OF WALES RECONQUERS LIMOGES. During the time sir Robert Knolles was employed in this expedi- tion, and the prince of Wales with his two brothers were at the siege of Limoges, sir Bertrand du Guesclin with his company, amounting to about two hundred lances, marched through a part of Limousin, but did not encamp in the open plain for fear of the English. He retreated every night into some of the strong places which had lately turned to the French : in that number were the castles of sir Louis de Maleval and sir Raymond de Marneil, and several others : from thence he made daily excursions to conquer other towns and castles. The prince knew well all this ; for he received every day informa- tion of what was passing, as well as complaints on the subject; but he would not break up his siege, for he had too much at heart the loss of Limoges. Sir Bertrand entered the viscounty of Limoges, a territory which was dependent on lord John de Montfort, duke of Brittany, in the name of the widow of lord Charles de Blois, to whom it had formerly belonged. He made war upon it without any opposition ; for the duke of Brittany did not imagine sir Bertrand would cany the war into any part of his property. He came before St. Yrier,t where there were not any gentlemen that knew how to defend it ; and the inhabitants were so frightened, they surrendered themselves under the obedience of the duchess dowager of Brittany, in whose name the war was made. The Bretons formed St. Yrier into a considerable garrison ; by which means they took many other towns in Limousin. But let us return to the prince. The prince of Wales remained about a month, and not more, be- fore the city of Limoges : he would not allow of any assaults or skirmishing, but kept his miners steadily at work. The knights in the town perceived what they were about, and made countermines to destroy them ; but they failed in their attempt. When the miners of the prince (who, as they found themselves countermined, kept changing the line of direction of their own mine) had finished their business, they came to the prince, and said : " My lord, we are ready, and will throw down, whenever you please, a very large part of the wall into the ditch, through the breach of which you may enter the town at your ease and without danger." This news was very agree- able to the prince, who replied, " I wish then that you would prove your words to-morrow morning at six o'clock." The miners set fire to the combustibles in the mine ; and on the morrow morning, as they had foretold the prince, they flung down a great piece of wall, which filled the ditches. The English saw this with pleasure, for they were all armed and prepared to enter the town. Those on foot did so, and ran to the gate, which they destroyed as well as the barriers, for there were no other defences ; and all this was done so suddenly that the inhabitants had not time to prevent it. The prince, the duke of Lancaster, the earls of Cambridge and of Pembroke, sir Guiscard d'.\ngle and the others, with their men, rushed into the town. You would then have seen pillagers, active to do mischief, running through the town, slaying men, women and children, according to their orders. It was a most melancholy busi- ness ; for all ranks, ages and sexes cast themselves on their knees before the prince, begging for mercy ; but he was so inflamed with passion and revenge that he listened to none, but all were put to the sword, wherever they could be found, even those who were not guilty : for I know not why the poor were not spared, who could not have had any part in this treason ; but they suffered for it, and indeed more than those who had been the leaders of the treachery. There was not that day in the city of Limoges any hearts so har- dened, or that had any sense of religion, who did not deeply bewail the unfortunate events passing before their eyes ; for upward of three thousand men, women and children were put to death that day. God have mercy on their souls ! for they were veritable martyrs. A company of English, in entering the town, hastened to the palace of the bishop, whom they there found and took prisoner, carry- ing him, without any regard to his dignity, to the prince of Wales, who, eyeing him indignantly, told him that his head should be cut ofl', and ordered him out of his presence. We will now speak of those knights who were in the town, sir John do Villemur, sir Hugh de la Roche, and Roger do Beaufort, son to the count de Beaufort, governors of the city. When they perceived the tribulation which was overpowering them, they said : " We shall all be slain for a certainty, if we do not gallantly defend ourselves : let us therefore sell our lives as dearly as good knights ouo-ht to do." Upon this, sir John do Villemur said to Roger de Beaufort, " You must be knighted." Roger replied, " Sir, I have not as yet signalized myself sufficiently for that honor, but I thank * " Montleliery'*— a town m the Isle of France, seven leagues from Paris. t " St. Yrier"— a village in Limousin, election ofTuUes. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 20r you much for your good opinion in suggcsiing it to me." No more was said, for tliey had not time to Iiold I'urtiier conversation. They collected in a body, and, placing themselves before an old wall, sir John de Villeniiir and sir Hugh de la Roche displayed their baimers, and drew up in good order. They might be, in the whole, about fourscore. The duke of Lancaster and the earl of Cambridge, with their men, advanced upon them, and dismounted, to be on an equality with the enemy. They attacked them with hearty good will. You may easily imagine that this handful of men could not resist the English, but were all slain or made prisoner?. Sack op Limoges. From a MS. Froissart of the loth century. The duke of Lancaster was engaged for a long time with sir John de Villemur, who was a hardy knight, strong and well made. The carl of Cambridge singled out sir Hugh de la Roche, and the earl of Pembroke Roger de Beaufort, who was but a simple esquire. These three Frenchmen did many valorous deeds of arms, as all allowed, and ill did it betide those who approached too near. The prince, coming that way in his carriage, looked on the combat with great pleasure, and enjoyed it so much that his heart was softened and his anger appeased. After the combat had lasted a consider- able time, the Frenchmen, with one accord, viewing their swords, said, "My lords, we are yours : you have vanquished us: there- fore act according to the law of arms." '• By God," replied the duke of Lancaster, "sir Jo'ui, we do not intend otherwise, and we accept you for our prisoners." Thus, as I have been informed, were these three knights taken. But the business was not here ended, for the whole town was pillaged, burnt, and totally destroyed. The Eng- lish then departed, carrying with them their booty and prisoners. They marched to Cognac, where the princess had remained, and there the prince disbanded his forces, not intending to do anything more that season ; for he did not feel himself at his ease, as every exertion aggravated his disorder, which was increasing, to the great dismay of his brothers and all those about him. I must inform you how the bishop of Limoges escaped with im- prisonment, who had been in imminent danger of his life. The duke of Lancaster asked him of the prince, who consented, and ordered him to be given up to the duke, for him to do with according as he willed. The bishop having good fiiends, they sent information of hJ6 situation to the pope, who had lately arrived at .A.vignon ; and fortunate was it for the bishop they did so, otherwise he would have been a dead man. The pope wrote such pressing and kind letters to the duke of Lancaster, to request he would give him the bishop, that he was unwilling to refuse, and sent him to the pope, who felt exceedingly obliged for it. We will now say what was going forward in France. CHAPTER CCXCI. SIR BERTRAND DU BtJESCLIN IS JIADE CONSTABLE OF FRANCE. The king of France was informed of the conquest and destruction ■of Limoges, and how the prince and his army had left it empty aad deserted, which ve.xed him much on account of the distress and loss cf the late inhabitants. It was therefore thought advisable in a council of nobles and prelates, as well as by the common assent of the whole kingdom, to elect a chief or commander, called a constable (for sir Moreau de Fiennes wished to resign the office) who was a valiant and enterprising man, and one to whom all knights and squires would pay proper deference. After all things had been well con- sidered, they unanimously elected sir Bertrand du Guesclin (provided he would undertake the office,) as the most valiant, the best informed, the most virtuous and fortunate in conducting affairs for the crown of France of all those who were bearing arms in its defence. The king wrote to him by messengers, for him to come to- Paris. Those sent found him in the viscounty of Limo- ges, taking castles and forts, which he put under the obedience of mad- ame de Bretagne, widow of the late lord Charles de Blois. He had lately taken a town called Brantome,*" whose inhabitants had surrendered themselves to him, and was then on an e.xpedition against another. When the king's messengers came to him, he received them handsomely, as he knew well how to do. They gave him their let- ter, and delivered their message word for word. When sir Bertrand thus saw himself spe. cially ordered, he was unwilling to make any more excuses for not waiting on the king of France to know his will : he set out as soon as possible, having ordered all his men into the garrisons which he had conquered^ and appointed his nephew, sir Olivier de JVIauny, commander over them. He rode on to Paris, where he found the king surrounded by a number of the lords of his council. He was received by all %\'ith great pleasure ; and the king told him of his being chosen constable of France. On hearing which, sir Bertrand modestly and sagely excused himself, saying, " he wa.s not worthy of it : that he was a poor knight and simple bachelor, in comparison with the great lords and valorous men of France, however fortune might have been favorable to him." The king replied, " that his excuses would be of no avail ; that he must consent to accept this diirnitv, for it had been so determined by the decision of the whole of the" council of France, and that he would not break through such a resolution." Sir Bertrand used other arguments to excuse himself ; addino- "Dear lord and noble king, I cannot, I dare not, whatever I may wish, op- pose what may be your good pleasure : but in truth I am too poor a man, and of low extraction, for the office of constable, which is so grand and noble that it is proper for those (who wish to exercise it justly and honorably) to command and keep a strict eye more upon the great than the poor. Now Sir, here are my lords your brothers, your nephews and your cousins, who will have diflerent commands in your armies, and in various expeditions; and how shall I dare to order them ? Certainly, my dear lord, envy and jealousy are so much abroad, I ought to be on my guard against them ; I therefore entreat you will not insist on my taking this office but give it to some other who will readily accept it, and, who knows better than I do how to execute it." The king made answer: "Sir Bertrand, that excuse will not serve you ; for I have neither brother nephew, cousin, count or baron in my realm but who will obey your orders ; and should any one act otherwise, he would so an^er me that he should soon feel the eflects of it : I therefore beg of you to accept this office with a good will." Sir Bertrand, finding that no excuse nor anything he could say would be listened to, accepted the king's offer, but it was much against his inclination. He was invested with the office of constable , and the king, to show him greater affection, made him be seated at his table, and gave him, besides this office, many rich gifts and large * " Brantome"— a town in Perigord, diocese of Perisueux. 202 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. domains in land, for liim and liis heir?, very aclive in forwarding this promotion. Tlie duke, of Anjou was CHAPTER CCXCII. SIB BERTRAND DU GrESCLIN AND THE LORD BE CLISSOX DEFEAT THE FORCES OF .SIR ROBERT KNOLLES AT PONT-VALIN.* Soon after sir Bertraiid du Guesclin had been invested with the dignity of constable, he told the king he wished to form an expedi. tion against sir Robert KnoUes and his forces, who were at that time on tl;e Ijorders of Maine and Anjou. This was very agreeable to the king, who said to him, '■ Take any number of racn-at-arms you please, and whatever else you may thirds right." The constable made every necessary preparation, and collected a large body of men.at-arnis, Bretons and others, and nunxhed toward Maine, taking with him the lord de Clisson. The const:ible came to the city of Mans, where he fi.xe:arter3 be- fore Civray, and surrounded them with palisadoes to prevent being surprised in tho night. Frequently the most expert of them advanced to make trials of skill with those of the castle, who defended them- selves valiantly. During the siege, sir Robert Micon, and Nicotia rEscot,§ the governors of Civray, sent intelligence of their situation to sir John Devereux and the earl of Angus, who were in garrison at Niort. They instantly ordered the garrisons from Lusignan and Gouzar to march to Niort, when they amounted all together to six or seven hundred good men-at-arms, well equipped, without counting the pillagers. They advanced until they came near to Civray, which is but four leagues from Niort ; when they halted sometime to arrange themselves, but it had been better for them had they pro- ceeded to the quarters of the constable. |) News was brought to him of the arrival of the English, while they were forming themselves in the plain. He was not any way alaiTOed at it, but ordered his men to arm without making any delay, and to march out in a body. When he saw them all assembled, he said * Chatel I'Arclier— a village in Poitou. t " Civray "—a town in Poitou, on the Charente. ten leagues from Poitiers. i St. Mathieu Fin de Terre, or St. Mahe. is a village in Grittany, diocese of St. Pol de Leon. Froissart calls it St. Malhien de Fine Piterne. § " Sir Robert Micon and Nicotia I'Escot." My MSS. have sir Robert Mitoa and sit Martin Sco'-t. II The historian of Brittany says, they there intoxicated themselves. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 915 'to them ; " My good gentlemen, what hearts have you for a battle ? t I fancy we must engage our enemies." They replied : " My lord, j ■ "we are very willing to do so, thanks to God." The constable then I • ordered ah ambuscade to be formed, of two hundred combatants, ! near to the casde; for he judged the garrison would of ectu'so make I a sally. He then commanded the greater jmrt of the palisadoes to i be levelled to the ground, that there might not be any hiiidrance I wjicn he should march out, and drew up his forces in two battalions. 1 Sir Alain de Beamont commanded one, and sir Geoffry de Marncil* ' the other. It was strictly forbidden for any one to advance before his banner tmtil ordered, and he was to remain till then quietly in his rank. We will now return to sir Robert Miton and sir Martin Scott, who, from the heights of the castle saw the English in the plain drawn up in battle-array. They said, " Let us make ready to quit the castle, for we can easily pass through these Bretons ; and when our friends shall see we are engaged, tijey will come to our help, and we may do much mischief before tliey will be prepared to defend themselves or suspect our intent." About sixty combatant? that were to make this sally armed themselves, who, when ready, salUed forth on horseback to skirmish with the enemy ; but they were attacked by the ambuscade which had been laid for them. Hard ijidecd was the fight, but the English were so sun'ounded that they could neither advance nor retreat : they were all slain or made prisoners, not one escaping : the two governors were also taken. The English remained in battle-array in the plain, and the con- stable of France in his quarters : for he imagined that the English had placed a large ambuscade in a coppice on his rear. The Eng- lish had brought with them a rout of pillaging Poitevins and Bretons, amounting to about two hundred, whom they sent forward to skir- Kiish with the French. As soon as these pillagers came opposite to the battalion of the lord constable, they declared themselves loyal Frenchmen, and, if he pleased, would serve under him. The con- stable immediately assented, commanding them to wheel on one side, when he learnt from them the arrangement of the English force, and that there was not any ambuscade. On hearing this, the con- stable was more easy than before ; and having ordered his men to form, he advanced with his banner, marching on the wing of the two battalions. They had dismounted, and pushed toward the palisadoes, which they had allowed to remain standing, every one shouting, " Notre Dame Guesclin !" The English on seeing them issue out of their fort, drew up also on foot, and advanced with great alacrity. Their first onset was against the battalion of the constable, which was fierce and desperate. The English drove quite through this battalion, and overthrew many. But the Bretons had wisely drawn up their army : there were two battalions on the wing, who, being quite fresh, followed the constable, and, falling upon the English who were tired, beat them most dreadfully. They, however, like men of courage, turned about, without shrinking from their ill fortune, and combated most valiantly with the arms they had, such as battle-a.xes and swords of Bordeaux, with which they dealt many hard blows. Several excellent knights of each side adventured boldly, to exalt their renown. This battle was as well fought, as many gallant deeds performed, and as many captures and rescues took place as had been seen for a long time in all that country ; for both armies were on foot, on a plain, without advantage to either. Each labored to perform Ins duty wxll, and many were slain outright or desperately wounded. In short, all the English who had marched thither were so completely discomfited that not one escaped death or captivity. Two good squires were there slain, Richard Neville and V/illiam Worsley ; James Wil- loughby was very badly wounded. Sir John Devereux, sir Aimery de Rochechouart, David Holgrave, Richard Oliver, John Cressweli, and many others from England and Poitou, were made prisoners. This battle of Civray happened on the 20th day of March, 1373. The constable and his army returned to their quarters, where they cleaned and refreshed themselves, and attended to the wounded and prisoners, of whom they had great numbers. The constable then sent sir Alain de Beaumont to hold a parley with the garrison, who told them, that if they sufl'ered themselves to be taken by assault, they would all be put to the sword without mercy. Upon this, the garrison surrendered to the constable, who allowed them to leave the place and march to Bordeaux, with a passport from him. The French gained this castle and territory, which submitted to the obedience of the king of France. The Bretons advanced eagerly toward Niort, which is a handsome town in Poitou, and had always supported the interest of the English, who had kept there a veiy large garrison. As soon as the inhabitants of Niort heard the constable was marching thither, they went out to meet him, and, presenting him the keys o{ the town, conducted him and all his men into it with great rejoic- ings.t The Bretons remained there four days to recover themselves, when they departed in great array, with about fourteen hundred lances, for Lusignan,* which surrendered upon condition the garri. son should march out unhurt, carrying away all they were able, and with a pa.sspoit for the constable to conduct them to Bordeaux. The French gained this castle, which was very grand and handsome, and all the lordship dependent on it, whose vassals became liege men to the king of France. After this, the Bretons marched to Chfltel I'Archer, when the con- stable sent immediately to the lady de Plainmartin, who was the wife of sir Guiscard d'Angle, and resided in it. She entreated he would grant her an escort, that she might speak with the duke of Berry at Poitiers. The constable complied with her request, and ordered one of his knights to conduct her. When she came before the duke, she prostrated herself to the ground. The duke caused her to rise, and demanded what she wished to say : " My lord," replied she, " I am sunmioned by the constable to put myself and my lands under the obedience of the king- of France. You know well, my lord, that my husband is now lying a prisoner in Spain : his lands, therefore, are under my direction. I am but a weak woman, and cannot dis- pose of my husband's property as I please ; for, if by accident I should do anytliing contrary to what he would have wished, he will be angered and blame me for it. However, to satisfy you, and to keep my lands in peace, I off'er you a composition for me and mine, on these terms : that no war shall be made on us, nor will we engage in any ofi'ensive or defensive war. When my lord shall have gained his liberty and be returned to England, whither I suppose he will retire, I will inform him of the terms of this composition, and what- ever answer he shall return to me, the same I will forward to you." " Lady," answered the duke, " I grant it on condition that neither tor yourself, nor castles, nor fortresses, you lay in a greater stock of provision, artillery, or men-at-arms than are now within them." The lady returned to Chatel I'Areher, when the sieg^ was raised ; for she showed the agreement made with the duke of Berry. This army of Bretons, of which the constable was the leader, departed, and came before Mortemer. The lady de Mortemcr sur- rendered herself and lands to the obedience of the king of France. She gave up also the castle of Didonne,t which belonged to her. Thus was all Poitou, Saintonge, and La Rochelle freed and deliveretl from the English. When the constable had placed sufficient garri- sons everywhere, and found nothing rebellious, as far as the river Gironde, he returned to Paris. The dukes of Berry, Burgundy, and Bourbon, with the greater part of the barons of France who had been concerned in these conquests, had already arrived there. The king had entertained them most handsomely on their return ; but this was nothing to the honors that were shown sir Bertrand du Guesclia when he came to Paris : the king did not think he could sufficiently testify his regard and esteem for him, and detained him constantly about his person at Paris and elsewhere. * "Marneil." The tiiifereiit editionshaveavariety of names for this person. I have fol owed the oldest MS. I have, which, from its writing, seems to be of the same age with f roissart ; but I should rather suppose it ought to be sir Geoffry de Kerimel, as he IS particularly mentioned before. -1^'hi" '""''' «?.''f':>;ee" sained by a strataRem. After the defeat at Civray. the constub e ordered h.s knights to dress the^-nselves in the emblazoned surcoats of his pris- toTn« ^? ,Tn ' \ ^""T" "'-f'"" "> "«" "«■•'' e>««- believine them the Enjlish Mnignts retumiUB victorious from Civray .-a(st. ac BrcUgns. CHAPTER CCCXIV. THE SIEGE OF BECHEKEL.t PEACE BETWEEN THE KINGS OF FRANCE ANB NAVARRE. THE DEATH OF THE KING OF SCOTLAND. Aboot this time, the lords de Clisson, de Laval, d'Avangour, de Tournemine, de Rieux, de Rochefort, the viscount de Rohan, sir Charles de Dinan, banneret of Brittany, the marshal de Blainville, the lords de Banibie, de Ruille, de Fonteville, de Granville, de Far. mille,de Denneval, and de Cleres, bannerets of Normandy, with many others from Normandy and Brittany, laid siege to the strong castle of Becherel, and pressed it hard by their assaults. There were in this castle two able captains from England, sir John Appleyard and sir John Cornewall, who, with their companions, bravely defended them- selves: and at this time there were various gallant deeds, sallies, skirmishes, and rescues, performed before Becherel. Not far distant was the town of St. Sauveur le Vicomte ; in which were, sir Thomas Trivet, sir Aleyne Boxhull, sir Philip Pechard, and the three brothers Maulevrier ; so that, before the siege of Becherel, these two garrisons oveiTan all lower Normandy, and nothing could escape, but what was inclosed in forts, from being taken and carried to one or other of these towns. They ransomed the bishoprics of BayciLX and Ev- renx, in which the king of Navan-e had connived, and reinforced thera with men and provisions from the garrisons he held in the county of Evreux. He was not in good humor with the king of France ; inasmuch as the garrisons of Cherbourg, Cocherel, Conches, Breteuil, Evreux, and several others dependent on the king of Navarre, had much impover- ished and ruined the country of Nonnandy. However, about this period, the differences were accommodated between the two kings, and treaties entered into, through the mediation of the count de Saltzbourg, who had made many visits to each party, and the bishop of Evreux. The two kings met in an amicable manner in the castle of Vernon, when they swore, in the presence of several of the great lords of France, peace, love, amity, and alliance henceforward for ever. The king of Navarre accompanied the king of France to * " Lusignan "—a town in Poitou, twelve leagues from Niort. t " Didor.ne "—or St. Georges de Diodonne — a small town in Saintonge. t believe it was a dependency of the sandich de Trane.— See Asumoie. X Uecnerel— a town in Brittany, two ieagues from St. Malo. 216 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. Paris who showed him and his companions all manner of respect. The king of Navarre put his territories in Normandy under the gov- ernment of liis brotiier-in-law the king of France, and left his two sons Charles and Peter, with the king their uncle. He then affec- tionately took his leave, and returned to Navarre. Tliis peace continued for four years ; but then great dissensions arose between them, as you will hear in the course of this historj', if I should live to finish it : I do not think, however, that it wjU be concluded in this book. The 7th of May, 1373, king David of Scotland departed this life in the city of Edinburgh, and was buried in the abbey of Dunferm- line, beside Robert the Bruce his father. He left behind him neither male nor female ofi'spring, and was succeeded by his own nephew, Robert the Stewart of Scotland, who was a fine knight, and had eleven sons.* CHAPTER CCCXV. THE EAKL OF SALISBPRY, SIR WILtJAM NEVILLE, SIR PHILIP COl'RTENAY, WITH MANY OTHER MEN.AT-ARMS, LAND IN BRITTANY. THE CONSTA- BLE OF FRANCE MARCHES THITHER ; ON WHICH THE DUKE OF BRITTANY GOES TO ENGLAND. Orders were given in England for the earl of Salisbury, sir Wil- liam Neville, and sir Philip Courtenay, to put to sea with a large body of men-at-arms, to guard the coasts ; for it was reported that the Spaniards and Evan of Wales were on _-_--_ the seas, with si.K thousand men, to bum the country. These lords had under theii- command forty large ships, "without counting sloops, and two thousand men-at-arms, not including archers. They set sail fromCornwall,where they had embarked for the coasts of Brittany, and, ar- riving at St. Malo, burnt in the harbor seven large Span- ish ships that were lying there. The country was much surprised at this, and said the duke had sent them orders to come thither : they began to suspect his inten- tions more than ever, and strengthened all their towns, castles, and cities. The duke had placed his confidence in some of the knights of Brittany, who had betrayed his secret, so that the king of France or- dered his constable to in- vade Brittany with a large body of men-at-arms, and to take possession for him of all cities, towns, castles, and fortresses, as well as such persons whomhe should find in rebellion, and confiscate their property. The con- stable inarched from Paris to Angers, and from thence issued his summons. He was there joined by the duke de Bourbon, the count d'AIen^on, the vis- counts de Meaux and d'Ausnay, sir Raoul de Coucy, Robert de St. Pol, Raoual de Raineval, Louis de Sancerre marshal of France, witli numbers of barons and knights from the countriesofVermandois, Art jis, and Picardy, without counting those from Anjou, Poitou, and Tourainc. The earl of Salisbury, who was at St. Malo with his army, was informed of this assembly of men-at-arms, and also that the whole of Brittany was in opposition to the duke. He set sail with his fleet, and bore away until he came to Brest, which has one of the strongest castles in the world. When the duke of Brittany heard of the march of the constable, he was afraid of trusting himself to the inhabitants of Vannes or Dinan, or indeed to any of his principal towns; he thought if he should shut himself up in any one of them, he would run great risks. He went, therefore, to the castle of Auray, which is situated between Vannes and Rennes, and was attached to him ; for he had given the command of it to an English knight called sir John Austin. The duke left his lady under the care of this knight, entreating him to guard her well, which he promised to do. After this, he rode to St. Mah^ ; but they shut the gates against him : from thence he ■went to Concarncau,+ where he embarked for England. The constable of France entered Brittany, attended by those barona and knights of the country who had been at the siege of Becherel, they having left the continuance of it to the knights and lords of Normandy. On the arrival of the constable before Rennes, the in- habitants knew that his visit was to take possession of the whole country ; for the king and his council had published a declaration that the duke had forfeited it, because he had surrendered to the English different towns, castles, and forts, and had even wished to take part with the king of England against the crown of Frahce, from which he held his duchy by faith and homage. They were unwilling to incur the horrors of war, and received the constable in a peaceful manner, acknowledging the king of France for their lord. After the constable had gained possession of Rennes, he hastened to Dinan, which surrendered to the obedience of the king of France. He next advanced to Vannes, which did the same. Luzumont,* however, held out for the duke ; it was roughly assaulted and taken by storm, so that all within were put to death. The constable marched to Jugon, which accepted the terms of the king of France; as did also the castle of Guy la Foret, la Roche. derrien, the towns of Guingamp, St. Mah^, and St. Malo. In like manner did Quim. pcrcorentin, Quimperl^, Credo, Galande, as well as several other fortresses in the neighborhood, turn to the French. The constable marched first through lower Brittany, because it was more attached to duke John de Montfort than the upper parts. When the duke of Brittany embarked for England, he nominated "■Lord Ilailes, in his Annals, says: "David II, died 32nd February, 1370-1, in the easlle of Edinburgh, in the 47* year of his agp. and the 42nd of In's reign. He was Jjuried in Ihe church of the abbey of Ilolyrood. before the gre^il alwr." t " Concarneau "—a seaport in Brittany, about four leagues from Uuimper. Dunfermline Abbey, tlie Burial Place of Ilobert Bruce and the early Kings of Scotland. From an Original Drawing. sir Robert KnoUes governor of the duchy, but very few lords obeyed him. He, however, sufficiently reinforced his castle of Derval with 1 men, and, having provided it with every necessary, gave the com- mand of it to his cousin Hugh Brock. Sir Robert shut himself up i in Brest. The constable came before Hennebon : the governor was an Eng. ■ lish squire, called Thomelin Ubich,t nominated by the duke. There ' was also with him in the castle a knight named sir Thomas Prior, ' who had been sent thither by sir Robert KnoUes ; and their garrisons J might consist of about fourscore men, without counting the inhabit- 1 ants of the town. The French, on their arrival, began to make a i violent attack on the castle: they always carried with them many large engines and cannons, by means of which they had taken several > towns, castles, and forts in Brittany : in particular, they had stormed the town of Quimperle, of which James Ross, a valiant squire of England, was governor. He could obtain no quarter, for he fell into the hands of sir Oliver de Clisson, who slew him and several others with his own hand : he had no mercy nor pity on any Englishman. Let us return to the siege of Hennebon. The constable of France, after ho had pointed his engines and cannon against the walls of the town and castle, which the lord Charles de Blois could never con- quer, ordered all the mcn-at-anns to make a brisk assault, for he had ' * Probably Suciiiio— a castle near Vanne;, which was taken by assault, and the gar- rison slain.— ///.sr. di: Bretasnp. t "Thomelin Ubich." Q. Wich, or Holbeck. Barnes calls him Thomas Wicii CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 21T resolved lo sup in the place that evening. They made a most fierce attack, without sparing themselves ; and tlie inhabitcmts, assisted by the English, made as gallant a defence. Upon this, the constable called out to them, saying : " Attend to me, you men of Hennebon : it is quite certain we must conquer you, and that we will sup in your town this evening : if, therefore, any of you be bold enough to throw a stone, arrow, or by any means hurt the smallest of our boys so that he be wounded, I vow to God I will have you all put to death." These words so much frightened the inhabitants that they retired to their houses, leaving the English to defend the place as well as they could : but the town was too large for them to guard every part of it, so that the army of the constable entered, and put all the English to death except the two captains, whom they made prisoners. Be- cause the townsmen had obeyed the constable, he commanded that no one, when they stormed the place, should dare any way to injure them. When sir Bertrand du Guesclin had thus won the town and strong castle of Hennebon in Brittany, he remained there for fifteen days, and then marched toward Concarneau. In the mean while, the earl of Salisbury, sir William Neville, sir Brian Stapleton, and sir William Lucy, having reinforced and reviet- ualled the fort of Brest with men-at-arms, archers, and provisions, had embarked on board their ships in order the better to defend it against the French, whom the English knew to be in Brittany, but ■were uncertain to what quarter the constable would lead them. The constable on coming before Concarneau, which is a sea-port, took it by storm, and slew all the English except their captain, sir John Langley, who received quarter. The French repaired the town, and strengthened it with men-at-arms and all sorts of provision. They then advanced to Brest, in which were sir Robert KnoUes, with two hundred men-at-arms, and as many archers. The lords of France and Brittany laid siege to Brest : they had with them about six thousand combatants. Shordy after they had commenced this siege, the duke of Anjou sent for sir Oliver de Clis- son, who had under his command some of his men, to come and lay siege to la Roche-sur-Yon, which the English still held. Sir Oliver surrounded the place, and pointed against it large engines, which he bad brought from Angers and Poitiers. In company with these Bre- tons came several nobles and gentlemen of Poitoii and Anjou : they kept up a sharp attack, and pressed hard the garrison of la Roche. sur-Yon, saying they would never leave the place before they had conquered it. The duke of Anjou returned to his own country, but frequently sent provision and other articles to those who were carry- ing on the siege. The constable, the dtikc of Bourbon, the counts d'Alen^on and de Perigord, the dauphin d'Auvergne, and the great barons of France still maintained the siege of Brest ; but too little did they gain, for it is one of the strongest castles in the world. As sir Robert KnoUes was the governor, the lords of France resolved to send a body of men to invest his castle of Derval. Many noble, men of Brittany and of Touraine went on this expedition : they were, in the whole, about four hundred fighting men. CHAPTER CCCXVI. IIIE FKENCH BESIEGE FOUR DIFFERENT PLACES. LA ROCHE-StlR.YON , . SURRENDERS TO THE FRENCH. THE SIEGE OF BREST IS RAISED BY ' CA?irULATIO.\, WHICH IS NOT KEPT. Tbe lords of France were at this time besieging four towns at once ; namely, Becherel, Brest, ia Roche-sur-Yon, and the one just formed before Derval. The besiegers had many an assault to make, and many gallant feats of arms to perform, in order to obtain suc- cess. The inhabitants of la Roche-sur-Yon, being farthest off from any assistailce, and surrounded on all sides, entered into a capitulation, that if they were not succored within one month, the garrison would march out, and deliver up the castle to the king of France. The lord de Clisson and the other lords returned at the appointed day ; and, when no reinforcements appeared to raise the siege, the castle siirrendered,^and the English, under the passports of the lord de Pons inarched away for Bordeaux.* After this, sir Oliver de Clisson and the others who had been at this conquest, marched to Derval, whither they had caused large machines and engines to be brought. To this siese of Derval came the constable of France, the duke of Bourbon, the "counts d'Alencon and du Perche, with numbers of the knights and barons of France, for they found they were only losing their time before Brest. Two thousand, however, remained behind, who built a block.house in auch a situation that no one could enter Brest to reinforce or revictual it. Sir Hugh Brock and the garrison in Derval, seeing themselves attacked by such a force, were alarmed lest they should be taken by storm, and proposed a treaty for a truce of two months; and if with- in that time they were not relieved by the duke of Brittany, or others in sufficient force to keep the field, to raise the siege, and to com. bat the French, they would surrender themselves and the castle to the duke of Anjou, or to the constable ; but if a body of men.at-arms should arrive, and otfer battle to the French, the garrison should icmain in peace. This treaty was concluded, and information sent * Mj MS. mentions sir Robert Grenacres as governor of La Roche sui- Yon. to the duke of Anjou, who was on the borders: he approved of it, on condition that the garrison of Derval should not during the truce receive any one into the castle. Sir Hugh Brock sent several knights and squires as his hostages for the due execution of the treaty. After this capitulation, the constable of France made an excursion to the city of Nantes. The citizens shut their gates, because he had with him a large army, and went forth to know his intentions. The constable told them he had been nominated and sent by the king of France, their lord, to take seisin and possession of the duchy of Briltany, which sir John de Montfort, who called himself duke, had forfeited. The citizens requested time to hold a council, to deliberate on what he had said, before they gave an answer. After a long time debating the business, they returned and spake to the constable : '' Dear lord, it seems quite marvellous to us how the king of France can thus seize the inheritance of our lord the duke ; for the king, not long since, commanded us to receive him as our duke. We have therefore sworn fealty and homage lo him ; and he has in return promised and sworn to govern us as subjects, which he has hitherto punctually done. We have never had any grotmds for sus- pecting him of fraud or giule. If you enter this town by virtue of the procuration you say you have, we will allow you so to do ; but on condition, that if it should happen that the duke of Brittany return to this country, and be desirous of becoming a good French- man, so that all prelates, barons, gentlemen, and good towns in Brittany, shall acknowledge him for their lord, we shall be acquitted without loss for what we now do, or may have before done ; and that you will not consent to any violence being offered to us, nor will you receive the rents or revenues of Brittany, but they shall remain as a deposite with us until we have other information, or hear news more agreeable to us than what you have brought. The constable swore to keep everything as procurator for the king of France in this case. He and all those who were with him then en- tered the city of Nantes, which is the principal town in Brittany. When sir Robert KnoUes heard that his cousin, sir Hugh Brock, had concluded a capitulation for the castle of Derval with the French, and found that unless he also entered into a negotiation he eould by no means leave his post to succor it, sir Robert made offers of treating with the French and Bretons who had remained before Brest : they replied that they could do nothing without the constable. An English knight and two squires, having had passports, came to a mansion near Nantes, where the constable resided, on the banks of the Loire, with other knights of France and Brittany. A treaty was entered into, on these terms ; that the garrison of Brest should have a truce for forty days, during which time, unless there should arrive a sufficient force to fight with the constable, the fort was to be sur- rendered. The garrison was to remain on the same footing it then was, without receiving any reinforcements of men or provision. The negotiators returned to sir Robert KnoUes, who sent, as pledges to the constable, able and sufficient knights and squires. The hostages, on their arrival, were ordered to the prison of the constable ; and all those who had been at the siege of Brest departed. The constable gave also leave for several others to go away, whom the king of France sent to garrison his cities, castles, towns, and forts in Picardy, for the duke of Lancaster had landed at Calais with a large army. When the earl of Salisbury (who had all that season cruised on the coasts of Brittany and Normandy, having for that purpose been reinforced by the king of England, so that he might have on board with him a thousand men-at-arms and two thousand archers,) heard of the capitulation of Brest, he said, that if it pleased God, he would offer combat to the French. He made sail, and arrived at Brest, which is situated on the seashore, when he disembarked, and drew up his men in order of battle before Brest : at night, they all retreated to their vessels. This he daily performed, in order to be ready to fight the enemy, should they advance to that quarter. The constable had dismissed the greater part of his men : he had also on his hands, the sieges of Becherel and of Derval, and did not imagine the earl of Salisbury would have arrived on the coast so soon. He set out from Nantes when the day approached for the surrender of Brest, but did not march quite so far ; for he had had intelligence that the English were in sufficient force to fight with him. On hearing this, he halted where he w-as, and remained there quiet for about seven days, being desirous of having the advice of a full council of war which he had summoned. The earl of Salis- bury had posted himself very advantageously before Brest ; and, finding that the constable and Bretons did not advance, he sent a herald to sir Bertrand du Guesclin, who, on his arrival, respectfully saluted him, and said : " My lord, the carl of Salisbury and the lords of England signify by me, who am a herald at arms and their ser- vant, that as you had for a long time besieged the town and castle of Brest, and certain treaties and capitulations had been entered into for its surrender unless it should be succored before a certain day, which is not far distant, they wish to inform you that they have en- camped themselves before Brest to fulfil this engagement and to de. fend the castle ; they beg and entreat of you, therefore, to advance, when you shall be fought with without fail ; and supposing you re. fuse your consent to this, that you will send back the hostages." The constable replied : "Herald, you bring us agreeable news, and are welcome. You will tell your masters, that we are more desirous to combat them than they are too meet us ; but that they must march '218 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c, to the place where the treaty was first entered into and agreed tipon. You will inform them, that if they will advance to that place, they shall infallibly have a battle." The herald returned to his masters before Brest, and delivered liis message : they sent liim back to the constable, to whom he said : «' My lord, I come again from my lords and masters, to whom I re- peated the words you charged me with : they say, that as they are only attached to the sea service they have not brought any horses with them, and are not accustomed to march on foot ; for which rea. son they inform you, that if you will send them your horses, they ■will come without delay to any place you shall please to appoint, and fight with you." " My good friend," answered the constable, " we will not, please God, give such advantage to our enemies as we should do were we to send them our horses. It would also be con. sidered as an insult ; and, should we think of such a thing, it would be right we should have good and sufficient security to answer for our horses." " In truth," replied the herald, " they have not charged me to add anything on this head ; only, that if you do not accept their proposition, they say you have not any cause to detain their hosta- ges, and that in returning them you will act but justly." The con. stable said, he was not of that opinion. Thus did the business remain ; and the herald returned to the earl of Salisbury and the knights before Brest, who, when they found they could not gain anything, and that the hostages were not sent back, were exceedingly ve.xed ; they, however, remained stead- ily before the place, without moving, until the appointed day was passed, and then perceiving the constable would not advance to fight with them, they entered Brest, which they greatly reinforced and revictualled. The constable, finding the English were not likely to come to offer him battle, marched off, carrying with him the Eng- lish hostages as prisoners, and said, the English had not kept what they had bound themselves to perform.* After the relief of Brest, the earl of Salisbury put to sea to guard the coasts, according to the orders he had received. Sir Robert Knolles set out also from Brest, and arrived at his castle of Derval. As soon as this was known, information of it was sent to the duke of Anjou, who was with the constable near Nantes. They guessed what would be the conse- . REL SURRENDERS TO THE FRENCH. 1; When the middle of August approached, which was the appointed I time for the meeting before Monsac, the duke of Anjou arrived with a grand array of men-at-arms. He fixed his quarters in the plain before Monsac, where he was lodged for six days without any one coming to meet him. The English thought that the truce which had been entered into would have annulled this agreement. But the duke of Anjou and his council did not consider it in thia light. Sir Thomas Felton, seneschal of Bordeaux, argued the matter for a long time ; but he could not gain anything. The duke, therefore, sent to the count de Foi.x, the viscount de Chatel-Bon, to the lords • Q,. Maine. t The constable carried on, for three years, a fruitless lawsuit with the Flemish mer-^ chants for this ransom, which Uicy refused to pay. He at length gave up his claim (ft the kmg of France for 50,000 UiinQS.—Hiside Britasne. i CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 221 de Marsen, de Chateauneuf, de I'Escut, and to the abbot de St. Sil- vier, to summon them to keep their agreements, or he would put to death their hostages, and enter their lands in such a manner as would oblige' them to throw themselves on his mercy. These lords, tlierefore, placed themselves and their lands under the obedience of rhc king of France. The inhabitants of Monsac opened their gates, jnil presented the keys to the duke of Anjou doing to him fealty iii'l liomage. The lords who attended the duke entered the town with him, where they remained for eighteen days ; during which time they held councils as to what part they should ne.\t march. Shortly after the middle of August, when the truces which iiad jecn entered into between the English and French in Gascony were wpired, these lords recommenced the war. The duke of Anjou "anie before la R^ole ;* and, after three days' siege, the inhabitants submitted to the king of France. From thence he marched to Lan- ;on,t which also surrendered : as did St. Macair.t Condom, § Ba. iille,|| la Tour dc Prudence, ]\Iauleon,ir and la Tour de Drou. Full brty towns and castles turned to the French in tliis c-vpedition : the ast was Auberoche.** The duke of Anjou placed in all of them ncn-at-arms and garrisons; and, when he had arranged everything iccording to his pleasure, he and the constable returned to Paris, for he king had sent for them. He dismissed, theret'ore, the greater lart of his army : and the lords de Clisson, de Beaumanoir, d'Avau- ;our, de Ray, de Riom, the viscounts de la Val, de Rohan, and the ither barons, returned to the siege of Becherel, to be ready at the time ■ ppointcd : for it was reported that the duke of Brittany, sir Robert CnoUes, and the lord de Spencer would attempt ti> raise the siege. You have before heard how sir Hugh de Chatillon, master of the ross-bows, had been made prisoner near Abbeville, by sir Nicholas jouvain, and carried into England: he was unable to obtain his liberty on account of the large sum asked for his ransom : however, .1 Flemish merchant stepped forward, and exerted himself so eilect- lally that he cunningly got him out of England. It would take too nuch time to enter into the whole detail of this business ; therefore, shall pass it over. When he was returned to France, the king :ave him back his oiHce of master of the cross-bows, and sent him Abbeville, as he had before done, to guard that frontier, with two mndred lances under his command. All the captains of castles and owns were ordered to obey him ; such as sir John de Bethouillicrs ;overnor of Boubgne, sir Henry des Isles governor of Dieppe, and hose who commanded in the frontier towns of Terouenne, Si. Omer, jiques, Fiennes, and Montroye. It happened that the lord de Gommegines, governor of Ardres, nd sir John d'Ubrues, collected their forces in Ardres, to the .mount of about eight hundred lances. They marched, one morn- aa early, well mounted, toward Boulogne, to see if they should meet vjth any adventures. That same morning, sir John de Berthouil- iers, governor of Boulogne, had also made an excursion, with about ixty lances, toward Calais, and with the same intent. On his return, le was met by the lord de Gommegines and his party, who imme- liately charged the French, and overthrew them, so that their captain ■aved himself with great diflieulty, but lost fourteen of his lancemen. The lord de Gommegines, after the pursuit, returned to Ardres. The master of the cross-bows this day made a muster of his forces ; le had with him a great number of men-at-arms from Artois, Ver- nandois, and from that neighborhood : in all, upward of three hun- Ired lances. The count de St. Pol, who had lately come to Picardy rom his estates in Lorraine, was on his road to fullil a pilgrimage to >ur Lady of Boulogne : he was informed on his way, that the mas. er of the cross-bows was about to undertake an excursion which nade him wish to be of the party : they therefore rode together and idvanced before Ardres, whcr^ they remained drawn up for some ime ; but they knew nothing of the English being abroad, nor the English of them. After the French had continued some time before Ardres, and saw hat none attempted to sally from the town, they began their retreat oward the abbey of Liques. No sooner had they marched away ban an Englishman privately left the place, and rode through lanes md cross-roads (for he knew the country well) until he met the lord ie Gommegines and his party returning to Ardres, who, when he earnt the expedition of the French, slowly advanced with his men n a compact body. When the French had passed Tournehem, laving also had intelligence of the English being abroad under the :ommand of the governor of Ardres, they immediately marched oward them, and placed an ambuscade in a coppice, above Liques, )f three hundred lances, of which sir Hugh de Chatillon was the ;aptain. The young count de St. Pol was ordered forward on the ook-out, and with him went many knights and squires. Not far listant, by the side of a large hedge, the lord de Gommegines and sir Walter Ukeuestt had halted, and drawn up their force on foot in 1 very handsome manner. Sir John Harlestone set off on a gallop, s'ith twenty lances, to entice the French into this ambuscade, saying he would allow himself to be pursued to the place where they were : he therefore entered the plain. The young count de St. Pol, who was arrived thither with a hundred lances, spying sir John Harle. stone's troop, called out to his companions, " Forward, forward I here are our enemies." Upon which they stuck spurs into their horses, and hastened as fast as they could to come up with the Eng- ' lish. But sir John Harlestone began his retreat, allowing them to pursue him until he came to the hedge where the English were drawn up, with their archers in front. On the arrival of the French, the English received them with battle-axes, swords, and spears : the archers began so brisk an attack that men and horses were over- thrown. Many gallant deeds were done ; but in the end the French were surrounded, and the greater part slain. The young count de St. Pol was made prisoner by a squire of Gueldres: the lords de Pons and de Clary, sir William de Nielle, sir Charles de Chfttillon, Leonnet d'Araines, Guy de Vaisnel, Henry des Isles and John his brother, the chatelain do Beauvais, and several other knights and squires, were also captured. Shortly after this defeat, the lord de Chatillon came, with his ban- ner and three hundred lances, to the path of the hedge ; but, when he saw that hie men were defeated, he wheeled about with his troops, and returned without striking a blow ; upon this, the English and Hainaulters led their prisoners to the town of Ardres. The lord de Gommegines, that evening, bought the count de St. Pol from the squire who had taken him : he soon after carried him to England, and presented him to the king, who thanked him kindly for so doing, and made him great presents. When the duke of Anjou and the constable were returned to Paris from Gascony, they found the archbishop of Rouen and the bishop of Carpentras had been some time with the king. These prelates continued their journey, and arrived at St. Omer. The duke of Lancaster and the lord Bacinier had crossed the sea to Calais, and from thence went to Bruges. The duke of Anjou soon after came to St. Omer in grand array, and sent for his cousin sir Guy de Blois to meet him, who left Hainault handsomely equipped to wait on the duke. The constable of France, the lords de Clisson, de la Val, and sir Oliver de Mauny, with upward of six hundred lances, had posted themselves on the frontiers between France and Flanders, near to Aire, La Croix, Bailleul, Cassel, and in that neighborhood, to guard the country, and to prevent any injury being offered to the count of Flanders ; for he had not any great confidence in the negotiators, nor would he go to Bruges notwithstanding their earnest solicitations. You have before heard how the garrison of Becherel had held out for upward of a year, and had entered into a capitulation to sun-en- der, if they were not relieved before All-saints-day. When the day was near approaching, the king of France ordered thither many men- at-arms : and all the knights of Brittany and Normandy were entreated to be there, except such as were with the constable. The two mar- shals of France, the lord Louis de Sancerre and lord Mouton de Blainville, the earl of Harcourt, sir James de Vienne admiral of France, tlie dauphin of Auvergne, sir John de Bueil and several more, arrived before Becherel. These lords kept the day with great solenmity ; but as none appeared to relieve the castle, it was surren- dered, and those who were so inclined left it. Sir John Appleyard and sir John Cornwall marched out with their men, embarked and crossed over to England. The barons of France took possession of the place, which they repaired, revictualled and reinforced with men, provision and artillery. By orders from the king of France, these men-at-arms shortly after laid siege to St. Sauveur le Vicomte in Coutantin, which had be- longed to sir John Chandos ; and after his death the king of England had given it to sir Aleyne Boxhull, who at that time was in England : he had left there as governor a squire called Carenton,* with sir Thomas Cornet, John de Burgh, and the three brothers Maulevriers : there might be with them about six score companions, all armed and ready for defence. St. Sauveur was first besieged on the side next the sea by sir John dc Vienne admiral of France, with all the barona and knights of Brittany and Normandy. There was also a large army before it, with plenty of everything. The lords of France had pointed large engines against it, which much harassed the garrison. * " La R6ole"— a town in Bazadois, eighteen leagues and a half from Bordeaux. t" Langon"— a town in Bazadoia, six leagues from Buideaux. J " St. Macaire" — ninele:ignes from Bordeau.x. § " Condom." a city ofG-ascony. four leagues from the Garonne. II " Brisille." Not in Gazetteer. V " Maulion"— a town in Armagnnc. diocese of Aire. *• "Auberoche"— a town. in Perigord, near Periyueus. tt He is before called sir John d'Ubrues. CHAPTER CCCXXII. A TRUCE AGREED ON AT BRUGES BETWEEN THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND. THE DUKE OF BRITTANY RETIRES TO HIS OWN COUNTRY, AND REGAINS SOME OF HIS TOWNS AND CASTLES. We will now return to the noble negotiators at Bruges, that is to say, the dukes of Anjout and Burgundy, the count de vSaltzbourg, the bishop of Amiens, the elected bishop of Bayeux ; the duke of Lancaster, the earl of Salisbury and the bishop of London.! In * Probably Carriiigtoii. tThe bistoriftn of Languedoc says, the duke of Anjou was not present at this meet- ing, but in Avignon ; and that, when the treaty was concluded, the duke of Burgundy sent from Bruges ordere for the edneschal of Beaucaire to pubUsli it. Vol, iv. p. 367. Passports were, however, granted to the duke of Anjou, by Edward, to come to Bruges^ and are ti> be found iu Rynier. tin addition, there were sir John Cobham. sir Frank van Hall, eir Arnold Savage, and master John Shepeye and master Simon Multon, doctor of laws.— See their warraal in Rymer, 222 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. order that no harm might happen to these lords, nor to their people, who were going from one to the other, it was agreed there should be a truce, to last to the tirst of May, 1375, in all the country between Calais and the river Somme ; but that it should not interfere with ' the other parts of the country now at war. Upon this being done, the lords de Clisson and de la Val were sent back to Brittany with their forces, to assist in guarding that country and the neighboring frontiers. During the time these negotiations were going forward at Bruges, the duke of Brittany, as has before been said, remained in England, where he felt much for the distress of his country, the greater part of which had turned against him : his duchess also was besieged and shut up in the castle of Auray. The duke, while ho resided with ' the king of England, was very melancholy : upon which the king, who much loved him, said : " Fair son, I well know that through your affection to me, you have put into the balance, and risked, a handsome and noble inheritance : but be assured that I will recover it for you again, for I will never make peace with tho French with- out your being reinstated." On hearing these fine promises, the duke bowed respectfully to the king, and humbly thanked him. Soon after this conversation, the duke of Brittany assembled at Southampton two thousand men-at-arms and three thousand archers, who all received their pay for half a year in advance, by orders from the king of England.* Among the commanders were the earls of Cambridge and March, the lord de Spencer, sir Thomas Holland, sir Nicholas Camoire, sir Edward Twyford, sir Richard de Pontchar- don, sir John Lesley, sir Thomas Grantson, sir Hugh Hastings, the lords de Mannet and de la Pole, with many other knights and squires. The duke and all his men-at-arms arrived at St. Mathieu de Fine Poterne in Brittany, where, after they had disembarked, they attacked the castle very sharply. This castle was out of the town, and ill supplied with men and artillery, so that the English took it by storm, and slew all who were in it. When the inhabitants of the town were informed of this, they opened their gates, and received the duke as their lord. The English ne.\t advanced to the town of St. Pol de Lfion, which was strong and well inclosed. The duke took his sta- tion ; and, during a marvellously well-conducted attack, the archers, who were posted on the banks of the ditches, shot so e.-iccllently, and so much together, that scarcely any dared appear to defend them : the town was therefore taken and pillaged. After this, they came before St Brieu, which at that time was well provided with men-at-arms and all other provisions and stores : for the lords de Clisson, de Beaumanoir, the viscount de Rohan, and many other barons of Brittany, whose quarters were at Lamballe, had lately been there and had reinforced it with everything necessary. The duke and the English besieged this town. When the garrison of St. Sauveur le Vicomte heard that the duke of Brittany and the English lords were arrived in Brittany, they ex- pected them to come and raise their siege ; which they much desired, for they were greatly straitc-.iod by the engines, which day and night cast stones into the castle, so that they knew not where to retire to avoid them. Having called a council, they resolved to make overtures to the French lords, to obtain a truce for six weeks, until Easter 1375 ; and proposed, that if within that time there should not come any relief, which might be sufficient to offer battle and raise the siege, they would surrender themselves, their lives and fortunes being spared, and the fortress should be given up to the king of France. This treaty went off, and the siege continued ; but no harm was further done to those of St. Sauveur, for the besiegers and garrison were both inactive. CHAPTER CCCXXIII. SOME BRETON LORDS OF THE FRENCH PARTY ARE NEAR BEING TAKEN BY THE DUKE OF BRITTANY, BUT ARE DELIVERED BY THE TRUCES AT BRUGES. The viscount de Rohan, the lords de Clisson and de Beaumanoir, were guarding the frontiers against the duke of Brittany and the English, at that time before St. Brieu. Sir John Devereux was then quartered near to Quimperl6, and was destroying that part ol the country : he hadcaused to be repaired and fortified by the peasants a small fort which he had made his garrison, and called it the New Fort, in which he resided, so that none could venture out of the town without risk of being taken. This information the townsmen oi Quimperlfi sent to the lord dc Clisson and the other lords at Lam- balle. They marched immediately thither, leaving a sufficiency ot men to guard that town, and rode on until they came before this now fort, which they surrounded. News of this was carried to the British army before St. Brieu. The duke had ordered a mine to be sprung, which they had worked at for fifteen days ; but at that moment the miners had lost their point, so that it was necessary for them to begin another : which when the duke and the lords ot the army heard, they said among themselves ; " Everything considered, we are but losing time here : let us go to the assistance of sir John * Edward nominated the earl of Cambridge conjointly with the duke of Brittany, liis lieutenajits in France, with full powers to act as Uiey pleased, without prejudice to the rights of the duke or to the potrirayny of Uie clmreh, dated 34th November, 1374.— See Byuea. t ^- Muloe. Devereux, and if we shall be able to fall in with those who are be- sieging him in the open field, we shall perform a good exploit. Upon this, they held a council, and marched off", taking the road for the new fort, which the lords of Brittany were then assaidting. They had done so much that they were already at the foot of the walls, and dreaded nut what might be thrown down upon them ; for they were well shielded, but those within the fort had not wherewithal to annoy them ill that manner. Just at this instant a scout came with speed to the lords of Brit. tany who were busy at the assault, saying, " My lords, make off in haste from hence ; for the English are coming with the duke of Brittany, and they are not more thun two leagues off." The trum. pet sounded a retreat: they collected themselves together, called for their horses, set off, and entered Quimperld, which was hard by. They closed the gates ; but scarcely had they raised the draw-bridges, and strengthened the barriers, when the duke of Brittany with the barons of England were before it. They had passed by the new fort, and spoken with sir Joint Devereux, who thanked them exceed- ingly for coming, otherwise he must have been very shortly made prisoner. The duke and the English formed the siege of Quimperl^,. and ordered their archers and foot soldiers, well shielded, to advance, when a sharp attack commenced ; for the English, as well as those' in the town, were very determined : so that there were many wounded on both sides. Every day there were such skirmishes and assaults that those in the town saw they should not be able to hold; out much longer, and there did not seem any likelihood of their receiving assistance. They eould not escape any way without bein|^ seen, so well was the town surrounded : and if they should be takeni' by storm, thry doubted if they should receive any quarter, more especially the lord de Clisson, for he was much hated by the Eng. lish. These lords of Brittany opened a treaty with the duke to surrender; but they wanted to depart on a moderate ransom, and the duke would have them surrender unconditionally : they could only obtain a respite for eight days, and that with very great difficulty. This respite, however, turned out very fortunate to them ; for during that time two English knights, sir Nicholas Carswell and sir Walter Ourswiek,* sent by the duke of Lancaster from Bruges, where he had remained the whole winter, arrived at the army of the duke of Brittany. They brought with them deeds engrossed and sealed of the truces, entered into between the kings of France and England, The duke of Lancaster sent orders, that in consequence of the treaty of Bruges, the army should be disbanded without delay. The truce was immediately read and proclaimed through the army, and signified also to those who were within Quimperle. The lords de Clisson, de Rohan, and de Beaumanoir, and the others, were much rejoiced thereat, for it came very opportunely. The siege of Quimpcrlfi being raised, the duke of Brittany dis. banded all his troops, except those of his household, and went to Auray, where his duchess was. The earls of Cambridge and of .March, sir Thomas Holland earl of Kent, the lord dc Spencer, and the other English, returned home. When the duke of Brittany had settled his affairs at his leisure, and had reinforced the towns and castles of Brest and Auray with artillery and provisions, he set out from Brittany with his duchess, and went for England. CHAPTER CCCXXIV. ST. SAUVEUR LE VICOMTE SURRENDERS TO THE FRENCH. THE LORD DB. ' COUCY LEADS A LARGE ARMY INTO AU.STRIA, WHICH HE CLAIMS AS HIS INHERITANCE. On the day in which the truces were concluded at Bruges between the kings of France and of England, to last for one whole year, in- eluding their allies, the dukes of Lancaster and Burgundy again swore - they would return thither on All-saints-day. Each party was to keep, , during this truce, whatever he was then in possession of. The Eng- lish thought that the capitulation respecting St. Sauveur le Vicomte ' would be voided by this treaty ; but the French would not allow of ; this, and said the treaty did not affect the prior engagement con. cerning it : so that, when the day arrived for its .surrender, the king ' of France sent troops thither from all quarters. '1 here were assembled ! before it upward of six thousand knights and squires, without count, ing the others ; but no succor came to its relief, and when the day , was expired, St. Sauveur was given up to the French, but most un. willingly, for the fortress was very convenient for the English. The goven"ior sir Thomas Cornet, John de Burgh, the three brotheia Maulcvriers, and the English, went to Carentan, where having em. barked all which belonged to them, they sailed for England.t The constable of France reinforced the town and castle of St. Sauveur le Vicomte wiffi a new garrison, and appointed a Breton knight aa gov- : * Sir Nicholas Charnels-sir Walter Urswick.-BAHNES. t Froissart has forgoUeu to add sir Thomas Carington among tlie governors ol at. 'Souveur le Vicomte NoUiing was said against him uTUil Uie reign of Ilicnard II. when he was accused of having treacherously given up Uui place by sir John Annc.ley who had married sir Jolm Clmndos's niece : ho challeiiged hnn to smgle comljot. fought ana vanaished him in the lists, formed in Pilac« yard in the presence of the kmg. He woi- aftenvards drawn to Tyburn, and there hanged for his treason.-DuoDALU, Fabuk. &c. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &e. 223 ernor. I heard at the time, that the king of France gave him the lord- ship of it. The lord de Coucy at this period returned to France : he Iiad been a long time in Lomhardy with the count do Vertua,* son of the lord Galcas Visconti, and had made war on lord Bcrnabo Vjsconli and his allies, for the cause of the church and of Gregory XI. who at thai time was pope, and for the holy college of Rome. T-lic lord de Coucy, in right of succession to the lady his mother, who was sister to the more especially by that of the duke of Burgundy, who kept a most noble and grand state. Sir Robert de Namur resided with the duke of Lancaster, and showed him every attention as long as he remained in Flanders. The embassadors from the pope, tlie archbishop of Rouen and the bisliop of Carpentras, were also there, who went to and fro to each party, proposing diil'erent terms for an accommodation, but with, out any effect ; for these lords, in their first parley, were too much divided to come to any agreement. The king of France demanded repay- ment of fourteen hundred thousand francs which had been given for king John's ransom, and that the town of Calais should be dismantled. This the king of England would never consent to. The truces were therefore pro- longed until the feast of St. .Tohn the Baptist in the year 1376. The lords remained all that winter in Bruges, and some time longer. In the summer, each returned to his own country, ex- cept the duke of Brittany ; he continued in Flanders with his cousin the count Lewis, who entertained him hand- somely. In this year, on Trinity-Sunday, that flower of English knighthood the lord Edward of England, prince of Wales and of Aquitaine, departed this life iir the palace of Westminster near Lon- don. His body was embalmed, placed in a leaden coffin, and kept until the ensuing Micliaelmas, in order that be might be buried with greater pomp and magnificence when the parliament as- sembled in London.* King Charles of France, on account of his lineage, had funeral sei^vice for the prince performed with great mag- nificence, in the holy chapel of the palace in Paris, which was attended, ac- ToMB OP EDVV..RD THE EL.VCK riu«i:.Can.erbur).Catl,eUral The Surcoat. Shield, SworJ, and Glov«, placed by our wording to the king's orders, by many Artisf , at the end of the Tomb, are those actually wom by the Prince, and now preserved m the Cathedral. , ° , ,,*' /-,, i- From an original drawing. prelates and nobles of the realm of France. The truces, through the mediation of the embassadors, were again prolonged until the first day of April. We will now say something of the lord de Coucy and the Germans. When those of Austria and Germany heard that he was advancing with so strong a force to cany on the war against them, they burnt and destroyed three days' march of country by the river side, and then they retreated to their mountains and inaccessible places. The men- at-arms, of wliom t^iie lord de Coucy was the leader, expected to find plenty of forage, but they met with nothing : they suffered all this winter very great distress, and knew not in what place to seek pro- vision for themselves, or forage for their horses, who were dying of cold, hunger, and disorders : for this reason, when spring came, they returned to France, and separated into different troops to recruit themselves. The king of France sent the greater part of the compa. nies into Brittany and lower Normandy, as he imagined he should have occasion for their services. The lord de Coucy, on his return into France, began to think of becoming a good and true Frenchman ; for he had found the king of France very kind and attentive to his concerns. His relationship to the king made him consider it was not worth his while to risk the loss of his inheritance, for so slender a reason as the war with the king of England : for he was a Frenchman by name, arms, blood, and extraction. He therefore sent the lady his wife to England, and kept with him only the eldest of his two daughters : the youngest had been left in England, where she had been educated. The king of France sent the lord de Coucy to attend the negotiations carrying on at Bruges, which continued all the winter. None of the great lords were there, e.\cept the duke of Brittany, who had staid with his cousin the count of Flanders ; but he entered very little into the business. duke of Austria last deceased, was the true heir of that duchy. The last duke did not leave any child by legal marriage, and the inhabit- ants of Austria had disposed of the estate in favor of a relation, but farther removed than the lord de Coucy. This lord had frequently complained of such conduct to the emperor, the lord Charles of Bo- hemia. The emperor readily acknowledged the lord de Coucy's right : but he could not compel the Austrians to do the same, who were in great force in their own countiy, and had plenty of men-at arms. The lord de Coucy had gallantly carried on the war against them several times, through the aid of one of his aunts, sister to the aforesaid duke, but he had not gained much. On the lord de Coucy's return to France, the king entertained him handsomely. Having considered there were numbers of men-at-arms in France then idle, on account of the truce between the French and English, he entreated the king to assist him in obtaining the free companies of Bretons, who were overrunning and harassing the kingdom for him, and lead them into Austria. The king, who wished these companies any- where but in his kingdom, readily assented to his request. He lent, or gave, I know not which, si.\ty thousand francs, in order to get rid of these companions. They began iheir march toward Austria about Michaelmas, committing many ravages wherever they passed. Many barons, knights, and squires of France, Artois, Vermandois, Hainault, and Picardy, such as the viscounts de Mcaux and d'Aunay,sir Raoul de Coucy, the baron de Roye, Pierre do Bar, and several others, offered their services to the lord de Coucy. His army was increased by all those who wished to advance themse'ves in honor. CHAPTER CCCXXV. THE TRUCE BETWEEN FRANCE AND ENGLAND IS PROLONGED. THE DEATH OF THE BL.ICK PRINCE. THE LOP.D DE COfCV RETURNS, HAVING HAD INDIFFERENT SUCCESS. When the feast of All-saints was drawing near, the duke of Bur- gundy, the count de Saltzbourg, the bishops of Amiens and of Bay- eux, came to Bruges by ordei-s of the king of France, to hold a con- ference. The duke of Anjju slnid at St. Omer, where he continued the whole time. From the king of Engltmd there came, the dukes of Lanca.stcr and Brittmy, the earl of Salisbury and the bishop of London : so that the town of Bruges was well filled by their retinues, * John Giileas Visconti, first duke of Milan, bore the title of count de VtrtuR, until Worceslaue, kins of the Romans, invested him with the ducal dignity 1295. He gained, *y treachery, possojision of liis uncle Bernabo, and put him to death by poison. For iurtherparticuIarH, Ree Muratoriand Coiio- CHAPTER CCCXXVI. RICHARD, SON OF THE PRINCE OF WALES, IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS PRESUMP- TIVE HEIR TO THE CROWN OF ENGLAND. THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE HAVING FAILED, AND THE TRUCES EXPIRED, THE WAR IS RENEWED BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH. After the feast i»f Michaelmas, when the funeral of the prince had been performed in a manner suitable to his birth and merit, the king of England caused the young prince Richard to be acknowledged as his successor to the crown after his decease, by all Ids children, the duke of Lancaster, the earl of Cambridge, the lord Thomas hi3 youngest son, as well as by all the barons, earls, prelates, and knights * The prince of Waloi was buried io the cathedral at Canterbury. For particu*aiff. see Mr. Cough's Sepulchral Monuments. 224 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. of England. He made tliem solemnly ewcar to observe this; and on Christmas-day hejiad him seated next to himself, above all his PonTRAlT OP Richard the Second From a curious full length p rture formerly on the walls of the Jerusalem, or Painted Chamber, ui the ancient Palac t f We tmiuster. children, in royal state, that it might be seen and declared he was to be king of England after his death. The lord John Cobham, the bishop of Hereford, and the dean of London, were at tliis time sent to Bruges on the part of the English. The French had sent thither the count de Saltzbourg, the lord de Chdtillon, and master Philibert I'Espiotc. The prelates, embassadors from the pope, had still remained there, and con- tinued the negotiations for peace. They treated of a marriage between the young son of the prince and the lady Mary, daughter of the king of France : after which the negotiators of each party separated, and reported •what they had done to their respective kings. About Shrovetide, a secret treaty ■was formed between the two kings for their embassadors to meet at Montreuil-sur-mer ; and the king of England sent to Calais sir Guiscard d'Angle, sir Richard Sturey, and sir GeofTry Chaucer. On the part of the French were, the lords de Coucy and de la Rivieres, sir Nicholas Bragiies and Nichloas Bracier. They for a long time discussed the subject of tlie above marriage ; and the French, as I was informed, made some offers, but the others demanded different terras, or refused treating. These lords returned therefore, with their treaties, to their sovereigns ; and the truces were prolonged to the tirst of May. The earl of Salisbury, the bishop of St. David's chancellor of England, and the bishop of Hereford, returned to Calais ; and with them, by orders of the king of France, the lord de Coucy, and sir William de Dormans chancellor of France. Notwithstanding all that the pre. lates could say or argue, they never could be brought to fix upon any place* to discuss tliese treaties be. tween Montreuil and Calais, nor be- tween Montreuil and Boulogne, nor on any part of the frontiers ; these treaties, therefore, remained in an un- finished state. When the war recommenced, sir Hugh Calverley was sent governor of Calais. CHAPTER CCCXXVII. POPE GRESOBY XI. LEAVES AVISNON, AND RETURNS TO ROME. ON TlIE DEATH OF EDWARD III. RICHARD, SON OF THE LATE PRINCE OF WAI.ES, IS CROWNED KINS OF ENGLAND. When pope Gregory XI. who had for a long time resided at Avig- non, was informed there was not any probability of a peace being concluded between the two kings, he was very ineiancnuiy, ana, having arranged his affairs, set out for Rome, to hold there his seat of government. The duke of Brittany, finding the war was to be renewed, took leave of his cousin the count of Flanders, with whom he had resided upward of a year, and rode toward Gravelines, where the earl of Salisbury and sir Guiscard d'Angle, with a body of men-at-arms and archers, came to meet him, to escort him to Calais, where the duke tarried a month : he then crossed over to England and went to Shene, a few miles from London, on the river Thames, where the king of England lay dangerously ill : he departed this life the vigil of St. John the Baptist, in the year 1377. Upon this event, England was in deep mourning. Immediately all the passes were shut, so that no one could go out of the country ; for they did not wish the death of the king should be known in France, until they had settled the gov- ernment of the kingdom. The earl of Salisbury and sir Guiscard d'Angle returned at this time to England. The body of king Edward was carried in grand procession, fol- lowed by his children in tears, and by the nobles and prelates of England, through the city of London, with his face uncovered, to Westminster, where he was buried by the side of his lady the queen. Shortly afterwards, in the month of July, the young king Richard, who was in his eleventh year, was crowned with great solemnity at the palace of Westminster : he was supported by the dukes of Lan- caster and Brittany. He created that day four earls and nine knights ; namely, his uncle the lord Tliomas of Woodstock earl of Bucking- ham, the lord Percy earl of Northumberland, sir Guiscard d'Angle carl of Huntingdon, and the lord Mowbray earl of Nottingham. The Tomb of Edward the Tiiirp. \Vestniiiister At>bey. From an orrgin.il drawing * They durstnever tnist to meet together in any place between Montreiul and Calni &c.— Lord Bsrners. young king was placed under the tutorship of that knight sir Guiscard d'Angle, with the approbation of him in the paths of virtue and honor. The duke of the government of the kingdom. As soon as the king of France learnt the death of king Edward, accomplished all, to instruct Lancaster had CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . 225 he said that he had reigned most nobly and valiantly, and that his name oug-ht to be remembered with honor among heroes. Many nobles and prelates of his realm were assembled, to perform his ob- sequies with due respect, in the Holy Chapel of the Palace at Paris. Shortly after, Madame, the eldest daughter of the king of France, died. She had been betrothed to that gallant youth William of Hainault, eldest son of duke Albert. CHAPTER CCCXXVIII. THE KI.NG OF FRANCE EQUIPS FOR SEA A LAKGE FLEET, WHICH BURNS SEVERAL TOWNS IN ENGLAND. During the negotiations for peace, the king of France had been very active in providing ships and galleys : the king of Spain had sent him his admiral, sir Fernando Sausse, who, with sir John de Vienne, admiral of Franco, had sailed for the port of Rye, which they burnt, five days after the decease of king Edward, the vigil of St. Peter, in June, and put to death the inhabitante, without sparing man or woman. Upon the news of this event coming to London, the earls of Cambridge and Buckingham were ordered to Dover with a large body of men-at-arms. The earl of Salisbury and sir John Montague, on the other hand, were sent to the country near Southampton. After this exploit, the French landed in the Isle of Wight. They afterwards burnt the following towns : Portsmouth, Dartmouth, Ply- mouth,* and several others. When they had pillaged and burnt all in the Isle of Wight, they embarked and put to sea, coasting the shores until they came to a port called Poq.t The earl of Salisbury and sir John Montague defended the passage, but they burnt a part of the town of Poq. They again embarked, and coasted toward Southampton, attempting every day to land ; but the earl of Salisbury and his forces, who followed them along the shore, prevented them from so doing. The fleet then came before Southampton ; but sir John Arundel, with a large body of men-at-arms and archers, guarded well the town, otherwise it would have been taken. The French made sail from thence toward Dover, and landed near to the abbey of Lewes, where there were great numbers of the people of the country assembled. They appointed the abbot of Lewes, sir Thomas Cheney, and sir John Fuselee their leaders, who drew up in good array to dispute their landing, and to defend the country. The French had not the advantage, but lost several of their men, as well might hap- pen. However, the better to maintain the fight, they made the land, when a grand skirmish ensued, and the English, being forced to re- treat, were finally put to flight. Two hundred at least were slain, and the two knight?, with the abbot of Lewes, made prisoners. The French reembarked, and remained at anchor before the abbey all that night. They then heard, for the first time, from their prisoners, the death of king Edward and the coronation of king Richard, and also a part of the regulations of the kingdom, and that great numbere of men-at-arms were under orders to march to the coast. Sir John de Viemie dispatched a sloop to Harfleur, where there was a knight in waiting, who immediately rode to Paris to the king, and reported to him such intelligence respecting the death of king Edward that he was convinced of its truth. The French and Spaniards put to sea, and having the wind favora- ble, came with an easy sail that same tide, about the hour of nine, before Dover. They amounted in all to about six score galleys. -\t that time there were in Dover the carls of Cambridge and Bucking- ham, witli immense numbers of mon-at-arms and archers, who, with a hundred thousand common men, were waiting for the arrival of the French, drawn up before the port with displayed bannei"s, for they had seen them at a distance, and they were continually ji.ined by people from the country who had noticed this large fleet. The French came before the harbor, but did not enter it, making for deep water, as the tide began to ebb. Notwithstanding this, the English continued strict guard all that day and following night. The French who were on the sea came with the next tide before Calais,t to the great surprise of the inhabitants, who closed their gates against them. CHAPTER CCCXXIX. Tllk TOWN OF ARDRES SURRENDERS TO THE FRENCH. THE DEATHS OF THE CAPTAL DE BUCII AND OF THE QUEEN OF FRANCE. While these things were passing, sir Hugh Calverley, governor of Calais, sir John Harlcstone, governor of Guines, and the lord de Gonimegines, governor of Ardres, made very frequent excursions into Picardy ; three or four in every week. They advanced often before St. Omer, Arques, Mouton, Fiennes, and the towns in that neighborhood, as well as to Boulogne and near to Terouenne, which were particularly molested by the ganison of Ardres. Complaints of them had frequently been made to the king of France. On asking how this was to be prevented, he was answered, " Sire, the ■" Lamende, Dartemode, Plamende, Flcsunie.— D. Sadvaoe. t Q. if not Pool, J Lord Berners says. The Frenchmen with the next tide came befoie the haven of Ca- lais, and thert enterid—Eo, garrison of Ardres is not so strong but it may be won." The king replied, " have it then we will, whatever it may cost us." He soon after issued a secret summons, and it was not guessed to what part he intended sending this army, of which he made the duke of Bur- gundy general. There were in it twenty.five hundred lances of good and hardy men. They marched suddenly to the castle of Ardres, which they invested. With the duke of Burgundy were the count de Guines, the marshal de Blainvillc, the lords de Clisson and de la Val, de Rougemcnt, de la Riviere, de Brcgide, de Frainville, d'Ainville, d'Ancoing, de Rayneval, and d'Angest, sir James de Bourbon, the seneschal of Hainault, with many other knights and barons. They had with them machines that cast stones of two hundred weight, with which they made a most vigorous assault. The lord do Gommegines, captain of the castle, was astonished to see himself surrounded by such numbers of gallant men-at-arms, who seemed determined, that if the place were taken by storm, they would spare no one they should find within it. As he was not provided with artillery for a long siege, through the mediation of his cousin, german, the lord de Rayneval, he offered to enter into a treaty for surrendering the place, on condition of their lives and fortunes being spared. This treaty was long debated ; but at length the castle was surrendered, and all who chose it departed, and were conducted by .sir Walter de Bailleul to the town of Calais. Sir William des Hor- des was appointed governor of Ardres : he was succeeded by the viscount de Meaux, who remained there a long time : the third governor was the lord de Saimpy. The same day that Ardres surrendered, the duke laid siege to the castle of Ardvick, which the three brothers Maulevriers held for England. During the three days he staid there, many skirmishes passed ; but they at last surrendered, and the garrison was conducted to Calais by the marshal of France. After this the duke besieged Vauchgnen, which also surrendered on the same terms as the others had done : and, when the duke had revictualled and reinforced them with men-at-aniis and cross-bows, he disbanded his army and re- turned to the king at Paris. The Breton lords went to Brittany, for they had heard that the duke of Brittany had arrived at Brest with a large army. The Barons of Burgundy and the others returned to their own homes. You have before heard how the lord John captal de Buch, having been made prisoner before Soubise, was confined in the Temple at Paris. The king of England and his son greatly desired his liberty, and it had been much debated at the negotiations at Bruges : they would willingly have given in exchange for him the young count de St. Pol and three or four other knights : but the king of France and his counsel would not consent. The king had him informed through the grand prior, who had the guard of him, that if he would swear never to bear arms against the crown of France, he would listen to terms for his liberty. The captal replied, that he would never make this oath, though he were to die in prison. He remained therefore strictly guarded for five years in confinement, to his great discomfort ; for he bore it so impatiently that at last he died.* The king of France had him interred ; and a solemn service was performed, which was attended by the barons, prelates and nobles of France. England was thus losing her grest captaii^s ; for, in this same year, the lord dc Spencer, a great banneret of England, died. He left issue by his lady, the daughter of the late sir Bartholomew Bur- ghersh, one son and four daughters. Soon after the death of that gallant knight the captal de Bueh, the queen of France was brought to bed of a daughter, who was named Catherine ; and, while in childbed, the queen was seized with an illness that caused her death. This amiable queen was daughter of the valiant duke of Bourbon, killed at the battle of Poitiers. Her obsequies were performed in the abbey of St. Denis, where she was buried with great solemnity, to which were invited all the nobles and prelates of France in the neighborhood of Paris. CHAPTER CCCXXX. THE WAR RECOMMENCES BETWEEN THE KING OF FRANCE AND THE RING OF NAVARRE. THE SIEGE OF CHERBOURG. THE DUKE OF LAN- CASTER INVADES BRITTANY. THE CASTLE OF AtlKAY SURRENDERS TO THE FRENCH. Since the peace made at Vernon between the kings of France and Navsrre, as has been before related, and since the king of Navarre had left his two children with their uncle the king of France, sus- picions had fallen on a squire of the king's household. He had been placed there by the king of Navarre at the time he left his children : his name was James de b. Rue. A lawyer, who was one of the king of Navarre's council, and his chancellor in the county of Evereux, was also implicated in this business : the name of this chancellor was master Peter du Tertre. These two men were cruelly executed at Paris, and acknowledged, before all the people, that they had intended to have poisoned the king of France. The king immediately collected a large army, the cotnmand of which he gave to the constable : there were with him the lord de la Riviere and many other barons and knights. They marched into Normandy, to attack the castles of the king of Navarre, » The prince of Wales gnve to tlie cnptal de Buch, and his male heirs, the county of Biforre, with nil its towns, &c. the 7th June, 1369. Confirmed by the king.— Rymbr 226 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c . wliich were strong and well garrisoned, and laid siege to one of Ihem called Font.au-demer.* The Frencli had with them many cannon, and various engines and machines, with which, in the course of different assaults, tliej' pressed the garrison hard ; but they defend- ed themselves valiantly. Though there were many attacks and fikirmishes, the siege lasted a long time : the castle was much ruined, and the garrison hard pushed. They were frequently required by the constable to surrender, or they would all be put to death, if the place were taken by storm : this was the threat which the constable was accustomed to make. The men of Navarre seeing theh' provisions decrease, and finding themselves much vi'eakencd, without any hopes of assistance from their king, who was at too great a distance, sur. rendered the castle, and were conducted to Cherbourg, carrying with them all their plunder. This castle was razed to the ground, though it had cost large sums to erect ; and the walls and towers of Pont- au-demer were levelled with the ground. The French then advanced to besiege the fortress of Mortain,t Tvhere they remained some time ; but the garrison, seeing no appear- ance of assistance from the king of Navarre, and that the other Navarre fortresses were too weak to resist the French, surrendered themselves on the same conditions -with those of Pont-au-demer. You must know, that in this expedition, the constable put under the obedience of the king" of France all the towns, castles, and forts in the county of Evreux : the casdes and principal towns were dismantled, that from henceforward no war should be carried on against the kingdom of France from any town or castle which the king of Navarre held ' »i the county of Evreux. The king of France established in them the gabelle and subsidies, in like manner as they were in the realm of France. On the other hand, the king of Spain had ordered his brother, the bastard of Spain, to enter Navarre with a powerful army : he attacked towns and castles, and gained much country, in spite of the king of Navarre, who could do but little to defend himself. He sent to in- form king Richard of England how he was situated, in the hope that he would aid him in opposing the king of France in liis county of Evreux ; for that he himself would remain in Navarre, to guard his fortresses against the king of Spain. King Richard, in consequence of a council which had been called on this business, sent sir Robert le Rouxt with a body of men-at- arms and archers, to Cherbourg. The garrisons of the different for- tresses won by the constable in the county of Evreu.x were also col- lected at that town. When all were assembled, they were a numerous and handsome body of picked men, who had provided the castle with stores, for they concluded it would be besieged. The constable and the lord de la Riviere, having visited every place in the county of Evreux with their army, found that all the towns formerly belonging to the king of Navarre were now under the obedience of the king of France : they then came before Cherbourg, which is a strong and noble place, founded by Julius Ctesar, when he conquered England, and likewise a sea-port. The French besieged it on all sides except that of the sea, and took up their quarters in such a manner before it as showed they were determined not to quit until they had conquered it. Sir Robert le Roux and his forces made frequent sallies, for neither night nor day passed without skirmishing. The French could never form a wish for feats of arms but there were always some ready to gratify it. Many combats took place with lance and sword, and several were killed or taken prisoners on each side, during this siege, which lasted the whole summer. Sir Oliver du Guesclin posted himself in an ambuscade near the castle : he then ordered his men to begin a skirmish, in which the French were repulsed by the English, and driven back as far as the ambuscade of sir Oliver, who immediately rushed out with his troop, E^vord in hand, and advanced boldly on the enemy, like men well practiced in arms. The encounter was sharp on both sides, and many a man was unhorsed, killed, wounded, or made prisoner : at !ast, sir Oliver dn Guesclin was taken, and avowed himself a prisoner to a Navarrois squire, called John le Coq, an able man-at-arms : he Tvas dragged into Cherbourg. The skirmish was now over, more to the loss of the French than of the English. Sir Oliver was sent to England, where he remained prisoner for a long time in London, and was at last ransomed. The French remained before Cherbourg, at a heavy expense, the greater part of the winter, without having gained much. They thought they were losing time, and that Cherbourg was impregnable, as all sorts of reinforcements, men-at-arms, provision and stores, might Be introduced into it by sea : for which reason the French broke up their camp, and placed strong garrisons in the places round Cher- tourg, such as Montbourg, Pont Done, Carentan, St. Lo, and in St. Sattveur le Vicomte. The constable then disbanded his army, and every one returned to the place whence he came. This was in the year 1378. You have before heard how the duke of Brittany had left that country, and had carried his duchess with him to England. He re- sided at the estate he had there, which was called the honor of Rich- mond, and took great pains to obtain assistance from the young king, • " Pont-Audemcr"— a town in Normandy, on the Rille. forty-ono leagues from Paris, t •' Mortain"— a town in Normandy, seventy-one leagues from Paris. t Probably sir Robert Koose, or Rouse. Richard, to reconquer his duchy, which had turned to the French but he was not listened to. At length the duke of Lancaster was informed, that if he landed in Brittany with a good army, there were some forts and castles that would surrender to him : in particular, St. Malo, a handsome fortress, and a sea-port town. Upon this, the duke of Lancaster, having raised a large army, went to Southampton. He there prepared his vessels and stores, and embarked with many lords, mcn-at-avms, and archers. This Heet had favorable winds to St. Malo; and when near the shore, having landed and disembarked their stores, they advanced toward the town, and closely besieged it. The inhabitants were not much alarmed, for they were well provided with provision, men-at-arms, and cross-bows, who valiantly defended themselves, so that the duke remained there a considerable time. When the constable of France and the lord de Clisson heard of this, they sent summonses everywhere, and marched to St. Malo to raise the siege. Many thought that a battle must ensue ; and the English drew out their army several times in battle-array, ready for the com- bat ; but the constable and the lord de Clisson never came near enough for an engagement. The English, therefore, having lain before the town some time, and not perceiving any inclination in the inhab. itants to surrender, the duke of Lancaster was advised to decamp, for he saw it was only wasting time ; he therefore reernbarked, and returned to England, where he dismissed his army. The castle of Auray was still in the possession of the duke of Brittany, who resided quietly in England : the king of France sent thither several lords of France and Brittany, who began a siege which lasted a long time. The garrison of Auray, not seeing any hope of succor, entered into a treaty, that if they were not relieved by the duke of Brittany or the king of England, with a sufficient force to raise the siege on a certain day, they would surrender. This treaty was acceded to ; and when the appointed day arrived, the French were there, but no one came from the duke nor the king of England : the castle was therefore placed under the obedience of the king of France, in the same manner as the other castles and principal towns of Brittany ; and those of Auray, who were attached to the duke, departed thence. CHAPTER CCCXXXI. THE FRENCH GAKKISON OF MONTBOURG- IS DEFEATED EY THE ENGLISH AT CHERBOURG. Soon after Easter, in the year of our Lord 1379, king Charles of France, finding the garrison of Cherbourg was ojipressing tne whole country of Coutantin, appointed sir William des Bourdes, a valiant knight and good captain, to be chief governor of Coutantin, and of all the fortresses round Cherbourg. Sir William des Bourdes went thither with a handsome body of men-at-arms and Genoese crosa- bows, and fixed his quarters at Montbourg ; which he made a garri. son against Cherbourg ; whence he formed frctjucnt expeditions, and would willingly have met with the men of Cherbourg ; for he wished for nothing better than an engagement with them, as he felt himself a good knight, bold and enterprising, and had also under his com- mand the flower of the men-at-arms from all the adjacent garrisons. About the same time, sir John Harlestone was sent to Cherbourg, to take command of it. I have before mentioned him as being gov- ernor of Guines. He had embarked at Southampton with three hundred men-at-arms and as many archers, and with them had safely arrived at Cherbourg. There were in this army sir Otho de Grant- son,* and among the English sir John Aubonrc,t sir John Orcelle,t witii other knights and squires. On their arrival, they disembarked their horses and armor, with other stores, and remained some days in Cherbourg to recruit themselves, and make preparations for expe- ditions and for carrying on the war in earnsst. Sir William des Bourdes puzzled himself day and night in en- deavoring to find out some means of annoying them. You must know, that these two governors laid several ambuscades for each other, but with little effect : for by chance they never met, e.xcept some few companions, who adventured themselves fool-hardily, as well to acquire honor as gain ; these parties frequently attacked each other ; sometimes the French won, at others, they lost. Such skir- mishes continued so often, that sir William des Bourdes inarched out one morning from Montbourg, with his whole force, toward Cher- bourg, in hopes of drawing tliat garrison out into the plain. On the other hand, sir John Harlestone, who was ignorant of the intentions of the French, had also that same morning made an ex- cursion, and had commanded his trumpets to sound for his men to arm themselves, as well horse as foot, and to advance into the plain : he had already ordered who were to remain in the garrison. He marched forth in handsome display, and ordered sir John Orcelle, with his foot soldiers, to take the lead as their guide. Having done this, he sent forward his light troops. Sir William des Bourdes had made a similar arrangement of his army. They both advanced in this array until the light troops of each party met, and came so near that they could easily distinguish each other. Upon which, they re- turned to the main body, and reported all they had observed. The * " Sir Otho de Grantson"— "-as before mentioned, not as an Englishman, but a«ona who had an estate on the other side of the sea. t " Sir John Aubourc." May it not be Aubrey 1 t " Sir John Orcello." Perhaps VVotseler, ot Hotseley. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &, two leaders, on hearing their reports, were quite happy ; for they had at last found what they had been seeking for, and were much rejoiced thus to meet. When the two knights had lieard the news from their light troops, they each drew up their forces with great wisdom, and ordered their pennons to be displayed. The English foot were intermixed with their men-at-arms. As soon as they were within bow-shot, the French dismounted ; so did likewise the English : then the archers and cross-bowmen began to shoot sharply, and the men-at-arms to advance with their lances before them in close order. The armies met, and blows with spears and battle-a.\es began to fly about on all sides. The battle was hardly fought, and one might there have seen men-at-anns make trial of their prowess. Sir William des Bourdes was completely armed, and, with his bat- tle-axe in his hand, gave such blows to the right and left, that on whomsoever they fell that person was struck to tlie ground. He per- formed valorous deeds, worthy of being praised for ever after ; and it was not his fault the English were not discomfited. In another part of the field, sir John Harlestone, governor of Cherbourg, fought well and valiantly with his battle-axe, one foot advanced before the other ; and well it needed him, for he had to do with an obstinate body of liardy men. Several gallant deeds were performed this day ; many a man slain and wounded. Sir John Harlestone was struck down and in great peril of his life ; but by force of arms he was res- cued. The battle lai^ted long, and was excellently kept up, as well on one side as on the other. The English had not any advantage, for they had as many killed and wounded as tlie French ; but at last the English continued the combat so manfully, and with such courage, that they gained the field ; the French were all either slain or made prisoners : few men of honor saved themselves, for they had entered into the engagement with so much good heart that they could not prevail on themselves to fly, but were determined to die or to con- quer their enemies. Sir William des Bourdes was made prisoner on good terms by a squire from Hainault, called William de Beaulieu, an able man-at- arms, who for a considerable time had been attached to the English in the castle of Calais : to him sir William surrendered in great grief, and much enraged that the victory was not his. The English that day did much harm to the French. Several were made prisonei-s toward the end of the engagement ; but it was a pity to see the num- bers killed. When the English had stripped the dead, sir John Harlestone and his men returned to Cherbourg, carrying with them their prisoners and their riches. You may be assured that they rejoiced mightily in the success of this day, which God had given to them. Sir Wilham des Bourdes was feasted and entertained with every possible attention ; for he was personally deserving of whatever could be done for him. This defeat took place, between Montbourg and Cherbourg, the day of St. Martin le bouillaiit 1379. When the king of France heard that tlie garrison of Montbourg and its governor were either slain or made prisoners, and that the country was much alarmed by this defeat, the kijig, like one well advised and attentive to his affairs, immediately provided a rencdy, by sending, without delay, fresh troops to guard the frontiers, the for- tresses and the country round Cherbourg. Sir Hutin de Brcmallos was appointed general to these troops by the king of France, who kept the country against the English. However, by orders of the king, they afterv\-ards abandoned Montbourg, and all the country of Coutantin, which is one of the richest in the world. They made all the inhabitants give up their handsome houses and other possessions, and retreat out of this peninsula. The French guarded the frontiers at Dune. Carentan, and at St. Lo, and all the borders of the penin- sula of Coutantin.- 227 SECOND VOLUME* OF THE CHRONICLES OF SIR JOHN FROISSART. * The division into volumes here observed is in accordance with tlie French edition of D.Suuvageandof ihemost authentic IISS. Mr. Johiies did not adiiere to the original atrangement, hut divided the work and numbered the chapters to suit the four quarto volumes in which he originally published his work ; and Lord Berners. who published his tmnslution in two folio volumes, attended only to that natural division, so that the numbers of his latter chapters are cjuite at variance with those of other editions. We have thought it better to rctore the old division which originated with Froissart himself. The numeration and arransement of the chapters will be found nearly in unison with that of p. Sauvag-e, but Jlr. Jghnes's additions and corr«ctions prevent their beinc identical.— JSd. E.'ID OF THE FIRST VOLUME OF THE CHRONICLES OF SIR JOHN FKOISSAKT. CH.\PTER I. THE DtTKE OP ANJOU UNDEKTAKES AN EXPEDITION AGAINST THE ENULISH IN THE EORDELOIS. You have before heard related how the duke of Burgundy had made an incursion from tlie borders of Picardy, which was very honorable to him and profitable to the French'; and how he had placed in Ardres, and the other castles of which he had gained pos- session, governors and men-at-arms to defend them ; especially in the tow-n of Ardres, where he had established for a time sir William des Bourdes, and, in his absence, the viscount de Meaux and the lord de Saimpy. These captains had it repaired and strengthened, notwith- standing it was strongly fortified before. The king of France had heard the news of this with infinite pleasure, and considered this ex- pedition as having done him great service. He sent immediate orders to the governor of St. Omer, commanding the town of Ardres to be reinforced and provided with every kind of store and provision in the most ample liianncr : which orders were punctuahy obeyed. The army was disbanded, except the troops which were attached to the lord de Clisson and the Bretons ; but they returned as speedily as they could into Brittany, for news had been brought to the lord de Clisson and the other barons before -Ardres, that Janequin le Clerc,t an English squire and an expert man-at-arms, had sailed from Eng. land to Brittany, and had reinforced Brest with Englishmen. These Bretons, therefore, carried with them sir James de Verchin, seneschal of Hainatdt. The duke of Burgundy returned to his brother the king of France. At this period, there was a large body of men-at-arms assembled on the borders of the Bordelois, in obedience to the summons of the duke of Anjou and the constable of France, who had appointed a day for attacking the Gascons and English, of which I shall speak more fully when better informed than I am at present. While the duke of Burgtmdy was with his army in Picardy, as I have before said, the duke of Anjou resided in the good town of Toulouse with the duchess his lady, and was devising, night and day, different schemes to annoy and harass the English ; for he found that various castles and towns on the river Dordogne, and on the borders of Rouergue, the Toulousain, and Querci, were still harassing the coun'ry and those inhabitants who had put themselves under his obedience. He was anxious to provide a remedy for this, and re- solved to lay siege to Bergerac : this place being the key to Gascony, and standing on the frontiers of Rouergue, Querci, and Limousin. But as ho found there were yet several great barons of Gascony ad- verse to him, such as the lords de Duras, de Rosem, de Mucident, dc Langurant, de Guernoles, de Carles, and sir Peter de Landuras, with many more, he determined to raise a large force that would not only enable him to oppose these lords but to keep the field. He wrote, therefore, to sir John d'Armagnac, who, in such a business, would not fail him, and sent also to the lord d'Albret. He had be. fore sent for the constable of France, the lord Louis de Sancerre, the lord de Coucy, and many knights and squires, in Picardy, Brittany, and Normandy, who were all willing to serve him and to advance their reputation in arms and renown. The constable and marshal of France were already arrived. The duke of Anjou knew that there existed a coolness between the relations and friends of the lord de Pommiers, and sir Thomas Felton, high seneschal of Bordeaux, and the Bordelois. I will tell you the reason of it, and afterwards clear it up. Long before that period, in the year 1375, there was a cruel instance of justice ex- ecuted at Bordeaux by the orders of sir Thomas Felton, lieutenant for the king of England in the Bordelois, upon sir William lord de Pommiers, on suspicion of treason, which astonished every one. By orders of sir Thomas Felton, this lord de Pommiere was arrested in Bordeaux, together with a lawyer, his secretary and counsellor, called John Coulon, a native of Bordeaux. It was proved on them (as I was at the time informed,) that the lord de Pommiers had agreed to sur. render himself and all his castles to t!ie French ; from which charge they could never clear themselves, so that they were condemned to death. The lord de Pommiers and his secretary were publicly be- headed in the market-place of the city of Bordeaux, before all the people, who much wondered thereat. t His relations blamed this proceeding exceedingly, and that gallant knight, sir Aymon de Pom- * The author employs the first twenty-seven chapters in recapitulating the events of the three last years of the preceding volume, which had been too succinctly related.— St. Palave's Essay on Uir, Works of Fvotssart. t Janequin le Clcrc — f imagine to he sir John Clark, of whom Holiingshed speaks so handsomely in the 3rd of Richard II., and who was killed in a battle at a sea-port ia Br.ttany.— See IIollin'Oshed. t A. D. 1377, 1378. Rot'jh Vascoiiice de anno prinio Ricardi II. SIcmbrana' 16, 17, 18, 19. 1. Processus judicii rediti contra Willelinum Sans, dominum de Pomers. pro protU- tione, in curia Vasconiai, et de castris et terris suis satiefactis ad dotninum regem. 228 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. roiers, uncle to sir William, set out from Bordeaux and the Bordelois very indignant at sucl. a disgrace to his family, and swore he would never a»ain bear arms for the king of England. He crossed the seas to the Holy Sepulchre, and made several other voyages. On his re- turn, he changed to the French interest, placing himself and his ter- ritories under the obedience of the king of France. He immediately sent his challenge to the lord de I'Esparre, and made war upon him, because he had been one of the judges of his nephew. Sir John Blessac, sir Peter de Landuras, and sir Bertrand du Franc, were also implicated in these suspicions of treason, as well as on account of the surrender of the castle of Fronsac, which had beeii delivered up to the French, it being the inheritance of the brd de Ponimicrs who nad been beheaded : they were detained in prison at Bordeaux upward of seven months. They were at length set at liberty, through the entreaties of their friends, for nothing could be proved against them. SirGaillardVighier, however, continued along time in imminent danger, which surprised many, as be was not of that country, iut had come from Lom- bardy with the lord de Coucy, and was in the service of pope Gregory, who exerted himself in his deliverance as soon as he heard of his imprison, ment, the knight having insisted on his innocence. By these means, much se- cret hatred was caused, from which many mis- chiefs ensued. When the duke of An- jou saw the time was ar- rived for his marching from Toulouse, and that the greaterpart of his men- at-arms were in the field — in particular, the constable of France, in whom he had the greatest confidence — he set out from Toulouse, and took the direct road to Bergerac. Sir Perducas d'Albret was governor of the place ; he resided in a small castle, a short league from Lan- guedoc, called Moueux, which is a strong fort. The duke of Anjou and his army marched until they came before Bergerac, when they encamped themselves all around it, and as near the river as possible, for the greater ease of themselves and their horses. Many great barons were with the duke ; in the first place, sir John d'Armagnac, with a large troop ; the constable of France, with another large body ; the lord Louis de Sancerre, sir John de Bueil, sir Peter de Bueil, sir Evan of Wales, sir Maurice do Trisi. quidi (who had formerly been one of the thirty knights on the French side at the duel in Brittany.) sir Alain de Esaumont, sir Alain de la Houssaye, sir William and sir Peter de Mornay, sir John do Vers, sir Baldwin Cremoux, Thibaut du Font, Heliot de Calais, and many other able men-at-arms with large companies. They encamped them- selves to a great extent in those fine meadows along the river Dor- dogne, so that it was a great pleasure to look at them. The constable was lodged very near to the quarters of the duke. Those companions who were desirous of advancing themselves fre- quently came to the- barrici-s to skirmish : many of whom were slain or wounded by arrows, as in such adventures must happen. At the end of six days after the town of Bergerac had been besieged, the lord d'Albret, and sir Bernard d'Albret his cousin, arrived in the camp of the duke, well accompanied by men-at-arms and foot-soldiers, where they were received with joy, as the army was by them greatly reinforced. The duke, with the principal leaders of the army, held a council on the eighth day, to consider in what manner they could most effcct- aally annoy the inhabitants of Bergerac. Many speeches were made, and diflerent proposals offered. It was long debated to storm the town, but afterwards this measure was abandoned, as their men might suffer much, and not make any great gain. The council broke up without coming to any determination, except to continue on the siege ; for they were still expecting large bodies of men-at-arms from France, and in particular the lord de Coucy. CHAPTER II. SIK THOMAS FELTON IS DEFEiTEn AND MADE PRISONER, WITH MANY OF THE PRINCIPAL LORDS OF GA3C0NY, BY A PARTY Op FRENCH AT THS SIEGE OF BERGERAC. Sir Thomas Felton, who resided at Bordeaux, was not at his ease from knowing that his enemies were but twelve leagues distant, and in such numbers that he could not think of opposing them by force, ' Duke of AnjOD wth Ms army, marcliin;; against Bergerac. From a MS. Froissart of the 15tli century. having also learnt the duke of Anjou's summons and intentions : he had, therefore, sent information to the king and council in England; but those whom he had dispatched thither had not been able to do anything, for the kingdom of England was much shaken, and differ- ent parties wore mutually opposing each other. The duke of Lan. caster, in particular, was unpopular with the common people ; from which cause much party animosity and danger happened afterwards in England. No men-at-arms were sent either to Gascony or to Brittany ; on which account, those who were defending the frontiers for the young king were very ill pleased. It happened that sir Thomas Felton had" desired the lord de I'Esparre to go to England, for the better information of the king and his uncles respecting the affairs of Gascony, in order that they might take counsel to provide for them. The lord de I'Esparre hail already left Bordeaux, and was proceeding on his voyage ; hut the wind proving unfavorable, he was driven into the Spanish seas, where he was met by some ships from Spain, with whom he engaged unsuccessfully; he was made pris- oner and carried to Spain, whore he remained upward of a year and a half, and suffered many mortifications from the relations of the lord de Pommiers. Sir Thomas was a truly valiant man : he had written and sent special messengers to the lords de Mucident, de Duras, de Rosem, and de Langurant, four of the most noble and powerful barons of Gascony, and who were attached to England, to request, that for the honor of the king their lord, they would not fail, on any account, to defend the principality, and to desire they would come to Bordeaux with their vassals ; for all knights who were anxious to acquit them- selves toward the king and lord were already arrived there. 'When they were all assembled, they amounted to full five hundred lances : they remained at Bordeaux, and in the Bordelois, during the time when the duke of Anjou was beginning the siege of Bergerac. Sir Thomas Felton and these four Gascon barons held a council, in which they resolved to march toward the French, and post them- selves in a' secure situation, to see if they could gain any advantage over them. They set out, therefore, from Bordeaux with upward of three hundred lances, taking the road for La R£ole, and came to a certain town called Yuret,* in which they quartered themselves. The » " Vuret," probably Yurac— a village in Guienne, near Bordeau.\. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &e. 229 French knew notliing of this ambuscade, and suflcred much from it. The siege of Bergerac was still going forward : there were many skirmishes and deeds of arms performed with the garrison by the be, siegers ; btit the French were not great gainers, for sir Perducas d'Albret, the governor, was very active in opposing them, that no blame might be imputed to him. The army called another council, and resolved to send for a large machine, called a sow, from La R^olc, in order the more to harass the garrison. This sow was a large engine, which east weighty stones, and one hundred men, completely armed, could be drawn up in it, and attack the walls. Sir Peter de Eueil, sir John de Vers, sir Baldwin de Crcmoux, sir Alain de Beaumont, tlie lord de ]Montcalay, and the lord de Goures, were ordered to go for this engine : they left the army, in consequence, with about three hundred men-at-arms whom they could depend on, and, fording the river Dordogne, rode toward La Rdole : they advanced between Bergerac and La R^ole, I until they came to Yurac, where the English were in ambuscade i -with upward of four hundred combatants, of which they were igno- rant. News was brought to the army and to the constable of France, that I the English had taken the field ; but it was unknown which way they had marched. The constable, lest his men might be surpiised, I immediately ordered a large detachment to guard the foragers, who were out between the rivers Garonne and Dordogne, and gave the command of it to sir Peter de Mornay, sir Evan of Wales, Thibaut du Pont, and Hcliot de Calais : there might be in this detachment two hundred lances of tried men. Sir Peter de Bueil, and the others who were sent to bring the sow, rode on to La Reole, and, having laden a great many earls widi it, set out on their return, but by a different route from that by which they had arrived, for they required a broader load for their convoy, and yet they were to pass by Yurac, or very near to it, where the English were in ambuscade : however, they ■were so fortnnate as to meet with a second detachment from their army, when they were vvitliin a short league of the town. The whole tlien amounted to full six hundred lances. They continued their "jmarch in greater security, and nrore at their leisure. Sir Thomas Felton and the barons of Gascony in Yurac were in- formed, that the French were escorting that way a very large engine, from La Reole to their siege of Bergerac. They were much rejoiced at this intelligence, and said it was what they wished. They then armed themselves, mounted their horses, and drev/ up in the best array they were able. When they had advanced into the plain, they had not long to wait before they saw the French, marching in a large body, and in handsome order. No sooner was each party assured that those whom they saw were enemies, who seemed mutually eager for the contest, than sticking spurs into their horses, and with spears in their rests, they charged each other, shouting their different war- cries. I must say, that in this first conflict, many a gallant tilt was performed, and many a knight and squire were unhorsed and driven to the ground. In such deadly warfare, there is no accident but what may happen. Heliot de Calais, a most able squire and good man-at-arms, was knocked off his horse, by a violent stroke on the throat-piece with a spear, whose broad point was as sharp and as fine as a razor. This iron cut through the throat-piece, as well as all the veins ; the stroke beat him to the ground, when he shortly after died : the more the pity. By this accident did he end his days. Among the French, there was a knight from Beny or Limousin, named sir William de Lignac, an excellent man-at-arms, who this day performed many gallant deeds. The combat was sharp, and long continued on each side, close to the village of Yurac : when their lances failed, they drew their swords, and the attack was more vigorously renewed. Many feats of prowess were performed, many captures made, and many rescued. Of the English slain on the spot, was a Gascon knight, called the lord de Gernos and de Calais : of the French, Thibaut du Pont. This battle was well and long fought : many handsome deeds were done, for they were all men of valor : but in the end the English could not gain the field : they were fairly conquered by the French. Sir Wil- liam de Lignac captured with his own hand sir Thomas Felton, sen- eschal of Bordeaux : nearly at the same time, the lords de Mucident, de Duras, de Rosem, de Languran*, were also made prisoners. Few of the English or Gascons but were made prisoners or slain. Those who could escape met, on their return toward Bordeaux, the sijneschal des Landes, sir William Helman, the mayor of Bordeaux, and sir John de Multon ; in the whole, about one hundred lances, who were hastening to Yurac; but, when they heard the news of so complete a defeat, they wheeled about, and returned as speedily as possible to Bordeaux. CHAPTER III. EERGEKiC SCTtRENDERS TO THE Dl'KE OF ANJOU. TlIE LORDS DE DORAS AND DE ROSEM, AFTER IIAVINiJ PROMISED TO BE OF THE FRENCH INTE- REST, RETtJRN AGAIN TO THE ENSLISH. When this engagement was over and the field cleared, and all those who had been made prisoners placed under a secure guard, they set out on their return to the siege carrying on at Bergerac. The duke of Anjou was mightily rejoiced when he heard of the detach. mcnts having had such success, and that all the flower of Gascony, the knights and squires his enemies, were either killed or taken, and among them sir Thomas Felton, who had been very active against him ; so that he would rather have lost five hundred thousand francs than that it should have been otherwise. Sir Peter de Bueil, sir William de Lignac, sir Evan of Wales, and others, continued their march until they came to their army before Bergerac, where they were received with much pleasure by the duke of Anjou, the con- stable, the barons and knights their friends, who considered their success as very honorable and profitable to them. On the morrow, the sow they had brought was erected near to the walls of Bergerac, which much alarmed the inhabitants, who held a council to consider their situation, and whether they could main- tain it. They addressed themselves to their governor, for they found they could not long hold out, as no succor was to be expected since their seneschal was taken, and with him the chivalry of Gascony, oa whose asssistance they had depended. Sir Perducas told them, they were in sufficient strength to hold out for some time, being well prorided with provisions and artillery, if they made not any foolish agreement. Things remained in this situation until the next morning, when the trumpets of the army sounded for an assault, and every one re. paired to his banner. The constable of France, who was in the field with a grand array, sent to hold a parley with the inhabitants before the assault began, or any of their men were wounded or slain ; in which he remonstrated with them, that having had their leaders made prisoners, from whom alone they could hope for assistance, and who were now in treaty to place themselves and their lands under the obedience of the king of France, they could not look for any re. lief; and, should the town be taken by storm, it would inevitably be destroyed by fire and flame, and none receive quarter. These threats frightened the inhabitants, who demanded time to hold a consulta- tion, which was granted to them. The burghers then assembled, without calling in their governor, and agreed to surrender as good Frenchmen, provided they were peaceably and gently dealt with, without any of the army entering their town, which was directly granted. When sir Perducas d'-\lbret, their governor, heard of this, he mounted his horse, ordered his men to march, and, having passed the bridges, made for the fort of Moncin, when Bergerac surren- dered to the French. The constable of France took possession of it, placing therein a governor and men-at-arms to keep and defend It. After the surrender of Bergerac, the duke of Anjou was advised to advance further into the country, and lay siege to Castillon * on the Dordogne. News of this was soon spread through the army, when every one began to make his preparations accordingly ; that is to say, the duke, the constable, and the other men-at-arms, except the marshal of France, who remained behind to wait for the lord de Coucy, as he was expected to arrive that evening (which indeed he did,) when the marshal advanced to meet him with a very large at- tendance of his men, and received him most amicably. They remained all that night in the place which the duke had left. The duke and his army advanced to a fine mead, on the banks of the Dordogne, in his march to Castillon. ( Under the command of the lord de Coucy were, sir Aymon de Pommiers, sir Tristan de Roye, the lords de Faignelles, de Jumont, sir John de Rosay, sir Robert de Cleremont, and several other knights and squires. They marched from their quarters, and continued advancing in company with the marshal of France and his troops until they arrived at the army of the duke, where they were received with much satisfaction. In the road to Castillon, there is a town called St. Foy : before the vanguard arrived at Castillon, they marched thither, and having surrounded it, began to attack it briskly. This town had not any men-at-arms, and but trifling fortifications, so that it did not long defend itself On its surrender, it was pillaged. The siege was fonned before Castillon above the river, and continued for fifteen days : of course, there were many skirmishes at the barriers, for some English and Gascons had retreated thither after the battle of Yurac, and defended themselves valiantly. The Gascon barons who had been made prisoners at Yurac, were still in the French camp, and in treaty to turn to the French party. Sir Thomas Fel- ton was not solicited so to do, as he was an Englishman, but had his ransonr fixed by his master, sir William de Lignac, to whom he paid thirty thousand francs, and obtained his liberty : but this w'as not immediately settled. After much negotiating, the four Gascon barons turned to the French : they engaged, on their faith and honor, that themselves and their vassals would ever remain good French- men ; for which reason the duke of Anjou gave them their liberties. The lords de Duras and do Rosem left the duke with a good un- derstanding, intending to visit their estates : the lords de Mucident and de Langurant remained with the army, and were graciously treated by the duke of Anjou, with whom they frequently dined and supped. The first.mentioned lords thought the duke very obliging in thus lightly allowing them to depart, which indeed he afterwards * " Castillon "—a town of Guieime, election ofBordeaui. 230 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. repented, as he had good reason. These two lords, when on their road conversing together, said, " How can we serve the duke of An- jou and the French, when we have hitherto been loyal English ? It will be much better for us to deceive the duke of Anjou than the king of England, our natural lord, and who has always been so kind to us." This they adopted, and resolved to go to Bordeau.x, to the seneschal des Landes, sir William Helman, and assure him that their hearts would not suffer them to become good Frenchmen. The two barons continued their journey to Bordeaux, where they were joy. fully received : for they had not then heard anything of their treaties with the duke of Anjou. The seneschal des Landes and the mayor of Bordeaux were in. quisitive after news, and what sums they had paid for their ransoms. They said, that through constraint and threats of death, the duke of Anjou had forced them to turn to the French : but added, " Gentle- men, we will truly tell you, that before we took the oath, we reserved in our hearts our faith to our natural lord the king of England ; and, for anything we have said or done, will we never become French- men." The knights from England were much pleased with these words, and they declared they had acquitted themselves loyally to- ward their lord. Five days afterwards, news was brought to the duke of -4injou and the army before Castillon, that the lords de Duras and de Rosem had turned to the English, which very much astonished the duke, the constable, and the other barons. The duke then sent to the lords de Mucident and de Langurant, told them what he had heard, and asked what they thought of it : these barons, who were exceedingly vexed, replied, " My lord, if they have broken their faith, we will not belie ours ; and that which we have said and sworn to you we will loyally keep, nor shall the contrary bo ever reproached to us ; for by valor and gallant deeds of arms have your party conquered us, and we will therefore remain steady to our obedience to you." *' I believe you firmly," said the duke of Anjou ; " and I swear by God first, and then by my lord and brother, that on leaving this place, we will not imdertake any one thing before we have besieged the towns of Duras and Rosem." Tilings remained in this state ; that is to say, the duke of Anjou much enraged at the conduct of the two Gascon barons, and the siege continuing before Castillon. The town and castle of Castillon, on the Dordogne, was a town and inheritance of the captal de Buch, whom the king of France had detained in prison at Paris. CHAPTER IV. CASTILLON, AND SEVERAL OTHER PLACES IN GASCONY, SURRENDER TO THE DUKE OF ANJOU. DtTKiNG the time Castillon was besieged, there was a great famine, insomuch that for money there was difficulty in getting provisions. The French were forced to march twelve or fifteen leagues for forage for the army, and in going and returning they ran great rislts ; for there were many castles and English garrisons on the frontiers, from whence they sallied forth and formed ambuscades ; or they waited in the narrow passes and defiles ; and whenever they found them- selves the strongest, they fell upon the French foragers, killed and wounded them, and carried olV their forage. For this reason, they never could forage but in large bodies. The siege of Castillon was carried on with much vigor, and the garrison so harassed by assaults and engines that they surrendered, on their lives and fortunes being spared. The men-at-arms marched out, and as many more as chose to leave it, and went to St. Macaire,* where there is a good castle and strong town. On the surrender of Castillon, the duke of Anjou received the fealty and homage of the inhabitants, and renewed the oflicers : he appointed as governor of it a knight from Touraine, called sir James de Montmartin. When they were about to march from Castillon, they called a council to consider windier they should go next ; and it was determined to advance toward St. Marine ; but, as several small forts were scat, lered about the country before they could arrive there, it was not thought proper to leave them in the rear on account of the foragers. They therefore, on quitting Castillon, marched to Sauveterre,t which they besieged. Other intelligence was brought, respecting the lords de Duras and de Rosem, different from what had been at first reported ; that in truth they were at Bordeaux, but it was not known on what terms. This news was spread through the army, and was so public as to come to the ears of the lords de Mucident and Langurant : they mentioned it to the lord de Coucy and sir Peter de Bueil, whom they were desirous to interest in excusing those knights, adding that it was very simple to believe such tales so lightly told. They replied, they woidd willingly undertake to speak to the duke, who told them he should be very happy to find the contrary true to what he had heard. The affair remained in this state, and the siege of Sauve. terre continued. The town of Sauveterre held out only for three days ; for the knight who was governor surrendered it to the duke, on condition of himself, his troeps, with tlieir fortunes, being spared. • St. Macaire-a city in Guienne, on Die Garonne, nine leagues from Bordeau.x. t Sauveterre— a town in Gascony, dioceee of Coiuminges. By these means they marched and came before St. Bazille, a good town, which immediately surrendered, and put itself under the obedi- ence of the king of France. They then advanced to Montsegur,* which they attacked on their arrival, but did not gain it on this first attempt. They encamped and refreshed themselves for the night. On the morrow, they prepared for the assault, and those within, seeing they were in earnest, began to be greatly alarmed, and called a council, wherein it was at last determined that they would offer to surrender on having their Kves and fortunes spared ; and upon these terms they were received. The French marched away to another good walled town, situated between St. Macaire and La Reole, called Auberoche. They were four days before they could gain it, which was done by capitidation. The French then advanced to St. Macaire CHAPTER V. THE DUKE OF ANJOU TAKES THE T0^VN AND CASTLE OF ST. MACAIRE BY CAPITULATION THE TOWN OF DURAS BY STORM, BUT THE CASTLE RECEIVES QUARTER. The army of the duke of Anjou was daily increasing from all quarters ; for such knights and squires as were desirous of renown came to wait on him, and to serve him. The siege was formed be- fore St. Macaire in a very handsome manner ; for those men-at-arma had retreated thither who had quitted the garrisons which had sur- rendered. The town, therefore, had been greatly reinforced, and better guarded. There were many grand assaults and skirmishes, as well before the town as at the barriers. While the siege was going forward, the duke of Anjou and the constable of France ordered the leaders of the different corps to make excursions in various parts^ Large detachments, therefore, set out, under the orders of the marshal of France, sir Perceval de Marneil and sir William de Moncontour. These detachments remained for six days in the field, took several towns and small castles, and put all the surrounding country under the subjection of the king of France. None went out to oppose them, for the whole country was almost empty of men-at-arms at. tached to the English, and the few who were there fled toward Bor- deaux. When they had finished their expeditions, they returned to the army. The inhabitants of St. Macaire knew well that they could not hold out for a long time ; and the besiegers promised them every day, that if they suffered themselves to be taken by storm, they should all. without mercy be put to death. They began t^; be doubtful lest their career might terminate in tliis cruel manner, and secretely opened a treaty with the French to surrender, on their lives and fortunes being spared. The men-at-arms in St. Macaire had intelligence of this, and suspecting the inhabitants might perliaps form some treaty inimical to them, they retired into the castle, which was large and strong, and built to stand a good siege, taking with them all their own wealth, and a good deal of pillage from the town. Upon this,, the inhabitants surrendered their town to the king of France. The duke of Anjou received intelligence during the siege of St. Macaire, that his lady the duchess had been brought t.j bed of a son at Tou. louse. The duke and the whole army were much rejoiced at this event, and their warlike heroism was greatly increased. The men- at-arms entered the town, for it had large and handsome houses, in which they refreshed themselves, as they had wherewithal, the towa being well provided with every sort of provision. The castle was surrounded on all sides, and engines erected before' it, which cast such large stones as greatly astonished the garrison- While this siege was carrying on, true intelligence was brought re. specting the lords do Duras and de Rosem, by two heralds, who declared they had turned to the English. On hearing this the duke said, " Let me but gain St. Macaire, and I will immediately march and lay siege to Duras." He ordered the attacks on the castle to be renewed with greater vigor, for he was not willing to leave it in his rear. The gan-ison seeing themselves thus attacked, without any hopes of succor, and know^ing that the duke and constable were determined to have them by fair or foul means, thought they should act wisely if they entered into a treaty, which tliey accomplished, and delivered up the castle, on their lives and fortunes being spared, and on being conducted to Bordeaux. Thus did the town and castle of St. Macaire become French. The duke of Anjou took possession of it, appointed a governor, and then decamped with his whole army^ taking the road toward Duras. The army continued its march until it came before Duras, when an attack was immediately ordered. The men-at-arms made them- selves ready, and the cross-bowmen, well shielded, advanced to the town ; some of whom had provided themselves with ladders, in order the more easily to scale the walls. This attack was very severe, and those who had mounted the walls fought hand to hand with their opponents ; so many gallant deeds were done by each party, that it lasted the greater part of the day. When they had thus well fought fur a length of time, the marshals ordered the trumpets to sound a retreat, and every man retired to his quarters for the night. In the mean time, sir Alain de la Haye, and sir Alain de St. Pol,airived at the army with a large troop of Bretons, who had marched toward * A viUage in Gascony, election of Landes. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 231 Libourne,* and had attacked an English garrison at Cadillac,t which they had taken by storiii, and slain all within it. On the morrow morning, the duke ordered the stonning to be re- newed, and that each man should exert himself to the utmost. He amined it, they found it was marvellously strong, and said, that with- out a very long siege, it would not be easily taken : on their return, they related this to the duke of Anjou. " That docs not signify," replied the duke, " for I have said and sworn, that I would not stir had it also proclaimed by a herald, that whoever should first enter from hence until I should have this castle under my obedience." " And you shall not forswear yourself,"an. swered the constable. Engines were directly pointed against the castle, as they were ready on the spot. When those within saw the great prepara- tions that were mak- ing against them, as well by those in the town as by the French, and that the attack would be severe, and probably fatal to them, they thought it ad- visable to enter into a negotiation. They opened a treaty with the constable, who agreed to spare their lives and fortunes on their surrendering the castle. The duke of Anjou was therefore advised by the consta- ble not to fatigue or hurt his Kien, but t» grant them quarter, ■which he did. On the third day they marched out of the castle, and were con- ducted whither they wished to go, and the constable took posses- sion of it ; but I be- Storming of JOuras. From a MS. of Froissart of the fifteenth century. Duras should receive five hundred francs. The desire of gaining this reward made many poor companions come forward. Ladders were placed against the walls in various places, and the attack began in earnest ; for the young knights and squires, who were eager for re- nown, did not spare themselves, but fought with a thorough good will. The lord de Langurant had ascended a ladder, with a sword in his hand, and fought hard to enter the town the first, not indeed for the five hundred francs, but to illustrate his name ; for he was ex- ceedingly angry that the lord de Duras had so lightly turned to the English. The lord de Langurant, as I must say, performed such deeds that his own people as well as strangers were quite astonished therewith, and advanced so far that his life was in great jeopardy ; for those withinside the walls tore off" the helmet from his head, and with it the hood, so that he would inevitably have been slain, if his own squire, who followed him close, had not covered him with his target. ^ lieve that the duke of Anjou ordered it to be razed to tlie ground. CHAPTER VI. THE DUITE OF ANJOU KETtJRNS TO THE DUCHESS AT TorLOUSE, AND TEE CONSTABLE TO THE KING OF FRANCE. EVAN OF WALES LAYS SIEGE TO MOKTAIN SUR-MER. 4fter the conquest of the to\vn and castle of Duras, the duke of Anjou ordered sir John de Jumont, sir Tristan de Roye, and sir John de Rosay, to remain in the town of Landurant,* (for the lord of it had turned to the French since he had been made prisoner at the battle of Yurac,) with one hundred good spears to guard the frontiers against the Bordelois : he himself wished to re- to Toulouse to see his duchess, who had been delivered of a turn The knight descended the ladder by degrees, but he received handsome boy, for he was desirous of holding a grand feast at Tou in his descent several heavy blows on the target. He was much esteemed for this assault, by all those who saw him. In another part, sir Tristan de Roye and sir Perceval d'Ayvenal, mounted on ladders, fought most valorously ; and also sir John de Jumont and sir John de Rosay, where each for his part did wonders in arms. On the batdements was the lord de Seriel, mounted on a ladder, fighting gallantly hand to hand with those on the inside ; and all who saw him said, that if any one was likely to have the advan- tage of first entering the town, he was in the road so to do. This knight did not thus adventure himself for profit, but for glory : how- ever, as fortune is hazardous, he was struck down with such force by a sword, that he tumbled into the ditch, and broke his neck. In suchwise died this knight. The same fate attended a squire from Brittany, who bore for his arms two chevrons gules, chequered with or, argent, and azur. This vexed the constable so much that he ordered the assailants to be reinforced, and the fight continued with more vigor than before. The lord de Mucident proved himself an able knight, and showed he was indeed a Frenchman froi^ the man- ner in which he assaulted. The town of Duras was taken by storm, and the first persons who entered it were sir Tristran de Roye and sir John de Rosay. When the men-at-arms in Duras saw that the town must be lost, they retreated into the castle, leaving the rest to its fate. Thus was Duras taken, and all found in it were put to death. The men-at-arms retired to their quarters, where they disarmed themselves, and took their ease, having plenty of provision with them. On the morrow morning, the constable of France, attended by the marshal, mounted their horses, and rode to the castle to reconnoitre, ajid see on which side they could best attack it. Having well ex. * " Libourne"— a city of Gueinne on the Dordogne, ten leagues from Bordeaux. 1 " CadUlac"— a town in Guienne, seven leagueB trom Bordeaux. louse to celebrate this event. He therefore ordered men-at-amis to the different towns and castles which he had conquered. On die- missing Evan of Wales, he said to him : " You will take under your command the Bretons, Poitevins and Angevins, with whom you will march into Poitou, and lay siege to Mortain-sur-mer, which the lord de I'Estradet holds ; and do not quit the place for any orders you may receive in the king's name until you have had possession of it ; for it is a garrison that has done us much mischief." " My lord," replied Evan, " as far as it shall be in my power I will loyally obey you." The duke, the constable, and the lord de Coucy, then ordered all those who were to accompany Evan into Poitou. Upon this full five hundred good men-at-arms left the duke, and took the road to Saintonge, in order to advance toward St. Jean d'Angely. The duke of Anjou, the constable of France, the lord de Coucy,- the marshal of France, sir John and sir Peter de Bueil, returned t» Toulouse, where they found the duchess newly recovered from her lying-in. On this event there were very great rejoicings and feast-. ings at Toulouse. The constable and the lord de Coucy then re- turned to Paris : the marshal de Sancerre into Auvergnc, to assist the dauphin of Auvergnc and the barons of that country, who were carrying on the war against the English that had remained in Liniou. sin, Rouergue, and on the borders of Auvergne. Let us now say something of Evan of Wales, how he laid siege at this season to Mortain, and how he harassed its ganison. Evan of Wales, being desirous of obeying the orders of the duke of Anjou, (for he knew well that whatever the duke did was by the direetione of the king of France bis brother, as he had paid all the expenses o£ "* " Landurant"— should be Landiras- a town in Guienne, near Bordeaux. WilUast^ Shalton was lord of Landiras —Bee Rolles' Qasconncs- t The souldich de rEaliade.— Bee AM6TI8. 232 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, the difi'ereiit expeditions he had made) had advanced as far as Saintes. He had halted to refresh himself and his companions in that rich country between Saintes and Foitou, and in the beautiful Breads wliicli are on the banks of the rivers in those parts. Many knights and squires of Foitou were with him, such as the lords de Pons, de Touars, de Vivarois, the lord James de Surgeres, and seve- ral more. On the other hand, from Brittany and Normandy, were sir Maurice de Trisiquedi, sir Alain de la Houssaye, sir Alain de St. Pol, sir Ferceval d'Ayneval, sir William de Moncontour, the lord de Monmor, and Morelet his brother. These troops, when ordered, marched away, and laid siege to Mortain. The castle is situated on the Garonne, near to and below its embouchure with the sea : it is the handsomest and strongest fort in all the borders of the countries of Foitou, la Rochelle, and Saintonge. When Evan of Wales, the barons and knights, were arrived there, tliey formed the siege very prudendy, and provided themselves by little and little with everything they wanted ; for they were well aware that they could never conquer the castle by storm, but that it must be won by distressing the garrison with famine and a long blockade. Evan, therefore, ordered four bloek-houses to be erected, so that no provision could enter the place by sea or by land. At times, the young knights and squires who wished to display their courage, advanced to the barriers of the castle, and skirmished with the garrison. Many gallant deeds were there performed. There was a knight in Mortain called tlie souldich, who was from Gascony, a valiant knight and able man-at-arms, whose orders they obeyed as if he had been their governor. The castle was plentifully supplied •with wines and provision, but they were in great want of several smaller necessaries. CHAPTER VII. sine OHAKLES OF FKAKCE INSTISATES THE SCOTS TO MAIE W.\R ON ENGLAND. THE SCOTS TAKE THE CASTLE OF BEKWICK. Kins Charles of France, notwithstanding he always resided at Paris, or at various other places in France which pleased hint more, and that he never bore arms himself, kept up a very sharp war against his enemies the English. He had formed alliances, as well in the empire as with the adjoining kingdoms, in a greater degree than the four or five preceding kings of France had ever done. He paid great atten- tions to all from whom he thought he should derive any assistance ; and because king Richard of England was young, and his kingdom -vmsettled,he had sent to renew his alliance with the Scots, and with their king, Robert Stuart, who had succeeded his uncle king David Bruce, and to e.xcite them to make war upon the English, so that they should be disabled from crossing the seas. Upon this, king Robert, after the death of Edward and the coronation of Richard, assembled his council at Edinburgh, where he had summoned the greater part of those barons and knights from whom he looked for assistance. He remonstrated with them against the English for having in former times done them much mischief by burning their ■ country, razing their castles, killing and ransoming the inhabitants : that the time was now arrived when they might revenge themselves for all these disgraces ; as king Edward was deceased, who had been so successful against them, and a young king was now on the throne. The barons of Scotland and the young knights present, being de- sirous of advancing themselves and revenging the injuries which the English had formerly done to their country, replied unanimously, that they were willing and prepared to invade England, either to-day or to-morrow, or whenever he pleased. This answer was very agree, able to the king of Scotland, who returned them his thanks for it. Four earls were appointed captains of the men-at-arms ; namely, the earl of Douglas, the earl of Moray, the earl of Mar and the earl of .Sutherland ; sir Archibald Douglas constable of Scotland, and sir Robert de Versi* inarshal of the whole army. Summonses were immediately issued for the assembling of the forces by a certain day in the Merse,+ which is the country border- ing on England. While this summons was obeying, a valiant squire of Scotland, named Ale.xander Ramsay, set off with forty men from his company, detennined to perform a gallant enterprise. They were all well mounted, and, having rode the whole night through bye- roads, came to Berwick nearly at daybreak. A squire attached to the earl of Northumberland, called William Bisset, was governor of ^he town of Berwick ; and a very able knight, called sir Robert Abeton,t was constable of the castle. When the Scots were arrived near Berwick, they concealed them- * •' Sir Robert de Versi," Q, t Tlie Marches.— [Ed. % "SirRobert Abetoii"— sirRobertBoyntoii. Dr Fuller, in his history of Berwick, 1799, says, " that seven intrepid Scotsmen in 1377 took posse^^ion of Benvick castle by storm in the night, and continued masters of it for eiglit days, though it Avns besieged by seven thousand English arclieis and tliree thousand cavalry, and only lost two of their num- ber, which had increased to forty-eight when they were subdued. Notwithstanding this heroic achievement, they were nil put to tlie sword. " Upon entering the castle, they killed the governor, sir Robert Boynton, but liberated his lady for two thousand marks. " When the earl of Northumberland summoned these heroes to sunender, tbey boldly iwpliofl : • " That they would not yield it either to the kings of England or Scotland, but would retain and defend it for the king of France." No authority is mentioned. selves, and sent a spy to observe the state of the castle. The spy entered it as far as the ditches, wherein there was not any water, nor indeed could any be retained in them, for they were of moving sands : he looked about him on all sides, but did not see a soul : upon which, he returned back to his masters. Ale.xander Ramsay directly advanced with his companions, without speaking a word, and passed the ditches : they had brought good ladders with them, which they placed against the walls. Alexander was the first who mounted them sword in hand, and entered the castle followed by his men witliout opposition. When they had all entered, txcy hastened to the groat tower where sir Robert Boynton slept, and began to cut down the door of it with the axes they had brought. The governor was suddetdy awakened : he had slept all the night, and kept but a poor watch, for which he paid dear. He heard the door of his chamber broken, and thought it might be done by some of his own men who wanted to murder him, because he had quarreled with them the preceding week. With this idea, he opened a window which looked on the ditches, leaped out of it without further consideration, and thus broke his neck and died on the spot. The guards of the castle, who toward daybreak had been asleep, awakened by his groans, found the castle had been sealed and taken : they began to sound their trumpets, and to cry out, " Treason ! treason !" John Biaset, the governor of Berwick, on hearing their cries, armed himself, as well as all the able meri of the town, and advanced to- ward the castle, when they plainly heard the noise of the Scots ; but they could not gain entrance, for the gates were shut, and the draw- bridge raised. Upon this, John Bisset, having considered a short time, said to those with liim : " Come quickly : let us break down the supports of the bridge, so that none can sally out, nor get away without danger from us." They soon got hatchets and wedges, and the supports of the gate next the town were destroyed. John Bisset sent off a messenger to the lord Percy at Alnwick, which is but twelve leagues off, to re- quest he would come immediately to his assistance with all his farces, for that Berwick castle had been taken by the Scots. He also said to Thomelin Friant,* who was the person he sent: "Tell my lord of Percy the state you have left me in, and how the Scots are shut up in the castle, and cannot get away, unless they leap the walls ; so let him hasten here -as fast as he possibly can." -A-Iexander Ramsay and his men having scaled the castle of Ber- wick, thought they had done wonders, as in truth they had : they would have been masters of the town if John Bisset had not acted so prudently, and slain whomever they pleased, or shut them up iji the tower, for such was their intention : they said, " Let us now go into the town ; it is ours ; and seize all the riches, which we will make the good men of the town earrj' away for us, and then we will set fire to it, for it cannot now make any resistance : in three or four days' time, succors will come from Scotland, so that we shall save all our pillage : and on our departure we will set the castle on fire, and by these means repay our hosts." All his companions assented, for they were eager for gain. They tightened on their amis, and each grasped a spear, for they had found plenty in the castle, and, opening the gate, let down the draw-bridge. When the bridge was let down, the chains which supported it broke ; for the pillars on which it should have rested were destroyed, and the planks canied into the town. When John Bisset, and the inhabitants there assem- bled, saw them, they began shouting out, '• Oh what, are you there ? keep where you are, for yott shall not go away for a certainty with- out our permission." Ale.xander Ramsay, seeing their appearance, soon found they in- tended to keep them confined in the castle, and that they must get away as well as they could : he therefore shut the gates, to avoid their arrows, and ordered his people to inclose themselves within, intending to defend the castle. They flung all the dead into the ditches, and shut up the prisoners in a tower. They thought the place was full strong enough to hold out until succors should come from Scotland, for the barons and knights were assembling in the Merse and in that neighborhood ; the earl of Douglas had even left Dalkeith, and arrived at Dunbar. We will now return to the squire whom John Bisset sent to Alnwick, and speak of his arrival, and of the information he gave to the earl of Northumberland. CHAPTER VIII. THE EARliJoF NORTHUMBERLAND RETAKES THE CASTLE OF BERWICK. TiiojiELiN Friant made haste until he ariived at Alnwick, and entered the castle from the knowledge he had of it ; for it was so early that the earl of Northumberland was not out of bed. Having arrived at his bedside to speak to him, for the business was very pressing, he said : " My lord, the Scots have this morning taken Ber- wick castle by surprise ; and the governor of the town sends me to ird"orm you of it, as you arc the lieutenant of all these countries." When the earl heard this news, he made every possible haste to order succor to Benvick: he sent off letters and messengers to all knights and squires of Northumberland, and to those from whom he expected any assistance, desiring theiri to repair to Berwick without delay, and •'■ Thomelin Friant." Q. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 233 informing them that he was marching thither to besiege tlie Scots, who had conquered the castle. This summons was soon spread over the country, and every man. at-arms,'knight, sqtiire, and cross-bovvman, left their houses. The lord Neville, the lord Lucy, the lord Gastop,* tlie lord Stafford, tlic lord de Blelles,t the governor of Newcastle, and a right valiant and expert man-at-arms, called sir Thomas Musgrave, were there ; but the earl of Northiunberland first arrived at Berwick with his people ; and ALS'mcK Castlk. From an onginal drawing. forces daily came tliithcr from all parts. They were in the whole about ten thousand men, who surrounded the castle so closely on all sides that a bird could not have escaped from it without being seen. The English began to form mines, the sooner to accomplish their pm'pose against the Scots and regain the castle. Intelligence was brought to the barons and knights of Scotland, tliat the earl of Northumberland, with the chivalry of that country, were besieging their countrymen in Berwick castle : they therefore deternrined to march thither, raise the siege, and reinforce the castle, for they considered what Alexander Ramsay had performed as a most gallant achievement. Sir Archibald Douglas, the constable, said, " Alexander is my cousin, and it is his high birth that has caused him to undertake and execute so bold a feat as the taking of Berwick castle ; it behoves us to do all in our power to assist him in tliis business, and if we can raise the siege it will be to us of great value : I am of opinion, therefore, that we march thither." He im- mediately ordered part of the army to remain beliind, and the rest to advance toward Berwick. He chose five hundred lances from the flower of the Scots army, and set off well mounted and in good order, taking the road to Berwick. The English, who were before Berwick with ten thousand men, .including archers, soon heard how the Scots intended to raise the •siege and reinforce the garrison ; they called a council, and resolved to extend their ground, to wait for them and offer battle, as they were anxious to meet them. The earl of Northumberland ordered all to prepare themselves, and march into the plain to be mustered, wl-ien they were found to amount to full three thousand men-at-arms and seven thousand archers. When the earl saw his army so nu. merous, he said, " Let us keep to this, ground, for we are able to combat all the force Scotland can send against us." They encamped on an extensive heath, without the walls of Berwick, in two battal- ions, and in good array. This had been scarcely done an hour before they perceived some of the scouts of the Scot? army advancing, but too well mounted to be attacked by the English : however, some English knights and squires would have been glad to have quitted their lines to have checked their career, but the earl said, " Let them alone, and allow their main body to come up : if they have any inclination for the combat, they will themselves advance nearer to us." The English remained very quiet, so that the Scots scouts came so close they were able to reconnoiter their two battalions and judge of how many men they were composed. When they had sufficiently observed them, they returned to their lords, and related what they had seen, saying, " My lords, we have advanced so near to the English that we have fully reconnoitered them : we can tell you, they are waiting for you, drawn up in two handsome battalions, on the plain before the town : each battalion may consist of five thousand men : you will therefore consider this well. We approached them so close that they knew us for Scots scouts ; but they made not the smallest at- tempt to break their line to pursue us." When sir Archibald Douglas and the Scots knights heard this account, they were quite melancholy, and said, "We cannot think it will be any way profitable for us to advance further to meet the English ; for they are ten to one, and all tried men : we may lose more than we can gain : and a foolish enterprise is never good, and such is what Alexander Ramsay has performed." Sir WilUam Lindsay, a valiant knight and uncle to Alexander Ramsay, tookgreat pains to persuade them to succor his nephew, saying, " Gentlemen, my nephew, in con- fidence of your assistance; has performed this gallant deed, and taken Berwick castle. It will turn to your great shame, if he should be lost, and none of our family in future will thus boldly adventure themselves." Those present answered, " That they could not amend it, and that the many gallant men who were there could not be expected to risk their own destruction in the attempt to prevent a single squire from being made pris- oner." It was therefore deter- mined to retreat further up in their own country among the mountains near the river Tweed, whither they marched in good, order and at their leisure. When the earls of Northura. berland and Nottingham, and the other barons of England, found the Scots were not advancing, they sent off scouts to inquire what was become of them, who brought back intelligence that they had retreated toward the Merse beyond the castle of Roxburgh.* On hearing this, each man retired quietly to his quarters, where they kept a strict guard until the morrow morning about six o'clock, when they all made themselves ready for the attack of the castle. The assault immediately began : it was vciy severe, and continued until the afternoon. Never did so few men as the Scots defend them- selves so well, nor wao ever castle so briskly attacked ; for there were ladders raised against different parts of the walls, on which men-at-arms ascended with targets over their heads, and fought hand to hand with the Scots. In consequence, many were struck down and hurled into the ditches. What most annoyed the Scots were the English archers, who shot so briskly that scarcely any one dared to appear on the bulwarks. This assault was continued until the Eng- lish entered the castle, when they- began to slay all they could lay hands on : none escaped death except Alexander Ramsay, who was made prisoner by the earl of Northumberland. In this manner was Berwick regained. The carl of Northumber- land appointed John Bi=set constable thereof, a very valiant squire, through whose means, as you have already heard, it had been re- conquered. He had every part of it repaired, and the bridge whick he had broken down restored. *•■ Gastop." a. f'BIelles." Q. BellasU. CHAPTER IX. THE EAEI.S OF NORTHriUEERLAND AND KOTTINGHAM EKTEK SCOTLAND WITH A LARGE ARMY. After the recapture of Berwick castle, the earls of Northumber- land and Nottingham, the two most powerful barons of the army, dttennincd to make an excursion after their enemies, and if they could find them to offer them battle. As they had resolved, so did they execute : early on a morning they marched away taking the road to Roxburgh up Tweedside. When they had marched about three leagues, they called a council, and the two earls thought it advisable to send a detachment to Melrose, a large monastery of black monks, situated on tlie Tweed, which is the boundary of the two kingdoms, to know if any Scots were lying thereabouts in am- buscade ; while they with the main body would march into the Merse ; by which means they would not fail of hearing some news of the Scots. That valiant knight sir Thomas Musgrave was ap- pointed commander of this detachment : it consisted of tliree hun- dred men-at-arms and as many archers. They left the amiy, which, * There seems some mistake of geography here. 234 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, i.c. on the separation, took a different route, one marching to the right and the other to the left. Sir Thomas and his son rode on to Mel- rose, where they arrived at an early hour, and took up their quarters, to refresh themselves and their horses, as well as to make inquiries after the Scottish army. They ordered two of their squires, well mounted, to ride over the countr}', to endeavor to find out the situation of the Scots, and in what order they were. These two squires, on leaving their com- manders, continued their route until they fell into an ambuscade of the Scots, commanded by sir William Lindsay, who had posted him- self in hopes of meeting with some adventure, and to hear news of Berwick, and also what had been the fate of his nephew, Alexander Ramsay, and into whose hands he had fallen : tliis he was very anx- ious to learn : he had with him about forty lances. The English were seized immediately on their entering this ambush, which gave the knight very great pleasure. He demanded from them whence they came : but they were afraid of speaking, lest they should betray their masters : however, they were forced to be explicit, for the knight as- sured them that he would have them beheaded, if they did not truly answer all the questions he should put to them. When things became so serious, and thew saw no means of es- caping, they related how the castle of Berwick had been regained, and all found within put to death except Alexander Ramsay: they afterwards told how the earls of Northumberland and Nottingham were marching along Tweedside in search of the Scots, and how sir Thomas Musgrave, his son, sir John Seton, and sir Richard Breton, with three hundred spears and as many archers, were lodged in the abbey of Melrose, and tliat these knights had sent them out to dis- cover where the Scots were. " By my troth," replied sir William Lindsay, *■ you have found us, and you will now remain with us.*' They were then taken aside, and given up to some of their compan- ions, with orders to guard them well under penalty of their lives. Sir William Lindsay instantly sent off one of his men-at-arms, saying, " Ride to our main army, and tell them all you have heard, and the situation of the English : I will remain here until morning, to see if anything else may happen." This man-at-arms rode on until he came to a large village beyond Morlaine,* which is called Hondebray,+ situated on the Tweed, among the mountains, where there were large meads and a plentiful country ; for which reason the Scots had quartered themselves there. Toward evening, the squire arrived ; and, as they knew he had brought some intelligence, he was conducted to the carls of Douglas, Murray, Sutherland, and to sir Archibald Douglas, to w'hom he re- lated all you have just read. The Scots were much ve.xed on hear- ing of the recapture of Berwick castle, but they were reconciled by the news of sir Thomas Musgrave and the other English knights being quartered at Melrose. They determined to march instantly, to dislodge their enemies, and make up from them for the loss of Ber. wick. They armed themselves, saddled their horses, and left Ha- dingtoun, advancing to the right of Melrose, for they were well acquainted with the country, and arrived a little before midnight. But it then began to rain very heavily, and with such a violent wind in tJicir faces that there were none so stout but was overpowered by the storm, so that they could scarcely guide their horees : the pages suffered so much from the cold, and their comfortless situation, that they could not carry the spears, hut let them fall to the ground : they also separated from their companions, and lost their way. The advanced guard had halted, by orders of the constable, at the entrance of a large wood, through which it was necessary for them to pass ; for some knights and squires who had been long used to arms said, they were advancing foolislily, and that it was not proper to con- tinue their course in such weather, and at so late an hour, as they ran a risk of losing more than they could gain. They therefore concealed themselves and their horses under oaks and other large trees until it was day. It was a long time before they could make any fire from then- flints and wet wood : however, they did succeed, and several large fires were made : for the cold and rain lasted until sunrise, but it continued to drizzle until the hour of six. Between six and nine o'clock, the day began to get somewhat warmer, the sun to shine, and the larks to sing. The leaders then assembled to consider what was best to be done, for they had failed in their intentions of arriving at Melrose during the night. They resolved to breakfast in the open fields on what they had, to refresh themselves and horses, and send out parties to forage. This was executed, and the greater part of their foragers spread themselves over the country and the adjacent villages. They brought hay and corn for the horses, and provision for their masters. It happened that the English quartered in the abbey of Melrose had that morning sent out their foragers, so that the two parties met, and the English had not the advantage : several of their party were slain and wounded, and their forage seized. When sir Thomas Musgrave and the English knights in Melrose heard of it, they knew the Scots were not far distant ; they ordered their trumpets to sound, and their horses to be saddled, while they armed themselves, for they were determined to take the field. They left the abbey in good order, and in handsome array. The Scots knights had received in- formation from their foragers of their enemies being near : they there- fore made all haste to refresh their horses, to arm and draw them- selves up in order of battle, alongside and under cover of the wood. They were full seven hundred lances, and two thousand others, whom I call lusty varlets, armed with hunting spears, dirks, and pointed staves. The lord Archibald Douglas and his cousin the earl of Douglas said, " We cannot fail to have some business since the English are abroad : let us therefore be on our guard, for we will fight with them if the parties be nearly equal." They sent two of their men-at-arms to observe the order of the English, while they remained snug in their ambush. * '* Morlaine." Lambirlaw.— MTherson's Oeographieal lilitstrations of Scottish History. T "Honciebrny." " It seems Hadiiigloiin ; anO, if so, tlie river ought to be Tyne." M'Phkrsos's Geographical lUustratiffits. CHAPTER X. SIR TH05IAS MUSGRAVE AND THE ENOLISH UNDER HIS COMMAND ABE DE- FEATED BY THE SCOTS. Sir Thomas Musgrave and the knights of Northumberland, being desirous of meeting the Scots on equal terms, set out from Mel. rose, and took the road to Morlaine : they left the Tweed on their left hand, and, by an ascending road, made for a mountain called St. Giles.* Two Scots scouts were posted there, who, having well considered the English, immediately set off to their own troops, and related their observations on the English ; in what order they were marching, and that they had only seen three banners and ten pennons. The Scots were highly pleased with this intelligence, and said with a hearty good will, " In the name of God and St. Giles, let ns march toward them, for they must be our prisoners." They then shouted their war- cry, which I think was, " Douglas, St. Giles !" They had not ad- vanced half a league before both armies came in sight, and each knew a combat was unavoidable. Upon this the earl of Douglas knighted his son, and sir .Tames Douglas displayed his banner. He also knighted the lord Robert and lord David, sons of the king of Scot- land, who in like manner displayed their banners. There were made on the spot about thirty knights in the Scottish anny, and one from Sweden, called sir George de Besmede, who bore on a shield argent a mill-iron gules with an indented bordure gules. On the other hand, sir Thomas Musgrave made his son Thomas a knight, with others of his household. The lord Stafford and lord Gaseoyn made some likewise. They drew out their archers, posting them on their wings ; and, this day, the English cry was, " Our Lady of Arlestone I" The engagement then commenced with vigor, and the archers by their shooting confounded the men-at-arms ; bat the Scots were in such numbers, the archers could not be every- where. There were between the knights and squires many a tilt and gallant deed perfonned, by which several were unhorsed. Sir -\rchibald Douglas was a good knight, and much feared by his ene. mies : when near to the English, he dismounted, and wielded before him an immense sword, whose blade was two ells long, which scarcely another could have lifted from the ground, but he found no difficulty in handling it, and gave such terrible strokes, that all on whom they fell were struck to the ground ; and there were none so hardy among the English able to withstand his blows. The battle w;is sharp and well fought as long as it lasted ; but that was not any length of time, for the Scots were three to one, and men of tried valor. I do not say but the English defended themselves valiantly : in the end, however, they were defeated, and sir Thomas Musgrave, his son, with several other knights and squires, made prisoners. The Scots took seven score good prisoners ; and the pur- suit lasted as far as the river Tweed, where nuiubers were slain. The Scots, after this victory, resolved to march straight to Edin- burgh, as they learnt from their prisoners that the earls of Northum- berland and Nottingham were in the neighborhood on the other side of the Tweed, on their road to Roxburj^'h, and that they were in su^. cient numbers to engage with all the force the Scots could bring against them : on which account, they thought they might as weU abandon their expedition, in order to save themselves and guard their jjrisoners. They had wisely determined to retreat without making any halt ; for, had they returned that eveniiig to their i'ormer quarters, they would have run a risk of being conquered, as I shall now relate. When the earls of Northumberland and Nottingham, and the oihct barons of England, had separated from sir Thomas Musgrave, they advanced directly toward Roxburgh. They learnt from their spies, that the Scots, whom they were seeking to fight with, were quar- tered at Hondebray, which pleased them much, and they resolved to have a skirmish with them : they were marching thither that same night the enemy had left it : but it rained so hard that they could not accomplish their purpose : they therefore took up their quarters in the woods until the morrow, when they again sent out their scouts to find where the Scots were, who returned, saying that they could not see anything of them. They then determined to advance to- ward Melrose, in order to gain intelligence of sir Thomas Musgrave and his companions. When they, had dined, they marched along Tweedside, on their way thither, and sent scouts over the river to learn some news of them. * •' St Giles." Q, this mountain. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 935 After the defeat on the plains of St. Giles, which I have just re- lated, tlie scout3 met several of tlieir fellow.soldiers flying like men discomfited, who told them as much as they knew of the battle. Upon this, they returned, and with them the runaways, who related truly what had passed between the English and Scots : they well knew they had been defeated, but were ignorant who had been killed or who made prisoners. The lords of Northumberland, on hearing this unfortunate intelligence, were very melancholy, and with reason. They had two causes for vexation ; for having lost the battle, and for having missed finding the Scots, whom they had been in search of. A numerous council was assembled in the field, whether or not to pursue tlie Scots ; but as they did not know which way they had marched, and night approaching, they resolved to make for Mcbose, and fix their quarters there. Before they could accomplish their march to Melrose, they heard the truth of the event of the battle ; that sir Thoma.s Musgrave, his son, with seven score men-at-arms, had been made prisonere by the Scots, who were carrying them oft", and had taken the road to Edinburgh. These barons then found that they must submit to their loss, for help it they could not. They passed the night a.s well as they were able, and on the morrow they de- camped, when the earl of Northumberland gave permission for every one to return to his home : ho himself retired iiito his own country. Thus was this expedition put an end to. The Scots returned to Edinburgh, but not all, for the carl of Douglas and his sou took the road to Dalkeith. This great success which they had obtained was a great novelty for Scotland. The knights and squires treated tlieir prisoners handsomely, ransomed them courteously, and did with them the best they could. We will now leave off speaking of the Scots, and relate othei- events which happened in France. CHAPTER XI. THE DEATHS OF THE QUEENS OF FRANCE AND OF NAVAHKE, AND THE RENEWAL OF THE FECDS BETWEEN THEIR TWO HUSBANDS. This year, in the month of February, the queen of France died, and, as the physicians said, by her own fault. She was with child of the lady Catherine, who was afterwards duchess of Berry.* The queen, as I have before said, was not very far advanced in preg- nancy ; but the doctors had forbidden her bathing, as being full of danger : however, she would persist and contirmed using baths, ■which brought on a mortal disorder. King Charles of France never married again. Soon after the death of the queen of France, the " f'^i^^rt mentions. It ^e fe^'t of st l! K « '*^1■",r'".• '""'"' ""= ■""""^ of Clarendon, 1370, ,o continue to the least of St. John Baptist foUowmg, for five hundred persons. the same footing as the king of England was accustomed to pay hie soldiers. Different treaties, alliances, aud regulations were drawn up, signed, sealed, and sworn to, between the kings of England and Navarre, which were tolerably well observed. In this council, the king named such members as were ordered to Normandy, aud those who were to go to NavaiTc : because neither the duke of Lancaster, the earl of Cambridge, nor the duke of Brittany, were present at these treaties, it was resolved to send copies sealed to them, in order that they might hasten to invade Normandy. CHAPTER XV. THE LORDS DE CODCY AND DE LA KIVIERE TAKE SEVERAL PLACES IN TBE- CODNTY OF EVREUX FROM THE KING OF KAVAKRE. Klxg Charles of France, being wise and subtle (as his whole life plainly showed,) had received information of the armament in Eng. land, but was ignorant whither it was to sail, to Normandy or Brit- tany. On account of these doubts, he had kept in the latter country a large body of men-at-arms, under the command of the lords de Clisson, de Laval, the viscount de Rohan, the lords de Beaumanoir and de Rochefort. They had beseiged Brest by block-houses only, , to prevent any provision f'om enteriiig. The governor of Brest was a valiant English squire called James 'ClerU. Now, because the king of Fiar.ce knew •;; the king of Navarre's voyage to England, in the hopes of fotrni.-Tg an alliance with his ad- versary the king of England, he suspoo; ,-1 i!:at this naval armament would land in Normandy, and seize ly ■orce those castles which belonged to the king of Navarre: he thercfo.-e in haite sent orders to the lords de Coucy and de la Riviere, stating to them his suspi- cions, with orders to conquer, by the speediest modes possible, all castles, nure particularly such as were near to the sea-coasts, by force or by negotiation. He knew that Cherbourg was not easy to- be taken, and also that it could not be reinforced on the land side. The king of France had likewise ordered large bodies of men-at- arms to Valognes* from the lower parts of Brittany. Sir Oliver du Gucsclin commanded the Bretons ; and the lord d'lvoy and sir Per- ceval were the leaders of the Normans. The lords de Coucy and de la Riviere had besieged the city of Bayeux with a great force, which was daily increasing from the additions the king of France wag sending to them from all quarters. Bayeux is a handsome and strong city near the sea, which at that time belonged to the king of Na. varre. The citizens (finding themselves thus besieged by their neighbors, who told them, that if the town were taken by storm, . they would all inevitably be destroyed, both men and women, and the town repeopled with another set of inhabitants,) began to be seriously alarmed. They saw no appearance of assistance coining to them, but, on the contrary, foimd themselves in opposition to the lord Charles de Navarre, to whom the country of Evreux belonged, in right of succession to his late mother. The inhabitants also list- ened to the harangues of the lords de Coucy and de la Riviere, who, with impressive language, showed them the dangers into which they were running: knowing likewise that their liishop was well ■ inclined toward the French, they thought, considering all things, it" would be much better for them to surrender their city from affection, as they were required to do by the above-mentioned lords, than to remain in such peril. The inhabitants of Bayeux demanded a truce ■ for three days ; during which time, a treaty was so far concluded that the lords de Coucy and de la Riviere entered the city, and took possession of it for the king of France, as his acknowledged commis- saries. The attorney-general was sent thither on the part of the- children of Navarre, who were present during all the negotiations. The two lords renewed all the officers of the city, and, for fear of a rebellion, left a body of good men-at-arms: they then marched off to lay seige to Carentan, a handsome and strong town situated on the sea-shore, and in the district of Caen. The inhabitants of Ca- rentan were without any governor of note : indeed, they had not had one since sir Eustace d'Anibreticourt, who had been their gov- ernor for four years, and had died there ; so that they had not any to look to for advice but themselves : they knew also that the admi- ral of France, sir John de Vienne, in conjunction with the Spanish admiral, and a large force, were before Cherbourg, but were ignorant of the treaties of the king of Navarre, as well as unacquainted with the result of his journey to England. They were attacked every day in two different manners ; by words and by arms ; for the lords de Coucy and de la Riviere were very anxious to gain this town, and succeeded in winning it by capitulation : they put it under the obedi- ence of the king of France, reserving the rights of the two sons of the king of Navarre. These lords of France readily granted very favorable terms, in order to get possession of such towns and castles as they wanted by the most expeditious means. They took possession of Carentan, reinforcing it with men-at-arms: they then departed, and came before the castle of Molineaux,t which in three days capitulated^ They advanced to Conches,t and encamped on the banks of the beau. * " Valognes "—a town in Normandy : it hes between Cherbourg and Carentan. t " Molineaux "—a village in Nonnandy, election of Caen. t " Conches "~a market town in Normandy, near Evreux 938 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAtN, &c. rendered on tenns ; for the lords de Coucy and de la Riviere having the heir of Navarre with them, gave a good color to their proceed- ings. However, when any town or castle surrendered itself to the king of France, or to his commissaries, there was a condition in the treaty, that all those who chose to depart might go wherever they pleased : those who did depart only went to Evrenx, of which Ferrando, a Navarrois, was governor. After the conquest of Conches, which was gained, as you have heard, by treaty, ihey advanced before Fassy,* where there was an assault : many were killed and wounded on both sides. That same day, the castle surrendered to the king of France : they then marched away. In short, all that the king of Navarre possessed in Normandy surrendered, excepting Evreu.x and Cherbourg. When they had won different small forts, and placed the whole country under the obedience of tlie king of France, they laid siege to Evreux, which was cut off from any communication with Cherbourg. In Evreux there was, according to custom, the strongest garrison of Navarrois in Normandy ; and the inhabitants never perfectly loved any other lord but the king of Navarre. The place was closfily besieged. It hLld out for a long lime : for Ferrando, the governor, performed in person several gallant deeds of arms. About this time the king of Navarre, being returned to his own country, expected to have had some assistance from the English ; but it docs not appear that he had any succors from them, for the duke of Lancaster and the earl of Cambridge, before these treaties had been entered on, had experienced very contrary winds for their voyage to Normandy, and so numerous a levy as had been ordered of four thousand men- at-arms and eight thousand archers, could not immediately be assem- bled at Southampton, where they were to embark. It was St. John Baptist's day before they were all collected and had sailed from Eng- land. The earl of Salisbury and sir John Arundel were still at Ply- mouth, who ought to have reinforced Brest and Hennebon ;t but they had wanted wind, so that they joined the duke of Lancaster and eail of Cambridge's army. They landed on the Isle of Wight, where they remained some time waiting for intelligence, and to know whether they should sail for Normandy or Brittany : they there learnt that the French fleet was at sea, on which sir John Arundel was ordered back to Southampton, with two hundred men-at-arms and four hundred archers, to defend that place. CHAPTER XVI. TUE DtJKE OF ANJOU RETAINS LAROE BODIES OF MEN-AT-ARMS AGAI.N'ST THE ENGLISH. THE SPANIARDS LAY SIEGE TO BAYONNE. On account of the information the king of France had received from the Normans, that the English were in great force at sea, but doubtful whither it was directed, he had issued a special summons throughout his realm for every knight and squire, according to his degree, to keep himself fully prepared to march to whatever part he should be ordered. The duke of Anjou had also, at this period, retained large bodies of men-at-arms from all quarters, with the in- tention of laying siege to Bordeaux. He had with him liis brother the duke of Berry, the constable of France, and all the flower of knighthood from Gascony, Auvergne, Poitou and Limousin. In order to carry their enterprise, he had raised an immense army, and had also, with the consent of the king of France, collected two hun- dred thousand francs in Languedoc ; but he could not at present undertake this siege, for the king of France had recalled the duke of Berry, the constable and other barons, on whose assistance he had depended, as it was well known the English were at sea, but uncer. tain in what part of the kingdom they would attempt to land. Not- withstanding this expedition from Languedoc had failed, the poor people who had been so hard pressed to pay such large sums were never repaid any part. The king of Castille, about this time, laid siege to Bayonne with full twenty thousand Spaniards and Castillians : he began the siege in the winter, and continued it through that whole season. Many gallant deeds were performed there by sea and land, for Roderigo le Roux, don Fernando de Castille, Ambrose de Boccanegra and Peter Bascle, lay at anchor before Bayonne with two hundred vessels, and gave sufficiency of employment to its inhabitants. The governor of the town at the time was a right valiant knight from England, called sir Matthew Gournay. His good sense and prowess were, as I have been informed, of great assistance to the townsmen. I have heard from some of those who were besieged, that the Spaniards would have succeeded in their attempt on Bayonne, had not a great mor- tality afflicted their army, so that out of five that were taken ill three died. King Henry had with him a necromancer from Toledo, who de. dared that the whole air was poisoned and corrupted, and that no remedy could be had for it without risking the death of all. In con- sequence of this decision, the king broke up the siege ; but the Spaniards and Bretons had conquered a number of small forts and castles in the adjacent country, into which they entered ; and the * " Pnssy "—a town in Normandy, four leagues from Evreux. t "Henebon." Denys Sauvage thinks it should beAubray, -Hennebon. r Derval. instead of king went to refresh himself at la Coulongne.* He sent his con- stable, with ten thousand men, to lay siege to Pampeluna. In that city were the viscount de Castillon, the lord de Lescut and le Bascle, with two hundred lances in tlie whole, who carefully guarded the place. The king of Navarre, who had but lately returned from England, resided at Tudelle, impatiently expecting the succors which were to come to him from England, and which indeed had been ordered ; for, by directions from the king and coun- cil, the lord de Neville and sir Thomas de Termes,t were at Ply. mouth, or in that neighborhood, with about one thousand men-at- arms and two thousand archers, and were laying in their stores for the voyage to Bordeaux ; but they had not met with a passage ac- cording to their wishes. With regard lo the great army under the command of the duke of Lancaster, at last it landed near to St. Malo : news of which was soon carried to the Breton lords of the French party, and immediately the viscount de Bellierc, sir Henry de Malatrait and the lord de Coinbor, left their habitations and flung themselves into St. Malo with two hundred men-at-arms, to the great joy of Moifonance the governor who otherwise would have been hardly pushed. CHAPTER XVII. THE ENGLISH, AT THIS PERIOD, MAKE EXCURSIONS INTO VARIOUS PARTS OF THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE. THE MELANCHOLY DEATH OF EVAN OF WALES. Sir John Aiiindel, who had remained at Southampton with his two hundred men-at-arms and four hundred archers, received infor- mation from some prisoners who had been taken in a Nomian vessel, that the duke of Lancaster had well scoured the ports of Normandy, so that none of the French dared to put to sea. He directly ordered his vessels and four large ships to be got ready, laden with provi. sions, in which he embarked, and made sail for Cherbourg, where he was joyfully received. The castle remained under the guard of the English, on the departure of the Navarrois ; but sir Peter de Basle the governor, did not leave it. I must inform you, that Cher- bourg is only to be conquered by famine ; for it is one of the strongest castles in the world : the garrison made many profitable excursions or. those of Valognes. Sir John Arundel, after he had garrisoned Cherbourg with English, remained there but fifteen days to re- victual it, and returned to Southampton, of whicii he was governor. We will now speak of the siege of St. Malo. When the English entered the harbor, they found therein a number of vessels from La Roehelle, laden with good wines ; the merchants were soon eased of them, and their vessels burnt. The siege of St. Malo was directly commenced, for they were in sufticicnt numbers to undertake it: they overran the country, and did much damage. Those who were most active in this business were sir Robert KnoUes, and sir Hugh Broc his nephew, who were well acquainted with those parts. These two made excursions daily, and the canon de Robesart in company with them. Some days they lost, and at others gained : they, however, burnt and destroyed all round St. Malo. The army of the duke of Lancaster had plenty of provision, for they had brought with them large quantities from England. Many severe assaults were made on St. Malo, and the attacks as ably re- sisted, for there were several men-at-arms within it not easily to be conquered. The lords of the army caused the carpenters to make sheds, under which they could W'ith greater ease carry on their at. tacks ; they had four hundred cannons pointed against the different parts of the town, which very much harassed its inhabitants. Among the various assaults, there was one which was particularly severe, for it lasted a whole day, and many English were killed and wounded: those within made so prudent a defence as not to lose a man : a knight from England called sir Peter I'Esjume, was slain, for whose death the duke and the earl were sorely vexed. We will now return for a while to the siege of Mortain-sur-incr in Poitou, and to Evan of Wales. Evan of Wales had closely blockaded Mortain in Poitou, of which place the souldich de I'Estrade was governor, and had erecttd four block-houses ; the first was built on the edge of a rock before the castle, ?'n the Garonne, and Evan had posted himself within it : the second was built between the water and the lower castle, opposite to a postern gate, from which none could issue without the certainty of being taken : the third was on the opposite side of the castle : the fourth was the church of St. Leger, near half a league from the fort. The inhabitants of Mortain were long sorely harassed by these means, for the blockade lasted upward of a year and a half, in which time they were hardly pushed for provision and other necessaries, . having neither stockings nor shoes to their feet ; but what was the most grievous, they did not see any appearance of succor being sent ' to them. During the time of this siege, there came out of England, and i from the borders of Wales, a Welsh squire named John Lambe, who was scarcely a gentleman ; and indeed he showed it, for no gentleman would ever have practised such base wickedness. It was said, that on his departure from England, he had been instigated by * "La Coulongne." Salla calls it Calongne. Q. if not Orogne. t "PeTerrne-." trir Tboma; Tri'-et. I CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 339 some English kniglits to perform the treason he did ; for Evan of Wales wiis greatly hated in England and Gascony, on account of the cnptal de Buch, whom he had made prisoner before Soubise in Poi- tou, and whose ransom could never be obtained cither by the ex- change of the count de St. Pol or by any other, nor for any sum of money that could be olTered : this caused his death, through melan- choly, in (he Temple at Paris, to the very great regret of all Iris friends. EvRECtx. Normandy.— From About this lime John Lambe arrived in Brittany, and continued his journey imtil he came to Poitou : he was honorably received every- where, by calling himself one of Evan's friends, and speaking very good French. He said he was come from Wales to visit Evan, and was too lightly believed. For these reasons he was escorted by the men of Poitou to Mortain, where the siege was going forward. John , Lambe advanced toward Evan, when, falling on his knees, he said in his country language, that he had left Wales to see and serve him. Evan, not harboring the least suspicion, received him kindly, thanked him for coming, and accepted his offers of service : he then asked the news from ^Vale3. He told him enough of true and false, and made him believe that the whole principality was desirous of having him for their lord. This information gained so much the love of Evan (for every one naturally would wish to return to liis own country) that he immediately appointed him his chamberlain. Jolm won daily on the affection of Evan : there was no one in whom he had so great a confidence. Evan's regard increased so fast that evil befell him, for which it was a great pity, for he was a valiant knight, a good man, and the son of u prince of Wales whom king Edward had caused to be beheaded, but on what account I am ignorant. The king of England had seized his lands in Wales; and this Evan, in his infancy, having come to France, explained his situation to king Philip, who willingly listened to him, retained him near bis peraon, and as long as he lived he was one of the pages of his chamber, with his nephews d'Alen^ons and several other young nobles. He was also retained by king John, under whom he bore arms, and was at the battle of Poitiers, but fortunately escaped, otherwise death would soon have followed his captivity. On the peace between France and England, lie went to Lombardy, where he continued to bear arms; and, on the renewal of the war, he returned to France, and conducted himself so well that he was much praised and loved by the king of France, and by all the great lords. I will now tell his end, which I shall do unwillingly : but it is necessary to show- to posterity what became of him. Evan of Wales had a custom during the siege of Mortain, as soon as he was risen, if it were a fine morning, to seat himself before the castle, when he had his hair combed and plaited for a considerable length of time, during which he viewed the castle, and the suiTound- ing cotmtry, for he had not the smallest dread from any quarter : it was not usual for any one to attend him as a guard but this John Lambe. Very often it happened that he there completely dressed himself; and, if any one had business with him, they went there to seek him. On his last visit it was early mom and fine clear weather, and the heat of the night had prevented him from sleeping : he went thither all unbuttoned, with only his jacket and shirt, and his cloak thrown over him, when he seated himself as usual, attended by John Lambe. All the others were asleep, and no guard was kept, for he considered the castle of Mortain as conquered. After Evan had seated himself on the trunk of a tree, he said to John Lambe, " Go and seek my comb, for that will refresh me a little." He answered, " Willingly, my lord." On his way to seek for the comb, or when returning with it, the devil must have entered the body of tias John ; for with the comb he brought a short Spanish dagger that had a broad point, to accomplish his evil intentions : he struck this dagger into Evan, whose body was almost naked, and pierced him through, so that he fell down dead. After he had performed this deed, he l~j;^-:-^-^^ Isft 'I'e dagger in the body, set off, ^^ ^ -^ and went slowly to the barriers of --^-£-- the castle, wlierein he was received ^ by ilie guards, to vvhcm he made himself known, and was conducted, to the soiddieh de I'Estrade. " My lord," said he to tlie souldich, "I have delivered ycu frcm one of the greatest enemies you ever had." " Frcm whcm ?" replied the soul, dich. '■ From Evan of Wales," an- swered John. "By wliat means?" demanded the souldich. " By such means," said John, and then re- lated to him the circumstances yott have just heard. When the soul- dich heard this he shook his head, and, eyeing him with anger, re plied, " Thou hast murdered him but know from me, that if we did not reap much advantage from thy wicked deed, I would have thjr head cut off: v\'hat is done, how- ever, cannot be undone ; but such a death is unworthyof a gentleman, and we shall have more blame than praise for it."* Thus v\'as Evan of Wales killed by a wicked and treasonable act, to the great grief of the army and all manner of people. King Charles _,„^^ of France particularly lamented his loss, but ne could not help it. Evan of Wales was buried in the church of St. Leger, which he had converted into a fort, half a league distant from the castle of Mortain, and all the gentlemen of the amiy attended hi* i bsequies, which were very grandly performed. The siege of Mortain was not, however, discontinued for this loss. There were very good knights from Brittany, Poitou, and France, who had resolved never to quit it unless forced by superior numbers ; and they \\'ere more eager than before to conquer the castle, by way of revenge for the death of Evan. They remained in the same position, without making any assaults, for they knew the garrison were exceedingly straightened for provision, and that none could enter the place. We will leave this siege for a short time, and return to that of St. Malo ; but we will first mention how those who had besieged Evrcux persevered in it. uUyuC) il.iiii i'aiicienne France. CHAPTER XVIII. THE IN'FIAEITANrS OF EVREUX SURRENDER TO THE FRENCH, THE TWO ARMIES ASSEMBLE BEFORE ST. MALS». The sicfrc of E-vtcux being formed by the lords de Coucy and de la Riviere, they had frequent communication with the king of France, who had fixed his residence at Rouen to be as near his army as pos- sible. He was desirous they should gain Evreux, either by storm or capitulation, as soon as might be, for he knew the English were in great force in Brittany : he ordered, therefore, all his troops to ad- vance thither to raise the siege of St. Malo, and to combat the Eng. lish. These two lords acquitted themselves loyalty and valiantly, for every day there were assaults as well as negotiations going forward They sent to remonstrate with the inhabitants on their folly in thus having war made upon them with the risk, of losing their fortunes and having their houses razed to the ground ; for they had their law- * It would nppetir, however, from the following extract from the Fcetlera. under the rear 1381, of payments mnrie on uccount of tiie wnr in Aquilanie, thai Jolin Lambe «n<: sent on purpose to murder Evan : jir .'uast lie is recompensed fur il : " Item paie le xviii jour de Septembre ^ Johan Lambe &, i ses deux compngnions, en recompensacion U. regardc, si hien de les bons & agr6abies services qu' il a fu it ^ morw sieur le prince, que Dieu awoile. & fera au roi q'ore est, come de la mourt de You de GalloH— C francs." After all tlie inqvuries I have been able to make, I have not succeeded in identifying' Evan of Wales with any known character in (lie old Welsh books. In the works of Davit] Nanmor, wlio flourished from about 1430 tu 1470. there is a passage where the pact, ill looking for more happy times than his own in futurity, among other predictions iinnouncesthe coming oflevan Dyvi, or Evan ofDovy. Now tliis Evan of Dovy must have been some person of celebrity, at some period prior to the time of the writer before- mentioned, whose fame ia totally obscured, probably owing to the danger of espousing' the cause of that peraonage, from his being hostile to the exi.tting government. This seema to be the only reason for tlie ambiguity of the poet, and it "earns also Patislactorllf to account for the silence of the Welsh writen reepecting Evan of Wales. 240 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. ful lord with them, the lord Charles de Navarre, to whom, by right of succession from his mother, the county of Evreu.t )iad devolved. They advised them, therefore, not to attend to the erroneous opinions of that madman Ferrando of Navarre, who was there only to ruin them ; for they must well know that the goodness of their cause would never allow them to march from thence will out having con. quered it ; and, should it be taken by storm, every one would be put to the swordj and the town repcopled with new inhabitants. Such •were the offers, speeches, and menaces to the townsmen of Evreu.\ ; but these did not prevent daily assaults from being made. The inhabitants at last began to waver, on seeing that no succor was likely to be sent them ; and they said to each other, " We see that the king of France does not claim the territory for himself, but for his nephew." They therefore entered into a treaty with the lord de Coucy. When Ferrando perceived this, he shut himself up in the castle, and would not be present at any of the meetings. In short, they surrendered on their lives and fortunes being spared, whether they were in town or country, and acknowledged the lord Charles for their lord. They then besieged Ferrando in the castle, who nego- tiated with the lords of France, and offered to surrender the castle if they would permit him and his men freely to depart. His offer was accepted. Shordy after, they packed up their baggage, and marched out of Evreux, under the conduct of the lords de Coucy, de la Riviere, and sir John le Mercier, taking the road to Cherbourg. After the conquest of Evreu.v, all the leaders of the French army went to Rouen, where the king resided, in order to consider what was next for them to do ; for they had heard that the English were besieging St. Malo. The king of France received them very gra- ciously ; in partictdar, the lords de Coucy and de la Riviere ; for having so well succeeded in their exploits. All the men-at-arms re- mained in Normandy : not one of their captains were dismissed, but were regularly paid their allowances. The king of France, during his residence at Rouen, had heard of the English having laid siege to St. Malo with a powerful army, and that the inhabitants were hard pressed by their daily assaults. He was imwilling to lose his sub- jects, as well as the town ; for if St. Malo were taken, Brittany would be very much weakened in that part. The king had, therefore, to this purpose, issued a special summons for assembling troops, in order to assist them against the English, which no one dared to disobey. The dukes of Berry and Burgundy, the count d'Alen^on, the count de la Marche, the dauphin d'Auvergne, the count de Guines, sir John de Boulogne, and great numbers of barons and knights of all sorts, marched tliither with numerous forces. The king sent orders to his constable, sir Bertrand du Guesclin, to see tliat none absented them- selves from this assembly. The constable obeyed, and came with all the men-at-arms of -A-n. jou, Poitou, and Touraine. The marshal de Blainville and the mar. shal de Sancerre, the two marshals of France, were also there. From other parts came sir Olivier de Clisson, the lord do Ldon, with the knights and barons of Brittany : there were ten thousand men-at-arms at least, and in the plains one hundred thousand horses.* These men.at.arms took up their quarters as near to each other as they could ; but there were between them and die English an arm of the sea and a river. When the sea ebbed, some young knights nsually adventured on die sands, and performed several gallant deeds. Never was there seen so numerous an assembly of knighthood in Brittany. If the French were in great force, the English were very powerful, and each party thought there must be a combat, for every day there was an appearance of it from the banners and pennons fluttering in the wind. The English frequently drew out their army in battle-array, to examine the force of the French and the strength of the banners and pennons, which were there in very great abund- ance. It was a great pleasure to see them thus drawn out in a line of batde, and advance toward the river, to show that they were ready to engage. The English said, " Let us look at our enemies, who will soon, at low water, cross over and fight with us." But they hud no such inclination, and were afraid of trying the chance ; for their leaders would not allow them to advance to the combat. During these frequent displays on each side, the earl of Cambridge, being fatigued with their inutility, declared with an oath, that if he saw them continued without any further advance made toward a battle, he would engage the French himself, whatever might be the consequence. The vanguard, composed of numbers of able men under the command of the constable, who well knew the hot and impatient temper of the English, were ordered to draw up their bat- talions on foot, on the sands as near to the river as possible. The earl of Cambridge, who saw this manoeuvre, cried out, *' Let them who love me follow me, for I am going to engage 1" He then dashed into the river, which was low, but the tide was returning, and he began to cross it with his banner : the English commenced shooting at the French, when the constable ordered his men to retreat to the fields, in hopes the English would have crossed ; for very willingly would lie have seen them do so, and have had them on the other side of the water. The duke of Lancaster was prepared, with a very strong battalion, to follow his brother, should there have been occasion. He said to Gerard de Brees, a squire from Hainault who was near him : " Gerard, see how my brother ventures : he shows the French by his example his willingness for the combat, but they have no such inclination." Thus was this business carried on, without any deeds of arms being performed worth mentioning : the French keeping on one side the water, the English on the other. The flood beginning to increase, the English retreated out of the river, and returned to their quarters : the French followed their example. While these appearances of a batde were carried on, the siege of St. Malo was continued, and several feats of arms were done. The French guarded the banks so well, that the English were afraid to cross the water. It frequently happened that several knights or squires of Brittany, well acquainted with the country, forded the river, and in their ex- cursions met the English foragei^s, with whom they engaged ; and success, as is usual in such cases, was sometimes on one side, some- times on the other. The lords of England resolved to employ a mine, to gain entrance into St. Malo ; for otherwise they thought they could not win it, as it was well provided with men-at-arms, who care- fully defended it, as well as with all sorts of stores and artillery. The English were obliged to be continually armed, and to keep in a body- ready for battle, should the French advance ; and for this reason, they had not leisure to assault the town, except by their cannon, of which they had plenty, that greatly annoyed it. Having fixed on a- spot, they set their miners to work. We will now leave for a while the siege of St. Malo, and return to that of Mortain in Poitou. Denys Sauvage doubt3 if tliia number of hoi^es be not loo great CHAPTER XIX. THE ENGLISH RAISE THE SIEGE OF MOKTAIN. You have before heard related the death of Evan of Wales, how he was murdered, and how the Bretons and Poitevins were before Mortain, under the command of sir James de Montmort, sir Per- ceval d'Ayneval, sir William de Monteoiitour, and sir James de Sur- geres, who would not break up the siege, for they were much enraged at the death of Evan of Wales their commander, and wished to re- venge themselves on the garrison for it. You have also heard how sir Thomas Trivet, sir William Scrope, sir Thomas Breton, sir Wil- liam Cendrine, with a large body of nien-at arms and archers, had been ordered to the country near Bordeaux, and to assist those in Mortain, with sir Matthew Gournay, who resided in Bayonne, and who daily found employment there against the Gascons and barons possessing fortresses in those parts. These four knights had re- mained with their men upward of seven months at Plymouth, wait- ing a favorable wind to carry them to Gascony, which though it vexed them much, they could not help themselves. You have heard likewise that the lord Neville of Raby had been ordered with a body of men-at-arms and archers to the assistance of the king of Navarre, with the appointment of seneschal of Bordeaux. All these knights met at Plymouth, which was very agreeable to every one of them. On the arrival of the lord Neville, they had a wind to their wish, and, having embarked on board the vessels that had been long laden, they set their sails, and steered for Gascony. This fleet consisted of six score vessels and forty barges, having on board about a thousand men-at-arms and two thousand archers. They had favorable weather, which carried them ijito the port of Bordeaux, the night of Our Lady, in September, in the year of grace 1378. When the Bretons and Poitevins who were before Mortain saw this great fleet pass by, with trumpets sounding and every sign of joy, they were much cast down ; while, on the contrary, the garrison were rejoiced, for they justly imagined they should very soon be re- lieved, or that there would be a batde, as they thought they never would have come so far to remain idle. Sir James de Montmort and the other leaders of the army assembled in council, and debated for some time in what manner they should act ; they repented they had neglected to accept the offers of negotiating ; for the souldich do I'Estrade had, a short time before, proposed a parley, and offered tO' surrender the castle, on the garrison being allowed to march in safety to Bordeaux; but the French would not listen to it. However, they now sent a herald to say, they would accept of their terms : but tho souldich replied, he would have nothing to say to them ; that he did not want to capitulate, for that the reinforcements he looked for were arrived ; and that they might remain or march away, as should please themselves. Things remained thus, when the lord Neville and the English arrived at Bordeaux, where they were magnificently received by sir William Helmen, seneschal des Landcs, sir John de Multon, mayor of Bordeaux, the archbishop, the ladies, and citizens. Soon after his arrival, he issued a summons to the knights and squires of Gascony attached to England, and collected so many ves- sels that four thousand embarked on board of them, and sailed down the river Garonne, to raise die siege of Mortain. News was soon carried to the French army, that the English and Gascons were coming down the river in great force to raise die siege : upon this, the leaders called another council, wherein it was resolved, that as they were not sufficiently strong to wait for their enemies, it was better to give up their lost time than to run a greater danger ; having ordered their trumpets to sound, they marched away without doing anything more, and retreated into Poitou. .\11, however, did not march off", for a company of Bretons and Welsh, who had been at- . tached to Evan of Wales, retired into the block-house of St. Leger, CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 241 name was Morfonace, a valiant nian.at-arms, was resolved to defend it well, aided by the counsels of sir Herv^ do Malatrait, the lord de Combor and the viscount de la Belliere, and had so far succeeded that there was not as yet any apparent damage. In the adjacent country, as I have before said, was the flower of France, as well great lords as others ; they amounted to sixteen thousand men-at- arms, knights and squires, with upward of one hundred thousand horses. They were as willing for the combat as the English could be ; but each of them souglit to have an advantage : what, however, prevented this from happening several times was the large river, when the tide was in, between the two armies, which hindered them from attacking each other. The mine was advancing, of which the inhabitants of St. Malo had some suspicions. In such large armies as these, it was not possible but that the foragers of each should fre- quently have rencounters, in which fortune favored sometimes one party, and sometimes the other ; for there were very expert and youthful knights of each army who sought for such exploits. The miners of the duke of Lancaster labored hard at their work day and night, to carry it under the town and throw down part of the walls, so that the men-at-arms and archers miglit easily gain an entrance. Morfonace and the knights in the town guessed what they were about, and knew well that if they should succeed they were ruined. They did not fear their other assaults, for the town was well provided with all sorts of stores and artillery for two years, if necessary : wherefore they considered how they might best counteract this mine.. After having long consulted, they succeeded in their attempt : it was in some sort accidental, for things fell out with extraordinary good fortune for them. Richard, earl of Arundel, was on guard one night wiih his people, but he was very inattentive to obey the orders he had received, of which the garrison were informed by their spies or otherwise. When they had fixed on an hour in which they imagined the army (trusting to lord Arundel's want of vigilance) would be fast asleep, they sal- lied from the town very secretly, and advanced to where the miners were at work, who had little more to do to complete their mine. Mortonace and his company, being prepared to accomplish their en- terprise, destroyed the mine at their ease ; and some of the workmen who were within were never seen afterwards, as the mine fell upon them. When they liad finished this business, they said they would awaken the guard next the town, in order that they might know with what success their gallantry had been crowned. They advanced to one of the wings of the army, shouting their war-cry, cutting down tents, and slaying all they met, so that the whole army was seriously alarmed. Morfonace and his companions retreated into St. Malo without any loss ; during which time the English armed themselves, and advanced in front of the duke's division, who was much aston- ished at this event : he demanded how it could have happened, when they informed him, that by the negligence of the guard, the mine had been destroyed, and they had sutfered a great loss. Upon this, the earl of Arundel was sent for and sharply reprimanded by the duke ot Lancaster and earl of Cambridge for his neglect : he excused him- self as well as he was able, but was so greatly ashamed that he had rather have lost several thousand pounds. After the destruction of the mine, the principal chiefs held a council to determine how they should act. They saw they had lost the season of the year, which was not to be regained : for should they attempt another mine, winter would come before it cuuld be finished ; they therefore resolved, taking all things into consideration, that their wisest plan would be to break up their camp and return to England. Orders were, in con. sequence, issued by the duke and the marshals for the army to de- camp, and embark on board their fleet in the port of St. Mai?. This order was soon obeyed ; and, having a favorable wind, they made sail for Southampton, where they arrived. On disembarking, they learnt that sir John Arundel, the governor of Southampton, was gone to reinforce the garrison of Cherbourg. Thus was this army dispersed, when some recrossed the seas, and others returned to their own country. The common people in England began to murmur against the nobles, saying they had that year done little good in suffering St. Malo to escape from them : in particular, the earl of Arundel found no favor with them. We will now leave the English, to speak of the French and of Cherbourg. which they said would hold out against every force, and dragged all their artillery in with them. The English and Gascon knights, who came full sail down the river Garonne, cast anchor in its mouth be- fore Mortain ; when they disembarked leisurely, and as they landed drew up in order of battle to attack the fort of St. Leger, into which the Bretons and Welsh had retired. Immediately a sharp attack commenced. While this assault was going on, tlie lord Neville sent a herald to the castle to speak with the souldich, and to inquire how he was. The herald perfoi-med his message, and reported that they were in good health, but so naked they had not a shoe to their feet uor a coat to their backs. The attack on St. Leger lasted three hours; and the assailants gained nothing, but had several wounded. The barons then encamped, with the intent of not departing thence before they had conquered it, and were much ve.tcd that the lord de Montniort and the other lords were not shut up in this fort : those lords had very wisely marched oflT, and had left the Bretons. CHAPTER XX. THE ENGLISH RECOVER SEVERAL STRONG CASTLES FRO.'« THE FRENCH IN THE EOtJRDELOIS. The lord Neville and the English knights, on the morrow, gave orders for the assault being renewed : the trumpets sounded for the attack, and each company advanced to the fort St. Leger, when it began marvellously fierce. That fort is situated on a rock which cannot easily be approached, and the weakest side is defended by wide ditches. The assailants labored hard, but got nothing except many killed and wounded. The attack ceased ; when they thought it most advisable to fill up the ditches as well as they could, that they might gain more advantage in tlieir next assault. Having filled up the ditches with much difficulty, the Bretons who were within the fort began to be more alarmed than before, and not without rea- son; so they entered into a treaty. The lords from England, beins as an.xious to assist the king of Navarre as to recover several places which the Bretons held in the Bourdelois, readily Kstened to their proposals. The furt of St. Leger was surrendered, on condition that the garrison should depart without danger to themselves or fortunes, and be conducted whither they chose to go. Thus was the fort of St. Leger won by the English ; when the principal lords went into Mortain, and found there the souldich de I'Estradc and his party in the manner the herald had described them. He was immediately acr'ommodated suitably to his rank, and the castle revictualed and reinforced with fresh troops. They then returned by the river Ga- ronne to Bordeaux the same way they had come. When these knights were recruiting themselves at Bordeaux, they learnt that a baron held a fort called St. Maubert, six leagues dis- tant, in Medoc, from whence he much harassed the country. They embarked on the Garonne great provision of stores and arl«llery, and, having mounted their horses, marched by land to St. Maubert, with about three hundred spears. The Gascons who accompanied lord Neville in this expedition were, sir Archibald de Greilly, the lords de Roussy, de Duras, and de Tournon. On the arrival of these barons with their forces before St. Maubert, they encamped, and soon after began an assault, which at the onset was very severe ; for the Bretons who were in St. Maubert were men of courage, and had lor their captain a person called Huguelin, round whom they rallied, and by whose advice they acted with vigor. These first attacks did not harm the Bretons ; when the English retired to their quarters, and on the morrow erected their engines to cast stones, in order to break through the roof of the tower in which they resided. On the third day they ordered an assault, and said such a ruffianly crew could not hold out much longer. This attack was sharp, and many were slain ; for never did men defend them- selves better than these Bretons : however, seeing that no assistance was likely to come to them, they entered into a treaty : for they found they would never be left in quiet until they were conquered. Trea- ties were concluded between them and the lords of the army, that they should surrender St. Maubert, and march out without any damage to themselves or fortunes, and should retire into Poitou, or wherever they chose, and be conducted thither. When lord Neville had gained St. Maubert, he had it repaired, re- victualled, and provided with artillery : he placed therein Gascons to guard it, and appointed a squire from Gascony, called Peter de Prc- fias, governor, and then returned to Bordeaux. The English at Bor deaux received daily infonnation that Pampeluna in Navarre was besieged, under the conduct of the infant of Castillo ; but they neidier heard from the king of Navarre nor that king from them, which very much displeased him. We will now return to the affairs of Brittany and Normandy, and tell how the siege of St. Malo con- lintied. CHAPTER XXL THE MINE WHICH THE ENGLISH HAD MADE AT ST. MALO FAILS; IN CONSEQUENCE, THE SIEGE IS RAISED. There were many gi-and attacks made by the English on St. Malo, during the siege ; for they had full four hundred cannon, which fired day and mght against the town and castle. The governor, whose CHAPTER XXII. SIR OLIVER DU GtJESCLIN IS MADE PRISONER BY THE GARRISON OF CHERBOHRG. Soon after the English had retreated from St. Malo, and the French had reinforced the town and castle, the constable of France resolved to march and lay siege to Cherbourg ; of which place sir John Harlee- tone was governor, who had with him many knights from England and Navarre, The whole ai-my, however, did not march thither ; for the dukes of Berry, of Burgundy, of Bourbon, the count de la Marche, the dauphin of Auvergne, with other chiefs and great lords, sent back their troops to their different countries. Several went to pay their respects to the king at Rouen, who very graciously received them. The Bretons and Normans advanced to Valognes, three leagues from Cherbourg, where they erected small forts. They knew 242 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. well that sir John Arundel had reinforced the garrison, and thc-y sup- posed he was still there. Between Cherbourg and Valogncs are large forests, even as far as Coutanees. The garrison of Cherbourg could sally forth, and make excursions over the country as often as they pleased, for there were in the forests well-hedged roads, which prevented them from being attacked, and Cherbourg is one of the strongest castles. The gar- rison of Valognes were exceedingly vexed that they could not hurt the English, by harassing the country. Sir Oliver du Guesclin, brother to the constable, imagined tliat if he could, by means of the forest, approach in a cunning way near to Cherbourg, to reconnoitre it; particularly if he could any how be. siege it; or if at least he could seize the town, which lies at some little distance from the castle, he would so strongly fortify it that the gar- rison could not quit or enter the castle without great loss. Sir Oliver deter, mined to try this pro. ject; and taking with him about '^''■^ I een juces, and guides who were acquaint- ed with the roads through the forest, he set out one morn- ing from Valognes, continuing his march until he had passed through the forest op. posite to Cherbourg. That same day sir John Arundel had visited the town to amuse himself, and had brought with him a squire of Na. varre, called John Coq, to show him the town. He was there informed that the French were at hand reconnoitering the place. " My lord," said John Coq, " I have heard that sir Oliver du Guesclin, the constable's brother, has passed the wood, and is examining our castle : for God's sake, let him be pursued. I think I can conduct you in such a manner that he must fall into our hands, so that we may conquer them all." " By my faith," replied sir John, " I am very willing so to do." Having armed themselves secretly, they mounted their horses, in number about one hundred lances, picked men, and set out from Chcrboi>-g, entered the forest without the French knowing anything of the matter, and rode on. Sir Oliver, finding the place of such strength as to make it impos- sible to besiege it, took the same road to Valognes by which he had come. He had not marched three leagues before sir John Arundel and John Coq, with their companions, who had been very exactly conducted, charged them, shouting " Our Lady for Arundel !" When sir Oliver heard this cry, and saw them advancing, he wished himself in Valognes: he therefore mounted a fleet courser, in hopes of saving himself, for he found the parties were too unequal for a combat ; and his people dispersed themselves in the forest. Too few kept together. John Coq, like a valiant man-at-arms, pursued sir Oliver so closely that at last he made him his prisoner : there were also ten or a dozen more taken ; the remainder saved themselves among the trees, and returned to Valognes as well as they could, and related to sir Wil- liam des Bordes how they had fallen into an ambussade, and that sir Oliver, with the remainder of their comjianions, had been made prisoners. The knights and squires at Valognes were greatly hurt at this, but help it they could not. Sir Oliver du Guesclin was conducted by the garrison to the castle of Cherbourg, where he was told his ransom would be at least ten thousand francs. This capture was great news for England ; and the business continued thus for a considerable time. Sir Oliver du Guesclin remained prisoner in Cherbourg, under the guard of John Coq who had taken him ; but sir John Arundel had all the profit : he ransomed sir Oliver and those who had been captured with him, but not immediately. When the garrison of Cherbourg had been reinforced, sir John Arundel returned to South- ampton, of which place he was governor. There remained with sir John Harlestone in Cherbourg some English knights ; such as sir John Copeland, sir John Briole, sir Thomas Pigourde and several knights and squires : who so carefully guarded it that no damage was done. We will now leave for a while Cherbourg, and speak of lord Neville, the seneschal of Bordeaux, sir Thomas Trivet, with others their companions, and show how they prospered. CHAPTER XXIII. THE TRENCH GARRISON OF EEKSAT* IS DEFEATED. THE TOWN StTRRKN. DERS TO THE ENGLISH. THE KING OF NAVARRE COMES TO BORDEAUX, TO SOLICIT AID FROM THE ENGLISH. The lord Neville, who resided at Bordeaux, had had good infor- Oliver du Guesclix made prisoner by the garrison of Cherbourff mation that the infanta of Castille, with a large army of Spaniards, was besieging the good city of Panijieluna, and that the viscount de Chastillon, the lord de I'Escut, Raimond de Rameren, with several others, were shut up in it ; but he had no intelligence of the king of Navarre, nor where he kept himself, which very much astonished him : he supposed, however, that he should soon hear from him. The inhabitante of Bordeaux and the adjacent countries entreated hiin not to quit those parts, nor to send away any of his men-at-arms, so long as the Bretons should hold any forts near them : they in- formed him particularly how the garrison of Bersat very much haras, scd the country of the Bourdeluis. To the inquiries of the lord Neville, how many Bretons there might be in Bersat ; they answered, there were full five hundred fighting men. Upon this, he called to him the seneschal des Landes and sir William Scrope, and said to them : " Take two or three hundred lances, with as many archers, and march to Bresat, and manage so as to free the country from that garrison ; when we will afterwards turn our thoughts to things of greater importance." These two knights wished nothing more than to obey the orders they had received ; and collecting their men, they crossed the Ga- ronne, and marched tov/ard BiTsat. The same day the English had left Bordeaux, the garrison of Bersat had made an excursion, with about six score lances : they had ascended the river Garonne in hopes of meeting some boats, and were under the command of a knight from Perigord, called sir Bcrtrand Raimond, a good man-nt.arms. About a short league from Bersat, the two parties of English and French came suddenly in sight of each other. When sir Bcrtrand saw that a combat was unavoidable, he was no way alarmed, but gave proper orders to his men, who were almost all Gascons, and drew them up in handsome array. The English charged them with couched lances, spurring their horses until they were in the midst of them. On the first shock, many were unhoreed on each side, and several gallant deeds done. At last, however, tlie French Gascons could not maintain the fight ; for there were too many against them, who were likewise chosea men. The party from the garrison of Bersat were either slai n Of *" " Bersat"— a sinall towu Qf Limousin, diote^e of Limoffes. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &, 343 who received his nephew and his companions very agreeably, and helped tkem to find out lodgings. Sir Thomas's intentions were to have continued his march without halting : but sir Matthew Gournay said to him, " Fair nephew, since you have with you so large a force, let us free this country from the Bretons and French, who hold at least a dozen fortresses between this place and Bayonnc ; otherwise you leave them in your rear, and they may do us much mischief the ensuing winter. If you consent, the country will thank you, and 1 entreat it of you.-" " By my faith," replied sir Thomas, " I am very willing." Soon after this conversation, he set about the business, and, drawing out his forces in the plain, marched toward a fort called Montpin, which was in the possession of the Bretons. A squire from the county of Foix, whose name was Taillardon, was governor of it. On their arrival, the English began a very severe attack. The fort was stormed, and all in it put to the sword except Taillardon, who was made prisoner. After having placed in the castle a new garrison, they marched away, and came before another, catled Carcilhat, which the Gascons held. They immediately commenced an assault, but not gaining it directly, tdey encamped. On the morrow, they re- newed the attack with so much vigor that it was taken, and all within slain except the governor, who was from Lower Brittany, and called Yvonnet Aprisidly : he was given to the English as prisoner, and the castle burnt. They then marched toward another fort, called Be- scnghen, of which a Gascon squire was governor, whose name was Roger de Morelac. The English were two days before they could win it, which was at last done by capitulation : the garrison marched out in surety, and each man returned to his home. From this castle they came before Tassegnon, which is sittiated three leagues from Bayonnc, and laid siege to it. The Bayonnois were much rejoiced when they heard of this ; and they were joined from that town by full live hundred men with lances and shields, bringing with them the largest of their warlike engines. The gar- rison of Tassegnon having done so much harm to those of Bayonnc, made them thus desirous of their destruction ; but they would never have succeeded had it not been for the judgment and advice of the English : yet with all their united force they were fifteen days before they gained it, which was done by capitulation, on the garrison marching out in safety under passports from sir Thomas Trivet, who had them escorted as far as Bregent, which belonged to the French. The Bayonnois bought the castle for three thousand francs, and then razed it, carrying the stones to Bayonne ; where the English were received with great joy, and had all things according to their wish by pa)'ing for them. made prisoners ; very few escaped. Sir Bertrand Raimond and sir William Henion were among those taken. The English then rode on toward Bersat. \Vhen the garrison found that their party had been defeated, they were thunder-struck, and surrendered the place upon their lives being spared. Thus did Bereat become English ; and the detachment returned to Bordeaux. At the same time the English returned to Bordeaux (the night of All-saints, in the year 1378,) the king of Navarre came also tlvither, without being expected. The English received him most honorably ; and, after they had lodged him and his attendants commodiously, they asked what news from his country and of the Spaniards, for they had received orders to make such inquiries. He fully answered their questions, by saying that the infant John of CastiUe had besieged Pampeluna with a large army, and had much constrained those who were within it. He therefore entreated them, in conformily to the orders they had from the king of England, to make themselves ready to assist his people, and to raise the siege. The English knights replied they were per. fectly willing, and through no negligence on their part should the siege fail to be raised : that they would prepare everything speedily, but added, " Sir, you will return to yoiu' countiy, and issue out a special summons to your people ; for we will be with you on a fixed day, when we shall be altogether in greater force : besides, your people know the country better than we .■Jo." The king of Navan-c replied that they sp'kc well, and Vvhat they had proposed should be done, -\fter this, he remained with the English but three days, when he took his leave, and left the city of Bordeaux, returning home by sea ; for there were, in the neighborhood of Bayonne and the city of Dax in Gaaeony, several fortresses in the hands of the Bretons. The king of Navarre safely arrived at the town of St. Jean, where he resided. CHAPTER XXIV. THE IKFANT OF CASTILLE BESIESES PAMTELUNA. SIR THOMAS TKIVET, IN COiXDUCTING SCCCOKS TO THE KINS OF NAVAKRE, TAKES SEVERAL PLACES IN GASCONY FROM THE FRENCH. DtTKixo the time the king of Navarre was at Bordeaux, and since his return to his own country, John of Castille, son of the king of Spain, with the constable of Castille, who was the chief of this war, and whose name was don Pedro de Manriquez, had besieged the good city of Pampeluna with a large force. With them were the count don Alphonso, the count de Medina, the count de Manons, the count de Ribede, Peter Ferrand de Fal- esque, Peter Goussart de Modesque, and several other barons and knights from Spain, with their troops.* These Spaniards, on their march toward Pampeluna, had taken and burnt the town of Lorwicli and the city of Viana, on this side Lo- grono ; and there was not a lord in Navarre who dared to show him- self before them, but each remained shut up in his easde. The Idnn- of Navarre knew well all this, for he had conrlnually messengers coming and going, but he could not do anything without the assist- ance of the English. Lord Neville, t who resided at Bordeaux, whither he had been sent by the king of England and his council, was informed of all the treaties between the two kings, and that it was incumbent on him to fulfil them. Having considered this matter, he called to him sir Thomas Trivet, a very valiant knighi, and said to him, " Sir Thomas, you know that we have been ordered hither to guard die frontiers of this country, to drive out our enemies, and to assist the king of Na- varre, who has been lately here, and tild us how much he was in want of our help. You were present when I promised him assistance. This must be done, or we shall be blamed. Therefore, my dear friend and companion, I appoint you leader of the troops I shall send to this war, and now order you to inarch thither with five hundred lances and a thousand archers. I shall remain where I am, being sfineschal of Bordeaux, under th.e orders of the king of England ; for I must pay attention to what passes here, as this whole country is not very secure against our enemies." " My lord," replied sir Thomas, " you do me more honor than I deserve : I will obey your orders, as in justice I ought to do, and will acquit myself in this business to the utmost of my power." " Of that, sir Thomas," an- swered lord Neville, " I am perfectly assured." Sir Thomas Trivet made no long delay, but, having completed his preparations, set out from Bordeaux with his complement of men-at- anns and archers, taking the road toward Dax in Gascony. There were with him William Condone, sir Thomas Berton, sir John Affulee, sir Henry Paulo, sir William Croquet, sir Louis Malin, sir Thomas Fourque, and sir Robert Hasten, all Gascons. When this army was arrived at the city of Dax, they received intelligence that the king of Navarre was at St. Jean du Pied des Ports, there assem- bling his men-at-arms. This news was veiy pleasing (o them. Sir Matthew Gournay,} uncle to sir Thomas Trivet, was governor of Dax, * Fen-eros does not mention any siege of Pampeluna, but ^nrs tlie infant advanced to Gorriaz, near P.tmpeluna, and afterwords besieged Viana : when, havint; taken it, he returned to Castille. He notices only the firet of the Spaniards in the te.il.— Vol, v.'pp «8, 4S9. t Lord Neville of Raby,— Dcubale. t Sir Mallliew Gournay was fourth and youngest son of Thomas, one of the nnirderers of Mward fl. He was a soldier of fortune, an able and valiant man, and svn up, he said as he was advancing, " Look at these good women: Ic! us return back, for we cannot do anytliing more." Upon wliicli tlicy re'.rcatcd, crossed the brouU, and made for Cascante, carrying wlxh ihcm their prisoners. Sir Tiiomas Trivet acquired great I'avor I'rom the king of Navarre for the success of this ex- pedition. About fifteen days after (his affair of Aliaro, the Spaniards look tlie I'lchi, ajnouniing in the whole, horse and loot, to twenty thousand men, with a good inclination lo combat the English. The king of Navarre, on hearing this, went to Tudela, attended by sir Thomas Trive' and his troops, and sent orders for all the garrisojis of Navarre to march thither: they willingly obeyed his orders, as they wished for iiotliiiig more than to engage the Spaniards. The Spaniards were only wailing for the arrival of king Henry, who had left Seville with a numerous aliendance, and was iraversijig his kingdom to St. Domingo, where on his arrival lie halted, and quartered his people in ihe adjaecnl plain. When don .lolin heard that the king was come to Si. Domingo, he loft Alfaro, and marched Ihillier with his army. li was the intention of the Spaniards to lay siege to Tudela and inclose the king of Navarre in it, or force him to fight. The king of Navarre was informed of all this, and he knew that he was not strong enough lo risk a balllc with king Henry, who had forty thousand men, including horse and foot. There were some pielates and barons, wise and valiant men of both kingdoms, in cither army, who foresaw that great troubles might arise if the two kings, Henry and Charles, should mutually slay each other in battle : liicy therefore proposed an arniislice, that they niiglil endeavor to settle their differences : but thcs-c negotiators had much labor and difficulty before they could bring matters to an issue, for the English, who amounted to full (wo thousand, were haughty and bitter against the Spaniards, and advised the king of Navarre to risk a battle. On the other hand, (he Spaniards, who were very numeraus, held tl'.e English and Navarrois cheap. The treaties, however, were drawing to a conclusion ; and, with much diiBculty, an armistice WPS agreed on., for six weeks, between the two kingdoms, with the intent of concluding a peace. The negotiators proposed also that a marriage should take place between the eldest son of king Henry with a daughter of the king of Navarre, that ihe peace might be more solid and durable. The king of Navarre readily listened to this pro. posal, for he saw by it how highly his daughter would be settled. The prelates and barons t>f both realms advised also that Charles, fldcst son of the king of Navarre, should marry a daughter of king Henry. This was concluded ; and don Henry, king of Caslille, was to use his influence with the king of France, under whose guardian- ship Charles was, that he should be permilted to ri-turn to Navarre. This he performed ; and the king of France complied with his request. The king of Navarre, on account of these marriages, was willing to surrender, for ten years, to the king of Spain, as a security for his good faith, the towns and castles of Estella, of Tudela, and of la Guardia. King Henry consented to give up to the English sir Peter Courtenay and the lord de l'Esparre,a Gascon, who were his prison- ers. All these different treaties were sealed, and sworn to be faith- fully observed for ever by the two kings ; and it was agreed that whoever should any way infringe ihem should submit himself to the judgment of the pope. While these negotiations were going forward, the king of Navarre, who was indebted to the English twenty thousand francs, sent the viscount de Chastillon to Arragon to borrow this sum from the king of Arragon, who readily lent it to him, but took for his security the good towns of Pampehma, Miranda, Borgo la Rcyna, Corella and St. Jean du Pied des Ports. By these means, the English were paid tlreir demands : they left the king of Navarre, well satisfied with their conduct, returned to Bordeaux, and from thence to England. The marriage was concluded between Charles of Navarre and the daughter of king Henry : she was called .lane, and was very hand, some. In this year the king of Caslille died, and his eldest son, don John, succeeded him. He was crowned with the consent of all the prelates and barons of Spain, king of Caslille, Seville, Gallicia and Cordova ; and they swore to him, for ever, fealty and homage. About this time, war commenced between the kings of Portugal and Cas- tiUe, which lasted a considerable time, as you will hear related in this history. But we must now return to the affairs of France. CHAPTER XXVIII. THE LORD DE MUCIDENT TURNS TO THE ENSLiSH. THE LORD DE LANGU- EANT IS MORTALLY WOUNDED. THE GOVERNOR OF BOUTEVILLE IS DEFEATED, AND THE CASTLE SURRENDERS TO THE FRENCH. Vou have before heard that the lord de Mucident had turned to the French party. He had remained at Paris for upward of a year, until he was tired ; for he had expected more from the king of France than he had received, which made him repent having changed his side. He said he had been forced so to do, and that it was not of his own free will. He had therefore resolved to quit Paris privately, where he had too long resided, return to his own country, and then surrender himself to the English ; for he preferred serving the king of England to the king of Fiance. He acted upon this plan, and gave all his acquaint, ance to understand, except those of his council, that he was dis. gusied. One evening he mounted his horse incognito, only two persons with him, set out from Paris, and rode to his own country, where his people followed him. He continued iiis journey until he came to Bordeaux, where he found the lord Neville, to whom he related his adventures. He attached himself to the English, and declared he would rather betray his troth to the king of France than to liis natural lord the king of England. The lord de Mucident re- mainc^d steady to the English ever after as long as he lived. The duke of Anjou was much enraged when he heard of this, and swore, ihat if ever he could lay hands upon him, he would make his head fly from his shoulders. This was told lo tiie lord do Muci. dent, who in consequence took every precaution in his power. The lord de Langurant remained steadfast to the French. He was an able and active knight, and harassed much the vassals of those who had turned to the English possessing lands adjoining lo his own; such as the lords de Rosem, de Daras, de Muci.leni ; which made iliesc three baronsvery angry, and excited them to attempt all means to slay him; for he was their bitter enemy. The lord de Langurant, being a knight eager for battle, was ridin;^ out one day attended by about forty lances : he advanced near to an English garrison called Cadillac,* which belonged to the captal de Buch and his brothers. He posted his men in ambush in a wood, telling them that he would ride alone to the castle to sec if any one would sally forth against him. His men obeyed : when, riding to Ihe barriers of Cadillac, he spoke to the guards, asking, " Whore is Bernard Courant, your captain ? Tell him that the lord de Langurant wishes to tilt with iiim ; and, since he is so valiant a man-at-arms, he will not refuse my request for the love of his lady. If ho should not consent, it will turn to his shame, and I will publish everywhoro that he had refused to break a lance with me through cowardice." One of the valets of Bernard, at that time at the barriers, replied, " Lord de Langurant, I have perfectly heard what you have said : I will go and inform my master ; for cowardice shall never be a re. proach to him, if you will be so good as to wait." " By my faith," answered the lord de Langurant, " that I will." The valet went to his master, whom he found in his chamber, and told him what you have heard. When Bernard heard this, his heart swelled within him, and he fiercely exclaimed, " Give me my arms, and saddle my steed, for he shall never return with a refusal." His orders were promptly obeyed: being armed, he mounted on horseback with his lance and buckler, and, having the gates and barriers thrown open, advanced into the plain. The lord de Langurant was much pleased when he saw him ; lowering his spear, he placed himself in the position of a good knight, as did his squire. They were both well mounted ; and, spurring their hoi-ses, their lances struck with such force on their shields as shivered them to pieces. At the second pass, Bernard Courant gave such a deadly blow on the shoulder of the lord de Langurant as to drive him out of his saddle, and fell him to the ground. When Bernard saw him fall, he was rejoiced, and turning his horse upon him, as the lord de Langurant was raising himself up, Bernard, who had great strength, caught him with both hands by the helmet, tore it off his head, and flung it under his horse. The troops of the lord de Langurant who were in ambush, noticing all this, began to advance to rescue their lord. Bernard Courant perceived them, and, drawing his dagger, said to the lord de Langu- rant, " Surrender yourself my prisoner, lord de Langurant, rescued or not, or you are a dead man." The lord de Langurant, who trusted to his people for assistance, w-as shy, and made no answer. When Bernard saw that he would not make any reply, he was in- flamed with passion, and, fearing lest ho might suffer from delay, struck him with his dagger on the head, which was bare, and drove it into him : then, drawing it back, he put spurs to his horse, galloped within the barriers, where he dismounted, and put himself in a pos- ture of defence, if there should be a necessity for it. The lord de Langurant's people, on coming to him, found him mortally wounded : they were very much enraged at it, and, having bandaged his wound as well as they could, carried him back to his castle, where he, on the morrow, expired. Such was the end of the lord de Langurant in Gascony. At this period, a deed of arms was performed, in the Rochellois, against Heliot de Plaisac, a very amiable squire and gallant man-at- arms, governor of Bouteville,t an English garrison, wherein there were about six score lances, English and Gascons, who, pillaging the whole country, advanced almost daily as far as the towns of La Ro. clielle or St. Jean d'Angely. They kept these towns in such dread that none dared to venture out but very privately, which angered greatly the knights and squires of that country. They considered well this business, and resolved either to apply such a remedy as would put a stop to it, or lo lose their lives or liberties in the attempt. They collected, in the town of La RoChelle, about two hundred spears, on whom they could depend ; for it was toward this town that Heliot de Plaisac made his excursions. There were now in it, from Poitou and Saintonge, the lords de Touars, de Puissances, sir James de Surgeres, sir Perceval de Coulogne, sir Reginald de Go- * " Cadillac"— a viUaee in Guieune, seven leagues from Burdeau:k. t "Bouteville near Cognac. 246 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. mers, sir Hugh de Vivonne, and several other knights and squires, all well inchncd to meet and combat their enemies. These lords had had information that Heliot de Plaisac was on his march toward La Rochelle, in search of prey. They gave iheir orders accordingly, and sallied out in the evening well armed and mounted. On their departure, they directed that the cattle should, on the morrow, be driven out to the fields to take their chance ; which was obeyed. When the morrow came, Heliot de Plaisac and his troop arrived before La Rochelle, while their foragers collected the cattle, and had them driven away by the peasants of the country. They had not gone mere than a league before the French (who were upward of two hundred lances) fell upon their wing, quite unexpectedly, and charged them vigorously; so that, at this first onset, several were unhorsed. Heliot de Plaisac cried out, " On foot, on foot ! let no man fly, but send away the horses ; for, if the day be ours, we shall have horses enow, and, if we lose it, we shall not want any." The English and Gascons, of Heliot's party, drew up on foot, and in good order. The French did the same, for they were afraid of their horses being wounded by the spears and swords of the enemy. The battle then commenced. It was severe, and of long contin- uance ; for they fought hand to hand, pushing their spears up to their guards at every thrust. Many gallant deeds were done ; there was many a capture, and many a rescue. However, the Poitevins and Saintongers won the field, and their enemies were either slain or made prisoners, for very few escaped ; the forage was recaptured, and Heliot dc Plaisac taken and carried to La Rochelle. Shortly afterwards, these lords marched to the castle of Bouteville, which was soon and easily taken, for scarcely any one was within it. Thus was Bouteville gained by the French, to the great joy of all the country round about. Heliot de Plaisac remained in prison for a long time. CHAPTER XXIX. I SIR THOZ^IAS TRIVET RETURNS TO ENGLAND WITH HIS COMPAIJIONS. HIS HERALD RELATES TO THE DUKE OF LANCASTER THE PARTICULARS OF THE DEATH OF KING HENRY OF CASTILLE, AND THE CORONATION OF HIS ELDEST SON DON JOHN. At this time, sir Thomas Trivet, sir WilUara Helmen, and the other knights who had been in Spain to the assistance of the king of Navarre, returned to England. They immediately waited on the king, who at that time resided at Chcrtsey : his two uncles, the duke of Lancaster and the earl of Cambridge, were with him. These knights were graciously received by the king and his lords ; and jnany questions were asked concerning the news of the countries they came from; they told all they knew ; how the war had been carried on in Spain and Navarre, and how those two kings had con- cluded a peace, relating exactly the articles of the treaties, and also that the king of Navan'e had married his eldest son to a daughter of king Henry. The duke of Lancaster and the earl of Cambridge were very pen. sive on hearing this intelligence, for they had considered themselves as heirs to all Spain in right of their wives : they inquired at what time king Henry had died, and if the Spaniards had crowned his son king. Sir Thomas Trivet and sir William Helmen answered : " My dear lords, when king Henry the bastard died, we were not at the coronation of his son ; for at that time we had retreated into Navarre ; but we have a herald who was present, and you may, if you please, learn from him every particular concerning it." The herald was called in, and the duke desired he would relate how everything passed. He answered : " My lords, I will comply with your request, and tell you all. While these knights were at Pampeluna, waiting the conclusion of the treaties, I remained by their permission with the king of Navarre, and was much respected by him and his people. I left Pampeluna, and accompanied him to St. Domingo, where, on his approach king Henry came out to meel him with a numerous train, as a proof of his affection. The king of Navarre and his people were treated with much honor : in the even- ing he was entertained with a very handsome supper. While at table, news was brought that a wild boar was discovered in the ad- joining moors ; a hunting party was directly formed for the morrow. The two kings and their huntsmen were present ; the boar v.'as taken ; and they returned to St. Domingo in the most friendly manner. " The next day, king Henry set out for Pierreferradc,* to keep an appointment he had made with his people. He was there seized with an illness, of which he died. The king of Navan-e was told of it as he was on his road to visit him : he returned back much vexed thereat. I then took my leave of hiin, and went to Castille to learn • " Pieire-ferrade." Q. I cnniiot find anytliiiis like this name in tlie map near to St. Domineo. There is Pon-ferrada on tlie western borders of Leon, but that appears to be too distant. Denys Sauvage does not seem to understand this passage. Moreri says. Henry died at St. Bomingo. Ferrerns. in his History ofSpain, says, the vulgar report was, that Henry was poisoned by means of a handsome pair of buskins, whiih Mahomet king of Granada sent him as a present, lest, when having made peace willi Uie king of Navarre, he might turn liis arms against him. Ferreras himself seems (o doubt it. He died at Saint Domingo la Cajfada. 39th May, 1374. The infant John was instantly proclaimed king, and left St Dommgo for Burgos, carrying with him Uie body of his father, which he deposited Inere, in order for its being transported to Toledo. what was going forward. King Henry died oa Wednesday. Shortly after, on the 25th day ef July, the feast of St. .Tames and St. Chris- topher, .John, eldest son of the late king Henry, was crow-ned king of Castille, in the cathedral church of the city of Burgos. All the barons and prelates of Spain, Galicia, Cordova, and Seville were present, and swore, on the holy Evangelists, their homaffes to him as king. He created that day two hundred and ten knights, and made several magnificent presents. On the mon'ow after iiis coro- nation, he went, attended by great numbers of his nobles, to a con- vent of nuns, out of Burgos, which is called les Oruchcs, where he heard mass and dined. After dinner, there was a grand tournament; at which the viscount de Roquebertin, from Arragon, won the prize. When this was over, the king returned to Burgos, where tlie feasts lasted for fifteen days." The duke of Lancaster asked if the king of Portugal had been in. vitcd thither : the herald said, " He had been invited, but did not come ; and I was informed he tuld the envoy who carried the invita- tion, that he would never attend the coronation of the son of a bas- tard." " On my faith," replied the duke, " he did well to send such an answer, and I thank him for it. Things shall not long remain as they now are. It shall soon be otherwise, for my brother and myself will call upon don John for that inheritance of which he now styles himself king." Here the conversation ended, when they called for wine and refreshments. We will now leave this matter, and return to what was passing in France. CHAPTER XXX. THE EAKL OF FLiNDERS STOPS THE PROGRESS OF AN EMBASSADOR FROM THE KING OF FRANCE TO SCOTLAND : THIS CAUSES GREAT DISSENSIONS BETWEEN THEM. King Charles, who at this time governed France, was very saga- cious and subtle, as his conduct showed ; for, though he never quilted his closet or his amusements, he reconquered all that Ids predeces- sors had lost in the field at the head of their armies, for which he was greatly to be commended. Now, because the king of France knew that king Robert of Scotland, and that whole kingdom, bore a mortal hatred to the English (for never can these two kingdoms love each other,) that a better understanding between him and the Scots might be continued, he determined to send one of his knights, and a secre. tary to his council, to king Robert and the Scots, to treat with them ; to examine the state of that country, and see whether they wore in a condition to carry on any effectual war : for Evan of Wales had during his lifetime informed him, that the most certain way of dis- ttu'hing England was through Scotland. The king of France, having well considered this matter, had various ideas on the subject ; and, having fixed his plan, he called to liitn one of his knights, a ])rudent man, named sir Peter lord de Boumezel, and said : " You will carry this message to Scotland, and salute the king and barons, with the assurance that we and our realm are wil- ling to enter into treaties with them on the footing of good friends, in order that, when the season shall be favorable, we may send over troops, to be there admitted in the like manner as the practice has been with our predecessors in former times : and in your journeys thither and back again, as well as during your residence, you will take care to keep such state as shall become an embassador from the king ; for such is our will ; and every expense shall be repaid you." The knight answered, " Sire, your orders shall be obeyed." He did not delay his journey long after this ; but, when his pre- parations were ready, he took leave of the king, and set out from Paris, continuing his route until he came to Sluys in Flanders. He waited there for a wind, which being unfavorable, detained him fif- teen days. During this time he lived magnificently ; and gold and silver plate were in such profusion in the apartments as if he had been a prince. He had also music to announce his dinner, and caused to be carried before him a sword in a scabbard, richly blazoned with his arms in gold and silver. His seiTants paid w'ell for everything. Many of the towns-people were much astonished at the great state this knight lived in at home, which he also maintained when he went abroad. The bailiff of the town, who was an officer under the earl of Flanders, had noticed this conduct, and could not remain silent on the subject, for which he was to blame, but went and informed the earl of it, who at the time resided at Bruges, and his cousin the duke of Brittany with him. The carl of Flanders having considered a while, with the advice of the duke of Brittany, ordered the embassador to be brought thither. The bailiff returned to Sluys, and came very tmcourteously to the king's knight ; for he laid his hand on him, and arrested him in the name of the earl. The knight was exceedingly surprised at this proceeding : he told the bailiff, that he was embassador and commissioner from the king of France. The bailiff said, " that might be ; but he must speak with the earl, who had ordered him to be conducted into his pres- ence." The knight could not by any means excuse himself from being carried to Bruges with all his attendants. When he was brought into the apartments of the earl, he and the didtc of Brittany were leaning on a window which looked into the gardens. The knight cast himself on his knees before the earl, and said, " My lord, I am your prisoner." At which words, the earl was mightily enraged, and replied with a passion, " How, rascal, do you dare to call your- CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 24T self my prisoner, when I have only sent to speak with you ? The subjects of my lord may very freely come and speak with me ; but thou hast ill acquitted thyself by remaining so long at Sluys without coming to visit rae, when thou knewest I was so near ; but, I suppose, thou disdainedst it." " My lord," answered the knight, " saving your displeasure" — He was interrupted by the duke of Brittany, who said, " It is by such tattlers and jesters of the parliament of Paris, and of tlie king's chamber, as you, that the kingdom is governed ; and you manage the king as you please, to do good or evil according to your wills : there is not a prince of the blood, however great he may be, if he incur your hatred, who will be listened to : but such fellows shall yet be hanged, until the gibbets be full of them." The knight, who was still on his knees, was much mortified by these words: he saw that it was better for him to be silent than to make any reply : he did not therefore answer, but quitted tlie pres- ence of tile carl and his lords, when he found an opportunity. Some worthy people who were with the earl made way for him, and carried him to refresh himself. The knight afterwards mounted his horse, and returned to his hotel in Sluys, w-here I will tell you what hap- pened to him. Although all his stores were embarked, and there was a favorable wind for Scotland, he would not sail and risk the dangers of the sea ; for he was warned that he was watched by the English who resided in Sluys, and that, if he should sail, he would be taken, and carried to England. Through fear of this happening, he gave up his inte:idcd voyage, quitted Sluj's, and returned to the king at Paris. You may ea»ily imagine, that the lord de Bournezel was not long before he tjld the king all that had befallen him in Flanders : he re- lated everything exactly as it had happened. It was necessary he should do so by way of excusing himself for not having obeyed his orders, as the king was very much surprised at his return. When sir Peter was relating the events of this journey, there were present several knights of the king's chamber : in particular, sir John de Guistelles of Hainault, a cousin to the earl of Flanders, who mutter, ingly repeated the words of sir Peter; so that, thinking the knight had spoken too freely of the earl of Flanders, he could not contain himself, but said : " I cannot thus hear my dear cousin the earl of Flanders so slightingly spoken of; and if, sir knight, you mean to nffirm for ti-uth all you have said, and assert that he by his act pre- vented you from fulfilling your orders, I challenge you to the field, and here is my glove." The lord de Bournezel was not slow to reply: " Sir John, I say that I was thus arrested and conducted by the bailiff of Sluys, and brought before the earl of Flanders ; and that every word which I have spoken as from that earl and the duke of Brittany were said by them ; and if you wish to say anytliing to the contrary, and that it was not so, I will take up your glove." '* I do say so," replied the lord de Guistelles. At these words, the king looked very grave, and said, " Come, come ; we will hear no more of this." He then retired into his closet, attended by his chamberlains, very well pleased that sir Peter had so frankly spoken, and had so well answered sir John de Guistelles. He said to them smiling, " He has kept hi? ground well : I would not for twenty thousand francs it had not so hap- pened." Sir John de Guistelles, who was one of the king's cham- berlains, was afterwards so ill at court, and received with so much coldness, that he noticed it, and wished not to abide the consequen- ces : he therefore took leave of the king, and went to Brabant to duke Winceslaus, who retained him in his service. With regard to the king of France, he was much angered with the earl of Flanders ; for it appeared to several of the kingdom, that he had prevented the lord de Bournezel from continuing his journey to Scotland. He had also entertained his cousin the duke of Brittany, who was greatly out of favor with the king of France. Those who were near the person of the king easily saw that the earl of Flanders was not in his good graces. Shortly after this event, the king of France wrote very sharp letters to his cousin the earl of Flanders, which contained also menaces, for that he had supported and kept with liim the duke of Brittany, whom he considered as his enemy. The earl, wrote back again, and made the best excuses he could. These were, however, of no avail ; for the king of France sent him sharper letters, in which ho declared, that if he did not send away his enemy the duke of Brittany, he would look upon him in the same light. When the earl of Flanders saw the manner in which the king took it, and that he would follow it up, he considered with himself (for he had a quick imagination,) and resolved to show these menaces to his principal toivns, more especially to Ghent, to know what answer they would wish him to send. He dispatched copies to Bruges, Ypres and Courtray ; and he set out with the duke of Brittany for Ghent, where they lodged at the postern gate. He was received by the citizens with very great joy, fur at that time they were much pleased to have him amjng them. When the deputies from the other towns were an-ived, according to their orders, the count had them assembled ; and John de la Faucille harangued them, in his name, on the cause of his meeting them : he read to them the letters which had been received within the last two months from the king of France. After these letters had been read, the earl spoke as follows : ■' My children, and good people of Flanders, through God's grace, I have been for a long time your lord: I have governed you in peace as much as was in my power ; and you have never seen anything in me but a desire to maintain you in prosperity, as a good lord should act in regard to his subjects. It must be veiy displeasing to me, and to you also who are my faithful subjects, that I should incur the hatred of my lord the king, because I keep with me my cousin-german the duke of Brittany, who at this lime is not in favor with the court of France ; nor, in truth, can he place ajiy dependence on his vassals of Brittany, through the hatred of five or six of his barons. The king insists that I banish him my house and territories, which would be very extraordinary. I do not say but that if I should assist my cousin in opposition to France, the king might have cause to com- plain : but I have neither done so, nor have I any such inclinations. It is for this cause I have assembled you, to explain to you the dangers that might happen if you should be desirous for him to remain with me." They answered unanimously, " My lord, we do wish him to remain with you : and we know not that prince, however great he may be, who should resolve to make war upon you, but who would find in your earldom of Flanders two hundred thousand men com- pletely armed." This reply was very agreeable to the earl of Flanders, who said, " My good children, I thank you." The assembly now broke up ; and the earl was so well pleased that he gave them permission to return to their own homes in peace. The earl, at a proper time, re- turned to Bruges in company with the duke of Brittany. Tilings remained in this situation. The earl was very popular with his sub- jeets, and the country continued in peace and prosperity: this, how- ever, did not last long, through extraordinary wickedness, which, brought on great tribulation, as you will hear related in tliis liistory. CHAPTER XXXI. THE DUKE OF BKITTANT KETIRES FROM FLANDERS TO ENGLAND. THE VOUNQ COUNT DE ST. POL, WHILE A PRISONER IN ENGLAND, MARRIES. The king of France was punctually informed of everything that bad passed, and the speech which the earl of Flanders had made- He did not love him the better for this : but, as he cou'd not remedy it, he thought it more prudent to overlook it : he declared, however, that the earl was the proudest prince alive. From the king's manner,, it was visible he was the lord ho would most willingly have humbled, both for his pride and for his opposition to his desires. The earl of Flanders, notwithstanding the king of France had written to say he was very much displeased at his keeping the duke of Brittany with him, did not send him away, but entertained him as long as he wished to stay, and gave him a handsome establishment. At last, the duke was advised to visit England, which he likewise wished to see : he took leave of the earl his cousin, and went to Gravelines, where he was met by the earl of Salisbury, with five hundred men-at-arms and a thousand archers, for fear of the French garrisons, and conducted to Calais : sir Hugh Calverley, the governor, received him with all respect. When the duke had staid at Calais five days, having a favorable wind, he embarked with the earl of Salisbury, and landed at Dover, and from thence went to the young king Richard, who received them with much joy ; as did also the duke of Lancaster, the earls of Cam- bridge and Buckingham, and the great barons of England. You have before heard how sir Valeran de Luxembourg, the young count de St. Pol, had been made prisoner in a battle between Ardr«s and Calais, and had been carried to England under the king's plea- sure, who had purchased him of the lord de Gommegines : for the lord de Gommegines had set on foot this expedition, in which the count had been made a prisoner by a squire, a good man-at-arms, from the country of Gueldres. The young count de St. Pol remained a long time a prisoner in England, without being ransomed : true it is, that the king of England, during the lifetime of the captal de Buch, offered him several times to the king of France and to his allies in exchange for the captal ; but neither the king of France nor his council would listen to it, nor give up the captal in exchange, t» the great dissatisfaction of the king of England. Things remained for some time in this situation. The count de St. Pol had an agreeable prison in the beautiful castle of Windsor,, and was allowed the liberty of amusing himself with hawking wher- ever he pleased in the environs of Westminster and Windsor : he was thus trusted on the faith of his word. The princess, mother of king Richard, resided at that time at Windsor, with her daughter, the lady Maude, the most beautiful woman in England. The young count de St. Pol and this lady fell loyally in love with each other: they frequently met at dancings, caroUings, and at other amuse- ments ; so that it was suspected the young lady tenderly loved the count, and she discovered the whole to her mother. A treaty of marriage was then entered into between the count de St. Pol and the lady Maude Holland : the count was ransomed for six score thousand francs ; of which one half was to be remitted^ on his marriage, the remainder he was to pay. When the treaty had been concluded be- tween the young people, the king of England granted permission for the count to cross the sea, in order to procure his ransom, on his pro- mise to return within the year. The count went to France to see his friends, the king and his cousins of France, the earl of Flanders, the duke of Brabant, and also duke Albert. In this year, a cruel charge viw laid against the count de St. Pol: CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN. &. -248 ^ he was accused of an intent'ion to deliverup to the English the strong j .^^I of Boucham. The king ordered him to be arrested and close y graded, declaring that the count in fact meant to have entered mo Sealies inimical toward him; from which charge the count could "clear himself. On this occasion also the lord canon deRobe sart'the lord de Vertaing, sir James dn Sart and Gerard d'Ob.es tTre imprisoned in the castle of Mons in Hamault. This charge at length came to nothing; for, the king of France not being able to prove anything against them, they were set at liberty. The young count returned to England, to acquit hiniself of his engagement to the king, and to marry his bride. He paid the sixty thousand tranc according to his obligation, and recrossed the sea, but did not enter France, tor the king disliked him much. The count and countess went therefore to reside at the castle ot Han-sur-Heure, which the lord de Moraine, who had mamed his sister, lent them ; and there they remained dunng the life of the king of France ; for the count could never regain his love. We will now .leave these things, and return to France. CHAPTER XXXII. THE DUKE OF AfJJOn MAKES WAK ON BRITTANY. SIK WILLIAM DES HORDES IS TAKEN PRISONER BY THE GARRISON OF CHERBOURG. At this period, all Brittany was armed, as well against the duke as against the French. Several of the principal towns had a good under- ^andinc' with the duke, and wondered he was not sent back : there were also many knights and squires of Brittany of the same opinion; and, by means of a treaty, the countess de Penthievre, mother to the -children of Charles de Blois, was not averse to his return, but sir Bertrand duGuesclin, constable of France, the lords de Clisson, de Laval, the viscount de Rohan, and the lord de Rochefort, kept the counl.7 in a state of warfare with the force sent them from irancc. At Pontorson, St. Malo, and in that neighborhood, were great num- bers of men-at-arms from France, Normandy, Auvergne, and Bur- ffundy, who committed very great devastations. , ^ „ . , The duko of Brittany, who was in England, received full informa- -tion of all this, and that the duke of Anjou, who resided at Angers, wa-s carrv'in" the war into his country : he heard also that the princi. pal towns had armed themselves against the French, as well as sev- oral knights and squires, in his name, for which he felt himself much obligod. But, notwithstanding all these favorable symptoms, he was afraid to return to Brittany with full confidence in them, for he vyas always suspicious of some treason : neither did his own council, the king of England, nor duke of Lancaster advise hmi to go thither. fe^ir William des Bordes maintained the garrisons in Normandy and Valo.'nes of which he was captain : he had with hini the deputy sen- eschal of Eu, sir William Marcel, sir Braque de Braquemont, the lord de Torcy.sir Percival d'Ayneval, the bfegue d'Yury, sir Lancelot de Lorris, with many other knights and squires, who day and night, employed their thoughts in devising how they could damage Cher- bourg, of which sir John Harlestone was governor. The garrison of Cherbourg made as frequent sallies as they pleased ; for they could do 60 without any one knowing of it, through the extensive forest with which they were surrounded. They had made a road through the wood in siich a manner that they could overrun part of Normandy without danger from the French. It fell out that both garrisons made an e-xcursion the same day tvithout the knowledge of each other, and by accident met at a place called Pastoy.fes-Bois. When they met, like knights and squires desirous of fighting, they all dismounted except sir Lance bt de Lorns, who remained on horseback, his lance in its rest, and his target on his neck, requesting a tilt in honor of his lady. Several heard his de- mand ; for there was also among the English some knights and squires who had bound themselves in like manner by vows of love to their ladies. I believe it was sir John Copeland, a hardy kmght, who ac- cepted his challenge. Then, spurring their horses, tney charged each other very gallantly, and gave dreadful blows on their targets bir Lancelot was. however, so severely struck by the English knight that his shield and other armor was pierced through, and himse t mor- tally wounded. It was a great pity, for he was an expert kniglit, i young, handsome, and much in love. He was there and elsewhere sincerely lamented. , The French and English then attacked each other, fighting hand to hand On the part of the French, sir William des Bordes, the deputy seneschal of Eu, sir William Marcel, sir Braque de Braquemont, and the others, showed themselves good knights, and fought maniul y. Sir John Harlestone, sir Philip Picourde, sir John Burley, sir John Copeland, and the rest of the English behaved well ; and, from their superior fighting, they at last won the day. The French kiiights and squires were either taken or slain ; in particular, a squire from Hain- ault, called William de Beaulieu, and sir WilUam des Bordes were made prisoners. They were conducted to Cherbourg, where they met sir Oliver du Guesclin, who was a prisoner also. Thus ended the business, as I was informed. CHAPTER XXXIII. GEOFFKT TETE-NOIRE AND AIMEF.IGOT MARCEL, CAPTAINS ATTACHED T(J ENGLAND, TAKE SEVERAL STRONG PLACES IN AUVERGNE AND LIMOUSIM FROM THE FRENCH. There happened daily in Auvergne and Limousin feats of arms, and wonderful enterprises; more especially in the neighborhood of the castle of Ventadour, in Auvergne, which is one of the strongest places in all that country. It was sold or betrayed to the most cruel of all Bretons, called Geoffry Tete-noire. I will relate how this happened. The count de Ventadour de Montpensier was an ancient knight and honorable man, who no longer took part in the wars, but remained peaceably in his castle : this knight had a squire, or varlet, called Ponce du Bois, who had served him for a length of time without having profited much by his service : seeing that hcncefonvard he should have no opportunities of gaining riches, he determined, by bad advice, to enrich himself, and in consequence entered into a secret treaty with Geoflry Tete-noire, who resided in Limousin, to deliver up the castle of Ventadour to him for the sum of six thousand francs. This was agreed to ; but he had insevted among the conditions that no harm should be done to his master, the count de Ventadour, and that he should be put out of his castle in a courteous manner, and that everything of liis should be restored to him. This was complied with, for tlie Bretons and English who entered the castle did not ia the smallest degree hurt the count nor his people, and only retained the stores and artillery, of which there were great plenty. The count de Ventadour went to reside at Montpensier,* with his wife and children, beyond Aigueperse in .*i.uvergne. Geoffry Tete-noire and his troops kept possession of Ventadour ; from whence they ravaged the country, and took many strong castles in Auvergne, Rouergue, Limousin, Quercy, Gevaudan, BigoiTC, and in the Age. nois, one after the other. With this Geoffiy Tdte-noire, there were other captains, who performed many excellent deeds of arm's, as Aimerigot Marcel, a Limousin squire attached to the English party, who took the strong castle of Cassuriel, situated in the bishopric of Clemiont in Auvergne; from whence the above-mentioned Aimerigot and his companions overran the country at their pleasure. Captains of other castles were also in his company, such as the bourg Calarf, the bourg Anglois,the bourg de Champagne, Raymond de Force, a Gascon, and Peter de Beam, a Bearnois. Aimerigot made one day an excursion, with only twelve compan. ions, to seek adventures: they took the road toward Aloise, near St. Flour, which has a handsome castle, in the bishopric of Clermont : they knew the castle was only guarded by the porter. As they were ridinonor of the town." Things remained in this state, and John Lyon in greater danger' of his life than before : upon which he formed a plan, which he- afterwards executed ; for he clearly saw that Gilbert Matthew had, in this embassy to the earl, instigated some mischief against him and his companions, notwithstanding the friendly answers wliich the earl had sent. He therefore resolved to counterwork his enemies, and gave secret orders to the leaders of the white hoods, and to those- who commanded the companies of hundreds and of fifties, to keep their men day and night on guard well anned, and, on the first appearance of any movement, to march to him ; for it would be bet- ter to kill than to be killed, since affairs were brought to such a pass- These orders were punctually observed, and they were exact io,. keeping themselves in readiness. CHAPTER XXXVIII.- THE WHITE HOODS MCRDER THE BAILIFF OF GHENT IN THE MIDST OP" THE MARKET. THE HOUSES AND GOODS OF THE FA.MILT OF THE; MATTHEWS ARE DESTROYED. A BRAND CONFUSION IN GHENT. Not long afterwards, the bailiff of Ghent, Roger d'Auterme,. came to town with lull two hundred horse, in order to e.vecute whar. had been planned between the earl, Gilbert Matthew, and his bro. thers. The bailiff, with his two hundred men, galloped up the streets, with the banner of the earl in his hand, unto the market- place, where he halted, and posted his banner before him. Gilbert: Matthew, his brothers, and the deacon of the small craft, imme- diately went thither. It had been determined that these men.at-- arnis should inarch instantly to the house of John Lyon, and arrest him as the chief of tlie white hoods, with six or seven others, the most culpable, carry them to the castle of Ghent, and immediately cut their heads off. John Lyon suspected some such thing ; for he had received secret intelligence from his spies, scattered over different parts of the town. He knew of the arrival of the bailiff, and saw it was a thing determined upon. The other white hoods were informed that this day had been fixed on to arrest them, and were therefore ready pre- pared and assembled near the house of John Lyon,,who was wait- ing for them: they came in bands of ten and twenty, and, as they marched up, they formed in the street : when they were all as- sembled, they were full four hundred. John Lyon marched off as fierce as a lion, saying, " Let us advance against these traitors,, who wish to ruin the town of Ghent. I thought all those fine - speeches which Gilbert Matthew brought back the other day were only meant for our destruction, and to lull us asleep ; but we will make him pay dearly for them." He and his rout advanced hastily : they increased very much by the way ; for there were those who joined him that had not as yet put on the white hoods, who cried out, " Treason ! treason !" They marched, by a roundabout way and a narrow street, to the corn-market, where the bailiff, who represented the earl, had posted himself. Gilbert Matthew and his brethren, the moment they saw * It would seem from Bleau's grand atlas, that the domain and park of Male had been drowned by the aea since this time. The earl of Flanders was bom there, and thence called Louis de Male.l 354 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. John Lyon and the wkite hooda enter the market-place, left the bai- iifl-, and ran away as fast as they could ; and neither order nor array was observed, except by the men-at-arms whom the bailiH had brought thither. Immediately on the arrival of John Lyon in the market-place, with the while hoods, a large body of them advanced toward the bailifT; and, without saying a word, he was seized, thrown on the ground and slain. The banner of the earl was then dragged through the dirt, and torn to pieces ; but not one man, except the bailiff, was touched. They then collected round John Lyon. When the earl's men-at-arms saw the bailiff dead, and their banner torn to pieces, they were thunder-struck, and, like men defeated, took to flight, and left the town. You may easily imagine that Gilbert Matthew and his brethren, who were known to be the enemies of John Lyon and the white hoods, did not think themselves very safe in their houses : they therefore set out as speedily as they could, and quitted the town through by.streets, leaving their wives, childi-en, and goods behind them. They made what haste they could to the earl of Flanders, to v\'hom they related all that had happened, and the death of his bailiff. The earl was sorely afflicted at this intelligence, as well he might, for they had treated him with great contempt ; he was much enraged, and swore that he would have ample revenge before he ever returned to Ghent, and before they should have peace from him, so that all other towns should take an example from it. Gilbert Matthew and hi-s brothers remained with the earl. John Lyon and the white hoods persevered in their outrages ; after the death of the bailiff, and the flight of the men-at-arms, as no one offered to revenge this murder, John, who wished to ruin the Mat- tliews (for ho bore them deadly hatred,) said, " Come, let us go after those wicked traitors who this day intended to have destroyed the town of Ghent." They hastened down the streets to the residence of the Matthews, but found none, for they had all gone off. They were sought for in every room throughout the houses of the adjoin- ing streets ; and, when they were convinced they were gone, John Lyon was much vexed. He gave up to his coinpanions all their goods, when the houses were completely pillaged and razed to the ground, so that no vestige remained, as if they had been traitors to the whole body of the town. When they had done t'.iis deed, they retired to their homes ; nor was there a sheriff, or any other officer belonging to the earl or to the town, who said they had acted wrong : indeed, at that time all were afraid to say a word against them : for the white hoods were so nuinerous that none dared to provoke them, and they paraded the streets in large bodies without any opposition. It was said, both within and without the town, that they were connected with some of the sheriffs and rich men in Ghent, which was not unlikely ; for such a ruffianly crew would never have dared to slay so noble a man as Roger d'Auterme, bailiff of Ghent, holding the banner of the earl in his hand at the time, if they had not depended on some good- and able supporters in their wicked acta. They afterwards increased so much as to want no foreign aid, and became so pow- erful that none were bold enough to oppose anything they thought proper to undertake. Roger d'Auterme was carried away by the Friar Minors to their church, where he was by them buried. After this event, several of the wisest and richest citizens in Ghent began to murmur, and were much vexed: they said among themselves, that a great outrage had been committed when the earl's bailiff had thus been murdered in the execution of his office ; and that their lord would be justly offended, and never grant them peace ; that these wicked people had put the town to the hazard of being totally destroyed, if God did not speedily afford a remedy. Not. withstanding all these words, there was not one among them who had courage personally to correct or reprove the authors of these atrocities. John de Faucille, who at that time was a man much renowned for his wisdom in Ghent, on finding things carried to such lengths as the murdering of the earl's bailifi', thought it must end badly : that he might not be suspected by the earl, he left the town privately, and went to a handsome country-house which he had near Ghent, and there remained, having given orders to tell every one he was very unwell and melancholy, and could see none but his own people. Every day, however, he had news from Ghent ; for he had loft there the greater part of his family, his wife, his children and his friends ; and thus he dissembled for a considerable time. CHAPTER XXXIX. TWELVE CITIZENS OF GHENT AKE DEPUTED TO THE EARL OF FLANDERS. THE WHITE HOODS PILI.AOE AMD BURN THE CASTLE OF ANDREeHIEN,* OF WHICH THE EARL WAS VERY FO.VD. The good people of Ghent who were rich and industrious, and had wives, families and fortunes in the town and neighborhood, wish- ing as they did to live in an honorable way, were not well pleased to see things in this situation, and were very sensible how ill they had acted toward their lord ; they therefore consulted among thcm- aelves how they could best remedy this ill deed, and throw them- selvea on his mercy, for it was better to do so soon than late. They ' Q if not Adeebeni, wliich isneorEcdoo. called a council, in which it was debated what most profitable means they could use to save their own honors, and to promote the advantage of the town. John Lyon and the other leaders of the white hoods were invited to this council ; otherwise they would not have dared to have holden it. Many proposals were made, and long debates ensued ; but at last they determined unanimously to elect twelve of the most respectable of the inhabitants, who should solicit mercy and pardon for the murder of the bailiff: and if by this they could obtain peace, it would be a good thing; but every person must be included in the peace, and nothing moved in the business hereafter. This resolution was acted upon, and twelve citizens^ elected to wait on the earl. John Lyon kept always saying, that it was right to be on good terms with their lord ; but his wishes were just the contrary, for he thought and said internally, "Things are not yet in the situation I wish to put them in.'' The determination of the council soon became public : the twelve deputies set off, and jour, neyed on until they came to Male, where they found the earl, who on their approach was wondrous angry, and in a cruel passion against the inhabitants of Ghent. The twelve deputies acted well their parts by appearing contrite, and, with uplifted hands, entreated him to have pity on them. They pleaded their excuse for the death of his bailiii', adding, "Dear lord, have mercy on us, so that we may cany peace back to the town of Ghent, which loves you so nmch ; and we engage, that for the time to come, this outrage shall be amply atoned for by those w^ho have done it or excited it, so that you shall be satisfied, and that all large towns shall take example from it." They so long and afilctionately solicited the earl, that he restrained his anger ; and, by other good arguments w'hich they urged, the affair was arranged and articles of peace drawn up. The earl was on the point of pardoning all the outrages commillod against him by those of Ghent, on their making the reparation agreed on, when other in- telligence an'ived that I will now relate. John Lyon, who had remained at Ghent, thought directly the re. verse of what he had said in the council, that it was proper to be on good terms with their lord. He knew for a certainty he had already so much irritated the earl, that he would never forgive him, and if his pardon were promised, it would be through dissimulation, which would end in his being put to death. He therefore chose rather to throw aside all shame, since he had entered so far in the business, than to continue daily in the fear of his life; and thus he acted. During the time the dej)utation was gone to the carl to solicit peace, he collected all the white hoods under his command, and the differ- ent handicrai'ls in the town the most inclined to his way of thinking, and gained his end by great artifice ; for, when they were assembled, he said to them, " Gentlemen, you well know how much we have angered my lord of Flanders, and upon what grounds we have sent a deputation to him. We do not know what answer they will bring back; whetlier peace or war; for he is not of a temper easily ap- peased, and he has near his person Gilbert Matthew and his brethren, who will not fail to excite his anger. It is therefore, a hundred to one that we have peace. It behooves us, if we should have war, to look to ourselves, and see from whom we may get assistance, and by whom we may be supported. You, deacons of the different trades, do you draw out into the fields to-morrow your men ; and we will see what appearance they make ; for it is proper we take measures against a surprise. This will not cost us anything, and will make us more feared." They all answered, that he had well spoken. This measure was followed ; and, on the morrow, they marched out of the gate leading to Bruges, and drew up in a handsome plain without Ghent, called Andreghien. When tliey were all arrived, John Lyon looked at them with great pleasure ; for they were full ten thousand, well armed; and said, "Here is indeed a handsome cjmpany." When he had examined them for a short space, and had been all round them, he added, " I would propose that we visit my lord's house, since we arc so near to it. I have been told that he has laid therein many stores and provisions, which may be of great prejudice to the town of Ghent." This was agreed to ; and they marched to Andreghien, which at the time was without guards or defence. They entered the house, and began to search it everywhere. The white hoods and their ribald crew- which had entered, very soon despoiled it, taking away whetever they could lay Uieir hands on. There were many rich jewels and clothes, for the earl kept there his wardrobe. John Lyon affected to be in a violent passion at this conduct, but was not so in reality, as it afterwards appeared ; for, after they had left the castle and marched into the plain, on looking behind them, they saw ihe mansion in flames in twenty different places ; and, if they had enter- tained the inclination, it was not in their power to extinguish it. John Lyon, who pretenc-led to be much surprised, cried out, " How has this fire happened in my lord's house ?" The)' answered, " By accident." " Well," replied he, " it cannot now be helped ; and it is still better that accident should have burnt it, than that we should. Everything considered, it was but a dangerous neighbor; and my lord might have established a garrison therein, which would have annoyed us much." They all answered, " What you say is true." They then returned to Ghent, and did nothing more that day ; but what they had done was mischief enough, for it cost afterwards two hundred thousand lives, and was one of the principal causes which «f CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 355 enraged the earl of Flanders the most. John Lyon had done it, be. cause he wished not for peace : he well knew, that whatever treaty was entered into, it would be sealed with his blood. This castle of Andreghien had cost the earl of Flanders, in building and ornament, ing, two hundred thousand francs ; and he loved it in preference to all his other residences. The well-intentioned inhabitants of Ghent, who were desirous of peace, were exceedingly hurt at this business; but help it they could not, nor did they dare to show any symptoms of anger, for the white hoods said the castle had been burnt acci. dentally. News of tliis was brought to the earl at Male : those who came said, " My lord, you do not know that your beatitiful house of An- dregliien, which has cost you such sums to build, and nf which you are so fond, is burnt to the ground." "Burnt?" replied the earl, who was much enraged at this intelligence. " Yes ; help me, God, if it be not true." " And by what means ?" " By accidental fire, as they say." " Hn, ha," answered the earl, " now it is all over ; there shall never be peace in Flanders as long as John Lyon lives : he has had this house burnt in an underhand manner, but ho shall dearly pay for it." He then ordered the deputation from Ghent to come to him, and said, " Ah, wretches ! you supplicate my favor with sword in hand. I had acceded to every proposal you had made, according to your wisli ; and your people have set fire to and burnt the house I loved in preference to all my others. Do you think there had not been sufficient contempt shown me when they murdered my bailiff, while he was executing my orders, tore my banner, and trod it under foot ? Know, that if my own honor were not concerned, and if you had not aheady obtained passports from me, I would now have you all beheaded. Quit my presence, and tell those wicked and out- rageous men of Ghent, that they never shall have peace, nor will I listen to any negotiation, until I shall have given up to me all tliose whom I shall point out, and whom I will have beheaded without mercy." These citizens were e.\ceedingly hurt at the news they heard, and, like people who were perfectly innocent, endeavored to excuse them- selves ; but in vain, for the earl was so much enraged he would not hear them : he made them leave his presence, when they mounted their horses and returned to Ghent, and there related what they had done, and how well they had managed the business ; that they had succeeded in obtaining an aiuicable settlement with the earl, when the unfortunate event of the castle being burnt came to his ears. After tliis, the earl tlireatened them greatly, and declared he would never consent to any peace until such of the townsmen as he should choose were given up to him. The well-meaning inhabitants saw things were taking a bad turn, and that the white hoods had ruined all ; but there were none bold enough to speak out. The earl of Flanders set off with his attendants from Male, and came to his hdtel at Lille, whither he summoned all the knights of Flanders, and ever>' gentleman dependent on him, to have their advice how he should act on this occasion, and by what means be should revenge himself on the inhabitants of Ghent for the contempt they had shown. All the gentlemen of Flanders swore to be ti'ue and loyal to him, as every one ought to be toward tlieir lord. The earl was much pleased at this, and sent reinforcements to the garrisons in all his castles at Dendremonde, Russelmonde, Alost, at Courtray and Oudenarde. CHAPTER XL. THE DEATH OF JOHN LTON. THE MEN OF GHENT CHOOSE CAPTAINS TO COMMAND THEM. SEVERAL TOWNS IN FLANDERS ALLY THEMSELVES WITH GHENT. John Lyon was rejoiced when he found the earl of Flanders in earnest, and so much enraged against Ghent that he would not grant them peace ; and that, by his manoeuvres, he had pushed matters so forward, that the town would be obliged to make war whether it would or not. He said publicly : " You hear, gentlemen, how our lord, the earl of Flanders, is making preparations against you, and will not listen to any terms of peace : I therefore would advise, for greater security, that before we shall be more oppressed, we know what towns of Flanders will give us their support. 1 will answer for those of Gramont not being against us, but on the contrary they will assist us, as well as those of Courtray, which is in our castlcwick, and within our jurisdiction. But as for those of Bruges, they are proud and haughty, and it has been by their means that all this mis- chief has been fomented : it therefore becomes us to march against them, in such force, that through fair or foul means, they unite them, selves with us." All present answered, that his advice was good. In course of time, every one that was to go on this expedition made himself ready. When they were all duly prepared, in a manner be- coming them, they marched from Ghent, in number from nine to ten thousand men, carrying with them a large train of stores and provis- ions. The first day, they halted at Deynse : on the morrow, they advanced within a short league of Bruges, when they drew up in order of battle, in the plain, with their baggage in the rear. John Lyon ordered the deacons of the trades to go into Bruges, and know their intentions. They advanced thither, but found the gates shut and well guarded. When they therefore informed them what their business was, the guards said, they would cheerfully go and tell it to the bur- gomaster and sheriffs, who had posted them there. They did so, and the burgomasters and jurats told them to return and say that they would call a council to consider of it. When they came back with this answer, John Lyon cried out : " Advance, advance ! let us attack Bruges ; for, if we wait until they shall have held their council, we shall find great difficulty to gain an entrance : it is bet- ter we attack them before they consult together, and the sudden. ness of our attack will surprise them." This plan was followed ; and the men of Ghent advanced to the barriers and ditches of Bruges, John Lyon marching at their head on a black horse. He quickly dismounted, and took an axe in his hand- When the guard, who were not in sufficient strength, saw the men of Ghent were so detennined to attack them, they were frightened, and ran away down the streets as far as the market-place, crying out| " Here are the men of Ghent '. Quickly to your posts ; for they are before your walls, and at your gates." Those of Bruges who were assembling for tlie council were thun- der-struck, and had not time to assemble nor to give any ordere upon the occasion, while the majority of the people wrre desirous that the gates should be immediately thrown open. It behooved them to agree in this with the commonalty; otherwise it would have turned out badly for the rich inhabitants. The burgomaster and sheriffs, with many of the townsmen, came to the gate where the men of Ghent were with a good inclination to attack it. The burgomaster and the magistrates of Bruges, who for that (Jay had the government of the town, advanced to open the wicket to pariey with John Lyon. By treaty, they opened the barriers and gate, at which they held their conference, and were good friends. All now entered the town. John Lyon rode by the side of the burgomaster, and showed himself a bold and valiant man : his men marched in the rear in bright armor. It was a handsome sight to see them thus enter Bruges until they came to the market-place, where, as they arrived, they formed them- selves into array in the square. John Lyon held a white truncheon in his hand. A formal alliance was then entered into between the townsmen of Ghent and Bruges, which they mutually swore to keep, and to remain for ever as good friends and neighbors ; those of Ghent were allowed to sunmion them, and to lead them with them wherever they pleased. Soon after they had been thus drawn up in the market-place, John Lyon and some of his captains went to the hall, whence they issued a proclamation for all the men of Ghent to retire peaceably to their quarters, and there to disarm themselves without noise, or any tumult under pain of death ; which was quickly obeyed. They were also forbidden to dislodge any one, or to engage in any quarrels, or to take anything from their hosts without instantly paying for it, under the same penalty. This proclamation being issued, another was published on the part of the town, for each householder to receive as friends the good men of Ghent, and to afford them all sorts of provisions at the market prices ; and tliat no undue advantage should be taken, nor any quar. rels or contentions stirred up, under pain of death. All persons now retired to their houses or quarters ; and the inhabitants of the two towns thus remained amicably together for two days, and strength- ened their alliance and friendship mutually. Their treaties being drawn out and sealed, on the third day the men of Ghent departed and marched to the town of Danmie, which instantly opened its "ates and received them most courteously : they remained there two'days. John Lyon, during his short stay, was seized with a sudden sickness that swelled his body exceedingly : the night he was taken ill, he had supped in great revelry with the ladies of the town ; for which reason several said and maintained that he had been poisoned. Of this I know nothing, therefore shall not insist on it; but I do know that on the morrow he was placed on a htter, for he was taken ill in the night, and carried to Ardenbourg ; but death prevented him going further, to the great sorrow of the men of Ghent, who were thrown into confusion by the event. All his enemies were as much rejoiced thereat as his friends were cast down. His body was conveyed to Ghent ; and, on account of his death, the whole army returned thither. When the news of his decease was known in that town, it caused much sorrow ; for he was greatly beloved by all, excepting the party of the earl. The clergy went out to meet the body, and conducted it into the town with as much solemnity as if he had been earl of Flanders. He was interred in the church of St. Nicholas, where his obsequies were performed, and where he lies. Notwithstanding the death of John Lyon, the alliance between Ghent and Bruges was not broken; for they had carried sufficient hostages with them to Ghent, for the due pei-formance of all its arti- cles. The earl was exceedingly rejoiced at the death of John Lyon ; as were Gilbert Matthew, his brothers, the deacon of the small craft, and all the party of the earl, who sent greater reinforcements than before to all his towns and castles, and ordered a sufficient number of good knights and squires of the castlewicks of Lille and Douay into the town of Ypree, declaring he would make Ghent repent of its conduct. Soon after the death of John Lyon, those of Ghent considered they could not long remain without leaders. The deacons of the trades ' and tlie guards of the gates selected, according to their opinion, fotir I of the most courageous and enterprising for their commanders, whose names were, John Pruniaux, John Boule, Rasse de Harzelle, and 356 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. Peter du Bois. They swore to pay these commanders the most exact obedience, under pain of death ; and these four swore also to preserve and defend the honor and franchises of the town of Ghent. The four commanders excited tliose of Ghent to march against Ypres and the franc de Bruges, in order to obtain their union or put them to death. They therefore set off from Ghent, in grand array, to the amount of at least twelve thousand, all clad in bright armor. They took the road to Courtray. The inhabitants of Coiu-tray allowed them to enter their town without fear, for they were within tlie jurisdiction of Ghent : they there refreshed tliemselves at their ease for two days. On the third day they marched toward Ypres, carrying with them two hun- (Ired well-armed men from among the cross-bows of Courtray. They followed the road to Thorout, where on their arrival they halted ; and the commanders held a council, in which they resolved to send three or four thousand of their men, under the command of the captain of the white hoods, to treat with tlie inhabitants of Ypres, and the main body to follow to reinforce them, if there should be occasion. These orders were executed, and they came before Ypres. The commonalty of Ypres and the small handicrafts, hearing of the arrival of the army from Ghent, instantly armed themselves, and drew up in the market-place, to the amount of full five thousand. The rich inhabitants had not any power in the town. The knights placed there in garrison by the earl, advanced in handsome order, to the gate leading to Thorout, where the Ghent men had halted with- outside the barriers, re^^uesting they would allow them to enter. The knights and their men were drawn up before tlie gate, and showed Buch an appearance that the men of Ghent could never have gained .admittance but by force. However, the ancient trades of the town ■were resolved that they should enter, in spite of the knights : they left, therefore, the market-place, and came to the gate which the knights were guarding, and said : " Open the gate to our friends and neighbors from Ghent : we will have them enter our town." The knights replied, "They would do no such thing: for they had been ordered thither by the earl of Flanders to defend the town, which they would do to the utmost of their power ; and it was not possible for the force of those of Ghent to enter otherwise than by treason." Words multiplied so fast between the gentlemen and the deacons of small handicrafts, that the last shouted out, " Kill them, kill them ! they shall not be masters of our town." They were immediately attacked, and, after a long contest, were rouglily driven down the streets, as numbers were against them ; and five knights were slain, among whom were sir Robert and sir Thomas de la Hourdrie, which was a great pity. Sir Henry d'Antoing was in imminent danger of his life, and with great difficulty could some of the principal inhabit- ants save him : at last, they did succeed in it, and many of the others were saved also. The gate was opened, so that the men of Ghent entered the town, and became the masters of it, without do- ing any damage. When they had remained there for two days, and had taken hostages from the inhabitants, who entered into a similar treaty with those of Bruges, Courtray, Gramont, and Damme, they set out from Ypres in a most courteous manner, and returned to Ghent. CHAPTER XLI. THE MEN OF GQENT BESIEGE THE TOWN OF OUDENARDE ON ALL SIDES. THEY MAKE A GRAND ASSAULT ON THE EARL OF FLANDERS IN DEN- DREMONDE. The earl of Flanders, who resided at Lille, heard how the inhabit, ants of Ypres had turned against him, and what the small handi- crafts had done ; he was sorely ve.\ed, as well for the loss of those knights who had there been slain as for other causes. He, how. ever, comforted himself by saying, " Well, if we have this time lost Ypres, we shall another time regain it to their curse ; for I will strike off such numbers of heads, all others shall be astonished at it." The earl intended particularly to provide the town of Oudenarde most amply with aU sorts of stores, provision, and men-at-arms : for he thought that the men of Ghent would soon come to besiege it; and, if they succeeded, the loss would be great to him, for they would then have the whole navigation of the fine river Scheld at their com- mand. He sent thither numbers of knights and squires from Flan- ders, Hainault, and Artois, who assembled their people in the town whether the inhabitants would or not. The commanders in Ghent were informed what great preparations the earl had made in Oudenarde : they determined to attack it, de- claring they would not return until they had gained it, had slain all within, and razed the walls to the ground. Orders were given in Ghent for every one to provide himself in a manner becoming his rank, and to be ready to march whithersoever he might be led. None dared to disobey this order: tents and pavilions were packed up, with all other stores : having marched out of Ghent, they en- camped before Oudenarde, in the beautiful meadows on the banks of the Scheld. Three days after, the men from Bruges arrived, for they had been summoned, and took up their quarters on the side near to their town, bringing with them great quantities of baggage and provision. Next came those from Ypres in great array : then the men of Poperingue, Messines, and Gramont. The Flemings thus drawn up before Oudenarde were upward of one hundred thousand : they made bridges ot boats and hurdles by which they crossed over the Scheld to each other. The earl, who resided at Lille, thinking they would attack Den. dremonde first, had sent to Germany, Gueldres, and Brabant, to ask the succor of a number of knights. The duke of Mons, liis cousin, had come to serve him with a large body of knights, and had entered Dendremonde, where they met the earl of Flanders, who was already arrived there by his frontiers of Hainault and Brabant, and was truly glad of their company. The Flemings maintained the siege of Oudenarde for a long time ; during whicli, there were daily many grand attacks and skirmishes, and several gallant deeds of arms, both before the town and at the barriers, where numbers were killed and wounded, for the Flemings acted madly and foolishly in hazarding their persons in these skirmishes, often to their great loss. There were full eight hundred lances, knights and squires, in the town of Oudenarde, all valiant men : among whom were several barons, such as the lords de Guistelle, de Villiers, de HuUut, and de Cornais, Flemings: from Hainault were, the lords d'Anghien, d'An- toing, de Bosnel, de Taux, de Gommegines, and his three brothers, sir John, sir Daniel, and sir Joseph, the lords de Stainbourg, de Ca- me, sir Gerard de Marqueillies, the lord de Cohen, sir Rasse de Montigny, sir Henry de la Hamede, sir John de Gres, and other knights, amounting to about one hundred and five in number. They kept up a regular and numerous guard ; for they had not any confi- dence in the inhabitants, and they made the women and children retire into the monasteries. The citizens and townsmen kept within their houses ; and, in order to prevent the bad effects of the cannon and the perpetual fire which the Flemings kept up against the town, they had the houses covered with earth, to hinder them from taking fire. During the siege of Oudenarde, the commanders of the Flemings were informed that the earl was at Dendremonde, and had with him his cousin the duke de Mons and numbers of other knights. They determined to send six thousand of their army thither, to examine its appearance, and to make an assault upon it. This resolution was executed. The detachment wliich had been ordered, under the com- mand of Rasse de Harzelle, continued their march until they came to a small village on the river Teure, a short league from Dendre- monde, where they took up their quarters. These Flemings had provided themselves with a number of boats, whi-h they had sent down the river, that they might embark on board of them, and at- tack the place by land and water. A little after midnight, they arose, armed themselves, and made every preparation to begin the attack the instant they should be arrived there ; for they wished to surprise the knights in their beds. They began their march ; but some of the country people, who had heard of this intention of the Flemings, informed the guards of it, saying, " Be sure you keep a strict and good guard ; for a large body of the men of Ghent, who have been benigiited, are lying hard by here, and we know what they intend to do." The guard at the gate related this to their cap- tain, who was a knight from Holland, called sir Thierry de Bredoro : on receiving this intelligence, he strengthened his guard, and sent information of it to all the knights lodged in the castle and in the different houses. Immediately on the break of day, the Flemings advanced by land and in their boats, well prepared for an instant attack. When those in the castle and town saw them approach, they sounded their trum- pets to alarm ever>' one, the greater part of the knights and squires being already armed. The earl of Flanders, who slept in the castle, heard of the march of the Flemings, and that they had commenced the attack ; on which he instantly rose, armed himself, and sallied forth from the castle, his banner displayed before him. At this time, there were in the town, sir Gossuin de Wrle great bailiff of Flanders, the lord de Gau, sir Gerard de Rasenghien, sir Philip de Maminos, sir Philip de Rungi, a Burgundian, and others. All these knights advanced to meet the banner of the earl, and then they marched un- der it to the assault, which was already begun in a severe and horri- ble manner ; for these Flemings had brought in their boats cannons and cross-bows, which shot such large and heavy bolts that when any one was struck by them there was no escape from death. Against ihese bolts they were strongly shielded ; and the ear! had with him some excellent cross-bows, who by their shooting gave the Flemings enough to do. The duke de Mons was in another part with his troops drawn up, his banner before him ; and there were in his company the lord de Broderode, sir Joseph and sir Thierry Lavare, sir Vivant de Chupe- rois, and several more, who each performed well their duty. In another quarter of the town, posted at a gate, were sir Robert Dale, sir John Villain, the lord de Vindescot, and sir Robert Mareschal. The attack here was very sharp, for the Flemings made vigorous assaults by land and water, in which many were killed and wounded on each side ; but more on the side of the Flemings than on that of the gentlemen, as the Flemings adventured themselves fool-hardily. This attack lasted, without ceasing, from the break of day until full noon. A knight of the eail'a party was slain, called sir Hugh de Rony, a Burgundian : he was much lamented, for he lost his life by too much boldness, and for want of prudence. Rasse de Hai-zelle, the commander of the detachment, fought valiantly, and by liis worda and actions greatly encouraged the men of Ghent. The assault ceased in the afternoon, for Rasse found he was labor ing in vain, and that in Dendremonde there were such brave men that CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &e. ssr it could not easily be taken : his troops also began to be fatigued. He therefore sounded a retreat, when the men retired in a handsome manner along the river side, bringing ofi' their fleet o{ boats ; and on the morrow they returned to their army before Oudenardc. Men of Ghent attacking the earl of Flanders in Dendremonde. CHAPTER XLII. SEVERAL ASSAULTS ARE HADE ON Ot;DENAEDE. PEACE CONCLUDED BE- TWEEN THE FLEMINGS AND THE EARL OF FLANDERS, BY MEANS OF THE DUKE OF BtlRGUNDY. The siege of Oudenarde continued for a long time ; and the Flem- ings before it were masters of the river and of the adjoining country, BO that no provision could be introduced without great danger, and on the side toward Haiiiault. Sometimes victuallers, in hopes of gain, ventuied, while the army was asleep, to come close to the bar- riers with provision, which by that means were brought into Oude- narde. Among the many attacks made upon the town, there was one which was very vigorous : it lasted the whole day. Upon this occa- sion, some new kniglits were created from Flanders, Hainault, and Artois, who wished to distinguish themselves. These new knights advanced to the barriers, where several skirmishes took place with the men of Ghent, in which many were killed and wounded ; but they paid little attention to this, and being regardless of death, they advanced so boldly that when those in the front were slain or disabled, the rear dragged them out, took their places, and kept a handsome ■countenance. This att;.ck lasted until the evening, when those of Oudenarde returned into the town, and shut the gates and barriers : they then buried their dead, and took great care of their wounded. The Flemings thought they should certainly conquer the town by assault or famine; for they well knew that they had so closely sur. rounded it by land and water that nothing could enter it ; and their remaining before it would not be of any detriment to them, for they were in their own country, and near their own homes. They had also every necessary article for their support, with all other things in great abundance, and cheaper than they would have had them at Bruges or Ghent. The earl of Flanders, being aware of tlie great number of men-at-arms that were in the town, suspected the inten- tions of the Flemings, that by keeping up the blockade, they would in the end starve them to a surrender : he would therefore have wil- lingly listened to any overture for a negotiation that was honorable to him. To say the truth, this war against his subjects was highly disa- greeable to him, and he had undertaken it contrary to his own opinion. His mother, the lady Margaret, countess of Artois, blamed him much, and took great pains to put an end to it. The countess resided in the city of Arras, whence she wrote to the duke of Burgundy, to whom the heritage of Flanders would fall by his marriage with her grand-daughter, on the death of the earl. The duke, who had before received information of this affair, for news was daily brought to him on the subject, came to .\rras, attended by his council, and sir Guy de la Trimouille,sir John de Vienne, admi- ral of France, sir Guy de Fontalliers, and several others. The countess received him with great joy, discussed with much wisdom the subject of this war between her son and his subjects ; how unbe- n a MS. of tlie fifteenth century. coming and very displeasing it was not only to her but to all reasona- ble persons. She told him, that many valiant men, barons, knights, and squires, were honorably shut up in the town of Oudenarde, and in very imminent danger ; and she begged, for God's sake, he would think of and provide a reme- dy. The duke replied, tliat he was bound to do eo, and would e,xcrt himself to the utmost of his power. Shortly after he left Arras and went to Tournay, where he was joyfully received ; for the in- habitants of Tournay wished much for peace on account of their merchandise, which was shut up on the Scheld. The duke of Burgundy Bent the abbot de St. Martin to the army before Oude. narde to sound the leaders of the men of Ghent, if they would enter into a negotia- tion. The abbot brought the the duke for answer, that out of respect for him, they would enter into a treaty : the duke granted passports, and received the same from the Flemings, for the nego. tiators to meet at Pont de Rosne, where the first con- ference lasted from morning until night. The duke him- self went thither to parley with the Flemings; and, after the conference, he returned to Tournay in company with the earl, whom he brought back with him. These con. ferences continued for fif. teen days. It was difficult to satisfy the Flemings, as they insisted on having Oudenarde de- molished, to which the duke and his ministers would not consent. The Flemings kept up a grand and haughty appearance, making no account of peace ; for they maintained, that as those within Oude- narde could not leave it without great danger to themselves, they considered the town as conquered. The duke of Burgundy, seeing these Flemings so proud and pre. sumptuous, and so indirterent to conclude a treaty, could not conceive their meaning ; he therefore requested a passport for his marshal to visit the knights in Oudenarde, which was instantly granted him. The marshal of Burgundy went into the town, and found the knights well provided, excepting some articles of which they were greatly in want ; they, however, boldly said to the marshal : " Tell my lord of Burgundy from us, not to enter into any dishonorable treaty on our account ; for, tluough God's mercy, we are in good health, and care not for our enemies." This answer pleased the duke much, who at the time was at Pont de Rosne : however, he did not neglect to push forward his negotiations. To say the truth, those of Ypres and Bruges were tired of the war, as well as those from the Franc, who saw winter approaching : they therefore argued in council, that since the dttke of Burgundy, to accommodate the business, had come tliither in person, and had engaged to have everything pardoned ; since also the carl would return in an amicable manner to Ghent, there to reside, and, let what would happen, would never remember the past ; all these considerations ought to be attended to ; and they considered themselves bound to acknowledge their lord with respect, and not attempt to tear his inheritance from him. These words greatly softened the men of Ghent, and they agreed to accept the treaty. The duke gave a most magnificent dinner to the principal persons from Ghent, Bruges, Ypres and Courtray. On that day, it was settled that the siege should be raised, and a solid peace concluded between the carl and his subjects : that the earl should grant a general pardon to all, without any reservation, dissem. bling or exception whatever : that he should reside at Ghent, and that within a year the citizens of Ghent should rebuild the castle of Andrcgliicn, which report said they had burnt. For the fuller con- firmation of all this, John Pruniaux was to accompany the duke of Burgundy to Tournay, where it was to be properly drawn up and Pealed. After this, the duke returned to Tournay, and John Pru- niavix and John Boule remained with the army. On the morrow, peace was proclaimed between the two parties, the siege was raised, and every man returned to his home. The earl disbanded his sol- diers, and greatly thanked the foreigners for the gallant services they had done him : he then went to Lille, to execute the treaties which his son-in-law the duke of Burgundy had concluded for him. Some of the neighboring countries said, that this was a double- faced peace ; that there would be another rebellion ; and that the earl had only consented to it, in order to extricate such a number 258 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c of noble knights and squires from the danger they ran in Oudenarde. Jolm Pruniaux, after the breaking up of the siege, went to Tournay, ■where the duke of Burgundy entertained him haudaomely. The articles of the treaty were there completed, and sealed by the duke and the earl of Flanders. John Pruniaux afterwards returned to Ghent, and showed what he had done. The duke of Burgundy had so well managed the men of Ghent by kind words, that Oudenarde was saved from destruction ; for, when the siege was raised in con- formity to the treaty, they would have demolished the gates and walls of the town, that it might remain open and ready for them to retire to. The earl of Flanders having resided some time at Lille, after the duke of Burgundy had returned to France, went to Bruges, where he made a long stay : during which, he secretly showed great dis- pleasure to some of the citizens of Bruges, without, however, doing anything more, nor seeming desirous of otherwise punishing them, for their having so readily deserted his party, and placing themselves under the command of Ghent. These citizens excused themselves by saying, what was indeed true, that it had not been through any fault of theirs, but was solely owing to the small handicrafts of the town, who would ally themselves with those of Ghent when John 3jyon came before Bruges. The earl passed over their misconduct with as fair looks as he could, but he did not the less remember it. We will now leave him and the Flemings, and return to the affairs of Brittany. CHAPTER XLIII. THE DUKE OF BRITTANY RETURNS FROM ENGLAND, AT THE ENTREATY OF HIS SUBJECTS. THE ENGLISH ARE DESIROUS OF MARRYING THEIR yOUNG KING. THE KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND SENT TO THE AID OF THE DUKE OF BRITTANY MEET WITH GREAT TEMPESTS AT SEA. You have before heard that the duke of Brittany resided in Eng- land with king Richard and his uncles, who entertained him hand- somely, and that his country was in great trouble ; far the king of Prance had ordered thither his constable with a large body of men. at-anns, who had fixed their quarters at Pontorson, and near St. Michael's Mount, whence they made war on all the adjacent country. The inhabitants of the cities and principal towns kept ihcmselves -well inclosed, and were very anxious for the return of their lord, to whom they had aheady sent letters and messengers : but he was fearful of tmsting to them, until the prelates and barons of Brittany and the great towns began to murmur, and say : " We send every "Week letters of invitation to the duke ; but, instead of coming, he only returns us excuses." " In God's name," said some of them, " there must be a reason for this : we send to him in too simple a manner. We ought to send him a knight or two of rank, in whom lie may trust, and who will fully explain to him the true state of the country." This proposal was agreed to ; and two valiant knights, sir Geoffry Ac Querimel and sir Eustace de la Houssaye, were entreated to go to England, at the joint solicitations of the prelates, barons, and prin- cipal towns in Brittany.* These two knights made preparations for their voyage to England, and, embarking on board a vessel at Cano,t liad weather and wind according to their wish. They made sail for Southampton, and there disembarked : continuing their journey to Ijondon, they found (he duke and duchess of Brittany and sir Robert Knolles, who received them with great joy, and handsomely enter- lained them. The knfghts then related to the duke the state and disposition of his country, and how very ardently his return was looked for; to confirm which, they gave the duke their credential letters from the prelates, barons, and principal towns of Brittany. The duke gave full credence to the knights and their letters, and said he would show them to the king and his uncles, which he did. When the king and his uncles heard all these things, and how the whole of Brittany, the prelates, barons and principal towns, e.xcepting Guesclin, Laval, Clisson, Rohan and Rochefort, had sent to the duke their lord, sup. plicating him to return to his own country, the king said to him, " You must go over to Brittany, since they send for you, and main- tain your rights : we will shortly send to your assistance a sufficient force of men-at-arms to defend your frontiers ; but you vvill leave the lady.duchcss with my mother and her brothers, while you go to carrv on this war." The duke heard these words with great joy, and made his prepa- rations accordingly : he was not long in having everything ready at Southampton. When taking leave of the king, the princess of Wales, and of his duchess, he made a strict treaty of alliance with the king of England, and swore on his faith, that if he should speedily be succored by the English, he would always remain steadily attached to them, and do all in his power to make his country join with him ; and that England should always find his ports open, whenever her fleets came thither. After this, he set out from Lc-ndon, accompa- nied by Sir Robert Knolles and the two knights who were sent to Aim, with about one hundred men-at-arms and two hundred archers, i here was a short delay at Southampton, wailing for a favorable ♦ The Histoire de la Bretogne menUons three other persons as deputies, and cites the pubhc acts for authority. Geoffrey de Querimel was a favorite ofTe duke t"Caoo." Q. Concarneau. wind, where they embarked. They landed at Guerrande,* and rode on to Vannes. The inhabitants of that city received the duke with great demonstrations of joy, as indeed did the whole country when they heard of his arrival. The duke refreshed himself for five days, or thereabouts, at Vannes, and then \('ent to Nantes: there he was waited on by barons, prelates, knights, ladies and damsels, who all offered their services, and put themselves under his obedience. They greatly complained of the French, and of the constable, who had quartered himself in the country near Rennes. The duke said, " My friends, I shall shortly have aid from England ; for without the assistance of the English, I shall not be able to defend n-iyself against the French ; otherwise they will be loo strong for us, seeing that we arc not all in this country of one mind. But when the forces which the king of England has promised shall be arrived, if they have done you wrongs, we will return them the compliment." This speeck greatly pleased those of the duke's party who were present. In this same year, about St. Andrew's day, died the lord Charles, king of Germany and emperor of Rome. King Charles had done so well by money and by his great connections, that the electors of the empire had given it under their oaths and seals, they would elect, after his decease, his son emperor, and exert their whole power to maintain the siege before Aix, and to defend him against all oppo- sers : so that, after the death of Charles, his son Winceslaus, who before was king of the Romans, signed himself emperor of Rome, king of Germany and Bohemia. About this same season, there were many councils held in Eng- land, by the uncles of the king, the prelates and barons, relative to marrying the young king Richard. The English would have pre- ferred a princess of Hainault, out of love for that good lady queen Philippa, who had been so virtuous, liberal and honorable, and who had come from Hainault ; but duke Albert, at that time, had not any daughters marriageable. The duke of Lancaster would willingly have seen the king, his nephew, married to his daughter, whom he had had by the lady Blanch of Lancaster, but the people would not have consented to this for two reasons ; that the lady was his cousin, german, and too nearly related ; and that they wished the king to choose a queen from beyond sea, in order to gain stronger alliances. The sister of the king of Bohemia and of Germany, daughter of the lately deceased emperor, was then proposed, and the whole council assented to it. Sir Simon Burley, a sage and valiant knight, who had been the king's tutor, and much beloved by the prince his father, was nomi- nated to go to Germany, to treat of this marriage, as a wise and able negotiator. Every necessary preparation was ordered, as well for his expenses as otherwise. He set out from England magnificently equipped, and arrived at Calais ; from thence he went to Gravelines, and continued his journey until he came to Brussels, where he met the duke Winceslaus of Brabant, the duke Albert, the count de Blois, the count de St. Pol, Sir William de Maulny, and numbers of knights from Brabant, Hainault, and other parts, partaking of a grand feast of tilts and tournaments ; and it was on this occasion all these lords were there assembled. The duke and duchess of Brabant, from the love they bore the king of England, received this knight most cour. teously. They were much rejoiced on hearing the cause of liis journey into Germany, and said it would be a good match between the king of England and their niece. They gave Sir Simon Burley, on his departure, special letters to the emperor, to assure him they approved very much of the marriage. "The knight set out from Brussels, and took the road through Louvain to Cologne. About this time, the king of England and his council ordered two hundred men.at-arms and four hundred archers to Brittany, under the command of Sir John Arundel: sir Hugh Calverley, sir Thomas Banaster, sir Thomas Trivet, sir Walter Pole, sir John Bourchier, the lord Ferrers and the lord Basset were appointed to this expedition. The knights made all the preparation they wanted, and went to Southampton, where they embarked on board their vessels. When they had a favorable wind, they set sail. The first day, it was fair ; but, toward evening, it veered about, and became quite contrary, which drove them, whether they would or not, on the coasts of Cornwall. The wind was so strong and impetuous, they were afraid to cast anchor. On the morrow, the storm continued as fierce as ever, and forced them into the Irish sea ; when it became so vio. lent, three of their ships sunk, on board of which were sir John Arundel, sir Thomas Banaster, and sir Hugh Calverley. Upward of eighty perished of their complement of men-at-arms, and in the number the commander.in.chief, sir John Arundel, which was great pity, for he was a valiant and enterprising knight. Sir Thomas Banaster and sir Walter Pole, two brave knights, were drowned, and many others. Sir Hugh Calverley never before experienced greater peril ; for all those who were in his vessel were drowned, except himself and seven sailors ; but sir Hugh and the sailors took to the masts and cables to save themselves, and, as the wind was strong, they were blown on shore : but, having swallowed much sea. water, they were long sick and uncomfortable. Sir Thomas Trivet, sir John Bour. chier, the lords Ferrers and Basset escaped this danger, with others : however, they were much driven and tumbled about. When the * '• Gucnande *'— a town ia Brittany, between the rivers Vilaine and Loire, diocoae of Nantes. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 259 tempest ceased, they returned as well as they could to Southampton, and waited on the king and his uncles ; to whom they related their misfortunes, including sir Hugh Calvcrley among the drowned : but it was not so, as it afterwards appeared when he came to London. This expedition was put an end to ; and the duke of Brittany did not receive anv assistance from the English, which was very much ■ Sgainst him ; lor all that season and the ensuing winter the French carried on a destruttive war. The Bretons, that is to say, sir Oliver de Clisson and his men, took the town of Dinant, by means of ves. sels and boats, which they pillaged, and kept afterwards, for a long time, against the duke and the country. We will now return to the affairs of Flanders. CHAPTER XLIV. THE TOWN OF GHENT SENDS E.IIBASSADORS TO THE EARL OF FLANDERS TO ENTREAT HIM TO COME THITHER. When peace was concluded between the earl of Flanders and the men of Ghent, by the mediation of the duke of Burgundy, which gamed him great popularity throughout the country, the men of Ghent were very desirous that the earl should come and fi.x his resi- dence in their town. The provost of Haerlabeke had strongly advised the earl to improve the affection between him and Ghent, in ■which he was seconded by all the earPs relations. The earl, how- ever, continued to reside at Bruges, and never went near Ghent, which surprised every one ; but, in particular the well-intentioned and principal inhabitants, who were anxious for peace. As for the ■white hoods and pillagers, who only sought disturbance, they dreaded lus return : for they suspected, that if he did come, they would be privately corrected for the evils they had done. Notwithstanding these doubts of the magistracy and town-council, tire rich men were particularly impatient for his arrival, and wished ihey would send to request it ; for they did not look upon the peace as stable until he should have resided in Ghent. Twenty-four deputies were selected to go to Bruges, to declare to the earl the _great love the town of Ghent had for him, and their wishes for his residence among them. They set otT in a magnilicent manner, as those should -who wait on their lord ; but they were told on leaving the town, " Never think of returning to Ghent, unless you bring back the earl with you; otherwise you will find the gates shut." Thus did the citizens of Ghent set out, taking the road toward Bruges. AVhen they were between Deynse and Bruges, they learnt that the carl was coming, which gave them great pleasure ; and, after they had rode on about a league, they perceived the earl in the plain. On seeing him, they advanced in two divisions, making a lane, through which the earl and his knights passed. The citizens made low reverences, and showed every mark of respect to the earl and to his attendants : but he scarcely looked at them, only touched a little his hat ; and, during the whole time, he never noticed them. Thus they all rode on ; the earl on one side, the deputation from Ghent on another, until they came to Deynse, where they stopped, for the earl was to dine there. The deputation took some houses for themselves, and dined also. -A.fter dinner, they waited on the earl ; and, having knelt down before him (for the earl was seated,) they presented to him the humble affection of the citizens of Ghent, and remonstrated with him, that from their great love to him, and their earnest desire for him to reside among them, they had been deputed, adding; "On our departure, my lord, the townsmen said, that we must not think of returning unless we brought you with us." The earl, who had well heard these words, was for a time silent ; when he said calmly — " I willingly believe all you say, and that many in Ghent wish me to come thither: but I am surprised they do not recollect, nor seem inclined to remember former times, when I was so desirous of complying with all their requests, and how I expelled from the country such of my gentle- men as they complained of, in compliance with their laws. I have too often opened my prisons, to surrender up mine and their ow^n burgesses, whenever they solicited it. I have loved and esteemed them more than any other of my subjects ; and they have behaved to me quite the contrary, slain my bailiff, destroyed the houses of my people, driven away my ofHcers, burnt the house in the world which I loved the most, forced my towns to side with them, murdered my knight-s in the town of Ypres : in short, they have acted so wickedly toward me and my rights that I am tired of mentioning them, and wish never to remember them ; but, whether I will or not, I cannot help doing so." " Ah, my lord," replied the deputies, " do not think more of what has passed : you have pardoned us for all those evil deeds." "That is true," answered the earl, " and I do not mean, by what I have just said, that in time io come you shall fare the woi-se for it. 1 only point out to vou the great cruelties and wickedness which I have suffered from the town of Ghent." The earl was then softened : rising up, he made them rise also, and, calling to the lord de Ruise- liers who was near him, said, " Let them bring wine." The depu- tation drank of it, and then retired to their lodgings, where they remained all night, for the earl staid there. On the morrow, they ail rode together toward Ghent CHAPTER XLV. the earl OF FLANDERS ENTERS THE TOWN OF GHENT, AND SECRETLY DEPARTS FROM IT. THE WALLS OF OUDENARDE ARE RAZED BY THE WHITE HOODS, THEIR ALLIES AND ACCOMPLICES. When the inhabitants of Ghent heard the earl was on the road thither, they were much rejoiced, and went out to meet himon horse- back and on foot ; they bowed very lowly when they met him, and showed him all the reverence in their power ; but he passed on with- out saying a word, only just bowed his head to them. He rode to his hotel, called La Pbterne, where he dined. Great presents were made him by the town, and the magistrates waited on him, who humbled themselves greatly in his presence, as was but right. The earl addressed them, saying, " that when there was a stable peace, everything ought to have a peaceable appearance : I would, there- fore, that these white hoods be laid aside, and some amends made for the death of my bailiff, for his family are very importunate with. me on the subject." " My lord," replied the magistrates, " that is fully our intention ; and we beseech your highness, that you would have the goodness to come to-morrow to the square, and explain to your subjects, in an amicable manner, what your wishes are : they will be so much re- joiced at seeing you again that they will comply with all your de- sires." The earl agreed to their request. In the evening, it was known to numbers, that the carl was, on the morrow, to harangue the people at eight o'clock in the morning, in the market-place. Good men were much pleased thereat ; but the mad and outrageous thought little of it, and said they had had enough of harangues, and knew well what they were to do. John Pruniaux, John Boule, Rasse de Har- zelle, and Peter du Bois, leaders of the white hoods, were fearful that everything would be laid to their charge, and, having discoursed together, sent for some of their men, making choice of those that were the worst and most violent of their companions, and said to them, " Be sure you remain all this night and to-moiTow armed ; and whatever may be said to you, do not put off your white hoods ; but be all of you in the market-place to-morrow by eight o'clock, and make not any riot unless it be first begun on you. You will either give these orders to your companies or send them by a safe hand." They answered they would punctually comply, which they did. The next morning, at eight o'clock, they all went to the market- place, but not in a body ; they separated in different parties, for their leaders were among them. The earl came on horseback to the market-place, attended by his knights, squires, and magistrates of the town. John de Faticille was with him, and upward of forty of the richest and most respectable inhabitants. The earl, as he was passing up the market-place, cast his eyes on the white hoods, which made him melancholy : he dismounted, as did his attendants, and went to a window, from whence he leaned out, on a crimson cloth, which had there been spread for him. The earl began to address the people in a very discreet speech, in which he showed what love and affection he had borne them before they had angered him. He remonstrated, that a prince and sovereign lord ought to be loved, feared, obeyed, and honored by his subjects, and explained how very contrary they had acted. He also noticed how well he had always defended them against their enemies, and had kept them in peace and prosperity : that he had opened to them communications by sea, which before his joyful accession had been shut against them. He displayed much argument and good sense, which were understood by the wise, and acknowled for truth. He was well listened to by several, but by others not at all, for they were desirous of confusion. When he had spoken an hour, he concluded by saying, " that after having so fully explained everything, he was willing to continue their good lord, in the same manner as he had formerly been : that he forgave all the injuries and contempt they had shown him ; and that he would never more recollect the evil deeds which had passed, but would preserve to them their rights and franchises, as he had done. He entreated therefore, that no novel- ties might be introduced, and that those white hoods should be laid aside." During the first part of his speech, all were silent, as if there had not been any one present ; but, the moment he touched on the white hoods, murmurs were heard on all sides, which showed it was on that account. The people were then entreated to|retire to their houses in a peaceable manner. The earl left the market-place with his at- tendants, and the rest went to their homes. But I must say, that the white hoods came the first to the market-place, and were the last to quit it ; and, when the earl passed through them, they looked ill- humored at him, disdaining to pull ofT their caps, which affected him much ; for he said afterwards to his knights, when he renred to La Pdterne " I shall never gain my wish with these white hoods: tncy are an accursed wicked people. My mind tells me, things will not remain long as they now are : if I may judge from appearances, there is much evil intended ; and, were I to lose all, I will not suffer such pride and wickedness." The earl remained four or five days at Ghent, and then he departed in such a ir.anner as showed he never again intended returning thither. He went to Lille, where he made his preparations for passing the winter. He scarcely took leave of any one when he quitted Ghent, and set out much out of humor, for which several of the town wero 360 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. displeased, and said he would never do them any good again ; that they would no more love him than he did tliem : he had now left them as he had done before ; and that Gilbert and his brothers had so advised, seeing that he had so suddenly, and without affection, departed from Ghent. John Pruniaux, Rasse de Harzelle, John Boule and Peter du Bois, with the other wicked captains, were much pleased at all this, and spread rumors over the town, that the earl would return in the summer with sufficient force to break the peace ; that it behooved every one to be on his guard, and to lay in good store of corn, oats, meat, salt, and all sorts of provision, for that no dependence could be placed on the earl. The townsmen, therefore, laid in very great stores of all things necessary for them : when it was told the earl, he was mightily surprised, and could not guess why they were so very suspicious. To say the truth, when all which I have related is duly con- sidered, one cannot but wonder how the men of Ghent dissembled, and had done so from the be- ginning. The rich and principal men of the town could not excuse themselves for their conduct at the commencement of these commotions ; for certainly if they had been willing, when John Lyon first in- troduced the wearing of white hoods, they could easily have prevented it ; they jnight have sent against the canal-diggers of Bruges other men who would have done as well as the white hoods : but they permitted them, because they did not choose to have it thought they were against the franchises of the town. They therefore consented to every- thing, for which the richest and most discreet men paid very dearly afterwards. They were no longer masters in the town, and dared neithc-r speak nor act but as the white hoods pleased. They said, that neither for John Lyon nor for Gilbert Matthew, nor for their wars and hatreds would they take part ; tut they were united in one point, the preserving and defending the franchises of the citizens of Ghent, which Uiey afterwards demonstrated, for they made a war wliich lasted for seven years ; and, during that time, there were no quarrels in the town, wliich was their great cause of defence both at honte and abroad. They were so nmch united together that there were not any distractions among them, but each subscribed his money and jewels to the general. I'und ; and those among them who had the greatest abundance gave it to this stock, as you shall hear related. Not long after the earl of Flanders' departure from Ghent, and fi.xing his residence at Lille, Ohver d'Au- =[ terme, cousin-german to Roger d'Autermc, whom '" the men of Ghent murdered, sent his defiance to that town, in revenge for his death. Sir Philip de Maminea did the same, as well as several others. After these challenges had been delivered, they met about fifty boats, with their crews, descending the Scheld, laden with corn for Ghent, on whom they retaliated for the death of their cousin : having seized the mariners, they put out their eyes, and in this maimed and miser, able state they sent them to Ghent. The citizens of Ghent looked on this act as a personal injury done to them : when complaints of it were brought before the magistrates, they were much enraged, and knew not what to say. There were great murmurings throughout the town ; and the majority of the inhabitants said the earl of Flanders had done it, so that scarcely any one that was a respectable character could ofi'er anything in his defence. The instant John Pruniaux, who was at the time the principal leader and master of the white hoods, heard this news, without say- ing a word to the magistrates of the town (I know not if he mentioned his plan to the other captains, his companions, but I should suppose he did,) assembled the greater part of the white hoods, and others equally inclined to do evil, and marched out of Ghent, taking the road to Oudenarde. When he came thither there was not any guard nor sentinel, for they suspected nothing : he seized the gate, and entered the town with his men, who amounted to more than five thousand. When morning came, he set laborers to work, with car. penters and masons whom he had brought with him ; and they never ceased working until they had destroyed the two gates, the towers and the walls, which they flung into the ditch on the side toward Ghent. Now, how could those excuse themselves who had con- sented to this wicked deed ? for they remained in Oudenarde, up- ward of a month, destroying the gates and the walls. If they had remanded their people as soon as it was known what they were doing, one might have excused them ; but they did no such thing : on the contrary, they winked at it, and suffered them to proceed, until news was carried to the cart, who resided at Lille, how John Pruniaux had stolen into Oudenarde, and was destoying two of the gates and walls of it, as well as the towers. The earl was in great choler on hearing this ; indeed, he had good cause for it ; and said, " Ha, these accursed people ! the devil pos- sesses them : I shall never have peace as long as these Ghent men have such power." He then sent some of his council to the magis- trates of Ghent, to remonstrate vrith them on the violent outrage they had committed, and to declare they were people with whom no terms could be kept, since the peace which the duke of Burgundy had with great difliculty procured for them, had been already broken and infringed. The mayor and jurats of the town of Ghent excused themselves by saying, " that they never thought of breaking ths ' Hotel de-Ville, 0[tdbnardb. From a Flemish Drawing. peace, nor had they any such wish or inclination ; and that if John Pruniaux had of himself committed any outrage, the town would not avow it." They excused themselves loyally and fully ; but they added, '' that the earl had permitted great excess to be committed against them, by those of his household, who had wounded and slain some of their fellow-citizens; and this was much felt by the whole town. What say you, my lords, to this ?" The commissaries from the earl replied, " They had well re- venged themselves." " Oh no," answered the magistrates : " we do not say that what John Pruniaux has done at Oudenarde was by way of revenge ; for we can clearly prove by the treaty of peace, iT we choose, and we appeal to the testimony of tlie duke of Burgundy, that Oudenarde was to have been dismantled by us, or put in the state it is now in : but at the entreaty of the duke, we did not then insist upon it." The commissaries replied ; " It appears llien, by what you have said, that you ordered it to be done, and you cannot now excuse yourselves from this charge : since yon knew that John Pru- niaux was gone to Oudenarde (whither he had marched with a large army, and had surprised it under shadow of the peace,) and that he was destroying the fortifications and throwing the walls into the ditch, you ought to have gone thither and forbidden him to commit such outrages, until you should have laid your complaints before the earl. Of the wounding and assaulting your citizens, you should have addressed yourselves to the duke of Burgundy, who had made the peace, and remonstrated with him on the business. By this means, your quarrels would have been made up ; but you have not done so. My lord of Flanders therefore informs you, that since you have thus contemptuously behaved yourselves toward him, and then petition him with swords in your hands, he will one day take such cruel revenge on you that all the world shall ever at'terwards speak of it." Then they left the mayor and jurats of Ghent, and, after they had dined, set out on their return through Courtray to Lille ; when they related to the earl what they had done, and what e.xcuses the town of Ghent had made. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 261 CHAPTER XLVI. THE MEN OF GHENT SURRENDER OTTDENiRDE. THEY DESTROY THE HOUSES OF THE NOBLES. A CRUEL AND PITILESS WAR RENEWED BETWEEN THE MEN OF GHENT AND THE NOBILITY. One may well be surprised to hear the matter of this treaty so diversely spoken of, and such astonishing accounts told of it, which every one who reads may understand. Some said the men of Ghent were in the right to make this war, which was so cruel and of such long continuance in Flanders, adding, they had a just cause for so doing ; but it does not so appear to me from what I have seen, nor can I learn or understand but that the eavl always preferred peace to war, except where his honor and dignity were concerned. Did he not give up the citizen who was confined in his prison at Erclo ? Yes, he did ; and they murdered his bailiff. In order to preserve peace, he again pardoned them this outrage ; when they in one day caused an insurrection throughout all Flanders against him, and slew, even in the town of Ypres, five of his knights. They afterwards attacked Oudenarde, and besieged it, doing everything in tlieir power to take and destroy it. After this, peace was concluded ; but they refused to make any atonement for the death of Roger d'Au- terme, though his family had frequently demanded it ; for which that family had revenged themselves on some mariners, by whom all these disturbances were originally created : and was this a sufiicient reason for the total destruction of Oudenarde ? I think not; and this opinion is confirmed by many others agreeing in it. They said in reply, that the earl had other things to settle with Ghent ; and insisted on having reparation made for what had been done to the mariners, before they would surrender Oudenarde. The earl was exceedingly enraged, as well as his council, that the Ghent men should keep possession of Oudenarde, He knew not how to expel them from it, which made him sorely repent, that notwithstanding the peace he had entered into with Ghent, he had not more strongly guarded it. He frequently wrote and sent to them to surrender it to him ; otherwise he would wage so severe a war that they should for ever remember it. The citizens of Ghent were unwilling to avow this act ; for, if they had, the peace would have been broken. At last, some of the principal inhabitants, who wished for peace and tranquillily, such as John de Faucille, Guisebert de Guise, sir Simon Bete and many others, undertook the business ; and, after twelve days negotiating, those from Ghent who were in Oudenarde returned home, and the town was surrendered to the earl's men. In order further to appease the earl, John Pruniaux was banished from Ghent and from Flanders for ever : his sentence stated it as the reason, that he had gone and taken possession of Oudenarde without the knowledge of the magistrates of Ghent. Sir Philip de Mamines, sir Oliver d'Auteniie, le Galois de Manxes, le bastard de Widringues, and all those who had been actors or abettors in the maiming the mariners of Ghent, were also banished the country. These banishments appeased both parties. Pruniaux quitted Flanders, and went to Ath in Brabant. Sir Philip de Mamines went to Valenciennes in Hainault ; but, when those of Ghent heard it, they worked upon the provost and jurats of Valenciennes, so that the provost, John Paris, prevailed on the knight quietly to leave the town : he departed of his own free will, and resided at Warlain, near Douay, until he heard better news. The other luiights and squires went from Flanders to Brabant, where they remained until more agreeable intelligence made them quit it. As soon as the earl of Fland.?rs had regained possession of Oudenarde, he sent thither numbers of workmen to repair the gates, towers and walls, which he made stronger than before : the ditches also were deepened. All this was known at Ghent ; but they took no notice of it, lest they should be reprimanded for having infringed the peace. The discontented, however, said among themselves ; " Let them work as long as they please in repairing Oudenarde, for, were it now of steel, it could not resist us, whenever we may choose to take it." Although there was peace in Flanders, the earl had constant sua. picions of Ghent ; for every day some tales were brought him re- speetiHg it : and similar ones were told of him to the townsmen of Ghent. John de Faucille went to reside at Nazareth, a very hand- some and strong house of his a good league distant from Ghent. He dissembled there as long as he was able, and would not be of the town.council, in order to avoid being marked by the earl. He also absented himself very much from his attendance on the earl, to preserve his popularity in Ghent, and thus, as it were, swimming between two streams, kept himself as much neuter as he could. During the time the earl was repairing Oudenarde, and had just finished it, he was earnest, by letters and messages to his cousin the duke of Brabant, to get possession of John Pruniaux, who resided at Ath. He managed the matter so well that he was delivered up, and brought to Lille, where he was beheaded, and his body placed on a wheel as a traitor. Such was the end of John Pruniaux. At this same time, the earl came to Ypres, and held there several courts of justice, by whose judgments many wicked people were beheaded ; such as fullers and weavers, who had opened the gates to the men of Ghent, and slain the earl's knights, that others might from them take warning. All this was told in Ghent, which made them more suspicious than before, especially the leaders of the expeditions to Oudenarde. They said among themselves ; ** Certainly the earl will, if he can, destroy all of us. He loves us so well, he only wants our lives. Has he not put to death John Pruniaux ? la truth, we must own that we acted very wrong in regard to John Pruniaux, when we suffered him to be banished : we are guilty of his death ; and, if they can catch us, such an end as his awaits us. Let us be on our guard." Peter du Bois added ; " If you will be advised by me, there shall not a gentleman's house of any strength remain in the country about Ghent ; for by such houses we may all be destroyed, if we do not take care and provide a remedy." The others answered, "You say well ; come quick, let us down with them all." Upon this, the captains, Peter du Bois, John Boule, Rasse de Harzelle, John de Launoy, and several others made preparations for setting out from Ghent, which they did, and burnt and destroyed all the houses of the gentlemen : whatever they found therein, they divided among themselves as fair booty. After this, they returned to Ghent ; and none were bold enough to say to them, You have done ill. The gentlemen, knights and squires, who resided at Lille with the earl, on hearing this, were much enraged, and with reason ; they told the earl, that this outrage ought to be punished, and the pride of the Ghent men humbled. The earl gave to these knights and squires permission to make war on Ghent, and revenge them, selves for the injuries they had suffered. They made alliances with many knights and squires of Flanders, and entreated their friends in Hainault to assist them, and chose for their commander le Hasle de Flandres, the eldest bastard son of the earl, a right valiant knight. This Hasle de Flandres and his companions sometimes fi.xed their quarters in Oudenarde, at others at Gavres, Alost or Dendremonde, and had frequent skirmishes with the Ghent men. They advanced up to the barriers of the town, and destroyed almost all the wind- mills which were around it, committing other injuries on Ghent. They had with them a young knight from Hainault, well inclined to sei-ve them, whose name was sir James de Verchin, seneschal of Hainault. He performed many gallant deeds, and advanced himself sometimes too rashly, in tilting close to the barriers, and twice or thrice won from them their helmets and cross-bows. This sir James de Verchin was very fond of arms, and would have greatly excelled if he had lived longer ; but he died young, and in his bed, at the castle of Ombre, near Mortaigne, which was a great loss. CHAPTER XLVII. the nobles make war upon THE ELEMINGS. The men of Ghent had been very free in their jokes and mock, eries of the noblemen and gentry of Flanders, but were afterwards sorry for it, and had once intentions of sending to duke Albert of Hainault, to request he would recal his knights who were making war against them; but, on reconsidering the business, they thought it would only be lost labor, for the duke would not interfere in it. They were unwilling also to anger him more, for they should fara ill without his country ; and if Hainault, Holland and Zealand were shut against them, they might consider themselves as ruined. They therefore gave up this, and followed other counsel, which was to send to those knights and squires of Hainault who held possessions within Ghent or its dependency, to come and serve them under pain of losing their estates : they, however, paid no attention to their summons. To this effect, they sent to sir Herv^, lord d'Antoing, who had an estate in Ghent, and was also constable of the castle, to assist them, or he would lose the rights of his castlewick ; and, because he would not obey their summons, they razed his house of Vienne to the ground. f The lord d'Antoing sent them word, he would cheerfully serve them at their expense, and to their ruin ; that they were not to place any dependence on him, for he would always be their enemy, and oppose them in every instance ; that he w ould not hold anything of them, but from his lord the earl of Flanders, to whom he owed service and obedience. This lord kept well the promise he had made them ; for he waged a mortal war against Ghent, and did them many injuries. He reinforced the castle with men and stores, by which means those in Ghent were much annoyed. On the other hand, the lord d'Anghien, whose name was Walter, though a young squire, but well inclined, did them much mischief. The war was thus sharply carried on during the whole season. The Ghent men dared not venture out of their town but in large troops ; for when, ever they met their enemies, if in superior numbers, they were all slain without mercy. Thus was the war embittered between the earl of Flanders and Ghent, which afterwards cost a hundred thousand lives twice told ; and with great difficulty could any end be put to it and peace re. established, for the leaders in Ghent knew- they had done such evil deeds against the earl of Flanders and the duke of Burgundy that, they were persuaded no treaty could be made or sworn to, whatever the outward appearance of it might be, but that their lives v/ould be sacrificed. This made them firm in their resolutions, and resolved' to keep up the division and war. against the earl and gentlemen of Flanders : it also gave them the courage to fight desperately, which, 262 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. however, sometimes ill befel them in their enterprises, as you will hear related. The earl of Flanders, who had iixed his residence at Lille, received daily information of the ill deeds of the men of Ghent, how they were destroying and burning the houses of his nobles : he was sore vexed, and said he would take so great a revenge on Ghent, that he would put it in lire and flames, with all the inhabitants within it. In order to be more powerful, the earl summoned all the barons of Flanders and gave up to them the whole country, the better to resist the white hoods. He appointed two loaders, Galois de Mamines and Peter d'Estrevilles. These two, with their company, bore the banner of the earl, and remained about three weeks between Oude- narde and Courtray, upon the Lys, where they did much damage. When Rasse de Harzelle was informed of this, he marched out of Ghent with the white hoods, to Deynse, where he thought to meet the army of the earl ; but, when they knew that the Ghent men were on their march, they retreated to Tournay, and strengthened the towm. They contiinied there, and in the neighborhood of Damme, Orchies and Vorlam a considerable time, so that the merchants dared not go from Tournay to Douay for fear of them. It was reported, the Ghent men intended besieging Lille and the earl within it ; and for this purpose they would have formed an alliance with Bruges and Ypres. They had gained over Graniont and Courtray ; but those of Bruges and Ypres were irresolute. They had disagreed with the handicraft trades, declaring it would be great folly to go so far to lay siege to Lille ; for the earl, their lord, might form an alii, ance with the king of France, as he had formerly done, and receive from him much assistance. These doubts kept the principal towns of Flanders at this time from entering into the war, so that no siege was formed. To pre- vent the earl from entering into any treaty with his son-in-law the duke of Burgundy, they sent embassadors, with most amicable letters, to the king of France, to supplicate him, for the love of God, not to take any part to their disadvantage ; for their only wish was love, peace, obedience and service ; and that their lord had very wrong- fully and wickedly oppressed and harassed them : that what they were now doing was only for the preservation of their franchises, which their lord wanted to destroy. The king was somewhat, in- clined in their favor, though he showed not any appearance of it in public. The duke of Anjou, his brother, did the same ; for, although the earl of Flanders was their cousin, he was not in their good graces, on account of having entertained the duke of Brittany for a long time much against their wills. They therefore troubled not them- selves about his affairs : neither did pope Clement, who said, that God had sent him this rod because he was his enemy and would not acknowledge him as pope. CHAPTER XLVIII. THE BEATH OF SIR BERTRiND DU GtJESCLIN, CONSTABLE OF FRAJfCE. The good constable of France, sir Bertrand du Guesclin, had remained in Auvergne with many able men-at-arms. He had laid siege to Chateau-neuf de Randon,* three leagues from the city of Mende,t and four from the town of Puy in Auvergne, in the castle of which he had shut up several English and Gascons, who had come from the country of Limousin, where there were plenty of fortresses. The constable made many severe attacks on the castle during the siege, and swore that he would never depart until he was the master of it. When there, he was seized with so great a sick- ness that he kept his bed : this, however, did not prevent the siege from being continued : indeed, it was carried on by his army with greater eagerness. Sir Bertrand's malady was so deadly that ho fell a victim to it, which was a severe loss to his friends and to the king- dom of France. His body was carried to the church of the Corde- liers of Puy in Auvergne, where it remained one night ; and on the morrow it was embalmed, conveyed to St. Denis in France, and buried in a tomb very near that of king Charles of France, which the king had caused to be made in his lifetime. By his order, the body of sir Bertrand, his constable, was placed at his feet ; and his obsequies were performed with the same honors as if he had been his own son : the king's brothers, as well as great numbers of the nobility, attended. By the death of sir Bertrand, the office of constable became vacant; on which many councils were held to nominate a successor. Several great barons of France were thought of : in particular, the lords de Clisson and de Coucy. The king of France appointed the lord de Coucy governor of all Picardy, and also gave him the domain of Mortaigne, which is a handsome heritage, situated between Tournay and Valenciennes. Sir James de Verchcn, the young seneschal of Hainault, was turned out of it : he held it in succession from his father, who had been lord of it for a long time. I say, therefore, the lord de Coucy was greatly in favor with the king of France, who was desirous to nominate him constable : but the gallant knight excused himself with many reasons, and refused to undertake so weighty a charge as that of constable, adding that sir Oliver de Clis. * " Chateau-neuf de Randon "— e village in Lower Langaedoc. t " Mende "—an ancient citj- in Lower Langueduc, twenty-eight leagues from Alby. son was the fittest person of any, for he was a valiant, enterprising, and prudent knight, well known to and beloved by the Bretons. Things remained thus for some time, when the men-at-arms of sir Bertrand returned to France , for the castle had surrendered the same day the constable had died, and the garrison of it had gone to that of Ventadour. When the king of France saw the men-at-arms of the constable, he turned aside for grief at the loss of him whom he had so much loved ; he gave to each of them a handsome present suitable to their ranks. We will now leave this subject^ and relate how the earl of Buckingham, youngest son of Edward III. of Eng- land, having assembled a large army of men-at-arms and archers, crossed the sea, and marched his army through France to Brittany. CHAPTER XLIX. THE DUKE OF ErjTTA.NY REQt^STS SUCCOR FROM THE KING OF ENGLAND. THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAM, YOUNGEST SON TO THE LATE KING, IS AP. POINTED COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITION. You have before heard, that when the duke of Brittany left Eng- land, king Richard and his uncles promised him aid of men at-arms and archers, which they performed with ill success ; for this was the expedition under the command of sir John Arundel, who with two hundred men-at-arms were shipwrecked, he himself drowned, with fourscore men-at-arms and as many archers, and from which sir Hugh Calvcrley and sir Thomas Trivet most narrowly escaped. This unfortunate event put an end to the expedition, which not being known to the duke of Brittany, he and his council were ex- ceedingly surprised, and could not conceive what was become of the English ; for they were very anxious to profit by their assistance, in the sharp war wliich was carrying on against the duke by sir Oliver de Clisson, sir Guy de Laval, sir Oliver du Guesclin, the count de Longueville, the lord de Rochefort, and the French on the frontiers of his duchy. The duke was advised to send some able men to England, to know why the reinforcements were not sent according to promise, and to hasten them over, for they were in great need of tliem. The lord de Beaumanoir and sir Eustace de la Houssaye were entreated by the duke and his nobility to make tliis journey to England : they answered, they would willingly comply. Letters were given to thera by the duke and nobles of the country ; when having departed, they embarked at Vannes, with a favorable wind, and arrived at .South, ampton. They there disembarked, and, having mounted their horses, went to London. It was about Whitsuntide, in the year of grace 1380. The arrival of these two lords was soon notified to the king and to his three uncles. The Whitsun feast being arrived, the king went to Windsor to celebrate it, attended by his uncles and great numbers of the barons and knights of England. The two embassa. dors went thither also, and were graciously received by the king and the barons, when they presented their letters to his majesty and his uncles. After they had penised them, they knew the great need the duke of Brittany had for assistance, from the earnest entreaties he and the country made for it. The embassadors then first hoard of the dcsth of sir John Arundel and his companions, who had peiished at sea on their voyage to Brittany. The duke of Lancaster made excuses, saying, it was not owing to any fault of the king or his ministers, but ill. fortune at sea, against which none can make head when God wills it so. The embassadors, therefsre, fully acquitted the king, and greatly lamented the deaths of those knights and squires who had perished. When the feasts of Whitsuntide were over, a parliament was holden at Westminster, to which were summoned all the members of the council. While these doings were passing, sir Guiscard d'Angle, earl of Huntingdon, departed this life in the city of London. He was buried in fho church of the Austin-friars.* The king ordered his obsequies to be most honorably performed, and they were attended by a great number of the prelates and barons of England : the bishop of Lon- don sung mass. Soon after the parliament was opened, the lord Thomas, youngest son of the late king of England, and many barons, knights, and squires of the realm, were ordered to cross the sea to Calais ; and, if God should jjcrmit, they were to march through France, with three thousand men-at-arms, and as many archers, so that the lord Thomas might arrive in Brittany, attended by earls, barons, and knights, suitably to the dignity of a king's son. He undertook a bold task to pass through the kingdom of France, which is so extensive and noble, and which has such gallant chivalry and valiant men-at-arms. When everything relative to the expedition had been discussed and finally arranged, the king of England and his uncle wrote letters to the duke of Brittany and to the nobles of the country, informing them in part of their will, what had been determined on by the par. liamcnt, and that for a certainty the earl of Buckingham would this season cross the sea to march to their aid. The king of England showed the embassadors many honors, and gave them very rich presents, as also did his uncles, when they set out on their departure for Brittany. They presented their letters to the duke, who, having * "Austin-friars." SeeGouOH's Seputchral Monuments. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 363 opened and read them, shtiwed them to the states of his country, who were satisfied with their contents. The king of England and his uncles did not delay this expedition, but sent summons to all those who had been Selected to attend the earl of Buckingham ; the barons to assemble in one place, and the knights in another. They had their wages paid them at Dover for three months, which were to commence as soon as they should land at Calais, as well for the men-at-arms as the archers, and their passage over was given to them. They crossed in small parties to Calais, and were upward of til'tecn davs before the whole had there landed. Earl of Buckingham, with his army, on their voyage to Calais, to assist the duke of BrittaoF. From a MS. of the 15th century. Those of Boulogne having noticed such large bodies of men.at. arms continually crossing from Dover to Calais, gave notice of it to all the country and the different garrisons, that they might not be surprised, ^hen this intelligence was known in the Boulonnois, the Terouennois, and in the county of Guines, all the knights and squires of those countries placed their wealth in different strong towns, to avoid losing it. The governors of Boidogne, Ardres, de la Montoire, d'E^perleck, de Tournehem, de Nordt, de Liques, and other castles on the frontiers, exerted themselves greatly in strength- ening and victualing their garrisons; for they knew, that since the English had crossed over with so large a fleet that they would be attacked. News of this armament was carried to the king of France, who resided at Paris. He sent immediate orders to the lord de Coucy, who at that time was at St. Qucutin, to provide himself with men. at-arms, and to march to Picardy, to reinforce all the towns, cities, and castles in that province. The lord de Coucy duly obeyed the king's orders, and issued his summons at Peronne in the Vermandois, for the instant assembling of all the knights and squires of Artois, Vermandois, and Picardy. The lord de Saimpi was at that time governor of Ardres, and sir John de Bouille of Boulogne. The earl of Buckingham arrived at Calais with his army three days before Magdalen-day, in the month of July, 1380. CHAPTER L. TBE SAUL OF BUCKINGHAM MARCHES WITH HIS ARMY FROM CALAIS. The garrison in Calais were much rejoiced at the arrival of the earl of Buckingham, for they well knew it would not be long before they began their march. The earl having refreshed himself for two days at Calais, on the third departed, and took the field, following the road toward Marquignes.* It is proper I should name to you the banners and pennons under the earl's command ; first, the earl him- self, and the earl of Stafford who had married his niece, a daughter of the lord de Coucy, rode with displayed banners ; the earl of De- vonshire, the lord Despencer, who was constable of the army, the lord Fitzwalter, marshal, the lord Basset, the lord Bourchier, the lord Ferrars, the lord Morley, the lord Darcey, sir William Windsor, sir * " Marquignes'*— I suppose must be Marquise, a to\vn in the Boulonnois, between Cftl&is and Boulogne, five leagues &om Calais. Hugh Calverley, sir Hugh Hastings, and sir Hugh de la Sente,* advanced with their pennons ; lord Thomas Percy, sir Thomas Trivet, sir William Clinton, sir Evan de Fitzwnrren, sir Hugh Tyrrel, the lord de la Warr, sir Eustace and sir John de Harbeslon, sir William Farrington, the lord de Braose, sir William Fabre, sir John and sir Nicholas de Ambreticourt, sir John Mac6, sir Thomas Camois, sir Ralph, son to the lord Neville, sir Henry, bastard of Ferrars, sir . Hugh Broc, sir Geoffry Worseley, sir Thomas West, the lord de Saincte More, David Holgrave, Huguelin de Calverley, bastard, Ber- nard de Coderieres, and several more. These men-at-arms rode in handsome array, but did not march farther the day they left Calais than to Marquise, where they halted, to attend to their affairs, and to hold a council which road they should take to accomplish their expedition ; for there were several among them who had never been in France be- fore : in particular, the king's son, and many barons and knights. It was therefore but reasonable, that those who were acquainted with the kingdom of France, and hav- ing formerly passed through, and had several engagements in it, should have such weight given to their advice and opin- ions as redounded to their honor. True it is, that in for- mer times, W'lien the English invaded France, they made a regulation, for the leaders to swear, in the presence of the king and his council, to ob- serve two things ; that to no one, except to themselves, would they reveal the secrets of their councils, their intend- ed march, nor what might be their intentions ; and second- ly, that they would never agree to any treaty with the enemy without the knowledge and consent of the king and his council. When these barons, knights, and squires, with their men, had re- mained for three days at Marquise, and their whole force had joined them from Calais, the captains, having well considered their line of march, departed, and took the road to Ardres. They halted before the castle of Ardres, to show themselves to the garrison within ; when the earl of Buckingham having created the earl of Devonshire and the lord Morley knights, these two lords first displayed their banners. The earl of Buckingham created also the following knights : the son. of the lord Fitzwalter, sir Roger Strange, sir John d'Ypre, sir John Cole, sir James Tyrrel, sir Thomas Ramestone, sir John Neville, sir Thomas Roselie. The whole army took up their quarters at Hosquet when the above knights were made. The vanguard then marched to a strong house called Folant.t situated upon a river. There was a squire within it of the name of Robert, to whom the house belonged. He was a good man-at-arms, and had well garrisoned it with stores and hardy soldiers, whom he had picked up in the neighborhood, to the amount of forty, who showed every intention to defend them- selves well. These barons and knights, eager to do honor to their new knight- hood, surrounded the tower of Folant, and immediately began the attack ; but it was well defended by those within. Many a gallant deed was performed; and those in the fort shot well and continually, by which many of the assailants were killed and wounded who ven- tured too near. There were in the fort some good cross-bowmen, whom the governor of St. Omer had sent thither at the squire's re. quest ; for he had imagined the English would pass near his house, and was resolved to defend it to the utmost of his power, which he did, for he behaved gallantlv. The earl of Devonshire, while he was on the ditch, his banner displayed before him, spoke out bravely, which greatly encouraged his men, saying, "What, my lords! shall we so much disgrace our new honors as to remain all the day before this pigeon-house ? The strong places and castles in France may well hold out against us, when such a place as this stops us. Advance, advance '. let us prove our knighthoods." Those who heard him took proper notice of what he said, and, sparing themselves less than before, leaped into the ditches, and made for the walls, the archers shooting so briskly that scarcely any dared show themselves on the parapets. Several were killed and wounded, and the lower court taken and ' De la Sente " tQ. "Hosque.' t Q. " Folant." 254 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. bumt. At length, the whole garrison were made prisoners ; but, though they had defended themselves well, none were mortally ■wounded. Thus was the house of Folant gained, and Robert Fo- lant wiih his garrison made prisoners, by the earl of Devonshire and his men. The whole division took up their quarters on the banks of the river of Hosque, to wait for sir William Windsor, who com- manded the rear.guard. He came thither in the evening. On the morrow, they marched otT togetlier, and advanced as far as Esper. leek, where they lodged themselves. The governor of St. Oraer, finding the enemy so near, doubled his guards, and ordered two thousand men to be in readiness the whole nigh', iliat 'he enemy might not surprise the town. The next day, the Riigli»h decamped, about si.x o'clock, and advanced in battle-ar- ray before St. Omer. The inhabitants, hearing of their march, armed themselves according to the orders they had received, and drew up in the market-place, from whence they went to the gates, towers, and battlements, with a determined resolution to resist, for they had heard that the English would attack the town ; but they had no such intentions, for, as it was very strong, they might lose more than they could gain. The earl of Buckingham, however, who had never before been in France, wished to see St. Omer, because it appeared from its gates, ■walls, towers, and steeples, to be a handsome place. He drew up and halted his army »n a hill about a half a league from it, where he remained for three hours. While there, some of the young knights and squires, mounting their coursers, spurred them up to the barriers, and demanded to tilt with the knights in the town; but, no answers being made to them, they returned back to the army. The day the earl came before St. Orner, he made more knights ; among whom were sir Ralph Neville, sir Bartholomew Bourchier, sir Thomas Ca. mois, sir Foulke Corbet, sir Thomas d'Angleere, sir Ralph Patipas, sir Lewis St. Aubin, and sir John Paulet. These new knights, in the first vigor of chivalry, mounted their horses, and galloped up to the gates, calling on the knights within to tilt with them; but they experienced the same neglect as the others had done. When the army saw that the French lords in St. Omer made not any attempt to come out to meet them, they continued their march, and came that day to Esquilles, between St. Omer and Terouenne, ■where they took up their quarters for the night. On the morrow, they departed, and made for Terouenne. The French ganisons in the counties of Boulogne, Artois, and Guincs, having observed the dispositions of die English, that they continued their march without stopping at any place, mutually informed each other of their inten- tions to follow them, since much might be gained by it : they there- fore assembled, under the pennons of the lord de Fransures and the lord de Saimpi, to the number of more than two hundred lances. They pursued the English army ; but, though they kept close to them, the English marched in such compact order, they were not put into the least disorder, and their enemies could not attack them, without the risk of suflering a total defeat. These French knights and squires, however, at times fell upon the English foragers, so that they dared not forage but in large companies. The English passed Terouenne without attempting anything, for the lords de Saimpi and de Fransures were within it. They marched on toward Bethune, where they halted for a day; and I will tell you the reason. You have before heard how king Richard, by the ad. vice of his uncles and council, had sent into Germany sir Simon Bur- ley, to the emperor,* to demand his sister in marriage. This knight so well managed the business, that the emperor, by advice of his council and the great lords of his court, complied with the request, but he had sent, with sir Simon Burlcy, the duke of Saxony, first to Luxembourg and then to England, to observe that kingdom, in order that his sister might have a just account of it, so that if agreeable, the marriage might be concluded. The cardinal of Ravenna was at that time in England, and, being an Urbanist, was converting the English to the same way of think- ing ; he was waithig also the arrival of the above-mentioned duke. At the entreaties of the emperor and the duke of Brabant, he and an his company obtained liberty to pass through France to Calais. They therefore travelled by way of Tournay, Lille, and Bethune, from whence they came to visit the earl of Buckingham and Ins barons, who received the duke of Saxony and his suit most honor- ably. The Germans continued their journey through Aire and St. Omer, and from thence to Calais. The earl of Buckingham marched his army before Liques, and en. camped that same day at Bouhain les Bouissieres ; but they were constantly followed by the lords de Saimpi and de Fransures with their forces. In the morning, they advanced nearer to Bethune. There were in that town a numerous garrison of men-at-arms, knights and squires, whom the lord de Coucy had sent thither ; such as the lord de Hangcst, sir John and sir Tristan de Roye, sir Geoffry de Charny, sir Guy de Harcourt, and many more. The army passed by Bethune without making any attempt to attack it, and lay at Doncheres.t In the evening the lords de Saimpi and de Fransures entered Be thmie, and the next day went to Arras, where they met the lord de Coucy, who received them very politely, inquiring news from them. * Wjnceslaus VJ. emperor. t Q. if not Doncby, a village near Arras. and which road the Enghsh had taken. They replied, they had lodged the preceding night at Doncheres ; that they marched witll very great prudence, for they constantly kept in close order. " It is then clear," answered the lord de Coucy, "that they wish for battle; which they shall have, if the king our lord will trust us, before they have finished their march." The earl marched by Arras, in order of battle, continuing his route without doing anything : he took up hi3 quarters at Anet,* on the morrow at Miraumont,t and the next day at Clery-on-the.Somme. The lord de Coucy, who resided at Arras, on hearing that they had gone this road, sent the lord Hangest to Braye-sur.Somme,? and with him thirty lances, knights and squires : he ordered to Peronne sir James deVerchin, seneschal of Hainault, the lord de Hamireth, sir John de Roye, and several others: he himself went to St. Quen. tin. He sent the lord de Clery, with others, into the Vermandois ; for he was anxious that no loss should be suffered through any negli. gence on his part. CHAPTER LI. THE LORB DE EKIMEO, BIS SONS AND HIS MEN, ARE TAKEN TKISONERS BY THE ENGLISH. THE GARRISON Of PERONNE ARE BRIVIN BACK INTO THAT TOWN. The night the English had quartered themselves at Clcry.on.the- Somme, some knights of the army, such as sir Thomas Trivet, sir William Clinton, sir Evan Fitzwarrcn, at the instigation of lord Dela. warr, who was well acquainted with the whole country, and knew that the lord de Coucy was with a large body of men-at-arms in the town of Arras, resolved to march from the army, at early dawn, with the foragers, to see if they should meet with any adventure worth attending to ; for they wished to perform some deed of arms. As they had planned, so did they execute ; and about thirty lances set out after the foragers, in search of adventures. This same day the lord de Coucy left Arras with a large body of men, and had taken the road to St. Quentin. When they were on their inarch, the lord de Erimeu, his sons, with about thirty spears, quitted the army of the lord de Coucy, anxious to perform some gallant act. These two bodies of English and French, meeting in the plains, saw a combat was inevitable : they therefore struck spurs into their horses, and galloped toward each othci^, shouting their cries of war. On the first shock, several were unhorsed, killed and wounded on both sides. Many handsome deeds were done : they dismounted, and began to thrust with their spears, each party behaving bravely. This mode of combat continued about an hour, and no one could say to whom would be the victory, but in the end the English woii the field. Sir Thomas Trivet made prisoners the lord de Brinieu, and his two sons, John and Lewis, and sixteen men-at-arms : the rest saved themselves : and the English returned to their army with their prisoners. They remained some little time in the neighborhood of Peronne, having heard from their prisoners, that the lord de Coucy was in that town with upward of a thousand lances, and they knew not if he wished to offer them batrie. This day the lord Dolawarr, with Fierabras his bastard-brother, sir Evan Filzwarren and several others, quitting the army, hastened to Mont St. Quentin, where they posted themselves in ambuscade ; for they had learnt that the seneschal of Hainault was with a strong body of men-at-arms in Peronne, and they knew him to be so self-sufficient that he would not fail to sally out, which in truth he did. The van- guard ordered ten men-at-arms to march to Peronne ; among wliem were Thierry de Soumain, Fierabras, sir Hugh Calverley and Hopo. quin Hay, mounted on their chargers. They galloped up to the bar- riers, where there were at least fifty spears with the s<5neschal of Hainault ; who, thinking to catch these gallopers, ordered the barriers to be thrown open, and immediately commenced a pursuit after thein, as they retreated toward their ambuscade. When those who had placed themselves in ambush saw tlie French pursuing their men, they discovered themselves; but it was some- what too soon, for when the seneschal perceived this large body so well mounted, he sounded a retreat, and the horses then knew the efi'oct of spurs; very opportunely did these lords find the bamers open. They were, however, so closely followed, that sir Richard de Marqucillies, sir Louis de Vertaing, Honard de la Honarderie, Vital de St. Hilaire, with ten other men-at-arms, remained prisoners to the English : the others escaped. When the English learnt that the seneschal of Hainault, the lord de Hamireth, the lord de Clery, with twenty other knights, had escaped, they cried out, "God! what a fortunate event it would have been, if we had taken them, for they would have paid us forty thousand francs." They returned to the aniiy, and nothing more wa*j done that day. The araiy remained for three days at Cleiy-sur-Somme, and in that neighborhood. On the fourth, they marched away, and came to the abbey Vaucelle,^ three leagues from Cambray, and the next day nearer St. Quentin. This day, about thirty spears attached to the duke of Burgundy, had set out from Arras for St. Quentin. Sir Thomas Trivet, sir Evan Fitzwarren, the lord Delawarr, and several others who had been from the vanguard with the foragers, as they • Q. "Anet." 1 1 " Miraumont"— " Braj-e-sur-Sonfiine"— villages in Picardy, election of Peronne. § " 'Vaucelle" — onthe Scheld, nearto Cievecoeur. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 265 were about to fix on their quarters, fell in with these Burgundians, when a battle ensued : but it did not last long, for the Burgundians were soon dispersed, one here, another there, and all tried to save them. There was a valiant man-at-arms from Hainault in the troop of the lord Delawarr, called Peter Berton, who fixing his lance in its rest, and being well mounted, came up with the lord de Hangest, who selves as well as they could. Sir John de Mornay, however, stood was flying before him, and gave him such a blow on the back with his ground in good order, with iiis pennon before him, and fought valiantly, but at last was taken, and ten men of his company. The English then marched to Foursons, two leagues from Amiens, where the vanguard quartered itself. CH-\PTER LII. THE ENGLISH BURS ANB DESPOIL CHAMPAGNE. THEY MEET WITH VARI- OUS ATVENTURES OX THEIR MARCH, ASD MAKE MANY PRISONERS. Ox the ensuing morning, when the carl of Buckingham and his army had heard mass, they began their march toward St. Quentin ; in which town there were numbers of men-at-arms, but they did not sally forth. Some of the light troops galloped up to the barriers, and soon returned ; for the army continued its march without halting un. til it arrived at Origny St. Benoiste,* and the adjacent villages. In the town of Origny, there was a handsome nunnery, the abbess of which at that time happened, to be aunt-in-law to the lord Delawarr, at whose entreaty the nunnery and the whole town were respited from being burnt and pillaged : the earl was lodged in the abbey. That evening and the following morning, there were many skimishes at Ribemont, which was hard by, when several were slain and wounded on each side. In the morning, the army dislodged from Origny, came to Crecy, and passed Vau.\ below Laon, fixing their quarters at Sissonne.t The next day, they crossed the river Aisne, at Pont a Vaire, and came to Hermonville and Coumissy, four leagues from Rheims, without meeting with any forage on tlieir march. Everything had been driven or carried into the towns and strong place?, the king of France having abandoned to his own men-at-arms whatever they could find in the open country : the English, therefore, suffered great distress for want of food. They determined to send a herald to Rheims, to open a treaty, with the inhabitants, for them to send provisions to the army, such as cattle, bread and wine. The inhabitants refused to enter into any negotiation, and, in their reply, sala, ;})ey must make the best of it. This answer so much enraged them that, in one week, the li^ht troops burnt upward of 60 villages dependent on Rheims. The English heard that the people of Rheims had secured six thousand sheep in the ditches of the town, thinking them safe there : the vanguard advanced thither, and made their men descend into the ditches and drive out the sheep, without any one daring to issue from the town to prevent them, or even appear- ing on the bulwarks ; for the archers, being posted on the banks of the ditch, shot so sharply that no one ventured to show himself: the . English gained several thousand head of sheep. They sent to inform the townsmen, they would burn all the corn in the fields, unless they ransomed it by sending them bread and wine. The inhabitants were frightened by this threat, and sent the army from ten to fifteen loads of bread and wine : by this means, the corn and oats were saved from being burnt. The English inarched by Rheims in order of battle to Beaumont.sur-Vesle,t for they had crossed the river below Rheims. On their departure from Beaumont, the English rode along the river Marne, to seek a passage, and came to Conde-sur-Marne, where they found the bridge broken down ; but, as the supporters still remained, they sought for planks and beams, with which they rebuilt the bridge, crossed the river, and quartered themselves in the villages above Marne ; and on the ensuing day, they came before the town of Vcrtus,§ when there was a grand skirmish in front of the castle, in which many were wounded. The earl of Buckingham was lodged in the abbey. During the night, the town was burnt, except the abbey, which, from the earl lodging in it, was saved ; otherwise it would infallibly have suflered the same fate, for the townsmen liad retreated into the castle, and would not ransom it. The army marched off the follov\-ing day, and passed by the castle of Moymer, which is the inheritance of the lord de Chastillon. The skirmishers advanced to the barriers, and then passed on and took up their quarters for the ni^ht at Pe. lange, making for the city of Troyes, and the next day at Plancy-sur- Aube.ll The lord de Chateauneuf and John de Chateauneuf his brother, with Remond St. Marsiii, Gascons, and some English about torty spears in the whole, rode from the army to seek adven- tures, but met with none, which vexed them much. On their return they saw in the plain a body of men-at-arms riding toward Troyes • It was the lord de Hangest and his men : the English and Gascons immediately spurred their horses to come up with them. The lord de Hangest had well observed them, and, doubting they were in greater numbers than they appeared, said to his men, " Make for Planey and save yourselves ; I'or these English have discovered us f". .!!,"' ""il', """'^ '^ °°' ^'"' °ffi ''=' "^ P^^ ourselves in safety in _ ^ „, .. rpjjgy j.^jg j^ ^j^^j direction, and the English the castle of Planey." after them. GuenS, ^ITS" -^ ?"" '" P'<:^'iy, on the Oise, three leagues from St. 1-R . t S'sionne"-a town in Picardy, diocese of Laon. J Beaumont-sur-Vesle"-near Rheims I Vertus"-a town of Champagne, twelve leagues from Rheims. II riancy-sur-Aube"— near Troyes. his lance that he almost drove him out of the saddle ; but the lord de Hangest neither lost his seat nor his stirrups, though Peter Ber- ton kept the iron hard at his back ; and in this manner did they arrive at Planey. Straight at the entrance of the castle the lord de Hangest leaped from his horse, and got into the ditch. Those within it were anxious to save him, and ran to the barriers, where there was a grand skirmish ; for the garrison kept shooting briskly, being very good cross-bowmen ; and several valiant deeds were done on each side. With great difficulty the lord de Hangest was saved. He fought gallantly on entering the castle ; for reinforce- ments from the vanguard were continually arriving. The lord Delawarr, sir Thomas Trivet, sir Hugh Calverley, came thither, and the conflict was great : there were upward of thirty of the French killed and wounded, and the lower court of the castle burnt. The castle itself was warmly attacked on all sides, but well defended : the mills of Planey were burnt and destroyed. The whole army then retired, passed the river Aube at Pont k I'Ange, and marched toward Valant-sur-Seine. The lord de Hangest had a very nan-ow escape. This same day the captains of the vanguard, sir Thomas Trivet,, sir Hugh Calverley, the lord Delawarr, the bastard his brother, Peter Berton, and- many others, made an excursion from the army, and met Sir John de Roye, with about twenty spears of the duke of Bur- gundy who were going to Troyes. The English, on seeing them, spurred their horses ; for the French were making ofl^, as not in suf. ficient numbers to wait for them. The greater part did escape ; and Sir John de Roye, with others, got within the barriers of Troyes, which at the time chanced to be open. On their return, they cap. tured four of his men, who could not save themselves, among whom was a squire to the duke of Burgundy, called Guion Goufer, an expert man-at-arms. His horse was much heated, so that he had dismounted, and, ha\ing placed himself against a walnut-tree, fought valiantly two Englishmen, who pressed him hard, crying out to him in English to surrender ; but he understood them not. Fierabras, on his return from the pursuit, arriving at the spot, said to the squire in French, " Surrender thyself." On hearing this, he replied, " Art thou a gentleman ?" The bastard rejoined, he was. " I then sur- render myself to thee," presenting him his sword and gauntlet ; for which the English would have killed him when he was in the bas- tard's hands, and they told him he was not very courteous thus to carry from them their prisoner, but the bastard was stronger than they. Nevertheless this affair was, in the evening, brought before the marshals, who, having well considered it, determined he should remain to the bastard, who that evening ransomed him, taking his word for the payment, and sent him on the morrow to Troyes. The whole army were quartered at Valant-sur-Seine, and the next day crossing the Seine at a ford, came to a village one league from Troyes, called Bernard-Saint-Simple, where the lords and captains held many councils. CHAPTER LIU. THE ENGLISH COME BEFORE TROYES. A SKIRMISH AT ONE OF THE GATES. THEY TAKE A FORT WHICH THE DUKE OF BURGU.NDY HAI> ERECTED ON THE OUTSIDE. KING CHARLES PRACTICES WITH THE- INHAEITAKTS OF NAKTES. The duke of Burgundy was in the city of Troyes, and had fixed on that place for the rendezvous of his forces. His intentions were to fight the English between the rivers Seine and Yonne ; and the barons, knights and squires of Francs did not wish for anything bet- ter ; but Charles of France, doubtful of the fortune of the war, would not give his permission so to do. He recollected too well the great losses his nobles had fomierly suffered from the victories of the English, and would never allow them to fight unless the advantages were very considerable on their side. There were with the duke of Burgundy, in Troyes, the duke of Bourbon, the duke of Bar, the count d'Eu, the lord de Couey, sir John de Vienne, admiral of France, the lords de Vienne, and de Sainte Croix, sir James de Vienne, sir Walter de Vienne, the lord de la Tremouille, the lord de Vcrgy, the lord de Rougemont, the lord de Hambue, the seneschal of Hainault, the lord de Saimpi, the baron dc.s Barres, the lord de Roj'e, the viscount d'-'Vssi, sir William bastard de Langres, with up- ward of two thousand knights and squires. I was informed, that the lord de la Tremouille was sent by the duke and the other lords to Paris, to entreat the king to allow them to fight ; and he was not returned at the time the English came before Troyes. The lords of France, doubting the English would not pass by without coming to look at them, had erected, about a bow-shot from the gates of Troyes, a large redoubt of great beams of timber, which might hold about a thousand men-at-arms : it was made of good strong wood, and well built. All the captains of the English army were summoned to a coun- cil, to consider in what manner they should act the ensuing day. It was resolved, that all the lords and knights should march, fully armed with their banners and pennons displayed, before Troyes : they were 266 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. to draw up in the plain, and to send their heralds to oiTer battle to those in the town. They armed themselves, therefore, on the mor- row, and, being formed in three battalions, advanced into the plain before Troyes, where they halted. The two heralds, Glocester and Aquitaine, were called, when the earl of Buckingham said to them : •" You will go to Troyes, and tell the lords within the city that we are come from England in search of deeds of arms : wherever we think they can be found, there we shall demand them : and, because we know that a part of the lilies and chivalry of France repose in the town of Troyes, we have purposely come this road. If they wish to say anything to us, they will find us in the open plain in the form and manner in which you shall leave us, and in suchwise as we ought to meet our enemies." The heralds replied, " My lord, we shall obey your commands." They then set off, and rode to Troyes. The entrance of the redoubt was opened to them, where they stopped ; for they could not get to the gate of the town from the numbers of men-at-arms and cross-bowmen issuing forth, and drawing up before this redoubt. The two heralds wore the emblazoned arms of the earl of Bucking- ham : they were asked by the lords, what they wanted : they an. swered, they wished, if it were possible, to speak with the duke of Burgundy. During the time the heralds were endeavoring to deliver their message to tiic duke of Burgundy, the EngUsh were arranging their battalions ; lor they looked on a battle as certain. All who were desirous of knighthood were called : first came sir Thomas Trivet, with his banner rolled up, to the earl of Buckingham, and said : " My lord, if you please, I will this day display my banner ; for, thanks to God, I have a sufficient revenue to support the state which a banner requires." " It is highly pleasing to us," replied the earl : then, taking the banner by the staff, he gave it back into his hands, saying, " Sir Thomas, God grant you may show your valor here, and everywhere else." Sir Thomas took his banner, and, having displayed it, gave it to one of his squires in whom he had great confidence, and went to the vanguard ; for he was there stationed hy orders from the lord Latimer and the lord Fitzwalter, captain and constable. The earl then created the following knights : sir Peter Berton, sir John and sir Thomas Paulet, sir John Stingulie, sir Tho. jnas Dortingues, sir John Vassecoq, sir John Braisie, sir John Bu. raine, sir Henry Vernier, sir John Colville, sir William Everat, sir Nicholas Stingulie and sir Hugh de Lunit. They advanced to the van battalion, in order to have their share of tiie first blows. A very gallant squire from the country of Savoy was then called, who had before been requested to be made a knight at St. Omer and at Ardres: his name was Ralph de Gruyeres, son to the count de Gruyeres ; when the carl said to him, " We shall to-day, if it please God, have an engagement, and I will make you a knight ;" the squire excused himself, saying, " God give you all the good and hon^ir you wish me ; but I will never be a knight until my natural lord, the earl of Savoy, shall confer it upon me in battle." He was not pressed further on this subject. It was a pleasure to observe the order of battle in which the Eng- lish were drawn up ; and the French were busy in strengthening their forts, for they concluded that at least there would be some skir- mishes, and that such warriors as the English would not depart without a nearer examination of them. The French formed them, selves handsomely : and the duke of Burgundy was abroad, with his batde.axe in his hand, armed from head to foot : he passed in review all the knights and squires as they marched to the fort ; and the crowd was so great, there was not any passing, nor could the heralds arrive as far as the duke to deliver the message with which they had been charged. To the words which the earl of Buckingham had delivered to the heralds, Glocester and Aquitainc, others were added ; for, on the evening when the lords had held their council, they told the heralds: " You will carry this message, and tell the duke of Burgundy, that the duke and country of Brittany in conjunction have sent to the king of England, for support and aid against certain knights and barons of Brittany in rebellion against the said duke, whom they refuse to obey as their lord, as the better disposed part of the country do, but carry on war, in which they are supported by the king of France. On this account, the king of England is resolved to assist the duke and the country, and has ordered his fair uncle the earl of Buckingham, with a large body of men-at-arms, to march to Brittany for this purpose. They landed at Calais, and, having marched tliiougli the kingdom of France, are now so much in the heart of it as 10 be arrived before the city of Troyes, wherein they know are great numbers of the nobility : in particular the duke of Burgundy, son of the late king of France and brother to the king now on the throne: therefore, the lord Thomas of Buckingham, son to the late king of England, demands a battle." The heralds requested to have this put down in writing, which they were promised to have on the morrow ; but, when they again asked for it, they had changed their opinions, and no letters were given ; but they were told to go, and say what they had heard, as they were of sufficient credit; " and, if they choose, they will believe you." The heralds could not approach near enough to the duke to deliver their message, nor obtain any .answer. The young English knights had already begun to skirmish, which had troubled everything, and some French knights and men-at-arms said to the heralds, " Gentlemen, you are in a hazardous situation, for the common people of this town are very wicked." This hint made them return without doing anything. We will now relate the beginning of the skirmish. In the first place, there was an English squire, a native of the bishopric of Lincoln, who was an excellent man-at-arms, and there gave proofs of his courage. I know not if h& had made any vow : but with his lance in its rest, his target on his neck, he spurred his horse, and, riding full gallop down the cause- way, he made him leap over the bars of the barriers, and came to the gate where the duke was, surrounded by tho French nobiUty, who looked on this enterprise with amazement. The squire intended returning ; but he was prevented by his horse receiving a blow from a spear, which felled him and killed the squire. It much angered the duke that he had not been made prisoner. Instantly the battalions of the earl of Buckingham advanced on foot, to the attack of the men-at-arms in the wooden redoubt, which had been formed of shutters, doors and tables, and was not, to say the truth, fit to hold out against such men-at-arms as the English.* When the duke of Burgundy saw them advance in such numbers, and with so much spirit,, that the lords, barons and knights in this fort were not in force to withstand them, he directly ordered them to retreat into the town, excepting the cwss-bowmen. They retired, by little and little, to the gate ; and, as they were entering it, the Genoese cross-bowmen shot and wounded the English. There was a good and sharp skirmish : the redoubt was soon conquered, but it did not long remain to the English. All sorts of people came in great strength to the gates ; and, as they passed, they drew up on the causeways. The duke of Lorraine was there handsomely dis- posed ; as were the lord de Coucy, the duke of Bourbon, and othej's. Between this gate and the bars, many valorous deeds were done, and of course numbers slain, wounded and taken. The English, seeing the French retreat, retreated also in excellent order, and formed themselves on the plain, in battle-array, for upward of two hours ; when, toward evening, they retired to their quarters. The next day, the army marched to Maillerois-le-Vicomte, near Sens in Burgundy, where they halted for two days, to refresh them- selves and to gather provision from the low countties, of which they were in the greatest want. You have heard how the English marched through France, and thus took the road to Brittany. They publicly declared the duke and country of Brittany had sent for them, and that they had not any pretence for waging war in the name of the king of England their lord, but that they were then in the pay of the duke of Brittany. King Charles was at the time fully informed of all these matters, and, like a wise and prudent man as he was, examined well all the perils and incidents which might arise from them. He considered, that if Brittany joined these English against him, the fortune of war would be more doubtful ; and, as he was ill with the duke, if the principal towns were to open their gates to his enemies, it would turn out very much to his prejudice. He therefore sent, secretly, letters sealed, but written in the most gracious manner, to the inhabitants of Nantes (which is the key to all the other towns in Brittany,) to request they would consider that the English, who were marching through his kingdom, boasted they were sent for by them, and declared themselves to be their soldiers ; and that in case they had thus engaged them, and vvould persevere in this evil act, they would incur the malediction of their holy father the pope, according to the sentence he had passed, as well as the penalty of two hundred thousand florins, which he could legally demand from them, and which they had bound themselves to pay, according to treaties sealed which had formerly passed between them, and of which he had copies, as they could not be ignorant : that he had ever been their friend, and had assisted them in all their necessities ; and that by persisting in this matter they would be very much to blame, for they had not any well-grounded complaint against him to induce them to enter so warmly into the war as to receive his enemies. He therefore recommended them maturely to reconsider this ; and, if they had been wickedly or ill advised, he would frankly forgive it, provided they did not o])en their gates to his enemies the English, and would maintain them in all just rights and privileges, and even renew them, should there be occasion. When these letters and oflfers from the king of France had been read by the men of Nantes and considered, the principal persons among them said, the king of France was in the right, and had cause for remonstrating with them as he had done ; that in truth they had sworn and sealed never to be enemies themselves to the kingdom of France, nor to give any assistance to its enemies. They began, therefore, to be on their guard, and sent privately to the king of France not to be uneasy on this head, as they would never aid or succor the English in their attempts to injure the kingdom of France by force, nor would their town afford them any assistance ; for they were determined, if there should be any necessity, to claim the help of the king, and that to his army alone would they open their gates, and to none else. The king of France, having received their mes- senger, put confidence in their declarations, for Nantes was ever attached to the French interest : of all this, however, the duke, who resided at Vannes, was ignorant : he thought, nevertheless, that the * This contradicts his prioi account of tbe redoubt. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 267 inhabitants of Nantes would remain steady to him, and that they would open their gates to the English when they should come thither. We will now return to the English who were quartered near to Sens in Burgundy ; in which city tlie duke of Bar, the lord de Coucy the lord de Saimpi, tlie lord de Fransures, were in garrison with their troops. CHAPTER LIV. THE ENGLISH OVERRCN THE COUNTRIES OF GATINOIS AND BEADCE. FRENCH SQUIRE DEMANDS TO TILT WITH AN ENGLISH SQtJIRE : THEY BOTH BEHAVE VERT GALLANTLY. When the earl of Buckingham and his army had reposed them- selves at Maiilerois.le.Vicomte, they determined to advance into the .Gatinois : they crossed, in consequence, the river Yonne, and their light troops went even to the suburbs of Sens. The next day tliey quartered themselves at St. Jean de Nemours and thereabouts, and afterwards at Beaune in Gatinois, where they remained three days, on account of its fertile and rich country. There they held a coun- cil, whetlier to follow the road into the plains of Beauce, or keep to the course of the river Loire : they resolved on the first, and marched toward Toury in Beauce. In this casde were the lord de Saimpi, sir Oliver de Mauny, sir Guy le Baveu.'i, and numbers of men.at. arms. There were besides, at Geneville in Beauce, the lord de Volainnes, le Barroiri des Barres, with others to the amount of three hundred spears ; and in all the castles and fortresses of Beauce were posted men-at-arms to defend the country. Those of the vanguard skirmished with the garrison of Toury, when there were some slain on both sides. The earl of Buckingham and his whole army were quartered at Toury in Beauce, and in tlie environs, where they found plenty of provisions. During the skir- mish at Toury, a squire from Beauce, a gentleman of tried courage, wli* had advanced himself by his own merit, without any assistance from otiiers, came to the barriers, and cried out to the English, " Is there among you any gentleman who for love of his lady is willing to try with me some feats of arms ? If there should be any such, here I am, quite ready to sally forth completely armed and mounted, to tilt three courses with the iance, to give three blows with the battle-axe, and three strokes with the dagger. Now look, you Eng. iish, if tliere be none among you in love." This squire's name was Gauvain Micaille. His proposal and request was soon spread among the English, when a squire, an ex- pert man at tournaments, called Joachim Cator, stepped forth and said, " I will deliver him from his vow : let him make haste and come out of the castle." Upon this, the lord Fitzwalter, marshal of the army, went up to the barriers, and said to sir Guy le Baveux, " Let your squire come forth : he has found one who will cheerfully deliver him ; and we will afford him every security." Gauvain Micaille was much rejoiced on hearing these words. He immediately armed himself, in which the lords assisted, in the putting on the different pieces, and mounted him on a horse, which they gave to him. Attended by two others, he came out of the castle ; and his varlets carried three lances, three battle-axes, and three daggers. He was much looked at by the English, for they did not think any Frenchman would have engaged body to body. There were besides, to be three strokes with a sword, and with all other sorts of arms. Gauvain had three brought with him for fear any should break. The earl of Buckingham, hearing of this combat, said he would see it, and mounted his horse, attended by the earls of Stafford and Devonshire. On this account, the assault on Toury ceased. The Englishman that was to tilt was brought forward, completely armed and mounted on a good horse. When they had taken their stations, they gave to each of them a spear, and the tilt began ; but neither of them struck the other, from the mettlesomeness of their horses. They hit the second onset, but it was by darting their speara ; on which the carl of Buckingham cried out, "Hold, hold! it is now late." He then said to the constable, " Put an end to it, for they have done enough this day; we will make them finish it when we have more leisure than we have at this moment, and take great care that as much attention is paid to the French squire as to our own ; and order some one to tell those in the castle not to be uneasy about hiin, for we shall curry him with us to complete his enterprise, but not as a prisoner ; and that when he shall have been delivered, if he escape with his life, we will send him back in all safety." These orders of the earl were obeyed by the marshal, who said to the French squire, " You shall accompany us without any danger, and when it shall be agreeable to my lord, you will be delivered." Gauvain replied, " God help me !" A herald was sent to the castle, to repeat to the governor tiie words you have heard. The following day, they marched toward Geneville in Beauce, always in expectation of having an engagement with the enemy ; for they well knew they were followed and watched by the French, in greater numbers than themselves. True it is, that the French dukes, counts, barons, knights, and squires, eagerly wished for a battle, and said among themselves, that it was very blameable and foolish not to permit them to engage, and suffer the enemy thus to slip through their hands. But, when it was mentioned to the king, he replied, " Let them alone : they will destroy themselves." Tfaff English continued their march, with the intent to enter Brittany. You before heard, that there were three hundred spears in (reae- ville, so the whole army paSiSed by it. There was indeed at the barriers some little skirmishing, which lasted not long, as it was time thrown away. Without Geneville a handsome mill was de- stroyed. The earl came to Yterville,* and dismounted at the house of the Templars. The vanguard went forward to Puiset,t where they heard that sixty companions had posted themselves in a large tower : they marched to the attack, for it was situated in the open plain without any bulwarks. The assault was sharp, but did not last long, for the archers shot so briskly that scarcely any one dared to appear on the battlements : the tower was taken, and those within slain or made prisoners. The English then set fire to it, and marched on, for they were in the utmost distress for water. From thence they went to Ermoyon, where they quartered themselves, and then to the forest of Marchenoir. In this forest there is a monastery of monks, of the Cistertian order, which is called the Cistertian Abbey, and has several handsome and noble edifices, where formerly a meet renowned and noble knight, the count de Blois, received great edifi- cation, and bequeathed to it large revenues ; but the wars had greatly diminished them. The earl of Buckingham lodged in this abbey, and heard mass there on the feast of our Lady in September. It was there ordered, that Gauvain Micaille and Joachim Cator should on the morrow complete their enterprise. That day the English came to Marchenoir :t the governor was a knight of that country, called sir William de St. Martin, a prudent and valiant man-at-arma. The English, after having reconnoitered the castle, retired to their quarters. In another part, the lord Fitzwalter came before the castle of Verbi, not to attack it, but to speak with the governor at the bar. riers, with whom he was well acquainted, having been together formerly in Prussia. The lord Fitzwalter made himself known to the lord de Verbi, and entreated him, out of courtesy, to send him some wine, and in return he would prevent his estate from being burnt or spoiled. The lord de Verbi sent him a large quantity, and thirty great loaves with it ; for which the lord Fitzwalter was very thankful, and kept his promise. On the day of the feast of our Lady, Gauvain Micaille and Joachim Cator were armed, and mounted to finish their engagement. They met each other roughly with spears, and the French squire tilted much to the satisfaction of the earl : but the Englishman kept his spear too low, and at last struck it into the thigh of the Frenchman.^ The earl of Buckingham as well as the other lords were much en- raged at this, and said it was tilting dishonorably ; but he excused himself, by declaring it was solely owing to the restiveness of his horse. Then were given the three thru?ts with the sword ; and the earl declared they had done enough, and would not have it longer continued, for he perceived the French squire bled exceedingly : the other lords were of the same opinion. Gauvain Micaille was there- fore disarmed and his wound dressed. The earl sent him one hun- dred francs by a herald, with leave to return to his own garrison in safety, adding that he had acquitted himself much to his satisfaction. Gauvain Micaille went back to the lords of France : and the Eng- lish departed from Marchenoir, taking the road to Vendftme ; but before they arrived there, they quartered themselves in the forest of Coulombiers. CHAPTER LV. KING CHARLES OF FRANCE IS TAKEN ILL HIS LAST WORDS ON BIS DEATH-BED. You have heard what secret intrigues the king of France was carrying on with the principal towns in Brittany, to prevent them from admitting the English, menacing those who should do so that they should never be forgiven. The inhabitants of Nantes sent him word not to be alarmed ; for they would never consent to admit them, hatever treaties had been entered into with their lord : but they were desirous, if the English should approach, that some mcn-at.arms might be sent, to defend the town and tho inhabitants against their enemies. The king of France was well inclined to this, and charged his council to see it executed. The main.spring of all these treaties was sir John de Bueil, on the part of the duke of Anjou, who re- sided at Angers. The duke of Burgundy was quartered in the city of Mans, and in that country. Other lords, such as the duke of Bourbon, the count de Bar, the lord de Coucy, the count d'Eu, the duke of Lorraine, were in the neighboring castles and forts, with a force of upward of six thousand men-at-arms : they said among themselves, that whether the king willed it or not, they would combat the English before they crossed the river Sarthe, which dindes Maine from Anjou. The king of France was at this moment seized with an illness, which much disheartened all who loved him ; for, as no remedy could be found for it, they foresaw that in a very short time he must * Probably InteTvUle. t " Puisa "—near JanviUc in Beauce. X " Marchenoir "— u town in Beauce, election of Cbateaudun. Near this town is a forest of 4230 arpents.—Oazetteer. ^ It was asaitist the law of iinns to strike below the giidle, a rule stUi obasn'ed in the pugilistic combats of the prize-ring.— Ed. iiG8 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. •depart this life : indeed, he himself knew this, as well as his eur. geons and physicians. The reports were firmly believed, that the king of Navarre, during the time lie resided in Normandy, had at- tempted to poison him, and that the king was so much infected by the venom th;tt the hairs of his head, and the nails of his hands and feet fell off, and he became as dry as a stick, for which they could not discover any remedy. His uncle, the emperor, hearing of his illne?3, sent to him his own physician, the most able man of that time, and of the greatest learning then known in the world, as his works indeed show : he was called a second Aristotle, but his name was George of Prague. When this great doctor came to visit the king, who at that time was duke of Normandy, he knew his disorder, and declared, that having been poisoned, he was in danger of dying : however, he performed the greatest cure ever known, by so weak, ening the force of the poison that he caused him to regain his former strength. This poison oozed out in small quantities from an issue in his arm. On the departure of the doctor, for they could not detain him, he prescribed a medicine whicii was to be made use of constantly. He told the king and his attendants that whenever the issue dried up, he would infallibly die : but that he would have fifteen days or more to settle his affairs, and attend to his soul. The king of France well remembered these words, and had this issue for twenty-two years, which at times alarmed him much. Those in whom he put great confidence, in regard to his health, were able physicians, who comforted him, and kept up his spirits, by saying that, with the excellent medicines they had, they would make him live long in joy and happiness, so that he had great faith in them. The king had, besides, other disorders that afflicted him much, as the tooth. ache : from this he suffered the greatest torment; and his ma. jesty knew, frour all these symptoms, he could not live very long ; but the greatest comfort, toward the end of his days, was in God for having given him three fine children, two sons and a daughter, Charles, Louis, and Catherine. When this issue began to cease running, the fears of death came upon him ; he therefore, like a wise and prudent man, began to look to his affairs. He sent for his three brothers, the duke of Berry, the duke of Burgundy, and the duke of Bourbon,* without noticing his next brother, the duke of Anjou, whom he did not send for, because he knew him to be very avaricious. When they were arrived, he said to them : " My dear brothers, I feel I have not long to live : I therefore recommend to your charge my son Charles, to take that care of him that good uncles ought to do of their nephew, by which you will loyally acquit yourselves. Have him crowned king as soon as you possibly can after my decease, and advise him justly in all his affairs. My whole confidence rests in you ; the child is young, and, being of an unsteady temper, will want to be well managed and properly instructed in sound learning. Teach him, or have him taught, every point relative to royalty, and the manner in which he should, according to the situation he may be in, conduct himself. jMarry him to such a princess of high birth that the kingdom may gain by it. I have had with me for a considerable time a learned astronomer.t who has predicted that in his youth he will have much to do, and escape from great perils and dangers. Having thought much on these expressions, I have considered that the events alluded to must have their origin in Flanders ; for, thanks to God, the affairs of my kingdom are in a very good condition. The duke of Brit, lany is very deceitful and froward, and has always had more of Eng- lish than French courage ; for which reason, you must keep the nobles and principal towns of that country in good affection to you, in order to traverse his designs. I have every cause to praise the Bretons, for they have served me faithfully in the defence of my kingdom against its enemies. You will make the lord de Clisson constable : everything considered, I know no one so proper for that office. Seek out, in Germany, an alliance for my son, that our con- nections there may be strengthened. You have heard our adversary is about to marry from thence, to increase his allies. The poor people of my realm are much harassed and tormented by taxes and subsidies : take them off as speedily as you can, for they are things which, notwithstanding I proposed them, weigh very heavy on my mind ; but the great undertakings we have had to maintain in every part of the kingdom forced me to submit to them." Many more kind words did king Charles utter, but I have not thought it requisite to ciie them all. The king explained why the duke of Anjou was absent; for he suspected him much, knowing him to be of an am- bitious temper. Notwithstanding the king of France did not permit him to attend his death-bed, nor to have any part in the government of France, this duke did not keep at a very great distance : he had besides messengers continually going between Paris and Angers, who brought him exact accounts of the state of his brother's health. He had some also about the king's person, who informed him secretly what daily passed ; and the last day, when the king of France de- parted this life, he was at Paris, and so near the king's chamber that he heard all the discourse I have just related. But we will now fol. low the English in their march to Brittany. CHAPTER LVI. THE LORD DE HANGEST IS NEAR TAKEN BY THE ElfGLISH. THE LORD DE MAOVOISIN REMAINS THEIR PRISONER. THE ENGLISH CROSS THE RIVER SARTBE IN DISORDER. When the earl of Buckingham quitted the forest of Marchenoir with his army, he took the road toward Vend6me and the forest of Coulombiers. Sir Thomas Trivet and sir William Clinton were somewhat advanced, with forty spears, and by accident met the lord de Hangest, who was returning from Vend6me, accompanied by thirty lances. The English soon saw they were French, and eagerly galloped toward them. The French, who found they were not in equal numbers, had no wish to wait for them, nor to fight, for they were near to Venddme : they made, therefore, for that place, the English pursuing them. Sir Robert de Hangest, cousin to the lord of that name, was slain, and John de Mondecris, with five or six others, were made prisoners. The lord de Hangest came so oppor- tunely to the barrier that he found it open. Having fixed his lance, he put himself in a gallant posture of defence : the rest of his com. panions did so as they came up : however, twelve of them remained prisoners. Sir Robert Knolles had also this day made an excursion from the army : he met the lord de Mauvoisin, who defended himself val- iantly, but was in the end made prisoner by sir Robert himself. This day the army marched by Vend6me to Aussie, and on the morrow to St. Calais,* where they halted for two days, and then came to Pontvalin.t The English thus advanced, without meeting any to oppose them : but the whole country was full of men.at-arms, and numbers were in the city of Mans. At this period, the duke of Anjou passed through Tours, Blois, and Orleans, in his way to Paris ; for he had heard his brother was in so dangerous a state there were not any hopes of his recovery, and he was an.xious to be with him at his decease. Notwithstanding this illness of the king, from which he was never expected to recover, the men.at-arms di(t not desist from pursuing and watching the English on their march : the commanders ordered their men to harass them as much as they could, and to attempt, if possible, to surround them, which would prevent them from having any provision ; and then they would engage with them at their will, whether the king of France gave permission or not. In consequence, the lords of France had brought to that part of the Sarthe which the English were to pass, large beams which they had fixed across the river with sharp stakes, so that they would not be able to cross it. On the banks, tliey dug very wide and deep ditches, to prevent their descending to the river, or ascending from it. The earl of Buckingham marched from Pontvalin with his army to the Sarthe, where he hailed ; for they could not find a ford, as the river was swelled and deep, and difficxdt to cross, except in certain places. The vanguard marched up and down, but could not dis- cover any other ford but where the beams of timber and stakes had been fixed. The lords dismounted, and, observing the ford, said, " It is here we must pass, if we mean to march further : come let us be active, and drag these beams out of our way." You would have seen, after this speech, knights, barons, and squires enter the river, and labor most heartily before they could succeed : at last, they gained their point, but with much difficulty, and, having cleared away all obstacles, opened a passage. Had the French been watch- ful enough, they might have done them much harm ; for those who crossed first could not assist those that followed, on account of the deep marshes they had to go through. The English took such paina that they did pass them, and arrived at Noyon-sur.Sarthe. * The du'ie of Bourbon was brotlier to the late queen. t Tlioinas de Pisan. For particulars of him and his daughter, see Moreri's DictioB- »ry, and vol. xvii. of tlie Memoires de rAcad^mie. CHAPTER LVII. THE DEATH OF CHARLES THE FIFTH, KING OF FRANCE. That same day on which the English crossed the Sarthe with so much difficulty, Charles, king of France, departed this life, in his hotel at Paris called the hotel de St. Pol.t No sooner did his brother, the duke of Anjou, know that the king's eyes were closed, than he seized all the jewels of* the king, which were very valuable, and had them secured in a safe place, flattering himself they would be of the utmost use to him in the intended war and journey he was about to make ; for he already signed himself king of Sicily, la Puglia, Cala- bria and Jerusalem. The king of France was carried through the city of Paris to the abbey of St. Denis, with his face uncovered, followed by his brothers and his two sons, where he was most honorably interred. He had given orders respecting his burial during his lifetime ; and his con- stable, sir Bertrand du Guesclin, lies at his feet. Notwithstanding the orders king Charles had given, before his death, respecting the government of the kingdom, they were totally disregarded ; for the duke of Anjou immediately took possession, * "St. CalHis "—a town in Maine, six leagues from Vendonoe. T " Pontvalin "—a town in Anjou. t King Charles died Sunday the 16th September, 1380. at his chateau of Beauts sur Marne. On the Monday, his body was carried early to St. Anthony, hard by Paris, to wait the arrival of his brothers. It remained there until Monday 14th October, wlien it was borne to the church of Notre Dame in Pans, and on the following day to St. Denis —Qrands? ChroniQiies dc France. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 269 and overruled all the others. He was willing his nephew should be crowned king, but resolved to have the management of affairs as much, if not more, than any other, on account of his being the eldest uncle ; and there were none in the kingdom who dared to dispute it with him. The king of France died on the eve of .Michaelmas : soon ai'tcr his decease, the peers and barona of France recommended that the king should be crowned immediately after All-saints, at Rheims. The three uncles, Anjou, Berry and Burgundy, agreed to this proposal ; but they insisted on governing the realm until the child should be of age, that is to say, twenty.one yeai-s,* which they made the great barons and prelates of France swear to observe. After this, the coronation of the young king was notified in foreign countries, to the duke of Brabant, duke Albert of Bavaria, the count de Savyye, the count de Btois, the duke de Gueldres, the duke de JuUcrs, the count d'Armagnac, and to the count de Foix. The duke of Bar, the duke of Lorraine, the lord de Coucy, the count dauphin of Auvergne, were pursuing the English : they were not, therefore, so soon sent to ; but the count of Flanders was invited ; and the day fixed was All-saints, which fell on a Sunday. The men of Ghent were very much grieved at the death of the king of France ; for lie had been very friendly to them during their war, loving but little the earl of Flar.ders. We will now speak of the English, and then return to the coro- nation of the king of France. CHAPTER LVIII. THE ENGLISH ARHIVE IN BRITTANY. THE DUKE EXCUSES HIMSELF FOR HAVING SO LONG DELAYED COMING TO MEET THEM. THEY' UNDERTAKE TOGETIIEK THE SIEGE OF NANTES. The English, hanng crossed the Sarthe in great danger, were not ignorant of the death of the king of France. They were quartered at Noyon-sur-Sarthe : from thence they marched to Poilli, two leagues from SabM.t The whole strength of France was at that time in the city of Mans, and in that part of the country, but they contented themselves with following the march of the English : some, however, said they would combat them. When intelligence of the king's death became public, the inten- tions of the French were frustrated : for many of the barons de- camped, and returned to Paris, to learn what was going forward. The English continued for three days in their quarters ; on the fourth day they departed, and came to St. Pierre d'Arne, and from thrnce to Argentic. The next day the army crossed the river Mayenac, and passed a marsh with much difficulty, for only two or three could march in front the whole of this road, which lasted upward of two leagues. Now, consider what danger they were in ; for if the French had known this, and attacked the van, the rear could not have as- sisted them ; of this the English were greatly afraid : however, they passed in safety, and arrived at Coss^,t where they halted four days in constant expectation of having some intelligence from Brittany. The duke of Brittany resided at Hennebon, in the district of Vannes : he had heard frequently of the English, and that they were near the frontiers of Brittany, but he did not know how to act. When he learnt the king of France's death, he took little notice of it, for he did not love him, but said to those near him, " The rancor and hatred I bore the kingdom of France, on account of this king Charles, is now one-half diminished ; for those who hated the father may love the son, and those who have made war on the father may assist the son. It is necessary, however, for me to acquit myself to the English ; for in truth, it has been at my request and solicitation they have marched through the kingdom of France, and I must keep the promises I have made them : but in this there is much difficulty, both in regard to them and me, as I wish our principal towns to shut their gates, and not allow them to enter within them." The duke then summoned some of his council, such as the lord de Montboursier, sir Stephen Guyon, sir William Tanneguy, sir Eustace de la Houssaye, sir Geoffry de Kerimel and the judge-asses- sor of Leon, and said to them : " You will ride to my lord of Buck- ingham, who is approaching Brittany, and whom I believe you will find not far off: recommend me to him, and salute on my part all his barons. You will tell them, that I shall shortly be at Rennes to meet them ; to which place I wish they would direct their march ; when we will consider together on the best plans for our further pro- ceedings. Tell them also, that I do not find my country in the same dispositions as when I sent to England, which vexes me much ; that, in particular, I am hurt with the men of Nantes, who are more rebel- lious than any of the others." The knights replied, they would cheerfully carry this message. They took leave of the duke, and rode to Nantes : in the whole, they were about sixty spears. The English having marched from Coss^, and entered the forest of la Gravelle, which they traversed, arrived at Vitieighbor- hood of Vannes. On the morrow, when the earl had heard mass, and drank a cup, he mounted his horse, and with his whole anny marched in great order toward Vannes ; first the vanguard, then the earl in the centre battalion, the rearguard follov\-ing close upon him. In this order they met the duke of Brittany, who had come out a long league from Vannes to meet them. Great affection was shown to each other by the duke and earl. After this reception, which was very honorable, they rode together, the earl on the right and the duke on the left, and entered into conversation : the earl said, " By holy Mary, fair brother of Brittany, we waited most impatiently for your arrival at Nantes, during the siege, according to the treaty entered into between you and me, and yet you never came." " By my faith, my lord," answered the duke, " I could not any way accomplish it ; and I must own to you that I have been exceedingly enraged thereat, but it was not possible for me to act otherwise ; for my subjects, notwithstanding every argument I could use, in remonstrating with them on the treaties I had made with you at their own requests, wovild never agree to march to assist you in the siege of Nantes. The principal barons kept themselves ready prepared on the borders, such as the lord de Clisson, the lord de Dinant, the lord d'Orval, the vis. count de Rohan, and the lord de Rochefort, to guard the entrances of Brittany. All those my adherents and friends, as well knights and prelates as principal towns, are tiiis moment in a state of rebellion ; at which I am very much mortified, for by their misconduct you have reason to find fault with me. I will tell you, therefore, my lord, what you shall do : being now in the depth of winter, it is cold and uncomfortable to keep an army in the field : you shall come to Van- no, where you will remain until April or May, to recover yourselves from your fatigues, and I will give orders that your men are taken care of. You will pass your time as well as you can, and in the summer we v>'\\\ revenge ourselves for all these contempts." The earl replied, " May God assist us :" for he saw plainly there was nothing better to be expected. The duke conducted him toward Vannes. when the inhabitants of the town came out in their robes, and, addressing the earl, said to him in an amicable manner, " My lord, out of respect to your lordship, and in reverence to your great honor, we have not any objections to your entering our town ; but we wish, in order to satisfy the people (otherwise you will not be very secure,) you woidd swear to us, on the holy Evangelists, that fifteen days after we have requested you to depart, you will march away with your whole army, without doing or suffering to be done to us the least molestation." " By my troth, none shall be done to you," answered the earl of Buckingham : " and I will swear and keep it." They afterwards made the other lords swear on their faith, and on the holy Evangelists, to keep the same engagement aa the earl had done, to v\hich they readily assented. It behooved thera so to do, unless they had wished to sleep in the fields. The division of the army of the earl of Buckingham was quartered in the town of Vannes, and himself lodged in the hotel of the duke, a well-built and pleasantly situated castle, called la Motte. The duke of Brittany entertained the English knights handsomely at dinner in his castle of la Motte, and then retired to Sucinio,* where he resided ; but sometimes he came to Vannes to visit the earl and hold conferences with him, and then returned to the place whence he had come. Lord Latimer, lord Fitzwalter, lord Thomas Percy, sir Thomas Trivet, and the whole of the van of the army, were to have been quartered at Hennebon ; but the inhabitants would not open their gates to them, so that they were forced to lodge themselves in the suburbs and in the fields. Sir Robert KnoUes and lord Fitzwarren, with many more, were to have been quartered in Quimpercorentin ; but the inhabitants treated them as those of Hennebon had done, and they were obliged to make the same shifts with the van. Sir William Windsor and the rear- ward were, by orders of the duke, to lodge at Quimperle ; but they could not, by entreaties nor threats, prevail upon the inhabitants to open their gates. In consequence, they suffered much from the in- clemency of the weather and the ill usage they met with : what was not worth three farthings was sold to them for twelve, and hardly could they get any provision at such prices. Their horses perished through cold and famine, for they knew not where to collect forage ; and, when they went out to seek it, they were in great peril, as the adjacent countries were all inimical to them. The viscount de Rohan possessed at that time two strong castles in the neighborhood of Vanncs ; one was called Caire, and the other Linguighant. In these two castles the viscount had strong garrisons, which, aided by other garrisons of the lord de Clisson situated on this frontier, such as chateau Josselin, Montagu, and Moncontour, did much mischief to the English foragers, killing many. The duke of Brittany could not prevent this ; for the lord dc Clisson, constable of France, carried on the war in the name of the king of France, and had in the country numerous bodies of men-at-arms, so that the En. glish dared not stir abroad in small parties. When it is considered that they were encamped in the fields, without any intrenchments, it is marvellous they did not sufier great losses ; for those quartered in Vannes could not easily help those near Quimperle, Hennebon, or Quimpercorentin. To say the truth, the duke stood boldly forvs'ard, and guarded them to the best of his abilities, to prevent their destruc. tioa. He fairly told his council, that he had but poorly acquitted him. self toward the earl and his army of all the promises he had made them. At this time, there were four great barons at Paris, whom the duke had sent to the king of France to make his peace ; the viscount de Ro- han, sir Charles de Dinan, sir Guy lord de Laval, and sir Guy lord de Rochetort. These four barons of Brittany had remonstrated with him in council, during the time the earl of Buckingham was before Nantes, several times, and with much wisdom, in such terms as these : '^ My lord, you show to all the world, that your heart is en- tirely given to the English : you have brought into this country Englishmen who, if they gain the upper hand, will diminish your inheritance. What profit or pleasure can you have in this great affection for them ? Look to the situation of the king of Navarre, who put his confidence in them ; after having given them possession of his town and castle of Cherbourg, they have never quitted it, nor ever will, but keep it as their own property. Therefore, if you put them into any of your fortified towns in Brittany, they will not leave them, for daily reinforcements will arrive. See how they keep Brest : nor have they any thoughts of surrendering it, although it is your in. hcntance. I3e satisfied, my lord, with the love of the people of this country, who will never give up the king of France to serve and be- long to the king of England. If your duchess is from England, would you, for that, run the risk of losing your whole dukedom, which has cost you so much to gain, and always continue in a state of warfare? In case the country should be against you, you will be but as one man. Quit your present advisers : for the king of France v^-honi you did not love is dead, and at present there is a young and amiable monarch on the throne, who has good abilities ; and those who have hated the father may serve the son. We undertake to make your » " Sucinio"— a castle neat Vannes.— Oosettefr CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 274 ^ peace with him, and bring you to a proper understanding with each other. You will continue lord and duke of Brittany with great power, and the English retain to their own country." In such words as the above, and otliers well glossed over, had these barons remon- strated several times with the duke : they had succeeded so far as to have half gained his consent to their purpose : but he still dissembled with the king of France and the English, as well as with his own council, until he should more plainly see what would be the event. T)ie earl of Buckingham and his barons were ignorant of all these secret intrigues which the four barons above mentioned were carry- ing on at Paris with the king and his uncles, until the matter was arranged. Prior to tlieir knowledge of it, and before they left Brit- tany, there were tilts and tournaments held at Vannes, in the pres. ence of the earl of Buckingham and the lords who were there, of which I shall speak ; for it is not a thing that I ought to be silent about, nor sliould it be forgotten. CHAPTER LXIII. TILTS AND TOURNAMENTS ARE PERFORMED BEFORE THE EARL OF BUCK- INGHAM BETWEEN CERTAIN FRENCH AND ENGLISH KNIGHTS. At the time when Gauvain Micaillc and Joachim Cator performed their combat before the earl of Buckingham and the English lords, certain knights and squires from France had come as spectators to Marchenoir, near Blois, when sir Reginald de Touars, lord de Pou- sanges, a baron of Poitou, had some words with the lord de Vcrtain, and said he would like to tilt with him three courses with the lance and three strokes with the battle-axe. The lord de Vertain wishing not to refuse, was eager to accommodate him immediately, whatever might be the event: but the earl of Buckingham would not consent, and forbade the knight at that time to think of it. What had been said relative to this feat of arms was not forgot- ten by the two knights. Similar words had passed that same day between a squire from Savoye, called the bastard Clarius, and Ed. ward Beauchamp, son of sir Robert Beauchanip ; and also between sir Tristan de la Jaille and sir John d'Ambreticourt ; sir John de ChSitelmorant, and Janncquin Clinton ; and le Gallois d'Aunay and sir William Clinton ; between sir Hoyau d'Araines and sir William France : but these were all set aside like the first. During the time the English were quartered in the suburbs of Nantes, these French knights and squires were within the town. The lord de Vertain and the others were requested to deliver them from their engagements while they were before Nantes ; but the governors in Nantes would not consent, and excused their friends by saying, they were in Nantes, as soldici'S, intrusted with the guard and defence of the town. Nothing more passed until the earl of Buck- ingham's army were fixed in their quarters at Vannes, Hennebon, Quimperl^, and Quimpercorentin, when Sir BaiTois des Barres, sir Hoyau d'Araines, and many other knights and squires, came to cha- teau Josselin, seven leagues from Vannes, where the constable of France resided. The count de la Marche, with several knights, were also there, who were very glad to see them, and received them handaonicly. They informed the constable of all that had passed, and that such and such persons had undertaken deeds of prowess against others of the English. The constable heard this with pleas- ure, and said, " Send to them : we will grant them passports, to perform these deeds of arms, if they be willing to come." Le Gallois d'Aunay and sir Hoyau d'Araines were the first to say they were ready to perform their engagement of three courses with the spear, on horseback. When sir William Clinton and sir William France heard they were called upon by the French to perform their challenges, they were much rejoiced, and took leave of the earl and barons of England to go thither. They were accompanied by many knights and squires. The English and French tilted very hand, somely, and performed their deeds of arms as the rules required. Then sir Reginald de Touars, sir Tristan de la Jaille, sir John de Chitelmorant, and the bastard Clarius, summoned each of them his knight or squire ; that is to say the lord de Vertain, sir John d'Ambre- ticourt, Edw'ard Beauchamp, and Jannequin Clinton. These four were so eager for the combat, that they wished to go to chateau Josselin on the passports of the constable ; but the earl of Bucking- ham, hearing at Vannes the summons from the French, said aloud to the heralds, " You will tell the constable, from the earl of Buck, ingham, that he is equally powerful to grant passports to the French as he may be to grant them to the English ; and to all those who may wish to perform any deeds of arms with his knights, on their arrival at Vannes, he will, out of his aficction to them, give pass, ports, and to all who may choose to accompany them, both for their stay and for their return." When the constable heard this, he instantly perceived the earl was in the right, and that he wanted to see those deeds of arms : it was but reasonable there should be as many performed at Vannes as had been before him at chateau Josselin. The constable therefore said, ** The earl of Buckingham speaks Uke a valiant man and a king's son, and I will that what he says shall be believed ; let me know those who may be desirous of accompanying the challengers and we will send for a proper passport." Thirty knights and squires imme- diately stepped forth : a herald came to Vannes for the passport, which was given to him, sealed by the earl of Buckingham. The three knights who were to perform their deeds of arms set out from chateau Josselin, attended by the others, and came to Vannes, where they were lodged in the suburbs, and the English entertained them well. On the morrow, they made preparations for the combat, as it behooved them to do, and advanced to a handsome space, which was large and even, on the outside of the town. Afterwards came the earl of Buckingham, the earl of Stafford, the earl of Devonshire, and other barons, with those who were to engage in this deed of arms : the lord de Vertain against sir Reginald de Touars, lord de Pousan- ges ; sir John d'Ambreticourt against Tristan de la Jaille ; Edward Beauchamp against the bastard Clarius de Savoye. The French took their places at one end of the lists,* and the English at the other. Those who were to tilt were on foot com- pletely armed, with helmets, vizors, and provided with lances of good steel from Bordeaux, with which they performed as follows : First, the lord de Pousanges and the lord de Vertain, two barons of high renown and great courage, advanced toward each other on foot, holding their sharp spears in their hands, with a good pace : they did not spare themselves, but struck their lances lustily against each other in pushing. The lord de Vcrtain was hit, without being wounded ; but the lord de Pousanges received such a stroke that it pierced through the mail and steel breastplate, and everything under- neath, so that the blood gushed out, and it was a great wonder he was not more seriously wounded. They finished their three courses and the other deeds of arms without further mischief, when they retired to repose themselves, and to be spectators of the actions of the others. Sir John d'Ambreticourt, who was from Hainault, and sir Tristan de la Jaille, from Poitou, next advanced, and performed their courses very valiantly, without hurt to cither, when they also retired. Then came the last, Edward Beauchamp and Clarius de Savoye. This bastard was a hardy and strong squire, and much better formed in all his limbs than the Englishman. They ran at each other with a hearty good will : both struck their spears on their adversary's breast ; but Edward was knocked down on the ground, which much vexed his countrymen. When he was raised up, he took his spear, and they advanced again to the attack ; but the Savoyard drove him backward to the earth, which more enraged the English : they said, Edward's strength was not a match for this Savoyard, and the devil was in him to make him think of tilting against one of such superior force. He was carried off among them, and declared he would not engage further. When Claiius saw this, wishing to finish his course of arms, he said, " Gentlemen, you do not use me well : since Edw-ard wishes not to go on, send me some one with whom I may complete my cotirses." The earl of Buckingham would know what Clarius had said, and, when it was told him, replied, that the Frenchman had spoken well and valiantly. An English squire then stepped forth, who was since knighted, and called Jannequin Finchley, and, coming before the earl, kneeled down and entreated his permissson to tilt with Clarius, to which the earl assented. Jannequin very completely armed him- self on the spot : then each, seizing his spear, made thrusts at the other, and with such violence that their spears were shivered, and the stumps of them flew over their heads. They began their second attack, and their lances were again broken ; so were they in the third. All their lances were broken, which was considered by the lords and spectators as a decisive proof of their gallantry. They then drew their sw^ords, which were strong ; and, in six strokes, four of them were broken. They were desirous of fighting with battle axes, but the earl would not consent to more being done, saying they had sufficiently shown their courage and abilities. Upon this, they both retired; when sir John de Chatelmorart and Jannequin Clinton advanced. This Jannequin was squire of honor to the earl of Buck- ingham, and the nearest about his person ; but he was lightly made and delicate in his form. The earl was uneasy that he should have been matched with one so stout and renowned in arms as John de Chatelmorant: notwithstanding, they were put to the trial, and attacked each other most vigorously ; but the Englishman could not withstand his opponent, for, in pushing, he was very roughly struck to the ground : on which, the earl said, they were not fairly matched. Some of the carl's people came to Jannequin, and said, "Jannequin, you are not sufficiently strong to continue this combat ; and my lord of Buckingham is angry with you for having undertaken it : retire and repose yourself." The Englishman having retired, John de Chatelmorant said, "Gentlemen, it seems your squire is too weak; * In thehisloire de la vie de Louis III. due de Bourbon, xliv. p. 160. five comb:itants are mentioned ; sir John de Chatelmorant. sir Bnrrois des Barres. the bastard of Clai- rnins (probntily the same as the bastard of Savo^-,) the viscount d'Aunay, and sir Tristan de la JaiHe. Tlie English were, sir Walter Clopton, Edward Beauchamp, Thoinns de Hennelbrl, Crosby, and sir John de Tracio, probably Tracy. i?ir John dc Chatelmorant tilted with sir VVnIter Clopton. and wounded him so badly as to prevent the completing his engagement. Sir Barrels was opposed by Thomas de Hennefoil, and these tiiiislied their career with lances unhurt; but sir Thomas was wounded too liudly with the sword to continue it. The bastard de Clairains vanouished Edward Beauchamp : he reeled so much, the English said he was drunk. Sir Tristan de la Jaille conquered his adversary. The viscount d'.Vulnay had similar success. Sir William Farrington cliallenged sir John de Chatelmorant to complete the engage mem which his relation, sir Walter, had been obliged to relinquish, and wounded sir John, as mentioned in the text, to tlie great scandal of the English. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 275 choose another, I beg of you, more lo your liking, that I may accom- plish the deeds of arms I have engaged to perform ; for I shall be very disgracefully treated if I depart hence without havingcompletcd them." The constable and marshal of the amiy replied, " You speak well, and you shall be gratified." It was then told to the surrounding knights and squires that one of them must deliver tlic lord de Chatel- morant. On these words, sir William Fnmngton immediately replied : " Tell him, he shall not depart without combating : let him go and repose himself a little in his chair, and he shall soon be delivered ; for I will arm myself against him." This answer was very pleasing to John de Ch^telmorant, w*ho went to his scat to rest himself". The English knight was soon ready and in the field. They placed themselves opposite to each other, when taking their lances, they began their course on foot to tilt with their spears within the four mejnbers; for it was esteemed disgraceful to hit any part but the body. They advanced to each other with great courage, completely armed, the vizor down and helmet tightly fi.xed on. John de Ch!l- telmorant gave the knight such a blow^ on the helmet that sir Wil- liam Farrington staggered some little, on account of his foot slipping : he kept his spear stiffly with both hands, and, lowering it by the stumble he made, struck John de Chatelmorant on the thighs; he could not avoid it ; and the spear-head passed through, and came out the length of one's hand on the other side. John de Chatel- morant reeled with the blow, but did not fall. The English knights were much enraged at this, and said, it was infamously done. The Englishman excused himself bysaying, "he was extremely sorry^ for it; and if he had thought it would have so happened at the commencement of the combat, he would never have undertaken it ; but that he could not help it, for his foot slip- ped from the violence of the blow he had received." Thus the matter was passed over. The French, after taking leave of the carl and other lords, departed, carrying with them John de Chatel- morant in a litter, to chiteau Josselin, whence they had come, and where he was in great danger of his life from the effects of this wound. These deeds of arms being finished, each retired to his home ; the English to Vannes, the French to chateau Josselin. CHAPTER LXIV. THE DUKE OF BRITTANY MAKES HIS PEACE WITH THE KING OF FRANCE. THE ENGLISH RETURN HOME. A COMBAT BETWEEN AN ENGLISH AND A FRENCH SQUIRE. After these deeds of arms were performed, during the residence of the earl of Buckingham at Vannes, nothing happened worth men- tioning. The English, as I have before said, were quartered at Vannes, Hennebon, Quimperle and Quimpercorcntin : they passed the whole winter in Brittany as well as they could. Very many of them were ill, and suffered much from the badness and scarcity of provision ; as also did their horses, for their foragers could not find anything in the open country, which at that season is always bare. The French had taken every precaution that the enemy should not be very comfortable. The English were in this perilous state for some time ; for the French were so strong in the surrounding gar- risons, they dared not make any excursions. Some provisions came to them by sea from Cornwall, Guernsey and the Isle of Wight, which were of great succor to them ; otherwise they and their cav- alry would have perished through famine. During this time, the four Breton barons remained at Paris on the part of the duke, negotiating a peace betw'een him and the king. He did not oppose it; for he saw clearly that he could not keep the promises he had made the English, unless he would lose his duke- dom. It was the intention of the earl of Buckingham and his ba- rons to pass the winter in the town of Vannes as well as they could, and in the summer to return to France to continue the war : he had written a full account of his situation and intentions to the king of England and to the duke of Lancaster. The king and his council, ha\'ing approved of this plan, ordered him to carry it into execution, adding, that at the proper season, a reinforcement of English should be sent to Normandy and land at Cherbourg ; and those two armies, being united in Normandy, might be able to perform some decisive actions in France. The king of France, his uncles and council, foresaw all that might happen, having been duly informed of the intended plans : they said, in their secret councils, that if the duke of Brittany, or any of his principal towns, were at enmity with the realm, and united with the English force, France would have, for a time, too heavy a bur- den to bear. For this reason, the four barons from Brittany, who represented the duke and managed his affairs very well, had thrown out these doubts : in particular, they had opened themselves to the duke of Anjou, at that time regent of France, who having a grand expedition in his head, and intending within two years at the far- thest to march to la Puglia and Calabria, would not have chosen that the kingdom of France should be shaken, nor his expedition put off'. He was therefore strongly inclined to make peace with the duke of Brittany, that he might become a good Frenchman, loyal in faith and homage to the king of France. The articles of peace were now discussed by the four barons : it was settled that the duke might, without blame, assist the English with vessels to return to their own country. The duke was permitted to add to his ordi- nances ; that if those who had come from the garrison of Cherbourg to serve under the earl of Buckingham wished to remm thither by land, they should have passports from the king and constable to march through France, but unarmed, and any knights or squirea from England who might be desirous of accompanying them : that, when the English had quitted Brittany, the duke was to come to the king and his uncles at Paris, and acknowledge himself vassal by faith and homage to the king, in such a way as a duke of Brittany owes to his lord, the king of France. All these articles were properly drawn out and sealed, and carried to the duke of Brittany, who at that time was resident at Sucinio, near to Vannes. He agreed to what his embassadors had done, but sore against liis inclination : for he knew he could not do it, without incurring the greatest ill. will from the English. When the earl of Buckingham and his knights heard that the duke of Brittany had made peace with France, they were greatly enraged and very indignant, saying, he had sent for them and made them come to Brittany, where he had never performed any one of the promises he had sworn to ; for which reason they pronounced him void of loyalty. Shortly after, the duke visited the earl of Buckingham and his barons at Vannes, when he openly explained to them the treaty his people had made for him, and which it be- hooved him-to agree to, f'or otherwise he should lose his whole duchy. Upon this, high words passed between the earl and his barons with the duke ; but the duke humbled and excused himself as much as possible, for he was conscious that he had been in some sort to blame. It was, however, necessary to come to terms, in order that the English might quit Brittany. The earl then gave notice to the city of Vannes, that if any of his men were indebted to the inhab- itants, they should come forward, when they would be paid. He gave back to the magistrates the keys of the town, and thanked them for their attentions to him. The earl was supplied with vessels at Vannes, Hennebon and Quimperle, and wherever else thoy had been quartered, on paying for them : he left Vannes on the eleventh day of April, in battle- array, with banners displayed, and thus marched to the haven. The duke of Brittany, sir Alain de la Houssaye, the lord de Montbour- sier, sir Stephen Guyon, sir William de Tresiquidi, sir Geoffiy de Kerimel and others of his council, came thither ; they sent to infonn the earl, who was in his vessel, that the duke wanted to speak with him ; but the earl refused to come, and sent the lord Latimer and lord Thomas Percy. These two had a conference with the duke for three hours, and, after long debates, consented to request the earl, that before he set sail, he would on another day have a conver- sation with the duke : they then went to his ship, and related to the earl all that had passed. About midnight, on the return of the tide, the wind became favor- able ; and the mariners asked the earl what were his intentions. The earl, who wished not for any further conferences, said, "Weigh your anchor and set your sails, and let us be gone." This was soon done ; and thus did the English set sail from the harbor of Vannes for England. All the others did the same in their different ports, and collected together at sea. We will now speak of certain knights and squires who returned to Cherbourg by land, and relate what befel them on the road. The constable of France, who at that time resided at clilteau Josselin, seven leagues from Vannes, had granted passports to some English and Navarre knights of the garrison of Cherbourg, who had served under the earl of Buckingham. Among others, were sir John. Harlestone, governor of Cherbourg, sir Evan Fitzwarren, sir Wil. liain Clinton and sir John Burley. They set out from Vannes fol- lowing the road to chateau Josselin, for it was in their route. On their arrival, they took up their quarters in the town below the cas- tle, not intending more than to dine and continue their journey. When they had dismounted at the inn, like travellers who wished to repose themselves, the knights and squires of the castle came to visit them as brother-soldiers, who always see each other with pleas- ure ; particularly the French and English. Among the French, there was a squire of great renown in arms, who belonged to John de Bourbon, count de la Marche, the nearest to his person of all his squires, and whom he loved the most : his name was John Boucmel. He had formerly been in garrison in Valogne with sit William des Bordes, and in his expedition against Cherbourg. During that time, he had often had words with an English squire, called Nicholas Clifford, who was then present, respecting a tillitig match. In the course of the conversation which these French knights and squires held at the inn with the English, John Boucmel, recollecting Clifford, cried out, " Nicholas Clifibrd ! Ah ! Nicholas, Nicholas, we have often wished and sought to perform a tilting match ; but we never could find fit opportunity or place for it. Now, as we are here before my lord constable and those gentlemen, let us perform it : I therefore demand from you three courses with a lance." " John," replied Nicholas, " you know that we are here but as travellers on our road, under the passport of my lord consta- ble : what you ask from me cannot now be complied with, for I am not the principal in the passport, but under the command of theaa 276 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. knights whom you see : if I were to stay behind, they would set out without me." " Ha, Nicholas, do not make such excuses as Ihese : let your friends depart, if they please, for I give you my promise, that as soon as our tilt shall be over, I will conduct you myself within the gates of Cherbourg without loss or peril, as I can depend on my lord constable's good-will. Nicholas said : " Now, suppose it to be as you say, and that I place my confidence in being safely conducted by you, yet you see we are travelling through the country without arms of any sort : therefore, if I were willing to arm myself, I have not wherewithal to do so." John replied : " You shall not excuse yourself that way, for I will tell you what I will do : I have plenty of arms at my com- mand, and will order dilTerent sorts to be brought to the place where we shall tilt ; and, when all are laid out, you shall examine them, and consider which will suit you best : for I will leave the choice to you, and, when you shall have chosen, I will then arm myself.". When Nicholas saw himself so earnestly pressed, he was ashamed that those present should have heard it, and thought, that since John made such handsome offers, he could not in honor refuse them ; for John still added, *' Make whatever arrangements you please, I will agree to them sooner than we should not have a tilting match." Nicholas then said, he would consider of it ; and, before his depart. lire he would make him acquainted with his resolution ; adding, " if it will not be possible for me to comply with your request at this place, and if my lords, under whom t am, should be unwilling to as. sent to it, on my return to Cherbourg, if you will come to Valogne, and signify to me your arrival, I will immediately hasten thither, and deliver you from your engagement." " No, no," said John, "seek not for excuses : I have oflered you such handsome proposals, that you cannot in honor depart without running a tilt with me, according to the demand I make." Nicholas was more enraged than before ; for he thought, and true it was, that he, by such a speech, greatly outraged his honor. Upon this, the French returned to the castle, and the English to their inn, where they dined When these knights had got to the caslle, you may suppose they were not silent on the words which had passed between lohn Bouc. mel and Nicholas Clifford, insomuch that the constable heard of them. He considered a short time ; and, when the knights and squires of the country who were with him entreated him to interest himself that this combat might be fought, he willingly promised it. The English knights and squires, wishing to pursue their journey after dinner, went to the castle to wait on the constable ; for he was to give them seven knights to escort them the whole road, through Brit, tany and Normandy, as far as Cherbourg. When they were arrived at the castle, the constable received them very amicably, and then said, " I put you all under arrest, and for. bid you to depart hence this day : to-morrow morning, after mass, you shall witness the combat between your squire and ours, and then you shall dine with me. Dinner over, you shall set out, and I will give you good guides to conduct you to Cherbourg." They com- plied with his requests, and, having drank of his wine, returned to their inn. Now the two squires consulted together, for it was fixed they should on the morrow morning engage without fail. When morning came, they both heard mass, confessed themselves, and mounted their horses; the French being on one side, and the Eng. lish on the other : they rode together to a smooth plain on the out- side of the castle, where they dismounted. John Boucmel had pro. vided there two suits of armor, according to his promise, which were good and strong, as the occasion demanded: having had them dis- played, he told the English squire to make the first choice. " No," said the Englishman, " I will not choose : you shall have the choice." John was therefore forced to choose first, which he did, and armed himself completely (in doing which he was assisted,) as a good man- at-arms should be. Nicholas did the same. When they were both armed, they grasped their spears, well made with Bordeaux steel and of the same length ; and each took the posititm proper for him to run his course, with their helmets and vizors closed. They then ad- vanced, and, when they approached pretty near, they lowered their spears, aiming them to hit each other. At the first onset, Nicholas Clifford struck with his spear John Boucmel on the upper part of his breast ; but the point slipped off the steel breast-plate, and pierced the hood, which was of good mail, and, entering his neck, cut the .jugular vein, and passed quite through, breaking off at the shaft with ithe head; so that the truncheon remained in the neck of the squire, who was killed, as you may suppose. The English squire passed on to his chair, where he seated himself. The French lords, who had seen the stroke and the broken spear in his neck, hastened to him : they immediately took off his helmet, and drew out the spear. On its being extracted, he turned himself about without uttering a word, and fell down dead. The English squire hurried to his relief, cry- ing out to have the blood stanched, but could not arrive before he expired. Nicholas Clifford was then exceedingly vexed, for havino- by ill.fortune slain a valiant and good man-at-arms. All who at tha"! time could have seen the despair of the count de la Marche, who had such an affection for his deceased squire, would surely have much pitied him; he was in the greatest distress, for he esteemed him above all others. The constable was present, and endeavored to comfort him, say- ing, " that such ;hing3 were to be expected in similar combats. It has turned out unfortunate for our squire, but the Englishman could not help it." He then addressed himself to the English : " Come, come fo dinner, for it is ready." The constable led them, as I may say, against their wills to the castle to dinner, for they wished not. to go there on account of the death of the Frenchman. The count de la Marche most tenderly bewailed his squire, as he. viewed his corpse, Nicholas Clifford directly retired to his lodgings, and would not by any means dine at the castle, as well for the great vexation he was in for this death as on account of his relations and friends ; but the constable sent to seek for him, and it was necessary he should comply. On his arrival, the constable said : " In truth, Nicholas, I can very well believe, and I see by your looks, that you are much concerned for the death of John Boucmel ; but I acquit you of it, for it was no fault of yours, and, as God is my judge, if I had been in the situation you were in, you have done nothing more than I would have done, as it is better to hurt one's enemy than to be hurt by him. Such is the fate of war." They then seated themselves at the table, and these lords dined at their ease. After they had finished their repast, and drank their wine, the constable called the lord le Barrels des Barres, and said to him, " Barrois, prepare yourself: I will that you conduct these Eng- lishmen as far as Cherbourg, and that you have opened to them every town and castle, and have given to them whatever they shall be in need of." Le Barrois replied, " My lord, I shall cheerfully obey your orders." The English then, taking leave of the constable and the knights with him, came to their lodgings, where everything was packed up and ready. They mounted their horses, departed from chuteau Jos- selin, and rode straight to Pontorson and Mont St. Michel. They were under the escort of that gallant knight le Barrois des Barres, who never quitted them in Brittany or Normandy, until they had ar- rived in Cherbourg. In this manner did the army of the earl of Buckingham quit France by sea and by land. We will now return to the affairs of Flanders during that period, and say how the men of Ghent behaved themselves, and how the earl of Flanders, their lord, persisted in continuing an oppressive and heavy war. CHAPTER LXV. THE T/AR RECOmiMENCES BETWEEN THE E.\RL OF FLANDERS AND THE mnABITANTS OF GHENT. THE MEN OF GHENT AND OF YFRES ARE DISCOMFITED DY THE AMBUSCADES OF THE EAKL OF FLANDERS. Prue it is, that the carl of Flanders at the beginning had very little dread of the Flemings and men of Ghent, imagining he could conquer them by little and little, both by reason and arms, since John Lyon and John Pruniaux were dead : but the men of Ghent had still able captains in whom wholly they trusted, and by whom they were governed ; such as Rasse de Harzelle, captain of the cas- tlewick of Ghent, and John de Launoy, captain of the men of Cour. tray. There were other captains ; John Boule, Peter du Bois, Arnoul le Clerc and Peter la Nuilde. At this period, there arose a contest between the grandees and populace of Bruges ; the small handicraft trades there wished to act according to their own inclinations, \\-hich the richer sort would not suffer. This caused a rebellion, and great numbers of fullers and weavers lost their lives before the rest were appeased. The inhabitants sent information of all this to the earl, who resided at Lille, entreating of him, for the love of God, to come to them ; for they acknowledged him as their lord, and were at that moment masters of the populace. The earl of Flanders was pleased on hearing this intelligence : he set out from Lille, in company with sir William de Namur and a great number of knights and squires o( Flanders, and came to Bruges, where he was received with great joy by the council. On the arrival of the earl at Bruges, all the leaders and those who were even sus. pccted to have similar intentions with the men of Ghent, were arrested and sent to prison, to the amount of five hundred, who in a short time were beheaded. When those of the Franconate* learnt that the earl was quiet in Bruges, they began to be alarmed, and immediately threw themselves on the mercy of the earl, who pardoned them, to their great joy ; for his power was daily increasing, and the inhabitants of the Franco, nate have been always more attached to their earl than all the rest of Flanders. The earl, seeing himself master of Bruges and of the Franc, and that he had at his orders knights and squires from Hain- an!! and Artois, thought he had now a good opportunity to recover his country and to punish the rebels : he therefore declared he would first pay a visit to Ypres. He hated them much for having so easily opened their gates to those of Ghent, and said that those who by treaties had admitted his enemies within the town, and slain his knig'nts, should pay dearly for it, if he should gain the upper hand of them. He then issued his summons to the Franc and ISruges, for he was resolved to march to Ypres. News was carried to Ypres, that the earl was preparing to attack them : they determined, in consequence, to send to Ghent to ask assistance : for they were not in sufficient strength to hold out with. * Du Fr.inc. Tbal pnrt of Flanders, in which the towns ofDunlfirti, Uereues, Grave- lines. Bumbourg and Finnes jire situated, is called the Franc, or the Franconate.— JVotfi in Mt metres dc VAcademie, vol. xx. p. 419. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 277 out succors from that party, who had always promised to help them in their need. They sent secretly letters and messages to the cap- tains in Ghent, to inform them of the situation of the earl, and his menaces 'of coming to attack them. The men of Ghent considered themselves as bound by their faith and oaths to grant their request, and having called two captains, John Boule and Arnoul le Clerc, said to them, " You will take three thousand of our men, and march in haste to Ypres, to succor our HoTEl. DE ViLLE, Y?RE9. From an Orisinal Drawiae. good friends.'' Soon after this order was given, the detachment marched from Ghent, and three thousand men arrived at Ypres, to the great joy of the inhabitants. The carl of Flanders set out from Bruges with a large force, and came to Thorout : on tlie monow to Poperingue, where they halted for three days, until his whole army was come up, which amoimted to twenty thousand men. The men of Ghent being informed of all these preparations, and that the earl was to march against Ypres with a powerful army, resolved to assemble tlieir whole force, and take the road by Courtray to Ypres, when, by uniting with those of the last town, they might engage the earl's army ; and, if they should once completely defeat him, he would never be able to reihover the blow. In consequence of this determination, tlie following captains marched from Ghent: Rasse de Harzelle, Peter du Bois, Peter la Nuitee, John de Launoy, with others, who were captains of hun. dreds or of tifties in the different parishes ; and, when drawn out in the plain, they amounted to upward of nine thousand men. They marclied for Courtray, where they were received with great joy, for John de Launoy was governor. The earl of Flanders, whose quarters were at Poperingue, heard how those of Ghent intended marching to Ypres, and that they were already at Courtray. Upon this, he called a council, and kept his army in a compact body. The Ghent men who had come to Courtray marched from thence to Rousselaer, where they halted, and sent to inform those of Ypres of their arrival ; and, if they would come forth with the troops they had sent to them, they should be in sufficient force to combat the earl. The men of Ypres were delighted at this intelligence ; and, having every inclination to do what had been requested, they sallied out in the morning, to the amount of eight thousand, under the command of John Boule and Arnoul le Clerc. The earl, who was with his army in that district, got information, I know not by what means or by what accident, that the men of Ypres had marched to join those from Ghent : he therefore ordered ,„^^^^, , ^ , -- == two large ambuscades on a pass through whicli those tVom Ypres | was torn in pieces, and as many as could, carried oiT a morsel. well Peter du Bois and Rasse de Harzelle, that, since they have sent to us to say they intend to offer the earl battle, they will get as near to him as they can : I therefore think you should follow this road." Arnoul le Clerc disputed, but John Boule insisted upon it, and made them follow his road. When they had advanced about two leagues, and were almost tired, they fell into the midst of these two ambus- cades, which when they perceived, they cried out, "We are be- trayed 1" No people ever made so poor a defence as they did : they saved themselves as fast aa they could, some returning to Ypres, others flying over the fields, without any sort of order. The earl's army had sur- rounded a great number, whom they slew without mercy ; however, John Boule and Arnoul le Clerc saved themselves. The runaways who made for Courtray met their allies, who had set out from Rousselaer, and were marching toward Rose, becque. When Peter du Bois and the other officers saw them in such a state, they demanded the reasoa of it, and what had hap- pened: they replied, "they could not tell ; they had not had time to see what was the matter ; but that they were flying, having been betrayed, and that the whole plain was covered with them." Peter du Bois was doubt- ful, whether to march back to cover the runaways, and to combat those who were thus chasing them, or to re- treat with them to Cour- tray. All things considered, he was advised this time to retreat, as being the most advantageous ; he therefore began his return in regu- lar order, without quitting the road, and the same day came back to Courtray. The runaways took shelter there : the men of Ghent were quartered in the town, and placed strong guards at the gates to prevent any surprise. When John Boule and Arnoul le Clerc were returned, and had counted their men, they found there had been slain of the men of Ghent, including those in the detachment sent to Ypres, twelve hundred ; and of those of Ypres as many, if not more. If the ambuscade had pursued those flying toward Ypres and Courtray, they must have been overtaken, and scarcely one would have escaped : but the giving up the pursuit, to slay those who had fallen into their hands, was the saving of many. The inhabitants of Ypres were much cast down on seeing their men return defeated the very day they had marched, and asked how it could have happened. Some said, that John Boule had betrayed them, and led them thus to be slaughtered. You have often heard how difficult it is to appease the populace when once they are stirred up : I shall instance it by those of Ghent, for when they had returned thus defeated to Courtray, and heard that John Boule was in the town, they collected upward of a thousand, bawling out, " Let us go seek that arch traitor John Boule, who has betrayed us I for it was he and no other who would have us follow that road which led to the ambuscade. If we had believed Arnoul le Clerc, we should have escaped it ; for he wanted to conduct us straight to our men, and John Boule, who had sold and betrayed us, would march us where we have been tricked and defeated." Now, observe how unjustiv they accuse him of treason, when I do not see that there was the least cause for it. Had it been, as they said, that he had sold and betrayed them, he would never have returned, but would have staid with the earl and his army. This, however, could not save him from being killed : the men of Ghent sought for him m his house, and, having found him, dragged him into the street, when he must march, under the command of his son, le Haze, bastard of Flanders, and the lord d'Anghien : there were knights and squires from Hainault, Artois, Bruges, and the Franconale, and in each ambuscade were ten thousand men. When those of Ypres and the Ghent men who had been sent thither under the command of John Boule were in the plains, and had marched about a league, they came to two roads ; one of which led to Rousselaer, and the other to Thorout : they halted, and asked which road they should take. Arnoul le Clerc, answering, said, "I would advise you to go and see our men who are at Rousselaer." " By my troth," replied John BotUe, " I think we shall be better lodged on Mont d'Or than anywhere else ; for be assured I know so Such was the end of John Boule. The next day. the men of Ghent departed from Courtray, and returned home. They sent John do Launoy to Gavre, a castle be. longing to the earl, and situated on the Scheld, of which he took possession, and placed a gan'ison in it. 278 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. CHAPTER LXVI. THE TOWNS OF YPRES AND COURTRAY TURN TO THE EARL OF FLANBEKS. GHENT IS BESIEGED. We will now return to the earl of Flanders and his army. Wlien they had thus, by their ambuscades, defeated the men of Ghent, and had slain three thousand or thereabouts, including those of Ypres, the eavl was advised to advance and lay siege to Ypres. This counsel he followed, and marched thither with a fine army of knights and sqinrcs from Hainaull, Artois, and Flanders, who had conie to serve under him. As soon as the citizens of Ypres learnt that the earl was on his march thither with such a force, they were greatly alarmed ; and the principal and richest inhabitants held a council, in wliich they resolved to open their gates, and go out to meet him, with offers to replace themselves under his obedience, trusting to his mercy. It was well known to him that they had allied rhemselvcs with Ghent through fear of the lower ranks, such as weavers, fullers, and other ill-intentioned people of the town: they besides depended on his kind and merciful character for their pardon. As they had resolved, so did they execute ; and upward of three hundred in a company went out of the town, carrying the keys of the gates with them. On meeting the earl of Flanders, they fell on their knees, and begged for mercy, saying, that they personally, and the whole town, resigned themselves to his will. The earl took pity on them, made them rise, and granted them his pardon. He entered the town of Ypres with his whole army, and there remained for three weeks, sending back those of tlie Franc of Bruges to their several towns. During his residence in Ypres, he had upward of seven hundred weaves and fullers be- headed, and all those wlio had been any way concerned in admitting John Lyon and the Ghent men into the town, who had slain the knights and men-at-arms whom he had sent thither, and which had enraged him so much. To prevent them from again rebelling against him, he sent three hundred of the principal inhabitants to prison in Bruges, escorted by a handsome body of men-at-arms. He then marched toward Courtray, in order to bring that town under his obedience. When the inhabitants heard this was his intention, and that he was on his way, having subjugated those of Ypres, they were much afraid, for they saw no appearance of any aid coming to them from Ghent : they therefore determined to sur- render themselves amicably to their lord ; for it was better to depend on the earl, to whom they owed fidelity, homage, and loyalty, than on Ghent. Upon this, three hundred of the principal cilizens as- sembled, and went out of the town on foot, to meet the earl, taking the keys with them. When the earl was near to pass them, they flung themselves on their knees, ciying out to him for mercy. The earl, taking compassion on them, pardoned them, and made a joyful entry into the town, where every one paid him honor and reverence. He arrested about two hundred of the principal inhabitants, whom he sent to Lille and to Douay, as hostages for the town. When he had continued at Courtray si.K days, he returned to Bruges; where, having reposed himself for a fortnight, he issued a grand summons for his vassals to attend him at the siege of Ghent, for at this time all Flanders was dependent on him. He left Bruges with a numerous army to lay siege to Ghent, and fixed his quarters at a place called La Briete. Sir Robert de Namur came thither to serve him, with a large body of men-at-arms, according to his let- ters and orders : but sir William de Namur could not come, for he was at the time in France with the king and duke of Burgundy. It was about the feast of the decollation of St. John that the siege of Ghent was commenced. Sir Walter, lord of Anghien, was marshal of the army of Flanders: he was young, bold, enterprising, and fearless of whatever dangers or perils might befal him. Not- withstanding the earl of Flanders was before Ghent with so nume- rous an army, he coidd not prevent the town from having two or three gates open, by which means all sorts of provision entered without danger. The Brabanters and Liegeois were very favorable to them, more particularly the citizens of Brussels. The Liegeois wrote to them, to keep up their spirits ; " Good men of Ghent, w^e are well aware that at this present you have enough to do ; that you are hard pushed by the earl your lord, and by the gentry and the rest of the country, which we are extremely sorry for : know, that if you were only five or six leagues from our frontiers, we would send that succor which ought to be given to our brothers, friends, at\d neighbors ; but you are too far from us, and the country of Brabant lies between, which is the cause that prevents us. Now, if you should be besieged at this moment, do not be cast down ; for God knows, and all the principal towns, that you have justice on your side in this war, which must make your labors more effective." Thus did the citizens of Liege write to those of Ghent, in order to comfort them. The earl of Flanders had invested Ghent on the sides toward Bruges and Courtray ; but on those toward Brussels and les Qiiatre Mestiers,* he could not, on account of the Scheld and Lys. I may therefore say, everything considered, that Ghent is one of the *Tlie territory comprehended under the name of Les Quatre Mestiers, was formerly subject to the bishop of Utrecht, and contained tiiirty villages. Hulse, Axele, Cocliolle. and .^ssenede are ti:e four principal towns ; the two last are not inclosed with walls.— Blkiu's Jlttas. strongest places in the'world : it would be necessary to have two hundred thousand men, if any one wishes to block up all the passes . besides, the armies ought to be near the rivers, or, in tiiiie of need, they would not be able to cooperate with each other ; for Ghent is very populous, and full of determined men. They found, on num- bering the inhabitants at this time, they had eighty thousand men, all fit°for bearing arms, under sixty and above fifteen years. When the earl had been before Ghent about a month, and his men under the lord d'Anghien, le Haze his son, with the young seneschal of Hainault, had had various skirmishes with those of Ghent, in which sometimes they won, and at others lost, as in such cases will happen, he was advised to send the men from Bruges, Ypres, and Poperingue, on an expedition to a place called Longpont, the con- quest of "which would be highly advantageous ; for by this they could enter the Quatre Mestiers, and then approach Ghent as near as they pleased. Those who had been ordered on this expedition were drawn up, and a very valiant and prudent knight, called sir Josse de Haluin, was nominated commander : with him were very many knights and squires, but sir Josse was the chief. When they arrived at Longpont, they did not find it defenceless, but garrisoned with a great number of men-at-arms : Peter du Bois, Peter la Nuit(;e, and Rasse de Harzelle, were there in front. The skirmish was severe ; for, on the arrival of the detachment from the earl, they began on both sides to shoot from cannons and cross-bows, which slew and wounded many. The men of Ghent behaved too well, for they drove back their enemies, and took by force the banner of the gold- smith's company of Bruges, which they flung into the river and be- smeared with filth. There were, of this goldsmith's company and of many others, numbers slain and wounded : in particular sir Josse de Haluin was killed, which was a great pity. So valiantly did the Ghent men behave, that those who had been sent to Longpont returned discomfited. CHAPTER LXVII. THE EARL OF FLANDERS RAISES THE SIEGE OF GHENT. HE DEFEATS A GREAT PAST OF THE ARMY OF GHENT, THROUGH THE SELF-SHF- FICIENCT OF RASSE DE HARZELLE, NEAR TO NEVELE. During the siege of Ghent by the earl of Flanders, there were numerous skirmishes before the city. The lord d'Anghien, the sen- eschal of Hainault and le Haze de Flanders, never ransomed those whom they fell in with unprotected in the plains ; and sometimes they were forced to retreat in such a hurry as not to have time to look behind them. Six thousand well-appointed men were drawn up in the city, and put under the command of Rasse de Harzelle, Arnoul le Clere and John de Launoy : they marched from Ghent without any fear of the army, and took the road to Alost, which was then a good town and well inclosed, in which the earl had placed a gan-ison of several knights. They, on hearing of this intended at. tack, made off, through'the gate leading to Brussels, in haste, other- wise they would have been slain. The Ghent men burnt everything, even the gates, and gained great pillage. They then marched to Dendremonde, which is a strong town, bu' they took it by storm. Sir Philip dc Namur was there killed. The men of Ghent were masters of the town, but not of the castle ; for the lord de Widescot and his companions held it out valiantly against them. The Ghent armv went next to Gramont, which had lately turned to the earl, through the entreaty and negotiation of the lord d'Anghien. I know not whether by treachery or not, but the Ghent men entered it, and very many of the inhabitants were slain. After these exploits, they returned to Ghent with a great booty. When the eari of Flanders considered that, besides losing his time, he was at a vast expense in the siege, and that he and his army were suffering greatly, and also that he could not prevent the Ghent men from sallying forth and burning the country ; that lately they had con- quered Dendremonde and Gramont ; he resolved to break np the siege and depart, for winter was approaching. He marched away, and sent his men to their different homes to recruit themselves. He ordered the lord d'Anghien and the lord de Montigny to garrison Ondenarde : they had, besides men-at-arms, two hundred English archers, on whom thev placed great dependence. With regard to the earl, he went to Bruges. The lords who were in Oudenarde made several sallies against those of Ghent ; and there were frequent skirmishes, for they were almost constantly in the field, so that none could carry provision or merchandise to Ghent without risk of being taken. , r » ■, • j i When the winter was over, and the month ot April arrived, the earl assembled his armv, having sent for those of Ypres, Courtray, Poperingue, Damme, S'luys, and the Franconate : he marched from Bruges and came to Nevele, where he remained some time. While there, he appointed the lord d'Anghien commander-in-chief of all the men-at-arms, comprehending those of Lille, Douay and Oudenarde, The earl's army was fully twenty thousand men : they were pre. pared to march to Gavre, where John de Launoy resided, who, on receiving intelligence of this, sent off directly to Ghent, to inform Rasse de HarzelTe that he must send him immediate reinforcements, for the army of the earl had taken the field. Rasee de Harzelle in stnntlv collected six thousand men, and marched to Gavre : he did CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 279 not find John de Launoy, but overtook him at Deynse, wliere he was pillaging the country on the other side of the river. They then, having united their forces, marched that day together, and fell in with those from Oudenarde and Deynse, who were going to join the earl, whom they immediately attacked, and slew at least six hundred of them. The lord d'Anghien was not present ; he had gone before to the earl, who was with his army between Deynse and Bruges. When news was brought to the earl, and the lord d'Anghien, that the men of Oudenarde had been so roughly treated, they were nmch vexed : the lord d'Anghien was ordered to march with four thousand men toward Gavre, where they expected to find John de Launoy ; but he had retreated to Ghent with his pillage and prisoners, of whom, indeed, he had no great number. On the morrow, he and Rasse de Harzelle marched out with ten thousand men ; and, though the earl was not come to Gavre, they were anxious to surround liim. The same day that Rasse de Harzelle had marched from Ghent, Peter du Boismade a sally also with six thousand men, accompanied by Arnoul le Clerc : they burnt the suburbs of Courtray, and then retreated to. ward Deynse, in order to fall in with their townsmen ; but it v\-as too late, for, when Rasse de Harzelle and John de Launoy were come to Nevele, they perceived the earl with his whole army in the plain : thus did these two armies find themselves in sight of each other, without either of them suspecting it in the morning. When Rasse de Harzelle and John de Launoy saw a battle was inevitable, they were not cast down, but drew up their men in three battalions ; in each battalion were two thousand men, all bold and hardy, and the best soldiers in Ghent. Peter du Bois and Arnoul le Clerc had an equal number of men, who, though in the country, were ignorant of this meeting, or that their friends were about to engage. When they left Ghent, they had entered into an agreement, that if either party .should meet the earl, they were not to fight without the other ; for they were not sepa. rately of sufficient strength, but, when united, they vrere able to en- gage with three times their number : this they had sworn to Peter du Bois they would adhere to ; and to say the truth, if Rasse had wished it, he might easily have delayed the combat, for he had only to keep himself in the town of Nevele to wait for Peter du Bois, and the earl would never there have fought him : but the moment Rasse de Harzelle saw the army of the earl, through pride and self-sufficiency, he took the field, saying to himself that he would offer battle to his enemies, and reap all the honor, without waiting for Peter du Bois or the others. He had great confidence in his men, and such hopes in the good fortune of Ghent that he thought he could not be defeated ; and manifested his willingness to engage, as I shall pres- ■ently relate to you. Greatly was the earl rejoiced when he saw Rasse de Harzelle march out of Nevele to the plain to fight. He immediately ordered his men to be drawn up in proper order : his infantry were about twenty thousand, able men, and about fifteen hundred lances, knights and squires, from Flanders, Hainault, Brabant, and Artois. Among those from Hainault were the lord d'Anghien, marshal of the army, and, in his company, the lord de Montigny, the bastard of Anghien, Giles de Riscon, Hutin de Lay, the lord of Lens, sir John de Berlam- mont and several more. From Flanders were, the lord de Guistelles, sir Guy de Guistelles, the lord des Cornets, the lord de Hallue, the lord de Haluin, sir Daniel de Haluin, sir Thierry de Disquetane, sir John d Escoumbouc, the lord de Gentus, sir John de Vilain, sir Ge. rard de Marquellies, and many others. Several new knights were also made. The young seneschal of Hainault had died in his bed some time before, from the bruise he had received at Aubiez, near Mortaigne, for he had been in that affair. The earl formed his army in five battalions, and in each there were about five thousand men, eager for the attack : the lord de Lieureghien bore that day the earl's banner. In this manner they advanced on the enemy, five battalions to three ; but at the com- mencement only three battalions of the earl's army engaged, the -other two were on the wings to support those who might be broken. ■The earl was present, exhorting his men to behave well, and to re- ■venge themselves on the madmen of Ghent who had given them so much trouble t he said to the citizens from the chief towns, " Be assured, should you fly, you would more certainly be put to death than if you stood your ground ; for I will have you all beheaded without mercy.*' The earl posted the men of Bruges in the first battalion, those of the Franc in the second, those of Ypres and Cour- tray in the third, and those of Poperingue, Cassel, Bergues and Bour- bourg in the fourth battalion : he had retained those of Oudenarde, Lille and Douay near his person. The armies kept advancing toward each other. Rasse de Harzelle led the first battalion, for it was composed of the most determined men of the three, and because he was anxious to be the first to begin the combat, and to gain honor if it were possible : he attacked that of Bruges, which the lord de Guistelles and his brothers commanded. There was great pushing and fighting at the commencement. In another part, the other battalions engaged, when many were beat down at the onset. The Ghent men behaved very gallantly ; but the army of the earl was tk.^o numerous for them. The battle was sharp, and lasted some time, so that it was long before it was seen which had the advantage. All the battalions •were intermixed ; and on one side they shouted out, *' Flanders for the Lion !" to cheer their men : on the other, they cried as loudly, "Ghent, Ghent I" There was a moment when the earl was in dan- ger of losing all ; and, if he had then given way, they would all have been slain and defeated beyond a remedy : for Peter du Bois, with full six thousand men, was in the plain, and clearly saw the combat, but he could not give any assistance to his townsmen for the extensive marshes that were between him and the armies : but, had the earl lost the day, or his men fled through panic, he knew well that Peter du Bois would have fallen upon them, and none would have escaped death, not even himself; which would have been such a loss as Flanders never would have recovered. Rasse de Harzelle and John de Launoy had not long the advantage in this combat, for the earl had a number of valiant knights, besides the men from Ypres, Courtray, Oudenarde, Damme, Sluys, the Franc and Bruges, who, w'hen assembled together, amounted to near twenty thousand men, being four times the number of their enemies. The Ghent men, unable to withstand them, were thrown into disorder, and retreated into the town. Upon this, the knights and squires advanced, and, breaking their ranks, put them in confusion, and killed them in heaps. The men of Ghent retired toward the church of Nevele, which was strong; and, having collected themselves there, a hard battle ensued, and great slaughter was made of them. John de Launoy, like one distracted, rushed into the church, and posted himself, and as many men as he could, in the large tower of the steeple. Rasse de Harzelle remained behind, and, with his men, performed many valorous deeds at the door of the church ; but at last lie was overpowered, and pierced with a spear, which instantly killed him. Thus ended Rasse de Harzelle, who had been a great com- mander of the Ghent men against the earl : he was much beloved by his townsmen for his good seirse and prowess; but this was hi3 recompense at last for all his valor. When the earl of Flanders arrived at the square before the church, and saw that the Ghent men had retreated into it, he ordered the church to be set on fire : his order was obeyed, and a fire was kin died with great quantities of straw and faggots, which they placed all round the church. The flames soon ascended to the roof, whea the Ghent men perished miserably; for they were sure of being burnt if they staid in the church, and if they sallied out they were slain and cast back into the fire. John de Launoy, who was in the steeple, perceiving himself at the point of death, and that he must soon be burnt, for the steeple was beginning ti) take fire, cried out to those below, " Ransom, ransom !" and offered his coat, which was full of florins ; but they laughed at and mocked him, saying, " John, come and speak to us through these windows, and we will receive you. Make a handsome leap, John, such as you have forced our friends to take this year : you must make this leap." John de Lau- noy, finding his situation desperate, and the fire so fast approaching that he must be burnt, grew enraged, and preferred being slain to being thus burnt. Both happened to him ; for he leaped out of the windows in the midst of his enemies, who received him on their spears ; and, after hacking him to pieces, he was flung into the flames. Thus finished John de Launoy. CHAPTER LXVII I. PETER DU BOIS WITH THE KEMAINDER OF HIS AKMY RETIRES TO GHENT. AFTER HAVINa BEEN IN DANSER OF HIS LIFE, HE BESIESES COURTRAY. Of the six thousand men, of which the army at least consisted, that Rasse de Harzelle and John de Launoy had brought from Ghent or that neighborhood, or who were serving the men of Ghent for pay and had been marched thither, there did not escape more than three hundred : the rest were slain in the field or in the town, or had been burnt in the church. Peter du Bois, notwithstanding he had a fine army, could not give them the smallest assistance, on account of the marshes and stagnant waters which were between him and the earl's army. He marched away with his men drawn up in order of battle, saying to them, " Come, let us proceed slowly toward Ghent. Rasse de Harzelle and John de Launoy have had very bad success ; they are defeated. I know not what may happen to us, if we should bo pursued and attacked by the earl's army : let us keep in a body and combat boldly, as good men should do when they fight for their rights." Those who heard him answered, " We will do so." They tlien departed, taking the road toward Ghent, in a close well-formed battalion. Some of the runaways who had escaped from the battle of Nevele returned to Ghent, which they entered quite frightened, like defeated men, and related how Rasse de Harzelle and John de Launoy had been slain and their army lost. The citizens were much dejected at this ill news, and sorry for the loss of Rasse, for they had found him a good captain and true to their interests : he was much beloved, and great confidence was placed in him, because he was of a noble family, and had served them faithfully for their money. They asked the runaways, " Tell us where was Peter du Bois all the time of the combat?" They, who had neither seen nor heard any intelligence of him replied, "We have not seen him, nor do we know anything about him." Upon this, several began to murmur, saying, that Peter du Bois had behaved very ill, for not having been present at thii 280 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &e. battle, he who had six thousand men under liis command completely armed. Those who governed Ghent therefore resolved, as soon as Peter du Bois should return, to kill him, and then make peace with the earl their lord, throwing themselves on his mercy. I believe that, if they had done so, they would have acted well, and peace would easily have been made. But they changed their resolution, for which afterwards they paid severely, as did the whole country of Flanders. Aflairs at that time were not so bad as they afterwards became, nor the great distress of Flanders at its height, as I shall hereafter relate. After the defeat of Rasse de Harzelle and John de Lannoy, the earl of Flanders was informed that Peter do Bois with an army of Ghent men were in the field, and on their march to that ciiy. The earl halted, and called a council, in which he demanded from his knights whether he should not pursue them and offer battle : they replied, that he had done enough that day ; that his men were tired, and that it was proper they should have some rest; but that he would do well to send off five or six hundred men-at-arms, to observe their motions, for they might perhaps fix their quarters in siich a situation that they could come up with them at their dislodging. The earl approved of this advice, and followed it : those who were to be of this detachment were directly ordered out, and the lord d'Anghien was appointed to the command. About five hundred lances being mounted, they marched off" from Nevele, and followed by-roads, in order to come up with the Ghent men : they proceeded so far that they at last saw them descend a small hill ; they were in a compact body, and in good order, marching at a good pace toward Ghent. The lord d'Anghien and his detachment followed them some time on their flank. Peter du Bois and his men saw them plainly, though they made not any appearance of being discomposed by it. Peter du Bois said, " Let us continue our road with a good step, without breaking our ranks ; if they attack us, we will receive them, but I do not believe they have any such intentions.'' Thus each party marched on, without doing anything, as far as Ghent, when the lord d'Anghien returned to the earl, and Peter du Bois with his men en- tered the town. Peter du Bois was very badly received, and on the point of being killed, for not having exerted himself to assist Rasse de Harzelle. Peter exculpated himself, saying truly, " that he had sent orders to Rasse not to engage with the earl on any account, "without being joined by him, for that the earl was in too great force ; but that Rasse had done quite the contrary : that if bad success had attended him, he could not by any means be blamed: that he was as much grieved for the death of Rasse as any one, for the town of Ghent had lost a valiant man and good captain. It will therefore be necessary for you to choose another, one who has a good reputation and will be feared ; who is bold, wise, and prudent : or otherwise put yourselves under the obedience of the earl, w-ho will destroy us all, by wickedly and cruelly putting us to a shameful death. Now, consider what you will do : either persevere in what you have begun and carried on for so long a time, or throw yourselves on the mercy of my lord the earl of Flanders." None made any answer to this speech of Peter du Bois ; but, with regard to the event of the battle of Nevele and the death of Rasse, he was acquitted. He was, however, much dissatisfied that no one replied to his speech ; particularly with some of the principal and richest citizens of Ghent then present, such as sir Guisebert Grote and sir Simon Bete. He at the time did not show his resentment ; but in the course of the year, they severely experienced its effects, as you will hear related. The lord d'Anghien, the lord de Montigny, and the Haze de Flanders, returned with their men to the earl, and related all they had seen. The earl set off from Nevele, and went to Bruges : he dismissed his army to their difierent towns, and sent those of the Franc, with the lord d'Anghien and the banners, to Oudenarde. The men of Ghent, on hearing that the earl had disbanded his army and retired to Bruges, began to be in motion, by the instiga- tion of Peter du Bois, who said to them, " Come, let us take the field, and not be cool in carrying on this war, but show we are men of courage and enterprise." Upward of fifteen thousand marched out of Ghent, and came before Courtray, to which they laid siege during the time of the feast and procession at Bruges in the year 1381. They remained there for ten days, and burnt the suburbs of Courtray, with all the surrounding country. When the earl heard of this he remanded all his gentlemen, and the garrisons and com- monalty of Yprcs and the Franc, and marched from Bruges with upward of twenty-five thousand men, taking the road to Courtray, with intentions of combating the Ghent army and raising the siege. Peter du Bois, on receiving intelligence of the earl's march and strength, thought it best not to continue the siege : he decamped, and went to Deynse and Nevele, where his army quartered them- selves, giving out they would there wait for the earl : at the same time, they signified their situation to their townsmen, who ordered out the reserve, that they might have a superior force of men-at-arms. Fifteen thousand more men therefore marched from Ghent to their army quartered at Deynse and Nevele, where they encamped in the plain. When the earl arrived at Harlebecque, near Courtray, he heard the Ghent men had retreated toward Ghent, and were quartered at Deynse and Nevele. He did not think proper to pursue them at that time, but dismissed great part of his army at Courtray, and sent the lord d'Anghien and the Hainaulters, with his bastard son the Haze, to Oudenarde in garrison. CHAPTER LXIX. AUNOTJL LE CLEKC, CAPTAIN OF SOME TROOPS OF WHITE HOODS, DEFEATS SEVERAL OF THE EARL OF FLANDERS' NOBILITY. HE HIMSELF IS AFTERWARDS DEFEATED AND SLAIN. When Peter du Bois and the Ghent army found that it was not the earl's intention to advance against them, they departed from Deynse and Nevele, and took a roundabout road toward Oudenarde, on their return to Ghent. The day they passed Oudenarde, they detached a body from the army, under the command of Arnoul !e Clerc, who advanced as far as the barriers of the town to skirmish. The knights and squires within could not resist combating with them, so that many were slain and wounded on both sides. But those from Ghent did not continue the skirmish long : they returned to Ghent with their men, when each retired to his own house. Three days after, Arnoul le Clerc marched to Gavre with about twelve hundred white hoods ; and the castle and castlewick were garrisoned, to keep in check those in Oudenarde. Arnoul le Clerc had not been there long before he was informed that some knights and squires had saUied out of Oudenarde in search of adventures, namely, the lord de Cornais, the lord de Remselles, sir.Tohn de Vil- laines, the lord d'Anghien, le Gallois de Mamincs, the bastard de Cornais, and sir Blanchard de Calemie. He therefore formed an ambuscade, and as these knights were on their return to Oudenarde, he fell upon them, when several were slain, for mercy was shown to none. The horses of the knights were Inought very opportunely, when they made the best of their way to Oudenarde : on their arri- val at the barriers, they dismounted and put themselves in a posture of defence, waiting for their men and servants ; but, before they could reenter the town, they had left upward of sixty dead on the field. Arnoul le Clerc, having performed this enterprise, marched that day to a monastery near Berchem : he found that Pierre d'Estonne- houx and Gallois de Mamines, with about a hundred of their com- panions, had retreated into the town of Berchem : he therefore im- mediately attacked the monastery whither tliey hod retired. Gallois de Mamines with difficulty escaped from the back part of it, and having entered a boat, came by night to Oudenarde, when he related to the lord d'Anghien, the lord de Montigny, sir Danielde Halluyn,and the other nights who were there, how Arnoul le Clerc, with the white hoods, had forced the monastery of Berchem, and slain their companions : that he thought Pierre d'Estonnehoux was killed ; as iiideed he was, for Arnoul le Clerc and his men had made hira leap out of a window, when he was received on the points of their spears and slain, which was a great loss. The knights in Oudenarde, on hearing that Arnoul le Clerc with about twelve hundred white hoods were quartered in Berchem ; that their companions were slain and the monasteiy taken ; were very indignant, and determined to send off in the night spies to observe whither they would march on the morrow. The spies reported, that the white hoods had fixed on Berchem for their quarters, which much pleased these noblemen. The lords d'Anghien de Montigny, de Bresueil, sir Michael de la Hamarde, with upward of six hundred knights and squires from Haiuault, immediately armed themselves ; as did a like number from Flanders. Three hundred speara were in Oudenarde, with upward of one thousand cross-bows and stout var- lets. They marched to Berchem, and, when near that place, they sent forward sir Oliver de Chem, with full one hundred lances, to begin the attack, and to draw Arnoul le Clerc out of the monastery, as well as to give time for the cross-bows and stout varlcts, who were on foot, to come up and be properly arranged. Sir Daniel and sir Peter de Disipiemac and the Haze de Flanders, spun-ing their horses, entered the space before the monastery at full gallop, crying out, " Flanders for the Lion ! Flanders for the Bas- tard !" The Ghent men, not exjiecting an ambuscade, for it was early morn, were not dressed, so that before Arnoul le Clerc could collect his men, the lord d'Anghien, the lord Lens, the lord de Bre- sueil, the lord de Cornais, the lord de Montigny, entered the back part of the town, with the army, crying out, " D'Anghien for the lord I" and attacked the Ghent white hoods with so much vigor, that they could not withstand thom, but, breaking their ranks, were thrown into disorder ; and, of the twelve hundred, eleven hundred were slain in the monastery, in the town and fields. Arnoul le Clerc was also killed, as he was running away, by two pikes being thrust through him, which fastened him to a hedge. After this defeat, the lord d'Anghien. with the other knights, returned to Oudenarde, es. teeming this enterprise a deed of great prowess. The news of it greatly pleased the earl of Flanders, who told the lord d'Anghien that he was a handsome and good child, and in time would be a most valiant man. To say the truth, the lord d'Anghien was the glory of the earl of Flanders, who at that time resided at Bi-uges, and who did not call him cousin, but fair son. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN havincT nrranirpH in hia own mind i & C . 281 CHAPTER LXX. rUBlNG THIS WAR, THE KICH CITIZEXS OF GHENT ARE SOBJOGATED BY THEIR SOLDIERS. THILIP VON ARTAVELD IS MADE GOVERNOR OF GHENT. When the news was carried to Ghent that Arnoul le Clerc was slain, and his men defeated, many began to take alarm, and to say among themselves, " Our affairs go on very badly : by degrees, they will kill our captains and men : we have done ill to make this war upon the earl our lord, for by little and little he will destroy us. The hatreds of Gilbert Matthew and John Lyon are now falling upon us, and we have too long followed the opinions of John Lyon and Peter du Bois ; they have driven us into this war, and brought on us the hatred of our lord to such a degree that we shall never be admitted to mercy, nor obtain a peace. It will be better that twenty or thirty should suffer than a whole city." This was the conversation of several when together in private, from the dread of the ill-intentioned who were of another way of thinking, and were daily adding to their power, though at the begin- ning they were but poor workmen scarcely worth a groat. They had now plenty of gold and silver ; for, when in want, they com- plained to their leaders, who willingly listened to them, and gave them advice by pointing out to them the richest men in the town, and saying, " Go to such and such persons, and tell them we want to speak to them." Thoy directly went, and those they sought were afraid to refuse following them. On their arrival, they were told the good town of Ghent was in want of money to pay their soldiers, who were aiding to guard and preserve their rights and franchises, and that it was necessary the workmen should live. They raised instantly among themselves the sum demanded ; for, had they refused, they would have been put to death, on pretence of being traitoi'S to the good town of Ghent, and indifferent to its honor or profit. Thus did these wicked people become masters of the town, and continued so as long as the war lasted against their lord. In truth, if tlie rich men and nobility of the town were beaten by such rods, one cannot pity, nor any way excuse them, for they were the primary cause of all this mischief. When the earl of Flanders sent thither his bailift'to do justice on some wicked persons, could they not have remained steady and have assisted him in this act, seeing the rebels were then in very small numbers ? But it appeared they were quite indifferent whether the affair turned out well or ill, or if they had war or peace. They must have been sensible, that if they made war on their lord, the ill-intentioned would be their masters and lords of the town, and that they could not turn them out when they pleased. It would happen to them as to John de la Faucille, who, by dissembling and quitting the town of Ghent to live in Hainault, imagined he should be clear of all the wars in Flanders, as well as of those against his lord by the town of Ghent, of which he was a native, and that nothing would be required from him : but in this he was mistaken, so that it caused his death; v/hich was a pity, for John de la Faucille was in his time a wise and able man. But in those days none could trim between the lords and the townsmen, for they were too clear, sighted ; and though he knew how to advise others very well, yet in regard to himself he managed things badly. I do not know, for a trutli, if he were guilty of all the charges on wliich he was examined by sir Simon Rain in the castle of LOle, but his judges, with his adverse fortune, turned against him, so that he died : and thus it happened to all the leaders in Ghent, and those who encouraged them in their rebellion against their lord. Many others of Ghent perished, who I hope were blameless. When Peter du Bois saw Ghent thus weakened in her captains and soldiers, and deserted by her allies ; that the principal inhabitants began to tire ; he suspected they \\'ould readily give up the war, but that, whatever peace or treaty they should enter into with the earl, there would not be any possibility for him to save his life. He there- fore called to his recollection John Lyon, who had been his master, and with what art he had worked ; he saw plainly he could not do everything himself, not having sufiieient weight nor knowledge to govern the town ; neither did he wish for the principal command, being solely desirous of leading every mad enterprise : he, in con- sequence, turned his thoughts to a man, of whom the city of Ghent had not any suspicions, one of sufficient prudence, though his abilities ■were unknown, fur until that day they had not paid any attention to him : his name was Philip von .\rtaveld, son of Jacob von .\rtaveld, who had ruled over all Flanders for seven years. Peter du Bois had heard it related by his master, J^ihn Lyon, and the old people of Ghent, that the whole country was never so well governed, feared loved and honored as during the time of Jacob von Artaveld's rei-^n which lasted for seven years : the inhabitants added, that if Jacob von .\rtaveld were alive, things would not be in the state they are now in : they should have a peace according to their wishes, and the earl would be too happy to forgive tiiem. These words made an impression on Peter du Bois : he recollected that Jacob von Artaveld had left a son called Philip, a handsome and agreeable man, to whom the queen of England, when she was at Ghent and during the time of the siege of Tournay, had stood god- mother, and who, from respect to her, had been christened Phihp. Peter du Bois came one evening to Philip's house, who resided with his mother, maintaining themselves honorably on their rents. Peter, having arranged in his own mind what he should say, thus opened the matter and the cause of his coming: "If you will listen to me, and follow my advice, I will make you the greatest man in Flan- ders." " How will you do this?" replied Philip. " I will tell you how," said Peter: " you shall have the sole government of Ghent: for we are at this moment in the utmost want of a leader of a good name and fair character : by this means we shall rouse the men of Ghent, through remembrance of your father's fame ; for every one says that Flanders was never so flourishing, nor so much feared, as during Ills lifetime. I will easily place you, if you be willing, in his situation ; and, when there, you will govern according to my advice until you shall find yourself master of the business, which you will soon acquire." Philip, who was arrived at manhood, and naturally wished to advance himself in honor and wealth more than ho then possessed, replied, " Peter, you offer me great things ; and, if I be placed in the situation you say, I swear on my faith, that I will never act without your advice." Peter asked, " Can you be cruel and proud ? For a great man among the commonalty, and in particular among such as we shall have to do with, will not be thought anything worth if he be not feared and dreaded, and at times renowned for his cruelty. It is thus that the Flemings wish to be governed; and, among them, men's lives should be no more valued, nor should they have more pity shown to them, than swallows or larks, which are caught in the proper season for the table." " By my troth," answered Philip, "I know well how to act this part." " All then goes well," said Peter. " You are just such a one as I want, and the chief I look for." On saying this, he took leave and departed to his own house. Night passed, and day returned, when Peter du Bois went to a square where there were upward of four thousand of his followers and others, assembled to hear the news, to discuss how matters ought to be carried oil, and who should be governor of the town. The lord de Harzelle was there, who chiefly conducted the affairs of Ghent, but he would not undertake to do anything out of the town : some named him for governor: others were also nominated. Peter, who was listening attentively, having heard many names, raised his voice and said, " Gentlemen, I have paid every attention to all you have said, and firmly believe that you have been induced, through your love and affection for the honor and wealth of the town of Ghent, to propose such who are worthy to have a share in the government of this city; but I know one wlio in no way is thinking of it, and if he would undertake the government, there could not be any one found of greater abilities, nor of a more propitious name." Peter du Bois was called upon to name him, which he did by saying, "It was Philip von Artaveld, who was christened at the font of St. Peter's in Ghent by that noble queen of England, Philippa, who was his godmother at the time when his father, Jacob von Artaveld, was at tl-ie siege of Tournay with the king of England, the duke of Brabant, the duke of Gueldres and the earl of Hainault ; which Jacob von Artaveld, his father, governed the town of Ghent and the country of Flanders bet- ter than has ever been done since, from all I hear from tliose inhab- itants who have it strong in their memories; Flanders had been for some time lost, if through his sense and good fortune he had not re- gained it. Now, it behooves us to love the branches from such a valiant man, in preference to any other person." No sooner had Peter du Bois done speaking than the idea of Philip von Artaveld filled every one's mind, and encouraged them so much that they unanimously cried out, "Let him be sought for: we will not have any one but him for our governor." " No, no," said Peter du Bois : " we will not send for him : it will be much better we go to his house, for we do not at present know how he will take it. We ought not by any means to suffer him to excuse himself from accepting it." At these words, those present took the road to Philip's house, fol. lowed by many others who had been informed of their intentions. When they arrived there, the lord de Harzelle, Peter du Bois, Peter la Nuitee, and about ten or twelve of the principal tradesmen, ad- dressed him, saying, " That the good town of Ghent was in the greatest danger for want of a chief, with whom alliances might be formed both at home and abroad, and that all ranks of people in Ghent had given him their voices and chosen him to be their sove- reign ; for the good remembrance of his name, and tlic love they had borne to his father, made him more agreeable to tliera than any one else. For which reasons they entreated him aftectionately to take on him the government of the town, with the management of their affairs both within and without, and they would swear to him obedience and loyalty as completely as to their lord. They like- wise engaged to bring every one, how great soever he might be, under his obedience." Philip, after hearing everything they had to say, made the follow, ing prudent reply : " Gentlemen, you require great things from me ; and I should imagine you have not weighed the matter so maturely as it ought to have been, when you oflFer me the government of Ghent. You say, the afiection your ancestors had for my father has been your great inducement : when he had performed for them every service in his power, they murdered him. If I should accept the government in the manner you request, and be afterwards mur. dered, I shall gain but a miserable recompense." " Philip," said Peter du Bois, who caught at these words which seemed to make his choice doubtful, " what has passed cannot now be amended : 282 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. you will act from the advice of your council, and by thus contin. uing you will ever be so well advised that all mankind shall praise you." Philip answered, " I should never wish to act otherwise." They then elected him ; and, conducting him to the market-place, he was there sworn into office ; the mayors, sheriffs and rulers of companies were also sworn to obey him. In this manner was Philip von Artaveld made sovereign of Ghent. He acquired great popularity at the commencement ; for he spoke to every one who had any business with him politely and prudently, so that he was beloved by all. He gave a part of the revenues which the earl of Flanders had in Ghent as his inheritance to the lord de Harzelle, out of affection to him, and to enable him the bet- ter to support his rank ; for he had lost everything he possessed without the walla of the town. We will now for a time leave these affairs of Flanders, and speak of those of England and Portugal. CHAPTER LXXI. A WAK BETVv-EEN THE KINGS OF CASTILLE AND PORTUGAL. You have before heard related the death of king Henry of Cas- ■tille, and that his eldest son, don John, was crowned in his stead. His queen also, who was daughter to king Peter of Arragon, was crowned witii him. A war broke out between king Ferdinand of Portugal and the king of Castille on certain disputes between them ; but principally on account of the two daughters of Peter king of Castille, who were married in England ; the eldest, Constance, to the duke of Lancaster, and Isabella to the earl of Cambridge. The king of Portugal declared, that it was unjust and illegal in the king of Castille to disinherit, withoat cause, his two cousins ; and that it was not becoming that two noble ladies of such high birth should be disinherited from their rights : it was also improper that this affair should become old and forgotten, so that these ladies would never be able to regain their possessions : that for him, who was one of the nearest relations they had, he woidd never consent to it, both for the love of God and his desire to maintain justice, to which every good Christian should incline. He sent therefore liis defiance to the king of Castille, whom all Spain had crowned ; and the king of Portugal made war upon him for the reasons above mentioned. Don John defended himself valiantly, and ordered to the frontiers and to his garrisons numbers of men-at-arms, to oppose his enemies, so that he lost nothing at the breaking out of hostilities. He had with him some of the ablest and most prudent of French chivalry, who assisted him greatly by their arms and advice ; such as the begue de ViUaines, sir Peter his son, sir John de Bergettes, sir Wil- liam de Lignac, sir Walter de Puissac, the lord de la Tande, sir John and sir Tristram de Roye, and many more, who had gone to Spain on the departure of the earl of Buckingham from Brittany ; for the king of France, who had great connections and of a long standing with the king of Castille, had sent them thither. The king of Portugal, on finding this, thought it advisable to send embassadors to England to the king and his uncles, to request suc- cors from them, that he might be able to carry on a successful war against the king of Castille. He called to him one of his knights, a valiant and prudent man, as well as a great lord, called John Fer- rande, and told him his intentions in these words : " John, you will ■cany these credential letters to England. I cannot send thither a more able embassador than yourself, nor one who is better informed of all my affairs : you will therefore commend me to the king, on presenting these letters, and let him know that I am supporting the rights of my cousins, his aunts, for their inheritance of Castille and Spain ; and that I have already waged war against him, who, through the influence of France, has taken possession of it ; but that I am no< sufficiently strong in myself, nor have I resources to oppose him, nor to conquer such heritages as Castille, Gallicia and Seville. For which reason, I entreat him to send me his fair uncle the duke of Lancaster, with his wife and daughter, my cousins, and a number of men-at-arms and archers. On their arrival hither, we will carry on such a war, if it should please God, that we will recover their inher- itances," " My lord," replied the knight, " with pleasure will I carry your message." He was not long before he embarked on board a strong vessel fit for the voyage, and sailed from the harbor of Lisbon ; when, having favorable winds, he arrived at Plymouth the same day and same tide that the earl of Buckingham returned thither, with part of his fleet, from Brittany. The English had unfortunately lost at sea three of their ships, full of men and stores, and had been so much separated by contrary winds, that they arrived, not without great danger, in three different ports of England. The earl of Buckingham was rejoiced at the arrival of the Portuguese knight, whom he most graciously received. On his inquiring after news, he told him enough, as well of Spain as of Portugal. They continued their journey together untU they came to the good city of London, where the king was. On the earl of Buckingham's arrival, the city of London entertained him magnificently. He went to Westminster to wait on the king, who was there with his two uncles, the duke of Lancaster and the earl of Cambridge, and took the knight from Portugal with him, whom he presented to the king and to his brothers. When the king and the above-named lords were made acquainted with the subject of his coming, they seemed to be much pleased, and paid him great respect. He delivered his letters to the king, who read them in the presence of his uncles ; for you must know the king did nothing without the advice of these uncles, being at that time very young. The knight was questioned, notwithstanding the letters he had brought with him, on the subject of his coming from Portugal : his answers were prudent and proper, according to the propositions which have been mentioned before. When the lords had fully heard all he had to say, they said, " Many thanks to om- fair cousin of Portugal, who, to seiTe us, has made war on our adversary. What he requires is but reasonable, and he shall be speedily succored. The king .vill consider in what manner he shall arrange this business." No further conversation passed. The for- eign knight, having brought such agreeable tidings to the duke of Lancaster and earl of Cambridge, was much feasted, and dined with the king. He remained about fifteen days, and until a week before the feast of St. George, with the king and his uncles. Sir Robert de Namur was also there, who had come to do homage to the king for what he possessed in England. The parliament was also summoned to meet at Westminster, as well on account of this embassy from Portugal as upon the affairs of Scotland, the truce between the two countries ending the first of June. The prelates and barons of England held many councils to con- sider this business : they were not for sending the duke of Lancaster to Portugal, some saying it was a long sea voyage for him, and that they might repent of his going, for the Scots were making great preparations to invade England. It was at last determined that the duke of Lancaster, who was well acquainted with Scotland and its inhabitants, should go to the borders, and learn what were the inten- tions of the Scots ; for of all the barons of England he knew best how to conduct a treaty, and the Scots would do more for him than for any other person. They likewise resolved that the earl of Cam- bridge should embark for Portugal with five hundred spears and as many archers ; and if the duke of Lancaster could manage the Scots, and, without dishonoring England, conclude a truce for three years, he might go likewise, if the king approved of it in council, about August or September, to Portugal to reinforce the army of his brother. There was another reason why the duke of Lancaster ought to remain in England : the king had sent embassadors, with the duke of Saxony and the archbishop of Ravenna, to the emperor of Ger- many, to demand his sister in marriage and to obtain his answer ; for there had been great negotiations on the subject for upward of a year. The bishop of St. David's and sir Simon Burley were the embassadors, on the part of England, to assist and bring it to a conclusion. The king and his lords agreed to this determination, when the parliament broke up. Lists were made out of those baroiis and knights who were to accompany the earl of Cambridge to Portugal. CHAPTER LXXII. THE EARL OF CAMBRIDGE SAILS FOR PORTUGAL. THE DUKE OF LAN. CASTER GOES TO THE BORDERS OF SCOTLAND, TO MAKE A TRUCE WITH THE SCOTS. The duke of Lancaster, having made his preparations, left the king and his brothers. On taking leave of the earl of Cambridge, he swore to him, by his faith, that on his return from Scotland, he would speedily follow him to Portugal, if no hindrance which he could not then foresee happened in England to prevent him. On this, the duke departed, taking the road to Scotland, and attended only by those of his household. In this parliament, the carl of North- umberland was appointed lieutenant of all Northumberland, the bishopric of Durham, and as nmch of Wales as to the banks of the Severn : he therefore left London for those parts, but it was about fifteen days after the departure of the duke of Lancaster. The earl of Cambridge took leave of the king and his brother the earl of Buckingham, to complete the forces for the expedition he had undertaken to command. He made his rendezvous at Plymouth, where he was the first who arrived, bringing with him his lady Isa- bella and his son John, whom he intended carrying with him to Portugal. The earl of Cambridge was accompanied by many noble- men, such as sir Matthew Gournay constable of the army, the canon de Robesart, sir John Newcastle, sir William Beauchanip marshal of the army, the souldich de I'Estrade, the lord Botreaux, the lord de Ch.arlton, sir William Hclmon, sir Thomas Symon, sir Nicholas Windsor, sir John Carteret and several others. There were also men-at-arms to the amount of five hundred, and as many archers. These lords and their men came to Plymouth, where they quartered themselves and in the adjoining villages. They loaded their vessels by litde and little ; but no horses were to be embarked, as the voyage was too long from England to Lisbon. The Portuguese knight waa with them, intending to accompany them to his country. They remained upward of three weeks on the coast, getting ready their provision and stores, and waiting for favorable weather. The duke of Lancaster continued his journey toward Scotland until he came to Berwick, which is the last town in that part of England. When he arrived there, he halted, and sent a message to CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 28S Scotland to acquaint the barons he was come thither to ride the borders, as had always been customary ; and, if they were desirous of doing the same first, they had best inform him of it, otherwise he well knew' what he was to do. Tlie duke's herald rode to Edin. burgh, where king Robert of Scotland, the earl of Douglas, the earl of Mar, the earl of Moray and all the principal barons of Scotland were assembled. They had heard the duke of Lancaster was come to treat with them, and had thus assembled in the chief town of Scotland, where the herald met them. John Ball freachinq to thb Peoplg.— From a MS. of the 15th century. The herald punctually executed his message. He was favorably listened to, and had a friendly answer from the Scots barons, who said, they would willingly hear what the duke had to propose. The herald brought back with him passports for the duke and his people, to last as long as they should remain on tlie borders and during the parleys. The herald, having received these assurances, came back to Berwick and related what he hod done. Upon this, the duke departed from Berwick, leaving all his stores in that town, and took the road to Roxburgh, where he lay. On the morrow, he was lodged in the abbey of Melrose on the Tweed, which divides the two king- doms of Scotland and England. The duke and his attendants remained there until the Scots were come to Lambir-Iaw, three short leagues off. On their arrival, they signified it to the duke, when immediately negotiations were begun between the Scots and English, and which lasted for upward of fifteen days. CHAPTER LXXIII. THE POPULACE OF ENGL.IXD REBEL AGAINST THE NOBII.ITV. While these conferences were going forward, there happened in England great commotions among the lower ranks of the people, by which England was near ruined without resource. Never was a country in such jeopardy as this was at that period, and all through the too great comfort of the commonalty. Rebellion was stirred up. as it was formerly done in France by the Jacques Bons-hommes, who did much evil, and sore troubled the kingdom of France. It is marvellous from wiiat a trifle this peslilence raged in I^ngland. In order that it may serve as an example to mankind, I will speak of all that was done, from the information I had at the time on the subject. It is customary in England, as well as in several other countries, for the nobility to have great privileges over the commonalty, whom they keep in bondage ; that is to say, they are bound by law and custom to plough the lands of gentlemen, to harvest the grain, to carry it home to the barn, to thrash and winnow it : they are also bound to harvest the hay and carry it home.* All these services tliey are obliged to perform for their lords, and many more in Eng. land than in other countries. The prelates and gentlemen are thus served. In the counties of Kent, Essex, Sussex and Bedford, these services are more oppressive than in all the rest of the kingdom. The evil-disposed in these districts began to rise, saying, they were * And to hew their wood and bring it home.— Lord Ber.ners. too severely oppressed ; that at the beginning of the world there were no slaves, and no one ought to be treated as such, unless he had committed treason against his lord, as Lucifer had done against God : but they had done no such thing, for they were neither angels nor spirits, but men formed after the same likeness with their lords, who treated them as beasts. This they would not longer bear, but had determined to be free, and if they labored or did any other works for their lords, they wotdd be paid for it. A crazy priest in the county of Kent, called John Ball, wlio, for his absurd preaching, had been thrice confined in the prison of the archbishop of Canterbury, -was greatly in. _j ^si^^™_ strumental in inflaming them ^:?SSB^-Sj^---. with those ideas. He was- accustomed, every Sunday :iz3 after mass, as the people were- coming out of the church, to preach to them in the market, place and assemble a crowd around him ; to whom he- wouldsay: " Mygood friends^ things cannot go on well in England, nor ever will until everything shall be in com- mon; when there shall neither" be vassal nor lord, and alt distinctions levelled ; when the lords shall be no more- masters than ourselves. How" ill they have used us ! and for what reason do they thu^ hold us in bondage ? Are- we not all descended from the same parents, Adam and Eve ? and w hat can they show, or what reasons give, why they should be more the masters than ourselves ? ex- cept, perhaps, in making us labor and work for tlicm to spend. They arc clothed in velvets and rich stufls,^ or- namented with ermine and other furs, while we are forced to wear poor cloth. They have wines, spices, and fine Dread, when we have only rye and the refuse of the straw ; and, if we drink, it must be water. They have handsome seats and manors, when we must brave the wind and rain in our labors in the field ; but it is from our labor they have wherewith to support their pomp. We are called slaves; and, if we do not perform our services, we are beaten, and we have not any sovereign to whom we can complain, or w ho wishes to hear ua and do us justice. Let us go to the king, who is young, and remon- strate with him on our servitude, telling him we must have it other- wise, or that we shall find a remedy for it ourselves. li we wait on him in a body, all those who come under the appellation of slaves^ or arc held in bondage, will follow us, in the hopes of being free. When the king shall see us, we shall obtain a favorable answer, or we must then seek ourselves to amend our condition." With such words as these did John Ball harangue the people, at his village, every Sunday after mass, for which he was much beloved by them. Some who wished no good declared it was very true, and' murmuring to each other, as they were going to the fields, on the road t'rom one village to another, or at their different houses, said, " John Ball preaches such and such things, and he speaks truth." The archbishop of Canterbury, on being informed of this, had' John Ball arrested, and imprisoned for two or three months by way of punishment ; but it would have been better if he had been con. fined during his life, or had been put to death, than to have been suffered thus to act. The archbishop set him at liberty, for he could not for conscience sake have put him to death. The moment John Ball was out of prison, he returned to his former errors. Numbers in the city of London having heard of his preaching, being envious of the rich men and nobility, began to say among themselves, that the kingdom was badly governed, and the nobility had seized on aU the gold and silver coin. These wicked Londoners, therefore, began to assemble and to rebel : they sent to tell tho.se in the adjoining counties, they might come boldly to London, and bring t'heir com- panions with them, for they would find the town open to them, and the commonalty in the same way of thinking ; that they would press the king so much, there should no longer be a slave in England. These promises stirred up those in the counties of Kent, Essex, Sussex and Bedford, and the adjoining country, so that they marched toward London ; and, when they arrived near, they were upward * Lord Berners says '' chamlet furred with g-Wsc," the skin of the weozle or martin. . The word in Froisfart is camocas, which D. Sauvoge is nt a loss to understand. ancE proposes to alter to camehs, camlet ; thus conlirming J.ord Berners' traoslution.— El> 284 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. of sixty thousand. They had a leader called Wat Tyler, and with him were Jack Straw and John Ball : these three were their com- manders, but the principal was Wat Tyler. This Wat had been a tiler of houses, a bad man, and a great enemy to the nobility. When these wicked people first began to rise, all London, except their friends, were very much frightened. The mayor and rich citizens assembled in council, on hearing they were coming to London, and debated whether they should shut the gates and refuse to admit them ; but having well considered, they determined not to do so, as they should run the risk of having the suburbs burnt.* The gates were therefore tin-own open, when they entered in Jroops of one or two hundred, by twenties or thirties, according to the populousness. of the towns they came from ; and as they came into London they lodged themselves. But it is a truth, that full two-thirds of these people knew not what they wanted, nor what they sought for : they followed one another like sheep, or like the shepherds of old, who said they were going to conquer the Holy Land, and afterwards accomplished nothing. In such manner did these poor fellows and vassals come to London from distances of a hundred and sixty leagues, + but the greater part from those counties I have mentioned, and on their arrival they demanded to see the king. The gentlemen of the country, the knights and the squires, began to be alarmed when they saw the people tlius rise ; and, if they were frightened, tliey had sufficient reason, for less causes create fear. They began to collect together as well as they could. The same day that these wicked men of Kent were on their road toward London, the princess of Wales, mother to the king, was returning from a pilgrimage to Canterbury. She ran great risks from them ; for these scoundrels attacked her car, and caused much confusion, which greatly frightened the good lady, lest they should do some violence to her or to her ladies. God, however, preserved her from this, and she came in one day from Canterbury to London, without venturing to make any stop by the way. Her son Richard "Was this day in the Tower of London : thither the princess came, and found the king attended by the earl of Salisbury, the archbishop of Canterbury, sir Robert de Naniur, the lord de Gommegines, and several more, who had kept near his person from suspicions of his subjects who were thus assembling, without knowing what they wanted. This rebellion was well known to be in agitation in the king's palace, before it broke out and the country people had left their homes; to which the king applied no remedy, to the great astonishment of every one. In order that gentlemen and others may talce example, and eoiTect wicked rebels, I will most amply detail Low this business was conducted. CHAPTER LXXIV. THE POPVLACE OF ENGLAND CO.MMIT MANY CRUELTIES ON THOSE IN OFFI. C!AL SITUATIONS. THEY SEND A KNIGHT AS EMBASSADOK TO THE KING. On Monday preceding the feast of the Holy Sacrament, in the year 1381, did these people sally forth from their homes, to come to Tjondon to remonstrate with the king, that all might be made free, for they would not there should be any slaves in England. At Canter- bury, they met John Ball (who thought he should find there the archbishop, but he was at London,) Wat Tyler and Jack Straw. On their entrance into Canterbury, they were much feasted by every one, for the inhabitants were of their way of thinking ; and, having held a council, they resolved to march to London, and also to send emissaries across the Thames to Essex, Suffolk, Bedford, and other counties, to press the people to march to London on that side, and thus, as it were, to surround it, which the king would not be able to prevent. It was their intention that all the different parties should be collected together on the feast of the Holy Sacrament, or on the following day. Those who had come to Canterbury entered the church of St. Thomas, and did much damage : they pillaged the apartments of the archbishop, saying as they were carrying off different articles ; " This chancellor of England has had this piece of furniture very cheap : he must now give us an account of the revenues of England, and of the large sums he has levied since the coronation of the king." After they had defrauded the abbey of St. Vincent, they set off in the morning, and all the populace of Canterbury with them, taking the road toward Rochester. They collected the people from the vil. iages to the right and left, and marched along like a tempest, de. stroying every house of an attorney or king's proctor, or tliat belonged to the archbishop, sparing none. On their arrival at Rochester, they were much feasted, for the people were waiting for them, being of their party. They advanced to the castle, and seizing a knight called sir John de Newtoun, who was constable of it and captain of the town,+ they told him that he * Accorrliiig t(i Lord Bemers nnd D. Souvnee they did at first sliut ttis gates, but afterw-irds beiue in fear for tlie sutiurhs lliey mused tliem to be reopened.— Ed. t Lord BerTiors exoctly ngroes with D. Saiivnee. nnd differs materiully in the relation of Oie distanre tlie reb<'Is trave'led. Lord Bemers translates lieties miles, I apprehend correctly. "In lykewise tjiese villa ijis and poor people came to London a hundred inyle off. Ix myle. 1 myle, xl inyle, and xx niyle off. and fro' all countries about Lon- ^lon. hut the moost part came fro' the countries hefore-namod."— Ed. t "John de Newtoun was oonstnble of this castle (Rochester) anno 2 king Richard." — ^Hastkd's Kent, vol. ii. p. 13. must accompany them as their commander in chief, and do what- ever they should wish. The knight endeavored to excuse himself, and offered good reasons for it, if they had been listened to; but they said to him, " Sir John, if you will not act as we shall order, you arc a dead man." The knight seeing this outrageous mob ready to kill him complied with their request, and very unwillingly put himself at their head. Th-ey had acted in a similar manner in the other coun- ties of England, in Sussex, Suffolk, Cambridge, Bedford, Stafford, Warvv'ick and Lincoln, where they forced great lords and knights, such as the lord Mauley, a great baron, sir Stephen Hales, and sir Thomas Cossington, to lead and march with them. Now, observe how fortunately matters turned out, for had they succeeded in their intentions they would have destroyed the whole nobihty of England : after this success, the people of other nations would have rebelled, taking example from those of Ghent and Flanders, who were in act- ual rebellion against their lord. In this same year the Parisians acted a similar part, arming themselves with leaden maces.* They were upward of twenty thousand, as I shall relate when I come to that part of my history ; but I will first go on with this rebellion in England. When those who had lodged at Rochester had done all they wanted, they departed, and crossing the river, came to Dartford, but always following their plan of destroying the houses of lawyers or proctors on the right and left of their road. In their way, they cut off several men's heads, and continued their march to Blackheath, where they fixed their quarters: they said they were armed for the king and commons of England. When the citizens of London found they were quartered so near them, they closed the gates of London, britlge : guards were placed there by orders of sir William Walworth, mayor of London, and several rich citizens wdio were not of their party ; but there were in the city more than thirty thousand who fju vored them. Those who were at Blackheath had information of this; they sent, therefore, their knight to speak with the king, and to tell him, that what they were doing was for his service, for the kingdom had been for several years wretchedly governed, to the great dishonor of the realm and to the oppression of the lower ranks of the people, by his uncles, by the clergy, and in particular by the archbishop of Canter- bury, his chancellor, from whom they would have an account of his ministry. The knight dared not say nor do anything to the contrary, but advancing to the Thames opposite the Tower, he took boat ami crossed over. While the king and those with liim in the Tower were in great suspense, and anxious to receive some intelligence, the knight came on shore : way was made for him, and he was conducted to the king, who was in an apartment v^■ilh the princess his mother. There were also with the king his two maternal brothers, the earl of Kent and sir John Holland, the earls of Salisbury, Warwick, Suffolk, the archbishop of Canterbury, the great prior of the Templars in Eng- land, sir Robert de Namur, the lord de Vertain, the lord de Gomme- gines, sir Henry de Sausselles, the mayor of London and several of the principal citizens. Sir John Newtoun, who was well known to them all, for he was one of the king's officers, cast himself on his knees and said : " My much redoubted lord, do not be displeased with me for the message I am about to deliver to you ; for, my dear lord, through force I am come hither." "By no means, sir John, tell us what you are charged with : we hold you excused." " My very redoubteti lord, the com- mons of your realm send me to you to entreat you would come and speak with them on Blackheath. They wish to have no one but yourself; and you need not fear for your person, for they will not do you the least harm ; they ahvays have respected and will respect you as their king; but they will tell you many things, which, they say, it is necessary you should hear; with which, however, they have not empowered me to acquaint you. But, dear lord, have the goodness to give me such an answer as may satisfy them, and that they may be convinced I have really been in your presence ; for they have my children as hostages for my return, whom they will assuredly put to death, if I do not gc back." The king replied, " You sh.ill speedily have an answer." Upon this he called a council to consider what was to be done. The king was advised to say, that if on Thursday they would come down to the river Thames, he would without fail speak with them. Sir John Newtoun, on receiving this answer, was well satisfied therewith, and, taking leave of the king and barons, departed : having entered his boat, he recrossed the Thames, and returned to Blackheath, where he had left upward of sixty thousand men. He told them from the king, that if they would send on the morrow morning their leaders to the Thames, the king would come and hear what they had to say. This answer gave gr.:at pleasure, and they were contented with it: they passed the night as well as they could ; but yon must know that one-fourth of thein fasted for want of provision, as they had not brought any with them, at which they were much vexed, as may be supposed. At this time, the earl of Buckingham was in Wales, where he pos- sessed great estates in right of his wife, who was daughter of the earl of Hereford and Northampton ; birt the common report about London was, that he favored these people : some assured it for s * Lord Bemers and D. Sauvage read inm, though the latter in a note says that Iha I Chronicles and Anuals of France say lead.— Ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . 285 truth, as having seen him among them, because there was one Thomas very much resembling him, from the county of Cambridge. As for the English barons v.-lio were at Plymouth making prepara- tions for their voyage, they had heard of this rebellion, and that the people were rising in all parts of the kingdom. Fearful lest their Yoyage should be prevented, or that the populace, as they had done St Southampton, Winchelsea and Arundel, should attack them, they heaved their anchors, and with some difficulty left the harbor, for the wind was against them, and put to sea, where they cast anchor to wait for a wind. wv-^- UlcUARD THE Skcond and TUB REBELS.— FruQi a M9. ol tlie 15Ui CeiUucy. The duke of Lancaster was on the borders, between la Morlane,* Roxburgh and Melrose, holding conferences with the Scots : he had also received intelligence of this rebellion, and the danger his person ■was in, for he well knew he was unpopular with the common people of England. Notwithstanding this, he managed his treaty very pru. dently with the Scotch commissioners, the earl of Douglas, the earl of Moray, the earl of Sutherland, the earl of Mar and Thomas de Vesey. The Scot-*men who were conducting the treaty on the part of the king and the country know also of the rebellion in England, and how the populace were rising everywhere against the nobility. They said, that England was shaken and in great danger of being ruined, for which in their treaties they bore the harder on the du'ke of Lancaster and his council. We will now return to the commonalty of England, and say how they continued in their rebellion. CHAPTER LXXV. THE COMMOXiLTY OF ENGLAND ENTER LONDON, WHERE THEY COMMIT MANY CRUELTIES AND OUTKA&ES. THEY PUT TO DEATH THE ARCH- EISUOF OF CANTERBURY AND SEVERAL OTHERS. On Corpus Christi day king Richard heard mass, in the tower of London, with all his lords, and afterwards entered his barge, attended by the earls of Salisbury, Warwick and Suffjlk, with other knights. He rowed down the Thames toward Rotherhithe, a mansr belonging to the crown, where were upsvard of ten thousand men, who had come from Blackhcath to see the king and to speak to him : when they perceived his barge approach, they set up such shouts and cries as if all the devils in hell had been in their company. They had their knight, sir John Newtoun, with them ; for, in case the king had not come and they found he had made a jest of them, they would, as they had threatened, have cut him to pieces. When the king and his lords saw this crowd of people, and the wildncss of their manner, them was not one among them so bold and determin ed but felt alarmed : the king was advised by his barons * *' La-Morlane." Lambir-iaw.— Macphkrsom's Ga)S' Jltuat. of ScoUana. not to land, but to have his barge rowed up and down the river. " What do ye wish for ?" demanded the king : " I am come hither to hear what you have to say." Those near him cried out with one voice, " We wish thee to land, when we will remonstrate with thee, and tell thee more at our ease what our wants are." The earl of Salisbury then replied for the king, and said, " Gentlemen, you are not properly dressed, nor in a fit condition for the king to talk, with you." Nothing more was said ; for the king was desired to return to the Tower of London, from whence he had set out. When the people saw they could obtain nothing more, they were inflamed with passion, and went back to Blackheath, where the main body was, to relate the an- swer they had re- ceived, and how the king was returned to the Tower. They all then cried out, " Let us march instantly to London." They im- mediately set off, and, in their road thither, they destroyed the houses of lawyers, courtiers, and monas- teries. Advancing into the suburbs of London, which were very handsome and extensive, they pulled down many fine hou. ses; in particular, they demolished the prison of the king caHed the Marshalsea, and set at liberty all those con- fined within it. They did much damage to the suburbs, and men- aced the Londoners at the entrance of the bridge for having shut the gates of it, saying, they would set fire to the suburbs, take the city by storm, and af- terwards burn and de- stroy it. With respect to the common people of London, numbcra were of their opinions, and, on assembling together, said, " Why will you refuse admittance to these honest men ? They are our friends, and what they are doing is for our good." It was then found necessary to open the gates, when crowds rushed in, and ran to those shops which seemed well stored with provision : if they sought for meat or drink, it was placed before them, and nothing refused, but all manner of good cheer oiTered, in hopes of appeasing them. Their leaders, John Ball, Jack Straw and Wat Tyler, then marched through London, attended by more than twenty thousand men, to the palace of the Savoy, which is a handsome building on the road to Westminster, situated on the banks of the Thames, be- longing to the duke of Lancaster; they immediately killed the por. tei*s, pressed into the house and set it on fire. Not content with committing this outrage, they went to the house of the knights- hospitalers of Rhodes, dedicated to St. John of Mount Carmel, which they burnt, together with their hospital and church. They after- wards paraded the streets, and killed every Fleming they could find, whether in house, church or hospital : not one escaped death. They broke open several houses of the Lombards, taking whatever money they could lay their hands on, none daring to oppose them. They murdered a rich citizen called Richard Lyon, to whom Wat Tyler had been formerly servant in France ; but, having once beaten this varlet, lie had not forgotten it, and, having carried his men to his house, ordered his head to be cut off, placed upon a pike, and car- ried through the streets of London. Thus did these wicked people act like madmen ; and, on this Thursday, they did much mischief to the city of London. Toward evening, they fixed their quarters in a square called St. Catherine's, before the Tower, declaring they would not depart thence until they should obtain from the king everything they wanted, and have all their desires satisfied ; and the chancellor of England made to account with them, and show how the great sums which had been raised were expended ; menacing, that if he did not render such an account as was agreeable to them, it would be the worse for him. Considering the various ills they had done to foreigners, they lodged themselves before the Tower. You may easily suppose what 286 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &, c . a miserable sitaation the king was in, and those with him ; for at times these rebellious fellows hooted as loud as if the devils were in them. About evening, a council was held in the presence of the king, the barons who were in the Tower with him, sir William Walworth the mayor, and some of the principal citizens, when it was proposed to arm themselves, and during the night to fall upon these wretches who were in the streets and amounted to sixty thousand, while they were asleep and drunk, for then they might be killed like flies, and not one in twenty among them had arms. The citizens were very capable of doing this, for they had secretly received into their houses their friends and servants, properly prepared to act. Sir Robert KnoUcs remained in his house, guarding his property, with more than six score companions completely armed, and would have in- stantly sallied forth. Sir Perducas d'Albreth was also in London at that period, and would have been of great service ; so that they could have mustered upward of eight thousand men, well armed. But nothing was done ; for they were too much afraid of the commonalty of London ; and the advisers of the king, the earl of Salisbury and others, said to him, " Sir, if you can appease them by fair words, it will be so much the better, and good-humoredly grant them what they ask ; i'or, should we begin what we cannot go through, we shall never be able to recover it : it will be all over with us and our heirs, and England will be a desert." This council was followed, and the mayor ordered to make no movement. He obeyed, as in reason he ought. In the city of London, with the mayor, there are twelve sheriffs,* of whom nine were for the king and three for these wicked people, as it was afterwards discovered, and for which they then paid dearly. On Friday morning, those lodged in the square before St. Cathe- line'g, near the Tower, began to make themselves ready; they shouted much, and said, that if the king would not come out to them, they would attack the Tower, storm it, and slay all in it. The king was alarmed at these menaces, and resolved to speak with them ; he therefore sent orders for them to retire to a handsome meadow at Mile-end, where, in the summer, people go to amuse themselves, and that there the king would grant them tlieir demands. Procla- mation was made in the king's name for all those who wished to speak with him to go to the above-mentioned place, where he would not fail to meet them. The commonalty of the different villages began to march thither ; but all did not go, nor had they the same objects in view, for the greater part only wished for the riches and destruction of the nobles, and the plunder of London. This was the principal cause of their rebellion, as they very clearly showed ; for when the gates of the Tower were thrown open, and the king, attended by his two bro- thers, the earls of Salisbury, of Warwick, of Suffolk, sir Robert dc Namur, the lords de Vertain and de Gomniegines, with several others, had passed through them, Wat Tyler, .Tack Straw and John Ball, with upward of four hundred, rushed in by force, and, running from clianiber to chamber, found the archbishop of Canterbury, whose name was Simon, t a valiant and wise man, and chancellor of Eng- land, who had but just celebrated mass before the king : he was seized by these rascals, and beheaded. The prior of St. John's suf- fered the same fate, and Ukewise a Franciscan friar, a doctor of physic, who was attached to the duke of Lancaster, out of spite to his master, and also a serjeant-at-arms of the name of John Laige.t They fixed these four heads on long pikes, and had them carried before them through the streets of London : when they had suffi- ciently played with them, they placed them on London Bridge, as if they had been traitors to their king and country. These scoundrels entered the apartment of the princess, and cut her bed, which so much terrified her that she fainted, and in this condition was by her servants and ladies carried to the river-side, when she was put into a covered boat, and conveyed to the house called The Wardrobe, § where she continued that day and night like to a woman half dead, until she was comforted by the king her son, as you shall presently hear. CHAPTER LXXVL THE NOBLES OF ENGLAND ARE IN GREAT DANGER OF BEING DESTROYED. THREE OF THE PRINCirAL LEADERS OF THE REBELS ARE PUNISHED, AND THE REST SENT BACK TO THEIR HOMES. When the king was on his way to the place called Mile-end, without London, his two brothers, the earl of Kent and sir John Holland, stole off and galloped from his company, as did also the lord de Gomniegines, not daring to show themselves to the populace at Mile-end for fear of their lives. |1 * "Twelve slierifts." — Froissarl is mistaken, as there are only two sheriffs and twenty- lix iildernien, including the mayor. Tlie aldermen were originally chosen for one year; hut, in 1354, "it was ordained that they should not be removed without some special cause."— Stowe's Histury of Xjondon, t " Simon de Sudbury."— His name was Tibold ; but he took tlie name de Sudbury from the place of his birth. t "Laice"— Leg.— HoLLlNOsHED. § The King's Wardrobe was at this time in Carter -lane, Barnard's Castle-ward. For further particulars, see Stowe's History of London. I! -Lord Berners, who in this agrees with D. Sauvage. says the king sent them away— t" put them out of his company.") I do not understand why Mr. Johnes has repre- Jented them as running away privily.- Ed, On the king's arrival, attended by the barons, he found upward of sixty thousand men assembled from different villages and counties of England : he instantly advanced into the midst of them, saying in a pleasant manner, " My good people, I am your king and your lord : what is it you want ? and what do you wish to say to me ?" Those who heard him answered, " We wish thou wouldst make us- free for ever, us, our heirs and our lands, and that we should no longer be called slaves, nor held in bondage." The king replied, " I grant your wish : now, therefore, return to yonr homes and the places whence you came, leaving two or three men from each vil- lage, to whom I will order letters to be given sealed with my seal, which they shall carry back with every demand you have made fully granted : and, in order that you may be the more satisfied, I will direct that my banners shall be sent to every stewardship, casdewick and corporation." These words greatly pleased the novices and well-meaning ones who were there, and knew not what they wanted, saying, "It is well said : we do not wish for more." The people were thus quieted, and began to return toward London. The king added a few words, which pleased them much: "You, my good people of Kent, shall have one of my banners ; and you also of Essex, Sussex, Bedford, Suffolk, Cambridge, Stafford, and Lincoln, shall each of you have one ; and I pardon you all for what you have hitherto done ; but you must follow my banners, and now return home on the terms I have mentioned." They unanimously replied they would. Thus did this great assembly break up, and set out for London. The king instantly employed upward of thirty secretaries, who drew up the letters as fast as they could ; and, having sealed and delivered them to these people, they departed, and returned to their own counties. The principal mischief remained behind : I mean Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, and John Ball, who declared, that though the people were satisfied, they would not thus depart ; and they had more than thirty thousand who were of their mind. They continued in th.e city, without any wish to have their letters, or the king's seal ; but did all they could to throw the town into such confusion that the lords and rich citizens might be murdered, and their houses pillaged and de- stroyed. The Londoners suspected this, and kept themselves at home, with their friends and servants, well armed and prepared, every one according to his abilities. When the people had been appeased at Mile-end Green, and were setting off for their different towns as speedily as they could receive the king's letters, king Richard went to the Wardrobe, where the princess was in the greatest fear : he comforted her, as he was very able to do, and passed there the night. I must relate an adventure which happened to these clowns near Norwich, and to their leader, called William Lister, who was from the county of Stafford. On the same day, these wicked people burnt the palace of the Savoy, the church and house of St. John, the hos- pital of the Templars, pulled down the prison of Newgate, and set at liberty all the prisoners. There were collected numerous bodies from Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, who proceeded on their march toward London, according to the orders they had received, under the direction of Lister. In their road they stopped near Norwich, and forced every one to join them, so that none of the commonalty remained behind. The reason why they stopped near Norwich was, that the governor of the town was a knight called sir Robett Salle : he was not by birth a gentleman, but, having acquired great renown for his ability and courage, king Edward had created him a knight : he was the hand, soniest and strongest man in England. Lister and his companions took it into their heads they would make this knight their commander, and carry him with them, in order to be the more feared. They sent orders to him to come out into the fields to speak with them, or they would attack and burn the city. The knight, considering it was much better lor him logo to them than that they should commit such outrages, mounted his horse, and went out of the town alone, to hear what they had to say. When they perceived him coming, they showed him every mark of respect, and courteously entreated hiiK to dismount and talk with them. He did dismount, and committed a great folly : for, when he had so done, having surrounded him, they at first conversed in a friendly way, saying, " Robert, you are* a knight, and a man of great weight in this country, rcno« ned for your valor : yet, notwithstanding all t^is, w'e know who you are : you arc not a gentleman, but the son q^v a poor mason, just such as ourselves. Do you come with us, as our commander, and we will make so great a lord of you that one quarter of England shall be under your command." The knight, on hearing them thus speak, was exceedingly angry; he would never have consented to such a proposal ; and, eyeing them with inflamed looks, answered, " Begone, wicked scoundrels and false traitors as you are : would you have me desert my natural lord for such a company of knaves as you ? would you have me dis. honor myself ? I would much rather you were all hanged, for that must be your end." On saying this, he attempted to mount his horse ; but, his foot slipping from the stirrup, his horse took fright. They then shouted out, and cried, " Put him to death." When he heard this, he let hrs horse go ; and, drawing a handsome Bordcau.v sword, he began to skirmish, and soon cleared the crowd from about him, that it was a pleasure to see. Some attempted to close with CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN. &( 287 him ; but with each stroke he gave, he cut off heads, arms, feet, or legs. There were none so bold but were afraid ; and sir Robert performed that day marvellous feat.; of arms. These wretches were upward of forty thousand ; they shot and flung at him such things, that had he been clotlied in steel instead of being unarmed, he must have been overpowered : however, he killed twelve of them, besides many whom he wounded. At last, he was overthrown, when they cut ofl' his legs and arms, and rent his body in piecemeal. Thus ended sir Robert Salle, which was a great pity ; and, when the knights and squires in England heard of it, they were much enraged. Death op Wat Tyiir.— From a MS. of the Fifteenth Century. this sign, then step forward, and kill every one except tlie king ; but hurt him not, for he is young, and we can do what we please with him ; for, by carrying him with us through England, we sliall be lords of it without any opposition." There was a doublet-maker of London, called .lohn Tide, who had brought si.xty doublets, with which some of the clowns had dressed themselves ; and on his ask- ing who was to pay, for he must have for them thirty good marks, Tyler replied, " Make thyself easy man ; thou shall be well paid this day: look to me for it: thou hast sufficient security for them." On saying this, he spurred the h»r8e on w hich he rode, and, leaving his men, galloped up to the king, and came so near that his horse's head touch- ed the crupper of that of the king. The first words he said, when he addressed the king, were, " King, dost thou see all those men there ?" " Yes," replied the king : " why dost thou ask?" "Because they are all under my command, and have sworn by their faith and loyalty to do vv'hatever I shall order. " Very well," said the king : " I have no objec- tions to it." Tyler, who was only desirous of a riot, answered, "And thinkest thou, king,that those people and as many more who are in the city, also under my command, ought to depart without having had thy let- ters ? Oh no, we will carry them with us." " Why," replied the king, "so it baa been ordered, and they will be delivered out one after the other: but, friend, return to thy companions, and tell them to depart from London : be peace, able and careful of your- On the Saturday niorni.ng, the king left the Wardrobe, and went to Westminster, where he and all the lords heard mass in the abbey. In this church, there is a statue of our Lady in a small chapel, that has many virtues and performs great miracles, in which the kings of England have much faith. The king, having paid his devotions and made his offerings to this shrine, mounted his horse about nine o'clock, as did the barons who were with him. They rode along the causeway to return to London ; but, when they had gone a little way, he turned to a rood on the left to go from London, t This day, all the rabble were again assembled, under the conduct of Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, and John Ball, to parley at a place called Smithfield, where, every Friday, the horse-market is kept. They amounted to upward of twenty thou.^and, all of the same sort. Many more were in the city, breakfasting and diinking Rhenish, Malm- sey and Madeira wines, iu taverns and at the houses of the Lom- bards, without paying for pnything ; and happy was he who could give them good cheer. Those who were collected in Smithfield had king's banners, which had been given to them the preceding even- ing ; and these reprobates wanted to pilb.gc the city the same day, their leaders saying, " that hitherto they liad done nothini;-. The pardons which the king has granted will not be of much use to us : but, if we be of the same mind, we shall pilbge this large, rich, and powerful tow-n of London, before those from Essc'.\, Suffolk, Cam- bridge, Bedford, Warwick, Re:iding, Lancashire, Arundel, Guilford, Coventry, Lynne, Linroln, York, and Durham shall arrive ; for they are on the road, and we know for certain that Vaquier* and Lifter -ivill conduct them hither. If we now plunder the city of the wealth that is in it, we shall have been beforehand, and shall not repent of so doing ; but, if we wait for their arrival, they will wrest it from us." To this opinion all had agreed, when the king appeared in sight, attended by sixty horse. He was not thinking of them, but intended to have continued his ride without coming into London : however, wlien he came before the abbey of St. Bartholomew, which is in Smithfield, and saw the crowd of people, he stopped, and said he would not proceed until he knew v.iiat tliey wanted ; and, if they were troubled, he would appease them. The lords who accompanied him stopped also, as was but right, since the king had stopped ; when Wat Tyler, seeing the king, said to his men, " Here is the king : I will go and speak with him : do not you stir from hence until I give you a signal." He made a motion with his hand, and added, " VVhen you shall sec me make * " Valquier*'— probably Walker. selves, for it is our deter- mination that you shall all of you have your letters by villages and towns, as it had been agreed on." As the king finished speaking, Wat Tyler, casting his eyes around him, spied a squire attached to the king's person bearing his sword. Tyler mortally hated this squire ; formerly they had had words to- gether, when the squire ill-treated him. " What, art thou here ?" cried Tyler ; "give me thy dagger." " I wall not," said the squire : "why should I give it thee?" The king, turning to him, said, " Give it him, give it him ;" which he did, though much against his will. When Tyler took it, he began to play with it and turn it about in his hand, and, again addres.?ing the squire, said, " Give me that sword." " I will not," replied tlie squire ; " for it is the king's sword, and thou art not worthy to bear it, who art but a mechanic ; and, if only thou and I were together, thou wouldst not have dared to say what thou hast for as large a heap of gold as this church." " By my troth," answered Tyler, " I will not eat this day before I have thy head." At these words, the mayor of London, with about twelve more, rode forward, armed under their robes, and, pushing through the crowd, saw Tyler's manner of behaving: upon which, he .said, " Scoundrel, how dare you thus behave in the presence of the king, and utter such words ? It is too impudent for such as then." The king then began to be enraged, and said to the mayor, " Lav hands on him." While the king was giving this order, Tyler had addressed the mayor, saying, " Hey, in God's name, what I have said, does it concern thee ? what dost thou mean ?" " Truly,'" replied the mayor, who found himself supported by the king, " docs it become such a stinking rascal as thou art to use such speech in the presence of the king, thy natural lord ? I will not live a day, if thou pay not for it." Upon this, he drew a kind of cimeter* he wore, and struck Tyler such a blow on the head as felled him to his horse's feet. When he was down, he was surrounded on all sides, so that his men could not see him ; and one of the king's squires, called John Standwich,t iinmedialely leaped from his horse, and, drawing a handsome sword which he bore, thrust it into his belly, and thus killed him. His men advancing, sow their leader dead, when they cried out, " They have killed our captain : let us march to them, and slay the whole." On these words, they drew up in a sort of batde.array, each man having his bent bow before him. The king certainly * " Radflairc"—n Bhort and broad back6word, being toward the point like a Turkish cimrlpr.— CosoTlAVK. t " Staiidwiuh." Lord Beroers call* him Stnndysihe ; Stow,' Cavendish. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &, c . 288 jwzarded much by this action, but it turned out fortunate : for, when Tyler was on the ground, he left hig attendants, ordering not one to follow him. He rode up to these rebellious fellows, who were ad- vancing to revenge their leader's death, and said to them, " Gentle- men what are you about ? you shall have no other captain but me : I am your king : remain peaceable." When the greater part of them heard these words, they were quite ashamed, and those in- clined to peace began to slip away." The riotous ones kept their ground, and showed symptoms of mischief, and as if they were resolved to do something. The king returned to his lords, and asked them what should next be done. He was advised to make for the fields ; for the mayor said, " that to retreat or fly would be of no avail. It is proper we should act thus, for I reckon that we shall very soon receive assist. ance from London, that is, from our good friends who are prepared and armed, with all their servants in their houses." While things remained in this state, several ran to London, and cried out, " They are killing the king I they are killing the king and our mayor." Upon this alarm, every man of the king's party sallied out toward Smithfield, and to the fields whither the king had retreated ; and there were instantly collected from seven to eight thousand men in arms. Among the first, cnme sir Robert KnoUcs and sir Pcrducas d'Al- breth, well attended ;* and several of the aldermen, with upward of six hundred men-at-arms, and a powerful man of the city called Nicholas Bramber, the kiKg's draper, bringing with him a large force, who, as they came up, ranged themselves in order, on foot, on each side of him. The rebels were drawn up opposite them : they had the king's banners, and showed as if they intended to maintain their ground by offering combat. The king created three knights ; sir William Walworth, mayor of London, sir John Standwich, and air Nicholas Bramber. The lords began to converse among them, selves, saying, " What shall we do ? We see our enemies, who ■wotdd willingly have nmrdered us if they had gained the upper hand." Sir Robert Knolles advised immediately to fall on them, and slay them ; but the king would not consent, saying, " I will not have you act thus : you shall go and demand from them my banners : we shall see how they will behave when you make this demand ; for I will have them by fair or foul means." " It is a good thought," replied the earl of Salisbury. The new knights were therefore sent, who, on approaching, made signs for them not to shoot, as they wished to speak with them. When they had come near enough to be heard, they said, " Now attend : the king orders you to send back his banners, and we hope he will have mercy on you." The banners were directly given up, and brought to the king. It was then ordered, under pain of death, that all those who had obtained the king's letters should deliver them up. Some did so ; but not all. The king, on receiving them, had them torn in their presence. You must know, that from the instant when the king's banners were surrendered, these fellows kept no order; but the greater part, throwing their bows to the ground, took to their heels and returned to London. Sir Robert Knolles was in a violent rage that they were not at. tacked, and the whole of them slain ; but the king would not con. sent to it, saying, he would have ample revenge on them, which in truth he afterwards had. Thus did these people disperse, and run away on all sides. The king, the lords, and the army returned in good array to London, to their great joy. The king immediately took the road to the Ward- robe, to visit the princess his mother, who had remained there two days and two nights under the greatest fears, as indeed she had cause. On seeing the king her son, she was mightily rejoiced, and said, " Ha, ha, fair son, what pain and anguish have I not suffered for you this day !" " Certainly, madam," leplied the king, " I am well assured of that ; but now rejoice and thank God, for it behooves US to praise him, as I have this day regained my inheritance, and the kingdom of England, which I had lost." The king remained the whole day with his mother. The lords retired to their own houses. A proclamation was made through all the streets, that every person who was not an inhabitant of London, and who had not resided there for a whole year, should instantly depart ; for that, if there were any found of a contrary description on Sunday morning at sunrise, they would be arrested as traitors to the king, and have their heads cut ofl'. After this proclamation had been heard, no one dared to infringe it ; but all departed instantly to their former homes, quite discomfited. John Ball and Jack Straw were found hidden in an old ruin, thinking to steal away ; but this they could not do, for they were betrayed by their own men. The king and the lords were well pleased with their seizure : their heads were cut off, as was that of Tyler, and fixed on London bridge, in the place of those gallant men whom they beheaded on the Thurs- day.* The news of tliis was sent through the neighboring countios, that those might hear of it who were on their way to London, ac. cording to the orders these rebels had sent tlicm : upon which they instantly returned to their homes, without daring to advance farther. CHAPTER LXXVII. A TRUCE BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND SCOTS. THE DUKE OF LANCASTER EEMAINS IN SCOTLAND DtntINO THE KEDELLION IN ENGLAND. We will now speak of the truce which the duke of Lancaster, who had remained on the borders of Scotland during the time of this re- bellion in England, was negotiating with the earl of Douglas and other barons on the part of Scotland. The Scots were as well in. formed as the duke of the situation of England, though he did not take any notice of it to them, but went on with the treaty as if Eng. land were in perfect peace. The business was so ably conducted by the commissioners on each side that a truce was made, for three years, between the two kingdoms. When this treaty was concluded, the lords of the two countries visited each other with much respect. The earl of Douglas said to the duke of Lancaster, " My lord, we were well infoi-med of the re. bellion of the populace in England, and what peril the kingdom was in from that event : we therefore look on you as a valiant and prudent man, for having so frankly continued your negotiations without ever taking the least notice of it ; and we offer you, should you think them necessary, five or sLx hundred spears, which you will find ready and at your service." " By my faith," replied the duke, "fair gentlemen, I thank you much for your gallant ofi'er, which I do not refuse ; but I imagine his majesty must have been so advised that all will turn out well. However, I wish to have passports from you, for myself and people, to go to your country, and reside there, should there be occasion, until all these troubles be appeased." The earls of Douglas and Moray, who had full powers from the king, imme- diately complied with his request. They then took their leave, and each party separated : the Scots returned to Edinburgh, and the duke, with his attendants, to Berwick, thinking to enter the town, where he had left all hig baggage ; but sir Matthew Redmayne, the gov- ernor, refused him entrance, and closed the gates against him. He told him he acted by orders from the earl of Northumberland, at that time lord warden of tlie county of Northumberland and of all those parts, who had forbidden him to open the gates, and that he could do no otheiTvise. The duke was much ve.i[ed on heating these words, and thus an- swered, " How, Matthew Redmayne, is there any one in Northum- berland greater than I ? Who has thus denied my entrance where I have left my baggage ? from whence come such orders ?" '* By my faith, my lord, my orders are from the king, and what I do is very much against my will; but do it I must ; and I entreat of you, for God's sake, to excuse me, for I am strictly enjoined, on my honor and life, not to suffer you, or any of your people, to enter this town.'* You may suppose the duke of Lancaster was much astonished and enraged at these orders ; not so much with the knight, but with those who had given them ; for when he had been laboring for the good of England, they were so suspicious of him that they had refused him admittance iiito the first town of England, on his return from Scotland. He supposed that great fault had been found with him: however, he did not open his thoughts or intentions further, and nO' longer pressed the knight. He saw no success could come from it, for the knight would never have acted as he had done if he bad not had express commands : he therefore changed the subject of conver- sation, and asked sir Matthew if he had heard any news from Eng- land. Ho answered, "None, except that the country was in confusion, and that the king had written to the principal towns, barons and knights of this country to be ready to come to him the moment he should send for them, strictly forbidding, under pain of losing their heads, all governors and captains of towns and castles in Northum- berland to suffer any one whatever to enter their places ; and be assured they will punctually obey. But, with regard to the connnon people who are in rebellion about London, I know nothing I can depend on to relate to you, except that the officers in Suffolk, Lin- coln, Cambridge, Stafford, Bedford and Norfolk have sent information that the commonalty under their command are very eager affairs should turn out ill, and that there should be confusion in the Mng- * In one of my MS3. there is the ftillnwing adUition. "Sir Rol)ert de Namiir. sir Ruljert Knolles, and sir Perducas d'Albreth were very angry that these wicked penpleao easdy escaped, for they hud put the town into great alarm for three days. Sir Henry de Saiisselles, a young knight from Hainaillt who had accoinpunied sir Robert de Nantur, nskcd why some revenue wils not had lor linviitg kept the town in sm-h alarm. Sir Robert, upon this, asked him if he had been fright- ened -. * Yes. by God, « ns I, very much ; why shoul I I conceal it ? And wtiA not you V •No. by my truth, I was not; but if the king had nol been here with us, we should have lun great risk.'" * From the forenientiitned MS. " This same week was James Lister taken, who had murdered sir Robert SnIIe. He ,ind twelve others were executed witli him. Thus were those traitors punisherl. There are some who say, that John Ball and his accomplices were strictly examined before tliey were put to death, and then owned tJiul persons of the higliea rank and power had incited them to act as tJiey had done. Tlie king kept this confession secret in his own mind, and returned thanks to God for his happy issue out of this danger. Very many were astonished that the duke of Lancaster, during all this rebellion , remaiacd out of the kingdom, settling general matters on the borders of Scotland. "The king sent orders to the earl of Northiunberhind. that if the duke of Lancaster should attempt to enter any fortified town or castle, the gates should be *hnt against him. The king made the earl his lieutenant of all the borders toward Scotland. Many noblemen and otiiers were surprised at this, for it would seem as if the king su'spected the duke of being implicated with the rebels. But it was admitted, on all sido.^, that he was inculpated without any grounds ; for the firat Unng the rebels did, on entering Loo- don, was to march to the palace of the Savoy, and totally destroy and burn it. Now tins did not show that he was friendly to their cause. They also put to death several- \vho were attached to him." CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 289 dom." " And in oui- counties,'' said the duke, " of Derby and Leicester, tliere is not any commotion ?" " My lord," replied the knight, "I have not heard they have behaved so outrageously as those of Lincoln and others." The duke, having mused a little, took leave of the knight, and returned by the road he had come to Roxburgh Castle, where lie was gladly received by the governor, whom he had placed there. The duke now weighed all matters, not knowing how affairs were going on in England, nor by whom he was beloved or hated, and whether he should signify his situation to the barons of Scotland, and entreat of them to send him an escort of men-at-arms, according to the pass- port they had given. He followed this last plan, and sent to the earl of Douglas ^t Dalkeith. The earl was greatly rejoiced at receiving the duke's letter, and much feasted the messenger. He instantly informed the earl of Moray and his brother the earl of Mar, of the business, and directed that without fail they and their men should be ready and mounted within three days at Lambir-law. These lords, on receiving this intimation, summoned their people and nearest friends, and came to Lambir-law, where they found the earl of Douglas. They then rode on together, amounting, in the whole, to full five Imndred spears, to the abljey of Melrose, nine small leagues from Ro.\burgh. The barons of Scotland met the duke of Lancaster on their road, when they embraced each other, and showed every token of being glad at meeting. They continued their journey to Edinburgh in company, conversing all the way. This was the capital of the kingdom, and where usually the king resided : it has a strong castle and fair harbor; but the king was at that time absent, being in the Highlands on a hunting party. To pay greater honor to the duke of Lancaster, the earl of Douglas and the Scots barons delivered up to him the castle of Edinburgh, for which he was very thankful: and he resided there until he had received intelligence from Eng- land, which, however, was net so soon as he wished. Now see how evil-minded persons and deceivers take on them to prate without any knowledge of facts. It was commonly reported through England, during the time of the rebellion, that the duke of Lancaster had become a traitor to his lord and king, and had turned to the Scots party. But this was soon known to be contrary to the truth : however, these wicked people, in order to stir up the com- monalty, and to create confusion in the realm, had spread abroad such reports, which were acknowledged at their executions, by Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, John Ball, Walker and Lister, who had been the chief leaders of the rebels in England, and who had intended to have had five parts of the kingdom under their command. They had a particular hatred to the duke of Lancaster, as they showed on their entrance into London ; for they instantly went and burnt the fine palace of tlie Savoy, not leaving an utensil nor beam unburnt. In addition to this, they had published all over England that he had turned to the side of Scotland ; for which, in se^-eral parts, they had reversed his arms, as if he had been a traitor. This was so severely punished that those who had done such things lost their heads. We will now relate what vengeance the king of England took on his rebellious subjects during the time the duke of Lancaster was in Scotland. CHAPTER LXXVIII. KINS KICHAKD JOURNEYS THROUGH ENGLAND FROM TOWN TO TOWN, PUN- ISHING THOSE WHO HAD BEEN PRINCIPALS OR ACTIVE IS THE LATE REBELLION. THE DUKE OF LANCASTER RETURNS FROM SCOTLAND TO ENG LAND. .4fter the executions of Tyler, Jack Straw, John Ball, William Lister, Walker and several others at London, the people being ap. peased, the king resolved to visit his bailiwicks, castlewicks and stewardships, in order to punish the wicked and to recover the let- ters of pardon which had been forced from him, as well as to place the realm in its proper situation. The king issued a secret summons f'lr a certain number of men-at-arms t5 assemble at a fixed place, on a particular day, which was done. They amounted to five hundred spears and as many archers. When they were thus asseml)led, the king set out from London, attended only by his household, and took the road to Kent, for in that quarter the rebellion had first broken out. These men-at-arms followed the king, but did not accompany him. The king entered the county of Kent, and came to a village called Comprinke,* when he h.ad the mayor and all the men of the village called before him. On their being assembled in an open space, the king ordered one of his council to remonstrate with them, how much they had erred against him, and that they had nearly thrown Eng- land into desolation and ruin ; and because this mischief must have had some advisers who had encouraged them in their wickedness, and it must bo supposed that all were not equally guilty, it was bet- ter that the ringleaders should 3\ifter than the whole : his majesty demanded that those should be pointed out who had been so culpa- ble, under pain of incurring his indignation for ever, and being con- sidered as traitors. When those present heard this harangue, and saw the innocent might escape by pointing out the guilty, they looked at each other, and then said : " My lord, here is one by whom this town was first * "Comprinke." It is so in lord Beriieie. Q. if not Ospringe. See additions at the end of tills ctiapter. put into confusion and excited to rise." He was immediately seized, and hanged ; as were seven odiera. The letters patent which had been granted were demanded back : when they were given up, the king's officers tore them in pieces before their eyes, and cast them away, and then said, " We command all ye who are here assembled, in the king's nam-e, and under pain of death, to depart, every one peaceably to his own home ; and that you never rebel more against the king, nor against his ministers. By the punishment which has been inflicted, your former evil deeds are pardoned." The people cried out with one voice, " God bless the king and his good council." They acted in the same manner at Propinke,* Canterbury, Sand- wich, Germanic, t Conculle,t and in the diflerent parts of England where the people had rebelled ; so that upward of fifteen hundred were beheaded or hanged. The king was advised to send for his uncle the duke of Lancaster, then in Scotland, as everything was now quieted. He sent thither a knight of his household, called sir Nicholas Carnefelle. The knight set off, and continued his journey until he eame to Edinburgh, where he found the duke and his attendants, who were very happy to see him, and entertained him handsomely. He delivered his credential letters from the king ; and the duke made preparations to obey them, as was right, for he was very desirous to return to England and to his estates. On setting out for Roxburgh, he took his leave of the barons of Scotland, and thanked them for the honor and com. fort they had given him, by maintaining him in their country the time he had wished to stay there. The carls of Douglas and Moray, with all the Scottish knights, escorted him as far as the abbey of Melrose, but did not cross the Tweed. The duke went to Roxburgh, from thence to Newcastle on Tyne, then toDurhamand York ; and, in all the towns and cities through which he passed, the inhabitants were drawn up to receive him. -\t this period a gallant knight of England departed this life, sir Guiscard d'Angle, earl of Huntingdon and tutor to the king. He was buried with great pomp in the church of the Augustin friara. His funeral was attended by the king, the princess his mother, his two brothers, and by great immbers of prelates, barons and ladies of England. In truth, the gallant knight was very deserving of it, for he possessed all the virtues which a knight at that time ought to have : he was gay, loyal, gallant, prudent, secret, generous, bold, determined and enterprising. Thus died sir Guiscard d'Angle. ADDITIONS, FROM A MS. IN THE IIAFORD LIBRARY. When these first examples had been made on the leaders of the rebellion in London, St. Alban's, Norwich, Suffolk and Gloucester, the king determined to visit the whole of his kingdom, which he had not done since his coronation. His officers of justice had collected a body of evidence respecting the late rebellion from the confessions of those who had been beheaded. The king, when he set out, took the road toward Canterbury, under a pretext of a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Thomas of Becket : he was attended by the earls of Sahsbury, Suffolk and Devonshire, and travelled in grand array. He remained two days at Rochester; for Sir John Newtoun, whom these wicked people had forced to be their captain, had, by the king's command, made exact researches after the first instigators of this mischief. He had found out some of the most culpable, who, without form of law, had their heads cut off and placed on the gates and bridge, and their quarters hung on the gibbet. The king de. parted from Rochester and came to Ospringe, where four were executed. He came thence to Canterbury ; but why should I make a long story of it ? There were put to death, in the diflerent towns and bailiwicks, upward of five hundred rebels; for they were eager in accusing each other. During this progress of the king, which he continued far into his realm, several of the great barons, such as the earls of Warwick and Kent, sir John Holland, sir John Beauchamp, spoke to the king and to the earl of Salisbury, in favor of the duke of Lancaster ; as did also the Londoners. The king readily consented that two knights should be sent to the duke, for him to return into England and to his presence ; for that he would not listen to any complaints against him or his otV.er uncles. The earl of Northumberland was com- manded to go himself in search of him. : The two knights journeyed on until they arrived at Newcastle on ' Tyne, where they found the earl of Northumberland. He had been informed of their coming, and received them handsomely. They produced their letters, when he took from the packet what was ad- dressed to him ; and, having read it through, was much pleased with the commission to seek the duke of Lancaster; for he had heard the duke was very angry with him. He therefore wrote letters of ex. cuse ; and, when these two barons met, peace was made between them. They returned together to England, and found the king arrived at his manor of Eltham, a few miles from London. At this time also, the eari of Buckingham came back from Wales, and went to Pleshy, where he resided as formerly. The king and his uncles dissembled their sentiments of each other for some tiine ; but at last it broke out. as you will hear in the continuance of this history. • Q. If not Rochester. t "Gennaoie." Q. J " Concull«." a. 390 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAN D, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. CHAPTER LXXIX. TE£ DUKE OF LANCASTER CONCEIVES ANSER AGAINST THE EARL OF HOKTH- CMBERLAND, FOR THE REFUSAL OF ADMITTANCE INTO BERWICK;. When the duke of Lancaster was returned from Scotland, and had explained to the council the truce he had negotiated betw-een the two kingdoms, he did not forget to mention how sir Matlhew Redmayne, governor of Berwick (though he blamed not tliat knight, Iiad shut the gates of Berwick against him, by orders from the ear of Northumberland. It was such an act, he said, as he never could forgive ; and thus spoke of it, v.-ith the intent to see if the king his nephew would own it. This the king did, but it seemed to the duke as if it were faintly. The duke was appeased for that time ; but he waited for the feast of our lady at mid-August, when the king was to hold a solemn court at Westminster. There were at tins court o-reat numbers of the nobles and barons of England ; the earls of Northumberland and Nottingham, with many barons from the north. The king created, this day, the young earl of Pembroke, sir Kobert Mowbray, sir Nicholas Twiford and sir Adam Fian9ois, knights. He did so because he intended, after the feast, to march toward Read- ins, Oxford, and through those parts of the country, to punish the rebels in the same manner as he had done in Kent and the other counties. Durin" this feast, and after the dinner, high words passed between the duke°of Lancaster and the earl of Northumberland. Ihe duke said " Harry Percy, I did not think you was so great a man iin EnJaiid, that vou would dare to order any cities, towns or eastles, to be shut against the duke of Lancaster." The earl respectfuUy answered, " My lord, I do not deny the knight's act at Berwick : but I was ordered by strict commands of my lord the king, who sits there, on my honor and under pain of death, not to suffer any one, lord or otherwise, to enter the cities, towns or castles of Northum- berland, if he were not an inhabitant of those places ; and the king, if he please, or the lords of his council, may make my excuses : tor they well knew you were in Scotland, and you ought to have been excepted out of these orders." ■' How, carl of Northumberland," replied the duke, " do you think it was necessary there should have been a reservation in regard to me ? who am uncle to the king, and who have my inheritance to guard, which, next to the king's, is the greatest, and who for the good of the realm have made this journey into Scotland ? Your answer does not excuse you from having much wronged my honor, in thus giving credit to the reports in circulation that I wished to commit treason with tlie Scots, by shutting against me the king my lord's towns, and in particular that in which my provision and stores were. For which reasons I tell you, you have ill behaved ; and for the blame you have thus east on me, and to clear myself in the pres- ence of my lord the king, I throw down my glove : take it up if you dare." Upon this, the king stepped forth and said, " Fair uncle of Lancaster, whatever has been done I avow as my orders. Take up your glove, and recal your words. I must excuse the earl of North- umberland ; for strictly, and on his life, did we order him to keep every town close shut that was on tlie borders of Scotland : and know, that our kingdom was in such confusion and peril, when you were in those parts, that it could not support itself. It must, there- fore, have been through the fault of the secretary, or the neglect of our council ; for, in truth, you ought to have been excepted. I there- fore beg of you, and will, that you lay aside your ill-humor : I take all on myself, and clear the earl of Northumberland." The earls of Arundel, Salisbury, Suffolk, Stafford and Devonshire, cast themselves on iheir knees to the duke, and said, " My lord, you hear how amicably the king speaks to you : you ought to eon- descend to what he requests." The duke, who was much inflamed, said, •' I will not say more about it." He was silent a short space, when, raising the barons, and thanking them, he said : " Fair gen- tlemen, there is not one of you, if such an affront had happened to him, who would not have been as much angered as I am ; but since the king wishes otherwise, it is but right that I should comply." Peace was made between the duke of Lancaster and the earl of Northumberland by means of the king and the barons, who inter- ceded for it. On the second day, the king began to journey, as before mentioned,, attended by five hundred spears, and as many archers, through different counties, where he executed justice on the ill-intentioned and on those who had rebelled against him. We will now leave the king of England, and speak of his uncle, the earl of Cambridge, and of his voyage to Portugal. CHAPTER LXXX. THE EARL OF CAMBRIDGE AND HIS AKMT ARRIVE AT LISBON. You have before heard how the earl of Cambridge, with five hundred men-at-arms and as many archers, were lying in the harbor of Plymouth, waiting for a wind to carry them to Portugal. At last, a favorable wind came, when they heaved their anchors, and the whole fleet made sail as straight as they could for Lisbon. They coasted, the first two days, the shores of England : on the third, they entered the Spanish main, when they had a very severe gale ; especially those vessels in which the Gascons were, such as sir John de Chateauneuf, the souldich de I'Estrade, the lord de la Barde, with about forty men-at-arms, knights and squires, who were driven out of sight of the English fleet. The eari of Cambridge, sir William Beauchamp, marahal of the army, .sir Matthew Gournay, constable, and the canon de Robesart, witli others, escaped through good fortune, the had effects of the storm, and, sailing by the stars, arrived in the harbor of Lisbon. News of this was instantly earned to the king, who was daily ex- pccting the English : he immediately sent his knights and ministere to welcome them, by whom they were most respectfully received, and the earl of Cambridge, with the English and foreign knights, conducted to the king. The king advanced out of his palace to meet the carl, and received them all most honorably, one after tne other : he led them to the palace, where wine and spices were set before them. John of Cambridge, the earl's son, was with him, which much pleased the king, who said, " He is my son, and shall have my daughter." This was very proper, for they were of the same age. The children were much pleased, and conversed with each other arm in arm. While the king of Portugal and his knigKts paid every attention to the earl and his companions, and lodged them in the town, the others, on disembarking, were also well-quartered ; for the city of Lisbon is large, handsomely built, and wcU-fumished with every- thing : the stewards of the household of the king had also been careful to provide it with all things necessary against the arrival of the English. They found it, therefore, amply stored ; and the lords were comfortable and in high, spirits, though at times they were very uneasy about the lord de Chateauneuf, the souldich de I'Estrade and the lord de la Barde, and their men, whom ihey looked upon as lost, or that the tempest had driven them among the Moors in the king- doms of Granada or Benmarine : if it should have so happened, they might as well have perished at sea. All this gave them great concern, and they bitterly lamented them. In truth, they were to be pitied ; for they suffered so much in the tempest none ever endured the like and survived it. They were driven through the straits of the Moors, near to the kingdoms of Benmarine and Treme^en, and were in great danger of being taken by the Saracens ; so that they considered themselves as dead men, never expecting to land nor to get into any safe harbor, and they were forty days in this extreme peril. At last, they had a wind which drove them back again into the Spanish main, whether they would or not. When the wind became calm, they anchored, and, by good fortune, fell in with two large ships, going, as the crews said, to Lisbon, from Flanders, laden with merchandise and wines. These knights tacked about, and, having hoisted their pennons, followed the Lisbon ships, who having only merchants on board, were not perfectly easy on seeing this armed vessel approach, w>h the banners of St. George displayed in various parts of it. However, when they came nearer, finding who they were, they rejoiced to see them. These merchants put the knights once more in great peril, and I will tell you how. The knights inquired if they could give them any intelligence ; and they, in answer, said, that the king of Portugal and the English were in Spain, and had besieged the king of Ca^tille. They were delighted with this news, and declared they would go thither, as they were now near the shores of Seville. They then left the wine-mer- chants, and ordered their mariners to make sail for Seville, as their friends were there at the siege. They answered, " In God's name, will we obey you ;" and, having steered for Seville, came veiy near the harbor. The sailors, who were prudent and wished not to run their masters into any danger, ordered a boy to climb the mast, and see if there wm any appearance of a siege, either by land or water, before Seville. The boy, who had a good sight, answered he saw nothing like it. The sailors then, addressing their lords, said, "Lis. ten, fair gentlemen : you have had false information, for certainly there is not any siege before Seville, either by land or water : had there been any appearance of it the harbor would have shown it. We have no occasion to go thither, unless we wish to be made pris- oners ; for the king of Castille is surely there, as it is a city in which he delights to dwell preferably to any other." The sailors were with difficulty believed : however, they were so at last, when, quit- ting the coast of Seville, they entered the sea of Portugal, and arrived in the port of Lisbon precisely at the very hour when their obsequies were performing in the church of St. Catherine at Lisbon. The barons and knights were all clothed in black, for they con- sidered them as having perished at sea. You may suppose the joy was great when they learned their safe arrival, and that they had escaped shipwreck. They enjoyed themselves much together, and the Gascon knights soon forgot their misfortunes. We will leave the affairs of Portugal, as no deeds of arms were done, and return to Flanders, and say what happened there at this period. CHAPTER LXXXI. THE EARL OF FLANDERS AGAIN LAYS SIEGE TO GHENT. While the affairs you have heard were passing in England, there _..._ _^ ._.^ o— -7 ^^23 no intennissjon in the wars which the earl of Flandera v/aa insomuch that the fleet was in great danger from the tempest, more' carrying on against Ghent, and which those citizens waged agaiuat CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . 591 him. You know tliat Philip von Artaveld was chosen commander in Ghent, through the recommendation of Peter dn Bois, who advised him, when in office, to become cruel and wicked to be the more feared. Philip did not forget this doctrine, for he had not long been governor of Ghent before he had twelve persons beheaded in his presence : some said, they were those who had been principally concerned in the murder of his father, and thus he revenged himself on them. Philip von Artaveld began his reign with great power, and made himself beloved and feared by many, more especially by those who followed the profession of arms: for, to gain their favor, he refused them nothing ; everything was abandoned to them. I may be asked how the Ghent men were able to carry on this war ; and I will answer to the best of my ability, according to the information I received. They were firmly united among themselves, and main- tained the poor, each according to his means : thus, by being so firmly united, they were of great force : besides, Ghent, taken all together, is one of the strongest towns in the world, provided Bra- bant, Zealand, and Holland, be not against it ; but, in case the.=ie countries were leagued with Flanders, they would be shut up, sur. rounded and starved. These three countries, however, were never their enemies ; so that their warfare with the earl of Flanders was more strenuously carried on, and longer continued. At the com. mencement of Philip von Artaveld's government, the deacon of the weavei-s was accused of treason. He was aiTested and committed to prison. In order to know the truth of the accusation, liis house was searched, wherein was found some saltpetre in powder.* The deacon was beheaded, and dragged through the town by the shoul- ders, for a traitor, and to serve as an example to others. The earl of Flanders resolved to lay siege again to Ghent : he therefore issued his summons to a number of knights and squires, and to the inhabitants of the principal towns. He sent to Mechlin, irom whence he had many men. He wrote to his cousins, sir Robert, and sir William de Namur, at that time count d'Artois, the countess, his mother, being lately dead, who brought a number of knights from Artois. In this summons, the lord de Dampierre was not forgotten: he came to offer his services, with as many as he could collect, and was handsomely attended by knights and squires from Hainault. The earl advanced to invest Ghent, on the side toward Bruges and Hainault. During the time it lasted, there were many skirmishes; and the Ghent men made frequent sallies in search of adventures, in which sometimes they were repulsed, at others they conquered. But the person who gained the greatest renown was the young lord d'-\nghien : all the young knights desirous of glory cheerfully follov.-ed his banners. The lord d'-4nghien marched with full four thousand men, well mounted, without counting those on foot, to besiege Grammont, which was attached to Ghent; he had before harassed them much, but could not win it. This time, however, he came in greater force, and, on a Sunday, had it stormed at upward of forty places : he did not spare himself, but was one of the most active, and the first who placed his banner on the walls. This attack was so sharp and well fought that, about four in the afternoon, the town was taken, and the troops of the lord d'Anghien entered it through the gates, which had been destroyed. When the inhabitants saw their town was lost without hope of recovery, all that could escape did so through those gates where there were no enemies ; but few were so fortunate. The slaughter was very great of men, women and chil- dren, for to none was shown mercy. There were upward of five hundred of the inhabitants killed, and numbers of old people and women burnt in their beds, which was much to be lamented. The town was set on fire at more than two hundred places, which reduced the whole to ashes, churches and all : nothing remained entire. Thus did Grammont suffer, by fire and flame ; and the lord d'Anghien, after this exploit, returned to the army before Ghent. The earl of Flanders was much pleased when he heard it, and said, " Fair son, you are a valiant man, and, if it please God, will be a gallant knight, for you have made a handsome commencement." During this destruction of Grammont, which happened on a Sunday in the month of June, the siege of Ghent still continued. The lord d'Anghien, wdiose name was Walter, was there, but never rested long in his quarters : he was every day out in search of adventures, at times well accompanied, at others so thinly that he was imable to prosecute his plans. Some adventures, however, daily befel him or the Haze of Flanders. One Thursday morning the lord d'Anghien left his quarters, in company with the lord de Montigny, sir Michael de la Hameide his cousin, his brother the bastard d'.\nghien, Julien de Toisson, Hutin Donay, and several more of his household, in order to skirmish before Ghent as they had formerly done : they this time advanced so far iliat they suffered for it, for those of Ghent had placed in ambuscade more than two hundred men beyond the walls of the * I^ord Berncrs, who agrees with D. Sauvage, here adds, ''wherewith kc had done TW he/p to the town atsiese nor otkerwise of alt the hole tirar pas3sil.'^ This explains his crime, fur the mere possession of saltpetre could not be treason. It is probable tjiat ibi^ pouid^ of saltpetre, as Lord Bemers has it. (not saltpetre in poteJcr) v/aa sun- powder, which the cunning daicon had concealed to make die greater urofit when the supply of that scarce comniodily should run short.— En. town. They were armed with long pikes. Some said, this ambus- cade was formed of the greater part of those who had fled from Grammont, in the hope o( surrounding and making prisoner the lord d'Anghien, in revenge for the mischief he had done them. They knew him to be young, courageous and apt to venture himself toolishly, which gave them hopes of the success they had. It was unfortunate for him, as well as for those who accompanied him. The lord d'Anghien and his company were quite off' their guard, when they found themselves surrounded by the Ghent men, who advanced boldly up, crying out, " Surrender, or yon are all dead men:" the lord d'Anghien, perceiving his situation, asked advice from the lord de Montigny, who was beside him ; he replied, " Sir, it is too late : let us defend ourselves, and sell our lives as dearly as we can : there is nothing else to do, and we have not a moment for delay." The knights then made the sign of the cross, and recommending themselves to God and St. George, dashed among their enemies ; for they could noways retreat, being in the midst of their ambuscade. They behaved very gallantly, and did everything that could be done in arms ; but they were out-numbered by their opponents, who, having long pikes, gave such strokes as were but too mortal, as the event showed. The lord d'Anghien was slain ; as were the bastard d'.A.nghien his brother, and Julien de Toisson by his side. Other valiant knights from Hainault, such as the lords de Montigny and de St. Christopher, suffered similar fates. Sir Michael de la Ha- meide was severely wounded, and would certainly have lost his life, if Hutin Dbnay had not saved him by dint of arms and prudence : he had great difficulty in doing it. While the Flemings were employed in pillaging and disarming these knights, to convey them into Ghent, where it was known they had slain the lord d'Anghien, which gave them great joy, Hutin Donay, seeing no hopes of succor, carried sir Michael de la Ha- meide out of the crowd and danger. Such was the end of this unfortunate day to the lord d'Anghien. You may well suppose the earl of Flanders was much grieved at it : indeed, he show^ed it plainly ; for, out of his affection to him, he raised the siege of Ghent. The earl could not forget him, but regretted his loss ; saying, " Ah, Walter, Walter, my fair son, how unfortunate hast thou been, to be thus cut oft" in thy youth. I wish every one to know, that the Ghent men shall never have peace with me until I have greatly revenged myself." Things remained in this situation, when he sent to demand the body of the lord d'Anghien, which they had carried into Ghent to please the town ; but they refused to deliver it up until they should be paid a thousand francs in hard cash. They divided this booty between them, when the body was conveyed to the army, and from thence to Anghien, of which town he was the lord. CHAPTER LXXXII. THE EARL OF FLANDERS RAISES THE SIEGE OF GHENT. TWO RICH CITI- ZENS, DESIROUS OF NEGOTIATI.\'G A PEACE BETWEEN THE EARL AND THE TOWN, ARE PUT TO DEATH BY PETER DU BOIS AND PHILIP VON ARTAVELD. Out of affection to the lord d'Anghien, the siege of Ghent was raised, and the earl returned to Bruges. He then dismissed his army, ordering it to the different garrisons in Flanders, and to the castles of Gavre, Oudenarde, Dendremonde, Courtray, and every place near to Ghent. The earl requested the Liegcois not to con- tinue sending stores and provision to Ghent as they had done. The men of Liege returned a haughty answer to the messengers, saying they would consult wdth those of St. Tron, Huy, and Dinant, how to act. The earl sent to his cousins the duke of Brabant and duke Albert, and to the bailiffs of Hainault, Holland, and Zealand, special embassadors, chosen from among his principal counsellors, to remon- strate with them touching the conduct of the town of Ghent, which still continued in its rebellion, chiefly owing to the provision and stores which it received from their countries, and to request that a stop might be put to it. These two lords would have been very sony to do anything which might displease the earl : they excused themselves hand- somely, saying, that until that moment they were ignorant of it, but that henceforward they would issue such orders that it should be discontinued. This answer was agreeable to the earl of Flanders. Duke Albert, who at that time resided in Holland, wrote to his bai- liff' in Hainault, sir Simon de Lalain, inclosing him a copy of the letter from the earl of Flanders, adding his positive commands against any provision or stores being furnished Ghent from Hainault, or any other thing to be done which might displease his cousin the carl, under pain of his highest displeasure. The bailiff' issued a proclamation through Hainault, forbidding any provisions to be car- ried to Ghent. A similar proclamation was made in Brabant : so that none dared to go to Ghent but privately, which much surprised the inhabitants ; for provision began to be very scarce, and there would have been a famine, if the Hollanders had not assisted them : an act of friendship which they would not be restrained from doing by any injunctions that duke Albert could lay on them. About this period, through the means of the counsels of Brabant, Hainault, and Liege, there was a great assembly appointed to "be 392 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE. SPAIN, &< the men of Ghent sent hnlden at Hailebecque, near Gourtray : , , , . i tMthe" tweWe of their principal inhabitants, who had in general shown themselves desirous of peaee, whatever it might eost them ?rom"he populace that sought only confusion All the magistrates ofThe chief towns in Flanders were at Harlebecque, even the earl himself; and there were some also from Liege, Hamault, and Bra- bant Matters were so ably conducted, that the deputies from Ghent returned home with propositions for a peace. It happened that those inhabitants who wished for an end of the war, namely, tlie prudent and quiet ones, went to the houses of the depu- ties who had been at this conference, and who were two of the lichest and most peaceable citizens, such as sir Guisebert Gente and sir Symon Bete, and asked them what news they had brought. They discovered themselves too soon ; for they replied, " Good people, we shall have, if it please God, an excellent peace for those who are well inclined and wish for quiet ; and Borae of the wicked ones in the town will be punished." It is commonly said, if there be those who talk, there are thos5 who act. Peter du Boia, not thinking his life in safety, had spies everywhere to give him intelligence. Some of them brought him the reports of the town, respecting a peace, and assured him the words came from sir Guisebert Gente and sir Symon Bete. Peter, on hearing this, was like a madman, and, applying them to himself, said, " If any are to be punished for this war, I shall not be one of the last; but it shall not go thus. Our gentlemen who have been at the conference may think what they will, but I have no desire to die yet. The war has not lasted half so long as I intend it shall ; and my good masters John Lyon and Wil- liam Craffbrt, have not hitherto been sufficiently avenged. If the affairs be now in confusion, I will trouble them still more." Peter du Bois was as good as his word, and I will show how. That same evening, the morrow of which the council were to meet in the council chamber, to hear the report of the deputies, he came to the house of Philip von Artaveld, and found him musing and thoughtful, leaning against a window of his apartment. The first word he uttered was, " Philip, have you heard any news ?" " None," replied Philip, " e.\cept that our deputies are returned from the con- ference at Harlebecque, and that to-morrow we are to hear in the council-chamber what they have done." " That is true," answered Peter ; " but I know what they have done, and the terms of the treaty ; for they have opened themselves to some of my friends. Be assured, Philip, that our heads will pay for all the treaties they make, or have made ; for there will not be any peace between my lord and the town, bat that you, the lord de Harzellcs, nijself, and all the captains our allies in this war, will be first put to death, and the rich citizens pardoned. They wish to free themselves by deliv- ering us up ; and this was the opinion of John Lyon, my master. Besides, the earl, our lord, has his base flatterers always with him ; such as Gilbert Matthew and his brothers, the provost of Harle- becque, who is their relation, and the deacon of the small crafts who fled away with them. It therefore behooves us to consider awhile on this business." " How shall we act ?" asked Philip. " I will tell you," replied Peter : " we must send orders to all our leaders and captains, to be ready armed, and in the market-place to-morrow, and to keep near us : when we will enter the council. chambei-, with a hundred of our men, to hear the treaty read. Leave me to manage the rest ; but only avow what I shall say ; for whoever wishes to preserve his life and power with the commonalty, if he do not make himself feared, does nothing." Philip willingly assented ; and then Peter du Bois, taking his leave, departed. He instantly sent his servants and scouts to the different captains under him, to order them and their men to bo in the market-place on the nc-it day, well armed, to hear the news. They all obeyed, for none dared to refuse, and were ready for any mischief.* The ensuing morning, at nine o'clock, the mayor, sheriffs, and rich men of the city, came to the market-place and entered the town- hall : then came those who had been at the conferences at Harle- becque ; and last came Peter du Bois and Philip von Artaveld, well attended by those of their party. When tliey were all assembled and seated, for every one who chose it sat down, they found the lord de Harzelles was not present: they sent to him, but he excused himself by saying he could not come, for he was unwell : " Proceed," Citizens of Ghent begging a Peace of the Ear! From n MS. Froissart of the Fifteenth Centu: y. * Lord Berners relatps this conversntion a little dilfercntly. Accordiiis tohis version, the plan of action was arranged by Pliilip von Artaveld, not by Peter du Bois. " The same proper euenynK Unit tlie cnunsnyle siiuldc hnue ben the next day in tiiecounsayle- hnll, there to hear reported thetreatie Itiat was taken atHarlequebocQue, Peter de Boyse came tlie same euenyng to Philj „pe Dartuol's house, and found him in his cliambre ly- cnge in a wyndowe mnsynge and studyeng. And the first worde he spake, he sayd. ' rhilyppe nnrtuel, here you any tidynges V ' N.iy. trulye,' quoth he. .' but that I here Bay our men are returned Iro the counsayle at ilarleqaebecque, and to-morrow we shall cried out Peter du Bois ; " I will answer for him, and we are full enough : let us hear what these gentlemen have brought from the conferences at Harlebecque." U])on thi^, Guisebert Gente and Simon Bete rose up, as being the principal deputies ; when one of them spoke thus : '■'Gentlemen of Ghent, we have attended the conferences at Harlebecqwe ; and we have had much labor and difficulty, in conjunction with the good men of Brabant, Liege, and Hainault, in mtiking up our disputes with the earl our lord. However, at the entreaty of the duke and duchess of Brabant, who had sent thither their council, as well as duke Albert, the good town of Ghent is at peace with the earl, on condition that two hundred men-at-arms, whose names he will send within fifteen days in writing, shall surrender themselves to his prison in the castle of Lille, to his pure will : he is so noble and generous that he will show them mercy and pardon." At these words, Peter du Bois advanced, and said, '■ Guisebert, how have you dared te enter into any treaty that should put tv.-o hundred men-at-arms into any of the enemy's prisons ? Ghent v/ould be indeed disgraced, and better would it be for it, if completely ovciturned, than to be re- proached for having so scandalously concluded the war. We know well among ourselves, and understand that neither you nor Simon Bete will be of the two hundred. You have made your ov.'n choice ; but we shall carve and cut out for ourselves. Advance, Philip, on these traitors, who want to betray and dishonor the town of Ghent." hero in the hiill what tidynges they liaue broujrhl.' * That is true,' quoth Peter, ' but I knuwe aiiready what wayes they haiie taken and purpose to take. For suche as hnue been there hath shewed it to sumeiif my frendes. Certaynely. Plnlyppe, the trealiethat tliey bane made, and wolde make, lyeth on the ieopnrdy of our heeds, for if there be peace taken betwene the erie and this towne, knowe for trouthe thai you and I, and the lord id' ilarsel's, and all suoli captains as bane ayded us in this warre, shall be the first that shall dye, anil the rich men shall go quite. They will bring us into daunger and goe tlicmjelCc free: and this was euer the opinion of.Iohan I.yon my maii'er. Alwayes ll'.c etie hath these vmrmosettcH about hiin. as Gylbert Mayhew and his bretherne, and the prouost of Harlcquebecque, W;o is of the lunate of the ohLrman of the mean craftcs who fled away with them. We ought wysely to loke on this mater and to sea what were best to do.' P/(?/i/ppf , onswercil and sayd. ' Peter, I shall sliewe you my niynde. Let us giue knowledgeof Ihisto all our ftldermeii and capitaynostbat they be to-inorowe all redy apaialled in the market-plare ; and then let us two entre into the hall with a hundred witli us to here the content of the treatie, and then let me alone, so ye wyll auowe iin dede and abyde puistnntly by me, for wilhout we be feared among Uie commons it is nothing.' And so they agreed. 'Then Peter de Boyse departed and sende to all the rulers and capitaynes under hym, commauuding them and all their men to be redy in the mornynge in the market-place to here tidyngor. They all obeyed, tliey durstedo none otherwise : and also they were euer ready to do yuell."— Ed CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 293 On saying this, Peter du Bois drew his dagger, and, coming up to Guisebert, struck him into the belly, so that he fell down dead. Philip drew also his dagger, and with it struck Synion Bete and slew him. They then began to cry out " Treason, treason !"' They had their partisans all round about them, so that many of the richest and greatest men in the town dissembled, to save their lives. At that time only tiiose two were killed ; but to satisfy the people, and to turn the affair to their advantage, they sent their scouts to cry through the town, that Guisebert and sir Symon Bete, like false traitors, wanted to betray the good town of Ghent. Thus the mat- ter ended : the dead were dead ; and no one was called to any account for it, nor any penalty exacted. When the earl of Flanders, who was at Bruges, heard of this, he was sorely enraged, and said, " At the entreaties of my cousins of Brabant and Hainault, I too easily acceded to their wishes of making peace with Ghent, and mure than once have they, in return, thus acted : but I will have them know, they shall never have peace, until I have had given up to nic such a number of the inhabitants as will satisfy mo." In this manner were slain two valiant and rich men in the town of Ghent, for having acted according to the intentions of many of their fellow. citizens. Each of them had for his patrimony two thousand francs of yearly revenue. They were much pitied in secret ; but no one dared to do so publicly, unless he wished to lose his life. Things rei^iained in this state, and the war was more bitter than before. The garrisons round Ghent were night and day in the field, 80 that no provision could enter the town. The Brabantcrs and Hainaulters were afraid of venturii:g themselves ; for, whenever they were met by the earl's men, the best that could befal thetn was the slaughter of their horses, sendiiig them prisoners to Dendre- inonde or to Oudcnarde, or making them pay ransom. By these means, the victuallers were afraid to risk bringing supplies to the town. CHAPTER LXXXIII. AN INSURRECTION IN PARIS, ON ACCOUNT OF THE INTENDED TAXES. THE LORD DE COUCY APPEASES IT. THE DUKE OF ANJOU MAKES PRErAKA- TIONS FOR HIS JOURNEY TO NAPLES. At this period, the Parisians rose up in rebellion against the king and his council, because they wanted to introduce generally through the kingdom those taxes, impositions, and excises which had been raised during the reign of king Charles, father of the present king. The Parisians opposed them, by saying, the king of happy memory had acquitted them from these payments during his lifetime, and that the present king had confirmed this grant at his coronation at Rheims. The young king and his council quitted Paris, and went to reside at Meaux in Brie. No sooner had the king left Paris than the inhabitants rose, and, having armed themselves, slew all who had been assisting in proposing or collecting these taxes. They broke into the prisons and different houses in the town, taking whatever they could find. They went to the palace of the bishop of Paris, and, having broken open his prisons, set at liberty Hugh Aubriot,* who had been governor-general of the police during king Charles's reign, and had been condemned to the dungeons for several bad actions which he had done or consented to, many of which were deserving the stake : to this man the mob gave liberty, which he owed solely to their insurrection. He immediately set out from Paris, for fear of being retaken, and went into Burgundj', whence he came, and related to his friends his adventures. The Parisians, during their rebellion, committed many outrages ; but fortunately it was not general : had it been so, affairs would have been bad indeed. The king resided all this time at Meaux, attended by his uncles of Anjou, Berry and Burgundy, who were much alarmed and vexed at this rebellion. They resolved to send the lord de Coucy, who was a prudent knight, to treat with and en- deavor to appease them ; for he knew better how to manage them than any other. The lord de Coucy, whose name was Engucrrand, came to Paris simply attended by his household. He dismounted at his hotel, and sent for those who had been the most active, and remonstrated with them wisely and prudently on the wickedness of their conduct in killing the officers and ministers of the king, in breaking open his prisons, and setting those who were confined in thein at liberty ; for all which, if the king willed it, they would dearly pay. But this he was not desirous of doing ; for the king much loved the town of Paris, because he had been born in it, and also from its being the capital of his kingdom : he was therefore unwilling to destroy its well-intentioned inhabitants. He told them, his reasons for coming to Paris were to endeavor to make up matters between them, and that he would entreat the king and his uncles mercifully to pardon them their evil deeds. They answered, that they wished not any harm to the king their lord, nor to make war against him, but that these taxes should be repealed as far as related to Paris: and that, when exempted from such, they would assist the king in any other manner. " In what *"IIugh Aul)riut;'* had tlie management of the finances under Charles V. He buih the Bastille, as a furt asainst die EnsUsli. He owed his disgrace and imprison- ment to the clergy, who accused hiji of heresy. &c.: he was shut up lietween four walls : but the Orleans party hated »iim, because, being a Burgnndian, he was attached to the duke of Eureundy. manner V demanded the lord de Coucy. " We will pay certain sums into the hands of a proper receiver every week, to assist witli the other cities and towns in France in the payment of the soldiers and men-at-arms." " And what sum are you willing to pay weekly ?" " Such a sum," replied the Parisians, " as we shaU agree upon." The lord de Coucy managed them so well, by handsome speeches, that they consented to tax themselves, and pay weekly into the hands of a receiver whom they would appoint ten thousand florins. Upon this, the lord de Coucy left them and returned to Meaux in Brie, to lay before the king and his uncles the propositions they had made. The king was advised to accept this offer of the Parisians, as the best thing he could do ; for from this beginning, though small, all the other towns would follow the example, and when times should alter they might then change their measures. The lord de Coucy returned to Paris, and brought with him the king's pardon to the Parisians, on condition of their observing the propositions they had made. This they promised, and appointed a receiver, to whom was paid, every week, the fixed sum in florins ; but it was not to be car- ried from Paris, except for the payment of those men-at-arms who should be in actual service, and neither the king nor his uncles were to have any concern with it, nor was it to be otherwise employed. Affairs remained thus for some little time, and the Parisians were quiet : but the king did not return to Paris, which much displeased the inhabitants. Rouen likewise was in a state of rebellion, and from the same cause : the populace rose, killed the king's governor and all those who had any concern in the collecting or valuing these taxes. The king, on hearing this, during his residence at Meaux, was much angered, and his council were doubtful if all the other towns would not follow this example. The king was advised to march to Rouen, which he did, and appeased the commonalty, who were very riot- ous. He also pardoned the death of the governor, atid whatever else they had done. They appointed a receiver from among them- selves, to whom they were to pay a certain sum in florins, every week; and, on this being settled, they continued quiet. Now re- mark the great evils that were beginning to disturb France : all took rise from the conduct of the men of Ghent ; for the common people said everywhere publicly, they were good men, who so valiantly maintained their liberties, and for which they ought to be loved and honored by the whole world. We will return to the duke of Anjou, who had a great desire ta visit the kingdom of Naples, of which he signed himself king, as well as of Sicily, and duke of la Puglia and Calabria ; for pope Clement had invested hira with them, by virtue of the deed which the queen of Naples had given to him. The duke of Anjou was prudent, of a warm imagination, bold and enterprising : he plainly perceived, that according to the establishment he had supported hitherto, and which he would have been sorry to have lessened, he would be a poor lord in France, unless he should conquer such rich and noble heritages as the two kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, and the duchies of la Puglia, and Calabria, as well as the county of Provence. They would come to him very opportunely ; for those countries of which he called himself lord, by virtue of the gift made him, abounded in all sorts of wealth. He was therefore occupied day and night in devising means to perfonn this journey ; he well knew he could never accomplish it without a large sum of money, and a numerous body of men-at-arms to resist those who might wish to oppose him. The duke, in consequence, amassed so great a quan- tity of money, under pretence of this journey, that it was marvellous to behold ; and he kept the Parisians in as good humor as he could, lor he knew there were in Paris large deposits of cash, of which he got the greater part, and sent it to the earl of Savoy, in whom he had great confidence ; adding, that on his arrival in Savoy, he would make arrangements by which there should be regular payment for a thousand spears or more, for one whole year. The earl of Savoy was much pleased at this intelligence, for he greatly loved arms : he therefore replied to the messengers, that he would willingly seiTe the duke on the teiTns proposed. This answer was highly agreeable to the duke, as he had an affection for the company of the earl of Savoy. The duke retained men in all parts, so that he had collected full nine thousand men-at-arms, ready prepared and under his obedience. He ordered the most sumptuous equipages to be made for him and his household at Paris that any lord had ever commanded, such as tents, pavilions and other things suitable for a king when about to make a long journey. We will now leave the duke of Anjou, and speak of the cirl of Cambridge and his men, who were in Portugal near the king's person. CHAPTER LXXXIV. THE ENGLISH MAKE AN EXPEDITION AGAINST THE SPANIARDS, CONTUAKT TO THE ORDERS OF THE KING OF PORTUGAL. THE CASTLE OF FISHIERE* IS TAKEN. The earl of Cambridge and his army remained for a considerable time with the king of Portugal at Lisbon ; during which the Eng- * This mu!t probably mean Figueito dos Vinhes, a town in Estremadura. for Figuera. is in Catalonia. S94 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. liBh and Gascons reconnoitered the country, for they had never be. I fore been there. It seems to me, that about this time a marriage was agreed on between the daughter of the king of Portugal who was ten years old, and the son of the earl of Cambridge of the same age. He was a fine child, and his name was John ; and the lady's name Beatrice. There were great feasts at the betrothing of these two children, and much joy ; all the barons and prelates of the realm were present ; and, young as the married couple were, they were both laid in the same bed. This marriage and the consequent feasts being over, which lasted for eight days, the council of Portugal ordered the men-at-arms who were in Lisbon to march to other qnar. ters on the frontiers. The earl of Cambridge and a part of his anny were sent into quarters at a very handsome town in Portugal, called Estremoure,* and the remainder of the English and Gascons to Be- slouse.t John of Cambridge remained with the king. When the canon de Robersac, and the English and Gascon knights, took leave of the king, he said to them, " My friends, I order you not to make any attacks on the enemy without my knowledge ; for, if you do, I shall be much angered." They swore, " they would not, by God, and, whenever they had such an inclination, would send to inform him, and have his permission." They then departed and marched toward Besiouse, which is situated in the upper part of the country, two days' journey from Lisbon and as many from Seville, where the king of Spain resided. The king of Spain had been early informed of the arrival of the English under the command of the earl of Cambridge, and had sent intelligence of it to those knights in France on whose services he de. pended. On hearing this, and that there were expectations of war in Spain, they were much rejoiced : many who wished to advance their fame made ready, and took the road thither. The canon de Robersac,^ who was with his English and Gascon companions in Besouise, one day said : " My dear gentlemen, I think we remain here not much to our honor, when we have never as yet made any attempt on our enemies ; they will not think the better of us for it. If you will take my advice, let us send to entreat the king to allow us to attack them." They all replied, "We are perfectly willing to do so." Sir John Canbouich^ was ordered to carry this message, ■which he cheerfully undertook. He came to the king at Lisbon, where he punctually delivered his message. The king replied, he was unwilling for them to undertake any expedition ; and whatever the knight might urge he could never make him change his opinion. He returned, therefore, to his friends, telling them the king would not comply with their request. They were much enraged at it, and said among themselves, that it was not becoming men-at-arms to continue so long in garrison without attempting some feats of arms ; they mutually agreed to make an excursion. In consequence, they took the field with full four hundred men-at-arms and as many arch- ers. They resolved to attack a large town which belonged to the commander of St. James ; but, on their march they found a nearer way to arrive at the castle of Fighicre, in which were about sixty Spanish men-at-arms in garrison, under the command of Peter Gousses and his brother. The canon de Robersac, being very proud of this expedition, as it had been by his means undertaken, rode forward in front. There were sir Oliver Beauchamp, sir Matthew Gournay, Miles Windsor, the lord Talbot, sir Adam Symon, sir John Sounder, bastard brother to the king of England, the souldich de I'Estrade, the lord de Chit- eauneuf, the lord de la Barde, Raymond de Masson, and several more. They arrived at the casde of Fighiere, which they surrounded, and drew up in ordor of assault, making all preparations necessary for it. When the garrison saw they were t-o be attacked, they also made ready for their defence. About four o'clock in the morning, a very vigorous attack commenced, and the English entered the ditch, which being dry, they advanced close to the walls, bracing their targets over their heads, to guard themselves from the stones which might be thrown on them from the walls, and there made good use of their pick-axes and iron crows ; while thus employed, the garrison threw on them beams and bars of iron, that wounded many. The canon de Robersac was present : he had the courage of a knight, and performed that day many gallant deeds ; as did also Es- perons his valet. The archers of England, who were drawn up on the ditches, shot so well and rapidly that scarcely any dared to show themselves on the battlements ; and one half of the garrison were either slain or wounded. The brother of Peter Gousses, the gov- ernor of the castle, was there slain by an arrow ; he was called Bar- tholomew, and was an able and expert man-at.arnis ; but, through his own imprudence and rashness, he lost his life. The assault con- tinued from four o'clock until high noon ; and I must soy that the English and Gascon knights did not spare themselves, but fought with courage and a thorough good will, because they had undertaken this expedition without the consent of the king of Portugal : they were, therefore, determined to conquer this castle, that the fame of it might reach Lisbon, and show what success they had met with on tlu'ir first attempt. The canon de Robersac said ; " Ha, ha, my gentlemen, we shall this day win the castle ; but if so many gallant men-at-arms as we are, take as much time to conquer all the other towns in Spain and in Gallicia, we shall never be masters of them." The knights and squires, on hearing this speech, began to exert themselves the more i the canon de Robersac, although covered by his shield, received such a blow that he was much wounded. There was present a young knight from Hainault called Froissart Meulier, who very gallandy behaved himself at this assault, as indeed did the others. The garrison artillery, as well as the machines for casting of stones and iron bars, began to tire and grow weaker in the castle. Con- sidering that of twenty-five men* (the force within the place,) there were not three unhurt, and some dangerously wounded, they could not prevent it from being taken by storm. The brothci- of their cap- tain lay dead, from whom no further help could come. They re- solved to give themselves a litrie respite, and during that time treat for a peace. They made a signal to parley with the English. The assault was stopped, and those who were in the ditches employed against the walls were ordered out : it was high time, for there were many who had been wounded, and others much fatigued. Sir Matthew Gournay, constable, and sii William Windsor, marshal of the army, advanced, and demanded what they wanted. The gov- ernor, Peter Gousses, addressed them in these words; "You are re- solved not to leave this place without conquering it : you wound our men, and we do the same to yours. We have therefore consulted together; and I, as governor, speak their sentiments, which are, that we will surrender to you the fort, our lives and fortunes being spared. Accept, therefore, these terms, which arc just : you are at present the strongest, so that we must submit." The English knights replied, they would advise upon it, which they did. When they had held a council, they sent for answer to the garrison, that those within the castle might retire whither they pleased ; but the stores must be left behind, and they were not to carry away anything with them. When Peter Gousses saw he could not obtain better terms, he consented, but it was much against his will. Thus was the castle of Fighiere surrendered to the English. The Spaniards marched away, under a safc-conduct,t to Esteris, where the commander of St. James usually resided. They, how- ever, did not find him there; for, having learnt that the enemy had taken the field, he had done the same with full four hundred men-at- arms, Sjianiards and Castillians, in hopes, if he could meet widi the English ill a favorable situation, to combat them to his honor. * "Estremoure." Q. if not Estremoz. T " BesioUKe." d. if not Villa Viciosa, a town near Estvemoz ; for D. Suvage, in a marginal note, says la Salle culls it Vesiouse, which seems a corruption of Viciosa, and contirms me it mnst be Villa Viciosa. } The canon de Robevsac'a name was Theodore. He was governor of Ardres in llio 45lli of Edward III. and. in the Swl of Kiclmrd II. was employed by the king to treat ■with the duke of Juliers concerning his homn se.— Cartes HoUes FraTtcms. § " Canbouich." Q. Lord Bernersfpells the name C/mttrfcttic^i. CHAPTER LXXXV. AFTER THE CONQUES^l OF THE CASTLE OF FIGHIEKE, THE CANON EE KOBEIl. SAC, KETURNINC TO HIS GARRISON, IS IN GREAT DANGER. SCCCORS COME FROM FRA.NCE TO CASTII.LE. When the knights of England and the canon had got possession of the castle of Fighicre, they were much rejoiced. They had it re- paired in every part ; and leaving forty men-at-arms as a garrison, they stored it well with provisions and other necessaries, and also with a sufficient body of archers. Having placed a good captain as governor, they held a council, when they resolved to return to their quarters. The English and Gascons, on their departure, divided themselves into three bodies ; the last of which remained in the plain, under the command of the canon. Some English, Gascons, and Germans, desirous of feats of arms, had continued with him : in all about sixty spears and as many archers : they marched one whole day with the canon's company on their return to Besiouse. On the second day, early in the morning, they discovered some ambuscades,} and marched on in good array. They were then be- tween a large town in Portugal, Huenca^ and the castle of Concrelet.|| On the outskirts of a wood nearer to the castle of Concrclet than to Huenca, was the grand. master of St. JamesIT posted, with full four hundred men-at-arms. The Enghsh no sooner perceived them than they closed their ranks, showed no signs of fear, and marched on at a good pace. The Spaniards, notwithstanding their numbers, made not any appearance of quitting their ambuscade ; for they imagined the English had near at hand their large battalion, and for that rea. son were afraid to attack them; had they been better informed, there would have been a combat. They thus separated from each other without anything being done. The Spaniards returned that evening to Esteris, and the canon to * In the preceding column, it is said the garrison consisted of about sfxty men-at-arms. t Lord Berners says without any safe-conduct.— Ed. + " .^ hciire de prime que ies embiisches se decauvrevl^^ {the text, according to D. Sauvage.) should ruther be translated " at the hour of prime, as soon as ambuscades can be discovered,'^ that is to say, at early dawn, than, as Mr. Johnes has rendejed if, '■ thei/ discovered some ambuscades and marched on in good array,'* wliicli appears absurd. He prohaltly luiderstood it as referring to the adventure about to be related, but on that occasion only one ambuscade was discovered.— Ed. § a. "iluenca." || Q,. "Concrelet." H I suspect it must, have been the grand-master of the order of Alcantra, nndnolofSt. James, and that there must tiave been a castle of Fighiere in the province of Rslrema- dura : for it is not possible, from the shortness of their march, they could have gone to Cat;ilonin. Sec Note, p. ?J3. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &, c . 295 Beaiouse, when he related to his companions how he had seen the Spaniards in ambuscade between Hucnca and Concrelet, adding, **Kwe had been all together, we could have fought with them." The knights, therefore, much repented that they had not kept all in one body. Thus ended this excursion of tlie English and Gascons ; and when news was brought of it to tlie king of Portugal, he pretended to be much enraged, because they had done it without his consent. The English and Gascons remained the whole winter in iheir garri- sons, without performing anything worth mentioning, which wearied them much : it was not their fault no deeds of arms were done. Don John of Castille, however, was not idle in making his prepa- GoOD QiTEBN Anne.— Tomb in Westminster Abbey. rations. He had sent to the king of France, and to his uncles f»r succor, and had informed t'henr of the arrival of the earl of Cambridge in Portugal. He also said, that it was universally reported through- out Castille and Portugal that the king of England, the duke of Lan- caster, and the earl of Buckingham, with a powerful force, were to reintorce them the ensuing summer. For which reasons, he required from the king, in conformity with the treaties between France and Spain, and their mutual affection, that sufficient forces should be sent to him in the course of the spring and summer, to enable him to op- pose his enemies with effect. The king's council assented to this, for they clfarly saw the king of Spain had a right to demand it. Per- mission was granted to all knights and squires desirous of advancing themselves to join don John: and the king of France lent them where- with to perform their journey. It seems to me, that sir Oliver du Guesclin, brother to the late constable of France, made preparations to go thither in the spring. Many knights and squires from Brit- tany, Beauce, Picardy, Anjou, Berry, Blois and Maine did so like- wise, and went ttiither in companies to perform the journey more comfortably. .\ passage was open to them through Arragon, and all kinds of provision were prepared for them, for ready money. But you must know they did not pay for all they took in the low coun- tries, wliich made the poor inhabitants suffer great losses. CHAPTER LXXXVI. THE EMPEROR WINCESLATTS SE:JDS HIS SISTER ASNE TO EIXG RICHARD OF EXGLASD, WHO MAKES HER HIS QUEEN. Yen have heard how king Richard of England had for upward of a year been in treaty with Winceslaus king of Bohemia, who at this ptnod had taken the title of emperor of Rome, to obtain his sister the lady Anne in marriage ; and how one of his knights, sir Simon Burl ;y, had much labored in this business ; and also that the duke of Stixony had been in England to confirm the marriage. This affair had been so well conducted that the emperor sent his sister to England, attended by the duke of Saxony and gi'eat numbers of knights and damsels, with a suitable state becoming such a lady. They came through Brabant to Brussels, where the duke and duchess received the young queen and her company very grandly ; for the duke was her uncle, she being the daughter of the emperor Charles his brother. The lady .\nne of Bohemia remained with her uncle and aunt at Bmssels upward of a month. She was afraid of moving, for she had been informed there were twelve large armed vessels, .full of Normans, on the sea between Calais and Holland, that seized and pillaged all that fell into their hands, and it was indifferent to them who they were. The report was current, that they craised ia those seas waiting for the coming of this lady ; and that the king of France and his council were desirous of carrying her off, in order to break the match, for they were very uneasy at this alliance of the Germans with the English. When it was said to be dishonorable to carry off ladies in the wars of men, they replied : " How, have- you not seen the prince of Wales, father to the present king of Eng- land, consent to a similar action in the person of the duchess of Bourbon, motherto the queen of France, when she was made prisoner by the soldiers of the prince, shut up in the castle of Belleperche, and after- wards conducted into Guyeni>e and ransom- -^-»_ ed ? If, therefore, to revenge them-selves, the Fiench should commit such an act on the intended queen of England, they ought not to be blamed for it." On account of these suspicions and fears, the young lady remained in Brussels one whole month. The duke of Brabant, by advice of his council, sent to France the lords de Rousse- lans and de Bousquehoir, to remonstrate on this subject with the king and his uncles, who were also his nephews, being his sis- ter's sons. The knights of Brabant managed so well with the king and his council that their re- quest was complied with, and passports granted for the lady and her attendants to travel through any piirts of France she might choose, as far as Calais. The Normans were remaiKied into port. This answer the knights carried to Brabant to the duke and duchess. The king and his uncles wrote to say, they had granted this favor to their cousin the lady Anne, at their solicitation alone, and for no other reason whatever. Such information was veiy pleasing to the duke and duchess of Brabant, as well as to those who were to cross the sea. Prepara- tions were immediately made for their de. parture from Brussels ; and the young lady took leave of her uncle, her aunt, and the ladies and damsels of the country who had accompanied her. The duke had her escorted with one hundred spears. She passed through Ghent, where she reposed herself for a day, and the citizens did everything in their power to show her honor. She then came to Bruges, where the earl of Flanders received her veiy magnifi- cently, and stopped for three days. She continued her journey until she came to Gravelines, where the earls of Salisbury and Devonshire were waiting for her, with five hundred spears and as many archers. They conducted her to Calais, when the Brabanters returned, after they had delivered her to the barons of England. The young lady made no stay at Calais but until the wind became favorable. She embarked on a Wednesday morning when the vessels were manned, and the same day arrived at Dover, where she halted to repose her- self two days : on the third, she set out for Canterbury, where the earl of Buckingham received her very grandly. The lady pursued her journey unto London, and was most honorably received by the citizens, the ladies and damsels of the town and country, who were all assembled to meet her. She was manied to the king, in the chapel of the palace of Westminster, the twentieth day after Christ- mas. On the wedding-day, there were great feastings. That gal- lant and noble knight sir Robert de Nanmr had always accompanied her, from the time she quitted Germany until she was married, for which the emperor and king of England held themselves much obliged. The king carried his queen to Windsor, where he kept an open and noble house. They were very happy together. She was ac- companied by the princess of Wales and the duchess of Brittany, aunt to the king, who at that time was separated from the duke her husband ; for the barons and council of England would not consent to her return into Brittany, because he had changed to the French interest. The barons and knights were accustomed to say, "Since the duke of Brittany has so ill and so treacherously acquitted him. self to the earl of Buckingham, and to our men, the last time they were in France, w'henever he shall demand back his duchess, let us not consent to it, but send him two enemies, John and Guy of Brit- tany, children to St. Charles de Blois, and who have a better right to the duchy than himself : he is duke through our power, and an ungrateful return does he make for what he has had from us : we ought therefore to act in like manner to him, for his disgraceful con. duct." True it is, that these two lords, John and Guy de Bretaigne, sons of St. Charles of Blois, who were prisoners in England, and confined in a strong castle, under the guard of sir Peter d'Ambreti- court, were sent for, and brought before the council of the king of England ; when they were informed, that if they would hold the CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 29C ^ _^_ duchy of Brittany fiom England, and acknowledge it by doing hom- age to the king, their inheritance should be recovered for thein, and John should have the lady Fhilippa of Lancaster to wife. But they replied, they would not have anything to do with it, and would pre- fer remaining in prison until death to acting otherwise than as good Frenchmen. Affairs continued on this footing, and they were never afterwards in any way spoken to on the subject, since they had shown the firmness of their intentions. CHAPTER LXXXVII. THE KING OF FRANCE CANNOT OBTAIN MONEY FROM THE RECEIVER AT PARIS. THE DUKE OF ANJOU MARCHES INTO ITALY WITH A NOBLE ATTENDANCE OF KNISHTS. You have before heard how Paris had made its peace with the king, on its agreement of paying a certain sum of florins. The flo- rins were paid weekly to a receiver whom they had appointed, but none came to the .^__-_ coffers of the king, nor were any of them sent out of Paris. It hap- pened that the king was in great want of money to pay the men- at-anns he was send- ing to Castille, which by treaty he was bound to do. He ordered the receiver at Paris to prepare a sum of one hundred thousand francs ; for he was anxious to assist, in h)s necessity, don John of Castille, and clearly showed for what use he intended this mo- ney. The receiver re- plied to the letters from the king, and to those who had brought them, in a very civil manner, saying, that in truth he had money suffi- cient, but that he could not pay any of it with- out the consent and permission of the town of Paris. These words did not please the king, who declared he would remedy this as soon as he should be able. He found the money elsewhere, through the assistance of the principal towns in Picardy. This caused a great coolness between the king and the Parisians. Ho Hover came to Paris, but resided at Meaux, Senlis, Compiegne, and in those parts, to the great displeasure of the Parisians. The greatest resource they had was in the duke of Anjou for their safety : he liad already signed himself king of Sicily and Jenisalein, and had borne the arms. The duke commonly resided at Paris, because there was much money kept there ; and to prevent the king from receiving any of it, that he might be the better supplied for his projected enterprise in Italy, he was collecting money from all part^, and it was said the sum he had at Roquemaur,* near Avignon, was not less than two millions of florins. He treated with the Parisians, and used such fine language, having words at command, and besides being from liis birth the regent of the kingdom, as the eldest of the king's un- cles, that he obtained one hundred thousand florins, when the king and his two uncles gf Berry and Burgundy could not procure one penny from them. The duke of Anjou, having now finished iiis preparations and collected all his stores, began his march early in spring, and the magnitude of his array surprised every one. He passed through France to Avignon, where he was much feasted by the pope and cardinals. The barons and principal lords of Provence came thither to wait c-n him as their lord, did him homage, and put themselves under his obedience. The gallant earl of Savoy, his cousin, came to meet him, attended by barons and knights, who were also well received by the f .i]ie and cardinals. During his stay at Avignon, he arranged and settled the pay and stores for the Savoyards, who were in considerable num- bers, and delivered the money to the carl of Savoy. This being done, the duke of Anjou and the carl of Savoy took their leave of the pope, and set off from Avignon, following the road to Savoy and Piedmont. The earl was the duke's conductor, and paid him the utmost respect in all the great towns through which they passed. Men-at-arms were continually advancing, or followed in tlieir rear, so that Lombardy w'as quite open and ready to receive them. On the duke's entrance into Lombardy, he was most honorably received in all the principal towns, more especially in Milan, where sir Gal- eas and sir Bcrnabo Visconti loaded him with honors : he received from them such rich presents and jewels as would astonish, if re. lated. The duke of Anjou kept a kingly state : he had his mint with him, where he coined florins and white money, with which he made his payments all through Lombardy and Tuscany. When they began to approach Rome, they marched in a more compact body than they had hitherto done ; for tlie Romans, being informed of the duke's march, had thrown up strong fortifications to oppose him. They had for commander a valiant Ejiglish knight, called sir John Hawkwood,* who had resided a long time in that part of Italy : he was well acquainted with the frontiers, and had under him a large body of men-at-arms, of Germans, English, and other nations in the pay of the Romans, for the defence of Urban, C-isTEI- DEL Ovo, Navi,E3.— From an Old Prim in tliP King's Library. B. Museum. ^ " Roquemaur," two leagoes from Avignon. at that time called pope, and who resided at Rome. This pope was not alarmed at the arrival of the duke of Anjou. When they told him he was on his march, attended by the earl of Savoy and count of Geneva, with full nine thousand lances of good men-at- arms, and that it was uncertain if he would not come to Rome to dethrone him, for they were all Clementiaes, he rejilied by saying, " CiiKiSTUS protegat nos." That was all the alarm they gave him, and the only answer he made to those who spoke to him on the subject. "The duke of Anjou, who styled himself king of Naples, Sicily and Jerusalem, duke of Calabria and la Puglia, accompanied by the earl of Savoy, continued the march of his army through Tuscany, the territory of Ancoiia, and the patrimony of St. Peter, but did not enter Rome ; for the duke wished not to make war on Rome, nor on the Romans, but solely aimed to accomplish his cnterjirise on the terms according to which he had left France. He kept up kingly state wherever he passed, and all men-at-arms praised him for the punctuality of his pajTiients. .\t this period his adversary, the lord Charles de Durazzo, resided in the city of Naples. He also signed himself king of Naples, Sicily and .Terusalem, duke of la PugUa and Calabria, and consid- ered himself as the lawful king, since the queen of Naples was dead without leaving any heirs by marriage. He looked on the gift which the queen had made to the pope a.s null, and maintained this opinion by two argument? : the first was, that besides being sup- ported and obeyed by the Neapolitans and Sicilians, the queen of Naples coidd not resign the inheritance of another : secondly, that supposing this resignation to have been good and the gift in force to the court of Rome, and that the popes were entided to it, she had not legally done it, for those kingdoms considered Urban as the true pope, and not Clement. This is the question which they disputed, and the defence Charles ' " Sir John Hawkwood." See his lift in Nichol's Bib. Top. Brit. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 297 dc Durazzo made. He also at the beginning took very wise pre- cautions, for he amply provided with stores the castel del Ovo, which is one of the strongest castlee in the world, and stands by enchant- ment in the sea, so that it is impossible to take it but by necromancy or by the help of the devil.* When he had provided this castle a sufficiency to last three or four years, he collected a body of men-at-arms and threw himself into il, having made all the entrances very secure, leaving the duke of Anjou to act as he pleased. He well knew the Neapolitans would never desert him, and that, if la Puglia and Calabria should be lost for two or three years, they could easily regain it. He expected the duke of Anjou would soon find himself at the end of his resources in maintaining such a large army as he had brought, and which it was impossible for him to continue to support. They would be in want of provision or pay, \vMch would tire tliem out in the course of two or three years; and, wlien they should be well worn down, he might combat them to his advantage. Charles de Durazzo was full of these ideas, some of which were afterwards realized. In truth, no piinee in Christendom, except the kings of France or England, would have kept up such an immense force as the duke of Anjou did, without hurting his finances ; for they reported he had brought over the mountains thirty thousand combatants : and the undertaking such an enterprise required much thought and consideration. CHAPTER LXXXVIII. THE EARL OF SAVOY, WHO HAD ACCOMPANIED THE DUKE OF ANJOU TO NAl'LtS, ORDERS A MA\ TO BE BEHEADED, WHO HAD BOASTED THAT HE WOULD GIVE THEJI POSSESSION OF THE CASTEL DEL OVO BY EN- CHANTMENT. When the duke of Anjou and his army entered la Puglia and Calabria, the whole country was their own, and the people testified that they wished not for any other lord than him : in a short time, all the barons, principal tosvns and others, put themselves under his obedience. Those who have been in these countries, which are the richest in the world, report, that from the great abundance of every- thing, the people are perfectly indolent, and do no manner of labor. The men-at-arms, on entering so rich a country, felt themselves very comfortable ; but the duke of Anjou, the earl of Savoy, the count of Vendome, the count of Geneva, t and all the knighthood of France, Savoy, and Brittany, marched on into the territories of Naples. The citizens of Naples, not fearing these men-at-arms, deigned not to shut their gates, but kept them always open, as they never imagined the duke of Anjou could reside there longer than it was agreeable to them ; for the moment they should be inclosed in the town, whatever numbers they might be, they would be lost, as the houses were not easy to be taken, having before their doors planks which may be removed, and the sea underneath, on which they would not perhaps like to adventure themselves. An enchanter, master of necromancy, who had resided for some time in the Neapolitan territory, came to the duke of Anjou, and Baid, " My lord, if you will, I can cause the castel del Ovo and its gfarrison to surrender to you." " How can that be ?" replied the duke. " My lord, I will tell you," answered the enchanter : " I can by enchantment, make the air so thick over the sea, that those in the castle shall think it a large bridge, on which ten men may march in front : and, when they shall see this bridge, they will be so fright- ened they will sun*ender themselves to you, lest, if you attack them, they may be taken by storm." The duke, much astonished at what he hr,d heard, called liis knights, the count de Vend6me, the count de Geneve, sir John and sir Peter de Beuil, sir Morice de Maumi, and others, to whom he related what the enchanter had just told him. They were very much surprised, but seemed willing to give him faith for it. lite duke then asked, " Fair master, can our people march on this brjlge of which you speak, as far as the castle, and attack it?" " My lord," replied the magician, " of this I dare not assure you ; for if any one of them, while on this bridge, should make the sign of the cross, all would disappear, and those on it would fall into the sea." The duke, upon this, began to laugh, and some of the young knights present said, " Ha, my lord, for God's sake, let him do it ; we will not make any sign of the cross, and by this means we shall easily capture om' enemies." The duke said he would consider of it. The earl of Savoy was not present at this conversation, but came soon afterwards. When the earl entered the duke's tent, the ma- gician had just left it ; but the duke told him all that had passed, and what offers he had made. The earl, having mused a while, said, " Send him to my quarters, and I will examine him. He is that master magician by whose means the queen of Naples and sir Otho de Brunswick were taken in the castel del Ovo, for he caused the sea to swell so high that it seemed as if it would swallow the castle : those within it were so much frightened they looked on themselves as dead. One ought never to put too great confidence in such people ; for you see the wickedness of the wretches in this country : in order to please you, and to obtain your benefactions, he will be- tray Charles de Durazzo, to whom he formerly gave up the queen of _*I>enys9auvape adds a marginal note, tliat " if the good man Froissartlielieves this, hit mind must be very sijnple." t " Count of Geneva." Giannone sars lie was brother to pope Clement. Naples and her husband." " Well," replied the duke, " I will send him to you." The conversation took another turn, and, after they hail well considered their situation, the earl returned to his quarlers. On the morrow morning, when the lords were risen, the magician waited on the duke, bowing most lowly. As soon as the duke per- ceived him, he ordered a valet to conduct liim to the earl of Savoy. The valet, taking his hand, said, " Master, my lord's will is, that you go to the earl of Savoy." He answered, "God's will be done." When arrived at the tent of the carl, the valet said, " My lord, here is the doctor whom my lord sends to you." The earl was much pleased on seeing him, and said, " Doctor, do you assure us for a certainty, that you will gain us the castel del Ovo at so cheap a rate ?" " Yes, by my troth, my lord," replied the enchanter, " for by a similar trick I got it for him who is now within it, namely, the lord Charles dc Durazzo, from the queen of Naples, her daughter and husband, sir Robert d'Artois* and sir Otho de Bmnswick. I am the man in the world of whom the lord Charles has the greatest dread." " By my faith," replied the carl, " you speak well ; but I wish the lord Charles to know, that ho is in the wrong to fear you so much, for I will make him easy on that head : you shall not henceforward perform an enchantment to deceive him or any one else. I will not have it reproached to us in times to come, that such knights and squires and valiant men-at-arms here assembled should have been obliged for our success to magic, nor do we desire to conquer otir enemies by such means." He then ordered a servant to call the headsman, and have his head strack off. The earl's commands were instantly obeyed, and his head was cut ofT on the outside of the tent. Such wa,s the end of tlris enchanter, and such his recompense. Wc will now leave the duke of Anjou, his army, and his marches, and return to the affairs of Portugal, and relate how the English and Gascons prospered. CHAPTER LXXXIX. THE CANON DE KOBERSAC MAKES ANOTHER EXCURSION CONTEAKY TO THE WILL OF THE KING OF PORTUGAL, AND TAKES SEVERAL PLACES ADJOIN. ING TO SEVILLE. The knights in garrison at Besiouse, and who had been there for so considerable a time, having made but one excursion, when they took the castle of Fighiere, resolved, about the middle of April, to make another : for they were very much surprised at the conduct of the king of Portugal and earl of Cambridge, who had let them re- main idle the nine months they had now been in Portugal, without having formed any expedition but the one for which they had been blamed. They determined to send to and remonstrate with the earl of Cambridge on this subject : I believe the envoy was the souldich de la Trane, He came to Estremoz, where the earl was quartered, and said to him, '• My lord, my companions send me to you, to know what you would wish them to do ; for they much wonder why they have been brought to this country, to remain so long in indolence, which displeases them much. You will let me know what you would have them do, for they are very desirous of making an excursion." " Souldich," replied the earl, " you know, that when I left Eng. land, my lord and brother the duke of Lancaster promised me, on his faith, that on his return from Scotland, whither he was then going, he would join us with men-at-arms, to the amount of three thousand, and as many archers. Upon this engagement, I came merely to reconnoitre the country. In a short time we shall have intelligence from him ; for it is equally impleasant to me to have remained so long in this country. You will therefore salute your companions in my name, and tell them what I have just said to you. I cannot wish to prevent them from making an excursion, since they have such an inclination for it ; but you know the king of Portugal gives us our pay, and therefore we ought to conform to his orders." "By my faith, my lord," answered the souldich, " he pays badly, and our companions complain much of it ; he owes us now six months' pay." " He will pay you well," replied the earl : " mone/ never comes disagreeably." On this, the souldich left the earl, and returned to his companions, to whom he related what you have heard. " Gentlemen," said the canon, " I will not desist from making an excursion, notwithstanding what has been said, for I see clearly they wish to put ofi" all such attempts. They do not desire we should commit hostilities, that we may not have cause to demand our pay : but my opinion is, that we take the field." Tliey selected those who should form this expedition, and resolved to undertake it on the morrow, having their arms quite ready. The lord John de Ferrande, one of the knights of the king of Portugal, who had learnt they w-ere desirous of performing some enterprise, came to them, and brought letters to the canon dc Robersac, He read them, and found that tire king of Portugal for- bid him to quit his quarters ; adding, that he was well informed it was through his means all these expeditions were thought of. The canon was much enraged at this order, and said to the knight, * "IloIiertd'Artois." Denys Sauvage, in his 24t]i annotation, says, " The history of Naples often speaks of this Robert d'Artois, making him tlie husbandofMarj', daughter of .loan queen of Naples ; but no mention is made of these enchantments. They seem to come from the romances of Morgante and Urganda : so that I am surpristjd Frofa- snrt could suffet hiraselfto be thus dec«ived, and wish to deceive posteritr.'* 298 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. " John, I see plainly the king will not permit me to make any excur- sion. Now, suppose I remain in my house, do you think that the others, who are better knights and more valiant than I, will also stay at home and give up their enterprise ? Oh no, by my troth, as you will see to-morrow ; for they are determined and prepared to lake the field." "My lord," replied Ferrande, "command them, in the king's name, not to do so." " By my faith," said the canon, " I will do no such thing : do you, who belong to the king, order them yourself." Things remained in this state all night. In the morning, the trumpets sounded, when the knights and squires, being armed and mounted, came before the canon's house, who had not put on his armor. On the English and Gascon knights drawing up, he came to the window, and told them the king of Portugal would not allow him, nor any of his party, to make an excursion. " By my f;iith," answered they, " we will have a ride, since we are so wel' inclined to it : and so shall you too, for it shall never be reproached you, that when we had taken the field, you staid at home." The canon was then obliged to arm himself, and mount his horse. The Portuguese knight, the lord Ferrande, was obliged to do the same ; so much was ho pressed by the others, but it occasioned him to stand in the ill graces of the king, and he was very near being hanged. They marched out of Besiouse to the amount of about four hundred spears and as many archers; and, taking the Seville road toward a eastle and town called Ban,* continued thei'r march until they arrived, and Burroundcd the part which seemed most easy to be taken. They dis- mounted, formed themselves in order of attack, entered the ditches, which were dry, and began the assault vigorously. At this time, there were no men-at-arms in the town of Ban. The inhabitants, though badly armed, mounted the walls aitd de. fended themselves as well as they were able with lances and javelins, but this could not last long. They therefore began to treat with the assailants, and at length suiTendered, on having their lives and fortunes spared, declaring they would put themselves under the obedience of don Fernando, king of Portugal. They were well received in the town, which they entered to refresh themselves ; when they began to examine by what means they could gain the castle. They saw it might be taken ; and that same evening, some of the army began to skirmish. On the morrow, a more regular attack commenced. The governor of the castle was a gentleman of the counti-y, called Peter Jagouses, but he was not an able man.at-arms, as he showed ; for as soon as he saw himself thus attacked, and so many men-at-arms advancing, he took fright, entered into terms, and sur. rendered the castle on his and the garrison's lives being spared. They strengthened it with good men-at-arms and archers, and then departed toward another castle, seven leagues distant, called la Courtisse.t On their arrival, they instanUy began the attack very sharply ; but those within defended themselves to the utmost of their power, and disdained to surrender. At the first attack, which was severe, the governor of the castle, called Radulph, was slain. He was an expert and valiant man-at-arms, but, having adventured himself too rashly on the bulwarks, was killed by an arrow. On his death the others lost courage ; the castle was taken, and the greater part of the garrison put to the sword. Thus did the canon and his companions gain the castle of la Courtisse. They strengthened it with a new garrison ; and, having well supplied it with everything, Ihey marched toward the city of Seville the grand. CHAPTER XC. THE CANON AND HIS COMPANIONS GAIN MUCH BOOTY FROM THE KING OF CASTILLE. TIIEY MUTINY AGAINST THE KING OF PORTUGAL, WHS ORDERS THEIR PAY TO BE INSTANTLY DELIVERED TO THEM. These English and Gascon men-at-arms continued marchin.g until they came to Jaffrc, ten leagues from Seville. It is a badly inclosed town ; but there is a very strong monastei-y which those of the town and country had fortified, and they had retreated thither trusting to its strength. On their arrival, the town of JafiVe was immediately tnken and burnt. They soon attacked the monastery ; but it was an hour before it was taken, when those who firet entered it gained great pillage : many were there slain. Having received intelligence that there were in some marshy grounds, in an adjoining valley, upward of twenty thousand head of cattle, pigs, cows, and sheep, they pushed forward ; and, having entered the marsh, ordered their infantry to drive out the cattle. They then resolved to return to their quarters in Besiouse, and set otit accordingly. They arrived there on the evening of the ensuing day with all their booty ; by ivhich they had provisions in abundance, and for a long time. Thus ended this expedition. When the lord Ferrande returned to Lisbon to the king, and reported to him what they had done against their enemies, and the great booty they had made, he imagined the king would have been well pleased; but no, for he said to him, " How, thou stinking rascal, hast thou dared, after the po.sitive denial I sent them, to consent to their making an excursion, and to accompany them thyself? By St. Jacob, I \vi]\ have thee ""Bon." Q. t " Couiti.see." Q. hanged." The knight, on this, cast himself on his knees, and said, " My lord, their captain acquitted himself dutifully and loyally ; but the others by force made him go with them, as well as myself, to show them the country. When the expedition has so well suc- ceeded, you ought to pardon it." Notwithstanding this speech, the king ordered him to prison, where he remained until the earl of Cambridge delivered him when he came to Lisbon on the business of which you shall hear. After the English and Gascons were returned to the town of Besiouse, and had remained there some time, they resolved to send to the king of Portugal to demand their pay. They chose unani- mously the lord Talbot, a baron from Wales, as their embassador. When the lord Talbot was come to Lisbon, and had remonstrated with the king on the subject of his mission, the king only made for answer, " that they had twice made excursions contrary to his orders, which had much displeased him, and had been the cause of the delay in their payment." As he could not obtain any other ansvrer, lord Talbot returned to his companions, and related what the king had said, which much angered them. This same week, the earl of Cambridge quitted Esti-emoz and came to Besiouse, where he took up his lodgings, in a monastery of monks on the outside of the town. The knights in garrison were rejoiced on hearing this ; for there were a!i:tong them some who were unable to wait so long for their pay from the king, and said among themselves, "We are mai-vellously well taken care of; we have bee;i in this country almost a year, and have never received any money. It is impossible but our commander must have had some, for he would never have borne it for so great a length of time." These murmurings increased so much that they declared they would not longer suffer such treatment, and fixed a day to debate the matter among themselves. The place of conference wa-s appointed in a handsome church situated without the town of Besiouse, and oppo- site to the Cordeliers, whore the earl of Cambridge had his residence. The canon of Robersac promised to attend : indeed, it was well he did, for othenvise it would have turned out badly. About eight o'clock, they were all assembled, except the canon, such as sir William Beauchanip, sir Matthew Gournay his uncle, the lord Talbot, sir William Ilermon;* and, of Gascons, the souldich de la Trane, the lord de la Barde, the lord de Chiteauneuf, and several more, who began to speak and make their complaints known to each other. There was among them a knight, bastard brother to the king of England, called sir John Sounder.t who was louder than all the rest, and said, "The earl of Cambridge has brought us hither: every day we venture our lives, and are willing so to do, for his service, and yet he keeps our pay. I therefore advise, that we form a strict union among ourselves, and unani- mously agree to display the pennon of St. George, declaring our- selves friends to God, and enemies to all the world; for if we do not make ourselves feared, we shall not have anything." "By my faith," replied William Helmon, " you say well, and we will doit." -\11 agreed to the proposal, and considered whom they should choose for their leader: they thought they could not have a better thaa Sounder, for he would have more leisure to do mischief, and had greater courage for it than the others. They hoisted the petmon of St. George, and cried out, "A Sounder, a Sounder, that valiant bastard ! Friends to God, and enemies to all mankind." They were tlien well inclined to attack the town of Besiou.se, and declare war against the king of Portugal. Sir Matthew Gournay and sir William Beauchamp had long argued against attacking Besiou.se, but had been little attended lo. At the moment they had displayed the pennon of St. Geoige, and \^■ere quitting the church, the canon arrived, and, pushing through the crowd, got up to the head altar, when he cried aloud, " My fair sirs, what are you going to do? Be orderly and temperate, I conjure you ; for I see you are much disturbed." Sir John Sounder and sir William Helmon then advanced to him, and related what they had done and what were their intention.'^. The canon, by fair language, restrained them : " Consider, gentlemen, what you are about: that which you intend is folly and madness. We cannot destroy our- selves more efiectually. If we make war on this country, our ene- mies will hear of it, and will gain courage when they see wo cannot oppose them. We shall thus ruin ourselves two ways ; for our ene- mies will be rejoiced and assured of what at present they may only suspect, and we shall forfeit our loyalty to the earl of Cambridge." " -\nd what would you have us do, canon?" said Sounder: "we have expended much more than our pay, and since otu' ariival in Portugal we have not had any loan or any payment whatever. If you have been paid, we have not, and your complaints will be vain." " By my faith. Sounder," replied the canon, "I have not received more than you have, nor will I receive anything without your knowledge." Some of the knights present answered, " We firmly believe you : but all things must have an end. Show us how we may get clear of this business with honor, and that as speedily as may be ; for if we be not well paid, and in a short time, matters will go ill." The canon de Robersac then replied, "Fair sirs, I would advise first of all, in the situation we are in, that we wait on the carl of Cambridge, *"Herincjn." (i. Froissart culls him aftenvards Helmon. t In chap. 85, this kniehl is called by Froissart Messire Jei)an Fondroe, and hei» Messirc Jehan Soullier.— Ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 299 and remonstrate with liim on these matters of which he ought to be informed." " And who is there among us," said one, " who will remonstrate with him ?" " I will," replied Sounder ; " but you must all avow what I shall say." The whole company promised to do so. They then departed with the pennon of St. George, which they had that day displayed, carried before them, and came to the Cordeliers, where the carl of Cambridge was lodged. Just as he was going to dinner, these companions, to the amount of about seven hundred, entered the court, and demanded the earl, who, having quitted his chamber, came into tlic hall to speak with them. The knights had advanced with Sounder at their head, and remonstrated in an agreeable manner and speech, saying, " My lord, it was you who assembled us in England ; and we came hither according to your entreaties, as well as others whj are iiuw without ; we have left our country to oblige you. You are therefore our chief, and we must look to you for our pav, of wliich hitherto we have not received anything; for, as to the king of Portugal, we should never have come to iiis country nor entered his service, if you had not been our paymaster. Hov.'cver, if you say the war concerns only the king of Portugal, and that you are not interested in it, we w'ill soon pay ourselves our subsidy, for we will overrun the country, let the con- sequences be what they may." " Sounder," replied the earl, " 1 do not say that you ought not to be paid ; but, that if you overrun this country, you will throw great blame on me, as well as on the king of England, who is so strictly allied to the king of Portugal." " And what would you have us do ?" asked Sounder. " I will," replied the earl, " that you choose three of our knights, an English- man, a Gascon, and a German, and that these three set out for Lisbon, to explain tj the king this business, and the length of time he has delayed payment to our companions. AVhen you shall thus have summoned him, you will have a better right to follow your own inclinations." " By my faith," said the canon dc Robersac, " my lord of Cambridge says well, and speaks wisely and boldly." They all agreed to this last proposal ; but, notwithstanding, they would not take down the pennon of St. George, saying, that since they had imanimjusly raised it in Portugal, they would not lower it so long as they should remain there. They then selected those who were to wait on the king of Portugal : sir William Helmon was chosen by the English, sir Thomas Simon by the Germans, the lord de Chat- cauneuf by the Gascons. These three knights set out, and continued their journey until they came to Lisbon, where they found the king, who received them handsomely, asked from them the news, and what their companions were doing ? " My lord," they replied, " they are all in verj' good health, and would willingly make some excursions, and employ this season otherwise than they do ; for long idleness is not agreeable to them." " Well," said the king, " they shall very shortly make an excursion, and I will accompany them, and you will let them know this from me." " My lord," answered sir William, " we are sent hither by their orders, to tell you, that since their aiTival in this 4:ountry, they have neither had loan nor payment from you, and that they are not satisfied ; for whoever wishes to obtain the love and service of men-at-arms must pay them better than you have hitherto done, the neglect of which they have for some time taken to heart; for they know not on whom they depend, and have thrown the blame on our captains, so that the affair was on the point of taking a very disagreeable turn. Our chiefs excused themselves, as it was known they had not received anything. Now, know for a trath, they will be paid their full pay, if you wish their services ; and if you will not pay them, they assure you by us, that they will pay themselves from your country. Therefore consider well this busi. ness, and give us such an answer as we may carry back ; for they are only waiting our return," The king mused a little, and then said, " Sir William, it is but just they should be paid : but they have much vexed me, by disobeying my orders, in making two excursions, which if they had not done, they should long ago have been fully satisfied in every respect." " Sire," repHed sir William, " if they have made any excursions, they have turned out to your advantage : they have taken towns, castles, and overrun the territories of your enemy, even as far as Seville : all this has been gallantly performed. They ought not to lose this season, which, indeed, they are deter- mined not to do ; for they declare, on our return, they will pay them- selve.=, unless they shall receive by us. a more gracious answer, than as yet t'.iey have obtained from you." *' Well," said the king, '"in- form them, that within fifteen daj'S at the latest, I will give orders fur their pay to be delivered to them, to the utmost farthing ; but tell the earl of Cambridgi that I wish to speak with him." " Sire," replied sir William, " I will do so, and you say well." As he finished these words, dinner was served, when they dined together, and the king made the three sit at his table, and feasted them much. Thus passed the day, and on the morrow they returned to their friends. As soon as their anival was known, the knights crowded about them, to learn what they had done : tiiey related to them the answer, and the king's promise, with which they were all well satisfied. " Now see," said Sounder, " if riot be not some times of use : we have advanced the delivery of our pay, by having been a little riotous ; he fares well who is feared." The three knights waited on the earl of Cambridge, and reported to him what they had done, and that the king wanted to speak with him. He set out from the town in the morning, and rode to Lisbon, where he was joyfully received by his son and daughter-in-law. The king had a long conference with him, when they determined on cer- tain expeditions. The king, in consequence, issued his surnmons throughout the realm, for every one to be prepared for the field by the seventh of June, and to assemble between the towns of Badajos and Clemence. This summons was published throughout the king- dom of Portugal, when all descriptions of men armed themselves in the best manner they were able, to be at the rendezvous on foot, by the appointed day. On the arrival of the earl of Cambridge at Lisbon, don Ferrande obtained his liberty, with whom the king had been much angered, on account of those before-mentioned excursions. The earl took his leave, returned to his companions in high spirits, and ordered them to be in readiness by the day which had been fixed on. Soon after money arrived for the pay of the troops, the captains first, so that every one was contented ; but the pennon of St. George was still displayed. CHAPTER XCI. THE KINGS OF CASTILLE AND POKTUGAL ASSEJIBLE THEIK FORCES. PEACE MADE BETWEEN THEM AGAINST THE WILL OF THE ENGLISH. Don John of Castille was not idle in collecting numbers of men- at-arme. Two thousand spears, knights and squires, and four thou- sand infantry, had come to him from France : he had, besides, in his own country, ten thousand horse, and as many foot. As he resided at Seville, he was not ignorant ot the summons which the king of Portugal had issued : he therefore, finding himself the strongest, thought he should act more honorably in this war, if he sent to the king of Portugal, to ask him to fix on any spot in his dominions, where the two armies could meet, and fight it out ; imd that, if he would not, he would offer a place in .Spain for the «om. bat. He therefore sent a herald with this message, who rode on unlil he came to Lisbon, where he delivered it to the king, word for word. The king replied to the herald, that he would maturely con. sider the option given to him, and would send to the king of Spain his final answer. The herald, having exesuted his commission, took leave of the king, and returned to Seville. He found there the king and his barons, as well as those who had come from France, Arragon end Galicia, to whom he reported all he had heard or seen. No long time passed, before the king of Portugal was advised by the councils of the English to oiler a place in his own country, for the two armies to combat. Sir Thomas Simon and the souldich de la Trane were ordered, on the part of the kin^, to seek for a proper situation : they chose a spot between Elvas and Badajos, where there was room sufficient for the battle. As they were going to execute this order, the two knights and their men skirmished with some advanced forces of the king of Castille: the engag^ement was severe, and several were slain and wounded on both sides. They, however, returned to the king of Portugal, and related where they had chosen a fit situation, and also the name of the place. A German knight, called sir John Coustedor, was ordered to carry this intimation, attended by a herald, to the king of Spain. The knight set out, and rode to Seville, where he found the kingr, and related what the king of Portugal had instrurted him to say, that he accepted his offer of combat, and had fixed on a place for the field of battle, between Elvas and Badajos ; and that within five days after his return from Seville, ho would there find the king of Portugal with his whole army, who desired nothing better than to give him battle. The Spaniards were much pleased w ith this news, as were also the French. Sir Tristan de Rove, sir John de Ver- ncttes, sir Peter de Villsmes, and others, taking with them the knight from Portugal, entertained him magnificently for one whole day in Seville, and showed him as inuch respect as possible. They escorted him as far as Jaflre, when they returned ; and the knight continued his journey to the king of Portugal and his knights, and told them how he had delivered his message, and the answer he had received, which gave them great satisfaction. It was not long before the king of Portugal came and encamped w^here his army was, between Elvas and Badajos. It was a hand- some plain below some olive trees ; and he had brought thither the greater part of his subjects from whom he could expect assistance : they might amount to about fifteen thousand men. On the fourth day after^vards, the earl of Cambridge arrived with the English, in handsome array: they were about six hundred men-at-arms and as many archers : they encamped themselves together, separate from the king's army. When the king of Spain heard that the king of Portugal w-as encamped on the field where the battle was to be fought, he seemed delighted, and said : " Come, let us make haste : our enemies are waiting ; it is time for us to set out. We have oflered them battle, which they have accepted, and are ready by the day appointed, so that an engagement must ensue : let us therefore march thither." The men-at-arms were then ordered to advance with their men, for the king was setting out. All the knights, squires and men-at-arms, in consequence, broke up their quarters, both Spaniards and French, and followed the banners of don John of Castille, who encamped 300 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. two shoit leagues from Badajos, in the plains of Elvas. The king of Spjiii had in his army upward of thirty thousand fighting men, includiag those mounted on genets : they were in the whole sixty thousand. In this situation, the two armies remained opposite to each other. There was only between them the mountain of Bada. jos, which is a large town belonging to the king of Spain, and where his men went whenever they were in want of provision. The city of Elvas was on the opposite side, and belonged to the king of Por- tugal. On tlie plain there were daily skirmishes ; for the young bachelors who were desirous to advance themselves went thither, when some gallant feats were continually perforaied : they then remrned to their quarters. Things remained in this state for upward of fifteen days ; and it was not any fault in the king of Spain that the combat did not take place, for it depended solely on t!ie king of Portugal, who, not being in sufficient force to meet the Spaniards, was afraid of the event. He well knew, that if he were defeated, his kingdom would be lost, and that whole season he had been expecting the duke of Lancaster, witli the great aid he was to bring him from England, of four thousand men-at-arms and the same number of archers. The earl of Cambridge had assured the king of Portugal, that he might depend on this, and thought nothing could prevent it ; for the duke of Lancaster, when he was setting out for Scotland, had sworn to him by his faith, that on his return, he would think of no- thing else, and would instantly come to Portugal with such an army as should enable liim to engage with the king of Castille. Tnie it is, that the duke of Lancaster did everything in his power to prevail on the king and his council to listen to this business : but on account of the internal troubles which had happened this year, and some events which had fallen out in Flanders, the king and his council would not consent to this expedition to Pormgal, so that all the men. at.arms were detained in England. When the king of Portugal heard this, and found that he must not expect any succors from England, he began to open a treaty : the grand.master of Calatrava, don Pedro de Modesque, the bishop of Burgos and the bishop of Lisbon, entered into negotiations for peace between Portugal and Spain. These were carried on so success- fully, that peace was made, without any notice being taken of the English. The earl of Cambridge was very melancholy on learning this news, and would willingly have made war on the king of Portu- gal, if he had been strong enough in the country ; but he was not ; he was therefore obliged to endure this peace whether he would or not. The English complained that the king of Portugal had behaved ill to them, from the beginning to the end, and that he had always dissembled with the Spaniards, for he had never had any inclination to fight with them. The king excused himself, by throwing all the blame on the duke of Lancaster, and the English, for not coming according to their promises, and assured them that at that moment he could not act otherwise. CHAPTER XCII. A JOUST BETWEEN A FRENCH KNIGHT AND AN ENGLISH SQUIRE. THE EARL OF CAMBRIDGE LEADS BACK HIS ARMY TO ENGLAND, WITH HIS SON, WHOSE BETROTHED WIFE, THE INFANTA OF POKTUOAL, IS AFTER- WARDS MARRIED TO THE KING OF CASTILLE. In the army of the king of Castille was a young knight from France, called sir Tristan de Roye, who was desirous of displaying his courage. When he saw, that as peace was concluded, there would not be any engagement, he detennined not to quit Spain, without doing something to be talked of. He sent a herald to the English army, requesting, that since peace had put an end to tlie com- bat, some one would have the kindness to tilt with him three courses with the lance before the city of Badajos. When this request was brought to the army, they consulted together, and said it ought not to be refused. A young English squire then stepped forth, called Miles Windsor, who wished honorably to be created knight, and said to the herald, " Friend, return to thy masters and tell sir Tristan de Roye, that to-morrow he shall be delivered from his vow, by Miles Windsor, before the city of Badajos, according to his request." The herald returned, and related the answer to his masters, and sir Tristan de Roye, who was highly pleased. On the niDrrow morn- ing. Miles Windsor left the aimy of the earl of Cambridge and went toward Badajos, wMch was hard by, as there was only the moun- tain to cross, well accompanied by his friends ; such as sir Matthew Goumay, sir William Beauchamp, sir Thomas Simon, the souldich de la Trane, the lord de Chdteauneuf, the lord de la Barde, and sev- eral more ; there were upward of one hundred knights on the spot, where the tournament was to be performed. Sir Tristan de Roye was already there, accompanied by French and Bretons. Miles was created a knight by the souldich de la Trane, as being the most accomplished knight there, and the person who had been in t!ie greatest number of brilhant actions. When the combatants were completely armed, with lances in their rests, and nrounted, they spurred their horees, and, lowering their spears, met each other with such force that their lances were twice broken against their breast- plates, but no other hm^t ensued. They then took their third lance, and the shock was so great that the heads of Bordeaux steel pierced their sliields, and through all their other armor even to the skin, but did not wound the:*i ; the spears were shattered, and the broken pieces flew over their helmets. This combat was much praised by all the knights of each side who were present. They then took leave of each other witli much respect, and returned to tlieir different quarters, for no other deeds of arms were performed. Peace being now restored, botli Spaniards and Portugese returned to their own homes. In such manner was this great assembly of Spaniards, English and Portuguese broken up. At this time, news was brought to the army of the king of Spain, that the king of Granada had declared war against the kings of Bar- bary and Treme^en, and that all men.at-anns who might wish to go thither would be received into pay. The king of Granada had sent passports, and ordered his messengers to say, that to thoee who ar- rived in Granada, he would advance a quarter's pay. Several French knights who wished to advance themselves, as sir Tristan de Roye, sir Geofl^ry de Chargny, sir Peter de Clermont, took leave of don John of Castille, and went to those parts in search of deeds of arms. Some English went thither also, but they were few in number; for the earl of Cambridge conducted them to England, canning his son with him. He showed how much dissatisfied he was with the king by not leaving his son behind, who had been betrothed to the infanta of Portugal. The earl said the air of Portugal did not agree with his son's health ; and in spite of eveiylhing the king could urge, he would not permit him to stay, adding that he was too young to remain in Portugal, from which the following consequences ensued. About a year after the conclusion of this peace, when the English were returned home with the earl of Cambridge, the queen of don .Tohn of Castille died : she was daughter to the king of Arragon. The king being thus a widower, it was considered by the barons and prelates of Spain and Portugal, that the propcrest alliance which could be made with the lady Beatrice of Portugal was the king of Spain, who could not more nobly connect himself than with the in- fanta. In order to confirm the peace between the two kingdoms, the king of Portugal consented, and broke off' the match with the son of the earl of Cambridge, by a dispensation from the pope, who confirmed this new alliance. Thus became the infanta of Portugal queen of Spain, Gallicia, and Castile; and she brought the king a son the first year of her marriage, to his gi'eat joy. The king of Portugal died soon after this event : but the Portu. guese were unwilling to submit themselves to the dominion of the Spaniards, and gave the crown to a bastard brother of the king, who was grand-master of the order of Avis,* and called the bastard of Portugal. He was a valiant man, had always borne arms, and much beloved by the Portuguese, as they showed ; for they crowned him king, and chose him lord for his valor. This transaction wxs the cause of great war between the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, as you shall hear related in the course of this histoiy. When the earl of Cambridge, the canon de Robersac, and the English knights were returned from Portugal, and had waited on the king and duke of Lancaster, they were very graciously enter- tained, a-s was right, and then they were asked for news : they told them a suiHciency, and the history of their whole campaign. The duke of Lancaster, whom this business touched more essentially than any other, on account of the claim he had made to Castille, in right of his wife, the lady Constance, eldest daughter to don Pedro, inquired of his brother every particular, and how they had conducted them- selves in Portugal. The earl told him, that the armies remained upward of fifteen days opposite to each other : " and because, my fair brotlier, there came no intelligence of you, the king of Portugal has- tily made peace, and, in spite of everything we could say, he would not consent to a battle : our men were much concerned thereat, for they would willingly have hazarded it. Seeing, therefore, that affaii-s were not on a very sure foundation, I have brought home my son, although he has been betrotiicd to the infanta." " I believe you were in the right," replied the duke ; " but perhaps they may break this marriage, if they shall find a more agreeable alliance." " By my faith," said the earl, " happen what may, I have done nothing that I repent of." Thus ended this conversation between the duke of Lan- caster and earl of Cambridge, when they entered on other matters. We will now leave them, and the wars of Spain and Portugal, to return to tliose of Ghent, the earl and country of Flanders, which were very destructive. CH-A.PTER XCIII. GHENT IS IN GREAT DISTRESS FOR PROVISIONS ; THF.T ARE SUCCORED BT THE INHABITANTS OF LIEOE. Ever since the burning of Grammont, and the breaking up the siege of Ghent, through the grief of the earl of Flanders for the death of his cousin, the young lord d'Anghien, as you have before heard, the war was carried on solely by thegarrisons in the different towns. The whole country was for the earl, except the Quatre Metiers, whence provisions were sent into Ghent, as well as from the conn, try of Alost. But the earl of Flanders, on hearing that cheese, but- ter and other things were sent to Glient from Alost and the adjacent villages, soon put a stop to it, by ordering the garrison of Dendremond *"Avis." Froissart calls him master Deoys. Fuf particular of the order of tlie Btrtl, see tlie Historie dee Ordree de Cbeveleiie. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 301 to bum and destroy the whole of thot flat country : which orders being obeyed, the poor people who lived on ilie produce of tlieir cattle were forced U) fly into Brabant and Hainault, and the greater part to beg their bread. There still, however, remained a country dependent on the Quatre Metiers, whence Ghent drew all its provis- ions, which their enemies could not prevent. This whole winter of 1382, the earl and country of Flanders had BO much constrained Ghent that nothing could enter tlie place by land or water : he had persuaded the duke Brabant and duke Albert to shut up their countries so effectually, that no provisions could be exported thence, but secretly, ajid with a great risk to those who attempted it. It was thought by the most intelligent, that it could not be long before they perished through famine, for all the store- houses of corn were empty, and the people could not obtain bread for money : when the bakers had baked any, it was necessary to gfuard their shops, for the populace wlio were starving would have broken them open. It was melanclioly to hear these poor people (for men women and children, of good substance were in this miser- able plight) make their daily coniplaiiils and cries to Philip von Ar- taveld, their commander-in-chief. He took great compassion on them, and made several very good regulations, for which lie was much praised. He ordered the granaries of the monasteries and rich men to be opened, and divided the corn among the poor at a fi.xed price. By sucli means he gave comfort to the town of Ghent, and governed it well. Sometimes t'lere came to them in casks flour and baked bread from Holland and Zealand, which were of great assist- ance ; for, had they not been thus succored by those countries, lliej' would have been much sooner defeated. The duke of Brabant had forbidden any of his subjects to carry provisions to the inhabitants of Ghent, under pain of death; but, if they would run tlie risk of coming to seek them, tiiey might sell or give. When Lent came, they were in the greatest distress ; for they bad not any provisions suitable to that lime : insomuch that a body of soldiers and other persons, to the amount of twelve thousand, driven desperate by famine, left the town and went te Brussels. On their arrival, tlie gates were closed, for they v.-ere doubtful of their intentions, not know-ing wliat to think of them. V/hen they were near to Brussels, they sent a party unarmed to the gates, in search of provision, begging, for the love of God, they would have pity on them, and let them have victuals for their money, as they were dying of hunger, and would not do any harm to the country. The good people of Brussels had compassion on them, and carried them food sufficient to satisfy their hunger. They remained there to recruit themselves about three weeks, but did not enter any of the principal towns : they advanced as far as Louvain, the people of which place also took pity on them, and gave them many tilings. The leader and conductor of these men of Ghent was Francis Atremen, who advised them how to act, and also made for them their agreements with the different towns. During the time they were refreshing themselves in the country round Louvain, he went to Liege, accom- panied by twelve others, where he remonstrated so effectually with the magistrates that they consented, with the approbation of their bishop, the lord Arnold d'Erele, to send to the earl of Flanders, and use tlieir utmost endeavors to make a peace between them : adding, that if Liege had been as near to them as Brabant and Hainault, they would have more effectually assisted them in their rights, and in de- ending their privileges. However, they said, " We will now do everything we can for you, and, as you are merchants, and merchan. dise ought to pass freely everywhere, we have determined that you may contract at this moment for five or six hundred cart loads of corn and flour, which we will allow you to have, provided the good people from whom this provision comes can be satisfied. Our com- merce will be suffered to pass through Brabant, for that country is in friendship with us ; and, notwithstanding Brussels is shut against you, we know it is more through fear than inclination. The Brus- selers have great compassion on your sufferings ; but the dake and duchess of Brabant, at the solicitations of the earl of Flanders, are more his friends than yours, as it is natural that great lords should support each other." The men of Ghent were much pleased with the affectionate offers the Liegeois made them ; they warmly thanked tliem, and said, that with such allies and friends, the town of Ghent might do nmch. Francis and the citizens of Ghent who had aecompauicd him into Liege, having finished their business, took leave of the magistrates, who ordered certain persons to attend them through the country to collect carts and horses. In two days they had si."; hundred loaded with corn and flour, for such stores were then more necessary to them than any others. They set out on their return, passing between Louvain and Brussels. When Francis Atremen was returned to his men whom he had left in the neighborhood of Louvain, he related to them the love and courtesy which those of Liege had shown, and the offer they had made of their friendship. He added, that they would go to Brussels to speak with the duchess of Brabant, and beg and entreat of her, on the part of the good town of Ghent, to condescend to mediate between them and tlie earl their lord, so that they might obtain peace. They replied, " God's will be done," and marched to Brussels. The duke of Brabant, at this time, was at Luxembourg on his af. fairs ; and Francis, by permission of the duchess, who was desirous to see him, entered the town, attended only by two other persons They waited on her at her h6tel at Colleberge, where the duchess had assembled part of her council ; and, throwing themselves on their knees, Francis, who spoke for all, said, " Much honored and dear lady, may it please you, out of your great humility, to have compassion on the inhabitants of Ghent, who are not able, by any means hitherto employed, to obtain the pardon of their lord ; but if you, very dear lady, would mediate between our lord and us, so that he would hear but reason and have mercy on his vassals, you would do a most charitable act, and our good friends and neighbors of Liege would U]iite to assist you at any time and in any manner you shall please." The duchess replied with much genfleness, " that she had long been sorry for the dissensions which had arisen between her brother* the earl and them, and would willingly have put an end to them for some time past, had she been able or had she known how to do it : but you so often oppose him, and are so obstinate in your opinions, that it keeps up his anger and hatred against you. Notwithstanding all this, for love of God and through compassion, I will cheerfully undertake tliis business, and se-nd to request he will have the good, ness to come to Tournay, where I will order my privy council. You will also exert yourselves to gain the council of Hainault, to accom- pany that of Liege, which you say is ready to serve you." " Yes, madam, for they have so promised us." " Well," said the duchess, " I will do something that you shall hear of." They replied, " God preserve, madam, your soul and body." At these words they took leave of the duchess and her council, departed from Brussels, and returned to their men and carriages, which were waiting for them, and then continued their road to Ghent. When the news arrived that their people were returning, and bringing with them six hundred cart-loads of provision, of which they were in such great want, they were highly delighted : these provis- ions, however, from Liege were not sufficient to maintain the town fifteen days ; but to those who are comfortless a little thing gives hope. They made a numerous procession to meet this convoy, and, by way of humbling themselves, they fell on their knees when they met it, and with uplifted hands, said to the merchants and drivers, " Ah, good people, you do an act of great charity : you bring comfort to the lower classes in Ghent, who would not have had wherewithal to cat, if you had not come. Let us first give our thanks and praises to God, and then to you." In this manner were the provisions at- tended to the market-place, and there unloaded : they were then delivered out in small proportions to those who were in the greatest want ; and five thousand men were ordered to arm themselves, and to escort back these carts as far as Brabant, and out of all danger. The earl of Flanders, who resided at Bruges, had information of all this, and how Ghent was so much straitened that it could not hold out for any length of time. You may imagine he was not very much vexed at their poverty, any more than those of his council, who would, with pleasure, have seen the town of Ghent destroyed. Gil- bert Matthew and his brothers, the deacon of small trades of Ghent, and the provost of Harlebecque, were in high spirits at what they heard. All these events happened in Lent, during the months of March and April 1382.t The earl of Flanders determined to lay siege to Ghent once more, but with a much superior army to what he had hitherto brought against it; for he declared he would invade the Quatre Metiers, and burn and destroy them, as they had been too active in assisting Ghent. The earl therefore signified his inten- tions to all the piincipal towns in Flanders, that they might be ready in time. Immediately after the procession at Bruges, he was to march from hence, to lay siege to Ghent and destroy it. He wrote also to those knights and squires who were dependent on him in Hainault, to meet him at Bruges at the appointed day, or even eight days before. CHAPTER XCIV. THE EARL OF fLANDERS SENDS A HARSH ANSWER TO THOSE WHO WISHED TO MEDIATE A PEACE BETWEEN HIM AND GHENT. THE POPULACE, UNDER THE NAME OF JIAILLOTINS, RISE AGAIN AT PARIS. Notwithstanding all these summons, levies and orders, which the earl of Flanders was issuing, the duchess of Brabant, duke Albert and the bishop of Liege, exerted themselves so much, that a meet- ing ot their councils, to consider of the means of establishing a peace, was ordered to be held in the city of Tournay. The carl of Flan- dors, at the request of these lords, and the ducliess of Brabant, although he intended to act contrary, gave his terms of accommoda- tion ; and these conferences were fixed for the end of Easter, at Tournay, in the year 1382. Twelve deputies came from the bishopric of Liege and the chief towns, with sir Lambert dc Perney, a very discreet knight. The duchess of Brabant sent her council thither, and some of the princi- pal inhabitants from the great towns. _ Duke Albert met likewise his council from Hainault, his bailiff', 'sir Simon dc Lalain, with others. All these came to Tournay in Easter-week ; and Ghent sent also twelve deputies, of whom Philip von Artaveld was the hend. The inhabitants of Ghent had resolved to accede to what- * Her brother. He hiid married one of ber eialers. t " 1^83." That is, beginning the year at January, oUierwiM 1381. 302 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . ever terms their deputies should agree on, with the exception that no one was to be put to death ; but that if .t pleased the earl, their lord he mioht banish from Ghent, and the country of Flanders, all those who were disagreeable to him, and whom he might wish to punish without anv possibility of their return. This resolution they had determined to abide by ; and Philip von Artaveld was willing, if he should have angered the earl ever so little, during the time he was governor of Ghent, to be one of the banished men, for lite, out of the regard he had for the lower ranks of people. Certain it is, that when he set out from Ghent for Tournay, men, women and children cast themselves before him on their knees, and with uplittcd hands, besought him, that at whatever cost it might be, he would bring them back peace ; and, from the pity he felt for them, he had agreed to act as I have just related. When the deputies from Liege, Brabant and Hainault, who had been sent to Tournay as mediators, had resided there three days expecting the carl, who neither came nor sent ; thsy were much surprised, and, consulting together, resolved tj send to him at Bruges. In consequence, they dispatched thither sir Lambert de Perney, the lord de Compellant from Brabant, sir William de Hermen* from •Hainault, and six citizens from the three countries. The carl of Flanders entertained them handsomely, as was right, hut told them, ■"that at that moment, it was not agreeable to him to come to Tour, nay; yet, in consideration for the cause which had brought them thither, and the trouble they had taken to come to Bruges, as well as out of respect to their lords, the duchess of Brabant his sister, duke Albert his cousin and the bishop of Liege, he would instantly send his council to Tournay with his final declaration, and what were his future intcniions." They therefore returned to Tournay, and related what the carl had said. Six days afterwards, arrived at Tournay, by orders of the earl, the ^ lord de Raseflez, the lord de Gontris, sir John Villame and the pro- vost of Hariebecque, who made excuses from the earl why he came not in person. They then delivered the eari's determination, that the inhabitants of Ghent were not to expect peace from him, unless all persons, from the age of fifteen to sixty, submitted to come out of that city, bare-headed in their shirts, with haltere about their necks, on the road between Ghent and Bruges, where the eari would wait for them, and grant them pardon or put them to death, accord- ing to his pleasure. When this answer was carried by the deputies of the three countries to those of Ghent, they were more confounded than ever. The bailiff of Hainault, then addressing them, said : " My good gentlemen, you arc in groat peril, as you may each of you judge, and we can assure you of it : now, if you accept these temis, he will not put all to death that shall present themselves be- fore him, but only some who have angered him more than the rest ; and means may be found to mollify him, and e.xcite his compassion ; fio that those who may think themselves certain of death will be pardoned : accept, therefore, these offers, or at least consider well before you refuse them ; for I believe you will never have such made to you again." Philip von Artaveld replied : " We are not commissioned to treat on such terms by our townsmen, nor will they ever accept them ; Init if the citizens in Ghent, upon our return, after having informed them of the answer from the eari, shall he willing to submit them- selves, it shall not be our fault that peace is not made. We give you our best and warmest thanks for the great trouble and pains you have taken in this business."' They then took leave of those well- intentioned persons, and the other deputies from the principal towns of the three countries, and showed plainly that they would not ac- cept of the offered terms for peace. Philip von Artaveld and his companions went to their hotels, discharged their bills, and returned through Brabant to Ghent. Thus was this conference broken up, which had been assembled with the best intentions, in the town of Tournay, and each man returned to his home. The earl of Flanders never made an inquiry what was the answer of the Ghent deputies, so very cheap did he hold them. He wished not for any treaty of peace , for he well knew he had punished them so hard they could not hold out against him much longer, and that the end must be honorable to him : he was also desirous to reduce Ghent to such a situation that all other towns might take warning from it. About this period the Parisians again rose, because the king did not reside among them. They were afraid lest he should order his men-nt-arms to force the gates of the city in the night-time, overrun it, and put to death whomsoever he pleased. To avoid this danger, which they dreaded, they kept guards in all the streets and squares every night, and barricaded the streets with chains, to prevent any cavalry from pai^sing ; nor would they suffer any one on foot to pass : and those found in the streets after nine o'clock, who were not ac- knowledged by them or their partisans, were put to death. There were in the city of Paris upward of thirty thousand rich and power- ful men, armed from head to foot, and so handsomely arrayed that few knights could afford to rival them. They had, in like manner, armed their servants, who had mallets of iron and lead for the bruis- ing of helmets. They said in Paris, when they were mustering .iheir men, that they were sufficient in number and strength to fight their own battles, without the aid of the greatest lord on earth. These people were called the army of mallets. CHAPTER XCV. THE CITIZENS OF GHENT, AFTEK HAVING HEAED FROM PHILIP VON AR- TAVELD THE TERMS OF PEACE WHICH HE HAD BROUGHT FROM TBE CONFERENCES AT TOURNAY, MARCH OUT, TO THE NUMBER OF FIVE THOUSAND, TO ATTACK THE EARL OF FLANDERS IN BRUGES. *'* Hermen," Q. Helmon. iee p. 20d.— Ed. When Philip Von Artaveld and his companions returned to Ghent, great crowds of the common people, who only wished for pence, were much rejoiced on his arrival, and hoped to hear from him good news. They went out to meet him, saying, "Ah, dear Philip von Artaveld. make us happy : tell us what you have done, and how you have succeeded." Philip made no answer to these questions, but rode on, holding down his head : the more silent he was, the more they followed him, and were the more clamorous. Once or twice, as lie was advancing to his house, he said, "Get you to your homes, . and may God preserve you from harm ; to-moiTow morning be in the market-place by nine o'clock, and there you shall hear every, thing." As they could not obtain any other answer, the people were exceedingly alarmed. When Philip Von Artaveld had dismounted at his door, and his companions were returned to their homes, Peter du Bois, anxious to learn what had been done, came in the evening to Philip, and, hav- ing shut himself in a chamber with him, asked what success he had met with. Philip, who wished to hide nothing from him, replied : " By my faith, Peter, from the answer which my lord of Flanders has given by those of his council whom he sent to Tournay, he will not pardon a soul in Ghent ; no not one." " By my troth," said Peter du Bois, " he is in the right, and has been wisely advised to send such an answer ; for we are all equally implicated one as much as another. I have succeeded in my expectntion ; for the town of Ghent is in such confusion that it cannot well be appeased. We must become desperate, and it shall be seen if there be not prudent and valiant men in Ghent. In a few days, the town of Ghent will be the most respected in Christendom, or the most humbled. How- ever, if we do perish in this quarrel, we shall not die alone. You must now, Philip, consider how you will relate the conferences of Tour.'.ay to-morrow, so that every one may be satisfied with your conduct. You are at this moment in high favor with the people, for two reasons ; one, on account of the name you bear, for Jacob von Artaveld, your father, was formerly much beloved in this town ; the other, from the genrie and friendly manner with which you address them, which they publicly praise i they will therefore firmly believe everything you shall tell them ; and, toward the end, you shall add, ' If I were to advise, I would do so and so :' but it is necessary you consider this well, so that you stand on sure grounds and gain honor by it." " Peter," said Philip von Artaveld, "you speak truth ; and I think I shall be able to explain and harangue in such a manner on the affairs of Ghent that, between ourselves, we who are the gov- ernors and lenders in Ghent shall live and die with honor." Nothing more was said or done at that time, for they separated : Peter du Bius returned to his house, and Philip remained where he was. You may easily imagine, when the day so eagerly expected was come, in which Philip was to report what had passed in the confer- ences at Tournay, that all the inhabitants of Ghent were early in the market-place. It was on a Wednesday morning, and the time of meeting nine o'clock. Philip von Artaveld, Peter du Bois, Peter ie Nuitre, Francis Atremen, and the other chiefs came there ; and, having entered the town-hall, they ascended the staircase, when Philip, showing himself from the windows, thus spoke : " My good friends, it is true, that through the entreaties of the ^-ery noble lady the duchess of Brabant, the most puissant and noble prince duke Albert, regent of Hainault, Holland and Zealand, and of my lord the bishop of Liege, a conference was appointed to be holden at Tournay these last days, which the earl of Flanders was personally to attend, and which he had promised to the noble persons just men- tioned, who have indeed most handsomely acquitted themselves. They sent thither their most able counsellors, and the principal in- habitants from the greatest towns, who waited several days in expec- tation of the earl of Flandei-s ; but he came not, nor indeed sent any excuses. When they perceived this, they resolved to choose three knights from the three countries, and six citizens, and send them to him. Out of affection to us they undertook the business, and went to Bruges, where they found my lord of Flanders, who entertained them well, as they said, and willingly listened to them : he then declared, that out of respect to their lord, and to his sister, in-law, madame de Brabant, he would send his council to Tour- nay in the course of five or six days, so well instructed, that they would clearly explain his determined intention, which when they should hear, they would know how to act : not obtaining any other answer, they returned on the day appointed. In consequence of this, the lord de Raseflez, the lord de Gontris, sir John Villames, and the provost of Hariebecque, came to Tournay, where they very graciously informed us of the will of the earl, and the only means of putting an end to this war. They declared his final terms for peace between him and the inhabitants of Ghent were, that every CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 303 male inhabitant, excepting priests and monks, from the age of six- teen to that of sixty, should march out of the town in their shirts, with bare heads and feel, and halters about their necks, and should thus go two leagues or more to the plains of Burlesquans, where they would meet the earl of Flanders, attended by such whom he may choose to bring with him ; and that, when he should see us in this situation, with joined hands, crying out for mercy, he would, if he pleased, take compassion on us. But I could not learn from his council, that there was the least plea of justice to put to death such numbers of people as would be there that day.* Now, consider if you will have peace on these terms ?" When Philip had done speaking, it was a melancholy sight to be. hold men, women, and children, bewailing, with tears, their hus- bands, fathers, brothers, and neighbors. After this tumult and noise had lasted some time, Philip again addressed them, and cried out, *' Silence, silence !" when, on his beginning to speak, they ceased lamenting, "Worthy inhabitants of Ghent, you who are here assem- bled, are the majority of its citizens, and you have heard all I had to report to you : I see no means of remedy but a determined con- duct. You know how very nmch we are straitened for all sorts of provision, and that there are thirty thousand persons in this town, who have not ealen bread for fifteen days. In my opinion, we have but the choice of three things ; the first, that we close all our gates, and then, after having confessed ourselves, most fully, retire into the churches and monasteries, and there die confessed and repentant, like martyrs, to whom no mercy has been shown. In this state God will have pity on us, and on our souls ; and wherever this shall be told or heard, they will say that we died nobly, like loyal men-at. arms. Or, let us resolve to inarch out, men, women, and children, ■with halters about our necks, bareheaded, and with naked feet, and implore the mercy of my lord the earl : he is not so hard-hearted, nor so obstinate, but when he shall see us in such a humiliating con- dition, he will be softened, and take pity on his subjects ; and I will be the first to offer him my head, in order to assuage his hatred, and sacrifice myself for the city of Ghent. Or, let us choose from five to six thousand of the most determined men in the town, and in. stantiy march to attack the earl in Bruges ; we will give him com- bat ; and if w'e should be slain in the attempt, at least we shall die with honor, and God will have mercy u])on us ; and the world will say, that we have gallantly and valorously maintained our quarrel. If however, in this battle we be victorious, and our Lord God, who in ancient times delegated his power into the hands of Judas Mac- cabeus, the chief of his Jewish people, so that the Syrians were defeated and slain, would be indulgent enough to grant us this kind- ness, we should be everwhere the most honored people since the time of the Romans. Now consider which of these three proposi- tions you will make choice of, for one of them must be adopted." Those who were near him, and had most distinctly heard w-hat he had said, replied, " Ah, dear lord, we put our whole confidence in you : what woidd you advise us ? for we will do whatever you think will be most for our advantage." " By my faith, then," said Philip, " I would advise that we all march in arms against my lord. We shall find him at Bruges ; and, when he hears of our coming, he will sally forth and fight with us ; for the pride of those in Bruges and about his person, who excite him day and night against us, will urge him to the combat. If God shall, through his mercy, grant that we gain the field, and defeat our enemies, our affairs will be instantly retrieved, and we shall be the most respected people in the universe. If we be defeated, we shall die honorably, and God will have pity on us ; and thus the remainder of the inhabitants of Ghent will escape and be pardoned by the earl our lord." .\t these words, they all shouted out, " We will follow this plan, and no other !" Philip then said, " My good gentlemen, since you are thus resolved, return home and get ready your arms ; for in the course of to-morrow, I am determined to march for Bruges : the remaining longer here will not be to our advantage. Within five days we shall know if we be to die, or to live with honor. I will order the constables of the different parishes to go from house to house, and choose the best armed and those most fit for the service." Immediately after the meeting broke up, and every one returned home to make ready, each according to his abilities ; they kept the gates of the town so closely shut that no person whatever was suf- fered to come in or go out before Thursday afternoon, when those who were to march on the expedition were prepared : in all about five thousand men, and not more. They loaded about two hundred carts with cannon and artillery, and only seven with provisions ; that is, five with bread and two with wine, for there were but two tuns of wine in the town. You may judge from this to what straits they had been reduced. It was a miserable spectacle to see those who went and those who remained. These last said to them, " Good friends, you see what you leave behind ; but never think of returning unless you can do so with honor, for you will not find anything here. The moment we hear of your defeat or death, we will set fire to the town, and perish in the flames, like men in despair." Those who were march, ing ou", replied, by way of comforting them, " What you say is very just. Fray God for us ; for wc place our hopes in him, and trust he will assist you, as well as us, before our return." Thus did these five thousand men of Ghent march ofl' with their slender stores, and encamped about a league from Ghent, but touched not their provision, taking up wi'h what they could find in the country. On Friday, they marched the whole day, and then med- dled not with their store." : but their scouts picked up some few things Ml the country, wiih which they made shift, and fixed their quarters that evening a long league from Bruges. They halted there, considering it a proper place lo wait for their enemies, for there were in front two extensive marshes, which were a good de- fence on one side ; and they fortified themselves on the others with the carriages, and thus passed the night. * " Mais je ne puis veoir. n'entendre, par iR relation de son conseil. qu'il ne convienne mourir honteusement par punition de justice et de prison, la greigueur partie du peuple qui Ik sera en ce jour." are tiie words of Froissart. accordniK to D, Pauvaee, wliicli are well rendered by Lord Bernera : " But. sirs. I cannat knnwe by the relacion of any of his counsttyle, but that by shameful! punycion of lustyce, and by imprisonment, tliere shall auffre dethe the moost part of the people that appere there that day." Mr. Johnes appears to have followed another copy, but tbe version which he has adopted does not appear very intelligible —Ed CHAPTER XCVI. THE OKDEK OF BATTLE OF THE GHEHT MEN. THEY DEFEAT THE EARL OF FLANDERS AND THE MEN OF BRUGES. THE MEANS BY WHICH THIS WAS BROUGHT ABOUT. The Saturday* was a fine bright day, and, being the feast of the Holy Cross, the inhabitants of Bruges, according to custom, made their usual processions. News was soon brought to Bruges, that the Ghent army was near at hand ; so that every one began to mnr. mur until the earl heard it, as well as those about his person. He was much surprised, and said, " See how the wickedness of these mad and foolish people of Ghent leads them to their destruction : indeed it is time this war should be put an end to." His knights, and othci-s, instantly waited on him, whom he very graciously received, and said, " We will go and fight these w'icked people ; however, they show courage in preferring death by the sword rather than famine." They determined to send out three men-at-arms to examine the force and situation of the enemy. The marshal of Flanders ordered three valiant squires on tnis service, whose names were Lambert de Lambres, Damas de Buffy, and John de Beart : they set out, mounted "n the finest horses in the town, and advanced toward the Ghent army. While this was going forward, every per. son in Bruges made himself ready, and showed the most eager desire to sally forth and combat the men of Ghent ; of whom I will now say a word, and of the manner in which they had drawn themselves up. On the Saturday morning, Philip von Artaveld ordered his whole army to pay their devotions to God, and masses to be said in different places ; (for there were with them several monks) that every man shotdd confess himself, and make other becoming preparations, and that they should pray to God with that truth, as people looking to him alone for mercy. All this was done, and mass celebrated in seven different places. After each mass was a sermon, which lasted an hour and a half; the monks and priests endeavored, by their dis- courses, to show the great similitude between them and the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh king of Egypt detained so long in slavery, and who, through God's grace, were delivered, and conducted by Moses and Aaron into the land of promise, while Pharaoh and the Egyptians were drowned. " In like maimer, my good people," preached the monks, " have you been kept in bondage by your lord, the earl of Flanders, and by your neighbors of Bruges, whom you are now to meet, and by whom you will, without doubt, be com- bated, for your enemies are in great numbers, and have little fear of your force ; but do not you mind this ; for God, who can do all things and is acquainted with your situation, will have mercy on you : therefore, think of nothing but what you have left behind ; for you well know, that everything is lost, if you be defeated. Sell yourselves well and valiantly ; and if you must die, die with honor. Do not be alarmed if great numbers issue forth from Bruges against you, for victory is not to the mullitude, but whither God shall please to send it ; and, by his grace, it has been often seen, as well by the Maccabees as the Romans, that those who fought manfully, and con. fided in God, discomfited the greater number. Besides, you have justice and reason on your side in this quarrel, which ought to make you feel yourselves bold and better comforted." In such words as these the priests had been ordered to preach to the army, and with these discourses they were well pleased. Three parts of them com. municated, and all showed great devotion and much fear in God. After the sermons, the whole army assembled round a small hill, on which Philip von Artaveld placed himself, in order lo be the bet. ter heard, and harangued them very ably, explaining to them every point in which they were justified in this war; and how Ghent had frequently sought pardon from the earl, and never could obtain it, without submitting to conditions too hard for the town and its inliab. itants : that now they had advanced so far they could not retreat ; and that, if they would consider, they would see nothing could be gained were they to return, for all they had left behind were in sor. row and misery. They ought not, therefore, to think of Ghent, their wives and children who were in it, but to act in such manner * •' The 3rd of May."— See I'.in ie Firijicr les Datts. 304 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND. BR ANCE, SPAIN. & c . as was becon.ing their honor. Philip von ArtavelJ addressed many more fine speeches to them : for he was very eloquent and had words at command, which was fortunate tor him, and toward the end he added " My good friends, you see here all your provision : divide it amon"-' you fairly, like brethren, without any disturbance; for when it Ts gone, you must conquer more, if you wish to live." At these words they drew up very regularly, and unloaded the carts, when the bags of bread were given out, to be divided by con- stablewicks, and the two tuns of wine placed on their bottoms ; and there they moderatelv breakfasted, each man having a sufficiency at that time ; after which breakfast they found themselves more deter- mined and active on their feet than if they had eaten more. This repast being over, tliev put themselves in order, and retired within their ribaudeaus. These ribaudeaus are tall stakes, witli points shod with iron, which they were always accustomed to carry with them. They fixed them in front of their army, and inclosed themselves within. The three knights who liad been sent by the earl to reconnoitre, found them in this situation : they approached the entrances of these ribaudeaus ; but the Ghent men never moved, and rather seemed rejoiced to see them. They returned to Bruges, where they found the earl in his palace, surrounded by many knights, waituig ior them, to hear what intelligence they had brought back. They pushed throu<^li the crowd, and came near the earl, when they spoke aloud, for the earl wished all present to hear, and said, " they had advanced so close to the Ghent army, that they might have shot at them, i they had so chosen, but they left them in peace ; and thtit they had seen their banners, and the army inclosed within their ribaudeaus." " And what are iheir numbers, think ye ?" said the earl. They answered, " that aa near as they could guess, they might be from hve to six thousand." " Well," said the earl, " now let every one in- stantly get ready ; for I will give them battle, and this day shall not pass without a combat." At these words the trumpet sounded in Bruges, when every one armed himself, and made tor the market, plac'c. As thev came, they drew up under their proper banners, as tliey had usually done, in bands and constablewicks. Many barons, knights, and men-at-arms, drew up before the pal. ace of the earl. When all was ready, and the earl armed, he came to tlie market-place, and was much pleased to see such numbers in battle-array. They then marched off, for none dared disobey his commands ; and, in order of battle, made for the plain : the men-at. arms afterwards issued forth from Bruges. It was a haridsome^sight, for there were upward of forty thousand armed heads ; and thus horse and foot advanced in proper order, near to the place where the Ghent men were, and then halted. It was late in the afternoon when the ea^l and his army arrived, and the sun going down. One of the knii'hts said to the carl, " My lord, you now see your enemies : they are "but a handful of men in comparison with your army, and as they cannot escape, do not engage them this day ; but wait for to-morrow, when you will have the day before you : you will, besides, have more light to see what you are about, and they will be weaker, for they have not anything to eat." , ,, ■,,■ i i, „ . The earl approved much this advice, and would wdlingly have followed it ; but the men of Bruges, impatient to begin the fight, woidd not wait, saying, they would soon defeat them and return back to their town. Notwithstanding the orders of the men-at-arms, for the earl had not less than eight hundred lances, knights, and squires, tlie Bruges men bean to shoot and to fire cannons. The Ghent men, being collected in a body on an eminence, hred at once three hundred cannon; after which they turned the marsh, and placed the Bruges men with the sun in their eyes, which much distressed them, and then fell upon them, shouting out, -'Ghent !" The moment the men of Bruges heard the cannon and the cry ol Ghent, and saw them marching to attack them in front, they, like cowards, opened their ranks, and letting the Ghent men pass without roakinc any defence, flung down their staves and ran away. 1 he Ghent°men were in close order, and, perceiving their enemies were defeated, began to knock down and kill on all sides. They advanced with a quick step, shouting, " Ghent !" and saying, " Let ua pursue briskly our enemies, who ai'e defeated, and enter the town with them : God eyes us this day with looks of pity." They followed those of Bruges with so much courage, that when, ever they knocked down or killed any one, they marched on without halting or Quitting the pursuit, while the men of Bruges fled with the haste of a defeated army. I must say, that at this place there were multitudes of slain, wounded, and thrown down ; for they made no defence, and never were such cowardly wretches aa those of Bruges, or who more weakly or recreantly behaved themselves, after then- insolence when thev first took the field. Some may wish to excuse them by supposing there might have been treason, which caused tlua defeat. This was not so ; but such poor and weak conduct fell on their own heads. defeat, and that there was not any remedy for it, for every man was running away as fast as he could, they were much suiprised, and began to be alarmed for themselves, and to make oflT in different directions. It is true, that had they seen any probability of recover- in" the loss which the Bruges men were sufi'ering, they would have doTic some deeds of arms, by which they might have rallied them a little : but they saw it was hopeless, for they were flying to Bruges in all directions, and neither the son waited for the father nor the father for his child. The men.at.arms, therefore, began to break their ranks. Few had any desire to return to Brages, for the crowd was so great on the road tluther, that it was painful to see and hear the complaints of the wounded and hurt. The men of Ghent were close at iheir heels, shouting out, " Ghent, Ghent I" knocking down all that ob. structed them. The greater part of the men-at-arms had never before been in such peril : even the earl was advised to make for Bruges, and to have the gates closed and guarded, so that the Ghent men should not be able to force them and become masters of the town. The earl of Flanders saw no help for his men, who were flying on all sides, and, as it was now dark night, followed this ad- vice and took the road to Bruges, his banner displayed before him. He entered the gates one of the firet, with about forty others, for no more had followed him. He ordered the guards to defend the gates if the Ghent men should come hither, and then rode to his palace, from whence he issued a proclamation, that ever\- person, under pain of death, should assemble in the market-place. The intention of the earl was to save the town by this meaas : but it did not suceeod, as you shall hear. While the earl was in his palace, and had sent the clerks of the different trades from street to street, to hasten the inhabitants to the market-place, in order to preserve the city, the men of Ghent, having closely pursued their enemies, entered the town with them, and in- stantly made for the market-place, without turning to the right or left, where they drew themselves up in array. Sir Robert Mareschaut, one of the'earl's knights, had been sent to the gates to see they were guarded : but, while the earl was planning means for defending the town, sir Robert found a gate fiung off its hinges, and the Ghent men mastera of it. Some of the citizens said to him, " Robert, Robert, return and save yourself, if you can, for the Ghent men have taken the town." The knight returned as speedily as he could to the earl, whom he met coming out of liis palace on horseback, with a number of torches. The knight told him what he had heard ; but, notwithstanding this, the earl, an.xious to defend the town, advanced toward the market-place, and, as he was entering it with a number of torches, shouting, " Flanders for the Lyon ! Flanders for the Earl !" those near his horse and about his person, seeing the place full of Ghent men, said, " My lord, return ; for if you advance further you will be slain, or at the best made prisoner by your enemies, as they are drawn up in the square and are waiting for you." They told him truth ; for the Ghent men, seeing the great blaze of torches in the street, said, " Here comes my lord, here comes the enrl • how he falls into our hands !" Philip von Artaveld had given orders to his men, that if the earl should come, every care was to be taken to preserve him from harm, in order that he might be earned alive and in "ood health to Ghent, when they should be able to obtain what peace thev chose. The earl had entered the square, near where the Ghent men were drawn up, when several people came to him and said, "My lord, do not come further ; for the Ghent men are nia<^tcre of tlie market-place and of tlie town, and if you advance, you will nin a risk of being taken. Numbers of them are now searching for their enemies from street to street, and many of the men of Bruges have joined them, who conduct them from h6tel to hotel to seek those whom they want. You cannot pass any of the gates without danger of being killed, for they are in their possession ; nor can you return to your palace, for a large rout of Ghent men have marched thither." , , • When the earl heard this speech, which was heart-breaking as you may guess, he began to be much alarmed, and to see the peril he was in. He resolved to follow the advice of not going further, and to save himself if he could, which was confirmed by his own judtrment. He ordered the torches to be extinguished, and said to those about him, " I see clearly that affairs are without remedy : I therefore five permission for evcrv one to depart and save himself in the be«t manner he can." His orders were obeyed. The torches were put out and thrown in the streets ; and all who were m com- panv with the earl separated and went away. He himself went to a by street where he was disarmed by his servant, and, throwing down his clothes, put on his servant's, saying, " Go about thy busi- ness, and save thyself if thou canst; but be silent il thou fall into the hands of mv enemies; and if they ask anything about me, do information." " My lord," replied the valet, I CHAPTER XCVII. BRUGES IS TAKEN BV THE GHENT ARMY. THE EARL 01' rL.lfTDERS SAVES HIMSELF IN THE HOUSE OF A POOR WOMAN. When the earl of Flandei-s and the men-at-arms saw that, by the miserable defence of the men of Bruges, they had caused their own not give them any : will sooner die." . , , , •. u . i . The carl of Flanders thus remained alone, and it may be truly said he was in the greatest danger; for it was over with him if he had at that hour, by any accident, fallen into the hands of the mob. who were going up and down the streets, searching every house for the friends of the earl ; and whomsoever they found they carried before Philip von Artaveld and the other captains in the market, place when they were instantly put to death. It was God aloao CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 305 who watched over him, and delivered him from this peril : for no one had ever before been in sueh imminent danger, as I shall pres- ently relate. The earl inwardly bewailed liis situation from street to street at this late hour, for it was a little past midnight, and he dared not enter any house, lest he should be seized by the mobs of Ghent and Bruges. Thus, as he was rambling through the streets, he at last entered the house of a poor woman, a very unfit habitation for such a lord, as there were neither halls nor apartments, but a small liousc, dirty and smoky, and as black as jet ; there was only in this place one poor chamber, over which was a sort of garret that was entered by means of a ladder of seven steps, where, on a mis. erable bed, the children of this woman lay. The earl entered this house with fear and trembling, and said to the woman, who was also much frightened, " Woman, save me ; I am t!iy lord, the carl of Flanders ; but at this moment I must hide myself, for my enemies are in pursuit of me ; and I will handsomely reward thee for the favor thou showest me." The poor woman knew^ him well, for she had frequently received alms at his door ; and had often seen him pass and repass, when he was going to some amuse- ment, or hunting. She was ready with her answers, in which God assisted the earl : for liad she delayed it ever so little, they would have tound him in conversation with her by the fireside. "My lord, mount this ladder, and get under the bed in which my children sleep." This he did, whde she employed herself by the fireside, with another child in a cradle. The earl of Flanders mounted the ladder as quickly as he could, and, getting between the straw and the coverlid, hid himself, and contracted his body into as little space as possible. He had scarcely done so, when some of the mob of Ghent entered the house ; for one of them had said, he had seen a man go in there. They found this woman sitting by the fire, nursing her child, of whom they demanded, " Woman, where is the man we saw enter this house, and shut the door after him ?" " By my troth," replied she, " I have not seen any one enter here this night; but I have just been at the door to throw out some water, which I then shut after me ; besides, I have not any place to hide him in, for you see the whole of this house ; here is my bed, and my children sleep overhead." Upon this one of them took a candle, and mounted the ladder, and, thrusting his head into the place, saw nothing but the wretched bed in which the chil- dren were asleep. He looked all about him, above and below, and then said to his companions, " Come, come, let us go : we only lose our time here : the poor woman speaks truth ; there is not a soul but herself and her children." On saying this, they left the house and went into another quarter; and no one afterwards entered it, who had had intentions. The earl of Flanders, hearing all this conversation as he lay hid, you may easily imagine, was in the greatest fear of his lite. In the morning he could have said he was one of the most powerful princes in Christendom, and that same night he felt himself one of the small- est. One may truly say, that the fortunes of this world are not stable. It was fortunate for him to save his life ; and this miraculous escape ought to be to him a remembrance his whole lifetime. We will now leave the earl of Flanders, and speak of Bruges, and how the Ghent men prospered. CHAPTER XC VIII. THE GHENT MEN SPARE THE FOREIGN MERCHANTS AT BRUGES. THE EARL OF FLANDERS QUITS BRUGES, AND RETURNS T9 LIELE, WHITHEK SOME OF HIS PEOPLE HAD ALREADY RETREATED. Francis Atremen was one of the principal leadera of the mob. He was ordered by Philip von Artaveld and Peter du Bois, to search the town of Bruges, and guard the market-place, until they should find themselves complete masters of the town. He was particularly commanded to suffer no harm to be done to foreign merchants, or other strangers then at Bruges, for they had nothing to do with their quarrels. This order was very well observed, and neither Francis nor any of his company did the smallest hurt to a foreigner. The search of the Ghent men was especially directed to the four trades, of jerkin.makers, glassmen, butchers, and fishermen ; for they had resolved to put to death all whom they should find of these different trades, because they had been partisans of the earl of Flandera at Oudenarde, and other places. They sought for them everywhere, and when they found any, they were killed without mercy. There were upward of twelve hundred, one with the other, slnin this night ; and many murders and robberies committed, which were never known : several houses robbed, and women and girls violated ; cof. fers broken open, and a variety of wicked deeds done ; insomuch, that the poorest of the Ghent army became very rich. On the Monday morning, the happy news of the defeat of tlie earl and his army, was brought to Ghent; that their men had not only conquered them, but also the town of Bruges, of which they were now mattere. You may guess the joy the people folt, who had been so lately in the greatest tribulation ; they made many processions to the church to return thanksgivings to God for the mercy he had show n them, and for the victory he had given to their army. Every day there came good news, which so much delighted them, they j iardly knew what they were about. I mention this ; for had the lord de Harzelles, who had remained in Ghent, marched that Sunday, or the Monday morning, with three or four thousand men to Oude- naide, he would instantly have conquered it : they were in such con. sternation at the success of the Ghent men, that they were on the point of quilting the town, to save themselves in Ha'inault, or else- where, and had made preparations for so doing. But when they perceived the Ghent people did not come, nor had any inteUigence respecting them, they recovered their courage. The knights who were there, such as sir John Bernage, sir Thierry du Ban, and sir Fleuriant de Heurl(Se, guarded and comforted them until tlie arrival of sir Damos de Haluin, who was sent thither by the carl, as I shall relate when I come to that period. No people ever behaved themselves better toward their enemies than the men of Ghent did to those of Bruges, nor conducted them, selves more graciously to a conquered town : they did no harm to any of the small tradesmen unless there were very strong accusations against them, ^^'hell Philip von Artaveld, Peter du Bois and the other captains saw they were completely masters of the place, they issued out a proclamation in their name for all persons to retire to their houses, and that no one should break open or pillage any house, nor be any way instrumental in raising of riot3, under pain of death. They then inquired what had become of the earlt some said, he had left the town on Saturday night: others that he was yet at Bruges, but so closely hid that he could not be found. The captains of the Ghent army paid no great attention to him ; for they were so rejoiced at their victory that they thought nothing of any earl, baron or knight in Flanders, and looked on themselves as so mighty that all the world must obey them. Philip von Artaveld and Peter du Bois considered, that when they had quitted Ghent they had left it destitute of all pro. vision, for there was neither corn nor wine in the town : they instantly detached a large party to Uamme and Sluys to gain those towns, and the provisions which were in them, in order to supply their fellow- citizens in Ghent. On the detachment arriving at Damme, the gates were thrown open, and the town with all in it surrendered. They ordered out of the fine cellars the wines of Poitou, Gascony, and la Rochelle, and from other distant countries, to the amount of si.x thou, sand tuns, which they loaded on carriages and sent by land to Ghent, and also by boats on the river Lis. They then marched on to Sluys, which instantly submitted to them and opened its gates. They found there great quantities of casks of corn and flour, in ships and in the storehouses of foreign merchants, and having paid for the whole, sent it by land and water to Ghent. Thus was Ghent delivered from famine, through the mercy of God. It could not have happened otherwise, and well ought the Ghent men to remember it ; for that God assisted them is very clear, when five thousand famished men defeated forty thousand, even before their own doors. They and their leaders ought to have humbled them, selves ; however they did not, but rather increased their pride, inso- much that God was angered with them, and punished their folly before the year was expired, as shall be related in the course of thiB history, for an example to the rest of the world. I was informed, and believe my authority good, that on the Sunday evening, when it was dark, the earl of Flanders escaped from Bruges. I am ignorant how he accompUshed it, or if he had any assistance, but some I believe he must have had. He got out of the town on foot, clad in a miserable jerkin, and when in the fields was quite joy- ous, as he might then say he had escaped from the utmost peril. He wandered about at first, and came to a thorn bush, to consider whither he should go; for he was unacquainted with the roads or country, having never before travelled on foot. As he lay thus hid under the bush, he heard some one talk, who by accident was one of his knights, that had married a bastard daughter of his : his name was sir Robert Mareschaut. The earl, hearing him talk as he was pas. sing, said to him, " Robert, art thou there ?" The knight, who well knew his voice, replied, " My lord, you have this day given me great uneasiness in seeking for you all round Bruges; how were you able to escape V " Come, come, Robert," said the earl ; " this is not a time to tell one's adventures ; endeavor to get me a horse, for I am tired with walking, and take the road to Lille, if thou knowest it." " My lord," answered the knight, " I know it well." They then travelled all night and the morrow till early morn, before they could procure a horse. The first beast they could find was a mare, belong, ing to a poor man in a village. The earl mounted the mare, without saddle or bridle, and travelling all Monday, came, toward evening, to the castle of Lille, whither a great part of his knights who had escaped from the battle of Bruges had retired. They had got off as well as they could ; some on foot, others on horseback, but all did not follow this road ; some went by water to Holland and Zealand, where tlu^y remained until they received better news. Sir Guy de Guistelles was fortunate in getting into a good situa. tioJi ; for he found the count Guy de Blois in one of his towns in Zealand, who handsomely entertained him, and gave him where. withal to remount and equip himself again, retaining him with him as long as he chose to stay. In a similar manner were the discom- fited knights remounted by those lords to whom they had fled ; they took great compassion on them, which was but justice, for nobles and gentlemen ought to be assisted and comforted by each other. 30G CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &( CHAPTER XCIX. THE CONDUCT OF THE GHENT MEM AT BRUGES. ALL THE TOWNS IN FLAMDERS SURRENDER TO THEM EXCEPT OUDENARDE. News was spread throuffh all countries of the defeat which the earl of Flanders and th-e city of Bruges had suffered from Ghent. Many were rejoiced at it, more particularly the common people. Those in the principal towns of Brabant and the bishopric of Liege were so much connected with them that they were the more pleased, as it was partly their own concern. Those of Paris and Rouen were equally delighted, though they dared not show it openly. When pope Clement heard the news, he mused awhile and then said, that this was a rod from God, to make the earl take warning, and that he had sent him this affliction, because he had rebelled against him. Several great lords in France and other countries said, the earl was not much to be pitied if he suffered a little ; for his presumption was such, that he never valued nor loved any neighboring lord, how- ever great, neither king of France nor other, if not agreeable to him ; on which account they felt the less for his distresses. Thus it falls out ; and as the proverb says, " On him to whom misfortune happens, every one turns his back." The town of Louvain, in particular, showed great joy at the vic- tory of Ghent, and the misfortunes of the earl ; for they were quar- relling with the duke of Brabant, their lord, who was inclined to make war on them, and pull down their gates; but they thought he would do better to remain quiet. They publicly said in the town of Louvain, that if Ghent were as near to them as Brussels, they wotdd be closely united. All these speeches were carried to the duke and duchess of Brabant ; but it behooved them to shut their eyes and ears, for it was not the moment to notice them. The Ghent men, during their residence at Bruges, made many innovations. They resolved to level two gates and the walls, and to fill up the ditches with them, that the inhabitants might be dis. abled from rebelling. They also determined, when they marched away, to take with them five hundred of the principal citizens to Ghent, to keep the town in greater fear and subjection. While the leaders were thus employed in destroying the gates and walls, and filling up the ditches, they sent detachments to Ypres, Courtray, Bergues, Gassel, Poperingue, Bourbourg, and to all the towns and castles in Flanders, on the sea-coast, and dependent on Bruges, to place them under their obedience, and to bring or send the keys of llie castles and towns, as a token of their submission. All obeyed ; for none dared to oppose them : and, according to the summons, they waited on Philip von Artaveld and Peter du Bois at Bruges. These two styled themselves commanders-in-chief in their procla- mations; but particularly Philip von Artaveld, who took the lead in the government of Flanders, and, during his residence at Bruges, kept the state of a prince. He had his minstrels daily to play before him at his dinners and suppers ; and was served on plate, as if he had been earl of Flanders. Indeed, he might well live in this mag- nificent manner, for he had possessed himself of all the plate, both gold and silver, that belonged to the earl, as well as the jewels and furniture of his apartments, found in his palace at Bruges, whence nothing had been saved. A detachment of the Ghent men was sent to Marie, a handsome house belonging to the earl, situated half a league from Bruges, where ijiey committed all sorts of outrages. They destroyed the house, and broke the font at which the earl had been baptized ; and, having ladeti on carts everything that was precious, of gold, silver or jewels, sent them to Ghent. During a whole fortnight, there were upward of two hundred carts daily going and returning from Bruges to Ghent with the immense pillage which Philip von Artaveld and the Ghent men had made by this conquest of Bruges ; the value of which was so great, that it was difficult to estimate its worth. When the Ghent men had done everything they willed to the city of Bruges, they sent to Ghent five hundred of its principal citizens, to remain there as hostages. Francis .\tremen and Peter le Nuitre escorted them with a thousand of their men. Peter du Bois remained governor of Bruges, until the walls, gates and ditches were completely levelled. Then Philip von -\rtaveld departed, taking the road toward Ypres ; where, on his arrival, he was met by all manner of persons, and received as much honor as if he were their natural lord, who had come, for the first time, to view his inheritance. -\11 submitted to his obedience. He renewed the powers of the mayor and sheriffs, and established new laws. Then came those of the castlewicks, beyond Ypres, Cassel, Bergues, Bourbourg, Furnes, Poperingue, who submitted to him, and swore allegiance and homage, as to their lord the carl of Flanders. When he had fully assured himself of their submission, and had remained eight days at Ypres, he departed, and went to Courtray, where he was received with great joy. He continued there five days, and sent his summons to the town of Oudenarde, ordering the citizens to come and submit themselves to him; for they risked much, seeing the whole country had turned to Ghent, while they alone re- mained behind. The messengers also told them plainly, that if they did not do as the others had done, they might depend on having the town instantly besieged ; and that the siege would not bo broken up until it were conquered, and all put to the sword. When this sum- mons was brought to Oudenarde, the governor, sir Damos de Haluin was absent, and only the three knights before mentioned in the place! They replied, with warmth, " That they were not to be frightenetl by the menaces of the son of a brewer of metheglin ; and that they would not, and could not, surrender, or any way diminish, the in. heritance of their lord, the earl of Flanders, but would guard and defend it with their lives." This was the answer the messengers carried back to Courtray. CHAPTER C. PHILIP VON ARTAVELD, ON HIS RETURN TO GHENT, LIVES IN GREAT POMP. THE EARL OF FLANDERS RESIDES AT LILLE. When Philip heard from the garrison of Oudenarde, that they neither cared for him nor his menaces, he swore, that whatever it might cost the country of Flanders, he would not attend to anything until he had taken and razed to the ground the town of Oudenarde. He was greatly enraged, and thought he might easily accomplish his threats; for all Flanders was inclined to serve him. After a residence of six days at Courtray, where he renewed the laws, and received the homage and allegiance of every one, just as if he had been earl of Flanders, he returned to Ghent. There came out a grand procession to meet him, and with such joy, that the earl, their lord, was never received so honorably. The people adored him as if he had been their god, because, through his advice, their town enjoyed such power and wealth. It is impossible to tell the vast quantities of valuables which came hither by land and water from Bruges, Damme and Sluys. The bread, which three weeks before was sold for an old groat, was now not worth more than four farthings. The wine which was at twenty-four groats, was now sold for two. All things were much cheaper at Ghent than at Toumay or Valenciennes. Phihp von Artaveld, like a great prince, kept a magnificent estab. lishment of horses, and was as grand in his hotel as the earl of Flan, dels was at Lille. He had his officers throughout Flanders, such as bailiffs, governors, receivers and Serjeants, who every week brought considerable sums to Ghent, where he kept his state, and was clothed in scarlet robes lined with furs, like the duke of Brabant or earl of Hainault. He had also his exchequer-chamber, where the money was paid, like to the earl ; and he gave dinners and suppers to the ladies and damsels of Ghent, as the earl used to do ; and, like him, was not more sparing of his money where his pleasures were con- cerned. When he wrote, he signed hiiuself Philip von Artaveld, regent of Flanders.* During this time, the earl of Flanders, who resided at Lille, had reason to be thoughtful, seeing that his country was more than ever in rebellion against him, an' of Flanders, until those towns and fortresses which are shut against the towns and countiy of Flanders, and particularly and expressly against the good town of Ghent, of which we are regent, shall be thrown open to the will of us the regent, and the good town of Ghent ; and, if this be not done as a preliminary, we shall not treat in the manner you request. For it seems to us, that the king, according to you, means to assemble a large army to assist his cousin our lord. We know and feel that there are double dealings going forward at this time, as was the case foimerly. Our intention therefore is, to be on sure ground and prepared for our defence ; for, if it should fall out as we expect, he will find our army ready to de. fend us against our enemies ; and we hope, through God's assist- ance, to be as fortunate as formerly in gaining a victory. "With regard to what you say of public ramor, that we, or some of our countrymen, have sought an alliance with the king of Eno-. land, and that we are to be aided from thence ; it is a truth that we are subjects of the crown of France, and that the king is our lord paramount, to whom we are bounden in allegiance. This we ever have performed. And even in these last days we sent him our let- ters, as to our sovereign lord, to entreat he would conclude a peace, to which he not only made no reply, but detained and imprisoned our messenger. This seems to us a blameable conduct in such a lord, and still greater in him, for we wrote to him as to our lord paramount, and he never condescended to send u5 any answer. Since therefore he has thus acted, we thought ourselves justified in seeking advantage for the country of Flanders from whatever persons we pleased, which has been the cause of the embassy to England, but nothing hitherto has been concluded. The king may not there- fore be too late, provided all the strong places shall be laid open to us. Notwithstanding, we had forbidden those of Tournay, the last time they came to our army, in future to dare to carry any letters or verbal message, withsut proper passports ; yet letters and messages have been carried to Bruges and Ghent ; for which reason we have imprisoned the messengers, and we will teach them not to carry such letters, that others may take warning from their example. We know well that yon are seeking to sow dissensions among us, and especially against me, Philip von Artaveld (whom God guard and preserve,) and that you wish to stir up treason where at this moment there is peace. We therefore warn you not to continue such prac. tices, until the before. mentioned towns be opened unto us, which, with God's help, they shall shortly be, and to whose protection we commend you, "Written before Oudenarde the 20th day of October, in the year 1383, Philip von Artaveld regent of Flanders," When Philip had written the above, in the presence of his coun. cil, they thought it coidd not be amended, and sealed it. They then considered to whom they should give it to carry, Philip asked, " Have we no prisoners from Oudenarde ?" " Yes," they replied, '■ we have a varlet who was taken yesterday in a skirmish, who is from Artois," " Send for him hither," On his coming, Philip said, <•' Thon art my prisoner, and I may, if I choose, put thee instantly to death, but thou hast had a narrow escape ; for since thou art here thou shalt have thy liberty, on condition that thou pledge Ihy troth to caiTy these letters to Tournay, and deliver them into the hands of the king's counsellors whom thou wilt find there," The varlet was never so happy in his life as when he was promised his liberty, for he considered his death as certain, and replied, " I swear my lord, on my troth, that I will carry them whithersoever you please, were it to hell," Philip, bursting out into laughter, said, "Thou hast well spoken," He ordered two crowns to be given to him, and had him escorted out of the camp, and put in the road to Tournay. When he arrived at Tournay they showed him the h6tel of the bishop of Laon, whither he went, and falling on his knees, punc- tually delivered his message to the bishop. They asked him news of Oudenarde and of the besieging army, when he told them all he knew. He was invited to dinner, and was, during dinner-time, closely questioned by the attendants of the bishop. The bishop of Laon went away, being unwilling to open the letters without his companions. When the three bishops and the knights were a.ssem- bled ihey opened the letters, read them attentively, and considered them maturely. They then delivered their sentiments, saying, " This Philip von Artaveld seemeth full of pride and presumption, and little loves the royal majesty of France." Having consulted together, they added, " The provosts, jurats and council of Tournay know that we have sent to Philip and the towns of Flanders : it is just they should learn the answer Philip has sent us." They sent for the provost, had the town.hall opened, and sounded the bell which called the council together. When they were all assembled, they read to them the letters they had received. The wisest were astonished at the presumptuous expressions they contained. It was resolved that copies of these letters should remain at Tournay, The council then broke up, and every man returned to his home. CHAPTER ex. PHILIP rON ARTAVELD WRITES AFFECTEDLY CIVIL LETTERS TO TOUK- NAY. THE FRENCH COMMISSIONERS RETtJRN TO THE KINO, Philip continued with the army before Oudenarde, as you have before heard. He did not repent having sent such harsh and pointed answers to the commissioners of the king of France, but was sorry he had not written cajoling letters of civility to the provost and jurats of Tournay, pretending to show them honor, though he had very little respect for them ; for he was not willing to increase the hatred and ill will they bore him, Philip therefore wrote in manner and form following : the super- scription was, " To our honorable, wise and good friends, the provosts and jurats of the good town of Tournay, "Very dear and good friends, may it please you to know that we have received your letters, wherein mention is made of the two citizens of your town, ill intentioned carriers of letters to Ghent and Bruges, from the commissioners of the king of France, who have been arrested and detained by us, and whom you entreat to be set at liberty ; by which means the love and affection (which, through God's grace, subsists between us) may be continued uninteiTupted between you and the country of Flanders. This love, very dear friends, does not appear to be very great : for we have received information that the king of France, the dukes of Burgundy and Brittany, are assembling their lorces to come to the assistance of my lord, the earl, against the country of Flanders, to regain that country, and to fight with us, notwithstanding the letters which they have sent us to treat of peace and concord, which to us does not seem to be conduct becoming such persons; and for which reason we are upon our guard, and shall continue so henceforth day and night. With respect to the prisoners, your townsmen, we shall detain them until we know for a certainty the truth of this assembling of forces, and until it shall please us to set them at Uberty, You know, tliat when your citizens were lately in Flanders seeking peace, it was then ordered that no person whatever should bring messages or letters without a proper passport, Tliis however is what the lords commissioners, being with you, have done, in order to excite discord and dissensions in the country. We therefore entreat of you, dear friends, that you will not in futnre send any of your citizens or townsmen to Flanders by order of these commissioners. But if there should be anything that we can do, affecting your town or its citizens, we will attend to it in the same manner as we should wish our affairs might be attended to by you, in whom we have the greatest confidence, such as good neighbors ought to have for one another. And it is the general intention of all Flanders, that merchants and merchandise pass safely from country to country, without suffering the smallest injury. May God take you into his holy keeping! " Written at our army the 22nd day of October, in the year 1383, Philip von Artaveld regent of Flanders." Three days after the first letter had been sent to the commissioners from France, and while these lords were assembled in council in the hall, this second letter was brought by a varlet from Douay, who said, that those who were before Oudenarde had sent it to them. It was carried to the hall where the commissioners were, and read and considered at leisure. At length the commissioners replied ta ■312 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. those of Tournay, who requested their advice on the occasion : " Gentlemen, we would advise you not to have any acquaintance or dealings with the Flemings, for you will not be thanked for it in France. Neither receive nor open any letters which may come from them ; for, if it should be known in the king's council that you do BO, you will be blamed, and swfi'er for it. Affairs will not long remain in the state they are now in.*' Those of Tournay answered, " They would follow this advice, and, if it pleased God, they would never do anything to deserve a reprimand." The French commissioners staid but three days longer at Tournay, when they set out on their return to the king, whom they found at Peronne, and his three uncles, the dukes of Berry, Burgundy and Bourbon, with him. CHAPTER CXI. KINS CHAKLES, AFTER HEARING THE REPORT OF HIS COMMISSIONERS, AT THE INSTIGATION OF THE EARL OF FLANDERS WHO WAS PRESENT, ASSEMBLES HIS ARMY IN ARTOIS, AGAINST THE FLEMINGS. FIULIF V&N ARTAVELD GUARDS THE PASSES INTO FLANDERS. The day before the return of the commissioners, the earl of Flan- ders arrived at Peronne, to lay his aflairs before the king and council, and to do homage for the county of Artois, which he was bounden to do and had not performed since the decease of his mother, who had died this year. On the arrival of the commissioners, the council was assembled in the presence of the young king, when the letters before mentioned were read ; that of Philip to them, and the one he had sent to Tournay. They considered them in an unfavorable light, and declared that such pride and presumption in Flanders ought not to be sufl'ered. The earl of Flanders was not, as may be supposed, displeased on hearing tiiis : he therefore laid his griev- ances before the king and council very opportunely, when they were heard and attended to with pleasure. The king was advised to make the following answer : " Earl of Flanders, you will return to Artois ; and in a short time wc will ourself be at Arras, where you will perform your duty in the presence of the peers of France. I cannot better show you that I make the quarrel my own, than by my intention to march against our enemies." The earl was satisfied with this answer. Three days afterwards, ho left Peronne, and, returning toward Artois, came to Hedin. But the king of France, like one who was desirous of marching to Flanders to abase the pride of the Flemings, as his predecessors had formerly done, set his secretaries at work, and sent his letters and summons by messengers to all parts of his kingdom, ordering every one to hasten to Arras without delay, accoutred each, according to his rank, in the best manner ho was able ; for, if it were God's pleasure, he was determined to fight the Flemings in their own country. No lord of his realm disobeyed, but all sent orders to their vassals, and marched from the most distant countries, such as Auvcrgnc, Rouerguc, Toulousain, Gascotiy, Poitou, Limousin, Saintonge and Brittany : others came from the Bourbonois, For6t9, Burgundy, Dauphin(5, Savoy, Bar and Lorrain, and from all parts of France and its dependencies, to Arras. The assemblage of such numbers of men-at-arms wa^ a wonderful beautiful sight. The earl of Flan- dera resided at Hedin, and heard daily, from the king of France and the duke of Burgundy, of the great levies which were making, and in consequence issued a proclamation throughout Artois, forbidding any one, under pain of losing his life and fortune, to withdraw any- thing whatever from house, fortress or town ; for he was desirous that the men-at-arms who were marching to Artois should have the advantage of being served with whatever was in the low countries. The king of France came into Artois, where he remained. Men- at-arms came to him from all quarters, and so handsomely equipped it was a tine sight to see ; they quartered themselves as they arrived in ihe plains, and found all the barns quite full and well fm'nished. The earl of Flanders came to Arras, which greatly pleased the king and his lords: he performed his homage in the presence of those peers who were there, for the county of Artois, and the king ac- cepted hini as his vassal. His majesty then addressed him, saying, " Fair cousin, if it please God and St. Denis, wc will restore you to your inheritance of Flanders, and will abate the pride of Philip von Artavcld and the Flemings so effectually, that they shall never again have it in their power to rebel." " Mv lord," replied the earl, " I have full confidence in it; and you will acquire such honor and glory that as long as the world lasts you will be praised, for certainly the pride of th-e Flemings is very great." Philip, while at th« siege of Ondenarde, was informed of every- thing, and that the king of France was inarching a large army against him, though he pretended not to believe it ; and said to his people, " By what means does this young king think to enter Flanders ? He is as yet too young by a year to imagine he can frighten us by his assembling an army. I will have the entrances so well guarded that it shall not be in their power for this year to cross the river Lis." He sent to Ghent for the lord de Haraelles. On his arrival, he said to him 1 " Lord de Harzelles, you hear how the king of France is making preparations to destroy us. We must have a council on ihie subject. You shall remain here, and I will go to Bruges to learn surer intelligence, and to encourage the citizens of the principal towns. I will go to establish such garrisons on the river Lis, a-nd at. the chief passes, that the French shall not be able to advance through them." The lord de Harzelles having assented to this, Philip left the siege, and took the road toward Bruges. He travelled like a lord, having his displayed pennon before him, blazoned with liis arms : which were three hats argent on a field sable. On his arrival at Bruges, he found Peter du Bois and Peter le Nuitre, the governors of Bru. ges ; and having informed them, that the king of France was march- ing toward Flanders with a large army, and that it was necessary to provide a remedy by guarding the passes, he added ; " You, Peter du Bois, must go to the pass of Uommmes, il» j^'iiard tile river; and you, Peter le Nuitre, will defend the bridge of Warneton ; you will break down all the bridges on the river as far as La Gorge, Haselies, Meu- reville and Courtray, by which means the French will not bo able to pass. I will myself go to Ypres, to encourage them, and to remon- strate with them, that as we are all united in one common cause, none should fail or hesitate to perform what we have sworn to do. It is not in the power of the king of France, nor these Frenchmen, to cross the river Lis and enter Flanders provided the passes be well guarded, for they must follow the course of the river to seek for a passage." The two Peters replied, "Philip, you speak well, and we will obey what you have ordered. But have you had any news from our peo. pie in England V " No, by my troth," said Philip, " which I won- der at. The parliament is sitting at London, and very shortly we must receive intelligence from them. The king of France cannot make such haste, but we shall have received succors from England, before they could do us much harm. I hope that the king of Eng- land has issued his summons, and that the English will arrive here some night before we are aware." Thus did these companions dis- course together, who held all Flanders under their obedience, except Dendremonde and Oudenarde. CHAPTER CXI I. SEVERAL KNIGHTS OP THE PARTY OF THE EARL OF FLANDERS, HAVINS PASSED PONT-AMENIN, ARE DEFEATED AND KILLED ON THEIR ATTE>rPT TO REPASS IT, THE FLEMINGS HAVING BROKEN DOWN THE BRIDGE. PHILIP, HEARING THIS NEWS WHEN AT YPRES, HAKES USE OF IT TO ENCOURAGE THE INHABITANTS. While these preparations were going forward, and during the residence of the king of France at Anas, great bodies of men-at. arms were assembling in the Tourneois, Artois, and castleivick of Lille and its neighborhood. Some knights and squires, who resided at Lille and thereabout, resolved to perform feats of arms that should gain them renown, chiefly through the exhortations of the Haze de Flanders. They collected about six score knights and squires, and crossed the river Lis at Pont-Amenin, which was not then broken down, two leagues from Lille. They rode for the town of Harle, which they surprised ; and, after slaying many in the town and envi- rons, they drove the remainder out of the town. Their cries were heard in the neighboring villages; the inhabitants of which sounded their alarm bells, and marched toward Harle and Pont-Amenin, whence the cries seemed to come. When the Haze, sir .John Jumont, the constable de "V'uillon, sir Henry Duffle, and the other knights and squires had sufficiently alarmed the country, they thought it was time for them to retreat, and set out on their return, intending to repass the bridge, but they found it strongly occupied by Flemings, who were busily employed in destroying it; and, when they had broken down any parts they covered them with straw, that the mischief might not be perceived. The knights and squires at this moment arrived, mounted on the host of horses, and found upward of two thousand peasants drawn up in a body without the town, prepared to advance upon them. The gentlemen, on seeing this, formed, and having fixed their lances on their rests, those best mounted instantly charged this body of peas- ants, with loud shouts. The Flemings opened their ranks through fear, but others say through malice ; for they well knew the bridge would not bear them ; and they sold among themselves, " Let U8 make way for them, and we shall soon see fine sport." . The Haze de Flanders and his companions, desirous to get away, for any further stay would be against them, galloped for the bridge, which was now too weak to bear any great weight : however, the Haze, and some others, had the courage and good luck to pass over : they might be about thirty : but, as others were following, the bridge broke down under them. Horses and riders were overthrown, and both perished together. Those behind, seeing this misfortune, were Ihundei'Struck, and knew not whither to fly to save themselves. Some leaped into the river, intending to swim, but they were not able thus to escape. Great slaughter ensued ; for the Flemings fell upon them and killed them easily, and without pity. They made several leap into the water, and they were drowned. Sir John de Jumont narrowly escaped, for the bridge broke under him, but, by great agility of body he saved himself: he was, however, badly wounded on the head and body by arrows, and it was six weeks be. fore he recovered. At this unfortunate action were killed, the con. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c . 313 stables de Vuillon, de Boucliais, de St. Hilaire, and more drowned sir Henry Duffle was slain. Including drowned and killed, there were upward of si.\ty ; and very I'ortunate were those who escaped. Great numbers returned wounded from this enterprise. News was carried to the lords of France at Arras, of their countrymen having lost tlie day: and that the Haze do Flanders had conducted this fool- ish expedition. He was pitied by some, but by others not. Those who had been most accustomed to arms said, they had acted ill, to cross a river that was not fordable, attack a large town and enter an enemy's country, and return the way they had come, without having established guards on the bridge. It was not an enterprise planned by prudent men-at-arms, who were desirous of success; but, since they planned their enterprise with so much self-sufficiency, they had suffered from tlie consequence. This affair passed off, and was soon forgotten. Philip departed from Bruges and came to Ypres, where he was most joylully received. Peter du Bois went to Commincs, where all the inhabitants of the flat country were assembled, and instantly began liis preparations for defence, loosening the planks of the bridge, so that, if there should be eccasion, it could immediately be pulled down: but he was unwil- ling totally to destroy the bridge, lest the inhabitants of the adjacent flat country might suffer, who daily crossed it with their cattle in droves, to place them in greater security on that side of the Lis. The whole country was so much covered with them it was marvellous to see. The day Philip von Artaveld came to Ypres, news arrived of the defeat of the French at Pont-Amenin, and that the Haze had been nearly taken. Philip was mightily rejoiced at this, and said with a smile, to encourage those near, "By the grace of God, and the just cause we are engaged in, it will all end so ; and never sliall this king, if he should be so foolishly advised to cross the Lis, return again to France." Philip was five days in Ypres, and harangued the people in the open market-place, to encourage them and to keep them steady to tlieir engagements, telling them that the king of France was coming to destroy them without the least shadow of right. " Good people," said Philip, "do not be alarmed if he should nnirch against us; for he will never be able to cross the river Lis, as I have had all the passes well guarded, and have ordered Peter du Bois to Coramines with a large body of men : he is a loyal man, and one who loves the honor of Flanders ; and Peter le Nuitre I have sent to Warneton ; all the other bridges on the Lis are broken down, and there is neither pass nor ford which they can cross but at these two towns. I have also heard from our friends whom we sent to England. In a short time we shall receive considerable succors from thence, as we hai^e made a strong alliance with them. Keep up, therefore, valiantly your hopes, for our honor shall be unsullied ; and observe punctually what you have promised anil sworn to us in the good town of Ghent, which heis had such trouble and difficulty to maintain the rights and franchises of Flanders. Now, let all those who are determined to remain steady to the cause, according to the oath they took, gallantly lift up their hands to heaven as a token of loyalty." At these words, all who were in the market-place, and who had heard the speech, held up their hands as a sign of their loyalty. After this, Philip descended from the scaffold on which he had ha- rangued, and returned to his house, where he remained the whole day. On the morrow, he and his attendants mounted their horses and went toward Oudenarde, where the siege was still going on, notwithstanding the news of the French ; but on passing through Courtray, he rested two days. CHATTER CXIII. THE ORDER OF THE FRENCH ARMY IN ITS MARCH TO FLANDERS, AFTER THEY HAD HEARD THE BRIDGES WERE BROKEN AND GUARDED. We will for a while leave Philip von Artaveld, and speak of the young king of France, who resided at Arras, and who, as he showed, had a great desire to enter Flanders, to lower the pride of the Flem- ings ; and was daily increasing his army, by the arrival of men-at- arms from all quarters. After the king had tarried eight days at Arras, he went to Lens, in Artois,* where he staid two days. On the third day of November he departed and came to SecHn,+ where he halted. A council was held, in the presence of the constable of France, the marshals of France, Burgundy and Flanders, to consider how they should proceed ; for the common report in the army was the impossibility to enter Flanders in case the passes of the river should be strongly guarded. It rained, besides, at this time contin- ually, and was so exceedingly cold that they could not advance. Some of the wisest said it was wrong to undertake such an expedi- tion at this season of the year, and to bring the king so far into such a country^ They ought not to have united before the summer to carry the war into Flanders, for the king had never been so far in his life. Ti^in nver Lis is so difficult to cross, that, e.vcept at certain places, it cannot be passed. There are no fords, and the country it runs through is so very marshy, horses cannot approach it. The con- * " Lens "—a town in Artois on the Souchets, four leagues from Betliuue. t " SeclJa "—an ancient town in Flanders, near Lille. stable, on hearing this, asked, " Where does i4rise ?" He was an- swered, that it came from near Aire and St. Omer. " Since it has a spring," replied the constable, " we will easily pass it. Order our men to march toward St. Omer, where we can cross this river at our ease, and enter Flanders. These Flemings are so proud and self-sufficient, they will march to attack us, either before Ypres or at some other place." The marshals agreed to the proposition of the constable, and every, thing remained in this state the whole day and night, when, on the morrow, the lord d'.A-lbreth, the lord de Coucy, sir Aimemon de Pommiers, sir John de Vieime, admiral of France, sir William de Poitiers, the bastard de Langres, the bfegue de Villaines, sir Raoul. de Coucy, the count de Conversant, the viscount d'Acy, sir Raoul de Raineval, the lord de St. Just, sir Arthur de Hfidin, sir Anthony d'Archies, the lord de Saimpi, sir William des Bourdes, the lord de Longueville, the lord de Sulli, sir Tristan de I'Estouet, sir Oliver du. Guesclin, sir Maurice du Tresiquidy, sir Guy le Baveux, sir Lucas de I'Estrughen, sir Nicholas Pamel, the two marshals of France, sir Louis de Sancerre, and sir Louis de Blainville, the marshals of Bur- gundy and Flanders, sir Enguerrant de Haluyn, entered the chamber of the constable, to receive orders, how, and in what direction, they were to advance : whether they should march through Lille to Com- mines and Warneton, where the passes were guarded, or make for the upper countries of Vcnoye and St. Venant,* and there cross the Lis. There were many debates among these lords on this subject ; and those who knew the country said : " Certainly, at such a season as this, it will not be right to advance into that country, nor can we go into the' territories of Cassel, Surnes, or Verthes." " And what road shall we then take .'" cried the constable. Upon which, the lord de Coucy said, " 1 would propose that we march to Tournay and there cross the Scheld, and take the road toward Oudenarde. This road is very easy, and we shall engage with our enemies. After passing the Scheld, we shall not have anything to stop us before Tournay. We may thus arrive before Oudenarde, and punish Philip von Artaveld. We can liave daily refreshments of provisions come to us from Hainault, and follow us down the river from Tournay." This speech of the lord dc Couey was well attended to, and supported by several for some time : but the constable and marshals were more inclined to follow the course of the Lis, to seek a shorter passage, than to march to the right or left, by a longer road ; and they urged strong reasons for it, saying, " If we look for any other road but the straight one, we do not show ourselves good men-at-arms ; at least it is our duty to examine if we cannot pass the river above or below this pass of Commines, which is guarded. Besides, if we retreat, our enemies will rejoice and be encouraged : their forces will in. crease, and they will say that we fly from them. There is also another point which ought to be considered : we are ignorant what has been the success of the embassadors they sent to England ; for it, by any treaty, assistance should come to them from that quarter, they will give us much trouble. It is therefore better that we get rid of this business in Flanders as speedily as possible, than be thua long in determining upon it. Let us instantly, and with courage, march toward Commines, and God will assist us. We have so often crossed and recrossed larger rivers than this Lis, that it cannot long prevent us from passing it. Happen what may, when we are on its banks we can then form our opinions ; and when those of our com- pany in the vanguard (who have for these twenty or thirty years seen many more dangerous passes than this) have crossed this river, and gained the other side, our enemies will be a hundred times more frightened than if we had marched at our ease, seeking a passage on the right or left, out of our direct road : we may then consider ourselves as lords of Flanders." This plan was unanimously adopted. During the time these lords were assembled, they considered how they should form their battal- ions ; and selected those who were to march on foot with the con- stable in tlie vanguard, in order to clear the roads for the army to pass and march in a line, and to act as scouts to observe and find out their enemies. They also chose those who were to be in the king's battalion, regulated the arms with which they should serve, and appointed proper persons to carry the oriflamme of France and to guard it ; and likewise determined of what numbers the wings were to be composed, and how many were to be in the rear-guard. All these tilings they debated and arranged. AVhen these points had been settled, and they could not tlunk of anything more that was necessary to be done, the council broke up, and eveiy one retired to his lodgings. Those lords and barons who had not been present were informed of the regulations, and the manner in which they were to act from henceforward. It was this day ordered, that the king should on the morrow dislodge from Seclin, march through Lille without halting, and take up iiis quarters at Margnette I'Ab. bayee ; and that the vanguard should pass on to Commines and Warneton, and do the most they could in the course of the day„ This being settled, the master of the cross-bows, in conjunction with the constable and marshals, unanimously appointed sir Josse de Ha- luyn and the lord de Rambures to the command of the infantry, who were to clear the roads by cutting down hedges and forests, filling up valleys, and everything else that might be necessary : their num- bers amounted to seventeen hundred and sixty. * A town in Artois on the Lis, four leognes from Bethune. 314 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. against all who might wish to attack them : they were upward of nine thousand, under the command of Peter du Bois and others, who showed good inclinations to repulse any attempt. Peter du Bois had placed himself on the causeway, at the end of the bridge, with a battle-axe in his hand ; and the Flemings were drawn up on each side. The constable of France and the lords with him, having con. sidered the situation, thought it impossible to pass the river at that place unless the bridge were rebuilt ; they ordered their sen'ants to follow the course of the river, and examine its banks for about a league up and down. When they returned, tliey informed their mas- ters, who were waiting for them, tlicy had not been able to find any place where the cavalry could pass. Upon hearing this, the con- stable was much vexed, and said, '■ We have been badly advis-ed to take this road : better would it have been for ur, to have gone to St, Omer than remain in this danger, or to have crossed the Scheld at Toiirnay, as the lord de Coucy advised, and to have marched straight to Oudenarde and fought our enemies, since it is both our duty and inclination to combat them ; and they are so presumptuous they would have waited for ug at their siege." The lord Louis Sancerre In the vanguard w«e the marshals of Flanders, France and Btu-- gundy, who had under their command seventeen hundred men.at. arms and seven hundred cross-bows, besides four thousand infantry whom the earl had given to them, armed with large shields and other weapons. It was also ordered that the earl of Flanders, and his battalion, consisting of about sixteen hundred men-at.arms, knights, squires and infantry, should march on the wings of the vanguard to reinforce it, should it be necessary. It was likewise ordered that the king's battalion should march between the vanguard and the battalion of the earl of Flanders, and that the king's three uncles, Berry, Burgundy and Bourbon should be in it ; and also the count de la Marche, sir James de Bourbon, his brothers, the count de Cler- mont, the dauphin d'Auvergne, the coimt de Dampmartin, the count de Sancerre, sir .Tohn de Boulogne, to the amount of si.x thousand •".-.cn-at-arnis, two thousand Genoese cross-bows and others. The rear-guard was to consist of two thousand men-at-arms and two hundred archers ; the commanders of which were the lord John d'Artois count d'Eu, the lord Guy count de Blois, sir Waleran count de St. Pol, sir WiUiam count de Harcourt, the lord de ChSitillon and the lord de Sere. Sir Peter dc Villiers was appointed to bear the Ori- flamme, attended by four knights, whose names were Si:^!^-, sir Robert le Baveux, sir - - Morice de Sancourt, sir Guy '_~^^ de Tresiquidi and Brandon '' , de la Heuse : le borgne de Ruetand le borgne de Mont- doulcet were named toguard the banner. ^ It is proper to be known, that the lords who had plan- ^ ., , ned this expedition had de- termined tlicy would never return to France until they had engaged Philip von Art. aveld and his forces, and it was for this reason they had drawn up their battalions as ready for the combat on the morrow. The lords d'Al. breth, de Coucy, and sir Hugh de Hanlon were or- dered to form the battalions and place them in array. Sir William dc Bannes and the lord de Champreny were appointed marshals to attend to the Quarters of the king and his battalion. It was also ordered, that on the day of battle, no one but the king and eight val iant men appointed to attend his person, should be on horseback. The names of these eight men were as fol- lows : the lord de Raineval, le bfegue de Villaines, sir Aymemon de Pommiers, sir Enguerrant then said, " I am of opinion that we fix our quarters here for this A French Knioht unfurling the Oriflammk.— Designed from contemporary authorities. de Haluyn, the viscount d'Acy, sir Guy le Baveux, sir Nicholas de Pennel and sir William des Bourdes. The lord de Raineval and sir Enguerrant de Haluyn were to take post in front of the king : le bigue de Villaines and the viscount d'Acy (who is called in several places hereafter the viscount d'Aunoy) were to place themselves on day, and lodge our army, should it arrive, as well as we are able ; and that we send to Lille to seek for boats and hurdles, that may come down the river, with which to-morrow we can throw a bridge from these fine meads and cross over ; for we have no other alterna- tive." Upon this, sir Josse de Haluyn said, " My lord, we have each .side ; and sir Aymemon de Pommiers, sir Nicholas de Pennel, been informed that there will be great difficulties between this and sir Guy le Baveux and sir William des Bourdes, were to take post in! Lille; for the river Mcnyn, on which all boats must pass to come the rear. It was likewise ordered, that on the day of battle, sir Oliveri hither, has been obstructed by large beams thrown across it by the de Clisson, constable of France, and sir William de Poitiers, bastard Flemings who are in those parts: they have totally destroyed the de Langres, should advance on horseback, to reconnoitre and obseivel bridge, and we learn it is impossible for any vessels or boats to pass." the appearance of the enemy. CHAPTER CXIV. SOME FEW OF THE FRENCH, NOT BEINS ABLE TO CROSS THE LIS AT THE BRIDeE OF COMMINES, FIND MEANS OF DOING SO, BY BOATS AND OTHER CRAFT, UNKNOWN TO THE FLEMINSS. The orders above mentioned were punctually obeyed ; and the vanguard dislodged on the morrow, marching in order of battle to- ward Commines. They found the roads well made, for the lord de Fransures* and sir Josse de Haluyn had paid great attention to them: this was on the Monday. When the constable and marshals of France, with the vanguard, arrived at the bridge of Commines, they were forced to halt ; for it was so completely desti'oyed, that it was was not in the power of man to repair it, if any opposition should be made when they were attempting it, as the Flemings were in great force on the opposite side of the river, and ready to defend the pass "Fransures." He before calls him Ramburcs. I know not then," added the constable, " what we can now do. It will be better for us to take the road to Aire, and cross the Lis at that place, since we are unal)le to do so here." During the time the constable and marshals of France and Bur. gundy where in this dilemma at the bridge of Commines, several knights and squires silently withdrew, with the intent to hazard some gallant deeds of arms and attempt to cross the river, whatever it might cost them. They meant likewise to combat the Flemings in their intrenchments, and open a passage, as I shall now relate. While the vanguard was on its march from Lille to Commines, the lord de St. Py, and some other knights from Hainault. Flanders, Ar- tois, and even France, had held a council without the knowledge of the constable or marshals. They said, " We will procure two or three boats, which we will launch into the river Lis, at a sheltered place below Commines, and will fix posts on each side of the river where it is not wide, to fasten cords to. We shall by this means soon convey over a large body of men, and by marching on the rear of our enemies we may attack them, and, if victorious, we shall gain the reputation of valiant men-at-arms." After they had thus deter- CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 3ie rained in council, the lord de St. Py exerted himself so much that he procured from Lille a boat and cords, with every other necessary article. On the other hand, sir Hcrbeaux de Belleperche and sir John de'Iioye, who were companions in this expedition, had also caused a boat to be brought. Sir Henry de Manny, sir John de Malatrait and sir John Chauderon, Bretons, who had been of this council, had likewise provided one, and followed the preceding companies. The lord de St. Py was the first who arrived at the river with his boat, cords and fastenings. They fixed a strong stake to which they tied the cord : three varlets then crossed over, and the boat, ■with the cords, being launched, they fixed on the opposite side another strong post, to which they fastened the other end of the cord : and, this being done, they returned with the boat to their master. It happened that the constable and marshals of France were at that time at the bridge of Commines, pondering how they could discover a passage. They were then informed of the inten- tions of the lord de St. Py and the other knights. Upon which the constable, addressing himself to the lord Louis de Sancerre, said, " Marshal, go and see what they are doing, and if it be possible to cross the river in the manner they propose, add some of our men to theirs." Just as these knights were preparing to embark, the marshal of France came thither, attended by a large company of knights and squires. They made way for him, as was right. He stopped on the bank, and with pleasure saw the arrangement of the boats. The lord de St. Py, addressing him, said, " My lord, is it agreeable to you that we should cross here ?" "I am very well pleased with it," replied the mai-shal ; " but you are running great risks ; for if our enemies, who are at Commines, should know your intentions, they would do you great mischief" " My lord," answered the lord de Saint Py, " nothing venture nothing win : in the name of God and St. George, we will cross over, and, before to-morrow evening, will fall suddenly on our enemies and attack them." The lord de Saint Py then placed his pennon in the boat, and was the first who stepped into it : he was followed by nine others, who were as many as the boat could hold ; and instantly, by means of the cord they held, crossed over. When disembarked, in order to prevent themselves from being discovered, they entered a small alder grove, where they lay hidden. Those on the bank, by means of the cord, drew tie boat back. The count de Conversant, lord d'Anghien, embarked with his banner, with the lord de Vertain his brother, and seven others. These nine then passed, and the third time others followed them. The two other boats now anived that belonged to sir Herbaut de Belleperche, sir John de Roye and the Bretons, which were launched in the same manner the first had been. These knights then crossed, and none but determined men-at-arms did the same. It was a pleas- ure to see with what eagerness they embarked : at times a great crowd was pushing who should cross first, so that if the marshal of France had not been there, who kept them in proper order, accidents ■would have happened from their overloading the boats. News was brought to the constable and the lords of France at the bridge of Commines, how their people were crossing the river, when he said to the s«5neschal de Rieux, " Go and examine this passage, I beg of you, and see if our people be passing as they tell us." The lord de Rieux was never happier than when h« had this commision, and, clapping spurs to his horse, hastened thither with his whole company, to the amount of full forty men-at-arms. When he arrived at the passage where one hundred and fifty of his countrymen had already crossed, he immediately dismounted, and said he would also pass the river. The marshal of France would not refuse him ; and intelligence was sent to the constable, that his cousin the lord de Rieux had crossed. The constable mused a little, and then said, " Make the cross-bows shoot, and skirmish with the Flemings who are on the other side of the bridge, to occupy their attention, and prevent them from observing our people ; for, if they should have any notion what they are about, they will fall upon them, destroy the passage, and kill all those who have crossed : and I would much rather die than that should happen." Upon this, the cross-brows and infantry advanced. There were among them some who flung hand-grenades,* which bursting, cast * I call bombards, liand-greniides : to my mind, it explains this passage more easily. Liord Berners totally omits it. [The original is as follows : " Et y en avoit aucun autres qui eeltoyent bombardes portatives et qui gettoyent gros carreaux eiiipennez de I'er, et les faisoient volar outre le pout, jusque^ k la viile de Commines;" literally, "and they had fliere sitnie others who threw portable bombards, and which (or who) threw large quarrels (cross-bow bolls) pointed with iron, and made Ihein fly beyond the bridge as far as the town of Commines." The construction of the original sentence is such as to render it obscure : it is not clear whether the soldiers, or the bombards, threw the quarrels into the town. It does not appear that the town was near enough for the soldiers to throw grenades into it, over the river, and it is difficult to believe that the explosion of a hand-grenade could do damage at any considerable distance. Most of the cannons made about tlie time, when they began to be in general use, were of small dimensions, and were fitted with rings at tlie sides, by which they were earried ; to such, the tprm " portable bom- bards " may be justly applied, but grenades adapted to be thrown by the hand would, in all probability, have been more particularly distinguished. If we read, " They had there some others who carried portalde bombards which threw," &c., we shall proba- bly restore tjie true text, and tiie sentence becomes at once perfectly clear. Those who are at all acquainted with the nature of the errors which creep into and are continued ia repeateU MS. transcripts, ^vill readily perceive the cause, ifl this instance, where the out bolts of iron beyond the bridge, even as far as the town of Com- mines. The skirmish now began to be very sharp, and the van- guard, by their movements, seemed determined to cross the bridge if they could. The Flemings, being shielded up to their noses, made a good appearance, and defended themselves well. Thus passed this day, which was a Monday, in skirmishing ; and it was soon dark, for at that season the days are very short. The boats, however, continued to carry over men-at-arms in great numbers, who, on their landing, hid themselves in the alder wood, waiting for more. You may easily guess what perils they were in ; for, had those in Commines gained the least intelligence of them, they must have had them at their mercy, and conquered the greater part, besides taking the boats ; but God favored the other party, and consented that the pride of the Flemings should be humbled. CH.\PTER CXV. A SMALL BOnV OF FRENCH, HAVING CROSSED THE LIS, DRAW DT IN BATTLE ARRAY BEFORE THE FLEMINGS. I MAiNTAi.N, that all men of understanding must hold this enter- prise of the boats, and passage of men-at-arms, as a deed of superior valor and enterprise. Toward evening, the knights and squires of the vanguard were eager to cross with their companions ; and the lord de Laval, the viscount de Rohan, the lord de la Belliere, the lord de Combort, sir Oliver du Guesclin, le Barrels des Barres, the lord de Collet, sir Reginald de Thouars, the lord de Pousanges, air William de Lignae, sir Walter de Passat, le sire de Thouars, sir Louis de Consaule, sir Tristan do la Jaille, the -viscount de Meaux, the lord de Mailly, passed over, and Bretons, Flemings, Poitevins, French, Berruyers, Burgundians, Artois-men, Troyens, and Hain- auliers, in numbei-s, so that late in this Monday evening there were, on the Flanders side of the river, about four hundred men-at-arms, all the flower of knighthood : for no varlet was suffered to cross. The lord Louis de Sancerre, seeing so many gallant men (sixty banners and thirty pennons,) said, he should think himself to blame, if he remained behind. He then entered the boats, with his knights and squires ; and the lord de Hangest, tfcc. crossed at the same time. When they were all assembled, they said, *' It is time to march toward Commines, to look at our enemies, and see if wo cannot make our quarters good in the town." Upon this, they tightened their arms, buckled their helmets on their heads in a proper manner, and advancing through the marshes which are contiguous to the river, marched in order of battle, with banners and pennons displayed, as if they were immediately to engage. The lord de Saint Py was the principal conductor and commander-in-chief, because he knew the country better than any of the others. As they were thus marching in close order, in their way toward the to-ft-n, Peter du Bois and the Flemings were drawn up on the causeway ; when, casting their eyes toward the meads, they sa'w this body of men-at-arms approaching. They were exceedingly astonished, and demanded from Peter du Bois, " by what devil of a road have these men-at-arms come ? and how have they crossed the Lis ?" He replied, " They must have crossed in boats, and we have known notliing of the matter ; for there is neither bridge nor passable ford over the Lis between this and Courtray." " What shall we do !" said some of them to Peter du Bois : " shall we offer tliem battle ?" "By no means," replied Peter: "let them advance: but we will remain in our strength and in our place : we are on high gronnd, and they on low, so that we have great advantage over them ; and, if we descend to meet thein in the plain, we shall lose it. Let us wait until the night become more obscure, and then we will consider how we had best act. They are not of force sufficient to withstand us in battle : and, besides, we are acquainted with all the roads of the country, of which they must be ignorant." This advice was followed ; for the Flemings never budged from their post, but remained steady at the foot of the bridge, drawn up in order of battle on the causeway, in silence, and, by their appearance, seemed as if they had not noticed what was passing. Those who had crossed the river continued advancing slowly through the marshes, following the course of it as they approached Commines. The constable of France, on the opposite side of the water, saw his men-at-arms, with banners and pennons fluttering in the wind, drawn up in a handsome small battalion, and marching toward Commines. On seeing this, hrs blood began to run cold from the great dread he had of their being defeated ; for he knew the Flemings were in great force on that side of the water. In the excess of rage, he cried out, "Ah, St. Ives! ha, St. George! ha, our Lady! what do I see there ? I see in part the flower of our army, who are most unequally matched, I would rather have died than have witnessed this. Ah ! sir Louis de Sancerre, I thought you more temperate and better taught than I improper repetition of the word " gettoyent" has rendered a passage, at first perfectly plain, inelegant, and unintelligible. Mr. Johnes having once taken up tlie idea of the hand-grenade (which, according to all received accounts, was not invented till long after the events narrated in the text.) has spoken of their bursting, a circumstance not alluded to by Froissart. Lord Berners. who, though he docs not speak of grenades^ does not omit tlie bombards, gays. " Then the croes-bowes and men a-fote, and ^tuk- ncrs, shote over the bridge into the towne."— JEd.J 316 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . see you now are ; how could you have hazarded so many noble knights and squires, and men-at-arms, against ten or twelve thousarid men, who are proud, presumptuous, and well prepared, and who will ahow them no mercy, wliilc we are unable, if there should be a neces- sity, to aid Ihem? Ah, Rohan ! ah, Laval! ah, Rieux! ah, Beauma. noir! ah, Longueville I ah, Rochforl! ah, Manny! ah, Malatrait! ah. Conversant ! ah, such a one and such a one, how afflicted am I for you all ! when, without consulting me, you have run into such imminent danger. Why am I constable of France ? for, if you be conquered, I shall incur all the blame, and they will say I ordered you on this mad enterprise." The constable, before he heard that such numbers of valiant men had crossed, had forbidden any of those near him to pass the river ; but, when he saw the appearance of those who had passed, lie said aloud, " I give free liberty for all who wish it to cross, if they be able." At these words, the knights and squires stepped forth, seeking means to cross the bridge ; but it was soon night, and they were forced to leave off their attempt, though they had begun to lay planks on the beams, and even some had placed their targets to make a road ; so that the Flemings who were in Commines had enough to do to watch them, and were puzzled how to act, for on the one hand they saw below tlie bridge, in the marshes, a large body of men-at- arms, who had halted with their lances advanced before them, and to whom great reinforcements were coming, and on the other, those of the vanguard on the opposite side of the bridge, were constantly skirmishing with them and e.xerting themselves lustily to repair the bridge. In this situation were the French who liad that evening crossed over in boats. They had halted on the marslies, in mud and filth, up to their ancles. Now consider what must iiave been their courage and difficulties, when in these long winter nights they thus remained a whole night with their arms and helmets on, with their feet in the inire, and without any sort of refreshments. Certainly, I say, they •are wortliy of great renown, for they were but a handful of men in comparison with the Flemings in Commines and in that neighbor- hood. They dared not, therefore, advance to attack them, and for this reason had halted, saying among themselves, " Let us stop here until it be daylight, when we shall have a eight of these Flemings who quit not tlie advantage of their intrenchments ; but at last they will not fail to come to us, and when near we will shout our war cries with a loud voice, each his own cry, or the cry of his lord, not. withstanding alt our lords may not have joined us : b}' this means we shall frighten them, when we will fall on them with a thorough good will. It is in the power of God, and within the compass of our own ability, to defeat them, for they are badly armed, while our spears and swords are of well-tempered steel from Bordeaux ; and the hau- bergeons* they wear will be a poor defence, and cannot prevent our blows from penetrating through them." With such hopes as these did those who had passed the river comfort themselves, and remain in silence during the night. The constable of France, who was on the other side of the river, toward Lille, had great anguish at heart on their account, and wished himself and army in the town of Commines with them. The. marshals of Burgundy and Flnndera, and those knights who were near his person, in order to comfort him, said; " My lord do not be cast down ; for all must own that those who have crossed the river are truly val- iant, as well as prudent knights, and we must believe they will not d.o anything but what shall be dictated by good sense and valor. They will not engage in combat this day, and you have given per- mission for all to pass the river as they can. To-morrow, as soon as daybreak shall appear, let us e.xert ourselves to cross the bridge. Wc have this day made more provision of planks and timber than will be necessary, so that we may be soon over to reinforce them, should they have need of it, and these wicked people will be pre. Tented from overpowering them." Thus was the constable of France consoled by the valiant men in his company. CHAPTER CXVI. THE FKENCH WHO HAD fKOSSED THE LIS DEFEAT, WITH GREAT SLAUGHTER, PETER DU BOIS AND THE FLEMINGS. THE TANGt'ARD OF THE FRENCH ARMY REPAIR AND PASS OVER THE BRIDGE OF COMMINES. Peter do Bois, knowing these men-at-arms were in the marshes joining Commines, was not perfectly at his ease, for he was uncertain what might be the event. He, had, however, under his command, six or seven thousand men, to whom, during the night, he h;id thus spoken : " The men-at-arms who have crossed the river to fight with us are neither of iron nor steel. They have labored hard this whole day, and have been all night standing in these mai"shes, so that it is po.-eible, that toward daybreak, they will be overpowered with sleep. While they are in this situation, we will come slily to attack them : our numbers are sufficient to surround them : but when we have so done, let no one dare to rush upon them, but remain silent ; for when it shall be proper time for you to act, I will inform you." To this command of Peter they all promised obedience. On the other hand, the barons, knights and squires, who had remained in the marshes so * " Haubergeons"— small coats ofmeil. near the enemy, were far from being comfortable : some of them were up to their ancles in mud, and others half way up their legs. But their eagerness and joy, on gaining this pass with so much honor (for very gallant deeds of arms were likely to ensue,) made them forget all their pains and difficulties. If it had been in summer-time, instead of the seventh day of November, they would have enjoyed it ; but now the ground was cold, muddy and dirty, and the nights were long. At limes also it rained heavily on their heads, but it ran oft", as they had their helmets on and everything prepared for the combat, and were only \\'aiting for the enemy to come and attack them. The great attention they paid to be in readiness kept up their spirits, and made them almost forget their situation. The lord de Saint Py full loyally acquitted himself in this expe- dition, as a scout and observer of what the Flemings were doing, though he was the commander-in-chief. He was continually on the look-out, and went privily to reconnoitre their motions. On his return, he said to his companions in a low voice, " Now up : our enemies are very quiet : perhaps they will advance on us at day- break : therefore be on your guard, and prepare to act." He would then return again, to see if anything were going forward, and then come back to tell what he had observed. This he continued to do, until the hour which the Flemings had fixed upon to attack them. It was on the point of day when they began tlieir march in close order, without uttering a word. The lord de Saint Fy, who was on the watch, no sooner saw this manoeuvre than he foimd they were in earnest, and hastening to his companions, said to them, "Now, my lords, be alert, we have but to do our utmost, for our enemy is on his march, and will be instantly here. These barons of new date are advancing slowly, and think to catch and surprise us : show your- selves true men-at-arms, for we shall have a battle." As the lord de Saint Py uttered these words, the knights and squires, with great courage, seized their long Bordeaux spears, and having grasped them with a hasty will, placed themselves in as good order as any knights or squires could devise. When the lords who had crossed the river, and, as I have before said, found themselves obliged to halt in the marehes, saw that the Flemings waited their opportunity to attack them, they said among themselves, " Since we are not in sufficient force to begin the com- bat, when the Flemings advance upon us they will not know what numbers we are : let us each set up one cry, or that of the lord to whom we may belong whether he be present or not : and, by thus shouting loudly, we shall so much alarm thom that they may be de- feated. In addition to this, we will receive them on the points of our spears." In this manner did it fall out : for, when the Flemings advanced to the combat, the knights and squires began to utter their war cries, insomuch that the constable and vanguard, who had not yet crossed the bridge, heard ihcm, and said, "Our friends are en- gaged : may God help them ! for at this moment we are unable fo give them any assistance." Peter du Bois marched in front, and was followed by his Flemings; but, when they approached the French, they were received on the sharp points of their long Bordeaux spears, to which their coats of mail made not more resistance than if they had been ff cloth thrice doubled ; so that they passed through their bodies, heads and stomachs. When the Flemings felt these sharp spears which impaled them, they fell back, and the French advancing gained ground upon them ; for there were none so hardy but that feared their strokes. Peter du Bois was one of the first who was woirnded and run through by a lance. It came quite out at his shoulder: he was also wounded on the head, and would have been instantly slain if it had not been for the body-guard he had formed, of thirty stout varlets, who taking him in their arms, carried him as quickly as they could out of the crowd. The mud from the causeway to Commines was so deep that all these people sunk in it up to the middle of their legs. The men-at-arms, who had been long accustomed to their profession, drove down and slew the Flemings without let or hindrance : they shouted, " St. Py for ever !" " Laval, Sancerre, Anghien '." and the war-cries of others who were there. The Flemings were panic-struck, and began to give way, when they saw these knights attack them so vigorously and pierce them through with their spears. They retreated, and falling back on each other, were followed by the French who marched through them or around them, always attacking the thickest bodies. They no more spared killing them than if they had been so many dogs ; and they were in the right, for, had the Flemings conquered, they would have served them the same. The Flemings, finding themselves thus driven back, and that the men-at-arms had won the causeway and bridge, counselled together, to set fire to the town, in hopes it would cause the French to retreat, or enable them to collect their people. This was executed, and fire set to several houses, which were instantly in flames; but they were disappointed in thinking by this to frighten the French, for they pur- sued them as valiantly as before, fighting and slaying them on the ground, or in the houses whither they had retreated. Upon this the Flemings made for the open plain, where they collected in a body. They .sent to Vertain, Poperingue, Bergues, Rollers, Mesieres, Warne- ton and the other neighboring towns, to urge them to come to their assistance at Commines. Those who fled, and the inhabitants of the villages near Commines, began to set their bells a-ringing, which clearly showed there was an engagement going forward. Some of CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, Sec. Sir them, however, began to slacken, and others to occupy tliemselves in saving what they coiild of their goods, and to carry them to Ypree or Courtray. Women and cliildren ran thither, leaving their houses full of furnitare, cattle and grain. Others again marched in h;iste toward Commines, to help their countrymen who were fighting. While this was passing, and those valiant knights who had crossed the Lis in hoats were so gallantly engaged, the constable and van- guard were busily employed in attempting to repair the bridge and cross it. There was a very great throng, for the constable had given permission for all to pass it who could. There was much danger for those who crossed it first ; and the lords who did so were obliged to Btep on targets thrown on the beams of the bridge. When they had crossed, they began to strengthen the bridge, for they found the planks lying on the ground, which they put iu their proper places. During the night two wagon-loads of hurdles were brought, which were of great use to them, so that shortly it was made as strong as ever. On Tuesday the whole vanguard passed, took possession of the place, and, as they crossed, fixed their quarters in the town. The earl of Flanders, hearing that the vanguard was engaged at the pass of Commines, sent thither six thousand infantry to their as- sistance ; but when they arrived, the business was over and the bridge rebuilt. The constable sent them to Warneton to rebuild that bridge, that the baggage might pass it this Tuesday without delay. News was brought on Tuesday morning to the king of France at the abbey of Marquette, that the pass at Commines was won, and the vanguard on the other side, which was very agreeable to the king and his uncles. It was instantly determined that the king should cross the river ; and, the king having heard mass w'ith his lords and drank a cup, they mounted their horses and took the road to Commines. Those of the vanguard who were in Commines drove out the Flemings. There were slain of them in the streets and fields about four thousand, not including those killed in the pur- suit, in wind-mills, and in monasteries, whither they had fled for shelter ; for, as soon as the Bretons had crossed, they mounted their horses and began a chase after the Flemings, and overran the coun- try, which was then rich and plentiful. The lords de Rieux, dc Laval, de Malatrait, the viscount de la Belliere and the lord de Combort, with their men, rode on until they came to Vertain, which is a large town : it was taken and burnt, and those found in it were put to death. The Bretons had great profit from their pillage, as well as the others who had spread abroad over the country. They found the houses full of draperies, furs, with cloths of gold and silver : for, trusting to the strength of the passage over the river Lis, the Flemings had not carried away anything from their houses to their strong towns. The first Bretons, Normans and Burgundians who entered Flan- ders by the pass at Commines, paid no attention to pieces of cloth, furs or jewels, but to the gold and silver which they found. How- ever, those who followed cleared the whole country, for everj'thing *va3 acceptable to them. CHAPTER CXVII. PHILtP VON ARTAVELD TAKES MEASURES TO RESIST THE FORCE OF THE KING OF FRANCE. HE RECEIVES AN ANSWER FROM HIS EMBASSADORS IN ENGLAND. Bad news soon flies abroad. On Tuesday morning Philip von Artaveld heard, while he lay before Oudenarde, that the French had crossed the Lis on the Monday in boats, and had advanced as far as Commines, having conquered the Flemings pos*ed there and in the adjacent parts : that about six thousand Flemings had been slain, and that Peter du Bois was supposed to be dead. Philip was thunder- struck at this intelligence ; and he asked the lord de Harzelles, who was present, " what was to be done." The lord de Harzelles replied, "You must go to Ghent, and collect as many people as you can in the town, and return with them hither : you must then march your whole army to Courtray ; for when the king of France learns that you are marching in full force against him, he will consider well be- fore he advances furiher into the country. We ought in a short time to receive news from our embassadors in England. It may be that the king of England and his uncles will cross the sea with a large army, or perhaps they have already done so, which will be fortunate for us." " I am surprised," answered Philip, " how the English can so long delay it, when they know- they are to have free entrance into this country ; and I marvel what they are thinking of, as well as our people who are there. Notwithstanding, I will not hesitate going to Ghent to draw out the arriere-ban, with w'hich I will return and ofler battle to the king of France, whatever be the consequences. I am informed by Peter du Bois, that the king of France has full twenty thousand men-at-arms, which constitute sixty thousand fighting men. I will draw up in battle array as many to meet him ; and if God, out of his grace, and the just cause we have, should enable me to de. feat him, I shall be the most respected lord in the world ; if I be dis. comfiled, better fortune will befal a greater lord than myself." As Philip von Artaveld and the lord de Harzelles were thus con. versing, some soldiers arrived who had been at the battle of Com. minee, who confirmed the first intelligence. Philip said, "And Peter du Bois, is he dead, or a prisoner ?" They answered, " Neither ; but ho has been severely wounded in the battle, and has retired to Bruges." At these words, Philip mounted his horse and ordered thirty of his men to do the same, when he set out for Bruges. He quitted, however, the direct road, to view some of the gaiTison of Oudenarde who had made a sally the preceding night, but had been overpowered and slain : they were twelve in number who had been put to death. As he was thus examining the dead, he saw, coming toward him from Ghent, a herald attached to the king of England, whose name was Chandos, though called Ireland king-at.arms. Philip was much pleased at the arrival of this herald, and asked " what news he had brought." " My lord," replied the herald, " five of your embassadors returned to Ghent, accompanied by a knight called sir William Frenenton,* who, by orders from the king and council, bring letters (as we learnt from them at Dover) addressed to you as regent of Flanders. When yon know the contents of these letters, and approve of the great alliance oftered to you, large reinforcements will be instantly sent to you on the return of the knight and his com- panions to England." Philip said, " I am not well satisfied with such an arrangement ; the succors will come too late. Go to my quarters." He ordered him to be conducted to the lodgings of the lord de Harzelles, that he might hear the news ; while he took the road to Ghent, but in so melancholy a temper of mind that nothing could be got from him, nor could he be persuaded to enter into any agreeable conversation. CHAPTER CXVII I. THE ICING OF FRANCE CROSSES THE LIS AT THE BRIDGE OF COMMUTES. THE TOWN OF YFKES SURRENDERS TO HIM. We will now return to the king of France, and say how he went on. When intelligence was brought him of Commines being con- quered, that the Flemings were dispersed, and the bridge rebuilt, he set out from the abbey of Marquette, where he had lodged, and marched with his whole army in battle-array, as was befitting him to do, toward Commines. The king and his uncles arrived at Com- mines on Tuesday, and took up their lodgings in the town ; from whence the vanguard had marched for the hill of Ypres, where they had fi.'ced their quarters. On the Wednesday morning the king ad- vanced to the hill of Ypres, where he remained until the baggage and the remainder of his anny should cross the river at Commines or at Warneton, for there were very numerous trains, and multitudes of horses. On Wednesday, the king's rear.guard passed the bridge of Com. mines. It consisted of two thousand men-at-arms and two thousand cross-bows, under the command of the count d'Eu, the count de Clois, the count de St. Pol, the count de Harcourt, the lords de Chatillon and de la Fere. These lords with their men, lodged this Wednesday at Commines. When the night came, and these lords thought of reposing them- selves after their march, they heard the cry, " To arms !" They thought certainly they should have a battle, and that the Flemings from Ypres, Cassel, Bergues, and their dependencies, were collected and on their march to attack them. The lords armed themselves, put on their helmets, displayed their banners before their lodgings : and, having lighted torches, each lord advanced to the causeway under his banner or pennon : as their men came, they drew up and arranged themselves under their proper banners ; and thus they re- mained, half way up their legs in mud, almost the whole night. You may imagine if these lords had the best of it, such as the count de Blois and the others, who had not been accustomed to eufier such cold and comfortless nights as these a month before Chrislmas ; but, when their honor was at stake, they minded it not, for they thought they should be attacked every moment : however, it was not so, for this was a false alarm caused by a scuffle among the varlets. Their lords, however, suffered for it, which they bore as well as they coiild. On Thursday morning, the rear.guard dislodged from Commines, and marched, in good order, toward their main amiy, which was encamped on the hill of Ypres, the vanguard, the battalion of the king and all. The principal commanders held a council, to consider whether they should march to Ypres, Courtray, or Bruges. While they remained there, the French foragers overran the country, where they found a marvellous quantity of beasts, grain, and all other pro- visions ; for since they had gained the passage at Commines, tiiey were never in want. The inhabitants of Ypres, finding the king so near with his whole army, and the passage gained, were not much at their ease, and considered how they shoidd act. The town, council assembled. The lichest and chief inhabitants, who had been of the moderate parly, but who had not dared to show it, pro- posed throwing themselves on the king's mercy, and sending to him the keys of the town. The governor, who was from Ghent, ap. pointed by Philip von Artaveld, would not listen to a surrender, but said, " Our town is sufficiently strong, and We are well provided with evei^thing. We will stand our ground ; during which time Philip will assemble his forces, to combat the king and raise the siege." Others replied, " That he was not assured that this would so happen : that it was not in the power of Philip von Artaveld, nor of » "Sir W. FrtDeoton." a. If not Fonington. 318 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. the whole country, to defeat the king of France, unless they had the assistance of the English, of which there was not any appearance ; and tliat in short, tlie best thing they could do would be to surren- der themselves to the king of France." High words ensued, which ended in a riot, in which the chief inhabitants were masters. The governor, named Peter Vauclaire, was slain. When this was over, they called to tliem two preaching friars, whom they sent to the king and his uncles on the hill of Ypres, to know if it were agree- able to them to enter into an amicable treaty with the town. The king was adWsed to grant passports to twelve of the citizens and an abbot (who being at Ypres had interfered in this business,) to come to the camp, and explain more fully what their intentions were. The friars returned to the town, when the twelve citizens elected by the council and inhabitants, and the abbot, went to mount Ypres, where, casting themselves on their knees, they offered to place the town under the king's obedience for ever, and without any terms of reservation. The king of France, following the good ad- vice which was given him, to gain the country by gentle means, and not wishing to show any ill will or cruelty, received them kindly, and accepted their offer ; on condition that the town would pay forty thousand francs, to defray the smaller expenses which this expedition had hitherto cost. The inhabitants of Ypres were much rejoiced at this event, and never afterwards rebelled. Thus were the citizens pardoned. They entreated the king and his uncles would be pleased to partake of some refreshments in their town, which would give great joy to the inhabitants. A promise was in truth made them, that the king should come thither, when he should be further advanced in Flan. ders. Upon this the deputation returned to the town, mightily pleased to find themselves at peace with the king of France. The forty thousand francs were instantly raised among themselves, and paid to the king, or his commissioners, before he made his entry into Ypres. CHAPTER CXIX. TUE KING OF FRANCE RECEIVES INFORMATION OF A RIOT AMONS THE PARISIANS. SEVERAL PLACES IN FLANDERS SURRENDER TO HIM. DcRiNG the time the king of France was on the hill of Ypres, news was brought that the Parisians were in rebellion : and that they had resolved, as it was then reported, to pull down the castle of Beaut^, which is situated in the wood of Vincennes, and the castle of the Louvre, as well as other castellated houses in the neighbor, hood of Paris, to prevent being oppressed in future by their means. One of their leaicrs made a speech to excite to mischief, but which, however, as it appeared afterwards, turned out quite the contrary : " My fair sirs, let us abstain from doing this until we see how the king's affairs turn out in Flanders. If the Ghent men succeed, as I truly hope they will, then will be the time to destroy all these cas. ties. Let us not begin anything which we may repent of after. •wards."' It was Nicliolas le Flamand who by this speech made the Parisians give up their intentions of committing outrages. They kept within the walls of Paris, which they had amply supplied with everything ; and had as rich and handsome armor as if they had been great lords. There were upward of thirty thousand armed from head to foot, like true men.at.arms, and more than thirty thou, sand armed with mallets. They worked day and night in forging helmets, and purchased armor wherever it was to be sold. Now, consider what a sad devilment it would have been, if the king of France, and the gallant chivalry with which he was accom- panied, had been defeated in Flanders. It may readily be supposed, that then all the nobility would have been destroyed in France, as ■well as in other places ; for the Jacquerie were never so ferocious as they would at such a time have been. In like manner the peasants began to rebel at Rheims, at Chalons in Champagne, and down the river Mame, and to menace those gentlemen, ladies and children, ■who had remained at home. At Orleans, Blois, Rouen, and in the Beauvoisis, the devil had entered their heads to prompt them to mur- der every one, if God had not provided a remedy, as you will soon have related. When those of the castlcwicks of Cassel, Bergues, Bourbourg, Gravelines, Furnes, Dunkerque, Poperingue, Tourrout, Vaillant, and IVIalines, had heard that the men of Ypres had surrendered and put themselves under the obedience of the king of France, who had graciously pardoned them, they began to be much alarmed. After hese towns had well considered the business, the inhabitants seized iheir governors, whom Philip von Artaveld had put over them, and having bound them strongly, so that they could not escape, led them to the king on mount Ypres, in order to please him and to appease his anger. On their arrival, they cast themselves on their knees and said, " Noble king, we put our lives, towns, and fortunes, under your obedience, and wish so to remain. In order to show that we regard you as our true lord, here are the governors whom Philip von Arta- ■veld had set over us ; for by foice, and not otherwise, lias he made us obey him : you may do your pleasure with them, for they have governed us according to their wills." The king was advised by his lords to grant his pardon to all these towns : on condition, however, that they should pay him, as part of his expenses in this war, sixty thousand francs. All the provisions were to be given up, and what. ever cattle might be found in the fields ; but they were assured that their towns should neither be burned nor pillaged. This was very satisfactory to them, and they greatly thanked the king and his council. They were much rejoiced on finding they had escaped so well ; but the governors of Philip von Artaveld, who had been car, ried thither, were beheaded on the bridge of Ypres. No mention whatever was made in these treaties and submissions of the earl of Flanders ; nor was he, or any one of his court, ever summoned to the councils of the king. If he was displeased at this I am ignorant, but during the whole expedition he was treated in the same manner. None of his people were permitted to quit the army, or the battaUon which was posted by orders of the master of these cross-bows, on the wings, although they were Flemings. It was also ordered by the king, under pain of death, that no one in the army should speak Flemish, nor carry any stick bound with iron.* CHAPTER CXX. THE KING OF FRANCE LODGES IN YPRES. PETER DH BOIS PREVENTS BRUGES FROM SURRENDERING TO THE KING. PHILIP VON ARTAVELD ASSEMBLES HIS FORCES TO COMBAT THE FRENCH. While the king and his who' ," array were on mount Ypres, many markets were there held, and plentv of pillage was sold to those of Lille, Douay, and Tournay ; indeed to all who wished to buy. A piece of cloth of Vexin, Malines, Poperingue or Commines, was sold for one franc. People were clothed there too cheaply. Some Bre* tons and other pillagers, detemrined on gain, went in large bodice^ and loaded carts and horses with their booty of clotlis, linen, knives^ money in gold and silver, dishes and plates of silver wherever they found them, which they sent, well packed up, to a place of safety on the other side of the Lis, or by their servants into France. The king and all the lords came to Ypres, where they quartered themselves as well as they could, and in as greet numbers as the town would hold. They remained there to refresh themselves four or five days. The inhabitants of Bruges had received information of the conduct of the king, that he was at Ypres, and how the whole country, as far as Gravelines, had submitted to him. They were doubtful whether to negotiate with the king, or let it.^lone : how. ever, for the present they did nothing. The principal cause which withheld them from surrendering, was the great niiinbei- wf men-at- arms which Philip von Artaveld had with him from their town : for there were at least seven thousand at the siege of Oudenardc ; and their principal citizens were at Ghent as hostages, in order that Peter du Bois might more easily govern the place. Besides, Peter du Bois and Peter le Nuitre were in the town, ■who comforted them, saying, " My good gentlemen, do not h.-, alaruied If the king of France is corae to Ypres : you know that fornierJy the whole power of France was sent by king Philip to Courtray,t and could not withstand the courage of our fathers, for his whole army was slain and defeated. Know then, that this army shall in like manner be destroyed ; for Philip von Artaveld, with an immense force, will not leave things thus without combating the king. It may very well happen, that from the good cause we are engaged in, and the good fortune that follows Ghent, Philip may defeat the king, so that not one shall escape or recross the river, but the whole country which has submitted will instantly be reconquered. Thus will you remain like true and loyal men in your franchises, and in the grace of Philip and of us Ghent men." With such speeches as this, Peter du Bois and Peter le Nuitre daily harangued the men of Bruges, and restrained them from entering into any treaty with the king of France. While these things were going on, the citizens of Ghent, with sir William Fermiton,t arrived at Calais, from England, to conclude and seal those treaties and agreements which the English wished to enter into with the Flemings. Sir John Devereux, governor of Calais, sent for them, and told them, " that they could not continue their journey at that time, for the kir,.'; of France was at Ypres, and that all the country, from Calais to Ypres, had surrendered to him. We shall shortly have more news : for it is reported that Philip von Artaveld is assembling his forces to combat the king of France, and we shall see who will have the best of it. Should the Flemings be ' beaten, you have nothing to do in Flanders ; and if the king of France tf defeated, it is all our own. This," said the English knight, " you may depend upon as truth." The intelligence detained the citizens of Ghent and sir William Fermiton. We will now return to PhiUp, and say what he was doing. Being eager to combat the king of France, as he plainly showed, he or- dered, on his arrival at Ghent, every man capable of bearing arms, after leaving a sufficient garrison in the town, to follow him. All obeyed ; for he gave them to understand, that by the grace of God, * Boston a viroUe. literally, " a stick with a ferule."— [Ed. t ■• Courtray." The battle 1303. J "Fermiton." Froissart before calls liim Fremeton. I should have supposed this person was sir William Farendon, or Frampton. if, in the Rolles FraUf^ois. the names of those sent by Richard had not been particularly named, as may be seen underneatll. Ann. Dora. 1383—1383. Membrana 4. " De potestate data Johanni Devereux, Briano de Stapilton, Willielmo Ermyn, et Johanni de Burley, ad tractandum cum comiti Flandria et gentibus ibidem de debatis, et de attempiatis reforniandii."— Data apud Westminster, 16th May. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. 319 they would defeat the' French, be lords of Ghent, and rank as sove- reigns among other nations. Philip von Artaveld carried with him about ten thousand men as the arriere-ban : lie had before sent to Bruges, Damme, -4rdembouig, Sluys, to the sea-coasts, the Quatre Meslicrs, and constablevvicks of Giammont, Dcndremonde, and Alost, and had raised from those places about thirty thousand more. He and his whole army were quartered one night before Oudenarde : on the morrow they marched away, and came before Courtray : he had with him about Kfty thousand men. The king of France re- ceived intelligence, that Philip von Artaveld was approaching, and, as it was said, with full sixty thousand men. Upon this, the van. guard set off from Ypres, under the command of the constable and marshals of France, and encamped a league and a half from Ypres, between Rollers and Rosebecque : on the morrow, the king and all the lords, with the main battalion and rear-guard, quartered them, selves there also. I must siy that these lords, while they were in tlie field, suffered greatly ; for it was in the heart of winter, the be- ginning of December, and it rained every day. They slept on the roads every night, for they were in daily and hourly expectation of a battle : it was commonly said in the army, " They will come to- morrow ;" which they believed, from the news the foragers brought when they returned from their excursions. The king was quartered in the midst of his army. The lords of France were much vexed at Philip for delaying, for they were very impatient of being out in such bad weather. It should be known, that with the king were all the flower of French knighthood : it was therefore highly presumptuous in Philip von Artaveld and the Flem- ings to think of fighting with them ; for if they had been satisfied with continuing their siege of Oudenarde, and had slightly intrenched themselves, the French, considering the wetness of the season, would never have marched to seek them ; and, if they had done so, they would have combated them under the greatest disadvantages. But Philip was so vain of the good fortune he had met with at Bruges, that he thought nothing could withstand him, and he hoped he should be lord of the world. No other thoughts had he, and was nothing afraid of the king of France nor his army ; for, if he had entertained any fears, he would not have done that which he did, as you shall hear related. CHAPTER CXXI. PHILir VON AKTAVELD, BAVINS ENTERTAINED HIS CAPTAINS AT SUPPER, GIVES THEM INSTRUCTIONS HOW THEY ARE TO ACT ON THE MORROW AT THE BATTLE OF KOSEBECQCE. WONDERFUL AIPEARANCES IN THE HEAVENS ARE SEEN DUP.IKG THIS NIGHT. Philip von Artaveld, with his whole army, on the Wednesday evening preceding the battle, was encamped in a handsome position, tolerably strong, between a ditch and grove, and with so good a hedge in front that they could not easily be attacked. It was be. tween the hill and town of Rosebecque where the king was quartered. That same evening, Philip gave a magnificent supper to his captains at his quarters ; for he had wherewithal to do so, as his provisions followed him. When the supper was over, he addressed them in these words : " My fair gentlemen, you are my companions in this expedition, and I hope to-morrow we shall have something to do ; for the king of France, who is impatient to meet and fight with us, is quartered at Rosebecque. I therefore beg of you to be loyal, and not alarmed at anything you shall see or hear ; for we are combating in a just cause, to preserve the franchises of Flanders, and for our right. Admonish your men to behave well, and draw them up in such manner that, by this means and our courage, we may obtain the victory. To-morrow, through God's grace, we shall not find any lord to combat with us, or any who will dare take the field, unless he mean to remain there, and we shall gain greater honor than if we could have depended on the support of the English ; for, if they had been with us, they alone would have gained all the repu. tation. The flower of the French nobility is with the king, for he has not left one behind : order, therefore, your men not to grant quarter to any one, but to kill all who fall in their way. By this means we shall remain in peace ; for I will and command, under pain of death, that no prisoners be made, except it be the king of France. With regard to the king, I wish to support him, as ho is but a child and ought to be forgiven ; for he knows not what he does, and acts according as he is instructed : we will carry him to Ghent and teach him Flemish ; but as for dukes, earls, and other men-at-arms, kill them all. The common people of France will never be angry with us for so doing; for they wish, as I am well assured, that not one should ever return to France, and it shall be so." His companions who were present at this discourse, and who were from the different towns in Flanders and the country of Bruges, agreed to this proposal, which they thought a proper one, and with one voice replied to Philip, " You say well, and thus shall it be." They then took leave of Philip, and each man returned to his quar. ters, tj order his men how they were to act conformably to the instructions they had just had. Thus passed the night in the army of Philip: but about midnight, as I have been informed, there hap. pened a most wonderful event, and such that I have never heard juiything equal to it related. When the Flemish captains had retired, and all gone to their quarters to repose, the night being far advanced, those upon guard fancied they heard a great noise toward the ;\Iont d'Or. Some of them were sent to see what it could be, and if the French were making any preparations to attack them io the night. On their return, they reported, that they had been as far as the place whence the noise came, but that they had discovered nothing. This noise, however, was still heard, and it seemed to some ot them that their enemies were on the mount about a league distant : this was also the opinion of a damsel from Ghent whom Philip von Artaveld had carried with him, on this e.xpedition, as his sweetheart. While Philip was sleeping under his tent on a coverlid near the coal-fire, this damsel went out of the tent about midnight, to examine the sky, and see what sort of weather it was and the time of night, for she was unable to sleep. She looked toward Rosebecque, and saw, in divers parts of the sky^ smoke and sparks of fire flying about, caused by the fires the French were making under hedges and bushes. This woman listened attentively, and thought she heard a great noise between their army and that of the French, and also the cry of Montjoye and several other cries ; and it seemed to her that they came from the Mont d'Or, between the camp and Rosebecque. She was exceedingly frightened, returned to the tent, awakened Philip, and said to him, " Sir, rise instantly, and arm yourself; for I have heard a great noise on the Mont d'Or, which I believe to be made by the French who are coming to attack you." Philip at these words arose, and wrapping himself in a gown, took a battle-axe and went out of his tent to listen to this noise. In like manner as she had heard it, Philip did the same ; and it seemed to him as if there were a great tournament. He directly returned to his tent, and ordered his trumpet to be sounded to awaken the army. As soon as the sound of the trumpet was heard, it was known to be his. Those of the guard in front of the camp armed themselves, and sent some of their companions to Philip to know what he wished to have done, as he was thus early arming himself. On their arrival, he wanted to send them to the part whence the noise had come, to find out what it could be ; but they reported that that had already been done, and that there was no cause found for it. Philip was much astonished ; and they were greatly blamed, that having heard a noise toward the enemy's quarters, they had remained quiet. " Ha," said they to Philip, " in truth we did hear a noise toward the Mont d'Or, and we sent to know what it could be ; but those who had been ordered thither, reported that there was nothing to be found or seen. Not having seen any positive appearance of a movement of the enemy, we were unwilling to alarm the ar.my lest we should be blamed for it." This speech of the guard somewhat appeased Philip ; but in his own mind he marvelled much what it could be. Some said it was the devils of hell running and dancing about the place where the battle was to be, for the abundance of prey they expected. Neither Philip von Artaveld nor the Flemings were quite at their ease after this alarm. They were suspicious of having been be. trayed and surprised. They armed themselves leisurely with what- ever they had, made large fires in their quarters, and breakfasted comfortably, for they had victuals in abundance. About an hour before day, Philip said, " I think it right that we march into the plain and draw up our men ; because, shoidd the French advance to attack us, we ought not to be unprepared, nor in disorder, but pro. perly drawn up like men, knowing \Vell what we are to do." All obeyed this order, and, quitting their quarters, marched to the heath beyond the grove. There was in front a wide ditch newly made, and in their rear quantities of brambles, junipers, and shrubs. They drew up at then- leisure in this strong position, and iormed one large battalion, thick and strong. By the reports from the constables, they were about fifty thousand, all chosen men, who valued not their lives. Among them were about sixty English archers, who, having stolen away from their companions at Calais, to gain greater pay from Philip, had left behind them their armor in their quarters. Everything being arranged, each man took to his arms. The horses, baggage, women, and varlets, were dismissed; but Pliilip von --Vrtaveld had his page mounted on a superb courser, worth five hundred florins, which he had ordered to attend him, to display his state, and to mount if a pursuit of the French should happen, in order that he might enforce the commands which he had given to kill all. It was with this intention that Philip had posted him by his side. Philip had likewise from the town of Ghent about nine thousand men, well armed, whom he placed near his person ; for he had greater confidence in them than any of the others : they there- fore, v/ith Philip at their head with banners displayed, were in front ; and those from Alost and Grammont were next ; then the men from Courtray, Bruges, Damme, Sluys, and the Franconate. They were armed, tor the greater part, with bludgeons, iron caps, jerkins, and with gloves de fer de baleine. Each man had a staff with an iron point, and bound round with iron. The different townsmen wore liveries and arms, to distinguish them from oho another. Some had jackets of blue and yellow, others wore a welt of black on a red jacket, others chevroned with white on a blue coat, others green and blue, othere lozenged with black and white, others quartered red and white, others all blue. Each carried the banners of their trades. They had also large knives hanging down from their 330 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. girdles. In thia state they remained, quietly waiting for day, which soon came. r , r- i r n I will now relate to you the proceedings of the Irench as lully as I have done those of the Flemings. CHAPTER CXXII. Illte CHARLES ENTERTAINS AT SUPPER HIS UNCLES AND SOME OTHERS OE HIS PRINCIPAL BAKONS ON THE EVE OF THE BATTLE OF ROSEEECQUE. THE CONSTABLE DE CLISSON IS EXCUSED FROM ATTENDINS THE KING'S PERSON DURINS THE BATTLE. The king of France, and the lords with him, knew well that the Flemings were advancing, and that a battle must be the consequence ; for no proposals for peace were offered, and all seemed to have made up their minds for an engagement. It had been proclaimed on the Wednesday morning in the town, of Ypres, th!.H the men-at-arms should follow the king into the field, and post themselves according to the instructions they had received. Every one obeyed this order, and no inan-at-arms, or even lusty varlet, remained in Ypres, except those appointed to guard the horses, which had been conducted to Ypres when their lords dismounted. However, the vanguard had many with them for the use of their light troops, and to reconnoitre the battalions of the enemy ; for to them they were of more service than to the otiiers. Tne Frencli on this Wednesday remained in the plain pretty near to Rosebecque, where the lords and captains were busy in arranging their plans. In the evening the king gave a supper to his three uncles, the constable of France, the lord de Coucy, and to some other foreign lords from Brabant, Hainault, Holland, Zealand, Ger- many, Lorraine, and Savoy, who had come thither to serve him. He, as well as his uncles, thanked them much for the good services they had done and were willing to do for them. The earl of Flan- ders this evening commanded the guard of the king's battalion, and had under him six hundred lances, and twelve hundred other men. After the supper which the king had given on the Wednesday to these lords, and when they had retired, the constable of France remained to converse with the king and his uncles. It had been arranged in the council with the king, that the constable, sir Oliver de Clisson, should resign his constableship for the morrow (as they fully expected a battle,) and that, for the day only, the lord de Coucy was to take his place, and sir Oliver remain near the king's person : BO that when the constable was taking his leave, the king said to him, as he had been instructed, in a courteous and agreeable man- ner, " Constable, we will that you resign to us, for to-morrow only, your office ; for we have appointed another, and you shall remain near our pereon." These words, which were new to the gallant constable, surprised him so much, that he replied, " Most dear lord, I well know that I can never be more highly honored than in guarding your person; but, dear lord, it will give great displeasure to my companions, and those of the vanguard, if they do not see me with them: and we may lose more than we can gain by it. I do not pretend that I am so valiant, that the business will be done by me alone ; but I declare, dear lord, under the correction of your noble council, that for these last fifteen days, I have been solely oc. cupied how I could add to your. honor, to that of your army, and to my own office. I have instructed the army in the manner in which they were to be drawn up : and if to-morrow, under the guidance of God, we engage, and they do not see me ; or, if I fail in giving them advice and support, I who have always been accus'omcd in such cases so to do, they will be thunderstruck; some may say I am a hypocrite, and have done this slily, in order to escape from the first blows. I therefore entreat of you, most dear lord, that you would not interfere in what has been arranged and ordered for the best, for I must say you will gain the more by it." The king did not know what answer to make to this speech, any more than those present who had heard it. At last the king said, very properly, " Constable, I do not mean to say that it has been any way thought you have not, on every occasion, most fully acquit- ted yourself, and will still do so ; but mv late lord and father loved you more than any other person, and had the greatest confidence in you : it is from this love and confidence which he reposed in you that I should wish to have you on this occasion near to me, and in my company." " Very dear lord," replied the constable, " you will be so well attended by such valiant men, all having been settled with the greatest deliberation, that it cannot any way be amended, so that you and your council ought to be satisfied with it. I there- fore beg of you, for the love of God, most dear lord, that you will permit me to execute my office : and to-morrow your success shall be such that your friends will be rejoiced, and your enemies enraged." To this the king only answered, " Constable, I will it be so : in God's name, and in the name of St. Denis, act as becomes your office. I will not say one word more to yuu on the subject ; for you see clearer in this business than I do, or those who first proposed it. Be to-morrow at mass." " Willingly, sir," replied the constable. He took leave of the king, who saluted him, and returned to his quarters, with his attendants and companions. CHAPTER CXXIII. PHILIP VON ARTAVELD AND HIS FLEMINGS QUIT THE STRONG POSITION THEY HAD TAKEN IN THE MORNING, TO ENCAMP ON MONT D'OR, NEAR TO YPRES. THE CONSTABLE AND ADMIRAL OF FRANCE, WITH THE BASTARD OF LANGRES, SET OUT TO RECONNOITRE THEIR SITUATION. On the Thursday morning all the men-at-arms of the army, the van- guard, the rear-guard, and the king's battalion, armed themselves completely, except their helmets, as if they were about to engage : for the lords well knew the day could not pass without a battle, from the reports of the foragers on the Wednesday evening, who iiad seen the Flemings on their march demanding a battle. The king of France heard mass, as did the other lords, who all devoutly prayed to God, that the day might turn out to their honor. In the morning there was a thick mist, which continued so long that no one could see the distance of an acre : the lords were much vexed at this, but they could not remedy it. After the king's mass, which had been attended by the constable and other great lords, it was ordered that those valiant knights sir Oliver de Clisson, constable of France, sir John de Vienne, admiral of France, and sir William de Poitiers, bastard of Langres, who had been long used to arms, should reconnoitre the position of the Flemings, and report to the king and his uncles the truth of it : du- ring which time, the lord d'Albreth and sir Hugh de Chatillon were employed in forming the battalions. These three knights, leaving the king, set off on the flower of their steeds, and rode tov.-ard that part where they thought they should find the Flemings, and toward the spot where they had encamped the preceding night. You must know that on ihe Thursday morning, when the thick mist came on, the Flemings having, as you have before heard, marched, before daybreak, to this strong position, had there remained until about eight o'clock, when, not seeing nor hearing anything of the French, their numbers excited in them pride and self-sufficiency : and their captains, as well as others, began thus to talk among them- selves : " What are w-e about, thus standing still, and almost frozen with cold? Why do we not advance with courage, since such is our inclination, and seek our enemies to combat them ? We remain here to no purpose, for the French will never come to look for us. Let us at least march to Mont d'Or, and take advantage of the mountain." Many such speeches were made, and they all consented to march to Mount d'Or, which was between them and the French. In order to avoid the ditch in their front, they turned the grove and entered the plain. While they were thus on their march round the grove, the three knights came so opportunely that they reconnoitered them at their ease, and rode by the side of their battalions, which were again formed within a bow-shot from them. When tliey had considered them on the left, they did the same on the right, and thus carefully and fully examined them. The Flemings saw them plainly, but paid not any attention to them; nor did any one quit his ranks. The three knights were well mounted, and so naich used to this business that they cared not for them. Philip said to his captains, " Our enemies are near at hand : let us draw up here in battle-array for the combat. I have seen strong appearances of their intentions : for these three horsemen who pass and repass have reconnoitred us, and are still doing so." Upon this, the Flemings halted on the Mont d'Or, and formed in one thick and strong battalion ; when Philip said aloud, " Gentle- men, when the attack begins, remember our enemies were defeated and broken at the battle of Bruges by our keeping in a compact body. 6e careful not to open your ranks, but let every man strengthen himself as much as possible and bear his staff right before him. You will intermix your arms, so that no one may break you, and march straight forward with a good step, without turning to the right or left ; and act together, so that, when the conflict begins, you may throw your bombards and shoot with your cross-bows in such manner that our enemies may be thundei-strack with surprise." When Philip had formed his men in batde-array, and told them how to act, he went to the wing of his army in which he had the greatest confidence. Near liim was his page on the courser, to whom he said, " Go, wait forme at that bush out of bow.shot ; and, when thou shalt see the discomfiture of the French and the pursuit begin, bring me my horse and shout my cry ; they will make way for thee to come to me, for I wish to be the first in the pursuit." The page, on these words, left his master and did as he had ordered him. Philip placed near him, on the side of this wing, forty English archers whom he had in his pay. Now, if it be considered how well Philip had arranged this business, I am of opinion, and in this I am joined by several others, that he well knew the art of war : but in one instance, which I will relate, he acted wrong. It was in quitting the first strong position he had taken in the morning ; for they would never have sought to fight him there, as it would have been too much to their disadvantage ; but he wished to show that his people were men of courage, and had little fear of their enemies. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 321 CHAPTER CXXIV. IBE BATTLE OF HOSEBECQUE, BETWEEN THE FRENCH AMD FLEMINGS. THILIP VON ARTAVELD IS SLAIN, AND HIS WHOLE ARMY DEFEATED. The three knights returned to tlie king of France and to his bat. talions, wliich had ah'eady been formed and were marching slowly in order of battle : for there were many prudent and brave men, who h:id been long accustomed to arms, in the vanguard, in the king's battalion, and in tiie rear-guard, who knew well what they ■were to do, for they were the flower of chivalry in Christendom. Way was made for them; and the lord de Clisson spoke first, bow- ing to the king from his horse, and taking off the beaver he wore, saying, " .Sire, rejoice : these people are onr own, and our lusty var- lets will fight well with them." " Constable," replied the king, *' God assist you ! now advance, in the name of God and St. Den- is." The knights, before mentioned as the king's body-guard, now drew up in good order. The king created many new knights, as did different lords in their battalions, so that several new banners were displayed. W i N '^^mJj :-} Battle of Roseeecque.— Designed from various authorities in the llaileian MSS It was ordered, that when the engagement was about to commence, the battalion of the king, with the oriflamme of France, should march to the front of the army, that the van and rear-guards should form the two wings as speedily as possible, and by this means inclose and straiten the Fleming.^, who were drawn up in the closest order, and gain a great advantage over them. Notice of this intended move- ment was sent to the rear-guard, of which the count d'Eu, the count de Blois, the count de St. Pol, the count de Harcourt, the count de Ch^tiUon, and the lord de la Gere were commanders. The young lord de Haurcl displayed his banner thi^ day before the count de Blois, who also knighted sir Thomas d'Istre, and the bastard sir James de Himcth. According to the report of the heralds, there were tliis day created four hundred and sisty-seveir knights. The lord de Clisson, sir John de Vicnne, and sir William de Lon- gres, having made their report to the king, left him and went to their post in the vanguard. Shortly afterwards, the oriflamme was dis- played hy sir Peter de Villiers, who bore it. Some say (as they find it written) that it was never before displayed against Christians, and that it was a matter of great doubt during the march whether it should be displayed or not. However, the matter having been fully con- sidered, they resolved to disphy it, because the Flemings followed opinions contrary to that of pope Clement, and called themselves Ur. hanists; for which the French said they were rebellious and out of the pale of the church. This was the principal cause why it had been brought and displayed in Flanders. The orifi.imme* was a most excellent banner, and had been sent * The orifljimuie wuft Fis,icrcd l)iinner, cnrefully preserved, of n red color, and had die name of rit. Dl'i'iysitis on it. This was never called out hut on tJie most ureent ^"^capionB. wi.en the king himselt was present, and to be displayed solely against leretics from heaven with great mystery : it Is a sort of ganfanon,* and is of much comfort in the day of battle to those who see it. Proof was made of its virtues at this time ; for all the morning there was so thick a fog, tliat with difficulty could they see each other, but the moment the knight had displayed it, and raised his lance in the air, this fog instantly dispersed, and the sky was as clear as it had been during the whole year. The lords of France were much rejoiced when they saw this clear day, and the sun shine, so that they could look about them on all sides. It was a fine sight to view these banners, helmets, and beautiful emblazoned arms: the army kept a dead silence, not uttering a sound, but eyed a large battalion of Flemings before them, who were marching in a compact body, with their staves advanced in the air, which looked like spears ; and, so great were their numbers, they had the appearance of a wood. The lord d'Estonnenort told me, that he saw (as well as several others) when the oriflamme was displayed, and the fog had dispersed, a white dove fly many times round the king's battalion. When it had made several circles, and the engagement was about to begin, it perched on one of the king's banners : this was considered as a fortunate omen. The Flemings advanced so near, that they com- menced a cannonade with bars of iron, and quanels headed with brass. Thus was the battle begun by Phihp and his men against the king's battalion, which at the outset was very sharp ; for the Flemings, inflamed with pride and courage, came on with vigor, and, pushing with shoulders and breasts like enraged wild boars, they were strongly interlaced, one with the other, that they could not be broken, northeir ranks forced. By this attack, of cannons and bombards, the lord d'- Albaruin, banneret, Mor. let de Haruin, and James Dor^, on the side of the French, were first slain, and the king's battalion obliged to fall back. But the van and rear-guards pushed forward, and, by inclosing the Flemings, straightened them much. Upon the two wings these men-at-arms made their attack : and, with their well-tempered lan- ces of Bordeaux, pierced through their coats of mail to the flesh. All who were assailed by them drew back to avoid the blows, for never would those that escaped return to the combat : by this means, the Flem- ings were so straitened that they could not use their staves to de. fend themselves. They lost both strength and breath, and, falling upon one another, were stifled to death without striking a blow. Philip von Artaveld was surrounded, wounded by spears, and beaten down, with numbers of the Ghent men, who were his guards. When Philip's page saw the ill success of his countrymen, being well mounted on his courser, he set ofl^, and left his master, for he could not give him .-my assistance, and returned toward Courtray, on his way to Ghent. When the Flemings found themselves in. closed on two sides, there was an end to the business, for they could not assist each other. The king's battalion, which had been some, what disordered at the beginning, now recovered. The men-at. arms knocked down the Flemings with all their might. They had well sharpened battlc-a.Kes, with which they cut through helmets and disbrained heads : others gave such blows with leaden maces that nothing could withstand them. Sarccly were the Flemings overthrown before the pdlngers advanced, who, mi.xing with the men-at-arms, made use of the long knives they canied, and finished slaying whoever fell into their hands, without more mercy than if they had been so many dogs. The clattering on the helmets, by the axes and leaden maces, was so loud, that nothing else could be heard for the noise. I was told, that if all the armorers of Paris and Bru-T. elles had been tliere working at their trade, they could not have made a greater noise than these combatants did on the helmets of their enemies; for they struck with all their force, and set to their work with the greatest good.will. Some, indeed, pressed too forward into * Gonfanon was a square pennon fixed to the endof a lance, such as aie now used in Italy ■ and the bearer was called Gonfunonier, or Gonfaloniere. 322 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. the crowd, and were surrounded and slain : in particular, sir Louis de Gousalz, a knight from Berry, and sir Fleton de Reniel. There were several more, which was a great pity ; but in such a battle as this, ■where such numbers are engaged, it is not possible for victory to be obtained without being dearly bought: for young knights and squires, eager to gain renown, willingly run into perils in hopes of honor. The crowd was now so great, and so dangerous for those inclosed in it, that the men.at-anns, if not instantly assisted, could not raise themselves when once down. By this were several of the French killed and smothered ; but they were not many, for, when in danger, they lielped each other. There was a large and high mount of the Flemings who were slain ; and never was there seen so little blood spilt at so great a battle, where such numbers were killed. When those in the rear saw the front fail, and that they were defeated, they ■were greatly astonished, and began to throw away their staves and armor, to disband and fly toward Courtray and other places, not having any care but to save themselves, if possible. The Bretons and French pursued them into ditches, alder groves, and heaths, where they fought with and slew them. Numbers were killed in the pursuit, between the field of battle and Courtray, whither they were flying in their way to Ghent. This battle on Mont d'Or took place the 27th day of November, on the Thursday before Advent, in the year of grace 1382 ; and at that time the king of France was fourteen years of age. CHAPTER CXXV. TBI NUMBER OF SLAFN AT THE BATTLE OF DOSEBECQUE AND PTJKSDIT AFTERWARDS. PHlLrP VON ARTAVELD IS HANGED AFTER HE WAS DEAD. THE SIEOE OF OtTDENARDE IS RAISED. PETER DU BOIS RETREATS TO GHENT. THE KINO OF FRANCE FIXES HIS QUARTERS IN THE TOWN OF COURTKAT. Thus were the Flemings defeated on Mont d'Or, their pride hum. bled, and Philip von Artaveld slain ; and with him nine thousand men from Ghent and its dependencies (according to the report of the heralds) on the spot, not including those killed in the pursuit, which amounted to twenty-five thousand more. This battle, from the beginning to the defeat did not last more than half an hour. The event was very honorable to all Christendom, as well as to the no- bility and gentry ; for had those low-bred peasants succeeded, there would have been unheard of cruelties practiced, to the destruc- tion of all gentlemen, by the common people, who had everywhere risen in rebellion. Now, let us think of the Parisians : what they ■will say, when they hear the news of the defeat of the Flemings at Rosebecque, and the death of Philip von Artaveld, their leader ? They will not be much rejoiced more than several other large towns. When this battle was completely finished, they allowed time for the pursuers to collect together, and sounded the trumpets of retreat, for each to retire to his quarters, as was proper. The vanguard halted beyond the king's battalion, where the Flemings were quar- tered on the Wednesday, and made themselves very comfortable ; for there was a sufficiency of provision in the king's army, besides the purveyances which came from Ypres. They made, the ensuing night, brilliant fires in different places, of the staves of the Flemings ; whoever wished for any could collect sufficient to load his back. When the king of France arrived at his camp, where his niagni. fieent pavilion of red silk had been pitched, and when he had been disarmed, his uncles, and many barons of France, came, as was right, to attend him. Philip von -4rtaveld then came into his mind, and he said : ** If Philip is dead or alive, I should like to see him." They replied, " they would have a search made for him." It was proclaimed through the army, that whoever should discover the body of Philip von Artaveld, should receive one hundred francs. Upon this the varlets examined the dead, who were all stripped, or nearly so, and Philip through avarice was so strictly sought after, that he ■was found by a varlet, who had formerly sei-ved him some time, and ■who knew him perfectly. He was dragged before the king's pa. vilion. The king looked at him for some time, as did the other lords. He was turned over and over to see if he had died of wounds, but they found none that could have caused his death. He had been squeezed in the crowd, and falling into a ditch, numbers of Ghent men fell upon him, who died in his company. When they had sufficiently viewed him, he was taken from thence and hanged on a tree. Such was the end of Philip von Artaveld. Sir Daniel de Haluin, who, with his knights and squires, had held out Oudenardc so higlily to his honor, knowing well the king of France was in Flanders, and that there would be a battle with the Flemings, lighted, late at night on the Wednesday preceding the battle, four torches, which he hoisted above the walls, as a signal that the siege would be raised. About midnight, on the Tliursday, news was brought to the lord of Harzelles and the others, that their army had been completely routed, and Philip von Artaveld slain. Upon this they instantly broke up the siege, and marched away for Ghent, leaving behind them the greater part of their stores, each running as fast as he could to Ghent. The garrison of Oudenarde was. ignorant of this retreat, and remained so until the morrow morn, ing. On being informed of it, they sallied out, and carried into Oudenarde great pillage of knives, caniage^ and stores, which they found hid. On Thursday evening, intelligence arrived at Bruges of the defeat of the army, and of everything being lost. They were more aston. iahed than ever, and said among themselves, " Our destruction is now come upon us : if the Bretons should advance hither and enter out town, we shall be pillaged and murdered, for they will spare none." Upon this, the townspeople of both sexes, collected their jewels and most precious effects, and began to embark in vessels, to save them. selves by sea, in Holland or Zealand, or wherever fortune should carry them. In this manner wore they employed four days : and you would not have found in all the hdtcls of Bruges one silver spoon. Everything was packed up for fear of the Bretons. When Peter du Bois. who was confined to his bed from the wounds he had received at Commines, heard of the defeat of the army, and death of Philip von Artaveld, and how much the inhabit, ants of Bruges were alarmed, he did not think himself very safe, and therefore declared he would set out from Bruges and return to Ghent; for he thought that Ghent would be much frightened : he therefore ordered a litter for himself, as he could not ride. You must know, that when the news anived at Ghent of the great loss of their men, the death of Philip von Artaveld, and the destruction of their army, they -were so much cast down, that if the French on the day of the battle, or even on the Friday or Saturday, had advanced to Ghent before Peter du Bois arrived there, they would have opened the gates to them, without any opposition, and submitted to their mercy. But the French did not attend to this, thinking themselves perfectly mas. ters since Philip was dead : and that the Ghent men would, of their own accord, surrender themselves to the king's mercy. This meas- ure, however, they did not adopt. On the contrary, they alone car- ried on the war with greater vigor and bitterness than before, as you will hear related in the continuance of this history. On the Friday the king dislodged from Rosebecque, on account of the stench of the dead : he was advised to advance to Courtray to refresh himself. T)ie halzc* and some knights and squires who well knew tlie country, mounting their horses, entered the town of Cour- tray full gallop ; for there was not any opposition made. The women, both rich and poor, and many men also, ran into cellars and churches to save themselves, so that it was a pitiful siglit. Those who first entered Courtray gained considerably by the pillage. The French and Bretons next came there, and lodged themselves as they entered. The king of France made his entry the first day of December. A strict search was now made over the town for the Flemings who had hid themselves, and no luan was admitted to mercy, for the French hated them as much as they were hated by the townspeople, on account of a battle which had formerly been fought before Cour- tray, when the count Robert d'Artois and all the flower of the French nobility were slain. The king had heard that there was in a chapel of the Virgin in Courtray five hundred gilt spurs, which had belonged to the knights of France who had perished at the battle of Courtray in the year 1302, and that the inhabitants every year kept a grand solemnity, by way of triumph, for the success of this battle. He declared he would make them pay for it : and, on his departure, would give up the town to fire and flame ; so that they should remem- ber, in times to come, that the king of France had been there. Soon after the arrival of the king and his lords at Courtray, sir Daniel de Haluin, with fifty lances from the garrison of Oudenarde, came thither to pay their respects to the king. They were very graciously received by him and his lords ; and, after staying there one day, they returned to their companions in Oudenarde. CH.4.PTER CXXVI. BRUGES SUBMITS TO THE KING'S MERCY. THE COUNT DE BLOIS GUARDS. THE COUNTRY OF HAINAULT FROM BEING PILLAGED. THE INHABITANTS OF GHENT GAIN COURAGE FROM PETER DU BOIS. The Bretons and the vanguard showed very plainly the great desire they had to march to Bruges and to divide the spoil among themselves, for they were quartered between Tourout and Bruges. The earl of Flanders, who had an affection for the town of Bruges, and who would have been sorry for its destruction, had strong suspicions of their designs. He had received intelligence of what was going for- ward in Bruges, and how very much they were frightened. He there, fore took compassion on them, and spoke to his son, the duke of Burgundy, remonstrating with him, that if the town of Bruges should throw itself on the king's mercy, it ought not to be refused ; tor, if the Bretons or otliers were permitted to enter it, it would be irrevo. cably ruined. The duke agreed to this. Now it happened that, during the king's residence at Courtray, the inhabitants of Brugcg, who were in great alarms and knew not whether to quit their town or wait the event, determined to send two friars to the king, to solicit a passport for twelve of the principal inhabitants to wait on his majesty and lay their cases betore him. The monks came to Courtray and spoke with the king and his ■*This name has puzzled me very much; 1 ciiniiDl find it in any dictinnnry. It is called, butJi ill MSS. and print, ilase. Haze. Ila/ale and Ilnlze— [//a^e was a title conferred on tlie Rastard of Flanders and Brabant, but it is difficult t) account fur its origin; thenieaninp of the word, according to Cuti:r!ive's Dictionary, is "an old female conie or hare," and in subsequent parts of the work the same peiT;on is cnlletl " Le . Lievm de Brabant," Uie hare of Brabant. Some accidental circumstance probably gave occasion for tliis somewhat strange appellation.— Ed.] CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 323 council, and the carl of Flanders, who softened the business as much as he could. The king granted the passport for the twelve citizens to como and retiun, and said he would willingly hear them. On the return of the monks to Bruges, twelve deputies set out, under the passport tiiey had brought, end came to the king at Courlray, where they fuund him accompanied by his uncles. Tiiey cast themselves on their knees, and entreated him to accept them for his subjects ; that they were his men, and the town was at his mercy ; but begged him, fur t!ie love of God, to have mercy on them and not suffer the town to be destroyed or pillaged ; for, if it were, too many persons would be ruined. Witli regard to having opposed their lord, they had been forced to it by Philip von Artaveld and the Ghent men ; for they had always loyally acquitted themselves to the earl. The king heard this speech through the interpretation of the eavl of Flan- ders, who was present, and who on his kiiees entreated for them. It was explained to the citizens of Bruges, that it would be neces- sary to satisfy the Bretons and men-at-arms who were encamped between Touront and Bruges, and that there was no other means of doing so but with money. Upon this, negotiations were entered upon as t:) the sum : at first, two hundred thousand francs were de. manded ; but it was reduced at last to si.\ score thousand francs, sixty thousand of which they were to pay down, and the remainder -at Candlemas ; for which the king assured them peace ; but they surrendered themselves simply as liege men to the king of France ty faith and homage. By this means was the good town of Bruges prevented from beine nillnged. The Bretons were much vexed at it, for they thought to have had their share ; and some of them said, ■when they heard peace had been made, that this war in Flanders was not worth anything ; that they had gained too little pillage, and that it did not end well for them ; adding, " But when we return home, it shall be through the country of Hainault ; and duke Albert, who governs it, has not assisted his cousin the earl of Flanders, but has acted in a double manner. It will be right that we pay him a ■\isit : for Hainault is a rich and plentiful country : besides, we shall not find any one to obstiuct our passage, and we may there make amends for our losses and ill-paid wages." There was a time when those of this opinion amounted to twelve hundred spears, Bretons, Burgundians, Savoyards and others. You may suppose the charming country of Hainault was in jeopardy. The gallant count de Blois, who was one of the greatest lords of the Tear-guard, and of the king's council, heard of this intended march, and that the Bretons, Burgundians and others, who only looked for pillage, menaced the fair country of Hainault ; he took immediate steps to prevent it, saying, it was not to be suifcred that so fine a country should be overrun and pillaged. He summoned to his lodg- ings his cousins, the count de la Marche, the count de St. Pol, the lord de Coucy, the lord d'Anghien and several more, all holding lands in Hainault, and v\ho had come thither to serve the king, and remon. Btrated witli them, that they otight not by any means to suffer the good country of Hainault, whence they had sprung, and where they had estates, to be pillaged in any way whatever ; for, with regard to the war, Hainault had not been in the least wanting, but had most loyally assisted the king in this expedition with its barons, and, before the king came into Flanders, it had aided the earl of Flanders with its knights and squires, who had shut themselves in Oudenarde and Pendremonde, at the risk of their lives and fortunes. The count de Blois exerted himself so much, and gained so many partisans, that all those measures were broken, and Hainault remained in peace. This gallant lord performed another noble service. There -was in Flanders a knight called the lord d'Esquemine, who from affection to a relation of his, called Daniel Buse, killed in Valen- ciennes by his own fault, had declared he would make war on and harass that town. He had done so, and threatened to insult it still more, being seconded by many friends inclined to evil ; for it was reported that he had collected full five hundred spears, who would follow him into Hainault to attack the town of Valenciennes, in which they said he was justified. But when the count de Blois heard of it, ho went to him nobly accompanied, and ordered the knight not -to dare enter Hainault, nor to conduct any men-at-arms into the countries of his cousin duke Albert, otherwise he should pay dearly for it. This gallant count went further, and made the knight his particular friend, and obsequious to himself and the lord de Coucy ; and thus was that town kept in peace. Such services did the count de Blois to Hainault and Valenciennes, for which he gained great love and affection, but particularly- from Valenciennes. The lords and the men-at-arms still remained in and about Cour- tray, for they knew not whether the king would march to Ghent or not. The French imagined, that when Bruges had surrendered itself to the king's mercy, Ghent w-oidd do the same, since it had lost it^ leader, and such numbers of men at the battle of Rosebecque. In truth, for three days, the inhabitants were well inclined so to do, and knew not how to act : to quit the town and leave everything, or to send the keys to the king, and surrender themselves to his mercy. They were so completely cast down that there was neither -union nor steadiness among them. The lord de Harzelles, though "in the town, was incapable of giving them comfort. When Peter du Bois arrived, he found the gates open without any guards, which much surprised him ; and he asked, why they did not better guard the town. Those who came to him, and who were much rejoiced at his arrival, replied : " Ah, sir, what can wc do ? You know we have had our good captain slain ; and, by an exact account, the town of Ghent has lost, without counting strangers, full nine thousand men. This loss touches us so nearly that we have no hopes left." " Ye foolish people," answered Peter du Bois, " arc ye thus thunderstruck when the war is not near over, nor the town of Ghent so famous as she shall be ? If Philip is dead, it has been by his own violence. Close your gates, and think of preparing to de- fend yourselves. Ye do not suppose that the king of France w-ill come here this w-inter.time ; and before the proper season shall arrive, wc shall have gained reinforcements from our friends in Holland, Zealand, Guelderland, Brabant and other places. We can have men enough for our money. Francis Atrenien, who is now in' Eng. land, will soon return, and he and I will be your captains. The war has never been so serious, or so well conducted, as we w^ill have it. We are much better alone than joined by all Flanders ; for while we had the country with us, we knew not how to make war. Let us now attend to the business ourselves, and we shall perform greater exploits than have hitherto been done." By such speeches as this did Peter du Bois rally the cast-down inhabitants of Ghent, who would, without doubt, have surrendered themselves unconditionally to the king of France, if Peter du Bois had not been there. So much depends upon the courage and ability of a single man. When the Ghent men saw five or six days pass over without any attempt being made on their town, nor any ap. pearance of a siege, they recovered their courage, and became more presumptuous than before. CHAPTER CXXVII. THE TKEATT BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND FLEMINGS IS BROKEN. THE KING OF FKANCE DEPAKTS FROM FLANDERS. You have before heard how' sir William Fremiton, having beea sent by the king of England and his council with letters to the prin- cipal towns in Flanders on the subject of the intended treaties be- tween them, had remained at Calais, and with him Francis Atremeii and the six citizens of Ghent. When the Flemings heard of the defeat at Rosebecque, they were so much astonished, that the Eng. lish knight saw he had no occasion to proceed further, for there was an end of the treaty. He therefore took his letters without having sealed them, and returned to England as speedily as he could, to relate the particulars of this event. The nobles of England were not sorry on hearing it ; for they said, that if the commonalty of Flanders had been victorious over the king of France, and his nobility had been slain, the pride of the common people would have been so great that all gentlemen would have had cause to lament it, for appearances of insurrections had been shown in England. The Flemings, who had been sent to London with Francis Atremen, were much cast down, and, hastily embarking at Calais, sailed to Middlebourg in Zealand. The depu. ties returned to their different towns, and Francis Atremen and his companions got to Ghent as well as they were able, through Zea- land, but not until the king of France had left Flanders. During the residence of the king of France in Courtray, many councils were held, to determine whether they should lay siege to Ghent or not. The king was well inclined for so doing, as were the Bretons and Burgundians. But the lords of the council, as it was now the heart of winter, considered, that no effectual war could be carried on, and that the knights were much weakened and harassed by the cold ; that, as the rivers round Ghent were wide and deep, it would be time thrown away to attempt the siege : besides, the chiefs were also worii down by the rains, the cold, and lying on the ground, so that, everything considered, the king was advised to return to Tournay, where he might recruit himself and keep his Christmas. Those from the more distant parts, such as Auvergne, Dauphiny, Savoy and Burgundy, were to march quietly into their own coun- tries. But the king and his council wished the Bretons, Normans and French to remain with him and the constable ; for, as he could depend on them, he intended employing them against the Parisians, who had been so busy in forging armor, to make them behave better than they had hitherto done, since the coronation of the king. When the king of France departed from Courtray, he was not for. getlul, any more than his lords, of the gilt spurs which had been hung up in a church at Courtray, and which had belonged to the French nobility who had fallen with Robert d'Artois at the battle of Cour- tray. The king therefore ordered the town to be burnt and destroyed. The carl of Flanders, on hearing of this, went to the king, in hopes of remedying it, and flung himself on his knees, begging of him to rccal his orders ; but the king answered, he would do no such thing. The earl dared not renew his request, but went away to his lodgings before they were set on fire. The duke of Burgundy had taken down a curious clock which struck the hours, the handsomest that was to be seen on either side of the sea, which he had caused to be packed up, and placed on carts with its bell, and carried to Dijon, where it was placed, and there strikes the hours day and night. After the king had quitted the town, it was harshly treated ; for it was burnt and destroyed without mercy : and many knights, squires, men-at-arms, fine children, both boys and girls, were earned 334 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c away as slaves, to be ransomed. Tlie king rode on to Tournay, where he was shown every respect due to him, and fixed his quar- ters at tire abbey of Saint Martin. The inhabitants were all dressed in white with three green bars on one side : and proper houses were alloted to the lords. The king was at Saint Martin's: and his at- tendants occupied one quarter of the town. 1 he duke de Berry was lodged in the palace of the bishop ; the duke de Bourbon at the Crown; the duke of Burgundy at the Golden Head; the constable at St. James's Head. Proclamation was made for none to do any damage to the good people of Tournay, under pain of death, nor take anything without paying for it, nor to enter the country of Hainault with intent of doing mischief. All these orders were observed. The lords re- freshed themselves there with their men : but those from the distant parts returned to their homes through Lille, Douay and Valenci- ennes. The count de Blois took leave of the king and his uncles, and of his companion the count d'Eu, and retired to his inheritance in Hainault. He stopped one day and night at Valenciennes, where he was magnificently entertained; for he had gained the affection of the inhabitants, as well in gratitude for the services he had ren. dered by preventing the Bretons, Burgundians and Savoyards, from putting their intentions into execution of overrunning the country, as in regard to sir Thierry d'Esqucniinc, who had long kept them in alarm, and who, by having put himself under the obedience of the count and the lord de Coucy, had given them peace. The count de Blois left Valenciennes and went to Landrecies, where he passed some time, with the lady Mary his wife and his son Louis, in recov. ering himself from his fatigues. The following summer he went to Blois ; but the countess and her son continued in Hainault, and lived the greater part of the time at Beaumont. CHAPTER CXXVIII. VAIN ATTEMPTS MADE FOR PEACE BETWEEN THE KING OF FRANCE AND GHENT. THE KING, ON HIS RETURN TO PARIS, ORDERS THE CHAINS TO BE TAKEN AWAY THAT BARRICADED THE STREETS. HE SEVERELY PUNISHES THE PARISIANS. The count de la Marche and sir James de Bourbon, his brother, left Tournay to refresh themselves at their castle of Hainault. The lord Guy de Laval, a Breton, went to Cheure in Hainault, which is divided between sir Robert de Namur and himself. The lord de Coucy stopped at Mortagne on the Scheld, where he rested himself and his men : but the greater part of the time he was with the king at Tournay. The count de St. Pol was commissioned to correct the Urbanists of the town, which was reported to contain many. Several ■were discovered, and wherever found, even in the church of Ndtre Dame, they were arrested, cast into prison, and paid dearly for their liberty. By this means the count de St. Pol amassed in a very few days seven thousand francs ; for none obtained their liberty without paying, or giving very good security. During the king's residence at Tournay, the men of Ghent had a passport granted them to come thither and return. There were hopes that they would have been pardoned ; but, during the confer- ences which were holden, they were as proud and hardened as if they had been the conquerors at the battle of Rosebecque. They declared, indeed, that they would willingly put themselves under the obedience of the king, and would form part of the domain of France, under the jurisdiction of Paris ; but that they would never acknowledge for their lord earl Louis, because they could never love him for the great mis. chiefs he had done them. Several attempts were made to obtain a peace between the king and his council with these deputies ; but, notwithstanding the interference of some wise prelates, they could not get from them any other answer. They declared to the prelates, that if they were to live in such peril as would turn the town upside down for three or four years, they would never alter their minds. They were told they might return when they pleased : upon which, they departed from Tournay to Ghent, and things remained in a state of war. The king of France and his lords took great pains that all Flan- ders should become Clementists, and obey pope Clement : but the principal towns were as strongly inclined to Urban as the earl, that they could not be moved. They replied, through the earl's council, that they would consider of it, and give a determined answer before Easter : the business, therefore, was held over till then. Tlie king of France kept his Christmas at Tournay : and, when he departed, he appointed the noble lord de Guistelles governor of Bruges, the lord de St. Py governor of Ypres, the lord de Guistelles chief regent* of Flanders, and sir .lohn de .lumont governor of Courtray, whither the king sent two hundred Bretons and other men-at-arms, and to gar- nson Ardembourg. Sir William de Laumeghien was nominated to Oudenarde, with about one hundred lances for his garrison. Thus were all the strong places in Flanders provided with men-at-arms and stores, to enable them to carry on the war during the winter upon the enemy's garrisons. These things being an-anged, the king set out from Tournay for Arras, attended by his uncles and the earl of Flanders. During the residence of the king at Arras, the city ran a gi-eat risk of being * " Jicgaril.*' " " pillaged by the Bretons, to whom large sums were due for their pay, and who liad fought hard in this campaign : they were much dis- contented with the king, and it was with some difficulty they were restrained. The constable and marshals of France appeased them, by promising that their whole pay should be completely paid them at Paris ; and, with the lord Louis de Sancerre and the lord de Blaia- ville, pledged themselves for their performance. Upon this the king departed, following the road to Peronne. The earl of Flanders took his leave of tlie king, and returned to Lille, where he resided. The king continued his route through Peronne, Noyon, Compiegne, to Senlis, where he stopped. The army took up their quarters in the villages between Senlis and Meaux in Brie, and upon the river Marne and round St. Denis, so that the whole country was filled with men-at-arms. The king having left Senlig for Paris, ordered his officers to make ready the Louvre, where he intended to dismount. His three uncles did the same, sending their servants to prepare their hotels, as did other lords. This they were advised to, by way of precaution ; for the king and his lords had been counselled not to enter Paris suddenly, as the Parisians were not to be depended on, but to observe what countenance they would show, and what preparations they had made against the king's return. The king's officers, and the servants of the other lords, were ordered, if any questions were asked about the king, and if he were coming, to reply, " Yes, truly : he will be here instantly." The Parisians, on learning this, resolved to arm themselves, and show the king, on his entrance into Paris, the force that was in the city armed from head to foot, ready for hini, if he pleased, to dispose of. It would have been better for them to have remained quiet in their houses, for this display cost them dearly. They said they had done it with good intentions, but it was taken in an opposite sense. The king lodged at Louvres,* and from thence went to Bourget :1" it was immediately reported in Paris, that the king would be in. stantly there : upon which, upward of twenty thousand Parisians armed themselves and took the field, and drew up in a handsome battalion between St. Ladre and Paris, on the side of Montmartre, Their cross-bowmen had large shields and mallets, and all were pre* pared as for instant combat. The king was still at Bourget, with hia lords, when this news was brought them, and an account of the state of Paris. " See," said the lords, " the pride and presumption of this mob ! what are they now making this display for ? if they had thus come to serve the king when he set out for Flanders, they would have done well ; but their heads were only stuffed with prayers to God, that none of us might return." To these words some, who would have iieen glad to have gone further, and attacked the Paris- ians, added, " if the king be well advised, he will not put himself into the hands of such people, who meet him fully armed when they ought to come in all humility, with a procession, ringing the bells of Paris, and returning thanks to God for the grand victory he has been pleased to give us in Flanders." The lords were somewhat puzzled how to act: at last, it was de. tcrmined that the constable of France, the lord d'Albreth, the lord de Coucy, Sir Guy de la Trimouille and Sir John de Vienne, should go to speak with them, and demand the reason why they had come out of Paris in such a body, armed from head to foot, to meet their king; for that such a proceeding had never before been known in France. These lords were prepared to answer, whatever might be their reply to this question ; for they were fully capable to manage a business, had it been of ten times the importance. They set out from the king unarmed, and, to give a pretext to their mission, they took with them three or four heralds, whom they ordered to ride for- ward, saying, *' Go to those people and demand from them a passport for our coming to them and our return, as we are ordered to parley with them, and tell them the king's comniands." The heralds, stick- ing spurs into their horses, soon came up to the Parisians. When the Parisians saw them coming, they never thought they were or- dered to speak with them, but that they were going to Paris, like men who wished to get there beforehand. The heralds, who had their emblazoned tabards on, asked, with a loud voice, "Where are the chiefs? where are the chiefs? Who among you are captains ? because it is to them our lords have sent us." These words made some of the Parisians perceive they had acted wrong, and, bowing their heads, replied, " There are no chiefs here : we are but one, and under the command of our lord the king. Speak, in the name of God, what you have to say." " My lords," answered the heralds, " our lords (naming them) have sent us hither ; for they cannot perceive what are your intentions ; and to require that they may peaceably and without peril come hillicr and speak with you, and return to the king with such an answer as you shall give them ; for otherwise they are afraid to come." " By my troth," replied those to whom this speech was addressed, " there was no need to say this to us, unless it came from their noble minds ; but we think you are laughing at us." " We have told you nothing but the truth," said the heralds. " Well then," replied the Parisians, " go and tell them they may come here in perfect safety ; for they shall have no harm from us, who arc ready to obey their commands." The heralds returned to their lords and related what you have just read. The four barons then advanced, attended by the heralds, to * " Louvres"— a town in the Iste of France, five leagues from Senlis, six from Paris., t " Bourget"— a small town id the Isle of t'lance, about a league from Parir. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN. &c. 325 the Parisians, whom they found drawn up in very handsome battle. array. Tiiey were upward of twenty thousand. As these lords rode by them, examining and praising, in their own minds, their hand- some appearance, the Parisians bowed as they passed. When they were. arrived in the centre, they stopped ; and the constable address. ing them, said with a loud voice, " You people of Paris, what can have induced you thus to quit your town in such array ? It would seem that, thus drawn up, you were desirous of combating the king, your lord, you who are his subjects." " My lord," replied those who heard liini, " under your favor we have no such intentions, nor ever had. We have come out in this manner, since you please to know it, to display to our lord the king, the force of the Parisians, for he is very young and has never seen it ; and, if he should not be made acquainted with it, he can nevor know wiiat service he may draw from us should there be occasion." " Well, gentlemen," answered the constable, " you speak fairly : but we tell you from the king, that at this time he does not wish to see it, and what you have done has been sufficient for him. Return, therefore, instantly to Paris, each man to his own house, and lay aside your arms, if you wish the king should come thither." " My lord," replied the Paris- ians, *' we will cheerfully obey your orders." The Parisians upon this marched back to Paris, and each went to his house to disarm himself. The four barons retuined to the king, and reported to him and his council the words you have heard It was then ordered that the king and his uncles, with the principal lords, should enter Paris with some men-at-arms, but that the main body should remain near the city, to keep the Parisians in awe. The lord de Coucy and the marshal de Sancerre were ordered to take the gates off the hinges from the principal gates of St. Denis and St. Marcel immediately on the king's entrance into Paris, so that the gates might be open day and night for the men-at-arms to enter the more easily, and master the Parisians should there be any necessity for it. They also commanded the chains which were thrown across the streets to be taken away, that the cavalry might pass through the streets without danger or opposition. These orders were punctually obeyed. The king made his entrance into Paris and lodged at the Louvre, and his uncles with him : the other lords went to their own hotels, at least those who possessed any. The gates were taken off their hinges, and the beams which had been laid under the tower of the gates, with the chains from the streets, were carried to the palace. The Parisians, seeing this, were in great alarm, and so fearful of be- ing punished that none dared to venture out of doors, nor to open a window ; they remained in this situation for three days ; in great fright lest they should receive more harm than they had done. It cost them several large sums ; for those whom they wished to mark, were sent for one at a time, to the council chamber, where they were fined ; some six thousand, others three, others one ; so that they exacted from the city of Paris, to the profit of the king, his uncles and ministers, the sum of four hundred thousand francs. They never asked any but the principal persons as to their means of pay- ment, who thought themselves happy to escape with only a fine. They were ordered to carry their armor in bags, each man his own, to the castle of Beaut^, which is now called the castle of Vincennes, where they were thrown into the great tower, with the mallets. In this manner were the Parisians punished, as an example to the other towns of the kingdom of France. In addition, they were taxed with subsidies, aides, gabelles, fouages, with the ts^'elfth and thir. teenth penny, and many other vexations. The flat country was also completely ransacked. CHAPTER CXXIX. SETEKAI. OF THE PRINCIPAL CITIZENS OF PARIS ARE BEHEADED, WITH JOHN DES MARETS, AND MANY OTHERS IN THE DIFFERENT TOWNS AND CITIES IN FRANCE. The king and his council arrested and threw into prison whatever persons they pleased. Many were drowned ; but, in order to calm the fears of the others, proclamation w-as made in the king's name in all the streets and squares of Paris, that no one, under pain of death, should hurt the inhabitants, nor pillage their houses. This procla. mation greatly appeased the Parisians. There were, however, car- ried to execution several of the inhabitants who had been condemned to death for having stirred up the people : but it was with great as- tonishment John des Mar^ts* was seen among the number; he was considered as a wise and upright man ; and some say he was con. demned unjustly, for he was always known to have acted with the utmost prudence, and was above all one of the greatest and wisest members of the courts of law. He had served king Philip, king John and king Charles, with so much credit, that no fault was found in him: nevertheless, he was condemned to be beheaded, with twelve others in his company. -\s they were conducting him to his execu. tion, seated in a cart high above the others, he called out, " Where are those who have condemned me ? Let them come forth, and jus. tify, if they can, the cause and reason why and wherefore ihey have * "John des Marets" — was an upright man, a distinguished m,igistrat«, and avocat- e6n6ral. He suffered from the hatred ofthe dukes of Berry and Burgundy, which M'as most inveterate toward him. judged me guilty of death." He then harangued the people, and those who were to suffer with him, which made all pity him, but they dared not speak out. He was carried to the market-place in front of the town-house, where all who accompanied him were beheaded before his eyes : in the number was Nicholas Flamand, a draper, for whose life forty thousand francs had been offered in vain. When the executioner came to behead John des Marfits, he said to him, " Master John, beg for mercy of the king, that he may pardon you your crimes." Upon which he turned, and said, " I have served his greatgrand- father king Philip, king John, and king Charles his father, faithfully and loyally : and never did these three kings find fault with me, nor would this king have done so, if he had arrived at the wisdom and age of manhood. I firmly believe that, in my condemnation, he is not any ways culpable. I have not, therefore, any cause to beg his mercy ; but from God alone shall I beg it, and that he would forgive all my sins." Upon this he took leave of all the people, who, for the greater part, were in tears ; and thus died Master John des Marets. In like manner were several executed in the city of Rouen, and many fined, in order to intimidate the people. At Rheims, Chalons, Troyes, Sens and Orleans, similar scenes paf-"d. The towns were heavily fined because they had been disobeuient at the commence, ment of this reign. Immense sums were thus raised throughout the kingdom, and all went to the dukes of Berry and Burgundy, for the king was under their management. However, to say the truth, the constable and marshals had great part of it to pay the men-at.arras who had served in the expedition to Flanders. The lords and great barons of France, such as the count de Blois, the count de la Marche, the count d'Eu, the count de St. Pol, the count de Harcourt, the count dauphin of Auvergne, the lord de Coucy and others, had granted to them assignments on the royal domain, to raise as much as the king owed them for their services in Flanders, and to pay their men. I know not how these lords were paid their assignments, for very shortly new taxes were imposed on these lands by orders from the king. Most commonly the king's tax was insisted on being paid first, and the lords were obliged to wait for their arrears. CHAPTER CXXX. the GHENT MEN RENEW THE WAR. THE EARL OF FLANDERS BECOMES AN OBJECT OF HATRED TO THE ENGLieH. You know that when the king of France departed from Courtray, the town of Ghent was still in a state of war. The governors of it at this rime were Peter du Bois, Peter de Nuitre and Francis Atre. men, who reinforced their army with soldiers who came from different countries, and were not in the least dismayed with their situation, but as fresh and vigorous as ever. These captains heard that there was a garrison of Bretons and Burgundians in the town of Ardem- bourg, and therefore determined to pay them a visit. Accordingly, Francis jVtremen marched from Ghent with three thousand men, and arrived at Ardembourg, where there was a severe skirmish. In fact, the Ghent men won the town ; but it cost them a number of men, as there were full two hundred of their soldiers killed. The town was stormed, pillaged, and the greater part of it burnt. They then marched back to Ghent with their booty, where they were received with great joy. Shortly after this they advanced to Dendremonde, Alost, and as far as Oudenarde, plundering the whole country. The earl of Flanders, who resided at Lille, heard how the Ghent men were ravaging the country, and marching to different parts to plunder it. He was much enraged thereat, not supposing they would have had either the courage or power so to do, since they had lost Philip von Artaveld. Those present answered, " My lord, you have always heard how very artful the men of Ghent are : they have shown it to you, and will now do so the more since their embassadors are returned from England, especially Francis Atremen, who was the intimate friend of Philip : and as long as he lives, you will never be free from war. We also know- for a truth that he has concluded a treaty between Ghent and the king of England ; for he is secretly, in spite of appearance, attached to England, and receives daily from thence one franc as wages. John Saplemon, who lives at Bruges, and has resided there under you for twenty-four years, pays him monthly. To corroborate the truth of his connections with England, Rasse de Voirie, Louis de Voz and John Sercolat, who are from Ghent, and the clerk who solicits the bishopric, have remained be- hind in England to complete the treaties. In the month of May, you will hear more of all this than we now have told you." The earl of Flanders pondered on what he had heard, and believed the fact w-as so. He turned his attention to John Saplemon and the English at Bruges, and ordered his Serjeants to summon them to app°ear on a certain day before him. The Serjeants ordered John Saplemon and several other rich Englishmen, who were quite nnpr&. pared for such a proceeding, to appear that day fortnight before the carl, at the castle of Lille. The English were much astonished at the summons, and consulted together. They could not imagine for what cause the earl had thus summoned them. Having weighed every circumstance, they began to have their suspicions, for they knew the earl was very hasty in his anger. They said among themselves, " He who is not careful of his 820 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. own person, is careful of notliing. I suspect the earl lias had some intelligence concerning iis ; for with Francis Atremen, who has a pension from our king, there are two citizens of this town in England, who, having turned to his party, may perhaps liave given information against us, and placed us in his ill graces." This idea struck them all, and made tliem afraid to wait the day of summons, and to appear at Lille. They set out from Bruges for Sluys, where, by great ex- ertions, they purchased a vessel that was ready to sail, and having embarked, weighed anchor, and arrived at the quays of London. When the earl of Flanders heard of this, and saw that the English did not come according to his summons, lie was much ve.xed. He found, from appearances, that what he had been told was tho truth. He instantly sent his Serjeants to Bruges, and caused to be seized whatever could be found belonging to those English who had fled, Belling the articles collected ; and John Saplcmou of London and his companions were banished Flanders for one hundred years and a day. Those who had been arrested were thrown into the dungeon of the prison, which cost some of them their lives, while others recovered all they had lost. There is a common and true saying, that envy never dies. This conies to my remembrance, because the English aj'e too envious of another's good fortune, and have always been so. You must know, that the king of England, his uncles, and the nobility, were much vexed at the good success and great honor which the king of France and his nobles had gained at the battle of Rosebecque. When the English knights conversed together on the subject, they said : " Ha, by holy Mary ! how proud will the French be now, for the heap of peasants they have slain. I wish to God, Philip von Artaveld had had two thousand of our lances and six thousand archers : not one Frencliman would have escaped death or imprisonment. By God, they shall not long keep tlris honor, for we have novv a fine opportu- nity of entering Flanders. That country has been conquered by the king of France, and we will conquer it for the king of England. The earl of Flanders shows at this moment how completely he is subject to France, and how much he wishes, in every respect, to please her, by banishing from Bruges and Flanders our English mer- chants, who have resided there upward of thirty years. The time has been when he would not have done so for any consideration, but at present he dares not act otherwise for fear of the French." This, and such like speeches, were common in England ; and it was publicly said, that things should not remain as they were : now, one may fairly suppose, that envy was the original cause of it. CHAPTER CXXXI. rOPE URBAN SENDS BULLS INTO ENGLAND FOK THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CLEMENTISTS. THE BISHOF OF NORWICH APPOINTED COMMANDER-IN- CHIEF ASAINST THEM. About this period, he who signed himself pope Urban the sixth, came from Rome to Genoa by sea, where he was grandly received, and he fixed liis seat there. You have heard how all England was obedient to him, both church and commonalty, and now more than ever. Because the king of France and that country were Clement- iflts. Urban (whom the English and several other countries obeyed,) during his residence at Genoa, sought how he could obtain succors from England to annoy the king of France ; and I will tell you by what means. He was to send his bulls to the archbishops and bishops of the coimtry, to proclaim that he absolved, and would absolve, from all crime and fault, every one who would assist in the destruction of the Clementists. He had heard that his adversary Clement had re- Borted to this means in France, and was daily doing so ; and that the French called the Urbanists, as to matters of faith, dogs, which those retorted back on the Clementists, whom Urban was very desirous of condemning to the utmost of his power, and he knew that he had no other means of hurting them but through the English. It was necessary, however, that he should have a considerable sum of ready money, if he wished to put his plans into execution ; for it was well known that the nobles of England would not, for all the absolutions in the world, undertake any expedition, unless such were preceded by offers of money. Men-at-arms cannot live on pardons, nor do they pay much attention to them except at the point of death. He therefore determined, that with the bulls he sent to England for the prelates to preach upon, he would order a full tenth to be raised by the church, and to be paid by them to the nobility, without affecting the king's tieasury, nor oppressing the common people. This, he imagined, would be agreeable to the knights and barons of England. He instantly hastened the writing and engrossing his bulls, as well to the king as to his uncles and the prelates of England, with his pardons and absolutions from all crimes ; he granted, besides to the king and his uncles, a full tenth to be by them raised and levied throughout the kingdom, on which he enlarged very much. And because all these sums were to come from the church, he would have a churchman command the expedition. The lord Henry Spenser, bishop of Norwich, was appointed, that the commonalty and churches of England might have greater faith in it. In addition to this, be- cause he knew that the king of Spain was contrary to his interest, ^and much allied with the king of France, he declared, that with the' money that should be thus raised in England, the duke of Lancaster, who, in right of his wife, called himself king of Castille, should set out for that country to raise a similar army there ; and, if the duke of Lancaster would undertake this expedition with a powerful force of men-at-arms, he would grant to the king of Portugal {who had just commenced a war against don John king of Castille) a full tenth on the whole kingdom of Portugal. In this manner was Urban active in his own concerns. He sent upward of thirty btdls to England, where they were received with much joy. The prelates preached up in their dioceses this expe- dition in the manner of a croisade ; and the people of England, who were credulous enough, believed it too readily, so that none of cither sex thought they should end the year happily, nor have any chance of entering paradise, if they did not give handsomely to the expedi. tion as pure alms. At London, and in that diocese, there was col- lected a large Gascony tun full of money, and he who gave the most, according to the pope's bull, gained the greatest number of pardons. All who should die at this time, and who had given their money, were absolved from every fault ; and, by the tenor of the bull, happy were they who would now die, in order to obtain so noble an abso- lution. They collected during the winter and ensuing Lent, through- out England, as well by alms as by the tenth from the church, for everything was received, and they so cheerfully taxed themselves, that the sum of twenty-five hundred thousand francs was amassed. CHAPTER CXXXII. THE BISHOP OF NORWICH, COMMANDER OF THE ENGLISH IN THE CKOISADE OF URBAN AGAINST THE CLEMENTISTS, DISEMBAKES AT CALAIS WITH HIS ARMY OF URBANISTS. When the king of England, his uncles, and council, were informed of the amount of the above sum, they were greatly rejoiced, and said they had money sufficient to carry on a war against the two king- doms of France and Spain. Thomas, bishop of London, and bro- ther to the earl of Devonshire, was nominated to accompany the duke of Lancaster to Spain, in the name of the pope and prelates of England. They were to have two thousand lances and four thou- sand archers, and one half of the money which had been raised ; but they were not to leave England so soon as the army under the com- mand of the bishop of Norwich, because this last was to march to Calais and enter France. They were uncertain how far in that country they could advance, and whether tlie king of France would meet them in force to give them battle. There was anotlier circumstance adverse to the duke of Lancas- ter, who had great expectations from his intended expedition : the common people of England inclined in general to follow the bishop of Norwich in preference to him : for a considerable time he had not been popular with them : besides, France was much nearer than Spain. Some said privately, that the duke of Lancaster, more through avarice and a desire to partake of the large sums which had been col. lectcd from the church and from the alms of good men than through devotion, had planned this expedition ; but that the bishop of Nor- wich represented the pope, and had been appointed by him to the command, for which reason the greater part of the people, as well aa the king, had greater faith in him. There were in the pay of the church, and under the command of this bishop of Norwich, several good knights of England and Gas. cony, such as the lord de Beaumont, sir Hugh Calverley, sir Thomas Trivet, sir William Helmon, sir John Ferrers, sir Hugh Spenser, nephew of the bishop, being his brother's son, sir William Fermiton, sir Matthew Redman, governor of Berwick, the Lord de Ch^teauneuf, and his brother sir John de Chflteauneuf, Raymond Masson, William de Pau, Gariot Vighier, John de Cachitan, with many others : in the whole, about five hundred lances and fifteen hundred other men ; but there were multitudes of priests, because it was an affair of the church, and had been set on foot by the pope. The men-at-arma were punctual in laying in their stores, and the king gave them a passage from Dover and Sandwich. Their purveyances were at those places about Easter ; and all who were desirous of going on this expedition, which was a sort of a croisade, marched thitlier in small bodies. Before the bishop and the captains embarked, but particularly sir Hugh Calverley, sir Thomas Trivet, and sir William Helmon, they were summoned to attend the king's council, where they solemnly swore, in the presence of the king, to fulfil the object of the expedition, and that they would never make war on, or harass any country or men who acknowledged pope Urban, but only those who were under the obedience of Clement. After they had taken this oath, the king, by advice of his council, addressed them, saying, "Bishop, and you, Thomas and William, when you shall have arrived at Calais, you will remain there for a month or thereabouts, in which time I will send you a good marshal and valiant man, sir William Beauchamp : for I have dispatched messengers to him on the borders of Scotland, where he at ineseul is holding conferences on our part with the Scots, for the truce between us and Scotland will expire on St. John's day. On his return, you shall have him without fail in your company : therefore wait for him, for he will be of great use to you by his good sense and advice." The bishop of Norwich and the above-named knights assented to this proposal, and quitted the king : they went to Dover, where they CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 327 embarked, and arrived af Calais the 23rd of April, 1383. Sir John Delvernes was at tliat time governor of Calais, who received the bishop and his companions witli much pleasure. They disembarked a few at a time, with their horses and armor; and those who had the opportunity of doing so, lodged themselves in the town ; the rest abided in huts which they erected in the neighborhood, and con. tinned thus until the 4th day of May, expecting their marshal, sir William Beauchaaip, who, however, did not arrive. The Bishop of Norwich atthb head of his Troops.— Designed from Contemporary Authoiilies. The bishop of Norwich, young and eager, and wisliing to bear arms, having never done so but in Lombardy with his brother, find- ing himself at Calais, and at the head of so fine a body of men-at- arms, said to his companions, " For what purpose, my good sirs, are we thus waiting here so long ? Sir William Beauchamp will never arrive, and the king and his uncles have totally forgotten us. Let lis perform some deeds of arms, since we have been ordered so to do, and loyally employ the money of the church, since we are living upon it, and make conquest on our enemies," "It is well spoken," re- plied those who heard him. " Give notice to our men, that in three days we shall make an excursion, and let us determine to what part we shall march. We cannot issue out of the gates of Calais without entering an enemy's country ; for France surrounds us on all sides, as well toward Flanders as toward Boulogne and St. Onicr : Flan- ders is now a conquered country, by the power of the king of France. Considering all things, we cannot do a more honorable thing than to reconquer it ; for the earl of Flanders has done great injustice to our countrymen, whom, without any apparent reason, he has banished from Bruges and Flanders. Two years ago, he would not willingly have done so ; but at this moment he must obey the orders and good pleasure of the king of France." " On which account," said the bishop of Norwich, " if If I may be believed, the first expedition we undertake should be to Flanders." " You shall be believed heartily,' replied sir Thomas Trivet and sir William Helmon : " give orders for this, and let us march thither in three days, for it will be on ene- my's ground." This was adopted by all the council, and they gave notice of it to the rest of the army. CHAPTER CXXXIII. THE BISHOP OF NORWICH, C0MMANHEE OF THE UREANISTS, ENTERS FLAN- DERS CONTRARY TO THE OPINION OF SIR HUGH CALVEEI.ET. THE EAKL OF FLANDERS SENDS EMBASSADORS TO THE BISHOP, WHO RETURNS A HARSH ANSWER. Sir Hugh Galverley was not present at this council, having gone to see a cousin called sir John Droicton,* who was governor of Gu- ines, and had remained there all that day, intending to return on the following, which he did. The bishop sent for him to the castle, where he was lodged, as were the others, because sir Hugh had been longer accustomed to arms, and had seen more than they had done. The knights had told the bishop, that they wished to have sir Hugh's opinion before they undertook anything. The bishop related to sir Hug h, in their presence, the conversation whicli had passed, * "Droictoo." Q. DrartuD. and demanded his advice on it. Sir Hugh thus replied to the bishop; " Sir, you know on what terms we have left England : our expedi. tion has nothing to do with what concerns the wars of kings, but is solely pointed against the Clementists. We arc the soldiers of pope Urban, who has given us absolution from all faults if we destroy the Clementists. Should we march into Flanders, notwithstanding that country may now appertain to the king of France and the duke of Burgundy, we shall forfeit our engagement ; for, I understand, that the earl of Flanders and all the Flemings are as good Urbanists as our- selves ; besides, we have not a sufficient army to enter Flanders, for they are prepared and accus. tomed to war, having had nothing else to do for these last four years. They are a numerous people, and itwill be difficult to march through so strong a coun- try. But if you are deter, mined on an expedition, let us march into France, there we shall find our enemies. The king, our lord, is now at open war with them, and the French are all Clementists, hold- ing a contrary faith to us and to our pope. We ought to wait for our mar- shal, sir William Beau- champ, who cannot fail to arrive soon with large reinforcements ; and the last w'ord the king said to us was, that he would send him. I therefore advise, since 3-ou are resolved on an expedition, that we march toward Aire or Montreuil : none will ven- ture, as yet, to oppose us, and we shall add to our numbers by the Flemings, who, having lost their all, will come and join us in the hopes of gain. They have still rankling in their minds the misfortunes the French brought on them by the slaughter of their fathers, sons, and friends, in their wars." Scarcely had sir Hugh done speaking, when the bishop, in a rage, hot and impetuous as he was, replied, " Yes, yes, sir Hugh : you have learnt so long to fight in France, that you know not how to fight elsewhere. Now, can we anywhere make an excursion with more advantage to ourselves than toward the sea, by Bourbourg, Dunkirk, Nieuport, and thence to the dependencies of Casscl, Ber- gues, Ypres, and Poperingue ? In the country I have named, ac- cording to the informations I have received from citizens of Ghent who are with us, they have never been harassed by the war ; we will therefore go thither to refresh ourselves, and wait for the arrival of sir William Beauchamp, if he intend coming, but as yet we have not had any intelligence of him." Sir Hugh Calverley, seeing himself thus rebuffed by the bishop, who was of high birth and his commander, notwithstanding he was a valiant knight, made no reply, and the rather, because he had not any support from sir Thomas Trivet, nor from sir William Helmon : he therefore left the place, saying, " By God, sir, if you make an excursion, sir Hugh Calverley will accompany you, and you shall take neither road nor march but he will be of the party." " I wil- lingly believe," said the bishop, " that you have a great desire for an excursion : therefore make yourself ready, for we shall march in the morning." In this resolution they agreed, and then separated. Orders were sent to all the quarters in and round Calais, that every one might be prepared for the expedition in the morning. When morning came, the trumpet sounded, and all marched off, taking the road toward Gravelines. They were, according to a muster made, three thousand armed heads. They continued their march until they came to the port of Gravelines ; but it was at the time of ebb ; they therefore passed by the port, and attacked and pillaged a mon- astery which the townsmen had i^ortificd. The town could not hold out long, for it was only inclosed by palisadoes, and the inhabitants were seamen. If there had been any gentlemen in the town it would have held out longer than it did. Neither had the country any notice of this war, nor did fliey any way suspect the English of thus attacking them. The English therefore conquered the town of Gravelines by storm, and, having ended it, advanced toward the monasteiy, whither these good people had retreated, carrying with them their wives, children, and fortunes, which they placed therein, depending on the strength of the walls. They had made deep ditches oil round this strong place, so that the English could not immediately win it, but remained two days in the town before they 328 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND. FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. took it. In the end, they conquered, and alew thoee who defended it, doiii" with the remainder according to their pleasure. 1 hus were they lords and masters of Gravelines, where the whole army was quartered, and found plenty of provisions. The country began to take alarm on hearing the English were iu possession of Grave- lines ; and those of the low countries sheltered themselves in the fortresses, sending their wives and children to Bergues, Bourbourg, and St. Omer. , , , , The earl of Flanders heard at Lille, where he resided, that the English had made war on his country, and had taken Gravelines. He°began to have suspicions of them, as well as of Bruges and its dependencies. Summoning his council, he said to them, " I am very much astonished that the English should overrun my country, and take my towns without giving me any notice of it ; and that, without sending me any defiance, they should have entered my territories." " Indeed, my lord," some of them replied, "you have cause to wonder ; but one may suppose they consider Flanders as belonging to France, since the king had advanced so far into it, that the country surrendered to him." " Well, what had we best do ?" asked the earl. " It will be right," replied his council, " that sir J<.hn de Villain and sir .John du Moulin, who are here, and have pensions from the king of England, should go in your name to Eng. land to speak with the king, and report to him a detail of this atlair, and demand, in your name, for what purpose he thus makes war on you. I believe, that when he shall have heard your embassadors, he will be angered at those who have thus harassed your country, and recal them thence with much blame." " This is veiy well," said the earl, " but during the time our knights are going to England, those at Gravelines (and who will stop them ?) may do great damage to the inhabitants of the Franconate." • The earl was thus answered : " It is necessary some parley should be held with them, as well to obtain passports for Calais and England as to know what it is they want ; and sir John Villain and sir John du Moulin are such discreet persons, that they will manage to restore peace to the country." " I consent to this," replied the earl. The two knights received their instructions from the earl and his council, in regard to the parley with the bishop of Norwich, as well as respecting their mission, and what they were to say to the king of England and his uncles. While these knights were preparing to set oul for Gravelines to the bishop of Norwich, all the country rose in the environs of Bourbourg, Bergues, Cassel, Poperingue, Furnes, Nieuport, and other towns, and advancing to Dunkirk, entered that town, declaring that they would in a short time march out to guard the frontiers and fight the English. These Flemings had for leader a knight called sir John Sporequin, who was governor or regent of the te°rritories of madame de Bar, which are situated on this frontier and extend to the gates of Ypres. Sir John Sporequin was ignorant of the earl's intentions of sending to England : the haze de Flanders had come to him with thirty lances, and said that the earl was at Lille ; but that he knew nothing more ; and that he was about to marry his sister there with the lord Delbauurin. These two knights took great pains to stir up the country, and to collect all men of courage : they amounted at last to twelve thousand men, armed with pikes, staves, coats of mail, jackets,* iron caps and helmets, and all of them were, for the greater part, as I was informed, vassals of madame de Bar, residing between Gravehnes and Dunkirk. Three leagues off, and near the road, is Mardyke, a large village quite open on the sea.sliore, whither the English advanced ; and at times there were skirmishes. Sir John Villain and sir John du Moulin arrived at Gravelines with a passport, for which they had waited at Bourbourg, where one of their heralds brought it. On their arrival at Gravelines, and soon after they had dismounted, they waited on the bishop of Norwich, who outwardly gave them a handsome reception and good entertainment. He had that day at dinner all the barons of his army ; for he well knew that the knights of the earl of Flanders were coming, and therefore wished they might meet with them altogether. The knights opened their busi. ness, and said to the bishop, " Sir, we are sent hither by my lord of Flanders." "What lord?" said the bishop. " The eari of Flan, ders, sir: Flanders has no other lord." " By my God," replied the bishop, " we consider it as belonging to the king of France or to the duke of Burgundy, our enemies, for by force of arms have they just conquered it." " Under respect to your grace," answered the knights, " the territory was loyally remitted at Tournay into the hands and government of my lord the earl of Flanders, who has sent us hither to entreat of you to grant us, who are attached by faith and pension to the king of England your lord, passports to go to Eng- land, to the king, to know his reasons for making war on my lord the earl of Flandei-s and his country, without sending him any defi- ance." The bishop replied he would consider of it, and they should have his answer to-morrow morning. They could not obtain more at this moment, and retired to their houses, leaving the English in council, who resolved as I shall tell you. Having fully weighed every circumstance, and the enterprise they had undertaken, they resolved not to grant passports to the two knights to go to England, for the journey was long, and while they were going and returning, the v,'hole country would be secured and greatly strengthened ; for the eari, who was a subtle character, might inform the king of France and duke of Burgundy of his situation by whose means so large a force might in a few days come upon them, that they would be unable to resist it. Having formed this resolution as to the answer they would give in the morning to the knights from Flanders, sir Hugh Calverley was called upon for his opinion, who said to the bishop, " Sir, you are our commander : you will tell them that we are on the teiTitories of the duchess of Bar, who is a Clementist ; that you make war for Urban and no one else ; and that if the people of this country, with the churches and monasteries, will be good Urbanists, and march with you through the country, your men shall peaceably pass, paying for whatever they may want : but in respect to granting them passports to go to England, you will do no such thing ; for our war does not regard either the king of France or the king of England, but solely pope Urban, whose soldiers we are. It seems to me that such an answer ought to satisfy them." All present assented to it, and particularly the bishop, who had no other care, whatever might be said or done, : but to fight and carry on the war. Thus was this business arranged ■ for the night. On the morrow after mass, the two knights, desirous of having their answer, went to the lodgings of the bishop, and waited until he came out to hear mass, when they placed themselves before him. Outwardly he seemed glad to see them, and conversed with them on different topics to delay the time, until his knights should come. On their arrival the bishop said, " My fair gentlemen, you are come for an answer, and you shall have one. With regard to the request you made to us from the earl of Flanders, I inform you, , you may return when you please to the earl ; but as to Calais or England, you will go at your perils, for I will not give you any pass, port. I am not king of England, nor commissioned to do so. I am the soldier of pope Urban, and all those who are with me are so likewise, having taken his money to sei-ve him. We are at this moment on the territories of the duchess of Bar, who is a Clemen. tist. If the people of this country hold that opinion, we make war on them. If they will follow us, they shall have their share of the absolutions ; for Urban, who is our pope, and for whom we march, absolves from all crimes those who shall aid in the destruction of the Clementists." When the two knights heard this speech, sir John Villain said, " Sir, with respect to what concerns the pope, I believe you have never heard but that my lord of Flanders is a good Urbanist; you have therefore been badly advised if you make war on him or on his country : and I do not believe that the king of England has given you such extensive orders ; for if such had been his intentions, he is so noble and considerate, he would first have sent him a defiance." This answer enraged the bishop, who said, " Go and tell your earl he shall not have any other answer, --^nd if he wishes to send you or any others to England, to learn more particularly the king's inten. tions, let him look to it ; for those he sends must take another road than this, and they shall not cross at Calais." When the knights found they could not have any other answer, they took their leave and departed. They returned to their lodgings to dinner ; and then, mounting their horses, went that day to St. Omer. * " Hociuetoits.'' a Quilted gnnnent generally worn beneath steel aimor, but occa- Jlionaliy used as the sole ormor of li^ht troops.— Ed. CHAPTER CXXXIV. THE BISHOP OF NORWICH MARCHES TOWARO DUNKIRK. HE DEFEATS TWELVE THOUSAND FLEMINGS AND TAKES THE TOWN. The same day that the knights of Flanders had departed, news was brought to the bishop and the English, that there were at Dun. kirk and in its neighborhood, upward of twelve thousand men armed, and that the bastard of Flanders commanded them, but that there were other knights and squires who also advised them. That they had skirmished with their men at Mardyke, and had repulsed and killed one hundred. The bishop said, " Now observe the conduct of the earl of Flanders : he affects to do nothing, and yet he is at the bottom of all : he wants to negotiate sword in hand. I am resolved to march to-morrow toward Dunkirk, and see what sort of men these are." This proposal met universal approbation, and notice was sent of it through Gravelines. This day two knights joined the army, one from Calais, the other from Guines, with about thirty lances and si.xty archers. These knights were called sir Nicholas Cliton* and sir John Dracton,t governor of Guines. On the ensuing morning, every one was ready for the march*. They took the field, amounting in number to more than si.x hundred lances and fifteen hundred archers. They advanced toward Mar- dyke and Dunkirk ; and the bishop of Norwich had the arms of the church borne before him, the banner of St. Peter, gules with two keys en sautoir, as being gonfalonnier of pope Urban. His pennon had his own arms, which were argent quartered with azure, with a fret or, on a field azure, and a baton gules on a field argent ; and, be. cause he was a younger brother of the Dispensers, his arms were charged with a bordure gules. Sir Hugh Dispenser, his nephew, was there with his pennon, and the lord de Beaumont, sir Thomas Trivet, sir William Helmon and sir Hugh Calverley, had both banner * and pennon. Sir William Drayton, sir John Drayton, his brother^ *" Cliton." Q. if not Clinton. t " Dractou." Q. if not Drayton. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &, c . 399 sir Matthew Redman, sir John Ferrers, sir William Frenenton,* and sir John de Neufchastel, Gascon, had only pennons. These men- at-arms came to Mardyke, where they refreshed themselves, and, having drank a cup, continued their march toward Dunkirk. The Flemings, who were in the town, heard that the English were marching in order of battle to combat them. Upon this, they re- solved to take the field, and draw up in battle-array to defend them- selves if there should be any occasion, for it would not be for their advantage to shut themselves up in the town. They instantly exe- cuted this resolution, and all who were in Dunkirk armed and marched into the fields, where they drew up in good array on a hill, and mustered upward of twelve thousand men. The English were now advanced near to Dunkirk, when, on look- ing toward the rising grounds on the right, in the direction of Bour- bourg, and near the sea. shore, they saw the Flemings formed in a large and well-arranged battalion. On this they halted, for they thought, from the manner in which the Flemings had drawn them- selves up, that they had an intention of fighting. The principal captains assembled to consider how they should now act, and many words passed, for some, and especially the bishop, wished to march instantly to the combat ; but others, such as the lord de Beaumont and sir Hugh Calverley, were of a contrary opinion, and assigned as their reason, that the Flemings had never done them any wrong ; and that, in truth, they had never sent any declaration of war to the earl of Flanders, though they had entered his country. "We do not make war in a gallant manner, but like a mob, that whoever can, may pillage. The whole country where we are is Urbanist, and fol- lows the same opinion as ourselves : now, consider what just cause have we for attacking them." The bishop answered, " How do we know whether they are Urbanists or not ?" "In God's name," said sir- Hugh Calverley, " let us send a herald to them to know why they are thus drawn up in battle-array, and what they want ; and let them be asked which pope they obey. If they answer pope Urban, j'ou will require of them, by virtue of the bull we have with us, that they accompany us to St. Omer, Aire, Arras, or whithersoever we may wish to lead them. When they shall have had these questions put to them, we shall know their intentions, and may then call a council." This proposal was adopted, and a herald called, whose name was Montfort, and attached to the duke of Brittany. He was ordered by these lords to ride to the Flemings, and told what he was to say, and how to act when among them. He obeyed their com- mands, and, clothed in his proper coat of arms, without suspecting any accident, made for the Flemings, who were drawn up in hand- some order of battle. He wished to address himself to some knights ; but he could not, for as soon as the Flemings saw him, without ever asking what was his business, or making any inquiries, they sur- rounded him and slew him, like ignorant people, nor could those gen- tlemen who were there save him. The English, on seeing this action, for they kept their eyes on them, were mad : as were also the citizens of Ghent who accompanied them, and were eager to urge them on ; hoping that, by these means, new troubles would fall on Flanders. The English said, " This mob has murdered our herald : they shall pay dearly for it, or we will all die on the spot." The archers were ordered to advance on the Flemings. A citizen of Bruges or Ghent was made a knight, and shortly the battle began briskly ; for, to say the truth, the Flemings defended themselves very well, but the archers wounded or beat down many, when the men-at-arms broke through them, and with their pointed spears killed multitudes on thtir first charge. In short, the English won the day, and the Flemings were defeated. They thought to keep together in a body and enter Dunkirk ; but the English followed them closely and kept up the engagement so warmly that they entered the town with them. Numbers were slain in the streets or on the shore, though they there gained some advantage, for the English lost four hundred at least. As the English pursued, the Flemings retired : many detached par- ties fought, in which several knights and squires from Flanders were slain ; scarcely any escaped death or captivity. Thus did this afiair end : there were full nine thousand Flemings killed at this battle of Dunkirk. The day the battle had taken place, sir John Villain and sir John du Moulin had returned to the earl of Flanders at Lille, and hod repeated to the carl all they had seen and heard from the English. The earl was very melancholy on the subject, not knowing how to act : he was still more so, and with greater reason, when he heard the news of the slaughter and defeat of his men at Dunkirk. He bore it with tolerable patience, and comforted himself as well as he could, by saying, " VVell, if we have lost at this time, at another, please God, we shall \vin." He instantly dispatched a messenger to the duke of Burgundy, who was with the king of France, with pri- vate letters, to give him information of this event, and for him to consider of it; for he concluded that since the English had thus en- tered Flanders and killed his subjects, they would not rest there, but would advance further into the country and do more mischief. The duke of Burgundy, on receiving tl.is intelligence, sent knights and squires to garrison St. Omer, Aire, St. Venant, Bailleul, Bergues, Cassel, and all the strong places on the frontiers of Flanders, and to gviatd the entrance of Artois. We will return to the English, and say how they prospered. " FreiientoQ.'' Q. FarringdoD, or Frampton. CHAPTER CXXXV. THE ENGLISH, UNDER THE COMMIND OF THE BISHOP OF NORWICH, HAV. ING CONQCERED ALL THE COAST FROM GRAVELIHES TO SLUYS, LAY SIEGE TO YPRES. After the defeat near Dunkirk and the conquest of that town, the English were swollen with pride, and thought all Flanders was their own. To say the truth, had they marched directly to Bruges, many who were well acquainted with the state of that town, say it would have surrendered to them : but they acted otherwise ; for they had determined to march to Bourbourg, to take that town, and then to advance to Aire and Cassel, conquering the whole country so as to leave no enemy in their rear, and then to lay siege to Ypres. They imagined the town of Ypres would surrender on seeing that the country was conquered. They left Dunkirk, after having done their pleasure with it, and marched for Bourbourg : the inhabitants of which place, being much alanned, no sooner saw them coming than they instantly surrendered, on having their lives and fortunes spared. The English entered the place with great joy ; for they said they would there establish a handsome garrison, to make war on St. Omer and the adjacent frontiers. After this, they gained the castle of Dixmude : but it was three days before they took it by storm, and the garrison of two hundred men were slain. The English repaired it, and declared they would keep it to the utmost of their power, garrisoning it again with fresh men-at-arms. They continued their march to Cassel, which they took, where they made a great booty, and peopled it again witii their own men. They still continued their march, saying that they would have a look at Aire ; but many, well acquainted with its sit- uation, knew it was not easy to be taken, and would cost too much ; however, the bishop of Norwich said, he would have a near view of it. At this time, the governor of Aire was a gallant knight from Ficardy, called sir Robert de Bethune, viscount de Meaux : there were also with him sir John de Roye, the lord de Clary, sir John de Bethune his brother, the lord de Montigny, sir Perducas de Pont Saint, sir John de Chaugny and sir Florens his son, with several more ; so that there were about six score lances of good men-at- arms, knights and squires. When the bishop of Norwich, sir Hugh Calverley, sir Henry de Beaumont, sir Thomas Trivet, sir William Helmon, sir Matthew Redman and the rest were advanced to a place near Aire, called the New Ditch, they formed themselves in battle-array, and thus marched on in close order with banners and pennons fluttering in the wind ; for they knew not what intentions the viscount and his companions might have. The viscount with his knights and squires were handsomely drawn up on the causeway before the barriers of Aire, and plainly saw the English march beside them, on the road to St. Venant ; but as they were not in numbers sufficient to bar that passage, they remained quiet at their post to defend themselves if attacked. The English marched by, and took up their quarters tw^o leagues from St. Venant ; the governor of that place was a knight of Picardy called sir Wil. liam de Melle, who had fortified the church of the town to serve as a place of retreat should it be necessary : he found it so, for the town was only inclosed by small palisadoes and ditches. The at- tack did not last long before the English entered it, when the French retreated, some to the castle, others to the church. Those in the castle were not attacked ; for it was marvellously strong, and could not be approached for the deep and wide ditches which surrounded it : but the church was instantly assaulted by the English on their entrance into the town, for they had heard that the men-at-arms had retreated thither. Sir William de Melle was a good and gallant knight, and would have defended the church of St. Venant valiantly ; but the English archers had surrounded it, and shot so rapidly and with such good aim that scarcely any dared show themselves in its defence. Those who were on the battlements were provided with stones, pieces of wood and artillery, which they used with such success as to wound many ; but the attack was continued with so great earnestness by the English, that the church was taken by storm and sir William in it, who had fought valiantly. The others did the same ; and had they entertained any hopes of being sup- ported, they would have held out longer, which was the cause that they were thus easily taken. Sir William de Melle was made a prisoner : he agreed for his ransom, and returned to Franco with the consent of his captor, to whom he had given his word according to the manner in which all French and English gentlemen behave to one another in similar cases ; but not so the Germans, who, when- ever they take a prisoner throw him into durance vile, loaded with irons, in order to gain a more considerable ransom. The bishop of Norwich and his army, on their departure from St. Venant, quartered themselves in the forest of Niepe, which was not far distant, and near to Bailleul. They entered the castlewick of Poperingue, and took all the inclosed towns, wherein they found much money and great booty, which they sent to Bergues or Bour- bourg. When they had thus laid the whole countiy under their sub- jection, so that none came to oppose them, and when they were masters of the coast from Gravelines to Sluys, having possessed themselves of Dunkirk, Nieuport, Furnes and Blanquenbergue, they 330 HRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . advanced to lay siege to Ypres. There the bishop, air Hugli Cal- -'verlcy and the English halted, and then sent messengers to Ghent. .1 have good reason to suppose that Francis Atiemen went to them, "and was at all their battles and conquests, and had served as con. ductor of the English from town to town, and from village to village. CHAPTER CXXXVI. THE MEN OF GHENT ASSIST THE ENGLISH IN THEIR SIESE OF YPKES. THE LORD DE ST. LEGER GOING TO REINFORCE THE GARRISON OF COURTRAY, BY ORDERS OF THE KING OF FRANCE, IS DEFEATED EY A PARTY OF ENGLISH NEAR COMMINES. When Peter dn Bois, Peter le Nuitre, and the captains in Ghent Tieard that the English demanded their assistance, and were lying be- fore Ypres, they wore much pleased, and prepared themselves to tnarf carts, and in good array. They marched by Courtray, and came 'tefore Ypres. The English were rejoiced at their coming, and made great cheer for them, saying they would take Ypres, and then con- quer Bruges, Damme and Sluys, making no doubt that, before Sep- tember, they would have conquered all Flanders. Thus did they boast of their good fortune. Tiie governor of Ypres at that time was the lord de Saint Pi, a ■very prudent and valiant knight, who had thrown himself into the place, where everything was done according to his plans and orders. The men-at-arms who had accompanied this knight thither by order of tlie duke of Burgundy and earl of Flanders, were sir .Tohn Bou- graigne, castellan of Ypres, sir Baldwin de Delbedene his son, the lord Disseghien, the lord de Stades, sir .lohn Blanchart, sir John de "Merfelede, sir Ilamel, sir Nicholas Belle, lord de Harlequebecque, the lord de RoUeghen, sir John Ahoutre, John de Saint Pi, nephew to the governor, Francois Belle, .sir George Belle, and many more. They haH great difficulty to withstand the English, who attacked them openly and covertly. They were likewise under alarm lest there should be some understanding between the townsmen and those from Ghent ; and lest the place should, by treason, fall into their hands. A gallant knight of Hainault, called sir John de Jumont, was at this time in Courtray as its governor, having accepted it at the earnest entreaties of the duke of Burgundy and earl of Flanders. At that •time no knight of Flanders dared to undertake it, so dangerous did the defence of it appear; for when the king of France had marched away it was dismantled and burnt, on which account very few resided there , and it was so much destroyed, that they could scarcely find a place to put their horses in. Sir John de Jumont un- dertook the grand enterprise of defending it. He speedily repaired it, and behaved so gallantly, through God's mercy and grace, that there was not any damage done it ; on the contrary, much honor accrued to him. i The duke of Burgundy, who carefully attended to the afifairs of Flanders, as they so nearly concerned him, sent from France si.xty Breton lances to Courtray, to reinforce and encourage sir John de Jumont. These men-at-arms marched to Lille, under command of the duke ; from thence they set out on a Friday morning to Com- mines, where they arrived, under the command of the lord de St. Leger and Yvoimet de Cantemat. By the break of day, full two hundred lances had come to the town of Commines, to collect forage from the flat countries, and carry it to the army before Ypres. These Bretons had not any expectation of their coming, and fell into their hands. There was a sharp engagement at the foot of the bridge of Commines, where the Bretons defended themselves marvelously well, and if they had been supported by as many again as themselves, they would have escaped without loss. As it was, they were constrained to fly, for they v/ere too few to oppose such numbers. The greater part were slain or taken as they were escaping toward Lille. The lord de St. Leger was desperately wounded, and left for dead on the field. Fortunate were those who escaped from lliis engagement ; and the pursuit of the English after the Bretons, lasted to within half a league of tlie town of Lille. The lord de St. Leger, although mor- tally wounded, vyas carried to that town with great difficulty, where he died five days afterwards. Five of his squires died also, and thus ended this adventure. CHAPTER CXXXVII. IBE BISHOP OF LIEGE, NOT BEING ABLE TO BEING ABOIT A PEACE BE- TWEEN THE BISHOP OF NORWICH AND THE EARL 0? FLANDERS, RETURNS HOME. The siege of Ypres continued with great activity on the part of the English and Flemings, who made many assaults, which much frightened those in the town. The earl of Flanders was not very ■well assured but that Ypres must fall ; for the English are very subtle, and they could receive great reinforcements from England, by way of Calais, without his knowledge, or opposition, having garrisons in all the towns on the road. They might, if they had chosen, have had reinforcements from England ; but they did not think much was to be dreaded at the commencement, cither from the earl or the power of France, for several great English barons were prepared and ready to cross the sea at Calais, to assist their countrymen from the envi. tons of Dover, Sandwich, and Lewes, had they been so required • they amounted to a thousand lances, and two thousand archers in the parts above mentioned. Sir William Beauchamp and sir William Windsor, marshals of England, were appointed by the king and council to command these men-at-arms, by whicli the duke of Lan. caster lost this opportunity of making his expedition to Portugal. All England, as I have before said, were more inclined to serve in the army of the bishop of Norwich than in that of the duke of Lan. caster. The earl of Flanders was informed of all these events which were passing in England, as well as of what was going forward before Ypres. He therefore resolved to provide, as much as was in his pov/cr, a remedy for them ; for ho supposed the duke of Burgundy would c.\cite the barons of France to e.xert themselves to drive the English out of Flanders, and from the countries which they had re- cently conquered. But as he knew that France was very extensive, that several barons bound to serve the king were at a great distance, and that many things might happen before they could arrive, he re. solved to send sir Arnoul de Sorge, bishop of Liege, who was a stanch Urbanist, to request he would come to Ypres and negotiate with the English to decamp and march elsewhere ; for he had been much astonished at their proceedings, since it was well known to the world that both himself and country were good Urbanists. The carl managed so well that the bishop of Liege came to Hain ault, and from thence to Valenciennes, Douay and Lille, where he had a conference with the earl, who informed him of what he wished him to do. After this, the bishop left Liege and came to the camp before Ypres, where the English and Ghent men received him very politely, and attentively listened to all he had to say. I was told at the time, that the earl of Flanders, through the means of the bishop of Liege, offered to the bishop of Norw'ich and the English, if they would break up their siege, and carry their war against the countries of the Clemcntists, to send them five hundred lances to serve under their orders for three months, and at his own expense. The bishop of Norwich replied, he would attentively consider and discuss this proposal. Many words passed ; for the Ghent men ad. vised him not to put any trust in what the carl had said, for there was no dependence on his promises, and told him that if he could he would deceive him. Having therefore maturely considered every- thing, he gave notice to the bishop of Liege, that he might return when he pleased, for he would not pay any attention to his offers; and, as for the siege, he would never depart thence until he had re- duced the town of Ypres to his obedience. The bishop, finding he could obtain nothing more, took his leave and returned to Lille, and gave the earl of Flanders the answer he had received. When the carl saw that he could not obtain any terms, he M'as more pensive than before ; for he clearly perceived, that unless the force of France raised the siege, he should lose his good town of Ypres. He there- fore wrote other letters, giving a detail of what answers he had re- ceived, and what was going forward, which he sent by one of his own knights to his son and daughter of Burgundy, who resided at Compiegne. The bishop of Liege left the earl, and returned through Douay and Valenciennes to his own country. CHAPTER C XXXVIII. THE KING OF FRANCE ISSUES A GRAND SUMMONS, WITH THE INTENTIOH ' OF RAISING THE SIEGE OF YPRES. SOME OF THE EARL OF FLA.NDERS' WEN ARE DEFEATED BY THE ENGLISH BEFORE THE CHUiiCH OF EMENUf. • Phe duke of Burgundy, being convinced that things w'ould end badly if the king of France with an army did not provide a remedy, exerted himself for a parliament to be holden at Compiegne of all the great barons and princes of the realm of France. To this par. liament all who were sunniioned came, and the duke of Brittany personally attended. It was there discussed, whether or not the king of France, with his uncles the dukes of Berry, Burgundy and Bour. bon, should march to Flanders with a greater force than he had com. mandcd at Rosebecque, to raise the siege of Ypres, and cffer combat to the English and Flemings, if they should think proper to wait for him. It was resolved in the affirmative ; and the king of France issued his summons throughout the kingdom of France for every man to be at Arras, or in that neighborhood, by the 15th day of August, provided with all things suitable to his rank. The king wrote also to those at a distance, such as the counts d'Armagnac and Savoy, and to duke Frederick of Bavaria. This duke was in upper Ger- manv, and the son of one of the brothers of the reigning duke : he was very desirous of visiting the couit of France and bearing aims for it, as he was fond of every sort of honor ; and they had told him, which he believed as fact, that all honors in the world were to be had in France. Duke Frederick, being at such a distance, was the first sent for : he made his preparations on receiving the summoift, and said he would come through Hainault, to -visit his uncle and his cousins, the count de Blois and others. During the time these warlike preparations were making, the sieg'? CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 331 of Ypres continued with great vigor. There were many attacks and skirmishes, in which several were killed or wounded : but the gov- ernor, sir John de Saint Pi, made so good a defence, that no essentia! damage was done. During this siege, the carl of Flanders was in- formed that the church of Emenin was strong, and fortified ; for, should the English come thitlier, they would easily take it, as it had no garrison, and they would from ihence much harrass the country. The earl resolved to take possession of it;* and, sending for sir John du Moulin, he said to him, " Sir John, collect a body of men from this town, and with cross-bows go to Emenin, and gain the church, lest the English fortify it ; for, if tliey win it, tlicy will harass all the surrounding country." Sir John replied, he would willingly do so, and immediately made preparations for the excursion. On the morrow morning, he mounted his horse, accompanied by a young knight, a bastard son of the earl of Flanders, called sir John Sans- terre, and about sixty lances, with the same number of archers. On their leaving Lille, they took the road to Emenin, but found only a few men-at-arms there, who, in their own free will, were guarding the church. This same day, about two hundred English and Gascon lances made also an excursion, and learning from tlie foragers that there were some men-at-arms and cross-bow's at Emenin, they stuck spurs into their horses, and never halted until they arrived at the town, when, dismounting in the square before the church, they grasped their spears and shouted their cries. Sir John du Moulin and the bastard of Flanders, seeing from this body of men that a combat was unavoidable, formed in battle array in the square, and ordered their cross-bows to shoot : they at first wounded several of the English, who soon broke through them ; but for a small body they made a good fight, though many were struck down, wounded, and killed. The English were so superior in numbers, that the Flemings were defeated, and the two knights made prisoners, who behaved gallantly in defending themselves. Of the remainder, many were taken ; and very few returned to Lille, being mostly slain or captured. Thus ended this cvpedition to Emenin, which greatly vexed the earl of Flanders, but at that time he could not help it. The Gascons and English carried their prisoners with them, and made much of them; but it was not long before they ransomed themselves. CHAPTER CXXXI.X. THE ENGMSH AND GHK.NT JIE.V MAKE A SHARP ATTACK OX YPEES ; BUT, LEARNtNG THAT THE KING OF FRANCE HAD MARCHED AN ARMY INTO ARTOIS, THEY INSTA.VTLY BREAK L'P THE SIEGE. It always happens, that in war there are gains and losses : very extraordinary are the chances, as those know well who follow the profession. The siege of Ypres was pushed on with unwearied force ; and it was fully the intention of the bishop oi Norwich, the English, and Peter du Bois, to conquer Ypres by storm or otlierwise, as the vigor of their attacks show'ed. Among the many assaults, there was one much severer than the rest ; for it lasted from morning until almost night. Many valiant actions were done by several on both sides, and the English and Flemings made vast exertions to con- quer it. The besieged created that day four knights ; John de St. Pi, nephew to tlie governor, Fan(;ois Belle, George Belle, and John Belle, who showed themselves good knights in this first display of their knighthood, ."^n English squire, called Lewis Lin, was kiUedt at this attack, which was very sharp : and numbers were wounded on each side, who too rashly exposed themselves. The English archers, posted on the ditches of the town, shot so expertly and rapidly that scarcely any dared to appear on the battle- ments to defend the place. There were collected that day in Ypres two tonst of artillery, especially arrows, which were shot into the town, so that none ventured to pass through those streets near the walls where the attack was made, for fear of being killed, if not well armed and shielded. This attack lasted until night, when the Eng- lish and Flemings, who had fought the whole day in two batalions, returned to the camp quite tired, as were likewise those in the town. The English and Flemings, finding they could not take the town by storm, and having expended much of their artillery, resolved !o have quantities of faggots made and collected, with which and earth they could fill up the ditches, so that they might advance to fight hand to hand with the garrison, undermine the walls, and, by thrmv- ing them down, win the place. Workmen were instantly employed to procure and cut down as much wood as possible in the neio-hbor- hood of Ypres, which was to be placed withinside of the ditchers, and covered with earth : but this was not so soon done, nor could they accomplish their intentions ; for the king of France, having a great desire to raise the siege and fight with the English at all events, hastened his preparations, set sut from Compiegne, and marched to Arras. * Mr. Johnea seems to have misunderstood the text. The earl determined to desem- parer (to demolish) the church, not to keep possession of it ; and the original subse- quently states lliat. "the two knijihts(wheii they arrived at the church at viinster as Froissart terms it) he?an to puil duwn, and demolish the minster." This passase is omitted by Mr. Johnes. t " D'un tr;.iot du canon :'* by a cannon ball, according to D. Sauvoge.— En. X " La valeiir de deux tnnneaux pleins d'artillerie ;" as much as tivo Uns fi two tons wei(;ht, of artillery.— Ed, tuns full, not The constable of France, with many barons who formed the van of the army, had already arrived, and were quartered in Artois. The duke of Brittany came with two thousand lances, as he was anxious to assist his cousin the earl of Flanders on this occasion. Indeed he was much bounden so to do, for he had found him, in former times, eager to befriend him in his distress. All the lords, both from far and near, were on their march and at hand. The count of Savoy and the count of Geneva, came with seven hundred honest Savoy- ards. Duke Frederick of Bavaria was hastening with a strong body of men-at-arms, and had arrived at Hainault. He resided at Ques- noy with his uncle duke Albert, his aunt, the duchess Margaret, and with his cousins. The dukes of Lorraine and Bar arrived with a large body in Ar- tois. Sir William de Namur, not having attended the former war, as the earl had excused him, came with two hundred good lances to serve the king of France and duke of Burgundy. He had passed through Hainault, and fixed his quarters in the country rounc^Tour- nay. It was wonderful to see what bodies of men different lords brought to serve the king of France. The count Guy de Blois lay ill at Landreey* during the whole time these warlike preparations were making, and neither himself nor his people knew if he would be able to bear the fatigues of this campaign with the king. He was carried in a litter to Beaumont in Hainault, and was somewhat better, for that air was more agreeable to him than that of Landreey. Not. withstanding he was very unwell and feeble, he made ample prepa- rations, as did his dependents in the country of Blois, such as the lord de Montigny, the lord de Vresin, sir Vilhennes de St. Martin,, sir Waleran de Doustienne governor of Remorentin, and other knights and squires who came to serve under the young king of France News was brought to the bishop of Norwich, sir Hugh Calverley and the English besieging Ypres, that the king of France was hasten- ing by i'orced marches, with an amiy of upward of twenty thousand men-at-arms, knights and squires, and sixty thousand other men. This intelligence was repeated from so many quarters, that at last it was thought to be true, for at first they would not believe it. They heard for certain that it was so, and that if they remained where they were, they would have to fight with them. They also learnt that the duke of Brittany was with the king of France, and coming against them, which astonished them much. They called a council on this information, to consider what line of conduct to pursue. Having weighed every circumstance, and not finding themselves in sufficient strength to wait for the whole force of the king, they judged it to be more prudent for Peter du Bois, Peter le Nuitre and the Ghent men to return to their town, and the English to retreat toward Ber- gues and Bourbourg, which they w-ere to garrison : and if any force should come from England, or if king Richard or his uncles should cross the sea, they would send them advice of it. This resolution was adopted, and they broke up their camp. The Ghent men set out on their return home, where they arrived. The English retired to Bergues and Bourbourg, and entered the forts wliich they had conquered. The day that the English began their retreat, Thomas lord Percy, son to the earl of Northumberland, arrived. He came from Prussia, and hearing on his road that the kings of France and England were to engage in the plains of Flanders or Artois, each at the head of his army, the knight was so much rejoiced, and had so great a desire to be present at the battle, that the journey, which at a moderate rate of travelling would have taken forty days, he performed in fourteen, leaving his equipage and servants behind, and frequently changing^ horses. He aftersvards learnt that his baggage had arrived in less than twenty days in the town of Ghent. Such good will and gallantry deserve much praise. CHAPTER CXL. DUKE FREDERICK OF BAVAKIA ARRIVES AT THE ARMY OF THE KINS OF FRANCE. COU.NT GUY DE BLOIS, NOTWITHSTANDING HIS ILL HEALTH, COMES TO ARRAS ATTENDED BY HIS .VEN-AT-ARMS. Intelligence was brought to the king of France, in the city of Arras, and to the lords with him, that the English and Ghent men had raised the siege and decamped from before Ypres. The king was eager to hurry matters and pursue them, so that they should not escape. He set out from Arras, and came to Mont St. Eloy, a very handsome abbey, where he remained four days waiting for the arri- val of the duke of Berry. The army was continually increased by those who came to it from all parts, and it was known, through the constable, the marshals and sir Guiscard count dauphin, master of the cross-bows, that the king had with him upward of one hundred thousand men. The king departed from Mont St. Eloy, following the road to St. Omer, and came to Aire, of which place the viscount de Meaux was governor. He tarried there two days, the army still increasing. The constable with the van were advanced, and quartered in ihelownof Cassel. The king went to St. Onier, where he stopped for the ar- rival of his people, who were coming to him from every quarter. When duke Frederick of Bavaria arrived at the army, the great barons of France, in order to do hiin honor, went out to meet him, * "Mudrecy,'* a itrong town in Hainault, diocese of Courtray. 332 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. as he had come from such a distant country to serve the king, who entertained him handsomely, and was thankful for his arrival. He caused him to be quartered as near to himself 9s possible during the whole expedition, as was but just. In the army were full three hundred thousand horses : and it was wonderful where provisions could come from, or be found to supply such an army. At times, indeed, there was a scarcity ; at others, tlicy had abundance. The count Guy de Blois, who resided at Beau- inont in Hninault, notwithstanding he was not yet recovered from the long illness he had been visited with during the summer, thought it would not be for his honor to remain idle, when so many great and powerful princes and lords were in the field ; besides, inquiries had been made after him, as he was one of the leaders of the rear.ward. It was therefore belter for him to join them, trusting to the will of God, than to remain behind under a supposition of dissembling. This pliant lord began his journey; but as he was unable to ride, he ordered his litter, and took leave of the lady his wife, and of his son Lewis. Several of his council, on account of the great heat and closeness of the weather, looked on this journey as a wrong measure, while others who heard of it thought it a great proof of his courage. He was accompanied from Hainault by the lord de Sanzest, the lord de Hanzelles, sir Gerard de VVarrieres, sir Thomas de Distre, the lord de Doustrenent, John de Ghisnelle, who was created a knight on the road, and several more. He passed through Cambray, and came to Arras, and the longer he travelled the better was his health. His vassals from Blois, hearing of his journey, went to meet him. On his arrival at Arras, his people collected together, to the amount of more than four hundred lances, and always followed him. He had his provisions from Hainault, and in this respect was most abundantly supplied. Let us return to the king of France. CHAPTER CXLI. THE VAN OF THE FRENCH ARMY TAKES CiSSEL AND TRUGHEN. THE ENG. LISH ABANDON BEEGtIES, AND RETIRE TO EOUKBOURG, WHEREIN THE KING OF FRANCE BESIEGES THEM. The king of France continued his march to St. Omer, where he halted and refreshed himself. The van, with the constable and mar- shals, advanced to Cassel, which was in the liands of the English. The town was attacked, taken by storm, and all in it put to the sword. Those who could escape retreated to Bergues, where was sir Hugh Calverley with fidl three thousand English. The bishop of Norwich was not there, having retired to Gravclines, to be the sooner at Calais should there be occasion. The English had burnt and pil. laged all the country near to Cassel. The king of France, on his ttrrival at St. Omer, was lodged at an abbey out of the town, on the road to Bergues, called Ranombergues, where he remained. He came there on a Friday, and on the following day the constable, the mar- shals, with the lord de Coucy and a great number of good men.at- arms, took the field and came before the castle of Trughen, wherein were about three hundred men-at-arms, who had formed a garrison of this place the whole season. They made a vigorous attack on the castle, and exerted themselves very much: indeed, they were forced to do so if they wished for con- quest, as the English within defended themselves so valiantly that it was marvellous to think of their prowess. However, by continued attacks, and gallant deeds of arms, the castle was taken, and all within put to death, for the constable would not show mercy to any one. In the lower court was found the most beautiful white horse that had heen seen for years, which was presented to the constable, who in- stantly sent it to the king of France. The king willingly accepted the horse, and was so pleased with it that he rode it all Sunday. The count de Blois, at this period, arrived at the army with his company. He was appointed to the rear division, as he had been last year at the battle of Rosebecque, in company with the count d'Eu, the count de Harcourt, the lord de Chatillon and the lord de la Fere. Men-at-arms were constantly coming in from all parts. It was a fine dry summer, otherwise it would have been bad for the horses near the sea-shore and imp(jesiblc for them to have advanced into the country. All the English except the bishop, who, quite thunderstruck, was gone to Gravelines, had retired into the town of Bergues, which was only inclosed by a palisade and ditches: he sorely repented having undertaken this expedition, for he saw that all he had done would now be turned with shame against him, and was still more sorry for the words he had uttered which had been repeated through France. He had boasted during the time he was besieging Ypres, that he would there wait for the king of France and his army, and offer them combat. He now felt how suddenly he had been forced to raise the siege and fly, for his army could not resist that of the king. The English at Calais found great fault with him. saying he had very ill employed the pope's money. In truth, the duke of Lancaster, who had been prevented by this expedition of the bishop from carry- ing his own into execution, did not wish it would turn out otherwise. The principal barons of England were of the same sentiment ; for when sir William Windsor, their marshal, sent to tell them, while before Ypres, that if they wished for reinforcements, they should have very nimierous ones, the bishop answered, as did sir Thomas Trivet and sir William Helmon,* that they had strength enough, and more than they wished, to combat the king of France and the army he could bring against them. But sir Hugh Calveriey, who had seen more service than any of the others, had always held a different Ian. guage, and said during the siege of Ypres, when he heard of the offer from the barons in England ; " Gentlemen, you seem to have great confidence in your strength : why should we refuse the assistance of our countrymen, when they offer to come to us and the country con. sents to it ? A day may come, perhaps, when we shall repent of our refusal." But these words were not attended to, as they said they had men sufficient. Things, therefore, continued as they were, and in the end they lost more than they gained by it. Sir Hugh Calverley, on his arrival at Bergues, quartered himself and his men in the different hotels and houses of the town : they were in the whole, including archers, more than four thousand men. Sir Hugh said, " I am detennined to keep this town ; it is of good strength, and we are enough to defend it. I expect we shall have, in five or six days, reinforcements from England ; for they will learn our situation, and also the force of our enemies." All replied, " God assist us !" Upon this he made very pnident regulations: on dividing his men under pennons and into companies, to mount the walls and guard the gates, he found he had numbers sufHcient. He ordered all the ladies and women, children and lower classes of inhabitants, to retire into a church, whence they were not to stir. The king of France was at the abbey of Ranombergues, and learnt that the English had retreated to Bergues. A council was held on the occasion, when it was ordered that the van, with the constable and marshals, should advance beyond the town and encamp on one of its sides ; and the king of France, with the dukes of Berry, Bur. gundy and Bourbon, would follow with the main army; that the count de Blois and the count d'Eu, with the rear division, should lodge themselves on the other side of the town, and thus surround the Eng. lish. Tliis plan was executed ; and the Jiing set out from Ranom. bergues, attended by his whole army. It was a beautiful sight to behold these banners, pennons and helmets glittering in the sun, and such numbers of men-at-anns that the eye could not compass them: they seemed like a moving forest, so upright did they hold their lances. Thus they marched in four divisions toward Bergues, to inclose the English in that town. About eight o'clock in the inorning, an English herald entered the town, who, by the courtesy of the lords of France, had passed through their army : he waited on sir Hugh Calverley in his hotel, and spoke so loud that every one heard him. "Herald, whence dost ihou come?" " My lord," replied the herald, *' I come from the French army, where I have seen the finest men-at-arms, and in such vast numbers, that there is not at this day another king who can show the like." "And these fine men-at-arms which thou art speaking of," said sir Hugh, "what number are they?" "By my faith, my lord, they are full twenty-six thousand men-at-arms : handsomer nor better armed were never seen." " Ha, ha !" replied sir Hugh, who was much provoked at the latter part of his speech, " thou art a fine fellow to come and mock us with this pompous tale. I know well thou hast lied ; for many a time have I seen the armies of France, but they never amounted to twenty.six thousand ; no, not even to six thousand men-at-arms." As he said this, the watch of the town, who was at his post, sounded his tnimpet, for the van of the enemy was about passing near the walls. Sir Hugh then, addressing the knights and squires present, said ; " Come, come : let us go and sec tliese twenty.six thousand men-at-arms march by, for our watch blows his horn." They went on the walls of the place, and, leaning on them, obseived the march of the van, which might have consisted of about fifteen hundred lances, with the constable, the marshals, the master of the cross-bows and the lord de Coucy. Next came the duke of Brit. tany, the earl of Flanders and the count do St. Pol, who had under their command about fifteen hundred lances more. Sir Hugh Cal- verley, who thought he had seen the whole anny, said, " Now see if I did net say the truth: where are these twenty-six thousand men ? Why, if they be three thousand men-at-arms, they are ten thousand. Let us go to our dinner, for I do not yet see such a force as should oblige us to surrender the town. This herald would frighten us w'ell, if we were to believe him." The herald was much ashamed, but he said, " My lord, you have as yet only seen the vanguard : the king and his uncles are behind with the main army, and there is besides a rear division, which con. sists of more than two thousand lances. You will see the whole in four hours if you remain here." Sir Hugh paid not any attention to him, but returned to his house, saying he had seen eveiything, and seeted himself at table. He had scarcely done so, than the watch again blew his horn, and so loud as if he would burst it. Sir Hugh rose from the table, saying he woidd see what was the cause of this, and mounted the battlements. At this moment, the king of France marched by, attended by his uncles, the didie Fred. erick, the duke of Lorraine, the count of Savoy, the dauphin of Auvergne, the count de la Marche and their troops : in this battalion were full sixteen thousand lances. Sir Hugh felt himself much dis- appointed, and said to the herald, v;ho was by his side, " I have been in the wrong to blame you : come, come : let us mount oar * " Sir WiUiara HeUnoa.*' Elmham, accordias to Carte. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 333 boises and save ourselves, for it will do us no good to remain here. I no longer know the state of France : I have never seen such num- bers collected together by three. fourths as I now see and have seen in the van : besides, tlie rear division is still to come." Upon tliis, sir Hugh Calverley left the walls and returned to his house. All the horses being ready saddled and loaded, they mounted, and, having ordered the gates to be opened which lead to Bourbourg, they set oft" without any noise, carrying with them all their pillage. Had the French suspected this, tliey could easily have stopped them ; but they were ignorant of it for a long time, so that they were nearly aiTived at Bourbourg before they heard of it. Sir Hugh Calverley halted in the plain to wait for his rear and baggage. He was very melancholy, and said to sir Thomas Trivet and others who had come to meet him ; " By my faith, gentlemen, we have this time made a mo.st shameful expedition : never was so pitiful or wretched a one made from England. You would have your wills, and placed your confidence in this bishop of Norwich, who wanted to fly before he had wings : now see the honorable end you have brought it to. There is Bourbourg ! if you choose it, re. tire thither; but for my part I shall march to Gravelines and Calais, because I find we are not of sufficient strength to cope with the king of France." The English knights, conscious they had been to blame in several things, replied ; " God help us ! we shall return to Bourbourg and wait the event, such as God may please to ordain." Sir Hugh on this left them ; and they threw themselves into Bour- bourg. The king of France heard tliat the English had marched from Bergues and retreated to Bourbourg, leaving Bergues quite empty; the gates of which were opened to him, when the king entered with all who wished it. The first who did so found enough to pil- lage, for the English had not been able to carry away everything. The women were saved and sent to St. Omer, but almost all the men were put to death and the town set on fire. The king marched on to lodge at a village, on account of the greatness of the fire. This happened on a Friday ; and the lords encamped themselves separately in the fields as well as they could. It was fortunate for them that it was dry weather, for it could not be a finer season ; had it been cold and rainy, they could not have foraged. Indeed it was wonderful where they found forage for such numbers of horses, as well as provision for so large an army. But on the day on which they came before Bourbourg great quantities of stores arrived, of which the lords of France were duly informed. They resolved to surround the town and attack it. The Bretons were, from avarice, eager to take it, on account of the great booty they expected to find there. On the Siturday morning it was clear weather, and the army made itself ready to march to Bourbourg. The vanguard, the duke of Brittany, the earl of Flanders, the count de St. Pol, the constable of France, with about three thousand lances, marched on the out- side of the walls, and halted opposite to the king's division, which consisted of the finest men-at-arms that could be seen or imagined. They advanced to a large plain before Bourbourg, where the differ- ent lords drew up their men ; and it was for a long time their intcn. tion to storm the place. Banners and pennons were flying in the wind, and each lord under his own banner. The lords of France made a splendid show, and had not been sparing of any expense in exhibiting appearances suitable to their rank. The lord de Coucy and his state were particularly noticed, for he had led coursers richly caparisoned, and ornamented with housings with the ancient arms of Coucy mixed with those he now bore. He himself was mount- ed on a beautiful horse, on w-hich he rode from side to side in a most graceful manner, to the delight of those who saw him ; all praised him for the agreeable manner with which he addressed every one. The other great lords kept up a st;ite suitable to their dignity. More than four hundred knights were this day created. The heralds mus- tered the knights who were before Bourbourg with the king, and they amounted to from seven to nine tliousand. In the army were upward of twenty-five thousand men-at-arnia and squires. The English were at their posts in the town of Bourbourg, and seeing this immense force of the king of France before them, ex- pected an assault : they were pleased at the thought ; but when they found themselves shut up in a town which was only defended by palisadoes, they were not so well satisfied : however, like men of courage, they had posted themselves in companies round the town. The lord Beaumont* (who is an earl in England, and his name Henry,) commanded one hundred men-at-arms and three hundred archers, to guard one part of the town : sir William Elmham, with as many men, guarded another part. Sir John de Chateauneuf, with the Gascons, had another quarter to defend as far as the tower, opposite to the quarters of the constable. The lord Feners, an Englishman, was with forty mcn-at.arms and as many archers at another part, so that the whole place was well guarded with men-at- arms and archers. Sir William Farrendon, sir Matthew Redman, and sir Nicholas Tracton,t with two hundred men and as many archers, were posted in the square before the church. They had appointed a body of men to watch and extinguish any fires that "Lord Reaumont." Froiasart mistakes : he was a baron, and hii name was John : JUB son's name was Henry.— See Dugdals tQ. If not Drayton, or Tresham. might happen ; for the English were much afraid of the town being burnt, as the houses were only covered with thatch. In this situation were the English. I must now relate the gallant action which Francis Atremen performed this same Friday in the evening, when the king of France, after having taken Bergues, con- tinued his march. CHAPTER CXLII. FKANCIS ATREMEN SURPRISES OUDENARDE IN THE NISHT-TIME. Francis Atremen, Peter du Bois, Peter !e Nuitre and the other captains, after their return to Ghent from the siege of Ypres, were daily and nightly imagining how they could annoy their enemies. Francis Atremen found out, that the governor of Oudenarde, sir Gilbert de Lieneghen and the men-at-arms, had left Oudenarde, by orders from the earl of Flanders, and were with the army of the king of France before Bergues and Bourbourg. He also learnt that the town was carelessly guarded, and that the ditches in the meadows on the road to Hamme were dry, as they had emptied them of water to get the fish, so that the walls of the town might be approached on foot, and might be entered with ladders. Such was the intelligence the spies of Francis Atremen had brought to Ghent, who, at their leisure, had examined the town ; for the guards held the Ghent men very cheap, and, as it were, had forgotten, or were quite indifferent concerning them. When Francis Atremen had heard all this from his spies, he went and related it to Peter du Bois, and said : " Peter, such is the situa. tion of Oudenarde : I am resolved to risk the chance of taking it with scaling ladders : there never can be so good an opportunity as the present, for neither the governor nor the men-at-arms are in it, but with the king of France near St. Omer, and they have not the least fear or suspicions of any one." Peter du Bois instantly assented to the proposal, and said : " Francis, if you succeed in this expedi- tion, no man will ever have behaved better, and every one will praise you for so gallant an action." " I do not know," replied he, " how it may turn out, but my courage does not fail me, and my heart tells me that this night I shall gain Oudenarde." Francis Atremen then chose four hundred men in whom he had the greatest confidence, and, toward night-fall, set out on his road to Oudenarde. It was in the month of September, when the nights are tolerably long, and such beautiful weather that it was a pleasure to be out in it. About midnight they arrived in the meads of Oude- narde, having ladders with them. As they were traversing the marshes, there was a poor woman gathering grass for her cows, who, hiding herself, heard their conversation, and knew from it that they were Ghent men going to surprise the town, for she saw them carry- ing ladders. She was at first nnich frightened, but recovering cour- age, said to herself, that she would hasten to the town and inform the guard of what she had heard and seen. She made for the town by a short path she was acquainted with, and arrived at the ditches before the Ghent men, when she began to moan and coniplain, so that one of the night-guard going his rounds heard her, and asked who she was; she said she was a poor woman who had come to tell them that a body of Ghent men were close at hand, and that she had seen them carrying many ladders to surprise Oudenarde ; but now she had given this information she nmst get away, for should they meet her she would be a dead woman. The poor woman de- parted, and the watch remained perfectly astonished. He determined to keep quiet where he was, to see if this woman had told truth. The Ghent men, without horn or trumpet, were silently advancing to begin their enterprise : they made not any noise except by talking. Francis Atremen sent forward four of his men, ordering them to reconnoitre without making the least noise by coughing or otherwise, and report to him, should they observe anything. They obeyed their orders, and Francis Atremen remained hid in the marshes with his men, very near this poor woman, who heard and saw them distinctly ; but they did not notice her. The four men advancing up to the ditches, neither saw nor heard anything. It was very unlucky ; for, if they had hut seen a lighted candle, they would have thought there had been a good watch kept. They returned to Francis telling him they had not seen anything, nor heard the least noise. *' I believe the watch has gone his rounds," said Francis, " and is now retired to bed : come, let us take this upper road which leads to the gates, and enter the ditches." The good woman heard these words ; and what did she do ? Why, she instantly returned by the same way as before, and came to the man who was listening on the walls and told him all she had heard, begging of him, for God's sake, to be on his guard, and go to the Ghent gate to see if hia companions were in a proper state, for very shortly the Ghent men would be at their post. " I must now return," said the woman, " as I dare not stay longer, but I have told you all I have seen and heard : pay proper attention to it, for I shall not again come to you this night." On saying which, she departed. The man now remained alone, but did not treat the information he had received with indifference. He went to the gate leading to Ghent, where he found the guard playing at dice. "Gentlemen," said he, "have you well fastened your gates and your barriers ? for a woman came to me this night, and gave me notice of her having seen a body of Ghent men marching hither." 334 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. " Yes " replied they : " our gote3 are fust enough : but may a scurvy night 'befid this woman, who hais thus alarmed you at such an hour. There probably were cowa and calves that had got untied, and these she fancied to have been Ghent men comijig hither : they have not any such intentions." ,, r i While this convcreation was passing between the constable ot the watch and the guard at the gate, Francis Atremen and his compan- ions were executing their plan : they had got into the ditches, which were dry, as they had fished them this week, and had broken down a little of the palisadoes near the wall, against which they had placed their ladders and had entered the town. They marched to the mar- ket-place without any noise, and continued so until they were all collected, when they met a knight, ca led sir Florens de Halle, lieu- tenant-governor, who was Uiere on guard with about thirty men-at- amis of the town. The Ghent men began to shout '■ Ghent, Ghent !" and to attack the guard, whom they slew, as well as sir Florens de Halle. Thus was Oudeiiarde taken. You may suppose that the inhabitants, who were sleeping in their beds, were exceedingly aston- ished when they heajd these shouts and saw the town taken by scalado without having any remedy for it. Their houses were forced open, and those within slain ; for they were so suddenly surprised, there was not any help for it. Those who could escape did, leaving their houses in a state of nakedness, and leaping over the walls, saved themselves by the ponds and ditches of the town. None of the rich men could carry any part of their wealth with them, but were happy if they saved their lives. This night gieat numbers were killed, or drowned in the ponds ; and thus ended tliis expedition. In the morning, when the Ghent men saw themselves masters of the town, they sent out of it all the women and cMldren in their shifts, or in the meanest dress they had. In this plight those who had escaped got to Mons, Arras, Cond^, Valenciennes, or Tournay, in the best manner they could. News was spread everyw-here of the capture of Oudenarde. The inhabitants of Ghent were greatly re- joiced at it, and said that Francis Atremen deserved to be liighly prized for his valor. Fraricia Atremen remained governor of Oude- narde, where he gained great riches, with all sorts of stores, which ■was a fortunate circumstance for the captors, such as corn and wines of all sorts. Everything fell into their hands, and all the wealth which was there from France, Flanders, and Tournay ; but what- ever belonged to Hainault was saved, nor was any part of that taken but what was duly paid for. When Girardon saw himself thus caught, he was stupefied, as in- deed he had reason ; for Aymerigot would not give up Ids hand with, out nailing it to the wall, unless he received the keys. With his other hand, therefore, he gave the keys, for he had them near him, " Now, sec," said Aymerigot to his companions, when he had got the keys, " if I have not well cheated the fool : I am equal to many sucli feats as this.'' They opened the tower gate, and, being the mastcra, put out of the castle the governor and all who were in it, without doing them any other harm. News was carried to the countess dauphinc, who resided at a strong castle in the good town of Zaides, a league distant, how the English had won Marqucl. The lady was much surprised, and because her lord, the dauphin, was not in the country, she immediately sent to all of tlie knights and sqidres who were at home, to request they would assist her in recovering possession of her castle. Knights and squires, on hearing this, in. stantly waited on the lady and laid siege to the casde ; but the Eng- lish were not alarmed, and held the place for fifteen days. During this time the lady entered inio a treaty, and Aymerigot received five thousand francs in hard money, for wliich he and his men surren- dered it and returned to liis garrison. In another jiart those of Caluisel, of which Perrot le Brenoie was captain, harassed much the countries of Auvergne and Limou- sin. The English had at that time upward of si.xty strong castles on the borders of Auvergne, Limousin, and Quercy, and they could march from fort to fort, even unto Bordeaux. But tlie castle which harassed the country most was Vcntadour,* one of the strongest cas- tles in the world : the captain of it was a Breton, called Geoflry Tfite. noir. This Geoli'ry was a wicked man, showed mercy to none, and would just as soon put to death a knight or squire as a peasant : h^ held all men so cheap, and was so much feared by his soldiers, that they dared not anger him. He maintained in this castle full four hundred rnen, whom he paid regularly every month ; and the whole country was under such subjection and awe of liim, that none dared to ride over his lands. His castle of Ventadour was more largely sup- plied with every sort of store than that of any lord. There were ware. ■ houses of Brussels and Normandy cloths, of furs, merceries, and other articles, which he sold to his people, deducting the prices from their pay. He had stores of steel, iron, wa.x, spices, and every necessary, in as great plenty as at Paris. Sometimes he made war on the English as well as on the French, in order to be tlie more dreaded : and his castle of Ventadour was always well provided for a siege of seven years. We will now return to the aft'airs of Flanders. CHAPTER CXLIII. AYJlERiaOT MARCEL, AN ENGLISH CAPTAIN ON THE BOKDEKS OF AUVEKGNE, TAKES BY STRATAGEM THE CASTLE OF MARQUEE. THE COUNTESS DAtTUINE KAaNSOMS IT FOB FIVE THOUSAND FRANCS. In the same week an almost similar adventure happened in Au- vergne, where the English held several castles bordering on the ter- ritories of the count dauphin, and on those of the bishops of St. Fleur and of Clermont. The English garrisons knew the country of Au- vergne had been drained of men-at-arms, for the greater part of them were with the king of France in Flanders : they, in consequence, began to lay plans for surprising some of the strong places of Auvergne. Aymerigot Marcel, governor of Aloise, a handsome castle situated a league distant from St. Fleur,* set ofi' from his casde at daybreak, attended only by thirty picked men. He marched silently for the lands of the count dauphin, having formed his plan to take by scalado the castle of Marquel (which the count dauphin bears for his arms,) and rode through woods and a close country. Aymerigot and his men took up their lodgings early in a small wood near the castle, where they remained until sunset, and the garrison had retired into the castle : while the governor, whose name v/as Girardon BuisscI, was at supper, the English, who knew well what they were to do, affixed their ladders and entered the castle at their ease. Those passing through the court saw them climbing over the walls, and instantly cried out, *' Treason, treason !" On Girardon hearing this, he had not any hopes of saving himself but through a private passage which led Irom his apartment to the great tower, a.nd which served as the dungeon of the castle. Thither he instantly retired, taking with him the keys of the gates, and shut himself in, while Aymerigot and his companions were otherwise employed. When they discovered tliat the governor had escaped into the great tower, which they were unable to take, they said they had done no- thing, and repented greatly having thus inclosed themselves ; for, the gates being fastened, they could not get out. Aymerigot having mui-od a little, came to the tower, and, addressing the governor, said, " Girardon, give us the keys of the eastle.gate, and I promise you we will leave it without doing any mischief tj the castle." " In- deed," replied Girardon, " but you will cany ofi" all my cattle : how can I believe you ?" "Give me thy hand," said Aymerigot to him, " and I swear to thee, on my faith, that thou shall not suffer the snnllest loss." Upon this, he, like a fool, came to a small window in the tower, and offered his hand for him to pledge his faith on ; but the moment Aymerigot got hold of it he pulled it to him, squeezing it very hard, and called for his dagger, swearing he would stick his hand to the wall unless he gave up all his keys. -^ *' St. Fkur "— u city of Auversne, situated on & mounL-un, generality «f Riom. CHAPTER CXLIV. THE KING OF FRANCE ORDERS BOTJREOURG TO BE ATTACKED. IT IS SttR. RENDERED TO HIM BY CAPITULATION, WHEN THE ENGLISH QUIT FLAX-^ DERS. HE THEN DISBANDS HIS ARMY. When the king of France came before Bourbourg there were never seen such fine men-at-arms, nor such numbers as he had with him. The lords and their men were all drawn up, and eager for the attack. Those who reconnoitered the place said, it could not hold out long; but that it would cost dearly in men : and several wondered why the attack was delayed. Some said, that the duke of Brittany and the earl of Flanders, who were on the other side of the town, were treat- ing with the English to surrender without wailing for the assault. On this the Bretons, Burgundians, Normans, Germans, and others, who knew there was much wealth in the place, which, if taken by storm, would probably fall to their share, were much exasperated at,, the thoughts of a cajjjtulation, and began to skirmish with the infan- try at the barriers, without waiting for orders from the constable or mai'shals of the army : indeed, they were not forbidden to assault it. This skirmish increased so much that the French set fire to tlic town by means of fire-arrows and cannons, so that such a flame and smoke came from the houses of Bourbourg as might have been seen forty leagues off. The attack then began with shouts; and sir William de Namur, who with his men, was in the front ranks, fought val- iantly. Many gallant deeds were done, and the assailants leaped cheerfully into the mud of the ditches above the knees, when they engaged with the English at the palisades and barriers. The garrison defended themselves handsomely : indeed they had need of their exertions, for they knew not on which side to turn themselves. They were attacked on all parts: and the houses of the town were blazing with fire, which more conlbunded the English than anything else. This, however, did not throw them off their guard, nor cause them to quit their posts. Sir Matthew Redman and sir Nicholas Drayton, with their men, in the centre of the town^., endeavored to check the progress of the fire; but it was such a dry, season, that the smallest spark set the houses in flimee. It is cer- tain, that if the attack had began earlier, or had not the night come on so soon, the town must have been taken by .'^torm ; but the approach of night put an end to it. Sir William de Namur's division had thirty-six killed and wounded; and the army lost, according to the report of the heralds, upward of five hundred. On the attack ceas- ing, the French retired to their quarters, to attend the sick and bury the dead. They said, that on the morrow they would renew the at- . * " Ventadoui"— a castle ia the dioccae of Laraoget, near TuUea. 1, CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 335 tack, and it should be irresistible. The English, all this Saturday night were employed in repairing the palisadoes which had been broken, in putting all things in a good state, and in extinguishing the fires in the town. They were in a most perilous situation, being surrounded on all sides, witliout means of escaping by flight. On the Sunday morning when the king liad heard mass, it was proclaimed through the army, that whosoever should bring a faggot to the king's tent shoidd receive a halfpenny, and as many faggots so many halfpence. These faggots were intended to be thrown into the ditches, so that they might resolutely pass over them, and engage with the English on the Monday morning at the palisadoes. Upon this all the lower ranks, and the servants, began to make faggots and caiTy them to the king's tent, insomuch that a very large heap of them was made theie. Sunday passed without any attack. Some say that on this day, and appearances confirmed it, the duke of Brittany, who was on the opposite side of the town to the lung, entered into negotiations with the English, aware of the peril they were in. He advised them to surrender the town, on their lives and fortunes being spared. This they were very willing to do, and they entreated the duke, through love of God, and in honor of his gentility, to under- take the business. The duke sent infonnation of what he had done to the king, his uncles, the constable of France, the count de St. Pol, and" to the council. Having considered how advisable it was to gain all the strong places in Flanders, in whatever manner they were oft'ered to be surrendered, and that to win Borbourg they must renew the attack, which would cost them probably numbers of lives ; besides, they should at last only conquer a handlul of men, who would defend themselves until they dropped ; the king of France and his uncles replied, that, in God's name, they would willingly agree to a treaty, if the duke of Brittany and the constable of France would undertake it. In this manner Sunday passed without anything being done. I heard that, in the evening, on a promise of safety, John de Chateau, neuf, a Gascon, and Remonnet de St. Marc, came to the tent of the lord Guy de la Treniouille to play and amuse themselves, where they staid all night. On the Monday morning they returned to Bour- boiu-g; and at their departure the lord Guy said to them, "John and Remonnet, ye shall both be my prisoners this evening." They re- plied, they would prefer being his, than belonging to any other knight. Intelligence arrived this Sunday of the capture of Oudenarde, which much ve.xed sir Gilbert de Liencghien the governor, as it had been lost through his absence ; but he was exculpated from all blame by his lord the earl of Flanders, who had sent for him. The eoimt de Blois commanded the king's guard this Sunday, and every one thought the attack would be renewed on Monday : but in the morn- ing it was proclaimed through the army, that the king forbade any attack until further orders. This proclamation made every one qttiet ; and several lords guessed that the English would escape by means of a treaty, as the attack was forbidden. After dinner, those who were to negotiate came out of the town, such as sir William Elmham, sir Thomas Trivet, sir Nicholas Drayton, sir Matthew Redman, and others, to the number of fourteen knights and squires, whom the duke of Brittany, the constable of France, and the count de St. Pol, conducted to the tent of the king. The king was much pleased thereat, as he had scarcely seen any English except sir Peter Courtenay, who had come to Paris to fight with the lord Guy de la Treniouille, but the king and his council had made up the quarrel. Now, as the English had been much renowned for gallantry and deeds of arms, the young king of France wished to see them : and their treaty was much the better for it. On the Monday tliis negotiation was carried on in the lung's tent, and in his presence. There were also present the dukes of Berry, Burgundy, Bourbon, Brittany, the earl of Flanders, the constable of France, and no more. The duke of Brittany was very active in this business : and it was settled, that the English should depart from Bourbourg and Gravelines, and carry away with them as much of their wealth as they could. Several of the Bretons, French, Nor- mans, and Burgundians were much vexed at this treaty, for they thought of partaking of the spoils ; but the king and his council had ordered it otherwise. After the treaty had been signed, the English took leave of the king of France, his uncles, the duke of Brittany and the constable, and went with the count de St. Pol, who carried them to supper at his house, where he entertained them as handsomely as he could in such a situation. After supper he had them conducted to the gates of Bourbourg, for which they testified to him their thanks. The whole of Tuesday they employed in shoeing their horses, and in packing up all their wealth, of which they had much, and in making preparations for their departure. On the Wednesday morning they loaded their baggage-horses and began their march, passing through the army with passports from the king. The Bretons were much exasperated when they saw them so loaded ; and they treated very indifferently a few who tarried behind. Thus the English marched to Gravelines, where they halted. On the Thursday morning, when they left it, they set fire to the place, burned it to the ground, and ar- rived at Calais with all their pillage. They stopped there to refresh themselves, and to wait for a favorable wind to return to England. The king of France, and oil the lords of his army, with their attendants, entered Bourbourg on the Thursday morning, when the Bretons began (o plunder it, without excepting even the church of St. Jolm : in which church, a pillager having mounted on an altar, with the intent of forcing out a precious stone that was in the crown of an image made to represent the person of our Lady, the image turned about, and the pillager in his fright fell from the altar and was instantly strack dead. This is a certain truth, for many persons were witnesses of it. Shortly afterwards, another pillager came with a smiilar intent of robbing the image ; but all the bells began a peal without any one touching them, for no one could have rung them, the bell-ropes being drawn up and fastened. On account of these miracles, the church was visited by crowds. The king made a handsome present to it, as did all the lords, so that the amount of their gifts was upward of three thousand francs. . On Tuesday, the army began to decamp, and the king and con- stable gave pennission to several of his men-at-arms to return home. The king thanked these wdio had come from distant ports, and in a particular manner the dulie of Bavaiia and the count of Savoy, who had come from such a distance to serve him. Each lord now returned home, and the king went to France ; but the duke of Bur- gundy staid a short time with his father-in-law the earl of Flanders, to regulate his affairs, and resided at St. Omer. The lord de Coucy, with many knights and squires from Ponthieu, Vimeu and Picardy, entered Gravelines when the English had left it, repaired and greatly strengthened it, and made it a garrison as a frontier to Calais. The countries of Furnes, Dunkirk, Dixmude, and Nieuport were by degrees repeopled. They had lost everj'thing by this war, but they now began somewhat to recover themselves. CHAPTER CXLV. THE BISHOP OF NORWICH AXD THOSE W-RO ACCOMPANIED HIM IN HIS EXPEDITION ARE BADLY RECEIVED ON THEIR RETURN TO ENSLAND. CERTAIN GREAT PERSONAGES ARE DEPUTED TO NEGOTIATE A PEACE OR TRUCE BETWEEN THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND. THE DUKE OF BAVARIA DIES. You must know that the duke of Lancaster was not very sorry this expedition of the bishop of Norwich had failed, for by it his intended voyage to Spain and Portugal had been frustrated. When these knights returned to England, they were attacked by the com- mon people, who told them they had behaved very badly in their expedition, for, from the prosperity they had been blessed with at the beginning, they ought to have conquered all Flanders. Sir Thomas Trivet and sir William Ehnham were more blamed than the rest ; but sir Hugh Calverley was not any way found fault with, either by the king's council or the populace, for they well knew, that if they had paid attention to what he had advised, the event would have been more to their honor. They laid to their charge, that they had sold Bourbourg and Gravelines to the king of France, which exasperated the people to a great degree, and they were at one time in danger of their lives. The king ordered these two knights to be confined in the Tower of London, and during the time of their imprisonment the country was qtiieted : on their liberation, they threw themselves on the king's mercy.* At this time, negotiations were set on foot to conclude a truce between England and France, in which the Ghent men were in. eluded, to the great displeasure of the earl of Flanders ; but he could not help it. When the army decamped from Bourbourg, the duke of Brittany remained with his cousin the earl of Flanders at St. Omer, and was desirous that a long peace or truce should be established between his lawful lord, the king of France, and the king of England. In order to make a beginning to such business, he had mentioned the subject to some of the English knights, on the Monday, when they were in the king's tent before Bourbourg ; which knights had promised, on their arrival in England, to propose it to the king, his uncles, and his council. However, to show that this matter was quite agreeable to him, and that he was anxious about it, he sent two of his knights to England under good passports. These knights, the lord de la Houssaye and the lord de Mailly, managed matters so well, that the duke of Lancaster, the earl of Buckingham, the bishop of Hereford, the lord John Holland, brother to the king, the lord Thomas Percy, and others of the king's council, were ordered to Calais, having full powers from the king of England to conclude a peace or truce, according to their pleasure. On the other hand, there came to Boulogne the duke of Berry, the duke of Burgundy, the bishop of Laon, and the chancellor of France, having also full powers from the king of France and his council to conclude either a peace or truce. When assembled at Calais and Boulogne, they were delayed a short time by the non-arrival of the deputies from Spain ; for the French would not enter into any treaty that did not at the same time include the .Spaniards. At last, a bishop, a dean, and two knights anived on the part of the king of Spain. As they were not * Writs were issued to the sJieriffs of London. Somerset. Dorset. Eeeex, Norfollt, and Suffolk, to levy on the goods of sir W. Elmham. for 3080 golden francs— sir \V. de Farndon, 1400 diuo— sir Thomas Trivet. 1*0 ditto— sir Honry de Ferrers, t»8) ditto- Robert Fitzrauf 300 ditto. They were also tnJien into custody ; hut no mention is made of the Tower of London. Robert de Foulmer, dork, treasurer to the bishop of Norwich, was also imprisoned, and SOCJ golden francs levied on his goods. Dated tltli March— pardoned Hth May.— RYiifiBi aiu;. 13&i, ann. 7 Ric. H- 336 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. empowered on either side to grant passports, that the negotiators from France might come to Calais, or the English go to Boulogne, it was settled between them, that the conference should be trans, ferred to a village that had a church, half way between these two towns, above Buissem,* called Bo- lignes.t Thither all the parties went, and the lords, with their council, were together for many days. The duke ^ of Brittany and the earl of Flanders were present, and the great tent of Bruges was pitched, wherein the earl entertained at dinner the duke of Lan. caster, the carl of Buckingham, and the other English lords. Each nego- tiator kept up a grand state ; but, not- withstanding there were many confer- ences holden,yet they could not agree upon a peace, for the French wanted the English to give up Calais, Guines, and all the fortresses which they pos- sessed in Normandy, Brittany, Poitou, Saintonge, and La Rocheile, as far as the river Garonne. But the English would not any way listen to such a proposal ; nor would they ever consent to give back such places as Calais, Guines, Cherbourg, or Brest. These conferences lasted three weeks, in which they or their councils discussed these matters daily. At this period, the gallant duke Win- ceslaus of Bohemia departed this life in the town of Luxembourg : he was in his time magnificent, blithe, pru- dent, amorous and polite ;t and, when he died, it was said that the prince of the highest birth, of the most noble blood, and most numerously and hon- orably connected, was gone. God have mercy on his soul I lies buried in the abbey of Vaucler, near Luxembourg. Jane, his duchess, remained a widow, and never had any inclination to marry again. All who loved the duke were exceedingly con- cerned at his death. for their safety, in going to and returning from Scotland through England. On the part of the English were included all their allies and adherents, wheresoever they might be. Ghent was expressly men. FCNERAl Of TBI EiRi or Flaxdiks.— lieariiii the body into tlie Chiircli, with an array of Priesthood, &c. CHAPTER CXLVI. He I tioned in all their deeds, to the great displeasure of the earl of Flan- The lady | dcrs. Tliis truce was to last until the Michaelmas of the year 1384 : and these commissioners were to sec that the articles were duly ob- served, having full powers to enforce them. Public acts were made of each diflerent article for the better observance of them ; and the Jords present swore they should all be loyally kept, and in no way infringed. DURINS THESE CONFERENCES THE GHENT .MEN INSULT TOURJtAY. A TRUCE IS CONCLTJDED BETWEEN THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND AND THEIR ALLIES. We will now return to the conferences which were holding be. tween the lords of France and England, half-way between Calais and Boulogne, at the before-mentioned village. Neither side seemed willing to accommodate the other. Some said it was owing solely to the earl of Flanders, at the instigation of the town of Bruges, who would not consent that the Ghent men should he included in the treaty. This the English resented, and of course the treaty was stopped; for they had formed so strong a connection with Ghent, that they would not conclude a peace unless that place were included. They had sworn to observe this during the time they were together at Calais, and this compact frequently interrupted the negotiations. Since there seemed no probability of a solid peace being made, they proposed a truce, and on this ground the conferences were con- tinued. The earl of Flanders would willingly have had Ghent ex- cluded, and remain in a state of war, but the English absolutely refused to consent, so that a truce was made to cotnprehend Ghent, and everything was to remain in its present situation, without any surrender of forts : Oudenarde and Gravelines therefore belonged to Ghent. Notwithstanding the conferences, the Ghent men in garri. son at Oudenarde marched to Tournay, burnt the suburbs, and re- turned back in safety with their pillage. About Christmas the Ghent men went and received the rents of tlie lord d'Estournay in his own town, which made him very melancholy ; and he swore to God, that if he would be pleased to assist him, whatever treaty or agreement should be made between the country of Flanders and these men, he would never pay any attention to it, but would continue the war against thcni to the utmost of his power, for they had robbed him of his inheritance. He was ignorant how he should live, if his friends in Brabant did not assist him, so completely had they plundered him. With some difficulty, the lords who had held so many conferences at Boliiiges concluded a truce between the kings of France and Eng. land and their allies. On the part of France was included all Spain, as well as Scotland. The king of France bound himself to send no- tice of this truce to the king and barons of Scotland as speedily as possible ; and the bearers of this information were to have passports * Probably what is now Haul Buisson. t Q. If not Bollinghem, now a villaee, near Boulogne. X Noble, joli. frisque, sage, armerct et amoureux— noble, handsome, lively, wise, val- ic«I, and amorous.— Ed CHAPTER CXLVII. THE EARL OF FLANDERS DIES. THE CEREMONY OF HIS FDNEKAL. On the conference breaking up, the French lords returned to France, and the English lords to Calais. The duke of Brittany went bade to his duchy, and the earl of Flanders to St. Omer. Shortly after, he was taken so ill that he died.* It was ordered that he should be buried in the church of St. Peter in Lille. The earl departed this life on the 20th day of January, in the year 1383, and his body was carried to Los, an abbey near to Lille. The body of the countess his lady, who had died five years before in the county of Rethel, was also brought thither, and from thence to Lille, where they were in- terred together in the church of St. Peter.t I will now relate the arrangement of this ceremony, and the man- ner in which it was conducted, and describe the order of procession at the funeral of the earl and countess of Flanders, whose bodies had been carried to Los, an abbey near Lille. When they were about to enter Lille, a great number of lords from France, Flanders, Hain- ault and Brabant, who had arrived there the eve of the funeral, were to meet the body at the gate of the Invalids, and to carry it through i the town to the church of St. Peter. They were to be armed as for war, as well as their squires who supported them. Sir .John Haluin was nearest the body, supported by Enguerrand de Volcmie, and Roger de I'Espierrc : then the lord tie la Marque, supported by John de I'EspieiTe, and the lord Sausee de Fretin; the lord de Mauvis, sujiported by Godfrey de Noille, and Henry de la Vacqueric. The names of those appointed to the convoy were, sir Peter de Bailleuf, near the body, supported by Guyot de Lompr6, and John Louis lord of Lamberticourt: sir Sohier de Gand advanced be. fore sir Peter de Bailleuf, supported by Hugart de Quinghen, and by Michael de la Quarrie : sir John du Moulin advanced before sir So- hier de Gand, supported by John de Quinghen and Haubcquin le mareschal. Next followed the banners of the bier; first, sir Francis de Hasurquerque and sir Goussain le Sauvage in front; sir Lancelot de la Pcrsonne before sir Goussain, and sir John de la Helle before sir Lancelot de la Personne. Those who bore the banners of the j * .Some authorities state that he was stabbed by the duke of Berri, because he insisted' on receiving the homage of the latter for the earldom at Boulogne, held by himself in right of his wife. — Ed. t The eurl of Flanders left only one lesitimate child. Margaret of Flanders, his sole heiress ; but he had eleven illegitimate children, the eldest ol whom was Louis, before- mentioned, called the Haze, Anglice //are of Flanders. The origin of this title is un- certain.— Ed CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 337 bier and convoy came next, sir Matthew de Hunieres, and before him sir John de Helles lord des Avcaux, and sir Cierohelart do la Barre before the above-named lord des Aveaux ; and sir John de Paris be- fore Cierchclart. The names of those barons who assisted to carry the corpse of the earl from the gate of the Invalids, in procession Placing the body before tlie Altar. throtigh the tovrn of Lille, to the church of St. Peter : first, sir John de Vicnne, admiral of France, on the right, and the lord de Gnis- tcUes on the left; sir Vrileran do Ravenal on the right, the castellan de Disquenieii on the left ; the lord d'Estournay on the right, and sir Ansel de Salins on the left. Those barons who assisted in bearing the corpse of the countess of Flanders from the gate of St. Ladre to the church of St. Peter were, the lord de Sully on the right, and the lord de Chatillon on the left side of the body ; sir Guy de Pontal. Hers, marshal of Burgundy, on the right, sir Guy de Giiistelles on the left; then sir Henry du Going on the right, and the castellan of Fumes on the left. I shall now mention the regulations on the day of the obsequies, which were performed in the church of St. Peter, the names of those present, as well as of the squires who supported the shields during the whole mass, until the offertory: first, the duke of Burgundy by himself, and tJie firs, shield was borne before him, which shield was supported by the lord de Ravenal, by the lord de la Gouneuse, by Labequini do la Coutre, and by John de Pontalliers, brother to the marshal of Burgundy. The second shield was borne before iny lord John of Artois, count d'Eu, and the lord Philip de Bar, by Valeran de la Sale and Lesclaus d'Annequin. Next followed the count de la Marche and the lord Philip d'Artois; the shield was borne by Gillon de Labert and Robin de Florigny. Then came sir Robert de Namur, and with him his nephew sir William de Namur : the shield was borne by Chaux Bernard and Girard de Sternaille. The shields of the convoy: the lord d'Anghien, and with him sir John de Namur ; the shield carried by AiUart de Ponthfies and Henry de Moucy. Next followed sir Esne de Chiktillon, and the lord de Fere ; the shield supported by John de Heluin and Edward de Castron ; then the lord d'Ancoing and the lord dc Guistelles : the shield-bearers were Tristan de Lan- dres and John du Beart ; then the lord de Moriennes and the lord de Silly : the shield borne by Fresinjue and by Damas de Bucy. Then came those who were to make offerings of the war-hor?es of the earl; first my lord de Chitillon and sir Simon de Lalain, bailiff of Hainuult. These lords were on foot, and the horse was armed and caparisoned ; with the second horse were sir Valeran de Ravenal and the castellan de Dixmude : with the third, sir Hugh do Melun and the lord d'Aucy : the lord de Burnel and the lord de Brameu were with the fourth horse. Then came those who were to offer the steeds of the convoy : first, sir Henry d'Ancoing and sir Gerard dc Guistelles ; with the second, the lord de Montigny and the lord de Rasenghien ; the lord de la Haurade and the castellan de Furnes were with the third ; and the foiuth had the lord de Saugmelles and sir Rowland de la Clicque. Next came those who were to offer the earl's swords of war ; my lord admiral of France bore the first, the lord de Rary the second, the marshal of Burgundy the third, the lord de Saint Py the fourth. The names of those who offered the swords of the convoy : sir William de Ponthieu bore the first, sir William de la Trimouille the second, the castellan of Yprcs the third, and sir Guy de Ukn. coyrt the fourth. Then came those who offered the war-helmets of the earl ; the lord de Manly bore the first ; the second was borne by sir William de Homes and sir Ansel de Salins : sir John Doppem and the castellan of St. Omer had the third ; and sir Guy Guistelles and le Ga- lois d'Aunoy the fourth. The helmets of the convoy were borne and offered as follows : the first by sir Jusse de Hallain and sir Oliver de Guffy ; the second by the lord d'Ysebobecque and the lord dc Lalain ;* the fourth by sir Tristan du Bois and sir John dc Ju- mont. Then came those who offered the banners of war : the lord de Lisn-e- naille offered the first, sir Leoncel d'Airainnies the secoud, sir Giles de la Gouneuse the third, and sir John de Luisolom the_ fourth. The banners of the envoy were next ofiered : the first by sirOrengois de Rely, the third t by sir John de Disquenieu, and the fourth by sir Vilaines de la Clicque. Those who, after the obsequies were ended, laid the body of the earl of Flanders in the earth were, sir John de Vienne, admiral of Placing tlie body in tiu> Tomb. France, the lord de Guistelle, sir Valeran de Ravenal, the castellan de Dixmude, the lord de Ray and Sir Ansel de Salins. Those who interred the body of the countess, consort to the earl, were, sir Guy de la Trimouille, the lord de Chatillon, the seneschal of Burgundy, the lord Gerard de Guistelles, sir Henry d'Antoing, and the castellan of Furnes. It should be observed, that all who officially had entered tha * Tlie third is not mentioned in any of my editions, t The second is forgotten. 338 CHRO^'ICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, PAIN, & c . church of St. Peter at Lille, with the corpse in the evening, remained there until the mass of the morrow, as well those knights who were armed as those who bore the banners, and the squires who led the horses. There were about four hundred men, clothed in black, appointed to carry the body of the earl and countess of Flanders, through Lille, to the church of St. Peter, and each of them bore a torch in his hand. These four hundred men held their torches on the morrow in the church during mass, and they were all of them officers in the principal towns or of the earl's household. The archbishop of Rlieims celebrated the mass, assisted by the bishops of Paris, Tournay, Cambray and Arras, and likewise by five abbots. There were in the church, during the obsequies, seven hun- dred candles or thereabouts, and each candle weighed one pound. On the catafalque were five banners ; in the centre, the banner of Flanders ; on the right, that of Artois ; on the left, lower down, that of Boulogne ; tlie fourth of Nevers, and the fifth of Rethel. The catafalque was emblazoned on the right side with the scutcheons of Flanders, and on the left with those of Flanders and Brabant. Down the church were twelve hundred and twenty-six candles, similar to those around the bodies. There was not any lady or damsel present on the part of the duke or duchess of Burgundy e.xcept the lady of the governor of Lille. A magnificent dinner was provided, and every knight and squire were gratuitously entertained the day and night of the obsequies ; and all the black cloth they had worn was given to them. After this ceremony they all returned to their homes. The duke of Burgundy placed in the garrisons and towns in Flan- ders, knights and squires, notwithstanding the truce which had been made between France and England, and between their allies, for every one was on his guard. The duke of Burgundy then returned to France, but the lady-duchess remained a considerable time in Artoia. CHAPTER CXLVIII. THE EARLS OF NORTHUMBERLAND AND NOTTINSHAM RAISE A BODY OF BNaLISH TO MAKE AN EXCURSION INTO SCOTLAND. EMBASSADORS ARE SENT FRO'M prance TO SCOTLAND, TO NOTIFY THE TRUCES WHICH HAD BEEN MADE BETWEEN FRANCE AND ENSLAND. Yoo bave before heard how the lords of France who had attended the conferences in Bolinge had engaged on their departure to notify the truces that had been made between them and the Englishj to the Scots and to the king of Scotland, so that any misunderstanding should be prevented between the two countries. The council of France, however, to say the truth, did not use all the diligence they should have done; for they were to have sent instant information of this ti'uce, which they did not do. I know not how this happened, except it were owing to the duke of Burgundy being so much en- gaged by the death of his fatlier-in-law the earl of Flanders, and taken up with the business of his obsequies, as you have heard re- lated. He likewise did not imagine the English would have acted as they did ; for, soon after Easter, the earls of Northumberland and Nottingliam, and the barons of Northumberland, collected a body of about two thousand lances and si.x thousand archers, with which they marched by Berwick and Ro.vburgh, and entered Scotland. They burnt all the lands of the earl of Douglas and of the lord Lindsay, and left nothing unmolested as far as Edinburgh. The barons of Scotland were not apprised of this invasion, and took the affair much to heart, saying they would revenge it to the utmost of their power. They added, that the English ought to have been at peace with them according to what had been reported of the truce ; but they knew not this for certain, as in fact it had not at that time been notified to them ; and they well knew that they had not entered Into any treaty with the English. The war was thus begun ; and they had suffered in the first instance from it, which greatly dis- pleased them. Intelligence soon spreads abroad; it was known in Flanders, particularly at Sluys, from some merchants who had sailed from Scotland, that the Enghsh had invaded that country, and that king Robert and his barons were collecting a numerous force to en- gage the English. It was also known in France that the English had taken the field, and they said among themselves that a battle must be the consequence. The dukes of Berry and Burgundy, and the king's council, hearing this news, said it was foolishly done not to have notified the truce to Scotland, according to their promise. It was then ordered by the king, his uncles and his council, that sir Hemart de Massd, a very prudent knight, should go to Scotland, properly authorized, and with him sir Peter de Flamel ; and a serjeant-at-arms of the king, who was of the Scots nation, and called Janequin Champenois, was likewise ordered to attend them, because he was acquainted with the country and understood the language. While these embassadors were ma. king their preparations, and the English overrunning Scotland, the news of which was spoken of everywhere, several men-at-arms from France who had fixed their residence at Sluys, not knowing where to offer their services, as a truce was now established between France and England, resolved to go to Scotland. They heard the news of this war between Scotland and England ; and it was confidently [ said at Sluys, that an engagement must very soon take place. These men-at-arms, such as sir GeofTry de Charny, sir John de Plaissy, sir Hugh de Boulon, sir Sainge de Villiers, sir Gamier de Libourne, but Garnier de Gussangin, sir Odin de Motin, sir Robert de Campignen, James de Montfort, John de Heluin, John de Mellez, Michael de la BaiTe, William Gobart, heard this information with pleasure ; they might amount to about thirty men-at-arms, knights and squires. In order to advance their renown, they had determined among themselves, since they knew not where to offer their arms, to hire a vessel and seek for adventures with the Scots. This resolution they followed, and having embarked all their arms and baggage, they themselves went on board, and set sail from Sluys as soon as the wind became favorable. They left their horses behind, on account of the dangers of the sea and the length of the voyage ; besides, the mariners who conducted them knew they could not land at Edin- burgh, Dunbar, nor any of the adjoining ports, on account of the English fleet, with the purveyances which followed the army, being masters of all the havens. About this time the embassadors from France arrived in Engliuid, and waited on the king and his uncles, who entertained them hand- somely. They dissembled a little the first day, because they knew a war was carrj'ing on in Scotland ; but, on hearing their people had finished the business, they hastened the messengers from France, sir Hemart de Masse and the others, and, for their greater security, ordered some of the king's heralds to attend them through England, and to have all towns and castles opened to receive them. This being an'anged, they set out on their embassy. The French knights who had sailed from Sluys, by coasting the shores of Holland and England, and carefully avoiding the English fleets, arrived safely at a small sea. port in Scotland, called Monstres.* The Scots who lived in the town, hearing that the passengers were Frenchmen, come hither to seek for deeds of arms, showed them great kindness, and supplied them with every necessary to the utmost of their power. When these knights and squires had refreshed themselves for two days, and had gained sufficient intelligence, they set out mounted on hackneys, and rode to Dundee, from whence, continuing their journey as well as they could, they came to Perth, a handsome town. The river Tm de guGrre, for no mention is made of bim under this name in the hfe of the duke. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 34S Bery de Vinselin, cousin to the grand master of Prussia, and many other good knights whom I cannot name : there were a thousand lances, knights and squires, witliout reckoning the cross-bows and sturdy varlets. They had favorable winds and a good voyage ; for the weather was very fine, as it usually is in the month of May. The truces had expired between the French and English, the Ghent men and the Flemings, and all other parts. War was sought for, as it seemed, in every quarter ; and these knights and squires who went to Scotland gallantly wished for it, as they said, with the assistance of the Scots they would make a good campaign, and carry on a successful war against England. However, the English, who had received intelli. gence of this expedition, very much suspected whither it was bound. CHAPTER CLVII. THE riLLAGEKS OF GHENT, SfRNAMED PORKERS, COMMIT JtUCH MISCHIEF. FRANCIS ATREMEN DEFEATS SOME FRENCH TROOPS NEAR ARCEMBOUEfi. The lord Bourchicr, who had the government of Ghent by order of the king of England and the captains of the commonalty, Francis Atremen, Peter du Bois and Peter le Nuitrc, had made every pre- ; paration, knowing the war was to be renewed. They had been \ very busily employed during the truce, in strengthening and victuaU i ing the town of Ghent, as well as the castle of Gauvre and all other places under their obedience. 1 At this period, there were a set of vagabonds who had taken refuge in the wood of Respaille, and had fortified themselves in a I house so strongly that it could not be taken. They had been driven I out of Alost, Grammont and other tow'ns in Flanders : having wasted their all, and not knowing how to live otherwise than by plunder, they robbed and pillaged any one who fell in their way. The sub. ject of universal conversation was these Porkers of la Respaille, wliich wood is situated between Regnais, Grammont, Anghien, and Lys- ines. They did much mischief in the castlewick of Ath, and on the lands of Floberge, Lysines and Anghien ; and these pillagers were supported by Ghent. Under their countenance they committed many murders and robberies : they entered Hainault, from whence they dragged people out of their beds, and carried them to their fort, when they ransomed them, and thus made war on all mankind. The lord de Baudrius and de la Morte, castellan of Ath, watched ihem several times, but he coidd never catch them, for they were too well acquainted with the means of escaping. They were so much dreaded on the borders of Hainault and Brabant that none dared to travel those roads, nor through that jiart of the country. The duke of Burgundy, in consequence of the renewal of the war, had reinforced the garrisons of his towns and castles in Flan- ders with men and stores. The lord de Guistelles was commander in Bruges, and sir John de Juniont in Courtray : for sir William de Namur was at that time lord of Sluys : sir Roger de Guistelle gov. erned Damme, and sir Peter de la Sieple Yprcs. Men-at-arms were stationed in all the frontier towns of Flanders by order of the duke of Burgundy. Sir Guy de Pontarlier, marshal of Burgundy, re- mained in garrison in the town of Ardembourg, with sir Rafflart de Flandies, sir John de Jumont, sir Henry du Going, the lord de Mon- tigny in Ostrevant, the lord de Longueval, sii- John de Bernecte, sir Peter de Bailleul, Belle-Fourriere, Phelipput Ganey, Raoullin de la Folic, and several more, to the amount of two hundred combatants. They determined among themselves to make an excursion into the Quatre Mesteirs and ravage that country, for much provision was carried from thence into Ghent. They, therefore, having fixed on a day for this enterprise, armed themselves and marched thither. The same day that the French had fixed on their expedition, about two thousand determined men had sailed out of Ghent under the command of Francis Atremen : accidentally they found themselves in a village in the midst of the French. VVhen they had reconnoi- tred each other, they saw a battle was unavoidable. The French instantly dismounted, and, grasping their lances, advanced on the enemy : the Ghent men, who were as numerous, did the same. The combat began sharply ; but the Ghent men advanced into a pass which was much to their loss, where the battle was more severe : many gallant deeds were done, and many beat down. Sir Rafflart de Flandres in that place showed the greatest courage ; and the knights and squires engaged the Ghent men with determined valor, as indeed it behooved them to do, for quarter was given to none. At last the Ghent men, by having superior numbers, gained the field, and the French were obliged to mount their horses or they would have been slain, for their opponents much outnumbered them. In this encounter were killed sir John de Bernecte, sir Peter de Bail- leul, Belle-Fourriere, Pholippot de Ganey, Raoullin de la Folic, and many others : the more the pity. The rest were obliged to fly and reenter Ardembourg, or they must inevitably have been killed. After this event, the viscount de Meaux was sent with all his men-at-arms to garrison Ardembourg, which he repaired and strength, cned. He had with liim several knights and squires who were good determined soldiers. At this time sir John de Jumo.nt was great bailiff of Flanders, and had been so for the two preceding years. He was much feared through all the country for his great prowess, and ihe deeds he had performed. Whenever he got hold of any Ghent men he put them to death, or had their eyes thrust out, or their hands, ears or feet cut off, and in this state sent them away to serve as an example to their fellow-citizens. He was so renowned throughout all Flanders for his pitiless justice in thus cruelly punish, ing the Ghent men, that no one was talked of but him in the whole country. CHAPTER CLVIII. THE DUCHESS OF ANJOU URGES HER CLAIM TO THE POSSESSION OF PRO- VENCE. GALEAS VISCONTI, COUNT DE VERTUS, ORDERS HIS UNCLE BER- NABO VISCONTI TO BE IMPRISONED. Thus was there confusion in all parts of the world, as well between the kings of France and England as between John king of Castille and the king of Portugal, for the war there had been renewed. Madame d'Anjou, v\ho retained the title of queen of Naples and Jerusalem, went to Avignon, where the pope resided, and there kept her state with her son Lewis, who styled himself king of Sicily, which his father had conquered. The queen had intentions to make war on the Provemjals, if they did not acknowledge her as their sovereign lady and put themselves under her obedience. Sir Ber- nard de la Salle had already entered Provence and declared war in her name. At this time, the lord de Coney was also at Avignon ; for he had been confined to his bed for fifteen weeks from a bniise he had received on his leg during an excursion on horseback. On his recovery, he often visited the queen, and comforted her much, as he was well able to do. She was expecting the duke of Berry, who was on his road to Avignon to hold a conference with the pope, to assist her. The king of France and his uncles had sent the lord Louis de Sancerre, marshal of France, to Provence, with five hundred men-at- arms, to make war on the Provencals, if they did not submit to the queen. Some had done so, but not all : however, the city of Mar- seilles and the greater part had surrendered themselves to her ; but the cities of Aix and Trascon, and some knights of the country, re. fused to admit her claim to the county of Provence, until she had been peaceably acknowledged as queen, and her son as king, of la Puglia, Calabria, Naples and Sicily ; and they said, that when she should be in quiet possession of the above, all Provence, as was just, would obey her. The count de Conversano and his son sir John de Luxembourg made war for her in those distant parts, against the lord Charles Durazzo. Sir John de Bueil remained with the queen, at Avignon, as her counsellor. At this period, another mar^'cllous event happened at Lombardy, which was the subject of general conversation. The count de Ver. tus, whose name was John Galeas Visconti,* and his uncle were the greatest personages in all Lombardy. Sir Galeas and sir Bernabo were brothers, and had peaceably reigned and governed that country. One of these lords possessed nine cities, and the other ten ; the city of Milan was under their government alternately, one year each. When sir Galeas, the father of the count de Vertus, died, the affec- tions of the uncle for his nephew were much weakened ; and sir Galeas suspected, that now his father was dead, his uncle Bernabo would seize his lordships, in like manner as sir Galeas, his father, and uncle Bernabo had done to their brother sir Matthew, whom they had put to death. The count de Vertus was very supicious, and plainly showed that he had his fears of tliis event taking place. How- ever, by his actions and the capture he made, he proved himself the more subtle of the two. I will relate the circumstance. Sir Bernabo heavily oppressed that part of Lombardy of which he was lord, and taxed his vassals, two or three times a-year, a half or a third of their wealth ; but none dared to murmur against him. Sir Galeas, count de Vertus, to acquire popularity and praise, did not levy any taxes on his possessions, but simply lived on his rents. This mode he had followed for five years, ever since the death of his father, which gained him so much the love of the Lombards, that they all praised lum, and lived happily under him ; while, on the contrary, they abused underhand sir Bernabo, who would not leave them any- thing. The count de Vertus (who had formed his plan, and was acting accordingly, from tlie suspicions he had of his uncle, and, as some said, from appearances having been manifested, that confirmed them) issued a secret summons to those in whom he confided the most : to some of whom he revealed his plan, but not to all, lest it should be made public. A day had been appointed by sir Bernabo to make an excursion of pleasure from one of his castles to another. Upon this, his nephew placed three ambuscades on the road sir Ber. nabo was to take ; so that it was not possible but he must fall into one of them. He had ordered that he should be made prisoner, and on no account killed, unless he made too obstinate a defence. Thus as sir Bernabo was riding from one town to another, mis- trusting no evil, nor any way thinking of his neprhew, but consider, ing hynself as perfectly safe, he entered one of the ambuscades, when the men planted in ambush instantly advanced to him full speed and with lances in their rests. Sir Bernabo had a German knight with him, who cried out, " My lord, save yourself I for I see people of a bad mien coming toward you, and I know them to be persons be- longing to your nephew sir Galeas.'' Sir Bernabo replied, that "he * John Galeas Visconti, count of Vertus, succeedeU his father Galeas la thegoven> ment of one-halfof Lombardy in 1378.— Ed. .■344 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, ■was not acquaiiilcd with any place wliere he could save himself, if ihey had any evil intentious against him, and that he was uncon. .scions of having done anything against his nephew that should make him fly." Those who had been placed in ambuscade continued a^'- vancing toward sir Bernabo. When the German, who was a man of honor and knight of the body to sir Bernabo, saw them thus approaching his lord, having the sword of his master be- fore him, he instantly drew it out of its scab, bard and placed it in the hands of sir Bernabo (wluch was seen by those who were press, ing forward ;) and then the knight drew his own sword, Uke a valiant man, and put himself on his defence. This, however, did not avail, /or he as well as sir Ber- jiabo were instantly sur. jounded, and the knight ■was slain, under pre- tence that at the com- mencement he meant to defend himself ; for whose death sir Galeaa wa£ afterwards sorely vexed. Sir Bernabo was made prisoner witliout any defence made by -him or his attendants, and carried to a castle where his nepi.?w waa, who was much rej'::ced on his arrival. Thu; ..same day his wife, and .children that were mar- riageable were also ar- rested, and confined by the lord of Milan, who took possession of all the lordships, castles, ■towns, and cities which sir Bernabo held in Lombardy. His uncle died shortly after; but I know not by what means, though I believe it was from being bled in the neck, for in Lombardy they are accus- tomed to make such bleedings when they wish to hasten the death of any one.* News of this was soon spread abroad : some were pleased at it, others vexed ; for sir Bernabo had in his time done so many acts of cnielty, and without reason, that few pitied him, saying, he had well deserved it. This was the end of sir Bernabo Vis- conti, who had reigned most powerfully in Lombardy. On the duke's arrival at Niort, he found plenty of men-at-arms impatient for his arrival. His cousin the count de la Marche, with a large body, the viscount de Tonnene, sir Henrj' de Thouars, seneschal of Limousin, the lords de Pons, de Partenay, do TouiB, de Pousanges, and many other barons of Poitou and Saintonge were 'Genoese Cross-bowmbn attacking the Bridge of Taillebourg. The Archers taken from contempornry Illumination, andfrom Specimens of their Costumes and Weapons, in Sir Samuel Meyrick's Collection, Goodrich Court, there. Sir William de Lignac came thither to wait on the duke, having conquered the castle de I'Aigle, for which the duke felt him- self obliged to him. When all these men-at-arms were mustered, they amoimted to full seven hundred lances, not including the Ge- noese and the lusty varlets ; in the whole, two thousand combatants. They then held a council whither they should turn their arms ; to Bertucil, Taillebourg,* or .Montlieu.t After having well considered each situation, they determined to march to Montlieu, because it was a strong castle near the moors of Bordeaux ; and, if they should suc- ceed in taking it, the others would be weakened, and none able to quit Bordeaux without their knowledge. They marched through the Angoumois, and on arriving at Mont- lieu, prepared for the siege. Sir .lames Poussart and John Bonne- lance were the leaders of the duke of Bourbon's men-at-arms, and of the whole army. They were not long besieging Montlieu before^ they made ready their ladders and other things, necessary for an attack. They surrounded the castle and began the nssaidt, but those within defended themselves vigorously. The combat was sharp, long continued, and many gallant deeds were done ; for the French mounted their ladders with rapidity, and fought hand to hand on the battlements with tlieir daggers : in short, they exerted them- selves so much that the castle was fairly won by storm, and most within perished. ' t When the lords of France had got possession of Montlieu, they reinforced it with a new garrison and stores, and then took the road to Taillebourg on the Charente. Dinandon do la Perate, a Gascon, was governor of this fortress, an able man-at-arms, who held the French cheap. When they came from Taillebourg, the duke of Bourbon and his company took two small forts wliich had much ha- rassed the borders of Poitou and Limousin, la Froncette, and Archac : the garrisons were slain, and the castles given up to tliose of the ad- jacent countries, who instantly razed them to the ground. The siege of Taillebourg was now formed, and four block-houses were erected before it. Near Taillebourg was a bridge, tlie Cha- rente, which the English and Gascons had fortified, so that no vessel from la RochcUe or Saintonge could pass without great danger, un- less by paying toll. The French lords determined to gain this bridge, to facilitate their other attacks, and to be in greater security in their block-houses. They ordered vessels ready prepared and armed to ascend tlie Charente from la Rochelle, in which they had placed large bodies of cross-bows and Genoese, to skirmish with those at the bridge. The attack was severe, for the English and Gascons had well fortified the bridge, and they defended it with CHAPTER CLIX. •WILLIAM DE LIGNAC, SENESCHAL OF SAINT0N8E FOR THE KING OF FRANCE, CONQUERS TROyi THE ENGLISH THE CASTLE OF AIGLE. THE ARMY OF THE DUKE OF BOURBON TAKES MONTLIEU AND THE BRIDGE OF TAILLE- BOURG, WHILE BESIEGING THAT PLACE. We will now return to the army which the duke of Bourbon and the count de la Marche conducted into Poitou and Limousin. The duke left Moulins in the Bourbonnois, and marched with a handsome company of knights and squires to accomplish his expedition, at- tended by John de Harcourt his nephew. The duke of Bourbon had issued his special summons for those of Berry, Auvergne, Poitou, Rouergue, Saintonge, and Limousin, to assemble at Niort, twelve leagues from Poitiers. While this army was assembling, sir William de Lignac, a valiant knight and seneschal for the king of France of Saintonge, and governor of MiUau,t resided in that country. He advanced into the Angoumois with all his men-at-arms, to the amount of two hundred combatants, and halted before the castle of Aigle, which the English possessed, and from this place during the winter and the preceding summer, they had exceedingly harassed the country. Sir William, on his arrival at the castle, dismounted, and ordered his men to do the same, when they instantly began the attack. It was very severe and of long continuance, for those within it fought for their lives. Sir William performed such gallant deeds as proved him worthy of being their leader. He did not spare himself, and showed how they ought to attack it. The place was at last taken by storm, and the French, entering it by ladders, made prisoners of all that were found there, or put them to the sword. This first con- quest this season was made by sir William de Lignac, as he was waiting for the duke of Bourbon and his army. * Bernabo was sei7.ed by his nephew on tlie 6Lh of May and died on the 18th of De- ^cembpf, 1385.— Ep. t " Millau." Q if not Millac : which is in those parts. * " Taillebourg," a town in Saintonge on the Charente, three leo^ues fromSaiotes. t " Montlieu," a village in Saintonge, election ofSaintes. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 345 spirit, as it behooved them to do, for they were vigorously attacked by land and water. The eldest son of the count de Harcourt, named John, was made a knight at this assault, by his uncle the duke of Bourbon, and displayed his banner. Tliis attack on the bridge of Taillebourg was long continued: many gallant actions were perfomied; but the cross-bows and Ge- noese in the vessels shot so ably, that those on the bridge scarcely dared to appear and defend themselves. Why should I make a long tale of this ? The bridge was carried by storm, and all found there slain or drowned: not one escaped. Thus did the French gain the bridge of Taillebourg. Their siege was carried on more eagerly for this. Taillebourg is situated three leagues from St. Jean d'Angely, and two from Saintes, in the finest country in the world. Dinandon, and those in the castle, were much astonished and vexed at the capture of the bridge ; and they had reason, for they lost by it the passage of the river. However, they would not sur- render ; for they felt themselves in a strong place, and expected succors from Bordeaux, as it had been currently reported on the borders of the Bordelois, and confirmed by all the English and Gas- con garrisons, that the duke of Lancaster or the earl of Buckingham, was to arrive at Bordeaux with two thousand men-at-arms and four thousand archers, to combat the French and to oblige them to raise all their sieges : in this they placed great hopes, but it turned out otherwise, as I shall tell you. In truth, before the army imder the command of the admiral of France was prepared to sail for Scotland, it had been ordered in England that the duke of Lancaster, sir John Holland, brother to the king, sir Thomas Percy, sir Thomas Trivet, the lord Fitzwalter, sir William Windsor, sir John Silbain, and otlier barons and knights to the amount of a thousand lances and three thousand archers, should sail for Bordeaux, and remain there the whole summer, to reinforce Mortaignc, Bouteville, and those castles which held out for them in Gascony and Languedoc : they were to fight with the French, should they find them hi the country ; and, after liaving remained there a season, they were to march to Castille by n-ay of Bayon'ne and Na- varre, for there was a treaty between them and the king of Navarre. All this had been settled in the imaginations of the English, but it proved a disappointment ; for, when they learned for a truth that the admiral of France with a thousand lances of chosen knights and squires were preparing to sail for Scotland, their counsels were changed, and none dared to think of quitting their country, nor of weakening their forces : for they much dreaded the consequences of this junction of the French with the Scots. There was also a report at this time, that England was to be attacked in three different parts by the French. One expedition was from Brittany, as it was said that the duke of Brittany was become a good Frenchman ; another from Normandy, where the constable of France was making his pre- parations at Harfleur, Dieppe, and all along the coast as far as St. Valery and Crotoy ; the third from Scotland. From fear of this, the government of England would not allow any knights or squires to quit the country, but attended to the fortifying of their harbors. At this season Richard, earl of Arundel, admiral of the English sea, was cruising with sixty or fourscore large vessels, armed and fitted with men-at-arms and archers : he had, besides, nine light vessels ofl" Normandy to gain inielligence. We will leave for a while the duke of Bourbon and the siege of Taillebourg, which lasted upward of nine weeks, and relate how the admiral of France, with the army under his command, landed in Scotland, and what a handsome reception, in appearance, they met with from the coimtry. CHAPTER CLX. SIR JOHN DE VIENNE, ADMIRAL OF FRANCE, ARRIVES IN SCOTLAND WITH HIS ARMY. BE MEETS WITH BAD TREATMENT THERE. The French army that was bound for Scotland had very favorable winds, for it was in the month of May, when the weather is temper- ate and agreeable. They coasted Flanders, Holland, Zealand, and Fiiseland, and advanced until they approached so near Scotland as to see it ; but before they arrived there an unfortunate accident befel a knight of France and an expert man-at-arms, named sir Aubert d'Angers. The knight was young and active, and to show his agil. ity he mounted aloft by the ropes of his ship completely armed ; but, his feet slipping, he fell into the sea, and the weight of his armor, which sunk him instantly, deprived him of any assistance, for the ship was soon at a distance from the place where he had fallen. All the barons were much vexed at this misfortune, but they were forced to endure it, as they could not any way remedy it. They continued their voyage until they arrived at Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, where the king chiefly resides when he is in that part of the country. The earls of Douglas and Moray, from the in. formation they had received, were waiting for them in Edinburgh ; and as soon as they were come, hastened to meet them at the harbor, and received them most amicably, bidding them welcome to their country. The Scots barons instantly recognized sir Geoffry de Charny, for he had resided full two months with them last summer in Scotland. Sir Geoffry made them acquainted, as he very well knew how, with the admiral and the barons of France. At that time the king was not in Edinburgh, but in the Highlands* of Scot- land : his sons received them handsomely, telling them the king would shortly be there. They were satisfied with this information, and the lords and their inen lodged themselves as well as they could in Edinburgh, and those w-ho could not lodge there were quartered in the different vil- lages thereabout. Edinburgh, notwithstanding it is the residence of the king, and is the Paris of Scotland, is not such a town as Toumay or Valenciennes; for there are not in the whole town four thousand houses. Several of the French lords were therefore obliged to take up their lodgings in the neighboring villages, and at Dunfermline, Kelson,t Dunbar, Dalkeith, and in other villages. News was soon spread through Scotland, that a large body of men-at-arms from France were arrived in the country. Some began to murmur and say, " What devil has brought them here ? or who has sent for them ? Cannot we carry on our wars with England without their assistance ? We shall never do any effectual good as long as they are with us. Let them be told to return again, for we are sufficienlly numerous in Scotland to fight our own quarrels, and do not want their company. We neither understand their language nor they ours, and we cannot converse together. They will very soon eat up and destroy all we have in this country, and will do us more harm, if we allow them to remain among us, than the English could in battle. If the English do burn our houses, what conse- quence is it to us ? we can rebuild them cheap enough, for we only require three days to do so, provided we have five or six poles and boughs to cover them." Such was the conversation of the Scots on the arrival of the French : they did not esteem them, but hated them in their hearts, and abused them with their tongues as much as they could, like rude and worthless people as they are. I must, however, say that, considering all things, it was not right for so msny of the nobility to have come at this season to Scotland : it would have been better to have sent twenty or thirty knights from France, than so large a body as five huijdred or a thousand. The reason is clear. In Scotland you will never find a man of worth : they are like savages, who wish not to be acquainted with any one, and are too envious of the good fortune of others, and suspicious of losing anything themselves, for their country is very poor. When the English make inroads thither, as they have very frequently done, they order their provisions, if they wish to live, to follow close at their backs; for nothing is to be had in that country without great difficulty. There is neither iron to shoe horses, nor leather to make harness, saddles or bridles : all these things come ready made from Flanders by sea ; and, should these fail, there is none to be had in the country. When these barons and knights of France, who had been used to handsome hotels, ornamented apartments, and castles with the good soft beds to repose on, saw themselves in such poverty, tliey began to laugh, and to say before the admiral, " What could have brought us hither ? We have never known till now what was meant by poverty and hard living. We now have found the truth of what our fathers and mothers were used to tell us, when they said, ' Go, go, thou shah have in thy time, shouldst thou live long enough, hard beds and poor lodgings ;' all this is now come to pass." They said also among themselves, " Let us hasten the object of our voyage, by ad- vancing toward England : a long stay in Scotland will be neither honorable nor profitable." The knights made _ remonstrances re- specting all these circumstances to sir John de Vienne, who appeased them as well as he could, saying, " My fair sirs, it becomes us to wait patiently, and to speak fair, since we are got into such difficul- ties. We have a long way yet to go, and we cannot return through England. Take in good humor whatever you can get. You cannot always be at Paris, Dijon, Beaune or Chalons : it is necessary for those who wish to live with honor in this world to endure good and evil." By such words as these, and others which I do not remember, did sir John de Vienne pacify his army in Scotland. He made as much acquaintance as he could with the Scottish barons and knights : but he was visited by so very few it is not worth speaking of; for, as I have said before, there is not much honor there, and they ore people difficult to be acquainted with. The earls of Douglas and Moray were the principal visitants to the lords of France. These two lords paid them more attention than all the rest of Scotland. But this was not the worst, for the French were hardly dealt with in their pur- chases ; and whenever they wanted to buy horses, they were asked, for what was worth only ten florins, sixty and a hundred : with diffi- culty could they be found at that price. When the horse had been bought there was no furniture nor any housings to be met with, un- less the respective articles had been brought with them from Flan- ders. In this situation were the French : besides, whenever their servants went out to forage, they were indeed permitted to load their horses with as much as they could pack up and carry, but they were way-laid on their return, and villainously beaten, robbed, and some, times slain, insomuch that no varlet dared go out foraging for fear of death. In one month the French. lost upward of a hundred varlets: for when three or four went out foraging not one returned, in such a hideous manner were they treated. " * En la sauvage E9co39e'^ t " ICelson"— Q. Kelso would have been too far distant. 346 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. With all this the king required many entreaties before he would come forward : the knights and squires of Scotland were the cause of this, for they declared, they would not at this season wage war with England, that the French might pay more dearly for their com. ing. Before the king would come to Edinburgh, it was necessaiy to pay him a large sum of money for himself and his courtiers. Sir John de Vienne engaged, under his seal, that he would never quit Scotland until the king and his people were perfectly satisfied : for, had he not done so, he would not have had any assistance from the Scots. He was obliged to make this bargain or a woi-se ; but how. ever advantageous it was for them, and whatever affection he gained by it, they made the war solely profitable for themselves, as I shall relate in this history. At present I wish to return to what was pass, ing in Flanders, and to speak of the marriage of the young king of France, which happened at this period. CHAPTER CLXI. THE TOV/N OF ARDEMBOURG* NARROWLY ESCAPES REIMS TAKEN BY SCR. PRISE BY FRANCIS ATREMEN AND HIS GHENT MEN. After the defeat of the detachment of sir RafHart de Flandres, which he had led into the Quatre Mestiers, sir Robert de Bethunc, viscount de Meaux, came to Ardembourg, whitltcr he had been sent to garrison it. He found there sir John de Jumont and liis compan. ions : he had also brought with him about forty knights, who were eager to meet with adventures. On the viscount's arrival, he began to repair and strengthen the fortifications of the town. Francis Atremen and those of Ghent were constantly devising plans to annoy their enemies, and do them mischief. Their attention was particu. larly directed to places in their neighborhood, such as Oudenarde, Dendremonde, Ardembourg, Damme, Bruges and Sluys. It behooved those towns to keep a strict guard and watch well ; for in regard to storming and scaling towns, and such like subtleties, these Ghent men were very skilful and alert. About the end of May, Francis Atremen, with seven thousand armed men, sallied out of Ghent, with the intent to take Ardembourg by surprise, and to make all the knights and squires there in garrison prisoners. They were more desirous to take the governor, sir John de Jumont, than all the rest; for he had done them much mischief, by slaying and taking their people, thrusting out their eyes, cutting off their hands or ears, so that they could not love him. For this purpose, they came on Wednesday at daybreak to Ardembourg, having with them their ladders ready prepared. Now observe what great peril they were in : the viscount de Meaux, sir John de Jumont, sir Rafflart de Flandres, the lord de Daymart, sir Tiercclot de Mon- tigny, sir Perducas de Port St. Marc, the lord de Longueval and sir John his son, sir Hugh Desnel, the lord de Lalain, sir Reginald de Lommie and several more, were sleeping quietly in their beds, trust- ing to the watchfulness of the guard : but the guards of the night were almost all retired, and the watchman was mounting his post, when Francis Atremen and his Ghent men, with their ladders on their shoulders, had crossed the ditches and fixed tlieir ladders to the walls, which the foremost had begun to mount. By accident, the lord de St. Aubin and a squire from Picardy, called Enguerrand Zendequin, were at this moment parading the town close by the walls : they had with them three picards armed with pikes. I believe they had been on guard this night, and were then retiring. To say the truth, if they had not been where they were, Ardembourg must infallibly have been taken, and all the knights in their beds. Wlien the lord de St. .A.ubin antl Enguerrand Zendequin perceived the Ghent men mounting by ladders to the battlements, and that one of them was actually putting his leg over the wall to enter the town, they were very much alarmed, but not so much as to prevent them defending the place : they saw clearly, that if they fled, the town must be conquered ; for the Ghent men had arrived there so opportunely, that they were entering it just between the time of the dismissal of the night-guard and the watchman mounting his post. " Forward, forward I" cried sir Enguerrand to the pikemen : " here are our enemies: let us defend ourselves nnd our town, or it is taken." They then advanced to the place where they had fi.xed their ladders and intended entering. The pikemen attacked him who was about to enter so vigorously with their pikes, that he tumbled into the ditch. At this time, the watch was at his post, who, noticing the large bat- talion in the ditches and thereabouts, sounded his horn, crying out, " Treason, treason 1" The town was in motion, and the knights heard in their beds the noise and confusion, and also how the Ghent men wanted to surprise their town. They were very much aston- ished, and having anned themselves as speedily as they could, sallied forth against them. Notwithstanding they were discovered, the Ghent men labored hard to enter the town ; but those five men held out valiantly against them for upward of half an hour, and performed wonders in arms, for which they were highly praised. The lords now advanced in handsome array ; the viscount de Meaux with his banner before him, sir John de Jumont with his pennon, sir Rafflart de Flandres and all the others, shoutini? their ♦Ardembourg, tan miles N. E. from Biug. war-cries, and found the knight and squire, with the three pikemen, defending the walls most gallantly. When Francis Atremen and the Ghent men found their scheme had failed, they called back their men and retreated in a handsome manner into the Quatre Mestiers. The garrison were more attentive in guarding their town for the future, and in posting their sentinels. They honored gi-eatly their five defenders ; for, if they had not been there, Ardembourg had been lost, and all their throats cut. CHAPTER CLXII. LEWIS OF FRANCE, BROTHER TO KING CHARLES VI. IS MARRIED BY PRO- CURATION TO MARGARET OF HUNGARY. MADAME DE BRABANT CAUSES THE DAUGHTER OF DUKE STEPHEN OF BAVARIA TO COME TO FRANCE TO MARRY KING CHARLES. You have before heard how the duke of Anjou, who styled him. self king of Naples, Sicily, and Jerusalem, had carried on a war for three years in la Puglia, Calabria and Naples, against Charles de Durazzo, and that during the last war he had died.* His opponent was dead also. It was said he was killed in Hungary with the con- sent of the queen ; for, after the death of the king of Hungary, being the son of his brother, he wished to maintain that the kingdom had devolved on him, as the king of Hungary had left no male issue. The queen, suspecting his intentions to disinherit her daughter, had him put to death.t This event caused much wonder everywhere ; and the war of the queen of Naples and her son Lewis, who resided in Avignon, was more strenuously carried on in Provence. During the lifetime of the late king of Hungary, the great barons and prelates had advised that the eldest of his daughters, the lady Margaret,t who was very handsome, and was likewise heiress to the kingdom, should be given to Lewis count de Valois, brother to the king of France, because they thought he would reside in Hungary, and the king, had he lived, would have followed this advice. After the decease of the king of Hungary, embassadors were sent to France, to the king and his uncles, to notify the wish of the queen of Hungary to unite the count de Valois with his eldest daughter. This seemed to the king and the barons of France as if it was very desirable, except that it would separate and place at too great a dis. tance the count de Valois from his family and the powerful kingdom of France. On the other hand, they considered it was a grand as well as a profitable offer for the count de Valois to be king of Hun- gary, which is one of the greatest realms in Christendom. The Hungarians sent by the queen were magnificently received, and large presents were made to them. The bishop dc Maillcrets and John de Personne, returned with them as embassadors from France, who, on their arrival in Hungary, espoused by procuration, in the name of the count de Valois, the princess Margaret. John de la Personne courteously lay on a bed beside hers. They then came back to France, and showed their letters patent and other public instruments, which gave great satisfaction to all France ; and the count de Valois signed himself king of Hungary f 5r a long time. You have before heard how the duke of Burgundy and duke Albert of Bavaria, lord of Hninault, Holland, Zealand, and Friee. land, had intermarried their children in the city of Cambray, at which marriage the king of France had assisted with great magnificence. Some seemed to say, as I was then informed, that the same week the king and all his nobles were at this marriage, there was a secret negotiation for a marriage between the young king of France and the lady Isabella, daughter of duke Stephen of Bavaria, chiefly through the means of the duchess of Brabant. The late king of France had on his dying-bed ordered, that his son should be married, if possible, to a princess of Germany, to strengthen the union of France with that country ; for he had seen that the king of England, by marrying the sister of the emperor of Germany, had gained by it. The duchess of Brabant was a lady of a very active mind ; she con. versed with the king's uncles and his council, wlule in the city of Cambray, on this subject, explaining to them, that as this young lady was the daughter of a great lord in Germany, and the most powerful in Bavaria, through him great alliances might be made in that coun- try ; that duke Stephen was so potent, he could well break the pur. poses of the great lords of the empire ; for- he was as powerful, if not more so, than the emperor. This object made the council of France listen more readily to the proposal : it was, however, carried on with the utmost secrecy, and very few knew anything of it until it W.TS settled. The reason for this you shall hear. ' It is customary *At the cajitle of Bideelia. near Bari. tTiie Hungarian noble*, tired of the government of two women (Elisabetli the wife of 1.0UJS, and jMary fiis daughter) and tiieir favoritee, secretly called iji Charles of Du- razzo, who. in spit« of ijie entreaties of his wife Margaret, whom he appoiutod rngent of the kingdom of Naples, set sail on the 4th September, 133^. for Signa m Sclavonio, and was proclaimed kinc by the nobles unanimously, in a diet held at ."Vlba-Royal. Ke was, however, in February, ;2?5 old style, or 138tt now style, set on by assa^fins era- ployed by the queen's favorites, and brouB.h'. 'o tl'e ground by a sabre cut on the liead : all his attendants were massacred, diaries sur\ i ,-ed his wounds, but he was imprisoned at Visgradi, and on the 3rd of June, 13S6, poison completed the work left unfinished by tlje sword. — Sismondi's Italian Ktritb.—'Ev. t This is a mistake : the lady's name was .Mari/. not Margaret ; Froissnrt appears to have been also misinformed regarding tlie proposed alUance between her and the count de Valois, for she Imd already been betrothed to yigisnrond. marquis of Brundenbuig, whom she afterwards married, and no mention is made of it by other hisloriaiis.— Ep. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 347 in France, for the lady destined to be niarried to the king, however high may be her birth, to be exajiiined quite naked by ladies, whether she be well made, and have no apparent hindrance to her bearing children. As this lady was to come from so distant a countrj' as Bavaria; they were ignorant if she woidd be agreeable to the king, for otherwise everytliing would be broken off. These were the rea- sons why this aflair was kept so secret. About Whitsuntide the young lady was brought to the duchess in Brabant, who received her cordially, and accustomed her to the usages in France. She was accompanied by duke Frederick of Bavaria, her uncle, by whom, in truth, this marriage was first moved, for the causes which I will ex- plain to you. When duke Frederick was before Bourbourg, in the service of the king, lie was much feasted by the king's uncles, and the other no- bles, for having come two hundred leagues to serve France. They considered his services as verj- great ; and he always quartered near the king, out of affection to him, and had the greatest respect paid him. When he left Bavaria, he thought tliat there must be a pitched battle, between the kings of France and of England, either in France or Flanders, for such had been the current report in Germany. The king of France and his uncles were very thankful for his coming. It happened, that during the e.xpedition to Bergues and Bourbourg, the king's uncles and other nobles, in amicable conversation, had asked him if he had no daughters to marry ? for they wanted a wife for the king of France ; and they would prefer marrying him to Bavaria than elsewhere, Bavaria having formerly been in the coun. oils of France. Duke Frederick, in reply to this speech, said he had none himself, but that his brother, duke Stephen of Bavaria, had a very handsome one. " And how old is she ?" demanded the king's uncles. " Between thirteen and fourteen," replied the duke. Then, said the uncles, " This is what we want. Do you, on your return to Bavaria, talk with your brother, and..conduct your niece, as if in pil- grimage, to St. John at Amiens, an3jhe king shall be. placed beside her. Should he tind her handsome, we hope he will be desirous of her, for he loves beauty ; and if he appear eager for her, she shall be queen of France." This was the beginning of the business, and neither more nor less was said on the subject. The king of France was ignorant that anything had been mentioned respecting his marriage. Duke Frederick, on his return to Bavaria, repeated these words to his brother, who pondered some time on them, and thus answered, " Fair brother, I believe such speeches have been made to you, and that my daughter would be very fortunate if such a high honor as to become the queen of France should fall to her lot ; but the distance is great from hence, and it is a matter of great consideration to at- tempt the making a queen. I should be exceedingly vexed if, after having carried my daughter to France, she should be returned to me : and I would rather marry her at my leisure, nearer home." Such was the answer duke Stephen gave his brother, with which he was contented : and he wrote the substance of it to the uncles of the king, to his own uncle, duke Albert, and madanie de Brabant, to whom he had communicated the business on his return home. They thought he had been too indiflerent about it, and had made overtures else- where, on the subject of the king's marriage. A match was shortly after proposed between the king and the daughter of the duke of LoiTaine : she was a very handsome lady, and nearly of his own age : of high birth, being of the family of Blois. The duke of Lancas- ter's daughter, afterwards queen of Portugal, was also talked of, but this could not be brought about on account of the war : the aflTair was therefore at a stand. The duchess of Brabant, when at these marriages at Cambray, and the king and his court present, brought this subject again on the carpet, saying, that a union with Bavaria was the most desirable for the king, on account of the alliances that might be formed with the Germans. " It is so, indeed, lady," replied the king's uncles ; " but we now hear nothing of it." " Be yo^ silent," answered the duciiess, " and I will make such advances that you shall, without fail, have certain intelligence of it in the course of the summer." The pro. mises of the duchess were verified ; for she managed so well, that duke Stephen allowed his brother, duke Frederick, to conduct his niece, as you have before heard : and it was given out on the road, that they were going on a pilgrimage to St. John at Amiens. Every body believed it ; for the Germans are fond of performing pjlerimages, and it is one of their customs. After duke Frederick andSis niece, the lady Isabella of Bavaria, had been three days at Brussels, they took leave of the duchess : it was, however, her intention to be at Amiens as soon, if not sooner, than they were. They went through Hainault to Quesnoy, where they found the duke and duchess, and William count of Ostrevant and his wife ; by all of whom they were most graciously received, for duke Albert was his imcle. They were much surprised at their coming, and in- quired the reasons of it. " Certainly," said duke Frederick ; " I have had much difficulty to persuade my brother ; but, as you see, I have at last brought him to consent that I should conduct his daughter hither. On taking leave, he called me aside and said, ' Now, Frede- rick, my fair brother, you are carrying away Isabella, and upon no certain conditions; for if the king of France refuse her, she will be for ever ruined : therefore, consider well this business, for should you bring het back, you will never have a more bitter enemy than me :' and you see, my good uncle, the dangerous situation I am in." " Dear nephew, do not be alarmed ; for, if it please God, she shall be queen of France, and you stand acquited of blame, and retain tlie affections of your brother." They remained at Quesnoy for three weeks, during which time the duchess, who was very able, tutored the young lady of Bavaria, as to her manners and appearance ; and did not allow her to keep the clothes, she then wore, as being too plain and simple for the French fashions, but had her dressed up and adorned as if she had been her own child. When all had been properly prepared, the duchess and her daughter, the future duchess of Burgundy, set tut in great magnificence for Amiens, with the young lady, where the duchess of Brabant was already aiTived, as were ihe king, the duke and duchess of Burgundy, and the council. The lord dc la Riviere, sir Guy de Trimouille, with many barons and knights, went out of the city of Amiens to meet the company from Hainault, whom they escorted into town with many honors, and they visited each other out of love and affection. But the king could hardly close his eyes that night from the desire of seeing her who was afterwards his spouse. He a.skcd the lord de la Riviere when he should see her. This question much amused the ladies. And on the Friday when the young lady was dressed for the occasion, the three duchesses presented her to the king. She instantly kneeled down very low, but the king directly raised her up by tlie hand, and continually kept his eyes upon her : so that from that time love and pleasure pierced his heart. The constable, observing what passed, said to the lord de Coucy, " By my faith, this lady will remain with us : the king cannot take his eyes off' her." When the ladies had remained some litde time with the king, they took lea\'e of him, and carried back the damsel. But as the intentions of the king were not known, the duke of Bur. gundy charged the lord de la Riviere to sound him when he retired to his closet, which he diligently did, by saying, " Sire, how do you like this young lady ? will she remain with us ?" " Yes, by my troth, will she," replied the king ; " for she pleases us, and you will tell my good uncle of Burgundy to hasten the business." When the lord de la Riviere heard these words, he repeated them to the duke of Burgundy, who announced them to the ladies ; and they were so well pleased thereat, they began carrolling. The whole court were joyous on the occasion ; and it was intended by the king's uncles to celebrate the feast at Arras, but it did not please the king to go further. He entreated his uncle to make every haste, for he assured him that he wished no delay, but was anxious to have the business completed in the good city of Amiens. " Very well, my lord," replied the duke, "it shall be done as you order." The duke of Burgundy, in company with the constable, sir Guy de la Trimouille and several others, waited on madame de Hainault, and found her niece seated beside her. The duke related all that had passed, adding that the king haa made him alter his intention as to the place where the marriage ceremony was to be performed ; for he was so deeply smitten, that he had owned he could neither sleep nor take and repose on account of her whom he wished for his wife, but on the morrow they would cure all liis ailings. The duchess went out m a fit of laughter, and they separated from each other with much joy and satisfaction. CHAPTER CLXIII. FKANCIS ATREMEN TAEES DAMME. THOSE OF BEtJ&ES ATTEMPT TO RETAKE IT. On a Saturday night, Francis Atremen marched with seven thou, sand men from the Quatre Mestiers, whither he had retreated after the failure of Ms attempt on Ardembourg : he had promised his townsmen, on his departure, that he would never return until he had taken some good town. The Ghent men were desirous of finding the French employment, so that they should be unable to send more men to the admiral in Scotland, to make war on the English; for it was currently reported, that the constable, together with a large body of men-at-arms and cjpss-bows, was about to embark to reinforce those sent to Scotland.^, Francis Atremen, being an expert man-at-arms, sallied out one Saturday evening from the country called Quatre Mestiers, and when it was dark, advanced to the walls of Bruges, in hopes of taking it, but could not. When he found he could do nothing, he marched toward Damme, and met his spies whom he had sent thither and round that neighborhood : they told him he would do well to advance to Damme, for sii- Roger Guistelles had left it, and only women were there. This was true .' for he had gone to Bruges, thinking the inhabitants were able to defend themselves, but in this he was disappointed. When Francis Atremen heard that sir Roger de Guistelles was not in Damme, he divided his men into two divia. ions, and, taking the smallest, said to the other, " You will advance to that gate, and make no attack until you hear our trumpets sound : then attempt the barriers, and cut down and destroy all, and on the side we will break down the gate, for we shall never enter the town by ladders." His orders were punctually obeyed. He advanced with the smaller division, leaving the other behind him : the foremost marched with ladders through the ditches, where they met with no 348 CHRONIOLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. resistance, and, having passed the mud, fixed their ladders to the walls : on entering the town, they sounded their trumpets and made for the gates without opposition, for they were masters of the place, the good people being still in their beds. It was the 17th day of July when Damme was thus surprised. They advanced to tlie gate, and broke all the bars of it with strong axes : those without destroyed the barriers, and thus all sorts of people entered the town. The inhabitants began to be in motion; but it was too late, for they were made prisoners in their houses, and those whom they found armed were slain without mercy. Thus was the good town of Damme taken, wherein they found much wealth : in particular, cellars full of Malmsey and other wines. I heard also that those of Bruges had brought thither great riches for fear of a rebellion of the populace whom they suspected. Francis Atremen was much re. joiced on being master of Damme, and said, " Now I have well kept my promise to Ghent : this place will enable us to conquer Bruges, ^luys, and Ardembourg." He instantly issued a proclama- tion, that not the smallest harm or insult should be offered to the noble ladies in the town ; for there were seven ladies, the wives of knights, who had come thither to visit madame de Guistelles, who was with child and near lying-in. After having pillaged the town and put to death those who would not join their party, they began to repair it. When those in Bruges heard of this, they were much enraged, and not without cause : they instantly armed and marched to Damme, and began to skirmish and attack it ; but it was of no avail, for they lost more than they gained: they therefore marched back to Bruges. You may suppose, when this news reached Ghent, they were much pleased, and considered it as a valiant enterprise, and also looked on Francis -A.tremen as a gallant soldier. CHAPTER CLXIV. KING CHARLES ESPOUSES THE LADY ISABELLA OF BAVARIA. HE BE- SIEGES DAMME. We will return to the marriage of king Charles of France, and relate how it was concluded. The duchess Margaret of Hainault, who had the young queen under her care, on the morning of the wedding dressed her aut handsomely, as she knew well how to do, when the duchesses of Brabant and Burgundy came thither grandly attended by ladies and damsels. These three ladies conducted the lady Isabella of Bavaria in the richest covered cars ever seen, with a crown on her head, that was worth all tlie wealth of the country, and which the king had sent to her a little before. The bishop of Amiens performed the marriage ceremony in the presence of the lords and ladies before-mentioned.* After the mass and other cere- monies thereto appertaining, the king, with the lords, ladies, and damsels went to dinner, which was very sumptuous and magnificent, and that day the counts and barons served at it in grand array. After dinner, they amused themselves in different manners, which continued with great enjoyment until evening, when the king re tired with his bride. The feasts were continued until the Tuesday following, when news was brought to the king and to his council that Francis Atre- men had taken the town of Damme. A herald arrived at the same time from the duke of Bourbon, who brought letters that Taille. bourg, with its castle and bridge, had been subdued, and that the duke, with his army, was on full march to besiege Verteuil, having already conquered back again in Poitou and Limousin, six fortresses. This news rejoiced somewhat the court, and made them indifferent as to the loss of Damme : but it was determined the king should not undertake anything until he had marched to Flanders and retaken Damme. He declared he would enter the Quatre Mesticrs, from whence this mischief had sprung, and would not leave any house undestroyed. Messengers were immediately sent over the kingdom with summons for every man-at-arms to be in Picardy by the first of August, to march to Damme. This was soon spread through France, and all knights and squires made their preparations for waiting on the king as they had been comnunded. This same day, duke Frederick of Bavaria, duke Albert, Wd the other barons took leave of the king and departed for their homes, leaving behind the lady Isabella of Bavaria, now queen of France as you have heard. The king of France, who had sent his summons through the realm, declared he would not return to Paris before he had been at Damme. On the twentieth day of July he set out from Amiens, with the con. stable and many lords, and came to Arras, where he slept one night. On the morrow he went to Lens,t in Artois : men-at-arms \v°ere daily coming to him from all quarters. He continued his march un- til he arrived at Ypres, so that by the first of August he was before Damme, and quartered himself so near the town that the arrows flew over his head. Three days after\vards arrived William of Hainault, who »vas very welcome to the king, and to my lord of Burgundy. The siege was laid to Damme in a handsome manner, and Francis Atremen was inclosed within it. He behaved very gallantly, for every day there * The marri.ige took place on the 18th July, US.— Ed. T ■ iieili"— four lefteues from Arras. were attacks and skirmishes, unless prevented by short truces. The lord de Clary, master of the ordnance to the lord de Coucy, was hit by an arrow* from the town, which caused his death : it was a pity, for he was a gallant knight. Those of Bruges -and Ypres came to this siege ; and there were present upward of one hundred thou- sand men. The king was quartered between Damme and Ghent. The lord de St. Py and the lord de Guistelles were the commanders of the Flemings : they had about twenty-five lances, and quartered themselves among them for fear of dissensions. An attack was made on Damme at which all the lords were pres- ent. William of Hainault was made a knight by the king's hand, and that day he displayed his banner : during the course of the siege he showed himself an excellent knight. The French, by this assault, lost more than they won, for Francis Atremen had with him some English archers who sorely galled the assailants : he had also many pieces of artillery, for the town, before it was surprised, was well provided ; and Francis had ordered more thither from Ghent when he knew it was to be besieged. CHAPTER CLXV. SOME CITIZENS AT SLUYS AKE BEHEADED FOB TREASON TO THE FRENCH. THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY ACQUIRES SLUYS FROM SIR WILLIAM DE NAMUR, BY AN EXCHANGE FOR THE LANDS OF BETHUNE. During the siege of Damme, some of the principal citizens of Sluys who governed it, were accused of high treason against the king of France : they wanted to deliver the town to his enemies, to murder the governor and all his garrison in their beds, and to set fire to the numerous fleet of France, which was then at anchor in their port, well filled with all sorts of stores. Before the expedition to Damme, the king of France had intended to follow his admiral to Scotland. These wicked pepple of Sluys also meant to destroy the dikes of the sea, and droHiii all or the greater jiart of the army. This had been bargained for by those of Ghent, and it was all to have been done in one night : it would have been executed if one of the inhabitants of the town had not overheard the malice they were devising. He directly went to the governor and told him what was intended, and named the greater part of the conspirators. The knight was much astonished when he heard of this, and taking with him his garrison, which consisted of about sixty lances, went to the houses of the different conspirators, whom he arrested, and sent to separate prisons under a strong guard. He then mounted his horse and hastened to the king's tent, before Damme, where the duke of Burgundy at that time chanced to be. He related to thern all that he had heard and done : how near the town was being lost, and his army drowned. The king and liis nobles were much surprised ; and the governor was ordered to return to Sluys, and to keep his prison- ers no longer confined, but instantly to put them to death, that others might from them take example. The governor, on his return, had them beheaded, and thus ended the business. The same week, the duke of Burgundy, by the advice of sir Guy de la Trimouille, who had last summer resided at Sluys witli a con- siderable force, resolved to open a negotiation with his cousin, sir William de Namur, to obtain that town by exchange for other lands, to add it to the country of Flanders, which lands were equally profitable as to revenue. Sir Wlliam de Nuniur was much displeased when he first heard this proposal for an exchange ; for the town of Sluys, with its dependencies and sea-rights, was a noble and profita- ble inheritance ; it had also devolved to him from Ms ancestors, which made him like it the more. Notwithstanding this, since the duke of Burgundy was desirous of it, he found it necessary to com- ply. It was the intention of the duke, when in possession of it, to erect there a handsome and strong castle, like to Calais and other places, which should command the harbor of Sluys, and garrison it with men-at-arms and archers, so that none could approach his ter. ritories without danger from them. He said he would build it high enough to see from it twenty leagues at sea. In short, sir William was so hard pressed by the duke and his coimcil, that he consented to the exchange of Sluys for the whole territory of Bethunc, which is one of the fairest inheritances of the whole country. It was given to him and to his heirs. Immediately afterwards, the duke set work- men on the castle he intended to build at Sluys. We will now return tajthe siege of Damme, and say how it prospered. CHAPTER CLXVI. FRANCIS ATREMEN AND HIS MEN ABANDON DAMME. . THE TOWN IS DE- STROYED BY THE FRENCH : THEY ALSO RUIN THE COUNTRY OF THE QUATRE MESTIERS. There were several skirmishes almost daily at the barriers of Damme, where many were wounded and slain. The walls could not be approached, because the ditches were filled with mud and filth : and, if it had been rainy weather, the army would have hod * D. Sauvage's edition says, that the lord de Clary, while approachinc the town to view the guns on the walls was stxucb by a quarrel from one of them, not by an ar- row.— £0. CHRONMCLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c. 349- enough to do, and must have decamped whetiier they would or not: but for the space of one month, during which this siege lasted, there never fell one drop of rain. They had provision in great abundance ; but the stench of the beasts killed by the army and the dead horses corrupted- the air, and caused many knights and squires to be so ill and low spirited that they retired to Bruges or elsewhere : the king was wont to lodge at Marie, notwithstanding his tents were lelt standing in the camp. It was the intention of Francis Atremen to hold out this siege, till the reinforcements which he expected from England should arrive to raise it : for it is certain that Francis, and the men of Ghent, had sent to England for assistance. The uncles of the king of England would undoubtedly have carried over a suf- ficency of men-at-arms and archers, if the admiral of France had not at that time been in Scotland with so large a force. It was confi- dently said, that the constable was to reinforce the admiral with a greater body: by which means the Flemings were not assisted, and those of Damme were forced to make a bad bargain of it f for on the 27th day of August, 1365, was the town of Damme conquered back again. When Francis Atremen found, after the king of France had be. sieged him for a month, that he was not to e.xpect any succor, and that his artillery began to fail, he was much cast down, and said to those of his council, " I wi'l, that all of us from Ghent return home: but let it be made known to them secretly, so that none of the town be informed of our intended departure, and attempt to save themselves with their wives and children, by sacrificing us. They would obtain peace, and we should be slain : but I must take good care to prevent this ; for we will keep in a body, and go round the town to visit the guard. We will secure all the inhabitants, not having arms, in the churches, and give them to understand, we do so because we expect a grand attack to be made to-morrow, and do not wish them to suf. ferfrom it. Wo must tell the guard of the night that we intend to beat up the enemy's quarters, and the moment we are in the plain we will spur for the fastest to Ghent." His council replied, that he had well spoken. Every man made his preparation accordingly, and in the eveniiig packed up their all, and put the women, children and lower sort ot people in the churches : they even ordered thither the ladies of the knights who were prisoners, telling them, that on the morrow there was to be a grand attack, and they wished them not to be frightened : all this was thought very proper. The first hour of the night the Ghent men went their rounds : there were none of their townsmen on the walls, but only those of Damme. Francis Atremen said to them, " Keep up a strict watch about mid- night ; and on no account, whatever you may see or hear, quit the battlements, for in the morning we shall be attacked ; but I am re- solved this night to beat up their quarters." His words were believed, for they thought he was speaking the truth. After Francis Atremen had arranged all his business, he ordered the gate to be opened, and sallied forth with those his townsmen from Ghent. They were not half a league from the town when day appeared, and the inhabitants discovered that Francis and his companions were gone off: they were much disheartened : but their leaders began to negotiate with those belonging to the king, and said they had killed Francis Atre- men the preceding evening. Several of the town, understanding that Francis Atremen was gone away, and the gate still open, set out from the town as fast as they were able. When this news arrived at the camp, the Bretons and Burgundians, who were eager for pillage, mounted their horses, and pursued them within two leagues of Ghent : several were slain, and upward of five hundred made prisoners ; they were not from Ghent, but the inhabitants of Damme who were running away. While they were pursuing them on all sides, the town, now defence, less, was attacked : the French entered it at different parts by lad- ders, which they carried over the ditches with much difficulty. When they entered, they imagined they should roll in riches ; but they found nothing, except poor people, women and children, and great quanti- ties of good wines. In spite, therefore, they set fire to the town and burnt almost the whole of it. The king, and duke of Burgundy were much ve.xed at this, but they could not prevent it. The noble ladies were, however, saved, but with some difficulty, from having any harm done to their persons. After Damme had been thus regained by France, the king was advised to decamp, and to fix his own quarters at a small town two leagues from Ghent called .\rtavelle, and that, during the time he should be there, the men-at-arms should scour the country of the Quatre Mestiers, and completely destroy it ; because, in former times, all sorts of provision were sent from thence to Ghent, and more assistance given to that town from those countries than from any others. The king of France and his army marched from before Damme : he took up his quarters at Artavelle ; during which time the rnen.at-arms destroyed the country, burning all houses, monaste. ries and forts which had held out for them. They left not any house whole, and killed or drove into the woods all the women and chil. dren. When the French had completed this destruction, they were ordered to march and lay siege to the castle of Gaure, and after. wards to do the same to Ghent. But all this ended in nothing. CHAPTER CLXVII THE KING OF FRANCE LEAVES FLANDERS, AND DISBANDS HIS AEMT. DF. RING THE TIME HE IS AT PARIS, TREATING wrTH EMBASSADORS FROM HUNGARY, NEWS ARRIVES THAT THE MARQUIS DE BLANCQUEFORT* HAD FORCIBLY MARKIED THE HEIRESS OP HUNGARY. Intelligence was brought to the king, while at Artavelle, that the queen of Hungary had sent the bishop of Vassereul, attended by several knights and squires as her embassadors, who had brought credential letters to say that they were come to seek for the lord Lewis of France, count de Valois, and who signed himself king of Hungary, whom John de la Personne,a French knight, had espoused by procuration for the said Lewis count de Valois. This news pleased greatly the king and his council, who, being desirous of pro. pcrly equipping the young count de Valois, resolved to return to France, saying they had done enough for this season. Th^ king set out from Artavelle the 12th day of September, and disbanded all his men-at-arms, when each returned to his home. The men of Ghent were much delighted at this event. The king went to Cray,t where the queen resided ; for, when he left -4miens to go to Flanders, she was sent thither to hold her court, I know not how many days he staid there with her ; but, when they left it, the king came to Paris, and the queen went to Vincennes, where she resided a while, for they were busily employed in the equipment of the young count, as they were anxious he should have furniture and attendants suitable' to his rank as king of Hungary ; but things iir a short time turned out differently in Hungary, as you shall hear.t True it is, that the queen-mother of Hungary took great delight in the idea of Lewis of France being king of Hungary, and considered her daughter as married to him. She wished not for any other but him for her son-in-law ; and with this intent she had sent the bishop of Vassereul, with many knights and squires, to con- duct him to his queen. It happened, that while these embassadors were on their road to France, the emperor of Germany, who styled himself king of the Romans, had a brother younger than himself, called Henry de Blanc- quefort.§ The king of the Romans had been informed of the state of Hungary, of the treaties which had been entered into with the count Louis de Valois, and that the before-named embassador was gone to conduct him to Hungary. The king of the Romans loved his brother's interest more than his cousin's, had long considered this business, and had already arranged it in his mind to bring it cautiously and secretly about according to his own plan ; for, had the queen of Hungary had the slightest intimation of his intent, she would have guarded effectually against it : but it was clear she had not. It was known to the council in Germany, that the queen of Hun- gary and her daughter were gone to a castle near the borders of Germany, to amuse themselves : upon which, the marquis de Blanc- quefort set off with a large body of men.at-arms, ten thousand at least, to lay siege to this castle and inclose the ladies within it. The queen, on perceiving her situation, was thunderstruck, and sent to know from the marquis why he thus kept her confined, and what he wanted. The marquis sent for answer, " it was done solely because she intended marrying her daughter to the brother of the king of France, who was a stranger, and from whom she never could have any comfort ;" adding, that " it would be better and more advan- tageous for the kingdom of Hungary, if he, who was her neighbor, should many her, than another, who came from such a distant country as Louis de Valois." The queen answered, that she had never be- fore heard one word of his pretensions, and for that reason had con- sented to her daughter's union with the brother of the king of France; besides, the king of Hungary, during his lifetime, had ordered Rer so to do." To this the marquis replied, that " he paid little attention to what she said ; that he had the consent and good will of the ^ This, Isuppose. aiiouid be Brandenburgh. t " Cray." ti. If nut Craoniie, wliicJi is a town in Picardy. I Tlieremust be some mistake, or perhaps Froissart was misinformed, furl cannot find any mention of the crown ofHunsary being offeied to the count de Valois. Under- neatli is ail that is said of the matter ni the "Art de Verifier les Dates." Jilarv, surnamfd Kins .Vary.— -Mary, daughter of Charles tlie Great, was crowneii in Albe Royale, or Stol Weissembourg, in the year 138*2, under the na»ie of King Mary. As she was too young to govern the kingdom, the regency was given to her mother queen Elizabeth. Nicholas deGarn 'raving gained theconfidence of thetwo princesses, ruled despotically in their names, insomuch that it excited great murinurs among the Hungarians. In the vear 1285, Charles le Petit, king of Naples, at the solicitations of the discontented party, arrives atBudn, seizes the govermnent, and caused himself to be crowned king of Hungary in Albe Royaie the 3Uth of September, in the same year. On the 5th of February following, he is assassinated in Buda, by order, and in the presence of Elizabeth. On the 1st of May, 1383, John Horwarh, ban of Croatia, surprises the two queens, attended by Nicholas de Gara. while on a journey : he massacres the last before their eyes, drowns Ehzabeth the ensuing night, and carries off Mary prisoner to Croatia. Sigismond, marquis of Brandenburg, flies, o n hearing this, to deliver Mary, I to whom he was betrothed. He joins her at .\lbe Royale, whither she had been sent, marries her at that town, and is crowned king of Hungary on the lOtli of June, Whit- Sunday, being only twenty years old. The ban of Croatia was this same year arrested by his order, and expiated his crimes by tortures. Mary died at Buda, 1312. Her body was buried at Peter- Waradin. § This should he Sigismond marquis of Brandenburg ; he was a son of the emperor Charles IV. and brother of the emperor Wenceslaus, and had been betrothed to Mary in bis infancy. The whole story concerning the comitde Valois is very apocryphal ; no other historian mentions it.— Ed. 350 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, i P A I N , &, c . greater part of the Hungarian nation, and that he would, by fair means or otherwise, have her, now she was in his power." The lady was inuch cast down at these words, but, notwithstanding, held out as well as she could ; and, though she sent to her subjects to come to her assistance, none obeyed, nor did they make the least movement against the marquis, which plainly showed the Hunga- rians preferred the Germans to the French. When the queen fotmd she was not to expect any as. sistance from her subjects, she be. gan to listen to reason ; for the marquis threaten- ed her, that if she suffereS'the castle to be taken by Btorm he would confine her in a tower, where she would have only bread and water, as long as she lived. These me- naces frightened her, for the place was weak, and she had come thither without enough of men or provision. She therefore en- tered into a treaty with the marquis; and in this situa. tion she gave him her daughter, who was directly mar- ried, and he in- stantly went to bed to her. Thus did sir Henry of Bohe- mia, marquis de Btancquefort,gai]i -the inheritance of Hungary, of which he was king rather through foice than love, with regard to the consent of the queen-dowager; but she was obiisjed to abide by this bargain, or worse might have happened. News of this ■was soon published, and it was sent to the bishop and knights of Hun- gary who were on their return from France ; for the count de Valois, iiaving completed his arrangements, had proceeded as far on his jour- ney as Troyes. He was much enraged when this event was told Slim ; but he could not any way remedy it. The Hungai-ians departed very angry, as indeed they had reason ; and the young count de Valois returned to his brother and uncles at Paris, who, having never de- pended much on this maniage, said, '• the count de Valois was for- tunate iii having his wife taken from him, for Hungary was a dis- tant country, and out of reach of the French, from whence they could never have had any assistance." These considerations made them indifferent about it, and induced them to think of another connection for him. This was the duke of Milan's daughter, heiress of Lom- bardy^ which territory is more valuable than all Hungary, and nearer at hand to the French. We will leave these marriages, and speak of the duke of Bourbon, ■who, having taken Taillebourg, was in Poitou bc'sieging Verteuil ; and return to the admiral of France in Scotland, and say how he went on. strength, and showing his people how to bank it, a stone, shot from a dondaine* by the besiegers, wounded him mortally, and caused his instant death. This Bertrand had escaped from sixteen very dan- gerous sieges. His companions lamented much his death ; but, as that was now irretrievable, Andrew remained sole governor. Fifteen days afterwards, negotiations were opened, and a treaty concluded, that the garrison should surrender the castle, with all its provisions Kins Robert of Scotland an-i his .\ine Sons wlio loved arms. Designed from Contemporary UlustraUons. on being conducted in safety to BouIcviUe, of which place Durandon de la Perede was governor. Thus did the French gain the castle of Verteuil, which they afterwards repaired and reinforced with stores, artillery and me]i-at-arms. They then marched to an adjoining town called Cares, and when they departed thence, came to Limoges, where the duke of Bourbr>n remained full eight days. He was ad- vised to return to Paris, whicii he did, and found the king with hia nephew the count de Valois, who received lijm «ith great joy. We will now return to the affairs in Scotland, and speak of the admiral of France. CHAPTER CLXIX. THE SCOTTISH ARMY WITH THAT OF THE ADMIRAL OF FRANCE ENTER NORTHUMBERLAND EVT THE ENGLISH, BEING ON THEIR MARCH TO MEET THEM, THEY RETREAT WITHIN THE BORDERS. You have before heard how the admiral of France, with a large body of men-at-arms, had landed at tlie port of Edinburgh, and that they found it a very different country from what they had expected from the accounts of the barons of Scotland. The king's council and other barons had told those knights who had been in Scotland last year, particularly sir Geofl'ry de Charny and sir Amyard de Marse, that if the seneschal, the constable or the admiral of France would cross the sea to Scotland, with a thousand good lances and five hundred cross-bows, with armor for a thousand Scotsmen and pro- per equipments for the leaders, with their assistance the rest of Scot- land would make such a fatal irruption into England, it would never recover the blow. With this expectation had the French crossed the sea, but had not found these promises realized. In the first place, they met with savage people, bad friends and a poor country ; and the knights and squires knew not where to send their varlets to for- age, for they dared not do so except in very large parties for fear of the wicked people of the country, who lay in wait for them, attacked and killed them. At last, king Robert of Scotland arrived, with red bleared eyes, of the color of sandal wood, which clearly showed he was no valiant man, but ivlio would rather remain at home than march to the field: he had, however, nine sons who loved arms. On the king's arrival at Edinburgh, the barons of France waited on him to pay their respects, as they well knew how to do : the earls of Douglas, Moray, Mar, Sutherland, and several more, were at this intcniew. The admiral requested the king to fulfil the terms on which they had CHAPTER CLXVIII. -THE DUKE OF BOURBON TAKES VERTEUIL IN POITOC, AND RETUItNS TO THE * KING OF FRANCE AT PARIS. DtniiNG the time the king was before Damme, the duke of Bour- bon, with a handsome body of men-at-arms, made an excursion into Poitou and Limousin, -where he took many English castles and forts, such as Archeac, Garnate, Montlieu, eight leagues ffom Bordeaux, and Taillebourg on the Charente ; he then laid siege to Verteuil, a strong ca-stle in Poitou, on the borders of Limousin and Saintonge. Andrew Prior, an Englishman, and Bertrand de Montrinet, a Gas- con, were governors of Verteuil, and had -vvith them numbers of stout companions. There were skirmishes, therefore, almost daily at the barriers, and many gallant deeds of arms done, in which several were slain or wounded. The duke declared he would not move from thence until he was master of the castle, for to this efi'ect had he given his promise the last time he had conversed with the duke of Berry. It happened that while Bertrand de Montrinet, one of the govern- ors, was planning a ditch to be made within the castle to add to its * '■ Dondaine"— a large machine to throw stones from. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 351 come to Scotland ; for that on his part he waa determined to enter England. Those barons of Scotland who were eager to advance themselves were rejoiced at hearing this, and replied, that if it pleased God, they would make such an inroad as would be both profitable and honorable. The king issued his summons for a very large annament : on the day fixed for their assembling at Edinburgh, there were thirty thou, sand men on hoi'seback, who, as they arrived, took up their quarters after the manner of the country, but they had not everything com- fortable. Sir John de Vienne was very impatient to make an excur- sion, and to aflbrd his men opportunities of performing gallant deeds of arms in England ; he no sooner saw the arrival of the Scottish men-at-arms, than he said it was time to march, for they had remained idle too long. The departure was then proclaimed, and they took their marcii to^va^d Ro.\burgh. The king was not with the army, but remained at Edinburgh : however, all his children accompanied it. The thousand* complete suits of armor brought from France, were delivered to the Scottish knights who were badly armed, and those who had them were much delighted. They began their march to- ward Northumberland, which they continued until they came to the abbey of Melrose, where they quartered themselves on each side of the river Tweed : on the morrow, they advanced to Lambir Law, and then came before Roxburgh. The governor of the castle of Roxburgh for the lord Mountague, to whom it belonged as well as all the circumjacent lands, was a knight called sir Edward ClifTord. The admiral of France, with his whole army, as well as the Scots, halted before it, and, having re. connoitred it, thought they should gain nothing by the attack, as the castle was large, fair, and well provided with artillery. They there- fore continued their march down the river, toward Berwick and the sea, until they came to t^^■o square towers, tolerably strong ; in which were two knights, father and son, of the name of Sti-ande. A good farm of fine fields of grass, with a country-house, was hard by, which was instantly burnt and the towers attacked. Several feats of arms were performed, and many of the Scots wounded by arrows and stones ; but the towers were at length taken by storm, and the knights within them, who had valiantly defended themselves as long as they had been able. After the conquest of these two towers, the Scots and French came before a very strong castle in another part of the country, which is called Werley ;t it belonged to sir John Mountague. Sir John Lassebourne was the governor for him, and had in it his wife, children, and all his family ; for he had been informed that the Scots and the French were advancing that way. He had in consequence, fully provided the place with men-at-arms and artillery, to the utmost of his power, in expectation of tlie attack. The army soon came and encamped before Werley, situated on a handsome river which runs into the Tweed below it. There was one grand assault on this castle, where the French behaved much more valiantly than the Scots ; for they crossed the ditches, though with much difficulty ; and, having fixed their ladders, many gallant deeds were done, for the French ascended to the battlements, and there fought hand to hand and dagger to dagger with the garrison. Sir John Lussebourne showed himself a good knight and powerful in arms, by engaging the French knights as they mounted the ladders. At this attack a German knight, called sir Alberis Gastelain, was slain, which was a pity ; many others were killed and wounded. The enemy, however, were so numerous, and the attack so often renewed, tiiat the castle was taken, and the knight, his wife, and children, who were within it. The French who first entered made upward of forty prisoners ; the castle was then burnt and destroyed, for they saw they could not keep nor guard it, being so far advanced in England. After the capture of this casrte, and of sir John Lussebourne, the admiral and barons of France and Scotland marched toward Amith,t the estate of the lord Percy, and quartered themselves all around it. They destroyed several villages, and marched as far as Boul,§ a handsome and strong castle on the sea-coast, belonging to the earl of Northumberland : they did not attack it, for they knew they should lose their labor, but continued their march to half-way between Ber- wick and Newcastle-on-Tyne, where they learnt that the duke of Lancaster, the earls of Northumberland and Nottingham, the lord Neville, with the barons of the counties of Northumberland, York, and Durham, were hastening with a large force to meet them.jl The admiral and barons of France were much delighted at this intelli- gence, for they were desirous of an engagement ; but the Scots were of a contrary opinion, and advised a retreat toward Scotland, on ac- count of their stores, and to have their own country in their rear and wait for the enemy on their own borders. Sir John de Vienne wished not to act in contradiction to their wishes, and followed what they had advised ; they did not therefore advance further into Northumber- land, but made for Berwick, of which place sir Thomas Redman was governor, and had with him a great number of men-at-arms. The French and Scots came before it, but made no attack, and continued their road to Roxburgh, on their return to their own country. * In oilier editions the number is staled as tioo hundred, wliich appears more proba- l)le.-ED. t"Werly." Q. ifnot tVari. t"Amii)i." Q.Alnwick. 5"Boul." Q. ifnot Cnrnhijl. K Mr. Re their proposals, and had proclaimed through the realm, that all &ose whom his people had injured, and who could show just cause Sk amends being made them, should bring them their demands to Ste admiral of France, when they would be fully paid. This proc. tarnation softened the minds of the people ; and the admiral took every debt on himself, declaring he would never leave the country ■ntil everything were completely paid and satisfied. Upon this many knights and squires obtained a passage to France, and returned through Flanders, or wherever they could land, fam. ished, and without arms or horses, cursing Scotland, and the hour they had set foot there. They said they had never suffered so much in any expedition, and wished the king of France would make a truce with the English for two or three years, and then march to Scotland and utterly destroy it: for never had they seen such wicked people, nor such ignorant hypocrites and traitors. The admiral wrote to the king of France and duke of Burgundy, by those who first returned, a full state of his situation, and how the Scots acted toward him : that if they wished to have him back, they must send Mm the full amount he had engaged to pay the Scots, and for which he had boimden himself to the knights and squires of Scotland : for die Scots had declared, that they had at this time made war for the king of France and not for themselves ; and that the damages which fte French had committed must be satisfied before they would be allowed to return, which he had promised and sworn to perform to Ae barons f Scotland. It was incumbent on the king of France, the duke of Burgundy ■sd their councils, to redeem the admiral, for they had sent him &ither. They had the money instantly raised, and deposited in the town of Bruges, so that the whole demand of the Scots was paid to &eir satisfaction. The admiral left Scotland when he had thus amicably settled matters, for otherwise he could not have done it; and taking leave of the king, who was in the highlands, and of the earls of Douglas and Moray, was attended by them to the sea-shore. He embarked at Ediiiburgh, and having a favorable wind, landed at Sluya in Flanders. Some of his knights and squires did not follow the same road, as they were desirous of seeing other countries besides Scotland, and went into different parts ; but the greater number re- tnnied to France, and were so poor that they knew not how to remount themselves : especially those from Burgundy, Champagne, Bar, and Lorrain, who seized the laboring horses wherever they found tiiem in the fields. The young king of France, and the duke of Burgundy, feasted the admiral splendidly on his return, as was but just. They made many inquiries respecting the situation of the king and barons of Scotland. He told them " the Scots would naturally incline to the English, for they were jealous of foreigners ; and added, that as God may help him, he would rather be count of Savoy or of Artois, w some such country, than king of Scotland : that he had seen the whole force of that country as,sembled together, as the Scots had assured him, but there were never more than five hundred knights and squires together, and about thirty thousand other men, who would be unable to withstand the English archers, or a thousand men-at-arms." The admiral was asked, " if he had seen the Eng- Ksh army." He replied ho had ; " for when I saw the manner in which the Scots fled from the English, I requested tliey would lead me to a place whence I might see and consider them. They did so, and I saw them pass through a defile, to the amount of sixty thou, sand archers, and six or seven thousand men-at.arme. Tire Scots said, ' that this was the whole strength of England, for none had »»niained behind.' " The company paused a little, and said, " Siity thousand archers and six or seven thousand men-at-arms is a great force." " They may be as many as that," said the constable of France ;* " but I would rather combat the whole of them in their own country than one-half on this side the water, for this was the doctrine my master taught me in my youth." " By my faith, con- stable," replied sir John de Vienne, " if you had been there with a good command of men-at-arms and Genoese, as I proposed, and as it was agreed on when I undertook this expedition, we would have engaged them when in Scotland, or destroyed them from want of provision." In this manner did the constable and admiral converse, which excited a great desire in the duke of Burgundy to make a powerful invasion of England. We will now for a while leave them, and return to the affairs of Flanders. CHAPTER CLXXV. THE STATE OF FLANDERS. TWO HONEST BUKGESEES OF RHENT NE&OTIATE SECRETLY A PEACE WITH THE DUKE OF BURSUNDY, WITH THE ASSENT OF FRANCIS ATREMEN. In truth, the duke of Burgundy had a strong desire to undertake a grand expedition against England in the ensuing summer of 1386, and did all he could to urge the king of France to consent to it. On the other hand, the constable of France, who in his youth had been educated in England, and was a knight of gallant enterprise and much beloved in Fiance, advised it strongly, as did sir Guy de la Trimouille and the admiral of France. The duke of Berry was at this time in Poitou, and in the upper parts of Limousin, ignorant of these councils and this intended expedition. The duke of Burgundy was the greatest personage in France, next the king : he had many designs, and knew that, as long as the war continued in Flanders, the invasion of England could not take place : he was therefore much softened, and more inclined to enter into a treaty with the town of Ghent ; for they had allied themselves with the king of England, who had sent thither a knight, called the lord Bourchier, to advise and govern them. The citizens of Ghent were also desirous of peace ; for they had suffered so much from the war that the richest and principal persons of the town were no longer masters of their property : it was at the command of a few wicked soldiers, who governed them at their pleasure : the wisest foresaw that this could not last long without their being entirely ruined. When they were talking over their affairs among themselves, some wondered they had been thus long kept together in unity ; but others knew that unity to have been the effect of force, and more through fear than love, for Peter du Bois would not desist from his wickedness, and none dared before him to speak of peace or of treating : the moment he heard of any one thus talking, he was instantly arrested, however respecta. ble he might be, and put to death. This war, which Ghent had carried on against its lord the earl Lewis of Flanders and the duke of Burgundy, had lasted near seven years ; and it would be melancholy to relate all the various unfortu. nate events which it had caused. Turks, Saracens and Pagans would have been sorrowful on hearing them, for all conmierce by sea was ruined. The sea-coasts from east to west, and all the north, suffered from it ; for in truth the riches and merchandise of seven, teen kingdoms were sent to Sluys, and the whole was unshipped at Damme or Bruges. Now consider, that if these distant countries suffered, still more bitterly must those nearer have felt it. No means of peace could be imagined. It was first thought on by the grace of God and divine inspiration, and by the prayers of devout people to the LoKD, who, at their request, opened his ears, and took pity on the poor people of Flanders. I will detail how a peace was made between them and thejluke of Burgundy, as minutely as I have before related the cause of the war, which originated in the hatreds of Gilbert Mathew, John Lyon, and their accomplices, and I shall beg you will have the goodness to attend to me. At the time I am now speaking of, the lord Bourcliier governed the city of Ghent for the king of England, and Peter du Bois assisted him in maintaining his authority, and retaining the affections of the wicked. There were several prudent men that were disgusted with such dissensions, and who had suffered much from them : they dared not open themselves to each other but in secret, for if Peter du Bois heard that any person was desirous of peace, he was put to death without mercy, in like manner as he and Philip von Artaveld had slain sir Symon Bete and sir Gilbert Gente, and latterly, in order to frighten the town of Ghent, they had de- stroyed many of the inhabitants. When Francis Atremen had been driven from the town of Damme by the king of France, who, having totally burnt and destroyed the Quatre Mestiers, was returned to France, as it has been before re- lated, the principal persons of Ghent supposed the king would, the ensuing summer, return before that town with'a very powerful army. Peter du Bois and those of his party were unwilling to believe it, ' adding, they should be very glad to see the king come thither, for they had formed such strong alliances with the king of England as to be certain of assistance. At this time, there were in Ghent two 1 valiant men, of good life and conversation, of moderate birt h and I * Oliver ie Clision. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 3SI fortune, neither of the higliest nor of the richest, who were very much vexed at this war against its natural lord the duke of Burgundy, but were afraid openly to declare their sentiments, from the exam- ples which had been made by Peter du Bois. One of them was a mariner ; the other the most considerable butcher in the market, called James d'Ardembourg. By these two men was the business first brought about. In addition to them, I must include a worthy knight of Flanders, named sir John d'Elie, a prudent intelligent man, who interested liimself much in this affair; but, if it had not been through the means of the two aforementioned persons, he would not have interfered in it so happily ; nor, as it may easily be believed, could all the knights of Flanders have succeeded. This sir John d"Elle was much beloved by many in the town of Ghent, and he went in and out at his pleasure, without being sus. pected by any one. At the beginning he was afraid of talking either about war or peace ; nor would he ever have done so, if it had not been previously mentioned by Roger de Cremin and Jame« d'Ardem- bourg, and I will tell you how it happened. These two were much displeased at the continued troubles in Flanders, insomuch that they conversed together on the subject, when Roger said to James, " Whoever could interfere between this our native town of Ghent, which is so much oppressed, and the duke of Burgundy our natural lord, would do a deed of great charity, and acquire by it grace from God and praise from men ; for the differences and confusion which arc so unbecoming would by this means be put an end to." " You speak truly, Roger," replied Ja'mes ; " but it will be a dif- ficult and dangerous thing to do, on account of Peter du Bois : no one dares talk of peace from fear of him, for if he knew of it, those who had meddled in the business would instantly be put to death." " What 1" said Roger, " shall things then remain always as they are ? There must be an end to it." " Tell me how," answered James, " and I will cheerfully listen to you." Roger replied, " You are the principal buicher in the market, the richest and most respected : you can talk secretly and boldly with your most confidential friends and brethren in trade ; and when you shall find theyunderstand you, by degrees you can draw them more forward. I, on the other hand, who ain a mariner, and well beloved by all such sort of peo])le, whose courage I know, and who hate the war, for they have lost much by it, will remonstrate with some of them on the subject, and they will induce others to incline the same way : when we shall have gained over these two trades, which are numerous and powerful, the other trades, and honest people who wish for peace, will join us." " Very well," said James ; " I will sound my people : do you the same by yours." Each of them performed his promise ; and they discoursed so pru- dently with their friends on the subject that, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, James d'.\rdembourg found all his brother butchers well inclined to his way of thinking. Roger, on the other hand, with his eloquence, brought the mariners, who were anxious to re- gain the pilotage they had been so long deprived of, to the same opinion. When these two honest men were conversing on the busi. ness, and had shown how desirous they had found their people to obtain peace, they said, " We want a proper person to represent our situation to the duke of Burgundy," and instantly thought of sir John d'EUe, on whom they determined to call, as he was then in the town. This they did, and loyally told him their whole secret, say- ing, " Sir John, we have so effectually worked pn our brethren of the trade, they are all eager for peace ; but on condition that my lord of Burgundy will engage to pardon every one, and keep to us our ancient privileges, for which we can show sealed charters." Sir John replied, "You say well, and Twill cheerfully negotiate the matter between you." The knight waited on the duke of Biu-gundy, who at the time was in France with the king, and related to him all he had heard. He demonstrated so well the advantages of the business, that the duke willingly listened to his proposals. In truth, he was desirous of peace with Ghent, on accoimt of the intended expedition which he wished the king to make against England. His own council advised it, as did sir Guy de la Trimouille, sir John de Vicnne, and also the constable of France and the lord de Coucy. He therefore told the knight he would assent to the terms proposed, and that he might re- turn with his answer to those who had sent him. The duke inquired if Francis Atremen had been present when this matter was brought forward : he said, " No, my lord : he is governor of the castle of Gaurc ; and I know not if those who have sent me would like he should be made acquainted with the business." "Tell them," an- swered the duke, " to speak to him boldly on the subject : he will not do anything in opposition, for I understand he most earnestly wishes to make his peace with me." The knight returned to Ghent with this good news, with which they were well pleased. He then went to the castle of Gaure to Francis Atremen, when he opened the whole matter to him, but under secrecy. Francis, having paused a Uttle, replied gayly, •' Since my lord of Burgundy is will- ing to pardon everything, and to secure to the town of Ghent its privileges, I will no longer be a rebel, but endeavor by all means to obtain my peace." The knight left Francis Atremen in Gaure, and returned to the duke of Burgundy in France with the account how matters .stood. The duke heard him with pleasure, and wrote very amicable letters to those of Ghent, sealed with his seal, and on this issue of the treaty the knight went back to Flanders and to Ghent, but he did not cany thither his letters : he, however, gave such assurances to Roger Cremin and James d'Ardembourg that he had them to produce, as to lead them to consider the affair as good as concluded. Now, consider what great peril these men and the knight were in ; for, U the lord Bourchier or Peter du Bois had known of it, their Uvea would have paid the forfeit. CHAPTER CLXXVI. THE TWO CITIZEXS FIX ON A DAY TO ASSEMBLE TH£IR FRIENDS, 10 AC CO.MPLISH THEIR PLAN. ALL GHENT ARE UNANIMOUS FOR PEACE, NOTWITHSTANDING THE ATTEMPTS TO PREVENT IT BY THE GOVERNOK FOR THE KING OF ENGLAND AND PETER DU BOJS. Roger Cremin and James d'Ardembourg, by whom the whole business was managed, said to sir John d'Elle : " Come hither on Thursday morning exactly at nine o'clock, and bring my lord rf Burgundy's letters with you ; we will show them, if we succeed in otu- intentions, to the commonalty of Ghent, and have them pubUcly read ; by which means they will put greater confidence in them, for, at the time we mention, we shall be masters of the town, or dead men." Sir John replied, he would do as tliey had said ; when their council broke up, and sir John left the town to consider how he was to act. These two citizens were very active to complete their plana^ and constantly busy with their principal supporters, the deans of guilds. By their assiduity, they had gained over the greater number of the populace ; and it was ordered, at eight o'clock on Thursday, they should quit their houses, the banner of Flanders displayed be- fore them, and shout, " Flanders for the Lion ! the lord of the coim. try grants peace to the good town of Ghent, and pardon to all evil- minded persons." This business could not be carried on so secretly but that Peter dn Bois knew of it : the moment he had the information, he went to the lord Bourchier, who was governor-in-chief for the king of England, and said to him : " My lord, Roger Cremin and James d'Ardem- bourg intend assembling the inhabitants to-morrow morning, at eight o'clock, in the inarket-place, with the banner of Flanders in their hands, and are to shout out through the streets, ' Flanders for the Lion I the lord of the countiy grants peace and pardon to the good town of Ghent for all misdemeanors.' What are we now to do? The king of England will no longer be obeyed in this town, if we be not beforehand with them, and drive them out of our territories." *' How shall we do this ?" replied the lord Bourchier. Peter saidl, " We must assemble all our people to-morrow morning in the towa- house, when, after we have armed them, we will march through the town, crying out also, * Flanders for the Lion ! the king of England for the country, and lord of the town of Ghent.' When we have got to the market-place, those who are our friends will join us, and then we will kill all traitors and rebels." '• Be it so," answered lord Bourchier : " you have well imagined it, and it shall be done." God was wondrous kind to these two honest citizens ; for they had intelligence given them of the arrangement just mentioned. Oa hearing it, they were not dismayed, but in the evening visited their friends the deacons, and said to them, ** We had fixed to be in the market-place to-morrow at eight, but we now must change it to seven o'clock." This they did to break the measures of Peter du Bois, who was on the watch with forty others, and all agreed to change tlie hour. On Thursday morning, the lord Bourchier, with sixty of his men, went to the town. house. Peter du Bois came thither with his forty, when they all armed and put themselves in good array. Roger Cremin and James d'Ardembourg assembled their friends at the place they had fixed on, when the greater part of those wh» had been deans of guilds joined them. They then displayed the banner of the carl, began their march through the town, shouting the cry before-mentioned. Those that heard it, and saw the dea- cons of their trades and the banner of the earl, mixed with their com- panions and followed the banner as fast as possible. They arrived at the luarket.place on the point of seven o'clock, where having halted, and placed the banner of the earl before them, they were continually joined by crowds of people, who drew up among them. News was carried to lord Bourchier and Peter du Bois, who were in the town-house mustering their men, that Roger Cremin and James d'.^rdembourg had taken possession of the market-place. On hearing this, they marched out with the banner of England dis. played ; and, as they advanced, they shouted their cry. In this maimer they arrived in the market-place, and drew up opposite ta the others, waiting for more to join them ; but very few did so, for they went to those who had the earl's banner, insomuch that Roger and James had eighty from every hundred men who came thither. The market-place was full of men-at-arms, who kept silent, eyeing each other. Peter du Bois was thunderstruck when he perceived thot the deans of guilds, with their men, had united w-ith Roger Cremin and James d'Ardembourg, and began to fear for his life ; for he saw that those who had been used to follow him now avoided him. He therefore quietly got out of the crowd, and v/ent to hide himself for fear of being killed. Roger Cremin and James d'Ardembo«rg finding, from appearances, 356 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAlK, &c.' that almost all the inhabitants had put themselves under their banner, were much rejoiced, and with reason, for they then well knew things were in a good train, and that the people would keep peace with their lord. They advanced, with a large detachment of their men, leaving the main body behind, with the banner of Flanders carried before tjiem, toward the lord Bourchier and the English, who did not think their lives very secure, Roger halted opposite to lord Bourchier, and said, "What have you done with Peter du Bois ? We wish to know your intentions, and whether you are friends or enemies ?" The knight replied, that he imagined Peter du Bois was there ; but, when ho found he was gone, said, " I know not what is become of him : I thought he had been with me : for my part, I shall be steady to the king of England, who is my right natural lord, and who has sent me hither at your own entreaties, if you will be pleased to re- member it." " That is true," they answered ; " for if the good town of Ghent had not sent for you, we would have put you to death ; but in honor to the king of England, wlio has ordered you hither at our request, neither you nor your men shall run the smallest risk. We will save you from all danger, and conduct you, or have you con- ducted, as far as the town of Calais. Retire now, therefore, peace- ably to your houses, without stirring thence for anything you may see ar hear, as we are determined to have for our lord the duke of Burgundy, and no longer to carry on the war." The knight was much pleased with this speech, and said, '" My fair sirs and good friends, since it may not be otherwise, God assist you '. and I thank you for the offers you make me." CHAPTER CLXXVII. SIK JOHN D'ELLE BKIN&S LETTERS PATENT OF PEACE AND PAKDON TO TITE MEN OF GHENT, FROM THE DUEE OF BURGUNDY. THIS PEACE IS CON- FIRMED AT TOURNAY BY OTHER LETTERS PATENT OX EACH SffiE. TiTE lord Bourchier and his men quietly left the market-place, and those of Ghent who had been with him, slily slipt away to hide them- selves, or mixed w-ith the others, under their banner. Shortly after- wards, sir John d'Elle entered the town and rode to the market-place, bringing with him letters patent, couched in fair language, and prop- erly sealed, from the duke of Burgundy to the town of Ghent, which were publicly read and shown to all, and gave universal satisfaction. Francis Atremen was now sent for from the castle of Gaure, who instantly came, and agreed to the whole of the treaty, saying, '.' It was well done." Sir John d'Elle now returned to the duke of Burgundy, who was with his duchess at Arras : he related to him all that had passed at Ghent ; that Peter du Bois had lost all power there, and would prob- ably have been killed had he been found ; that Francis Atremen had behaved gallantly and loyally iji respect to the peace. The duke was much pleased with all this, and signed a truce to last until the first day of January ; and ordered a day to be fixed on, in the mean time, for conferences to be holden at Tournay, to confirm the peace. With these papers properly sealed and signed, the knight returned to Ghent ; which gave such joy to every one, as plainly showed peace was the unanimous wish. The lord Bourchier, the English, and Peter du Bois, still remained in Ghent, but nothing was done against them. Peter du Bois con- tinued in peace, because he had sworn he would never more inter- fere ill any war with the good people of Ghent against their lord the duke of Burgundy. He was, however, much assisted in this peril by Francis Atremen, who had spoken handsomely for him to the in- habitants ; and tor this reason Peter remained unmolested : besides, they knew that Peter had only held siinilar opinions to their own, and that he was a good and loyal captain. During the truce which had been made between the duke of Burgundy and the town of Ghent, they elected those who were to attend the conference at Tournay. Francis Atremen was chosen as principal, because he was well mannered, of good dispositions, and acquainted with the lords he was to treat witli ; Roger Cremin and James d'Ardembourg were elected with him. They arrived at Tournay duiing the octave of St. Andrew, escorted by fifty horse, and lodged altogether at the Salmon Inn, in the street of St. Brice. Th£ duke and duchess of Burgundy, with madame de Nevers, their daughter, came tliither on the fifth day of December, and en- tered Tournay by the gate of Lille. The Ghent men instantly rode out to meet them on handsome horses: they did not dismount, but, bareheaded, saluted the duke and the ladies. The duke passed hastily through the town, to meet the duchess of Brabant, whq came that same day, and entered it by the Mechlin gate : she was lodged at the bishop's palace. The conferences now began, relative to the treaty wliich the duke had gi-anted to Ghent. Sir John d'Elle at- tended them, as he had, with much difficulty, brought this business to an end between the two parties. At last, at the entreaties of the duchess of Burgundy and madame de Nevers, the duke pardoned everything ; and peace was proclaimed, after it had been drawn out and sealed by both parties, in manner following. CHAPTER CLXXVIII. THE TREATY OF PEACE BET\VEEN DUEE PHILIP OF BOHGtrNDY, EARL OP FLANDERS, IN BIGHT OF HIS WIFE, AND THE TOWN OF GHENT AND ITS ALLIES. PtnLiP of France, duke of Burgundy, earl of Flanders and Ar- tois, palatine of Burgundy, lord of Salins, count of Rethel, and lord of Mechlin, with Margaret, duchess and countess of the countiies aforesaid, to all to whom these presents shall come, greeting : be it known, that our well-beloved subjects, the sheriffs, deacons, council and commonalty, of our good town of Ghent, having humbly suppli- cated our lord, the king, and us, to have mercy upon them, and that our said lord, together with us, having had compassion on them, by other letters than these present, and for the reasons contained in them, have pardoned and forgiven all misdemeanors and offences committed by them, our subjects of Ghent ; and have fully confirmed all the said customs, privileges, and franchises, provided they place themselves wholly under the obedience of our said lord and us. Which grace and pardon the aforesaid subjects of Ghent and their allies have very humbly received from our said lord and us, by their letters and embassadors, which they have sent to our said lord and us, being at Tournay, and have renounced all wars and disputes, being returned most heartily to their obedience to the said lord and us, promising henceforward to be good friends and loyal subjects to our said lord the king, as to their sovereign lord, and to us as their natural lord, in right of Margaret, our wife, being their natural lady and heiress. For which cause, our said lord and ourselves have re. ceived our said subjects of Ghent and their allies into our favor, and have granted them letters of remission for all ofiences, singly and absolutely, with the restitution of all their franchises and privileges, as will be more fully apparent in these our letters. After which grace and remission, our said subjects of our good town of Ghent, having made several supplications which we have received, and have had maturely considered by our council, and they, according with the common good of the country, in order to put a final end to all dissensions, from our love and favor to our good subjects, have or- dered as follows, in regard to these said supplications : First, with regard to their request, that we would confirm the privi- leges of Courtray, Oudenarde, Grammont, Meule, Dendremonde, Russelmonde, Alost, Ath, Breuilles, Deynse, and the jurisdictions of these towns in the low countries. We order the inhabitants of these said towns to wait on us with their said privileges ; and, al'ler examination of them by our council, we will so act, tliat our subjects of Ghent, and the other good towns, shall be satisfied therewith : and should any of the said privileges be lost or accidentally destroyed, after strict inquiry made on the subject, we will provide accordingly as it has been before mentioned. Item — as to their request concerning commerce, we consent that it have free course through our country of Flanders, on paying the usual duties. Item — should any of their friends or allies be hereafter arrested in any foreign country, on account of the late disturbances, we will have them sent home in safety. AVe likewise consent, that if any of them be thus arrested, we will assist and defend them to the-utmost of our power, as good lords should do to loyal subjects. Item— we are willing that all prisoners of their party, supposing them to have agreed for their ransom, shall have their liberty, on paying the stipulated sum and other reasonable expenses ; provided, however, that if any of the said prisoners, their relations or friends, held any fortresses against us, such be first given up : and on like terms shall those attached to us, and confined by our subjects of Ghent or their allies, be set at liberty. Item — out of our abundant goodness we have ordered, and by these presents do order, that all those who may have been banished from our good towns of Bniges, Ypres, or other places, on account of these dissensions, as well as those who may have been banished by law and justice from our good town of Ghent, or who may have voluntarily absented themselves, be restored, so tliat they may return to the said towns and reside ; provided, those who have held for the party of Ghent be in like manner restored to their different towns or country, and when they reenter the towns to which tliey are restored, they make oath before our oflicers in the town of Ghent, and swear to keep the peace in such towns, and not commit any damage either in a public or private manner on any of the inhabitants. In the like manner will those swear who reenter Ghent. Item — all those who may return to our town of Ghent, with their allies and other inhabitants, will be obedient to our said lord and to us, and will promptly put themselves under our obedience. With regard to those who may now be absent, they shall be restored, in time hereafter to be specified, to their fiefs, houses, lands, and inher- itances, in whatever place they may be, notwitlistanding any mischiefs they may have done during, and on account of tliese disturbances, in as full a manner as they enjoyed them previous to that period. Item — should any of the inhabitants of the said town of Ghent, or their allies, be in Brabant, Hainault, Holland, Zealand, Cambresis, or in the bishopric of Liege, and should they, within two months after the publication of this peace, put themselves under the obedi- ence of our said lord and us, and fmthemiore, take such oaths aa CHRONICLKS OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 357 shall be hereafter declared before us, or before those whom we may appoint to receive them, they shall fully enjoy all the before-men- tioned pardons and graces. And those who may be in England, Frizeland; or Germany, should they, within four months as aforesaid, put themselves under our obedience, they shall enjoy the like privi- leges. If such as may be beyond sea at Rome, or at St. Jago de Compostella, should, within one year from the pubUcation of the peace, without fraud, take the oaths aforesaid, they shall enjoy the same privileges, and in like manner all those banished by judgment of law, or such persons as may have voluntarily absented themselves on account of the dissensions, shall be restored to their fiefs, houses, lands, and inheritances, according to their several claims. (-^IIENT.— The old Mansion de Ville. From an Original Drawing. Item — with regard to moveable property, wliich may have been taken on both sides, no restitutions be made, but each party remain acquitted to each other ; unless, indeed, restitutions be made to dis- charge the consciences of those \^■ho may have taken such things. Item — those now in possession of the houses which are to be re- stored, as well on one side as on the other, shall not carry away any fixture whatever ; and such houses shall be restored with all their appurtenances and rents which may then be due ; and henceforward all rents and profits shall be collected peaceably by those to whom they legally belong. Item — it having been reported to us, that some of our subjects of Ghent or their allies, have done homage for fiefs which they hold to other lords than those to whom they legally appertain, and by such means have forfeited their fiefs, notwithstanding which, we will, out of our grace, that such fiefs remain to them, on perforining liomage to us, for what had been ours, and of our vassals holding from us ; and we acknowledge, out of our especial favor, any leases or recog- nizances as legal between the present parties. Item — our said subjects of Ghent, the sheriffs, deacons, council, commonalty, and their allies, by our orders, and tlieir own free wil'l, having renounced all alliances, oaths, obligations, acts, and homages, which they, or any of them, may have done to the king of England, to his commissioners, deputies, or officers, or to others who may not be in the good pleasure of our said lord or of us, do now make oath that from hcceforward they will be good and loyal subjects to our said lord, and to his successors, the kings of France, as well as to ua ; and will perform such services to us and to our successors, as good and loyal subjects are bounden to do to their lord or lady, to defend their persons, honor, inheritances, and rights, and prevent all who may endeavor to invade them, by giving direct information to our officers, saving always their own rights and privileges. Item — that our subjects of our good town of Ghent may remain always in peace, and under the obedience of our said lord the king and us, as well as of our heirs, the earls of Flanders our successors, and that all disturbances which may in future arise be prevented, we will that all these aforesaid articles be strictly maintained without any infringement. And we forbid our subjects, however ill they jnay have acted toward us in the late dissensions, to venture in any way, either directly or indirectly, by word or deed, to offer any injury, ■by reproaches or insults, to the aforesaid men of Ghent. Item — if any one act contrary to these our orders, and injure those of Ghent, under pretence of taking our part, for what may have passed during the late disturbances, such offence shall be brought before the lord, and the courts to which it may belong ; and such criminal act shall be punished by corporal punishment and confisca- tion of goods, as shall in like manner the ofl'ences of their accom- plices, abettors, and those who may attempt to conceal them, after having been convicted of infringing the peace, as well by the justice of our officers or of other lords, as by the laws of the country to whose jurisdiction it may more immediately appertain : a reasonable satisfaction shall be made to the injured party, from the criminal's effects, and the surplus shall be paid to us, or to whatever lord has the right to it, saving the privileges of the towns. ^ii -— .. Item — should any of the citizens of oiu" said town of Ghent be banished from the said town for fraction of the peace ; and supposing that prior to this peace, by the privileges of the town, their effects could not be confis- cated ; nevertheless, for the better preserving this peace, they shall, for such cause, be confiscated, and from such effects shall reparation be made to the party injured, as has beeir before stated, and the residue revert to their legal heirs, just as if such persons were deceased, sav- ing in all other respects the privileges of our good town of Ghent : and if such wicked persons cannot be arrested, so as to suffer corporal pun- ishment, their effects shall be confiscated as aforesaid. Item — if any abusive lan- guage shall be uttered, and come to the ears of any of our civil officers, against this our order, we will that the person uttering such be pun- ished by arbitrary fine, so as to serve for an example to others, by the legal judges of such places before whom he or they shall have been brought, saving the franchises and privi- leges of those places. Item — if any churchman be guilty of any acts against the said peace, let him be transferred to his ordinary, to he punished as an infringer of the peace, according as the case may require. Item — this same peace shall be publicly proclaimed and published in the said town of Ghent, and in all our other towns in Flanders. Item — should any doubts or obscurity appear on the face of the said articles of peace, we declare, and will order our council to declare, that such doubts and obscurities, should any such arise, shall be in- terpreted and explained in such manner as shall give satisfaction to the complainants. And we, the deans and commonalty of the town of Ghent, do by these presents accept for ourselves and for our .allies these acts of clemency, pardon and grace done to us, by king Charles, our lord paramount, and by the aforesaid duke and duchess, earl and countess of Flanders, our lawful and natural lords : and we thank them, from the bottom of our hearts, for these said graces and pardons. We also swear obedience, as good and loyal subjects should do, to them, and will guard, to the utmost of our power, their persons and honor. In testimony of which, we the duke and duchess aforesaid have had our seals put to these letters ; and we the sherifi's, deacons and commonalty of the town of Ghent have also affixed the seal of the town. In addition to which, we the duke and duchess aforesaid have entreated and do entreat our very dear and well.beloved aimt the duchess of Luxembourg and Brabant, and our very dear and well- beloved brother duke Albert of Bavaria. And we also, the sheriffs, deacons, and commonalty of Ghent, entreat the very powerful and puissant princess the lady duchess of Luxembourg and Brabant, and the high and puissant prince duke Albert aforesaid. And also we the duke and duchess of Burgundy, and we the sheriffs, council, and commonalty of Ghent, entreat the barons and nobles of the country of Flanders, hereafter named, from the good towns of Bruges, Ypres, the Franconate, Mechlin, and Antwerp, for the security of the peace, and assurance of the truth of the above-mentioned articles, to affix their own seals, and the seals of the different towns, to these presents. And we Jane, by the grace of God duchess of Luxembourg, Bra. bant, and Limbourg; and we duke Albert of Bavaria, bailiff, regent, and heir to the countries of Hainault, Holland, Zealand, and lordship 358 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. of Frizeland : we William, eldest son to the earl of Namur and lord of Sluys ; Hugh, lord d'Antoing and warden of Ghent; John, lord de Guistellee. and de Harucs, Henry de Bruges, lord de Dixmude and de Havre, John, lord de Gonuseberge and de la Jentoise, Arnold de Jouste, lord d'Estournay, Philip, lord d'Axalle, Louis de la Hasle, bas. tard of Flanders, Girard de Rasenhen, lord de Baserode, Walter, lord de Halun, Philip de Hamur, lord d'Eque, John Villain, lord de St. Jean d'Outre, warden of Ypree, Lewis, lord de Lambres knight : and we the burgomasters, with the sheriffs of the towns of Bruges and Ypres: we Philip de Redehen and de Montferrant, sheriHs : Montfranc de Montamar knight, sheriff of the Franconate, in the name of that ter- ritory, which has no common seal : and we, the council of the towns of Mechlin and Antwerp — have at the aforesaid request, for the good of the peace, and for the greater security and tnith of all the fore, mentioned articles, and every one of them, caused to be affixed our seals and the seals of the aforesaid towns to these presents. Ex- ecuted at Tournay the 18th day of December, in the year of grace 1385. CHAPTER C LXXIX. JETEK DU BOIS, AFTER THE CONCLUSIOiV OF THE PEACE, KETIRES TO ENG. LAND WITH THE LORD BOURCHIER, GOVERNOR OP GHENT. When all these ordinances and treaties of peace had been en- grossed and sealed, they were published before the parties : the duke of Burgundy had one part, and the deputies from Ghent the other. Francis Atremen and the deputation with him most humbly took leave of the duke and duchess o{ Burgundy, and of the duchess of Brabant, thanking them repeatedly, and offering their services to them for ever. The good lady of Brabant returned their thanks, and kindly entreated them firmly to maintain the peace, and induce oth- ers to do the same, and desired them never to rebel against their lord and lady, for they had seen with how much difficulty peace had now been brought about. They thanked her heartily, and the con- ference broke up, and each retired to his home. The duke and duchess of Burgundy went to Lille, where they staid some time, and the deputation returned to Ghent. When Peter du Bois saw peace so firmly established that there was not a possibility of any future disturbance or rebellion, he was greatly cast down : he doubted whether to remain in Ghent, considering that now every- thing had been pardoned under the seal of the duke, so that none were afraid, or whether to accompany the lord Bourchier and the English to England. Having paid due attention to all circumstan- ces, he did not tliink he could venture to trust himself in Ghent. True it is, that Francis Atremen, when he mentioned his intentions of quitting Ghent, said, "Peter, everything is pardoned; and you know, by the treaties made and sealed with ray lord of Burgundy, that no one can suffer for what has passed." " Francis," replied Peter, " real pardons do not always lie in letters patent : one may pardon by word of mouth, and give letters to the same effect, but hatred may still lie in the heart. I am but a man of low birth, and little consequence in the town of Ghent, and yet have done all in my power to maintain its rights and privileges. Do you tliink, that in two or three years hence, the people will remember it ? There are persons of high birth in the town ; Gilbert Matthew and his brethren, who were enemies to my master John Lyon, will return, and will never view me but with evil eyes ; as will also the relations of sir Gilbert Gente and sir Symon Bete, who were slain by me: never can I trust myself safely in this town. And will yoti venture to re- main among such traitors, who have broken their faith with die king of England ? I swear, that you yourself will in the end suffer." " I know not what may happen," answered Francis ; " but I have such faith in the treaty, and in the promises of my lord and lady of Bur- gundy, that I shall certainly stay here."* Peter du Bois made a supplication to the sheriffs, deacons, coun- cil, and governors of Ghent, saying, " My fair gentlemen, I have served the good town of Ghent to the very utmost of my power : many times have I hazarded my life for it : and for aU these services the only reward I ask is, that you would have me and mine, my wife and children, escorted in safety with the lord Bourchier, whom you have ordered to England." Those present unanimously complied with his wish ; and I must say, that Roger Cremin and James d'Ar- dembourg, by whom the peace had been made, were more glad than Bony at his departure ; as were likewise the principal persons in Ghent, who wished peace and love to all. Peter du Bois made his preparations, and left Ghent in company with lord Bourchier and the English, carrying with him his whole fortune ; for, in truth, he was well provided with gold, silver, and jewels. Sir John d'EUe escorted tliem, under a passport from the duWe of Burgundy, as far as the town of Calais, and then returned to Ghent. The lord Bourchier and Pe- ter du Bois made as much haste as possible to England, where he was presented to the king and his uncles, to whom he related every, thing which had happened in the affairs of Ghent, and the means by which peace had been concluded with the duke of Burgundy. The king, the duke of Lancaster, and his brothers entertained him hand- somely, and were well pleased that he had come to them. The king retained him in his service, and instantly gave him one hundred marcs yearly revenue, assigned on the wool-staple of London. Thue did Peter du Bois remain in England, and the good town of Ghent in peace. Roger Cremin was appointed deacon of the pilots of Ghent, which is a most profitable office when commerce is uninter- rupted ; and James d'Ardembourg was made deacon of the small crafts, \yhich is likewise an office of great trust in the town of Ghent. Although tJie present edition is divided into two volumes only, such being the most convenient arrangement of the work in its present form, yet ttie importance of retaining the original divisions of tiie Author has not been lost siijht of, and ihey have accordingly been preserved. Froissart produced each of his volumes at some considerable interv^ from tl)e preceiling. " When," says M. de St. Palaye in his life of our uutlior, "oor liistorian tinished one of Ijip parts of his History, he brought it down to the time when he was writing ; and toward the end be related the events ns tiiey were passing ; irora whence it ha ppens, as it seems to me, that tiiere is much confusion, often omissions and mistakes, which he has been obliged to correct or alter in the folJowmg part5." This is exemplified in the third volume, which was not begun until 1390, two years after the compleUon of tlie second ; in it he returns to events which had happened since 1382, and gives a fuller account of tliem from the more correct information he had subsequently obtained. It would cause still greater confusion if the separate accounts wore com- bined in an undistinguished train of chapters, and the cause of such repetitions wua thus left without explanation. The third volume, which was finished in the year 1392, WHS written by the order and at the expense of the celebrated Gaston Phosbus Count de Blois, at whose court Sir John Froitisart was then resident.— Ed. END OF THE SECOND VOLUME OF THE CHRONICLES OF SIR JOHN FROISSART THIRD VOLUME OF TEE CHRONICLES OF SIR JOHN FROISSART- ^ Atremen was afterwards assassinated. CHAPTER I. FROISSART GIVES HIS REASONS FOR VISITING THE COVNT DE FOIX. I HAVE been a considerable time without speaking of the affaire of distant countries. Those nearer home were at the moment so fresh in my memory, and so much more agreeable, that I have de- layed mentioning others. Such valiant men, however, as were desirous of advancing themselves, whether in Castille, Portugal, Gascony, Rouergue, Quercy, Limousin, or in Bigorre, did not re- main idle, but employed themselves underhand against each other, in the wish to perform deeds of arms that mig;ht surprise and con- quer towns, castles, or fortresses. And for this reason, I, sir John Froissart, liaving undertaken to indite and chronicle this history at the request and pleasure of that high and renowned prince, Guy de Chatillon, count of Blois, lord of .'Vvesnes, Beauvois, Estonnehonne, de la Geude, my good and sovereign master and lord, considered in mj'self diat grand deeds of arms would not fall out for a long space of time in the marches of Picardy and the country of Flanders, since there was peace in those parts ; and it was very tiresome to me to be idle, for I well know, that when the time shall come, when I shall be dead and rotten, this grand and noble history will be in much fashion, and all noble and valiant persons will take pleasine in it, and gain from it augmentation of profit. And moreover, since I had, God be thanked, sense and memory, and a good collection of all past things, with a clear understanding to conceive all the facts of which I should be informed, touching my principal matters, and since I was of an age and constitution of body well fit to encounter difficulties, I determined not to delay pursuing my subject. And in order to know the truth of distant transactions, without sending upon the inquiry any other in place of myself, I took an opportunity of visiting that high and redoubted prince Gaston Phoebus, count de Foix and de Bdarn ; for I well knew, that if I were so fortunate as to be admitted into his household, and to remain there in quiet, I could not choose a situation more proper to learn the truth of every event, as numbers of foreign knights and squires assembled there from all countries, attracted by his high birth and gentility. It fell out just as I had imagined. I told this my intention to my very renowned lord the count de Blois, and also the journey I wished to undertake, who gave me let- ters of recommendation to the cotmt de Foix. I began my journey, inquiring on all sides for news, and, through the grace of God, con- tinued it, without peril or hurt, until I an-ived at the count's resi- dence, at Orthes in B^arn, on St. Catherine's day in the year of grace 1388. The count de Foix, as soon as he saw me, gave me a hearty welcome, adding, with a smile and in good French, that he was well acquainted with me, though he had never seen me before, but he had frequently heard me spoken of. He retained me in his household, and by means of the letters which I had brought, gave me full liberty to act as I pleased as long as I should wish to remain with him. I there learnt the greater part of those events which had CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 359 happened in the kingdoms of Castille, Portugal, Navarre, Arragon, even in England, in the Bourbonnois, and everything concerning the whole of Gascony : lie himself, when I put any question to him, answered it most readily, saying, that the history I was employed on would in times to come be more sought after than any other ; " be- cause," added he, "my fair sir, more gallant deeds of arms have been performed within these last fifty years, and more wonderful things have happened, than for three hundred years before." FROI33ART AT THE COURT OF TBI ConuT SI Foix.— From a MS. Froiasart of the 15th Centnry. 1 was thus received by the count de Foix in his hotel, and enter- tained according to my pleasure. My wish was to inquire after news relative to my history, and I had at my option, barons, knights, and squires, who gave nie information, as well as the gallant count de Foix himself. I will therefore illustrate, in good language, all I there learnt, to add to my materials, and to give examples to those wor- thies who wish to advance themselves in renown. If I have hereto- fore dwelt on gallant deeds, attacks and captures, of castles, towns, and forts, on hard-fought battles and skirmishes, many more will now ensue ; all of which, by God's grace, I will truly narrate. CHAPTER II A SHORT REPETITION OF WHAT IS CONTAINED IN SOME OF THE PRECEDING CHAPTERS, FOR THE BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY OF THE WAR BETWEEN KING JOHN OF CASTILLE AND THE EASTAKD OF PORTUGAL, BROTHER TO THE LATE KI.NG DON FERNANDO. You have before seen in this history,* that Edmund earl of Cam- bridge, son of the late king of England, had departed from Portugal, and embarked with his army at Lisbon, notwithstanding he had be- trothed his son John to the lady Beatrice, daughter of don Fernando king of Portugal. The earl was discontented with Fernando, because he had remained for fifteen days encamped with his army before king .Tohn of Castille, without any engagement, and had entered into a treaty with the Castillians against his opinion. This had greatly displeased him ; and, when the treaty was negotiating, he thus spoke : *' Sir king, take good heed what you do,; for we are not come into this country to eat, drink, and to rob, but to make war on this son of a bastard who calls himself king of Castille and count of Transta- mare, to conquer our lawful inheritance, which this John de Trans- tamare holds and possesses. You well know, that by marriage with the heiresses of the kingdom of Castille, daughters of don Pedro, who was your cousin-german, my brother and myself have the claims of Tight ; and you have offered to assist in the recovery of this kingdom (for every good lord ought to lean to the lawful right, and not to its opposite,) by your knight who here stands, and whom you sent to England to say, that if we would bring into tliis country two thou, sand lances, and from two to three thousand archers, with the aid you would give us, you bad great hopes that we might regain our in- heritance. I am therefore come hither, not indeed with as many in number as you wrote for ; but those I have are well inclined, and See p. 300, bold enough to abide the event of a batUe, if joined by your army, against the force which the count de Transtamare has at this mo- ment : and we shall be much dissatisfied with your conduct if a battle do not take place." Such were the words spoken by the earl of Cambridge to the king of Portugal, before his departure, who dis. tinctly heard them ; but, nevertheless, he dared not to offer battle to the Castillians, although they were within sight of each other. There were none of his council who did not say, " Sir, the array of the king of Castille is at this moment too powerful ; and if, by accident, you lose the day, you will lose your crown, without a chance of recover- ing it : you had better, therefore, en. dure much, than do anything where- in is such great peril and risk." The earl of Cambridge, finding he could not gain anything, returned to Lisbon, ordered his vessels to be made ready, and took leave of the king of Portugal. When he em- barked, he would not leave his son John with the king and the damsel that was to be his wife, but sailed for England, leaving none behind. Such was the end of the Portuguese armament at this season. The earl of Cambridge, on his ar- rival in England, represented to his brother, the duke of Lancaster, how the king of Portugal had acted, and the state of the country. The duke became very thoughtful, for he saw the conquest of Castille was very distant and doubttul : besides, his nephew king Richard, had in his council those who were unfriendly to him, more especially the earl of Oxford, who had the sole manage- ment of the king. This lord did everything in his power to make a breach between the king and his uncles. He said to him, " Sir, il you wish to support your two uncles, my lords of Lancaster and of Cam. bridge, in their war with Spain, it will cost you the whole revenue of England, and they will not at last gain anything. It will be more prudent to keep at home men and money, than that they should be scattered abroad without any profit to yourself: you had better guard and defend your own inheritance, which is invaded on all sides from France and Scodand, than employ your men elsewhere." The young king was well inclined to follow this advice of the earl, for he loved him with his whole heart, they having been brought up together. The carl of Oxford was connected with several English knights, and never acted without the advice of sir Simon Burley, sir Robert Tresilian, sir Nicholas Bramber, sir John Beauchanip, sir John Salisbury and sir Michael de la Pole : sir Thomas Trivet and sir William Elmham were also named among his advisers. From these differences between the king and his uncles, and the nobles with the commonalty, many serious ills befel England, as I shall hereafter relate in the course of this history. Not long after the departure of the earl of Cambridge from Por- tugal, king Fernando fell ill. His disorder, after oppressing him with languor for a year, caused his death. He had no other children but the queen of Spain. The king of Castille received information that the realm of Portugal was now fallen to him, as the rightful successor to the deceased king. Many councils were holden on this occasion ; but, when they spoke to him on the subject, he replied, " The Portu- guese are an obstinate race : I shall never gain them but by conquest," The Portuguese, finding themselves without a king, took counsel together, and resolved to send a deputation to a bastard.brother of king Fernando, a valiant and wise man called Denis ;* but he was a monk, and master of the order of Avis. They declared they had much rather be under the government of this valiant man, than of the king of Castille ; for, in the eyes of God, he who acted well was no bastard. The grand-master was exceedingly rejoiced on hearing the universal good will the four principal cities in Portugal bore him ; and that the affection of Lisbon and the others was so strong, they were desirous of crow'ning him their king. He secretly wrote to his friends, and went to Lisbon, which is the principal town in Portugal. The townsmen received him joyfully, and demanded, should they * Froissart mistakes one brother for another. Peter the Severe had three children by Ines de Castro ; Denis, tlie eldest, was confined at this time in the prisons of Spain. John, the person meant in the text, was the son of Peter by Theresa Laurezzo, and surnamed tlie Fatherof his Country. Hewas grand-master of the order of Avis: and, alter the death of his brother Ferdinand, was chosen king, to the prejudice of Beatrice, only child of Ferninand. Pope Urban, by dispensation, freed him from his religious vows in 13S7. He married Philippa, daughter of John of Gaunt duke of Lancaster, by Blanche of CastiUe, by whom he had several cluldrep.— MoRKRi— .^rt de Ferijier Its Dates. 360 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. crown him king, would he be good and loyal, and preserve the country in its privileges ? He answered, that he would, and be the best king they ever had. Upon this, the citizens of Lisbon wrote to those of Coimbra, Oporto and Ourique, which are the keys of the realm, that for their mutual advantage, they were de- sirous to crown king the grand. master Denis, who was wise and valiant, of good conduct, and brother to king Fernando ; for that the kingdom of Portugal could no longer remain without a head, as well for fear of the CastiUians, as of the infidels at Granada and Bugia, who bordered on the country. These four principal towns, and the land proprietors of Portug;aI, excepting a few great barons and knights, were inclined to favor his election ; but some barons said, it was not right a bastard should be crowned king, if he were not of the best dispositions. The towns replied, that he was so qualified, and thatit was a case of necessity, for they had no other choice ; that he was a man of sense and of courage in arms ; and there was a precedent in Henry of Transtamare, who had been crowned king of all Castille, by the choice of the country, for its common advantages, even during the lifetime of don Pedro. The election, whether the nobles would or not, took place : and Denis was crowned king in the cathedral church of Coimbra, with the unanimous consent of the commonalty of Portugal. He swore to administer justice honestly, to maintain the people in all the rights and privileges which they had enjoyed from former times, and which they were entitled to have preserved to them. This gave great satis- faction to all. When news of this was carried to the king of Cas- tille, he was wroth for two reasons : one, because his queen was the legal heiress of Portugal ; the other, that the people had crowned a king of Portugal by election. He therefore made this a pretext for ■war, and demanded from the town of Lisbon two hundred thousand florins, which king Fernando had promised him when he espoused his daughter. He sent as embassadors to Portugal the count de Tierme and de Rebede, and the bishop of Burgos, with a gr?nd suite of attendants. When arrived at Santarem, the, last town of Castille toward Lisbon, they sent a herald to the king and citizens of Lisbon, to demand passports for the security of their coming and returning. These were instantly granted. The council of the town were as- sembled to hear explained the cause of their embassy ; at the end of their harangue they said : " You Lisboncrs should properly under, stand this matter, and not be surprised if our king, in his anger, de- mands so large a sum from you, which you are bound to pay him, since you have thought proper to give the noble crown of Portugal to a clerk, a monk, and a bastard. This act is not to be suffered : for, by rightful election, it belongs to our king, as the natural lord and true heir : besides, you have acted contrary to the opinion of the nobility of the kingdom : therefore, he now declares by us, that you have been guilty of a high misdemeanor, and if you do not hasten to make every reparation, he is resolved to make war upon you." Don Ferdinand Gallopes de Villasons, a noble citizen and of great weight in Lisbon, thus answered : " My lords, you greatly reproach us for our election, but your own is in the same predicament, for you have crowned in Castille a bastard, the son of a Jewess. The fact is universally known. With regard to the justice of your election, there is none ; for your king has no right to the crown of Castille : it belongs to the daughters of don Pedro, Constance and Isabella, who are married to the duke of Lancaster and the earl of Cambridge, to their children, and to their husbands for them. You may, there- fore, depart when you please, and tell him that sent you, that our election is good, and shall be upholden ; for that we will not have any other king as long as the present one shall choose to be so. With regard to the sum of money you demand from us, we say that ■we 'are no way obliged to pay it : you must tlierefore call upon those who bound themselves to the payment, and who had all the advan- tage of it." The king of Portugal was not present at this assembly, though he well knew what answer his people were to make. The embassadors from the king of Castille, perceiving they should gain nothing from the Portuguese, took leave, as was becoming them, set out and returned to Seville, where they had left the king and his council. Having related all that you have just heard to the king, he summoned a council to deliberate on what was to be done. It was determined to send defiances to the king of Portugal and his parti- sans, and that the king of Castille had just reasons for declaring war against them, .\fter these defiances had been sent to Portugal, the king of Castille issued a special summons for raising an army, de- claring he would lay siege to Lisbon, and not depart thence tmtil he had gained it, for the insolent replies that had been made to his embassadors, so that they should pay dearly if they were obliged to sue for mercy. The king of Castille advanced to Santarem with his whole force, that being the place of rendezvous. About this period, a knight of Castille, of the name of Navaret, was e.xpelled that court ; and, if the king in his anger had caught him, he would have had him beheaded. The knight, however, had timely notice, for he had friends on the watch, and, quitting the kingdom of Castille, came to Lisbon to the king of Portugal, who was much pleased at his arrival, retained him in his service, and made him captain of his knights. He afterwards did much harm to the CastiUians. The king of Castille marched from Santarem with his whole army, to Lisbon, which he besieged, inclosing within it the king. This siege lasted upward of a year. The count de Longueville was con- stable of the army, and sir Reginald de Limousin marshal of it. This sir Reginald was a Liniousin knight, whom sir Bertrand du Guesciin had carried into Castille during die wars of king Henry ; he had conducted himself so faithfully that tlie king had given him a fair estate and a handsome lady to his wife, by whom he had two sons, Reginald and Henry : he was much esteemed throughout Castille for his prowess. With the king of Castille, at this siege, were Dag- henes Mandat, sir Digho Per^ement, don Peter Ro^erment and don Marich de Versaux,* Portuguese, who had turned to the CastiUians. The grand-master of Calatrava, with his brother, a young knight called don Dighemeres.t Peter Goussart de Seville," .Tohn Radigo de Hoyex, and the grand-master of St. Jago. The army before Lisbon amounted to upward of thirty thousand men ; many were the skir- mishes and gallant deeds of arms performed on each side. The CastiUians knew well the king of Portugal would not be sup- ported by the nobles, for the commonalty had elected him against their will ; for which reason there were great dissensions between them ;t and the king's intentions were to conquer Lisbon and the whole country before he returned, for no assistance, except from England, could come to them. This only he feared ; bot, having ccnsidercd that the English were at a great distance, and that the king of England and his uncles were not on good terms with each other, he carried on the siege with security. The army was so plentifully supplied with every sort of provision, there was not a town or market in all Castille where was more abundance. § The king of Portugal remained with his people in Lisbon, much at his ease, for they could not be deprived of .the advantage of the sea. His council advised him to send able ehibassadors to England, to the king and duke oi' Lancaster, to renew the alliance which had subsisted between the king of England and his brother Ferdinand ; to charge the embassadors to ask his daughter Philippa from the duke of Lancaster, who would willingly give her to him for his queen ; to offer, under the strongest terms, a perpetual alliance be. tween the two countries, and to d^_clare he would exert himself so effectually, if the duke would rjme thither with two or three thou- sand combatants, ai^d as mp.iy archers, that he should recover the kingdom of Castille, which rt"as his lawful inheritance. Two knights of his household, sir John Rodriguez and sir John Testedor, with a clerk of laws called Trfarchc de la Figgierc, archdeacon of Lisbon, were nominated to go as embassadors to England. Having provided themselves with all things necessary, they embarked with a favorable wind, and left the harbor of Lisbon, steering for the coasts of England. On the other hand, the king of Castille, during his siege of Lisbon, was advised to write to France and to Gascony, for assistance of knights and squires, as the Spaniards naturally imagined that the king of Portugal would apply to England, for succors to raise the siege : he was not willing, therefore, to be unprepared, nor that his army should not be in sufficient strength to resist the united forces of the Portuguese and English. The king, in consequence of this advice, sent letters and messengers to many knights who were anx. ious to display their courage, more particularly to those of B6am and the county of Foi.x : for in these countries were many good knights, who wished for opportunities of showing their love of arms, but could not find them, as the count de Foix at this period was at peace with the count d'Arraagnac. These looked. for alUes of the kings of Spain and Portugal were not so soon ready, nor near at hand. Hostilities still continued to be carried on in Auvergnc, the Toulou- sain, Rouergue, and in the country of Bigorre. We will now leave the affairs of Portugal, and speak of others. CHAPTER III. THE COUNT DE FOIX, AT THE ENTREATY OF THE FKINCESS OF WALES, RE- MITS THE COUNT D'aEMAGNAC SIXTY THOUSAND FRANCS OUT OF HIS RANSOM OF TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND. THE ENGLISH GAR. RISON AT LOURDEII GOVERNS THE ADJOINING COUNTRY. Between the comity of Foix and h6arn lies the county of Bigoire, which belongs to France, and is bounded on the one side by the Toulousain, and on the other by Comminges, and Bearne. In this country of Bigorre is situated the strong castle of Lourde, which has always been regarded as English since the country was given up to the king of England and the prince, as part of the ransom for king John of France, according to the treaty of peace made at Brctigny near Charlres, and afterwards ratified at Calais, as it has already been mentioned in the former part of this liistory. When the prince of Wales left England to take possession of the duchy of Aquitaine, (which the king his father had given him to hold as a fief and inher- itance under him, in which were two archbishopricks and twenty- two bi^hopricks,) accompanied by the princess of Wales, they resided at Bordeau.x about a year. They were entreated by John count d'Armagnac to come to the handsome city of Tarbes, in the county of Biforre, to see and visit that pari of the countrj^ which the prince *ltese names ate probably very mucli disfieured, but 1 am unable to recufy Ihem. [Dieeo Mendoza. Dieeo Perez Samiiento. Don Peter Ruiz Sarmiento, Maiiriquez D'Aversaulu.J— Ed. , ,, , „„ t Don Diego Merlo.-Eo. t i- f- Thu nobles and commonalty. 5 The plague broke out in the array, and obheed them to abandon tlie siege.— Bu- ll ■■ Lourde," capitol of the valley of Lavidan, in Gascony, diocese of Tarbee, n«r Busneres. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. 361 bad never yet done. The count d'Armagnac imagined, that the count de Foix would pay his respects to the prince and princess du. ring the time they were in Bigorre ; and, as he was indebted to him two hundred and fifty thousand francs for his ransom, he thought he woidd try to prevail on them to request the count de Foix to release him from a part, if not the whole of it. The count d'Armagnac managed so well, that the prince and princess of Wales came with their court, which at that time was very numerous and splendid, into Bigon'e, and fixed their residence at Tarbes. Tarbcs is a handsome town, situated in a champaign country, among rich vineyards : there is a town, a city, and a castle, all separated from each other, and in- closed with gates, walls, and towers : the beautiful river Lisse, which rises in the mountains of B^arn and Catalonia, and is as clear as rock-water, runs through and divides the town. Five leagues from tlience is situated the town of Morlans, in the county of Foix, at the entrance into Beam and under a mountain. Six leagues dis- tant from Tarbes is the town of Pau, which belongs also to the count de Foix. During the time the prince and princess were at Tarbes, the count was in his town of Pau, erecting a handsome castle adjoining to the outskirts of the town, and on the river Gave.* As soon as he was informed of the arrival of the prince and prin- cess at Tarbes, he made his preparations and \isited them in great state, accompanied by itpward of six hundred 1. trse and sixty knights. They were much pleased at his visit, and entertained him hand- somely, as he was well deserving of it, and th? princess paid him the most engaging attentions. The count d'Ai iiagnac and the lord d'Albrcth was present, and the prince was entnated to request the count de Foix to release the count from all, or p; it of what he was indebted to him for his ransom. The prince bein^ a prudent as well as a valiant man, having considered a while, said, he would not do so, and added : "Count d'Armagnac, you were inade prisoner by fair deeds of arms, and in open battle : you put out cousin the count de Foix, his person and his men, to the hazard of tie fight; and, if fortune has been favorable to him and adverse to you, he ought not to fare the worse for it. Neither my lord and father nor myself would have thanked you, if you had entreated us to give back what we had honorably and fortunately won at the battle of Poitiers, for which we return thanks to the Lord God." The count d'Armagnac, on hearing this, was quite thunderstruck ; and, notwithstanding he had failed in his e.xpectations, he made a similar request to the prin. cess, who cheerfully entreErted the count de Foix to grant her a boon. " Madam," replied the count, " I aiji but a small gentleman, and an insignificant bachelor ; therefore, I cannot make large gifts : but, if the boon you request do not exceed sixty thousand francs, I grant it." The princess was anxious to gain the whole ; but the count, being a wary man, paid much attention to all his personal affairs : besides, he suspected this boon regarded the ransom oF the count d'Armag- nac : he therefore continued, " Madam, for a knight like me, who am building towns and castles, the gift I offer you ought to suffice." When the princess found she could not gain more, she said, " Count de Foix, I request and entreat you would forgive the count d'Armag- nac." " Madam," answered the count, " I ought to comply with your request. I have said, that if the boon you solicited did not ex- ceed sixty thousand francs, I would grant it ; the count d'.^rmagnac owes me two hundred and fifty thousand, and at your entreaty I give you sixty thousand of them." Thus ended the matter ; and the count d'Armagnac, by the princess's entreaty, gained sixty thousand francs. The count de Foix, shortly afterwards, returned to his own country. I, sir John Froissart, make mention of all these things, because when I visited Foix and B^arn, I travelled through Bigorre, and made inquiry after all that had passed, and what I had not heard before. I there learnt that the prince of Wales, during his residence at Tarbes, had a great desire to sec the castle of Lourde, three leagues distant, among the mountains. When he had fully examined that cas- tle and co\mtry, he was much pleased, as well with the strength of the place, as its situation on the frontiers of several countries ; for those of Lourde can overrun the kingdom of An'agon to a great extent, and as far as Barcelona in Catalonia. The prince called to him a knight of his household, named sir Peter Arnaut, of the country of B^arn, who had loyally served him, and in whom he had great confidence : he was an expert man-at-arms, and cousin to the count de Foix. " Sir Peter," said the prince, " I nominate and appoint you governor and captain of Lourde, and regent of the country of Bigorre : now, guard well this castle, so as to give a good account of it to my lord and father, and to myself." " My lord," replied the knight, " that I will cheerfully do ;" and he instantly did homage and pledged his faith, when the prince put him in possession of it. Now, you must know, that when the war was renewed between the kings of France and England, as had been before related, t the count Guy de St. Pol, and sir Hugh dc Chastillon, master of the cross- bows in France, besieged and took the town of Abbeville, and the whole country of Ponthieu : about the same time, two great barons of Bigorre, whose names were sir Marnaut Barbasan and the lord d'Anchin, turned to the French interest, and seized the town and castle of Tarbes, for they were weakly guarded. The castle of Lourde was under the command of sir Peter Arnaut, of B^arn, who would not surrender on any terms, but carried on a sharp contest * '■ Gave," in the patois of the country signifies a river, and that at Pau is tlius called, "Le Gave de Pou."-Ed. t In 136»-Ed. against France. He sent to Upper Gascony, and B^arn, for some knight adventurers to assist him in the war ; and many able men came to him. He had six captains, each of whom had fifty lances or more under his command : hie brother, John (ie B^arn, a gallant squire, Peter d'Anchin de Bigorre, brother-german to the lord d'An. chin, who would never turn to the French, Ernauton de Sainte Co. lombe, Ernauton de Montagu, de Sainte Basile, and le bourg de Carnela. These captains made many excursions into Bigorre, the Toulousain, the Carcassonois, and on the Albigeois ; for the moment they left Lourde they were on enemy's ground, which they overran to a great extent, sometimes thirty leagues from their castle. In their march they touched nothing, but on their return all things were seized, and sometimes they brought with them so many prisoners, and such quantities of cattle, they knew not how to dispose of, nor lodge them. They laid under contribution the whole country except the territory of the count de Foix ; but there they dared not take a fowl without paying for it, nor hurt any man belonging to the count, or even any who had his passport ; for it would have enraged him so much that they must have been ruined. These companions in Lourde had the satisfaction of ovemtnning the whole country wherever they pleased. Tarbes, which is situated, as I have said, hard by, was kept in great fear, and was obliged to enter into a composition with them. Between Tarbes and their castle is a large village, with a handsome abbey, called Guyors, to which they did much mischief, but they also compounded with them. On the other side of the river Lisse is a goodly inclosed town called Bagneres, the inhabitants of which had a hard time of it ; for they were much harassed by those of Malvoisin, which is situated on a moun- tain, the river Lisse running at the foot of it, in its course toward Tournay, an inclosed town. This tow^n of Tottrnay was the common pass for those of Lourde and Malvoisin, to which they did no harm, because they had a free passage, and the townspeople had good bar- gains of their pillage : they were, therefore, forced to dissemble with them, if they were desirous of living, for they did not receive aid or succor from any one. The governor of Malvoisin was a Gascon, called Raymonet de I'Esp^e, an able man-at-arms. Those of Lourde and Malvoisin, put under contribution the merchants of Arragon and Catalonia equally with those of France. CHAPTER IV. SIK JOHM FROISSAKT, IN HIS JOLItNEY TOWARD BEARN, IS ACCOMPANIED BY A KNIGHT ATTACHED TO THE COUNT DE FOIX, WHO RELATES TO HIM HOW THE GARRISON OF LOI'RDE TOOK ORTINGAS AND LE FALLIER, ON THE RENEWAL OF THE WAR IN GUYENNE, AFTER THE RUPTURE OF THE PEACE OF BRETIGNY. At the time I undertook my journey to visit the count de Foix, reflecting on the diversity of countries I had never seen, I set out from Carcassone, leaving the road to Toulouse on the right hand, and came to Monteroral, then to Tonges, then to Belle, then to the first town in the county of Foix ; from thence to Maisieres, to the castle of Sauredun, then to the handsome city of Pamiers,* which belongs to the count de Foix, where I halted, to wait for company that were going to B^arn, where the count resided. I remained in the city of Pamiers three days : it is a very delightful place, seated among fine vineyards, and suiTounded by a clear and broad river, called the Liege. Accidentally, a knight attached to the count de Foix, called sir Espaign du Lyon, came thither, on his return from Avignon : he was a prudent and valiant knight, handsome in person, and about fifty years of age. I introduced myself to his company, as he had a great desire to know what was doing in France. We were six days on the road travelling to Orthez. As we journeyed, the knight, after saying his orisons, conversed the greater part of the day with me, asking for news ; and when I put any questions to him, he very willingly answered them. On our departure from Pannert we crossed the mountain of Cesse, which is difficult of as- cent, and passed near the town and castle of Ortingas, which belongs to the king of France, but did not enter it. We went to dine at a castle of the count de Foix, half a league farther, called Carlat, seated on a high mountain. After dinner, the knight said : "Let us ride gently, we have but two leagues of this country (which are equal to three of France) to our lodging." " Willingly," answered I. " Now," said the knight, " we have this day passed the casde of Ortingas, the garrison of which did great mischief to all this part of the country. Peter d'Anchin had possession of it: he took it by surprise, and has gained sixty thousand francs from France." " How did he get so much ?" said I. " I will tell you," replied the knight. " On the feast of our lady, the middle of August, a fair is holder, where all the country assemble, and there is much merchandise brought thither during that time. Peter d'Anchin and his compan. ions of the garrison of Lourde, had long wanted to gain this town and castle, but could not devise the means. They had, however, in the beginning of May, sent two of their men, of very simple out. ward appearance, to seek for service in the town : they soon found masters, who were so well satisfied with them, that they went in and out of the town whenever they pleased, without any one having the smallest suspicion of them. * " PamieR"— three leasues from Foix, eighteen froiD Toulotase. 362 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. "When mid-August airived, the town was filled with foreign merchants from Foix, B^arn, and France : and, you know, when merchants meet, after any considerable absence, they are accustomed to drink plentifully together to renew their acquaintance, so that the houses of the masters of the two servants were quite filled, where they drank largely, and their landlords with them. At midnight Peter d'Anchin and his company advanced toward Ortingas, and hid themselves and horses in the wood through which we passed. He sent six varlets with two ladders to the town, who, having crossed the ditches where they had been told was the shallowest place, fixed their ladders against the walls : the two pretended servants, who ■were in waiting, assisted them (while their masters were seated at table) to mount the walls. They were no sooner up, than one of the servants conducted their companions toward the gate where only two men guarded the keys : he then said to them, ' Do you remain here, and not stir until you shall hear me whistle ; then sally forth and slay the guards. X am well acquainted with the keys, having more than seven times guarded the gate with my master.' " As he had planned so did they execute, and hid themselves well. He then advanced to the gate, and having listened, found the watch drinking : he called them by their names, for he was acquainted ■with them, and said, ' Open the door : I bring you the best wine you ever tasted, which ray master sends you that you may watch the better.' Those who knew the varlet imagined he was speaking the truth, and opened the door of the guard-room : upon this, he whistled, and his companions sallied forth and pushed between the door, so that they could not shut it again. The guards were thus caught cun. ningly, and so quietly slain that no one knew anything of it. They then took the keys and went to the gate, which they opened, and let down the drawbridge so gently it was not heard. Tlijs done, they sounded a horn with one blast only, which those in ambuscade hear- ing, they mounted their horses and came full gallop over the bridge into the town, where they took all its inhabitants either at table or in their beds. Thus was Ortingas taken by Peter d'Anchin of Bigorre and his companions in Lourde." I then asked the knight, " But how did they gain the castle ?" " I will tell you," said sir Espaign du Lyon. " At the time the town "svas taken, by ill-luck the governor was absent, supping with seme merchants from Carcassone, so that he was made prisoner, and on the morrow Peter d'Anchin had him brought before the castle, wherein were his wife and children, whom he frightened by declaring he would order the governor's head to be struck off", if they did not enter into a treaty to deliver up the castle. It was concluded, that if his lady would surrender, the governor should be given up to her, with permission to march immolested away with everything that be- longed to them. The lady, who found herself in such a critical situation, through love to him who could not now defend her, in order to recover her husband and to avoid greater dangers, surrendered tlie castle, when the governor, his wife and children, set out with all that belonged to them, and went to Pamiers. By this means Peter d'Anchin captured the town and castle of Ortingas ; and, when they entered the place, he and his companions gained thirty thousand francs, as well in merchandise which they found there, as in good French prisoners. All those who were from the county of Foix or B^arn received their liberty, with tlieir goods untouched. " Peter d'Anchin held Ortingas for full five years ; and he and his garrison made frequent excursions as far as the gates of Carcassone, which is sixteen long leagues distant, greatly ruining the country, as well by the ransoms of towns which compounded, as by the pillage they made. During the time Peter d'Anchin garrisoned Ortingas, some of his companions made a sally, being desirous of gain, and came to a castle a good league ofl', called le Faillier, of which Ray- mond du Paillier, a French knight, was the lord. They this time accomplished their enterprise, having before attempted it in vain ; and, by means of a scalado, they took the castle, the knight and his lady in bed. They kept possession of it, allowing the lady and the children to depart, but detained the knight four monUis in his own castle, until he had paid four thousand francs for his ransom. In short, after they had sufficiently harassed the country, they sold these two castles, Ortingas and le Paillier, for eight thousand francs, and then retired to Lourde, their principal garrison. Such feats of arms and adventures were these companions daily practicing. " It happened likewise at this time, that a very able man-at-arms, one of the garrison of Lourde, a Gascon, called le Mengeant de Sainte Basiie, set out from Lourde with twenty-nine others, and rode toward the Toulousain and the Albigeois, seeking adventures. His wishes were to surprise the castle of Penne in the Albigeois, which he was nearly doing, but failed. When he f.iund he was disap- pointed, he rode up to the gate, where he skirmished, and sev- eral gallant deeds were done. At this same hour, the eastellan of Toulouse, sir Hugh dc Froide-ville, had also made an excursion with sixty lances, and by accident arrived at Penne while this skir- mish was going forward. Ho and his men instantly dismounted, and advanced to the barriers. Le Mengeant would have made off"; but, as that was impossible, ho fought valiantly hand to hand with the knight : he behaved gallantly, and wounded his adversary in two or three places, but at last was made prisoner ; for he was not the Strongest; and of his men few escaped being killed or taken. Le Mengeant was carried to Toulouse ; and the seneschal had great difficulty to save him from the populace, who wanted to put him to death when they saw him in the hands of their own officer, so much was he hated at Toulouse. " Fortunately for him, the duke of Berry chanced to come to that city, and he liad such good friends that the duke gave him his lib. crty, in consideration of a thousand francs being paid the seneschal for his ransom. Le Mengeant, on gaining his liberty, returned to Lourde, where he ceased not from his usual enterprises. One time he set out with others, without arms, disguised as an abbot attended by four monks ; for he and his companions had shaven the crowns of their heads, and no one would have imagined who saw them but that they were real monks, for they had every appearance in dress and look. In this manner he came to Montpelier, and alighted at the hotel of the Angel, saying he was an abbot from Upper Gas- cony going to Paris on business. He made acquaintance witli a rich man of Montpelier, called sir Beranger, who was likewise bound for Paris on his affairs. On the abbot telling him he would carry him thither free from all expense, he was delighted that the journey would cost him nothing, and set out with le Mengeant attended only by a servant. They had not left Montpelier three leagues when le Mengeant made him his prisoner, and conducted him through crooked and bye-roads to his garrison of Lourde, whence he after, wards ransomed him for five thousand francs." " Holy Mary !" cried I, " this le Mengeant must have been a clever fellow." "Ay, that he was indeed," replied he ; " and he died in his armor at a place we shall pass in three days, called Larre in Bigorre, below a town called Archinacb." " I will remind you of it," said I, " when we shall arrive at the spot." CHAPTER V. SIK lOliy TROISSART AND THE KNIGHT OF FOIX ARRIVE AT CASSERES, WHERE THE KNIGHT RELATES TO HIM THE CAPTURE OF THE TOWN BY THE ARJIAGNACS, AND ALSO THE RE-CAPTDKE OF IT BY THE COUNT DE FO:r ; AND, AS THEY JOURNEY, THEY CONVERSE ON DIFFERENT FEATS OF ARMS BETWEEN THE AR.MAGNACS AND FOIXIENS. Thus rode we on to Montesquieu, a good inclosed town belong- ing to the count de Foix, which the Armagnacs and Labrissiens* took by surprise, but held it only three days ; in the morning we left Montesquieu, and rode toward Palaminicii, another inclosed town, situated on the Garonne, and belonging to the count de Foix. When we were close to it, and though! of entering it by the bridge over the Garonne, we found it impossible ; for the preceding day it had rained so heavily in the mountains of Catalonia and Arragon, that a river, called the Saluz, which rises among them, and falls into the Garonne with great rapidity, was so much swollen as to carry away one of the arches of the bridge, which was of wood. We were therefore forced to return to Montesquieu to dinner, and remain there the whole day. On the morrow, the knight was advised to cross the Garonne, opposite the town of Casseres, in a boat ; we therefore rode thither, and by our e-xertions the horses passed, and we ourselves afterwards with some difficulty and danger ; for the boat was so small that only two horses and their men could cross at a time with those who man. aged the boat. When we had crossed, we made for Casseres, where we staid the whole day. While our servants were preparing the supper, sir Espaign du Lyon said, " Sir John, let us go and see the town." " Come then," replied I. We walked through the town to a gate which opens to Palaminich, and, having passed it, went near the ditches. The knight, pointing to the walls, said, " Do you ob. serve that part of the walls ?" " Yes, sir : why do you ask ?" " I will tell you : because it is newer than the rest." " That is true," answered I. " I will relate to you how this happened ten years ago. You have heard of the wars between the count d'Armagnac and the count de Foix, which took place in the country of Beam, that apper- tains to the count de Foix : the count d'-\rmagnac overran it, though at present he is quiet on account of the truces made between them. I must say, the Armagnacs and Labrissiens gained nothing, but had often great losses. On the night of the feast of St. Nicholas, in the winter of the year 1362, the count de Foix made prisoners, near to Montmarsen, the count d'Armagnac and his nephew the lord d'Al. breth, and many nobles with them, whom he earned to Orthez, and- confined them in the tower of the castle ; by which capture he re- ceived ten times told one hundred thousand francs. " It happened afterwards that the count d'Armagnac, father of the present, called Sir John d'Annagnac, set on foot an armament, with which he came and took Casseres by scalado : they were full two hundred men-at-arms, who seemed resolved to keep the place by force. News was brought to the count de Foix, at Pau, that the Armagnacs and Labrissiens had taken his town of Casseres. He, who was a prudent and valiant knight, and prepared for all events, called to him two bastard brothers whom he had among his knights, sir Arnault Guillaume and Sir Peter de B^arn, and ordered them to march instantly to Casseres, telling them he would send men from all parts, and in three days would be there in person. " Be careful, therefore," added he, "that none get out of the town without being * " Labrisaiens," those attacJietl to the family of Labrelh, which we call Albretli.— D. S. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. fought with, aa you will have strength enough ; and on your arrival at Casseree, make the country people bring you plenty of large pieces of wood, which you will fix strongly round the gates, and com- pletely bar them up ; for I am resolved that those now in the town shall be so shut up in it, that they never pass through the gates : I will make them take another road." " The two knights obeyed his orders, and marched to Palami- nich, accoijipanied and followed by all the men-at.arms in B^arn. They encamped before tlie town of Casseres ; but those within paid no attention to them, nor observed that they were so completely shut in, they could not pass through the gates. On the third day, the count de Foi,\ came with five hundred men-at.arms, and on his arri- val had the town encompassed with fortifications of wood, as well as by his army, that no sally might be made from it in the night. In this state, without making any attack, he blockaded them until their provisions began to fail ; for though they had wine in plenty, they had nothing to eat, and could not escape by fording the river, which was then too deep. They therefore thought it belter to surrender themselves as prisonere, tlian shamefully perish with hunger. The count de Foi.\ listened to their offers. He had them inl'ormed, that as they could not pass through any of the town.gates, he would make a hole in the wall through which the garrison, one by one, must pass, without arms, in their common dress. They were forced to accept of these terms, otherwise the business was at an end ; and, if the count de Foi.x had not been thus appeased, all within were dead men. He had a hole made in the wall, which was not too large, through which they came out one by one. The count was there, with his forces drawn up in battle array ; and as they came out of the town they were brought before him, and sent to different castles and towns as prisoners. He took there liis cousin, sir John d'Amiagnac, sir Bertrand d'Albreth, sir Manaut de Barbasan, sir Raymond de Benach, sir Benedict de la Corneille, and about twenty of the most respectable, whom he carried with him to Orthez, and received from them, before they gained their liberty, one hundred ' thousand francs, twice told. For this, my fair sir, was this wall broken down, as a passage for those of Armagnac and Albreth : afterwards it was rebuilt and repaired." When he had finished his history we returned to our lodgings, and found the supper ready. On the morrow we mounted our horses, and riding up the side of the Garonne, passed through Paiaminich, and entered the lands of the counts de Comminges and d'Armagnac. On the opposite side, fronting us, was the Garonne, and the territories of the count de Foix. As we rode on, the knight pointed out to me a town, which appeared tolerably strong, called Marteras le Toussac, which belongs to the count de Comntinges ; and on the other side of the river, two castles of the count de Foix, seated on a mountain, called Montaural and Monclare. As we were riding among these towns and castles, in a beautiful meadow by the side of the Garonne, the knight said : " Sir John, I have witnessed here many excellent skirmishes and combats between the Armagaacs and the Foixiens ; for there was neither town nor castle that was not well garrisoned with men-at. anns, who engaged with and pursued each other. Do you see yon- der those ruins ? They are the remains of a fort which the Anuag- nacs raised against these two castles, and which they filled with men-at-arms, who did much damage to the lands of the count de Foix, on the other side of the river ; but I will tell you how they paid for it. The count de Foix one night sent his brother, sir Peter de Beam, with two hundred lances and four hundred peasants, laden with faggots, and as much wood as they could cut from the hedges, which they piled around this fort and set on fire, so that the fort was burnt with all in it, for none received quarter ; and since that time no one has dared to rebuild it." Witli such conversation did we daily travel, travelling toward the source of the river Garonne, on each side of which were handsome castles and forts. All on the left hand belonged to the count de Foix, and on the other to the count d'Armagnac. We passed Mont- pesac, a fine strong castle, seated on the top of a rock, below which is the road and the town. On the outside of it, at the distance of a cross-bow, there is a pass called la Garde, with a tower between the rock and the river, and an iron gate : six men could defend this pass against all the world, for only two persons abreast can advance be- tween the rock and river. Upon seeing this, I said to the knight, " Sir, this is a strong pass, and a difficult country." " It is, indeed," answered the knight ; " but, strong as it is, the count de Foix and his men once forced it, and advanced to Paiaminich, Montesquieu, and even to Pamiers. The pass was very strong, but the English archers greatly assisted him in this conquest. Come and ride by my side, and I will tell you all about it." I then rode by the side of sir Espaing t du Lyon, who thus continued his narration : ■ " The count d'Armagnac and the lord d'Albreth invaded the country of Foix, with upward of five hundred men, and advanced into those parts near Pamiers. It was in the beginning of August, when the corn was harvesting and the grapes ripe : in that year there was great abundance of both. Sir John d'Armagnac and his people were encamped before the town and castle of Sauredun, a short league distant from Pamiers. They made an attack on it, and sent word to Pamiers, that if they did not pay a composition for their corn and wines, they would burn and destroy all. Those of Pamiers were afraid of waiting the event, as their lord was at too great a dis. 363 tance, being then in B^arn, so that they thought it more prudent to pay the ransom, which was settled at five thousand francs ; but they demanded a delay of fifteen days, which was granted to them. The count de Foix heard of all this, and, by great haste and sending to all parts for aid, he got into Pamiers through this difficult pass. As- sistance came to him from several quarters, so that he found himself at the head of twelve hundred lances: he would have given battle, without fail, to sir John d'.'Vrmagnac, if he had waited for it; but they retreated into the country of Comminges, leaving behind the money from Pamiers, as they had no time to stay for it. The count de Foix, however, did not hold them quit, but claimed the ransom, as he said he had deserved it ; for he had come to their assistance, and to drive his enemies out of the country. He paid with it his men-at.arms, and remained there until the good people had harvested their corn, finished,their vintage, and put all their etrects in safety." " By my faith," Safd I to the knight, " I have heard you with pleas- ure." Thus discouring, we passed near a castle called la Bretite, and then another castle called Bacelles, all in the county of Com- minges. As I rode on, I saw on the other side of the river a very handsome and large castle, with a town of goodly appearance. I asked the knight the name of this castle. He told me it was called Montes- plain,* and belonged to a cousin of the count de Foix, who bears the cows in his arms, named sir Roger d'Espaign. He is a great baron and land proprietor in this country and in the Toulousain, and at this moment is sfineschal of Carca.ssone. Upon which I asked, " What relation was this sir Roger d'Espaign to sir Charles d'Espaign, con- stable of France ?" '• He is not of that family," replied the knight; " for sir Lewis and sir Charles d'Espaign, of whom you are speaking, came originally from Spain, and were of Spanish extraction ; but by their mothers are of French also, and cousins.german to king Al- fonso of Spain. I served in my youth under sir Lewis d'Espaign, in the wars of Brittany : for he was always of the side of St. Charles de Blois against the count de Montfort." Here ended our conversation on this subject. We came that day to Gouffers, a good town belonging to the count de Foix, and on the morrow to dinner at Moncuil, a strong town also, which belongs to the king of France and is held by sir Roger d'Espaign. After din- ner, we mounted and took the road toward Lourde and Malvoisin, and rode over heaths that extend fifteen leagues : they are called Lane-bourg, and are well calculated for those who are evil-inclined. Amid the heaths of Lane-bourg is situated the castle de la Mesere, belonging to the count de Foix, a good league above the town of Tournay and below Malvoisin, which castle tlie knight showed me, saying, " See, yonder is Malvoisin : have you not inserted in your history (of which you have been speaking to me) how the duke of Anjou, when he was in this country, advanced to Lourde, besieged and conquered it, as well as the castle of Trigalet on the river before us, and which belongs to the lord de la Barde ?" I considered a little, and replied : " I believe I have not mentioned it, nor have I ever been informed of such an event. I therefore pray you relate the business, to which I shall attentively listen ; but tell me, lest I forget it, what is become of the river Garonne ? for I can no longer see it." " You say truly," answered the knight; " it loses itself between these two mountains. It rises from a spring three leagues ofl^, on the road to Catalonia, below a castle called .St. B^art, the last castle of France on the frontiers of Arragon. The governor of it and the surrounding country at this time is a squire named Er- nauton, who is called the bastard of Spain, and cousin.german to sir Roger d'Espaign. The moment you see him you will say, he ia formed for a downright man-at-arms. This bastard of Spain has done more mischief to the garrison of Lourde than all the knights and squires of this country put together ; and I must say, the count de Foix loves him well, for he is his brother in arms. I will not say more of him, for, at the ensuing Christmas, you will see him yourseif at the hotel of the count ; but I will tell you what the duke of Anjou did when he was in this country." CHAPTER VI. rKOISSART CONTINUES HIS JOfRNEY WITH THE KNISHT OF FOIX, WHO RE. LATES TO HIM SEVERAL PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO THE SIEGES OP BREST AJ^D DERVAL, AND HOW THE DUKE OF ANJOU RECOVERED MAL- VOISIN AND TRIGALET FROM TEE ENGLISH. We then rode gently, and he began his narration as follows : " At the first renewal of the war, the French conquered back again from the English all their possessions in Aquitaine, and sir Oliver de Clis. son, having turned to the French interest, conducted the duke of Anjou, as you know, into Brittany to the estates of sir Robert Knolles and to the siege of Derval ; all which, I dare say, you have in your history, as well as the treaty made by sir Hugh Broc, cousin to sir Robert, to surrender the castle, for which he had given hostages, imagining the duke of Anjou to be in such strength that the siege could not be raised ; and you probably relate how sir Robert Knolles, having entered the castle of Derval, refused to abide by tliis treaty." " Truly, sir, I have heard all you have just related." " And have « ■• Montesplain "— Mootespan, in tlie diocese gf ComminjeB. 364 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAJSTD, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. you noticed the ekinnish which took place before the castle, when j six Oliver de Clieson was wounded?" " I cannot say," replied I, : " that I have any remembrance of it. Tell me, then, what passed at this ekinnish and at the siege ; perhaps you may know more partic- ulars than I do ; and you can return afterwards to the history of Liourde and Malvoisin." " That is true," said the knight : " I must tell you, however, that sir Garsis du Chatel, a very valiant knight of this country and a good Frenchman, had gone to seek the duke, to conduct him before Mal- voisin, when the duke had issued his summons to march to Derval : he made sir Garsis marshal of his army for his valor. It is a truth, as I was informed afterwards, that when sir Garsis found sir Robert determined not to keep the treaty, and the castle of Derval not likely to surrender, he came to the duke and asked, ' My lord, what shall we do with these hostages ? It is no fault nor cjime in them if the castle be not surrendered ; and it will be a great sin if you put them to death, for they are gentlemen, undeserving such punishment.' The duke replied, ' Is it right, then, that they should have their lib- erty V ' Yea, by my faith,' said the knight, who had much com. passion for them. ' Go,' replied the duke, ' and do with them what you please.' -\t these words, as sir Gareis told me, he went to de- liver them, but in his road met sir Oliver de Clisson, who asked him whence he came, and whither he was going. ' I come from my lord of Anjou, and am going to set at liberty the hostages.' ' To set them at liberty ?' said sir Oliver : 'stop a little, and come with me to the duke.' On his return, he found the duke very pensive. Sir Oliver saluted him, and then said, ' My lord, what are your in. tentions ? shall not these hostages be put to death ? By my faith shall they, in spite of sir Robert KnoUes and sir Hugh Broc, who have belied their faith : and I would have you know, if they do not suffer death, I will not, for a year to come, put on a helmet lo serve you ; they will come off too cheaply, if they be thus acquitted. This siege has cost you si.xty thousand francs, and you wish to pardon your enemies who keep no faith with you.' At these words, the duke of Anjou grew wroth, and said, ' Sir Oliver, do with them as you list.' ' I will, then, that they die ; for there is cause for it, since they keep not their faith.' He then left the duke and went to the square before the castle ; but sir Garsis never dared to say one word in their favor, for it would have been lost labor, since sir Oliver was determined upon it. He called to him Jocelin, who was the heads- man, and ordered him to behead two knights and two squires, wliich caused such grief that upward of two hundred of the army wept. " Sir Robert Knolles instantly opened a postern-gate of the castle, and had, in revenge, all his prisoners beheaded, without sparing one. The great gate was then opened, and the drawbridge let down, when the garrison made a sally beyond the barriers to skirmish with the French, which, according to sir Garsis, was a severe business : the first arrow wounded sir Oliver de Clisson, who retired to his quarters. Among the wounded were two squires from B^arn, who behaved themselves well : their names were Bertrand de Barege and Ernau- ton du Pin. On the morrow they decamped. The duke marched with his men-at-arms from Derval to Toulouse, and from thence to this country, with intent to destroy Lourde, for the Toulousains made great complaints of it. What happened there I will tell you. The duke lost no time in marching his army to the castle of Malvoisin, which we see before us, and laying siege to it. He had in his army full eight thousand combatants, without reckoning the Genoese and the commonalty from the principal towns in that country. " A Gascon squire and able man-at-arms, named Raymonet de I'Ep^e, was at that lime governor of Malvoisin. There were daily skirmishes at the barriers, where many gallant feats were done by those who wished to advance themselves. The duke and his army were encamped in these handsome meadows between the town of Tournay and the castle, on the banks of the Lisse. During this siege, sir Garsis du Chatel, who was marshal of the army, marched with five hundred men-at-arms, two hundred archers and cross. bows, and full two thousand common men, to lay siege to the castle of Trigalet, which we have left behind us. A squire of Gascony had the command of it, for his cousin the lord de la Barde, and was called le Bastot de MauWon : he had about forty companions with him, who were lords of Lane.bourg ; for no one could march through these parts except a pilgrim to the shrine of St. Jago, without being made a prisoner, and, if not ransomed, put to death. There was another strong place, near to le Mesen, of which thieves and robbers from all countries made a garrison, called le NemiUeux : it is very strong, but always in dispute between the count d'Armagnac and the count de Foix ; and for this reason the nobles paid not any atten- tion to it when the duke of Anjou came into the country. " Sir Garsis, on arriving at Trigalet, had it surrounded on all sides but that toward the river, which they could not approach, and a sharp attack commenced, in which many of each party were wounded. Sir Garsis was five days there, and on every one of them were skir- mishes ; insonmch that the gamson had expended all their ammuni- tion, and had nothing left to shoot with, which was soon perceived by the French. Upon this, sir Garsis, out of true gallantry, sent a passport to the governor to come and speak with him. When he saw him, he said, ' Bastot, I well know your situation ; that your ganison have no ammunition, nor anything but lances to defend thcm:i,lve3 with when attacked. Now, if you be taken by storm, it will be impossible for me to save yours or your companions' lives from the fury of the common people, for which I should be very sorry, as you are my cousin. I therefore advise you to surrender the place, and even entreat you so to do : you cannot be blamed by any one for it, and seeking fortune elsewhere, for you have held out long enough.' " ' My lord,' replied the squire, ' anywhere but here I would freely do what you advise, for in truth I am your cousin: in this instance, I cannot act from myself, for those who are with me have an equal command, though they affect to consider me as their captain. I will return, and tell them what you have said : if they agree to sur- render, I shall consent ; if they be resolved to hold out, whatever may be my fate, I must, with them, abide the event.' ' This is well said,' answered sir Garsis : ' you may depart whenever you please, since I know yoxu" intention.' " The Bastot de Mauldon returned to the castle, and assembled all his companions in the court-yard, to whom he related what sir Garsis had said, and then demanded their opinions, and what they would do. They debated for a long time : some said they were strong enough to wait the event : others wished to withdraw, say. ing it was full time for it, as they had no longer any annnunition, and the duke of Anjou was severe, and the whole country of Tou. louse and Carcassonne enraged against them for the mischiefs they had done. Everything having been considered, they agreed to sur. render the castle, but on condition they shoidd be escorted, them- selves and baggage, to chateau Cullie,* which their friends were in possession of, on the Toulousain frontier. Upon this, Bastot de Maul6on returned to sir Garsis, who granted their demand ; for he saw the castle was not easy to win by storm, and it would probably have cost him many lives. They made their preparations to depart, packing up everything they could. Of pillage they had enough, and carried away the best part of it, leaving the rest behind them. Sir Garsis had them safely escorted as far as chateau Cullie. By this means did the French gain the castle of Trigalet, which sir Garsis gave to the commonalty of the country who had accompanied him, to do with it what ihey chose. They determined to destroy and raze it, in the manner you have seen, which was so completely done, that no one since has ever thought of rebuilding it. " Sir Garsis would have marched from thence to castle Nautil- leux,t which is situated on the moors near the castle of Lamen,{ to free it from those companions who had possession of it ; but on the road they told him, ' My lord, you have no need to advance further, for you will not find any one in caslle Nautilleux : those who were there are fled, some one way, some another, we know not whither.' Sir Garsis, on hearing this, halted in the plain to consider what was best to be done. The seneschal de Nobesen happened to be pres- ent, who said, .' Sir, this castle is within my jurisdiction, and should be held from the count de Foix: give it me, I beg of you, and I will have it so well gviarded at my costs, that no person who wishes ill to the country shall ever enter it.' 'My lord,' added those from Tou- louse who were by, ' he speaks well : the seneschal is a valiant and prudent man, and it is better he should have it than another.' 'I consent to it,' said sir Garsis. Thus was the castle of Nautilleux given to the seneschal de Nobesen, who rode thither, and, having found it empty, had repaired what had been destroyed. He appointed governor a squire of the country named Fortifie de St. Pol, and then returned to the siege of Malvoisin where the duke was. Sir Garsis and his men had already related to the duke their successful exploits. The castle of Malvoisin held out about six weeks ; there were, daily, skirmishes between the two armies at the barriers, and the place would have made a longer resistance, for the castle was so strong it could have held a long siege; but, the well that supplied the castle with water being without the walls, they cut off" the communication: the weather was very hot, and the cisterns within quite dry, for it had not rained one drop for six weeks ; and the bcseigers were at their ease on the banks of this clear and fine river, which the/ made use of for themselves and hoi-ses. " The garrison of Malvoisin were alarmed at their situation, for they could not hold out longer: they had a sufficiency of wine, but not one drop of sweet water. They determined to open a treaty; and Raymond de I'Ep^c requested a passport to wait on the duke, which having easily obtained, he said, ' My lord, if you will act courteously to me and my companions, I will surrender the castle of Malvoisin.' ' What courtesy is it you ask ?' replied the duke of Anjou : ' get about your business, each of you to your own countries, without entering any fort that holds out against us ; for if you do so, and I get hold of you, I will deliver you up to Jocelin, who will shave you without a razor.' ' My lord,' answered Raymonet, ' if we thus depart, we must carry away what belongs to us, and what we have gained by arms and with great risks.' The duke paused a while, and then said, ' I consent that you take with you whatever you con carry before you in trunks and on sunipter.horses, but not otherwise; and, if you have any prisoners, they nntst be given up to us.' ' I agree,' said Raymonet. Such was the treaty, as you hoar me relate it ; and all yho were in the castle departed, after surrendering it to * A castle in Auvergne. ^ t *' Nautilleux." fLaraen." Denys Sauvflge adds a marginal note: ' Judge whether these two places may not be what he before calls KeiDilieux anu Mesen." Froissart calls it NutiUeux and NantiUeux. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 36& the duke of Anjou, and carrying all they could with them. They re. turned to their own country, or elsewhere, in search of adventures : but Raymonet I'Ep^e turned to the French : he served the duke of Anjou a long time, passed into Italy with him, and was killed in a skirmish before the city of Naples. "Thus, my fair sir, did the duke of Anjou at that time conduct himself, and win the castle of Malvoisin, which gave him great joy. He made governor of it a knight of Bigorre, called sir Ciquart de Luperiere, and afterwards gave it to" the count de Foix, who still holds it, and will do so as long as he lives ; for it is well guarded by a knight of Bigorre, a relation of his, called sir Raymond de Lane. The duke of Anjou having gained possession of Malvoisin, and freed the country, and all Lane.bourg, of the English and other pillagers, laid siege to the town and castle of Lourde. The count de Foi.x, seeing him so near his territories, began to be very doubtful what his intentions might be. He therefore issued his summons to his knights and squires, and sent them into different gamsons. He placed his brother, sir Arnaut William, with two hundred lances, in Morlens ; his other brother, sir Peter de B^arn, with the same number of lances, in Pau ; sir Peter de Cabesten, with the like number, in the city of I'Estrade ; sir Mouvant de Novalles in the town of Hertillet, with one hundred lances ; sir Crual Geberel in Montgerbiel with the like num- ber ; sir Fouquart d'Orterey in the town of Sauveterre,* with the same ; and I, Espaing du Lyon, was sent to Mont-de-marsen with two hundred lances. There was not a castle in all Beam that was not well provided with men-at-arms : he himself remained to guard his florins in the castle of Orlhez." " Sir," said I to the knight, " has he a great quantity of them ?" "By my faith," replied he, " the count de Foi.x has at this moment a hundred thousand thirty times told ; and there is not a year but he gives away sixty thousand ; for a more liberal lord, in making pres- ents, does not exist." Upon this I asked, '* To whom docs he make these gifts V He artswered, " To strangers, to knights and squires who travel through his country, to heralds, minstrels, to all who con- verse with him : none leave him without a present, for he would be angered should any one refuse it." " Ha, ha, holy Mary "' cried I, " to what purpoes does he keep so large a sum ? where does it come from ? Are his revenues so great to supply him with it ? I should like to know this, if you please." " Yes, you shall know it," an. swered the knight, " but you have asked two questions : if you wish them answered, I must begin with the first. You ask, for what pur- pose he keeps so large a sum of money ; I must tell you, that the count de Foix is doubtful of war between him and the count d'Ar- magnac, and of the manceuvres of his neighbors the kings of France and of England, neither of whom he would willingly anger ; and hitherto he has not taken any part in their wars, for he has never borne arms on either side, and is on good terms with both. I tell you (and you yourself will agree with me when you have made ac- quaintance with him, and have conversed together, and seen the es- tablishments of his household,) that he is the most prudent prince living, and one whom neither the king of France nor king of Eng. land would willingly make an enemy. With regard to his other neighbors, the kings of Arragon and Navarre, he thinks but little of them, for he could instantly raise more men-at-arms (so many friends has he made by his gifts, and such power has his money,) than these kings could ever do. I have heard him say, that when the king of Cyprus was in B^arn and explained to him the intended expedition to the holy sepulchre, he was so anxious to make that valuable con. quest, that if the kings of France and England had gone thither, he would have been the most considerable lord after them, and have led the largest army. He has not yet given up this idea, and it Is for this reason also he has amassed such wealth. The prince of Wales, like, wise, when he reigned in Aquitaine, and resided at Bordeaux, in. duced hijn to collect large sums ; for the prince menaced him in regard to his country of B^arn, and said he would force him to hold it from him : but the count de Foix declared he would not, for B<;arn was free land, and owed no homage to any lord whatever. The prince, who was then very powerful and much feared, said he would make him humble himself; for the count d'Armagnac and the lord d'Albreth, who hated the count de Foix for the victories he had gained over them, poisoned the prince's mind. The expedition of the prince into Spain prevented hostilities ; and sir John Chandos, who was the principal adviser and much beloved by the prince, strenuously opposed this intended war. The count de Foix and sir John Chandos loved each other for their gallant deeds. " The count, however, was suspicious of the prince, whom he knew to be powerful and warlike, and began to amass large sums to aid and defend himself should he be attacked. He imposed heavy taxes on the country and on all the towns, which now exist, and will do so as long as he lives : each hearth pays two francs per annum, one with the other ; and in this he has found and iinds a mine of wealth, for it is marvellous how cheerfully his subjects pay it. With this, there is not any Englishman, Frenchman, nor pillager, who rob his people of a single farthing : his whole country is protected and justice well administered, for in matters of justice he is die most sBvere and up- right lord that exists." With these words we found ourselves in the town of Toumay, where our lodgings were prepared : the knight, therefore, ceased speaking ; and I made no further inquiries, for I * Situated on the Gave of Oleron, seven leagues from Pau. had well remarked where he had left olT, and could again remind him of it, as we had yet to travel together. We were comfortably lodged at the hotel of the Star. When supper was served, the governor of Malvoison, sir Raymond de Lane, came to see us, and supped with us : he brought with him four flagons of excellent wine, as good as any I drank on the road. These two knights conversed long to- gether, and it was late when sir Raymond departed and returned to his castle of Malvoisin. CHAPTER VII FROISSART CONTINUES HIS JOURNEY : IN TRAVELLING FROM TOURNAY TO TAREES, THE KNIGHT RELATES TO HIM HOW THE GARRISON OF LOUItDE HAD A SHARP RENCOUNTER WITH THE FRENCH FROM THE ADJACENT GARRISONS WITH SEVERAL PARTICULARS TOUCHING THE SIEGE OF LOURDE, AND THE DEATH OF THE GOVERNOR, WHO WOULD NOT SUR- RENDER IT TO HIS RELATION THE COUNT DE FOIX. In the morning, we mounted our horses, set out from Toumay,. passed the river Lisse at a ford ; and, riding toward the city of Tar- bes, entered Bigorre, leaving on our left the road to Lourde, Bagnftres, and the castle of Montgaillard. We made for a village called in the country Terra Cimitat, and skirted a wood, which we afterwards en- tered, on the lands of the lord de Barbasan ; when the knight said, " Sir John, this is the pass of Laire : look about you." I did so, and thought it a very strange country, and should have imagined myself in great danger if I had not had the company of the knight. I recollectK?d what he had said some days before respecting the country of Larre and Mengcant de Lourde, and, reminding him of them, said, " My lord, you promised that when we came to the coun- try of Larre, you would tell ine more of Mcngeant de Lourde, and the mamier of liis death." " It is true," replied the knight : " come and ride by my side, and I will tell it you." I then pushed forward to hear him the better, when he began as follows : " During the time Peter d'Anchin held the castle and garrison of Ortingas, as I have before related, those of Lourde made frequent excursions at a distance from their fort, when they had not always the advantage. You see those two castles of Barbasan and Marteras, which had always considerable garrisons ; the towns of Bagnires, Toumay, Montgaillard, Salenges, Benach, Gorre, and Tarbes, were also full of French troops. When they heard that those of Lourde had made any excursion toward Toulouse or Carcassonne, they col- lected themselves and formed an ambuscade, to slay them and carry off what pillage they should have collected : sometimes several on each side were killed, at others those of Lourde passed unmolested. It happened once, that Ernauton de Sainte Colombe, le Mengeant de Sainte Corneille, with six score lances, good men-at-anns, set out from Lourde, and advanced round the mountains between the two rivers Lisse and Lesse, as far as Toulouse. On their return, they found in the meadows great quantities of cattle, pigs, and sheep, which they seized, as well as some substantial men from the flat countries, and drove them all before them. " It was told to the governor of Tarbes, a squire of Gascony, called Ernauton Biffete, how those of Lourde were overrunning and harassing the country, and he sent infonnation of this to the lord de Benach and to Enguerros de Lane, son of sir Raymond, and also to the lord de Bitrbasan, adding, he was determined to attack them. These knights and squires of Bigorre, having agreed to join him, assembled their men in the town of Toumay, through which tlie garrison of Lourde generally returned. The bourg d'Espaign had come thither from his garrison of St. B^art, and they were in the whole two hundred lances. They had sent spies into the country to- see what appearance their enemies made on their return. On the other hand, those from Lourde had likewise spies on tlie watch, to observe if there were any men-at-arms out to intercept them : both, parties were so active, that each knew the force of the other. When those of Lourde heard that the French garrisons were waiting for them at Tournay, they began to bo alarmed, and called a council to determine how to conduct their pillage in safety. It was resolved to divide themselves into two parties ; one, consisting of servants and pillagers, was to drive the booty, and take bye-roads to Lane.bourg, crossing the bridge of Tournay, and the river Lesse between Tournay and Malvoisin ; the other division was to march in order of battle on the high grounds, and to make an appearance as if they meant tnring this answer, was exceedingly WTOth, and said, as he drew his dagger, ' Ho, ho '. dost thou then say so ? By this head, thou haft not said it for nothing.' And, as he uttered these words, be etrack him foully with the dagger, so that he wounded him severely in five pbces, and none of the barons or knights dared to interfere. The knight replied, ' Ha, ha, my lord, this is not gentle treatment : you have sent for rae hither, and are murderbig me.' Having received these five strokes from the dogger, the count ordered him to be cast into the dungeon, which was done ; and there he died, for he was ill cured of his wounds. " Ha, holy Man'," sold I to the knight, ' was not this a great act of cruelty ?" " Whatcve"- it was," said he, " so it happened, and ill betide him who angers the count, for then he pardons none. Ho kept liis cousin-gennan, the viscount Chilteoubon, even though he ia his heir, eight months prisoner ill the castle of the tower of Orlhfes, and then ransomed him for forty thousand francs." " What, sir," said I, " has not the count de Foix any children ?" " F,h, in God's name, not in lawful marriage ; but he has two young knights, bas. tards, sir Jenuain and sir Gracien, whom you will see, and whom he loves as well as himself." "And wais he never married?" " Yes, and is so still, but madamc de Foix does not live «ith him." " Where does she reside?" "She lives in Navarre, for the king of Navarre is her brother : she was daughter of king Louis of NavaiTe."* "The co^t de Foix, had he never any children by her?" "Yes; a very fine son, who was the delight of his father and of the coun- try : through him the country of B(Sarn, which is in dispute, would have been- settled, for his wife was the sister c^ the count d'Ar- magnac." " And pray, sir, may I ask what became of this son ?" " Yes," replied he ; " but the story is too long at present, for we are, as you see, arrived at the town." At these words I left the knight quiet ; and we soon after enteretJ Tarbes, where we were very comfortable at the hotel of the Star. We remained there the whole of that day, for it was a commodious place, to refresh ourselves and horses, having good hay, good oats, and a handsome river. CHAPTER VIII. DURING THE JOURNEY FROM TAKBES TO MORLENS, THE KNIGHT OF FOIX RELATES TO FROISSART THE QUARREL AND RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE DUKE OF BERRY AND THE COUNT DE FOIX AND ALSO THE CAUSE .OF THE WAR BETWEEN HIM AND THE COUNT d'ARMAGNAC. On the morrow, after mass, having mounted our horses and left Tarbes, we came to Jorre, a town w'hich has always gallantly de- fended itself against the garrison of Lourde. We passed by it, and entered Beam, when the knight stopped in the plain and said, "We are now in B^arn." There were two roads that crossed each other, and wc knew not which to tnke, whether that to Morlens or to Pau : at last we followed that to Morlens. In riding over the heaths of B^arn, which are tolerably level, I asked, in order to renew our conversation, " Is the town of Pau near us ? " Yes," said he, " I will show you the steeple ; but it is much further off than it appears, and the roads are very bad to travel on account of the deep clays, + and it would be folly for any one to attempt going through them that is not well acquainted with the country. Below are seated the town and castle of Lourde." "And who is governor of it now ?" " John de Beam, brother to sir Peter de BCarn that was murdered, and he styles himself sfineshcal of Bi. gorre for the king of England." " Indeed !" said I, " and does this John ever visit the count do Foix ?" " Never since the death of his brother ; but his other companions, such as Peter d'Auchin, Ernauton de Reslin, Ernauton de Sainte Colombe, and others, go thither, whenever they have occasion." " Has the count de Foix made any amends for the murder of the knight ? or has he ever again been in such passions ?'^ " Yes, very often," replied the knight ; " but as for amends, he has never made any, except indeed by secret penances, masses, and prayers ; he has with him a son of John de Beam, a young and courteous squire, whom he greatly loves." " Holy Mary !" exclaimed I, " since the duke of Anjou was so desirous to gain Lourde, he ought to be well pleased with the count de Foix, who could murder a knight and his cousin, to accomplish the duke's wishes." "By my faith, he was so; for soon after the event of his nephew coming to the crown of France, he sent sir Roger d'Espaign and a president of the parliament of Paris, with fair letters patent engrossed and sealed, of the king's declaration that he gave him the county of Bigorre during his life, but that it was necessar)' ho should become liege man and hold it of the crown of France. The count de Foix was veiy thankful to the king for this mark of his affection, and for the gift of Bigorre, wliich was unso- licited on his part ; but, for anything Roger d'Espaign could say or do, he would never accept it. He only retained the castle of Mal- voisin, because it was free land, and the cattle and its dependencies held of none but God, and formerly had been part of his patrimony. The king of France, to please the duke of Anjou, gave it to the count de Foix ; but the count swore he would only hold it on con- dition never to admit into it any one ill inclined to France ; and in trutli he had it well guarded. The garrison of Malvoisin would have been as much afraid of the English as any other French or Gascon garridon, but they dared not invade the territories of Foix." I was much pleased with this history of sir Espaign du Lyon, which I have well remembered ; for as soon as we dismounted at our * Ines or A£ii«:, wife of Gaston Phrebus. count de Foix, was daughter of Jotm of Novone anJ Philip VI. king of Frunze— Ed. t Les s'avfs.— Places situated on the banks of rivers, and covered with nioruig b-aiids.— Ed. 368 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. inns, I wrote all down, whether it was late or early, that poaterity might have the advantage of it, for there is nothing like writing for the preservation of events. We rode this morning to Morlens ; but, before we arrived, I again began the conversation by saying, " My lord, I have forgotten to asU you, when you were telling me the history of Foix and Armagnac, how the count de Foix was able to dissemble with the duke of Berry, who had married a daughter and ^ister to the counts d'Armagnao ? and if the duke of Berry made war on him, how he behaved ?" " How he behaved ?" said the knight: '* I will tell you : in former times, the duke hated him mortally ; but at this moment, by means which you will hear, when at Orthfes, they are very good friends." " My lord, was there any reason for the duke's hatred ?" " Father of God ! no," replied the knight : " I will tell you the cause of it. When Charles king of France, father to the present king, died, the kingdom was divided into two parties respecting its government. My lord of Anjou, who was impatient to go to Italy, and inj^ed this he afterwards did, took possession of it, and set aside his two brothers the dukes of Berry and Burgundy. The duke of Berry had the government of those parts within the Langue d'Oc, and the duke of Burgundy of the Langue d'Ouy and all Picardy.* " When the inhabitants of Languedoc heard that my lord of Berry was to govern them, they were much alarmed, especially those of Toulouse and its dependencies; for they knew the duke to be a spendthrift, who would get money anyway he could, without caring how he oppressed the people. Some Bretons still remained in the Toulousain, Carcassonnois and Rouergue, whom the duke of Anjou had left, and they pillaged the whole country : it was reported the duke of Berry supported them, in order to be master of the principal towns. The duke himself %vas not at the time I am speaking of in Languedoc, but attending the king in the wars in Flanders. The citizens of Toulouse, who are a powerful body, perceiving how young the king was and how much occupied wath the atiairs of his uncle the duke of Burgundy in Flanders, and that they were perpetually plundered by Bretons and other pillagers, so that they knew not how to prevent it, sent to the count de Foix offers of paying him a certain sum monthly, if he would undertake the government and deience of their city and the other neighboring towns. They entreated him very earnestly to comply with their request, because they knew him to be an upright man, a great lover of justice, fortunate in Ms affairs, and much feared by his enemies. The inhabitants of Toulouse have always borne him great affection, for he has ever been a good neigh- bor to them. " He undertook the charge o!" their government, and swore to hold and defend the country in its right against all who were ill inclined, with the reservation of the rights of the king of France. He instantly ordered considerable detachments of men-at-arms on the different roads the pillagers used to take ; and one day he had hanged or drowned upward of four hundred of them, at Robesten in the Tou- lousain, which gained him so much the love of those of Toulouse, Carcassonne, Beziers, Montpelier and the other towns, that it was reported Languedoc had revolted and chosen for its lord the count de Foix. The duke of Berry, who had the government of it, was ill pleased at this intelligence, and conceived a great hatred to the count de Foix, for interfering so much in the affairs of France, and for his supporting the people of Toulouse in their revolt. He ordered men. at-arms into that country, but they were severely repulsed by the partisans of the count de Foix, and were forced to retreat, or ihey would have suffered for it. This'angered the duke still more; he said the count de Foix was the proudest and most presumptuous man in the world ; and he would not suffer his name to be mentioned with praise in his presence ; but he did not make war against him, for the count had all his towns and castles so well garrisoned, none dared to invade his territories. " When the duke oi Berry entered Languedoc, the count resigned the government, and would not any way meddle, in prejudice to the duke ; but his dislike still continued as great as ever. I will now say a word of the means that established peace between them. About ten years ago,t Eleanor de Comminges (at present countess of Bou- logne, a near relation to the count de Foix, and lawful heiress to the county of Comminges, notwithstanding the count d'Armagnac was in possession) came to the count de Foix at Orthfcs, bringing with her a young girl, three years old. The count entertained her hand, somely, inquired her business, whence she came, and whither going ? ' My lord,' said she, ' I am going to my uncle and aunt.in.law, the count and countess de Durgueil,in Arragon, there to remain; for I have * " It is very probable these two denominations liad been in use before the ordinance of Phihn le Bel in 1304 and la05. It is in anotlier ordinance of Cliarlcs VI. 1384, wliich states the crown of France to be divided into Langue d'Oc, and I.angue d'Oii. The word Langue was employed anciently for nation or province : in the order of Malta, the term is preserved at present. Guillaume de Nangis. in his chronicle, points out the environs of Pans by the name ol Langue d'Oil, in the year 1344. where an epidemical disorder began to desolate the country toward the end of August. In la Salade. by Anthony de la Salle, about 1410, he speaks of an unknown knight, whom he supposes from Languedoc, * because he and tile greater part of his aUendnnts used in theivspeech Oc, the language which is spoken at Saint-Jago of Compostella.' " All these general distinctions ceased from tjie lime of Francis I, There is not any mention after that period, m the treasury receipts, of the Langue d'Oc nor of tlie Lan- gue d'Oil. The Langue d'Oc was considered as the country souUi of Hie Loire, and the Langue d'Oil, or Picarde, to the north of it,"-Sr. PALiVK, Mfm. de r.lcaiimie, vol. .Yxiv. T This took place in 1383.-Kd. nuich displeasure in living with my husband, sir John de Boulogne. son of the count de Boulogne. I expected he would have recovered for me mine inheritance of Comminges from the count d'Armagnac, who not only keeps it, but has confined my sister in prison; but my husband is too soft a knight, whose sole delight is eating and drink, ing, and enjoying his pleasures ; and the moment his father dies, he will sell the greater part of his estates to multiply his luxuries : it is for these reasons I cannot live with him. I have also brought my daughter with me, whom I deliver up to your charge, and appoint you her guardian, to instruct and defend her; for I well know that, from our relationship, you will not disappoint me ; and I have the greatest confidence in the care you will take of my duughtemJoan. It was with much difficulty I could get her from her father's hands, and out of the country ; but as I know the Armagnacs, your adver- saries as well as mine, are capable of carrying her ofl", being the true heiress of Comminges, I deliver her to you ; therefore do not fail me in the business, I entreat of you ; for I firmly believe, that when my husband shall know I left her under your care, he will be pleased, having frequently said, that this girl would give him much trc-'uble.' " The count de Foix was delighted to hear his cousin, the lady Eleanor, thus talk, and thought in his own mind (for he has a very fertile imagination,) that this giil was brought to him very oppor. tunely, as by her means he could make a stable peace with his ene. mies, or marry her so nobly they would fear him. He answered, ' Madame and cousin, I will most cheerfully comply with your re. quest : I am bounden to do it by our relationship. With regard to your daughter, I will defend, and be as careful of her as if she were my own child.' ' A thousand thanks, my lord,' said the lady. Thus did the young lady of Boulogne remain with the count at his house in Orthes, which she has never since quitted, and the lady her mother pursued her journey to Arragon. She has returned to see her two or three times, but has never asked to have her back ; for the count acquits himself toward her as if she were indeed his own child. But I must tell you the means by which, if formerly he was in the ill graces of the duke de Berry, he is now on good terms. The duke at this moment is very desirous to marry her ; and from what I heard at Avignon from the pope, who spoke to me on the subject, and who is cousiii-genuan to her father, the duke will employ him to ask for him, as he is determined to make her his wife." *' By holy Mary,"said I to the knight, " your history hasgivenme much pleasure and done me service : you shall not lose a word you have said, for they shall all be chronicled with everything I say and do, if God grant me health to return again to Valenciennes, of which place I am a native ; but I am very angry at one thing." *' What is that?" said the knight. " On my faith, it is, that so noble and val. iant a prince as the count de Foix should not have any legal heirs by his wife." " Please God he had," replied the knight ; " for if his child were now alive, he would be the happiest lord in the world, and his vassals be equally rejoiced." " What !" said I, " will his estates be without an heir ?" " Oh, no : the viscount dc Chflteau. bon, his cousiu-german, is his heir." " Is he a valiant man-at-arms ?" " God help him ! no ; and for that reason the count de Foix cannot bear him. He will make his two bastard-sons, who are young and handsome knights, his heirs, and intends to connect them very highly by marriage ; for he has money enough, which will find them wives to uphold and assist them." " Sir," said I, " all this is very well ; but I do not think it just nor decent that bastards should inherit lands." " Why not ?" added he, " if proper heirs be wanting. Do not you see how the Spaniards crowned for king the bastard don Henry ? and the Portuguese have done the same thing. It has fre- quently happened, that bastards have gained possession of several kingdoms by force. Was not William the Conqueror bastard-son of a duke of Normandy ! He won all England, as well as the king's daughter who then governed, and was himself king, and from him all the kings of England are descended." " Well, sir," said I, " all this may be well, for there is nothing but what may happen. Surely those of the Armagnac party are too strong, and this country must always be at war. Tell me, my dear sir, the first origin of the wars between Foix and Armagnac, and which had the fairest cause." " That I will, by my faith," answered the knight : " It has, however, been a wonderful war, for each thinks he has justice on his side. You must know, that formerly, I imagine about one hundred years from this time, there was a lord of B^arn called Gaston,* a most gallant man-at-arms ; he was buried with great solemnity in the church of the Freres Mineurs, at Orthfes, where you will find him and may see of what a size he was in body and limbs, for during his lifetime he had a handsome resemblance made of him, in brass. This Gaston had two daughters ;t tlie eld- est of whom he married to the count d'Armagnac of that period, [ and the youngest to the count de Foix, nephew to the king of Arra- i gon. The counts de Foix still bear those arms (for they are de- scended from the kings of -Arragon,) wliich are paly or and gules; j and this, I believe, you know. It happened that the lord of B6arn j ^' Gaston VII. of the house of Mon^ada. He began to reign in 1232, and died, April ] 22, 1290. He built the castle of Orthes.— Ed. t Gaston VII. had /ot/r daughters and no heir male. These four daughters were Constance, the eldest, who married the infant of .\rrngon ; Margaret, who married Ro- ger Bernard, count de Foix ; Amata, who married the count of Armagnac ; and Gtiil- leinetle, married after the death of her father.— Ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 369 had a severe and long war with the king of Castille of that time,* who, marching througli Biscay with a numerous army, entered Beam. Sir Gaston de Beam, having intellTgence of his march, collected people from all quarters, and had written to his two sons-in-law, the counts d'Arraagiiac and de Foix, to come with all quickness with their foj-ces, to assist him in the defence and preservation of his inheritance. " On the arrival of these letters, the count de Foix assembled his vassals as speedily as possihle, and sent for assistance to all his friends. He exerted himself so effectually, that he collected five hundred knights and squires and two thousand footmen armed with javelins, darts and shields : accompanied by these, he marched into B^arn to assist the lord his father, who was much delighted there- with. This army crossed the river Bane by the bridge of Orthes, and took up their quarters between Sauveterre and I'Hopital. The king of Castille, with full twenty thousand men, was encamped not far from them. Sir Gaston de Beam and the count de Foix, expect- ing the count d'-A.rmagnac, waited for him three days : on the fourth a herald arrived from the count d'Armagnac with letters to sir Gas- ton, to say he could not come, and that it was not agreeable to him to arm in behalf of the country of Beam, for at present he had not any interest in it. Sir Gaston, perceiving he was not to have any assistance from the count d'Armagnac, was much astonished, and asked the count de Foix and the barons of B^arn, how he should act : ' My lord," replied the count de Foix, ' since we are assembled, we will offer battle to your enemies.' This advice was followed, and instantly they all armed : they might be about twelve hundred men with helmets, and six thousand on foot. " The count de Foix, with the van division, charged the king of Castille and his army in their quarters. The battle was very severe and bloody : upward of two thousand Castillians were slain. The count de Foix made ^prisoners the son and brother of the king of Castille, whom he sent to sir Gaston de Beam, who commanded the rear division. The Castillians were completely defeated. The count de Foix pursued them as far as the gates of St. Andero in Biscay, where the king took refuge in an abbey, and put on a monk's frock, otherwise he would have been taken : those saved themselves who could, on board of vessels. The count de Foix on his return to sir Gaston de Beam, was received by him with much joy, as in- deed he had reason, for he iiad saved his honor and secured the country, which otherwise wotild have been lost. This battle and defeat of the Castillians, and the capture of the son and brother of the king, induced him to accede to a peace with the lord de B^am on such terms as he dictated. " Sir Gaston de Beam, on his return to Orthfes, in the presence of all the knights of Beam and Foix, took the count de Foix by the hand and said : ' Fair son, you are indeed my son, my loyal son, and have secured for ever my honor and the honor of my countiy. The count d'Armagnac, who married my eldest daughter, has excused himself from assisting in the defence of my inheritance, in which he was so much interested. I therefore declare, that he has forfeited and shall lose whatever share he may have expected from it in behalf of my daughter. You, count de Foix, shall inhe^t the whole of my territory of B€arn after my decease, you and your heirs for ever. I entreat and command all my subjects to agree with me, and to seal this gift, which I present to you, my fair son of Foix.' All present answered, ' My lord, we will most cheerfully do so.' Thus did the former counts de Foix become lords of B6arn ; they bear the arms and the name, and have the war-cry and profit. However, the Armagnacs have not the less urged their claims, to those rights they say they are entitled to ; and this is the cause of the quarrel and war between Armag. nac, Foix and Beam." "By my faith," said I to the knight, "you have perfectly well explained the matter. I never before heard anything of it, but, since I now do, I will perpetuate it, if God grant that I return to my own country. But there is one thing more I could wish to know ; what caused the death of the son of the count de Foix ?" The knight became pensive, and said, " It is too melancholy a sub- ject : I therefore wish not to speak of it ; but when you are at Or- thfes, if you ask, you will find many there who will tell you the ■whole history." I was obliged to content myself with this answer ; so we continued our journey until we arrived at Morlens. CHAPTER IX. SIR JOHN FROISSAKT ARRIVES AT ORTHES. AN OLD SQUIRE RELATES TO HIM THE CRDEL DEATH OF THE ONLY SON OF THE COUNT DE FOIX, AND HOW STRANGE DREAMS AFFECTED SIR PETER DE BEARN BASTARD-BRO- THER TO THE COUNT. On the morrow we set out, and dined at Montgerbal, when hav- ing remounted, and drank a cup at Ercie, we arrived by sunset at Orthfes. The knight dismounted at his own house : and I did the same at the hotel of the Moon, kept by a squire of the count, called Ernauton du Pin, who received me with much pleasure on account of my being a Frenchman. Sir Espaign du Lyon, who had accom- panied me, went to the castle, to speak with the count on his affairs : ^ Tills was probably about the year 1353.— Bd. he found him in his gallery, for a little before that hour he had dined. It was a custom with the count, which he had followed from his in- fancy, to rise at noon*" and sup at midnight. Tile knight informed him of my arrival, and I was instantly sent for ; for he is a lord above all others who delights to see strangers, in order to hear news. On my entering, he received me handsomely and retained me of his household, where I staid upward of twelve weeks well entertained, as were my horses. Our acquaintance was strengthened by my ha\dng brought with me a book which I had made at the desire of Winceslaus of Bohemia, duke of Luxembourg and Brabant. In this book, called le Meliador, are contained all the songs, ballads, roundelays and virelays, which that gentle duke had composed, and of them I had made this collection. Every night af. ter Slipper I read out to him parts : during which time neither he nor any one else spoke, for he was desirous I should be well heard, and took much delight in it. When any passages were not per- fectly clear, he himself discussed them with me, not in his Gascon language, but in very good French. I shall relate to you several things respecting him and his house- hold, for I tarried there as long as I could gain any information. Count Gaston Phoebus de Foix, of whom I am now speaking, was at that time fifty-nine years old ; and I must say, that although I have seen very many knights, kings, princes and others, I have never seen any so handsome, either in the form of his limbs and shape, or in countenance, which was fair and ruddy, with gray and amorous eyes, that gave delight whenever he chose to express afl'ection. He was so peif ectly formed, one could not praise him too iriiich. He loved earnestly the things he ought to love, and hated those which it was becoming him so to hate. He was a prudent knight, full of enterprise and wisdom. He had never any men of abandoned character with him, reigned prudently, and was constant in his devo. lions. There were regular nocturnals from the Psalter, prayers from the rituals to the Virgin, to the Holy Ghost, and from the burial service. He had eveiy day distributed as alms, at his gate, five florins in small coin, to all comers. He was liberal and courteous ill his irifts ; and well knew how to take when it was proper, and to give back where he had confidence. He mightily loved dogs above all other animals ; and during the summer and winter amused him- self much with hunting. He never liked any foolish works nor ridiculous extravagancies ; and would know every month the amount of his expenditure. He chose from his own subjects twelve of the most able to receive and administer his finances : two of them had the management for two months, when they were changed for two others ; and from them he selected one as comptroller, in whom he placed his greatest confidence, and to whom all others rendered their accounts. This comptroller accounted by rolls or written books, which were laid before the count. He had certain coffers in his apartment, from whence he took money to give to different knights, squires or gentlemen, when they came to wait on him, for none ever left him without a gift ; and these sums he continually increased, in order to be prepared for any event that might happen. He was easy of access to all, and entered very freely into discourse, though laconic in his advice and in his answers. He employed four secre- taries to write and copy his letters; and these secretaries were obliged to be in readiness the moment he came out from his closet. He called them neither John, Walter, nor William, but his good-for- nothings, to whom he gave his letters after he had read them, either to copy, or to do anything else he might command. In such manner did the count de Foix live. When he quitted his chamber at midnight for supper, twelve servants bore each a lighted torch before him, which were placed near his table, and gave a bril- liant light to the apartment. The hall was full of knights and squires ; and there were plenty of tables laid out for any person who chose to sup. No one spoke to him at his table, unless he first began a con- versation. He commonly ate heartily of poultry, but only the wings and thighs ; for in the day-time, he neither ate nor drank much. He had great pleasure in hearing minstrels, as he himself was a profi. cient in the science, and made his secretaries sing songs, ballads and roundelays. He remained at table about two hours ; and was pleased when fanciful dishes were served up to him, which having seen, he immediately sent them to the tables of his knights and squires. Ill short, everything considered, though I had before been in several courts of kings, dukes, princes, counts, and noble ladies, I was never at one that pleased me more, nor was I ever more delighted with feats of arms, than at this of the count de Foix. There were knights and squires to be seen in every chamber, hall and court, going back- wards and forwards, and convcreing on arms and amours. Every- thing honorable was there to be found. All intelligence from distant countries was there to be learnt •, tor the gallantry of the count had brought visitors from all parts of the world. It was there I was in. formed of the greater part of those events which had happened in Spain, Portugal, Arragon, Navarre, England, Scotland, and on the borders of Languedoc ; for I saw, during my residence, knights and squires arrive from every nation. I therefore made inquiries from them, or from the count himself, who cheerfully conversed with me. I was very anxious to know, seeing the h6tel of the count so spa. cious and so amply supplied, what was become of his son Gaston, * " Que il se couchoit et levoit !i haute nonne ;" that is to say. he took his morninf meilj at that hour.— £d. 370 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND. FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. and by what accident he had died, for sir Espaign du Lyon would never satisfy my curiosity. I had made so many inquiries, that at last an old and intelligent squire informed me. He thus began his tale : " It is well known that the count and countess de Foix are not on good terms with each other, nor have they been so for a long time. This dissension arose from tlie king of Navarre, who is the lady's brother. The king of Navarre had ofi'Lred to pledge himself for the lord d'Albreth, whom the count de Foix held in prison, in tlie sum of fifty thousand francs. The count de Foix, knowing the king of Navarre to be crafty and faithless, would not accept his security, which piqued the countess, and raised her indignation against her husband : she said, ' My lord, you show but litde confidence in the honor of my brother, the king of Navarre, when you will not trust him for fifty thousand francs ; if you never gain more from the Armagnacs and Labrissiens than you have done, you ought to be contented ; you know that you are to assign over my dower, which amounts to fifty thousand francs, into the hands of my brother : therefore jou cannot run any risk for repayment.' ' Lady, you say truly,' replied the count; 'but if I thought the king of Navarre would stop the payment for that cause, the lord d'Albreth should never leave Orthfes until he had paid me the utmost farthing. Since, however, you entreat it, it shall be done, not out of love to you, but -out of affection to my son.' Upon this, and from the assurance of the king of Navarre, who acknowledged himself debtor to the count de Foix, the lord d'Albreth recovered his liberty : he turned to the French interest, and married a sister of the duke of Bourbon. He paid, at his convenience, to the king of Navarre the sum of fifty thousand francs, according to his obligation ; but that king never repaid them lo the count de Foix. " The count on this said to his wife, ' Lady, you must go to your brother in Navarre, and tell him that I am very iU-satisfied with him for withholding from me the sum he has 'eceived on my account.' The lady replied, she would cheerfully gi thither, and set out from Orthfes with her attendants. Onher arriva atPampeluna, her brother the king of Navarre received her with much joy. The lady punc- tually delivered her message, which when the king of Navarre heard, he replied, ' My fair sister, the money is yours, as your dower from the count de Foix ; and, since I have possession of it, it shall never go out of the kingdom of Navarre.' ' Ah, my lord,' replied the lady, 'you will by this create a great hatred between the count de Foix and me ; and, if you persist in this resolution, I shall never dare return, for my lord will put me to death for having deceived him.' • I cannot say,' answered the king, who was unwilling to let such a sum go out of his hands, 'how you should act, whether to remain or return ; but as I have possession of the money, and it is my right to keep it for you, it shall never leave Navarre.' " The countess de Foix, not being able to obtain any other answer, remained in Navarre, not daring to return home. The count de Foix, perceiving the malice of the king of Navarre, began to detest his wife, though she was no way to blame, for not returning after she had delivered his message. In truth, she was afraid ; for she knew her husband to be cruel when displeased with any one. Thus things remained. Gaston, the son of my lord, grew up, and became a fine young gentleman. He was mamed to the daughter of the count d'Armagnac, sister to the present count and to sir Bernard d'Ar- magnac ; and by this union peace was insured between Foix and Armagnac. The youth might be about fifteen or sixteen years old : he was a very handsome figure, and the exact resemblance of his father in his whole form. " He took it into his head to make a journey into Navarre, to visit his mother and uncle ; but it was an unfortunate journey for him and for this country. On his arrival at Navarre, he was splendidly enter- tained : and he staid some time with his mother. On taking leave, he could not prevail on her, notwithstanding his remonstrances and entreaties, to accompany him back ; for, the lady having asked if the count de Foix, his father, had ordered him to bring her back, he re- plied, that when he set out, no such orders had been given, which caused her to fear trusting herself with him. She therefore remained, and the heir of Foix went to Pampeluna to take leave of his uncle. The king entertained him well, and detained him upward of ten days : on his departure, he made him handsome presents, and did the same by his attendants. The last gift the king gave him was the cause of his death, and I will tell you how it happened. As the youth was on the point of setting out, the king took him privately into his chamber, and gave him a bag full of powder, which was of such pernicious quality as would cause the death of any one that ate of it. 'Gaston, my fair nephew,' said the king, 'will you do vvhat I am about to tell you? You see how unjustly the count de Foix hates your mother, who being my sister, it displeases me as much as it should you. If you wish to reconcile your father to your mother, you must take a small pinch of this powder, and when you see a proper opportunity, strew it over the meat destined for your father's table ; but take care no one sees you. The instant he shall have tasted it, he will be impatient for his wife, your mother, to return to him ; and they will love each other henceforward so strongly they will never again be separated. You ought to be anxious to see this accomplished. Do not tell it to any one : for, if you do, it will lose its effect.' The youth, who believed everything his uncle the king of Navarre had told him, replied, he would cheerfully do as he had said ; and on this he departi^ from Pampelima, on his return to Orthes. His father the count de Foix received him with pleasure, and asked what was tlie news 'in Navarre, and what presents and jewels had been given him : he replied, 'Very handsome ones,' and showed them all, except the bag which contained the powder. " It was customary, in the hotel de Foix, for Gaston and his bastard brother Evan to sleep in the same chamber : they m\itually loved each other and were dressed alike, for they were nearly of the same size and age. It fell out, that tlieir clothes were once mixed together; and, the coat of Gaston being on tlie bed, Evan, who was malicious enough, noticing the powder in the bag, said to Gaston, ' What is this that you wear every day on your breast ?' Gaston w;is not pleased at the question, and replied, 'Give me back my coat, Evan: you have nothing to do with it.' Evan flung him his coat, which Gaston put on, but was very pensive the whole day. Three days after, as if God was desirous of saving the Ufe of the count de Foix, Gaston quarrelled with Evan at tennis, and gave him a box on the ear. The boy was vexed at this, and ran crying to the apartJnent of the count, who had just heard mass. The comit, on seeing him in tears, asked what was the matter. ' In God's name, my lord, replied Evan, ' Gaston has beaten me, but he deserves beating much more than I do.' ' For what reason V said the count, who began to have some suspicions. ' On my faith,' said Evan, ' ever since his return from Navarre, he wears on his breast a bag of powder: I know not what use it can be of, nor what he intends to do witii it ; except that he has once or twice told me, his mother would soon return hither, ajid be more in your good grac-es than ever sJie was.' 'Ho,' said the count, 'hold thy tongue, and be sure thou do not mention what thou hast ju?t told me to any man breathing.' ' My lord,' replied the youth, ' I will obey you.' The count de Foix was very thoughtful on this subject, and remained alone until dinner-time, when ne rose up, and seated himself as usual at his table in the hall. His son Gaston always placed the dishes before him, and tasted the meats. As soon as he had served the first dish, and done what was usual, the count casthi3 eyes on him, having formed his plan, and saw the strings of the bag hanging from his pourpoint. This sight made his blood boil, and he said, 'Gaston, come hither: I want to whisper you something.' The youth advanced to the table, when the count, opening his bosom, undid his pourpoint, and with his knife cut away the bag. The • young man was thunderstruck, and said not a word, but turned pale with fear, and began to tremble exceedingly, for he was conscious he had done wrong. The count opened the bag, took some of the pow. der, which he strewed over a slice of bread, and, calling a dog to him, gave it him lo eat. The instant the dog had eaten a morsel his eyes rolled round in his head, and he died. The count on this was very wroth, and indeed had reason : rising from table, he would have struck his son with a knife ; but the knights and squires rushed in between them, saying, ' For God's sake, my lord, do not be too hasty, but make further inquiries before you do any ill to your son.' The first words the count uttered were in Gascon ; ' Ho, Gaston, thou traitor! for thee, and to increase thy inheritance which would have come to thee, have I made war, and incurred the hatred of the kings of France, England, Spain, Navarre, and Arragon, and have borne myself gallantly against them, and thou wishest to murder me I Thy disposition must be infamously bad : know therefore thou shall die with this blow.' And leaping over the table widi a knife in his hand, he would have slain him : but the knights and squires again interfered, and on their knees said to him with tears, ',4h, ah I my lord, for Heaven's sake, do not kill Gaston : you have no other child. Let him be confined and inquire further into the business. Perhaps he was ignorant what was in the bag, and may therefore be blatne- less.' ' Well,' replied the count, ' let him be confined in the dungeon, but so safely guarded that he may be forthcoming.' The youth was therefore confined in this tower. The count had many of those who served his son airested, but not all ; for several escaped out of the country: in particular, the bishop of Lescar,* who was much sus- pected, as were several othere. He put to death not less than fifteen, after they had suffered the torture ; and the reason he gave was, that it was impossible but they must have been acquainted with the secrets of his son, and they ought to have informed liira by saying, ' My lord, Gaston wears constantly on his breast a bag of such and such a form.' This they did not do, and suffered a terrible death for it; which was a pity, for there were not in all Gascony such hand- some or well-appointed squires. The household of the count de Foix was always splendidly established. " This business went to the heart of the count, as he plainly showed ; for he assembled at Orth6« all the nobles and prelates of Foix and B6arn, and others the principal persons of the country. When they were met, he informed them of the cause of his calling them together, and told them how culpable he had found Gaston ; insomuch that it was his intention he should be put to death, as he thought him deservii>g of it. They unanimously replied to this speech: ' My lord, saving your grace's favor, we will not that Gaston be put to death: he is your heir and you have none other.' When the count thus heard his subjects declare their sentiments in favor of bis son, he hesitated, and thought he might suificienlly chastise him by two or three months' confinement, when he wo uld Kcnd him o n * " Lescar"— a city in B^artt, abuut uiw leofiue from P&u. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &, c . .•?71 his travels for a few years, until liis ill conduct should be forgotten, and he feel grateful for the lenity of his punishment. He therefore dissolved the meeting; but those of Foix would not quit Orthte until the count had assured them Gaston should not be put to death, so great was- their affection to him. He complied with their request, but said he would keep him some time in prison. On this promise, those who had been assembled departed, and Gaston remained a prisoner in Orthte. News of this was spread far and near, and reached pope Gregory XI. who resided at Avignon: he sent instantly the cardinal of Amiens, and his legate, to B^arn, to accommodate this affair; but he had scarcely travelled as far as Beziers, when he heard he had no need to continue his journey, for that Gaston the son of the count de Foix was dead. I will tell you the cause of his death, since I have said so much on the subject. The count de Foix had caused him to be confined in a room of the dungeon where was little light: there he remained ior ten days. He scarcely ate or drank anything of the food which was regularly brought to him, but threw it aside. It is said, that after his death, all the meat was found un- touched, so that it is marvellous how he could have lived so long. The count would not permit any one to remain in the chamber to advise or comfort him : he therefore never put off the clothes he had on when he entered his prison. This made him melancholy and vexed him, for he did not expect so much harshness : he therefore cursed the hour he was born, and lamented that he should come to Buch an end. On the day of his death, those who brought him food said, ' Gaston, here is meat for you.' He paid not any attention to it, but said, *Put it down.' The person who sei"ved him, looking about, saw all the meat untouched that he had brought thither tlie last days: then, shutting the door, he went to the count and said, ' My lord, for God's sake, look to your son : he is starving himself in hifl prison. I do not believe he has eaten anything since his confine- ment; for I sec all that I have carried to him lying on one side un- touched.' On hearing this, the count was enraged, and, without saying a word, left his apartment and went to the prison of his son. In an evil hour, he had in his hand a knife, with which he had been paring and cleaning his nails; he held it by the blade so closely that scarcely the thickness of a groat appeared of the point, when, pushing aside the tapestry that covered the entrance of the prison, through ill luck, he hit his son on a vein of his throat, as he uttered, ' Ha, traitor, why dost thou not eat ?' and instantly loft the room, without saying or doing anything more. The youth was much frightened at his father's arrival, and withal exceedingly weak from fasting. The point of the knife, small as it was, cut a vein, which as soon as he felt he turned himself on one side and died. The count had barely got back again to his apartment when the attendants of his son came and said, ' My lord, Gaston is dead.' * Dead !' cried the count. ' Yes, God held me ! indeed he Is, my lord.' The count would not believe it, and sent one of liis knights to see. The knight, on his return, confinned the news. The count was now bitterly affected, and cried out, ' Ha, ha, Gaston ! what a sorry business has this turned out for thee and me ! In an evil hour didst thou go to visit thy mother in Navarre. Never shall I again enjoy the happiness I had formerly.' He then ordered his barber to bo sent for, and was shaven quite bare : he clothed liimself, as well as his whole household, in black. The body of the youth was borne, with tears and lamentations, to the church of the Augustin friars at Orthfes, where it was buried. Thus have I related to you the death of Gaston de Foix : his father killed him indeed, but the king of Navarre was the cause of this sad event." My heart was much affected at this recital of the squire of B<;arn relative to the death of Gaston ; and I was truly sorry for the count his father, whom I found a magnificent, generous, and courteous lord, and also for the country that was discontented for want of an heir. I then took leave of the squire, after having thanked him for the pleasure his narration had given me. I saw him frequently after- wards in the h6tel de Foix, when we had always some conversation. I once asked him about sir Peter de B^arn, bastard-brother to the count, who seemed to me a knight of great valor, and if he were rich or married. " Married indeed he is," replied he, " but neither his wife nor children live with him." " For what reason ?" said I. " I will tell you," replied the squire. '■• Sir Peter dc Beam has a custom, when asleep in the night-time, to rise, arm himself, draw his sword, and to begin fighting as if he were in actual combat. The chamberlains and valets who sleep in his chamber to watch him, on hearing him rise, go to him, and inform him what he is doing : of all which, he tells them, he is quite ignorant, and that they lie. Sometimes they leave neither arms nor sword in his chambi-T, when he makes such a noise and clatter as if all the devils in hell were there. They therefore think it best to replace the arms, and sometimes he forgets them, and remains quietly in his bed." I again asi\ed, if he had a large fortune with his wife. " Yes, in God's name had he," says the squire ; " but the lady keeps posses, sion of it, and enjoys the profits, except a fourth part, wliich sir Peter has." " And where does his lady reside ?" " She lives with her cousin the king of Castille : her father was count of Biscay and cousin.german to don Pedro, who put him to death. He wanted also to lay hands on this lady, to confine her. Ho seized her lands, and as lung as he lived she received nothing from them. It was told her, when, by the death of her father, she became countess of Biscay ; ' Lady save yourself; for if don Pedro lay hands on you, he will put you to death, or at least imprison you, for he is much enraged that you should say he sh'angled his queen, sister to the duke of Bourbon and the queen of France, in her bed ; and your evidence is more readily believed than any other, fou yon were of the bed-chamber.' For this reason, the countess Florence de Biscaye quitted the coun- try with few attendants, as one naturally wishes to fly from death, passed through Biscay and came hither, when she told my lord her history. " The count, who is kind and affectionate to all ladies and damsels, had compassion on her, detained her at his court, and placed her with the lady de la Karasse, a great baroness of this country, and provided her with all things suitable to her rank. Sir Peter de B^arn, his brother, was at that time a young knight, and had not then this custom of fighting in his sleep, but was much in the good graces of the count, who concluded a marriage for him with this lady, and re- covered her lands from don Pedro. She has a son and daughter by sir Peter, but they are young, and with her in Castille, for she would not leave them with their father ; and she has the right of enjoying the greater part of her own lands." " Holy Mary !" said I to the squire, " how came the knight to have such fancies, that he cannot sleep quietly in bed, but must rise and skirmish about the house ! this is very strange." " By my faith," answered the squire, " they have frequently asked him, but he knows nothing about it. The first time it happened, was on the night follow- ing a day when he had hunted a wonderfully large bear in the woods of B^arn. This bear had killed four of his dogs and wounded many more, so that the others were afraid of him ; upon which sir Peter drew his sword of Bordeaux steel, and advanced on the bear with great rage, on account of the loss of his dogs : he combated him a long time with much bodily danger, and with great difficulty slew him, when he returned to his castle of of Langnedudon, in Bis. cay, and had the bear carried with him. Every one was astonished at the enormous size of the beast, and the courage of the knight who had attacked and slain it. When the countess of Biscay, his wife, saw the bear, she instantly fainted, and was carried to her chamber, where she continued veiy disconsolate all that and the following day, and would not say what ailed her. On the third day site told her husband, 'she should never recover her health until she had made a pilgrimage to St. .James's shrine at Compostella. Give me leave, therefore, to go tliither, and to carry my son Peter and my daughter Adricnne with me : I request it of you.' Sir Peter too easily com. , plied : she had packed up all her jewels and plate unobserved by any one ; for she had resolved never to return again. " The lady set out on her pilgrimage, and took that opportunity of visiting her cousins the king and queen of Castille, who entertained her handsomely. She is still with them, and will neither return her. self nor send her children. The same night he had hunted and killed the bear, this custom of walking in his sleep seized him. It is ru. mored, the lady was afraid of something unfortunate happening, the moment she saw the bear, and this caused her fainting ; for that her father once hunted this bear, and during the chase, a voice cried out, though he saw nobody, ' Thou huntest me : yet I wish thee no ill ; but thou shalt die a miserable death.' The lady remembered this when she saw the bear, as well that her father had been beheaded by don Pedro without any cause ; and she maintains that something unfortunate will happen to her husband ; and that what passes now is nothing to what will come to pass. I have told you the story of sir Peter de B^arn," said the squire, " in compliance with your wishes : it is a well-known fact ; and what do you think of it ?" I was pensive at the wonderful things I had heard, and replied, " I do believe everything you have said : we find in ancient authors how gods and goddesses formerly changed men into beasts, accord. ing to their pleasure, and women also into birds. This bear, therefore, mfght have been a knight, hunting in the forest of Biscay, when he, perchance, angered some god or goddess, who changed him into a bear, to do penance, as Acteon was transformed into a stag." " Ac. teon !" cried the squire : " my good sir, do relate it, for I shall be very happy to listen to you." "jVecording to ancient authors, we read that Acteon was a handsome and accomplished knight who loved dogs and the chase above all things. He was once hunting a stag of a°prodigious size : the chase lasted the whole day, when he lost his men and his hounds ; but, eager in pursuing the stag, he came to a large meadow, surrounded by high trees, in which was a foun. tain, where the goddess of Chasti y and her nymphs were bathmg themselves. The knight came upon them so suddenly that they were not aware of him, and he had advanced so far he could not re. treat. The nymphs, in their fright, ran to cover their mistress, whose modesty was wounded at thus being seen naked. She viewed the knight over the heads of her attendants, and said, ' Acteon, who. ever has sent thee hither has no great love for thee : I will not, that when thou shalt go hence, thou brag of having seen me naked, as well as my nymphs ; and for the outrage thou hast commi»ted, thou shalt prrfortn a penance. I change thee, therefore, into the form of the sta" thou hast this day hunted.' He was instantly transformed into a stag, who naturally loves water. Thus it may have happened with rcgal-d to the bear whose history you have told me, and the countess may have had some knowledge or some fears which at the moment sho would not discover : she therefore ought to be excused 372 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. for what she has done." The squ»e answered, " It may perchance be so ;" and thus ended our conversation. CHAPTER X. THE COUNT DE FOIX HOLDS SOLEMN FESTIVALS ON THE FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS AND AT CHKISTMAS ; DURING WHICH FEOISSAKT BECOMES ACQUAINTED WITH EASTOT DE :MAULEON, WHO RELATES TO HIM, AMONG OTHER THINGS, HOW SEVERAL OF THE CAPTAINS OF THE FREE COM. PANIES IVEKE DEFEATED BEFORE THE TOWN OF SANCERRE. BOW HE SURPRISED THE TOAVN OF THURIE IN THE ALBIGEOIS, AND HOW ONE OF THE NAME OF LIMOUSIN REVENGED AN OUTRAGE COMMITTED AGAINST HIM BY LOUIS RAIMEAUT. Among the solemnities which the count de Foix observes on liigh festivals, he most magmficently keeps the feast of St. Nicholas, as I learnt from a squire of his household the third day after my arrival at Orthfts. He holds this feast more splendidly than that of Ea.ster, and has a most magnificent court, as I myself noticed, being present on that day. The whole clergy of the town of Orthes, with all its inhabitants, walh in procession to seek tiie count at the castle, w*ho on foot returns with them to the church of St. Nicholas, where is sung the psalm "Benedictus Doniinus, Deus meus, qui docet manus meas ad proelium, et digitos meos ad bellum," from the Psalter of David, which, when finished, recommences, as is done in the chapels of the pope or king of France, on Christmas or Easter days, for there were plenty of choristers. The Bishop of Pamiers sang the mass for the day ; and I there heard organs play as me. lodiously as I have ever heard in any place. To speak briefly and truly, the count de Foix was perfect in per- son and in mind ; and no contempo- rary prince could be compared with him for sense, honor, or liberality. At the feasts of Christmas, which he kept with great solemnity, crowds of knights and squires from Gascony waited on him, to all of whom he gave eplendid entertainments. I saw there the bourg d'Espaign, of whose sur- prising strength sir Espaign du Lyon had told me, which made me more desirous to see him, and the count Bhowed him many civilities. I saw also knights from Arragon and Eng. land ; wliich last were of the house- hold of tile duke of Lancaster, who at that time resided at Bordeaux, whom the coimt received very gra- ciously, and presented with hand- some gifts. I made acquaintance with these knights, and by them was informed of several things which had happened in CastiUe, Navarre, and Portugal, which I shall clearly detail in proper time and place. I saw there also a Gascon squire, called le Bastot de MauMon, an expert man-at-arms, and about fifty years old, according to his appearance. He arrived at the hotel of the Moon, where I lodged with Ernauton du Pin, in grand array, having led horses with him like to a great baron, and he and his attendants were served on plate of gold and silver. When I heard his name, and saw how much re- spect the count de Foix and all the others paid him, I asked sir Es- paign du Lyon, "Is not this the squire who quitted the castle of Trigalet, when the duke of Anjou lay before Mauvoisin?" " Yes," replied he ; " and he is as able a captain and as good a man-at-arms as any existing." Upon this I besought his acquaintance, as he was lodged in the same hotel as myself, with a cousin of his, a Gascon, called .'Vrnauton, governor of Carlat in Auvergne, whom I well knew, and who assisted me in it, as did also the bourg de Copaire.* One night, as we were sitting round the fire chatting and waiting for midnight, which was the hour the count supped, his cousin be- gan a conversation relative to his former life, and asked him to tell his adventures and success in arms, without concealing loss or profit, M% I ''i"*^*' '^'^ '^""''^ ^^'^" remember them. Upon this he said, 'Sir John, have you in your chronicle what I am going to speak ' 1 d6 not know," replied I : " but begin your story, which I sand francs. The following year I was in Prussia with the count de Foix, and his cousin the captal, under whose command I was. On our return, we found the duchess of Normandy, the duchess of Orleans, and a great number of ladies and damsels, shut up in Meaux in Brie. The peasants had confined them in the market- place of Meaux, and would have violated them, if God had not sent us thither : for they were completely in their power, as they amounted to more than ten thousand, and the ladies were alone. Upward of six thousand Jacks were killed on the spot, and they never afterwards rebelled. ■--.,; " At this time there was a truce between the kings of France and England, but the king of Navarre continued the war on his own per- sonal quarrel with the regent of France. The count de Foix re- turned to his own country, but my master and self remained with the^king of Navarre and in his pay. We made, with tlie help of otiiers, a severe war on France ; particularly in Picardy, where we took many towns and castles in the bishoprics of Beauvois and Amiens : we weie masters of the country and rivers, and gained very large sums of money. When the truce expired between Franoe and England, the king of Navarre discontinued his war, as peace had been made between him and the regent. The king of England crossed the sea with a large army, and laid siege to Rheims, whither he sent for the captal, who at that time was at Clermont in Beauvoisis, carrying on the war on his own account. We joined the king of England and his children. But," said the squire, " I fancy you must have written all this, and how the king of England of?" shall be hi^py to hear ; for I cannot recollect every particular of my history, nor can I have been perfectly informed of everv event." " Tliat IS true," added the squire, and then began his history in these words : " The first time I bore arms was under the captal de Buch, at the battle of Poitiers : by good luck I made that day three prisoners, a knigh t and two squires, who paid me, one with the other, four thou- t. e. he assisted liiiii. BiSHOf or Pamiers sineing the Mass el the Festival of St. Nicholas, held hy the Count de Foix. The Organ drawn from Harl. MS. 3469. and Ihe Costume from a MS. Froissart of Fifteenth Century. broke up his siege through famine, and how he came before Char- tres, and how peace was made between the two kings." " That ia true," replied I : "I have all tlii.^', as well as the treaties which were then concluded." Upon this Bastot de MauMon thus continued Ms narration : " This treaty of peace being concluded, it was necessary for all men-at-arms and free companies, according to the words of the treaty, to evacuate the fortresses or castles they held. Great num- bers collected together, with many poor companions who had learnt the art of war under different commanders, to hold councils as to what quarters they should march, and they said among themselves, that though the kings had made peace with each other, it was ne- cessary for them to live. They marched into Burgundy, where they had captains of all nations, Germans, Scots, and people from every country. I was there also as a 'captain. Our numbers in Burgundy, above the river Loire, were upward of twelve thousand, including all sorts ; but I must say, that in this number, there were three or four thousand good men-at-arms, as able and understanding in war as any could be found, whether to plan an engagement, to seize a proper moment to fight, or to surprise and scale towns and castles, and well inured to war; which indeed w-e showed at the battle of Brignais, where we overpowered the constable of France, the count de Forfits, with full two thousand lances, knights, and squires. This battle was of great advantage to the companions, for they were poor, and they then enriched themselves by good prison- ers, and by the towns and castles which they took in the archbislv CHRONICLES'OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 373 opric of Lyons on the river Rhone. They carried on their warfare until they had gained tlie Pont dn St. Esprit : and the pope and car- dinals would not have been freed from them nntil they had destroyed everything, if they had not thought of a good expedient, by sending to Lombardy for the marquis de Montferrat, who was a gallant knight, and at that time at war with the lord of Milan. On his arri- ▼al at Avignon, the pope and cardinals had a conference H'ith him : and he negotiated with the English, Gascon, and German troops for their services, for sixty thousand francs, which the pope and cardi. nals paid to different leaders of these companies : such as sir John Hawkwood, a valiant English knight, sir Robert Bricquet, Carsuelle, Naudon le Bagerant, le bourg Camus, and many more. They marched into Lombardy, having surrendered the Pont du St. Esprit, and carried with them six parts of the companies ; but sir Sequin de Batefol, sir John Jewel, sir James Planchin, sir .Tohn Amery, le bourg de Pcrigord, Espiote, Louis Raimbaut, Limousin, James Trit- tel, and myself, with several others, remained behind. We had pos. session of Ance, St. Clement, la Barrellc, la Terrare, Brignais, le Pont St. Denis, l'H6pital d'Ortifart, and upward of sixty castles in the Maconnois, Forets, Velay, and in Lower Burgundy on the Loire. We ransomed the whole country, and they could only be freed from us by well paying. We took, by a night-attack, la Charite, which we held for a year and a half. Everything was ours from la Charity to Puy in Auvergne (for sir Sequin de Batefol had left Ance, and re. sided at Brioudc in Auvergne, where he made great profit, and gained there and in the adjacent country upward of one hundred thousand francs,) and below Loire as far as Orleans, with the com- mand of the whole river Allien The archpriest, who was then a good Frenchman, and governor of Nevers, could not remedy this ; but, being our old acquaintance, we sometimes complied with his entreaties to spare the country. The archpriest did great good to the Nivernois, by fortii'ying the city of Nevers, which otherwise would have been ruined several times: for we had in the environs upward of twenty-six strong places, as well towns as castles, and no knight, squire, nor rich man, dared to quit his home unless he had compounded with us ; and this war we carried on under the name and pretext of the king of Navarre. At this time happened the bat. tie of Cocherel,* where the captal de Buch commanded for the king of Navarre, and many knights and squires went from us to assist him : sir James Planchin and sir John Jewel carried with them two hundred lances. I held at this i]eriod a castle called le Bee d'.A.llier, pretty near to la Charite, on the road to the Bourhonnois, and had un- der me forty lances, where I made great profit from the countiy near Moulins, and about St. Pour^aint and St. Pierret le Moustier. When news was brought me that the captal, my master, was in Con- stantin, collecting men from all parts, having a great desire to see him, I left my castle with twel# lances, with whom I joined sir James Planchin and sir John Jewel, and without accident or adven- ture we came to the captal. I believe you must have all this in your history, as well as the event of the battle." " Yes, I have," said I : " how the captal was made prisoner, and sir James Plan, chin and sir John Jewel killed." " That is right," added he : " I also was made prisoner ; but good luck befell me, for it was to my cousin : he was cousin to my cousin now by my side the bourg de Cop aire: and his name was Bernard de Turide : he was killed in Portugal, at the affair of Aljubarrota. Bernard, then under the com- mand of sir Aymemon de Pommiers, ransomed me in the field t'or a thousand francs, and gave me a passport to return to my fort of Bee d'Alliers. Instantly on my arrival, I counted out to one of my ser- vants a thousand francs, which I charged him to carry to Paris, and to bring me back letters of acquittance for the payment, which he did. At this same season, sir John Aymery, an English knight, and the greatest captain we had, made an excursion down the Loire to. ward la Charity : he fell into an ambuscade of the lords de Rouge- ment and de Vendelay, with the men of the archpriest. They were the strongest, and overpowered him : he was made prisoner, and ransomed for thirty thousand francs, which he instantly paid down. He was, however, so much vexed at being captured, and with his loss, that he swore he would never reenter his fort until he had had his revenge. He collected, therefore, a large body of companions, and came to la Charity on the Loire, and entreated the captains, such as Lamit, Carsuelle, le bourg de Perigord, and myself (who were come thither for our amusement,) to accompany him in an ex- pedition. We asked him, 'Whither?' ' By my faith,' replied he, 'we will cross the Loire at port St. Thibaut, and scale the town and castle of Sancerre.§ I have made a vow, that I will never reenter my own castle until I shall have seen the boys of Sancerre ; and if we could conquer that garrison, with the earl's children within it, John, Louis, and Robert, we should be made men, and masters of the whole country. We may easily succeed in our attempt, for they pay no attention to us, and our remaining longer here is not of any advantage.' ' That is true,' we answered, and promised to accom- pany him, and went away to make ourselves ready. " It happened," continued le Bastot de Maul^on, " that our plot was • Baule ofCochercl. 1361. t Bl. Poutnain de Melcheres and St. Pouigain sar Vesbre. rillages of Bourbonnois, near Moulins. t '' St. Pierre le MoCilier"— a town of Nivernois, seven leagues from Moulins. 5 " Sancorte"— an ancient town in Berr)-, near the Loire, eight leagues from Bourges. discovered, and known to the town of Sancerre. A valiant squire from the lower part of Burgundy, called Guichart d'Albigon, was at the time governor of the town, who took great pains to guard it well. The earl's children, who were all three knights, were with him. This Guichart had a brother, a monk in the abbey of St. Thibaut, near Sancerre, who was sent by the governor to la Chajit Stephen de Valentin, sir Raymond de Courasse, sir Peter de Hausane, with full three hundred squires from Bcarn. Of French- men, there were sir John de Rue, sir Geoffry Ricon, sir Geoffry de Partenay, and many more. This was a very unfortunate event to the prisoners, as well as to the Portuguese ; for they put to death, this Saturday, as many good prisoners as would have been worth to them, taking one with another, four hundred thousand francs. When they had thus cleared the place, by putting every one to death (for none escaped but those who had been carried to the village of Aljubarota, where the baggage and stores were,) they again formed themselves in the same position and place as when the van battalion commenced their attack. The sun was now setting, when the king of Castille advanced in puissant array, with banners displayed, and on barbed horses, shout- ing out "Castille I" and entered the fortified pass. They were received with lances and battle-axes, and the first flight of arrows" grievously wounded their horses, threw them into confusion, and many were wounded or slain. The king of Castille, ignorant of the unfortunate fate of the van, imagining they were only prisoners, was anxious to deliver them, as you have heard. The battle raged with violence : many were thrown to the ground, and the Portuguese had not the advantage : they were forced to fight most valiantly, or they would have been overpowered : they owed their safety to the impos- sibility of being attacked but in one place. The king of Portugal- dismounted, and, taking his battle-axe, placed himself at the pass^ where he performed wonders, knocking down three or four of the stoutest of the enemy, insomuch that none dared to approach him. I must not omit to notice the manner in which the Spaniards gene- rally act in war. It is true they make a handsome figure on horse- back, spur off to advantage, and fight well at the first onset ; but as soon as they have thrown two or three darts, and given a stroke with their spears, without disconcerting the enemy, they take alarm, turn their horses' heads .snd save themselves by flight as well as they can :. this game they played at Aljubarota ; for they found their enemies- obstinate, and as fresh as if they had not had an engagement, whicb astonished them much ; and their surprise was increased by not hearing anything of the van battalion. The Spaniards had a hard afternoon's work, and the fortune of war was greatly against them : all who through courage, or a wish to distinguish themselves, had entered the fort of the Lisboners, were- cut to pieces ; for they could not ransom any, whether poor or noble, (such had been their orders) nor encumber themselves with prisoners. Verj' many of the nobles of Castille were there slain : among the greatest barons who suffered, were sir Dangommes Neudrich, sir Diego Parsament, don Pedro de Rourmont, sir Marc de Versaux, the grand-master of Calatrava, and his brother, who was that day created- a knight, and called sir Diego Moro, .^ir Peter Goussart de Modesque, don Pedro Goussart de Seville, don John Roderigo de la Rousselle, with upward of sixty barons and knights of Spain. There were not even at the battle of Najara, when the prince of Wales defeated the king, don Henry, so many nobles of Castille killed, as at this battle of Aljubarota, which was on a Saturday, the feast of our Lady, August, 1385. CHAPTER XVII. THE KING OF CASTILLE, AFTER HIS DEFEAT AT ALJCBAKOTA, KETKEATS- TO SANTAREM. THE KINO OF PORTUGAL RETORNS TO LISBON. A TRUCE IS CONCLUDED BETWEEN TUEM. When king Henry perceived that his anny was defeated, the van battalion having been totally destroyed, that sir Regiuald de Limou- sin, his marshal, was slain, and that the flower of his own chivalry, as well as that of France, which had come so willingly to serve him, were dead or disabled, he was mightily cast down, and knew not how to act. He saw his men flying in all directions, and heard them crying to him, " My lord, march away : it is time for you : the battle is over : you alone cannot conquer your enemies, nor repair your losses : your men are running away on all sides, for every one now looks to himself: you know, also, it will be prudent, at this moment, to follow their example, and if fortune is now against you, another time she may be more favorable." The king of Castille followed this advice : he changed his horse, and mounted a fresh one that had not been rode that day, and which had great speed. The king stuck, spurs into him, turned his back to his enemies, and made for Santa- rem, whither all the runaways, who wished to save themselves, followed. The king of Castille had that day ordered a knight of his house- 382 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. hold, called sir Peter Harem, to boar his helmet. This helmet was encircled with gold, and might be worth twenty thousand francs. The king intended wearing it at the battle, and had so ordered it the morning he marched from Santarcm, but did not do so ; for, when the army was forming, there was so great a crowd round the king, the knight could not come near, and, not hearing himself called, he ceased to attempt it. Shortly afterwards, he heard that the Portu- guese had gained the day, and saw liis own army (lying in all direc- «ions : fearful of losing so-rich a jewel as the king's helmet, that was valued so highly, he put it on his own head, not to lose it nor have it stolen from him by meeting the enemy, and fled : he did not follow the road to San'.arem, but took another, like to peop'.-; thunderstruck and discomfited ; but the greater part made for Santarem, where the king arrived i}i llie evening, confounded and cast down. After the defeat of tho Spaniards at Aljubarota, the Porluguese und Lisboncrs kept the field of battle : the slaughter was great, and ■would have been more if they had puraued the enemy ; for the Eng- lish seeing the enemy turn their backs, called aloud to the king of Portugal, " Sir king, let us mount our horses, and set out on the pui-suit, and all these runaways shall be dead men." " I will not," replied the king : " what we have done ought to satisfy us. Our men are fatigued, and have fought hard this evening : it is now so dark we shall not know whither we are going, nor how many are flying. Their army was very numerous, and perhaps this may be a stratagem to draw us out of our fort, and the more easily conquer us. We will this day guard the dead, and to-moiTow call a council and consider how we shall next act."' " By my faith," replied Hartscl, an Eng- lishman, " the dead are easily guarded : they will do us no hamt, nor shall we have any profit from them, for we have slain our rich pris- oners. We are strangers, come from a distance to serve you, and would willingly gain something from these calves that are flying without wings, and who drive their banners before them." " Fair brother," said the king, " all covet, all lose : it is much better that we remam on our guard, since the honor and victory are ours, through God's grace, than run any risk where there is no necessity for it. Thanks to God, we have enough to make you all rich." Nothing more was said on the subject. Thus, as I have related, happened th(^ battle of Aijul)arota, which the king of Portugal completely gained. There were slain about five hundred knights, and full as many, if not more, squires, which was a great pity, and six or seven thousand otlier men : God have mercy on their poor souls ! The king of Portugal and his men remained all night under arms, at their post without stirring, until about six o'clock on Sunday morn- ing. They ate a morsel standing or sitting, and quaffed a cup or so of wine, which was brought to them from the village of Aljubarota. At sunrise, the king of Portugal ordered twelve knights to mount their horses, and scour the country, to see if there were any bodies of men assembled together. When they had rode far and near, on their return, they said they had seen nothing but dead men. " Of them we have no fear," said the king, who gave orders for the army to march to the village of Aljubarota, where they were to halt the rest of the day and that night until Monday morning. Upon this they tieeamped, leaving the church of Aljubarota, and quartered them, selves in the village the whole of Sunday and the following night. Ou Monday morning, it was ordered in council that they ahould return to Lisbon, and the trumpets sounded to decamp. They then formed themselves in handsome array, and took the road to Lisbon. On the Tuesday, the king entered the city, amid an immense con. course of people, with great glory and triumph, and was conducted by a numerous company of minstrels, and a long procession of churchmen, who had come out to meet him as far as the palace. As he rode through the streets, all the people, and even the children, paid him the greatest respect and reverence, shouting out, " Long live the noble king of Portugal 1 to whom God has been gracious in giv. ing victory over the potent king of Castille, the gain of the field and discomfiture of his enemies." By this fortunate victory which the king of Portugal had over don John of Castille, as I have just related, lie won so much the affections of all Portugal, that those, who before this battle had dissembled their sentiment.^, now came to Lisbon, ■took the oaths, and paid their homage to him, saying, he was worthy to live, and God must love him when gave liim the victory over a king more powerful than himself, and that he deserved to wear a crown. Thus did the king acquire the love of his subjects, more es- pecially of the vvhole commonalty of the kingdom. We will now say something of the kmg of Castille, who, after his defeat, retreated to Santarem, regrettmg and bewailing the loss of his men, and cursmg the hard fate he had had, when such numbers of noble knights of his kingdom, as well as those from France, lay dead on the field. At the time he entered the town of Santarem, he knew nut the greatness of his loss, but was made acquainted with it on the Sunday, when he seiu his heralds to examine the field of bat. tic, having imagined the greater part of those barons and knights whom tliey found lying dead, had been prisoners to the Portuguese. He was so much enraged when the heralds relumed, on learning the names of those who had fallen, and the certainty of their deaths, that he could not be appeased or comfurted. He declared with an oath, he should never again taste joy, lor the loss of so manv noble knights, who had perished through his fault. At the end of the three days the king had passed at Santarem, his knight, sir Martin Harene,* came into the town, bringing with him his majesty's helmet, which was estimated at twenty thousand francs, on account of the rich jewels with which it was ornamented. Much had been said on this subject in the king's household, and some had declared he had fraudulently canied it oft', and would never moro return. When the knight came before the king, he cast himself on his knees, and made such fair excuses that the king and council held him blameless. Things remained in this state, and the king of Gas. tille returned to Burgos, the twenty-fifth day after his arrival at San- tarem, having dismissed his whole army. Negotiations were now entered on between the kings of Castille and Portugal, and a truce was made between ihem and their allies, as weW on land as at sea, from Michaelmas until the first day of May. The bodies of the barons and knights who had been slain at^iVljubarota, were buried in that and in the neighboring churches: the bones of many were carried by their servants to their own countries. CHAPTER XVIII. THE COnNT DE FOI.X IS RAPIDLY, AND IN A SECRET MANNER, INFORMED 01 IVHAI HAD HAPPENED AT ALJUBAROTA. FROISSART, !K CONSECiUZNCE OF THIS, RELATES A STORY WHICH HAD BEEN TOLD HIM OF A FAMILIAR SPIRIT, CALLED ORTIION, WHO SERVED THE LORD DE CORASSE IN THE LIKE MANNEP.. A FACT I am about to relate will astonish my readers, if they con- sider and pay any attention to it. It was told me in the hotel of the count de Foix, at Orth^s, and by the same person who had informed me of the battle of Aljubarota, and the event of that day. I will therefore narrate it ; for, ever since the squire related it to me, I have much thought on it, and shall do so as long as I live. It is a fact, as the squire assured me, that the count de Foix was informed, the day after the battle of Aljubarota, of everything that had there happened, the same as I have related it, which surprised me exceedingly how this could possibly have been. The whole days of Sunday, Monday, and the following Tuesday, he was in his castle of Orthes, and made such poor and melancholy meals that not one word could be drawn from him ; nor would he, during that time, quit his chamber, nor speak to knight or squire, however nearly they were related by blood, unless he had sent for him ; and it also happened, tiiat he even sent for some, to whom he never opened his lips during these three days. On the Tuesday, in the evening, he called his brother Arnold WiUiam, and said to him in a low voice, " Our people have had a desperate battle, which has vexed me very much, for it has happened to them just as I had fore- told at their departure." Arnold William, v\'ho was a wise man and a prudent knight, well acquainted with the temper of his brother, was silent. The count, anxious to cheer up his courage, for he had too long nurtured in his breast this sad news, added, " By God, sir Arnold, it is just as I have told you; and very soon we shall have news of it. Never has the country of Beam suffered so severely for these hundred years past, as it has now at this battle in Portugal." Many knights and squires who were present, and heard the words of the count, were afraid to speak, but commented within themselves on them. Within ten days, the truth was known fron? those who had been in the battle, and they first told the count, and all who wished to hear them, everything relative to their disputes withthe Castilliaris and the event of the battle at Aljubarota. This renewed the grief of the count, and of those persons belonging to the country, who had lost brothers, relations, children, or friends. " Holy Mary '." said I to the squire, " how was it possible for tho count to know, or even to guess at it, on the moiTOW after it had happened ?" " By my faith," re- plied he, " he knew it well enough, as it appeared afterwards." "Is he a wizard, then," said I, " or has he messengers who ride on the winds ? for he must have some secret art." Upon this, the squire began to laugh, and said, " In truth, he must have know n it by means of necromancy. We indeed are ignorant in tVis country, how he manages, but we have our suspicions." Upon this, I said to tlie squire, " Now do have the goodness to tell me what your suspicions are, and I shall be very much obliged to you. If it be necessary to keep it secret, I will be silent, and never open my mouth on the sub- ject as long as I live or remain in this country." " 1 must entreat Ihat of you," replied the squire, " for I would not have it known that I had told it to you; for we only speak of it secretly when among our friends." Upon this, he drew me aside to a corner of the vault of the chapel of Orthfes, and thus began his tale : " About twenty years ago, there lived a baron in this country, called Raymond, lord of Corasse. You must understand, that Co- rasse is a town seven leagues distant from Orthte. This lord of Corasse had a suit at Avignon, before the pope, for the tithes of his church, against a priest of Catalonia : this priest was very learned who claimed these tithes, which were worth a hundred florins a year. He proved his right so clearly that pope Urban V. in full con- sistory, gave a definitive judgment in favor of the priest, condemning the kniglit to costs of suit. The priest obtained a copy of this sen- tence, and hastened to B^arn, where showing it, and his bulls from * His name is nut mentioned in the printed cnpies until now, but lie is called in my MSS. Peter Harem. I CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 383 the pope, he obtaiiied possession of the tithes. The. lord de Co- rasse, bting doubiful of the priest and of liis designs, went to him tind said . ' Master Peter, or master .Martin (according as he was called,) do you tliiiik I will lose my inheritance through the papers you have brought hither? I do not believe you will be bold enough to c»llect anything belonging tu me ; for il' you do, your life shall pay for it. Go elsewhere and seek for benefices, for you shall not have anything from my estates ; and, imce for all, I forbid you to take any lithe.^.' The c\rrk wa= fearful of the knight, as he knew him to be a ciiiel man, and dared not persevere, but resolved to re. turn to Avignon, wliich he did. Before he set out, he came again to the lord de Corasse, and said to him : ' By force, and not by jus- tice, you deprive me of the rights of my church, for which, in con- science, you behave c.>:ceedingly ill. I am not so powerful in this country as you are ; but know, that as soon as I possibly can, I will send you a champion that you will be more afraid of than you have hitherto been of me.' The lord do Corasse, not alarmed at his men- aces, replied : ' Go, in God's name go : do what thou canst : I fear thee neither dead nor alive ; and for thy speeches I will not lose my property.' The clerk then departed, and went I know not whether to Catalonia or to Avignon, but did not forget what he had told the lord de Corasse on leaving him ; for, about three months after, when the knight least thought of it, and was sleeping in his bed with his lady, in his casde of Corasse, there came invisible messengers, who made such a noise, knocking about everything they met with in the castle, as if they were determined to destroy all within it : and they gave such loud raps at the door of the chamber of the knight, that the lady was exceedingly frightened. The knight heard it all, but did not say a word, as he would not have it appear that he was alarmed, for he was a man of sufficient courage for any adventure. These noises and tumults continued, in ditTerent parts of the castle, for a considerable time, and then ceased. On the morrow, all the servants of the household assembled, and went to their lord, and said: ' My lord, did you not hear what we all heard this night?' The lord de Corasse dissembled, and replied, ' What is it you have heard ?' They then related to him all the noises and rioting they had heard, and that the plates in the kitchen had been broken. He began to laugh, and said, 'it was nothing: that they had dreamed it, or that it had been the wind.' ' In the name of God,' added the lady, ' I well heard it.' " On the following night, the noises and rioting were renewed, but much louder than before ; and there were such blows struck against the door and windows of the chamber of the knight, that it seemed they would break them down. The knight could no longer desist from leaping out of his bed, and calling out, ' Who is it that at this hour thus knocks at my chamber door ?' He was instantly answered, ' It is I.' ' And who sends thee hither ?' asked the knight. ' The clerk of Catalonia, whom thou hast much wronged : for thou hast deprived him of the rights of his benefice : I will, therefore, never leave thee quiet, until thou hast rendered him a just account, with which he shall be contented.' ' What art thou called,' said the knight, 'who art so good a messenger?' ' My name is Orthon.' ' Orthon,' said the knight, ' serving a clerk will not be of much ad- vantage to thee ; for, if thou believest him, he will give thee great trouble : I beg thou wilt therefore leave him and serve me, and I shall think myself obliged to thee.' Orthon was ready with his an- swer, for he had taken a liking to the knight, and said, ' do you wish it V ' Yes,' replied the knight ; ' but no harm must be done to any one within these walls.' 'Oh no,' answered Orthon: ' I have no power to do ill to any one, only to awaken thee and disturb thy rest, or that of other persons.' ' Do what I tell thee,' added the knight : ' we shall well agree ; and leave this wicked priest, for he is a worthless fellow, and serve me.' 'Well,' replied Orthon, 'since thou wilt have it so, I consent.' " Orthon took such an affection to the lord de Corasse, that he came often to see him in the night-time ; and, when he found him sleeping, he pulled his pillow from under his head, or made great noises at the door or windows ; so that, when the knight was awakened, he said, ' Orthon, let me sleep.' ' I will not,' replied he, ' until I have told thee some news.' The knight's lady was so much frightened, the hairs of her head stood on end, and she hid her- self under the bedclothes. ' Well,' said the knight, ' and what news hast thou brought me ?' Orthon replied, ' I am come from England, Hungary, or some other place, which I left yesterday, and isuch and .such things have happened.' Thus did the lord de Co- rasse know by means of Orthon all things that were passing in dif- ferent parts of the world ; and this connection continued for five years ; but he could not keep it to himself, and discovered it to tb.e count de Foi.x, in the manner I will tell you. The first year, the lord de Corasse came to the count de Foi.x at Orthes, or elsewhere, and told him, ' My lord, such an event has happened in England, in Scotland, Germany, or some other country ;' and the count de Foix, whe found all this intelligence prove true, marvelled greatly how he could have acquired such early information, and entreated him so earnestly, that the lord de Corasse told him the means by which he had acquired his intelligence, and the manner of its communication. When the count de Foix heard this, he was much pleased, and said, ' Lord de Corasse, nourish the love of your intelligencer : I wish I had such a messenger : he costs you nothing, and you are truly in- formed of everything that passes in the world.' ' My lord,' replied the knight, ' I will do so.' The lord de Corasse was served by Or- thon for a long time. I am ignorant if Orthon had more than one master ; but two or three times every week he visited the knight, and told him all the news of the countries he had frequented, which he wrote immediately to the count de Foix, who was nuich delighted therewith, as there is not a lord in the world more eager after news from foreign parts than he is. Once, when the lord de Corasse was in conversation on this subject with the count de Foix, the count said, ' Lord de Corasse, have you never yet seen your messenger ?' ' No, by my faith, never ; nor have I ever pressed him on this mat- ter.' ' I wonder at that,' replied the count : ' for had he been so much attached to me, I should have begged of him to have shown himself in his own proper form ; and I entreat you will do so, that you may tell how he is made, and what he is like. You have said, that he speaks Gascon as well as you or I do.' ' By my faith,' said the lord de Corasse, ' he converses just as well and as properly ; and, since you request it, I will do all I can to see him.' " It fell out, when the lord de Corasse, as usual, was in bed with his lady (who was now accustomed to hear Orthon without being frightened,) Orthon arrived, and shook the pillow of the knight, who was asleep. On waking, he asked who was there ? Orthon replied, ' It is I.' ' And where dost thou come froin ?' ' I come from Prague in Bohemia.' ' How far is it hence ?' * Sixty days' journey,' replied Orthon. ' And hast thou returned thence in so short a time ?' ' Yes, as may God help me : I travel as fast as the wind, or faster.' ' What, hast thou got wings ?' ' Oh, no.' ' How, then canst thou fly so fast?' ' That is no business of yours.' 'No" said the knight. ' I should like exceedingly to see what form thou hast, and how thou art made.' ' That does not concern you to know,' replied Orthon ; ' be satisfied that you hear me, and that I bring you intelligence you may depend on.' ' By God,' said the lord de Corasse, ' I should love thee better if I had seen tliee.' ' Well,' replied Orthon, ' since you have such a desire, the first thing you shall see to-morrow morning, in quitting your bed, shall be myself ' I am satisfied,' said the knight ; ' you may now de. part : I give thee thy liberty for this night.' " When morning came, the knight arose, but his lady was so much frightened she pretended to be sick, and said she would not leave her bed the whole day. The lord de Corasse willed it otherwise. ' Sir,' said she, ' if I do get up, I shall see Orthon ; and, if it please God, I would neither see nor meet him.' ' Well,' replied the knight, 'I am determined to see him;' and, leaping out of his bed, he seated himself on the bedstead, thinking he should see Orthon in his own shape ; but he saw nothing that could induce him to say he had seen him. When the ensuing night arrived, and the lord de Corasse was in bed, Orthon came and began to talk in his usual manner. ' Go,' said the knight ; ' tliou art a liar : thou oughtest to have shown thyself tome this morning, and hast not done so.' ' Nol' replied Orthon ; ' but I have.' ' I say, no.' ' And did you see no. thing at all when you leaped out of bed ?' The lord de Corasse was silent, and, having considered awhile, said, * Yes ; when sittii.g on my bedside, and thinking of thee, I saw two straws which were turning and playing together on the floor.' ' That was myself,' re. plied Orthon, ' for I had taken that form.' The lord de Corasse said, ' That will not satisfy me ; I beg of thee to assume some other shape, so that I may see thee and know thee.' Orthon answered, ' You ask so much that you will ruin me and force me away from you, for your requests are too great.' ' You .shall not quit me,' said the lord de Corasse ; ' if I had once seen thee, I should not again wish it.' ' Well,' replied Orthon, ' you shall see me to-morrow, if you pay attention to the first thing you observe when you leave your chamber.' ' I am contented,' said the knight ; ' now go thy ways, for I want to sleep.' Orthon departed. On the morrow, about the hour of eight, the knight had risen and was dressed ; on leaving his apartment, he went to a window which looked into the court of the castle. Casting his eyes about, the first thing he ob- served was an immensely large sow ; but she was so poor, she seemed only skin and bone, with long hanging ears all spotted, and a sharp-pointed lean snout. The lord de Corasse was disgusted at such a sight, and, calling to his servants, said, ' Let the dogs loose quickly, for I will have that sow killed and devoured.' The servants hastened to open the kennel, and to set the hounds on the sow, who uttered a loud cry and looked up at the lord de Corasse, leaning on the balcony of his window, and was never seen afterwards ; for sho vanished, and no one ever knew what became of her. " The knight returned quite pensive to his chamber, for he then recollected what Orthon had told him, and said, ' I beUeve I have seen my messenger Orthon, and repent having set my hounds on him, for perhaps I may never see liim more : he frequently told me, that if I ever angered him, I should lose him.' He kept his word, for never did he return to the h6tcl de Corasse, and the knight died the following year. Thus have I related to you the history of Orthon, and how for a time he supplied the lord de Cofasse with intelligence." " That is true," said I to the squire ; " but, with what intent have you told it ? Does the count de Foix make use of such a messenger?" " In good truth, that is the real opinion of several of the inhabitants of Beam ; for there is nothing done in this country or elsewhere but what he instantly knows, when he sets his heart on it, even when it 384 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. is the least suspected. Thus it was respecting the inteUigence lie told us of our good knights and squires, who had fallen in Portugal. The reputation and belief of his possessing tliis knowledge is of great service to him, for there would not be lost a gold or silver spoon, or anything of less value, in tliis country, without his instantly knowing of it." I then took ray leave of t)ie squire, and joined other com. pany, with whom I chatted and amused myself. However, I kept in my memory every particular of the tale he had told me, as is now apparent. I will leave for a while the affairs of Spain and Portugal, and speak of those of Brittany, Languedoc, and France. CHAPTER XIX. SIESE IS LAID TO BREST. ST. F0K8ET AND SEVERAL OTHER ENGLISH 6ARKIS0NS IN THE ENVIRONS OF TOULOCSE ARE RECOVERED BT THE FRENCH. DoRiNO the time these matters were passing in Castille and in distant countries, sir Oliver de Clisson, constable of France, ordered a blockhouse to be built before the castle of Brest in Brittany, which the English held, and had done so for a considerable time, and would not quit it, neither for the king of France nor for the duke of Brit- tany, to whom it belonged. The dukes of Berry and Burgundy, and the king's council, had frequently written on this subject to the duke of Brittany ; for at tliat time, as you know, the young king of France was under the government of his uncles. They had entreated the duke of Brittany to exert himself to conquer the castle of Brest, which being held by tlie English was mucli to his discredit. The duke, in compliance with tiieir entreaties, as well as knowing him. self to be the lord of Brest, had once besieged it, but had not pushed it forward : when he marched away, he said nothing could be done : at which several knights and squires of Brittany murmured behind his back, saying that he feigned and dissembled, as those who held it were his great friends, and that he would not on any account wish it even in his own possession, nor in tliat of the king of France ; for, if the French had it, he woidd not be the master, but be much weak, ened by it ; and, as long as the English held it, the French would not dare to anger him. The constable of France, having considered the whole business, thought that, if the duke of Brittany were indifferent as to the recov- ering the town and castle of Brest from the hands of the enemies of France, it would be dishonorable to liim and to the nobles of Brit, tany. He therefore ordered it to be besieged, and sent thither great numbers of knights and squires, under the command of the lord de Malestroit, the viscount de la Belliere, Morfonace, and the lord de Rochederrien. These four valiant men laid their siege as near to Brest as was possible, and erected a large and fair blockhouse of wood, surrounding also, the place with palisadoee and walls, so that the garrison was shut up from all communication but by sea : on that side it was not possible for them to surround them. There were frequent skinnishes before Brest ; for those companions who were fond of arms advanced gayly to the barriers, where they called out the garrison and fought with them until some were killed or wounded, and then they retired : scarcely a day passed without some warlike deeds being done. At this period there was in the Toulousain a valiant knight from France, called sir Walter de Pa.ssac : he was an expert captain and excellent man-at-arms, and born in Berry, on the borders of Limou. sin. Before his arrival, sir Hugh de Froideville, seneschal of Tou. louse, and sir Roger d'Espaign, seneschal of Carcassonne, had written to the king and council of the state of Toulouse and Rabastens ;* that several gallant companions from the garrisons of Lourde and chattel Cuillet had made war successfully for the English ; and hav- ing possession of Saint Forget, la Bassere,t le Mesnil, Pomperon, Convalle, Rochefort, JuUians.t Navarot, and some other forts, they liad surrounded the good city of Toulouse, so that the inhabitants could not quit it, nor the farmers labor their vineyards or gardens but with great risk, for there was neither truce nor any composition entered into between them. They were commanded by an able man from Biscay, called Espaignolet, who performed wonders and took by scalado the castle of Erniaille, wliile its master, sir Raymond, was absent at Toulouse, and kept possession for upward of one year. During this time, he dug a mine that, after passing under the apart, ments, opened to the fields, which, when finished, was so well cov. ered, that no one would imagine there was a subterraneous passage under the castle. When about this, the lord of Ermaille was treat, ing with Espaignolet respecting the sum for which he would surrender to him his castle ; and, on the mine being completed, he yielded the castle to sir Raymond for two thousand francs, who, ha'vin" again possession, had it repaired and strengthened. Not fifteen days passed before Lspaignolet advanced with his men to the mouth of this mine, which they entered about midnight, gained the castle, and took the knight in his bed, whom he again ransomed for two thousand francs, and theti allowed him to depart : but Espaignolet kept possession of the castle, which he strongly garrisoned, and much harassed the country from thence with others of his companion^ For these and such like causes was sir Walter de'Passac sent into • " Rab!«tens"-a town of Upper Longuodoc. ninelengues from Toulouse 1 LaBiissere"-avUIegcnearToibcs. l"Jullmns"-a village ueaiTarbes. Languedoc, witli full powers over all the troops in that district, and to free the country from these pillagers and robbers. Having sent letters to sir Roger d'Espaign and sir Hugh de Froideville, and other leaders, they came to serve under him with all their men. Sir Roger brought sixty lances and one hundred men with shields ; and the seneschal of Rouergue, with sir Hugh de Froideville, joined him with as many, if not more. When they were all assembled, they amounted to four hundred spears, and upward of one thousand aimed with shields, including lusty varlets. The son of the lord d'Esterack was there, with a handsome company ; and also the lord de Barba- san, sir Benedict de FaignoUes, and sir William Conderom, a Breton, with his rout. They marched from Toulouse straight to St. Forget, where they halted. It was then commanded by a B^arnois, called le bourg de TaiUesac, a grand marauder. When these lords had drawn up their troops, the attack commenced, and the cross-bowmen shot so briskly, scarcely any of the garrison dared to show themselves in its defence for fear of the arrows ; but the French did not gain it at this first assault. In the evening they retired to repose and refresh themselves, as they had brought plenty of everything with them. On the morrow, the trumpets sounded for a renewal of the attack, when the lords, with their men, gallantly marched to the foot of the ditches. Whoever had seen them thus advancing, their heads cov- ered with shields, with their lances measuring the depth of the water in the ditches, would have had much pleasure. When the first ranks had passed through, the others did not delay following, or they would have been gi-eatly blamed for remaining behind. This second party carried pick.axes and iron crows to batter the walls ; and, in so doing, they fastened their shields on their heads, to ward off the stones and other things that were thrown at them from the battle, ments : but they suffered little from this, as the cross-bows posted on the banks, by their alertness in shooting prevented many from appearing. They shot so well, as hardly ever to miss what they aimed at ; and several on the walls were mortally struck on their heads by the small bolts, which caused many in the garrison to dread their blows. The attack was so long and successfully contin. ued that a large breach was made in the wall. This alarmed those within, who oflered to surrender on having their lives spared ; but they were not listened to, and fell into such good hands that every one was put to death, for sir Walter had ordered no quarter to be given. Thus did the barons and knights of p^ ranee regain the cas- tle of St. Forget, which sir Walter gave up to its proper owner, who had lost it last year from neglect of well guarding it, as several other castles in France had been formerly lost in like manner. When the knight was repossessed of his castle, he had it repaired where wanted ; for the French had done much damage by their attack. The French then marched to tlie castle of la Bassere, of which Ernauton de Batefol was captain. He had strongly fortified it, in expectation of the visit the French intended him. On their arrival, they reconnoitred it on all sides, to see where they could better make their attack, and with the least loss to their men : having carefully examined it, they posted themselves opposite the weakest part. The cross-bowmen were ordered to advance before those intended for the assault, and they did their duty so well that few dared to appear on the battlements. Ernauton de Batefol was at the gate where the attack was the sharpest, performing such wonders in arms that the French knights cried out, " Here is a squire of great valor, who be- comes his arms well, and makes excellent use of them ; it would not be amiss to treat with him to surrender the castle, and seek his for. tune elsewhere : let him be informed, that if sir Walter de Passac conquer it by storm, no power on earth can save him ; for he has sworn to put to death, or have hanged, all whom he may find in any castle or fort." The seneschal de Toulouse then charged a squire from Gascony, named William Aliedcl, who was well ac- quainted with Ernauton, they having formerly borne arms together, to talk with him on the subject. He willingly undertook it ; for he would have been very sorry if Ernauton had suffered loss of honor or death, as other things could be remedied. William stepped forward, and made signs to Ernauton that he wanted to speak to him on what nearly concerned him, to which his friend assented ; and the assault was at that place discontinued, though not elsewhere. " Ernauton," said William, " you arc risking too much : our leaders have compassion on you, and send me to tell you, that should you be taken, sir Walter de Passac has strictly or- dered you to be instantly put to death, as he has done to those who were in St. Forget. It is, therefore, much better for you to surren. der the place, as I would advise, than to wait the event ; for I can assure you, we shall not depart before we be masters of it." " I know very well," replied Ernauton, " that, although you now bear arms against me, you would never advise anything disgraceful to my honor ; but if I do surrender, all who are with mc must be saved likewise ; and we must carry away with us as much as we can, ex- cepting the provisions, and be conducted in safety to the castle of Lourde." " I am not commissioned," answered William, " to go so far, but I will cheerfully mention it to my commanders." On this, he returned to the seneschal of Toulouse, and related what you have heard. Sir Hugh de Froideville said, " Let us go and apeak with sir Walter; for I know not what lys intentions may be, although I have advanced so far in the treaty ; but I fancy we shall make him agree to it." CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 385 When they came to sir Walter, tliey found liim engaged in as- 1 become of us ; for there is not one man in the army that is acquainted saulting another part of the caslle ; the seneschal addressed him, | with tliis mine." His proposal was agreed to : and that snmB ' Sir Walter, I have opened a treaty with the captain of the castle who is willing to surrender the place as it is, on condition that him- self and garrison be spared and escorted to Lourde, and that they carry away everj'thing but the provision : now, what do you say to this ? We should lose more, if any of our knights or squires were killed by arrows or stones : and you would have more sorrow than profit, even should you win it and put all to death ; but that is not yet done ; it will cost us many lives ; for it will not be so easily con- quered as St. Forget." " That is true," added the seneschal of Carcassonne, who was present : " it is impossible but in such attacks there must be many killed and wounded." Sir Walter de Passac then said, " I am willing to consent : order the attacks to cease. We have still farther to march ; and, by litde and little, we shall gain all these castles from the pillagers ; if they escape from us cheaply at this moment, they will fall into our hands again some time hence, when they shall pay for all. Ill deeds bring the doers to an ill end. I have hanged and drowned in my time more than five hundred such scoundrels, and these will at last come to the same fate," William Aliedel and others then returned to the gate, where Er- nauton was waiting for them, to conclude the treaty. " By my troth, Ernauton," said W^illiam, "you and your companions ought to give many thanks to God and to sir Hugh de Froideville, for he has obtained for you your own terms of surrender. You and your garrison may depart hence, taking with you all you are able to carry, and will be escorted to Lourde." " I am satisfied," replied Er- nauton, " since it cannot be otherwise ; but know, William, I am very sorry to quit my casde, which has been of infinite service to me since my capture at the bridge of Tournay, below Mauvoisin, by the bourg d'Espaign, who made me pay two thousand francs for my ransom ; indeed, to say the truth, I have more than repaid my- self the loss since I have been here. I have been so long in this part of the country that I like it well ; and whenever I wished to make an excursion, I always was fortunate in meeting with prey, that fell into my hands, from some merchant from Rabastens, Tou. louse, or Rodais." "Ernauton," answered William, "I readily believe you ; but if you will turn to the French, I will obtain your pardon, and put a thousand francs into your purse besides : and will pledge my honor that you be steady to the French interest, when once you have sworn so to do." " Many thanks," said Ernauton ; " but I like not your party, and will remain firm to the English ; for, as God may help me, I do not think I can ever be a good French- man. Return now to your army, and say that we shall employ this day in packing up ; but we will surrender the place to-morrow and depart : you will therefore order an escort to conduct us to Lourde." The attacks on la Bassere had ceased, and the French retired to their quarters, where they refreshed themselves at their ease, for they had wherewithal so to do. On the morrow, by eight o'clock, the army wa.s drawn out, and those who were to escort the garrison selected. Sir Weaker then sent the stSneschal of Toulouse to take possession of the castle, where he found Ernauton with his com- panions and their baggage packed, and all ready to set out. He ordered a knight of Lourde, called Sir Mouvant de Salenges, to es- cort them, which he undertook to do safely ; and I believe kept his word. This castle was given to Bortrand de Montesquieu, a squire of that country to guard, as well as the territory adjacent. The army then marched away, and came before a castle colled Pulpiron ; it was in the possession of marauders, under the command of -\nge- rot and le petit Meschin, who had done much damage to the counti-y round about. Sir Walter de Passac had sworn by the soul of his father, that in return for the mischief they had done, he would never grant them mercy, but hang them the moment he could lay hands on them. The army laid siege to this castle, which is seated on a rock, whence the view is extensive and pleasant. On forming the siege, sir Wal. ter again swore he would never depart until he had gained it, and taken all within, who should not be allowed to surrender and go away, if they even wished it. Many attacks were made : but the French failed in all, as it was ably defended. "I know not," said sir Waller, " how things may tmn out ; the king of France is rich enough to keep up the siege, and if I remain here a whole year, I will not leave it until I be the master." What he had said was attended to, and all things necessary for a long siege were done. The two captains in the castle, seeing the French were determined not to depart wiihout having gained it, cost what it would, began to feel alarmed, and thought it advisable to leave it, whether their ene- mies would or not. They could easily do so at their pleasure, for there was a subten'aneons passage, that had an outlet half a league from the castle, of which the French had not any suspicion. When An. gerot noticed how the besiegers had posted themselves, and seemed resolved to have them by famine or otherwise, he said to his com- panions, " Gentlemen, I find the lord de Passac hates us mortally, and that by a blockade he will starve u?. He may easily do it, if he erect a small fort and garrison it wilh only one hundred lances ; for we shall then be prevented quitting the castle. I therefore propose, that we this night pack up all we can cany, and sally through the mine, which is wide enough and opens into a small wood hard by. We shall thos be out of all danger before any one knows what is night, having packed up their all, they entered the subterranean passage with lighted torches, and issued out in a wood half a league trom the castle. There were those with them able to conduct them tjirough by-roads to other fortresses in Limousin and Rouergue Some, however, the moment they were out of danger, departed dif! terent ways, saying, they would not carry on the war longer Au gerot with four others, went to a castle in Perigord, called Mont Koyal, where the lord of it received them handsomely ; for he and his dependents were entirely English, and would never turn French when others did so, and many were of his wav of thinkincr. Thus did the garrison of Pulpiron escape, not leaving a single varlet be hind ; and, before it was known to the army, they had arrived at the different places whither they intended going. On the third day after the garrison were gone away, the command. ers of the army ordered an assault. They had made a large machine four stones high, and each story would hold twenty cross-bows' When this machine was completed, which thev called a Passavant' It was moved to what they thought the weakest place of the walls' and Genoese cross-bowmen were posted in it. The cross-bows began shooting, but as no one appeared on the battlements, they imagined the castle was empty, and ceased to shoot, for they were unwilling to lose their bolts and arrows. They left the machine, and surprised their captains by their sudden return. They said : " Mv lords, the garrison have certainly quitted the castle ; for there is not a man within it." " How can you know this ?" replied sir Walter. " We know, that notwithstanding our shooting, not one showed himi self." Ladders were upon this ordered to be affixed to the walls, and lusty varlets, proper for the business, to ascend them. They mounted without opposition, for the castle was empty ; and having passed the walls and ascended into the court, they found near the gate a large bunch of keys, among which was that of the gate. They with some difficulty, opened it and the barriers. ' The lords were much surprised ; but more especially sir Walter de Passac, who thought it must have been by enchantment they had been able thus to escape, and asked his knights how it could have been done. The seneschal of Toulouse replied : " That if they were gone, it must have been through some subterraneous passage." The castle was searched, and this passage discovered in the cellars, with the door wide open. The lords would examine it ; and sir Walter said to the seneschal of Toulouse : " Did not you know of this pas sage, sir Hugh ?" •' By my faith," he replied, " I certainly have heard that such a thing was in this castle ; but I forgot it, and never imagined they would have made use of it." " But in God's name they have done so," answered sir Walter, " as is very clear. Have all the castles in this country similar mines and passages ?" " Sir " said sir Hugh, " there are many castles which have been built in the same manner, particularly all those that belonged to Reginald de Montauban; for when he waged war against king Charlemagne ■of France, he had them so well built, by the advice of Maugis his cousin, that when the king was besieging them with his whole power, and resistance would have been vain, they made use of their tunnels, and departed without taking leave." " By my troth," said sir Walter, " I admire the thought. I know not if any king, duke, or neighbor I have, will make war upon me ; but on my return home I will have instantly built, at my castle of Passac, just such a passage." Here ended this conversation. They took possession of the castle, and having placed a good garrison therein to guard it, they began' their march toward the town and castle of Couvalle,* in which were Espaignolet de Papercau, a Biscayan, and a number of pillagers. SOME OTHER CHAPTER XX. THR CASTLE OF CONTALLE IS STORMED BY THE FRENCH. FORTRESSES TURN TO THE FRENCH INTEREST. Sir Walter de Pas.sac, with his army, came before Convalle, and surrounded it on all sides. Having called to him the seneschal of Toulouse, he said : " Was this one of sir Reginald de Montauban's castles?" He answered, that it was. " Then it has a subterraneous passage like his others." "Ay, in God's name truly there is one; for by means of this passage did Espaignolet take the castle a second time and the lord within it." "Order the knight to whom it belongs, and who is with ns, to come hither; for it will be proper," added sir Walter, "that we first get information from him." On sir Raymond de Convalle appearing, he was asked concerning the strength of the place, and if there were a subterraneous passage like that of la Bas- sere. He replied, that it was by such means he had been captured ; lint he had long ago stopped it up as useless; " but these robbers who keep possession of my castle have repaired it, and entered the caslle through it." "And do you know its issue?" "Yes, my lord: it opens into a wood not far hence." " It is well, by God," said sir Walter, and was then silent. At the end of four days, sir Walter was conducted by sir Raymond to the opening of the mine in the wood, accompanied by two hundred of the country peasants well * This place is called before * note, D. Sauvaoe. Ennaille,'* Sala calls it " CrimaiUe."— .J/oT-^Turf 386 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. armed. When arrived at the entrance, he had all the earth and thorns cleared away from before it, and a number of torches lighted, and said to those with him : " Enter this passage, which will lead you to the hall of the castle : when you come to the door, break it open, for you are sufficiently strong to do it, and to combat all you ehall'find in the castle." They replied, they would cheerfully obey. Having entered the passage, they came to the steps that lead to the door of t°he hall, and began to make use of their a.\es and hammers in battering the door. As it was about night-fall, the ganison kept a good watch, and heard them working in the mine to enter the cas. tie. They instantly informed Espaignolet of it ; he was going to bed, but he advised them to place benches, stones, and other things in the doorway, to embarrass it so much that they might not enter. This was instantly done, and no better defence could have been made ; for although their opponents had cut the door into a thousand pieces, they found their difficulties so increase upon them, they gave it uji, and returned about midnight to tell their lords, how the garrison, having heard them, had blocked up the passage, making it inipossi. ble to gain entry by that way. Upon this the passavant was ordered from la Bassere, which being taken to pieces, was brought on carts to Convalle, and remounted on its wheels, fit for immediate service. When all was ready, sir Walter de Fassac, impatient to win this castle, ordered his trumpets to sound, and the host to arm and ad- vance in proper array. The seneschal of Toulouse was on one side, with all his seneschalship ; on the opposite sir Roger d'Espnign, in like manner, with his men from Carcassonne ; there were the lord de Barbazan, sir Benedict de FaignoUes, the lord de Henoch, the son of the coimt d'Estarac, sir Raymond de I'Isle, and the knights and squires of the country, each with his company, drawn up in good array. The attack and defence now seriously commenced : the gar- rison defended themselves valiantly ; indeed it behooved them so to do, for they found themselves hard pressed ; and knowing that sir Walter would show them no mercy, if taken, were resolved to sell their lives as dearly as possible. The Genoese cross-bows behaved well, and shot so truly with their bolts, that the boldest was afraid of them ; for whomsoever they struck on the head, it was over with him. Sir Walter de Pasaac was in the front acting wonders in arms, and crying out : " How, my lords I shall such a stinking crew keep us here all the day ? If they were good men-at-anns, I should not ■wonder ; for in them is much more vigor than in such fellows as we are attacking; it is my intention to dine in the castle, and it will depend on you that I accomplish my purpose." Those who were desirous to obtain his favor advanced eagerly to the attack, and fi.\ed several ladders to the walls, near where the large machine was placed, which they mounted under protection of the cross-bows, who pre- vented the garrison from showing themselves. The French thus entered the castle of Convalle sword in hand ; they pursued their enemies, killing great numbere, and the remainder they made pris- oners. Sir Walter, having entered by the gates, was asked what he would have done with the prisoners. " By St. George, I will they be all hanged." His orders were instantly obeyed, and Espaignolet BufTered the first. The lords dined in the castle, and the men-at-anns in the town, where they remained the whole day. Sir Walter gave to the lord de Convalle his town and castle, and then made prepara- tions to continue hia march. After the conquest of ConvaUe, the army marched for a fort, called MastuUe, which, with the others, had done much mischief to the country. On tlieir arrival, they began an attack, which was bravely resisted at first ; but it lasted not long, for the place was taken by stonn, and all within slain or hanged. When those of Roix, Roche- fort, and other castles in possession of these pillagers, heard that sir Walter de Passac was on his march, and that, whatever places he took, he had hanged the garrisons, they were doubtful whether they might not come to the same end, and in consequence, left their forts in the night time, by subteiTanean passages or otherwise ; for Roix and Rochefort have mines, having fonnerly belonged to sir Reginald de Montauban, so that when the French arrived they found them both empty. Having taken possession, they re-gai-risoned and re- victualled thein, and then mai-clied toward Toulouse to enter Bigorre, for there were in that country two castles on tlie borders of Tarbes, called Jullians and Nazareth,* held by these marauders, who much harassed Tarbes and its neighborhood, as well as the territory of the lord d'Auchin. SirWalterde Passac and his army, having refreshed themselves in Toulouse, took the road toward Bigorre, and seated themselves be. fore Jullians, saying they would never depart until they had deUvered the country from its oppressors. Sir Walter was joined by the seneschal of Donnezan,t who represented the count de Foix, accord. ing to tlie summons of sir Walter to come to his aid in driving the pillagers out of the countty ; for they made, when opportunity offered, as free with the country of Donnezan as they did elscwere. It was for this reason the sfineschal had come, and with the approbation of the count, otherwise he would not have dared to have done it. They were fifteen days before they could gain the castle of Jul- lians, for It was strong, and the captain a (Jascon squire, called Bruyer de Brunemote, of great skill and valor. He had quitted la Bassere in the manner before mentioned ; and at last, finding they conld not take it by storm, they consented te a capitulation, agreeing to spare the lives of the garrison and to conduct them to Lourdc. A squire,' called Bertrand de Montdighen, escorted them thither. When the French had possession of the castle of Jullians, they debated whether to keep or to raze it ; at last they determined to demolish it on ac- cent of its vicinity to Lourde, for that garrison, the men being trai- tors, might, after they had left it, regain |)Ossession by stratagem or open force. It was therefore razed ; and the stones to this day remain in heaps, without the expectation of its being rebuilt. The army then came before Nazareth, a strong place, of which some adventurous companions had kept possession for more than a year. When they heard that those of Jullians had retreated, they also withdrew, having obtained a passport, and went to Lourde, where they knew they would not seek them, unless they wished to lose their labor, for Lourde is so strong it is hnpossible to be conquered. The French, finding Nazareth empty, razed it to the ground, to the great joy of the inhabitants of Tarbes, as they had received many injuries from it. They then marched to the castle of Auch, in Bi- gorre, situated among the mountains on the borders of Beam. They remained there about fifteen days, but only conquered the lower court with all the horses within it, though very many attacks were made : the great tower, being seated on a high rock, they could not win, for it is impregnable. The lords seeing they were laboring in vain, and that William Morenton, the captain, would neither sur- render nor listen to any treaty whatever, mai'ched away, and returned to Tarbes. Sir Walter de Passac then disbanded his army, with liberty for them to return to their homes. Those who had served in this army received their pay in money or in promissory notes, at their option : he himself retired to recruit himself at Carcassonne, and in that neighborhood. During his residence at Carcassoime, he received orders from the King of France to go to Bouteville in Saintonge, on the borders of Poitou and the Bordelois, which was under the command of a Gas- con called Sainte-Foy, as it had been reported that sir John Harpe- dane, seneschal of Bordeaux, was collecting a large force at Libourne on the Dordogne, to march thither and attack such forts as the Poite- vins and saintongers had raised before it. Sir Walter, as was natural, obeyed the king's ordere, and took with him sixty lances and one hundred Genoese cross-bows. On leaving Carcassonne, he marched through Rouergue and Agen, skirted Perigord, and aiTived at Boute- ville, where he found the seneschals of la Rochelle, Poitou, Perigord, and Agen, with numbers of men-at-arms. * " Nazareth "—a small town in the Condomis, diocese of Condora. t " Donnezan "—a small countrr in the eoTernment of Foix contii nta, about three miles square. Querigtit is the chief place. Foix. conti£uuf, in the 17th vol. of les Memoires de IWcademie des Inscriptions. &c., and also the first vol. pp. 460. 461, of les Antiquites de Paris, par M. Sauval. t i. e. The king of Cyprus. In the original it stands, first ecrite du dit Roy de Cipre Sltr sa tombe qui est au chapitre des Celestins, &c. § Peter II. or Petrin, ascended the throne in 1372, when twelveyearsof age, under the regency of his uncles James and John, to the exclusion of his mother. The day of his coronation, there arose a dispute between the bailiffs of Venice and the consuls of Ge- noa for precedency ; and, the court having declared in favor of the Venetians, the Genoese revenged themselves for this affront, in 1373, by conquering the whole island. Only two places made any resistance, Famagousta and Cherines. The first surrendered the 10th October, and was pillaged during three days ; the second submitted about tlie middle of March following. The king was made prisoner, but recovered his liberty by the cession of Famagousta, and the promise of one million of ducats to the Genoese. In the year 1375, at the soUcitation of his mother, he caused his uncle John to be as- sassinated in his presence, to revenge the death of his father, in which this prince had been a principal actor. Peter died on the 17lh of October, 1383, aged twenty-six, without leaving any children by his queen, Valentine, daughter of Bernabo Visconti, 388 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c know not who now reigns tliere ; but the year I was in B^arn the lord de Valenchin, a luiight of that courtO', told me the Genoese had a great share in its government, being masters of Famagousta, and that they had crowned Jacquet* king, in default of heirs. I know not how the devil he escaped from prison, nor out of the hands of the Genoese. CHAPTER XXIII. THE KINS OF AK.MENIA RELATES MANY STORIES OF THE TURKS ANr TARTARS. The king of Armenia, on his first arrival in France, was well en- tertained by the king and his lords, as was proper, for he had come from a far country. They gained from him infounation respecting Greece and Constantinople ; for he was well questioned concerning the power of the Turks and Tartars, who had driven hint out of his kingdom. To (heir questions he answered, that the cham of Tartary had always made war upon idm, and had at last overpowered liim. "And this cham of Tartary; is he so powerful ?" " That he is in. deed ; for he has, with the assistance of the sultan, conquered the emperor of Constantinople." The lords then asked if Constantinople were under the law of the Tartars. " Oh no," replied the king : " the cham and sultan having continued the war on Constantinople for a long time, it was at length agreed (for other\vise the emperor would not have had peace) that the emperor of Constantinople, who was son of Hugh de Lusignan and Maty of Bourbon, should give his sou in marriage to the cham ; but notwithstanding this union, he was to enjoy his laws and privileges.t He was then asked what the count Verd de Savoye had done with his gallant company of knights, squires, and men-at-arms. He replied : " That when the count de Savoye had come to Hungary, he had carried his war as far as he could into Turkey, but had made no great progress into the country; but by his prowess he had conquered the large town of Gallipoli and Limonia :t in the last, he left a sufficiency of men to guard it, and, during the life of the king of Cyprus, he had always kept pos- session of it. The moment the sultan and cham of Tartary heard of the king's death, they were no longer afraid of the emperor of Constantinople, but raised an army of one hundred thousand men, which they marched to Constantinople, and from thence laid siege to Gallipoli, took it by storm, and slew all the Christians within it. They made so deadly a war on the emperor, that he would have lost everything, if it had not been for the attachment the son of the cham had for his daughter, whom he afterwards married. This is a melan- choly prospect for the time to come, for the officers of the cham are already in Constantinople, and the Greeks only live there as it were by sufferance from them; if therefore, the princes of the west do not apply a speedy remedy, the Turks will conquer all Greece, and bend it to their faith and laws. They already boast that they will do so ; and only laugh at the two popes, one at Rome and the other at Avig- non, saying, ' The two gods of Christendom are waging w'ar against each other, by which their government is wealiened and easier to be destroyed :' adding, ' tliat those who ought to attend to this, act with such indifference as to leave it to its own ruin.' " The king of Armenia was ne.xt asked if the sultan of Babylon and the cham of Tartary were the most powerful princes among the infi. dels, knowtt to the Greeks, on the other side of the mountains. " By no means," he replied ; " for the Turlts have always been looked to as the most wise and potent in war, as long as they are under an able chief; and this they have had for these last hundred years: although the cham completely governs the emperor of Constantino. pie, the Turkish chief keeps him also under subjection. The name of their present leader is Ainurat, a prudent and able man both in arms and council, of whom, to say the truth, I have not any cause of complaint, for he lias never injured me, having carried his war against the king of Hungary." " This Amurat, of whom you speak, is he then of such consequence and power, and so much renowned and feared ?" " Yes," replied the king of Armenia ; " and even more than I say ; for, if the emperor of Constantinople and the king of Hunga.ry are afraid of him, the caliph of Babylon and the cham of Tartary equally dread him. It was supposed, indeed I have heard it from tJie Tartars, that the cham would have been more hard on the emperor of Constantinople and that country, had he not been afraid of Amurat. He is well acquainted with his jealous temper; and that, the instant he finds any one more powerful than himself, he never rests until he shall have lowered him, and brought him under his subjection. It was the knowledge of this that prevented * James I. constable of Cyprus, wns a bostngent Genoa when his nephew Peter 11. died. He was ?ent home at the demand of his countrymen, who crowned him kins- He died in 1338, aged sixty-four, lenvhig chUdren by -A^jnes c^ , Bavaria, his queen, John, Iiis successor to the throne uf Cyprus ; lliiu'b, cardinitl aj»;ibi Ladislaus king of iNaples : IsAbella, married to Pel»!r of Cyprus ; Civa died unmarried, 13S3.— .<2rf. clc ViriJUr Ics Dates. t Froissart must have been misinformed ; for 1 see by Anderson's Royal Genealoeiee. that John Paleologus must have been eiupurur uf Constantinople at this time. He wns routed by Cantacuzenus, and restored by the Genoese, to whom lie gave Lesboti. He afterwards made peace witli Cantacuzenus. made him his colleague, and married his daughter. He died 1396. liaving reigned forty-si.x years. i Lunonia is a small island in the Archipelago, near Rhodes, betweeu that island and Stapalia. the cham from doing all he could have done against the emperor of the east." " Does Amurat keep on foot a large army ?" " Yes ; he was not thirty years of age before he had an army of one hundred thousand horse, which he always kejit in the field, never quartering himself in any large town : besides, he had ten tliousand Turks to scrvx and defend his person. Wherever he marches, he carries his father with him." " How old is he ?" "He is full sixty years old, and Ids father is ninety. Amurat loves the French language, and those who come from France : he says lie would rather see the king of France and his state than all the other potentates of the earth. He is greatly pleased when any one talks to him on this subject, and in favor of the lords of that country." " Why does Amurat remain on terms with the cham, since he is so great a conqueror?" "Because the cham is afraid of him, and dares not malie war : there are, also, cer- tain ports and towns in Tartary which pay Amurat heavy duties : they are both of the same faith, and will not destroy their law. It has been a great matter of wonder to him that Christiajis shoidd make war on each other ; and he has frequently had an inclination to enter Christendom and conquer all before him. It would have been to my advantage if he had conquered me, rather than the cham of Tartary." They asked the king of Armenia, why it would have been to his advantage, who replied : "Amurat is a man of treble birth ; and, were he thirty years younger, is formed to make coiu quests wherever he should please to march his army. When he conquers any country or town, he oidy insists on the payment of a ta.v, leaving every one to follow his own religion ; and he has never taken any man's inheritance from him, only requiring the supreme government of the country. It is for these reasons, I say, that if he had conquered Armenia, instead of the Tartars, he would have left me my kingdom and religion, and remained in peace, on my acknow. lodging him as lord paramount, like other great barons on his fron- tiers, Greeks and Thracians, who thus acknowledge him, to free themselves from all danger from the caliph of Babylon and the grand cham." " What are the names of these barons ?" " I will tell you," answered the king : " first, there is the lord de Satalia, the lord de la Palice, and the lord de Haute-loge : these lords and their terri- tories, by means of the tax they pay to Amurat, remain in peace, and there is neither Turk nor Tartar that dares injure them."* They then asked the king, if Armenia was so totally lost that there were no means of recovering it. " Yes, indeed," he replied, " unless a force superior to the Turks and Tartars cross the mountains and conquer Greece ; for excepting the town of Courth, which is the entrance to my kingdom, and as yet remains to Christendom, the infidels have possession of all the rest : and, where the churches used to be, they have placed tlieir idols and their mahoraets." "And this town of Courth, is it strong ? ".A.y, in God's name is it," said the king of Armenia : " it is not to be taken unless by treachery or a vei7 long siege ; for it is situated in a dry spot on the sea-shore, and between two rocks that cannot be approached. Should the Turks or Tartars gain it, and another good town not far distant, called Adelphe.t all Greece must inevitably be lost, and Hungary besides in a short time afterwards." The king of Armenia was asked if Hungary were on the frontiers of the Turks and Tartars. He said it was ; but nearer to the Turks and the territories of Amurat thati to any other potentate. " It is very extraordinary," they replied, " that Amurat, who is so valorous, and such a conqueror, should leave so near a neighbor in peace." " In God's name," answered the king, " he has not for some time even pretendea to Keep peace wita Hungary, but made such exertions, to the injury of that kirtgdom, that if an unfortunate accident had not befallen him, he would at this moment have been far advanced in that country." "And what was that accident ?" " I will tell you," replied the king. CHAPTER XXIV. t CONTI.NUATION OF THE INTELLIGENCE WHICH THE KING OF ARUSITIA RE- LATES TO THE BAROSS OF FRANCE. " When Amurat saw that all the adjoining princes feared him, and that the shores of the sea as far as Hungary bounded his domin- ion, he determined, as the kingdom of Hungary had, by king Fred- erick's death, devolved on the queen, to declare war and conquer it. He therefore issued a particular summons to his vassals throughout Turkey, which being obeyed, he began his march and encamped in the plains of Satalia, between la Palice and Hauteloge, to strike more fear into his enemies. It was his intention to enter the king- dom of Hungary, notwithstanding it is a country inclosed with high rocks and mountains which make it so much the stronger. He sent before him embassadors and heralds, with a mule laden with a grain called millet, telling them, ' Go you into Hungary, to the cjunt de * Sauvage. in a marginal note, says he would willingly IcU where those territories ate. ! but he has not been able to find tliem out, and thinks there must have been some mis- takes in their names. 1 f'Adelphc." Q, If not meant for Delphos. j t Deny^ Suuvage complains that he cannot understand this chapter, nor the nccounta I from the Levant. Tliere was not any king of Hungary at that period of the name of I Frederick. Lewis the Great reigned in 1342, and his daughter Mary succeeded him 1 13ii2. I find myself therefore obhged, lUce Sauvage. to leave it as I find it. CHROfflCLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &i 389 Lazaran,* whose territories lie among the mountains of Meleabre and Rob^e, tiirough wliich we mean our army to pass, and tell him we order and command, if he wisli for himself and country to remain at peace, tliat he come and render us obedience, as he knows the lords do Satalin, do la Palice and dc Haute.Ioge have done, and lay open his country for us to pass through. If he should refuse to obey and appear rebellious, tell him from us, that we will pour into his territo. ries, to destroy them, as ma'ny heads as you will show you have grains of millet in your bags.* The embassadors instantly departed on receiving these instructions, and arrived in the territory of the -ount de Lazaran in Hungary : they found him at one of his castles -called Architorme. He received the embassadors from Amurat kindly, and handsomely entertained them, but was much surprised when he saw the mule enter his court laden with he knew not what. He at fii-st imagined it might be gold or precious stones, which Amu- rat had sent to seduce him to his party, and to bribe him to allow a passage for his army through his country ; but he had resolved, that he would never submit to be corrupted by any presents whatever. ** When the embassadors had their audience, they spoke as fol- lows : * Lord de Lazaran, we are sent hither by that high and mighty prince, our redoubted sovereign, Amurat, lord of Turkey and of all its dependencies ; and we tell you from him, that he orders you to place yourself under his obedience in the same form and manner as you know the lords de Satalia, dc la Palice and de Haute-loge have done, and that you delay not coming to perform your homage to him, in like manner as your neighbors have done. You will open your country to his army, if you wish to have peace, and by so doing you will greatly enjoy his good favor : but, should you refuse and prove rebellious, we are commanded to say, that our sovereign lord, Amu- rat, will pour more heads into your country, to destroy it, than there are grains of millet in this bag.' Having said this, he opened the bag to show him its contents. The lord de Lazaran was advised to return a temperate answer, and not discover his thoughts at once. He replied, ' Tie up your bag ; I see what is within it, and I have heard from you what Araurat's intentions are : within three days you shall have an answer, for these demands require deliberation.' They replied, * You say well ;' and, in confidence of having an answer, they tarried three days. I will now tell you what the count de Lazaran did during these three days ; he got collected and brought to his castle ten thousand head of poultry of all sorts, which he caused to be shut up without any food whatever. On the day appointed for the embassadors to receive their answer, he conducted them to a gallery which overlooked a court, bidding them lean over the rail, and, before he gave them his answer, he would show them some, thing new : they, not thinking what he was about, did as he ordered. Two doors were instantly opened, when all his poultry who had been starving for two days rushed out ; and the millet bag being opened, and its contents scattered about, the whole was devoured in less than half an hour, and more would have been eaten if they could have had it. The count de Lazaran then, turning toward the em- bassadors, said : ' My fair sirs, you have seen how the millet you have brought hither, from your master, with many menaces, has been destroyed by this poultry, who would have destroyed more had they had it ?' ' Yes,' replied they, ' but wherefore do you mention it?' ' Because you have your answer in what you have witnessed and in the fact you have seen. Amurat threatens that, unless I obey him, he will pour into my country men-at-arms without num- ber, to destroy it : tell him from me, I wait for him, and that with whatever force he come, he shall be destroyed in the same manner as the fowls have destroyed your millet.' The embassadors, on re- ceiving this ans%ver, became quite pensive. They took leave of the count, and travelled by short days' journeys, until they came to where Amurat and his army lay. They related lo him all that the count da Lazaran had done and said, and that he seemed to hold his menaces very cheap. Amurat was very wroth on hearing this answer, and swore that things should not remain as they were ; but that he would enter the territories of the count whether he would or not, and lay waste all his lands, in revenge for his insolent answer. " I will now tell you what the count de Lazaran did, since war had been di;nounced against him, which he knew would be speedily followed otherwise than by words. He instantly made preparations of stores and provision, and sent expresses to inform his knights and squires, and all those capable of bearing arms, that Amurat was about to invade Hungary, and to order them to guard valiantly all the passes into the country, and join him as speedily as may be, for there was no time for delay. Amurat remained with his army on the plains of Haute.Ioge. As it was to defend Christendom, all the knights to whom the count had written obeyed his orders and came to him, as did many more to whom he had not sent, but who had heard it accidentally, to support the faith and destroy the infidels. The count had the forests cut down and thrown across the roads *SauvaEe says in a note. " According to Paul Jnvius and father Anthony Geoffrai. his proper name was Lazarus, despot or lord of Serria, formerly called by the Romans Missia Inferior." This probably isthe person railed by Frnissort the lorfl de Lazaran. " Servin made formerly part of Mfssia, lllyria and Pannnnia. At the fall of the I'lO- man empire, it belonged to the fc?ervian3, who had come thither from Sarmatia in Asia. It had afterwards its own despots, some of whom depended on the kings of Hutfgary. The lust had the misfortune to be captured in battle, and his army cut to pieces by -Amurat I. in the 14th century." See Rervie. in the Encyclopodie par Ordre des Mati^res. Amurat was to pass, which he expected would have a great effect in checking the Turks on their march. The count, accompanied by ten thousand Hungarians and as many cross-bows, intrenched him , self and men on each side of n pass through which he knew Amurat must march. He had also with him two thousand peasants, armed with axes and wedges, to fell the timber and block up the road on a signal given. When everything was prepared, the count said : ' Without doubt Amurat will come hither, for he has sent me word he would do so ; be therefore steady and valiant in defending this pass, for, should it be won by the Turks, all Hungary is in danger ol being conquered. We are strongly posted, and one man here is equal to four. It will be more for our honor to perish in the field, defending the faith of Jesus Christ, than to live in bondage under these dogs of infidels, notwithstanding the courage and ability of Amurat.' ' Sir,' replied they unanimously, ' we will with you abide the event : let the- 'Turks come when they will, we are ready to re- ceive them.' The Turks .were quite ignorant of all this; for the count, fearful lest his plans should be discovered by Amurat's spies, and revealed to him, had posted some of his most confidential friends between him and the enemy, to prevent any communication what- ever between the two armies. >■ " Amurat was not forgetful of his menace, but declared he would visit the territories of the count de Lazaran, in such a manner that ho should remember it ; for he was unwilling to be thought a liar in breaking his promise. Having selected sixty thousand men, for he had two hundred thousand men in his camp, he gave the command of them to four captains attached to his household and faith ; their names were, the duke Mansion of Mecca, the governor of Damietta, Alpha, lory de Samarie, andthe prince de Corde, surnamed Brachin, to whom he said, on their leaving him, " You will march these men, whom I put under your command, a number sufficient to open a passage into Hungary, to the lands of the lord de Lazaran, which you will com- pletely destroy by fire and sword. As soon as I shall be informed of your anival there, I will follow with the remainder of my army ; for I am resolved to have Hungary under my obedience, and afterwards the empire of Germany. The wizards of my country, and the divi- ners of Egypt, have pronounced that I am destined to be king of all the worJd ; but the place that I would most willingly visit is Rome ; ior, in ancient times, it formed part of our inheritance : and our pre- decessors have conquered and governed it several times. I will lead with me le Galifre de Baudas, the cham of Tartary, and the sultan of Babylon, who shall there crown me.' The captains, who were on their knees, replied, they would cheerfully obey his commands, and then marched off with the sixty thousand men. Among them were twenty thousand of the most able and best armed men of the Turkish army, who formed the van battalion. When they came to the moun- tains on the frontiers of Lazaran, the van, finding no one to oppose them, entered them, under the command of the duke of Mecca, and the governor of Damietta, and passed the ambuscade of the count de Lazaran. As soon as the count and the Hungarians saw they had en- trapped their foe, they began to work, by cutting down the forest trees and laying them across the road, so that it was quite impossible for the Turks to retreat or advance, for the passage was entirely blocked up. " Thus were twenty thousand Turks inclosed, who were so vigor- ously attacked by the Hungarians from each side of the forest, and with such good effect, that all were slain. Not one escaped death, not even the two commanders. Some attempted to fly, but were pursued through the wood and killed. The rear division, unable to advance through the fallen forest, returned to Amurat, and related the unfor- tunate event which had happened to his army. He was v«ry pensive on hearing i>t, and summoned his council to consider what was to be done, as he had lost the flower of his army." The king of Armenia, having thus finished his history of the defeat of the Turks, resumed the account of his own melancholy situation, to the king of France and his uncles. They took compassion on him, because he had come from such a distant part of the world as Greece to seek aid and com. fort ; and being a king diiven out of his realm, without any means of keeping up his state, or even supporting himself, as his complaints evidenfly showed. The king of France, young as he was, said : " We will, that the king of Armenia, who has come to us in hopes of assistance, have allowed him wherewithal to maintain his dignity, suitable to his rank, as he is a king like ourself ; and when we are able, he shall have men-at-arms to aid him in the recovery of his kingdom ; for we have a very good inclination to do so, being bound to support the Christian faith." The speech of the king was applauded by all. His uncles and council were willing to fidfil these commands ; and a proper allow- ance was ordered to be paid to the king of Armenia monthly, from the chamber of accounts, to keep up his state. The sum allowed was six thousand francs yearly ; and he had five thousand presented him, to provide himself with plate and other smaller necessaries. The palace of St. Ouen, near St. Denis, was likewise given to him for his residence. Such assistance did the king of Armenia receive on his first arrival in France, which was constantly increasing. He was at times much with the king, particularly at all the grand festivals.* * Sauval. in his Antiquities of Paris, copies Froissart in the account of the reception of the king of Aianenia by the court of Charles VL ; but adds, from Juvenal des Uraint, tluuthis prince was not so wretched in his fortune, having saved many jewels, and even lomeof hii treasure, when he fled fVom the Tartars. He \va» a fruitless negotiatoi of 390 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. CHAPTER XXV. DTOINS THESE WAKS OF THE TURKS, DISSENSIONS CONTINUE BETWEEN THE TWO POPES, URBAN VI. AND CLEMENT VII. FRIAR JOHN DE LA ROCHE-TAILLARD DELIVERS A GOOD APOLOGUE, RESPECTING THE rAPACy, TO THE CARDINALS. About this period, Otho of Bninswick came to pope Clement at Avignon, to receive his pay for the war he had carried on for the pope and church against the Romans and Bartholomew Prignano, who styled himself pope Urban VI. as you have before seen in this history. He remonstrated with the pope and cardinals on various topics, to which they attentively listened ; but, as for his pay, he could not obtain one penny, the treasury being so empty that the car- dinals were unable to get what was their due. Sir Otho, therefore, left them much discontented ; but, before he set out for Avignon, they gave him one thousand francs, which he held cheap, and the war of the pope was greatly weakened, for sir Otho would not hence, forward concern himself about it. Besides, Margaret de Duras, duchess of Anjou,* who resided at Gaietta, sent for his assistance against the Neapolitans. Sir Otho balanced for a time, not knowing which side to take ; some of the council advising him to aid Marga- ret in the defence of her realm, and take her to wife, as she had not any objection and was of noble birth, and by this means they told him that he might become king of the country : but others advised the contrary, lest it might have an unfavorable issue ; for her children by the duke of Anjou, who had been crowned king in Bari, were young, and had many relations and friends, especially in the king of France their cousin-german, who would certainly support their claims, as well as the lady Jane, duchess dowager of Anjou, who would have great weight. Sir Otho was so long doubtful between the two parties that at length neither had him. About this time, the forces subsidized by pope Clement, tmder the command of the lord de Moetroye, a right valiant knight from the country of Geneva and Savoy, sir Talebert, a knight of Rhodes, and sir Bernard de la Salle, had shut up pope Urban in the city of Peru- gia. He was much straitened, and on the point of being made cap- tive. I was told it depended only on the payment of twenty thousand crowns; for count Conrad, a leader of a large body of Germans, would have delivered him up to pope Clement for that sum. Sir Bernard de la Salle was sent to Avignon to inform the pope, and to remonstrate with him and the cardinals on the subject, but in vain with regard to the money, for the court was so poor that he could not obtain anything, and returned, very discontented, to the siege of Pe- rugia. The siege was slackened on both sides, and Urban escaped from this danger to Rome, where ho remained. I know that in times to come, these things will be wondered at, and it will be a matter of astonishment how the church could fall into such troubles, and those of so long a duration. It was a punish, ment sent by God, to make the clergy feel and consider the great pomp and superfluities they possessed : but many paid no attention to it, being so swollen with pride and arrogance, that each would imitate his superiors, and thus was religion little regarded ; and if the Holy Spirit, w'ho enlightens tlie hearts of the devout, had not kept them steady, and in unbon, it would have been severely shaken, if not lost. The great proprietors of land, who at the first were such noble benefactors to the church, now make a joke of it, even at the time I was writing and chronicling this history, in the year of grace 1390 ; at which the commonalty were much surprised, and wondered why such g^eat lords as the kings of France and Germany, and the other great princes of Christendom, did not provide a remedy for it. But, to satisfy the people and excuse the great barons, I must say, that as there cannot be a yolk of an egg without its white, nor a white without the yolk, so neither the clergy nor the lords can exist peace between England and France, and was sent to Boulogne, with others on this sub- ject. He died in I31'3. in the palace of Tournelles. situated in tlie street of .St. Antliony. opposite the royal hotel of St. Pol, where the kings of France usually resided. He was huricl in the church of Si. Celestins, after the manner of his own country, his friends clothed in white, carrying torches of white wax: his body, dressed in royal robes of the tlie same color, was laid upon a white bed of suite, and his head encircled with a crown of gold. At this funeral ceremony, many of the princes and great lords assisted, and crowds of common people.— Antiqtut^s dc Pnris, vol. ii. p. 251. Holingshed says, Leo. king of Armenia, came to England and received a pension of £1000 from Richard II.; the object of his visit was to make peace between the two Coimtrics of France and England. * The text which Mr. Johnes here follows is essentially difterent from Uiat of U. Sau- vage and more recent French editions, and lord Berners, and is moreover not consonant to the truth. Margaret of Duras was not duchess of Anjou, but widow of Charles Duras, king of Naples, the competitor of Louis, duke of .\njou. for that kingdom. According to D. Sauvage. &c.. the passage should run as follows : " Besides Margaret of Duras, who resided at Gaietta, and was opposed to the queen of Naples, widow of king Louis duke of Anjou, begged his assistance to make war on the Neapolitans. Sir Otho bal- anced for a time, not knowing which side to take. Some of liis council advised him to take part with Margaret ofDuras, who was heiress of Naples and Sicily, and assist her to delend and keep her lieritage, and to take her to wife, as she was very willing to have him fora husband, he being ot noble and high lineage; and he would thus become king and lord of the couirtries which she claimed. Others .advised him to the contrary ; for the children of king Louis, who had been crowned in the city of Bari, were young and had numerous friends and relations, especially the king of France, who were willing to assUt them ; and their lady rriother, queen .loan, duchess of Anjou and Maine was a ■woman of great intrigue. All these doubts were laid before him by his council Sir Otho held hack and hesitated so long that ho lost both parties." We should here ob- serve, that Margaret ofDuras was not heiress of the kingdom of Naples, but regeot da ring tlie minority of her son Ladislas — Ep, independently of each other ; for the lords, not being ruled by the clergy, would degenerate into beasts. I will say, that in my time I have for certain seen much of man kind ; whether for my own amusement, or in travelling to learn the history of what passes in the world relative to deeds and adventures in arms, which are described in this book ; but I have never met with any lord, except the count de Foix, who had not his minions, pages, and jesters, most honorably entertained. The count de Foix had none such ; for he was naturally grave, and of great good sense, which was of more value than anything they could have aflbrded him. I do not say, that those lords who are attended by minions* are mad ; they are worse than mad, for they are blind having two eyes. When information of this disputed choice was first brought to king Charles of France, of happy memory, he paused, and left it to his clergy ; who, having considered the matter, resolved that pope Cle- ment had been truly elected. To this opinion the kings of France, Castillo, and Scotland assented ; and, notwithstanding the schism which was caused in ihe church, these three kings, being allied to. gether, remained steady to Clement; but the kings of England and Portugal were of a contrary way of thinking. The earl of Flanders had formed his creed as you have heard in this history ; for he would acknowledge pope Clement, because he had, at the first conclave, voted for the cardinal of Bari, and because, while cardinal of Ge- neva, he had written to the earl to say Urban had been legally elected pope, for which reason the earl of Flanders considered his as the true one as long as he lived. The emperor and all Germany, with the king of Hungary, acknowledged Urban. While writing of these dissensions that happened in my time both in the state and in the church (which was somewhat shaken thereby,) and it is to be understood that the great landed proprietors were act- ing like hypocrites, it comes to my remembrance how in my young days, during the reign of pope Innocent, at Avignon, there was con. fined in prison a learned clerk, called Friar John de la Roche-taillade. This friar, as I have been told by several privately, for it was never talked of in public, foretold, while in prison, many of the great events which would happen shortly in the world, more especially those that related to France. He prophesied the capture of king John of France, and the misfortunes that were to befal the church from the pride and arrogance of those who governed it. It was said, that during his imprisonment he was brought to the pope's palace, when the cardinal of Ostia, commonly called cardinal of Arras, and the cardinal of Auxerre, disputed with him on these subjects. Friar John gave them for answer the following apologue : " In former days a bird was hatched without any feathers. When the other birds heard of this, they went lo see him, for he was fair and pleasant to look on. Having considered, that without feathers he could not fly, nor with, out flying live — which, however, they were detennined to assist him in, for he was a prodigiously hanilsome bird — they resolved that every bird should give him some of his feathers. The best feathered gave most, so that he was soon enabled to fly. The other birds took much pleasure in seeing him. When this bird saw himself thus in feather, and that all the birds paid him great honor, he grew proud, and not only held those cheap w-ho had made him so, but pecked and drove them from him. The birds held an assembly to consider how they should act, in consequence of the treatment they received from this bird whom they had clothed, and who now despised them. The peacock said, ' He is too finely dressed in my feathers : I will take them from him.' ' In God's name,' said the falcon, ' so will I mine.* The other birds said they would do the same, and immediately be. gan to unfeather him. The bird, on seeing this, humbled himself greatly, and acknowledged the honors and wealth he had received ; and that his fine feathers were not his own, for he had come into the world naked and fcatherles; and those who had feathered him might, if they chose, retake them. He cried out for mercy, and promised, henceforward, never to risk, by pride or presumption, the loss of his feathers. The gallant birds who had plucked him, seeing him thtis humbled in his deportment, restored his feathers ; but said, on giving them back, ' We will gladly see thee fly among us, as long as thou shall bear thyself meekly, for so it becometh thee ; but if ever thou shalt act arrogantly, we will pluck thee bare, and leave thee in the naked state wc found thee.' Thus, my fair sirs," said friar John to the cardinals, " will it happen to you. The emperors, kings, and princes of the earth, have given you wealth, and power, and posses- sions, that you may serve God ; but you expend it in pomp, luxury, and all extravagances. Why do you not read the hfc of St. Silves. ter,« the first pope who succeeded St. Peter, and weigh well the conditions on which the emperor Constantine gave the tithes to the church ? St. Silvester did not travel with two or thiee hundred at- tendants on horseback, but lived simply and retired at Rome, solely with his churchmen, when the angel, through God's grace, appeared to announce that the emperor Constantine, then an infidel and unbe- liever, had sent for him. It had likewise been revealed to the em- peror, by the angel of the lord, that Silvester woidd put him in the way of being cured of his leprosy ; for he was so ill of that disorder, his limbs were rotting. On his arrival, he pointed out to him his cure. * Marmousets. . t Silvester svas tlie thirty second pope, leckouine St. Peter as the first.— .an dc vin- fier Ics Dates- CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 391 by means of baptism. He was baptized and cured, which eo strongly impressed his ni'.'id with the goodness of God, that he believed, and made his empire believe also. He gave to Silvester and to the church all tithes, which he had before held himself, with many other rich gifts and territories, for the augmentation of our faith and church. It was his intention that these should be prudently and properly gov- erned, and not with pomp and pride as is now done ; for which the Lord is wroth, and his anger will be much increased against you in times to come. Should the nobles excuse themselves from giving support to the church, and grow cold in their devotions, and perhaps retake what they have given, it must speedily be destroyed." Thus spoke friar John to the cardinals, who were much astonished thereat, and would have put him to death, but they coidd not find out any just cause for it. They suffered him to live, but confined him a close prisoner ; for he proposed such deep questions, and ex- amined so closely the Scriptures, that he might perhaps, had he been at liberty, have led the world astray. However, many things were seen to happen, which he had foretold in prison, and which he proved from the apocalypse. His proofs saved him sometimes from being burnt, and some of the cardinals took compassion on him, and did not oppress him as they might have done. We will now leave these narrations and return to the principal matters of this history, the affairs of Spain, Portugal, France, and England, and say what events were passing there worthy of being recorded. CHAPTER XXVI. THE REASONS WHY THE PORTUGUESE PREFER THE GRAND MASTER OF AVIS FOR THEIR KING T9 DON JOHN, KING OF CASTILLE, WHO HAD JIARRIED BEATRICE, DAUSUTER OF DON FERDINAND, LATE KING OF PORTUGAI.. You have before heard how don .lohn, son of don Pedro, king of Portugal, and bastard brother to the late king, had gained possession of the crown, through the boldness of four of the principal towns in Portugal ; for the nobles and knights ought not to be inculpated in the matter, as they had ever borne themselves loyally to don John of Castille, who had married Beatrice, the daughter and heiress of don Ferdinand. Many, however, were of opinion she was a bas- tard, being the daughter of a Portuguese lady, whose husband, a knight of Portugal, was still living.* The king of Portugal having seized his wife, married her; and the knight left the country and resided with the king of Castille : he never returned to Portugal, notwithstanding his noble birth, through fear of the king. This opinion of her being a bastard was the more extraordinary, as don Ferdinand considered her as legitimate, having received dis- pensations from pope Urban VI. to that purpose. When peace was concluded between the kings of Castille and Portugal, don John Ferdinand Audfere, who ruled the Portuguese council, proposed a marriage between the daughter of his king, and don John, king of Castillo, who was at that time a widower. The council of Castille, when this union was proposed, had mentioned their doubts of the legitimacy of the lady's birth ; and to satisfy the king of Castille, don Ferdinand made his principal barons and nobles of Portugal Bwear, that after his decease, they would consider her as their queen, and would unite their kingdom to Castille. He had also forced the principal towns to promise the same, and to acknowledge the king of Castille as their king, under a penalty of two hundred thousand francs. The Lisboners, having put to death don Ferdinand Audfere, because he had interfered in this business, and exerted himself, at the king of Portugal's death, to have it confirmed, elected the master of Avis, and would have no other king. They said, that were Por- tugal to be turned topsy-turvy, they would never submit to Castille, nor to the Castillians, so greatly did they hate each other. The Lis- boners were the great instigators of this dispute ; they said the lady Beatrice could not be their queen, for she was a bastard, a thorough bastard ; and, during the lifetime of don Ferdinand, and now when he is dead, Lorenzo d'Acunha, the husband of her mother, still exists. For this reason, the four cities of Lisbon, Coimbra, Ourique, and Oporto, elected don John, and crowned him king of Portugal. They would have a king from among themselves, and noticed the great affection the commonalty had for the master of Avis. One of the chief causes for this hatred of the Portuguese to the Castillians, was, that after the marriage had been concluded between the king of Castille with don Ferdinand's daughter, and it had been agreed that Portugal should, after the death of don Ferdinand, revert to Castille ; wherever the Castillians met the Portuguese, they mocked them, and said, they should return under their obedience whether tkey would or not ; that they would keep them in subjection and slavery, and teach them, like Jews and slaves, to obey their wills. The Portuguese replied, they would never be under theirs nor the subjection of any men in the world. Owing to such reproaches, they elected the grand.master of Avis king, who was bastard son to don Pedro, king of Portugal. Don Ferdinand, during his reign, paid no attention to his brother, nor ever imagined the Portuguese would, after his decease, choose him their king, to the disparagement of his * Ferdinand, at the conclusion of the war between him and Henry de Traf .'.iniare, ling of Caalille, engaged to marry Henry's daughter. This he did not > ii. but manied I^onora Tellez, the wife of Lorenzo d'Acunha. daughter ; but so they did ; and don Ferdinand Audfere was in the right, when he advised the king to have him put to death, for the people had too great an affection for him. The king would never consent to this, saying that the people had no power over the nobihty of the realm ; and that his son-in-law, the king of Castille, was powerful enough to punish any rebellion that might break out ; that he had no just cause to imprison him nor put him to death ; and besides, his brother was of a religious order, and possessed great wealth, without thinking of the crown of Portugal. These were the reasons why he escaped death. All these are well-known facts ; for I, the author of this history, was told them by the nobles of Portugal. It was certainly strange they should choose a bastard for their king : but they found none nearer in blood to the crown ; for they declared that the queen of Castille, daughter of the lady Leonora d'Acunha, being a bastard, should never possess the crown of Portugal, nor should any of her descendants. The count de Foix was of a similar opinion, as he told the knights when he gave them an entertainment on leaving his country for Portugal ; for he is perfectly well infonned, though he resides at Orthfes, of everything that passes in Castille or Portugal, When his knights departed, he said ; " Gentlemen, you have not any business to interfere in the disputes between Castille and Portugal ; for the queen of Castille, daughter of don Ferdinand king of Por- tugal, has no claim to that crown. This war is begun foolishly, and with much bitterness : you may therefore, as well as those who first stirred it up, heartily repent when it is too late." They replied, " that having received earnest of pay from so great a lord aa don John of Castille, they were bound to serve him." He then suffered them to go : but, as I have before related, the greater part never returned home again. CHAPTER XXVII. FROISSART TRAVELS TO MIDDLEBUKGH IN ZEALAND, TO HAKE INQUIRIES FROM A KNIGHT, WHO IS GOING TO PRUSSIA, OF THE AFFAIRS OP PORTUGAL. We will not yet quit the affairs of Portugal, as they ought not to be forgotten ; but the grand feats of arms which took place there should 'be chronicled, that those who come after our time may find them related and written down. It would be pity they were anni- hilated : and it was by means of clerks of former days, who enre- gistered histories, that facts are now known, for there is no memory equal to writing. In truth, I must say, and I wish those who in after times shall come may know the fact, that I have taken infinite pains to seek out the truth of what was passing in my day, and have trav- elled through many a kingdom and over many countries for this pur- pose. I have been personally acquainted with many valiant men, as well in France, England, Castille, Portugal, as in the duchies and countries adjoining, and with their companions in war, from whom I have never failed asking many questions for my information ; and I have never willingly neglected, after having heard any fact, making every possible inquiry to know the truth of it. During the time I resided with the gallant count Gaston de Foix at Bdarn, I heard many of the transactions which happened in Portugal ; but on my return home to Valenciennes in Hainault, having rested myself a while, my passion for the history I had begun was renewed, and I bethought myself that I could not impartially continue it, having only heard that side of the question which related to the king of Castille. It was proper therefore, if I wished to avoid partiality, to hear what the Portuguese had to say, as I had listened to the Gas- cons and Spaniards in the castle of Foix, and upon the road in going thither and in returning. Indifferent as to bodily fatigue, I set out for Bruges, expecting to meet some Portuguese and Lisboners, a3 many of that nation are generally there : I was most fortunate in my journey, for it was told me, and I since found it true, that if I had considered for seven years, I could not have come more opportunely to Bruges than at that moment. I had only to go to Middleburgh ii. Zealand, where I should find a valiant knight of Portugal, and of the king's council, called don Juan de Portelet, who would E-i\ o me a true account of the events that had passed in Portugal, iuiving been a party concerned in all of them : he was but lately ^Trived, intend- ing to embark for Prussia, whither his valor had l-o liim. This in. telligence rejoiced me much, and I set out from P.niges in company with a Portuguese well acquainted with tli. knigl.l. On our .sr-vjai at Sluys, we embarked, and, thanks to C-od, arrived safely at ^'' burgh. I made myself acquainted, thrors?^ niv companion, v. ■, knight, whom I found prudent, honoi, 'S and plea^an' | remained with him about six davs. • .ve done so Inger had I pleased, when th ■ 1 ,i ' ' - t '■ i , uened n the wars between Castil'e 'i:"i ■ kingrtrdi. nand, until the til'-' he ^.a. ... -a:,^ ii. .- iiM il''c\ei-My and fully thnt ' .d gp.at ! i -ht in licario' hmi, and writing down what'he ':;.': • - W.nn I h' '«! ^a found tlie wind to be favoiablc, I ;■ he accompanied me to the I vessel, M di'-' ^i" "^"nntry who had come i from '.Irugce ' ^ "''-er good people of Mid- Idleburgh. Li..- - , of the count de Novaire,* in . ■■' .ereira.— Ea 393 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,e. Portugal, and other knights and squires from those parts : but greater respect was paid to don Juan tlian to any of the others : and cer- tainly from wliat I saw, he was very deserving of it, for he was a handsome well-made man, formed for vigorous exploits. I returned Jhence, through Bruges, home, where I chronicled all I had heard from don Juan Fernando de Portelet, relative to what had passed in the realms of Portugal and CastiUe until the year of our Lord 1390. to carry them to England, if God permitted, and if they should escape from enemies and robbers ; for there are as many, if not more, on the sea than on land. Having freighted a vessel called a lin, which keeps nearer the wind than any other, they look leave of the king, the bishop of Coimbra, and the council of Portugal, and embarked for England. The wind was favorable, and they were three days without seeing anything but sky and water; on the fourth they discovered the land of Cornwall. By God's aid, and favorable winds, from which their mariners knew how to profit, they arrived in safety at Southampton, where they anchored. When they disembarked, to reiVesh themselves in the town, they were summoned before the bailifi', who demanded whence they came and whither they were going. On answering that they were from Portugal, and sent by the king and his council, they were made very welcome. After they had allowed themselves some rest, they were provided with horses for their own use and that of their attendants, and with guides to conduct them to London, for they were quite ignorant of the country ajid roads. On leaving Southampton, tltey continued their journey until they arrived in London, where they dismounted in Gracechurch, at the hotel of the Falcon, kept by Thomelin de Winchester, and then sent back their horses and guides to Southampton Fortunately for them, the king and his court were at the time at Westminster, which rejoiced them much. Being arrived at London, CHAPTER XXVIII. THE PORTUGUESE, AFTER THE BATTLE OF AI.JUBAKOTA, SENB EMBAS. SADORS TO EN&LAND, TO INFORM THE KING AND HIS NOBLES OF THAT EVENT. After don John had defeated the Spaniards at the battle of Alju. barota, which took place, as we have heard, near the monastery of Alcoba^ar, whereat were slain such numbers of knights and squires from France, Gascony, and CastiUe, he returned triumphant to Lis- bon, his head crowned with laurel, like the Roman conquerors of old. The Portuguese highly honored him for his courage and vic- tory ; and, after many grand festivals, a parliament was held by the barons, knights, and magistrates from the principal towns, on the state of the kingdom, and on the means by which they could best persevere in what they had been so fortunate in commencing. The wisest among them said, now was the time to strengthen themselves, so that they might be ena- bled to withstand the power of the king of Caa- tille,and enjoy with honor to themselves the fruits of their victory. Tliis con- ference was holden in the cathedral church of St. Dominick, at Lisbon, where many proposals were made, but not such as were worth recording. It was at last determined to send to the duke of Lancaster, who claimed the crown of CastiUe, in right of the lady Con. Btance, his duchess, eldest daughter to don Pedro the Cruel, and indite let- ters to him in such words as these ; That if ever he wished to claim the king- dom of CastiUe, and not surrender his right, which had been some time in suspense and nearly lost, now was the time for him to hasten to Portugal, well accompanied by men-at- arms and archers. The count de Novaire,* constable of Portugal, thus EMBASSiDORS or PoRTCaiL (the Grand Master of St. James nnd Lawrence Pongasse) presented to Richaid II. by the Duko of Laacastar. spoke at the conference : Desinned from coutemjmrary sculptures and illuminations. "Since we have deter- mined to send to the duke of Lancaster, from whom we hope to have counsel and assistance, and it is the wisest measure we can take to make us feared by our ene mies, let us select the best informed and properest persons to carry our message to England, so that the duke may be induced to come hither with such a force as may enable him, with what he receives from us, to oppose and conquer his enemy. We may well suppose the king of CastiUe wiU call for aid from the king of France, and the French, as they know not where to seek adventures, for there is truce between France and England until St. John the Baptist's day, and peace is now established between France and the Flemings, who have found them full employment for several years past." This speech of the constable was much applauded, and his advice yllowed. It was then ordered that tlie grand-master of the order of S. James, in the kingdom of Portugal, and Lawrence Fongasse, an ate and prudent squire, and who understood and spoke the French laijuage well, should set out for England ; for, according to the opijon of the king's council, there could not be found abler men to execfl*''*'.'!'-^-""-^'-'"''' Letters were drawn up in French and Latin, addressed to the kin^of England, the duke of Lancaster, and his uncles of Cambridge ai) Buckingham. When they had been fairly engrossed, they were reaito the king and his council, wh.o, finding them properly done, had '.em sealed and delivered to the envoys, the ffrand-master of St. Jamw and Lawrence Fongasse, who engaged *NnQO Alvarez Pereira. He was i ^ted constable of Portugal by the master or AvB to whom he rendered essenUnI sei .03 in aiding him to obtain the crown. Nufio Alvarez i! celebrated in PortueuM« bistori us i. <■ i.:^ lime.— Ed. about nine o'clock they sat down to dinner ; when that was over, having selected their letters for the duke and duchess of Lancaster, they waited on tiiem. The duke and duchess were desirous to see them, as they were anxious for news from Portugal. They had in- deed heard some rumors from that quarter, but had not believed them, as they had not received any letters which tended to confirm the report. The grand-master of St. James and Lawrence Fongasse, were conducted into tiieir presence, and the latter, on account of his facility in the Frencli language, was the spokesman. After his sa- lutations, he gave tire duke the letters he had brought from Portugal, who, opening tiiem, gave the duchess that wiiich wa^ addressed to her. Having each read them, the duke said, '■ You are welcome, gentlemen, to this country : we will to-morrow attend the king, and you shall have assistance, as it is but reasonable you should." The duchess, taking Lawrence apart, asked the news of CastiUe and Por- tugal, and what was going on in those jiaits. Lawrence, having made exact answers to all the lady's questions, the duke ordered wine and spices, of which the envoys partook, and then returned 10 their hotel. On the morrow, by si.x o'clock, they again waited on the duke, who had heard mass, and entering a large barge, rowed up the Thames to Westminster, where the king and the greater part of his council resided. The duke of Lancaster made them enter the council.chamber, and addressing the king, said, " My lord, here is the grand-master of St. James in Portugal, who brings you letters : will you please to see them ?" " Willingly," replied the king. Upon which, the two CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 393 embassadors, kneeling, presented the letters, which the king having taken, he made them rise, and then opened and read them. They also gave letters to the earls ol' Cambridge and Buckingham, The king replied very graciously to the embassadors, saying, " You are welcome to this country, and your coming has given us much pleasure. You will not immediately return, nor without hav- ing letters to your satisfaction. Make my fair uncles acquainted with your business, who will attend to it, and not allow it to slip their memories." They answered on their knees, " Verf dear lord, we will cheerfully so do." They tlien quitted the council-chamber, and amused themselves in the palace, waiting for the duke of Lan- caster, who remained in conference until high noon. Wlien the parliament rose, the duke carried his two brothers, with the enibas. sadors, in his barge to dine with him. The earl of Cambridge was well acquainted with the grand-master and Lawrence Fongasse, as he had known them in Portugal. After dinner he began a conver- sation with them in the presence of his brothers, and asked about the marriage of the lady Beatrice, who was to have been his daugh- ter-in-law, and how she went on. The embassadors gave such answers as satisfied the company. Before the arrival of these embassadors, the duke of Lancaster and carl of Cambridge had held frequent conferences respecting Castille ; for the earl, as you have heard, was greatly displeased with the late king of Portugal, for having remained fifteen days with his army in sight of that of Castille without coming to an engagement. The earl had pointedly remarked this fault, by saying, " I have only with me, sir king, one hundred lances and a thousand archei'S ; but I would have you and your barons know that we have unanimously resolved to risk a battle with our enemies, and abide whatever be the event God may please to ordain." King B'erdinand replied, that neither himself nor council thought it advisable to offer battle. Upon this, the earl of Cambridge left the country, carrying his son John with him to England.* When he was departed, the king of Portugal offered his daughter to the king of Castille, to strengthen the peace, by the advice of don Fernando Audfere, in whom alone he put confidence. The king of Portugal asked his daughter whom ahe would prefer for her husband, the king of Castille or John of Cambridge : she answered, " The last." The king demanded, " Why ?" " Because he is a handsome youth, of her own age, and because she wished to avoid being united to the king of Castille," who, she plainly said, was not to her liking. The king, notwith- standing, to preserve peace, as their kingdoms adjoined each other, married her to the king of Castille. The earl of Cambridge was also much dissatisfied with don Fer- nando Aud^re, who had taken great pains to conclude a peace on the grounds of this match. He had told his brother that he much suspected the Portuguese would rebel against the lady Beatrice, after her father's death ; for the majority of the people, although the king had espoused the lady Eleanora d'Acunha, considered her as a bastard ; and, when he was there, great were the murmurs about it, and this is one reason why he had so hastily brought his son thence. The duke of Lancaster, whom these circumstances afleeted more nearly, having mamed the old heiress of the late king of Castille, by whom he had a daughter called Constance, was anxious to learn as much as possible respecting the affairs of Castille, and not suffer his claim to remain longer in a state of suspense. He perceived that he never could have a more convenient entrance into that country than through Portugal ; more especially as king .Tohn was so desi- rous tor him to come thither, and the king of England and his coun- cil had consented thereto. He looked on don John as valiant and wise, and honored him much for the victory he had won over the Castillians. That he might gain more information as to the real state of Portugal, together with the claims the lady Beatrice had on that crown, and the reasons why the commonalty had elected the grand-master of Avis their king, he invited the embassadors to a private dinner ; when it was over, he ordered all the attendants out of his apartment, and called the grand-master of St. James and Lawrence Fongasse most kindly to him, and began to converse on the affairs of Portugal ; but, as Lawrence spoke French so fluently, he addressed himself to him, saying, " Lawrence, I entreat you will relate to me everything that has happened in Portugal since my brother left it ; for the king of Portugal writes me word, that no one can give me such e.xact information as yourself; and by so doing you will very much oblige me." " My lord," replied the squire, " your pleasure shall be obeyed ;" and he immediately began to this effect. CHAPTER XXIX. LAWRENCE FONGASSE, ONE OP THE EMBASSADORS FROM PORTUGAL TO ENGLAND, RELATES TO THE DUKE OF LANSASTER THE EVENTS WHICH HAD HAPPENEB IN PORTUGAL SINCE THE EARL OF CAMBRIDGE HAD LEFT rr. " The kingdom «f Portugal has been in great trouble since the departure of the eari of Cambridge ; but, thanks to God, all has turned out well, and affairs are now on a steady footing. If the Lord had not interfered, matters must have ended badly, and all from the ' In October, 1383.— Ed. fault of don Fernando our last king, as was generally reported, and believed by the more sensible part of the nation. King Fernando fell desperately in love with the wife of one of his knights, called Lorenzo d'Acunha, and was so much enamored he would have her by force : the lady made the best defence she could, but at length he succeeded, and told her he would make her queen of Portugal, for that, if he was smitten with her charms, it was not to lower her, but on the contrary to exalt and marry her. ' Ah, my lord !' replied the lady, with tears and on her knees, ' I beg your grace's pardon : I can never have the honor of being queen of Portugal ; for you know, as well as all the world, that I have a husband, to whom I have been married these five years.' ' Leonora,' said the king, ' that shall not prevent it ; for I will never have any other woman to wife since I have enjoyed you ; but I will have you divorced from your husband before I make you my bride.' The lady could not obtain any other answer, and related all that had passed to her hue. band. The knight on hearing it was very melancholy, and bethought himself what was to be done ; he resolved at first never to quit hia wife ; but, suspecting the king's designs, he set out from Portugal toward Castille, where he was well received by king Henry and ap- pointed of his household, which appointment he held during his life, and was continued in the same by his successor don John. " The king of Portugal, to gratify his foolish passion, sent for the lady and her husband ; but the knight was gone. He then sent for the bishop of Coimbra, who was chancellor of the kingdom and of his council, and told him of his intention of marrj'ing Leonora d'Acunha. The bishop was silent through fear, knowing the vio- lence of the king's haughty temper ; but sir Fernando Aud^re, who was the king's bosom friend and counsellor, in order to please the king, said, ' Bishop, you may very well do it, and my lord will make atonement once for all.' The bishop united them, and they lived together. This lady was crowned queen of Portugal, with as much pomp and magnificence as ever queen of Portugal was ; and the king begot on her the lady Beatrice, now queen of Spain. True it is that king Fernando, in his lifetime (it was oefore the earl of Cam- bridge came w-itli his army to Portugal,) summoned all the nobles, prelates, principal citizens of his realm to Lisbon, and made them all swear obedience to his daughter Beatrice, then only five years old ; and pledge themselves that they would acknowledge her as heiress of the kingdom after his decease. He made them take this oath, as he had ordered, whether they would or not. The greater part knew well his daughter was a bastard, and born in adultery ; for the husband of her mother, don Lorenzo d'Acunha, resided in Castille, and has outlived the king of Portugal. I believe, my lord, that, had this child been a boy, the commonalty would have been more inclined toward him ; for they declare they would rather die than live under subjection to Castille : Portugal and Castille can never be thoroughly united, for the natives of both countries hate each other, and carry on their wars with as much bitterness as the English and Scots." The duke of Lancaster was much delighted with this conversa- tion, and with Lawrence Fongasse's manner. He said, '' Lawrence, at the time you were talking of, where was don John, the present king ?" " By my faith, my lord," answered the squire, " he was in Portugal, at the head of a noble establishment of gentlemen, whr bear an order of chivalry from beyond sea. There are full two hu dred knights of this order, who are dressed in white m.antles wi* red cross on them ; he is the chief, and called the mastei of The king gave him this appointment, but thought nothing about him ; nor, indeed, did he any way concern himself, oi meddle with the affairs of Portugal, nor ever form any intrig\ the crown. Certainly, had the king guessed that he could havi what he is now, the love he bore lady Lenora and her daughter > have made him put him privately to death : but, seeing him quietly with his brother knights, without interfeiing in anything » he suffered him to go on without interruption. " With regard to the quarrel between the Castillians and Porti guese, if I say the truth, I must own the Castillians have alone been to blame." " How so ?" asked the duke. " I will tell you," replied the squire. " When they saw the king of Portugal give his daughter in marriage to the king of Castille, it seemed to them as if he had done so by way of buying a peace for them, and that we were afraid of them. Upon this they grew proud and arrogant, and made use of such speeches as follow, which the Portuguese were forced to hear : ' Oh now, ye Portuguese, who are as savage as beasts, the time is coming when we shall have a good bargain of ye, for ye are our slaves. We will treat you like Jews, who only exist by our hav- ing granted them a truce, and ye shall be like them subjected to us. This ye cannot deny, since our king of Castille will become yours also.' With such like speeches did the Castillians show their rancor, whenever any of the two nations met, during the reign of don Fer- nando ; and this caused so great a hatred of the Portuguese to the Castillians, that when our king lay at the point of death, the citizens of the principal towns murmured much, and said, ' It were better to suffer anything than be under the subjection cf" Castille.' " After the death of Fernando,* who was buried in the church of St. Francis, by the religious of that order in Lisbon, the chief towns and castles had closed their gates. The Lisbonera, being acquainted • He died 22nd Oct.. 1383.-Ed. 394 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . ■Willi the intentions of the other three towns, Coimbra, Oporto, and Oiuique, sent for don John, the present king, and said to him, ' Mas- ter of Avis, we will make you our king, although you be a bastard : ■we think the lady Beatrice, your niece, and queen of Castille, is more of a bastard than you ; for the first husband of the lady Leonora is now living. Since the crown is fallen between two bastards, we will choose the one who will be to our greatest advantage : the more sensible part of the nation is inclined to you ; for never shall a wo- man bear the crown of Portugal, nor will we ever be under the obe. dience of Castille. We had rather give up all to you, that you may defend us, than have the Castillians our masters. Accept, therefore, this crown as our gift, for we will have it so.' The master of Avis did rot, however, accept it at this, nor at a second offer ; but replied, ' My good people, I know well your affection for nie : you offer me the crown and realm of Portugal — a noble offer — by declaring T have a better right to it than my niece Beatrice the queen of Castille ; in truth she is a bastard, the mother's first husband being now in Cas. tille ; but there is one point you have forgotten, which is, that you alone cannot act in this matter : it is necessary that the nobles of the kingdom join you.' * Ha,' said the Lisboners, ' we are sure of them : for several have opened to us their minds on this subject, as well in this city, as in those of Coimbra, Oporto, and Ourique.' Don John replied, * Well, be it so, then ; I am willing to comply with your de- sires. You know that the lady Leonora, who styles herself queen of this country, is in the town, and with her grand adviser, don Fer- nando Audfere, who will want to preserve the crown for the queen of Castille and her descendants ; for he broke ofl" the marriage with the Bon of the earl of Cambridge, to give her to the king of Castille, and patch up a peace. He will send, or perhaps has already done so, to the king of Castille, to hasten hither with a sufficient force to over- power us. I know that don Fernando has in part acted as I say, and he will still more e.\ert himself on the day of the obsequies ol my late king and brother, which will shortly be performed in this town, when all the nobility of the kingdom, unless they send excuses, must be assembled.' Those present ans\vercd, that he did not sur prise them by what he had said, for they well knew it was so ; but, should they hear don Fernando say anything contrary to his interest, they would that day provide a remedy against it. Upon this the meeting broke up. " Not long after, the obsequies of the late king were perfonned in the church of the Franciscans at Lisbon, where he lies, and the cere- mony was attended by great numbers of the nobility, according to the invitations they had received from the queen, and don Fernando Audfere who governed her. The grand.mastcr of Avis was present, and many from the towns of Coimbra, Oporto, and Ourique, who had assented to what had been proposed at Lisbon. When the cere- mony was over, don Fernando Audfere entreated the nobility, who had assisted* in behalf of the queen, not to leave Lisbon for a day or two, that he might have a conference with them, on the means he should use to send to king John of Castille, as his queen was now become his legal heiress of Portugal. Many of the nobles paid no attention to what ho said ; for they were afraid of the people then present, as they had heard them declare they would only have the master of Avis for their monarch ; and this likewise was heard by don Fernando. He begged the nobles to support him steadily in his allempts to bring the people to his way of thinking ; but they all left him. As soon as the funeral was ended and the queen had returned to her palace, they called for their horses, which the majority mounted, and set out from Lisbon. Some few attached to the grand-master might remain, but they retired to their houses, and kept witliin, ex- pecting the event to happen which I am about to relate. " The citizens of Lisbon, Coimbra, Ourique, and Oporto, after the fimeral, wi'jnt to the cathedral, which is dedicated to Si. Dominick, instead of going to their homes, and the grand-master with them, •where they held a#hort conference. ' .My good people,' said don John, ' If you wiali to have me for your king, which I think my just right, and are resolved to persevere in it, you must now bestir your- selves, and begin by acting to show your strength. You have seen how Fernando Audfere is working on ihe nobles to send for the king of Castille, to whom he says the crown of Portugal now belongs in right of my niece ; but I maintain that it shall, if you assist me, be mine ; for J have a much better claim to it in every way. I am a man, and the son of the good don Pedro who so gallantly reigned over you. My niece, the queen of Castille, it is true, is daughter to don Ferdinand, but not in legal marriage.' The Lisboners replied, ' What you say is true : we will have you for our king ; no one else ; and we will make you such, let who will urge us to the contrary. Now, swear before us that you will he good and merciful, and main- tain strict justice, withotit flattering the strong more than the weak ; and that you will defend, willi heart and hand, in conjunction with our aid, the rights and privileges of Portugal.' The king replied, ' My good people, I now heartily swear to follow what you have said ; but let us hasten to the mint, where John Fernando Audfere resides with Leonora d'Acunha ; for I must have him put to death, as he has acted contrary to our interests, in supporting the claims of others than those you wish well to.' ' We will do so,' they answered ; ' for in truth he has behaved to you like a rebel, and shall die for it, that those who are your enemies may take example.' " On saying this, the Lisboners left the church of St. Dominick, in the whole about fifteen hundred, headed by their new king, and marched through the town toward the mint, where the queen and Fernando Audfere, with their attendants, lived. On their arrival they broke open the doors, and entered the lady's apartment by force. Leonora, much alarmed on seeing this crowd enter her chamber, threw herself on her knees before don John, and with uplifted hands begged his mercy for that she was not guilty of any misdeeds; and, as for the crown oi inheritance of Portugal, she had never made any claim to tl^em, as many present knew, if they would be pleased to remember. ' 1 entreat, therefore, you and all the company to recol- lect, that it was contrary to my will and wish that don Ferdinand exalted me to be his wife and queen of Portugal.' ' Lady,' replied don John, ' fear nothing, for not the least harm shall be done you : we are not come hither with such intent, but to seek that traitor John Fernando Audere, and put him to death ; and then the king of Cas tille may revenge it if he can, for he has been his advocate too long in this country.' Those who had been ordered to do so sought the knight, whom they discovered and .slew : after this, no person was injuied; but they all returned peaceably to their homes, and the king retired to the palace. "After the death of Fernando, ilie lady Leonora, who had been queen of Portugal, was desirous of quilling Lisbon and retiring to her daughter in Castille ; for she had been so much alarmed by the murder of Fernando, that she had almost died through fear. She would not therefore remain longer in Lisbon, where she had neither peace nor respect, but sent to ask leave of the king to depart, who readily granted her request, adding, she was in the right to go away. The lady set off with her attendants, and continued her journey until she came to Seville, where the king and queen of Spain resided. She found almost all the nobility of Spain assembled there in Parlia- ment, on the subject of Portugal : for king John declared that king, doni was now fallen to him by the death of don Ferdinand, who had so settled it when he married the lady Beatrice ; and, the states of the country having Ukewise agreed to it, he wanted their advice how to act. " The lady Leonora was received with joy by the king and her daughter, and many inquiries were made relative to what was pass- ing in Portugal. She told tlicni truly everything she knew, and added, that Ihe people would assuredly crown the master of Avis king, if not prevented ; for that, don Fernando Audere having been always a zealous friend to the rights of Castille, they had murdered him. They readily believed what she said, as every appearance testified its truth. Some knights and barons of Portugal, from affec- tion to the daughter of their late king, and to keep the solemn en gagements they had entered into at her marriage, quilted their country, and joined the king of Castille at Seville, leaving behind their wealth and properties. Among them were, don Pedro Alvarez Pereyra, grand prior of St. John, don Henriqucz Manuel, count of Cintra, Juan Te.\eda, chancellor to the queen, and about twenty more, which emigration at this time greatly weakened Portugal, and much pleased the king of Spain, who was strengthened thereby. " The king of Spain issued a special summons throughout his realm for all persons capable of bearing arms, from the ages of fifieen to sixty, to hasten to Seville , for he was determined to enter Portugal with a force sufficient to conquer it and make it his own. His com. mauds were obeyed ; and there were assembled before Seville up- ward of sixty thousand men of every description. Lorenzo d'Acunha, on hearing that his wife, whom the late king of Portugal had ravished from him and made his queen, was arrived in Castille, waited on some of the king's council by whom he was beloved, and asked their ad- vice in the following terms : ' My lords and assured friends, have I any means to obtain possession of my wife, who has left Portugal and is now in Seville ? I know that Ferdinand took her by force, and against her inclinations. He is, as you know, dead ; and in justice, therefore, I ought to have back my wife ; tell me, then, how I should act.' They replied, 'Lorenzo, there is not any chance of your ever having her again ; for you would risk too much, and debase the honor of the lady, as well as that of the queen of Castille, and establish her bastardy. You see that our king is determined to con- quer Portugal, and add it to his crown, as appertaining to him in right of his queen. Take care not to muddle more by your claims what is already troubled enough, for you will be put to death if you persevere. You may judge yourself what may be expected, if you prove the queen a bastard, which we maintain in this country to be false, and that she was born in legal marriage by a dispensation in due form from the pope.' ' What had I best do, then V said Lorenzo, ' The best way for you to act is to set out instantly fryr your estate in Portugal, and leave the lady Leonora with her daughter; we see no other means of safety for you.' ' On my troth, I believe you advise me like real friends,' answered Lorenzo. He only staid three days after this conversation in Castille, and having secrelly packed up alt his things, rode off in haste to Portugal, where he waited on the master of Avis, saying he was coming to serve under him, for he acknowledged him his king. Don John was rejoiced at this, made him governor of Lisbon, and restored to him all his property. Thus, as I have related to you, my lord, was the fortune of Lorenzo d'Acunha restored to him." The duke of Lancaster took great pleasure in this conversation with Lawrence Fongasse, for he spoke French well, and the matter. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. _^ ^^* When tlieir hopes began to fail of help from England, the king was advised to embark for that country, as their embassadors had brought intelligence thence that assistance would be sent; and that your grace would bring reinforcements." " In God's name, that is very true," replied the duke of Lancaster ; " for I was on the point of sailing, hating everything prepared, when the war in Flanders broke out. The men of Ghent called on England for aid ; and they had given to them all, or at least the greater part, of those troops which I was to have led into Portugal. The bishop of Norwich carried them with him beyond sea, and thus retarded the expedition to Por- tugal." " I vow to God, my lord," said the squire, " we in Lisboii thought that there had something happened in England to prevent your coming to us. We managed, however, as well as we could, and bore up against the power of the king of Castille, which was not small ; for he has upward of sixty thousand men on sea and land, and menaced daily to destroy us without mercy, and burn Lisbon to the ground. During this siege of Lisbon, a lord of nur country, called d'Acosta, did us a noble piece of service, and gained by it great renown. He freighted and armed twenty galleys at Oporto with good men-at-arms and provision, with which he put to sea, and by the grace of God, having a favorable wind to second their exer- tions, passed through the Spanish fleet, consisting of one hundred great vessels, that were lying at anchor before Lisbon, so opportunely that, whether they would or not, he arrived in tlio port with all his galleys unhurt, carrying with him four of the enemy's vessels which he had conquered. The inhabitants were very much rejoiced at the success and the anival of the lord d'Acosta." " By my faith," said the duke, *■ this lord d'Acosta did you indeed a great service. Now, Lawrence, relate to me how this siege was raised, for I am well satisfied with your conversation." " My lord," replied the squire, " the siege lasted, as I have said, upward of a year, for the king of Castille had sworn he would never break it up until Lisbon were under his obedience, or until some more powerful prince should force him to it. Considering what happened, the king of Castille religiously kept his vow of not breaking up the siege, un- less forced to it by a more powerful lord, as I will explain. A most destructive pestilence burst out in his army, so that persons died sud- denly while in conversation with each other. Upward of twenty thousand were carried off by this plague ; which so much alarmed the king, that he was advised to break up the siege, and retire to Santarem or elsewhere, and disband his army imtil the disorder should be checked. He consented to this very unwillingly ; for he had solemnly sworn he would never leave the place until he had won it by fair or foul means ; but he was forced to it by the principal lords in his army, who pressed him to march to Santarem. " My lord, w'e Portuguese have always thought, and have publicly said, that the .\lniighty, to afford us assistance, had, out of hia grace, sent this pestilence among our enemies ; for those in the city wherein we were inclosed never t'elt the smallest attack from any such sick- ness, nor did we lose a man. Our king, when he saw the Castillians marching away, made the townsmen and garrison of Lisbon arm, and sallying out on horseback, fell on the rear of those who were not in good array, broke their ranks, killed and wounded great num- bei-s, and captured many of their stores. He also issued a proclama- tion, that no one, under pain of death, should touch or carry into Lisbon any of the provisions the Spaniards had left in their camp, but that everything should be burnt, that the town might not be infected. All the provisions and stores were given up to the flames; but, I be- lieve, wherever any money and plate were found, better care was taken of them. " The king of Castille, on his arrival at Santarem, which is on the borders of his realm, remained there for some time. He made the most earnest solicitations to France for succor, but more particularly to Gascony, B^arn, and the county of Foix, whither he sent three horses laden with nobles of Castille and florins, as an advance to knights and squires, for he well knew he could not by any other means induce them to quit their castles or country. The courage of the barons and knights of Portugal was much exalted when they found the king of Castille had retired from Lisbon, which he had be- sieged for upward of a year,* but more especially the commonalties of Oporto, Ourique, and Coimbra. They took counsel together, and instantly determined to crown the master of Avis king ; for they had, through their love and good pleasure, already raised him to that honor, saying it was the common wish of the country, and that God would that he should be crowned, for he had displayed his virtues to the Cas- tillians. It was proclaimed throughout the country, that all interested should be at Coimbra on a certain day, when the master of Avis would be solemnly crowned king of Portugal. All those of his party, and, considering the size of the country, it was a numerous body, attended the coronation, which was performed by the bishops and prelates with great pomp, in the cathedral church of Coimbra, dedi- cated to St. Mary, on Trinity-day, in the year of grace I384.t The king on that day created sixty knights, as well of his own as from foreign countries. There were magnificent festivals at Coimbra, which lasted for two or three day.s. The barons, counts, knights, and squires, who held fiefs of the crown, renewed their homage ; concerned him nearly. He was anxious to learn as much as possi- ble, and, with great kindness, said : " Lawrence, speak out boldly : I have not these two years heard any foreigner so explicit, and all you say appears truth itself. Continue, therefore, I beg of you ; for the king of Portugal writes me word, you are the only person who can give me the fullest information of what has happened in that country." " My lord," returned the squire, " there have been few deeds of arms done in Castille and Portugal, but on occasions when I have been an actor in them; and, since it pleases you that I con- tinue my narration, I will do so. " King John of Castille assembled his forces as speedily as he could, and marched with a great power before Lisbon, prior to the coronation of the king, in order to alarm the inhabitants and make good his claim to the kingdom. He advanced to Santarem, which is on the borders, ajid halted there two days. The garrison and townsmen, alarmed at liis numbers, opened their gates, and surren- dered themselves to him. When he had taken possession and re- garrisoned the place, he marched to Leyria,* which is a very strong town, and surrounded it. Leyria was attached to the Spanish inte- rest, for the town formed part of queen Leonora's dower ; and, at the first attack of the king of Castille, it instantly surrendered. Having left there a strong body of men-at-arms, he advanced to Va- ienza d'Alcantara, and laid siege to it. He sent to tell the townsmen to humble themselves before him and receive him as their lord. The citizens replied, by advising him to march away to Lisbon, adding, that as soon as they should know he had gained that town by affec- tion or force, they would send him the keys of Valenza. This answer being agreeable to the king of Spain, he marched away. Another town called Serpa, which the king wished to gain, made a similar answer. Other towns did the same, so that he took the road to Lis- bon ; for he imagined, if he could conqu'er that city, he would soon master the remainder of the country. Wherever the king marched, he carried his queen with him, to show the Portuguese that it was in her right he claimed the crown, and that he had a just cause for so doing. Don John of Castille arrived with his whole army before Lisbon, and by his manner of forming the siege plainly showed he would not break it up until he had it in his power. He menaced the master of .\vis, who was within the town, that if he could take him, he would put him and all the other rebels to an ignominious death. " The army of don John was very numerous ; and the Castillians and the French, who had come to his assistance, had so closely sur. rounded Lisbon, that no one could come out or go in without danger of being taken. When any Portuguese were made prisoners by the Castillians in a skirmish or otherwise, their eyes were torn out, their legs, arms, or other members were cut off, and in such maimed state they were sent back to Lisbon, and bid tell theii' townsfolk that they had been so treated in despite of the Lisboners and their master of Avis, whom they were so eager to crown king ; and that they would keep the siege until they had won the town by storm or famine, when they would show mercy to none, but put all to death, and give up the city to fire and flame. The Lisboners, however, did not re- venge themselves so cruelly ; for, whenever they made any prisoners, their king afforded them every comfort, and did not send them back with hurt of any sort. They made many of the army say, he was a gallant fellow thus to return good for evil. During this siege of Lisbon, which lasted upward of a year, there were every week two or more skirnnshes, in which many were killed and wounded on both sides. The town was besieged by sea as well aa by land; and the besiegers had jjlenty of all things, for provisions came to them from different parts of Spain. The Spaniards made one course up to the very gates of Lisbon ; when Lorenzo d'Acunha sallied forth out of the barriers with his pennon, having the arms of Acunha borne before him, accompanied by many gallant friends, and excellent deeds of arms were then done with lance and dart." " By my faith, Lawrence," said the duke of Lancaster, ''of all the arms tire Castillians and your countrymen use, I love the dart the best, and like to see it used : they are very expert at it ; and I nmst say, that whoever they liit with it, unless strongly armed, he will be pierced through."- " Indeed, my lord, you say truly : for I saw more bodies transfixed at these assaults than I ever witnessed before in my life. We lost one whom we much regretted. Lorenzo d'Acunha was struck with a dart that passed through his plates, his coat of mail, and jacket, though stuffed with silk, and his whole body, so that he was felled to the ground. The skirmish ceased on account of the dead knight ; and thus was the lady Leonora made a widow, in one year, of both her husbands. Lorenzo d'Acunha was much lamented, my lord, for he was vaUant in arms, and prudent in coun- cil. After his death, his cousin, called la Pouvasse d'Acunha, was appointed governor of Lisbon. He made three or four sallies on the Spaniards, in which he was victorious. " The siege of Lisbon was continued to the great dismay of the inhabitants ; for no succor seemed to come to them from any quarter. * " Leyria." Froissart calls it Tuy ; but Tuy is a town of Spain, on the opposite side of the river Mitiho to Valencia. There mast be some mistakes ; for tlie king of Spain, on leavinp Seville, marches to besiege Lisbon. He comes to Santarem : so far is well ; but from thence he turns ofl'to Leyria and Valenza d'Alcantara ; and. when the battle of Aijubarota takes place, the Portuguese march from Guimareaos to combat the Spaniards. * It did not continue more than nine moatfis. It wus raised in the mOQth of Novera ber of the same year in wbicfi it was begun.— Ed. f6th April, 1383.-ED. 3i)6 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. and the kin" ewore to govern the realm with justice, and to maintain all their rights. The people swore to obey faithfully the king and his heirB after him, whether male or female, and never to desert him until death. Thus passed the coronation of the king of Portugal. " The king of Castillo, on hearing that the Portuguese, and par- ticularly ihe commons, had crowned the master of Avis king, and had sworn to him homage and fidelity, was more pensive than be- fore ; for he did not imagine they would have been in such haste to crown him, as he had in his army eo many of the nobles of Portugal. He said to those near him, 'I see clearly that by fair or foul means I must conquer what is my own, if I wish to possess it ; for there never •will be any peace between Castillo and Portugal until the Portuguese have made amends for what they have done.' '* After the coronation, the king went to Lisbon, where he re. mained, and attended diligently to the affairs of the kingdom, at the same time endeavoring to acquire the affection of his subjects. He sent knights and squires to all his garrisons on the frontiers of Spain, for the king of Castillo was now returned to Seville. The king of Portugal ordered sir John Ferdinand Portelet, an able and valiant knight, full of enterprise, to Treulouse*, and with him two excellent knights, sir Vasco Martin d'Acunha, and his brother, sir Gil Vasco d'Acunha, and two hundred good men at-arms well mounted. Sir John de Pcreira was sent with fifty lances to the castle of Le>Tia, near Aljubarota ; sir John Gomez da Silva, to Valen^a, which is op. posite to the town of Tuy ; this place had turned to the Spaniards when they marched to Lisbon, and it was a numerous garrison of Cnstillians and French. Sir Mondech Radigo was ordered to Serpa witli fifty spears : to Oporto, Coimbra, and Ourique, the king sent none, for he knew the loyalty and attachment of tiiose cities to his cause. Thus, as I tell you, were all the strong places garrisoned, and there were frequent skirmishes with one or the other ; in which, as must happen, sometimes one side gained, sometimes another. There was, in particular, one celebrated skirmish between the gar- rison of Trancoso and the Castillians." "Ah, Lawrence," interrupted the duke, "do not pass this over slightly, but tell me all the particulars ; for my greatest delight is the hearing of gallant deeds of arms." " My lord," repHed the squire, "it is but right I should do so ; for I well remember everything that happened, as I was banner-bearer on that day to John Ferdinand de Portelet, governor of Trancoso, who began the skirmish. " You must know, my lord, that the king of Castille had placed good garrisons in all his towns on the frontier, who, by collecting at times together in one body, overran and much harassed the country. It happened that seven Spanish captains, of high birth and valor, as. eembled a body of three hundred lances, well mounted, with which they entered Portugal, and made a great booty of pillage and prisoners. They might have returned into Castillo had they pleased, but their pride and presumption urged them to boast they would see what the garrison of Treutouse was made of. The whole country fled before them, so that the governor was apprised of the invasion. He called for his arms, on hearing the enemy were in the plain, and had his trumpet sounded to alarm the knights in the town. All armed in haste, and, mounting their steeds, sallied out of their place, when, on mustering themselves, they amounted to full two hundred spears. They drew up in good array, and showed plainly they were in earnest to meet their enemies. On demanding from the runaways, who were hastening to save themselves in Trancoso, where the Castillians might be found, they answered, not far off; as they were only marching at a foot's pace, on account of the quantity of booty they had with them. Sir John Ferdinand Portelet was rejoiced on hearing this, and said to his companions, the brothers d'Acunha; 'My lords, let us advance, I beg of you ; for I will never enter town or castle until I have seen our enemies, to offer them battle ; and by every means attempt to recover the pillage and the prisoners they are carrying away.' He then added, ' Lawrence, display my banner ; for we shall speedily come up with the enemy.' I instantly obeyed this order ; and, as we rode on at a good pace, we soon saw the dust the Castillians made. We took advantage of the sun being in our back, and over. took them. " The enemy, perceiving us, halted and drew up in good array, placing their prisoners and plunder on one side. We were so near each other, that we could speak to them, and noticed three banners and four pennons ; and we judged they were full three hundred, all well mounted. I -will tell you the names of the captains: there were sir Juan Rodriguez, de Castinhedo, a baron of Castille, sir Alvaro Garcia de Albornoz, sir Adiantado de Toledo, Pedro Soaiez de Toledo, Adiantado de Ca^orla, Juan Rodriguez Pereira, and Diego Eancs de Tavor^ " When we were thus near to each other, both parties dismounted, and the horses were given to the pages and varhits ; but before any blow was struck, tliere was a parley held by the leaders of each troop; and, being present, I heard everything that was said. Sir John PorteKt began by asking them why they had thus invaded Portugal? Sir Adiantado de Toledo replied, that they had a right to invade any country they chose, to chastise rebels ; for they had been commanded by their lord, the king of Castille, who was the true lord of Portugal, to enter that country, and plunder it; and, the inhabitants being *" Treutouse." It Uthua in alt mj copies, M9. and printed : but 1 camiot correct the nijitake utberwise than by supposing it to mean Estreinoy. rebels, they were carrying them away as prisoners. ' You shall not carry them away nor their property neither,' said sir John Portelet ; ' for we will take them from you, as you have not any right thus to act. Do you not know that we have a king of our own, who has sworn to govern justly, and punish oil thieves and robbers ? I there, fore order you in his name, to lay down all that you have pillaged in Portugal, or else we shall fight with you, having justice on our side.' Sir Adiantado de Toledo answered; 'As for our prisoners, we will not for certain yield them up ; but in regard to other matters, we will consider of it.' " The Castillian chiefs then withdrew to hold a consultation, and plainly showed, by what followed, that, although they had thus vaunt- ingly advanced to Trancoso, they readily would have been excused a battle. After a short delay, they said that in regard to the cattle, they had determined to give them up, as well as the horses, and other things which would embarrass them on their return, but that they would keep the prisoners. ' Oh, but,' replied the Portuguese, ' it shall not be so : for you must give up all, or fight.' The battle upon this, commenced very sharply, for neither party spared itself: ihcy were both active, and the field of battle was extensive. Javelins were thrown with such force, that whoever they struck, unless well armed, was knocked down. Many gallant deeds were done ; and sir John Fernando Portelet made good use of his battle-axe, as did the two brothers d'Acunha make great havoc with theirs. The Castil. lians, on their part, behaved admirably ; and their fighting and push- ing lasted upward of three hours, without either side being shaken. It was wonderful how they could remain so long a time under arms, but their anxiety to leave the field with honor supported them ; and I must say, that both nations are hardy in fight, more particularly when they feel the necessity of it. They were so long and so equally engaged, that any one who had seen them would not have known which side would be victor. However, thanks to God, no banner nor pennon was damaged in our army ; but those of our adversaries began to give way, which greatly encouraged our men, who were now as fresh as ever, and, shouting out ' St. George for Portugal !* broke through the ranks of the Castillians, and began to knock down on all sides. Such deadly strokes were given with battle-axes and leaden mallets, that they were completely defeated. The pages, seeing the discomfiture of their masters, took advantage of their horses and galloped off. Of the seven captains only one escaped, and he was indebted for it to his good page, who, perceiving him hard pressed, brought him a horse, and, having mounted him, led him out of the battle, so that Adiantado de Cagorla that day received a most essential service from his page. All the rest were put to death, for quarter was shown to none. Thus were the Castillians defeated by air John Fernando Portelet, though there were at least two to one more in numbers, on a Wednesday, in the month of October, near the town of Trancoso, in the year of our Lord 1384. " When all was over, and the field clear, our men mounted their horses, and gave liberty to all whom the Castillians had captured ; they also allowed them to carry away as much of the plunder as they pleased ; but the cattle, which amounted to more than eight hundred, were driven to the town, as a supply for the garrison. On reenter- ing Trancosa we were received with so much joy, that the inhabit- ants could not make too much of us, for having freed the country of its enemies. All who had heard of this battle praised tis most highly for our valor. " We had another successful engagement in the plains of Seville : but I will first relate the most brilliant success that has for these two hundred years ever happened to a king of Portugal, and which our king had about four months ago, when the enemy were upward of four to one, all of them excellent men-at-arms and of high renown, which makes our victory the more glorious. But I fancy, my lord, you have heard enough of this battle before ; and, being now suffi. ciently tired I had better end the conversation." " Oh, by no means," replied the duke : " continue your narrative, for I shall cheerfully listen to you. In truth, I have in my household a herald called Derby, who was, as he says, present at this battle, and tells us that our countrymen performed wonders ; but I doubt it rnuch, for I cannot conceive that any numbers could have been there, as my brother Cambridge, when he left Portugal, brought back all the English and Gascons which had accompanied him. There are many heralds such liars, they exaggerate or depreciate according to their affections or dislikes ; and, since these boasted exploits cannot have been for. gotten, I shall thank you to be particular about them, whenever you speak of that part of the battle." "On my troth." answered Law- rence, " there were not with our king, at the battle of Aljubarota, more than two hundred foreigners, including English, Gascons, and Germans. The ablest captains ainong them were two Gascons and a German from the Duchy of Gueldres, whose names were, sir Wil- liam de Montferrand, and Bernardon, Gascons, and Albert the Ger- man. There were a few English archere : but I never heard any name of note except of two squires, Northbury and Hartsel, who assisted at the council whenever the king had it nssembled." " Now relate to me how this famous battle was fought," said the duke. " Willingly," replied the .squire, " for it was for this I was sent hither. I have already told you, that before the coronation of our king at Coimbra, the king of Castille had raised the siege of Lis- bon, on account of the groat mortality in his army, and had retired CHRONICLKS OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. 39T 10 Santarem. He waa greally mortified when he heard of the coro- nation of king John, in opposition to his claim on Portugal in right of his queen, and was advised to send everywhere for men-at-arms, especially to France, as the French had before been their allies in the wars erf" his father the late king. His council said ; My lord, yoii only want one successful battle over the Portuguese to have them under your subjection ; for that kingdom is, as you know, much divided in regard to the person to whom the crown belongs. You have now with you its principal nobles, who have acknowledged your right, which is assuredly of great importance to your war. If you march to combat this bastard of Portugal, whom the commonalty have crowned king, before he be reinforced by the English you will conquer him, and the country be your own ; for it is not of that ex- tent but we can soon overrun it. The king of Caslille sent envoys to France, Poitou, Brittany, Normandy and many other places where he thought it probable men-at-arms would come to serve him, but more particularly into Beam, wlienee indeed numbers of gallant knights and squires did come. From that country there were more than from any other; and the army amounted, when at Santarem, to upward of seven hundred lances and thirty thousand Spaniards, all well mounted, and eager to do us mischief. " News was soon carried to Portugal of the great power the king of Castilte had collected, and that he intended to renew again the aiegc of Lisbon. The king held a council to consider how he should act, when the nobles declared for marching to meet their enemies, and not shutting themselves up in any town of the Idngdom ; for if they were inclosed, they must remain so, and the Castillians in the mean time would overrun the country at their ease, and in the end starve them into submission. But if they marched, and posted them- selves advantageously to wait the enemy, it would be most advi- sable ; ' for,' added they, ' we know, my lord, that you will never enjoy peaceably the crown we have placed on your head before you have had a battle, and have once or twice defeated your adversary, the king of Castille, and all the force he can bring against you. If we gain the victory, the kingdom is yours ; and, should we be oVer- tlu-own, it will still remain in suspense. It is by far more honorable to Beek our enemies than wait to be sought for; and many are the instances where the first have had the advantage over the latter. We therefore advise you to send to all from whom we expect assist- ance.' ' You say well,' replied the king, ' and I will follow what you recommend.' He issued his summons for his subjects to meet him at Oporto on a fixed day. But you must know that those to whom he had thus written neither obeyed nor paid any attention to his or- ders ; for the country were not unanimous in their choice of a king, and thus dissembled to see which of the two kings would be victo- rious. Indeed, some of the nobility had even joined the king of Castille, thinking his the jusler cause. Notwithstanding this, the king of Portugal assembled all the forces he could muster, at Coimbra, To say the truth, those of the highest birth and of the greatest weight in Portugal were attached to him through personal affection ; he had full five ^"d twenty hundred knights and squires, and about twelve thousand infantry. He appointed the count de Novaire constable, and sir Aleync Pereira* marshal of the army, both of them able and valiant knights, who knew well how to lead an army to battle. "They left Coimbra, and took the road toward Aijubarota at a gentle pace, on account of their heavy baggage following them. They sent forward tiieir scouts, to obser\'e the disposition of tiie enemy's army. Sir John Fernando de Portelet had not joined the king, but remained in the castle of Ourem, five leagues from Aiju- barota, not knowing, I believe, that an engagement was so near at hand. I can readily suppose the king of Castille had early notice of our march, which gave him and his army, as they showed, much pleasure. He was advised to hasten to meet us and give us battle, especially by the Gascons, who were eager for it, and requested to lead the van, which they obtained. Sir William de Montferrand, who waa on our side with forty lances, had told us truly when he said, * Be assured you will soon have a battle, since you have Gas- cone opposed to you ; for they like nothing better.' The king lodged on the morrow with his whole army at Leyria, two leagues from Aijubarota, where, on the next day, we came and fixed our quarters. The Castillians followed us and encamped on the spot we had left; for they well knew by their scouts our line of march. " My lord, the Portuguese have always had great confidence in God, and in the good fortune that would attend them at Aijubarota ; and it was for this reason they had now there encamped themselves." " Ay," said the duke, *' pray teil me why." " Willingly," answered the squire. "In former days, Charlemagne, v/ho was king of France, and emperor of Germany and Rome, and a great conqueror, over- threw, at Aijubarota, seven infidel kings, slaying upward of one hundred thousand of these unbelievers, as it is fully related in all our old chronicles.t By this defeat, he won the city of Coimbra and all Portugal, which he turned to the Christian faith : and in honor of this victory over the infidels, he erected and endowed a large mon. aslery for black monks, the revenues of which they were to receive as long as they should reside in Portugal. * Sir Alvaro Pereim. brother to the Constable Nufio Alvares Pereira.— Ed. t This is a niistiike. Charlemacne never approacbed Aijubarota. The exploit of Alphonio Heiiriquez. Uie founder of the Portuguese monarchy, who defeated five Moortjili Kings at the bailie of Ouriqua, k probably the origin of this story.— Eo. " There was also another celebrated battle at this place, abou* two hundred years ago, which was won by the brother of a king of Castille, called the count of Portugal :* for at that time there were no kings of Portugal. There ^ell out a deadly hatred between thesB two brothers, caused by a dispute in the division of the countries ; so that there was not any chance of peace without the event of a battle being first tried. The Portuguese were as warm in the matter as the count, and declared they would rather bo put to death than become subject to Castille. They therefore marched, in battle- array, to meet the king at Aijubarota. The king of Castille came thither in such force that his army amounted to more than ten times the Portuguese, whom he held in the utmost contempt. The battle took place on the plains of Aijubarota, and was very bloody; but, in the end, the Portuguese gained the day, defeating the enemy and making their king prisoner. By this capture, the count of Portugal obtained what terms of peace he desired, and the boundaries of the two kingdoms were firmly established. The Portuguese, sensible- that their victory was owing to God's mercy, in enabling a few to overcome such numbers, were desirous to illustrate their country, and had their count crowned king by the nobles and prelates, in the city of Coimbra. They carried him in triumph throughout the king- dom, with a crown of laurel on his head, as a token of victory, like to that which kings were used to wear in former times ; and ever since that day Portugal has had its king : and know, my lord, that the Portuguese, sooner than be under the subjection of the Castillians^ would look for the most distant relation of any of their kings who had died witliout issue. " When king John of Portugal was arrived at Aijubarota, all these old stories were told him. While tlie constable and marshal were arranging their men, sir John Fernando de Portelet arrived with his forty lancemen, having left the castle of Ourem that morning. His coming gave pleasure to all ; and he was posted in the division near the king's person. When our army was drawn up in proper array^ and we were waiting for our enemies, whose numbers and state the scouts had been sent to observe, the king advanced to the centre, and, having ordered silence, said : * Ge-ntlemen, you have crowned me your king : now show your loyalty ; for, since I am on the plaine of Aijubarota, I will never retreat until I have combated our ene- mies.' The army unanimously answered, ' My lord, we will remain- steady to you, and, be assured, will never turn our backs.' The two armies approached, for the Castillians were desirous of battle, as they plainly showed. Our scouts were ordered to examine them narrowly, as to number and order, that we might take measures accordingly. They were more than three hours returning ; and wc began to fear we had lost them. At last, they came back with par- ticular accounts of the enemy's strength. They said there were in the van battalion at least seven thousand men, armed from head to- foot, in the handsomest manner possible ; in that of the king, thirty thousand horse, and all well armed. When our men and their leaders heard the numbers of the enemy, and how they were marching, the van battalion being two leagues in advance of the main body with the king — for the Gascons and foreigners w^e not on good terms with the Castillians — they resolved to keep in a compact body within their intrenchments, and to form two wings with the men-at-arms, who amounted to about twenty.fivc hundred, in the rear of the wings. You would there, my lord, have witnessed a fine order of battle, and men showing great courage. The king commanded, under pain of death, that no one should be ransomed, if the day were ours, but that all should be put to death. This was wisely done ; for our lords said, that if we occupied ourselves in making prisoners, we should think of nothing else, and risk the lose of the day : it will be mUch better to combat vigorously, than to attend to the dictates of avarice by making'prisoners, and sell ourselves like men whose all is at sta-ke. *' Our enemies now were advancing in as close order as possible just before us. They dismounted, and, driving their horses away, laced their plates and helmets very neady, and, with vizors down. and presented lances, marched to us very boldly ; in good truth, there were the flower of chivalry and squireship, as was very appa- rent. Between us was a ditch, not so wide but a knight could leap over it, which was of some advantage to us ; for our wing-^ lanched very sharp darts as the enemy attempted to pass it, which wounded several so sorely, they were checked in the attempt. When they had all crossed it, the battle raged ; for they imagined the king of Caslille, with the main body, were close behind them ; but it was not so, and they were all slain before his arrival. The manner of this happening was as follows : *' They were surrounded, as it were, by those called the common alty of our country, who, coming on their rear, attacked them sharply with axes ; while our men-at-arms, that were quite fresh, charged them in front, and drove them back into the ditch they had crossed. In less than half an hour the business was over, and all this body, of four thousand good men-at-arms, were put to death : none were ransomed ; for whenever any of ours wished to show quarter to hia prisoner, he was slain while in his hands. Thus did this slaughter befal the van battalion: not one escaped. Shortly after, the king of Castille and his army, consisting of thirty thousand men, well mounted, came up : but it was now night, and they were ignorant * Count Henry of Burgundy marriftd Therewi, naturaJ dauE^ter of AJphonso VX.> king of Castille and Leon. 398 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. of the loss of their van. They were desirous of displaying their horsemanship, and, by way of gallantry, more than five hundred leaped over the ditch ; but, my lord, not one of them ever returned back again. Among them that were thus slain were some of the highest rank, the most anxious for deeds of arms, and several of those noblemen who had left Portugal to serve under the king of Caslilie, Our men, on seeing the enemy thus defeated, advanced, and crossed the ditch, now nearly filled with water, from the number of bodies which had choked up the current; they then mounted their horses and pursued the enemy, who had taken flight ; but it lasted not long, for it was soon scftdark they were afraid of fuUowing- them rashly, lest they might fall. into some ambuscades: besides, they were not so well mounted as the CastillJans. Had it been otherwise, they would have suffered more, and their king been either slain or made prisoner ; but the obscurity ol the nigfit, and the bad- ness of our horses, saved them. " I will now mention those who fell in this battle : and, to begin with the Portuguese who had changed sides, don John Aiphonso Tello, the grand prior of St. John in Portugal, don Alvarez his brother, with several more. Of Spaniards, don Pedro of Arragon, son to the constable ; don Juan, son to don Tello, and don Fer- iiando, son to don Sancho, both brothers-in-law to the queen ; Die. go Maniique, president of Castille ; the marshal Carillo ; the admiral Juan de Fovar, Pedro Alvarez Pereira, grand-master of Calatrava ; the grand-master of St. Jame?, with others. Of French, sir John de Ris ; sir GeofFry de Ricon ; sir Geoffry de Partenay ; sir Espaign- olet d'Espaign ; sir Reginald de Soulier, surnamed Limousin, mar- shal of the king of Castille's army. From Gascony and B^arn lay dead, the lord de B^arn ; the lord de Mortan ; the lord dc Brig, nolles ; sir Raymond d'Eurach ; sir Berchand de Varuge ; sir John Asolme ; sir Raymond de Valentin ; sir Adam de Mourasse ; sir Meuvent dc Sar^ment ; sir Peter de Sarembifere, and many more, to the amount, in all, of upward of twelve hundred gentlemen, knights, and squires. I will now name the most conspicuous of our party : first, the count de Novaire, constable of Portugal ; Galopes Portelet ; Peter Portelet, and Agalip Fernando Portelet his brother, who was by the king's side, at his bridle ; le Pouuassc d'Acunha ; Egeas Toille de Podich d'Assue ; Vasco Martin de Melx ; his son Vasco Martin, who was killed that day by a dart passing through his body. There were also among the dead, Gousselenas de Merlo ; Alve Po- ne, marshal of the army, an excellent knight ; Radighos Pereira ; John James de Salve; John Radigos, cousin to the king ; Daminon- desque ; Radigo ; Radiges de Valeronceaux, and Mendignes de Valconsiaux." He was here interrupted by a burst of laughter from the duke ; ond Lawrence asked, " My lord, what makes you laugh so heartily '?" " Why, have I not sufficient cause ? for I never in my life heard euch a catalogue of strange names as you are repeating." *' On my faith," replied the squire, " these are all proper names in my coun- try ; and we have some you would think more strange." " I be- Ueve it," said the duke ; " but, Lawrence, what became of the king of Castille after this d^eat ? Did he never attempt to rally his men ? Drd he shut himself up in any of his towns ? Did not the king of Portugal pursue him ?" *■ No, my lord, we remained that night on the field of battle, and until noon the next day, when we marched to Leyria, and from thence to Coimbra. The king of Castille fled to Santarem, where he entered a barge, and, followed by fourteen oth- ers, embarked on board a large vessel, and went by sea to Seville, where the queen was. His army was dispersed in all directions, so that it was impossible to rally them, for their loss had been great. They will be long before they recover it : indeed they never will, unless succored by the king of France.* It is to counterbalance this alliance that the king of Portugal and his council have sent us hither, to renew and strengthen our connection with the king of England and your lordship." The duke said, " Lawrence, you shall not leave this country without having satisfactory answers to carry back ; but tell me about the engagement you hinted at, which the Portuguese had with the Spaniards near Seville ; for I love to hear of feats of arms, though I am no great knight myself." '• After the glorious victory which king John had gained at Aljuba- * Don John, in commemoration of this event, founded the beautiful monastery and church of Bntallia. It has been magnificently described by Mr. Murphy ; and 1 copy a note from his publicntion, page 23. "The following account is given of this battle by Emanuel de Faria, in his history of Portugal : ' The king of Portugal, underilanding tlie approacli of the Castillinns, drew trtgother his forces from Coimbra, Oporto, and other places, and marched out of Guinmraens to give them battle. On the morning of the 14th August. 1385, ho entered the phiins of Aljubarota, where he knighted several gentlemen. The Castillians at first intended to march directly to Lisbon ; yet, afler some consultation, Uiey resolved to engage. Tlie forces on both aides were very unequal : tlie Cnstillians are reported to have been thirty tliousand strong, and the Portuguese but six thousand five hundred, besides having some local disadvantages. The sun was setting wiien these two unc(itial armies engaged. The Castillians, at tlie first cliarge, broke the vansuiird of the Tor- tupuese; but the king coming up, his voice and example so reunimjited his men, that in less Uian an hour the multitudinous army were put to the rnuf. The king of Cas- tille, who bended his troops, being troubled willi an ague, was forced to take horse to save lumself. Mo^t of the Portugoese who sided witli Castille, and wlio were in front of the army, were put to the sword, for no quarter was given them. 'I'he royal stand- ard of CastUle was taken : but many pretendiuc to tlie honor, it could not be decided by wliom. The number of the slain is not exactly known, though very great on the part of the Castillians. Oftheir cavalry, three thousand are supposed to have perished, and many persons of distinction. This is the famous battle of Aljubamta, io called, because it was fought near a village of that name.' " rota, he returned in triumph to Lisbon, not hearing of the Castilliana or French collecting in any bodies to continue the war. The king of Castille, with his queen, left Seville, and went to Burgos, and the remains of his army shut themselves up in different casdes and towns. The garrisons of both sides frequently made war on each other. It chanced that the count de Novaire,* constable of Portu- gal, entered Castille, not far from Seville, having with bim about forty spears : he intended riding to Valverde, having heard there were in that town two hundred men-at-arms. When arrived at the harriers, he made a display of his strength, as a signal that he wished for batde ; but those within remained still, and seemed to pay no attention to him, though they were secretly arming and preparing themselves. " Our people having paraded before the place some time in vain, tiu'ned about and began their retreat homeward at a foot's pace. They had not marched a country league before they saw the whole garrison of Valverde following them fidl gallop. They were led by a gallant man-at-arms, Diego de Padilla, grand-ma.ster of the order of St. Jago, who brought them handsomely to the charge. The con- stable and his men instantly dismounted, and gave their horses to the pages and varlets : having grasped their spears, they drew up in a line. The Castillians, who were very numerous, wanted to cap. ture their horses and varlets, saying, ' Let us seize their horses: we cannot more effectually distress them than to make them return on foot ;' but the grand-master would not consent. ' We will not do so,' said he : 'if we have the horses, wc will have their masters also ; for we will fight them ; and therefore dismount ; they cannot withstand our numbers.' While the Castillians were thus consult- ing, our men, without paying any attention to their horses, seeing a small brook in their rear, crossed it quietly, and posted themseivea on its bank. The enemy, having observed this, repented not having instantly made the attack ; but, thinking they could soon defeat them, they began the combat by lanching darts, and whatever else they could lay hands on, so that it lasted from noon to evening. The constable, seeing the enemy had expended all their artillery, and had not wherewithal to fight, crossed the rivulet, with his ban- ner displayed, and attacked them with lances. They were sooa broken and in disorder ; for, being tired by the weight of their armor, they could not withstand our charge, nor, from weakness, assist each other. They were speedily vanquished : the grand-mas- ter, with sixty more, were left dead on the field, and the rest took to flight. We recovered our horses, and many others which the Cas- tillians had rode thither. What is your opinion, niy lord ? did not our men behave gallantly ?" '* That they did, by my faith," replied the duke. " By such feats of arms and conquests have the Portu- guesc entered the career of glory, since the accession of don John to the crown of Portugal. They say God is with them, and is their help in maintaining their right.?. Indeed, my lord, they never fail declaring that God is on their side; for, ever since the death of king Ferdinand, in all matters of arms they have been concerned in, whether of consequence or not, victory has been for them. The count de Fobc, who at this day is one of the most potent and wise lords, says, as we have been told by those from his country, that for- tune sides with Portugal ; and that, if his knights would have listened to him, they would never have left B^arn to fight against the king of Portugal. " My lord, our king is wise and prudent ; he fears and lovee God, and has an affection for the church, which he exalts as much as ia in his power. He is frequently on his knees in his oratory and hear- ing divine service, and is very strict in never being disturbed while at prayer, whatever may be the business. He is a learned man and understands some Utde of astronomy ; but above all, he will have justice administered impartially in his dominions, and the poor main- tained in their rights. I have now, my lord, told you everything, according to your request, relative to our king and country, as I was charged to do when I left it; and you will give me such answers as may be agreeable to you." " Lawrence, I before told you, and I now repeat it, that your coming hither and your conversation have given me great pleasure. You shall not depart without having every point of your demands fully answered." "I thank you, my lord," replied the squire. Upon this, the doors of the apartment were thrown open, and wines and spices were brought in, of v/hich the embassadors having partook, they departed to their h6tei of tlie Fal- con to repose themseivea. CHAPTER XXX. THE EMBASSADORS FROM PORTPGAL RETURN WITH .SATISFACTORY AN- SWERS. THE DUKE OF LANCASTER EMBARKS ON AN EXPEDITION TO RECOVER CASTILLE. Not long after this conversation, the duke of Lancaster had a con- ference with his brother, the earl of Cambridge, on the affairs of Castille and Portugal. The earl, who had been in the latter coun- try upward of a year, said, that during the reign of doVFerdinand, when he was in Portugal, the canon de Robersac, and sir William Windsor and other knights whom he had led thither, had told him * Nunez Alvarez Pereira, who was odIjt twenty-four year? of age when he won the battle of Aljubarota.— Eb. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND. FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 399 of the mui-murs of the common people relative to the auccession, and on this account had pressed him to carry away his aon. " In God's name," replied the duke, " the Portuguese squire has informed me most circumstantially of all this matter ; and we cannot gain a more convenient entrance to Castille than through Portugal. Arragon is too distant, and, besides, the king of Arragon has always been more attached to France than to us. It is not right, since Portugal asks from us assistance, it should be refused." A parliament was held at Westminster on this subject, when it was determined that the duke of Lancaster should have, at the pub. lie expense, a thousand or twelve hundred lances, all chosen men, two thousand archers, and one thousand lusty varlets, and that they should receive half a year's pay in advance. The king's uncles were well satisfied with this grant : in particular, the duke of Lancaster, to whom, as the matter more nearly concerned him, the command of this army was given. To e.vpedite the embassadors' return to Por- tugal, who were iitrpatient to set out, the king of England wrote very affectionate letters to the king of Portugal, declaring the strict union and intelligence he wished to subsist between the subjects of each kingdom. He made also magnificent presents to the grand.master of St. James and Lawrence Fongasse, who were continually with the duke of Lancaster and earl of Cambridge. The day on which they took leave of the king and his council, they dined with the duke of Lancaster and his brother, and had liberty to depart. I believe the duke mentioned in his letters to the king of Portugal, as well as to his embassadors, his wish tliat seven galleys, and from ciglueen to twenty large vessels, might be sent from Portugal to the port of Bristol, on the confines of Wales, where the duke and his army would embark. The embassadors, having promised this should be performed, took leave and set out for Southampton, where their vessel was waiting for them. Having embarked, they put to sea with a favorable wind, and, crossing the Spanish main, arrived in five days at Oporto, where fortu- nately the king was, and much rejoiced at their return. They re- lated to the king all they had seen and heard in England regarding king Richard and his uncles, and, in confirmation, delivered letters from them. The king of Portugal, impatient for the aid of the Eng- lish to retaliate on the Spaniards, did not delay calling his council, when it was resolved, that don Alphonso Vietat, liigh admiral of Por- tugal, should get ready seven galleys and eighteen ships, to sail to England, and bring back the duke of Lancaster and his army. Don Alphonso was soon ready, and, setting sail from Oporto with fitvor- able winds, arrived in six days at Bristol, where he anchored. The duke was much rejoiced on hearing of his arrival, for he was at the lime in Wales, where the king and all his court were : he hast- ened his preparations, as his knights, squires and archers were near Bristol ; he having provided at Bristol two hundred vessels to trans- port them, under convoy of the Portuguese fleet, to the continent. It "Was intended by the duke that his duchess and daughters should accompany him to Castille and Portugal, where he proposed nobly marrying them ; for he wished not to return very soon, and with reason, as he perceived afi*airs in England were badly managed, and the young king governed by wicked counsellors. This made him the more desirous of quitting the country. Before his embarkation, and in the presence of his brothers, he appointed his son, Henry early of Derby, his lieutenant for whatever concerned him during his absence, and chose for him a set of able advisers. This Henry was a young and handsome knight, son of the lady Blanche, first duchess of Lan- caster. I never saw two such noble dames, so good, liberal, and courteous, as this lady and the late queen of England, nor ever shall, i were I to live a thousand years, which is impossible. When the duke of Lancaster had arranged his afl'nirs in England, and had taken leave of the king and his brothers, he came to Bris- tol where he tarried fifteen days, until his horses, to the amount of \ more than two thousand, and his stores, were safely embarked, with ample provision of hay, straw, oats, and fresh water. The duke then entered a handsome galley, having, beside it, a large vessel for his household and the duchess, who had consented, with great cour- age, to accompany him on this expedition ; for she expected, on her arrival in her native country, or at least before her return, to be queen of Castille. She had with her her own daughter Catherine, and two other daughters of the duke by his former marriage, called Isabella and Philippa. Isabella*' was married to sir John Holland, constable of the army. The marshal of the host, sir Thomas Moreaux, was also married to another daughter of the duke of Lancaster ; but she was a bastard, and mother to the lady Morielle, Demoiselle Marie de St. Hilaire de Hauman.t The lord Percy was admiral of the fleet. Among the knights who followed the duke of Lancaster were sir Evan Fitzwarren, the lord Lucy, sir Henry Beaumont, the lord de Pommiers, sir Richard Burley, the lord Talbot, the lord Basset, sir William Windsor, sir Thomas Tresham, sir Hugh Despenser, the lord Willoughby, the lord Bradcston, sir William Farrington, sir John d'.'Vmbreticourt, sir Hugh Hastings, sir Thomas Worcester, sir Mau. brun de Linieres, sir Lewis Rochester, sir John Sounder, sir Phihp Tickel, sir Robert Clinton, sir Hugh Calverley, David Holgrave, Thomas Aller^', Hobequin Beaucester, and many others witli pen. nons, without including the banners. There were more than one thousand lances of knights, squires and good men-at-arms ; two thousand archers, and one thousand stout varlets. It w!is the month of May when they embarked ; and they had the usual fine weather of that pleasant season. They coasted the isles of Wight and Guern- sey, so that they were distinctly seen from the Norman shores ; and a line sight it was, for there were upward of two hundred sail. It was delightful to observe the galleys, which had men-at-arms on board, coast the shores in search of adventures, as they had heard the French fleet was at sea. In truth, they were out before they showed themselves on the coast of Carentan ; but, when they perceived them approaching, they retired into the port of Havre. * Her name was Elizabetli. Sir John Holland was created earl of Huntingdon htM duke of E.\eter- Siie was, after his death, married to sir John Cornwall, lord Fanhope, but had no ifiaue by hijn. By sir John Holland she had a son (John) who succeeded his father. 1 1 cannot explain who this lady is; nor can I find anywhere, but in Froissnrt, men tioo made of this natural daughter of John of Gaunt, nor of tlie marriage with sir Tho m&s Moreau^t. Btowe says, sii Ricliard Borghley was conEtable of the duke's army, and after him lUr Thomas de la Moleneau-x. CHAPTER XXXI. MANY FRENCH KOTGHTS AND SQt;iRES OFFER THEIR SERVICES TO THB KING OF CASTILLE. Nothing happens but what is known, more particularly if relating to deeds of arms ; for knights and squires willingly converse on such topics. The news of the defeat of the king of Castille at Aljuba. rota was soon spread abroad, and was known in France ; for those who had lost their friends or relations loudly lamented them. Cas- tille alone ofl'ered a field for deeds of arms, as it was rumored the duke of Lancaster, to support his claim on that crown, had assem- bled a large army, and would march thither or to Portugal, and with, out doubt there would be many battles. Some knights and squires, of the interior part of France, consulted together on this, and which was the best road to Castille. Several were of opinion, to march by land, to avoid the dangers of the sea, and of falling into the hands of the English fleet ; but others said, the road by land was long, and the intentions of the king of Navarre were not quite clear ; for he was not much attached to France : that nation, he said, had robbed him of his lands in Normandy ; but I know not if his complaints were just. They were doubtful what road to take ; for, should they go round by Arragon, they would never arrive at their journey's end. .\t length they resolved to embark from la Rochelle, where they freighted eighteen vessels, with their baggage and stores, but did not take many horses with them. When all was ready, and the wind favorable, they put to sea, and made for the coast of Bayonne ; for that was their line of direction. They were three hundred knights and squires who had volunteered on this expedition. Among them were the lord de Coursy, sir John Handoye, the viscount de la Vcrliere, sir Peter de Vellamines, sir Guy le Baveux, sir John de Chatelmorant, the lord de St. Liger, sir James d« Fougeres, the lord de Bellanes, sir Tristan de Langurant, the lord Barrois des Barres, with many more. They arrived without accident, in the port of St. Andero, in Biscay, on the 4th day of May, 1386, where they rested themselves two days, and had their horses and baggage disembarked. When they had laden their horses, they inquired where tliey could find the king of Castille, and were told that he was then at Burgos, holding a parliament on the aflairs of the nation. On leaving St. Andero, they followed the road to Burgos, and waited on the king, who was truly glad to see them, and asked - the news from France, and which way they had come. They re-. . plied, " By .sea from la Rochelle," and that it was rumored in France the duke of Lancaster had raised a very large force of mcn-at-amia and archers, to lead into Castille or Portugal ; that it was not known where he intended to land, but that the king of Portugal had sent to him many ships and galleys. The king, on hearing this, became pensive, although it was what he expected, and did not at this meeting display his courage ; for he . perceived, from every appearance, he should have a severe war made - on him. However, he entertained the knights very handsomely, and : thanked them much for coming. -Addressing himself to sir Robert ~ de Braquemont, and his brother, fir John de Braquemont, he said, " I desired you both, when you left me last year, that, on your return, you would bring me from Paris some tennis balls, that we might amuse ourselves at that game ; but I believe it would have been 1 better I had desired you to bring good helmets and armor ; for I fancy we shall soon have much need of them." " Sire," replied the lord de Braquemont, " wc have brought both ; for we can neither fight nor play continually." In tnith, the king of Castille showed' great attention to these knights, feasted them well, and liberally sup- plied them with everything they wanted. Some of them having ; vows to perform, wished to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James at Saint Jago, since they were in the country; and all of them set out in company, having armed themselves as if they were going to batde : it was fortunate for them tlicy had done so; and whoever had advised there showed prudence, as you will see hereafter : but I must now return to to the duke of Lancaster, and his fleet, whom we left coasting Normandy. 400 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. CHAPTER XXXII. THE DUKE or LANCASTER, IN HIS TOYAGE TO CASTILI.E, ATTACKS THE FRENCH BEFORE BREST, AND FORCES THEM TO RAISE THE BLOCKADE. Jdst as pilgrim falcons, who have long rested hungry on their perch, are desirous of flight in search of prey, (if I may use the com- parison,) were those English knights and squires impatient to try their arms in the field. As they coasted Normandy, they said to each other, " Why do we not disembark in some of these Norman ports, where we shall meet with knights ready to offer us combat?" At last, these speeches reached the ears of the duke, who knew well, before he left England, that sir John de Malestroit, the lord de Mal- eetroit, the lord de Cambor, Morfonace, with a number of other knights and squires from Brittany, had blockaded Brest, under the command of the constable ; so that when he learnt the eagerness his knights e.xpressed for some deeds of arms, he ordered his admiral, the lord Thomas Percy, and his constable, lord John Holland, to steer the fleet toward Brittany, for he wished to visit the castle of Brest, and his countrymen who were within it. This order gave great joy to the English ; and don Alphonso Vietat, who was admiral-in-chief, and well acquainted with these dangerous seas, took the lead, for the rest of the fleet to follow him. The weather was now delightful, and the sea so calm, it was a pleasure to be on it : the fleet advanced with an easy sail, and arrived at the mouth of Brest harbnv, where, waiting for the tide they entered it in safety. The clarions and trum- pets sounded sweetly from the barges and the castle. Sir John de Malestroit and his companions were seated at table when the news was brought them of the arrival of the English fleet : they instanfly leaped up and armed themselves. They knew that, as soon as the duke of Lancaster had landed, they should have an engagement ; for tlic English were come to raise the blockade. They were not long in making themselves ready, and amounted to about three hundred men-at-arms, knights, and squires. The English were rejoiced at finding themselves in Brest harbor, and that the Bretons were still guarding their blockhouse ; for they were aware an engagement must ensue, and they were thirsty for battle. T'he duke of Lancaster and his men landed as near as possible to the castle, but left their horses and stores on board their ships. The ladies, however, went on shore to repose themselves. The first day they made no attack, only marched out of their quarters, when some of the lords fixed their tents and pavilions on the harbor side and near the castle, where they remained that day and the following night. On the morrow, the constable and marshal's trumpets sounded for the army to make ready for an assault. When all were armed, they marched in good array toward the castle and blockhouse which had been raised in front of it. This was so solidly built, it would have lasted nine or ten years ; for it was surrounded with ditches, and had walls, towers and gates of strong limber. The English knights, on their arrival, began to skirmish gallantly at the barriers of the blockhouse, and attempted to win them. The knights and squires within, and there were numbers of good ones, vigorously defended themselves ; and in order to gain more room, they took away the palisades, which was fooliaU enough, but they trusted to their skill and valor. Many were the fine deeda of arms and much pushing with lances, and those fared the best who could the longest hold their wind. The English, being so numerous, gave the Bretons full employment, and, by dint of courage, won the bar- riers : within the court of the blockhouse were upward of one hun- dred, so that the Bretons were on the point of losing everything. Sir John de Malestroit and the viscount de Cambor, seeing this, shouted their cry, and said, "How, gentlemen, shall we be thus over- come ? Advance, advance, and push with vigor, for there must be no sham-fighting here : we have only the choice of death or victory." Upon this they rallied, and, placing the ends of their lances in the ground, made an obstinate resistance to those who had driven them within the barriers. Hard blows were given on each side ; but the English, whether they would or not, were forced to retire, and were beaten back out of the court, so that during the day they could not regain it. On the other side of the blockhouse was a stone tower situated on a rock, which the Bretons had garrisoned. A severe attack was made on it by the English ; for, while the fight was going on at the barriers, they had crossed a narrow ditch, and, with pick.a.ves, ad- Yanced up to the walls, where they had began to work and force out the stones. Those within defended themselves well with what they could lay hands on ; but the archers shot so sharply that none dared show themselves unless strongly shielded. The pick-axe men con. tinned their work, until the tower, which leaned much on that side (for they had undermined the foundation) opened in two parts. The garrison saved themselves in the ruins of what remained, for one-half fell to the ground. On this, the English' set up a grand shouting ; but, it being now late, the trumpets sounded the retreat, as they im- agined they had done enough for one day. When they marched away, they said to the Bretons, " Gentlemen, keep a good watch to night, and stay where you are, for to-morrow we will visit you ai»ain ■ you see well what situauon you are in, and that you have notlJn" to shelter you from us." ° It was fully the intention of the English to return the next day and conquer the blockhouse with its garrison, for it was in their power ; and in this idea they passed the night comfortably, as they had whore, withal so to do. There is an old saying, that " John is as wise as his master," which I repeat, because, if the English are subtle in war, the Bretons match them ; for they were equally clear-sighted as to what was to their advantage, and what not. They saw, if they wished to avoid death or captivity, there was no lime to be lost in packing up their baggage and leaving the blockhouse. They in- stantly made themselves ready, and, mounting their horses, rode toward Hennebon, which was four leagues distant. They acted wisely; for they were not afraid of a pursuit, as the English had not disembarked any of their horses. Sir John de Malestroit and his companions anived safely in Hen. nebon, the gates of which they found open, without any suspicion of the English being so near. On the morro%v, the trumpets sounded for a renewal of the attack, and they were anxious to make up for their forced retreat of the preceding day ; but the news was brought that the Bretons had evacuated the blockhouse. The English re. pentcd sorely not having laid an ambush, to have prevented the loss, of their prey. The lords .sent varlets to destroy the blockhouse, and set it on fire. Thus was the siege of Brest raised by the duke of Lancaster. The duke, sir John Holland, and some of the other knights, went to the casde of Brest, carrying the ladies with them, where they had refreshments, and then returned to their quarters. On the morrow, being the third day, they had their vessels watered ; and on the ensuing day they embarked and continued Oieir voyage. CHAPTER XXXIII. the duke of LANCASTER ARSIVES AT COKUNA IN GALICIA. THE FRENCH, IN THE SERVICE OF SPAIN, ENTER THE CATTLE TO OPPOSE HIM. THElf SHORTLY AFTER DEFEAT A PARTY' OF HIS FORAGERS. Before the duke sailed from Brest, he held a council to determine whether they should steer for Lisbon, Oporto, or Coruiia. To this council the Portuguese admiral and his captains were called, and it lasted some time. Don Alphonso A^ietat said, that he had been or- dered to England for their service by the king of Portugal, by whom they would be made heartily welcome, should they land in his coun- try ; for he was expecting them, and would be much gratified by their coming. Upon this, they determined to make for Oporto, which is but thirty leagues from Lisbon ; but they altered their mind, saying it would be more honorable to land on the enemy's coast, and that by so doing they should the more alarm them. They then steered for Coruiia, and, having a favorable wind, were not more than five days sailing thitlier from Brest : they cast anchor in the road, to wait for the tide, as it was too low water when they arrived to approach near the shore. I will now speak of the French knights, sir Barrels des Banes, sir John de Ch4telmorant, the brothers de Braquemont, and the rest, who had been sent out on a pilgrimage to St, Jago de Compostella. After they had made their offerings and prayers to the shrine of St. James, and were sitting at their inn, news was brought by those who were guarding the coasts, that the English fleet was in sight, and showed a disposition to land at Corufia. Before their baggage was unloaded, or the saddles had been taken from their horses, they mounted agidn, saying, they must hasten back to Coruiia, to defend the port ; for, should the English unfortunately gain die castle and town, they would be masters of the whole country. Some of the knights bormvved horses at St. Jago, and made such dispatch as to arrive at Coruna that night, though it was fourteen country leagues distant, and a difficult road to find. They got there very opportunely, just as the English fleet was entering the harbor. The garrisons in town and castle were well pleased at the coining of the French knights, whose baggage and armor followed in the course of the night. It was a fine sight, on the morrow, to view all the ships anti galleys enter the port laden with men-at-arms and purveyances, widi trumpets and clarions sounding ; and those signals were answered, by way of defiance, by the trumpets and clarions of the casfle. 'The English from this knew there were good garrisons in both town and casde, and that the French had possession of the casfle. The lords and their men landed on the shore, but did not approach the town, as it was too well fortified, and seemed filled with men.at. arms. They, however, took up their lodgings in some huts of fisher- men and seafaring men on the outside of the walls. They were forced to build other huts, as they were so numerous ; and the four first days after their landing they were thus employed, as well as ia clearing the vessels of their stores and purveyances, which wore in great quantities, and in disembarking their horses. They had been fifteen days on board ; and though they were plentifufly supplied with hay, oats, and fresh water, yet the rolling of the sea had as much atrected them as it had done their masters, which made it needful to walk them about and take every care of them. When the ships had been entirely cleared, the duke was asked his pleasure concerning them. He replied, "Let all the sailors be well paid, and take the ships for their pains : I shall dismiss them, for I wish all the world to know that I shall never recross the sea to England until I be maa. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 401 ter of Castille or die in tlie attempt." These orders were obeyed ; and the sailors being paid to tJieir satisfaction, made sail, some to Portugal, Lisbon, Bayonne, Brittany, or England, as they pleased, but none remained beliind. The duke of Lancaster and his army were lodged in huts covered with leaves, or in such houses as they met with, and remained before Coruna upward of a month amusing them, selves ; for the chief lords had brought hounds for their pastime, and hawks for the ladies. They had also mills to grind their corn, and ovens to bake ; for they never willingly go to war in foreign coun- tries without carrying things of that description with them. The foragers went daily in search of what forage they could find ; for, as they were in a poor deserted country, it was not very plenti- ful, which forced them to seek it at a distance. The French knights at Coruna were eager to meet their enemies ; and having learnt how foolishly unguarded the foragers were, said, they would some day or other catch them, and make them pay, once for all, for what they had pillaged. They armed themselves, to the number of about two hundred, and, mounting their horses, were conducted by guides, at night-fall, through woods, and over mountains, until they came to a mounttiii!, called in that country Espincte, by break of day, where they halted ; for they had learnt that the English foragers were out in that part. The foragers had been absent from their army two days, collecting as much as they could carry, and were on their re. turn to Coruna : but their only road lay over this mountain of Es. pinete. The in.stant they came there, the French knights nished upon them, shouting out, " Les Barres for the Barrels !" The fora- gers were thunderstruck ; for the greater part were unarmed : there might be si,x score archers, who gallantly drew themselves up in ar- ray, and wounded, with their arrows, both horses and riders. When they had expended their arrows, they flung down their bows, and de. fended themselves as well as they could widi the other arms they haid : some fled and hid themselves, in hopes of escaping. Why should I make a long story ? Of the three hundred foragers, full two hundred were slain ; the rest saved themselves, as well as they could, among bushes and racks, where no horse could venture. The runa- ways fled to Coruiia and related their misfortune, and how sir Bar- rois des Barres and his company had discomfited them. The army was much surprised at this ; and sir Thomas Moreau.\, the marshal, had five hundred, or more, instantly armed and mounted, - when, taking the pennon of St. George, he galloped off with them tov/ard the mountain of Espinete, to meet the French. When there arrived, he only perceived the slaughtered foragers ; for the French had returned by the road they had come ; but had they not had good guides, they would never have found it through the inclosures. The English, on their return, when within half a league of their army, saw the French reenter the castle of Coruna, which vexed them much : but help it they could not. The army blamed the marshal for having suffered the foragers to go without an escort of men-at. arms, when the enemy was so near, and in such numbers. The constable and duke of Lancaster were so sharp with him, he was quite ashamed: he said, that they had been caught, to b^ sure, this once, though they had foraged ten times before without any inter- ruption. " Sir Thomas." said the duke, '* be more cautious in future ; for such things may fall out in one day or hour as may not happen again in a century." CHAPTER XXXIV. THE DnKE OF LANCASTER, AFTER KEMAININO BEFORE CORUN'A UPWARD OF A MONTH, MARCHES HIS ARMV TO SAINT JAOO, WHICH SURRENDERS ON CAPITULATION. When the duke of Lancaster had remained before Coruiia upward ■of a month, as I have before said, and when his men and horses were quite recovered, he was advised to march toward St. Jago, where there was a richer and more open country for his cavalry. The army dislodged from before Coruna, and marched in three battalions. The marshal led the van, of three hundred lances and si.\ hundred archers; then marched the duke with four hundred spears, accompanied by -all the ladies. The rear was composed of four hundred lances and seven hundred archers, accompanied by the constable sir John Hol- land. They marched very slowly, and were three days in going from Coruiia to St. Jago. You must know, that the province of Galicia was much alarmed at the arrival of the duke of Lancaster ; for they remembered his power well. When the marshal and the van came before the town of St. Jago de Compostella, where the body of St. James reposes, and which many make such long journeys to visit, he found the gates shut, as might have been supposed. There was no other garrison but its inhabitants ; for the French knights re- fused taking upon them the defence of it, to the last extremity, as it waa not strong enough to withstand the force under the duke of Lancaster. The marshal sent forward a herald, to hear what the townsmen would say. The h.erald found at the barriers the captain of the guard, called don Alphonso Sene, and said to him, "A few paces hence is the marshal of my lord of Lancaster's army, who would wish to speak with you.** " I am very agreeable to it ; let him advance, and I will parley with him." The herald returned to the marshal with this answer. The marshal left his army, with only twenty lances, and rode to the barriers, where he found the captain and some of the townsmen waiting. The marshal dismounted, with twelve others, among h hom were the lord Basset and sir William Farringdon, and addressed him as follows : " Captain, and you men of St. Jago, the duke, and duchess of Lancaster your queen, (she being the eldest daughter of Don Pedro, your late king,) send me to know how you mean to act; to open your gates and receive them as your legal sovereigns, as good subjects ought to do ; or force me to assault your walls, and take your town by storai. But know, that if you suffer the place to be stormed, all within shall be put to the sword, that others may take warning." The captain replied ; " We wish to follow the dictates of reason, and acquit ourselves loyally toward those to whom we owo obedience. We know well that the duchess of Lancaster is daughter to don Pedro of Castille ; and if that king had reigned peaceably in Castille, she was heiress to his crown ; but things are altered ; for the whole kingdom turned to the obedience of his brother, king Henry, by the success of the battle of Monteil : we all swore fidelity to him ; and he was acknowledged king as long as he lived : after his decease we all swore obedience to don John, his son, who reigna at this moment. Tell us how those of Coruiia acted ; for it is im. possible but that, during the month you lay before that place, some negotiations and treaties were concluded." Sir Thomas Moreaux answered ; " You speak truly ; we have had indeed negotiations with those of Coruna, otherwise we should not have marched hither, though that town is double the strength of yours. I will tell you what they have done : they have entered into a composition with us, by declaring they will act in the same manner as you do ; but, if you force us to the assault, they will not follow that example. If Galicia suiTcnder to my lord duke and his lady, they will surrender also ; for which they have given us such pledges as are satisfactory." " W^ell," replied the captain, "we will agree to this: there axe many large towns and cities in the realm : ride on, therefore, and leave us in peace ; for we will act as they shall, and give you good security for our performing it." " Oh, this will never do," said the marshal : " such a treaty will by no means please the duke and duchess ; for they are resolved to reside in this town, and keep their state as monarchs should in their own kingdoms. Answer me briefly what you mean to do : surrender, or have yourselves and town destroyed ?" " My lord," said the captain, "allow us a litde time to consult together, and you shall be speedily answered." " I consent," said the marshal. The captain then withdrew into the town, and assembled the inhabitants at the usual place where public meetings were held, and related to them the conversation that had passed between him and the marshal. I believe the townsmen at last consented to receive the duke and duchess as their monarchs, and to entertain them as such in their town as long as they might please to reside there, if don John, king of Castille, did not, with his power, attack lliem. But if it should happen that after they had made St. Jago their residence for a year, or a longer time, according to their pleasure, and should depart from the country, for England, Bordeaux or Bayonne, or wherever else they may prefer, the duke must engage to leave behind a sufficient force of men-at-arms to de. fend them against their enemies, otherwise they would surrender the town to don John of Castille, and hold themselves acquitted of alle- giance to the duke. Sir Thomas Moreaux cheerfully accepted these terms, and told them they had well spoken, and to the purpose, and that the duke and duchess wished for nothing better. The marshal returned to his division, and to the duke and duchess, who were waiting for him on the plain ; to whom he related all that had passed, and the treaty he had concluded, to which they assented, saying it was well done. The army was advancing gayly in battle array toward the town of St. Jago : when about two French leagues from the place, they were met by a long procession o[ the clergy, bearing relics, crosses and streamers, and crowds ot men, women and children, and the principal inhabitants carrying the keys of the town, which they presented on their knees, with much seeming good-will, to the duke and duchess (but whether it was feigned or not, I cannot say,) and acknowledged them for (heir king and queen. Thus they entered the town of St. Jago, and rode directly to the church of St. James, where the duke, duchess, their children and attendants, kneeling, ofiered up their prayers to the holy body of St. James, and made rich gifts at the altar. It was told me that the duke, duchess, and the ladies, Constance and Philippa, were lodged in the Abbey, and there held their court. Sir John Holland and sir Thomas Moreaux, with their ladies, were lodged in the town : the other barons and knights 03 they could, and the men-at-arms on the plains round the town. Those who could not find houses, built themselves huts covered with boughs, of which there were plenty in the country, and made themselves comfortable with what they could get. Meat and strong wines were in abundance ; of which the archers drank so much that they were for the greater part of their time in bed drunk ; and very often, by drinking too much new wine, they had fevers, and in tlie morning such headaches as to prevent them from doing anything the remain, der of the day ; for it was now- the vintage. 402 CHRONICLE.S OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. CHAPTER XXXV. THE TREKCB K-VIOITTS I^AVK COEUHA A.ND JOIN THE KINO OF CASTILLE. THET ACQnRE MCOH WEALTH BY FLCNDEKIXG THE COVSTRT, IN OK- BER TO FHVSTRATE THE EKGLISH. Sir John de Cliatelmorant, le Barrois dee Barres,'and the other French knigha who had guarded Coruna, hearing that the duke of Lancaster had been peaceably received in St. Jago, held a council on what they should do, saying, " It does not signify for us to re. main here any longer, since we shall meet with no fortunate adven- tures : let us march to Burgos, where tlie king is, and learn from him what his intentions are : perhaps he may be going to meet the English ; for, if he allow ihem quietly to establish themselves, by degrees they will be lords of Castille. It will be more for our honor to go to him than to stay here." They accordingly made prepara. tions, and leaving the castle, procured guides to conduct them to Burgos ; otherwise they would probably have fallen in with their enemies. They rode tlirough Biscay, and skirted Galicia to Leon, where the king and qneen at that time resided. When these knights waited on the king, he received them very kindly, and inquired from them the news, although he knew enough. They told him of their opportune arrival at Coruiia, as tlie English fleet was entering the harbor, wherein they found seven galleys and ships of Biscay, laden with wine, of which the English took advantage ; for the merchants were soon eased of the whole. " It is thus in war," replied the king : " they were unwise, when they heard the English fleet were at sea, not to run somewhere else for safety." " In God's name, sir," returned the knights, " they had come thitlier for security : they said, their cargoes of wine were for Flanders, and having heard from the sailors of Saint Andero that the English were in the Bay of Bis- cay, and that the king of Portugal had sent them large ships and gal. leys, it was natural to conclude they would have steered for Portu. gal i but they did the contrary, as it appears, and landing at Coruna, have entered Galicia." Upon this the king said, " Now, you knights from France, who are so well acquainted with arms, and know mure about warlike matters than my subjects, from being so long trained to them, what are your opinions of the English ? how do you think they will act this season!" "By my faith," said some, (for all gave their opinions) " we can but ill judge what they will do, for the English are very reserved ; and we can only guess how they will act, or whither they will march. We must suppose that the duke of Lancaster will remain all the ensuing winter in St. Jago, and his army thereabouts ; whence be will overrun Galicia, conquer some small forts, and lay in stores of provision, until the return of summer, when treaties will be formed between him and the king of Portugal, for them to act in concert. Perhaps a family.alliance may take place ; for you will observe that the duke has brought with him his daughters, those that are married as well as (he others : now, as there are two unmarried, we imagine the king of Pc-tugal, your adversary, will have one of them." " What would you advise me to do ?" said the king. " We will tell you sire," replied the knights ; " order all your strongest castles on the borders of Gahcia to be well guarded, and destroy the smaller ones. We learn that it is the custom of this country to fortify churches and towers, whereto the inhabitants of the flat countries carry their wealth and stock. This will turn out to their destruction and the confusion of your kingdom ; for when the English take the field, these churches and towers will prove no obstacle to them : on the contrary, they will be recruited from the Tictual they will there iind, and continue the war with more vigor, and conquer tlie remainder. We therefore advise you to destroy all euch like forts, while you have time so to do, and to give up all, that is not secured in largo and strong towns, by Michaelmas, or at the latest by Andrew's day, to your men-at-arms ; for it is better they should have tlie advantage and profit than your enemy. We advise you, in particular, to send some well-informed embassadors to the king of France, and to his uncles of Berry and Burgundy, that they may be made acquainted with the real state of your country, and that by tlie return of summer, or sooner if the season permit us to take the field, you may wage such a war as was never before made in Castille. Write pressing letters to the king and his uncles, that they may assist you in this necessity with such numbers of men-at- arms that you may resist your enemies and preserve your kingdom. There is a strong connection between you and the king of France, which was first made by your predecessor and father ; and you may be assured, that in your distress neither the king nor realm of France, which can do no more than England and Portugal united, will desert you. Believe us, that as soon as the king and his council shall learn your situation, they will take euch steps as will prevent you from receiving any loss in tliis war ; for know, that those French knighf? and squires, who are desirous of glory, will, at the slightest word, hasten hither to seek it ; for at this moment they know not where to employ their arms. We mention tliis, because there is now a peace between the French and tlie Flemings, and a truce with the English and French on the other side the Loire until St. John the Baptist's day ensuing. You will therefore see men.at-amis, knights and squires, fly hither from France, as well to advance their own honor as to see this country and meet the English. But, eire, we particu- laily recommend the destruction of those email forts, if you wish to prtservc your country." The king replied, " You have advised me loyally, and I shall in. stantly follow your counsel, and order, without further consultation, all such forts to be demolished as are not tenable, and make you a present of whatever may be found in them." The knights said, he had well spoken, that they would attend to that business, and assist him in defending and preserving his realm. This gift of the king of Castille to the knights from France and those about his person, was worth to them two hundred thousand francs, especially to those first- comers, who had thrown themselves into Coruna when tlie duke of Lancaster had arrived, and pursued his march to St. Jago. All the small forts, churches, and towers, which had been embat. tied in Castille, were abandoned and destroyed, and the poor pea. sants disappointed in their expectations of having therein deposited their wealth and stock in safety ; for the knights and squires went thither with their men, and seized on all the wines, com, and cattle, and drove them to their quarters ; but the gold and silver which they found, and the sums they made the peasants pay for their ran- soms, or to have their slock back again, went into their own purses, unknown to any one but themselves. Some of the poorer squires, more bold and cunning than the rest (for there are always some of that sort,) who had left their homes miserably mounted or on foot, were so active that they had now fine coursers and genets for plea- sure, with five or six silver girdles, and purses with a thousand or two of francs in them. Thus did these companions, who first en- tered Castille, make fortunes which the flat countries paid ; for every place was rifled and devoured even by their own countrymen, who would not that their enemies should be any gainers by their inva- sion. When it was told in France how poor knights and squires were enriching themselves in Castille, where they spared neither the lands of friends nor those of their foes, their companions were more eager tlian ever to leave France, in the hopes of being sharers with them. CHAPTER XXXVI. GREAT PREPARATIONS ARE MADE THROUGHOtTT FRANCE FOR THE INVASION OF ENGIjlND. THE DEATH OF FRANCIS ATREMEN. The king of France, his uncles, and council, had been well in- formed of the intended expedition of the duke of Lancaster before he had sailed from England (for fame spreads all things abroad,) and that it was meant against Castille. It was for this reason the duke of Burgurwiy had concluded so easily a peace with tlie Flemings, and in order that the king of Castille might have assistance ; for the king of France was bound to aid him, as he had always succored France, when called upon, with men and ships. Add to this the great desire the young king of France had ever shown to invade England with a powerful army and navy. In this he was joined by all the chivalry of the realm, but especially by the duke of Bur. gundy, the constable of France, and the count de St. Pol, although he had married king Richard's sister, as well as by the lord de Courey. These lords said, " Why should not we, for once, make a visit to England to see the country and its inhabitants, and learn the way thither, as the English have done in France ? This year, therefore, 1386, we will go thither, as well to break up the expedition of the duke of Lancaster, and force him to return home, as to give alarm to the English, and see how they will behave." Greater amaments were made in France than had hitherto been done. Heavier taxes were imposed on all the towns and country than for one hundred years, and such sums had never been raised, nor were ever greater preparations made by sea and land. The whole summer, until Sep- tember, was employed in grinding flour, and making biscuit in Ar- ras, Bethune, Lille, Douay, Amiens, Si, Onier, and in all the towns near to Sluys ; for it was the plan of the king to embark at Sluys, sail for England, and destroy the whole country. Many of the rich men of France wi'.e forced to pay a third or fourth of Iheir property, in order to build vessels of a sufiicicnt size ; and the poorer sort were taxed as much as they were worth, to pay the men.at.arme. There was not a vessel of any size from the port of Sc\-ille to Prus. sia, that the French could lay their hands on, but was seized, by fair or foul means, for the king of France. Provisions arrived from all quarters. Very great quantities of wine, salted meats, oaL", trusses of hay, onions, verjuice, biscuit, flour, butter, the yolks of egge in powder, and rammed in barrels, and every otlier necessary, were sent from Flanders ; so that, in future times, those who have not been eye-wilnessee will never believe the accounts. Lords and knights, at great distances, were written to, to request they would accompany the king of France in this expedition ; even as far as Germany, Savoy, and tlie lands of the count d'Armagnac. The earl of Savoy was retained with five hundred lances; as were also the count d'Armagnac and the dauphin of .\uvergne ; and, be- cause these lords were so distant, they sent before them vast provision of stores : and it was wonderful to see the quantity of costly articles that came to Flanders, by land and sea, tlirough Damme, Bruges and" Sluys. When St. John's day was come, all the great vessels in Holland, Zealand, Middleburgh, Dordrecht, Schoenhoven, Leydcn, the Brille, and other places near the sea, were sought for, to carry this army from Sluys ; but the Hollanders and the reet snid, that if tliey wanted their vc«e.i in Ghent." "And how," said Peter, " can you suppose you will live there in quiet ? for there are many who mortally hate both you and me. I would not remain there for any sum of money ; for there is no dependence on the pop- ulace. Have you never heard how they murdered Jacob von Arta- Treld, who had done them much service, and given them such good advice, and had on all occasions assisted them ? and yet, from the speeches of a linen-weaver they slew hiin, without any of the prin- cipal inhabitants interfering in his behalf. On the contrar)', they dissembled, and in their hearts were rejoiced at his death. Now, Francis, just so it will happen to you, and to me, if I stay ; but that I will not, so I bid you adieu." " It will not so happen," replied Francis, " for my lord of Burgundy has pardoned all, and offers me, if I choose to reside with him, to be equerry of his stables with four horses at my command, and shows me, as well as the lord Guy de la Tremouille and the other knights of his household, every mark of affection." " In God's name," said Peter, " I do not speak of my lord of Burgundy, nor of his knights, for they are well inclined to keep peace, but of the Ghent men. There are some to whom you have not always behaved well : have you forgotten the lord de Har- zelles, whom you caused to be assassinated, and such and such others ? Know, that the revenge of their relations will fall on you within a short time, if you remain : take my advice : rather than live here, accept the duke's offer." " I will consider of this," an- swered Francis ; " but I am determined not to go to England." Thus the conversation ended. Francis Atremen staid in Flanders, and Peter du Bois, as you have before heard, went with lord Bour- chier to England. What followed you shall hear. Soon after peace had been declared throughout Flanders, an edict was published in all towns dependent on the duke of Burgundy, forbidding any one whatever to wear armor or swords, or to have arms carried by their followers. Francis Atremen, during the war of Ghent, had been one of its principal rulers, and one who had the most attention paid him. Whenever he walked the streets, he was followed by thirty or forty varlets, who were well pleased at any orders he chose to give them. He had kept this state so long, that he was loth to give it up, and was desirous of being followed by three or four armed with swords or defensive staves. Wheii this proclaination of the duke of Bur- gundy was made, he never imagined it in any way concerned him, so much did he fancy himself in favor with the duke and the town : but he was mistaken ; for seven or eight days after the publication of the edict, the duke's bailiff came to him and said, " Francis, you seem suspicious and afraid of our lord's officers, or why do you now go armed through the town of Ghent, followed by your varlets, armed also with swords as in times of war ? We are much displeased thereat, and command you, in the name of the duke and duchess of Burgundy, that you lay them aside." Francis, who in fact meant no ill, but kept up this state through pomp, replied, " Bailiff, I shall willingly obey your orders, as is right ; for, thank God, I bear no malice nor wish evil to any one; but I thought I was so well con- sidered in the town, that I might have had my sword and armor borne after me without its being objected to." " You are mistaken," said the bailiff: " it is the townsmen, to whom you have done so many services, who have interfered, and tell me they are surprised how I suffer it ; for it seems to them you want to renew a war, for which they have no inclination. I therefore beg of you, Francis, that you will so act, as that I may hear no more of it, for if you do not observe the edict, I shall look on you as an enemy to the duke and duchess of Burgundy." The bailiff of Ghent departed. Francis Atremen returned to his house, and ordered his varlets to lay aside their arms. He became melancholy ; and, for the greater part of the times he went abroad, it was alone, or having one varlet or a boy attending him. Not long after this conversation with the bailiff, a festival was kept at the monastery of St. Peter, without Ghent, whither Francis went alone, or only attended by a single varlet, neither having swords nor arms. He was watched, and followed by a bastard of the late lord de Har- zelles, anxious to revenge his death, in which common fame reported Francis Atremen to have been guilty. The bastard, having provided himself with arms, followed him out of the town, and when at a proper distance, and no one near, he called out to him, " Francis, you are a dead man; you put to death my father, and I will do the like to you." As Francis turned round, the bastard, who was a stout fellow, struck him so violent a blow on the head, that it split his skull to the neck and felled him dead. The bastard walked quietly away, for none pursued liim, and no more was said. Francis Atre. men came by his death for not following the advice of Peter du Bois. When news of this reached England, and came to the know, ledge of Peter du Bois, he but slightly pitied him, saying, "Before I left Ghent, I truly told him what would happen ; but he would not mind what I said, and has suffered for it. See if any one will med. die in the matter : certainly none of those who, during the war, seemed such warm friends to him, and honored him so much. It was for fear of such events that I followed the advice of lord Bouc- chier, and came with him to England." CHAPTER XXXVII. THE FRENCH rt'T THEMSELVES TO USELESS EXPENSE ON THEIR MARINE. THE ENGLISH MAKE JCDICIOCS PKEPARATIOSS TO OPPOSE THEM. We will return to the preparations going forward at Damme and Sluys, which were so formidable, that the like was never remem- bered in the memory of man, nor is there any written account of such. Money was no more spared than if it rained gold, or was pumped up from the sea. The great barons of France had sent their servants to Sluys to embark everything they might have occasion for in this expedition ; for all were impatient to cross over ; and the king, young as he was, showed greater impatisnce than any. Each 404 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. lord strove to have his vessel the best supplied, and the most orna- mented with painting and gilding, with their arms emblazoned on them and on the flags. Painters made a good har\est, for they were paid whatever they asked, and even with this there were not a suffi- ciency. The masts were painted from top to bottom ; and some, by way of magnificence, were even covered with sheets of fine gold, above which were emblazoned the arras of the different lords to whom the vessels belonged. It was told me, particularly, that sir Guy de la Tremouille expended such sums in ornamenting and painting his own ship, that they amounted to upward of two thousand francs. Their banners, peimons, and standards, were so very grand, as to surprise all who saw them. No ornament or decoration could be imagined but these lords employed it on their vessels. The poor of France paid for all : the taxes were so grievous in that country, that the rich complained, and the poorer sorts ran away. All that was going forward in France, Flanders, Bruges, Damme, and Sluys, was known in England, and with many additions to the real truth. The people in several places were exceedingly alarmed, and generally the priests made processions in many towns three times a week ; where, with much devotion, they offered up their prayer to God, to avert this peril from them. There were upward of one hun- dred thousand who were desirous the French should come to Eng- land, saying, to comfort the weak-hearted, " Let them come : by God I not a soul shall return back to tell their story." Such as were in debt, and had not any intention of paying, nor wherewithal to do so, were delighted, and said to their creditors, " Hold yoiu tongues : they are coining florins in France, and we will pay you with them :" and thus they lived extravagantly, and ypended largely, for credit ■was not refused them. Whenever they were asked to pay, they re- plied, " How can you ask for money 1 is it not better that we spend it, than that Frenclunen should find it and carry it away ?'' Thus were many thousand pounds sterling foolishly spent in England. The king of England was diu-ing this time in Wales with the earl of Oxford, who governed England, for without his consent nothing was done. The king's privy council consisted of sir Simon Burley, sir Nicholas Bramber, sir Robert Tresilian, sir Robert Beauchamp, sir John Salisburj', sir Michael de la Fole, and also the bishop of Nonvich and sir William Neville, brother to the lord Neville. These counsellors did with the king as they pleased, and carried him whither- soever they liked ; for neither had his uncles of Cambridge and Buckingham been able to retiin any influence, nor could they act, without knowing whether it were agreeable to the above-named counsellors. .^11 these discords were the topic of conversation in France, and incited them to hasten their preparations. They wished to force the duke of Lancaster to return from Castille, but would not on that account have given up their invasion. The lords, prelates, and citizens of the principal towns in England, ha\*ing obtained exact information that the French were nearly ready to put to sea, held an assembly, in which they debated what was proper to be done. The king was written to by his uncles to return to London, as the whole coimtry was much dissatisfied with him and bis advisers. The king and his council, not daring to refuse, left Wales, where he and his queen had resided a considerable time. On his arrival at Windsor, he staid some days, and, there leaving his queen, came to his palace of Westminster. Those who had any business to transact went thither to the king; and before the parliament was holden, a council was called to consider how they might appease the great discontents which appeared in the country. In this parliament, which was at- tended by the king, his uncles, and all the nobles and prelates of the realm, the earl of Salisbury, a prudent and valiant man, spoke as follows : " Your majesty, and my lords present, need not be surprised if our adversary, the king of France, proposes to invade us ; for since the death of the most potent and sagacious prince, Edward of happy memory, our sovereign lord, this realm has incurred several risks of being destroyed by its own subjects and the commotions of peasants. It is also perfectly well known in France that we disagree among ourselves, and are torn by faction, wliich makes them imagine their enterprise caimot fail of success. The danger is indeed great, for he must be weak who fears not his enemy. While we remained united, the king with the people, and the people with the king, we were victorious and powerful, and there were none able to do us any essential injur)'. It is therefore necessary (and never was anything in England more pressing) for us to act in imity, and reform what may be wrong, if we wish to preser\e our honor, as well as for us to inquire into the state of our ports, that such defence may be made that the kingdom be not any way hurt, nor we accused of neglect by tae country. This realm has been long in its flower ; and you know that what is in flower has greater need of attention than if in fruit. W e must therefore act as if it was in flower ; for, since these last sixty years, those knighte and squires who have gone out of it have acqui-ed more renown than any others of what nation soever. Let US exert ourselves, that our honor be preserved untarnished as Ion" as we live." This speech, of the earl of Salisbury was attentively listened to; and the lords said, it would be right to follow his advice. I will not longer dwell on what was debated at this meeting, for I do not pre- tend to know everything ; but I do know, that after proper care bad been taken, as I have already noticed, for the defence of Calais, all the coast of England, where it was thought the French would land, I was well guarded. The earl of Salisbury, because his estate wtjs ! in the Isle of Wight, which lies opposite to the country of Caux in Normandy, was ordered thither to guard and defend it with the men. at-arms and archers of that country. The earl of Devonshire was ! sent to Southampton with two hundred men-at-arms and six hundred j archers, to guard that haven. The earl of Northumberland to the port of Rye, with the same number of men-at-arms and archers. The earl of Cambridge was sent to Dover with five hundred men-at- arms and twelve hundred archers. His brother, the earl of Bucking- ham, to Sandwich, with six hundred men-at-arms and twelve hundred archers. The earls of Stafford and Pembroke to Orwell, with five hundred men-at-arms and twelve hundred archers. Sir Henry and sir FauLx Percy to Yarmouth, with three hundred men-at-arms and six hundred archers. Sir Simon Burley was appointed governor of Dover castle only. Every port and harbor from the Humber to Cornwall was well provided with men-at-arms and archers, and watchmen were posted on all the hills near the sea-coasts opposite to France and Flanders, The manner of posting the watches was as follows : they had large Gascony casks filled with sand, which they placed one on the other, rising like columns ; on these were planks, where the watchmen remained night and day on the look-out. They were ordered, the moment they should observe the fleet of France steering toward land, to light torches and make great fires on the hills to alarm the coun- try, and the forces within sight of these fires were to hasten thither. It had been resolved to allow the king of France to land, and even to remain unmolested for three or four days : they were first to attack the fleet, and destroy it and all their stores, and then to advance on the king of France, not to combat him immediately, but to harass his army, so that they might be disabled and afraid to forage ; for the corn countries were all to be burnt, and England at best is a difficult foraging country ; by which plan they would be starved and easily destroyed. Such was the plan laid down by the coimcil of England. Rochester bridge was ordered to be broken down, for a deep river runs under it, which flows through Sussex and Kent, and falls into the Thames, opposite the island of Sheppy. The Londoners woiUd pull this bridge down, for the greater security of their town. If the taxes were burdensome on towns and persons in France, I must say they were not much lighter in England, and the country suffered from them a long time afterwards ; but they were paid cheer- fully, that iliey might be more effectually guarded.* There were at this time ten thousand men-at-arms and one hundred thousand arch- ers in England, although the duke of Lancaster had led so large a force to Castille. I will now speak a little of this duke, and of tlie interview between him and the king of Portugal, and then return to England, for the matter presses, and I wish to speak of each and of their respective transactions. CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE KISU CF PORTUGAL, WHEN I.NFORMED OF THE DCKE OF LANCASTER'S ARKIVAX AT SAINT JAGO, WRITES BIM FRIENDLY LETTERS. THE KING- OF CASTILLE DEMAJJDS SUCCORS FROM FRANCE. THE TOWJi OF ROUEL- LES IN GALICIA TAKEN BY THE ENGLISH. Yor have before heard of the arrival of the duke of Lancaster with a large army at Coruiia ; how that city, but not the castle, had j surrendered to him on terms similar to those which were imposed on ^ the other towns in Castille, by which means the eny was neitiier ! attacked nor hurt ; you have also heard how he and his family had 1 taken possession of Saint Jago de Compostella, where he intended to I reside, until he should have some intelligence from the king of Por- tugal. Don John, as soon as he knew the duke to be at St. Jago, I was much rejoiced, thinking that, when united, they could carry on I an advantageous war against Castille. He ordered the most friendly letters to be written to the duke and duchess, and to be forwarded instantly by special messengers. The receipt of such letters gave much pleasure'to the duke and duchess ; for they had great depend- ence on the king of Portugal, and knew that, without his aid, they would never be enabled to do anything effectual against Castille. They, therefore, made rich presents to the messengers, and returned the warmest answers. The duke, in his answer, gave the king to understand, that he should have much pleasure if an interview took place between them, as he wanted to have some conferences with him. While all these marks of affection were reciprocally tendered and re- ceived between the king of Portugal and the duke of Lancaster, the king of Castille wasstrengthening himself by every means in his power. He frequently stated his situation to the court of France, and was urgent in his demands for assistance to defend his realm ; for he ex- pected, when the season would allow, that there would be a vigorous war made on him, as the king of Portugal and the duke of Lancaster would then form a junction, and would be in such force as would * The dissensions between the king and Iiis parhament mn high at this period ; tJie parliament refused to grant supphes, and the king declared that if tJiey were denied he would apply to the ting of France, to whom he would sooner be obliged than his sub- jects. Ad accommodation was at length effected, Richard consented to banish his favorite, the earl of Suifolb. and supplies were voted to maintain the war against the king of France ; their administratioD was however confided to a body of thirty oom- missiooer!,— Ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, iRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . 405 overrun all CastiUc, unless he could raise an army to oppose them. While this was going on, others on the battlements, over the gate- The king of France and bis council, in their answer, desired the king of Castillc not to be uneasy ; for, before the month of January was passed, tiiey would give the English so much to do at home, as to prevent them from knowing which way to turn themselves ; that when England should be completely destroyed, they would come to his aid by sea, through Galicia or Portugal ; and if their enemies ways, threw down large stones and bars of iron, so that none dared venture too near for fear of these things, which killed whomever they hit. Thus did these peasants hold out their town against the English, who suffered indeed no loss until night ; but they were forced to retreat to a deserted village, a long league distant, to seek for lodgings, where they remained until the morrow. The spies till remained in that country, they would drive them out of it in a I sent after them brought back word that they had taken up their handsome manner, and within the year put an end to all these wars. The king of Castille contented himself with this answer as well as he could : indeed, he could not help himself; for none came to him from Frtmce, excepting those who had defended the castle of Coruiia. All knights and squires, however great their distance in the kingdom, hastened to Paris, Lille, and Douay : and the whole of that country, to the extent of fourteen leagues, was filled with men-at-arms and their followers. The multitudes were so great, that those who su. perintended the shipping, notwithstanding the number of vessels, declared they could not be all transported at once, by at least forty thousand men. It was ordered that no one was to be received on board the trans, ports but true men-at-arms ; and no knight was to have more than one varlet, nor any great baron more than two squires. No horses were to be embarked but those of the principal lords ; and this was so strictly observed at Sluys that the names of none were written down for the passage, nor received on board, but good men-at-arms. There was such a rascally crew in Flanders, in tlie country of Tour- nay, and in the castlewicks of Lille, Douay, and Artois, that they devoured and plundered everything, to the great loss of the poor in- habitants, on whom they lived, though they dared not complain for fear of their lives. They were more destructive than the English would have been if quartered in that country. The king of France and his lords had many fears ; for, should they leave these scoun- drels behind, they would unite and master the country ; and this woidd have happened, had the invasion taken place, and been im- successful. During the residence of the duke and duchess of Lancaster at St. Jago, several of their knights and squires made excursions into the country, and supported themselves in the best manner in which they were able, on whatever they could find. It fell out that sir Thomas Moreaux, marshal of the army, in company with sir Maubrun de Linieres, sir John d'Arabreticourt, Thierry, and William de Soimiain, and about two hundred spears and five hundred archers, when in | quarters at the village of Lyrias, but it seemed as if they would, on the next day, renew the attack. The townsmen, on hqpring this, said among themselves, " The shortest folUes are the best : we can never be blamed for surrendering to the duke of Lancaster, or to his marshal, having, ourselves, held out one whole day against them, without advice or assistance from any gentleman whatever. This we caimot long persist in, and, having begun the attack, the enemy will, of course, renew it, since they know the way. It will, there. fore, be better to sturender before they begin an assault ; for, if we be taken by storm, we shall lose our lives as well as our money." All agreed to this : and it was determined that, if the English re- turned on the morrow, they would go out to meet them, and surren- der the town on having their lives and properties spared. In truth, the EngUsh made their appearance shortly after stmrise, fresh and eager to renew the attack., ^\^len they were observed, four of the principal townsmen were sent out to conclude a treaty. As the marshal advanced under his pennon, casting his eyes around, he perceived these four men, and said, " I believe there are some from Rouelles, who want to parley with us : make them come forward." This was done ; and when they were near the marshal, they cast themselves on their knees, and said, " My lord, the inhabitants of Rouelles have sent us to parley with you ; will you hear us ?" "Yes," replied the marshal ; " what have you to say ?" '•' My lord, we come to offer the surrender of our town, if you will take us and all we possess under your protection ; and we will acknowledge the duke and duchess of Lancaster for our sovereigns, in like manner as those of Coruiia and Saint Jago have done." " I will take you, and all that belongs to you, under my protection," answered the marshal ; " but I will not insure your provisions, for men-at-arms must live." The deputies said, "That was reasonable; and the country abounded in provisions of all sorts ; but wait here a moment, that we may return to the town and relate what you have said, for we will keep the agreement, and we trust you will do the same." " Yes, on my faith wUl I," replied sir Thomas ; " but make haste Galicia, came before the town of Rouelles, seven leagues from Saint back." Upon this the four men returned to the town, to relate how Jago. He had heard that the townsmen would not acknowledge the duke of Lancaster for king ; and had slain his foragers, who, on their return, had passed by their barriers. They had ruined their roads so much, that the only tolerable one was close to the town ; and, when they foimd a good opportunity, they rushed out, and, like thieves as they were, murdered all passers, whether foragers or not. Complaints had been made of their conduct to the marshal, who was determined to apply a remedy, that being a part of his official duty. He and his companions dismounted, when near the town. The ^atch had before sounded his horn, which had prepared the inhab- itants, and they had closed the gates and mounted the battlements ; for it would not have fared well to any one who had remained with, out the wall. The marshal, seeing from their appearance it must be assaulted, and having mused a wliile, said to sir John d'.\mbreti- court and Thierry de Soumain, " Mount your horses, and ride round the town to see where we may the best make our assault, and with the least loss of our men." Having mounted their horses, they soon rode round the place, for it was of no great circuit, and carefully examined every part of it. On their return to the marshal, who was waiting for them, they said, " Sir, this town has but two gates : you are at one, and the other is directly opposite : these are the two pla- ces which seem to us easiest of attack ; for the ditches round the town are deep, difficult of descent and ascent, on account of thorns and brambles." " I believe you are right,"' replied tlie marshal : ■' I will remain here with a part of our men, and you Maubrun, shall take the other and commence the attack. I know not what may be tlie event, but I with joy see those fellows, who, from their battle- ments, observe all we are doing. Look at them, they are as sulky- looding as monkeys eating pears, which children want to take from them.'" His companions burst out a laughing at this expression, and casting up their eyes to see the villains (which they had not before thought of,) went away with JIaubrun and his pennon sir Thomas had agreed to accept their terms, except in the article of provisions. They said, " God grant it may be so ; for you have suc- ceeded better than we expected." They then disencumbered the gate of the casks, beams, and faggots, and opening it wide, advan. ced to the barriers with the keys in their hands. WTien the mar- shal approached, he and his companions dismounted ; and the towns- men on their knees, presenting the keys, said, " My lord, you are sent hither, we learn, by the duke and duchess of Lancaster : we therefore offer you the keys, and surrender oiu- town, as agreed on between you and our men." " Upon these terms I accept the keys," replied the marshal ; and he and his men entered the town, where they quartered themselves here and there in the best manner they could. Sir Thomas Moreaux remained there the whole day. On the morrow, before his departure, he said to sir Thomas Maubrun de Linieres, " I give this town up to you and your men : you will make a good garrison of it." " By St. George, and so I will," re- plied sir Maubrun ; " for I like it well." Sir Maubrun de Linieres remained in garrison in Rouelles, having under him sixty spears and one himdred archers. Sir Thomas Mo- reaux remmed to the duke and duchess at Saint Jago. CHAPTER XXXIX. THE MAKSHAI. OF THE DUKE OF LA-VCASTEK S ARMY ATTACKS A!fD GAIXS BY TREATY THE TOWN OF VHXECLOPE I-V GALICIA. THE DfKE SE^^)S EMEASSADOKS TO THE EKG OF PORTTGAL TO AEBA>'GE AX CrrERVTEW BETWEEN THEM. Shokti-t after the marshal's return from Rouelles, he assembled a body of about three hundred spears and six himdred archers, and, thus accompanied, advanced into Galicia a long day's journey from They were I Saint Jago, and came before a town called Villeclope, which was about one hundred lances and three hundred archers, who advanced j only defended by the common people of the place. The marshal slowly to the opposite gate and halted. i not only examined it himself, but made his companions do so, and Attacks were made on both gates with great gallantry ; but the ' then asked if they thought it might be taken by storm. After some men of Rouelles, from their battlements, defended themselves with consideration, they said it could. Upon this they all dismoutited; Btones and darts, so that the archers and cross-bowmen were unable to act with success, and many were severely wounded. However, as the barriers were defenceless, for all had retired within the walls, the English destroyed the palisades and advanced up to the gates. They battered them so as to make them shake again ; but the in. habitants, aware of the mischief which might ensue from their gates being forced, came down from the battlements, and placed against them faggots and large beams of wood. Women and others brought earth and stones, with which they filled casks, and these they ar- ranged against the gates, closing up the whole of the entrances. and gave their horses to the servants to be led to the rear. They divided themselves into three divisions, and gave their orders like able men-at-arms. Sir Thomas Moreaux had the first : he gave the second to sir Evan Fitzwarren, and the third to sir John d'.Ajnbreti- court. Each had tmder his command eighty spears, and seven score archers, which was thought sufficient for the attack of such a place. They approached the town, entered the ditch, and gallantly made themselves masters of it, for it was dry, and ascended to the walls well shielded :• the archers were posted on the banks of the ditch, * Bien tarpts et pavi*^*. 406 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. and shot 80 ably that scarcely any dared to show themselves in its defence. Notwithstanding this, the townsmen fought valiantly, and they were very numerous : some lanched darts, others stones, aod used long poles shod with iron, which gave such blows that on whomsoever they fell, unless well armed, he was severely wounded or slain. The kniglits and squires, eager for renown, were busily employed in loosening the wall with pick-a.xes and crowbars, which they had brought with them, and continued their work in spite of the stones and lime-pots thrown down on their pavisses and basnets. Many gaKant deeds were done ; and in particular by two squires from Hainault, Thierry and William de Soumain. They, with their assistants, made a breacli in the wall, and fought hand to hand with those within. These two brothers gained seven lances, which were pushed at them through the breach, by wresting them out of the ene- my's hands. They were under the pennon of sir Evan FitzwaiTen. Sir John d'Ambreticourt made no boy's-play, but showed himself a true knight : he posted himself at the foot of the walls, and his pennon, with his arms of two hamets gules on a field ermine, fi.\ed in the ground before him : he had a pick-axe in his hand, laboring with all his might to batter the wall. One may be surprised the townsmen were not frightened when they saw themselves thus attacked on all sides : but it lasted not long, for there were too many able men employed, and, perceiving what must happen, they re- solved to surrender. The bailiff of the town, through whose means the place had held out for the king, came forth, and, having de- manded who was the commander, said : " My lord, order a cessa- tion of arms, for the inhabitants wish to enter into a treaty with you." The marshal replied, he would cheerfully do so, and sent a herald round the ditches, who thus spoke to the English : " Cease assaulting until you shall hear the trumpet of the marshal, for there is a treaty going forward with the townsmen." On this speech of the herald, the attack was suspended, and the assailants reposed themselves: indeed, many had need of it, for tliey had labored hard and were much fatigued. The townsmen, by their bailiff, said they were willing to yield the town on having their lives and fortunes spared, as the other towns in Galicia had done. " Indeed !" said the mar- shal, " but you will not come off so cheaply ; for you have given us much trouble, and wounded our men. You see plainly you cannot hold out longer, and you must purchase your peace from us, or we return to the attack, and take your town by storm." " And what is the sum you e.xpect for our ransom V " In God's name," said the marshal, " ten thousand francs." " You ask too much," replied the bailiff; " I offer you two thousand, for the town is poor, and has been heavily taxed." " I will not accept your offer," said the mar- shal ; " but take time to consider of it, and do not let the place be lost for three or four thousand francs, for all must be ours. I am already blamed by my companions for having entered into any treaty with you : therefore make haste, and either pay a handsome ransom or take the consequences." The bailiff returned to the town, and, calling the inhabitants together, said, " What will you do ? If you suffer the English to renew the attack, they will storm the town, put us all to death, and plunder our wealth. They de- mand ten thousand francs, and I have offered two, which I know is too little, and they will never take them : we must increase our offer two or three thousand more." Some, who were much alarmed for their lives and fortunes, said : " Bailiff, do not fail making a bargain with them ; for, sooner than they shall renew the assault, we will give four thousand francs.'" '■ It is well said," answered the bailiff, " and I will again treat with them." On this, the bailiff came again to the marshal, who was waiting for him ; and a ransom was agreed on, which, if I recollect, waa six thousand francs. The gates were thrown open to the army, who quartered themselves in the town, and refreshed themselves there two days. The marshal gave the place as a garrison to sir Evan Fitzwarren, who had under him two hundred men-at-arms and four hundred archers ; he held the place upward of eight months : but the ransom-money went to the duke of Lancaster, the marshal retaining one thousand francs. After this surrender of Villeclope, the marshal returned to St. Jago, which was his head-quarters, for the duke was desirous of having him near his person. At times, he marched to the borders of Castille, to alarm the French : but in general the English did not quit Galicia, whither the king of Castille sent none to oppose them; for he was advised not to attack them with a large army, but to ha- rass them from his garrisons, and to wait for succors from France. The duke's counsellors said to him as follows : " My lord, it is ne- cessary that you and the king of Portugal should have an interview to confer together. You write to each other, but that is not enough ; for the French are a subtle race, and see farther into affairs than most other nations. Should they, underhand, make a peace between the king of Portugal and the king of Castille, who has at his court, as we have been informed, several of the great barons of Portugal, either by a marriage or otherwise, so as to prevent you from having any assistance from him, what would become of you ? You would be in a much worse condition than ever in this country, and the Castilhans would not care anything for us, for you know they are the falsest and most gloomy petpple in the world. Do you imai^ine the king of Portugal has not thoroughly examined everything that concerns him ? and if the king of Castille would agree to a peace. allowing him for his life to reign in Portugal, and himself to be un- molested in Castille, we doubt not but he would turn his back on you, notwithstanding he has been so pressing to bring you liither. Thus will you be completely ruined. You are well acquainted with the present state of England, that it has enough to do to make head against its old enemies the French and Scots. Make the most, therefore, of the men you now have, and push on the war vigorously ; for, if you expect any reinforcements from England, you will be dis- appointed. You were two years in obtainmg what you now havje, and the king, your nephew, does not feel for the interests which made you quit the country. He is young, and confides in young counsellors, which has thrown England into much peril. Have an interview, therefore, with the king of Portugal as speedily as may be, and talk to him yourself; for you will gain more in one conver- sation than by four months' writing.'' The duke of Lancaster treasured up these words ; fur he knew they were the truth, and that they had loyally advised him. He answered, " What would you have me do?" '* We wish you would send five or six of your knights to the king of Portugal, and we ad- vise that a baron, at least, be of the number, to remonstrate with him on public affairs ; and let it be suggested that you are very anx- ious to have some personal conferences with him. Those whom you send will, of course, act with piudence ; but, by all means, let them press for an immediate interview.'* The duke consented to this proposal ; and the lord Poinings, a great baron in England, sir John Bancel,* sir John d'Ambreticourt, and sir John Sounder, has. tard brother to the constable of the army, were ordered to go to Por- tugal. These lords made themselves ready to set out from Saint Jago, with one hundred spears and two hundred archers ; but just as they were on the point of departure, having received their credential letters, there arrived from Portugal a knight and squire, attended by twelve lances. The knight's name was Vasco Martin d'Acunha, and the squire Fernando Martin de Merlo : they were both of the king's household, and the nearest about his person. They were comfortably lodged in Saint Jago, and presented to the duke and duchess, by each of whom they were most graciously received. They delivered their letters to their graces, which being read, they found, that in addition to the strong expressions of friendship and affection, the king of Portugal had sent two handsome ambling white mules, which gave them much pleasure. The English embassy was not for this laid aside ; it was only retarded four days. On the fifth day they set out, accompanied by the Portuguese ; and the duke, as a token of friendship, sent the king of Portugal two such beautiful pilgrim-falcons as had never been seen, and six English grayhounds, excellently trained for hunting all sorts of beasts. The English and Portuguese continued their journey through Galicia, without fear of the Castillians, for they were at too great a distance. On the road sir John d'Ambreticourt and Ferdinand de Merlo commenced an acquaintance ; for the squire had, in former times, served with sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt, sir John's uncle, and had even been with him when he died in Carentan. They continued in conversation until they arrived at the gate of Coimbra, where th« king of Portugal resided. As they were riding gently together, be. hind the rest of their company, they met a herald and his servant from Coimbra, on the road to the duke and his lords at Saint Jago He was attached to the king of Portugal, who, at the time of his coronation, had given him the name of Coimbra. The herald had already conversed with the lords who were advanced ; and when don Ferdinand saw him, he said : " Here comes the king's herald, who has not been long in this country : I will inquire some news from him." When they met, the squire said, " Where have you been for this year past, that I have not seen you ?" " In God'a name," replied the herald, " I have been in England to the king and his uncles, who have made me very rich. I went thence by sea to Brittany, and was present at the marriage of the duke, and at the grand feasts he gave two months in the town of Nantes on his union with the lady Jane of Navarre. t From thence I returned to Guerrande, and by sea to Poringal." While he was thus speaking, the squire kept his eyes fixed on an enamelled scutcheon that hung on the herald's breast, on which were emblazoned the arms of the king of Portugal and other kniglits of Portugal. Pointing with his finger to a coat of arms, he said : "Ah, here are the arms of a gallant knight of Portugal, sir John Portelet, which I am happy to see ; for he is a valiant knight, and was once of great service to me, which I ought always to remember.'' When, taking out of his purse four florins, he gave them, to the herald, who returned him thanks. Sir John d'Ambreticourt also examined the scutcheon, and remembering the arms, told me some time afterward, that the arms were two chaudi^res sables on a field argent, with an endenture gules. When the herald had taken his leave and departed, the squire thus spoke : " Sir John, you noticed those sable chaudieres, which the knight, to whom I am so much indebted, bore in his arms !" " Yes, I did," replied sir John ; " but tell me the cause why you praise him so much : I shall willingly listen to you ; for, as we ride on, we shall * d. if not lord Bumel. In the lutcst French edition it is BuvreU ; angUce Borerly. -Ed, t On the decease of Ihe duke of Brittanr. she was queen of England, by her manias^ with Henry IV. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 407 be at a loss for conversation." " That I will do," replied he ; " for I such a knight is worth tiilkiiig of. A litde before the battle of Alju. barota, as the king of Portugal was inarching through the country from Coinibra, he sent me to seek some of his knights, tliat they might be present at the engagemenl. I therefore rode oft', attended (inly by a single page. In my way, I fell in with twenty Gascon ■ lances, and I was suddenly in the midst before I perceived them, when I was made prisoner, and asked whither I was going. I said, < To ihe castle du Rout.'* ' What to do there ?' ' To seek sir .Tohn Fernando Portclet ; for the king wishes for his company at Aljuba. rota.' ' What 1 is not don Fernando governor of Ront, with your king of Portugal ?' 'No,' I replied, 'he is not; but he will hasten thither the moment he hears my message.' ' In God's name,' said they, ' he shall hear it ; for we will ride thitlier.' On saying this, they turned about, and took the road to Ront. When they were within sight, the watch on the battlements sounded his horn, as a signal for the appearance of an enemy. " Don Fernando asked from what quarter they were coming. 'From the side of Oporto,' replied the watch. 'Ah, ah,' said he, * they must be Castillians seeking adventures, and on their road to Santarem. I will go and look at them ; for they may possibly tell me some news, and where the king is.' Having ordered his horse to be saddled, and his pennon to be unfurled, he set ofl'on a gallop, •with only nineteen more, to meet the enemy, who had formed an ambuscade. The Castillian party had sent one of their men to scour over the plain, mounted on a genet, which' being perceived by don Fernando, he said to a squire, ' Gallop thy genet, and see who that fellow is prancing on the plain.' The squire, sticking spurs into his horse, soon came up with the horseman, who suffered himself nearly to be overtaken : for his orders were to return instantly to the am- buscade, if followed by any one. When they were hard by, the whole party sallied forth and pursued the squire, who, being well mounted, had turned back. In the ct.ase, they shouted ' CastiUe I' which convinced don Fernando, who had halted under his pennon, to wait for his squire, whom they were closely pursuing, that they were enemies ; and he said, ' I am now sure they must be Castillians: let us sfiout " Portugal !'' for I am resolved to meet them.' At these words he grasped his spear, and came on full speed up to them. The firat whom he met he struck to the ground, and the second shared the same fate. Of the twenty-five spears, ten were already lying on the ground ; the remainder took to flight ; and of them several were likewise slain or wounded. All this I witnessed with great pleas- ure ; for I saw in it my deliverance, and in a few minutes was left alone. I then advanced toward don Fernando, who, on seeing me, recollected me ; for I had been formerly acquainted with him, and asked from whence I came, and what I was doing there : I then re- lated to him my adventure, and how the Spaniards had taken me. * And where is the king? Do you know nothing about him ?' ' On my troth, sir, to-morrow he will give battle to the king of CastiUe ; and I was sent to tell this to such knights as were ignorant of it.' ' To-morrow I' said don Fernando. ' Yes, on my faith ; and, if you doubt me, ask these Castillians whom you have taken.* " He went to his prisoners, and inquired from them if there were certainly to be a battle on the morrow. They said, that in truth there would be a general engagement on the morrow between Cas- tiUe and Portugal, and that each side was making every exertion. The knight was well pleased at this intelligence, insomuch that he aaid to them, ' For the good news you have told me, I give you all your liberties, but surrender to me my countryman.' Thus did I re- gain my freedom ; and, don Fernando having taken leave of those ■who captured me, they went their way. We returned to Ourem, where the knight made himself ready, and we set off together about midnight. The distance from Ourem to Aljubarota may be about Bix leagues ; but, to avoid the Castillians and their parties, we length, ened our road. We heard, long before we saw the armies drawn up, that there was to be a battle ; and, when we approached, we saw the king of Portugal in array, and the king of CastiUe opposite to him. At first, the knight could not distinguish the Portuguese from the Castillians, but said, ' I should imagine the largest army must be that of CastiUe.' We rode so near that we plainly distinguished the enemy drawn up in battle array : some put themselves in motion, in pursuit of us ; but I fancy they were foreigners, from Gascony. Don Fernando, observing them, said, ' Here are our enemies : let 1)3 hasten away.' The enemy advanced full gallop, shouting, ' Cas. tille, CastiUe I' but our men. seeing our situation, came to our assist- ance ; the main body, howTver, did not take any step in consequence. The king received don Fernando with great joy, and he was posted at the bridle of the king's horse, for he was one of our bravest knights. I feel myself under the greatest obligation to him for hav- ing delivered me from the hands of mine enemies ; otherwise I should not have been present at this famous battle of Aljubarota. Now, did he not do me a great service ?'' " On my faith, that he did," replied sir John ; " and, from what you have said, he must be well acquainted with his business." " Ay, that he is," answered the squire. Upon this, they rode on a little faster to overtake their com- panions ; and they all arrived that night at Coimbra. • "Castle du Ront."— Q, if not Onrem. CHAPTER XL. THE DUKE or LANCASTER HAS AN INTERVIEW WITH THE KlNCi OF PORTU- S.iL. A MARRIASE IS ASREED UPON BETWEEN THE KING AND THE LADY FHILIFPA, DAUGHTER OF THE DUKE. The king of Portugal was well pleased at the arrival of the Eng- lish knights, and commanded that they shguld be comfortably lodged. When they were ready, don Martin d'Acunha and don Fernando Martin de Merlo, who were acquainted with the king's habits, intro- duced them to him. He received them very graciously ; and after some conversation, which they knew well how to keep up, they pre. sented the falcons and grayhounds. The king cheerfully accepted them, as he was fond of the chase. They returned the king thanks, on the part of the duke and duchess of Lancaster, for the handssme mules he had given them. The king rephed, these were trifles, merely tokens of aff'ection, such as lords desirous of maintaining love and friendship ought to make to each other ; but he should soon oft'er more splendid presents. Wine and spices were now brought, of which the English knights having partaken, they took leave of the king and returned to their lodgings, where they supped. On the morrow, they dined at the palace, and the lord Poinings and sir John Bancel were seated at the king's table. Sir John d'Ambreticourt and sir John Sounder were at another table with the great barons of the kingdom, among whom was Lawrence Fongasse, squire of honor to the king, who was well known to these knights, having been ac- quainted with them in England ; on which account he made them the best cheer in his power, and this he knew well how to do. The dinner the king of Portugal gave to these knights was very handsome and well served : when over, they adjourned to the coun. cil.chamber, and the knights, addressing themselves to the king, the count d'Acunha and the count de Novaire spoke as follows : " Sire, with all the compliments the duke of Lancaster has charged us to pay you, he ordered us to say that he is very desirous of having a personal interview with you." The king replied, he was equally anxious for it, and added, " I beg of you to hasten everything as much as possible, that we may have a conference together." " That will be very proper," said the barons of Portugal ; " for until you meet you will never understand each other. You may then confer on the most eftectual means of carrying on the war against the king of CastiUe." " That is true,'' answered the knights. " Be speedy about it, then," said the king : " for, if the duke wishes to see me, I wish also to see him." They then entered on other conversation ; for the council was to determine when and where this meeting should take place, and infomi the English knights of it. This was done. It was agreed the king of Portugal should go to Oporto, and the duke of Lancaster advance along the borders of Galicia ; and somewhere between them and Oporto the meeting was to be held. When the English knights had remained three days at Coimbra, they departed and foUowed the same road back to Saint Jago, where they related to the duke and duchess all that had passed. They were, with reason, well satisfied with it, for their affairs seemed now likely to be attended to. When the day of meeting approached, the duke of Lancaster left his army, under the command of his marshal, at Saint Jago, and at. tended by three hundred spears and six hundred archers, and sir John Holland, (who had married. his eldest daughter,) with many knights, rode toward the frontiers of Portugal. The king of Por. tugal, hearing that the duke was set out from Saint Jago, left Oporto with .six hundred spears, and went to a town called in that country Mon(;ao, the last town of Portugal on that side. The duke came to a town on the frontiers called Melgayo, Between Mon^ao and Melgacjo runs a small river through meadows and fields, over which is a bridge caUed Pont de More.* On a Thursday morning, the king of Portugal and the duke of Lancaster had their first interview at this bridge, attended by their escorts, when they made acquaintance with each other. On the king of Portugal's side had been built a bower, covered with leaves, in which the duke was entertained at dinner by the king. It was a handsome one ; and the bishop of Coimbra, the bishop of Oporto, as also the archbishop of Braganza, were seated at the king's table with the duke, and a litUe below him were sir John Holland and sir Henry Beaumont. There were many minstrels, and this entertain- ment lasted until night. The king of Portugal was that day clotlied in white lined with crimson, with a red cross of St. George, being the dress of the order of Avis, of which he was grand.master.t When the people had elected him their king, he declared he would always wear that dress in honor of God and St. George, and his at. tendants were all dressed in white and crimson. When it became late, they took leave of each other, with the engagement of meeting again on the morrow. The king went to Mon^ao, and the duke to Melgai;o, which places were only separated by the river and mead- ows. On the Friday, after hearing the mass, they mounted their horses, and rode over the Pont de More, to the spot where they had met the preceding day. The house which had been erected for this occasion was the fairest and greatest that had been ever seen there. The king and duke had each their apartments hung with cloth and * " Pont de More."— CI. T Fvoisdart mistakes the color of the cross : it was green, and borne on U^e left side. 408 ;hronicles of England, France, spain, &.«. covered with carpets, as convenient as if the king had been at Lis. bon or the duke in London. Before dinner they had a conference on the state of their aiTairs, how they should carry on the war, and wlien they should commence it. They resolved to order tlieir marsiials to continue their attacks during tiie winter, which the king was to pass in Portugal, and the duke at Saint Jago ; and it \vas settled that, early in March, they would unite their forces, «nd march to combat the king of Castille, ■wherever he might be, and whoever he might have with him ; for the English and Portuguese, when united, would be full thirty thou- sand men. When this had been determined, the king's council in- troduced the subject of a marriage with their king ; for the country was very desirous he would man-y, as it was now time ; and by it they would be much strengthened ; and they thought he could not make a better choice for himself, nor one more agreeable to them, than by intermarrying with the house of Lancaster. The duke, who saw the attachment the king and the Portuguese had for him, and that he had need of their assistance, as he was come from Eng- land to Portugal to regain his kingdom of Castille, replied \vilh a smile, addressing the king : " Sir King, I have at Saint Jago two girls, and I will give you the choice to take which of them shall please you best. Send thither your council, and I will return her with them.'' " Matiy thanks," said the king : "you ofler me more than I ask. I will leave my cousin Catherine, of Castille ; but I demand your daughter Philippa, in marriage, whom I will espouse and make my queen." At these words the conference broke up, as it was dinner-time. They were seated as on the preceding day, and most sumptuously and plentifidly served, according to the custom of that country. After dinner, the king and duke returned to their lodgings. On the Saturday after mass, they again mounted their horses, and returned to Pont de More in grand array. The duke this day en- tertained at dinner the king and his attendants. His apartments were decorated with the richest tapestry, with his arms emblazoned on it, and as splendidly ornamented as if he had been at Hertford, Leicester, or at any of his mansions in England, which very much astonished the Portuguese. Three bishops and one archbishop were -Seated at the upper table ; the bishops of Lisbon, of Oporto, of Coim- bra, and the archbishop of Braganza. The king of Portugal was placed at the middle, and the duke somewhat below him : a little lower than the duke, the count d'Acunha and the count de Novaire. At the head of the second table was the deputy grand-master of Avis: then the grand-master of St. Jajuce. in Portugal,* and the grand- master of St. John, Diego Lopez Pachceo, Joao Fernandez Pacheco his son, Lopo Vasquez d'Acunha, Vasco Martin d'Acunha, Lopo Diaz d'Azevcdo, Vasco Martin de Merlo, Gonzalves de Merlo, all great barons. The abbot of Aljubarota, the abbot of St. Mary, in Estremadoura, sir^JMvarez Pereira, marshal of Portugal, Joao Rod- riguez Pereira, Joao Gomez de Silva, Joao Rodriguez de Sa, and many other Portuguese knights, were there seated ; for not one Eng- lishman was at the table that day, but served their guests. There were numbers of minstrels, who played their parts well ; and the duke gave them and the heralds one hundred nobles each. When this festival was ended, they took a most friemlly leave of each other, until they should meet again. The king returned 1 1 Oporto, and the duke to Melga^o, from whence he journeyed towanl Saint Jago. The count de Novaire escorted him with one hundred Portuguese lances, until he was out of all danger, when he took leave and returned to Portugal. The duchess was very impatient for the duke's return, to hear how the conferences had passed ; of course, you may suppose, she received him with joy. She asked what he thought of the king of Portugal. " On my faith," replied the duke, " he is an agreeable man, and has the appearance of being a valiant one, and I think he will reign powerfully ; for he is much beloved by his subjects, who say that they have not been so fortunate in a king for these hundred years. He is but twenty.si.x years old, and, like the Portuguese, strong, and well formed in his limbs and body to go through much labor and pain." " Well, and what was done in regard to the marriage?" said the duchess. " I have given him one of my daughters." " Which ?" asked the duchess. " I ofTered him the choice of Catherine or Pliilippa ; for which he thanked me much, and has fixed on Philippa." "He is in the right," said the duchess; "for my daughter Catherine is too young for him." The duke and duchess passed the time as well as they could ; winter was approaching, though in Galicia the severity of that sea. son is scarcely felt ; for it is always there so warm, that some fruits are eatable, even in March, and beans, peas, and grass, are high and flourishing in February. Their hay-harvest is over before Midsum- mer-day ; and, by that time their corn is, in several places, com- pletely ripe, CHAPTER XLL THE EUKE OF Lancaster's marshal gains for him severai, places in SALICIA. THE CONDUCT OF THE KINS OF CASTILLE. Notwithstanding the duke of Lancaster lived quietly at St. Jago with his duchesa and children, it was not so with his army ; for the * Rodricucz de Viiectmeeilos. commanders made frequent excursions over the country, conquering towns and castles, of which, for a time they held possession. I will faithfully narrate the manner in which they did this, and the names of the towns they gained ; for I was told all the particulars of the campaign by those English knights who had been actors in these conquests ; but more particularly by that gallant knight of Portugal whom I have before mentioned, who, in the most friendly manner, entered into all the details at Middleburgli, in Zealand, where he was, on his way to Prussia. I have already told his name, but I will repeat it: he was called John Fernando Portelct, who informed rae as follows : " When the duke of Lancaster was returned to Saint Jago, from the frontiers of Portugal, Sir Thomas Moreaux, the marshal of his army, said to him, that he was unwilling to remain in idleness ; and that, since they were in an enemy's country, he would make some excursions to conquer towns or castles, and employ the army who were very anxious for it. He gave his orders accordingly, and de- clared he would penetrate into Galicia farther than he had hitherto been, and would not leave town nor castle behind him without their submitting to the duke. He began his march from Saint Jago, with six hundred lances and twelve hundred archers, and took the road to Pontevedra, a good town of Galicia, which held out for the king of Castille. The townsmen were well aware of the intended attack; for all the inhabitants of the flat countries fled before the English, to diff'erent towns, to save themselves and fortunes. When the marshal came before the place, the inhabitants were in deep consultation, whether to surrender, or to defend themselves ; but they were not unanimous. The lower sort of inhabitants wanted to surrender in- stantly : the bailift' (who had been ordered thither by the king to guard and defend it,) with those who were the richest, wished to hold out ; for they said that an instant surrender would not redound to their honor nor profit. They were still in debate, when the watch sounded his horn to announce the arrival of the English. This broke up the assembly ; and every one ran to the battlements, armed with stones, darts, and javelins, with a full determination to defend the place, and not to surrender it until pushed to extremities. '• When tiic marshal and his companions arrived at P.wtevedra, they dismounted and gave their horses to their servants. They drew up their men for instantly attacking it. The archers were ranged round the walls with bows bent for shooting ; and men-at-arms, well .-u-mcd and shielded, descended into the ditch. On the marshal's trumpet sounding, the assault commenced ; and those who were in the ditch scrambled up to the walls, with pick.a.xes and iron crows to undermine thcra. The townsmen showered down on them stones and flints to their great annoyance : they would have done mure, if the archers had not made good use of their bows : few, after some time, dared to show themselves on the bulwarks, for they killed and woimdcd many. The bailifl'of the town was so severely struck by an arrow, which pierced his helmet and head, that he was forced to be carried to his house. The ill-intentioned in the place were not sorry at this, because he would not consent to a suirendcr. This accident, however, did not cause the defence to be weakened ; on the contrary, tliey were the more active ; and the attack continued until night, when the enemy sounded a retreat. Many were wounded on each side. The English relumed to their quarters, fully deter- mined to renew the attack on the monow, and to gain the place by capitulation or storm. " During the night, the inhabitants held a meeting and said : ' We are mad, thus to suffer ourselves to be killed and wounded for noth- ing. Why do not we act like the other towns which have surren- dered ? "They have j'ielded themselves to the duke of Lancaster and the lady Constance, daughter to king don Pedro, on condition that, if the rest of the towns in Spain acknowledge him for king- they will do the same : in which they have acted wisely, for they have remained unmolested.' * In God's name,' said others, * we wanted to do so, but our bailiff persuaded us to the contrary, for which he has paid severely ; for there is a great chance if he will ever recover from the wound in his head.' ' Let us go,' said some, ' and speak with him, and ask how we hod best act now ; for the English w-ill certainly return to-morrow, and conquer us by fair or foul means.' This proposition was adopted, and twelve of the prin- cipal townsmen went to the bailiff''s house, whose name was, I be- hove, Diantale de L^on. They found him lying on a couch, his wound having been just dressed ; and, as it had so lately happened, he did not suffer much from it, and made good cheer to those among them whom he knew, and had come to see him. He inquired how the attack had been carried on, and if they had weU defended diera- selves. They said, ' Tolerably well ; and, thanks to God, no one, excepting himself, of any consequence, had been hurt ; but to-morroW will be the day, for we are assured we shall be very hard pushed ; and such ignorant and simple persons as ourselves will never be able to withstand their attacks. We therefore come to yon for advice how to act. The English menace us greatly ; and should they svin the place by storm, they will put all to the sword, and plunder the town.' " ' In tlie name of God,' replied Diantale de L6on, 'you can never be blamed for surrendering; but treat prudently, and manage by all means to avoid being taken by storm. Offer to put yourselves under the obedience of the duke and duchess of Lancaster, on tlie same CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 409 tenns with those of Coruna, for no Englishman ever entered that town. They sent out to them provisions for money ; and, if you will follow my advice, you will do the same. I believe they will be glad to accept your submission, for there are many other towns in Galicia to conquer, and they will not hold out for trifles.' ' You say well,' replied the townsmen, ' and we will do as you advise.' They then left him, and passed the night as well as they could._ By sun. rise, on the morrow, they had properly instructed seven of the prin. cipal inhabitants, whom they sent out of the town to treat with sir Thomas Moreau.x : they met him on his march to renew the attack. Attack on tsk Fortifications of 1'onti;vediia. Co.iiposed IVom ilarleiaii MS., 4425, and MS. Froissart of the 15th century. They cast themselves on their knees, and, having saluted him, said, * My lord, we are sent hither by the inhabitants of Pontevedra, who offer to place themselves under the obedience of the duke and duchess of Lancaster, on the same terms which those of Coruna have ob- tained. This they have ordered us to tell you, and also that you may have provision in plenty on paying a fair price. It is the wish of those who have sent us, that you push them no farther, and that neither yourself nor any from you enter the place armed and by force ; but that if you or any others be desirous of courteously enter- ing the town, they shall be welcome.' The marshal had with him one who understood perfectly the Galician tongue, who repeated to him in English all that had been said. The marshal replied, ' Return quickly to your town, and let those who have sent you come to the barriers. I will grant them respite until to-morrow at sunrise, should we not make a satisfactory agreement.' They promised to comply with his command, and departed. When arrived at the barriers, they found there the greater part of the townsmen waiting, to whom they told all thai had passed between them and the marshal; add- ing, 'The marshal will soon be here himself: therefore, if you do not think yourselves of sufficient consequence to parley with him, hasten those hither whom you may wish for.' '* -\s tlie principal inhabitants were at the barriers, they saw sir Thomas Moreaux, with about forty lances, advancing, who on his arrival dismounted, and his companions likewise. He addressed them as follows : ' You, the inhabitants of Pontevedra, have sent to us seven of your brother townsmen, and persons in whom I am sat- isfied you have confidence : they have told us that you are willing to submit yourselves to the duke and duchess of Lancaster, on the same terms which those of Coruiia have obtained, but that you wish to have no other governors but yourselves. Now tell me, I beg of you, what sovereignty my lord would have if he had not his own officers in the town ? When you pleased you would acknowledge him for your king, and when you pleased disavow him. Know, that it is my intention, as well as that of those around me, to give you a wise, valiant and prudent governor, who will defend you and do ample justice to all alike, and I mean to thrust out the officers of the king of Castille : let me hear, therefore, if you consent to these terms, for such are our fi.ved resolutions.' They requested leave to consult together, and having done so. replied : * My lord, we have the fullest confidence in you, but we are afraid of pillagers; for we have for- merly been so ill treated by persons of that description, when sir Bertrand du Guesclin and the Bretons first came hither : they left us not a rag, and we are in dread of the like happening again.' * You need not,' said sir Thomas, ' for no pillager shall ever enter your town. You shall lose nothing by us : all we want is your obedi- ence.' This speech settled the business, and sir Thomas and his company entered the town, his army taking up their quarters in tents without the walls. The inhabitants sent them twenty-four horse- loads of wine, as much bread, and poultry in abundance for the principal officers. " The marshal remained the whole day in Pontevedra, to arrange a government for the duke of Lancaster. He appointed an honest Galician governor, Jvho had followed the duchess to England, with whom the inhabitants were satisfied. On the morrow, he returned to his army, and in a council he determined to march against another town that was rebellious, called Vigo, six leagues distant from Pontevedra. They instantly began their march ; and, when within two leagues of the place, jA they sent forward to know if they would surrender, as Pontevedra and other towns had done, which, if they refused, they might rest assured they should be attacked in the morning. The inhabit- ants paid no attention to this menace, and said, that they had often had as- saults, but had never been the worse for them. When this answer was carried to the marshal, he swore by St. George they should be attacked in earnest. ' What ! are the scoundrels so proud to send me such an answer V They passed the night comfortably with what they brought with them, and on the morrow hy sunrise were on their march to Vigo. It was near ten o'clock when they came before the town, and each party made preparations for the attack and defence. Vigo, though not a large town, is sufficiently strong ; and had there been within it some knights and squires, who understood their profession, I do not believe the English would have gained it so easily as they did ; for the moment the inhabitants felt the arrows of the English and saw many killed and wounded by them, for they were badly armed, they were panic-struck, and said, ' Why do we let ourselves be killed and wounded for the king of Castille ? We may as well have the duke of Lancaster, who married the daughter of don Pedro, for our king, as the son of don Henry of Transtamare, We must know, that if we be taken by storm, our lives will be forfeited and our town plundered, and there does not seem succor coming to us from any quarter. A month ago, we sent a remonstrance to the king of Castille at Burgos on our situation, and the peril we should be in, if the English marched hither, as we heard they intended doing. The king indeed spoke to the French knights who are with him on the matter, but no orders were given for any men-at-arms to be sent hither as a garrison, any more than to other parts of Galicia, which plainly showed it was indifferent to the king whether we were won or not. He told our envoys to return and do as well as they could. This proves he does not wish us to be slain, nor the place taken by storm.' " On saying this, some of the townsmen mounted over the gate- way, and from a window made signs they wished for a parley, to treat of peace. They were observed ; and the marshal, going thither, asked what they wanted. They said ; ' Marshal, order your men to retire : we will submit ourselves to the duke and duchess of Lan. caster, on the same terms as those of Coruiia and other towns have obtained ; and if you want provisions, you shall courteously have them from us ; but we will not suffer any one to enter the town by force of arms. This is our proposal, and by this we mean to abide.' The marshal was advised to answer, ' I agree to your terms ; but I must appoint an able governor, to counsel and defend you, should there be any need of it.' They answered, they would also admit of this. Thus was the treaty concluded ; and, on the assault ceasing, the army retreated from before it into the plain. The marshal, sir Evan Fitzwarren, sir John Abuurelle,* the lord de Pommiers, and sir John d'Ambreticourt, entered the town to refresh themselves, where they remained the whole day. Those without the walls re- ceived bread, wine, and other provision from the town in abundance. "-\fter the conquest of Vigo, where the lords had availed them- selves of the opportunity to refresh themselves at their ease, for it is situated in a rich country, and had nominated as governor an Eng- lish squire called Thomas Albery, a prudent and valiant man, to whom they gave twelve archers for his defence, they marched from thence, skirting the mountains and borders of Castille, toward the large town of Bayona. When they had advanced within two leagues of the place, they halted and took up their quarters for the night. On the morrow, they dislodged and marched in battle-array lo Bay. ona. When near, they formed themselves into two divisions, and sent forward a herald to learn the intentions of the inhabitants, whether they would surrender without being assaulted. The herald * limacinethismualbeintendedfoisirHushlordBurne!. S^ DvsMe. 410 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. had not far to go ; and, when arrived at the barriers, he found plenty of common people there, though badly armed, to whom he delivered his message ; for he well understood their language, being a Portu- guosc. His name was Coimbra, and attached to the king of Por- tugal. ' You men of the town,' said he, ' what are your intentions ? Will you suffer yourselves to be attacked, or will you surrender quietly to your sovereigns, the duke and duchess of Lancaster? My lord marshal and his companions send me hither to know what you mean to do.' Upon this they collected together and began to talk aloud, saying, ' What shall we do ? Shall we defend ourselves, or surrender >' An old man who had learnt experience, from having seen more than they had, addressed them : ' My good sirs, in our situation wc must not hold long councils; and the English are very courteous in thus allowing us time to deliberate. You are aware that we have not any hopes of succor ; for the king of Gastille, w-ho knows our situation well, and has done so since the an-ival of the duke and duchess at Coruna, has not provided any resources for us, nor does he seem inclined so to do. If we, therefore, allow our- selves to be attacked, the town is so large and ill fortified, we can- not guard the whole ; and the English are subtle in war : they will exert themselves to conquer us, in hopes of plunder; for they are, like all men-at-arms, eager to enrich themselves ; and this town is supposed to be more rich than in fact it is. I therefore think it most advisable that we quietly submit to the duke and duchess of Lancaster, and, by not foolishly resisting, lose more, but obtain peace on ad- vantageous terms. This is the advice I give you.' 'They replied, they would follow it ; and as he was a man of consideration in Bay. ona, they requested him to answer the herald. ' I will cheerfully do so ; but we must give him some money, which will bind him to our interests, and induce him to make a favorable report to his lords." On this he advanced to the herald, and said : ' You will return to your lords, and assure them we are willing to put ourselves under the obedience of the duke and duchess of Lancaster, in the same manner other towns in Galicia have done, or may do. Now, go and do our business well, and we will give you twenty florins.' The herald was delighted on hearing this speech, and the promise of twenty florins ; and said, ' Where are the florins?' They were in. stantly paid down, and he set oft", gayly, to rejoin the English army. " The marshal and his companions, on seeing him return, asked what news he had brought. * Do the townsmen mean to surrender or wait the attack ?' ' By my faith, my lords,' replied the herald, ' they have no such intentions. They desire me to inform you, they are willing to submit themselves to the duke and duchess, on simi- lar terms to those which other towns have obtained ; and if you will go thither, they will gladly receive you.' ' Well,' said the marshal, ' it is better we thus gain the place than by assault ; for our men, at least, will neither be wounded nor slain.' The marshal and his army marched at a foot's.pace to the town, where he dismounted, and went to the barrier and gate. There were numbers of people assembled, but their whole armors were not worth ten francs, to see the English ; and the person who had given the answer to the he. raid was there also, to conclude a treaty. The moment the herald perceived him, he said to the marshal, ' My lord, speak to that el- derly man who is bowing to you. for he has the greatest weight in the place.' The marshal advanced, and said, ' Now, what have you to say ? Will you surrender yourselves to my lord, the duke of Lancaster, and to his duchess, as to your legal sovereigns ?' ' Yes,' my lord,' replied the old man : * we surrender ourselves to you, and acknowledge them for our lords, as other towns in Galicia have done ; and, if you and your companions please to enter the town, you are welcome ; but on condition That, should you want provision, you do not seize it, but loyally pay for whatever you may take.' * 1 agree to this,' said the marshal ; * for we only desire the love and obe- dience of the country; but you must swear, that should the king of Gastille come in person, or send hither any troops, you will defend yourselves boldly against him and all his allies.' ' We willingly swear this ; and should he come himself, or send any troops, we will remain steady to your interest ; for you will never find any deceit in US.' ' I am satisfied,' answered the marshal, ' and do not require more. Before the expiration of the year, the dispute will be de. cided ; and the crown of Gastille, Cordova, Galicia, and Seville, will fall to the strongest; for, by the end of August, there will be ^uch numbers of men-at-arms in Gastille as have not been seen for these hundred years.' ' Well, my lord,' answered the -elder, * let happen what may, and the right fall where it ought, we of Galicia venture to wait the event.' " Upon this, the holy sacrament was brought, and those who gov. erned the town swore upon it to behave loyally and faithfully, like good subjects, to the duke and duchess of Lancaster, and to acknow- ledge them as their ."-overeigns, in the same manner as other towns had done. The marshal, in the name of the duke of Lancaster re. ccived them as his subjects, and swore to defend and govern them in peace and justice. When all this had been done, the barriers and gates were thrown open, when all entered who chose, and lodged themselves where they could. They remained there four days, to recruit themselves and horses, and also to wait for fair weather ; for, during these four days, it rained incessantly, and the rivers were much swelled. There are, in Galicia, many rivers which are so .gpeatly increased by the mountain.torrents, that they are very dan- gerous to pass. While waiting for a change in the weather, they held a council, whether they should march for Betancos or Ribada. via, which is a strong town, inhabited by the most insolent and treach- erous people in all Galicia. On the fifth day, the English dislodged from Bayona, and took the field. The weather was now temperate, and the rivers, to their great joy, reduced to their usual size. They rode toward Ribadavia without any opposition ; and, as no one came out against them, they thought themselves lords of Galicia. They arrived near the town, with a large train of baggage, horses and victuallers, and encamped in a grove of olive trees on a hand- some plain, about half a league from the place. They resolved to send a herald to parley with the townsmen, before they made any preparations for the attack ; for the marshal well knew they were the falsest and worst people in all Gastille, extensive as it js ; and that they paid no regard to the king, nor to any one but themselves, depending on the strength of their town. " The herald, before he set out, was charged to learn their inten- tions ; but, when he came to the barriers, he found them and the gate closed. He shouted and called, but received no answer what- ever. He saw, indeed, several pass backward and forward on the battlements ; but for all he could do, not one would come and speak with him, though he remained an hour thus bawling to them. Find- ing he could not obtain a hearing, he said to himself, ' 1 fancy these men of Ribadavia have had some communication with those of Bay- ona, who are vexed they should have given me twenty florins for so little trouble, and want to make me here pay for it. By holy Mary ! 1 believe they wish to keep me until it be late, and then seize and hang me.' On saying this, he remounted his horse, and returned to the marshal and his army. On his arrival, he was asked what news, and whether the inhabitants of Ribadavia would surren- der as the other towns had done, or force them to th.e attack V ' By my troth,' replied the herald, * I know not what they mean to do ; for they arc so proud, that though I bawled to them for an hour, they never deigned to give me any answer.' -Sir John Burnel then said, ' Hast thou seen no one ? Perhaps they are fled, and have left their town for fear of us.' ' Fled !' replied the herald ; ' begging your par- don, my lord, they disdain to do such a thing as fly ; and before you conquer them, they will give you more plague than all the other towns in Galicia together. Know that there are plenty of men within it ; for I saw them when I called out, " Listen to me, listen to me ! I am a herald, whom my lord marshal has sent hither to par- ley and treat with you ;'' but they gave me no answer, only starinjf at me, and bursting out in laughter.' ' Ah, the insolent scoundrels !* said the marshal : * by St. George, they shall be well punished for this ; and, unless my lord of Lancaster shall order otherwise, never will I quit this place until I have reduced it under his obedience. Let us now eat and drink to refresh ourselves, and then march to the assault ; for I will see this town nearer, and what is its strength, that makes the scoundrels thus insolent, and induces them to hold us so cheap.' " When they had finished their repast, they mounted their horses, and, with trumpets sounding, rode gently on, for the weather was as sweet as in the month of May. On coming before the place, some knights and squires, to make a di-splay, galloped up to the barriers, where they found a large body of cross-bowmen drawn up in front of the gate, who, by their shooting, killed and wounded many horses. The archers then advanced, and, posting themselves on the bank of the ditch, and at the barriers, attacked the cross-bowmen. The as- sault was severe, and lasted a considerable time ; for the town was tolerably strong, and difficult to be conquered. One side is situated on a perpendicular rock, impossible to be mounted : the other, in- deed, is on the plain, but surrounded by wide ditches, which, though not filled with water, cannot easily be crossed. The knights and squires, however, did cross them, and ascended the banks to the walls, with targets on their heads, to defend themselves from the arrows, or whatever might be thrown down from the battlements. The arch- ers shot so well, that scarcely any dared show themselves; atid this attack was long continued, many on each side being killed or wounded. Toward evening, it ceased, on the trumpets sounding the retreat ; and the English returned to their camp, where they made themselves comfortable, and attended to their wounded. Thierry de Soumain was so badly wounded in the arm at the barriers, by a bolt from a cross-bow, that it was necessary to have it forced through the arm ; he was upward of a month unable to use it, and obliged to hear it in a scarf. " While the marshal of the duke of Lancaster's army was thus overrunning and turning Galicia to his intere.=it, the duke and duchess, with their children, resided quietly at St. Jago. They heard fre. qiicntly from the king of Portugal, as a continual intercourse was kept up between them on their mutual affairs. King John of Gas. tiUe held his court at Vp.lladolid, attended by the French knights, whom he frequently consulted on the state of his kingdom ; for he vv'as perfectly acquainted with everything that was passing around him. He said to them, ' My fair sirs, I greatly marvel that no suc- cor comes to me from France, to assist me in my distress ; for my country will be lost, if no reinforcements arrive to prevent it. The EngUsh keep the field ; and I know fur truth, that the duke of Lan- caster and king of Portugal have had an interview, and that the last is to marry one of the duke's daughters, for she has been betrothed CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, & c 411 to him ; and, as soon as this marriage shall have taken place, you will see tiiem unite together and enter my kingdom, and, when ■ united, they will prove too much for me.' The French knights, to comfort hiiii, replied, ' Do not be uneasy : if the English gain on one side they lose on anotlier. We have certain intelligence, that the king of France, with upward of an hundred thousand armed men, has at this moment invaded England to conquer and destroy that whole country. When that shall be accomplished, and Eng. land reduced to a state of subjection from whence it can never rise, the king of France and his army will embark on board their navy, which is so considerable, and disembark during the course of the summer at Corufia. He will reconquer in one month more than you have lost during the year, and surround the duke of Lancaster in such a manner that you will see him fly to Portugal. Thus will you be revenged of your enemies ; for be assured, that if France were not at this moment occupied with the conquest of England, you would have had, some time since, three or four thousand lances from thence. The king of France, his uncles and council, have a great affection for you, and are very anxious to put an end to your war. Never mind if the English keep the field, and borrow from you a little of your kingdom : before St. John's day shall come, they will be forced to restore the whole of it back to you.' " Such were the conversations that frequently passed at Valladolid between the king of CastiUe and his council, with the French knights. The king, having such an opinion of them, believed all they said, and took comfort. They indeed thought what thoy had said was truth ; for they concluded the king of France had invaded England, according to the rumors spread throughout CastiUe. You must know that the duke of Lancaster did not hear from his people one quarter of what was told them by pilgrims and merchants from Flanders ; and, though the king of Portugal wrote frequently to inquire after the duke's health, these rumors prevented him from hastening his pre- parations, and from demanding the lady Philippa for his queen. His council said, that as all the intelligence from France and Flanders agreed England to be in a most perilous slate of being destroyed, neither the alliance nor marriage with the duke of Lancaster or his daughter would bo of any advantage to him, and that he should dis. senible his thouglits, but still preserve an outward appearance of great affection to the duke and duchess, by letters and otherwise, until he should see what turn affairs would take." We will now for a while leave speaking of Spain and Portugal, and return to France. CHAPTER XLII. THE KING OF FRANCE GOES TO LILLE, WITH THE INTENT TO INVADE ENG- LAND. SIR SIMON BtTRLEY ADVISES THE RE.MOVAL OF THE SHRINE OF ST. THOMAS A BECKET FROM CANTERBURY TO DOVER CASTLE, FOR FEAK OF THE FRENCH. At this period, (1386,) the number of ships, galleys, and vessels of every description, which had been collected to carry over to England the king of France and his army, were so great, that the oldest man tlien living had never seen nor heard of the like. Knights and squires were aniiing on all sides, and, when they quitted their homes, they said ; " We will invade these cursed English, who have done such mischief to France, and now avenge ourselves for the losses they have caused us by the death of our fathers, brothers, or friends." It was twelve weeks before all the purveyances of the different lords were ready and embarked, so grandly had they provided themselves. The report was kept up for some time in Flanders, that the khig would be there on the morrow, to hasten them. Men were con- tinually arriving I'rom Gascony, Armagnac, the Toulousain, Bigorre, Comminges, Auvergne, Berry, Limousin, Poitou, Anjou, Maine, Brit- tany, Touraine, Blois, Orleans, Beauce, Normandy, Pieardy, and from every province in France, who quartered themselves in Flanders and Artois. When the middle of August came, which was the time fixed on lor the invasion taking place, in order the more to hasten those from the distant parts of the realm ; and, to show that the king was in earnest to embark, he took leave of queen Blanche, the duchess of Orleans, and the other princesses. He heard a solemn mass in the church of NOtre Dame at Paris, and it was his intention, when he should quit Paris, never to reenter it until he had landed in England; and of this all the principal cities and towns were persuaded. The king of France went to Senlis, whither he was accompanied by his queen : the duke of Berry was in Berry, though his purveyances were collecting in Flanders and at Sluys, like the others. The duke of Burgundy was also in his own country, but he bade adieu to his duchess and children, and set off for Flanders, meaning to take leave of his aunt, die duchess of Brabant, in his way thither. On his do. parture from Burgundy, he travelled in great pomp and magnificence, attended by the admiral of France and the lord Guy de la Trimouille, unto Brussels, where the duchess and her ladies received him and his company with great joy. He tarried there two days, and then went to Mons in Hainault, where he found his daughter madame d'Ostrevant, duke Albert, and his son the lord William of Hainault, count d'Oslrevant, who entertained them handsomely, and conducted the duke to Valenciennes, where he was lodged in the apartments of ihe count, and duke Albert at the h6te,l of Vieongncras. The duke of Burgundy, on leaving Valenciennes, went to Douay and Arras, where the duchess was waiting for him. From Senlis the king of France came to Compiegne, Noyon, Pcronne, Bapaumo and Arras ;- ' and there were such numbers of men-at-arms pouring into those countries from all quarters, that everything was destroyed or devoured without a fartliing being paid for anything. The poor farmers, who had filled their barns with grain, had only the straw, and, if they complained, were beaten or killed. The fish-ponds were drained of fish, and the houses pulled down for firing, so that if the English had been there, they could not have committed greater waste than this French army did. They said, " We have not at present any money, but shall have enough on our return, when we will pay for all." The farmers, not daring to speak out, cursed them inwardly, on seeing them seize what was intended for their families ; and said, " Go, go to England, and may never a soul of you come back." The king of France arrived at Lille, with his two uncles of Bur. gundy and Bourbon ; but the duke of Berry still remained behind, ia his own country, arranging his affairs. With the king were the duke of Bar, the duke of Lorraine, the count d'Armagnac, the count de Savoye, the count dauphin d'-A.uvergne, the count de Geneve, the count de St. Pol, the count d'Eu, the count de Longueville, the lord de Coucy, sir "William de Namur, and so many of the great lords of France that I can never name them. It was said that twenty thou-' sand knights and squires were to embark for England, which was ' indeed a goodly company, with about the same number of eross-bowe, including the Genoese, and twenty thousand stout varlets. Sir Oliver de Clisson was still in Brittany making his preparations, and equipping his fleet at the port of Treguier, from whence he in- tended to embark his wooden town, that was to be put together, and erected on his landing in England, as you have before heard. The- flower of Breton chivalry was to accompany the constable, such as the viscount do Rohan, the lords de Rays, de Beaumanoir, de Lava), de Rochefort, de Malestroit, the viscount de Combor, sir John de Malestroit, the lord de Dinant, the lord d'Ancenis, and five hundred spears, all picked men. The constable had always declared, that no one ought to be employed on this expedition if he were not a good man-at-arms and such as coidd be depended on. He had said to the admiral ; *' Be careful not to suffer any boys or servants to embark on board the fleet, for they will do us more harm than good." And f^ the knights, unless they were of high rank, or had hired vessels for themselves, were not allowed to take with them more than one horse and one servant. To say the truth, their arrangements were very well made : and it was the opinion of many, that if the army could have been landed together at the place they had fixed on in OrweH bay, the whole country would have been thrown into confusion. In- deed, I believe there was little doubt of it ; for the great lords, such as prelates, abbots, and rich citizens, were panic-struck, but the com- monalty and poorer sort held it very cheap. Such knights and squires, as were not rich, but eager for renown, were delighted, and said to each other, " Lord, what fine times are coming, since the king of France intends to visit us! He is a valiant king and of great enter- prise ; there has not been such a one in France these three hundred years. He will make his people good men-at-arms ; and blessed may he be for thinking to invade us ; for certainly we shall be all slaia or made powerfully rich : one or the other must happen." If the preparations for this inva.'iion were great in France, those in England, for its defence, were not less so, as I have before mentioned, and will therefore slightly return to it. The ta.ves in England were equally heavy with those in France ; but though they were very op- pressive, the common people said they ought not to complain, for, they were raised for the defence of the country, and paid to knights and squires to guard their lands, and they were their laborers, who- provided them with food, and tlie sheep tVom whom they took the wool ; but, if England should be conquered, they would be the greatest losers. No one was exempted from the payment of these taxes ; so that two millions of florins were raised for the defence of the country, and paid into the hands of the archbishop of York, the earl of Oxford, sir Nicholas Bramber, sir Michael de la Pole, sir Simon Barley, sir Peter Gouloufrc, sir Robert Tresihan, sir John Boauchamp, sir John Salisbury, and others of the king's privy council, who were appointed receivers and paymasters of the above sum, for the king's uncles were not consulted in the business. They would not interfere, nor by so doing throw the kingdom into trouble, but exerted themselves to the utmost in putting all the coast in a good state of defence ; for they most assuredly thought the king of France would attempt to land his army in England during the course of the summer. The before.named receivers did in the king's name as. they thought proper in respect to this tax ; but the carl of Oxford was the most active, and made the greatest advantage of it. Every, thing was done by him, and without his consent nothing ; for which, when this alarm was over, the people were much dis-satisfiod, and wanted to know what had become of the large sums that iiad been raised ; and the principal cities and towns, urged on by the king's uncles, would have an account how they had been disbursed, as I will relate in proper time and place, for I wish not that anything, should be forgotten in this history. Sir Simon Burley was governor of Dover ctistle^ and, from hiS' situation, received frequent intelligence from France by the fishermen of the town, who related to him what they heard from the Frencit 412 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, Sec. fisheimen, as they were often obliged to adventure as tar as Wisean or Boulogne to obtain good fish. When the fishernien from France met them at sea, they told them enough, and more than they knew ; or though there were wars between France and England, they were never interrupted in their pursuits, nor attacked each other, but, on the contrary, gave mutual assistance, and bought and sold, according as either had more fish than they were in want of; for, if they were to meddle in the national quarrels, there would be no fishing, and none would attempt it unless supported by men-at-arms. Sir Simon learnt from the fishermen that the king of France was ab. solutely determined on the invasion ; that he intended to land one division at or near Dover, and another at Sandwich, and that his forces ivere immense. He, as well as the rest of England, believed all this was true ; and one day he set out for Canterbury to visit the abbey, which is very large and handsome ; near it is Christ-church, which is also rich and powerful. The abbot inquired, " What news ?'' and sir Simon told him all he knew, adding, " that the shrine of St. Thomas, so respect, able and rich, was not safe in Canterbury, for the town was not strong ;* and if the French should come, some of the pillagers, through avarice, would make for Canter, hury, which they would plunder, as well as your abbey, and make particular in. quiries after the shrine, and will take it away, to your great loss. I would there, fore advise, that you have it carried to Dover castle, where it will be perfectly safe, .though all England were lost." The abbot and all the convent were so angered at this speech, though meant well, that they replied, " How ! sir Simon, would you ■wish to despoil this church of its jewel 1 If you are afraid yourself, gain courage, and shut yourself up in your castle of Do. \er, for the French will not be bold enough, nor in sufficient force, to adventure themselves so far." This was the only answer he had ; but sir Simon persisted so long in his pro- position, that the common people grew discontented, and held him for an ill-inclined person, which, as I shall relate, they afterwards showed more plainly. Sir Simon made but a short stay and returned to Dover. CHAPTER XLIII. THE KING OF FRANCE VISITS HIS FLEET AT SLUTS. THE KINS OF AKME- KIA Cr.OSSES TO ENSLAND, TO ATTEMPT A RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE TWO KINGS. THE ANSWER HE RECEIVES. The king of France, to show his impatience for the invasion and his dislike of being at too great a distance, came to Sluys. The report was now daily current in Flanders and Artois, " The king will •embark Saturday, Tuesday, or Thursday." Every day of the week they said, " He will embark to-morrow, or the day after." The duke ■of Touraine.t the king's brother, the bishop of Beauvais, chancellor, and other great lords, had taken leave of the king at Lille, and re- turned to Paris. I believe, indeed it was assured me for fact, that the duke was appointed regent during the king's absence, in con. junction with the count de Blois and other principal barons, who had not been ordered on the invasion. The duke of Berry was still be- liind, though he was advancing slowly, for he had no great desire to go to England. The king of France and duke of Burgundy were much vexed at his delay, and wished his arrival : however, the em- barkation of stores continued at a vast expense to the great lords : for what was worth only one franc they were made to pay four ; and those who were hoping speedily to cross over valued not their maney in making preparations, but seemed desirous to rival each other in expense. If the principal lords were well paid, those of inferior rank suffered for it, as there was a month's pay due to them, for which the pay- master of the forces was unwilling to account ; and he and the clerks of the treasury told them to wait another week, and they should be satisfied. Thus were they put ofl" from week to week ; and when they made them any payments, it was only for eight days, when eight weeks were due. Some, who were so treated, became melan- choly, and said the expedition would never succeed ; and foreseeing what would happen, whenever they coidd amass any money, Uke wise men, set out on their return home. The poor knights and .squires, who were not retainers on the great lords, had expended their all ; for everything was so dear in Flanders, they had difliculty in procuring bread or wine. If they wished to pawn their wages or arms, they could not obtain a farthing for what, when new, had cost them large sums. There were such crowds at Bruges, Damme, Ar. dcmbourg, and particularly at Sluys, when the king arrived, that it was difficult to find any lodgings. The lords de St. Pol, de Coucy, d'Antoing, and the dauphin of Auvergne, with other barons from France, remained at Bruges, to * The walls of Canterbury were much out of reiiuir ; and there Ls an order now ex- isting for their reparation, from llie oourt ofChancery. in the 19lb year of Richard II.— Hasted'^ Kttrt. t Lonis, count of Valoia, the king's brother, did not enjoy tlie title of duke of Tou- -rninetill the return of '.his fruitless expedition. lie was afterwards created duke of Orleans.— Ed Gbneral View of Sluys.— From an old plan, in Fiandria lUustrata, by Ant. Sanderus be more at their ease, and every now and then rode over to Sluya, to inquire from the king when they were to embark. They were told, within three or four days ; or when the duke of Berry should arrive, or when the wind was favorable. There was always some delay ; but the time passed, and the days became shorter and cold, with bad weather. Many of the lords were discontented they were so long in embarking, for their provision would be spoiled. While they were waiting for the duke of Berry and the constable, the king of Armenia, who resided in France, on a pension from the king of six thousand francs, desirous to make a journey to England, in hopes of bringing about a peace, or at least a truce between the two kings, left his hfttel of St. Ouen, near St. Denis, and, with few attendants, travelled to Boulogne, where he hired a vessel, and, hav- ing a favorable wind, landed at Dover. He found there the earls of Cambridge and Buckingham, with a hundred men-at-arms and two thousand archers to guard the place ; for the rumor ran, that the French intended landing there, or at Sandwich. At this last place were the earls of Arundel and Northumberland. At Orwell, the earls of Oxford, Pembroke, and Nottingham, and sir Reginald Cob- ham, with three thousand infantry. The king and part of his coun- cil remained in London, where he had intelligence daily from the different ports. The king of Armenia, on his arrival at Dover, was very well received, and conducted by some knights to the uncles of the king, who entertained him handsomely, as they knew well ho\Y to do. At a proper opportunity they asked him whither he came, and what were the reasons of his visiting England. To these ques. lions he answered, that, in hopes of doing good, he had come to wait on the king of England and his council, to see if, by any means, he could negotiate a peace between him and the king of France. " For this war,'' added the king of Armenia, "is not very becoming between them ; the long continuance of it has greatly emboldened and raised the pride of the Turks and Saracens. No one now makes any opposition to them ; and this has been the cause why I have lost my crown and kingdom ; nor have I any chance of recovering them, until a firm peace be established in Christendom. I would willingly explain this matter, which so nearly touches every true Chrislian, to the king of England, as I have done to the king of France." The English lords asked him, " if the king of France had sent him ?'' He said, " No one had sent him : that be had come of his own accord, and solely with a view to do good, to see the king of England and his council, and to try if they would listen to terms of peace." They then asked "where the king of France was." "I believe he is now at Sluys ; but 1 have not seen him since I took my leave of him at Senlis." " How can you then think of forming a treaty, when you have not been so charged by him 1 Should you enter into anv terms with the king, our nephew, and his council, and CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &e. 413 the king of France, in the mean time, sail from Sluys, and disembark I his large army in England, you would be much blamed, and your person run great risks from the people." The king of Armenia re.'| plied, " I have the greatest confidence in the king of France, to whom I have sent messengers to entreat ho would neither embark nor put to sea until I be returned to Sluys ; and I am convinced he is so noble and considerate, that he will comply with my request. I therefore beg of you, through pity and love of goodness, to procure me an interview with the king of England, that I may speak to him, for I desire to see him ; or if you, who are his uncles, and the most powerful of his subjects, be authorized to give me answers to my demands, I hope that you will instantly do so." Thomas, carl of Buckingham, said, '* King of Armenia, we are solely ordered here -by the king and his council, to guard and defend the frontiers, and we do not any way concern ourselves with the government of the realm, unless we be specially commanded by him. Since motives of goodness, or the appearance of them, have brought you hither, you are welcome ; but you must not e.\pect to receive from us any definitive answers to such demands as you may make ; and, though we are not now of the king's council, we will have you conducted to London without danger or expense." The king of Armenia replied, " That he greatly thanked them, and wished for nothing more than to see and convei-se with the king of England." After having refreshed himself for one day at Dover, and held many conversations with the king's uncles, he set off, well escorted, to protect him on the road. He continued his journey until he ar- rived at London, where he was much stared at by the Londoners : the better sort, however, showed him every honor and respect. Hav- ing fi.xed on his lodgings, at a proper time and hour he waited on the king, who resided in a private manner at the wardrobe ; but his council were in London, each at his own house ; for the Londoners were so panic-struck, they thought of nothing but how to fortify their town. When the arrival of the king of Armenia was publicly known, the king's council assembled at the wardrobe to learn the news, and what could have brought that king, at this time of trouble and alarm, to England. The king of Armenia entered the presence-chamber, and the two kings having mutually saluted each other, the king of Armenia began his speech, by declaring, the causes for his coming were principally to sec the king of England, which he had never before done ; that he was much gratified in being in his presence, from which he flattered himself good would arise ; and also to at- tempt to avert the great pestilence that was ready to befal England : not that either the king of France or his council had sent him thither, for he was come of his own free will, to endeavor to make a peace or a Iruce between the two crowns. He paid many compliments both to tlie king and to his council. He was briefly answered as follows : " Sir king, you are welcome to this country, for our king and selves are glad to see you. We must inform you, that the king has not all his council at this moment with him, but they will shortly assemble, as he had summoned them, and you shall then have an answer." The king of Armenia was contented with this, took his leave, and returned to the house where he was lodged. Within four days, the "king was advised what answer to make : I believe he consulted his uncles on the subject, but they were not present when it was given. The king went to Westminster, where his council was assembled, and thither the king of Armenia was invited. When in the presence, the king of England was seated, according to custom, then the king of Armenia and the prelates and lords of the council. The lung of Armenia was desired to repeat what he had before told the king and a part of his council. He did so in an elegant harangue, showing how Christendom was too much weakened by the destructive wars of France and England, and that the knights and squires of the two countries thought of nothing but joining one party or other : by which the empire of Constantinople would be destroyed, where formerly the gentlemen of France and England used to take pleasure in seek- ing deeds of arms, and that liis own kingdom was already lost. He therefore entreated, through the love of God, they would listen to some terms of peace between the two kings. The archbishop of Canterbury, who had beforehand been ordered by the king and coun- cil to deliver the answer, replied : *' King of Armenia, it is not usual, nor has it ever been admitted, that in such weighty matters as are now in dispute between the king of England and his advei-sary of France, the king cf England should have requests made him, with an army ready to invade his country. I will therefore declare oin* opinion, that you return to the French army, and prevail on them to retreat to France ; and, when we shall be fully assured that ever)' man has retired to his home, do you return hither, and we will then pay attention to any treaty you shall propose." This was the answer the king of Armenia received. He dined that day with the king, who paid him every possible honor, and of- fered him handsome presents of gold and silver; but he refused them all, though he had need of them, and would only accept a single ring, worth one hundred francs. After the dinner, which was splendid and good, he returned to liis lodgings, for he had received his an- swer, and on the morrow set out for Dover, making two days' jour- ney of it. He there took leave of the English lords, and embarked on board a passage-boat to Calais, whence he went to Stuys. He related to the king of France and his uncles the journey he had made to England, and what answer he had received : but the king and his lords paid no attention to it, and sent him to France ; for they were resolved to sail the firet fair wind for England, after the anival of the duke of Berry and the constable. Hitherto the wind had been unfavorable : it would never have served them to land in those parts they intended to attempt, but was very fair to carry them to Scotland. CHAPTER XLIV. THE DUKE OF BERRY LEAVES PARIS FOR SHrifS. THE CONSTABLE, AFTER SUFFERINO MANY DELAYS FROM CONTRARY WINDS, AT LENUTH JOINS THE KINO OF FRANCE. The duke of Berry arrived at Paris, and, after hearing mass at the church of N6tre Dame, took his leave, making it to be understood that he would never return until he had been in England, although his intentions were quite the contrary ; for, as the season was so far advanced, he had no desire to undertake it. On his road, he daily received letters and messengei-s from the king and the duke of Bur- gundy, to hasten him, and to say they were only waiting for his coming to embark. The duke of Berry continued his march, though by short days' journeys. The constable of France embarked at Tre. guier, a town on the sea-coast of Brittany, with a fine body of men-at- arms, and ample purveyances on board seventj'-two large vessels. Some of them were freighted with the wooden town that was to be erected on their landing in England. The constable had a favorable wind when he left the harbor : but, when he approached the English coast, it became contrary, and the farther they advanced the more violent it blew. When opposite to Margate at the mouth of the Thames, the storm was so violent, it dispersed the fleet, whether the mariners would or not, and there were not twenty sail together. Some were blown into the "Thames, where they were captured by the Eng- lish ; and among them was one that had two or three parts of the wooden town on board, and the workmen who were to erect it. . They and the town were sent to London, which much pleased the king and the citizens. Seven other vessels of the fleet, laden with ' stores and provision, were driven on die coast of Zealand, and seized; but the constable and his lords, with much difficulty, arrived at Sluys, where they were joyfully received by the king and his liarons. The moment the king saw the constable, he said ; " Constable, what say you ? when shall we sail? I have for certain a great desire to see England. I therefore pray you to hasten the business, and that wo embark as speedily as possible. My uncle Berry will be here in- stantly, for he is now at Lille.'' "Sire," replied the constable, "we cannot sail until the wind be favorable. This south wind, which is completely against us, has blown so long, that the sailors say they; \ have never seen it so constant in one point as it has been for these two months." "Constable," said the king, "on my faith, I liave been on board my ship. I like the sea much, and I believe I shall be a good sailor, for I was not in the least sick." " In the name of God," answered the constable, "it was not so with me, for we were in great danger in our voyage from Brittany hither." The king would know how, and in what manner, which the constable related to him, adding, " By. . ill fortune and the storm which blew from the English coast, we have lost our men and vessels, for which I am exceedingly sorry : and if I could make up their loss I would, but at this moment it is not possible." CHAPTER XLV. THE LORD DE GUISTELLES APPEASES AN INSURRECTION OF THE MEN OP BRUGES AGAINST THE FRENCH. THE INVASION OF ENGLAND IS GIVEN UP, ON ACCOUNT OF CONTRARY WINDS, THE NEAR APPROACH OF WINTER, AND IN CONFORMITY WITH THE ADVICE OF THE DUKE OF BERRY, WHICH CAUSES GREAT REJOICINGS IN ENGLAND. While the king of France and his constable were thus conversing and arranging dift'erent matters, winter was begun, and the lords and army lay exposed to the cold, and to some danger ; for the Flemings- wished them away, more especially the lower sorts. They said, when among themselves, " Why the devil does not the king free us from them, by passing over to England ? Are we not sufficienfly poor without these Frenchmen adding to it ?" Others answered, "You will not see them cross over this year. They think they shall in- staiitly conquer England ; but it will not be so : it is not so easy a matter, for the English are made of other stuff" than the French. What can they do to England? When the English invaded France, they shut themselves up in their castles and .'trong towns, and fled before them like larks before a sparrow-hawk." It was more particularly in Bruges, where the greater resort of tlie French was, that the discontents were the highest ; and the smallest trifle was suflicient to set them by the ears. At length it became serious, and waa begun by a few French varlcts, who had beaten and - wounded some of the Flemings : the artificers then rose, and, having armed themselves, assembled in the market-place. Not one French knight or squire would have escaped death ; for many of the Flem- ings had not forgotten the battle of Rosebecque, and were eager to revenge themselves for their fathers, brothers, or friends who had been there slain ; but God, providentially for the French, sent thither the lord de Guistellea. When he learnt that the common peopla 414 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. were arming themselves, and that others were running to their houses to do the same, he saw the town would be infallibly rumed : he there- fore mounted his horse, attended by no more than four or iive others, and rode up and down the streets ; and, whenever he met any of the townsmen armed going toward the market-place, he said to them ; " My good people, what are you about ? whither are you going ? Would" you ruin yourselves ? have you not had enough of war ? are you not every day prevented from following your trades ? You may BO act as to cause the complete destruction of Bruges ; for do you not know that the king of France is now in the neighborhood with his whole amiy?" Thus did the lord de Guistelles by his kind speeches calm them, and make them return to their homes ; but this would not have been so easily done, had he not fortunately been in Bruges. The barons and knights of France were so much alarmed, they had shut themselves up in their quarters to wait the event. On the arrival of the duke of Berry at Sluys, the king said to him, *' Ha, ha, fair uncle, though I was so anxious to see you, you have been long in coming : wliy have you made such delay, when we ought to have been at this moment in England, where we should have combated our enemies ?'' The duke laughed and made his excuses for the delay, but did not at first deliver his real sentiments : he wished to examine the state of the purveyances and the fleet, which made so beautiful a show in the road that it was delightful to see it. He had been at Sluys for more than seven days, and it was daily rumored they were to sail on the morrow ; but in truth the wind was quite contrary to sailing for England. As it was now St. An. drew's tide, the weather was hazy ; and you may judge if this were a fit season for so many noble persons to put to sea as were now waiting to embark at Sluy.s, whose stores and provision were on board. Some of the young princes of the blood-royal, with a desire to display their courage, had indeed made a few cruises near the har- bor, saying, that they would be the first to land in England, should none others venture thither. In this number were sir Robert and sir Philip d'Artois, sir -Henry de Bar, sir Peter de Navarre, sir Peter d'Albreth, sir Bernard d'Armagnac, with many more. These young lords, having once-begun, were so impatient to sail in earnest, that a council was held, in the presence of the king, to determine how they should proceed. The duke of Berry broke up the whole ; and gave such well-grounded reasons, that the greater part of those who were the most forward to embark were discouraged ; and said it Avould be folly and madness to advise the king, who was then but a child, to put to sea in such weather, and to make war on a people and country, whose roads no one was acquainted with, and a country which was likewise disadvantageous for warlike exploits. " Now, suppose," said the duke of Ben-y, " we were all landed in England, we cannot fight the English unless they like it, and we dare not leave our purveyances behind, for \\hoever should do so would lose the whole. But if any one wished to make this voyage, though of no great length, he would do it in the middle of summer, and not in the heart of winter. Summon all the sailors who are here, and they will tell you that what I say is true ; and that, notwithstanding the very numerous fleet we have collected, should we put to sea, of the fifteen hundred sail, there would never be three hundred together, or within Eight. Now, consider what risks we may run ; but I do not say this out of any desire to be excused from being of the party myself, but solely as I believe it sound sense, and that lire council, and the ma- jority of France, are of my way of thinking. I am willing, brother of Burgundy, that you and I undertake this expedition, but I will never advise the king to do so ; for, should any accident happen to him, the whole blame would be laid on us for having consented to it." " In God's name,'' replied the king of France, " I am resolved to go, should no one follow me." The lords laughed, and said the king has a strong inclination to embark. It was determined in this council, that the invasion should be de- ferred until April or May ; and that what stores could be preserved, such as biscuit, salted meat, and wine, should be put in warehouses: and regulations were made for the men-at-arms to return to Sluys in t'lie month of March. -"^U this was soon known; and thus was the grand expedition broken up, which had cost France one hundred thousand francs, thirty times told. The council had ordered that the king should return to France, and the dift'erent lords to their homes ; that all things should remain on the same footing on which they then rested until the spring, when every one should be prepared to obey the king's summons, and commence their voyage under more for- tunate auspices than at this moment. It would have surprised any one to have seen the rage of the knights and squires on hearing these orders : more especially those who had come from distant parts, and had spent all their money, in the hope of amjily repaying themselves in England. Among them were the count de Savoye, the count d'Armagnac, the count dauphin d'.\uvergnc, and a hundred great baronf , who departed much discontented at not having seen England. The king was equally vexed, but he could not amend it. The army now separated, some pleased, and others angry ; but the servants of the principal lords staid behind, for the benefit of their masters, and to sell off their stores: in this, great losses accrued ; for what had cost one hundred francs was disposed of for ten, and eveir under. TJio count dauphin d'Auvergnc a-sstned me on his faith, that for his 'stores, which had cost him ten thousand francs, he did not receive one thou.s,-ind when resold; hie servants, like those of others, suffered everything to go to niu. When the news of this reached England, those who were afraid of the French coming were greatly rejoiced ; while other^ were sorry, for they expected to have made themselves rich from them. A grand feast was given in the city of London to all those who had been ap- pointed to guard the diH'erent harbors. The king kept his Christmas in a solemn manner, at Westminster, and there created three dukes ; first, the earl of Cambridge, duke of York ; his brother, the earl of Buckingham, duke of Gloucester ; the earl of Oxford, duke of Ire. land.* These feasts were long and magnificently continued, and the people of England thought they had escaped from great danger ; but others, who had not the same alarms, said, that the army and navy, w^hich had been so pompously collected at Sluys, were only to frighten England, and force the duke of Lancaster to return from Ga- licia, where he was conquering towns and castles at his pleasure. CHAPTER XLVI. TWO CUAMPIONS TILT AT PARIS, FOR LIFE OR DEATH. About this period, there was much conversation in France respect- ing a duel which was to be fought, for life or death, at Paris. It had been thus ordered by the parliament of Paris, where the cause, which had lasted a year, had been tried, between a squire called James le Gris and John de Carogne, both of them of the household of Peterj count d'Alen(;on, and esteemed by him ; but more particularly James le Gris, whom he loved above all others, and placed his whole con- fidence in him. As this duel made a great noise, many from distant parts, on hearing of it, came to Paris to be spectators. I will relate the cause as I was then informed. It chanced that sir John de Carogne took it into his head he should gain glory if he undertook a voyage to the Holy Land, having long had an inclination to go thither. He took leave of his lord, the coiuit d'.4lcn^on, and of his wife, who was then a young and handsome lady, and left her in his castle, called Argenteil, on die borders of Perche, and began his journey toward the sea-side. The lady re- mained, with her household, in this casde, living in the most decent manner. Now it happened (this is the matter of quarrel) that tlie devil, by divers and perverse temptations, entered the body of James le Gris, and induced him to commit a crime, for which he afterwards paid. He cast his thoughts on the lady of sir John de Carogne, whom he knew to be residing with her attendants, at the caslle of Argenteil. One day, therefore, he set out, mounted on the finest horse of the count, and arrived, full gallop, at Argenteil, where he dis. mounted. 'The servants made a handsome entertainment for him, because they knew he was a paiTicu'lar friend, and attached to tlic same lord as their master ; and the lady, thinking no ill, received him with pleasure, led him to her apartment, and showed him many of her works. James, fully intent to accomplish his wickedness, begged of her to conduct him to the dungeon, for that his visit was partly to examine it. The lady instantly complied, and led him thither ; for, as she had the utmost confidence in his honor, she was not accompanied by valet or chambermaid. As soon as they had en. tercd the dungeon, James le Gris fastened the door unnoticed by the lady, who was before him, thinking it might have been the wind, as he gave her to understand. When they were dius alone, James embraced her, and discovered what his intentions were ; the lady was much astonished, and would willingly have escaped had she been able, but the door was fastened ; and James, who was a strong man, held her tight in his arms, and flung her down on the floor, and had his will of her. Immediately afterwards, he opened the door of the dungeon, and made himself ready to depart. The lady, exasperated with rage at what had passed, remained silent, in tears ; but, on his departure, she said to him ; " James, James, you have not done well in thus deflowering me ; the blame, however, shall not be mine, but the whole be laid on you, if it please God my husband ever return." James mounted his horse, and, quitting the casde, hastened back to his lord, the count d'Alen^on, in time to attend his rising at nine o'clock ; he had been seen in the hfitel of the count at four o'clock that morning. I am thus particular, because all these circumstances were inquired into, and examined by the commissioners of the parliament, when the cause was before them. The lady de Carogne, on the day this unfortunate event befel her, remained in her casde, and passed it ofi' as well as she could, with, out mentioning one word of it to cither chambermaid or valet, for she thought by making it public she would have more shame than honor ; hut she retained in her memory the day and hour James le Gris had come to the castle. The lord de Carogne returned from his voyage, and was joyfully received by his lady and household, who feasted him well. When night came, sir John went to bed, but his lady excused herself; and, on his kindly pressing her to come to him, she walked very pensively up and down the chamber. At last, when the household were in bed, she flung herself on her knees at his bedside, and bitterly bewailed the insult she had suflered. The knight would not believe it could have happened ; but at length, she urged it so strongly, he did believe her, and said, " Certainly, lady, if the matter has passed as you say, I forgive you, but tlio squire shall * Robert de Vere. eorl of Osford, mw crealeU laarqua ol Dviblin in 1385 tuid tiiiXe of IrelauJ in U86.-E11. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 415 die ; and I shall consult your and my relations on the subject ; should you have told me a falsehood, never more shall you live with me." The lady again and again assured him, that what she had said was the pure truth. On the moiTOw, the knight sent special messengers with leters to his friends and nearest relations of his wife, desiring them to come instantly to Argenleil, so that in a few days they were all at his cas- tle. When they were assembled, he led them into an apartment, and told them the reason of his sending for them, and made his lady re. late most minutely everything that had passed during his absence. When they had recovered their astonishment, he asked their ad- vice how to act: they said, lie should wait on his lord, the count d'Alen^on, and tell him the fact. This he did ; but the count, who much loved .Tames le Gris, disbelieved it, and appointed a day for the parlies to come before him, and desired the lady might attend to give her evidence against the man whom she thus accused. She at- tended as desired, accompanied by a great number of her relations; and the examinations and pleadings were carried'on before the count to n great length. James le Gris boldly denied the charge, declared it was false, and wondered much how he could have incurred such mortal haired from the lady. He proved by the household of the count, thai he had been seen in the castle at four o'clock in the morning : the count said that he was in his bed-chamber at nine oVlock, and that it was quite impossible for any one to have ridden three-and-tvventy leagues and back again, and do what he was charged with, in four hours and a half. The count told the lady he would support his squire, and that she must have dreamed it. He commanded, that henceforward all should be buried in oblivion, and, under pain of incurring his displeasure, nothing farther done in the business. The knight, being a man of courage, and believing what his wife had told him, W'ould not submit to this, but went to Paris and appealed to tiie parliament. The parliament summoned James le Gris, who replied, and gave pledges to obey whatever judgment the parliament should give. The cause lasted upward of a year, and they could not any way compromise it, for the knight was posi. live, from his wife's information, of the fact, and declared, that since it was now so public, he would pursue it until death. The count d'Alen(;on, for this, conceived a great dislike against the knight, and would have had him put to death, had he not placed himself under the safeguard of the parliament. It was long pleaded, and the par- liament at last, because they could not produce other evidence than herself against James le Gris, judged it should be decided in the tilt- yard, by a duel for life or death. The knight, the squire, and the lady, were iiistantly put under arrest until the day of this mortal combat, which, by order of parliament, was fi\ed for the ensuing Monday, in the year 1837 ; at which time the king of France and his barons were at Sluys, intending to invade England. The king, on hearing of this duel, declared he would be present at it. The dukes of Berry, Burgundy, Bourbon, and the constable of France, being also desirous of seeing it, agreed it was proper he should be there. The king, in consequence, sent orders to Paris to prolong the day of the duel, for that he would be present. This order was punctually obeyed, and the king and his lords departed for France. The king kept the fear' of the Calends at Arras, and the duke of Burgundy at Lille. L. the mean time, the men-at-arms made for their different homes, as had been ordered by the marshals; but the principal chiefs went to Paris to witness the combat. When the king of France was returned to Paris, lists were made for the cham- pions in the place of St. Catherine, behind the Temple ; and the lords had erected on one side scaflblds, the better to see the sight. The crowd of people was wonderful. The two champions entered the lists armed at all points, and each was seated in a chair opposite the other; the count de St. Pol directed sir John de Carogne, and the retainers of the count d'Alen^on James le Gris. On the knight entering the field, he went to his lady, who was covered with black and seated on a chair, and said, " Lady, from your accusation, and in your quarrel, am I thus venturing my life to combat James le Gris : you know whether my cause be loyal and true." " My lord," she replied " it is so ; and you may fight securely, for your cause is good." The lady remained seated, making fervent prayers to God and the Virgin, entreating humbly, that through her grace and interces- sion, she might gain the victory according to her right. Her afflic- tion was great, for her life depended on the event ; and should her husband lose the victory, she would have been burnt, and he would have been hanged. I am ignorant, for I never had any conversation with her or the knight, whether she had not frequently repented of having pushed matters so far as to place herself and husband in such peril ; but it was now too late and she must abide the event. The two champions were then advanced and placed opposite to each other; when they mounted their horses, and made a handsome ap- pearance, for they w^ere both expert men-at-arms. They ran their first course without hurt to either. After the tilting, they dismounted, and made ready to continue the fight. They behaved with courage ; but sir John de Carogne was, at the first onset, wounded in the thigh, which alarmed all his friends : notwithstanding this, he fought so desperately that he struck down his adversary, and, thrusting his sword through the body, caused instant death ; when he demanded of the spectators if he had done his duty : they replied that he had. The body of James le Gris was delivered to the hangman, who dragged it to Montfaucon, and there hanged it. Sir John de Carogne ap- proached the king and fell on his knees : the king made him rise, and ordered one thousand francs to be paid him that very day : he also retained him of his household, with a pension of two hundred livres a-year, which he received as long as he lived. Sir John, after thanking the king and his lords, went to his lady and kissed her : they went together to make their oflcring in the church of Nfttro Dame, and then returned to their home.* Sir John de Carogne did not remain long after in France, but set off, in company with the lord Boucicaut, sir John des Bordcs, and sir Lewis Grat, to visit the holy sepulchre, and the sultan of the Turks, whose fame was much talked of in France. Sir Robinet de Boulogne was also with him : he was squire of honor to the king of France, and had travelled much over the world. CHAPTER XLVII. THE DEATH OF PETER, KING OF AKRAGON. HIS SUCCESSOR, KING JOHIT, DETAINS PRISONER THE ARCHBISHOP OF BORDEAUX, WHO WAS NEGO- TIATING, FOR THE DUKE OF LANCASTER, THE PAYMENT OF CERTAIN SUMS WHICH HE CLAIMED AS DUE TO HIM FROM ARRAGO.V. About Candlemas of this year, (1386,) king Peter of Arragon lay on his death-bed. When he found there were no hopes of his recov. ery, he sent for his two sons, John and Martin, t to whom he said, " My fair children, I leave you well established, and the affairs of my kingdom properly arranged. Live peaceably and lovingly and you will gain honor and renown. With regard to ecclesiastical mat- ters, for my conscience's sake and greater safety, I have always been neuter : do you do the same, until the knowledge, which pope is the true one, shall be more apparent." His two sons dutifully replied, that they would do so, and punc. tually obey whatever he should order. The king died soon after.t He was a valiant man in his time, and had considerably added to the crown of Arr.agon by the conquest of Majorca, which he kept. He was buried in the city of Barcelona, and there lies. When the death of the king of Arragon was known at Avignon, the pope and cardinals instantly sent off letters to the king of France, his uncles, and to the duke and duchess of Bar, who were his supporters and parents to the young queen of Arragon, the lady Jolante,§ and to the queen herself, and were so busy, that the whole court of Arragon acknowledged him as pope. The duke and duchess of Bar wrote pressing letters to their daughter, as did the king of France, the dukes of Berry and Burgundy, who sent a cardinal as embassador, to in- struct the new king, his brother, and subjects. The cardinal, with, the assistance of the queen, who paid too much attention to what her relations had urged, gained over the king, who had before deter* mined to follow the example of his father in preserving a neutraUty, and the whole kingdom to the obedience of pope Clement. At the time of the late king of Arragon's death, the archbishop of Bordeaux was at Barcelona. He had been sent thither by the duke of Lancaster, and I will explain the cause of his journey. The late prince of Wales (who, though only duke of Aquitaine, was much feared by his neighbors, the kings of France, Arragon, Casdlle and Navarre, and even by the king of the Saracens, who had heard of his great prowess and renown,) had entered into a treaty with the king of Arragon, which had been sworn to, and sealed by each party, as well as by the king of England, that neither the prince nor the king of England, nor their successors, would ever wage war against Arragon, so long as the king of Arragon and his heirs should serve the lord of Aquitaine with five hundred spears, against any enemy with whom he was at war ; and that, if he chose not to send his men, he bound himself to pay a certain sum of money. Ten years of arrears were now due from Arragon : for the king had never paid anything, nor done any service to the king of England nor to his deputies. When the duke of Lancaster left England, he brought with him letters-patent, sealed with the great seal of the realm, in the presence of the king and his council, appointing him lieutenant, for the king, over all the countries of Bordeaux, Bayonne, and Aqui- taine, giving him legal power to demand whatever might be owfng from Arragon, and from all other parts dependent or allied to Eng- land. They also gave the duke power to retain, for his own use, whatever sums might be due, and to give receipts, wliich would be acknowledged as legal. While the duke was at Saint Jago, he hethought himself of the king of Arragon, and that he was indebted to him a very large sum of arrears, by virtue of his commission, and that it would come now, * This was tiie last judicial combat which took plac« in France under the award of parliament. The combat was claimed in England as late as 1819. by one Thornton. This man wa* tried for murder, and acquitted. The brother of the person murdered (a youne girl} brought an appeal, .and Thornton offered to ju^slify him,-eir by single com- bat. The appellant, however, withdrew hii appeal, and un act was immediately passed to abolish Uie wager of battle.— Ed. t Martin was king of Sicily, and on the death of John, \U\e4 by a fall from his horse in pursuing an enormous wolf, succeeded to the crown of Arragon. .Toiui did not fol- low his father's counsels wLth respect to the disputed tiara, but acknowledged Cleraent VIL—Jlrt de Virifier les Dates. t The 5th January, 1387.— Ed. I The lady Jolante wes his serond wife. He w.as Erst married to Jaae, daught«i ol John, count d'Arraagnac. 416 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCK, SPAIN, ir.r.«T-tnnf^lv tr» /-nrrv on his war ax'ainst Cns. tin. the kinxr'a brnthpT. whn was vArv & C . ■with other aids, very opportunely, to carry on his war against Gas. tille. During his residence at Saint Jago, he sent some of his coun. cil to Bordeaux, to the archbishop, and sir John Harpedon, the se. neachal, ordering one or botli of them to set out for Arragon, and remonstrate strongly with the king, on the large sums he had long owed the king of England, as duke of Aquitaine. The archbishop and seneschal, having weighed the orders from tlie duke, thought it best for the seneschal to remain at Bordeaux, and the archbishop to undertake the embassy. He therefore set out, but arrived in Arra. gon, unluckily, when the king was on his death-bed. When he was deceased, the archbishop followed the princes and council of Arragon to the interment at Barcelona, and then remonstrated so strongly, as it seemed to the council, that he was ordered to prison : though not closely confined, he was forbidden to leave the city of Barcelona. CHAPTER XLVIII. THE DUKE OF LANCASTER MAKES WAK ON AKRAGON. THE ARCHBISHOP OF BORDEAUX IS RELEASED. THE VISCOUNTESS OF CASTELBON, SUS- rCCTED OF HAVING ADMITTED THE ENGLISH INTO HER CASTLE, APPEASES THE KING OF ARRAGON, THROUGH THE INTERFERENCE OF THE COUNT DE FOIX. When news was brought to Bordeaux of the imprisonment of the archbishop, the seneschal said, " I am not surprised at it : the arch, bishop is too hot-headed. I believe it would have been bettor had I gone thither ; I should have spoken more calmly ; and there is a method of urging claims suited to different persons." The sdneschal Bent information of what had happened to the duke of Lancaster, who was very wroth with the king of Arragon and his council, for having imprisoned such a person as the archbishop of Bordeaux when negotiating his business. The duke wrote orders for the gar- rison of Lourde instantly to invade Arragon, and attack Barcelona, where the archbishop was confined. The governor, John de Bdarn, who styled himself seneschal ol Bigorrc, Peter d'Anchin, Ernaulton de Resten, Ernaulton de Sainte Colombe, and the whole gaiTison, were much delighted with these orders, and overran the kingdom of Arragon, as far as Barcelona, so that no merchants dared venture without its walls. In addition to this mischief, the principal towns of Arragon would not consent to the king's wishes of being crowned, unless he would first promise and solemnly swear that no taxes, pay for soldiers, or other impositions, should be raised in the country ; and unless he would engage for a compliance with other demands, which the king and his council thought very unreasonable and un- just. He threatened to make war upon them, more particularly on those of Barcelona, who he said were too rich and presumptuous. There was at this period, in Languedoc, on the borders of Rou- ergue and Auvergne, toward Pesenas and Us^s, a band of armed men, who called themselves Routes, that were daily multiplying to do evil. Four men-at-arins were their leaders, who made war on every man they met on horseback, caring not whom. Their names were, Peter de Montfaucon, Geoffry Chastelier, Hainge de Sorge, and le Goulet. These had under them full four hundred combatants, who ruined all the counU-y wherever they haunted. They were mightily rejoiced when they heard of the archbishop of Bordeaux's imprisonment, of the duke of Lancaster's making war on the Arragonians, and that the king of Arragon was dissatisfied with his subjects in the princi- pal towns ; for such people always love mischief in preference to good. They therefore resolved to march toward the frontiers of Ar- ragon, and surprise some fort, which the king or principal towns would negotiate with thein to regain. They set out, and made for the castle of Duren,* which they had planned to surprise. This cas- tle is in the archbishopric of Narbonne, between France and Arra- gon, and situated precisely on the limits of the two kingdoms. They arrived there by night-faU undiscovered, and, finding it weakly guarded, soon conquered it, to the great dismay of all the country, especially of Perpignan, which is but four leagues distant from this castle. The garrison from Lourde, this same week, captured likewise a castle in Arragon, four leagues from Barcelona, called the old castle of Rolbais, belonging to the viscountess of Castelbon, cousin.ger- Jnan to the count de Foix. The lady was much surprised at this event, and went to her cousin, the count de Foix, to beg, for God's sake, he would get her castle restored to her ; for those who had won it were from his country of Bdarn. The count, in his answer, de. sired her not to be alarmed ; for that her castle had been taken solely to harass Barcelona from thence, as the archbishop of Bor- deaux was in confinement there for a trifling cause, and that she should have it again undamaged. The lady was satisfied with this answer but kept it secret, and went to reside at another castle, near Roquebertin. Those of Duren, Rolbais, and the garrison from Lomde kept up a severe warfare on the borders of Arragon. The king, indeed, winked at this, that the towns might be punished, but their discontents increased ; for those of Barcelona, Perpignan, and Other towns, could not carry on their commerce without being made prisoners, and ransomed. They dcteimined to set the archbishop of Bordeaux at liberty, but, as was right, to consult the king on the subject. They, in consequence, negotiate d privately with don Mar. ""Duren." Q. if notDuiban. tin, the king's brother, who was very popular in the country, that he would interfere betwen them and the king, and obtain peace with those of Lourde and Rolbais. In order to encourage their loyalty, he engaged to do what they desired, and prevailed on his brother to give the archbishop his liberty, and send him back to the Bordeloie. Shortly afterwards, by the c-ount de Foix's exertions, the viscount. ess recovered her castle, and those who had ca^Jtured it departed, in return for the service the count had done to the duke of Lancaster in the course of this year. The king of Arragon, seeing the vis- countess so quick regain her castle, sent for her, and when in his presence, charged her with having admitted tlie English into her castle to make war on him, for which she had been very criminal. The lady clearly exculpated herself, saying, " My lord, as God may help me and mine, and by the faith I owe you, when I heard of my castle being taken, I had never any connection, nor entered into any treaty with the English. I instantly infonned my cousin, the count de Foix of it, and begged of him, for God's sake, to aid me to recover my castlfe, as it had been taken by the garrison from Lourde, who are his subjects, and from Beam. The count sent me word not to alarm myself, for that those who had conquered it had only borrowed it to make a more effectual warfare on Barcelona." The king replied, " If you can prove this answer from the count de Foix, I will restore your castle." " That I can easily do," answered the lady. She informed the count, who at that time resided at Or- thes, in Bcarn, of this conversation, and entreated he would satisfy the king of Arragon. The count sent letters to the king of Arra. gon by one of his knights, called sir Cicart de Saurelin, to request he would hold his cousin excused, and allow her to possess her lands in peace, otherwise it would displease him. The king of Arragon acceded to this request, and having well entertained the knight, said to him, " The viscountess has acted prudently, in thus having her cousin the count de Foix make excuses for her." CH.A.PTER XLIX. THOSE COMPANIONS ^VBO HAD CONQUERED DUREN ARE DEFEATED AND SLAIN BY A STRATAGEJI OF RAYMO.VD DE BACHEZ, COUSIN TO THE KINO OF ARRAGON. Thus affairs remained : the viscountess de Castelbon had quiet possession of her castle ; but the merchants were not the less ha. rasscd by the garrison who had come from Lourde. Those of Bar- celona and its neighborhood were frequently pillaged and made prisoners by them, unless they had entered into a treaty and paid composition-money for their safety. These compositions extended over many parts of Catalonia and Arragon ; and the gan'ison of Du- ren was desirous of adopting the same plan, which they would have executed or perhaps worse, had they not been checked. They had done more mischief to the country than those of Lourde ; for they were poorer, and made no distinction whom they attacked, whether officers of the king and queen, or merchants. The king at length assembled his council on this business ; for the great towns mur- mured, and said, that the king, who ought to have destroyed such wretches, supported them. These and such description of speeches, when told to the young king, gave him much uneasiness, and he was vexed that his subjects should thus talk of him respecting Du- ren. because the crown of his father, who had been so greatly be- loved, was but jUEt fallen to him. He called to him a great baron of AiTagon and his cousin, named sir Rajnnond de Bachez, and said, " Sir Raymond, ride toward Duren, and learn from those who have surprised it what they want in my country, and make some treaty with them, that you may get them out of it, by fair or foul means." The knight obeyed, and sent a herald to the garrison of Duren, to say he wished to negotiate a treaty with them. When Montfaucon and the other captains learnt that sir Raymond do Bachez wanted to treat with them, they thought they should obtain a large sum to deliver up the place, and said to the herald, " Friend, tell your mas- ter, sir Raymond, from us, that he may safely come here, for we will not do him any injury." The herald returned with this answer to sir Raymond at Perpignan, who instantly left the place, and on his arrival at Duren held a parley with them. He asked why tliey re- mained so long on the borders of Arragon ; they replied they were wailing to join the army from France that was coming to the sup. port of the king of Castille, " Ha, my gentlemen," said sir Ray- mond, " if you wait for that, you will stay here too long ; for the king of Arragon will not allow you thus to plunder his country and its inhabitants." They replied, " that since the king would not suf. fer them to support themselves, he must prevent it, for live they would. If he would ransom the country, they would march away, but not otherwise." "And what do you ask ?" said sir Raymond "Sixty thousand francs : we are four of us, and each must havo fif- teen thousand for his share." " In God's name," said sij- Raymond,- " that is money enough ; but I will report it to the king : it is better for him to pay you this sum, for the good of the country, than to al- low you further pillaging.'' He added this to keep them in good humor, but thought the contrary to what he had said. On taking leave, sir Raymond told them they might expect the sum they had asked, and perhaps more. He then returned to Perpignan, where the king was, and related to him all that had passed. The king CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 417 said, " You must at all events free the country from them, and pay the thieves ; if I could get hold of them, I would hang them all, which is the ojily payment they deserve : but the place is so strong, it will be difficult to draw them out of it." " Sir," replied sir Raymond, " I will manage it ; only do not in. terfere. " Well," said the king, ** do so ; I will not meddle further in the business ; but see that the country be delivered from them." Sir Raymond collected a body of men-at-arms, to the amount of five hundred spears, which he placed in ambush, and gave the command of them to a squire of Gascony, called Naudon Scighin, who was valiant and e,\pcrt in arms. The ambuscade was about a short league trom Duren, and sir Raymond ordered, that as soon as the garrison should have passed by, they should fall on them, and, if possible, put all to death. Sir Raymond wrote to the garrison, to desire they would mouitt their horses and advance to Perpignan, making a show of attacking the place, to alarm the inhabitants, otherwise he should never be able to raise their quota of the money he was to pay them. They were much pleased to receive such intelligence, believing it true, and, mounting their horses the same day the ambush was posted, rode for Perpignan, galloping up to the barriers. When they had done this, they began their retreat, thinking to return quietly home ; but they had scarcely gone half-way before they met Naudon Seighin and his troops, who instantly charged them. They now perceived they had been tricked, and prepared to defend themselves: they fought W.2II, during the time the combat lasted ; but that was not long, for there were among them numbers of pillagers badly armed, who were soon defeated. Among the slain were, Geoffry Chastelier, Hainge de Sorge, Guyot Moresque, John le Geulant, and many more. Peter de Montfaucon, Amblardan de St. Just, and forty others, were made prisoners, and carried to Perpignan, where, as they passed the streets, the inhabitants came out of their hou=es, and hooted at them, as they wDuld have done at a wolf. Le Geulant and Peter de Mont- faucon were put in the pillory, and the rest thrown into a dungeon. The duke of Berry, about this time, arrived at Carcassone, from a visit to pope Clement at .A.vignon. Having tliere heard that Duren was regained, and the gaiTison slain or made prisoners, he instantly wrote to tlie king of AiTagon, and to his cousin Jolante de Bar, to beg they would give up to him Peter de Montfaucon and his com. panions. His request was immediately complied with, and they were sent to the duke of Berry. They were indebted to him, or they would infallibly have all been put to death. CHAPTER L. iN ACHIEVEMENT OF ARMS, PERFORMED BEFORE THE SENESCHAL OF BOR- DEAUX, BETWEEN A KNIGUT ATTACHED TO FRANCE AND ONE ATTACHED TO ENGLAND. At this period there was an achievement of arms performed by two knights at Bordeaux, in the presence of the seneschal, sir John Harpedon, and other noblemen. These knights were the lord de la Rochefoucault, son to the sister of the captal de Buch, and sir William de Montferrant, attached to the English interest. As this tilt was to be made before all the lords and ladies of Bordeaux, the count de Foi.\ sent tkither some knights of his household to advise and direct the lord de la Rochefoucault, who was the son of his cousin, and likewise different sorts of armor, daggers, battle.a.iics, and swords well tempered, although he had before properly provided himself with all things necessary. These knights armed themselves on the appointed day, and were attended by a numerous body of chivalry. The lord de la Rochefoucault was accompanied by two hundred knights and squires, all connected with him by blood ; and sir William de Montferrant by as many, if not more. Among the number were the lords de Rohun, de I'Esparre, de Duras, de Maci- dent, de Landuras, de Curton, de Languran, de la Barde, de Tarbe, de Mont-croyat in Perigord, who had come from distant parts be. cause he was their relation, and to be spectators of the feats of arms of two such valiant knights. When they were mounted, and had their helmets laced on, their spears and shields were given them. They instantly stuck spurs into their horses, and met each other full gallop, with such force that the laces of the helmets burst asunder, and their helmets were knocked off, so that they passed each other bare-headed, excepting the caps which were under the helmets. '• On my faith," the spec, tators said, " they have gallantly performed their first course." The knights now had their armor set to rights, and their helmets laced again, when they pertormed their second and third courses with equal ability. In short, they behaved, in every attack, most gallantly, and to the satisfaction of all present. The seneschal, sir John Harpe- don, entertained at supper, that evening, all the lords and ladies in Bordeaux ; and on the morrow the company departed, and went to their different homos. The lord de la Rochefoucault made prepara. tions for his journey to Castille ; for king John had sent to him, and the time was drawing nigh for him to set out. Sir William de Montferrant, when returned home, made also his preparations to cross the sea to Portugal; for that king had, in like manner, written to him. CHAPTER LI. SIR OLIVER DE CLISSON DELFVEBS JOHN OF BLOIS, SON OF THE LATE LORD CHARLES OF BLOIS, FROM HIS LONG IMPRISONMENT IN ENGLAND, AND GIVES HIM BIS DAUGHTER IN MARRIAGE, TO THE GREAT DISPLEASURE OF THE DUKE OF BRITTANY. In such a grand and noble history as this, of which I, sir John Froissart, am the author and continuator until this present moment, through the grace of God, and that perseverance he has endowed me with, as well as in length of years, wliich have enabled me to witness abundance of the things that have passed, it is not right that I forget anything. During the war of Brittany, the two sons of the lord Charles de Blois (who, for a long time styled him- self duke of Brittany, in right of his lady, Jane of Brittany, who was descended in a direct line from the dukes of Brittany, as has been mentioned in this history,*) were sent to England as hostages fop their father, where they still remain in prison ; for I have not as yet delivered them from it, nor from the power of the king of England, wherein the lord Charles had put them. You have before seent how king Edward of England, to strengthen himself in his war with France, had formed an alliance with the earl of Montfort, whom he had assisted, with advice and forces, to the utmost of his ability, insomuch, that the earl had succeeded to his wishes, and was duke of Brittany. Had he not been thus supported, the lord Charles de Blois would have possessed seven parts of Brit- tany and the earl only five. You have read how, in the year 1347, there was a grand battle before la Roche.derrien, between the forces of the countess of Montfort, and of sir Thomas Hartwell and the lord Charles de Blois, in which the lord Charles was defeated, and carried prisoner to England. He was handsomely entertained there ; for that noble queen of England, the good Philippa, (who, in my youth, was my lady and mistress,) was, in a direct line, his cousin-german. She did everything in her power to obtain his freedom, which the council were not willing to grant. Duke Henry of Lancaster, and the other barons of England, declared, that he ought not to have his liberty ; for he had too mighty connections, and that Philip, who called himself king of France, was his uncle : that as long as they de. tained him prisoner, their war in Brittany would be the better for it. Notwithstanding those remonstrances, king Edward, tln-ough the per- suasion of that noble and good lady, his queen, agreed to his ransom for two hundred thousand nobles : and his two sons were to be givea as hostages for the payment of this sum, which was very considerable to the lord Charles, but would not now^ be so to a duke of Brittany, The lords of those days were differently situated from what they are at present, when greater resources are found, and they can tax their people at their pleasure. It was not so then, for they were forced to content themselves with the amount of their landed estates; but now, the duchy of Brittany would easily pay lor the aid of its lord two hundred thousand nobles within the year, or within two years at the farthest. Thus were the two young sons of the lord Charles de Blois given up as hostages for the payment of his ransom. He had, at"terwards, in the prosecution of his war in Brittany, so much to pay his soldiers, and support his rank and state, that he could never, during his life- time, redeem them. He was slain in the battle at Auray.t de- fending his right, by the English allies of the earl of Montfort, and by none others. His death, however, did not put an end to the war; but, king Charles of France, ever fearing the effects of chance, when he saw the earl of Montfort was conquering all Brittany, sus- pected, should he wholly succeed, that he would hold the duchy in- dependent of paying him homage for it ; for he had already held it from the king of England, who had so strenuously assisted him in the war. He therefore negotiated with the earl, which, having been already mentioned, § I shall pass over here : but the earl remained duke of Brittany, on condition that his homage should be paid to his own right lord, the king of France. The duke was also bound, by the articles of the treaty, to assist in the deliverance of his two cousins, sons of the lord Charles de Blois, who were prisoners to the king of England. In this, however, he never stirred ; for he doubted, if they should return, whether they would not give him some trouble, and whether Brittany, which was more inclined toward them than to him, would not acknowledge them as ils lord. For this reason he neglected them, and they remained so long prisoners in England, under the guard, at one time, of sir Roger Beauchamp, a gallant and valiant knight, and his lady SybiUa, at another under Sir Thomas d'Ambreticourt, that tlie youngest brother, Guy of Brittany, died. John of Brittany was now alone prisoner, and frequently bewailed his situation with wonder ; for he was sprung from the noblest blood in the world, the advantages of which he had been long deprived ; for he had been thirty.five years in the power of his enemies, and, as he perceived no appearance of help coming to him from any quarter, he would rather have died than thus have existed. His relations and friends kept at a distance, and the sum he was pledged for was so great, that he could never have procured It, without a miracle ; for the duke of Anjou, in aD his prosperity, * Vol. i. chap. 74. : Vol. i.cJiap.2S7. T In chAp. 78, and the following, vol. i. I Vol. i. cliap.as. f I. 418 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. though the person who had married his sister-german, by whom he bad two fine sons, Lewis and Charles, never once thought of him. I will now relate how John of Brittany obtained his liberty. You have before read of the earl of Buckingham's expedition, through France, to Brittany, whither the duke had sent for him, because the country would not acknowledge him for its lord. The earl and his array remained the ensuing winter, in great distress, before Nantes and Vannes, until the month of May,* wlien he returned to England. During the time the earl of Buckingham was at Vannes, you may re. member, there were some tilts between knights and squires of France and those of England, and that the constable of France was present. There was much conversation kept up by him and the English knights ; for he was acquainted with them all, from his childhood, having been educated in England. He behaved very politely to many of them, as men-at-arms usually do, and the French and Eng- lish in particular, to each other ; but, at this moment, he was more attentive, as he had an object in view, which occupied all his thoughts, and which he had only disclosed to a single person, who was squire of honor in his household, and had served the lord Charles de Blois in the same capacity. If the constable had made it. more public, he would not have succeeded as he did, through the mercy of God, and his own perseverance. The constable and duke of Brittany had for a long time hated each other, whatever outward appearances they might put on. The con. stable was much hurt at the length of the imprisonment of John of Brittany, and at a time when he was rather on better terms with the duke, said to him, " My lord, why do not you exert yourself to de. liver your cousin from his imprisonment in England ? You are bound to do so by treaty ; for when the nobles of Brittany, the pre. lates and the principal towns, with the archbishop of Rheims, sir John de Craon, and sir Boucicaul, at that time marshal of France, negotiated with you for peace before Quimper Corentin, you swore you would do your utmost to liberate your cousins John and Guy, and as yet you have never done anything ; know, therefore, that the country does not love you the more for it." The duke dissembled, and said, " Hold your tongue, sir Oliver : where shall I find the three or four hundred thousand francs which are demanded for their Ub. erty ?" " My lord," replied the constable, " if Brittany saw you were really in earnest to procure their freedom, they would not murmur at any tax or hearth-money that should be raised to deliver these prison- ers, who will die in prison unless God assist them." " Sir Oliver," said the duke, " my country of Brittany shall never be oppressed by such taxes. My cousins have great princes for their relations ; and the king of France or duke of Anjou ought to aid them, for they have always supported them against me. When I swore, indeed, to aid them in their deliverance, it was always my intention that the king of France and their other relations should find the money, and that I would join my entreaties." The constable could never obtain more from the duke. The constable, therefore, when at these tournaments at Vannes, saw clearly that the earl of Buckingham and the English barons and squires were greatly dissatisfied with the duke of Brittany, for not having opened his towns to them, as he had promised, when they left England. The English near Hennebon and Vannes were in such distress, that they frequently had not wherewithal to feed themselves, and their horses were dying through famine : they were forced to gather thistles, bruise them in a mortar, and make a paste which they cooked. While they were thus suffering, they said ; " This duke of Brittany does not acquit liimself loyally of his promises to us, who have put him in possession of his duchy ; and, if we may be believed, we can as easily take it from him as we have given it to him, by set. ting at liberty his enemy, John of Brittany, whom the country love in preference. We cannot any way revenge ourselves better, nor sooner make liim lose the counlry. The constable was well informed of all these murmurs and discontents, which were no way displeasing to him ; on the contrary, for one murmur he wished there had been twelve ; but he took no notice of it, and only spoke of what he had beard to this squire, whose name, I think, was John Rolland. It happened that sir John Charlton, governor of Cherbourg, came to chateau JosseUn, where the constable resided, who enter- tained him and his company most splendidly ; and to obtain their friendship, out of his special favor, escorted them himself until they were in safety. During the time of dinner, the before-mentioned squire addressed sir John Charlton, saying, " Sir John, you can, if you please, do me a very great favor, which will cost you nothing." " From friendship to the constable," replied sir John, " I wish it may cost me something : what is it you wish me to do V '• Sir," repUed he, " that I may have your passport to go to England, to my master John of Brittany, whom I am more anxious to see than anything in the worid." " By my faith," said sir John, " it shall not be my fault if you do not. On my return to Cherbourg, I shall cross over to England : come with me, therefore, and you shall accompany me, and I will have you conducted to him, for your request cannot be re- fused." " A thousand thanks ; my lord, I shall ever remember your goodness." The squire returned, with sir John Charlton, to Cher- bourg; when, having arranged his affaii-a, he embarked, and made straight for London, attended by John Rolland, whom he had con- ducted to the castle where John of Brittany was confined. John of Brittany did not, at first, recollect him ; but he soon made himself known, and they had a long conversation, in which he told him, that if he would exert himself to procure his freedom, the constable would make the greatest efforts to second him. John of Brittany, desiring nothing more eagerly, asked, " By what means?" "I will tell you, my lord : the constable has a handsome daughter whom he wishes to marry, and if you will promise and swear, that on your return to Brittany you will marry her, he will obtain your liberty, as he has discovered the means of doing it." John of Brittany replied, "he wotild truly do so ;" adding, " When you return to the constable, assure him from me, that there is nothing I am not ready to do for my liberty, and that I accept of his daughter and will cheerfully marry her." They had several other conversations together before the squire lel't England and embarked for Brittany, where he related to the constable all that had passed. The constable, eager to advance himself and marry his daughter so nobly, was not dilatory in search. ing out means to obtain his end. He considered to whom he should address himself in England ; and, had lie not made choice of the carl of Oxford, he would never have succeeded ; but, notwithstanding this nobleman had the complete government of the king, matters were not instantly brought about ; for as long as the duke of Lancas. tcr remained in England, he never mentioned anytliing concerniitg it to the king. The earl of Buckingham, on his return from Brittany, irritated the king and his brothers so much against the duke that it was publicly said, the duke had acted treacherously toward him and his array ; and they were so greatly angered, that John of Brittany was summoned before the king and council, when he was addressed as follows : " John, if you will be willing to hold the duchy of Brit- tany from the king of England, you shall have possession of it, and be married in this country as nobly as the present duke has been ;" (for the duke of Lancaster was desirous of giving him his daughter Philippa, who was afterwards queen of Portugal.) John of Brittany replied, " that he would never consent to such a treaty, nor be aa enemy to the crown of France : he would willingly accept of the daughter of the duke of Lancaster, but he must first have his liberty." On this, he was remanded to prison. When the earl of Oxford, who now bears the title of the duke of Ireland, found the duke of Lancaster was landed in Castillc, and all expectation of the connection with John of Brittany broken off by his caiTying his daughter with him, he resolved to solicit the king to give up to him John of Brittany, as a remuneration for past services, or for those he might perform. If he succeeded, he could then treat with the constable of France, who had offered him, as the price of his ransom, six score thousand francs, to be made in two payments of sixty thousand each : the first to be paid at Boulogne on the ar- rival of John of Brittany in that town, and the second in Paris, which was the place he had fi.Ked on himself. The duke of Ireland coveted the money, and was so pressing with the king that he gave up John of Brittany absolutely to his disposal ; which surprised all England, and caused much talking, but there it ended. The duke of Ireland had John of Brittany conducted to Boulogne, where he. found equipages ready, which the constable had caused to be pre. pared for him. He set out directly for Paris, where he was kindly received by the king and his other relations. The constable was there waiting for him, and carried him to Brittany, wliere he espoused his daughter in conformity to their agreement. When the duke of Brittany learnt that John of Brittany had ob- tained his liberty, and was returned to France, through the aid of the constable, he conceived a greater hatred against sir Oliver de Clisson, and said, " Indeed ! does sir Oliver think to thrust me out of my duchy ? He shows some signs of it by ransoming John of Brittany, and marrying him to his daughter. Such things are very displeasing to me ; and, by God, I will tell liim so some day when he little thinks of it." This, in truth, he did ; for before the end of the year, he spoke to him very sharply on this subject, as yon will hear in the course of this history. But we must now say something respecting the aft'airs of Castillo and Portugal, and of an expedition which the English made against Sluys. CHAPTER LII. FRANCE MAKES PREPARATIONS TO ASSIST KINS JOHN OF CASTrLLE. THE DUKE OF BOtJRBON IS APPOINTEr COMMANHER-IN.CHIEF OF THE FRENCH ARMY. You have heard how the grand armament of the king_ of Franco at Sluys was broken up, not indeed through the will irt tlie king, who was eager to the last to pass over to England, and when he saw- it could not be, was the rrtost vexed of any. The whole blame was laid on the duke of Berry : perhaps he saw more clearly into this matter than others, and his advice of not attempting the invasion of England was for the honor and advantage of France ; for, before anything of this sort be undertaken, the end of it should be con- sidered ; and the duke of Berry had remained so long in E.ngland as an hostage for king John, and had conversed so much witli English- men, he probably foresaw the event would be unfortunate : but the principal reason for putting it off" was the season of the year. It was, however, said, that the constable iu the course of the summer, should lead thither six thousand men-at-arm3 and as many cross- CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND. FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 419 bows, which he and the council thought would be fully sufficient to combat the English. The constable was supposed to know this from his having been educated in England. On the return of the lords to France, it was considered who should be sent to the aid of king John of Castille, against the king of For. tugal and duke of Lancaster : for it was clear there would be deeds of arms, as the English kept the field. None could be sent thither without much cost ; for the distance was great, and there was not any money in the exchequer, nor in the hands of the receivers : the immense sums which had been raised from the people were all dis. Bipated. Recourse was, therefore, had to a tax that should be in. stantly levied, and published for the assistance of the king of Castille, and the expulsion of the English from that country. This t«x having been proclaimed, the king's commissioners came to the different towns, and said to the principal inhabitants, " Sirs, this city, or tliis town, is taxed at such a sum, which must be instantly paid." " Very well," tliey replied, " we will collect it, and send the whole amount to Paris." " That will not do," said the commissioners : "we cannot wait so long, and shall act more expeditiously." On saying this, they ordered, in the king's name, which protected them from harm, ten or twelve of the richest inhabitants to prison, unless they should find the money. These, being afraid of the king's dis. pleasure, soon brought the sum required, which they afterwards col. lected from the townsmen. The taxes were so frequent, that one ■was scarcely paid before another was called for. Thus was the noble kingdom of France governed, and the poor oppressed ; which caused numbers to sell their houses and lands, and retire toHainault, or mo msQopnc .~ i.icgo, wnerc no such taxes existed. The leaders of the troops destined to Castille were next thought of. The gallant duke of Bourbon was chosen commander-in-chief; but, before he left France, it was resolved to appoint two other com- manders, to attend to the men-at-arms, and instruct those who had never been in Castille. The duke was to have two thousand lances, of knighls and siiuires, for his rear-ward, of as good men as could be found. The two knights appointed to lead the van, and to com. mand the first dirision, were sir William de Lignac and sir Walter de Passac ; and, on receiving their orders, they made every prepa. ration suitable to their rank. Knights and squires were summoned, throughout France, to go on this expedition : and all the passes into Castille were thrown open, as well through Arrngon as through Navarre. Many, therefore, came from all the diiferent provinces of the kingdom, and took the road to Castille. Sir William de Lignac and sir Walter de Passac had the command of them, and set out in grand array. CHAPTER LIII. IHE ENGLISH FLEET DEFEATS THAT OF SIR JOHN DE EUCQ, ADMIRAL OF FLANDERS FOR THE DUKE OF BURGtTNDY. THE ENGLISH, AFTER DOING MDCH SUSCHIEF TO SLUVS, AND THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY, RETURN TO LONDON. While these knights and squires of France were making them- selves ready to march for Castille, and each, as soon as prepared, set off, more especially from the distant parts, as the journey was long ; the English fleet was at sea, between the coasts of England and Flanders. The carl of Arundel was admiral of it ; but he had un- der him the earl of Devonshire, the earl of Nottingham, and the bishop of Norwich, with five hundred men-at-arms and one thousand archers, and they were cruising about in search of their enemies. They received supplies of provisions from the English coast, the islands of Cornwall, Brittany, and Normandy; but were much vexed that the Flemish fleet had escaped into La Rochelle, and still more, ftat the constable of France should have passed Calais, from Tre. guier to Sluys, without their having mtt him. They were desirous of engaging him, though he had as many vessels as themselves ; but he sailed through them in the night, with a favorable wind and tide. The fleet, after this, anchored in Margate-roads, at the mouth of the Thames, to wait for the return of the Flemings from La Rochelle, which they knew would soon happen. The merchants from Flan- ders, Hainault, and several other parts, who had sailed in a body for fear of the English, having loaded their vessels again with wines, set sail from the port of La Rochelle, with a favorable wind, for Flanders and Sluys, from whence they had come. They had passed the Ras-St-Matthieu,* in Brittany, and coasted the shores of Nor mandy and England, until they came to the mouth of the Thames, where the English fleet were lying at anchor. The Flemings des- cried their masts, and those aloft said, " Gentlemen, prepare your- selves, for we shall meet the English fleet; they have seen us, and will take advantage of the wind and tide to give us battle before night." This intelligence was not very agreeable to several of the merchants from Hainault and other countries, who having their goods on board, would have wished to have sheered off. However, as a combat was now unavoidable, they made preparations for it ; they had, of cross-bows and other armed men, upward of seven hundred, under the command of a noble and valiant knight of Flanders, called sir Jolm de Bucq, who was admiral of the Flemish seas for the duke of Burgundy, and who had done much mischief to the English at * Ra»-St. Mauhieu. I suppose, m jit mean Raa-de-Blanqviet, which is a narrow strait of the aea between .^Idemey and Cape la Hogue. sea. Sir John de Bucq, having ably and prudently drawn up his vessels, said to their crews, " My fair sirs, do not be alarmed, for we are enow to combat the English, should the wind be in our favor; but remember to make a running fight of it, and make for Sluys ; if we can draw them on the Flemish coast, we shall have the best of the day." Some were comforted by these words, others not ; but they continued their preparations for battle, and the guimers made ready their bows and cannons. The two fleets now approached each other. The EngUsh had some light galleys, in which they had embarked archers ; and these galleys advancing, by dint of oars, began the combat with a shower of arrows, which were lost ; for the Flemings sheltered themselves in their vessels, and were unhurt, while they sailed on before the wind. Some of the cross-bows, out of arrow.shot, let fly bolts, which wounded many, and prevented those in the galleys from being of any service. The large ships, tmder lord Arundel, the bishop of Nor. wich, and others, now advanced, and ran in among those of Flan. ders, but they had not any advantage ; for the cross.bowmen de. fended themselves gallantly, as their commander, sir John de Bucq, had advised them. He and his company were well armed, in a ship equal to any he might meet, and had their caimons on board, which shot balls of such a weight that great mischief was done. The Flemings, diuing the engagement, made aa much sail as they could for Flanders ; indeed, some of the merchant.ships had already gained the coast, and had run into shoal water, where the large ships could not follow them for fear of the sand.bank. This battle was very long and obstinate, for it continued three or four hours, and many of the vessels were sunk by the large bolts of iron, sharply pointed, that were cast down from the tops, and drove holes through them. When night came on, they separated and cast anchor, to repair their damages and take care of the wounded ; but, on tlie return of the tide, they set their sails and renewed the combat. Peter du Bois commanded a body of archers and sailors, and gave tlie Flemings enough to do ; for, having been a sailor himself, he knew how to act, and was enraged at the Flemings for having held out so long. The English continually gained on the Flemings, and, having got between them and Blanquenberg and Sluys, drove them to Cadsand, where the defeat was completed. They received no succor, for at this time there were neither men-at-anns nor vessels at Sluys fit for sea. Indeed, a squire of Sluys, called Arnold le Maire, when he heard of the engagement, embarked on board a handsome sloop of his own, taking with him some Serjeants, and about twenty cross-bows, and made sail for the fleet ; but it was toward the end of the defeat, for the English had taken the greater part of the enemy's ships, with their admiral, sir John de Bucq, and all on board. Arnold le Maire, perceiving it was over, made his cross-bows shoot thrice, and then made off: he was chased as far as the harbor of Sluys, and there escaped, from the large vessels being unable to follow him, through the shoals and low water. The inhabitants of Sluys were terrified when it was known that their fleet from La Rochelle had been conquered by the English, and every moment expected to be attacked. The inhabitants knew not how to act, whether to fly or embark on board their laid. up vessels, to wait the event and defend themselves. Had tlie English suspected the state of Sluys, they might have been lords of that town and castle, or had they followed the advice of Peter du Bois, who strongly re. commended, when they were masters of tlie fleet, to make for Sluys, which they would be sure to gain. The English, however, thought they had done sufficient ; and some said, " We shall commit a great folly if we enter Sluys ; for those of Bruges, Damme, and Ardem- bourg, will shut us up in it, and we shall thus lose all we have won. It is much better that we keep our prizes, and make war with pru. dence." The English, therefore, did not disembark, but contented themselves with attempting to bum the vessels that were in the har- bor. They selected the lightest vessels from those they had con- quered, and filling and bedaubing them with pitch, oil, and other combustibles, let them float with the tide into the harbor of .Sluys. These vessels burnt so clear and well, that the English hoped they would set fire to some large ships from Castille and other countries, indifferent to them which ; but they did not the sm.-illest damage to any. The English, by this victory, gained great wealth, especially in wine, as they capmred more than nine thousand tuns, which caused wine to be as dear in Flanders and Hainault all that year as it was of course cheap in England. Thus it happens, one man's gain is another's loss. The English, however, did not sail from Sluys, but remained at anchor, and from the galleys and barges landed on the opposite side of the river to Sluys, at Tremue, which they burnt, with the monastery, and some other towns on the coast, whither they went along the sea-shore, or on the dikes, called Turn. hout and Moerdyck. They made many of the countrymen pris- oners, and lay thus at anchor upward of ten days ; during which time they formed several ambuscades between Damme and Sluys, and on the road to Coxye. Sir John de Iiaimay,-a man-at-arms from Tour- nay, was there made a prisoner, who, in company with the lord d'Estrinay and sir Blanquart de Coulonge, had set out full gallop, with forty lances, for Sluys, on hearing the English were on the coast. It fortunately happened, that sir Robert Marchand, who had mar- ried one of the late earl's bastards, was at the time in Bruges : he instantly hastened to Sluys, and flung himself into the castle, which 420 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. he found weakly guarded, and unprovided. But if the English had landed, and entered Siuya with the same earnestness they had done at Tremiie on llie other side of the river, they must have gained the castle ; for so great was the alarm in the town, that no one paid at- tention to anything, nur thought of defending themselves. Sir Robert Marchand encouraged them by saying, " You men of Sluys, what are you thinking of? It would seem from your appearance that you are defeated without striking a blow. Men of valor ought to show a good countenance as long as possible ; and, should they be taken or slain in their own defence, they will have the grace of God and praise of the world." Thus did sir Robert harangue those of Sluys ; notwithstanding which, the whole country, as far as Bruges, was under the utmost alarm, as long as the English remained on the coast ; for they now daily disembarked and foraged far in the country. Not having horses, they were always on foot: when their expeditions were ended,, tliey slept on board, and on the morrow renewed their excursions to the east and west, without opposition. They burnt the town of Coxye, and another large village on the road from the coast to Ardembourg, called Hosebourg: they would have done more if they had known the state of the country. After staying as long as they pleased, and finding no attempt made to regain what they had won on sea and land, they set sail with a favorable wind for England, carrying with tliem more than two hundred thousand francs of wealth. Having entered the Thames, they landed at Lon. don, where they were joyfully received for the fine wines of Poitou and Saintonge they had on board, which were intended to have been drunk in Flanders, Brabant, Hainault, Liege, and other places. They were dispersed throughout England, and the prices so nmch depressed from the quantity, a gallon was sold for fourpence. The English who resided on the frontiers of Flanders, Holland, and Zea- land, were too enterprising in their voyages to Dordrecht, Zuric-zee, Middlebourg, and the Brielle in Holland. Some of the merchants of Zuric-zee had, on board the fleet that was captured, much wine from La Rochelle, which was restored to them. The English were right in thus courteously treating them ; for Zuric-zee would never ioin the French in their invasion of England, nor permit them to have any vessels or boats from thence, and this conduct acquired them the love of the English. Sir John de Bucq was a prisoner at London, on his word : he was permitted to go anywhere about the town, but at sunset he was to return to his lodging ; nor would the English ever listen to any ran- som for him, though the duke of Burgundy would willingly have given in exchange a bastard brother of the king of Portugal, who had been taken at aca in coming from Middlebourg : had he been within the limits of Zealand, he would have escaped. I believe sir John de Bucq remained a prisoner in London for three years, and there died. CHAPTER LIV. THE KING OF PORTUGAL SE.NDS EMBASSADORS TO THE DUKE OF LAN- CASTER TO CONCLUDE HIS MARRIAGE WITH THE LADY PHILIPPA. SIR BARROIS DES BARRES IS ORDERED BY THE KING OF CASTILLE TO THE CASTLE OF NOYA.* It is time for us now to return to the affairs of Castille and Portu- gal, and to speak of the duke of Lancaster, as to the prosperity of his undertakings, for his concerns were not trifling; and hkewise to mention the aid France sent king .Tohn of Castille, for otherwise his fortunes would have made a small figure : he would have lost this year his whole kingdom, if it had not been for the friendship of the ting of France. Intelligence is soon spread abroad, and the king of Portugal was as quickly informed of what was doing in France, rela- tive to the great armament that was to invade England, by his mer- chants on their return home, as the duke of Lancaster ; for the king resided, at that season, at Oporto, which is one of the largest cities and the most frequented port of his realm. He was rejoiced to hear it was at an end, for ho had been lold England would be ruined ; and this had made him hesitate as to the conclusion of his marriage, amusing the duke and duchess with fine words and compliments. When he learnt for certain, that the king of France and his nobles were returned home, he summoned his council, and said : '■ My fair sirs, you know that the duke and duchess of Lancaster are in Galicia : you also know, a great affection subsists between us, and that we have had several conferences ; in one of which it has been proposed by our councils, that I should take the lady Philippa to wife. I mean to persevere in this business, and to make an honorable de- mand of her, as is becoming two such princes as the duke of Lan- caster and myself; for I will have her for my queen." "Sir," replied those to whom he addressed himself, " you are in the right, for so you have solemnlv promised and sworn. Now, whom shall we send to conduct the lady hither ?" The arclibishop of Braganza and sir Joao Rodriguez de Sa were named ; and as they were not present, they were sent for, and informed how they were to act. 1 hey undertook the business with pleasure, and were escorted going and returning by two hundred spears. We will now speak of sir Thomas Moreaux's siege of Ribadavia, and relate what happened there. I believe the inhabitants expected Jko Noya is an ancient town in Galicio, five or sL\ leagues to the westward of Saint succors from the king of Castille and the French knights at Valla, dolid, otherwise they would not have held out ; and I know not how such peasants, who had none but themselves to advise with, could so vigorously have opposed the flower of the English army, and how it happened tliat they were not frightened, for every day there were skirmishes and assaults. The bravest captains of the army said to sir Thomas : " Let us leave tliis town, and may lightning destroy it, and advance further into the country, toward Mamez,* Noya, or Betances ;t we can at any time return hither." " By my faith," replied sir Thomas, " such peasants shall never have it to say they have defeated me, were I to remain here these two months, unless the duke shall otherwise order." The marshal was thus obstinate in continuing the siege. i King John received frequent intelligence, at Valladolid, how the men at Ribadavia were defending themselves valiantly, and would not surrender. " In God's name," said Barrois des Banes, " I am much vexed I had not sent thither some Frenchmen, who would have greatly encouraged the inhabitants, and still more that I did not go myself, for I should then have acquired all the honor which these peasants will now have ; and, if they had really told me it was a town of such strength, and that it required such a garrison, I would, without doubt, have reinforced it, and have personally risked the command ; and God would have given me grace to guard and de- fend it, as he has done to these peasants." Such were the conver- sations that frequently passed between the king of Castille and the French knights, who were eager to be employed. They said to the king : " It will be right, sir, that you send one hundred spears to the castles of Noya and Coruna, and they will defend those parts of Galicia situated between those two castles." " And whom can we send thither ?" Several knights instantly offered their services, such as sir Tristan de Roye, sir Reginald and sir Lambert de Braque- mont, sir Tristan de la Jaille, sir John de Chatelmorant, and sir Bar- rois des Banes, whom the king heard with pleasure, and said ; " My fair sirs, I give you many thanks for your wiUingness ; but you can- not all go : some must remain with me in case of accidents ; and for the present, I shall entreat sir Barrois des Barres, if he please to undertake this business." The Barrois was much delighted on hearing this, for he had too long remained idle, and replied; "Sir king, I thank you : I will defend tliem to the utmost of my power ; and, when I am once within them, I will never depart without your special order." '' By God," said the king, " I believe we shall soon have news from France." The knights were ignorant of the de- campment from Sluys, though the king knew it; for the duke of Bourbon had written to him the whole account, and what was going forward in France ; how he was to come to Castille with three thou- sand spears; but that sir William de Lignac and sir Walter de Pas- sac were first to clear the passes, with an equal number of lances. He asked the knights if they wished to hear news. " Ah, sire, tell us some from France, for we are very anxious to hear from thence." " Willingly," replied the king. He then told them that the duke of Bourbon was appointed by the king of France and his council, com- mander-in-chief of all the forces sent to Castille, which amounted to six thousand spears ; that sir William de Lignac and sir Walter de Passac were to lead the van, of three thousand knights and squires, and were then on their march ; that the invasion of England was de- ferred until May, when the constable of France, the count de St. Pol, and the lord de Coucy, should there land, with four thousand lances. " ^^'hat do you say to this?" asked the king. " What do we say, sire ?'' replied the knights, who were rejoiced : " we say that it is delightful news, and we cannot have better ; and, in the course of the summer, many gallant deeds will be done in your country ; for, if they have ordered six thousand, nine thousand will come. We shall certainly combat the English, who now keep the field ; and, before St. John's day, we will shut them up." " On my faith," said each of the knights, " the three you have named are gallant men, especially the duke of Bourbon: and the other two are weW qualified to command men-at-arms. The news of this army coming from France was soon known in Valladolid, and throughout Castille ; and that it had been ordered to arrive by the first of May, to the great comfort of all, and joy of the knights and squires. CHAPTER LV. THE DUKE OF LANCASTER SENDS A REINFORCEMENT TO THE SIEGE OF RIBADAVIA. ON THAT TOWN BEING TAKEN BY STORM, MADRES t IN- STANTLY SURRENDERS. Sir Barrois des Barres left the king of Castille in Valladolid, and accompanied by only fifty spears, rode toward the town of Noya. News was brought to sir Thomas Moreaux's army, but I know not by whom, that the French were on their march, to the amount of five hundred lances, to raise the siege of Ribadavia. Sir Thomas too easily believed this intelligence ; for those who told it affirmed it for truth, and that they had seen them on their march, on this side the river Duoro, and encamped at Villalpando. The marshal was advised to let the duke of Lancaster have information of this, which * " .Mamez.' X "Maures." Q, Muros. Q. Mures. t " Betancei." Q. Betan^.os, or Eiitanfa. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . 421 he did, by sending to him sir John d'Ambrcticourt, and a herald well acquainted with the roads in Galicia. He himself was always on his guard, lest he should be surprised in the night, and one half of his army was on duty, while the other half slept. When the arrival of sir John and the herald at Saint Jago, where the duke and duchess resided, was known, the duke said, " They have brought some intel- ligence," and, sending for them, asked the news. " Good news, my lord : the marshal sends me hither to know how you would wish him to act ; for he has learnt for certain, that the French have assembled a strong body in Castillo, and are on their march to cross the river, and engage with our men before Ribadavia. This is the news I have brought." " In God's name," replied he, " it is news enough, but ■we will soon provide a remedy." He looked at sir John Holland and sir Thomas Percy, his constable and admirable, and said to them : " Take three hundred spears and five hundred archers, and join our companions before Ribadavia, who are looking for the French coming to attack them." They replied, they would cheerfully obey, and, making themselves ready, set out with the above-mentioned force, and arrived before Ribadavia, to the great joy of their countrymen. Sir John Holland said to the marshal ; " What do these fellows of Ribadavia mean? will they not surrender?" No, by my faith," re. plied sir Thomas, " they are so presumptuous : notwithstanding they have seen all the neighboring towns do so, they obstinately follow tlieir own inclinations. They are but peasants ; for not one gentle- man is in the town." " Say no more," answered sir John : " before four days we will put them in such plight, that they will gladly sur. render to any who will show them mercy ; but tell tlie admiral and me, are tlie French abroad ?" " I was so informed," said sir Thomas, *' and was assured there were upward of five hundred in one body. This is very probable : for men-at-arms are continually coming from France to Castille. I afterwards heard, that only sir Barrois de^ Barres had entered the castle of Noya with fifty lances, and I know nothing more of them." The conversation now ceased; and the new comers were lodged among them as well as circumstances would admit, and were well served from tlie provision which had followed them. Four days after the arrival of sir John Holland and sir Thomas Percy, great preparations were made for a general assault ; and a large machine of timber was built, and mounted on wheels, which could he pushed anywhere. It would contain, with ease, one hundred men-at-arms, and the same number of archers ; but, for this attack, it was filled with archers only, and the ditches were levelled where it was intended to pass. When the attack commenced, this machine was wheeled up to the walls by main force ; and the archers, being well provided with ar- •rows, shot vigorously on their enemies, who returned it by throwing darts and such other missile weapons, as wss wonderful to behold. The roof of this machine was covered with strong ox-hides to shelter them from the effects of the stones and the darts : underneath were men-at-arms well shielded, that with pick-a.xes worked hard, and with success against the walls ; for the townsmen could not prevent them for fear of the archers, who gave them full employment. At length a large breach was made in the wall, and a considerable part thrown into the ditch ; which when the Galicians perceived, they were so dismayed, that they cried loudly, " We surrender, we surrender I" No one made any answer ; but the English laughed at them, and said, ** These peasants have done us much mischief, and mock us by now offering to surrender, for the town is ours." Some of the English replied, " If you wish to say anything to us, it must be in good French or English, for we do not understand Castilian," and kept advancing and slaying those who were flying before them. They killed them in heaps; and that day there were fifteen hnndred put to death, in- cluding Jews, many of whom were resident in the town. Thus was Ribadavia taken by storm ; those who first entered it gained great ■pillage, especially from the houses of the Jews, wherein they found more wealth in money than elsewhere. After the town had been plundered, the marshal was asked what he intended doing with it, and if they should set it on fire. " Oh, no," replied he, " we will keep it, and make it as strong as any town in Galicia." After they had consulted whither to go next, they determined to march to Muros, another tolerably good town in Galicia. The gar- rison of Ribadavia, consisting of twenty spears and sixty archers, was put under the command of sir Peter Clinton, a valiant knight and e-tpert man-at-arms. The army earned away much provision from the town, which was well stored, particularly in pork and wines : these last were so strong and fiery, they could scarcely drink them ; and when any of the English drank too much, they were disabled for two days. On their departure from Ribadavia, they took the road toward Muros, and had their large machine taken to pieces and brought after them, for they fomid it had caused great alarm to many ■other towns. When the inhabitants of Muros heard that the English were on their march to attack them, that Ribada\ia had been stormed and numbers put to death, and that they had with them a devil of a ma- chine, so great and wonderful it could not be destroyed, they were much frightened thereat, and were apprehensive what the English might do to them. They held a council, whether they should defend the town or not, and thought it would be more for their advantage to surrender ; for, should the town be stormed, they would lose their lives and fortunes, and they saw no hopes of aid from any quarter. " Consider," said some of the most prudent, " what has been the con- sequence of the defence of Ribadavia, which was much stronger than our town ; they held out for near a month, but no reinforcements were sent them. The king of Castille, as we understand, looks on all Gahcia, as far as the river Duoro, as lost, and you will never, this year, see any of the French enter it. Let us, therefore, handsomely surrender, without making any opposition, in the like manner the other towns of Castille have done." " It is well said," the hearers replied, and they unanimously agreed to adopt this opinion. "But how shall we manage it?" said some of them. " In God's name," replied those who proposed the surrender, " we will go out to meet the English, and present them the keys of our town ; for they are a civil people, and will not hurt us : if we receive them kindly, we shall have their thanks." Having determined on this plan, fifty of the principal inhabitants went out of the town as soon as they heard the English were ap- proaching, and waited on the road, about a quarter of a league off. News was brouglit to the English army, that those of Muros had come out of their town, not in hostile array, but with the intention of surrendering and offering the keys of the place, which they had brought with them. Some of the lords rode forward to know the truth of it, but ordered the army to halt until their return. As they were advancing, the townsmen were told, " Here come three of the principal lords of England, sent by the duke of Lancaster to conquer the country : speak to them." On which, they cast themselves on their knees, and said ; " My lords, behold the poor inhabitants of Muros, who are desirous to put themselves under the obedience of the duke and duchess of Lancaster : we therefore entreat you to re- ceive us in your favor, for all we have is yours." The three lords, having consulted together, replied ; " Good people, we will return with you to your town, and enter it with part of our army, but not all, and there you shall take such oaths as good subjects ought to their lord and lady." They answered, they would cheerfully do so. "Now, then," said the lords, "go back, and open your gates, for your sur- render is accepted." They flung open the gates and barriers for the constable and other lords, who might amount to four hundred lances, but not more ; the rest remained without the walls, but had much provision from the town, wherein the leaders were lodged, and where they made the townsmen take the usual oaths of obedience. CHAPTER LVI. THE LADY PHILIPPA OF LANCASTER IS MAHRIED, BY PROCtmATION, TO THE KltlG OF PORTUGAL. THE CEREMONY IS AGAIN PERFORMED WITH GREAT MAGNIFICENCE AND FEASTINGS AT OPORTO. On the morrow, after the surrender of Muros, when the knights were preparing for their march toward Betan^os, a messenger from the duke of Lancaster arrived with letters, ordering them to return instantly, whatever might be their situation ; for he was daily expect- ing the archbishop of Braganza and sir Joao Rodriguez de S4, em- bassadors from the king of Portugal, who were to marry his daughter by procuration, and conduct her to that king at Oporto, where he was waiting for her. Sir John Holland, the marshal and admiral, on learning this, altered their plans, and said it was proper that their lord the duke, when he received embassadors from the king of Por- tugal, should have all his council with him. Having placed sufficient garrisons in the towns they had won, they said they would not at. tempt more until the month of May, and returned to Saint Jago, whither the duke had sent for them. Three days after their arrival, came the archbishop of Braganza and sir Joao Rodriguez de S^, who entered the town of Saint Jago with two hundred horse, where they were all lodged, everything having been prepared for them. When the archbishop, with the knights and lords in his company, had refreshed themselves, they waited on the duke and duchess ot Lancaster in grand array, who received them most graciously. They then declared the motive of the embassy, which the duke heard with pleasure ; for he was rejoiced at the exaltation of his daughter, and the connection with the king of Portugal, which was very opportune, if he persevered in his intention of conquering Castille. "The arch- bishop explained, to the satisfaction of the duke and his council, that by power of the king's procuration, he was authorized to espouse personally the lady Philippa of Lancaster, in the name of don John, king of Poriugal. During the residence of these embassadors at Saint Jago, the ceremony was peformed by virtue of the above-men. lioned procuration ; and the archbishop of Braganza and the lady Philippa were courteously laid beside each other, on a bed, as married persons should be. This being done, on the morrow the lady and her attendants were ready to depart ; and, having bidden adieu to her father and mother, she mounted her palfrey, as did her damsels, and her bastard sister, the wife of the marshal, who accompanied her to Portugal. Sir John Holland, sir Thomas Percy, and sir John d'Am. breticourt, were ordered to escort her, with one hundred spears and two hundred archers. They followed the road to Oporto, and, when near, were met by the king and his court, with all the prelates at that time in Oporto, to do her honor ; such as the bishops of Lisbon, Evora, Coimbra, and Oporto : among the barons wer<| the counts d'Angouse, de Novaire, de I'Escalle, Guadalupe Ferrant Pacheco, Vasco Martin de Merlo, with upward of forty knights, and great 422 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. crowds of ladies and other persons, and the whole of the clergy in their holiday dresses. Thus was the lady Philippa conducted to the king's palace at Oporto, where she dismounted. The king took her by the hand and kissed her, performing the same ceremony to all the ladies who accompanied her, and then led her to her apartments, where he took leave of her and her companions. ' The English lords and their men were lodged in the town, which ia of considerable size ; and this night they kept the vigil of the feast by caroling, dancing, and other amusements, until the morrow's dawn. On Tuesday morning,* the king of Portugal, the prelates and lords of his country, were dressed by eight o'clock, and, mounting their horses at the palace gate, rode to the cathedral called St. Mary's church, where they waited for the queen. She followed shortly after, attended by her ladies and damsels ; and, though the embassadors had before espoused her in the king's name, the ceremony was again performed ; which done, ihey returned to the palace, where were grand and jsolcmn feastings. In the afternoon were tilts and tournaments before the king and queen ; and in the evening the prizes were distributed. Sir John Holland gained the one destined for strangers ; and that for the natives was won by a knight attached to the king, sir Jolm Testad'oro. The day and night passed thus jovially in various amusements. That night the king lay with the queen ; and it was reported by those who were near his person, that he had hitherto been perfecdy chaste, and had never known woman. On the morrow the feastings and joustings were renewed, when Bir Vasco Martin dc Merlo gained one prize, and sir John d'Ambre- ticourt the other. The night was spent as before, in caroUngs, dancing, and other sports ; and while the English staid at Oporto, there were tournaments every day. With such rejoicings was the queen of Portugal received on her arrival at Oporto. They lasted upward of ten days ; and the king made all the strangers, on their departure, such gifts as satisfied them. The English lords, having taken leave of the king and queen of Portugal, returned to Saint Jago. The duke and duchess of Lancaster made great inquiries, and were told all that had passed ; that the king saluted them, and that the queen recommended herself to their love. Sir John Holland and sir Thomas Percy added, " My lord, the last words the king said to us were, that you might take the field when you pleased, for that that he would join you and enter CasliUe." " That is good news, indeed," replied the duke. About fifteen days after the return of the lords from Portugal, the duke of Lancaster ordered them to prepare for conquering the remain- ing towns in Galicia, for there were several he was not master of. It was settled by the council of the duke, that when he should depart from Saint Jago, the duchess and her daughter Catherine should visit the king and queen of Portugal, at Oporto. The town of Saint Jogo was placed under the command of an English knight, called sir Lewis Clifford, with thirty spears, and one hundred archers, for his garrison. CHAPTER LVII. THE BTJKE OF LANCASTER MAKCHES HIS ARMY TO ENTENCA. THE INHABI- TANTS SEND, WITH THE CONSENT OF THE DUKE, TO THE KINU OF CAS- TILLE FOR SUCCOR. When the duke of Lancaster marched from Saint Jago, he left no more in garrison than those already mentioned. He rode on, in com- pany with his duchess, toward the city of Entcnc^a, which is a good town in one of the extremities of Galicia, and the last on the bor- ders of Portugal, in the direct road from Saint Jago to Oporto and Coirabra. They had taken this line of march, because the duchess and her daughter were to visit Portugal. The inhabitants of Enten^a, hearing that the duke and his army were advancing against them, held a council to consider what conduct they should pursue. After many debates, it was at length agreed that they should send si.x of their principal men to the duke and duchess, to entreat they might not be attacked for eight days only, when they would let the king of Castille know their situation, and if he sent them no aid they would surrender unconditionally. The six citizens, on leaving the town, took the road the Englisli were coming, and first met the vanguard under the command of the marshal, by whom they were instantly arrested. They said they were deputed by the inhabitants of En- tenga to parley with the duke. Upon which the marshal said to sir John Sounder, who was by his side, "Conduct these men to my lord ; for it will be necessary to escort them, or they may be slain by our archers." The knight replied, he would take care of ihem ; and then the marshal said, " Go, go, this knight will conduct you." They all departed, and rode together until they came up with the duke and duchess, who had dismounted, and were sitting under some fine olive trees, attended by sir John Holland, sir Thomas Percy, and others. On seeing sir John Sounder approach, they eyed him well ; and sir John Holland said, "Fair brother, Sounder, are these pris. oners thine ?"' " They are not prisoners, sir, but men from En. tenja whom the marshal has ordered me to conduct to my lord ; and from what I can learn, they wish to treat with him." The duke and duchess heard all this ; and sir John Sounder continued, " Come forward, nw good people : you see your lord and lady." Upon this the six men advanced, and, casting themselves on their knees, thus spoke : " Our most redoubted lord and lady, the com. monalty of the town of Enten^a, hearing you were marching your army against them, have sent us hither to entreat you would delay advancing further for eight or nine days only, in which time they will send to the king of Castille, in Valladolid, an account of the great peril they are in ; and if, during those nine days, they be not reinforced sufficiently to offer you combat, they will put themselves fully under your obedience. In the mean time, should you or your army be in want of provision or stores, those of the town will cheer- fully serve you with both for your money." The duke made no re. ply, leaving it to the duchess, as she was from that country. She looked at the duke, and said, "Well, my lord, what do you say ?'* " Lady, what do you say ? you are the heiress of this country, and, as the inheritance comes through you, you must reply." " It will be right then, my lord, that their offer be accepted ; for I do not be- lieve that the king of Castille has any desire to combat you so soon." " I do not know that," answered the duke ; " God grant it may hap. pen otherwise : we shall the sooner put an end to the business ; and I wish it were to take place within six days ; hut, since you are desirous their offer be accepted, I consent." The duchess then ad. dressed the deputies, saying, " You may return, for your offer is accepted ; but you must deliver up to the marshal twelve of your principal citizens, as pledges for the due performance of the treaty.'* They replied they would do so, and, rising up, were given to the care of sir John Sounder, who conducted them back to the marshal,, and told him what had passed, which gave him satisfaction. The deputies returned to their town and related the success of their mis. sion. Twelve of the principal inhabitants were sent to the marshal, and the place was unmolested, on the terms mentioned. In another council they resolved to send the same six men, and no others, to inform the king of Castille of their situation. They rode to Valla- dolid, where the king resided, with part of his council, and, their ar- rival being notified to him, he was eager to see them, to learn the news and talk with them ; for he was ignorant of the treaty they had entered into, and that the English were before Enten^a. * The nth of February, 1387. the day of the Purification. The king was twenty-nine j 9vaiS9f &ge, the queen twenty-eiRht.— Ed. CHAPTER LVIII. THE DUCHESS OF LANCASTER AND HER DAUGHTER VISIT THE KINO AND QUEEN OF PORTUGAL. THE INHABITANTS OF ENTENCA RECEIVING NEITHER ANSWER NOR SUCCOR FROM THE KING OF CASTILLE, SURREN. DER TO THE DUKE OF LANCASTER, ACCORDING TO THE TERMS OF TUEIR TREATY. While these six deputies were journeying toward Valladolid, the duke of Lancaster gave directions for the departure of his duchess and daughter, the lady Catherine, to visit the king and queen of For. tugal. On their setting out, the duke said, " Constance, you will salute from me the king my son, my daughter, and the barons of Portugal, and give them all the intelligence you can ; how Enten^a has entered into a treaty with me ; but that I doubt if John de Transtamare, your adversary, will allow them to keep it, or whether he will offer me battle ; for well I know that great reinforcements are to come to him from France, and those who are eager for renown will hasten to Castille as speedily as possible. It will be necessary for me to be daily on my guard, in expectation of an engagement, which you will tell the king and his barons ; and that, if I shall learn anything for certain of a combat being likely to take place, I will instantly signify it to the king of Portugal. Desire him from me, to be well prepared to come to our assistance, in the defence of our right, as he has solemnly sworn to do in the treaties concluded be. tween us. You will return to me ; but leave our daughter Catherine with her sister, the queen of Portugal, for she cannot be better placed, nor more in safety." " My lord," replied the duchess, " all this I will cheerfully perform." The duchess, her daughter, and the ladies and damsels who ac companied them, took their leave and departed. They were escorted to Oporto by the admiral, sir Thomas Percy, sir Evan Fitzwarren, the lord Talbot, sir John d'-\mbreticourt and sir Maubrun de Lin- ieres, with one liundred spears and two hundred archers. The king of Portugal, hearing the duchess of Lancaster and her daughter were on the road, was much pleased, and sent some of his principal cour. tiers to meet them, such as the counts d'Angouses, de Novaire, sir Joao Rodriguez de Sk, sir Joao Ferrant Pacheco, sir Vasco Martin de Merlo, sir Egeas Colic, and twenty other knights. They rode two long leagues before they met the ladies, who received them gra. eiously and gayly. The duchess politely made acquaintance with the different knights, and, as they rode together, she conversed with much affability among them all. Thus did they arrive at Oporto, when the duchess and her ladies were conducted to the palace. The king was the first who waited on them, and kissed them all round ; then came the queen, attended by her ladies, and received her lady, mother and sister most kindly and honorably. The whole palace was rejoiced at the arrival of these ladies ; but I will not pretend to speak very particularly of what passed, for I was not there : all I know was from that gallant knight, sir Joao Ferrant Pacheco, who was present. The duchess took a proper opportunity to deliver the duke's message to the king of Portugal, who replied with pradence and friendship, " Lady and cousin, I am prepared, should the king CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 423 of Caetille take the field, with three thousand lances, who arc sta. tioned on the borders of Castille, whom I can collect in three days, and I shall also bring with me full twenty thousand men from the commonaity of the countrj', who are not to be despised, for they were of the greatest service to me at the battle of Aljubarota." "Sir," said the duchess, " you say well, and I am greatly thankful to you ; and if my lord gain any further intelligence, he will instantly let you know." Such was the conversation that passed between the king of Portugal and the duchess of Lancaster. We will now return to Enten^a, and say what success their depu- ties had at Valladolid. On their being introduced to the king of Castille, they cast themselves on their knees, and said, " Most re. doubted lord, if you will condescend to listen to us, we have been sent hither by your town of Enten^a, wliich has been forced to enter into a treaty with the duke and duchess of Lancaster. The terms of which are, that the English will abstain from any attack for nine days ; and if, within that time, you shall come in sufficient force to offer them combat and resist the duke, the town will remain yours : bnt, if not, the town has given up hostages to surrender it to them. You will be pleased, most redoubted lord, to say what you will do." The king replied, that " he would advise upon it, and they should have an answer." He then left them, and retired to his chamber. I am ignorant if he summoned his council or not, or how the matter was managed ; but these six men were there for eight days without obtaining any answer, nor did they again see the king. The day came for the surrender of the town before any of the deputies re- ttirned. The duke, therefore, sent his marshal to Enten^a, on the tenth day, to say, that if the town were not sun'endered, according to the terms of the treaty, he would instantly cut off the heads of the hostages. The marshal, on arriving at the barriers, whither he sum- moned the inhabitants, thus addressed them : " My good people, the duke of Lancaster sends me to know why you have not brought him the keys of the town, and put yourselves under his obedience, as you were in duty bound ? The nine days expired, as you know, yester- day. If you do not instantly comply, he will order the heads of the nostages to be struck off, and then march hither to storm the town, when you will all be slain, without mercy, like to those of Ribadavia." The men of Enten^a, hearing this, were much afraid, not only for themselves, but also for their friends who were pledged for the ob- servance of the treaty, and replied, " In good truth, my lord marshal, llie duke has reason for saying what you tell us ; but we know not what is become of the deputies we sent to the king of Castille, nor what can have kept them at Valladolid." " Sirs, they may perhaps be confmed," said the marshal ; " for the news they carried could not be very pleasant to the king, and my lord will not longer wait. Consider well what answer you make, for, if it be not agreeable, I am ordered to commence the attack." They answered ; " My lord, only allow us time to collect all the inhabitants together, that we may know their determination." " I consent to it," said he. They entered the town once more, and, by sound of trumpet in every street, the inhabitants were summoned to the market-place, where, when assembled, the chief citizens told them all that had passed be- tween them and the niarshal. Having agreed to sun'ender the town, for the release of their hostages from prison, whom they were un- willing to lose, they returned to the marshal and said, " Marshal, your demands are reasonable, and we are ready to receive, as sove- reigns, the duke and duchess of Lancaster in our town, of which here arc the keys. We will accompany you to the duke's quarters, if you will have the goodness to escort us." " I will willingly do that," said the marshal. There came out of Enten^a upward of sixty persons, carrying with them the keys of the gates : the marshal conducted them to the duke, and obtained for them an audience, where they were well received, and had their hostages given up. The duke entered Enten^a the same day, where he was lodged, and as many of his people as could be accommodated. Four days after the surrender of Entenga, the six deputies returned from Valladolid. They were asked why they had stayed so long ; which they answered, by saying thoy could not help it. They had indeed seen and spoken to the king, who replied that he had heard them, and would advise on what answer to give ; " but, though we waited eight days for it, we are come back without any, for no fur- ther notice was taken of us." They had heard in Valladolid, that the king was expecting great succors from France ; that numbers of men-at-arms were already arrived, and quartered up and down the country; but that their commanders, sir WiUiam de Lignac and sir Walter de Passac, were still behind : that the main body of the army, with the knights and squires, were on their march for Castille, but that those who had been retained to serve under the duke of Bourbon were still at their homes. t CHAPTER LIX. THE COUNT EE FOIX PERMITS THE FRENCH CAPTAINS TO PASS THROUGH HIS TERRITORIES, ON CONDITION THEY SHOULD PAY FOR WHATEVER THEY TAKE. THEY ARRIVE AT ST. JEAN PIED DE PORT, AT THE EN- TRANCE OF NAVARRE. Sir William de Lignac and sh: Walter de Passac passing through France, assembled their men in the Toulousain, Narbonnoia and Carcassone, where, as they arrived, they quartered themselves in the richest parts, and many never paid anything for what they took. News was brought to the count de Foi.x at Orthfes, where he resided, that the French men-at-arms were advancing near his country, witli the intent of marching through it in their way to Castille. Those who told him this, added, "But, my lord, the mischief is, that they- pay for nothing they take, and the people fly before them as if they were English. The captains are still at Carcassone, and their men overrun from thence all the adjacent countries. They cross the Garonne at Toulouse, and enter Bigorre, from whence they will soon be in your territories ; and, if they do there what they have done on their march, they will greatly injure your domains of B^arn. Con. sider, therefore, how you will act." The count de Foix, who had instantly formed his resolution, replied, " I will, that all my castles, as well in Foix as in B^arn, be well garrisoned with men-at-arms, and that all the country be put on its guard, as if an immediate bat- tle were to take place ; for I will not suffer from the wars in Cas- tille. My lands are free ; and, if the French want to pass through them, they shall truly pay for whatever they may want, or they shall be shut against them. This I order you, sir William and Peter de B^arn, to see obeyed." These two knights were bastard-brothers, valiant in arms, and able to support the count's orders. They re- plied, they would undertake the charge willingly. Proclamation was made, throughout the territories of the count, for every one to provide himself with proper arms, and to be pre- pared to march on instant notice, wherever sent for. Numbers came to Foix, B^arn, and the stewartry of Toulouse, prepared for battle. Messire Espaing de Lyon, with a hundred good lances and men-at- arms, was sent to the city of Pamiers ; messire Ricart de Saint Leger, to Savredun ; Peter de B^arn held Mazeres with a hundred lances ; messire Pierre Cabestan was at Bellepuich at the entrance into the county of Foix ; messire Pierre Menaut de Noailles with fifty lances, at Saint Shibaut, on the Garonne ; messire Pierre de la Roche at Palaminich ; the bastard d'Espaigne, at the castle of Lamesen ; mes- sire Arnault Guillaume, with, in all, a hundred lances, at Morlans ; messire Guy de la Motte, at Pan ; messire Raymond de ChasleL Neuf, at Mont-de-Marsan ; messire Evan de Foix, bastard son to the count, at Sauvcterre ; messire Berdruc de Nebosem, at Montesquieu; messire Jean de Saint Marcille, at Aire ; messire Hector de la Garde, at Oron ; John de Chastel-Neuf, at Montgerviel ; Jean de Morlans, at Erciel. Messire Raymond I'Aisne, who had the command of the castle of Malvoisin, was ordered to be very attentive to the whole of that frontier, and sent his cousin, sir Arnaulton d'Espaign, to St, Gaudens. In short, there was not a town or castle in Foix and B^arn unprovided with men-at-arms, which the count said were suf- ficient to oppose double their numbers ; for they amounted, in the whole, to twenty thousand picked men-at-arms. It was told to sir William de Lignac, who resided at Toulouse, and sir Walter de Passac, at Carcassone, how the count de Foix had summoned his men-at-arms and reinforced all his garrisons ; and that it was reportec^ he would not suffer their army to pass through his country. The two knights, on hearing this, though captains of the others, were much astonished, and appointed a day to meet and confer on the subject. Tliey met at the castle of Aury, half way between Toulouse and Carcassone, when the following conversation passed on the means of gaining permission from the count de Foi\ to march through his territories : " I wonder," said sir William, "very much, that neither the king of France nor his council have written to him, to obtain liberty for us to march quietly through Foix and B^arn. You must go to him, sir Walter, and amicably explain how we are sent by the king of France to continue our march peaceably, and to pay /or whatever we may want ; for you must know, that the count de Foix is so powerful, that he can, if he please, shut up the passage, and force us to go round by Arragon, which would be too long, and much against us. In truth, I know not of whom he is suspicious, nor why he has thus strengthened his towns and castles, nor if he have formed any connection with the duke of Lancaster ; but I beg of you to go thither, and learn the truth of what we have heard." " I will wil- lingly do so," replied sir Walter ; and the two knights, having dined together, took leave of each other, and departed different ways: sir William de Lignac returned to Toulouse; and sir Walter de Passac, attended by only forty horse, crossed the Garonne at St. Thibaut, where he met sir Menaut do Noailles, who entertained him hand- somely. Sir Walter asked, where he could find the count de Foix, He replied, "At Orthfes." The two knights having passed some little time together, conversing on different matters, separated ; and sir Walter went to St. Gaudens, where he made good cheer. On the morrow he came to St. John de Riviere, and, riding through Lane-bourg, skirted Malvoisin, and lay at Tournay, an inclosed town of France. The next day he dined at Tarbes, and stayed the whole day : having met the lord d'Anchin, and sir Menaut de Barbasan, two great barons of B^arn, they had much conversation together ; but, as the lord de Barbasan was an Arrnagnac, he would not say anything favorable of the count de Foix. Sir Walter, on the mor- row, left Tarbes, and dined at Morlas in Bdarn, where he found sir Reginald William, bastard brother to the count, whe received him kindly, and said, " Sir Walter, you will meet my lord of Foix at Orthis, who, you mav be assured, will be glad to see you." " God 434 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. grant it may be so," answered sir Walter ; " for I am come pur- posely to wait on him." They dined together, and sir Walter went afterwards to Montgerbeil where he lay. On the ensuing day he ar. rived at Orthes, about eight o'clock in the morning, but could not see tlie count until the afternoon, when he usually left his chamber. The count de Foix, hearing of the arrival of sir Waller de Passac, hastened to leave his apartment sooner than common ; and sir Wal- ter, seeing him come out of his chamber, advanced to meet him, and saluted him very respectfully. The count, who was perfectly polite, returned the salute ; and, taking him by the hand, said, " Sir Wal- ter, you are welcome : what business has brought you to B^arn ?" ** My lord,*' replied the knight, " sir William de Lignac and myself, whom the king of France has appointed commanders of the force which, you must have heard, he is sending to assist the king of Gas. tille, have been given to understand that you intend to prevent us, by shutting your country of B^arn against us and our men." The count replied, " Sir Walter, under favor, I never mean to close my country against you, nor any person who may travel peaceably through it, and pay honestly and fairly for whatever they may want, to the satisfaction of my people ; for I have sworn to defend and protect them in their rights, as good landholders ought to do, for ■ upon these terms do they possess them. But I have heard that you have a set of Bretons, Barrois, Lorainers and Burgundians, who never think of paying. It is against such I shall close my country ; for I will not have my people harassed nor oppressed." " It is the intention of my brother-commander and myself," re. plied sir Walter, " that no one pass through your lands without pay- ing for all things peaceably and to the contentment of your people, otherwise let him be arrested and punished according to your laws, and make restitution for the damage he may have done, or we will make satisfaction for him, on havijig him given up to us; and, if no gentleman, we will inflict such exemplary justice on him, in the presence of your people, that all may take warning. Should the offender be a gentleman, we will make ample restitution t~or what he may have done, should he be unable so to do himself. This order shall be proclaimed by sound of trumpet, in all our quarters ; and we will have it repeated when on the point of entering your territo. ries, so that no one may e-'ccuse himself, by pleading ignorance, and in consequence act otherwise than honestly. Tell me, if this be satisfactory to you." " Yes, sir Walter," replied the count, " I am contented with what you say ; and you are welcome to this country, for I see you with pleasure : but come, let us go to dinner, it is now time, and we can have some further conversation. Accursed be this war of Portugal, sir Walter ; for I never suffered so much as I did in one battle between the kings of Castillo and Portugal, when I lost the flower of my men-at-arms from B^arn, who were there slain. When they took leave of me, I forewarned them to act with caution, for the Portuguese were a hardy race, who, whenever they had the upper hand, showed mercy to none. I advise you, therefore, that when you and sir William de Lignac, u'ho are the commanders of the men-at-arms that have passed, and of those tllit are to follow, are arrived in Castille, and the king asks counsel of you, you be not too hasty in recommending a battle with the duke of Lancaster and the king of Portugal, without evident advantage, nor with the Eng- lish and Portuguese ; for they are a hungry race, and the English are, for two reasons, eager to fight. They have not gained anything for some time, but rather lost, consequently are poor : they therefore wish to hazard an engagement, in hopes of gain ; and those who are bold, and anxious to obtain the property of others, fight valiantly, and are commonly fortunate. The other reason is, that the duke of Lancaster sees clearly he can never succeed in winning the crown of Castille,»which he claims in right of his wife, but by a battle ; and that, if the day should be his, and the king defeated, the whole of Castille would surrender, and tremble before him. For this he has landed in Galicia, and given one of his daughters in marriage to the king of Portugal, who is to assist him with all his might in his claim. I mention this ; because, should matters turn out unfortu- nate, you and sir William de Lignac would be more blamed than any others." " My lord," answered sir Walter, " I return you many thanks for the advice you give me. I ought to follow what you say ; for you are, at this day, the wisest of Christian princes, and the most fortu- nate in your affairs. But my companion and myself are under the duke of Bourbon, who is our commander-in-chief; and, until he be arrived ia Castille, we shall not hasten our march, and will not, for what any person may say, press the engaging with our enemies." Other conversation now took place, until the count de Foix called for wine. When it was brought, sir Walter and all present drank of it, and took leave of the count, who reentered his chamber. Sir Walter returned to his lodging, accompanied by the knights of the count's household ; and, at the usual hour, he again went to the castle and supped with the count. On the morrow, after dinner, sir Walter took leave of the count, who, among other gifts, presented him on his departure with a handsome horse and mule. Sir Walter, having returned him his thanks, and his attendants being ready, mounted his horse and quitted Orthes for Erciel, where he lay that night. He arrived at Tarbes the following day, for he had ridden hard to finish this day's journey, where he halted, that he might write to sir William de Lignac respecting the success of his visit to the count de Foix. He told him he might order the army to advance as they would find the country of B^arn and the towns open to thein, by paying for whatever they might want, but not otherwise. The messenger delivered this letter to sir William do Lignac at Tou. louse, who, having read it, communicated the contents to the leaders of the men-at.arms, and gave them orders to begin the march, and to pay for whatever they might want in B^arn, or they would be called upon to make due restitution. This order was proclaimed, by sound of trumpet, in all their quarters ; and, shortly after, the men-at-arms began their march from Toulouse, Carcassone, and other places, toward Bigorre. Sir William de Lignac left Toulouse, and, on his arrival at Tarbes, found his brother-commander, sir Walter de Passac. They mutually entertained each other with good cheer, as was natural, while their men-at-arms were continually passing toward Bigorre, where they were to assemble and traverse Foix asd Beam, in a body, to cross the Gave at Orlhfes. The instant you leave B^arn you enter the country of the Basques,* where the king of England has large possessions in the archbish- opric of Bordeaux and bishopric of Bayonne. The inhabitants of fourscore villages with churches, attached to England, on hearing of this march of the French, were greatly alarmed lest their country would be overrun and spoiled ; for at that time there were not any men-at-arms to defend it. Those, therefore, counselled together who were of the most influence and of the largest properties, and determined to negotiate with the French for the ransom of their country. They, in consequence, sent four deputies to Orthfes, em. powered to treat for peace. They related to Ernauton du Pin, a squire of the count de Foix, an agreeable and discreet man, the cause of their coining, and entreated him, when, in two days' time, sir William and sir Walter shoidd come to Orthes, to assist them in their treaty. This Ernauton readily promised ; and as they lodged with him, he aided them so much that they were well satisfied to pay two thousand francs to save their country from ruin. The count de Foix again entertained the commanders at dinner, and gave sir William de Lignac a beautiful horse. On the morrow, they marched to Sauveterrc, and entered the country of the Basques : and though it had been ransomed, they seized provision wherever they found any, but continued their march, without doing further mischief, to St. Jean Pied de Port, at the entrance of Navarre. CHAPTER LX. SIR JOHN HOLLAND AND SIR REGINALD DE ROYE PERFORM A TILT JK THE TOWN OF ENTEN<;A, BEFORE THE KING AND QUEEN OF PORTCOAL AND THE DDKE OF LANCASTER. You have before heard how the town of Enten^^a surrendered to the duke of Lancaster, for the king of Castille sent thither no assist- ance ; and how the duchess of Lancaster and her daughter visited the king and queen of Portugal at Oporto, when the king and his court, as was right, received them most honorably. During the stay of the duke of Lancaster in Enten^a, a herald arrived from Valla- dolid, who demanded where sir John Holland was lodged. On being shown thither, he found sir John within ; and, bending his knee, presented him a letter, saying, " Sir, I am a herald-at-arms, whom sir Reginald de Roye sends hither : he salutes you by me, and you will be pleased to read this letter.'' Sir John answered, he would willingly do so. Having opened it, he read that sir Reginald de Roye entreated him, for the love of his mistress, that he would de- liver him from his vow, by tilting with him three courses with the lance, three attacks with the sword, three with the battle-axe, and three with the dagger ; and that, if he chose to come to Valladolid, he had provided him an escort of sixty spears ; but, if it were more agreeable to him to remain in Enten^a, he desired he would obtain from the duke of Lancaster a passport for himself and thirty com- panions. When sir John Holland had perused the letter, he smiled, and looking at the herald, said, " Friend, thou art welcome ; for thou hast brought me what pleases me much, and 1 accept the challenge. Thou wilt remain in my lodging with my people, and in the course of to-morrow, thou shalt have my answer, whether the tilts are to be in Galicia or Castille." The herald replied, " God grant it." He remained in sir John's lodgings, where he was made comfortable ; and sir John went to the duke of Lancaster, whom he found in con. versation with the marshal, and showed the letter the herald had brought. "Well," said the duke, "and have you accepted it?" "Yes, by my faith, have I: and why not? I love nothing better than fighting, and the knight entreats me to indulge him : consider, therefore, where you would choose it should take place." The duke mused awhile, and then said : " It shall be performed in this town : have a passport made out in what tenns you please, and I will seal il." " It is well said," replied sir John ; " and I will, in God's name, soon make out the passport." The passport was fairly written and sealed, for thirty knights and squires to come and return ; and sir John Holland, when he delivered it to the herald, presented him with a handsome mantle lined with a minever, and twelve nobles. * Basquea, a small country near tUe Pyrenees, bounded by Spain, the seo, the riTer Adour, and Bdam. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 43£ The herald took leave and returned to Valladolid, where he related what had passed, and showed his presents. News of this tournament was carried to Oporto, where the king of Portugal kept liis court. '• In the name of God," said the king, " I will be present at it, and so shall my queen and the ladies." " Many thanks," replied the duchess ; " for I shall be accompanied by the kirig and queen when I return." It was not long after this con- versation, that the king of Portugal, the queen, the duchess, with her daughter, and the ladies of the court, set out for Entencja, in grand Battl£-a^e Fiqht between Sir John Holland and Sib Reginald de Koyk by several cuts in Keuer's Maximilian. From cotemporarr MSS.. afloifited array. The duke of Lancaster, when they were near at hand, mounted his horse ; and, attended by a numerous company, went to meet them. When the king and duke met, they embraced each other most kindly, and entered the town together, where their lodgings were as well prepared as they could be in such a place, though they were not so magnificent as if they had been at Paris. Three days after the ar- rival of the king of Portugal, came sir Reginald de Roye, handsomely accompanied by knights and squires, to the amount of si.x score horse. They were all properly lodged; for the duke had given his officers strict orders they should be well taken care of. On the morrow, sir Jolm Holland and sir Reginald de Roye armed themselves, and rode into a spacious close in Enten^a, well sanded, where the tilts were to be performed. Scaffolds were erected for the ladies, the king, the duke, and the many English lords who had come to witness the com- bat ; for none had stayed at home. The two knights who were to perform this deed of arms, entered the lists so well armed and equipped that nothing was wanting. Their spears, batile-a.\cs and sword.s, were brought them ; and each, being mounted on the best of horses, placed himself about a bow-shot distant from the other, but, at times, they both pranced about on their horses most gallantly, for they knew every eye to be upon them. All being iio%v arranged for their combat, which was to include everything, ex- cept pushing it to extremity, though no one could see what mischief might happen, nor how it would end ; for they were to lilt with pointed lances, then with swords, which were so sharp that scarcely a helmet could resist their strokes ; and these were succeeded by battle-axes and daggers, each so well tempei-ed that nothing could withstand them. Now, consider the perils those run who engage in such combats to e.talt their honor ; for one unlucky stroke puts an end to the business. Having braced their targets and examined each other through the visors of their helmets, they spurred on their horses, spear in hand. Though they allowed their horses to gallop as they pleased, they ad- vanced on as sti'oight a line as if it had been di'awn with a cord, and hit each other on tlie visors, with such force that sir Reginald's lance ■was shivered into four pieces, which flew to a greater height than they could have been thrown. All present allowed this to be gal- lantly done. Sir John Holland struck sir Reginald likewise on the visor, but not with the same success, and I will tell you why : sir Reginald had but slightly laced on his helnitt, so that it was held by one thong only, which broke at the blow, and the helmet ilew over his head, leaving sir Reginald bare-headed. Each passed the other, and sir John Holland bore his lance without halting. The specta- tors cried out that it was a handsome course. The knights returned to their station, when sir Reginald's helmet was fitted on again, and another lance given to him: sir John grasped his own, which was not worsted. When ready, they set off full gallop, for they had ex cellent horses under them, which they well knew how to manage, and again struck each other on the helmets, so that sparks of fire came from them, but chiefly ironi sir John Holland's. He received a very severe blow, for this time the lance did not break ; neither did sir John's, which hit the visor of his adversary without much efTect, passing through and leaving it on the cruperof the horse, and sir Reginald was once more bare-headed. " Ha," cried the English to the French, *' he docs not fight fair ; why is not his helmet as well buckled on as sir John Holland's? We say he ia playing tricks : tell him to put himself on an equal fooling with his adversary." "Hold your tongues," said the duke, " and let them alone : in arms every one takes what advantage he can : if sir John think there is any advantage in thus fastening on his helmet, he may do tlie same. But, for my part, were I in their situations, I would lace my helmet as tight as possible ; and if one hundred were asked their opinions, there would be fourscore of my way of thinking." The English, on this, were silent, and never again interfered. The ladies de. clared they had nobly justed ; and they were much praised by the king of Por- tugal, who said to sir John Fernando, " In our country they do not tilt so well, nor so gallantly: what say you, sir John?'' " By my faith, sir," replied he, " they do tilt well ; and formerly I saw as good justs befoi"e your brother, when we were at Elvas to oppose the king of Castillo, between this Frenchman and sir Wil- liam Windsor ; but I never heard that his helmet was tighter laced then than it is now." The king on this turned from sir John to observe the knights, who were about to begin their third course. Sir John and sir Reginald eyed each other, to see if any advantage were to be gained, for their horses were so excellent that they could manage them as they pleased, and sticking spurs into them, hit their helmets so sharply that their eyes struck fire, and the shafts of their lances were broken. Sir Reginald waa again unhclmed, for he could never avoid this happening, and they passed each other without faUing. All now declared, they had well justed ; though the English, excepting the duke of Lancaster, blamed greatly sir Reginald : but he said, " he considered that man as wise who in combat knows how to seize his vantage. Know," added he, addressing himself to sir Thomas Percy and sir Thomas Moreaux, " that sir Reginald de Roye is not now to be taught how to tilt: he is better skilled than sir John Holland, though he has borne himself well." After the couises of the lance, thoy fought three rounds with swords, battle-axes, and daggers, without either of them being wounded. The French carried off sir Reginald to his lodging, and the English did the same to sir John Holland. The duke of Lancaster entertained this day at dinner all the Fiench knights and squires : the duchess was seated beside him, and sir Reginald de Roye next to her. After dinner, they entered the presence-chamber ; and the duchess, taking sir Reginald by the hanti, led him thither : and they were followed by the other knights, who conversed on arms and on other subjects a long time, almost until wine was brought. The duchess then drew nearer to the French knights, and thus spoke : " I wonder greatly how you knights of France can think of supporting the claims of a bastard ; for it is well known to the whole world, that Henry who called himself king of Castiile, was a bastard, and how eon yo« thus, with your arms and counsel, disinherit the right heir of Caetille and deprive him of the crown ? for this I know, that myself and sister are the legal daughtei's of the late king, don Pedro ; and God, who ia Truth itself, knows that our claim on Castiile is just." The lady, when speaking of her father, don Pedro, could not refrain from tears, as she doatcd on him. Sir Reginald de Roye bowed to her, and thus replied : " Madam, we know that what you have said is true ; but our lord, tho king of France, holds a dilTerent opinion from youre ; and, as we are his subjects, we must make war for him, and go whithersoever he may send us, for we caimot disobey him." At these words, sir John Holland and sir Thomas Percy handed tho lady to her chamber, and the wines and spices were brought. The duke and his company drank of them, and the French knights took their leave ; the horses being ready at their lodgings, they mounted and left Enten^a. They rode that day to Noya, which wai? attached to the king of Castiile, where they reposed themselves, and then coa- tinued their journey to Valladolid. 426 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, & c . CHAPTER LXI. THE KINO OF POKTOGAI, PROMISES TO ENTER CASTILLE WHILE THE DCKE OF LANCASTER FINISHES THE CONQUEST OF GALICIA, AND THEN TO UNITE THEIR FORCES. The king of Portugal and the duke of Lancaster had a long con. ference together the day after this tournament, when, I believe, their plans of operation were settled. The king of Portugal having as. Bembled his army ready to take the field, it was determined that he should enter Castille, while the duke remained in Galicia, to conquer such towns and castles as had not acknowledged him for king ; and it was likewise resolved, that if king John of Castille made any movements which showed an inclination for battle, they were to join their forces. It was judged, that if the two armies were always ■united, there would be difficulty in procuring forage for such num. bers. Other evils might arise also respecting forage and quarters ; for the English are hasty and proud, and the Portuguese hot and im- petuous, easily angered, and not soon pacified. But in the e.xpecta- tion of a battle, they would agree as well together as Gascons. Having determined as above, the king of Portugal addressed the duke of Lancaster, " Sir, when I shall learn that you have taken the field, I will do the like ; for my men are ready and eager for battle." The duke replied, " I will not long continue idle ; but as I have heard there are some towns in Galicia still in rebellion, and that the people will not acknowledge me, I must first conquer them, and then inarch where I may the soonest meet my enemies." Upon this, the king and queen of Portugal took leave of the duke and duchess, as did thetady Catherine their daughter; for it had been setded, that during the war she should live with her sister in Portugal, as the place of greatest security for her, and the duchess was to return to Saint Jago. Tlius were these matters arranged, and the king of Portugal and his court set out for Oporto, and the duchess for Saint Jago, each party well escorted by knights and squires ; but the duke remained with his army at Enten<;a, or in the neighborhood. They were very eager to commence the campaign, for it was now the pleasant month of°April, wlien the grass is ripe in the meads, the corn in ear, and the flowers in seed ; for it is so hot in that country, that the harvest is over in June : they therefore wished to perform some exploits in arms while the weather was fine, for it was a pleasure at such a sea- son to be out in the fields. We must now speak of the arrangements of the French, and of the king of Castille, as fully as we have done of the English. CHAPTER LXII. SIR WILLIAM DE LIGNAC AND SIR WALTER DE PASSAC TRAVERSE THE IINGDOM OF NAVARRE WTITH THEIR ARMY, AND ARRIVE AT BURGOS, WHERE THEY MEET THE KING OF CASTILLE. You have heard how sir AValter de Passac obtained permission from the count de Foix for the French army, intended for Castille, to pass through B(;arn. The count likewise gave, of his own free will, (for he was no way bounden to do so,) very rich presents to such knights and squires as waited on him at the castle of Orthfes, to pay thefr respects, and tell him what was passing in the way of news. To some he gave tv^■o hundred, to others one hundred, fifty or forty, florins, according to their ranks ; and, as the treasurer assured me, the passage of this first division cost the count de Foix one thousand francs, without including the presents he made of coursers and hackneys. Now show me the prince who does such things, or who has the inclination to do them. In good truth, so desirous am I ot speaking to his advantage, it is a pity that such a one should ever grow old and die ; for he is not surrounded by base minions, who tell him, " Take this, give that ; take on all sides." No ; he never had, nor will have, any such about his person : he does all himsell ; for he has, by nature, abilities to know to whom he should give, and from whom he should take, when required. True it is, that the large presents he makes oppresses his people ; for his revenue is not equal to giving every year at least sixty thousand francs, and keeping up his establishments, which are uneqtialled by any one, and to the amassing a treasure to serve him in case of accidents. He has been, for the last thirty years, laying by large sums ; and they say there is in the tower of Orthfes one hundred thousand franca, thirty times told. His subjects only pray to God that he may have long life, and never complain of anything he does ; and I have heard them say, that on the day he shall die, there will be ten thousand persons m Orthfes, who would wish to die also. Consider that this must be the effect of their affection ; and, if they have such great love for him, they have reason for it, as he maintains strict justice, and his sub- jects enjoy their lands free and in peace, like to a terrestrial paradise. Let it not be thought that I thus speak through flattery, or my love to him, or for the presents he has made me ; for I can readily prove all I have said of the gallant count de Foix, and still more, by a thousand knights and squires, if called upon. Let us return to sir WiUiam de Lignac and sir Walter de Passac, the commanders of the men-at-arms destined for Castille. Having crossed Basques, and the pass of Roncesvalles, which took them three days, (for, though it was in the month of April, the snows and cold were so deep and severe, that they had much diffi. culty in the passage with their men and horses,) they arrived at Pampeluna, the kingdom of Navarre being open to them. The king of Navarre was unwilling to displease the king of Castille, aa his son Charles de Navarre had married his sister ; and when tha last treaties were concluded, during the reign of the late don Henry, they were so strong as bound the king of Navarre to peace. Indeed, he can never withstand the king of Castille, unless he have tha kings of Arragon and England for his allies. The king of Navarre very amicably received, at Pampeluna, the leaders of this force,* and had them, with some other knights that accompanied them, to dine with him in his palace. After dinner, he led them into his council-chamber, and began conversations on different subjects, (for he was a wondrous subtle and eloquent man,) and at last turned tha discourse on France, and harangued on the wrongs the king of France and his council had unjustly done him, by depriving him of his lands in Normandy, which had descended to him from his pre- decessors the kings of France and Navarre. This injury he should never forget ; for he had lost, by the seizure of lands in Normandy, Languedoc, and in the barony of Montpensier, about sixty thousand francs of yearly rent, and in respect of this grievance he knew not to whom, except to God, to apply for redress. " I do not say this, my lords," added he, " that you should any way interfere in the bu. siness ; for I know you have not the power, nor would anything you could say be listened to. You are not of the king's council, but knights-errant and soldiers, who are obliged to march wheresoever the king or his council may order you. This is fact ; but I say it to you, because I know not to whom I can complain, except to ail who shall come from France through this country." Sir Walter de Passac replied : " Sir, what you say is true : noth. ing will be done by any recommendation of ours ; for, in truth, wa are not of the king's council. We go whither we are sent ; and my lord of Bourbon, uncle to the king, is our commander, and, as you know, is to follow us this road : you may lay your complaints before him, either when coming or on his return ; for he has niacli influ- ence, and your wrongs may be redressed. May God assist you, for the honor you have done us 1 When returned to France, we shall praise your attentions, to the king, as well as to the dnke of Bourbon, our commander, whom we shall see first."' Wine was now brought, of which they partook, and then left the king, who parted from them kindljs and sent to each, at their lodgings, a handsome war-horse, to their great joy. The men-at-arms thus passed Navarre, and arrived at Logrono, where they inquired after the king of Castille. They were told he had resided for some time at Valladolid, but that he was then at Burgos, making great preparations of stores and pro- vision. They then followed the road toward Burgos, leaving that into Galicia, which country was not secure, for the English had marched far into it. News was brought to the king of Castille that great succors were on their march, to the amount of two thousand lances, from France. This delighted him greatly, and he set out from Valladolid, accompanied by ten thousand horse, for Burgos, where the French, on their coming, were quartered over the country. They were daily joined by others from France. CHAPTER LXIII. MANY PLANS ARE OFFERED TO THE KING OF CASTILLE FOR CARRYINS ON THE WAR : HE IS DETERMINED BY THE COMMANDERS OF THE FRENCH FORCE TO DELAY AN ENGAGEMENT UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF THE DUKE OF BOtTRBON, AND TO MAKE EXCURSIONS FROM THE DlF- FERENT GARRISONS. Sir William de Lignac and sir Walter de Passac, on their arrival at Buroos, waited on the king, at his palace, who received them kindly,°and thanked them br the trouble and pains they had taken, out of affection to him, and for coming to assist him. The knights bowed, and said : " that if they could do anything essential lor his service, their pains and trouble would soon be forgotten." Many councils were holden, to consider whether to march against the enemy, or carry on the war by excursions from the garrisons, until the duke of Bourbon arrived. The two knights said, •' bend tor sir Oliver du Guesclin, sir Peter de ViUaines, sir Barrels des Barres, Chatclmorant, and the other companions, who are better acquainted with this country than ourselves, for they have come hither belore us, and we will then confer together; and if it please God, your kingdom shall, from our counsels, acquire both profit and renown. The king said, they had spoken openly and loyally, and he was wil- ling thei? advice should be followed. Secretaries were instantly ern- ployed in writing pressing letters to the diflereiit kmghts and othera whom they wished to see, which were sent oil by messengers to he different parts where they resided When it was known to them that sir William de Lignac and sir Walter de f'>^^'tf''Yf,°,'^]t had sent for thenCthey were much pleased. They left the towns and castles in which they were garrisoned, under the command ot such as they could depend on, and hastened to Burgos where, in a short time, good part of the cliivalry of France were collected. The French Itniehts returned from this expedition before the e»- The king of Navarre died January 1, 1387.— Ed. * This was in 1386. pirauon of the year. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 427 ! - Tlie king of Castille held a grand council with the barons and fciights of France, on the manner of commencing the campaign, for ' they knew the enemy had taken the field. He was desirous of aet- ing in a manner becoming tlie honor of a king, and for the benefit of his country. Many were the debates, and the amount of the force in Castille was estimated. It was said, that the king could summon , into the field thirty thousand horse, witli their riders armed, according to the custom of the country, with darts and javelins, and thirty thou. sand infantry, if not more, with slings. The French knights con. [ sidered all this, and said it was certainly a great number of people, but it was useless as an army ; for they had formerly acted in so cowardly a manner that no confidence could be placed in them. Through their cowardice, the prince of Wales had won the battle of ; Najarra ; and the Castillians had been completely defeated by the Portuguese at Aljubarota. The count de Lerma took up this speech, and supported the Castillians. By way of excuse, he said: " With regard to the battle of Najarra, I must beg leave to speak to that. It is true that many noble knights from France were present with sir Bertrand du Gucsclin, who fought valiantly, for they were all slain or captured ; but you must also know that the flower of knight, hood of the whole world was under the command of the prince of Wales, whose good sense, courage, and prudence, were unrivalled. Such is not now the case with the duke of Lancaster. The prince had, at the battle of Najarra, full ten thousand spears, and six thou, sand archers ; and among the chivalry were three thousand equal to the Rolands and Olivers ; such as sir John Chaados, sir Thomas Fel- ton, sir Oliver de Clisson, sir Hugh Calverley, sir Richard de Pont- chardon, sir Garsis du Chatel, the lord de Raix, the lord de Rieux, sir Louis de Harcourt, sir Guiscard d'Angle, and hundreds more whom I could name, who were then present, but who are either dead, or have turned to our side. These are not now opposed to us, nor is the event so doubtful as it was in former times ; so that who- ever has confidence in me, will join my opinion for an instant com- bat ; and that we march to cross the river Duoro, which will redound to our honor." This speech of the count de Lerma was attentively listened to by the council, and many were of his mind. Sir Oliver du Guesclin next spoke : " Count de Lerma, we know that what you have uttered proceeds from the good sense and courage you possess ; and, suppose we were to march and offer combat to the duke of Lancaster, had ■we no other enemy, we should do well ; but you have forgotten the king of Portugal, whom we shall have on our rear, and whose forces consist, as we have been informed, of twenty-five hundred lances, and thirty thousand other men. It was the dependence on the king of Portugal that made the duke land in Galicia ; and we know that their alliance is very much strengthened by the marriage of the king with the duke's daughter. Now, let us hear what you can say to this." " In God's name," replied the count de Lerma, " the French being four thousand lances, are more than a match to combat the duke of Lancaster; and the king, w*ith his Castillians to the amount of twenty thousand horse, and thirty thousand foot, as they say, may surely withstand the king of Portugal : it appears to me so clear, that I will risk the event with them." The knights from France, seeing themselves thus rebuffed by the count de Lerma, said : " By God, you are in the right, and we in the wrong ; for we ought first to have weighed w-hat you have said : it shall be so, since you will it, and no one seems to oppose it." " My lords," said the king, " I beg of you to consider well the advice you give me, not through haste or pride, but with all attention, that the best plan may be adopted. I do not look on what has been said as decisive, nor approve of it : I will that we meet again in this same apartment to-morrow, and particularly that you, sir William de Lig- nac, and you, sir Walter de Passac, who have been sent hither by the king of France and the duke of Bourbon, as the commanders-in- chief, do confer together, and examine carefully what will be the most honorable and profitable for my kingdom ; for you shall deter, mine whether we march to offer combat to our enemies or not." They bowed to the king, and said they would cheerfully attend to his orders. The conference then broke up, and each retired to his lodging. The French knights had this day after dinner, and in the evening, much conversation on the subject. Some said : "We can. not in honor offer battle until the arrival of the duke of Bourbon ; for how do we know what will be his intentions, to fight or not ? Should we engage and be victorious, the duke will be highly indignant agaiiist the captains from France : should we be defeated, we not only ruin ourselves, but Castille also ; for if we be slain, there can be ' no hopes of recovery to the Castillians, and the king will lose his crown. We shall be blamed, should this happen, more than any others ; for it will be said, that we proposed the battle, and were ignorant advisers. Besides, we know not if the country be unan. imous in their affection to the king, or whether they may not have sent underhand, for the duke of Lancaster and his lady, as the legal heiress of Castille, for she is the daughter of don Pedro, as is well known to all. Now, should the Castillians say, on seeing the duke and the English in the field, that his is the justest cause, for that king John is a bastard, they may turn about toward the latter end of the day, as they did at NajaiTa, and leave us to be slain on the spot. Thus there is a double danger for the king and for us. They must be mad or foolish who advise a battle ; and why have not those who ought to have spoken, such as sir William de Lignac and sir Walter de Passac, delivered their sentiments?" " Because, '> replied others, " they wished to know our opinions first ; for it is not possible but that, when they left the council of France and the duke of Bourbon, they were well instructed how to act. We shall all know to-morrow." There was much disputing this evening between the knights from France, as well as among those of Castille. The well-wishers to the king would not advise him to offer battle, for the reason that, if they should be defeated, the kingdom was infallibly lost. The king himself was of this opinion : he dreaded the chances of war ; for he was ignorant of the support he should have, and whether he was be- loved by all his subjects or not. The matter thus remained until the morrow, when they were again assembled in the presence of the king. In this conference there were many speakers, for all were desirous to offer the king advice to the best of their abilities. It was visible the king was against the plan of the preceding day ; for he had not forgotten the unfortunate event of the battle of Aljubarota, where he was defeated by the king of Portugal with such loss, that another similar to it would lose him his realm. When all had delivered their opinions, sir VV^illiam de Lignac and sir Walter de Passac were asked theirs ; for, as they were the commanders-in-chief, everything should bo ordered and executed by them. The two knights, looking at each other, sir William said, " Do you speak, sir Walter." " Not I," replied sir Walter : " do you, for you have been longer used to arms than myself." Sir William having paused a while, thus spoke : " Sir king, you ought, methinks, to return many thanks to this noble chivalry of France, who have come so far to serve you in your dis- tress, and who have shown you so much affection as to decline shut- ting themselves up in any of your castles or towns, but are eager to take the field and combat your enemies wherever they may find them: which, however, saving your grace and the good will you show, can- not be done at present for many reasons ; the principal of which is, the absence of my lord the duke of Bourbon, who will soon arrive with a considerable reinforcement of men-at.anns. There are also many of our knights and squires who have never before been in this country, and are ignorant of the roads, to which they must attend ; and things which are hastily concluded never end well. Instead, therefore, of attempting a general engagement, we shall carry on the war for two or three months, or as long as may be necessary, from different garrisons, and let the English and Portuguese overrun Gali. cia, or other parts, if they can. If they conquer a few towns, it will be no great loss : we will regain them before we quit the country, for they shall only borrow them for a time. To conclude : in war- fare there are jnany unforeseen events, and the English during the hot season may, in their various excursions through Galicia, meet with such difficulties, and suffer such disorders, as may make them repent ever having undertaken the business ; for they will not find the climate like that of France, nor the wines so good, nor the water so pure as in our country ; but the rivers muddy and cold from the melting of the snows on the mountains, which will chill them and their horses after the burning heat of the sun in the day time, and be the destruction of them both. They are not of iron or steel, and must in the end suffer from the heats of Castille, but like to ourselves ; and we cannot any way more easily defeat them than by avoiding a combat, and allowing them to go whithersoever they please. They will find nothing to pillage in the low countries, nor anything to com- fort themselves; for, I am informed, that has been all destroyed by our people, for which I praise them greatly ; and, were it now un. done, I would have given them such orders. Now if any person can give better advice, let him do so ; for sir Walter and myself will cheerfully listen to him." The council unanimously replied : " We approve of what sir Wil- liam has offered, and cannot but think it the best advice for the king and kingdom of Castille." It was then determined to wait for the duke of Bourbon and the stores before they made preparations for taking the field, but to garrison strongly the frontier, and suffer the English and Portuguese to overrun Castille at their pleasure ; for, when they returned from their excursions, they could luit carry away the land with them. The conference ended, all left the chamber; and this day the king entertained at dinner, in his palace at Burgos, the barons and knights of France ; it was magnificently grand, ac- cording to the custom in Spain, On the morrow, before noon, all the men-at-arms were sent off to their different garrisons, with instruc- tions from their leaders how to act. Sir Oliver du Guesclin, count de Longueville, was ordered, with a thousand spears, to a tolerably strong town on the borders of Galicia, called Ville-saincte ;* sir Re- ginald and sir Tristan de Roye to another town, ten leagues further, but on the frontier of Galicia, called Ville-d'Agillare-de-Champ,t with three hundred lances ; sir Peter de Belesme, with two hundred lances, to BcneventS ; the count de Lerma to the town of Zamora ; sir John dcs Barres, with three hundred, to the castle of Noya ; sir John de Chatelmorant and sir Tristan de la Jaille, with others, to the city of Valencia; the viscount de Besliere to the town of Ribesda, with sir John and sir Robert de Braquemont. In such manner were the men- at-arms divided : sir Oliver du Guesclin was nominated constable, having the largest body under his command ; and sir 'William de * " Ville-sainclc.'* Ci. VilaJpando. t " Viile-d'AgiUare-de-Champ." Q. Avilft. 428 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. Lignac and sir Walter de Passac remained near the king at Burgos and attended him wherever he went. Thus were affairs managed in Castille, waiting for the duke of Bourbon, who was still in France making his preparations. But we will leave the armies of Castille and of the duke of Lancaster, for a short time, and return to them again when necessary, to speak of such events as happened in France and England ; many of which were strange enough, and dangerous to both kingdoms, but particu- larly displeasing to the king of England and his council. CHAPTER LXIV. THE CONSTABLE DE CLISSON MAKES GREAT PREPARATIONS TO INVADE ENGLAND. MUCH MURMtmiNG AND DISCONTENT IN ENGLAND AGAINST KING RICHARD AND HIS COUNCIL. I HAVE before related at length, how the grand expedition, which was preparing at Sluys to invade England, was broken up ; but to show how much the French were in earnest, and that it might not be said they had given it over through cowardice, but were still eager to land in England, it was ordered that the con. stable should sail thither in the month of ^ May, when the weather was fine, and the sea calm. His force was to consist _r- -^ of four thousand men-at-arms and two -\ thousand cross-bows, who were to as. ^' ■ - -' ^ semble in a town of Brittany called ^-~ Tr^guier,* situated on the sea-coast, and opposite to Cornwall. His preparations, which were very considerable, were all made there, and the horses were to em- bark at that port, the more easily to over- run England ; for without horses no war on land can be carried on with effect. In this harbor were numbers of vessels of all descriptions, which were laden with wines, salted meats, biscuits, and other things, in such quantities, as might sei-ve them four or five months, without requiring anything tVom the country ; for the constable know, that when the Eng. lish should hear of his landing, they would destroy all the lowlands, to pre. vent him from having any support ; and it was for this reason he had provided such immense stores. Another large fleet, to invade England, was likewise prepared at Harfleur, by the lord de Coucy, the lord de St. Pol, and the ad. miral of France, who were to embark on board of it with two thousand spears ; but it was said that this was solely intended to force the duke of Lan. caster to withdraw himself and his army from Castille. The duke of Bourbon was still at Paris ; for he knew the duke of Lancaster must return to England, and it would be unnecessary for him to take so long a journey to Castille. The army of the constable consisted of Bretons, Angevins, Manceaux, Saintongers, and knights and squires from the adjoining countries. That of the count de St. Pol and the lord de Coucy was composed from the Isle of France, Normandy, and Picardy. The duke of Bourbon had two thousand spears from Berry, Auvergne, Limousin, and lower Burgundy. Such was the distribution of the forces in France ; and every man knew how he was to be employed, whether in England or Castille. England was, at this period, in greater danger than when the peas- ants, under Jack Straw, rose in rebellion, and marched to London ; and I will tell you the cause. The nobles and gentlemen were unani- mous, at that time, in their support of the king, but now there were many serious differences between them. The king quarrelled with iiis uncles of York and Gloucester, and they were equally displeased with him, caused, as it was said, by the intrigues of the duke of Ire- land, the sole confidant of the king. The community, in many towns and cites, had noticed these quarrels, and the wisest dreaded the consequences that might ensue ; but the giddy laughed at them, and said, they were owing to the jealousy of the king's uncles, and because the crown was not on their heads. But others said ; " The king is young, and puts his confidence in youngsters : it would be to his advantage if he consulted his uncles more, who can only wish the prosperity of the country, than that puppy, the duke of Ireland, who is ignorant of all things, and who never saw a battle." Thus were the English divided ; and great disasters seemed to be at hand, which was perfectly known all over France, and caused them to hasten their preparations for invading the country and adding to its miseries. The prelates of England were also quarrelling ; the archbishop of Canter- bury with that of York, who was of the house of Neville. They hated each other mortally, because the lord Neville had been appointed lieutenant of Northumberland, in preference to the sons of the earl of * "Treguier"— ten leagues nortliwest of St. Brieux, and twenly-tliree northeast of Brest. Northumberland, sir Henry and sir Ralph Percy, which the arch- bishop, who was one of the king's council, had obtained for his brother, through the duke of Ireland. As soon as the English learnt that the camps near Sluys were broken up, and the invasion given over, great niurmurings were general throughout England. Those who wished mischief said ; " What is now become of our grand enterprises and our valiant cap. tains ? Would that our gallant king Edward and his son, the prince of Wales, were now alive ! We used to invade France and rebuff our enemies, so that they were afraid to show themselves, or venture to engage us ; and, when they did so, they were defeated. What a glorious expedition did our king Edward, of happy memory, make, when he landed in Normandy, and marched through France ! After many battles and other fine exploits, he defeated king Philip and the whole power of the French at Crecy, and took Calais before he re. turned home. Where are the knights and princes of England who can now do such things ? Did not likewise the prince of Wales, son of this gallant king, make prisoner the king of France, and defeat hia army at Poitiers, with the small force he had, compared with that of Cttt of Bdroos.— From La Borde's Voyage TiUoresque en Espagne. king John ? In those days we were feared, and our renown was spread abroad, wherever chivalry was esteemed ; but at this moment we must be silent, for they know not how to make war, except on our pockets : for this they are ready enough. Only a child reigns now in France, and yet he has given us more alarms than any of his predecessors, and shows good courage and inclination to invade us. It was not his fault, but thai of his advisers, that he did not attempt it. We have seen the time when, if such a fleet had been known to have been collected at Sluys, the good king and his sons would have hastened to attack it; but now-a-days the nobles are delighted to have nothing to do, and remain in peace ; but they will not suffer us to live in quiet, as long as we have anything in our purses. We have seen the time when conquests were made by us in France, and no taxes demanded ; but every one was made rich from the great wealth which abounded in France. What is become of the immense sums which have been raised, as well by taxes as by the current revenue? They must have been wasted or purloined. We must know how the country is governed, and who are the advisers of the king : if is not right that such things be longer unattended to; for this country is not so rich, nor able to bear the burdens Franc'e does, which abounds in all things. It seems, also, that we are weakened in understanding and activity as well as in courage ; for v/e used to know what was intended by France, and what were its plans, some months before they could execute them, by which we were prepared to resist them. Now, we are not only ignorant of what is going forward in France ; but they are well informed of all that passes, though under the seal of secrecy, in our councils, and wo know not whom to blame. But a day must come when all this will be public ; for there are secret traitors in the council, and the sooner this is inquired into the better: we may delay it so long that it will be too late to provide a remedy." Such conversations were very common, not only with knights and squires, but among the inhabitants of many of the towns, which placed the realm in much danger. The knights and squires who had been summoned to the defence of the kingdom, now demanded their pay; and other large sums were called for, to defray the great expenses the kinij and his council had been at in guarding the country against the invasion from France. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN efore aasembled in London, of the nobles, pre. same time, which I will relate in pre & c . 429 A parliament was therefore aasembled in London, of tlic nobles, pre. lates, and commonalty, to consider of laying a general tax throughout the country to answer all these demands. The parliament adjourned from London to Westminster, when those summoned attended, and indeed many others, who came to hear the news. The king and his two uncles of York and Gloucester were present ; and the parliament was harangued on the subject of the finances, and assured that there was not in the royal treasury more than sufficient to support, even with economy, the usual expenses of the king. The council said, there was no other means than laying a general tax on all the country, if they were desirous of paying the great sums the defence of the kingdom had cost. Those from the archbishopric of Canterbury, the bishoprics of Norwich and Warwick, the counties of Devonshire, Hampshire, and Wiltshire, readily assented; because they knew bet. ter what had been done, and were more alarmed than those at a greater distance, in Wales, Bristol, and Cornwall, who were rebellious, and said ; " We have never seen any enemies come into this country : why therefore should we be thus heavily taxed, and nothing done ?" " Yes, yes," replied the others : " let them call on the king's council, the archbishop of York and the duke of Ireland, who received sixty thousand francs, for the ransom of John of Brittany, from the con- stable of France, which ought to have gone to the general profit of the kingdom. Let them call on sir Simon Burley, sir William Elm- ham, sir Thomas Brand, sir Robert Tresilian, and sir John Beau- champ, who have governed the king. If they gave a true account of the sums raised in England, or were forced so to do, there would be more than money enough to pay all expenses, and poor people might remain in quiet.'' The king's uncles were much pleased when these speeches were told them ; for those they had named were unfriendly to their interests, and opposed their obtaining any favors from the court. They en. couraged such discourses ; and, to gain popularity, said ; " The good people who hold such language are well advised in wishing to have an account of the management of the finances, and in refusing to pay their taxes ; for, in good truth, there ia cash enough either in the purses of the king or of those who govern him." By degrees this discontent was much increased among the people, who declared against any tax being laid on, and who grew bolder in their language when they saw that the king's uncles, the archbishop of Canterbury, the earls of Salisbury and Northumberland, with many other great barons, supported them. The ministers, therefore, withdrew the tax, and said nothing should be done in the matter until Michaelmas, when the parliament would again meet. Those knights and squires who were expecting their pay, were much angered against the king and his council for their disappoint, ment, and the ministers appeased them in the best manner they could. When the parliament broke up, and the members went dif. ferent ways, the king did not take leave of his uncles, nor they of him. The king was advised to retire into Wales for a time until more favorable circumstances, which he agreed to, and left London without taking leave of any one. He carried with him all his coun- cil, except the archbishop of York, who returned into his diocese. It was fortunate for him he did so, otherwise it would have happened to him as to the other counsellors of the king, as I shall presently narrate. But I must speak as much of France as of England, when the matter requires it. CHAPTER LXV. THE CONSTABLE OF FRANCE WITH SEVERAL OTHERS MAKE PREPARATIONS TO INVADE ENGLAND. THE DUKE OF BRITTANY PRACTICES TO PREVENT THIS EXPEDITION. When the sweet season of summer and the delightful month of May were come, in the year of our Lord 1387, while the duke of Lancaster was making conquests in Galicia, and, in conjunction with the king of Portugal, overrunning Castillo without opposition ; there were, as I before said, great preparations making in France for the invasion of England, by the constable, at Tr<;guier in Brittany ; and by the count de St. Pol, the lord de Coucy, and the admiral of France, at Harfleur. They had under their command six thousand men-at-anns, two thousand cross-bows, and six thousand lusty varlets. whom they intended to land at Dover and Orwell. It waff ordered, that no one was to embark unless he were provided with suitable armor and provision for three months. They were the flower of chivalry, and had plenty of oats and hay for their horses. Their leaders had appointed a day for sailing, which was now almost ar. rived ; and their servants were as busily employed as at Sluys, in laying in all stores and other necessaries at the two parts of Tr^guier and Harfleur. The men-at-arms, under the count de St. Pol and the admiral, were paid fifteen days in advance ; but they were still on shore, and those in the more distant parts were daily arriving. All things were now in such forwardness, no one could have imagined it would not take place. It was not, however, broken up by the cap- tains, but by a most extraordinary event which happened in Brittany. The king of France and his council were sorely vexed thereat ; but, as they could not amend it, they were forced to endure it as well aa they could, and act prudently, for this was not the moment of re- venge. Other newa was brought to the king from Germany, at the same time, which I will relate in proper lime and place ; but I will mention that of Brittany first, as it so occurred in point of time, and was the most unfortunate, though the events in Germany were cause of greater expense. If I were merely to say, such and such things happened at such times, without entering fully into the matter, which was grandly horrible and disastrous, it would be a chronicle, but no history. I might, to be sure, pass it by, if I had chosen it : that I will not do ; but relate fully the fact, if God grant me life, abilities, and leisure, to chronicle and historify the matter at length. You have before seen, in different parts of this history, how sir John de Montfort, called duke of Brittany, (who indeed was so by conquest, though not by direct descent,) had always supported the English'to the utmost of his power against France. He had reason to attach himself to them ; for they had made war for him, and without their assistance he would never have conquered before Auray nor elsewhere. You know also, from this history, that the duke of Brittany had no power over the greater part of his nobles nor the principal towns ; more especially sir Bertrand de Guesclin, as long as he lived, sir Oliver de Clisson constable of France, the lords de Beaumanoir, de Laval, de Raix, de Dinant, the viscount de Rohan, and the lord de Rochefort, refused him obedience ; and whichever way these lords incline, the whole duchy follow their example. They were willing, indeed, to support him against any power but France ; and truly I must say, that the Bretons have ever gallantly defended the honor of France, as will be apparent to any person who shall read this history. But let it not be said, that I have been corrupted by the favor of count Guy de Blois, (who has induced me to undertake, and has paid me for this history to my satisfaction,) because he was nephew to the rightfid duke of Brittany ; for count Lewis of Blois was cousin-german to St. Charles, who as long as he lived was the true duke. It is not so ; for I will speak the truth, and go straight forward, without coloring one side more than another, and that gallant prince who patronized this history never wished me in any way to act otherwise. To return to my subject. You have read how the duke of Brit, tany, when he found he could not manage hia subjects, became sus. picious of them, and fearful lest they should arrest him and confine him in one of the king of France's prisons. He left Brittany for England, with his household and the lady Jane his duchess, daughter of that good knight sir Thomas Holland. After staying there some lime, he went to Flanders, where he resided, with his cousin-german count Lewis, upward of a year and a half, when his coimtry, being more favorable, sent for him back. Some of the towns, however, on his return, continued their rebellion, especially Nantes ; but all the barons, knights, and prelates, submitted to him, except those whom I have before named. In order to put them under his obedience, by means of some of the principal cities which assented to his plans, and for the purpose of giving alarm to the king of France and his council, who were desirous of laying taxes on Brittany similar to those of France and Picardy, which he and the country would never suffer, he demanded aid from the king of England of men-at-arms and archers, assuring the council of England, that if the king or one of his uncles would come to Brittany, in sufficient force, the whole country would be open, and ready to receive them. King Richard and his council were greatly pleased on receiving this intelligence, which seemed to them so good, that they could not do better than accept the offer, since Brittany was so well inclined to receive them. They ordered thither the earl of Buckingham, with four thousand spears and eight thousand archers, who, having landed at Calais, marched through the kingdom of France without meeting any opposition, although they frequently offered battle, as you have before read. When they came to Brittany, they expected to find all ready to receive them, as they had indeed sustained a long inarch : but everything was contrary to what had been promised ; for the duke's advisers had managed with so much prudence, that they had made his peace with the young king of France : had Charles V. been alive, it could not have been done, for he hated him too much. The duke of Burgundy, who was, at that time, at the head of the government of France, was greatly instrumental in bringing this ac- commodation about through the entreaties of his duchess, who was very nearly related to the duke of Brittany. He was, in consequence, forced to break all the engagements he had made with the English, from the impossibility of his keeping them ; for Bretons will never firmly join the English in making war on France. They never had, nor ever will have, such inclinations. The English were obliged to lodge themselves in Vannes and its neighborhood, and to suff^er the greatest distress and poverty, which destroyed many of their men, and all their horses. When they left Brittany, they were greatly dis- contented with the duke, more particularly the ear! of Buckingham, who, on his return to England, made such heavy complaints agains*' him to the king, the duke of Lancaster and the council, that it was resolved by them to give John of Brittany his liberty, and carry him to Brittany, to wage war against the duke under his name. It was there said ; " Sir John de Montfort knows well that he owes his duchy solely to us, for without our aid he never could have gained it and a pretty return he has made us, by wearing our army down with fatigue and famine, and fruitlessly expending our treasure. We must make him feel for his ingratitude ; and we cannot better revenge ourselves than by setting his tival at liberty, and landing him in ^hat 430 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. country, where the towns and castles will open their gates to him, and expel the other who has thus depeived us." This resolution was unanimously adopted. John of Brittany was brought before the council, and told they would give him his liberty, regain for him the duchy of Brittany, and marry him to tlie lady Philippa of Lancaster, on condition that Brittany should be held as a fief from England, and that he would do the king homage for it. He refused compliance with these terms. He would, indeed, have accepted the lady, but peremptorily refused to enter into any engage, inents inimical to France, were he to remain prisoner all his days. The council, hearing this, grew cool in their offers of freedom, and replaced him undgr the guard of sir Thomas d'Ambreticourt. This I have already related, but I now return to it on account of the event which happened in Brittany, as being the consequence ; for the duke, well aware he was in disgrace with all England, was greatly alarmed at the dangers tliat might ensue, from the treatment the earl of Buck- ingham and his army were forced to put up with, from the breach of all his engagements. Neither the king of England nor his uncles longer wrote him such friendly lettere as they were used to do before the earl of Buckingham's e.\pedition. His alarms were much in- creased when he heard that John of Brittany was returned from Eng- land, and said, the English had given him his liberty in revenge for his late conduct. The duke upon this determined, by one bold stroke, to recover the favor of England, and do it so secretly and opportunely that the English should thank him. He knew there was not a man on earth whom they more hated and dreaded than sir Oliver de Clisson, con- Btable of France ; for, in truth, his thoughts were daily and nightly employed on the means to injure England. He was the proposer of the late great armament at Sluys, and the chief dictator of those car- ried on at Treguier and Harfleur. The duke, therefore, to please the English, and to show he had not much dependence on nor love for the French, resolved to prevent the intended invasion of England taking effect : not, indeed, by forbidding his subjects to join in this attack on England, under pain of forfeiting their lands, for that would have too clearly discovered the side to which he leaned. He went to work more secretly, and thought he could not act more to his ad- vantage than to arrest the constable, and put him to death, for which the English would thank him, as they hated him much. He was not afraid of his family, as it was not powerful enough to make war against him ; for he had but two daughters, one married to John of Brittany, and the other to the viscount de Rohan. He could easily withstand them ; and, as there would be but one baron slain, when dead, none would make war for him. CHAPTER LXVI. THE DUKE OF BRITTANY SUMMONS HIS BARONS AND KNIGHTS TO A COUN- CIL AT VANNES. SIR OLIVER DE CLISSON AND THE LORD DE BEAUMA- KOm ARE HADE PRISONERS IN THE CASTLE OF ERMINE, AND IN SREAT DANGER OF THEIR LIVES. The duke of Brittany, to accomplish his plan, appointed a great parliament to be holden at Valines, and sent very affectionate letters to his barons and knights, to entreat they would be present ; but he w.ts particularly pressing with the constable of France, adding, that he was more an.\ious to see him than all the rest. The constable never thought of excusing himselt", for the duke was now his acknow- ledged lord, and he wished to be in his favor : he came therefore to Vannes, as did great numbers of other barons. The assembly was numerous, and lasted some time ; and many things were discussed which concerned the duke and the country, but tlic intended inva- sion of England was never touched on, for the duke pretended to know nothing about it, and kept a strict silence. The parliament was held in the castle de la Motte at Vannes, where the duke gave a grand dinner to the barons of Brittany, and kept them in enjoy- ment and affectionate conversation until night, when they returned to their lodgings in the suburbs witliout the town. At this diinier were the greater part of the barons of Brittany, toward the end of which the duke showed them the most friendly attention ; but he had other thoughts in his heart, unknown to all excepting those to whom he had confidentially opened himself. The constable of France, to please the knights of Brittany, and because he thought his office required it, invited all who had dined with the duke to dine with him on the morrow. Some came, but others went home to take leave of their wives and families ; for it was the intention of the constable, on leaving Vannes to make for Treguier and embark on board his fleet, which was ready for him. All this the duke knew, but never said one word ; for he wished to have it believed that he was ignorant of it. When the duke entered the hotel of the consta. ble, and was announced, all rose up, as was right, and kindly re- ceived him in the manner in which their lord should be accosted. He behaved in the most friendly manner, and, seating himself among them, eat and drank, and showed them stronger marks of affection than he had ever before done. He said, " I ly fair sirs, friends and companions, God send that you may ever come and go from me with equal pleasure, and that you may perform such deeds of arms as may satisfy you and gam you profit and renown." " May God," they feplied, " render you the same, and we most humbly thank you that jou are thua kindly come to see ua before we depart." You must know, that in these days, the duke of Brittany was building a very handsome and strong castle near Vannes, called the castle of Ermine, which was almost completed. Being eager to catch the constable, he said to him, the lord de Beaumanoir, and other barons, " My dear sirs, I entreat, that before you quit this country, you will come and see my castle of Ermine, that you may view what I have done, and the plans I intend executing." They all accepted his invitation, for his behavior had been so kind and open, that they never thought he was imagining mischief. They accompanied the duke on horseback to this casde ; and, when ar- rived, the duke, the constable, the lords de Laval and de Beauma- noir, dismounted and entered within its apartments. The duke led the constable by the hand from chamber to chamber, and to all parts, even to the cellars, where wine was offered. When he had carried them all over it, they came to the keep ; and, stopping at the entrance, the duke said, "Sir Oliver, there is not a man on this side of the sea who understands masonry like you: enter, therefore, I beg of you, and examine the walls well ; and if you say it is properly built, it shall remain, otherwise it shall be altered." The constable, who thought nothing ill was intended, replied, he would cheerfully do so, and desired the duke to go first. "No," said the duke; "go by your- self, while I talk a Utde here with the lord de Laval." The consta- ble, desirous to acquit himself, entered the tower and ascended the staircase. Wlien he had passed the first floor, some armed men, who had been there posted in ambush, knowing how they were to act, shut the door below them, and advanced on the constable, whom they seized, and dragged into an apartment, and loaded him with three pairs of fetters. As they were putting them oil, they said, " My lord, forgive what we are doing, for we are obliged to it by the strict orders we have had from die duke of Brittany."* If the con. stable was alarmed, it is no wonder ; but he ought not to have beea surprised, for, since the quarrel which he had had with the duke, he ' would never come near him, though many invitations and passports were sent. He was fearful of trusting himself with the duke, in which he was justified ; for, when he did come, you see the conse- quences of the duke's hatred, which now burst out. When the lord de Laval, who was at the entrance of the tower, heard and saw the door shut with violence, he was afraid of some plot against his brother-in-law ; and, turning to the duke, who looked as pale as death, was confirmed something was wrong. He said, "Ah, my lord, for God's sake what are they doing ? Do not use any violence against the constable." " Lord de Laval, mount your horse, and go hence, for you may depart when you please ; I know well what I am about." " My lord," replied the lord de Laval, "I will never depart without my brother-in-law, the constable." At these words, the lord de Beaumanoir (whom the duke greatly hated) • came and asked where the constable was. The duke, drawing his ■ dagger, advanced to him and said, " Beaumanoir, dost thou wish to' be like thy master?' " My lord," replied Beaumanoir, " I believe* my master cannot be in a good plight." " I ask thee again, if thou wouldst wish to be Uke him." " Yes, my lord," said de Beauma- noir. The duke then taking his dagger by the point, said, " W'ell. then, Beaumanoir, since thou wouldst be like him, thou must thrust one of thy eyes out."t The lord de Beaumanoir, seeing, from the duke's countenance, things were taking a bad turn, cast himself on his knee, and said, " My lord, I have that opinion of your honor and nobleness of mind, that, if it please God, you will never act other, wise than right. We are at your mercy, and are come hither solely to accompany you, and at your own request ; do not therefore dis- honor yourself, by executing any wild scheme, if such be in your thoughts, for you may hereafter repent of it." " Go, go," replied the duke ; " thou shall have neither better nor worse than him." He was then arrested by those who had previously received their orders, dragged into a room, and fettered with three pairs of irons. He was much alarmed, as you may suppose, for he knew the duke loved him as litde as he did the constable, but he could not then help it. News was soon spread through the castle and town, that the con- stable and the lord Beaumanoir had been arrested and confined ; but it surprised many that the lord de Laval was not confined with them ; and that the duke had allowed him to depart when he pleased. The constable's impiisonment astonished all who heard it, and not widiout cause; for it was said the duke's hatred was so strong, that he would have him and his companion put to death. The duke was exceedingly blamed by all knights and squires who heard of this; they said, "That no prince had ever dishonored himself so much as the duke of Brittany. He invites the constable to dine with him, who accepts the invitation, goes to his palace, and drinks of his wine. He is then requested to view his buildings, wherein he is arrested : never was the like heard of. What does the duke think to do with him ? He has rendered himself infamous, for never was there a more disgraceful act ; and, henceforward, no one will have confidence in princes, since the duke has thus played the traitor, * These excuses were afterwords ofno avail : for llie ronslaWe punislied tliem accord- ing to their deserts. He only pardoned a squire, t.amcd liernard. who had die humanity to give him his cloak, to preseive him from the dampness of the pUice.-Wiif. (It: BH- '°f Aliudine to the constable havinc but one eye. He lost it at the balUc of .'Vuray ■ notwilhsuindiiis which, he never quitted the field of battle. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 431 and, by treacherous means, enticed these gallant men into his castle, wherein he imprisons them. What will the king of France say to this ? and especially as the consequence must be, that he must give ■up the intended invasion of England. Never was such wickedness thought of. At present he has discovered what was rankling in his heart. Did any one in Brittany, or elsewhere, ever hear of the like : If a poor knight had done so, he would have been for ever disgraced In whom can any man place confidence but in his lord, who is bounden to act uprightly, and redress such wrongs as his vassals may complain of? Who can take upon him to punish this deed, or ■who is capable of it, but the king of France ? The duke now openly shows his attachment to the English, and that he means to assist them, by thus preventing the expedition against them taking effect. What ought the knights and squires of Brittany at this mo. ment to do ? Why, they should instantly leave their homes, and hasten to lay siege to the castle of Ermine, and inclose the duke within it, and never depart until they have taken him, dead or alive, and carried him, like a false and disloyal prince, to the king of France, for him to punish him according to his deserts." Thus did those knights speak who had been at the parliament, and who had not left Vanncs and that part of the country ; but they were much afraid lest the duke should put them to death. Others said, " The lord de Laval is still with the duke, and will prevent it ; for he is so wise and prudent, he will check the duke's rage." In effect, he did so ; for, had he not e.verted himseU' to the utmost, there is not a doubt but that the constable would have been murdered that night, had he had a thousand lives. CHAPTER LXVII. TKE CONSTABLE DE CLISSOX, THKOCGH THE EXERTIONS OF THE LORD DE LAVAL, OBTAINS HIS LIBERTY, BY PAYING A LARGE SUM OF MONEY, AND DELIVERING UP TO THE DUKE OF BRITTANY SOME OF HIS CASTLES. It may be readily believed, that the constable was not at his ease, when he found himself thus entrapped and ironed. He was guarded by thirty men, who were unable to comfort him, for they could only obey their lord's orders. In his own mind, he considered himself as a dead man ; for he had not the most distant hope of any assistance coming to him. Ho had his fetters taken thrice from him, and was stretched on the floor ; for the duke, at one time, would have him beheaded, at another drowned ; and one or other of these deaths he would certainly have suffered, if it had not been for the lord de La. val. When he heard the duke give orders for the constable's death, he flung himself on his knees, and, with uplifted hands and tears, said, " .\h, my lord, for God's mercy, think better of this matter ; do not act so cruelly against, my brother-in.law the constable. He cannot have deserved death. Through kindness, tell me what it is that has so mightily angered you against him. I swear, that what- ever may be his crime, he shall make such amends, in body and estate, or I for him, or both of us together, as shall surpass anything you may imagine, or condemn him to, excepting death or imprison, ment. Remember, for God's sake, my lord, how you were educated together, in the same hotel with the duke of Lancaster, who is so loyal and gallant a prince, none ever was, nor will be his equal. For God's mercy, remember, my lord, how, in former times, before iie had made his peace with France, he had always served you loy. ally ; he assisted you in the recovery of your duchy ; and you ever found him ready to support you in the field and in council. If you have not any very just cause indeed, that moves your passion, he cannot be deserving death." ." Lord de Laval," rephed the duke, " allow me to act as I please. Clisson has so frequently angered me, that it is now necessary I make him feel it. Go your ways, I want nothing with you : let me show my cruelly ; for I am resolved he shall die." " Ah, my lord," replied the lord de Laval, " moderate your rage, and hear reason. If you thus put him to death, no prince will ever so completely disgrace himself; and there ■\vill not be a knight, squire, nor honest man in all Brittany, who will not mortally hate you, and do everything they can to drive you out of your duchy. Neither the king of England nor his council will thank you ; and would you thus disgrace yourself for the life of one man ? For the love of God, change your intention, as the one you want to carry into effect is not only good for nothing, but dishonorable. It would be infamous thus to put to death so great a baron and so gallant a inight as the lord de Clisson ; and should you do so, it will be con. sidered as traitorous, and a reproach to you before God and by all the world. You invited him to dine with you : he came. You then seek for him, in the most friendly manner, and desire him to accom. pany you to sec your buildings : he does so : he obeys your every command, and drinks of your mne ; and is all this affection you show him but a veil to cover your treachery, and the means to rob him of his life ? Should you do so, no lord will be ever so disgraced : all the world will detest you, reproach you for it, and make war upon you. But, since your hatred is so violent against the constable, I will tell you how you shall act : you shall give him his liberty for a large sum of florins. This you may compound for; and, should he hold any ctsstle that you jnay claim as yours, he shall deliver it up ; and I will be his security for the due performance of whatever vou may agree to." When the duke of Brittany heard the lord de Laval thus address him, and never for one moment quit his presence, for he followed him the whole night, he paused awhile, and, being somewhat cooled, said, " Lord de Laval, you have been of the greatest service to your brother.in.law ; for know, that he is the man whom I hate the most in the world, and, if you had not been here, he should not have been alive to-moiTow morning : but your eloquence has saved him. Go to him, and ask if he be willing to pay down one hundred thousand francs ; for I will have no other security but the money ; and sur- render to me three castles and one town, such as CluVteau Broc, Chateau Josselin, Lamballe, and the town of Jugon. When he shall pay his ransom, and put me, or those I may send thither, in posses- sion of these places, I will give him his liberty."* . " My lord," re- plied the lord de Laval, " I give you a thousand thanks for having so graciously listened to my entreaties : be assured that all you ask shall be granted : the town and castles shall be given up, and the money paid, before he leave this place." The lord de Laval was rejoiced beyond measure when he found his brother thus freed from prison and death. He had the gate of the tower opened, which could not be done but by the duke's order, and, mounting the staircase, found the constable much alarmed, (for he was expecting every moment to be put to death,) and chained down with three pairs of fetters ; but when he saw the lord de Laval, his heart revived, for he imagined some treaty had been entered into. The lord de Laval said to the guards, "Unfetter my brother Clisson, and then I shall talk with him ;" and addressing himself to the constable, " Dear brother, will you consent to whatever I may have done ?" " Yes, brother," re- plied the constable. At these words, his irons were taken off. The lord de Laval took him aside, and said, " Brother, I have, with much difliculty, saved your life ; but it is on condition, that you pay down, before you leave this place, one hundred thousand francs, and sur- render to the duke three castles and your town of Jugon, otlierwise you will not have your liberty." " I agree to all this," rephed the constable. " You are in the right, brother," said the lord de Laval. " But," said the constable, " who will go to Clisson and elsewhere t-o collect the money ? I believe, fair brother de Laval, you must undertake this." " No," replied the lord de Laval : " I will never quit this castle until I have you with me ; for I too well know the duke's cruel disposition; and he may repent of his bargain when I am gone, by some foolish conversation he may hear concerning you, and the whole be broken off." " And whom then can we send thither?" asked the constable. " The lord de Beaumanoir," replied his brother-in-law : " ive will send him, for he is a prisoner like your- self, and he shall undertake to collect the whole." " Well," said the constable, " go down stairs, and order whatever you shall tliink for the best." CHAPTER LXVIII. THE LORD DE BEAl'MANOIR IS SET AT LIBERTY BY THE DUKE OF BRITTANY, THAT HE MAY COLLECT THE RANSOM FOR THE CONSTABLE, WHO OB- TAINS HIS FREEDOM ON SURRENDERING THE PLACES AGREED ON. THE IMPRISONMENT OF THE CONSTABLE IS KNOWN AT THE COURT OF FRAHCE. The lord de Laval lost no time in going to the chamber of the duke, who was undressing himself for bed, as he had not slept the whole night. On his entrance he bowed, and said, " My lord, you must set at liberty the lord de Beamanoir, that brother Clisson may talk with him ; for it is he who must go for the money, and give your people possession of the castles and town." " Well," replied the duke, " let his irons be taken off, and put them in an apartment to- gether : I shall look to you for the performance of the treaty, as I do not wish to see them ; and, when I shall have slept a little, return to me again, and we will talk more on the subject." " Very well, my lord," said the lord de Laval, and quitted the chamber, accompanied by two knights, who conducted him to the place where the lord de Beaumanoir was confined. He was in hourly expectation of being put to death • and, when the door opened (as he owned afterwards,) he thought they were come to lead him to execution. On seeing the lord de Laval, his spirits were raised, and still more when he said, " Lord de Beaumanoir, rejoice : your liberty is granted." On this his tetters were taken off, and he was led into an apartment, whither the constable was also conducted, and placed between them. Wine and plenty of provision were brought, and the whole of the household were much pleased when they heard how matters were going on, and that all would end well. They had very unwillingly witnessed what had been done to the constable and the lord de Beaumanoir ; but they could not help it, bound as they were to obey their lord's orders, right or wrong. From the time the drawbridge had been raised, and the gates shut, no person whatever had entered the castle (for the keys were in the duke's chamber,) until he was awakened, which was not sooner than nine o'clock, when he arose. This, alarmed those squires and varlets who were waiting without, and they knew not what to think of it. News of what had passed was already carried to Tr^guier, where they said, " Do you know what * The historian of Brittany, dom Morice, mentions the following castles and places wh ch the duke insisted on having, with the hundred thousand francs, for the ransom of the constable: Josselin, Lamballe, Broon, Jugon, Bleiu, Guingamp, La Roclieder- rien, Ciiastellaudren, Clisson, and Chateau-gui, which were strong places, some be* longmg to the constable, and others to John of Brittany, count de Penthievre. 432 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. has happened? The duke of Brittany has imprisoned, in his castle of Ermine, the constable of Fiance, the lord de Laval, and the lord de Beaumanoir, and, it is supposed, will murder them, if he has not already done it." Knights and squires were astonished, and deplored the event, saying, " Our expedition is at an end, for we shall lose the fine weather. Ah, constable I how unfortunate you have been to suffer weak counsel to deceive you. The parliament held at Vannes was purposely to entrap you. Your opinion formerly of the duke was sucli that you said, if he were to send you five hundred assu- rances of safety, you would never trust yourself with him, so strong were your suspicions then ; but now you simply accompany him alone, and are miserably paid for it 1" The whole duchy of Brittany bewailed the treatment of the constable, and knew not how to act. The knights and squires of the fleet said, " Why do we stay here ? why do we not go and invest the duke in his castle of Ermine ? and, if he should have put the constable to death, confine him ; if he detain him in prison, why do we not remain there until we have set liim free ; for Brittany has never suffered such a loss as now, by the capture of the constable." Such were the different conversations that passed ; but no one moved, as they were waiting for further intelligence ; and all were running to differ- ent quarters in search of it. Within two days, the king of France and his uncles were informed of what had happened to the con- stable, to their great astonishment. The duke of Bourbon had then left the court and was at Avignon, on his way to Castille, as he was desirous of first seeing the Pope. He, however, heard of it when at Lyon with the count Savoye. The count de St. Pol, the lord de Coucy, and the admiral of France, were on the point of embarking at Harfleur, when Jhey learnt how the duke of Brittany had, by a trick, imprisoned the constable and the lord de Beaumanoir; and that it was cur- rently believed in Brittany he had put them to death, for he hated them mortally. These lords were so astonished at the intelligence, that they said, " Our expedition is at an end : let us disband our men-at-arms, and make for Paris, where we shall know from the king what he would have us do." " It is well that we should go to Paris," replied the admiral ; " but there is not any necessity for dismissing all our men-at-arms. Perhaps they may be wanted elsewhere, in Castille, whither the duke of Bourbon is gone, or in Brittany against this duke. Do you imagine the king of France will quietly suffer what he has done ? No, by God : he will never escape without losing two hundred thousand florins at least, for the indignity he has shown a constable of France ; and he will be lucky if he come off so well. Was ever anything heard or seen like this conduct, which has ruined the king's expedition, and prevented him from annoying his enemies ? Let us stay where we are for two or three days, when we shall hear something more from Brittany or Paris." CHAPTER LXIX. THE DUKE OF BRITTANY DICTATES THE TERMS OF THE TREATIES, FOR TliE SURRENDER OF DIFFERENT PLACES BY THE CONSTABLE. THE EXPEDI- TIONS FROM TREGUIER AND HARFLEUR ARE BROKEN UP. THE CON- STABLE, ON HIS DELIVERANCE, MAKES HIS COMPLAINT TO THE KINS OF FRANCE, AND RESIGNS TO HIM HIS OFFICE OF CONSTABLE. I WILL now return to the duke of Brittany. When he had reposed a Utile, he arose, dressed himself, and sent for the lord de Laval to his chamber, with whom he held a long conversation. A treaty was then written down, as the duke dictated, to bind the constable to the complete surrender of the places before mentioned, and to settle them on the duke and his heirs, absolutely and without appeal, which treaty was to be sealed by the constable. The lord de Beaumanoir was ordered by the constable to go to his castles and town, to dismiss all his officers, and give possession to those whom the duke might send thither. With the surrender of all these places, it was necessary, likewise, to pay down one hundred thousand francs. On the gates being opened, the lord de Beauma- noir departed, accompanied by some of the duke's people, to fulfil the orders of the constable, who entreated him to make all speed for his deUverance. By them Vannes and the country, which was be. ginning to be in motion, learnt that the constable was not in danger of his life, having been ransomed. All those attached to him were greatly rejoiced ; and such knights and squires as had taken it up the most warmly remained quiet ; but, had matters been otherwise, they were determined to surround the castle of Ermine and inclose the duke within it, and would never have done anything with more wil- lingness. News is soon spread abroad, on wings more speedy than the wind. The three barons of Hai-fleur were informed that the constable was out of danger of being murdered, but that he had very narrowly escaped ; and was obliged, to save his life, to surrender three of his castles and a town, besides paying down as a ransom one hundred thousand francs. In their conversation, they said, " Things now go well, since his life is safe : as for his castles and ransom, the constable will soon regain them ; and the king has enough for him, should he want any money. It is over: our expe- dition is put an end to ; and we may now disband our people and go to Paris, to learn from the king what is to be done ; for we know that all the armaments at Treguier are countermanded, which is a sure sign that nothing will be attempted this season, and with rea- LordBeauuakoirpatirg ths RvNbOM I THE CoNST&BLE DE CL1S90M —Designed ftoiQ Hart MS 3469 and a MS. Froissart of tlie 15th century. son ; for the constable will be solely occupied to revenge himself for the insult the duke of Brittany has put upon him." These three lords, having dismissed all the men-at-arms and cross-bows that were in and about Harfleur, took the road for Paris, where the king re- sided. The lord de Beaumanoir was so active, that, within four days, he put the duke's officers in the possession of the three castles and the town of .Tugon, to the satisfaction of the duke. He after- wards collected the amount of the ransom, and paid it according to the duke's pleasure. When this was all done, the lord de Laval said to the duke, " My lord, you have now received the whole of your demands : the three castles and Jugon, and one hundred thousand francs, deliver up to me, therefore, my brother-in-law, the constable." " Willingly," replied the duke: " let him depart: I give him his liberty." The constable was then given up, and instantly set out, with the lord de Laval, from the castle of Ermine.* When they were at liberty, the constable made no long stay in Brittany, but, mounting a good courser, and attended solely by a page, made such haste, as to arrive at Paris in two days. He dis. mounted at his own h6tel, and instantly waited on the king and his uncles at the Louvre. His servants and equipage followed him in handsome array. The court had already been informed of his de- liverance, but they knew not that he was so near. The doors of the king's apartments were, according to orders, opened to him ; and, when in the presence of the king, he cast himself on his knees, and said, " Most redoubted lord, your father (may God pardon his sins) appointed me constable of France, which office I have truly executed * This conduct of the duke of Brittany is diirerenlly related by dom Morice, the hu- torian of DriUany, hy nliich it appears that the constable very narrowly escaped death. The duke called to him sir John de Bazvaleii. hi whom lie had the greatest confidence, and ordered him to put the constable to death, at midniehl. as privately as possible. Bazvalen represented in vum the consequences that ivould ensue, for the duke said ha had resolved on it. and would have it done. During the niglil, Ins iiassion being calmer, he repented having given such orders, and. at daybreak, sent for Bazvalen. and asked if his orders had been obeyed. On being answered in the aftrmative. the duke cried cut. " How is Clisson dead "•" " Yes, my lord : lie was drowned this night, and Ins body is bnrie'd in a garden." ' ' Alas ;" replied the duke. " this is a most pitiful good-morrow. Would to God, sir .lohn. I had believed what you ursed against it. I see that Irom henceforward all comfort is lost to me. Unit my presence, and never agam let me see your face" Af\er the knight had allowed him to suffer for some time the pains of his remorse, he returned and said. " My lord, as I know the cause of your misery, I believe I can provide a remedy ; for there is n cure for all things." " Not for death, replied the duke. Bazvalen then told him, that foreseeing the consequences and the remoreehe would feel if his orders, then given from passion, were obeyed, he had not executed ms commands, and that ihe constable was alive. The lordde Laval then «Btered. and tue temmodei u neorly as Froisaatt relates it. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 433 to the best of my abilities, and there never has been any complaint made against me. If any one, excepting yourself and my lords your uncles, shall say to the contrary, or that I have acted otherwise than most loyally toward you and the crown of France, I will throw him my glove for him to prove it." Neither the king nor any other person made reply to this speech. Upon which the constable added, " Most noble lord and king, it has happened in Brittany, that while I was ■executing the duties of your office, tlie duke had me arrested and confined in liis castle of Ermine ; and would have put me to death, without any other cause than his own outrageous will, if God, and brother de Laval, had not assisted me. To deliver myself from his hands, I was constrained to suiTender to him three strong castles and a handsome town, besides one hundred thousand francs paid down. The insult and loss, which the duke of Brittany has put on me, most nearly concerjis your royal majesty ; for the invasion of England, which I and my companions were eager to attempt, is now put an end to. I therefore resign into your hands the oflice of constable, for you to make such provision in the matter as you may please : I will not longer hold what I cannot gain any honor by," "Constable,'' replied the king, " we have before heard the great insult you have suffered, which has been very much to our prejudice as well as that of the country. We shall summon our peers of France, and consider how we should act in such a case. Do not you trouble yourself about the matter; for you shall have ample justice done by us, whatever may be the consequence." He then took the constable "by the hand, and made him rise, saying, *' Constable, we will not that you thus resign your office, but that you continue to exercise its functions until we order otherwise." The constable again fiung him- self on his knees and said, " Dear sir, the insult and disgrace I have suffered from the duke of Brittany oppresses my nrind so much, that I am unfit to hold the office, which is so considerable, that it requires the utmost attention. I am, besides, obliged to give answers, and converse with all manner of persons who come to me on business ; and, indeed, at this moment, I am not capable of giving the orders 1 ought : I beg of yon, therefore, to accept it, and appoint another for a time ; for I shall be always ready and willing to obey your com- mands." " Well, sir," said the duke of Burgundy, "he offers very handsomely : you will consider of it." " That I will," replied the king, who again made him rise. The constable advanced respectfully toward the dukes of Berry and Burgundy, to converse with them on public affairs, and to inform them more particularly of what had passed in Brittany ; for they were much interested in it, as they had the government of the kingdom. In the course of his conversation, the constable found they were more indifferent about the matter, than the king's answer made him believe ; for they greatly blamed him for having gone to Vannes. He replied, he could not offer any excuses for it. The duke of Bur- gundy added, " How could you think of going thither, when your fleet, and the knights and squires, were ready, and waiting for you at Trdguier ? Besides, when you were at Vannes, and had dined with him, why did you not return ? for you had no business to re- main their longer ; and what could have induced you to attend him to his castle of Ermine?" " My lord," replied the constable, "he showed me so many attentions that I could not refuse it." " Con- stable,'' said the duke of Burgundy, " such attentions are always de- ^jeitful : I thought you had been more cunning. You may now go : the business shall have a favorable end ; and we will, at our leisure, attend to it." The constable next addressed himself particularly to the duke of Berry, but soon discovered that these lords were more indifferent about him than the king, for not having acted according to their expectations : he therefore left the Louvre, and returned to his h6tel. Many great lords of the parliament and council came thither to visit and comfort him : among the number were, the count do St. Pol, the lord de Coucy and the admiral of France, who said, " Constable, be not cast down : you shall be amply revenged on the duke of Brittany, for he has now committed himself so strongly by the insult offered France that he may pay for it by the loss of his duchy. Go, and amuse yourself at your estate of Montlehery,* while we act for you here : the peers of France are summoned, and things shall not remain as they are." The constable followed their advice, and went to Montlehery, having for a time surrendered his office. It was said, that the lord Guy de la Tremouille was to succeed him ; but it was not so : he was too prudent and wise ever to have accepted it over the head of sir Oliver de Clisson. CHAPTER LXX. THE DUKE OF GUELDRES SENDS A CHALLENGE TO FRANCE I.V FAVOE OF ENGLAND. The same week in which the news came to Paris of the consta- ■ble's imprisonment, there was intelligence from Germany highly dis- pleasing to the king, his uncles, and the council. The duke of Gueldres, son to the duke of Juliets, had entered into an alliance with England, to make war on France, and had accepted of a sub- sidy of four thousand francs yearly. This pension his father, the duke of Juliers, formerly possessed, but had renounced it ; and the 'Montlohery, a. town in the isle of Fraace, seven leagues from Paris. I son, who was young, had taken it, at the soUcitations of the king of England and hi? council, on condition he should send his challenge to the king of France, and carry on a war against him to the utmost of his power. He was the more inclined to support the English be- cause he was already at war with the duchess and country of Bra. bant, which country was favorable to France, for tlie reversion of it would fall to the duke of Burgundy and to his children. The duke of Gueldres, to show he was in earnest and determined to act against France, sent, during the time the news of the constable's misfortune was fresh, to defy the king of France, by letters sealed with his seal, that were very bitter and wrathful. They were not accepted with pleasure by the king nor his uncles, as I shall explain hereafter in the course of this history, when I speak more fully of the wars of Brittany and Gueldres. The king, however, showed no outward signs of dissatisfaction, but handsomely entertained the squire who had brought this chal. lenge. He had been very much terrified at Tournay ; for, having shown the challenge to the provost and principal inhabitants, he wanted not to go further, saying, that it was fully sufficient to have delivered his commission at so grand a city as Tournay. This did not satisfy the provost, though Tournay belonged to France, and he arrested the squire and had him closely confined ; he then wrote to the duke of Burgundy, to say what he had done, and to know hia further commands on the subject. The duke ordered the provost to conduct the squire to Paris, who certainly thought that now he could not escape death. It fell out otherwise, for the king, his uncles, and the court, graciously received him ; and the king of France gave him a silver goblet weighing four marcs, with fifty francs within it. He was well entertained, and, when he returned, had a good passport given to him. The king and the whole court were much troubled on this matter, when the constable arrived to make his com. plaints against the duke of Brittany ; and this increased it, for, it was now apparent, difficulties were arising on all sides, and much prudence and good sense would be necessary to meet them. The king and his council, notwithstanding this vexation from Gueldres, were unwilling that the constable, who had so faithfully served the king in Flanders and elsewhere, should not have redress for the wrongs he had suffered from the duke of Brittany, by confining hia person and seizing his castles and towns, without a shadow of right. The lord de Coucy and the admiral were particularly active in this business. We will return to the duke of Lancaster and the king of Portu. gal, who were carrying on a prosperous war in Galicia, and speak of their operations. CHAPTER LXXI. TWO BRETON CAPTAINS, HAVING VALIANTLY DEFENDED THE TOWN OP OKEXSE AGAINST THE DTTKE OF LANCASTER, CAPITULATE ON TERMS OF. FERED BY THE ENGLISH. You have heard that the king and queen of Portugal were present at the tilt between sir John Holland and sir Reginald de Roye, at Enten(;a. The king, before he departed, told the duke of Lancaster, that on his return to Oporto, he would, within six days, take the field, for that his men were now quite ready. The duke ordered the lady Constance, his duchess, to remain at Saint Jago, under the guard of the lord Fitzwalter, a powerful English baron, with one hundred men-at-arms and two hundred archers, saying, on hia quit, ting Enten^a, " Lady, you will retire to the city of Compostella, while the king of Portugal, myself, and army, seek our enemies in Castille, and combat them wherever we may find them ; and we shall then know if ever we be to possess any part of Castille." The lady replied, " God's will bo done." They then separated for the present. The duchess was escorted out of danger by sir Thomas Percy and sir Evan Fitzwarren, with two hundred spears, who then returned to the duke. He had left Enten9a, and was marching to. ward a city in Galicia, called Orense, which would not acknow. ledge his claim to the crown. The place was strong, and had a garrison of Bretons, who had undertaken the defence at their own risk ; and, as they expected the duke and his English would come thither, they had greatly added to its strength. The marshal of the army had received frequent information, that those of Orense had refused obedience to the duke, and were daily increasing the forlifi. cations of the place : he therefore, in conjunction with the consta. ble, sir John Holland, advised the duke to march thither. When the army was tolerably near, it was halted and quartered thereabout. The first night was very fine, and so wondrous hot (for it was about Ascension day,) that the lords had their tents and pavil- ions pitched in the plain, under the beautiful olive-trees which were there. They remained within them all the night and following day, thinking the town would instantly surrender, without waiting to be assaulted. The townsmen would willingly have done so, if they had been the masters, but some adventurous Bretons governed it. Two gallant captains from lower Brittany, one called the bastard d'AuI- roy, the other Pennefort, were the commanders. They were gojd men-at-arms, as it appeared, when they undertook to defend the town of Orense, without other assistance, against the aimy of the duke of Lancaster. On the third day, the English having well ex- amined the place, to choose the weakest parts for their attacks, the 434 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. constable, the marshal, and the admiral, ordered their trumpets to Bound for the assault. The army then armed itselt and assembled on the plain, when it was foi-med in four divisions, to make as many different attacks. They marched slowly and in handsome array, with trumpets sounding before them, as far as the ditches, and halted. There was not any water in them ; but there was a strong palisade in front of the walls, and so many thorns and brambles, that no man-at-arms could pass through. The attack, however, com. menced at four places ; and men-at-arms and lusty varlets crossed the ditches with hatchets on their wrists, with which they cleared away the thorns, to tiie utmost of their power. The Galicians annoyed them with lanching darts ; and, had they not been well shielded, num- bers must have been killed or wounded ; but those men-at-arms, who entered the ditch, were defended by their servants, bearing shields before them. The English archers made such good use of their bows, from the top of the ditch, that scarcely any dared to appear on the bulwarks. The duke of Lancaster came to view the attack, mounted on a very tall horse, which the king of Portugal had given him, and to notice those who behaved well, and was so delighted, that he stayed upward of tlirce hours. All the thorns and brambles were cleared away by this first attack, so that the palisades might be approached. The retreat was sounded ; for the duke said to the marshal, " Our men, sir Thomas, have done enough for to-day : let them retire, for they must be fatigued." " My lord, I am willing it should be so," replied the marshal, and ordered the retreat. The army returned to its quarters, carrying with them the dead and wounded, and there passed the night. They had plenty of wine, but it was so hot they could scarcely drink it ; and, unless mixed with a great deal of water, those who made too free with it were rendered unfit for any- thing the ensuing day. On the morrow, they determined, in council, that, on account of the excessive heat, the fatigues the army had suf. fered, and the consequences of their having drank too much of this wine, there should not be any attack made the whole day ; but that, on the next day, they would renew the assault before sunrise, in the cool of the morning, until eight o'clock. Orders were issued for the army to remain quietly in camp, and no one to arm until the trumpet of the marshal sounded. The duke of Lancaster received this day intelligence from the king of Portugal. He had left Oporto, and was on his march toward San- tarem ; for he intended to enter Castille by that frontier, and the armies to join on the river Duoro, and besiege Beneventd or Vilal- pando. Such was the plan of the king of Portugal, if, indeed, tlie king of Castille and his French allies, who were daily increasing, did not march to oppose him. Should they make no opposition, nor show any signs of offering batde, it was necessary the junction of the two armies be made as soon as possible. The duke was so well pleased with this news as to give the bearer of it ten nobles. On the appointed day for the renewal of the attack, the marshal's trum- pet sounded at the first dawn of the morning. Knights and squires made instantly ready, and posted themselves under their banners and pennons ; but it was upward of an hour before they were all drawn up. 'The duke remained in his pavilion, and did not rise thus early, for there was not any need of it. The marshal advanced into tlie plain, knowing well the duties of his office ; and those ordered for the attack placed themselves under his pennon. News was spread through Orense, that the English were marching to the assault : for the Bretons on guard had discovered it from the sound- ing of the marshal's trumpet. The men and women of the town were on the alert ; and the Bretons cried to them : " Hasten to the bulwarks : be men of courage, and not frightened at what you may see ; we are not frightened ; for we know the place is very strong, and we have plenty of darts, and well-tempered lances, to repulse our enemies, besides stones and flints to cast down on them ; we know, also, that should we be hard pushed, they will receive us favorably; and that is the worst we can suffer." "By God," said the captains who were present, '* we have been in many weaker places than this, and were never the worse for it." The Galicians, whether they would or not, took courage from the exhortations of the Bretons. This would not have been the case if the Bretons had not been in the town ; for they would have surrendered on the first summons. To say the truth, the common people of Castille and Galicia are good for nothing in war ; they are badly armed, and of poor courage. The nobles, who call themselves gentlemen, are tol. erably well ; but they like better to prance about, spurring their hor- ses, than to he engaged in more serious matters. The English arrived about sunrise before Orense, and, having entered the ditch, which, though dry, was deep enough, advanced to the palisades, with hatchets and iron bars, and began to break down and level them. When this was done, tliey had still another ditch to cross, before they could approacli tlie wall, which was as wide as the other, and many parts full of mud ; but they were indifferent to this, and rushing into it, came to the walls. Those on the battlements were not dismayed at what they saw, but defended themselves valiantly. They lanched darts at the enemy, the stroke of which is very deadly ; and it required strong armor to resist their blows. The English, having prepared ladders the preceding day, had them brought and fixed to different parts of the walls ; and you would have seen knights and squires, eager for lenown, ascend them with targets on their heads, and fight, sword in hand, with lie Bretonsr who, in truth, defended themselves gallantly ; for I hold such con- duct valorous, in allowing themselves to be so often attacked, know- ing well they should not have assistance from any quarter. The king of Castille and the French knights had determined to permit the English to overrun Galicia, or any other parts, if they could, without offering them the chance of a general combat, and with this the Bretons had been made acquainted. Some of the English said : " Ah, if all the towns in Castille give us as much trouble as this, we shall never have done." Others re- plied : " There is much to be pillaged within it, that has been brought thither from all parts ; and it is this which induces them to make so obstinate a resistance, that they may surrender on terms, and preserve their wealth and merchandise from being plundered." Some asked : " Who are the captains ?" " They are two bastard Bretons, good men-at-arms, who know what sieges and assaults are, for they have been at many. Their names are the bastard de Pen- nefort and the bastard d'Aulroy." " Whoever they may be, they are valiant fellows thus to hold out, without any appearance of succor coming to them.'' Those who mounted the ladders were sometimes- repulsed so severely, as to be tumbled to the ground, which caused much shouting among the Castillians. When the duke of Lancaster was risen and had heard mass, he said he would go and view the attack. He mounted a courser, but unarmed, and had his pennon,, that was emblazoned with the arms of Castille, England, and France, borne before him, which fluttered in the wind, so that the extremities touched the ground. On the duke's arrival, the besiegers exerted themselves the more, in order to be noticed and praised. The enemy, observing the pennon, knew the duke was come, and they also gained courage to continue the defence. Thus were both par- ties employed until it was eight o'clock; and there did not seem any probability that Orense would speedily be won by such attacks. The duke asked who were the captains of the garrison. On their being named, he said : " Tell the marshal to treat with them ; or send some one to know if they be willing to enter into a negotiation for surrendering the town, and placing it under our obedience. I do not believe that question has been put to them. Go," added he, to one of his knights, " sir William, and bring the marshal to speak with me.'' The knight left the duke, rode to the marshal, and said : " Sir Thomas, my lord wishes to speak with you." The marshal went to him ; and, when in his presence, the duke said : " Marehal, do you know whether these Bretons, who hold the place against us, would be willing to put themselves under our obedience ? We are fa. tiguing and wounding our men, and wasting our ammunition, when we know not how soon we may be in greater want of it. I there- fore beg you will go, and inform them you are willing to treat." " My lord," replied sir Thomas, " I will cheerfully do so ; and since you wish to show them mercy, it is just they should be heard.'* The marshal then returned to the assault, and, calling to him a he. raid, said : " Go, and manage to speak with the besieged ; our men will make way for thee ; and tell them I am willing to enter into a treaty." The herald said he would do so, and entered the ditch clothed in a coat of arms which had belonged to the duke of Lan- caster, saying, " Open your ranks, and make way for me : I am sent by the marshal to parley with these Bretons." As he said this, they made room for him to pass. The bastard d'Aulroy, seeing him push through the crowd, for he had observed from the ramparts what had passed between him and the marshal, advanced on the battlements, and, showing himself, said : " Herald, what is it you want ? I am one of the captains in this town, with whom I fancy you come to speak." "It is so," replied the herald, whose name was Percy: " my lord marshal bids you come to the barriers, for he is desirous to parley and treat with you." " I will do so," said the bastard, " if he will order the attack to cease and his men to retire, otherwise not.'-' "I believe you," answered the herald, and returned to relate his answer to the marshal. The marshal called his trumpet, and said : " Sound the retreat ;" which was done, and the assault ceased on all sides. Upon this, the captains in the town passed the gates, and came to the barriers, where they met the constable, sir John Hol- land, the marshal, and many others of the English. " How, my fair sirs," said the marshal, "canyon think of thus holding out and suf- fering yourselves to be taken by storm, by which you may probably be slain, and for certain will lose all. We know well that the towns, men are very willing to surrender to our lord and lady, and would long ago have done so, if you had not been with them. You may repent of it ; for, let happen what will, we shall never depart hence until the place be ours by fair means or foul. Consult together, and then come with your answer, for I havp full powers to treat with you." " Sir," replied the bastard Aulroy, " we have already consulted and formed our resolution. If you will consent that we, and what belongs to us, he conducted in safety to Vilalpando, or wherever else we may please to go, wc will suiTender the town ; but the inhabit- ants of both sexes, who may choose to remain in it, shall be per- mitted so to do, without any risk or molestation, provided they sub- mit themselves to the duke and duchess of Lancaster, as other towns in Galicia have done. We know that you are tlie marshal of the army, part of whose office is to enter into treaties with an enemy, CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 435 and likewise that the duke will ratify whatever engagements you may enter into." "That is true," answered sir Thomas: "now suppose I consent to all you have asked, I will not that the town be pillaged, under pretence of its wealth having been gained from the adjacent country, for that would cause riots between your men and our?." " Oh, no," said the bastard : " we will only carry away what is our own : but, if any of our men shall have taken or bought anything without paying, we will not enter into any dispute on that account. With regard to provisions, I do not believe our men have paid one penny since they have been here in garrison." " As for that," replied the marshal, "it is nothing: it is an advantage our jnen will take as well as yours : but I speak of moveables." " Sir," answered the bastard d'Aulroy, " we have not our men under such command but that some will transgress." Sir John Holland now interfered, and said : " Let them pass : what they have got belongs to them : we shall not be so strict as to search their trunks." " Be it so, then," said the marshal. Everything was now settled, and they were to march away on the morrow. The English returned to their quarters to disarm, and re- fresh themselves with what ihey had brought. The Bretons em- ployed the whole day in packing up the great plunder they had made, even from Castille, for the king had abandoned the whole country to them, which enriched prodigiously the first comers. While thus employed, they seized from the inhabitants of Orense whatever they could conveniently lay their hands on, such as furs, cloth, and jewels ; and when the poor people said : " Gentlemen, this belongs to us ; you did not bring it hither ;"' they answered, " Hold your tongues, ye wicked people : we have a commission from the king of Castille to pay ourselves. We have served you faithfully and valiantly : you are therefore bound to increase our pay, and it is thus we take it." The next morning the marshal mounted his horse, and, attended by about sixty lances, rode to the barriers of Orense, where he waited awhile for the Bretons. When they came, he asked, " Are you all ready ?" " Yes," they replied : " give us our passport and escort." " Whither do you wish to go?" " To Vilalpando." " It is well," replied the marshal : " here is your escort :" and, calling to him an English knight whose name was Stephen Eastbury, said, " Take ten of our lances, to escort these Bretons, and return to-morrow." He obeyed the marshal's orders, and the Bretons marched away well packed and heavily laden. When they were all gone, the marshal and his men entered the town, where he was received with the greatest respect ; for they took him for the duke of Lancaster, which was the reason of their humility. He asked some of the townsmen, " These Bretons, who are gone away so heavily laden, have they carried oft'any of your properties ?" " Of ours, my lord '. yes, by God, a great deal." " And why did you not complain to me ? I would have made them restoje it." " My lord, we were afraid ; for they threatened to murder us, if we said one word : they are a cursed race, for there is not one but is a thief ; and how can we complain when they rob one another ?" The mar- shal laughed, and, having paused, demanded the principal persons of the town. When they arrived, he made them swear to preserve the town of Orense in obedience to the duke and duchess of Lancaster, in like manner to other towns in Galicia : which being done, he re- newed the officers of the town, who took similar oaths. All being finished, he and his company drank some wine, and returned to the duke of Lancaster, who was reposing under the shade of the olive- trees ; for it was so very hot, neither man nor horse could withstand the heat of the sun, and after eight o'clock it was impossible to go abroad and forage. The greatest pleasure the duke could have re. ceived would have been the information, that the king of Castille was on his march to offer him battle ; for he was well aware he could never otherwise succeed in his claim on that kingdom. He was continually making inquiries how the king of Castille was employed, and he was answered : " My lord, we learn from the pilgrims who come to Saint Jago, that he is not making any preparations to take the field, but has shut himself and his men up in garrisons. The duke of Bourbon is not yet arrived, nor is there any intelligence re- ceived of his coming." The duke was advised to remain but five days in Orense, and then march to Zamora, and endeavor to force a passage over the Duoro by the bridge. The knight, on his return from escorting the Bretons to Vilalpando, was asked what were the numbers in garrison ; he said, " He had heard sir Oliver du Giiesclin was there, with one thousand spears, French and Bretons. ' " It will be a good thing, my lord," said the constable and sir Thomas Percy, " if we go thither and skirmish with them. Perhaps they may come out, and accept our challenge, for some of them are very im- patient to sigaalize themselves." " I agree to it," replied the duke ; "*' let us dislodge and march hence, for we can gain nothing by stay, ing longer here." Orders for decampment on the morrow were issued, and for the army to march toward Vilalpando, and then to Zamora. We will now say something of the king of Portugal, and what befel him on his entrance into Castille to form a junction with the duke of Lancaster CHAPTER LXXII. THE KING OF PORTUGAI,, BEING KEP0LSED IN HIS ATTEMPTS TO STOBK THE CASTLES OF SANTAKEM, Bl'KNS THE TOWN. HE MARCHES TO FER. ROL IN GALICIA. The king of Portugal, on his departure from Oporto, left his queen, his sister-in-law, and the city, under the guard of the count de No- vaire, with one hundred lances, of Portuguese and Gascons who had come to serve him. When the king took the field, he halted the first day at the distance of only three leagues from Oporto. On the mor ■ row, he dislodged, and marched in three battalions ; but, on account of the infantry, which consisted of twelve thousand men, and the baggage, he could but advance at a foot's pace. The main battalion with the king followed, which was a thousand good spears, and in it were don Galois, Fernando Portelet, John Fernando Portelet, Guada- loupe Fernando Portelet, and Pounass d'Acunha, sir Vasco Martia d'Acunha, who bore the king's banner, John Radighos, Peter John Gomez de Salnes, Joao Rodriguez de St, and the master of Avis, Fernando Rodriguez de Sequeira, all great barons. The constable of Portugal commanded the rear battalion, consisting of five hundred spears ; with him were the count d'Angouse, the count de I'Escalle, le petit Danede, Mondest Radighos, Roderigo de Valconsiaux, Ange Salvese de Geneve, John Ansale de Popelan, all barons and knights. In this manner did the Portuguese continue their march toward Santarem. They advanced by short marches, and halted every third day : they also lay by the greater part of the day. They amved at Aljubarota, where they halted for two days, and took as many in going from thence to Ourem. At last they came to Santarem, and quartered themselves therein ; for they found the town had been abandoned since the battle of Aljubarota, for fear of tho Portuguese, and the inhabitants had retired with their effects into Castille. The castles, however, were well garrisoned with Bretons and Poitevina, who had been sent thither for their defence. The king of Portugal was advised to attack these castles, which were situated at each end of the town ; for he could not, in honor, pass by without attempting some deeds of arms : besides, as the Castillians had conquered this place from the Portuguese, they wished to try if they could recover them. They had brought machines of war from Oporto, for they knew they should have need of them on their march. The king and his army were quartered in and about Santarem, which is situated at the entrance of Castille, on the Tagus. By means of this river, they could have all their provision and stores conveyed to them from Lis- bon or Oporto, of which they took the advantage ; for they were up. ward of thirty thousand men. The constable, with his division and one half of the commonalty of Portugal, posted himself opposite the eastern castle, called la Per- radc. The marshal with his battalion, and the other half of the com- monalty, did the same at the opposite castle, called CaUidon. Morice Fonchans, an able man-at-arms, and a knight from Brittany, com. manded in la Perrade ; and sir James de Mont-merle, a knight from Poitou, in Callidon. They might each have with him fifty lances. Fifteen days passed without anything being done : their machinea were, indeed, pointed against the walls, and cast heavy stones ten or twelve times a day, but did little damage, except to the roofs of tha towers, which they ruined ; but the garrisons paid no attentiom to this, for their lodgings were well arched : and no engine nor springall could hurt them with any stones they could throw. When the Por. tuguese saw they had no hopes of success, they grew tired, and re. solved to decamp and enter Galicia, to join the duke of Lancaster, which would increase their strength, and the king and duke might then advise together, whither to march. When they departed from Santarem, they so completely burnt the town, that there did not re. main a shed to put a horse in. The garrisons, seeing them depart, were so much rejoiced, that they sounded their trumpets, and, with other signs of joy, continued playing until the whole were out of hearing. The army marched that day for Pontferrant, in Galicia, in their route to Val-Sainte-Catharine, and arrived at Ferrol, which is a tolerably strong town, and in the interest of the king of Castille, and they halted before it. CHAPTER LXXIII. THE KING OF PORTUGAL, NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE FERROL BY STORlli SAINS IT BY AN AMBUSCADE, AND PUTS IT UNDER THE OBEDIENCE OP THE DUKE OF LANCASTER. 1 The king of Portugal and his anny found a plentiful country at Ferrol, which they surrounded ; and the constable and marshal said, they would storm it, as it was to be taken. They were two days, however, without making any attempt, for they expected that it would surrender without an assault, but they were mistaken ; for there were in it some Bretons and Burgundians, who said they would defend it to the last. The machines were brought forth on the third day, and the marshal's trumpets sounded for the attack, when all made themselves ready, and advanced to the walls. The men-at- arms in Ferrol hearing the trumpets, knew thnt they should be stormed, and made preparations accordingly. They armed themselves, and all men capable of defence, and ordered the women to gather and bring to them stones, to throw down on the enemy. You must know, 436 CHRONICLES OF BTN GLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. that the women in Galicia and Castille are of good courage to de- fend themselves, and equally useful as the men. The Portuguese marched in handsome array to the ditches, which, though deep, were dry, and merrily entered them. They began to ascend the opposite bank witli much courage, but were sorely treated, unless well shielded, by those of the town, who, from the walls, cast down on them stones and other things, that wounded and killed several, and forced them to retreat whether they would or not. There was much throwing of darts on both sides ; and thus lasted the attack until eight o'clock, when the day became e.xceedingly hot, without the least wind or breeze, insomuch that those in the ditches thought they should be hurnt : this heat was so excessive, that the attack was put an end to, though the machines cast stones into the town merely for the chance of success. The Portuguese retired to refresh themselves, and attend to the wounded. The marshal resolved not to renew the attack but by his machines, for otherwise it would cost too many lives ; and to skirmish at the barriers, to amuse the young knights, and enure them to deeds of arms. This being settled, there were, almost daily, skir- mishes at the barriers ; and these within the town were accustomed to post themselves without the gates, between them and the barriers, the better to engage their enemies. Sir iVlvarez Pereira, the marshal of Portugal, who was subtle, and had been long used to arms, observing this conduct, planned upon it an ambuscade. Opening himself to don Juan Fernando, he said, " I see these soldiers, when skirmishing, sometimes venture beyond the gate^ : I have formed a plan, which, if you will assist me to exe- cute, I think we may discomfit them. I propose that we form an ambuscade, as near the barriers as possible, of five or si.x hundred men, well mounted, and then commence a skirmish, as usual, but in no great number ; and retreat by degrees, the moment they seem willing to pass their barriers, which I think i.i^> avarice and eager- ness will induce them to do. We must then turn -*ut and attack them lustily, and the ambuscade will gallop between them and the gates. The garrison will now be alarmed, and hasten to order the gates to be opened, and whether they will or not, we shall enter the place with them. But should the townsmen refuse to open the gates, all those who are without must be our prisoners." " It is well im- agined," replied don Juan. " Well," said the marshal, " do you comiriand one party, and I will take the other. You, sir Martin de Mello, and Pounass d'Acunha, shall have the ambuscade, and I will sldrmish, as that is part of my ofiice." This plan was adopted, and five hundred men, well armed and mounted, were chosen to form the ambuscade. For three days there had not been any skirmishing, to the surprise of the garrison, who said to the inhabitants : " See, wicked people as ye are, ye wanted to surrender to the king of Portugal without striking a blow, and w-ould have done so, if we had not been here to defend the honor of your tosvn ; this we have so successfully done, that the king of Portugal is on the eve of his departure, without hav- ing effected anything.'' On the fourth day, according to what had been laid down, the marshal advanced to the skirmish with but few followers : the great ambuscade remained behind. The Bretons, eager to make rich prisoners, having already captured si-T, seeing the Portuguese at the barriers, had the gates opened, which they left unfastened, in case of failure (for they had no great dependence on the townsmen,) and the wicket wide open, and sallied forth to skirmish with darts and lances, as is usual in such combats. The marshal, when he saw the time was come, made his men wheel, and act as if they were tired, re- treating by degrees. Those within the place, observing this, and thinking they should make prisoners of them all, opened the whole of the barriers, sallied forth, and, falling on the Portuguese, captured five-and-tweuty. In the struggle and pursuit, the Bretons never thought of closing the barriers ; and the marshal now made his sig- nal for the ambuscade to advance, which it did full gallop, and, by getting between the Bretons and the place, made themselves masters of the barriers. The French and Bretons now hastened to reenter the gates, but it was of no avail, for the Portuguese entered with them ; and thus was the town won. Very few were slain, and the soldiers in garrison were made prisoners, e.xcept ten or twelve, who escaped by a postern gate, and went to Vilalpando, where sir Oliver du Gues- clin was in garrison, with one thousand French lances at least, and these runaways related to him how Ferrol had been lost. In this manner was the town won by the Portuguese, and put under the obedience of the duke of Lancaster, for whom they made war. The king of Portugal was much pleased at the success of his men, and instantly sent intelligence of it to the duke, adding, he had greatly increased his inheritance by the capture of a town ; and that he and his army were desirous and active to conquer the rest. CHAPTER LXXIV. THE ARMY OF THE I)UKE OF LANCASTER COMES BEFORE NOVA IS GALICIA. THE ENGLISH ARE RECEIVES, AT THE BAREIEKS, BY BARROIS DES BARRES AND HIS COMPANIONS. The duke of Lancaster was much rejoiced at the news from the king of Portugal : he had left Orense, and was on his march toward I^oya, where le Barrois des Barres, sir John de Chitelmorant, sir Tristan de la Jaillc, sir Reginald de Roye, sir William de Montignj', and many other knights and squires were in garrison. When°the duke came within sight of the castle, the marshal said, " There is Noya : if Coruna be one of the keys of Galicia toward the sea, the castle of Noya is another toward Castille ; and whoever wishes to be lord of Castille must be master of those two places. Let us march thither, for they tell me that Barrois des Barres, one of the ablest cap. tains of France, is within it, and let us have some skirmishing with the garrison at the end of the bridge." " We are willing to do so," said sir Maubrun de Linieres and sir John d'Ambreticourt, who were riding by his side. The van battalion now advanced, consisting of five hundred men-at-arms, for the duke was desirous of making a good appearance to those within the castle ; and he knew also that his marshals would offer to skirmish, should they find any to accept their challenge. The watch on the castle, seeing the van of the English approach, began to sound his horn so agreeably, it was a pleasure to hear him. Le Barrois and his companions, to the amount of one hundred men- at-arms, hearing that the English were at hand, armed themselves, and, in good array, advanced to the barriers, where they drew up under twelve pennons. Sir John des Barres, being the most re- nowned, was the commander-in-chief, and next to him, sir John de Chatelmorant. When sir Thomas Moreaux, the marshal of the army, found himself near the place, he halted, and, having dismounted as well as his companions, they gave their horses to the pages and ser- vants, and marched in a compact body, each knight and squire with his spear in hand, toward the barriers : every si.x paces they halted, to dress themselves without opening their ranks. To say the truth, it was a beautiful sight. When they were come as far as they wished, they halted for a short time, and then advanced their front to begin the action. They were gallantly received ; and, I believe, had the two parlies been in the plain, many more bold actions would have taken place than it was possible to find an opportunity for where they were ; for the barriers being closely shut, prevented them from touching each other. The marshal hit sir John de ChMelmorant with his lance, as did sir John the marshal ; for each was eager to hurt the other, but from the strength of their armor, they could not. Sir Thomas Percy attacked Barrois des Barres ; Maubrun de Linieres, sir William de Montigny ; sir John d'.\mbreticourt, sir Reginald de Roye ; the lord Talbot, sir Tristan de la Jaille ; so every man had his match : and when they were fatigued or heated they retired, and other fresh knights and squires renewed the skirmish. This was continued until past eight o'clock : indeed, it was twelve before it was entirely over. The archers next came to the barriers ; but the knights withdrew, for fear of the arrows, and ordered their cross-bows and Castillians to oppose them, which they did until noon, when the lusty varlets continued the skirmish until sunset, and the knights then returned fresh and vigorous to renew it. Thus was the day employed until night, when the English retired to their quarters, and the knights into the castle, where they kept a good guard. The English were quartered about half a league from Noya, on the banks of the river, which was very welcome to them and their horses, for they had great difficulty in procuring water on their march. They intended to remain there five or si.x days, and then march to Vilalpando, and look at the constable of Castille and the French there in gariison. They had also heard from the king of Portugal, who was encamped in the plains of Ferrol, and intended marching for the town of Padron,* in Galicia, which was in the line of march of the English; and I believe the king and duke were to meet in this town, to confer together on the state of affairs, and de- termine on a plan for carrying on the war. They had already beea' one month in the enemy's country, and had conquered all Galicia,, e.xcept one or two places, without having any intelligence of the king" of Castille or the French, wliich greatly surprised them ; for they had heard that the king of Castille had issued his summons from Burgos, where he resided, to all parts of Castille, Seville, Cordova, Toledo, Leon, Valladolid, Soria, and had collected sixty thousand men, not including six thousand men-at-arms from France. The duke of Bourbon was likewise daily expected, for he had quitted Paris. It was for this reason the English and Portuguese wanted to unite their armies, to be in greater force, and better enabled to meet the enemy ; for they believed all that had been told them respecting the French and Castillians as true, and outwardly showed much joy thereat. They would willingly have encountered their enemies, for they were convinced they could never bring their dispute to any decision without a battle. Sir William de Lignac and sir Walter de Passac were always about the king's person, and accompanied him wherever he went ; for they had two or three times a week intelligence from France of what was going on, and likewise from the duke of Bourbon. They were waiting for him, as he had begun his journey by way of Avignon, to visit the pope and cardinals; and would not therefore offer combat during his absence, nor would it have been becoming them so to do. Among the news they had from France, the most surprising was the account of the duke of Brittany's arrest and confinement of the con- stable in the castle of Ermine, until he ransomed himself, by paying * Pudron is situated on the river Ulla, four leagues to tlie soutjiward of Saint Jaf Or ; it was formerly a bishopric, but is now transferred to Saint Jago. • CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. down one hundred thousand francs and the surrender of three castles and a town, by which the intended invasion of England was pre- Tented. They were greatly astonished, and could not imagine what the duke of Brittany meant by it : they however supposed that he must have been instigated thereto by the council of England. CHAPTER LXXV. THE KINS OF FRANCE SENDS SOME OF HIS NOBLES TO DEMAND FROM THE DUKE OF BRITTANY THE REASON OF THE INSULT OFFERED HIM IN THE PERSON OF HIS CONSTABLE. The court of France, more particularly the king's uncles, and the principal lords, were much distressed by the defiance that was sent by the duke of Gueldres ; for it was outrageous and rude, and not in the common style of such challenges, as I shall explain when I mention the particulars. Tiiey were likewise much vexed at the late conduct of the duke of Brittany, which had broken up the expedi. tion to England by the imprisonment of its leader. This had been greatly prejudicial to the king, nor could they discover any cause he had to assign for such conduct. The king did not pay such attention to these matters, which, considering his youth, was not to be won- dered at, as if he had been of more advanced years ; for some of the lords, who remembered former times, said, " That by a similar act the kingdom had been much agitated, when the king of Navarre as. sassinated sir Charles d'Espaign, who at the time was constable of France, for which king John could never afterwards bear the king of Navarre, and had deprived him, as far as he was able, of all his possessions in Normandy." " Do you suppose," said others, " that if king Charles, the father of our king, were now alive, who loved so much the constable, he would not have made the duke pay dearly for this insult ? By my faith would he, and instantly have declared war against him, and, cost what it would, have driven him out of his duchy." Thus was the matter discussed through France, where all agreed that he had acted very ill. The king and his uncles, to pacify the people, who were much dissatisfied, and to inquire into the grounds of this business, resolved to send a prelate, and three able and prudent barons, to hear the duke's reasons, and to summon him to Paris, or wherever else the king might please, to make proper excuses for his conduct. SiPlVIilon de Dormans, bishop of Beauvais, was nominated as principal : he was a most able man, of great elo- quence, and was to be accompanied by sir John dc Vicnnc, sir John de Bueil, and the lord de la Riviere, who had received full instruc. tions what they were to say ; but to be the more particularly in. formed of what had passed, the bishop of Beauvais went to MontM. hery, the residence of the constable, to learn from hiui the most minute details. This town and castle, with its dependencies, had been given to him and to his heirs by king Charles. The bishop, during this visit, was seized with an illness that forced him to keep liis bed, and after fii'teen days' struggle against the fever, it carried him off, so very severe was the attack. The bishop of Langres was nonii. nated in the place of the bishop of Beauvais, who set out, with the before-mentioned barons, for Brittany. CHAPTER LXXVI. PKOISSART MENTIONS THE PERSON FROM WHOM HE LEARNT THE ARREST OF THE CONSTABLE DE CLISSOS ; WHO LIKEWISE INFORMS HIM THAT SIR BERTRAND DU GtTESCLIN OUSHT TO BE CALLED DU GLAY.AQUIN. I MAT, perhaps, be asked, how I became acquainted with the events in this history, to speak so circumstantially about them. I reply to those who shall do so, that I have, with great attention and diligence, sought in divers kingdoms and countries for the facts which have been, or may hereafter be, mentioned in it : for God has given me grace and opportunities to see, and make acquaintance with the greater part of the principal lords of France and England. It should be known, that in the year 1390, 1 had labored at this history thirty, seven years, and at that time I was fifty.seven years old : a man may, therefore, learn much in such a period, when he is in his vigor, and well-received by all parties. During my youth, I was five years attached to the king and queen of England, and kindly entertained in the household of king John of France and king Charles his son. I was, in consequence, enabled to hear much during those times ; and, for certain, the greatest pleasure I have ever had, was to make every possible inquiry, in regard to what was passing in the world, and then to write down all that I had learnt. I will now say from whence I heard of the arrest of the constable, and the consequences that followed. I was riding about the time this passed, or perhaps a year after, from Angers to Tours, and had slept at Beaufort en Vallt;e.* On the morrow I overtook a knight from Brittany, called sir William d'Ancenis, who was going to visit madame de Maille in Touraine, who was his cousin, as she had lately become a widow. I made acquaintance with the knight, for he was courteous and obliging in speech, and inquired the news from him ; more particularly about the imprisonment of the constable, the truth of which I was eager to know. He gave me the information I * Beaufort ea VaUee— or Beaufort la Ville, a town of Anjou, on the river Authion, iil leoEUes frcai .'jifers, Eijteen torn Toue. _^ 437 wanted ; for he said he had been at* the parliament at Vannes, •with his cousin the lord d'Ancenis, a powerful baron in Brittany. In the same manner as sir Espaign du Lyon told me all that passed in Foix, B^arn, and Gascony, and as don Juan Fernando Portelet the events in Castille and Portugal, did the gallant knight converse with me, and would have continued it longer, had I rode farther in his company. We had advanced four long leagues between Montlihargne and Preuilly, riding at a gentle pace, when he told me many things on the road respecting Brittany, which I treasured up in my memory. As we were thus riding, we entered a meadow near to Preuilly, when he disinounted, and said ; " Ah, may God keep the soul of the good constable of France ; for he had, on this spot, a most honorable com- bat, and greatly profitable to the country ; but he was not then con- stable, and served under the banner of sir John de Bueil, on his return from the expedition into Spain." " Pray have the goodness to relate it to me." "I will," said he; " but let us remount our horses." We did so, and, continuing our journey, he thus began : "In the time I am speaking of, this country was quite filled ivith English, and thieves from Gascony, Brittany, Germany : adventu. rers from all nations had fixed their quarters on both sides of the Loire, for the war between England and France was renewed. A party of them had fortified themselves in the castle of Beaufort en Valine ; which you have seen, and supported themselves by plundering the country all round it. But to come to the immediate object of my story ; some English and Gascons had possessed themselves of Preu- illy, and strengthened it so much, that none attempted to dislodge them : they had also Eome other smaller forls near ; and when they made any excursions, they could assemble between eight hvmdred and a thousand combatants. " The constable, sir Bertrand du GuescUn, sir John de Bueil, the lord de Mailly, and other knights, detennined to deliver the country from these people, and collected about five hundred spears. They learnt that the English intended marching toward Saumer ; that all the captains of the difierent forts were to unite their forces ; and that the place of meeting was Preuilly, which you see before us. Our men, having crossed the river, placed themselves in ambuscade, in the wood below us, on the right hand. The enemy left Preuilly at sunrise, to the amount of nine hundred fighting men ; and when our party in ambush saw them advancing, they knew a combat to be in- evitable. They held a council on what should be their cry, and were desirous it should be 'Sir Bertrand I' but he would not consent, and declared he would not display either banner or pennon, but be under that of sir John de Bueil. Our enemies entered the mead, where we just now dismounted, and they had scarcely done so before our men sallied out of their ambush to meet them. On seeing ua, being of good courage, they drew themselves up in handsome order. We did the same, and both parties advanced to the combat, which instantly commenced with such thrusting of lances, that many were thrown down on each side. It lasted a considerable time without either giving way ; but, to say the truth, we were all picked men, and with the enemy were numbers badly armed and plunderers. They gave us, however, full employment ; but sir Morice Trisequedy, sir Geoffry Ricon, sir Geoiiry Kerimel, and Morfonace, joining sir Bertrand du Guesclin, full gallop, reinforced us with sixty good spears, whom they brought with them, and, attacking the English on horse- back, threw them into a confusion they never could recover. The leaders of these pillagers, perceiving the event was likely to turn out unfavorable to them, mounted their horses, but not all ; for seven lay dead on the field, with three hundred of their men. The pursuit lasted as far as St. Maur, where sir Robert Cheney, Robert Hervey, Richard Giles, and James Clerk, got into a boat, and saved them. selves by crossing the Loire. They made for four castles the English had on that side the river, wherein they did not long remain, but hastened for Auvergne and Limousin, as they fancied the constable was still at their heels. "By this defeat, my good master, was all this country delivered from pillagers, and never since that time have any English or others established themselves here. I therefore say, that constable Bertrand was a gallant man, and of great honor and advantage to France, for he regained large tracts of temtory from her enemies." " By my faith, sir, you say truly : he was indeed a very valiant man, and so is sir Oliver du Guesclin." On my naming him du Guesclin, the knight laughed ; and I said, " Sir, what do you laugh at ?" " Because you call him du Guesclin, which is not his proper name, nor ever was, although he is generally so called, even by us who come from Brit. tany. Sir Bertrand was during his lifetime desirous to alter this, but could not ; for this word is more naturally pronounced than the one he wished to substitute for it." " Pray, sir," said I, " have the kind- ness to tell me if there be any great difference between them." " No, God help me : the only difference is Glay.aquin instead of Glesquin, or Guesclin. I will tell you whence tliis surname is derived, accord- ing to what I have heard the old people in Brittany say, and it is certainly true, for you may find it written in the old chronicles of Brittany." This speech gave me great pleasure, and I replied ; " Sir, I shall think myself much obliged by your so doing ; and what you say shall not be forgotten, for sir Bertrand du GuescUn was so re- nowned a knight, that his reputation ought to be augmented by every possible means." " That is true," said the knight, and thus began : " In the reign of Charlemagne, that great conqueror, who added 433 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 80 much to Christendom and France ; for he was the emperor of Rome as well as king of France and Germany ; and whose body lies now at Aii.la-Chapcllc ; this king Charles, as is seen in the ancient chronicles (for you know that all the knowledge we possess in this world we owe to writing, and upon no other foundation can we depend for truth Imt on what is contained in approved books,) was several times in Spain, where he once remained for nine years without re- turning to France, but conquering all before him. At this time there was a pagan king, called Aquin, who reigned over Bugia and Bar- bary, that lie opposite to Spain. The kingdom of Spain was very considerable, if you follow its coasts from St. Jean du Pied des Ports, for it then contained all Arragon, Navarre, Biscay, Oporto, Coimbra, Lisbon, Seville, Cordova, Toledo, and Leon, and these formerly were conquered by this great Jiing. During his long residence in Spain, Aquin, king of Bugia and Barbary, assembled an army and embarked for Brittany, where he landed at the port of Vannes. He brouglit his wife and children with him, and, having established himself and his army in the country, proceeded to make farther conquests. King Charles was duly informed of what was passing in Brittany ; but he would not let it interfere with his present undertaking, saying ; ' Let him establish himself in Brittany : it will not be difficult for us to free the country from him and his people ; but we will first complete the conquest of this country, and submit it to the Christian faith. This king, Aquin, built a handsome tower on the sea-shore near to Vannes, called the Glay, wherein he took pleasure to reside. When Charle- magne had accomphshed his expedition to Spain by the delivery of Galicia and other provinces from the Saracens, whose kings he had slain, and, by driving out the infidels, had brought the whole kingdom under the Christian faith ; he sailed for Brittany, and gave batde to king Aquin and his adherents, with such success that the greater part of the infidels were killed, and king Aquin forced to fly, in a vessel that lay ready prepared for him at the foot of the tower of Glay. He was so hard pressed by the French, he could only embark himself, his wife, and some of his family, and in the hurry forgot a young child, of about a year old, that was asleep in the tower. The king having escaped, this cliild was brought to Charlemagne, who was much pleased with him, and had him baptized. Roland and Oliver were his godfathers at the font, and the emperor gave him handsome presents and the lands his father had won in Brittany. This child, when grown up, was a valiant knight, and called Oliver du Glay. aquin, because he had been found in the tower of Glay, and was the son of king Aquin. " Such was the foundation of the family of sir Bertrand du Gucs- clin, which, as you sec, ought to be called du Glay-aquin. Sir Ber- trand was used to say, that when he should have expelled don Pedro from Spain and crowned don Henry do Transtamare, he would go to Bngia, as he should have only the sea to cross, and demand his in. heritance : and would undoubtedly have executed it ; for don Henry would gladly have supplied him with men and ships ; but the prince of Wales, by bringing back and replacing don Pedro on the throne of CastiUe, put an end to it. Sir Bertrand was made prisoner by sir John Chandos, at the famous battle of Najarra, and ransomed for one hundred thousand francs. He had been before ransomed by the same knight, and for the like sum, at the battle of Auray. The re- newal of the war between England and France put an effectual stop to this African expedition, and gave him so much employment that he could not attend to anything else. He was, nevertheless, the direct issue from king Aquin, who reigned over Bugia and Barbary. Thus have I traced to you the descent of sir Bertrand du Guesclin." " That is true," replied I, " and I arn very thankful to you for it, which I will not forget." As I said this, we arrived at Preuilly.« CHAPTER LXXVII. IMBASSADOES FROM THE KING OF FRANCE WAIT ON THE DUKE OF BRIT- TANY RESPECTING THE ARREST OF HIS CONSTABLE. THE DUKE, HAVING HEARD THEM, GIVES THEM HIS ANSWER. If I could have been as long with sir William d'Ancenis as I was with sir Espaign du Lyon, when we travelled together from Pamiers to Orthfcs in B^arn, or with sir Juan Fernando Portelet, he would have told me many interesting things : but it could not be ; for, soon after dinner, we came to two roads ; one leading to Tours, whither I was bound, and the other to Mailly, which he was to follow. Here then we took leave of each other, and separated ; but on our road front Preuilly, before our separation, he told me many things about the bishop of Langres, who had succeeded the bishop of Beauvais in the embassy to the duke of Brittany with sir John de Beuil, and the answer they received from the duke. Upon the authority of ^ r^i^ knight said, I have written as follows : The embasaado rs^Jia ving tak en leave of the king and council, province by his l,eutena„t,, and ,vTs n/vfr'Se f t'ion tr^T, T,?""'^ "'",' name of the home oldu Gueschn was not gS?- Z^'^T:, „*'''»^',.T''>' ""= ""«'""' two Breton words, Gwar and Pl,c, whrch s°sn^ fes a cS 'ai^d 1'^ h"' l,'^""'"'""'' "^ the old castle du Guarplic, that ^as huii o^7^,ZTo,^^ifTc^JjJ^^^^^^ pariah ofSaint Coulomb, diocese of D61. ^ ■ "" Concale bay, in the For Jurther particulars, see I'Hifitoire de la Bretagne. continued their journey until they came to Nantes, where they in- quired the residence of the duke. They were told, that he chiefly resided at or near Vannes in preference to any other place. They left Nantes, and did not stop until they arrived at Vannes, as it is only twenty leagues distant, and dismounted in the town, for the duke lived in the castle called La Motte. When they had equipped themselves in a manner becoming their rank, they waited on him, who received them outwardly with much affection. The bishop of Langres, being a prelate, was the spokesman, and harangued in a handsome manner, in the presence of liis two companions, sir John de Vienne and sir John de Beuil, saying, " Lord duke, we are sent hither by the king our sovereign, and by my lords his uncles, the dukes of Berry and Burgundy, to say they are wondrously surprised you should have prevented the invasion of England from taking place, when on the point of sailing, and have ransomed the constable of France for such an immense sum, besides seizing tlu-ee of his castles in Brittany and the town of Jugon,* which, should they turn against the country, may seriously injure it. W'e are, therefore, charged to order you, on the part of our sovereign lord the king, and of our lords his uncles, to restore sir Oliver de Clisson, constable of France, those parts of his inheritance you now withhold from him, and give him peaceable possession thereof, according to justice, in the same condition they were in before they were surrendered up to you through constraint, and not according to any just claim you had upon them, and also the sum of money you have received, wholly and fully, wherever he shall be pleased to have it paid. The king and his council likewise summon you to appear at Paris, or wherever else they may direct, to excuse yourself for what you have done. The king is so good-tempered and forbearing, that, from ties of blood, he will readily listen to your excuses. Should they not be quite satis, factory, our lords, the dukes of Berry and Burgundy, will so fashion them to the utmost of their abilities, and by entreaties or otherwise manage the matter so that you shall remain friend and cousin to the king, as it is reasonable you should be." The bishop, turning to sir John de Vienne, said, " Do you agree in my sentiments ?" " Yes, sir," he replied. Sir John de Beuil made a similar answer : when this passed, there were but these four in the apartment. The duke, having heard the bishop, was very thoughtful, and not without reason, for the words were so clear they required no expounding. At length he said, "Sir, I have well heard what you had to say : it was proper I shguld do so, as you come from my sovereign lord the king of France, and my lords his uncles. I am therefore boundcn to pay you, as coming from them, every honor and respect, and am willing to do so. What you have said, how- ever, demands consideration ; and I shall take the advice of my council, that I may give you such an answer as may please you, for I would not act otherwise. " You say well," replied the embassa- dors, " and we are satisfied." They then took leave, and returned to their hotel. Toward evening, they received an invitation from the duke to dine with him on the morrow, which they accepted. The next day they went to the castle, where they found the duke and his knights, who received them magnificently. Shortly after their arrival, basins and ewers were brought, for them to wash before they sat down to table. The bishop of Langres, in respect to his prelacy, was seated above all the company : next to him was the duke, then sir John de Vienne and sir John de Beuil. The dinner was very splendid, sumptuous, and well served : when it was over, they entered into the presence-chamber, where they conversed on different subjects, and amused themselves in hearing the minstrels. The lords from France thought they should have then received their answer, but were disappointed. Wine and spices were brought, which having partaken of, they retired to their hotels, and remained the whole evening comfortably at home. On the ensuing morning, it was signified to them that the duke wished to see them at the castle, whither they went; and, being introduced to the apartment where the duke was, he received them kindly, and thus spoke ; " My fair sirs, I know you are anxious for an answer to what you have been charged to tell me from my sovereign and other lords, that you may report it to them : I therefore declare, that I have done nothing to sir Oliver de Clisson that I repent of, except that he has escaped too cheaply and with his life : this I spared solely on account of his office, and not in any manner out of personal regard ; for he has behaved so very ill to me, in several instances, that I hate him mortally; and, begging my sovereign's and their graces' pardon, I have not prevented the expedition to England taking place by the arrest of the constable. Of this I am willing and able to exculpate myself; for the day I had him arrested, I was thinking no harm against it :t it is proper to take advantage of an enemy wherever it may be found. If he had been slain, I believe the kingdom of France would not have been the worse governed for having lost the supposed benefit of his counsel. With regard to the castles he sur- rendered to me, and of which I am in possession, I shall keep them until the king by force dispossesses me of them. As to the money, I reply, that from the hatred of sir Oliver de Clisson, I have incurred "Jugon must hare been a place of considerable conscciuence, for I believe there is as old proverb „ . t, , Qui a Bretagne sans Jugon A un chappe sans chaperon." t The original runs, " nul raal je n'y peosore." CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 439 debts in this and other countries, and have from this sum repaid those to wliora I was indebted." Such was the answer the duke of Brit, tany gave to the embassadors from the king of France. Many de- bates ensued, to induce the duke to send a more moderate answer; but his replies were always to the same efiect as what he had before spoken. When they found they could not obtain anytliing more, they desired to take their leave, which being granted, they prepared for thiir departure, and journeyed until they arrived at Paris ; thence they went to the castle of Beauie, near Vincennes, where the king and queen resideiK The dukes of Berry and Burgundy soon followed ijioni, as they were impatient to hear the duke of Brittany's answ'er, which as you have heai'd I will not repeat. But as those sent into Brittany had not succeeded in any one point, the king and council were greatly displeased with the duke, and said he was the proudest and most presumptuous man alive, and that matters should not re. main as they were ; for the consequences would be too prejudicial and disgraceful to the crown of France. It was fully the intention of the king and his council to make war on the duke of Brittany. The duke expected nothing less : for he knew he had angered the king of France as well as those of his council ; but his hatred against the constable was so deep, it deprived him of the use of liis reason ; and he sorely repented that, when in his power, he had not put him to death. Things remained in this state a considerable time. The duke resided at Vannes, but seldom went abroad for fear of ambus, cades : he paid great court to the principal cities and towns in the duchy, and made secret treaties with the English : he also garrisoned his strong places the same as in times of war. His opinion continu- ally varied, as to what liad passed : sometimes he said, he wished he had not arrested the constable ; at others, to excuse himself, he de. clared that Clisson had so grievously insulted him, he had good rea- son for what he had done. This conduct had caused him to be feared in the country ; for the lord hath small authority who is not feared by his subjects ;* for whenever he pleases he may be at peace with them. We will now leave the duke of Brittany, and return to tlie affairs of England^ which, at this moment, were in a troubled and danger- ous state. CHAPTER LXXVIII. TBE DUKES OF YOKE AND GLOUCESTER, TNCLES TO THE KING, CONFEDE- BATE, WITH OTHER BARONS, AGAINST HIM AND HIS COUNCIL. THE PEO- PLE ARE DISCONTENTED WITH THE DUKE OF IRELAND. THE LONDONERS, THROUGH THE MEANS OF THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER AND HIS FRIENDS, OBTAIN FROM THE KING, THAT A DAY SHOULD BE FIXED FOR THOSE ^VHO HAD MANAGED THE FINANCES TO RENDER AN ACCOUNT OF THEM. You have before heard, that the dukes of York and Gloucester had confederated with the earl of Salisbury, the earl of Arundel, the earl of Northumberland, the earl of Nottingham, and the archbishop of Canterbury, against the king and his council, with whom they were very much dissatisfied. They said, " This duke of Ireland doth with the king and the realm as he pleases : the king has only base knaves about his person, without any regard to noblemen ; and as long as lie attends to no other advice than that of those now near him, things cannot go on well ; for no kingdom can prosper when governed by wicked men. It is well known, that when a poor person is exalted and supported by his lord, he corrupts the people, and destroys the country : for what can a base-born man feel of honor? his sole wish is to enrich himself: just Like the otter, who, on entering a pond, de- vours all the fish therein. Whence comes it that this duke of Ireland hath such power over the king, (we know his origin) and governeth all England at his pleasure, while the king's uncles are disregarded ? Such conduct is no longer to be suffered. We are not ignorant who the earl of Oxford was, and that in this country he had not one good quality, either of sense, honor or gentility allowed him." " Sir John Chandos," added a knight, " made him feel this very sharply once, at the palace of the prince of Wales, at St. Andrews, in Bordeaux." " How so ?" demanded another, who wished to know the particulars. " I will tell you," replied the knight, " for I was present. Wine was serving round to the prince of Wales and a large party of Eng. Ush lords, in an apartment of his palace ; and, when the prince had drunk, the cup was carried to sir John Chandos, as constable of Aquitaine, who took it and drank, without paying any attention to the earl of Oxford, father to this duke of Ireland, or desiring him to drink first. After sir John Chandos had drunk, one of his squires pre- sented the wine to the earl of Oxford ; but, indignant that Chandos had drunk before him, he refused it, and said, by way of mockery, to the squire who was holding the cup, ' Go, carry it to thy master, Chandos: let him drink.' ' Why should I go to him? for he has drunk. Drink yourself, since it is offered you : for, by St. George, if you do not, I will throw it in your face.' The earl, afraid lest the squire should execute what he had said, for he was bold enough to do so, took the cup and put it to his mouth and drank, or at least pre- tended to drink. Sir John Chandos was not far oft", and heard and saw the whole, and his squire, while the prince was in conversation with others, came and told him what had passed. Sir John Chan- dos took no notice of it until the prince had retired, when, stepping * Car c'est petite seigneuiie de seigneur qui a'est craint et doubts de ses gea.i. up to the earl of Oxford, he said, ' What, sir Aubrey,* arc you dis- pleased that I drank first, who am the constable of this country ? I may well drink and take precedence before you, since my most re- nowned sovereign, the king of England, and my lords, the princes, assent to it. True it is, that you were at the battle of Poitiers ; but all now present do not know the cause of it so well as I do : I will declare it, that they may remember it. When my lord, the prince, had finished his journey to Languedoc, Carcassone and Narbonne, and was returned to this city of Bordeaux, you took it into your heatl that you would return to England ; but what did the king say to you? I know it well, though I was not present. He asked, if you had ac- complished your service ; and, aiterwards, what you had done with his son. You replied, " Sir, I left him in good health at Bordeaux." " What !" said the king, " and have you been bold enough to come hither without him ? Did I not strictly enjoin you, and the others who accompanied him, never to return without him, under the for- feiture of your lands ? and yet you have dared to disobey my com- mands. I now positively order you to quit my kingdom within four days and return to the prince ; for if you be found on the fifth day, you shall lose your life and estates." You were afraid to hazard dis. obedience, as was natural, and left England. You were so fortunate, that you joined the prince four days before the battle of Poitiers, and had, that day, the command of forty lances, while I had sixty. Now, consider if I, who am constable of Aquitaine, have not the right to take precedence, and drink before you do.' The earl of Oxford was much ashamed, and would have willingly been anywhere but there. He was forced, however, to bear with what sir John Chandos said, who spoke aloud that all might hear him." "After this," said another knight, " we ought not to be surprised that the duke of Ire- land, who is the son of this earl of Oxford, is not more considerate, and does not keep in his memory what may be told him of his father, instead of ruling the whole kingdom of England, and setting himself above the king's uncles." " And why should he not do so," replied others, "since the king wills it?" There were great murmurings throughout England against the duke of Ireland ; but what injured him the most was his conduct to his duchess, the lady Philippa, daughter of the lord de Coney, earl of Bedford, who was a handsome and noble lady, and of the highest ex- traction. He fell in love with a German lady, one of the attendants of the present queen ; and, by his solicitations at the court of Rome, pope Urban VI. granted him a divorce from the lady Philippa, with- out any title of justice, but through presumption and indifference. When he married this lady, king Richard consented thereto; for he was so blinded by the duke of Ireland that, if he had declared that black was white, the king would not have said to the contrary. The mother of the duke was mightily enraged with him for this conduct, and took the lord de Coney's daughter to her home and made her her own companion. The duke certainly acted ill, and evil betel him for it, as this was one of the principal causes of the hatred all England bore hini.t It is but just that what is conceived in evil should have an unfortunate end ; and this duke confided so much in the affection of the king, he thought no one would dare to injure him. It was reported through England, that a new tax was to be levied on every fire, and that each was to pay a noble, the rich making up for the deficiencies of the poor. The king's uncles knew this would be difficult to bring about ; and they had caused it to be spread in the principal towns how greatly the inhabitants would be oppressed by- such taxes, and that, as there must remain great sums in the treasury, the people ought to insist on having an account of their expenditure from those who had the management, such as the archbishop of York, the duke of Ireland, sir Simon Burley, sir Michael de la Pole, sir Nicholas Bramber, sir Robert Tresilian, sir Peter Gouloufre, sir John .Salisbury, sir John Beauchamp, and the master of the wool.staple ; and, if iJiese would render an honest account, there would be found money enough for the present demands of the kingdom. It is a well known maxim, that no one pays willingly, or takes money from his purse, if he can avoid it. These rumors were soon spread through, out England, and especially in London, which is the chief key of the realm, so that the people rose in rebeUion, to inquire into the govern- ment of the country, for that there had not for some time been any- thing known concerning it. The Londoners first addressed themselves to Thomas of Wood- stock, duke of Gloucester, though he was younger than the duke of York ; for he was much beloved for his valor, prudence, and steadi- ness in business. When they were in his presence, they said, " My lord, the good city of London recommends itself to your care ; and its citizens, as well as all England, entreat you would take upon you ''' This earl of Oxfird's mime was Thomas. Si.- Alberic de Veie was his brolher. He was employed in different negotiations by Richard II. Robert was the son and heir of Thomas, the last ea/1 of Oxford, and created duke of Ireland. See Dugdale's Baronage. t Wakinyham. speaking of this transaction says ; " Accidit his diebus. ut Robertas Vere. elatus de honoribus quos rex impendebateidemjugiler, suam repudiaret uxorem juvenculam, nol'ilem, atque pulchram, genitam de illustris Edwardi re?is tilia Isabella, et aham duceret. quse cum regina Anna venerat de Boemia tut ferturj cujusdam Oel- • larii filiam, ignobilem prorsus atque foedam : ob quam causam magna surrepsit occasio scondalorum (cujus nomen ernt in vulgaria idiomate Lanceerona.) Favebntsibi in his omnibus ipse rex, nolens ipsum in aUquo contristare. vel potius (prout dicitur) non valens suis \'Otis aiiquabter obviore. qui nialeficijs cujusdam frau-is (qui cum dicto Roberto fiiit) rex irapeditus nequaquam quod bonura est et honestum ceroere, vel sectari valebal." 440 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN. &.'c. the government of the realm, and learn from those who have pos. seesed themselves of the kingdom how it has been hitherto governed ; for the common people make bitter complaints, that taxes upon taxes are continually imposed, and that the kingdom, since the coronation of the king, has been more grievously oppressed by these and other extraordinary aids, than for fifty years preceding it. No one knows how these sums have been expended, nor what is become of them. You will be pleased to inquire into this, and provide a remedy, or things will turn out ill, for the discontents of the people are very strong." The duke of Gloucester replied, " My good sirs, I have attentively listened to what you have said ; but I alone can do noth. ing. I know you have well-founded cause of complaint, as well as the rest of England ; but notwithstanding I am son to a king of Eng. land, and uncle lo the present king, if I were to interfere by speak- ing to him, he would not attend to me ; for my nephew has counsel- lors near his person in whom he confides more than in himself, and these counsellors lead him as they please. If you wish to succeed in having your grievances redressed, you should enter into a confed- eracy with the principal towns, and with some of the nobles and prelates, and come before the king, where my brother and myself will cheerfully meet you, and say to the king, " Most dear lord, you have been crowned when very young, and have hitherto been very badly advised, nor have you attended to the affairs of your kingdom, from the mean and weak counsellors you have chosen. This has caused the mismanagement of affairs, as you must have seen ; and if God, out of his mercy, had not stretched forth his hand, the coun- try must inevitably have been ruined. For which, most redoubted lord, we supplicate you, in the presence of your uncles, as good sub- jects should entreat their lord, that you attend to these matters, that the noble kingdom and crown of England, wliich has descended to you from the most powerful and gallant king this country ever pos- sessed, may be supported in prosperity and honor, and the common people, who now complain, be maintained in their just rights and privi. leges. This you swore to perfonn on the day of your coronation. We also entreat, that you would assemble the three estates of the realm, that they may examine into the late manner of your govern- ment. Should it have been managed in a manner becoming a per- son of your rank, those who have governed will acquire profit and honor, and shall remain as long as they choose, and while it may be your good pleasure, in their offices. But if those who may be ap- pointed to examine into these matters find anything contrary to good government, they will provide a remedy by quietly dismissing from your person those who have so acted, and replacing them by others better qualified; but with your consent first had, then that of your uncles and ot' tlie prelates and barons of the realm, who will pay at. lention in the choice to your honor and to that of your kingdom." " When you shall have made this remonstrance to the king,'' said the duke of Gloucester to the Londoners, " he will give you an an- swer. If he should say. ' We will consider of it,' cut the matter short, and declare you will not have any delay ; and press it the more to alarm him, as well as his minions. Say, boldly, that the country will not longer suffer it ; and it is wonderful they have borne it so Ion". My brother and myself will be with the king, and also the archbishop of Canterbury, the earls of ,'Vrundel, Salisbury and North- umberland ; but say nothing should we not be present ; for we are the principal personages in England, and will second you in your re- monstrance, by adding, that what you require is but reasonable and just. When lie shall hear us thus speak, he will not conti'adict us, unless he be very ill advised indeed, and will appoint a day accord, ingly. This is the advice and the remedy I offer you." The London, ers replied, " My lord, you have loyally spoken ; but it will be difficult for us to find the king and as many lords as you have named, at one time in his presence." " Not at all," said the duke : " St. George's day will be within ten days, and the king will then be at Windsor ; you may be sure the duke of Ireland and sir Simon Burley will be there also. There will be many others. My brother, myself, and the eavl of Salisbury, will be there. Do you come, and you will act according to circumstances." The Londoners promised to be at Windsor on St. George's day, and left the duke of Gloucester, well pleased with their reception. When diat day came, the king of England held a grand festival, as his predecessors had done before him, and, accompanied by his queen and court, went to Windsor. On the morrow, the Londoners came thither with sixty horse, and those from York and other principal towns in like numbers, and lodged themselves in the town. The king was desirous of leaving the place for another three leagues otf, when he heard of the arrival of the commons of England, and still more so, when told they wanted to speak to him ; for he dreaded greatly their remonstrances, and would not have heard them : but his uncles and the earl of Salisbury said, " My lord, you cannot depart, for they are deputed hither by all your principal towns. It is proper you hear what they have to say : you will then give them your an- swer, or take time to consider of it." He remained, therefore, but sore against his will. The commons were introduced to the presence, in the lower hall, without the new building, where the palace stood in former times. The king was attended by his two uncles, the archbishop of Canter- bury, the bishop of Winchester, lord chancellor, the earl of Salis- bury, the carl of Northumberland, and several others of the nobility. The commons made their harangue to the king, by their spokesman a citizen of London, called Simon de Sudbury, a man of sense and oratory. He formed his speech from what the duke of Gloucester had said to them ; and, as you have heard that, I need not take more notice of it. The king, having heard it, replied : " Ye commons of England, your requests are great and important, and cannot be ira. mediately attended to ; for we shall not long remain here, nor are all our council with us : indeed the greater part are absent. I therefore bid each of you return quietly to your homes, an^ there peaceably remain, unless sent for, until Michaelmas, when the parliament shall be assembled at Westminster. Come thither and lay your requests before us, which we will submit to our council. What we approve shall be granted, and what we think improper refused. For think not we are to be ruled by our people. That has never been ; and we can perceive nothing but what is right and just in our govern- ment, and in those who govern under us." Upward of seven in. stantiy replied to the king, and said, " Most redoubted lord, under your gi-ace's favor, your justice is weak, indeed, in the realm, and you know not what behooveth you to know : for you neither make inquiry, nor examine in-to what is passing ; and those who are your advisers will never tell you, for the great wealth they are amassing. It is not justice, sir king, to cut off" heads, wrists, or feet, or any way to punish ; but justice consists in the maintaining the subject in hia right, and in taking care he live in peace, without having any cause of complaint. We must also say that you have appointed too long a day by referring us to Michaelmas. No time can be better than the present : we, therefore, unanimously declare, that we will have an account, and very shortly too, from those who have governed your kingdom since j'our coronation, and know what is become of the great sums that have been raised in England for these last nine years, and whither they have passed. If those who have been your treas- urers shall give a just account, or nearly so, we shall be much re- joiced, and leave them in their offices. Those who shall not produce honest acquittances for their expenditure shall be treated accordingly, by the commissioners that are to be nominated by you, and our lords your uncles." The king, on this, looked at his uncles to see if they would say anything, when the duke of Gloucester said, " That he saw nothing but what was just and reasonable in the demands they had made : what do you say, fair brother of York?" " As God may help me, it is all true," he replied, as did the other barons who were present ; but the king wished them to give their opinions separately. " Sir," added the duke of Gloucester, " it is but t'air that you know how your money has been expended." The king, perceiving they were all united, and that his minions dared not utter one word, for they were overawed by the presence of the nobles, said, " Well, I consent to it : let them be sent away ; for summer is now approaching, and the time for my amusement in hunting." Then, addressing the Lon- doners, he added, "Would you have the matter instantly dispatched V " Yes, we entreat it of you, noble king : we shall likewise beg of these lords to take part, more particularly our lords your uncles.'* The dukes replied, they would willingly undertake it, as well on the part of their lord and king, as for the country. The commons then said ; " We also wish that the reverend fathers, the lord archbishop of Canterbury, and the bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, be par- ties." They said, they would cheerfully do so. When this was agreed to, they nominated the lords present, such as the earls of Sal- isbury and Northumberland, sir Reginald Cobham, sir Guy do Bryan, sir Thomas Felton, sir Matliew Gournay, and said there should be from two to four of the principal persons from each city or large town, who would represent the commons of England. All this was assented to, and the time for their meeting fixed for the week after St. George's day, to be holden at Westminster ; and all the king's ministers and treasurers were ordered to attend, and give an account of their administrations to the before-named lords. The king con- sented to the whole, not through force, but at the solicitations and prayers of his uncles, the other lords, and commons of England. It, indeed, concerned them to know how affairs had been managed, both in former times and in those of the present day. All having been amicably settled, the assembly broke up, and the lords, on leav- ing Windsor, returneci to London, whither were summoned all col- lectors and receivers, from the different counties, with their receipts and acquittances, under pain of corporal punishment and confisca- tion of goods. CHAPTER LXXIX. TnE C05IMISSI0NERS OF ACCOUNTS CONDEMN SIK SIMON BUKLEY TO BE IM- PKISONED IN THE TOWEK OF LONDON. SIR THOMAS TRIVET IS KILLED BY A FALL FROM HIS HORSE. SIR WILLIAM ELMHAM IS ACQUITTED OP UAVINS TAKEN MONEY FOR THE SURRENDER OF BOURBOURG AND GRAVELINES. The assembly of the commissioners of accounts was held at West- minster, consisting of the king's uncles, the prelates, barons, and de. puties from the principal towns of England. It lasted upward of a month. Some of those who appeared before it, not producing fair or honorable accounts, were punished corporally, and by confiscation of whatever they possessed. Sir Simon Burley was charged with defalcations to the amount of CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &e. 441 two hundred and fifty thousand francs, notwithstanding he had been tutor to the king, and had assisted him in the government from his earliest youth. Wlien called upon to account for what had become of it, he cast the blame on the archbishop of York and sir William Neville, saying he had never acted but with them and by their advice, and in conjunction with the king's chamberlains, sir Robert Tresilian, sir Robert Beauchamp, sir John Salisbury, sir Nicholas Bramber, and others ; but those, when examined, excused themselves, and flung the whole fault on him. The duke of Ireland said to Simon privately ; " I tmderstand you are to be arrested and sent to prison until you shall pay the sum you are charged with. Do not dispute the matter, but go whither they may order: I will make your peace with the king, though they had all sworn to the contrary. You know the constable of France owes me forty thousand francs for the ran- som of John of Blois, and this sum he will shortly pay : I will offer the amount to the cominissioners, which, for the moment, will satisfy them : but the king is sovereign ; he will pardon you all, for the bal- ances must be paid to him and to none other.'' " If I did not depend," replied sir Simon Burley, " that you would strongly support me with the king, and assist me personally in this matter, I would cross the sea and go to the king of Bohemia. I should be well received there, and remain for a time until all this bustle were blown over." " I will never forsake you," said the duke of Ireland : " are we not compan. ions, and equally implicated ? You must ask time for payment. I know well that you can pay when you please, in ready money, one htindred thousand francs. Do not fear death, for they will never push matters so far as that ; and before Michaelmas, things shall have a different turn from what these lords think : let me only once have the king in my power, and I will have him, for all that he now does he is forced to. We must satisfy these cursed Londoners, and put an end to all this discontent they have raised against us and our friends." Sir Simon Burley put a little too much confidence in these words of the duke of Ireland, and presented himself before the commis- sioners, when called upon. They said ; " Sir Simon, you have been a knight who has done honor to our country, and were greatly beloved by our lord the late prince of Wales. You and the duke of Ireland have been the prijicipal ministers of the king. We have carefully examined all your accounts that have been laid before us, and must fell you, they are neither fair nor honorable, which has displeased us for the love we bear you. We have therefore unanimously resolved that you be sent to the Tower of London, there to be confined until you shall have repaid, in this chamber, according to our orders, the sum you have received for the king and realm, and for which, from the examination of the treasurer, you have never accounted : the sum amounts to two hundred and fifty thousand francs. Now, have you anything to say in your defence ?" Sir Simon was much disconcerted, and said ; " My lords, I shall willingly obey, as it is proper I should, your commands, and go whither you may please to send me. But I entreat that I may have a secretary allowed me to draw out an account of the great expenses I have formerly been at in Germany and Bohe- mia, when negotiating the marriage of our king and lord. If I should have received too much, grant me, through the king's grace and yours, that I may have a reasonable time for repayment." " To this we agree," replied the lords ; and sir Simon Burley was then con. ducted to the Tower. The accounts of sir Thomas Trivet and sir William Elmham were next examined. They were not popular with any of the barons of England, nor with the people, on account of their conduct in Flan- ders : for it was said no Englishman had ever made so shameful an expedition. The bishop of Norwich and the governor of Calais, who at that time was sir Hugh Calverley, had cleared themselves from any blame : but the charge laid to the two knights, of taking money for the surrender of Bourbourg and Gravelines, prevented them doing the same : and some in England wanted to have their conduct (which has been before related) construed into treason ; and the knights had given security for their appearance, when called upon, to the king, his uncles, and the council. This charge was now renewed, and they were summoned before the commissioners. Sir William Elm- ham appeared ; but sir Thomas Trivet did not come, and I will tell you the cause. The same week the summons from the commissioners was brought to his house, in the north, he had mounted a young horse, to try him in the fields. His horse ran away with him over hedge and through bushes, and at length fell into a ditch and broke tlie knight's neck. It was a pity, and his loss was much bewailed by the good people of England. Notwithstanding this, his heirs were forced to pay a large sum of florins to what was called the king's council ; but the whole management was well known to rest with the uncles of the king, and the commissioners they had nominated. ^ For, although the duke of Gloucester was the youngest of the king's uncles, he was the most active in business that concerned the country ; and the better part of the prelates, nobles, and commons, looked up to him. j When the composition-money of the late sir Thomas Trivet, who ' was killed as you have heard, was paid, the blame cast on sir Wil- j liam Elmham was much lightened. His former deeds in the Borde- lois, Guienne, and Fieardy, where he had displayed much valor in Kjipport of England, pleaded for him, having behaved like a gallant j knight, so that nothing could be laid to his charge but having taken money for Bourbourg and Gravelines. But he excused himself by saying ; " My lords, when any one is placed as we were, in respect to these two towns, it appears to me (from what I have heard sir John Chandos and sir Walter Manny, who had abundance of good sense and valor say,) that when two or three means offer, the one most profitable to ourselves, and that which can hurt our enemies the most, ought ever to be adopted. Sir Thomas Trivet and myself, finding ourselves surrounded, so that succor could no way come to us, and that we should not be able long to withstand their assaults, (for they were such knights and squires as few in England ever saw, and in such numbers, from the account of our herald, as to amount to six. teen thousand men-at-arms, and forty thousand others, while we were scarcely three hundred lances, and as many archers ; our town was also so extensive we could not attend to all parts of it, which we soon felt to our cost, for, while we were defending one side, it was set oa fire on another,) we became very much confused, which the enemy perceived. And, in truth, the king of France and his council acted handsomely by granting us a truce, for if they had on the morrow re- newed their attack, in the situation we were in, they must have had us at their mercy. They honorably treated with us, through the duke of Brittany, who took much trouble on the occasion. We ought to have paid for this, but they gave us money ; and instead of being worsted by our enemies, we despoiled them. We certainly over, reached them, when they paid us, and suffered us to depart safe and well, carrying away whatever we had gained by tliis expedition in Flanders. Besides," added sir William, " to purge myself from all blame, should there be in England, or out of England, anv knight or squire, except the persons of my lord the dukes of York aiid of Glou- cester, who shall dare to say that I have acted disloyally toward my natural lord the king, or have been any way guilty of treason, I am ready to throw down my glove, and with my body try the event by deeds of arms, such as the judges may assign me." This speech, and the known valor of the knight, exculpated him,, and freed him from all fear of death, which he was in danger of at the beginning. He returned to his estate, and was afterwards a re- nowned knight, much advanced, and of the king's council. Sir Si- mon Burley was still confined in the Tower, for he was mortally hated by the king's uncles and the commons of England. The king did everything in his power to deliver him from prison, during the time he resided at Sheene ;* but the commissioners, being determined to oppress him, dissembled, and said they could not as yet set him at liberty, for his accounts were not closed. The king, accompanied by the duke of Irreland, journeyed toward Wales, by way of Bristol ;, and wheresoever he went he was followed by the queen, and all the ladies and damsels of her court. CHAPTER LXXX. THE KIN'S OF ENGLAND HAVING LEFT LONDON, SIR SIMON BURIEY IS BE. HEADED, TO THE GREAT DISPLEASURE OF THE KING AND QtJEEN. A CHANGE OF THE MINISTRY. Althougu the king of England had left London, his uncles there remained with their advisers. You have often heard, that when any disorder is in the head, all the other members of the body are affected by it, and that this sickness must be purged away by some means or other. I say this, because the duke of Ireland was in such favor with the king, that he managed him 'as he pleased, and governed him at will. Sir Simon Burley was also one of the principal advi- sers; and between them both they ruled, for a long time, king and kingdom. They were suspected of having amassed very large sums of money, and it was rumored they had sent great part of it for safety to Germany. It had also come to the knowledge of the king, his uncles, and the rulers of the principal towns in England, that great cases and trunks had been secretly embarked from Dover castle in the nighutime, which were said to contain this money sent fraud- ulently abroad by them to foreign countries, in consequence of which the kingdom was greatly impoverished of cash. Many grieved much at this, saying, that gold and silver were become so scarce as to oc. casion trade to languish. Such speeches increased the hatred to sir Simon Burley, and the commissioners declared they thought he de.. served death. In short, they, on finishing his accounts, condemned him to sufl'er this punishment, instigated thereto by a desire to please the country, and by the archbishop of Canterbury, who related to the lords that sir Simon wanted to remove the shrine of St. Thomas from Canterbury to Dover castle, as he said, for greater security, at the time the French invasion was expected ; but it was commonly be- lieved that he meant to seize it, and carry it out of England. Many, now he was in prison, came forward against him ; and the knight was so overpowered, that nothing he could say in his defence availed him ; so that he was carried forth out of the Tower, and beheaded, as a traitor, in the square before it. God have mercy on his mis. deeds! Notwithstanding I thus relate his disgraceful death, which I am forced to by my detemiination to insert nothing but truth in this history, I was exceedingly vexed thereat, and personally much grieved ; for in my youth I had found him a gentle knight, and, ac- cording to my understanding, of great good sense. Such was the unfortunate end of sir Simon Burley. 442 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. Richard Burley, was with the duke of for, as the king was so young, he managed him as he pleased, and, - ■ ■ ■ ■ ' should he leave him, he was afraid the king's affection would be His nephew and heir, sir -- - -•-,,. , „„j „ „ Lancaster in Galicia, when this misfortune bcfel lus uncle, and one of the most renowned in his army, after the constable ; for he had once the chief command of the whole army, and instructed su- Thomas Moreaux in his office of marshal ; he wag likewise oi the duke's council, and his principal adviser. You may suppose that, when he heard of the disgraceful death his uncle had sutfcred, he was mightily enraged ; but, alas ! this gallant knight died in his bed, in Castille, of sickness, with very many more, as I shall fully relate vhen arrived at that part of my history. When king Richard, who was amusing himself in Wales, heard of the death of sir Simon Burley, he was very wroth ; for he had been one of his tutors and had educated him ; and he swore it should not remain unrevenged, for he had been cnielly put to death, and ■without the smallest plea of justice. The queen also bewailed his loss ; for he had been the principal promoter of her marriage, and had conducted her from Germany to England. The king's council tegau now to be seriously alarmed, such as the duke of Ireland, sir Nicholas Bramber, sir Robert Tresilian, sir John Beauchamp, sir John Salisbury, and sir Michael do la Pole. The archbishop of York, whose name was William Neville, brother to the lord Neville of Northumberland, was dismissed from his office of lord treasurer, which he had held a considerable time, and forbidden, by the duke of Gloucester, if he valued his life, ever again to intermeddle ^wjth the affairs of England ; but he might retire to his bishopric of York, or to any other part of his diocese, for that of late he had been by far too busy. He was told that, from consideration of his dignity and birth, many things had been overlooked that were highly disgraceful 10 him ; and that the greater part of the deputies from the cities and towns were for having him degraded from the priesthood, and pun- ished in like manner to sir Simon Burley. He soon left London, and went to reside on his bishopric in the north, which was worth to him about forty thousand francs a year. His whole family was much enraged, and thought his disgrace had been caused by Henry of Northumberland, though he was his relation and neighbor. The archbishop of Canterbury, who was valiant and learned, and much in favor of the king's uncles, succeeded to the treasurership : he was of the family of the Montagues and the eari of Salisbury was his uncle.* The commissioners appointed the earl of Salisbury, the carl of Arundel, the carl of Northumberland, the earl of Devonshire, the earl of Nottingham, and the bishop of Norwich, who was called sir Henry de Spencer, the king's council ; but the bishop of Win- chester retained his office of chancellor, and continued near the per- son of the king's uncles. The most renowned of the council, after the duke of Gloucester, was sir Thomas Montague, archbishop of Canterbury ; and well was he deserving of it, for the great pains he took to reform the abuses of government, and withdraw the king from the management of his minions. He spoke very frequently on this subject to the duke of York, who repUed, " Archbishop, matters will, by degrees, turn out differently from what my nephew and the duke of Ireland imagine. But we must wait for a favorable oppor- tunity, and not be too pressing; for what is done in haste is never well done. I agree with you, that if we had not in time taken up this business, the king would have been so governed, that the king- dom must have been ruined. The king of France and his council were well acquainted with our state ; and for this did they make such immense preparations, to take the advantage to invade us." CHAPTER LXXXI. ■WHILE THE COUNCIL, ON THE STATE OF THE NATION, IS SITTIN& AT LON. DON, KING KICHAED, BY THE ADVICE OF THE DUKE OF IRELAND, DETEK- MINES TO WAGE WAR AGAINST HIS UNCLES AND THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS. In like manner as the king's uncles and the new council of state were devising at Westminster on the means of reforming abuses in the government, and of having the king and realm under their power, the duke of Ireland and his council were plotting day and night how they could keep their places, and destroy the uncles of the king, by means which I will now explain. When king Richard, accompanied by his queen,t arrived at Bris. tol, which is a handsome and strong town, he fixed his residence in the castle. Those in Wales, and at a distance, thought he had done so to favor the duke of Ireland, who had caused it to be reported that he intended going thence to Ireland, and to assist him with money to increase his followers, for that had been agreed on by the parliament. It had been ordered that the duke, on setting out for Ireland, where he was to remain three years, should have the com. mand of five hundred men-at-arms and fifteen hundred archers, paid by England, and that money for this purpose should be punctually remitted to him.t But the duke had no inclination to go thither ; r * Thismust ben mistake. In 1381 William Courtney was archbishop of Canterbury, and in 1391 Tiiomas Fitzallan, son of the eai'l of Arundel. t So saya Jean Petit, ■' et la riiyno aveques lui." i There is a variation in Ute copies of the oriBinal, as Jean Petit runs thus ; "When he departed from the king and his inicles, it was agieed with him, liiat in case he should go on this voyage, he should have, at the charge of England, five hundred men-at-arms and fifteen hundred archers. It w,as ordered that he should abide there three years, and that he should be always well paid." This readmg appears to be simpler than that of 4lie te.vl. Sec Jean Petit's edition, vol. III. p. 46. cooled. Add to this, he was so greatly enamored with one of the queen's damsels, called the landgravine, that he could never quit her. She was a tolerably handsome pleasant lady, whom the queen had brought with her from Bohemia. The duke of Ireland loved her with such ardor, that he was desirous of making her, if possible, his duchess by marriage. He took great pains to obtain a divorce from his present duchess, the daughter of the earl of Bedford, from Urban VI., whom the English and Germans acknowledged as pope. All the good people of England were much astonished and shocked at this ; for the duchess was grand-daughter of the gallant king Ed. ward and the e.\cellent queen Philippa, being the daughter of the princess Isabella. Her uncles, the dukes of York and Gloucester, were very wroth at this insult; but, notwithstanding their hatred, which he held cheap, the duke of Ireland was so smitten and blinded by his love, he was using every means to obtain a divorce, and had promised the lady he would make her his wife, if he had the king and queen's consent, and a dispensation from Rome, which the pope would not dare refuse him ; for his present lady was a Clcmcntist, and the lord de Coucy, her father, had made war in Italy for Cle- ment, against Urban, which inclined the latter not to be over-fond of him, and induced him to listen too readily to the proposals for a divorce. Thus was he urging on matters, according to his promise to the landgravine of Bohemia,- and would not have any connection with his wife by legal marriage. But this duke of Ireland had a mother living, the countess dowager of Oxford, who, so far from ap. proving her son's conduct, greatly blamed him for his follies, saying that he would by them anger Heaven, who would one day punish him severely, when it would be too late to repent. She had the duchess home with her, and gave her as handsome an establishment as she could, so that all who loved the young lady were pleased with this conduct. In such a situation was the kingdom of England ; but, to bring the history to a conclusion, I will continue the subject from the in- formation I then received. You have heard that the duke of Ireland kept close to the king during his residence at Bristol and in Wales, solely occupied night and day with the means of succeeding in his plaiLS. He was assiduous in his attentions to the king and queen, and to all knights and squires who waited on them at Bristol and at tlie hunts in that neighborhood, to draw them over to his faction ; for tlie king suficred him to act as he pleased. The duke, during this period, took infinite pains in visiting all the gentlemen near to Bristol, and went frequently into Wales, where he complained to all who would listen to him, that the king's uncles, from their ambition to obtain the government, had driven from the council the most noble and wisest members, such as the archbishop of York, the bishop of Durham, the bishop of London, sir Michael de la Pole, sir Nicholas Bramber, sir John Salisbury, sir Robert Tre- silian, sir John Beauchamp, and himself; that they had put to death, without any justice whatever, that valiant knight sir Simon Burley ; and, if they continued to govern as they had begun, they would soon destroy all England. He repeated this so often, and with such sue. cess, that the greater part of the knights and squires of Wales and the adjoining countries believed him. They came to Bristol, and demanded from the king, if what the duke had told them had his approbation. The king replied it had, and begged of them, from their affection to him, to put every confidence in the duke, for that he would avow whatever he should do ; adding, that in truth his uncles were too ambitious, and that he had his fears they intended to deprive him of his crown. Those from Wales, who had always loved the prince of Wales, father to the king, having heard of the transactions in London, were firmly persuaded that the king and the duke of Ireland had been wronged, and demanded from the king how he wished them to act. The king answered, " He would gladly see the Londoners, who had been the chief movers in this business, punished and brought to their senses, as well as his uncles." The Welchmen said they were bounden to obey his commands, for he was their king and sovereign lord, to whom, and to none else, they owed faith and homage. They wore therefore willing to go whither- soever he would order them. The king and the duke of Ireland were well satisfied with this answer ; and the latter, seeing the king take up the matter as personal to himself, was extravagant in his joy, and said to the council, " they could not act better than return to London to show their force, and, by fair or other means, bring the citizens back to their obedience ; and he also said, and always repre- sented to the king, that whenever there were so many rulers in a kingdom, it must"be its ruin." The king said, " that his opinion was the same, and that, if hitherto he had suffered things to be so carried, he would not any longer, but bring forward such a remedy that other countries should take example from it." Now, consider in your own mind if I had not good cause to say, that England was, at this period, in the greatest peril of being ruined past recovery. It certainly was, from the causes you have heard; for the king was exasperated against his uncles and the principal nobility of the kingdom, and they were so likewise against him and many nobles of his party. The cities and towns were quarrelhng with each other, and the prelates in mutual hatred, so that no remedy for all these evils could be looked for but from God alone. The CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 447 duke (Jf Ireland, when he perceived he had gained tlie Iting, and the greater number of those in Bristol, Wales, and the adjoining parts, proceeded to aay to the king, " My lord, if you will appoint me your lieutenant, I will lead twelve or fifteen thousand men to London, or to Oxford, which is your and my city, and show my strength to these Londoners and your uncles, who have treated you with such indig- nity, and have put some of your council to death, and, by fair words or otherwise, reduce them to obedience." The king replied, he was satisfied ; adding, " I now nominate you lieutenant-general of my kingdom, to assemble men wherever you can raise them, and to lead them whithereoever you shall think it most for the advantage of our realm, that all may sec the whole of it to be our inheritance and right. I order you to bear our banner, guidon, standard, and other our proper habiliments of war, which we ourselves should have done, had we taken the field. I should imagine, that all conditions of men, on perceiving my banners, would flock to enrol themselves under them, and would be fearful of incurring, by a contrary conduct, my displeasure.'' This speech greatly rejoiced the duke of Ireland SlCBlRS 11. AT Bristol. Desisned ftom Uluminations in the Metrical History of Richard U.— Haileian MS. 1319. CHAPTER LXXXII THE KINS OF ENGLAND ISSUES HIS ORDERS FOR ALL CAPABLE OF EEAEINO ARMS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF BRISTOL TO M.ARCH TO LONDON. SIR ROBERT TRESILIAN, SENT THITHER AS A SPY, IS DISCOVERED, AND BE- HEADED BY COMMAND OF THE KINg's UNCLES. The king of England issued his summons to many great barons, knights, and squires in Wales, in the country round Bristol, and on the Severn-side. Some excused themselves by sending satisfactory reasons; but others came and placed themselves under the obe- dience of the king, notwithstanding their conviction that it was im- possible to augur anything good from the enterprise. While this army was collecting, the king and the duke, in a secret conference, determined to send one of their confidential friends to London to observe what was going forward, and, if the king's uncles still remained there, to discover what they were doing. After some consideration, they could not think on a proper person to send on this errand ; when a knight, who was cousin to the duke, and of the king's as well as of his council, called sir Robert Tresilian, stepped forth, and said to the duke, " I see the difiiculty you have to find a trusty person to send to London : I will, from my love to you, risk the adventure." The king and the duke, well pleased with the of- fer, thanked him for it. Tresilian left Bristol disguised Uke a poor tradesman, mounted on a wretched hackney : he continued his road to London, and lodged at an inn where he was unknown ; for no one could have ever imagined that one of the king's counsellors and chamberlains would have appeared in so miserable a dress. When in London, he picked up all the news that was public, for he could not do more, respecting the king's uncles and the citizens. Having heard there was to be a meeting of the dukes and their council at Westminster, he determined to go thither to learn secretly all he could of their proceedings. This he executed, and fixed his quarters at an ale-house right opposite the palace-gate : he chose a chamber whose window looked into the palace-yard, where he posted lumsell' to observe all who should come to this parliament. The greater part he knew, but was not, from his disguise known to them. He, however, remained there, at different times, so long, that a- squire of the duke of Gloucester, saw and knew him, for he had been many times in his company. Sir Robert instantly recollected him, and \\ ithdrew from tlie window ; but the squire having his sus- picions, said, " Surely that must be Tresilian ;" and to be certain of it, he entered the ale-house, and said to the landlady, " Dame, tell mc, on your troth, who is he drinking above : is he alone or in com- pany ?" " On my troth, sir," she replied, " I cannot tell you his name ; but he has been here some time." At these words, the squire went up stairs to know the truth, and having saluted sir Robert, found he was righ.t, though he dissembled by saying, " God preserve you, master I I hope you will not take my coming amiss, for I thought you had been one of my farmers from Essex, as you are so very Uke him." " By no means," said sir Robert: " I am from Kent, and hold lands of sir John Holland, and wish to lay my complaints be- fore the council against the tenants of the archbishop of Canterbury, who encroach much on my farm." " If you will come into the hall," said the squire, " I will have way made for you to lay your grievances before the lords." " Many thanks," replied sir Robert : " not at this moment, but I shall not renounce your assistance.'* At these words, the squire ordered a quart of ale, which having paid for, he said, " God be with you '." and left the ale-house. He lost no time in hasten. ing to the council. chamber, and called to the usher to open tlie door. The usher, knowing him, asked his busi- ness : he said, " he must instantly speak with the duke of Gloucester, on mat- ters that nearly concerned him and the council." "The usher, on this, bade him enter, which he did, and made up to the duke of Gloucester, saying, " My lord, I bring you great news." " Of what ?" rephed the duke. " My lord, I will tell it aloud ; for it concerns not only you but all the lords present. I have seen sir Robert Tresilian, dis- guised like a peasant, in an ale-house close by the palace gate." " Tresil- ian !" said the duke. " On my faith, my lord, it is true ; and you shall have him to dine with you, if you please.'' " I should like it much," replied the duke ; " for he will tell us some news of his master, the duke of Ireland. Go, and secure him ; but with power enough not to be in danger of failing.'' The squire, on these orders, left the council-chamber, and, having chosen four bailiffs, said to them, " Follow me at a distance ; and, as soon as you shall perceive me make you a sign to arrest a man I am in search of, lay hands on him, and take care he do not, on any account, es. cape from you." The squire made for the ale-house where he had left sir Robert, and, mounting the staircase to the room where he was, said, on entering, " Tresilian, you arc not come to this country for any good, as I imagine : my lord of Gloucester sends for you, and you must come and speak with him." The knight turned a deaf ear, and would have been excused, if he could, by say- ing, " I am not Tresilian, but a tenant of Sir John Holland." " That is not true," replied the squire ; " your body is Tresilian's, though not your dress." And, maldng the signal to the bailifls, who were at the door, they entered the house and arrested him, and, whether he would or not, carried him to the palace. You may be- lieve there was a great crowd to see him ; for he was well known in London, and in many parts of England. The duke of Gloucester was much pleased, and would see him. When in his presence, the duke said ; " Tresilian, what has brought you hither ? How fares my sovereign? Where does he now reside ?" Tresilian, finding he was discovered, and that no excuses would avail, replied, " On my faith, my lord, the king has sent me hither to learn the news : he is at Bristol, and on the banks of the Severn, where he hunts and amuses himself." " How !" said the duke, " you do not come dressed like an honest man, but like a spy. If you had been desi- rous to learn what was passing, your appearance should have been like that of a knight or a discreet person." " My lord," answered Tresilian, " if I have done wrong, I hope you will excuse me ; for I have only done what I was ordered." " And where is your master, the duke of Ireland ?" " My lord," said Tresilian, " he is with the king our lord." The duke then added, " We have been infoi-med that he is collecting a large body of men, and that the king has issued his summons to that effect: whither does he mean to lead them ?" " My lord, they are intended for Ireland." " For Ireland !" .said the duke. " Yes, indeed, as God may help me," answered Tresilian. The duke mused awhile, and then spoke ; " Tresilian, Tresilian^ 444 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. your actions are neither fair nor honest ; and you have committed a great piece of folly in coming to these parts, where you are far from being loved, as will be shortly shown to you. You, and others of your faction, have done what has greatly displeased my brother and myself, and have ill.counselled the king, whom you have made to quarrel with his chief nobility. In addition, you have excited the principal towns against us. The day of retribution is therefore come, when you shall receive payment ; for whoever acts justly re. ceives his reward : look to your affairs, for I will neither eat nor drink until you be no more." This speech greatly terrified sir Rob. ert, (for no one likes to hear of his end,) by the manner in which it was uttered. Ho was desirous to obtain pardon, by various excuses, and the most abject humiliation, but in vain ; for the duke had re. ceived information of what was going on at Bristol, and his excuses were fruitless. Why should I make a long story? Sir Robert was <3elivered to the hangman, who led him out of the palace to the place of execution, where he was beheaded, and then hung by the arms to a gibbet. Thus ended sir Robert Tresilian. CHAPTER LXXXIII. WHEN THE NEWS OF THE DEATH OF SIR ROBERT TRESILIAN IS BROUGHT TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK AND SIR NICHOLAS BEAMBER, THET CONFIRM THE KING IN HIS INTENTION OF MAKING WAR ON HIS UN. CLES. THE DOEE OF IRELAND, AS LIEUTENANT-GENERAL, LEADS THE ARMY TO OXFORD. Intelligence was hastily carried to king Richard at Bristol, that sir Robert Tresilian had been put to a shameful death. He took it sorely to heart, and swore things should not remain in the state they were ; for that his uncles were conducting themselves ill, and putting to death, without the least plea of justice, his knights and servants, who had loyally served him and the prince liis father, plainly show- ing their intentions were to deprive him of his crown, and that such conduct touched him too nearly not to resent it. The archbishop of York had been the chief of his council for a considerable time, and, being then with the king, said : " My lord, you ask counsel, and I will give it you. Your uncles behave shamefully, and want to make the world believe you have only traitors near your person, and that you take counsel from none but them. Great danger now hangs over the country ; for if the cojnmons rise, and the nobility be uni- ted, much mischief will ensue. I therefore advise, that you settle all these things by force : you are now in a very populous country : issue your summons for all capable of bearing arms, gentlemen and others, to join you here ; and, when they be assembled, march them tinder the orders of the duke of Ireland, who will gladly take the ■command, toward London ; and let there be no other banners but those with your own arms, to show more distinctly the business is your own. The whole country, on their line of march, will join them, and perhaps the Londoners also, who have no personal hatred to you, who have never done them any injury. All the mischief that could have been done you has already been effected by your uncles. iHere is sir Nicholas Bramber, who has been frequently mayor of Lon. •don, and whom you created a knight for the gallant service he per- formed in former times ;* consult him, for he ought to be well acquainted with the Londoners, being a fellow. citizen, and must, likewise, have some steady friends among them. You run a. risk of ■losing your kingdom from those tumultuous and disloyal proceedings. The king, on this, turned to sir Nicholas Bramber, and desired iim to speak. *' My lord,'' said sir Nicholas, "since you command •me, I will speak my sentiments before these lords, according to the best of my judgment. In the first place, I do not believe, nor ever shall, that the majority of the Londoners are wanting in affection to ■our lord who is present. They greatly loved my lord, the prince his father, of happy memory ; and they gave proofs of their loyalty, w^hen the rabble of peasants rose in rebellion : for, to say the truth, had they been inclined to have joined them, there would have been an end of the king and monarchy. The uncles of the king have it now all before them, and laugh at the citizens, whom they make be. lieve whatever they please ; for there is no one to contradict them, •or to show what falsehoods they daily publish. They have put aside all the king's officers, myiielf in the number, and replaced them with others of their way of thinking. They have sent the king to a corner of his kingdom ; and one cannot suppose any good will follow, for we are perfectly ignorant what their ultimate intentions maybe. If matters continue in this state much longer, the king will be driven out of his kingdom ; for they act by force, and the king by kindness. Have they not already put to death that gallant knight sir Simon Burley, who had performed such meritorious services beyond sea ? and have they not, publicly, imputed to him the greatest falsehoods, which they knew to be untrue, such as, that he intended to deliver to the French the town and castle of Dover, and that, for that pur- pose, he had caused them to assemble at Sluys and other parts of Flanders ? Have they not, also, in despite to the king, disgracefully slain his knight sir Robert Tresilian ? and they will treat the rest in the same manner the very instant they can lay hands on them : I therefore advise, that the king use rigorous measures. It is well ^ Alluiliiie to his conduct at the time Wat Tyler inwilted tJie king in Sinilhfield. known throughout England that he is king ; that he was educated by our late valiant and good king Edward, at Westminst*, who made all his subjects, great and small, swear obedience to him aa their king, after his decease, which oath the king's uncles also took. It appears to many, if they dare speak out, that he is not now con- sidered as king, nor does he keep the state or manner of a king ; for he is not suffered to act as he pleases : they have only allowed him and his queen a pension, and plainly show them, that they have not sense to govern the realm, and that their whole council is made up of traitors and evil-designing men. I say, therefore, that such con. duct is not longer to be borne ; and I would rather die than remain in such a state of danger, and see the king thus treated, and ruled as he is by his uncles." The king interrupted him by saying : " What is now doing does not please us ; and I tell you, that the advice you have given seems to me both honorable and good for us and for our realm." The conference now broke up ; but not before the duke of Ireland was ordered, as king's lieutenant, to march, with all the force he could collect, toward London, to try the courage of the citi- zens, and see if, by negotiation and the greatest promises on the part of the king, he could not turn them to his faction. It was not long before the duke, with fifteen thousand men, left Bristol on his march to Oxford, where they quartered themselves, and in the country round about. They bore banners and pennons with only the arms of Eng. land, for the king would have it known it was his personal quarrel. News was carried to the dukes of York and Gloucester, that the duke of Ireland was on his march to London with fifteen thousand men ; that they were already at Oxford, and that he bore the king's own banners. It was time for them to consider how to act : they summoned all the principal leaders in London for wealth or power to a conference at Westminster, wherein they tol-d them how the duke of Ireland was marching against them with a large force. The citizens, like persons prepared to obey the will of the king's uncles, for they were in truth all so inclined, replied : " Be it so, in God's name : if the duke of Ireland demand battle from us, he shall have it. We will not shut a gate for his fifteen thousand men : no, nor for twenty thousand, if he had them." The dukes were much con. tented with this answer, and instantly employed numbers of persons to assemble knights and squires from all parts, and archers from the principal towns. Those whom the dukes had summoned obeyed, as was just, for they had sworn so to do. Men came from the counties of Norwich, Kent, Southampton, from Arundel, Salisbury, and the country round London. Many knights and squires came thitlier also, without knowing whither they were to be sent or conducted. CHAPTER LXXXIV. THE DUKE OF IRELAND SENDS THREE KNIGHTS TO LONDON TO LEARN IN. TELLIGENCE. THE DUKES OF YORK AND GLOUCESTER TAKE THE FIELD AGAINST THE DUKE OF IRELAND AND HIS ARMY. I WILL now say something of the duke of Ireland, who had fixed his quarters at Oxford. He had indeed fifteen thousand men, but the greater part had joined him more through constraint than good, will. The duke, to sound the Londoners, resolved to send thither sir Nicholas Bramber, sir Peter Gouloufre, and sir Michael de la Pole : they were to enter the town by the Thames, and to hoist the king's flag, and observe how the citizens, on seeing it, would act. These three knights, in compliance with the duke's orders, left Ox. ford with only thirty horse, and rode secretly to Windsor, where they lay that night. On the morrow, they crossed the Thames at the bridge of Staines, and dined in the king's palace at Slieene,* where they remained until late in the evening, when they departed and rode for another of the king's palaces at Kensington, nearer London, three leagues distant, where they left their horses, and, having entered boats, took advantage of the tide, and passed through London. bridge unobserved, for the watch had not any suspicions of their arrival. They entered the Tower of London, and found the governor whom the king had appointed. From him they learnt many things relative to the king's uncles, and what was passing in London. He told them, they had run great risks in coming to him. " How so ?" said they. " We are knights attached to the king's person, and may surely lodge ourselves in any of his castles." " You will not find things so," answered the governor ; " for though this town and all within it are willing to submit themselves to the obedience of the king, they will only do so as long as he will allow himself to be gov. erned by his uncles, and no longer. What I tell you is for your welfare ; and I am bound to advise you, as far as my abilities and understanding will enable me ; for I suspect that when day shall return to-morrow, if it please God, andnews get abroad that there are arrived in the Tower persons on the part of the king, you will see this castle besieged by the citizens on all sides, who will not de. p.-.rt until they have gained admittance and have seen who are here lodged. Should they find you, they will carry yon to the king's uncles, and you may guess what will be the result. I am satisfied they are so much enraged against the duke of Ireland, and the other advisers of the king, that if once they lay hold of you, you will never escape with life. Consider well what I have said, for it is all true." *RlcbmonJ. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 445 The three knights, who thought they should do wonders, were in despair at what they heard : tliey held a council, and determined to remain where they were until the morrow, hut in so secret a manner that none should know of their arrival. The governor loyally prom. ised to assist them to the utmost of his power, and, in their presence, took possession of all the keys that gave admittance. When day came, the three knights held another council, on their future pro. ceedings ; and, having well considered their situation, they were afraid of waiting until it should be known they were in the Tower, for they were convinced they would be shut up in it ; so that when it was dark, and the tide ilowing, they embarked in a large boat, and left the Tower, without having dared to display the king's ban- ners. They slept that night at Kensington, and on the morrow, at daybreak, mounted their horses and rode by Cherlsey to Windsor, where they dined and lay. The next day they arrived at 0.\ford, where was the duke of Ireland and his army : they told all that had passed, which you have heard ; and that, although they were received into the Tower of London, they dared not abide there. The duke was mightily cast down on hearing this, and knew not what to say, nor how to act ; for he was already sensible that the force he had assembled were not all of the same way of thinking, nor well affected to his cause : not knowing whether to stay where he was or return to the king, he called a council of his knights. The council deter, mined, that since the king had appointed him lieutenant.general, to punish all who were in rebellion, he must keep the field ; for, should he act otherwise, he would be greatly blamed, incur the indignation of the king, and prove clearly that he did not think the cause just or good : and that it would be better to risk the event, and die with honor, than show any want of courage. He was advised to inform the king of his situation, and to be thankful he was able to keep his ground without any opposition, for none had hitherto advanced to meet him. The duke sent messengers from O.vford to the king, to signify his situation, and to entreat he would send liim more men, which he did. When the dukes of York and Gloucester heard at London, that the duke of Ireland was at Oxford with a powerful army, they called a council to consider how to act. All the chief lords of their party were present, such as the archbishop of Canterbury, the earls of Arundel, Salisbury, Northumberland, and many other great barons, with the whole magistracy of London. It was there resolved (for the duke of Gloucester would have it so,) instantly to prepare and take the field, and that the mayor of London should arm by eonsta- blewicks, all such as he might think capable of assisting them ; for he declared he would march to meet the duke of Ireland, and fight with him wherever he should find him. The mayor of London was himself a soldier, and he only selected his men from those between twenty and forty years of age ; and the lords above mentioned had at least one thousand men-at-arms retainers on them. This army marched from London, and lodged at Brentford and the adjoining villages ; on the ne.\t day at Colebrook, their force increasing all the way. They followed the road to Reading, to gain a passage over the Thames ; for the bridges of Staines and Windsor had, by com- mand of the duke of Ireland, been broken down, by which they had a better and more level country for their march. The duke of Ire- land, hearing they were fast approaching 0.\ford, was much alarmed, and demanded counsel. He was advised to draw up his army in battle-array, with the king's banners displayed in front ; and if it pleased God, the day would be his, for he had a good cause. This plan was followed ; the trumpets sounded to arm, and march out of Oxford, which was done, and the army drawn up with the king's banners displayed. The day was delightful, and the weather clear and pleasant. CHAPTER LXXXV. THE kino's uncles gain a victory over the duke of IRELAND, WHO SAVES HIMSELF BY FLIGHT WITH OTHERS OF HIS ARMY. News was brought to the duke of Gloucester, who was encamped in a handsome mead along a river that falls into the Thames, three leagues from Oxford, that the duke of Ireland had taken the field, and had drawn up his force in order of battle. The duke was well pleased with this intelligence, and said he would offer him combat, but they must cross the Thames. The trumpets sounded to dislodge, and the army was formed as if for immediate battle. They were within two leagues of the enemy, lying in ambush, until they could cross the river. The duke of Gloucester sent scouts to have the fords examined, who brought word the river had not, for thirty years, been so low as it then was. The scouts after this easily crossed, Bnd advanced to observe the position and countenance of the enemy. On their return, they said to the duke, " My lord, God and the liver are for you : it is so low, it does not reach the bellies of our horses. We have seen the army of the duke of Ireland, which is well and handsomely drawn up. We know not if the king be there in person, but his banners are ; and we could not perceive any other banner than those of the king, emblazoned with the arms of England and France." The duke replied, " God assist us ! my brother and self have a right to those arms. Let us advance, in the name of God and St. George ; for I will have a nearer look at them." His men began their march, and in higher spirits, on knowing the river was so easy to be crossed. The horse passed first, and then the main body. When the duke of Ireland was told that the king's uncles had passed the Thames with their army, and that shortly there must be a battle, he was much frightened ; for he well knew, that if he were taken by the duke of Gloucester, he would not accept of any sum for his ransom, but put him instantly to a disgraceful death. He called, therefore, sir Peter Gouloufre and sir Michael de la Pole, and said to them, " My cour. age entirely faileth me this day ; for I dare not abide the event of a batde with the king's uncles, who, if they take me, will put mo to a shameful death. How the devil could they have crossed the Thames? This is a bad omen for us." " What do you intend to do ?" asked the two knights. " I mean to save myself : do you the same," added the duke, " and the whole army, if it can." " Well," replied the knights, " let us keep on one of the wings, and we shall have two cords to our bow. We shall see how our men behave : if they do well, we will remain, for the honor of the king who has sent us hither: if they be defeated, we can make off, and have the advantage of going whithersoever we like." This plan was adopted ; and the duke changed his horse for a very active one, as did also the knights. They rode round the army, showing i^ good countenance, and telling the men to behave well : that they should have the day, if it pleased God and St. George, for they had the right ; and the quarrel was the king's, which was to their advantage. Thus dissembling, they got out of the crowd, and, making for a corner of the army, formed part of a wing. They had scarcely done so, when the dukes of York and Gloucester, and the other lords, were seen advancing, with banners displayed, and trum- pets sounding. The king's army no sooner perceived their array than they were panic.struck, quitted their ranks, and turned their backs ; for it was the general report that the duke of Ireland and his friends had fled. All was now in disorder, every one running away for the fastest, without making the smallest defence. The duke and his knights were soon at a distance, for they were not desirous of returning to Oxford. The duke of Gloucester, on seeing the condition of the king's army, felt compassion, and would not do the ill he might ; for he knew the greater part had been assembled through fear, or by the excitement of the duke of Ireland. He therefore said to his men, " Sirs, the day is ours ; but I forbid, under pain of death, that any of our enemies be slain, unless he make a defence. If you find knights or squires, take them, and bring them to me." This order was obeyed : few were killed, except in their flight, by riding over or against each other. Sir John, called the Little Beauchamp, and sir John Salisbury, were made prisoners in the pursuit, and brought to the duke of Gloucester, to his great pleasure. The lords marched to Oxford, where they found the gates open ; and those who could do so lodged themselvgs there, though much straitened. When the duke of Gloucester inquired if the duke of Ireland were taken, he was told that he had escaped. The duke remaine'd two days at Oxford, when he gave liberty for the men.at-arms to return to their homes, after having thanked them for their services. He told the mayor of London and the leaders of the bands, that they might now return to London, which they cheerfully did ; and thus the expedi- tion ended. CHAPTER LXXXVI. THE DtJKE OF IRELAND, WITH SOME OF HIS COMPANIONS, ESCAPES INTO HOLLAND. THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY IS SENT BY THE DUKES OF YORK AND GLOUCESTER TO TREAT WITH THE KING. HE CONDUCTS HIM WITH HONOR TO LONDON. I WILL now say what became of the duke of Ireland, sir Peter Gouloufre, and sir Michael de la Pole, on the day on which they had, like their army, saved themselves by flight. In truth, this was wisely done ; for, had they been taken, they would have been put to death without mercy. I do not believe they fled to the king at Bristol : if they did, they made no long stay, but hastened out of England as quickly as they could. I heard that they rode through Carlisle to Edinburgh, where they embarked on board a vessel bound for Hoi. land and the Texel, and landed at Dordrecht. They were much rejoiced at thus being in a place of safety ; and it was told me, that the duke of Ireland had, for a long time before, made large deposits of money at Bruges, by means of the Lombards, to be prepared for every event ; for, though he knew his power over the king of Eng- land, he was much afraid of the nobles and the people. During his prosperity he had made very ample provision of money in Flanders and in other places, where he thought he might need it. I heard, also, that the first payment of sixty thousand francs, for the ransom of John of Brittany, was waiting his orders, and the time was nearly elapsed for the receipt of the other sixty thousand francs. He had, therefore, provided himself with money for a long time. When the duke Albert of Bavaria, who was regent of Hainault, Holland, and Zealand, for his brother, count William, then alive, was informed that the duke of Ireland had fled from England, and had taken up his residence at Dordrecht, he mused awhile, and thought it improper he should make any long stay there. He had quitted England as a fugitive, and was iu the ill-favor of his cousins.german, the dukes of York and Gloucester, to whom he owed love and affec- tion : he had, besides, behaved shamefully to his duchess, who was the 446 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. daughter of his cousin, the princess Isabella of England. In con. sequence ho sent to tell the duke, that since he had displeased his fair cousins of England, and had broken his marriage to connect himself with another woman, he must instantly leave his country and seek other quarters ; for he would never suffer the duke of Ire. land to inhabit any town of his. When he received this order, lie was much alarmed lest he should be arrested and given up to his enemies, and humbled himself exceedingly to those who brought the order, saying he would cheerfully obey the duke's commands. He instantly directed all his accounts to be settled and paid, and em. barked on board a vessel, with attendants, for Utrecht, which is a town solely dependent on its bishop, where he arrived, and tamed there until other intelligence was brought hun. We will now leave him, and return to the affairs of England. r When the army of barons had been disbanded at Oxford, I know not if the dukes of York and Gloucester, and the archbishop of Can- terbury, did not remain there some days longer ; during which time the two knights, sir John Salisbury and the little Beauchamp, were beheaded. After this execution they returned to London, where they stayed some time, expecting to hear from tlie king ; but all they learnt was that he continued in Bristol. It was determined in council at Westminster, through the advice of the archbishop of Canterbury, to send a deputauon from the chief barons to the king, to remon- etrate with him, in an amicable manner, on his opposition to the principal persons of his kingdom, who were naturally bound to guard his honor, and for having placed his confidence in a set of minions ; which conduct had nearly lost him his crown. While this was gomg forward in the council, sir Nicholas Bramber had been taken m Wales, and brought to London. The king's uncles were rejoiced at this, and said they should not wait long, but that he should suffer a similar death to his friends. Sir Nicholas, unable to offer anything to prevent his execution, was led to the usual place, without tne town, and there beheaded. He was lamented by some of the citizens, for he had, in former times, been their mayor, and had, during that tune, well and honestly governed the city. He had also been of essential service to the king at the time of the peasants' rebellion, by slaying, with his own hand, Lister ; wliich dismayed the insurgents greatly, and put them to flislit ; and for this the king had created him a knight. He was beheaded^like the others, for having too readily put his faith in the duke of Ireland. The king's uncles, seeing that now all those of the king's council ■whom they hated, were either dead or had quitted tlie countiy, thought it time to put the government on a stable footing ; for, not- withstanding they had put to death, or banished, all wlio were ob- noxious to them, they never intended to deprive the king of his crown, but only to refonn and regulate his government more to iiis own and country's honor. They therefere said to the archbishop of Canter. bury, " You will go with your state to Bristol, where you will find the king, and remonstrate with him on tlie affairs of his realm, and the condition thev are now in : recommend us to him, and say, that we entreat he will not put any belief in what he may hear to our discredit • for he has too long done so, against his own honor and profit, as well as to the hurt of the kingdom. You will hkewise say, that we and the good city of London beg he will return hither, where he will be received with the utmost joy ; and we will agree to his having the nomination of his council in any way must agreeable to him. We charge you, however, archbishop, on no account to re. turn without him, for those who are now attached to him will be made discontented. Tell him, also, not to be angered ior such traitors as were near his person, who may have been slain or driven out of the kingdom, for by them his crown was in danger of being lost." „ , The archbishop promised to accomplish the matter as well as he was able, and, having soon made his preparations, set out for Bristol in grand array, such as became so reverend a prelate and fixed his iodcrings in the town. The king lived very privately, for all those who used to be with him were either dead or banished, as you have heard. The archbishop was one whole day and two nights in the town before the king would see him, so sorely vexed was he with his uncles for having driven away the duke of Ireland, whom he loved above all mankind, and for having put to death his chamberlains and knights At length, he was so well advised that he admitted the archbishop to his 'presence. On his entrance, he hiunbled himself much before the king, and then addressed him warmly on the sub. jects the dukes of York and Gloucester had charged him with. He gave him to understand, if he did not return to London, according to the entreaties of his uncles, the citizens of London, and the fr">ter part of his subjects, he would make them very discontented ; and he remonstrated, that without the aid of his uncles, barons, prelates, knights, and commons, from the chief towns, he would be unable to act, or to have any compUance given to his will. This he had been charged to tell him, and likewise that he could not more rejoice his enemies, nor more effectually hurt his country, than by making war on his friends. The young king was inclined to listen to the argu- ments of the archbishop; but the insult that had been offered him, by beheading those of his council in whom he had no fault to find, was too fresh in his memory for him instantly to comply. Many plans were proposed to him ; at last, by the good advice of the queen, and of the most prudent of Ills counsellors, who had remained with him, such as sir Richard Stenor and others, he restrained his choler, and said to the archbishop, that he would cheerfully accompany him- to London. My lord of Canterbury was highly pleased on hearing this ; and he gained much honor by having brought matters to so happy a conclusion. The king did not remain at Bristol long after this, but leaving there his queen, set out with his retinue toward Lon- don, the archbishop accompanying him. On his arrival at Windsor, he stopped three whole days. When news was brought to London that the archbishop of Canter- bury had so far succeeded in his mission, that the king was on his return to the city, the whole town was rejoiced ; and they determined to "0 out to meet and conduct him, in the most honorable manner, to his palace. The day on which he left Windsor, the whole road from London to Brentford was covered with people on foot and horse- back. The dukes of York and Gloucester, and prince John of York, the earls of Arundel, Salisbury, Northumberland, and many barons and prelates, went, in great state, to conduct the king. They met him within two miles from Brentford, and received him most affec. tionately, as good subjects should their lord. The king, who had their late proceedings still rankling in his heart, scarcely stopped when he met them, nor cast his eyes toward them. The person he talked the most to on his road was the bishop of London. On their arrival in Westminster, the king dismounted at his palace, which had been prepared for him. He there partook of wines and spices, as did his uncles, the barons, prelates, and knights, who were entitled to the honor. Several of them now took leave, and those who resided in London went home, but the king's uncles, the archbishop of Canter- bury, and the whole of the council, remained to keep liim company, to be on better terms together, and to consult on the affairs of the nation, for they had formed their plans, and were lodged, some in the palace, and others in the abbey. CHAPTER LXXXVII THE KING, BY THE ADVICE OF HIS UNCLES AND COt^NCIL, SUMMONS THE NOBILITV AND COMMONERS OF THE REALM TO A PARLIAMENT AT WESTMINSTER, AND TO RENEW THEIR HOMAGE TO HIM. A STECiAL parliament being ordered to meet at Westminster, all the barons, prelates, knights, and chief citizens from the principal towns, were summoned to attend, and all who held fiefs from the king. The reason for this parliament being made so general, was, that the archbishop of Canterbury had remonstrated in the council, and to the king's uncles, that when they had crowned king Richard, though all who held fiefs under him had made their homage, and held their lauds accordingly, he was not of a proper age legally to receive their oaths.' A king by' right must be twenty-one years of age before he can justly govern the kfugdom, and, until that time, should be under the tutelage of his uncles, if he have anv, or under those of his subjects the nearest related to him. The archbishop added, that as now the king was of the proper age, he advised, for greater security, all who held any lands under him should renew their homage, and acknowledge him for their lord. This opinion of the archbishop was acceded to by the king's uncles, and was the cause of so general a summons being- sent ab°road for all persons to attend this parliament. Every one having obeyed, London and Westminster were much crowded. On the day appointed, the king heard mass royally clothed, with the crown on his head, in the chapel of the palace,* which is very handsome and richly decorated. The archbishop of Canterbury said mass, and performed divine service. He was attentively heard, for he was an excellent preacher. When the service was over, the king's uncles kissed him, in sign of homage, and swore loith and duty to him for ever. Then came the barons, prelates, and all who held any- thing under him, and with joined hands, as was becoming vassals, swore faith and loyalty, and kissed him on the mouth. It was visible that the king kissed some heartily, others not ; for though he checked himself as much as possible, all were not in his good graces ; but he dissembled, for he wished not to act contrary to his uncles. If he had possessed the power, he would not have behaved thus, but have wreaked a cruel revenge on those who had, as he thought, so unde servedly put to death sir Simon Burley and his other knights. The archbishop of York was summoned by the council to attend to do his homage, and purge himself from the things that had been laid to his charge ; for he had always been a partisan of the duke of Ireland, and in opposition to the king's uncles. When he reeeived this summons, knowing he was not beloved by the dukes of \ ork or Gloucester, he was fearfid of the event, and therefore sent his nephew, the son of lord Neville, to make liis excuses. He instantly set out for London, and, on his arrival waited on the king first, to whom he made excuses for his uncle, and performed, as pro.xy, the homage of the archbishop. The king received his excuses, for he loved this archbishop more than that of Canterbury, and bore him out before the council, otherwise he would have been heavily fined : through attention to the king the couiicU admitted his excuses, and he was suffered to remai n in his diocese. For a long time, however, he was ™,sL"n"of U,:™o:l,l";lomMLd on ihe u„,„„, „,.„>• of .l,.pa,„t,„.s and otl.« unmments were discovered, tiad have been engraven and puW.iI.ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,e. 447 afraid to reside at York, but lived at Newcastle on Tyne, near the I any towns, ladica con do but little." This was the language held in castles of his brother Neville and cousins. Thus were afl'uire in I diflereiit parts of the English army, by many knights and squires when Bra^limd ; but the king had not for some time tlie command of hi: council, which was, under the control of his uncles, and llic barons and prelates before named. Wc wJU now return to what was going forward in Castille and Portugal. CHAPTER LXXXVIII. THE KING OF rOHTUGAL AND DDKE OP LANCASTER UNITi; THEIR 1 ORCES. WHEN DISTRTSSED TO CKOSS THE RIVEK DUORO, A ijaLlCIAJI SQOIRi;, J-RISONER OF WAR, DIRECTS THEM TO A FORD. It is right, since the matter requires it, that I now say something of the expedition of the duke of Lancaster, and how he persevered in it this season in Galicia. I will continue it from where I left off, ae I have a great desire to complete its history. "When the duke and his army had conquered the town and castle of Orense, they halted there four days to refresh themselves, as there were plenty of provisions. On the fifth daj', they departed, taking the road to Noya. They quartered themselves, for four days, in a large meadow along the river-side ; but the ground was already burnt up by the great heat of the sun, and the water was so bad that the horses would scarcely drink it : many that did so died. Orders were given to dislodge and return to Orense : for the marshals, sir Thomas Moreau.\ and sir Richard Burley, had declared the castle of Noya to tie impregnable but by a long siege, with great expense of money, and many assaults. The duke of Lancaster, likewise, when there, rec?ived intelligence of the approach of the king of Portugal and his army, consisting of three thousand spears and ten thousand service, able men : so that, when the two armies should be united, something essential might be done ; for the duke had with him fifteen hundred knights and squires, and six thousand archers. Tl:is intelligence greatly pleased the duke ; he decamped from before Noya, where he had done nothing, and returned to Orense. He sent for his duchess and ladies, declaring he would there wait the arrival of the king of Portugal. The king of Portugal and his marehals, having taken possession of Ferrol, marched for Orense to meet the duke of Lancaster. On their road, they came to Ville-de-Padron, which at first showed symp- toms of rebellion, but, when thearmy appeared, they submitted. The king and his army remained in the town and adjoining country fif. teen days, and greatly wasted its provisions, notwithstanding a suffi. ciency came to them from Portugal. Galicia was ruined by these two annics; and the weather was now become so exceedingly hot, that none could venture abroad, after eight o'clock in the morning, wthout risk of death. While the duke and duchess of Lancaster remained in Orense, their men and horses were suflering greatly for want of forage and water : there were neither fresh grass nor green food, for the ground was too parched for any seeds to spring. The whole country was burnt up ; and the English were forced to send their foragers twelve, sixteen, nay twenty leagues, for food for them- selves and horses. Consider what their difficulties must have been. The knights and squires of England found the wines so strong and ardent, that they affected their heads, stomachs, and bowels, and they had not any remedy ; for there was a great scarcity of good water, to temper them with, or to cool them. Their food was con- trary to what they had always been accustomed to; for in their own country they live at their ease, while now they were burnt with ex- ternal and internal heat. The greatest lords were in the utmost poverty and distress ; and sucK effects as were natural, followed, which I shall relate to you. The English knights and squires, seeing their difficulties increase, from the scarcity of forage and the extreme heat of the weather, be- gan to murmur and say, " Our expedition seems drawing to a poor end ; for we remain too long in one place.'' " That is true,'' replied others : " and we have another thing much against us ; we have hrought women, who only wish to remain quiet ; and for one day that they are inclined to travel, they will repose fifteen. It is this which has checked us, and will be our destruction ; for if, on our landing at Coruiia, we had advanced into the country, we should have succeeded in putting it under our obedience, for none would have dared to oppose us ; but these long residences have encouraged our enemies, who have strengthened their strong places, and rein- forced their towns and castles with men-at-anns from France ; and have also posted them in the narrow passes, and along the rivers, to guard and defend them. They will defeat us without a battle ; for they know it would be more to their advantage to decline it. 'This kingdom of Castille is not so pleasant a country to make war in as France, where there are plenty of large villages, a fair country, fine rivers, ponds, rich pastures, and agreeable and substantial wines for men-at-arms to refresh themselves mth, and a sun and climate finely temperate ; but here everything is the reverse." " What the deuce," £aid others, " what business had the duke to bring his wife and daughters with him, since he oame hither for conquest ? It was quito unreasonable, for they have been a great hindrance to him- It is well known throughout all Castille, that he and his brotJier are the lawful heirs of the crown, in right of their wives, wlio were daughters of don Pedro ; but, with regard to the conquest or the siUTender of among themselves. Thoy were much rejoiced on learning that the king of Portugal was near at hand ; and when he was within two miles of the town, the duke of Lancaster and his knights mounted their horses, and ivcnt forth to meet him. There was much apparent joy, and the king and the duke, as well as the English and Portu. guese knights, testified great ploa.sure at meeting. 'The army of Portugal was behind, under the connnand of six gieat barons of that coimtry, namely, Pounasse d'Acunha, Vasco Martin do Morlo, the posdich Dosnedegouase, Salvase de Merlo, sir Alleync Pereira, mar. shal, arid Joao Rodriguez dc Sa. Several barons were with the king, whose escort was but three hujidred spears. On their arrival at OreiLse, the king was lodged becoming his state, and much at hia case, and the place was full of horses. The king, didce, and lords, were five days in council, and determined to make an exciursion, with the united armies, toward Medina del Campo and Vilalpando, where sir Oliver du Guesclin, constable of Castillo, and the largest ganison of Frenchmen, were stationed. They were puzzled how to cross the Duoro, which at times is dangerous, and more so in the summer, from the melting of the snows on the mountains, than in the winter, when it is frozen, like all other streams. Notwithstand- ing this difficulty, they resolved to march to Campo, in the hopes of finding a ford ; and orders were issued to the armies to this effect. They were well pleased to receive them, for they had suffered very severely at Orense, and in those parts ; and many had been carried off by sickness. The king of Portugal and the duke of Lancaster left Orense to- gether ; but their armies were separated, because they were not ac- quainted, nor understood each other's language, and likewise to pre. vent any disputes or riots that might fall out between them ; for the Portuguese are passionate, overhearing, and not easily pacified, and the English are spiteful and proud. The constables and marshals of each army, when they sent out parlies to forage, ordered them to take separate routes. These armies, which were sufficient to com- bat what force the king of Castille and his allies could bring to the field, continued their march until they came to the river Duoro. This was not easy to pass ; for it is deep, with high banks, and full of broken rocks, except at certain bridges, which had either been de- stroyed, or so strongly fortified and guarded, it was not possible to attempt them with hopes of success. While they were considering how they could cross it, it chanced that sir John Holland, the con. stable, sir Thomas Moreaux and sir Richard Burley, the marshals, or their foragers, during an excursion, fell in with a squire of Galicia, called Domingo Vargas, who was riding through the countiy, having passed the river : he knew that all the bridges were broken down, but he was acquainted with a ford that could easily be passed on horseback or on foot ; and when he saw the enemy, he liad turned back, and was riding for this ford. He was made prisoner, and brought to these lords, who examined him as to a ford ; and the con. stable told him, that if he would show them a safe one, for he had heard there were such, he would not ordy give him his liberty, but make him a handsome present besides. The squire was not well advised, and too eager to gain his liberty and the constable's gift ; he there- tore said, that he would show them a place where the whole army might cross in safety. The constable and marshals were so joyful on hearing this, that they sent to acquaint the duke with the good news. The armies followed the vanguard of the constable, which had arrived at the ford. The squire entered the river as their guide ; and when they saw there was not any danger, all passed in the best man- ner they could. The van, having crossed, halted on the bank to guide the main army over. Sir John Holland kept his promise with the Galician squire, by giving him his liberty and a present ; and he instantly set off for Medina del Campo, where the king of Castille then was. It is a handsome and strong city in that country. The duke of Lan- caster and the king of Portugal rode in company, and came to this ford, which is called Place-ferrade, where the gravel is sound and firm. They crossed widiout difficulty, as did their armies ; the rear division crossed on the morrow, and they all encamped themselvee on its banks. News was soon carried to Roales Castroreris, Medina del Campo, Vilalpando, Saliagan, and to the other towns and castles in Castille, that the English had passed the Duoro, having discovered a ford. They were much surprised, and said they must have been shown it through treachery ; for, if it h»d not been made known by some of the natives, they would never have found it out. There is nothing but what sooner or later i" discovered, by servants or other- wise. The lords attached tc the king of Castille learnt that Do. mingo Vargas had pointe'J out to them this ford ; he was instantly ar- rested, and having arJ^nowledged what he had done, was condemned to death. He w«8 tarried to Vilalpando, and there beheaded. 448 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. CHAPTER LXXXIX. Sm WALTER DE FASSAC AND SIK WILLIAM DE LIGNAC ADVISE THE KING OP CASTILLE NOT TO KISIC A BATTLE BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE BUKE OF BOURBON. A PARTY OF THE ENGLISH SKIRMISH WITH THE GARRISON OF VILALPANDO. THE DUKE OF LANCASTER IS DISPIRITED BY HIS OWN ILL HEAiTH AND THE GREAT SICKNESS OF HIS ARMY. The king of Castillo, on hearing that the king of Portugal and the duke of Lancaster were fast approaching with so great a force, was much alarmed, and sent for sir Walter de Passac and sir William de Lignac, to whom he said, " I am exceedingly surprised that the duke of Bourbon is not arrived. Our enemies have taken the field, and, if no one oppose tliem, will destroy my whole country. My subjects are very discontented that we do not ofl'er them combat. Tell me, my fair sirs, how I had best act.!' The two lords, who from great experience, knew more of arms than the king, and for tliis had they been sent from France to Castille, replied, " Sir king, depend upon it, the duke of Bourbon will come. On his arrival, we will consider what is to be done; but, until then, do not make any preparations to meet your enemies. Let them make what excursions they please : they keep the field, and we the towns and castles, which are well pro- vided with everything, and garrisoned by good men-at-arms. They are suffering from the heat of the sun and weather, while we enjoy the shade and refreshing breezes. They have found the country ■wasted, and the further they advance they will have so much the greater scarcity of forage. It was for the chance of their entering your country, that all the small forts have been demolished, wherein the fanners intended placing their wealth. This was, sir king, wisely done ; for they would by tlieir means have been enabled to keep pos- session of those parts where they now are ; but at present they can find nothing but what they have brought with them, except the great heat of a burning sun, which you may be assured must soon destroy them. Though all your towns and castles are well provided and garrisoned, we can believe that some may be attacked and won, for that is the delight of men-at-arms. In such way they love to pass their time, and for this do they seek adventures through the world. Do not, therefore, be any way cast down ; for in this business, we engage, you shall not suflTer any great loss." This speech greatly comforted the king of Castille, and he was well pleased with them, for he felt that what they had said was the truth. We will return to the duke of Lancaster and the king of Portugal, who, though they kept the field, would have willingly gained some town to refresh themselves ; for the foragers could not find anything, and were forced to unite in large bodies for fear of ambuscades. They were so hard pressed, that when, in their excursions, they saw at a distance a large "village, they were rejoiced, and cried out, "Come quick : let us hasten to that village, where we shall find enough to forage and enrich ourselves." They hastened their march ; but ■when they arrived, they found only the bare walls : there was neither inhabitants, nor even a dog, nor fowl, so completely had the French mined this part of the country. They thus lost their time and ex- pectations, and returned to their lords empty-handed. Their horses ■were in sorry condition from the want of proper food, and they were fortunate whenever they could meet with any green pastures. Some were so feeble they could not advance, and dropt dead on the road, through famine and heat. Their masters were not in a much better condition, from fevers caused by the oppressive heat of the day, and the chill of the nights, without having anything proper to refresh or recover themselves. Thus was it in the duke's army ; for the Eng- lish have a weaker constitution than the Portuguese, who bore all these difficulties without hurt, being hardy and accustomed to the climate of Castille. In this melancholy state were the English : many died of their disorders, more especially such as were not well attended, and hod not wherewithal to provide proper remedies. Sir Richard Burley, sir Thomas Percy, the lord Fitzwalter, sir Maubrun de Linieres, sir .Tohn d'Ambreticourt, Thierry and William de Soumain, with two hundred lances of such as were desirous to seek renown, mounted the best horses in the army, with the intent to sur- prise the French garrison in Vilalpando. They had heard that sir Oliver du Guesclln, constable of Castille, had with him there, in gar- rison, some of the ablest knights of France. They left the army one morning, after drinking a cup, equipped like foragers, and came to a small brook that runs below Vilalpando, which they crossed by spurring their horses over. The alarm was soon spread through the town, that the English were at the barriers. You would have seen, had you been there when this ww known, knights arming themselves hastily, and advancing toward the idgings of the constable, servants saddling horses and hurrying with them to their mastera. Sir Oliver du Guesclin would have restrained his coraoanions from sallying forth to meet the English, had he been able ; but. their courage was too impetuous, so out they sallied, gallantly mounted nn horses that had been inactive and well fed. Among the first weio. sir John des Barres, the viscount de Besliere, sir Robert and sir John d- Bra- quemont, sir Peter de Villaines, sir Tristan de la Jaille. When the English had made tlieir course before the town, they repassed the brook in the same manner as before, and retreated to a large sand bank, when they drew up in handsome array, about three tow-shots distant from the brook. The French knights advanced, shouting their cries, with their epears in their rests ; and, when near, the English being prepared, stuck spurs into their horses to meet them. The shock was very great ; and several of each side were unhorsed on the sand. This would not have ended so speedily, and other weapons would have been resorted to when the lances failed ; but the dust from the movements of the horses, was so great and disagreeable, they could not know each other ; their horses were covered with dust as well as themselves ; and it was in such clouds tlrat they could not breathe without swallowing large mouthfids. This caused the attack to cease, and the French and English to withdraw from the combat : the first returned to Vilalpando. There was not any slain, nor much hurt on cither side. The English knighta went not more than one league beyond Vilalpando before they re. turned to their army, when they disarmed themselves ; for they were seized with fevers and other disorders, which brought them to death's door. The duke of Lancaster was greatly dispirited, and knew not how to act ; for he saw his army daily wasting away, and was grieved to find that the greater and better part were confined to their beds. He himself was so unwell, that if he had not been afraid to dishearten his men, he would gladly have kept his chamber. He addressed himself to the king of Portugal, and desired him to say what, in the present circumstances, should be done ; for he was much alarmed at this mortality in his army. The king replied ; " That, from appear- ances, it did not seem probable the Castillians would offer them com- bat at this season : for they showed more inclination that they should waste themselves and their provision." " How then would you ad- vise rae to act?" asked the duke. "I will tell you," answered the king : " as the weather is now so exceedingly hot, I would advise that you march your army into Galicia, and give your men permis- sion to recruit themselves wherever they please ; but to return pre- pared to recommence the campaign in March or April. Endeavor to procure large reinforcements from England, under the command of one of your brothers, and provision in plenty for the winter season. A kingdom is not soon conquered, nor a climate instantly rendered agreeable to the constitution of strangers. Your army will be quar- tered in the dilferent towns now under your obedience, and will pass their time as they can." " This may be right," said the duke ; " but the consequence will be, that as soon as our encmis shall know ■we have separated, and are acquainted that you are retired to Portugal with yotir army, and I with mine to St. Jago or Coruiia, they will take the field ; for I have heard that the king of Castille has four thousand lances, French and Bretons, and he w2l collect as many or more, in his own coun- try. Add to this, that the duke of Bourbon is on liis march with two thousand men-at-arms, and will be eager to signalize himself on liis arrival. Now, consider, should all this force enter Galicia, what is there to oppose it? Before wo can collect our men and form a June- ■ tion, they will have done us considerable damage." " Well, then," replied the king of Portugal, " in the name of God, let us keep the field : my men are fresh and unhurt, and equally willing with myself to abide the event." The conference now broke up ; and it was resolved they would wait the arrival of the duke of Bourbon, to see if, when he had joined the Castillians, they would offer them battle. The English and Portuguese desired nothing more eageriy; for the season was passing, and the heat increasing : it was about St John's day, when tlie sun is at its height, and intolerably hot, especially In Castille, Granada, and countries far to the south. There had not fallen any rain or dew since the beginning of April, so that the whole country was burnt up. The English ate plentifully of grapes wher- ever they found them ; and, to quench their thirst, drank of the strong wines of Castille and Portugal : but the more tltey drank the more they were heated ; for this new beverage inflamed their livers, lungs, and bowels, and was in its effect totally different from their usual liquors. The English, when at home, feed on fresh meats and good rich ale, which is a diet to keep their bodies wholesome ; but now they were forced to drink hard and hot wines, of which they were not sparing, to drown their cares. The early part of the night ia warm, from the great heat of the day, but toward sunrise, it is very cold, which afflicted them sorely ; for they slept without covering, and quite naked, from the heat of the weather, and the wine, ao that when morning came they were chilled by the change of the air, which checked all perspiration, and flung them into fevers and fluxes, so as to carry them ofl" instantly to their graves. Thus died very many of the barons and knights, as well as of the lower ranks ; for these disorders spared none. CHAPTER XC. THE DVKE OF LANCASTER DISBANDS HIS IRMT. THREE ENGLISH KNIGHTS, HAVING OBTAINED PASSPORTS, WAIT ON THE KING OF CASTILLE, TO NE. GQTIATE A RETREAT FOR THE MEN-AT-ABHS THROUGH HIS KINGDOM. Good or evil fortune depends upon a trifle. You may readily be- lieve that the duke of Lancaster, having gamed a footing mCastiUe, would never have lost, by any defeat in battle, such numbers as he was now daily doing by sickness. He himself was almost dead ot the pestilence 1 have mentioned. Sir John Holland, constable of the army, saw, with great concern, the miserable situation it was in from CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 449 this disorder, from which scarcely one escaped ; and was forced daily to hear the complaints of high and low, in such terms as these ; " Ah, my lord of Lancaster, why have you brought ue to Castille ? Ac- cursed be the expedition. He does not, probably, wish that any Englishman should ever again quit his country to serve him. He seems resolved to kick against the pricks. He will have his men guard the country he has conquered ; but when they shall all be dead, who will then guard it ? He shows but poor knnwIeHge nf war ; for, when he saw that no one came to oppose him, why did he not make an opportune retreat into Portugal or elsewhere, to avoid the losses he must now sulier ? for we sliall all die of the confounded disorder, and without having struck a blow." Sir John Holland was much hurt on hearing such language, for the honor of the duke, whose daugliter he had married ; and, as it was increasing, he deter, rained to remonstrate with him on their situation, whicli he could, from his connection, more freely do than any other. He tlicrefore addressed him ; ■' My lord, you nmst immediately alter your plans, for your army is wholly laid up with sickness. If any attack should be now made on you, you could not draw any service from it ; for the men are all worn down and discontented, and their horses dead. But high and low are so discouraged by this disorder, that I repeat, you must not expect any service from them." "What can I do ?" replied the duke : '• I wisli to have such advice as is reasonable." " My lord," said sir John Holland, " 1 think you had best give per- mission for your men to retire whithersoever they please ; and I would advise that you yourself go to Portugal, or return to Galicia, for you are not in a state to undergo hardships." *' That is well considered," answered the duke : " I consent to what you propose ; and you may give our men notice, that I permit them to go into Castille, France, or wherever else they may choose, so they enter not into any treaty with our enemies ; for I clearly see this campaign is oyer. Let them be fully paid for their services as far as our treasury can go, and also for the expenses of their journey, and then make our chancellor de- liver them their discharge." The constable replied, that he would see this done. He ordered the intentions of the duke to be signified throughout the army by sound of tnmipet, and gave notice to the captains to come to him with their accounts, when they would be settled and paid, to their satisfaction. This order was agreeable to all, particularly to those ■who hoped change of air would restore them to health. The barons and knights held a council how they were to return to England : by sea it was impossible, for they had no vessels, and were at a distance from any seaport. They were, besides, so emaciated and weak, from the fevers and fluxes, that they would have been unable to bear a sea voyage. Having considered the matter well, they found they had no other choice than through France ; but some said : " How can we go thitlier ? we have enemies in all the countries we must pass. First, tliere is Castille : we arc now carrying on a destructive war against it : then Navarre and Arragon. These two kingdoms are allied, the one to Castille, and the other to France. Arragon has already showed its spite, for the s6neschal of Bordeaux informs us, that since our arrival in this country, he has thrown the archbishop of Bordeaux into prison at Barcelona, who had gone thither to demand from the king the arrears that are due to England. Sliould we send to ask passports from France, the journey would take up too much time ; and, when our messenger should be arrived, we have little hopes that the king, who is young, or his council, would grant them ; for the constable of France, sir Oliver de Clisson, hates us mortally, and tlus is increased by his imagining his enemy, the duke of Brit- tany, intends turning to England. Others, who were farther sighted, and of more sense, said ; " Let all doubts be laid aside. The best thing we can do is to try the king of Castille, who may perhaps not only allow us to pass peaceably through his country, but also obtain for us the same permiseion from Arragon, France, and Navan'e." This measure was adopted, and a herald, called Derby, sent for, to whom were given letters addressed to the king of Castille. The herald set off, and followed the road to Medina del Campo, where the king then resided. When in his presence, he east himself o" lis knees and presented his letters, which were written in JT'ench. When the king had read them, and understood their lueaning, he smiled, and, turning to a knight who was the stewa'-J of his house- hold, said ; " Take care of tliis herald : he shall have his answer to- night, that he may return early to-morro" morning." The king entered his closet, and sent for sir Wniter dc Passac and sir William de Lignac, to whom he showed vas what he was inclined to ; and he was indifferent what tp.nis were made, so that he got rid of the English. He replied to sir Waiter, " You have loyally counselled me, and I thank you : it shall be done as you propose." The English knights were sent for, and conducted into the presence, chamber, where were the king and his whole council. The bishop of Burgos, as chancellor, and a great orator, thus addressed them : " Ye knights of England, attached to the duke of Lancaster, who have been sent liither by his constable, listen to the answer the king gives to yoiu- requests. Out of his great pity and goodness he is de. sirous of doing to his enemies all the kindness in his power. On your return to the constable, you will tell him from the king of Cas. tille, that he may publish, by sound of trumpet, throughout his army, that this country is open and ready to receive, sick or well, all knights, squires, and their attendants, who may be desirous of coming hither, on condition that, at the gates of whatever city or town they may wish to enter, they there lay aside their armor and aijjfcwhen they will be conducted, by those ordered for the purpose, ^^otels prepared for them. They will then have their namec written down and delivered to the governor, in order that those who may have resided in any towns may not, on any pretext whatever, return to Galicia or Portugal, but quit the country as soon aa may be. In ad- dition, the king of Castillo engages to obtain a safe pas&agc for sach as may intend to go to Calais, or any other seaport they may choose, in Brittany, Saintongc, Normandy, or Picardy, tlirough the kingdoms 450 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPA3N, <5t,c. of Fran'-e and Navarre. It is the king's command, that those knights and squires, of whatever nation they be, who shall under- take this journey, do not bear arms against the kingdom oi Castille, binder any pretence, for the space of six years : this they will sol- emnly swear to observe at the time the passports are delivered to them. Yoii will carry with you all these conditions, fairly written, to the constable, and to your companions, who hove sent you hither." The knights tlianked the king and his council for the aunwti iliuy had received, but added, " They would not say that all the condi- tions should be accepted : if they were not, they would send back their herald ; and should he not return, they might conclude the ■whole were accepted." "We are satisfied," replied the council, i'he king withdrew to his closet ; but sir Walter de Passac and sir William de Lignac remained with the knights, and conducted them Jo a handsome apartment where a dinner was provided for them. They all dined together : when the dinner was over, they partook of wines and spices in the king's closet, and then took their leave, as their passes were ready for them. On their return to their hotel, they instantly mounted their horses ; for the king's harbingers had supplied them with all things at his expense, and, leaving Medina, they rode to Vilalpando, and lay at Noya. The next day they came to Orense, where they found the constable. During the time they had been on this embassy, the lord Fitzwaltcr,* one of the greatest barons in the duke's army, had died : he was a valiant knight, and much lamented ; but none can strive against death. His obsequies were very honorably performed, and the king of Portugal and the duke of Lancaster attended them. The three knights waited on the duke, to show him their papers, and relate what they had seen and heard. Some said the conditions were hard ; but others denied it, and said they were courteous enough, considering the situation and danger they were in. It was known in the army, that the duke would discharge all who desired it, and that they might enter Castille with safety. Those who felt ill or feeble, and wished to change the air, took leave of the duke and constable, and left the army as soon as they were able ; but, before their departure, many received their whole pay in hard money, others had sufficient security for it, so that they were all well contented. Some went to Vilalpando, others to Ruelles, to Noya, to Medina del Campo, to Caleforis, or to St. Phagon. They were everywhere well received, and had lodgings found them, and had their names written down and given to the different governors in the manner I have mentioned. The greater part of the nobility went to Vilal. pando, because it was garrisoned by foreigners, Bretons, French, Normans, and Poitevins, under the command of sir Oliver du Gues- clin. The English had more confidence in those I have named, and with reason, than in the Castillians. Thus was the expedition of the duke of Lancaster put an end to, and every one sought the best he could for himself. You may sup- pose that this was a bitter disappointment to the duke, for he saw all his ambitious expectations annihilated : he bore, however, his mis- fortunes like a gallant prince as he was, for he perceived he could not any way amend it. The king of Portugal, finding the business was over, dismissed his army, retaining only three hundred spears, and left Orense, with tlic duke of Lancaster, who returned with his duchess to Saint Jago de Compostella. The king remained there with them four days : on iKo fifth he departed, with all who had accompanied him, for Oporto, whoi-e his queen resided. I must now relate what befel many of those knights and squires ■who, on leaving the duke, had retired into Castille, and were lodged in different towns. Those who had been afflicted with the disorder, notwithstanding they had changed the air and medicines, could never recover, and several died in Vilalpando. Many batons and knights of England died in their beds to the great loss of their i-iuntry, while the king of Castille was obtaining them passports to travel throui'h Navarre and France ; but the disl'jnce, and other obstacles uUayed the accomplishment. Three great and powerful barons died at Vil. alpando ; eir Richard Burley, who had been chief marshal of the army, the lord Poining8,t and sir Henry Percy, cousin-german to the earl of Northumberland. Sir Maubrun de Linieres died at Noya : he was a valiant and able knight from Poitou. Lord Talbot,! a great baron in Wales, died at Ruelles : and of this pestilence there died, »n different places, twelve potent barons, full eighty knights, and two hundred squires, all gentlemen. Consider what an unfortunate loss this was, and to be sustained without having a battle or striking a blow. Of archers and other men, upward of five hundred died ; and I was told by an English knight with whom I conversed, on his return through France, whose name was sir Thomas Qneensbury, that of fifteen hundred men-at-arms and about four thousand archers whom the duke of Lancaster had brought with him from England, not one-half ever returned home T low on^nalt ever returned home. I'lJBltuke of Lancaster fell dangerously sick, and became very '-spirited, at Saint Jago. He was so ill, that it was frequently • "Lord Fitzwalter." Pee Ducrialc. who mentions his gaUanlrr in the .-ittnck on tlie Wock-housc before Breit, but oiniu taking nouce of his denth in Spain. Indeed, he only lays, that, "he departed tins hfe the year ensuing (10th Richard II.I on a Wednesday preceding the feast of St. Michael. This docs not tally with the senson of ihe year when the heats are so great in Spain. t ■' L, rd Poimncs/'— See nuoDALtt. X This niust be a mistake, for Lord Ttilbot did not die nnut liie LOUi Richiird U — DVQDALB. reported through Castille and France that he was dead : indeed, hs very narrowly escaped. Thierry de Soumain, who was of grout valor, and squire of the body to the duke, was attacked by this dis. order, and died at Bctancos. He was born in Hainault, and his death, was much bewailed. His brother William continually attended him during his illness, by which he ran great risk of his life. You must know, that there were none so bold, so rich or so ■fair, but were nfi aid, and were daily expecting death. The disorder solely attacked the duke's army, for the French were no way affected. This caused great murmurings among them and the CaatilUans : they said : " The king allows these English to recruit themselves ia his towns, which may cost us dear by their bringing tho disorder among us." But others replied : " They are Christians like our- selves, and we ought to have compassion on each other." Tnie it is, that at this period a French knight died in Castille, who was greatly lamented : for he was courteous, gallant, and boW in arms : his naine was sir John de Roye, and he was brother-german to sir Tristan, sir Reginald, and sir Lancelot de Roye. I v.'ill relate the cause of his death. While in garrison in a town of Castille, called Segbonne, he had an imposthume in his body. Being young and lusty, he paid no attention to it, and one day mounting his courser, in galloping him over the plains, this imposthume broke. On his re- turn, he was laid on the bed, and all seemed well, but on the fourth day he died. There were very great lamentations made after him by all his friends : he was deserving of them for his amiable character and gallantry in arms. CHAPTER XCII. SIR JOHN HOLLAND TAKES LEAVE OF THE DUKE OF LANCASTER, AND^ RETURNS WITH HIS LADY, THROUSH CASTILLE, NAVARRE, AMD BAY- ONNE, TO B0RDEAU3. SIR JOHN D'aMBRETICOURT GOES TO PARIS,. TO ACCOMPLISH A DEED OF ARMS WITH THE LORD BOUCICAUT. Notwithstanding this disorder was so very infectious that the greater part of the English fled from it, sir John Holland and several- knights and squires remained with the duke. The knights, seeing there was an end to the war, were impatient to change the air, and said to the constable : " Sir, permit us to set out on our return to Bayonne or Bordeaux, to escape the effect of this pestilence, for our lord of Lancaster desires it. When he shall wish to have our servi- ces, he can easily so do by writing his commands ; and we shall serve him more effectually when we have recovered our health, than in the state of languor we now fatally experience." They repeated this so often, that sir John Holland told the duke of their discontents. The duke answered : " Sir John, I am willing that you and sucli. knights as choose, set out on your return home, and that you take all our people with you. Recommend me to my lord the king, and salute from me my brothers, and such and such pei'sons," whom he named. " I will cheerfully do so," replied the constable ; " but my lord, are you aware, that though the council of Castillo has hand- somely allowed our sick to enter any towns they may please for the recovery of their health, they must not, when well, return to you in. GaUcia, nor in Portugal ? And if we pass through France, in our road to Calais, the French knights of the council of Castille have conditioned that we do not arm against France for the space of six years, unless the king of England command in person." " Sir John," said the duke, " you must know that the French, whenever they have an opportunity, will take every advantage over us. But I will tell you how you shall act. You will pass through. Castille in a courteous manner, and, when you shall be on the fron- tiers of Navarre, send to the king : he is our cousin : formerly we were strongly united, and the connection is not broken ; for, ever since we bore arms for him in his wtir against our adversary of Cas^ tille, we have constantly kept up a mutual correspondence, like cousins and friends. We have never had any quarrel, nor have we^ like the French, made war upon him. For these reasons, he will reMily grant permission for you and your men to pass through his countf/. On your arrival at St. Jean du Pied dcs Ports, take tire road throixeh Biscay to Bayonne : that is our inheritance : and thence you mti-/ go to Bordeaux without any danger from the French, to refresh yoursei.^s. When recovered, you may there embark, traverse the deep, and land in Cornwall, or Southampton, as the wind may be favorable." Sir John replied, he would punctually follow the plan he had laid down, and began to make his preparations accordingly. It was not long after thlc that the constable, with all' the men-at-arms and others, took their departure ; and the duke and ^chess remained at Saint Jago, attended by their household only. Sir John Holland carried his lady with him, and arrived at the city of Zamora, which is large and handsome, where he met the king of Castille, sir Walter de Passac and sir William de Lignac. They politely received him and his company, as lords do when they meet. In truth, the king was more rejoiced at the departure of the English than at their arrival; for it seemed clear to him that the war was completely at an end, and that the duke of Lancaster would never be able to bring again so large a force to Castille from England, for he was well informed how much that country was disunited witliin itself. When the English, who had retired to the tovms in Castille for- CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 451 the recovery of their healths, heai'd that sir John Holland was on his march with the remnant of the army homeward, they were greatly rejoiced, and made instant preparations to join him. Among the nimiber were, the lord dc Ghameaux,* sir Thomas Percy, the lord de Leluyton,t and the lordBradestan, with many more, to the amonnt of a thousand horec. Those that were sick looked on themselves as half recovered the moment their hopes were raised of returning to England, so much had they of late suffered. When sir John Holland took leave of the king of Castille, he showed to him anil his borons much affection, and gallantly pre- sented them with handsome mulee; he likewise ordered all the ex. penses of their journey to be defrayed. On their departure, they took the road to St. Ph.agon, where they rested three days : they were well received in all i)laces they passed ; for they were accom- panied by some knights of the king's household, who paid for what, ever they wanted or wished. They continued their route until they were out of Casiille, and arrived atNajarra, where the famous battle had been fought, then they proceeded to Pamierst and Logrono, where they halted : for they were uncertain if the king of Navarre would allow them to pass through his kingdom. They deputed to him two knights, whose names were sir Peter Bisset and sir William Norwich, who found the king at Tudela. They had an interview with him, and managed so well, they oh tained permission to pass, on paying for whatever they should want. When the knights returned, they left Logrono for Pampeluna, and passed the Pyrenees at Roncesvalles : they then quitted the road for B^am, and took that through Biscay, forBayonne, where they arrived. Sir John Holland and his countess remained there a considerable time, but several of his countrymen continued their route to Bor. - ducted queen Isabella of France to England, with her son Edward HI. Aimotatioa X.— Dknts SAU\-AaE. 45G CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &, c . of paying back the money he had lent on their security, he grew mel. ancholy, and sent legal summons for payment to duke Reginhld. But he made light of this, as he had not any money to acquit him- self of the debt, which frequently happens to many great lords when they are called upon for payment. When the count de Mours per. ceived this, he made advances to the duke of Brabant, and offered him these castles for the money for which they were mortgaged. The duke eagerly accepted the proposal, for they were on the confines of the territory of Fauquemont, of which he was lord. The duke was desirous to increase his inheritance, for he thought surely to stirvive his present duchess, the lady Johanna,* He took possession of these castles, and placed in them, as governor, the lord de Kale. When, upon the death of duke Reginald, the lord Edward sue. ceeded to the duchy of Gueldres, he sent embassadors to the duke of Brabant, to request he might have his castles for the money he had paid them. The duke, not having purchased them for this end, returned a positive refusal. The duke of Gueldres was highly indignant at this answer, and in consequence was hard on his sister in-law, the widow of the lord Reginald, and 5'ounger sister to the duchess of Brabant, by pre- venting her from receiving her dower. The lady went to Bra- bant, and laid her complaints of the vexations which the duke of Gueldres was occasioning her, before the duke and duchess. On account of the long-subsisting hatred between the Brabanters and those of Gueldres, for the seizure of Grave, the first were well inclined to aid the lady by force of arms. A large body of men-at-arms were indeed once collected in Brabant, and ad. vanced to Blois-le-Duc, to the amount of twelve hundred spears. The duke of Gueldres had like- wise assembled his forces, and it was generally thought a battle would have been the consequence ; butdtike Albert, the count de Moui-s, and the count of.Iuliers tliis time interfered, and they separated without coming to blows. This same year duke Winceslaus was victorious over some free companies, who had overrun and despoiled his lands in Luxembourg : he banished many, and put to death their leader, called the Little Mesclin, in the tower of the castle of Luxembourg. In this year also, the lord Charles of Bohemia, emperor of Germany, appointed the dnke of Brabant chief of an institution called in Germany Langue- fride, which signifies an association for the repairs and security of lite public roads, so that persons may travel from one part to another without danger. The emperor gave him also great possessions in Alsace on both sides of the Rhine, that he might guard the country against the Linfars, who are a most wicked people, robbing all with- out mercy. He gave him likewise the sovereignty of the large city of Strasburg, and, to add to his dignity, created him a prince of the Holy Roman Empire. He certainly could not give him too much, for this duke Winceslaus was generous, amiable, courteous to all, and gallant in arms. Great things must have been expected from him, had he been granted longer life, but he died in the flower of his age ; on account of which I, the author of this history, greatly grieve, and wish he had enjoyed a course of eighty years or more, for he would have done much good to mankind. The schism in the church afflicted him greatly, as he often expressed himself to me, who lived with him on the most intimate and friendly footing. And notwithstanding that I have seen and personally known upward of two hundred powerful princes in my various travels, I have never found any more courteous and amiable than this duke of Brabant, and my very good lord the count Guy de Blois, who commanded me to indite this Chronicle. These were the two princes, of my time, of the greatest liberality, humility, and goodness, who lived magnifi- cently on their revenues, without malice or any way oppressing their subjects by taxes, and issuing any hurtful edicts through their terri- tories. But I will now return to the principal subject of this chapter. When the dukes of .lulicrs and Gueldres, who were brothers by marriage, and whose hearts were too much attached to the English (for they had long been the allies of the kings of England, and strongly united to each other,) heard of the dignities conferred by the emperor on the duke of Brabant, they were much exasperated ; not from any wish to do good or correct the wicked, but that such honors should be conferred on their enemy: more particularly that he should have the appointment of LanguetYide, and execute the office with. severity, for it affected their lands. This institution had been first formed for the security of those merchants of Hainault, Brabant, France,Flanders, and Liege, who travelled thence to Cologne, Treves, Lucca, Constance, and other cities and fairs in Germany. Mer- chants could not enter those countries without risk, through the states of Juliers or Gueldres. It happened there were some robberies cora- * Winceslaus was the second husband of Johannn, heiress of Brabnnt and Liinbourg. She was married to him, 13jo. After Uie death of Winceslaus, the 8lh December, 1384, and his son, she constituted Anthony, second son of the duke of Burgundy, her heir. 1404. Her first husband, William, count of Holland, died, 1345, without issue. Jo- hanna died 1406.— ANDE .son's R. G. The Emperor constituting the Duke of Bradant Lanodefridb, or Keeper of the PtnjLic Roads. Designed from- MSS. Illuminations of the l^'ifleenth Century. mittcd on the highways by these Linfars, who had escaped into the territory of the duke of Juliers; and it was told me, that the duke had even lent them horses and the use of his castles. Heavy com- plaints were made of this to duke Winceslaus, who at that time was resident in Brussels, and that the Languefride was held in contempt; that the persons who had violated it were retired into the duchy of Juliers, where they lived unmolested. • The duke of Brabant, at that time young and chivalrous, high in birth and rich in fortune, was greatly piqued at this conduct, and hurt by the complaints of those who had been robbed ; he declared he would speedily provide a remedy, and, being nominated chief of the Languefride, would not that any blame should fall on hiin for negli. gence iii the due support of it. To be assured of the fact, and through the advice of his friends, he sent to the duke of Juliers some of the first men in his country, such as the lord d'Urquon, the lord Bour- gueval, sirScelar archdeacon of Hainault, Geoffry de la Tour grand, roulier of Brabant, and several more, to remonstrate with him in an amicable manner on the impropriety of his conduct, and that proper excuses must be made for the offence, as it afl'ectcd too strongly the duke of Brabant as chief of the Lanpuefiide. The duke of Juliers paid but little attention to their remonstrances, for he seemed rather to piefer war to peace, which displeased so much the envoys from the duke of Brabant, that they took leave of him, and returned to relate all that had passed. The duke of Bra- bant, having heard them, asked their advice how to act. " Sir," they replied, "you know it full well yourself: speak your will." " Well, then," said the duke, " it is not my intention to let this matter sleep, nor shall it be said, through cowardice or weakness of heart I have suffered any robberies to be committed within my jurisdiction with impunit)', as I will make my cousin, the duke of Juliers, and his adhcrints, very soon feel, and that the business is personal to me." The duke was not idle, but instantly set clerks to work in wriUng letters to all from whom he expected any assistance : some he en. tieatcd, others he commanded, and gave sufficient notice to the duke of Juliers and his allies of his intentions. Each of these lords pro- vided themselves as ably as they could : but the duke of Juliers would have made an indiflcrent figure withmit his brother-in-law the duke of Gueldres, who greatly reinforced him with men-at-arms and friends. These two lords collected men secretly from Germany ; and as the Germans were avaricious, and had not for some time had any oppor- tunity of gain, they accepted their pay, and came in greater numbers CHRONICLE S OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 457 as they were ignorant they were to be employed against the duke of Brabant. The duke of Brabant left Brussels in grand array, and went to Louvain, thence to Maestricht, where he found upward of one thou- sand good speara waiting for him : other forces were coming to his aid from- France, Flanders, Hainault, Namur, Lorrain, Bar, and dif- ferent parts, so that his army amounted to full two thousand five hundred lances. Four hundred spears, under the lord of Geant, were on their march to join him from Burgundy ; but they arrived too late, from not knowing when an engagement would take place, and were much vexed when they heard that it was over without their being present. While the duke of Brabant remained at Maestricht, he could not obtain any intelligence of his enemies : he therefore determined to advance and enter their lands, which he did on a Wednesday, and there encamped. He lialted that day and the next, and learnt from his scouts that the enemy had taken the field. He commanded the army to advance into the territory of .Tuliers and burn it. This Thursday he halted at an early hour. The van was commanded by Guy de Ligny, count de St. Paul, and the lord Wal. eran his son, who though very young, being no more than sixteen years old, was then made a knight. The Brabanters encamped very close together, and, as it appeared, the Germans were better informed of their state than the Brabanters were concerning them : for, on the Friday morning, as the duke had heard mass, and all were on the plain, not thinking a battle would soon take place, the dukes of Juliers and Guledres made their appearance, with a large and well, mounted body of men-at-arms. The duke of Brabant was told : " Sir, here are your enemies ; put on your helmets quickly, in the name of God and St. George." He was well pleased on hearing this ; and that day he had near his person four squires, well informed, and ot courage to save such a prince, having been engaged in many deeds ol arms and pitched battles : their names were John de Valcon, Baldwin de Beaufort, Gerard de Bles, and Orlando de Cologne. The men of Brussels surrounded the duke : some were mounted with their servants behind them, who carried flagons of wine, and salmon, trout, and eel-pies, neatly packed in handsome towels at- tached to their saddles. These people, with their horses, filled up the place so much, that no proper orders could be given. At length, Gerard de Bles said to the duke, " Sir, order all these horse away that surround us : they are greatly in our way, and prevent us from knowing what has become of the van and rear division, under your marshal sir Robert de Namur." " I consent," replied the duke, and gave his orders. Upon this, Gerard and his companions, sword in hand, began to lay about them, on helmets and horses, so that the place was instantly cleared ; for no one would willingly have his horse wounded or killed. To make an end of the business, the dukes of Juliers and Gueldres advanced ftdl gallop on the van, under the command of the count de St. Paul and his son, which they broke and defeated, and many were slain and made prisoners. This divis- ion made the greatest resistance, and tire count de St. Paul and his son were among the dead. Fortune was unkind to the duke of Brabant and his allies ; for this battle was so severe, few men of honor escaped death or captivity. The duke of Brabant, sir Robert de Namur, sir Lewis, his brother, sir William de Namur, son to the count de Namur, were made prisoners, and such numbers of others, that their enemies were fully occupied when they surrendered to them. There were many slain on the side of the duke of Juliers : but you know it is a gen- eral observation, a defeated army always suffers the most. The Brabanters, however, had one satisfaction in their great loss, in the death of duke Edward of Gueldres ; for it was the opinion of all, that had he survived, he would have overrun the country, and con- quered the whole, as well as Brussels, without meeting any opposi-, tion ; for he was a most outrageously bold knight, and detested the Brabanters, on account of the three castles they held from him. The duke of Juliers gained this victory on a Friday of August, the eve of St. Bartholomew's day, in the year of our Lord, 1371. The duchess of Brabant, in her distress, had recourse to king Charles V. of France, who was nephew to the duke. The king advised her to apply in person to the emperor of Germany, as being brother to the duke of Brabant, and because he had suflbred in sup- port of the emperor's rights. The lady did so, and went to Coblentz, where she found the emperor, to whom she made her complaints. The emperor heard her with attention, and was bound by several reasons to grant her relief and comfort ; first, because the duke was his brother, and because he had appointed him his vicar of the em- pire, and chief of the Languefride. He consoled the duchess, and told her, that before the ensuing summer were passed, he would pro- vide an ample remedy for what had happened. The duchess returned to Brabant greatly comforted. The emperor, lord Charles of Bohe. mia, was not inactive ; for as soon as the winter was passed, he went to the noble city of Cologne, where he made such vast provision of stores, as if he were about to march to the conquest of a kingdom. He wrote to all counts and dukes who held lands under him, to meet him tTie third day of June,* at Aix-ia-Chapelle, each accompanied by fifty horse, under pain of forfeiture of liis lands for disobedience. He particularly summoned duke Albert, earl of Hainault, to Aix, with fifty horse, who obeyed. * 13!2.-Eb. When all the lords who had been summoned were arrived at Aix- la-Chapelle, the place was much crowded, and the emperor then de. clared he would instantly enter the duchy of Juliers to destroy it, on account of the great outrage that had been offered him, by the duke of Juliers taking up arms against his vicar and brother ; for such had been the sentence adjudged in the courts of the empire. The arch, bishop of Treves, the archbishop of Cologne, the bishop of Mentz, the bishop of Liege, duke Albert of Bavaria,* his brother, and many great barons of Germany, relations of the duke of Juliers, having consulted together, thought that to destroy the whole of the territo- ries of so vahant a knight, was a punishment too severe. They therefore proposed that the duke of Juliers should be summoned, and brought to acknowledge his error. This being agreed to, all parties labored to bring about a reconciliation. Duke Albert and his brother went to Juliers, where they found the duke so much dismayed at this large armament of the emperor, that he knew not how to act, nor what counsel to follow, for he had heard it was intended against him, unless his friends exerted themselves to avert it. The duke of Juliers was much rejoiced and comforted by the arrival of two such lords as duke Albert of Bavaria and the duke Otho, his brother, besides being his relations ; for he knew they would not allow him to suffer any disgrace, but would give him the best advice for his conduct. They counselled him as follows : To send some of his principal knights for his cousin the duke of Brabant, whom he had detained a prisoner at large in the town and castle of Judeque.t When he was brought to them, these lords paid him every respect that was his due. They then all left Juliers together, and rode to Aix-, wherew they dismounted at the hotels which had been prepared for them. Duk» Albert, his brother, and the before- mentioned prelates, who had been mediators in this business, went to the emperor and his council, and told them, that the duke Juliers was, of his own free will, come to wait on him, and was willing to put hiirjself, without reservation, in his power, as he acknowledged him for his sovereign and liege lord. These humble words greatly softened the anger of the emperor, and he replied, " Let the duke of Juliers come hither." When the duke of Juliers was in the presence of the emperor, he cast himself on his knees, and said, "Most redoubted and sovereign lord, I understand you are much displeased with nie for having de- tained so long in prison your brother of Brabant. I am willing to refer the whole matter to your noble self, and will conform to what- ever may be your judgment and that of your council." The emperor made no answer to this speech ; but his son, the king of Bohemia, replied, "Duke of Juliers, you have behaved very outrageously, in keeping so long our cousin of Brabant prisoner; and had it not been for your well-beloved cousins, the dukes of Bavaria and Austria, who have so warmly interceded for you, this matter would have turned out very disagreeably to you, and you would have well deserved that it should do so. Continue your harangue, and manage that we be satisfied with you, and that we have i^|^r again any cause to com- plain of your conduct ; for another time it will cost you very dear."^ The duke of Juliers was still on his knees before the emperor, seated on his imperial throne, and thus spoke : " My very redoubted and sovereign lord, I acknowledge that I have been guilty of con- tempt to your imperial dignity, by raising an army, and engaging with it my cousin, your brother, the vicar of the holy empire. If the fortune of war gave me the day, and your brother was taken prisoner, I now restore him to you free of all ransom ; and, if you please, there shall never again be ill-will or revenge thought of between us." The prelates and princes, standing round, said, "Most renowned lord, accept the excuses and offers which your cousin the duke of Juliers makes you, and let thent satisfy you." " We are willing to do so,'* said the emperor ; and, as it was told me, in further confirmation he took the dulte of Juliers by the hand, as he rose, and kissed him on the mouth. The king of Bohemia and duke of Brabant did the same. Thus was Winceslaus of Bohemia, duke of Luxembourg and Bra- bant, delivered from prison, by the power of the emperor, without ransom, as were all that had been made prisoners by the duke of Juliers, and who had not paid their ransoms, by the treaties that were drawn up in consequence of this reconciliation. When this matter had been concluded, the assembly broke up, and tdl returned to their homes. The emperor went to Prague, the duke of Brabant to Brus- sels. When the duke of Brabant had there arrived, he imposed a very heavy tax on the country, to make restitution to the knights and squires for some part of the losses they had suffered. CHAPTER XCI. A C0XTINt7ATI0N OF THE HISTORY Of THE QUARREL BETWEES BRABANT A>fD GUELDRES. ON THE DEATH OF DUKE WINCESLAUS, THE YOUNIJ WILLIAM OF JULIERS, DUKE OF GUELDRES, ENDEAVORS BY EVEIMT MEANS TO REGAIN THE THREE CASTLES. HE ALLIES HIMSELF TO THE KING OF ENGLAND, BECAUSE FRANCE StTPPOKTS THE RIGHTS OF THE WIDOW.DUCHESS OF BRABANT. I HAVE taken much pains to detail all the particulars of this matter in my history, to bring it to the point I aim at, which is to explain * Otho v.. sumamed " le fitineunt." margrave of Br&Ddenburg.— Ed. t "Juduque." Q. If Dot JiJicI), Juliers. 45S CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. why king Charles of France led a powerful army into Gemiany. I might indeed have passed it more briefly over, if I had chosen; but the dates of all these circumstances ought to be inserted in this his- tory. In truth, I have my own manner of relating things, which, though pleasing to mo, is indifferent enough. When I leanit that the kings of France and Ejigland were about to interfere in this business, I exerted myself to examine more deeply into the subject than I had lutherto done, and shall continue it as follows. On the return of duke Winceslaus to Brabant, freed from all dangers of prison, as you have heard, he was desirous of visiting his states and castles, as well in the duchy of Luxembourg as elsewhere. He took therefore his road toward Alsace and the city of Strasburg, through the territory of Fauquemont. He visited those three castles which had caused the hatred of the duke of Gueldres.and found them strong, hand- some, and well situated. If he liked them before, he was now still more pleased with them, and ordered the tenants around to assist in strengthening their fortifications. He employed masons, carpenters and ditchers, to repair and ornament them ; and before his departure, he appointed a prudent and valiant knight called sir John Grosset. as governor in chief, with orders to guard and defend them at ids peril. The duke continued his journey through his states, stopping at vari- ous places, according to his pleasure, and then returned to Brabant, which was his iixed place of residence. Sir John de Blois had at this period married the duchess-dowager of Gueldres, to whom that duchy had fallen by the death of lord Ed. ward, slain, as you have heard, at the battle of Julicrs : but the duchess of Juliers opposed her claim on Gueldres, and was supported by the majority of the nobility and principal towns ^ for she was more pop. ular with them than her eldest sister because she had a fine son, of an age to defend them in war, and neither her sister nor her husband, sir John de Blois, had ever peaceable possession of the duchy. The war to support the claim of the duchess, in which he was forced to engage, cost him upward of one hundred thousand francs; and after all William de Juliers, son to the duke of Juliers, (who had early shown in his youth that chivalry and love of arms had descended to him by blood on both sides,) remained duke of Gueldres. A union was concluded between him and the eldest daughter of duke Albert, who was married to the lord Edward of Gueldres, but the marriage, on account of her extreme youth, had never been consummated. By this union with lord William, she remained duchess of Gueldres. Time and seasons pass and change ; and this young duke increased in honor, strength, and understanding, with a great desire for deeds of arms, and a strong inclination to add to his sister states. His heart was more English than French, and he had declared in his younger years that he would always aid the kings of England in their wars ; for, being more nearly connected by blood with them than with the kings of France, he bore them greater affection. When his council gave him to understand that the Brabanters did him much injury by the detention of the three casdes which the duke and duchess held from him, he replied, "YlMfao: wait a while- pvcrything has its turn. It is not yet time i^^me to exert myself, for our cousin of Brabant has too many powerful friends ; but a time may come, when I will rouse myself in earnest.'' Things remained in this state, until God was pleased to call to him duke Winceslaus, who died duke of Brabant and Luxembourg, as has been already related in this history. The duchess and the states suffered a great loss by the death of this gallant duke. The young duke of Gueldres, who was now of an age to maintain his pretensions by arms against his enemies, began to take measures for the regaining these three castles, which had created such hatred between Brabant and his uncle, the lord Edward of Gueldres. He sent persons properly authorized to treat.with the duchess of Brabant for the surrender of tlie castles, on payment of the sum they had been mortgaged for : but the lady replied that, as they were now legally in her possession, she would keep them for herself and her heir, as her lawful inheritance ; and that if the duke were in earnest in his professions of friendship to Brabant, he would prove it by yielding up the town of Grave, which he unjustly detained. The duke of Gueldres on hearing this answer, wluch was not very agreeable to him, was much piqued, but did not the less adhere to his plans. He now attempted to gain over to his interest the governor of those cas. ties, sir John Grosset, by purchase or otherwise. The knight was prudent and steady : he told those who had been sent secreUy to treat with him, never again to mention the subject, for, were he to die for it, he would never act dishonorably, nor be guilty of treason to his lawful sovereign. When the duke found he had not any hopes of succeeding with the governor, he (as I was informed) addressed himself to sir Reginald d'Esconvenort, and excited such a hatred between him and sir John Grosset, for a very trifling cause, that the knight was shortly after murdered in the plains, cither by sir Reginald, or by his people, or through an ambuscade, to the great vexation of the duchess of Brabant and that country. The three castles were put under another governor by order of the duchess and her council. Affairs remained some years in this state ; but their mutual hatred was privately kept up, as well for these casdes as for the town of Grave. Those of Gueldres that bordered on Brabant did as much mischief as they could to their neighbors, more particularly the inhab. ilants of Grave, which is but four leagues distant from Bois.le-Duc, and a fine open country to ride over : they therefore harassed greatly the Brabanters near that uart. During the time these things were passing, the duke of Gueldres crossed the sea to England, to vj;it his cousin king Richard, and his relatives the dukes of Lancaster, York, and Gloucester, who were then at home, and the great barons of England. They made him good cheer, for they were desirous to sec and make acquaintance with him, having before heard how much the duke was attached to England. In this journey he entered into an alliance with the king of England ; and although he had not hitherto received anything from the king to induce him to become his liegeman, he now accepted a pension of one thousand marcs on the king of England's treasury, which, according to the value of the coin, was equal to four thousand francs ready money.* He was advised to renew his claims on Bra- bant, and was promised to be effectually assisted by England, that no loss should accrue to him. In return for which, he swore to be for ever loyal in his services to England : all this he too readily en. tered into. When this treaty had been concluded, he took leave of the king and his barons, and returned to Gueldres, when he told the duke of Juliers what he had done, and how he had strengthened him- self by his alliance with England. The duke of Juliers, who, from age, had more experience than his son, was not much rejoiced on hearing it, and said, " William, what you have done may be the cause that both you and I shall dearly pay for your visit to England. Are yoii ignorant of the power of the duke of Burgundy, and that he has not his equal in this respect ? He is the next heir to the duchy of Brabant, and how can you think of succeeding in any opposition to him, or of resisting so potent a prince ?" " How !'.' replied the duke of Gueldres, " the more rich and powerful he is, the better to make war on. I had rather have for my enemy a rich man, who has large possessions, than a little baron from whom nothing can be gained : for one blow I receive, 1 wish to give six ; besides, the emperor of Germany is so much con-' nected with England, that I may look for assistance from him should there be occasion." " By my faith, fair son William, you are mad ; and more of your schemes will fall to the ground than will be accom- plished." I will explain why the duke of Juliers thus checked his son, and doubted of the success of his enterprises.' The late king of France e.xerted himself much to gain friends in different parts : and, though he could not prevail on many to join him in his wars, yet, by gifts and other compliments, he kept them quiet, and by such means acquired several friends in the empire and elsewhere. When the emperor had forgiven the duke of Juliers' conduct to the duke of; Brabant, and the last, by obtaining his liberty, was reconciled to the duke of Juliers, he, at the desire of the king of France, waited on him at Paris, where he was most kindly received. The king gavej to him and his knights very rich presents of jewels, to the great satis-' faction of the duke. In this visit the duke was presented with Vier- sont and its lordships, which he held as a iief from the king, to whom he swore he would never bear arms against France. Vierson was originally dependent on the crfunts de Blois, is situated between Bloia. and Berry, and may be worth about five hundred francs a year.; During the reign of Charles V., he truly kept his oath, and, as long . as the king lived, neither bore arms himself, nor entered into any j treaty with the enemies of France. When Charles VI. began his reign, he was so much embroiled with the wars with Flanders and; England, that he could not attend to everything. The duke of Juliers, | not being summoned, did not renew his homage for Vierson ; and the , duke of Berry, noticing this, seized the lands, which he said were dependent on him, and thus deprived the counts of Blois of their rights. This, however, caused no quarrel between the families, for I saw them frequently together, and, indeed, from their comtection it was right they should be good friends ; for Lewis, son of the duke of Berry, was married to the lady Mary, daughter of the count de Blois. The duke of Jidiers had thoughts of claiming the lands of Vierson, until ho found his son had so hastily, and, as he thought, imprudently alUed himself with England, which he imagined would never turn out to his advantage. He had therefore spoken to him in the manner I have related, when the duke of Gueldres returned from England ; but ^ paid not any attention to it, and, as he was young and rash, replied to his father, that he would not do otherwise than he had said ; and that he preferred war to peace, and war against the king of France to a contest with a poorer person. CHAPTER C. TirE DUCHESS OF BRABANT SE.NDS EMBASSADORS TO FRANCE FOR ASSIST- ANCE AGAINST THE DUKE OF GUELDRES. THEY ARRIVE AT THE SAME TIME TDE duke's CHALLENSE IS BROUGHT, AND RECEIVE FAVORABLE ANSWERS. The duchess of Brabant, who resided at Brussels, was well in- formed of everything that was passing, and that the duke of Guel- dres menaced the Brabanters with war. She was fearful that he would put his threats in execution, and said : " Ah, may God gra- ciously pardon my deceased lord ; for, had he been alive, the duke * See the Foedera, an. 10 Ricardi II. wbere the txeaty is at length. The pension \n» for life, of one thousand pounds sterling. t " Viereon."— a city of Berry, OQ the Clier, dio«e«e of Bourges. twenty-two lea^et from Orleans. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND. FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 4&» of Gueldres would not have dued to use the expressions I hear ho has done ; but, because I am a woman, and old, he wants to attack and make war on mc." The duchess assembled her council on tlie occasion ; for she knew her opponent was of a hasty temper, and that action would soon follow his words. At the time tliis council ■ was held, the duke of Gueldree had sent his defiance to the kinc of France, which had caused great slander in all countries where it had heen told ; for the duke was but a petty prince in comparison with others ; and the tenor of tliia challenge was, as I heard, ^vritten in each imperious and coarse language as astonished all who saw it. This ciiallenge was spoken of variously, according as the different persons to whom it was told were attaciied. The council of the duchess, in answer to her when she demanded their advice, said, " In the name of God, lady, what you ask may be speedily given. We advise, that you send embassadors to the king of France and to the duke of Burgundy. You have a good oppor- tunity ; for the duke of Gueldres has sent his defiance to the king of France and all his allies. Should he carry his tlueats into execu- tion, and, as it is reported, make war on that kingdom, in conjunc- tion witii die English and Germans, he cannot gain a more convenient entrance into it, than through your duchy. It is right, therefore, the king and the duke of Burgundy be prepared, and that all your castles on the frontiers be well supplied with men-at-arms ; for there is no enemy so contemptible, but that he should be feared. We do not mean to say that against him alone, nor for what the Gueldrians may be able to do against us, we should seek for assistance or allies : oh, no ; but on account of the connections he may have formed with foreign countries, especially with the English, in whose cause he is now arming, and the Germans, who are avaricious, and eager to make war on France for the wealth they hope to find there." The duchess replied, " Your advice is good, and I will that attention be paid to it." The envoys to France were chosen from among the privy counsellors of Brabant, and were the lord de Bourgueval mas- ter of the household, sir John Opem, a most amiable knight, sir Nicholas de la Monnoye, and John de Grave, a clerk. When their credential letters were drawn out and sealed, they left Brussels and took the road to Paris. At that time, however, the king and the duke of Burgundy were at Rducu, whither the embassadors went. On their arrival at Rouen, they waited first on the duke of Bur- gundy, who entertained them handsomely, as he knew well, and showed him their credential letters. The duke having perused them, at the proper hour led th.om to the king, who received them graciously, from his regard to their duchess. The king, after reading their pa. pers, said : " What you request, demands consideration : keep near our fair uncle of Burgundy, and your business shall be attended to, and concluded as speedily as may be." This answer was satisfac- tory to them, and, having taken leave of the king and the duke of Burgundy, they returned to their lodgings. The king of France, his uncles and the lords of his council, had, at this moment, full employ- ment, and were daily in council respecting different matters which required it. The challenge of the duke of Gueldres was not very agreeable ; and they knew not the intentions of the duke of Brittany, from his strange conduct in regard to the constable of France. They had likewise heard he was busy in providing all his towns and cas- tles with stores and men-at-arms ; and that his correspondence was now more frequent than ever with the king of England and his two uncles : for the duke of Lancaster was still in Galicia. The council of France had, therefore, enough to do, to weigh well these matters ; and were so much occupied on them, that the Brabanters waited some time for their answer. At length the duke of Burgundy gave it them as follows : " You will return to our fair aunt, and salute her many times in my name. Give her these letters from the king and from me ; and tell her, that we consider her affairs as our own, and desire her not to be alarmed at anything, for she will have speedy aid ; and tell her that the country of Brabant shall not, in any way, be hurt or damaged." This answer was very agreeable to the em- bassadors, who instantly returned to Paris, and thence to Brussels, and gave the duchess a detailed account of what had passed, and of the answer they had received, so that she was perfectly contented. CHAPTER CI. CONCETlNINGr THE KTTMORS OF THE SIGNS OF SANCTITY WHICH WEtlE HAN. IFESTED BY THE CARDINAL DE LUXEMBOURG AFTER HIS DEATH. THE EXTRAORDINARY END OF THE KING OF NAVARRE. About Uiis period, there were many rumors, that the body of Saint Peter de Luxembourg, who had been a cardinal, showed miraculous powers in the city of Avignon. This holy cardinal was the son of the lord Guy de Saint Paul, slain at the battle of Julicrs. I must say, that the cardinal led a most holy and devout life, doing works agreeable to God ; for he was courteous, modest, chaste, and a great ahnsgiver. He kept from his church preferments merely sufficient for his maintenance, and gave all the rest to the poor. He was the greater part of the day and night in prayer, and shunned all worldly vanities. His life was so devout that it pleased God to call him in his youth ; and, instantly after his death, his body, which he had ordered to be buried in the common sepulchre with the poor, per. formed miracles, for his whole life was full of humility, but it was intencd in the chapel of St. Michael. When the pope and cardinals perceived that miracles increased from this holy body, tiioy sent an account of them to the king of France, and to the elder brother of the saint, count Waleran de St. Paul, inviting him to come to Avig. non. The count could not refuse, and, when he went thither, pre- sented those fine silver lamps which arc now before hie iiltar. It was wonderful the great faith that was in this saint, and the num- bers who came thither when I was at Avignon ; for by that city 1 returned from Foix, to witness this. His miracles and votaries daily multiplied, and it was said he would be canonized ; but I never heard more about it. Since I have related the death of this lioly cardinal, I will men- tion that of a different person, for £ have not yet spoken of the death of a king who has supplied ample materials for many a part of this history. His actions, however, were the reverse from those of the preceding personage, for by them the realm of France was nearly destroyed. You will readily guess I mean the king of Navaire. It is a truth well known, that nothing is more certain than death. I repeat it because the king of Navarre, when he died, did not think his end so near. Had he supposed it, he probably would have taken more care of himself. He resided in the city of Pampeluna, and took it into his head that he would raise two hundred thousand flo- rins by a tax on his country. His council dared not contradict him, for he was a cruel man to all who did so. The principal inhabitants of the great towns were summoned, and, fearful of disobeying, they came.. When all were assembled in the palace, the king himself, who was a subtle and eloquent man, explained to them the reasons why he wanted money; and that two hundred thousand florins must be raised from the country, in such wise that the rich should pay ten francs each, the middling ranks five, and the poor, one franc. This demand much astonished his audience ; for the preceding year there had been a battle in Navarre, which had caused a tax to be laid for one hundred thousand florins : he had, besides, in the same year married his daughter the lady Jane to the duke of Brittany, and there were large arrears of the lax of her dower yet unpaid. The king having demanded their answer, they requested some time to consult together; he allowed them fifteen days, when they were all to meet again in the same place, that is to say, those who had come from the cities and towns : on which they departed. When the news of this heavy tax was known, the whole country was in consternation. At the end of the fifteen days, they assem- bled again at Pampeluna, and the deputies from the principal towns amounted to about sixty persons. The king would hear their answer in person, and he ordered them to make it in a large orchard, which was distant from the palace, and inclosed with high walls. In giving their answer, they explained how impossible jt was for the country to pay this new tax, from the poverty. of the kingdom, and from the arrears of former taxes being still unpaid. They were unanimous in this declaration, and begged of him, for God's sake, to have pity on them, for the country could not in truth bear any additional tax. When the king of Navarre found he had not any hopes of sue. cess, he was silent and discontented : on leaving them he said, "You have been badly advised: consult together again:" and then went away, followed by his council. The deputies were shut up in this orchard, with orders for no one to be suffered to go out of it, and very little meat or drink to be given them. They remained thua in great fear of their lives, and none dared open their lipg. It may be supposed he succeeded at last in his plan ; for he beheaded three of the most determined in their opposition, to frighten the others to his will. At this moment an extraordinary event happened at Pam. peluna, which seemed a judgment from God. I will relate it, as several persons from Pampeluna told it me at Foix, which is but three days' journey off. It was reported, that the king of Navarre was fond of women, and had at this time a very handsome lady for his mistress, with whom he occasionally amused himself, for he had been long a wid- ower. Having passed a night with her, he returned to his own chamber, shivering with cold, and said to one of his valets, "Pre- pare my bed, for I want to lie down and repose myself a little." When ready, he undressed himself and went to bed ; but he was no sooner laid down than he began to shake, and could not get warm He was of a great age, about sixty, and accustomed to have his bed well warmed with heated air to make him sweat ; and this practice he had long continued without any visible harm. He ordered hia servants to warm the bed as usual ; but this time, cither by the will of God or the devil, it turned out very unfortunate, for the flames somehow set fire to the sheets, and it could not be extinguished be- fore they were destroyed, and the king, who was wrapped up in them, horribly burnt as far as his navel. He did not instantly die, but lingered on, in great pain and misery, fifteen days ; for neither surgeon nor physician could apply any remedies to prevent his death. Such was the end of the king of Navarre, which, however, freed his poor subjects from the tax he would have laid on them. His son Charles was a young, handsome, and gallant knight ; he was ac- knowledged king of Navarre by all his subjects, and soon after the obsequies of his father was crowned in the city of Pampeluna.* * " Charles king of Navarrfi died in 1367, aged 55 years. Hi* death wns wortJiy of hh life. He was wrapped up in cJoths that had Ixen dipped in spirits of wine and sulphur to reanimate the cbUi in hie liiDia, caueed by bia debaucheries, uod to cure bii< leproay. 460 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. ) CHAPTER CII. THE DUKE OF BEURY EESIESES VENTADOUK.* You liave before read of the treaties the count d'Armagnac and the dauphin of Auvcrgne attempted to make with the captains of the free companies who held castles and forts in Auvergne, the Ge- vaudan, and Limousin, and were at. war with their neighbors. Many of them were inclined to accept the terms offered, for they thought they had sufficiently plundered France, and wished to do tjhesame elsewhere. Tlie count d'Armagnac promised to lead them into Lombardy : but the count de Foi.'s, whom it was not easy to de- ceive, imagined that Was not his intention, and made secret inquiries as to the progress of the business, and whither the men-at-arms were to march on quitting their strongholds. The common report was, that they still continued their courses, for the men of the country so related it to him. Upon hearing this, he shook his head, and said, " Such men-at-arms will not be trifled with. The count d'Armag- nac and his brother Bernard are young, and I know they neither love me nor my country : these men-at-arms, therefore, may per- chance fall on me, unless I shall take proper order to guard against them. The proverb says, ' Long provision beforehand maketh sure possession.' " The count de Foix was not, in truth, wrong in his conjectures, as appearances at one time showed, which I shall relate, if I carry my history to that length. You have heard how that Breton, Geofl'ry Tfite.noire, had long held the castle of Ventadour, on the borders of Auvergne and Bourbonnois, and had refused to surrender for any money that had been offered him. He considered this castle as his own inheritance, and had forced all the surrounding country to enter into composition with him to avoid being plundered. By this means every one could labor the ground at their pleasure, and he was en- abled to keep the state of a great baron. He was a cruel man, and very ferocious in his anger, minding no more killing a man than a beast. You must know, that when the tax for the redemption of these castles was first raised, those in Auvergne, imagining that Ventadour would be surrendered to the duke of Berry, and the coun- try delivered from the oppressions of the garrison, very cheerfully paid their quota. But when they saw, that of those garrisons who continued their inroads, that of Ventadour was the most daring, they were very disconsolate and considered the tax that had been raised as thrown away. They declared, that mitil the garrison of Venta- dour was prevented from overrunning the country, they would never pay one farthing of any future tax. This was carried to the duke of Berry, who was lieutenant of Limousin, Gevaudan, and Auvergne, and he declared to his council, that those who had made such decla- ration w'ere in the right, and that the promises that had been held out were badly kept, by their not having so closely besieged the place, as to prevent the garrison sallying forth. The duke then ordered that four hundred spears should be collected, and paid by the coun- try, and placed under the command of sir William de Lignac and sir John de Bonne. lance, a courteous and vahant knight from the Bourbonnois, for them to invest Ventadour completely on all sides with block-houses. These knights and men-at-arms laid their siege as closely as they ^could to the castle, and erected four block-houses : they also had large trenches cut by the peasants, and every obstruction thrown across -the roads they used to take, so that tlie garrison was completely shut in. Geoffry, however, was indifferent to this ; for he knew he had pro. •vision and stores to last for seven years, and that his castle was 80 strongly placed upon a rock that it could not be taken by storm ; and, notwithstanding these block-houses, and this supposed complete blockade, he, at times, with some of his companions, made sallies through a postern that opened between two hidden rocks, and over- ran the country in search of wealthy prisoners. They never brought anything besides with them to the castle, on account of the difficulty of the passes. This opening could not be closed, and, to the sur- prise of the country, they were found abroad seven leagues distant : if they were by accident pursued, and had once regained their moun- tains, though the chase lasted for three leagues, they considered themsnlves as secure as if in their fort. This manner of harassing the country was long continued ; and the siege of the castle in the mann?r I have related, lasted for more than a year : by it the country was saved the large sums they used to pay as composition-money. By some accident, they cauglit fire, as they were sewing them ahout hini, and burnt the Ge^h ofl" his bones. It is thus that almost all the French historians relate the deatli of Charles ; but in the letter of tlie bishop of Da.\, his principal minister, to queen Blanche, tlie sister of this prince, and widow of Philii de Valois, there is not one word said of this horrid accident, but only of the great pains he suffered in his last illness, and the resignation with which he bore them. Voltaire pretends that Charles was not worse than many other princes. Ferreras had said before him, that the French surnamed him Charles the Bad, on account of the troubles he had fomented in tlie kingdom ; but that, if his actions were examined, be would be found not sufficiently wicked to deserve such a surname. It is, however, precisely bis actions that have caused it. He was, says father Daniel, treacherous, revenaefiil, cruel, and tlie sole cause of the ruin of France, f ntlier Daniel speaks exactly bke Mariano, who has painted with energy his cruelties, his infamous debaucheries, and bis treasons. Our best historians have done the same. But it is one of the folliiis of our a?c to attempt the rei'stablishment of tlie most worth- less characters, and to cry down those reputtilions that have been the most exalted."— JVbuuMii Dicttonnairs liistoriqxie. For more of Charle? de Navarre, see les AUmoiies de rAcad6inie. * '■ Ventadoiir " a castle iu the.dioccae of Uimogej Wc will, for the present, leave Ventadour, and, by way of variety speak of other matters. CHAPTER CIII. THE DUKE OP BORGtlKDY SENDS FOUR HUNDRED SPEARS TO THE DUCHESS OF BRABANT. THEY SURPRISE AND BURN THE TOWN OF SEAULLE IN GUELDRES. The duke of Burgundy was not forgetful of his promise to his aunt, the duchess of Brabant. He assembled a body of four hundred good men-at-arms, from Burgundy and other parts, and appointed two knights for their commanders : the one was sir William de la Tr6- mouille, a Burgundian ; the other, sir Gervais de Merande, a German ■ and said to them, " You will conduct these men-at-arms to that par of the frontiers of Brabant and Gueldres our fair aunt and her couii cil have fi-xed on, and make a severe war on her enemy, for such are our commands." The knights replied, they were ready and willing to obey his orders. When all their stores and men were assembled, they set out for Brabant, and having entered the duchy of Lexembourg, sent to inform the duchess of their coming. The marshal of Brabant went to meet and conduct them, and, by the directions of the coun- cil, quartered them in the three castles the duke of Gueldres claimed, of which they now formed the garrison, and, being on the enemy's land, went forth daily in hopes to meet them. The duke of Guel- dres, perceiving that hostilities were begun, reinforced all his towns and castles, and made every preparation to withstand his opponents. Sir William de la Tremouille, desirous to gain renown, and to do some act that should make it known he was in the country, cast hia eyes on a town of Gueldres, about four leagues from the castle wherein he was, in hopes to gain it : it was called Seaulle. Having secretly opened his mind to sir Gervais de Merande, and explained his inten- tions, he agreed to accompany him ; for he was equally anxious for deeds of arms. Having collected men from the different garrisons, they marched off' at midnight, at a brisk trot, under the care of able guides, who brought them to Seaulle near the point of day. They then halted, and formed another disposition, which, as it was told me, was as follows : sir Gervais, with only thirty lances, was to leave the main body, and, if possible, to gain and keep the gate, until sir William should arrive with the remainder ; for if the whole had ad- vanced, an alarm might have been given, but so few would possibly be taken for a party whom the duke of Gueldres had sent to rein- force the place, or some of his men who were riding from one town to another. As they had planned, so was it executed : sir Gervais left the army with thirty German spears, and rode toward the town. He passed indeed many people on his road thither ; for it was market. day, and, as he passed, saluted them in German, which made them all suppose they were their countrymen, attached to the duke of Gueldres, and going to the garrison. Sir Gervais rode on until he came to the gate, which he found wide open and slightly guarded : indeed it was so early, that few were out of bed. They there halted, and were scarcely masters of the gate when sir William de la Tremouille, with the main body, came up full gallop, and entered the town, shouting their cry. Thus was the town won without any defence being made : the garrison never imagined the French would have been so enter- prising, and the greater part were still in bed. It was on the Martin, mas eve this deed was done. Three days before, an English knight had entered the town with ten spears and thirty archers, whom the king of England had sent thither. The knight's name was sir Wil. liam Fikaoul ;* and, at the moment of the first noise and bustle, he was getting out of his bed. Hearing the town was taken, he asked by whom; he was told by Bretons. "Hal" said he, "Bretons are wicked fellows : they will pillage and burn the town, and then leave it : whose cry have they?" " In the name of God," cried a knight, " they cry Trdmouille I" Sir William Fikaoul, upon this, armed himself, and made his men do the same, and barricade his house, to see if any would come to his rescue, but in vain ; for every one was so frightened, they were flying in all directions, some for the church, others to escape by an opposite gate to that the enemy had entered, abandoning all they possessed. The French set fire to the town to alarm others at a dis- tance, but there were many houses of stone and brick which could not be affected by it : however, the greater part was burnt down and pillaged, for nothing worth taking was left; and they carried away some of the richest inhabitants prisoners. The English knight was taken doing his duty. When he saw all was lost, he ordered his house to be cleared of the barricades ; for he was fearful of fire, as his hall was full of smoke, and placing him- self and men in front, fought very valiantly, but at length was made prisoner by sir William de la Tremouille : his men were likewise taken, for few were slain. When the French had done all they listed at Seaulle, in Gueldres, and their servants had packed up the plun- der, they departed, for it would have been folly to have remained longer, and marched to their different garrisons. Such was the sue- cess of this first blow the duke of Gueldres received : he was much vexed when he heard of his loss, and hastened thither with a large body of men-at-arms, hoping to find the French still there. He » " Fikaoul." Feratd has VUzraoul, and my MS. Fitz-Pou], Lord Bemets bos Un same as in the text. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 461 strengthened and repaired the town, and placed therein a garrison, who were more diligent in guarding it than the preceding one had been. Thus it happens in war ; sometimes one side loses, and sometimes another. The duchess of Brabant was highly pleased with the success of ail William de la Tr(;mouille and sir Gervais de Merandc, and they acquired much renown for it throughout the country. It wae the common talk in Brabant, that in the course of the ensuing summer, ■they would renew the attack, and keep possession of it, for they should then have a sufficient force. The duke of Burgundy was well pleased to hear such satisfactory accounts of the good conduct of those he had sent to Brabanl; and, to encourage them to persevere, he frequently wrote to his knight, sir William de la Tremouille. They guarded so well the castles on the frontier, that no loss happened ; and the enemy was more careful in regard to their towns than they had been before the capture of SeauUe. I will now relate an ex. ploit of Pen-ot le B^arnois in Auvergne, and detail the whole history of it at length. CHAPTER CIV. OERONNET DE MAUBURANT, ONE OF THE CAPTAINS OF PERROT LE BEAK- NOIS, HAVING BEEN MADE PRISONER BY JOHN BONNE. LANCE, AT MONT- FERRANT IN AUVERGNE, FINDS MEANS, AFTER HIS RANSOM WAS PAID, TO PUT LE BEARNOIS IN POSSESSION OF MONTFERRANT. This same year, about the middle of May, forty bold companions set out from Chalucet,* in the possession of Perrot le B^arnois, in Limousin, to seek adventures in Auvergne, under the command of a squire from Gascony, called Geronnet de Maudurant, an able man- at-arms. On account of the dread this country and the borders of the Bourbonnois had of these people, the duke of Bourbon had ap- pointed, for its defence, one of his knights, a valiant man.at-arms, called sir John Bonne-lance, who was courteous, amorous, and eager to display liis courage. Wlien he heard these companions were abroad, he asked how many they might be : and when they said, "About forty," he replied, "As for forty lances, we do not fear that number : I will take as many to meet them." He then departed from the place where he had heard of this excursion, but his greater force was before Venladour, and collected about forty or fifty of his men-at-arms that were dispersed on the borders of Limousin, Au. vergne, and the Bourbonnois, for he was very desirous to perform some deed of arms. He had with him sir Lewis d'Ambiere, sir Lewis d'Abton, and the lord de St. Obise. They took the field with- out following any particular road, for they were well acquainted with the country, and came to a pass through which they imagined the enemy must cross, and nowhere else, on account of the mountains, and a river which is wide and deep from the melting of the snow. They had not been there half an hour when the enemy appeared, no way su.'specting this meeting. Bonne. lance and his party, with their spears in their rests, charged them, shouting their cry as they were descending the mountain on foot. When they found they must fight, they put a good countenance on it, and prepared for their defence : Geronnet, who was a stout squire, set them the e.xample. Many were, at the first onset, beaten down on both sides ; but, to say the truth, the French were by far better men-at-arms than these adven. turers, which they showed, for not one turned his back but the ser- vants, who by flight saved themselves while their masters were fight. ing. Two-and-twenty were made prisoners, and sixteen left dead on the field: their leader surrendered himself prisoner to Bonne lance. The victorious party set out on their return, carrying their prisoners with them. On the road. Bonne-lance recollected that, about a month ago, when at Montferrant in Auvergne, he had been well received by the ladies and damsels, and that, as they were amusing themselves, they said to him, " Fair brother Bonne-lance, you are often in the field, and must at times meet your enemies." A lady, who was much in his good graces, added, " I am sure you have fre. JCIL OF FRANCE IS IN DELIBERATION WHETHER OK NOT TO JIARCH AN ARMY AGAINST THE DUKE OF GUELDRES, THE DtJKE OF BERRY SEiNDS THE COUNT D'ESTAMPES TO THE DUKE OF BRITTANY, TO ENDEAVpR TO WIN HIM OVER TO THE PARTY OF FRANCE, AFTER HAVINS ALIENATED HIMSELF FROM IT BY THE ARREST OF THE CONSTABLE. I HAVE before mentioned the challenge wliich had been sent by the duke of Gueldres to the king of France. It was much talked of everywhere, from the uncourteous and indeed rude language it was said to contain. I was in truth shown some rough drafts, which were said to be exact copies of this challenge ; but as I never saw the original, nor any certified copy, I did not give much credit to what so nearly concerned a little prince, like the duke of Gueldres, and a king of France. It was evident that this conduct had greatly angered the king of France, who seemed dctcraiined to have reparation, and expected excuses to be made for it by the duke of Gueldres. The king's council had resolved it should not remain quiet : tor the great barons had declared, that if the king did not show his resentment, whatever sums it might cost France, they would be alone to bhime : for the king had proved, when in Flanders, his willingness to pursue his enemies. The king was young, indeed, but of good courage ; and if he suffered such insults with patience, foreign countries would hold the nobility of France very cheap, as they were the king's ad- visers, and had sworn to guard his honor. The lord de Coucy took great pains in the council, that no blame might fall on him ; and showed clearly he personally felt the insult. He was better acquainted with the character of the Germans than many others, from his dis- putes with the duke of Austria, and from different transactions in which he had been engaged with them. The king's ministers saw that the greater part of the nobles of the realm were for war against Gueldres, and, in particular the duke of Burgundy, on account of the warfare the duke was carrying on against his aunt, the duchess, and the country of Brabant. This duchy re. verted to him after the decease of his aunt and her sister,t who were both old ladies. The duke of Bui-gundy would very gladly have seen the duke of Gueldres, who was chivalrous enough, checked by fair or foul means. It was necessary, however, the kingdom should be unanimous in this disposition ; for it was a great distance the king of France would have to march into Germany, to make con. quests and put lords under his obedience ; and he must carry with liim the whole force of the kingdom ; for, as the Germans were so avaricious, it was uncertain if they would not all unite in the support * " Chinon," an ancient town of France, election of Tours. It is remarkable for the death of Henry II. of Englonil, and the residence of Charles VII. of France. Rahelai.s was born very near to it. T In tlie 12th annotation of Denis Sauva[:e, he makes the following obser\'ations : " Sister^ " 1 should suppose this sister to he Jane, widow of the late William count of Ilainault, according to the 29th and lUtli chapters of the first volume, if the 237th of the same volume, and the 20!'th of the second, did not incline me to UcUeve. that this widow was the Jane of Brabant married again to Winceslaus. Inst duke of Brabant, who acnuired. by his union with her. that duchy. The countess of Flanders, who was sister to this duchess, died five years before her husband, count Lewis of Flanders, who deceased in the month of January. 1384 ; so Uiat I suspect tlie reading should be. ' nOer the decease of his ount who was now very old ;' for I cannot my who thjs sister was." of the duke of Gueldres. In addition, the duke of Burgundy and the other nobles w'ere aware of the consequences the conduct of the Duke of Brittany might lead to ; for he showed his preference of war to peace with France ; and the lords of the council knew he was laying provision of stores and artillery in all his strong towns and castles for their defence, in case of being besieged. Besides this, he was constantly sending over letters and messengers to England, to the king and his council, in the most affectionate terms, offering henceforth the strongest friendship, so that the English might continue the war with the most flattering hopes of success. The council were unwilling to decide on any bold measures, until this cloud, which hung over Brittany, was removed by some means or other, so that the kingdom might not have any fear from that quarter ; for, should the king march into Germany, the country would be left defenceless, and they knew not well how to bring about an accommodation. Those who had been sent into Brittany, the bishop of Langres, sir John de Vienne, and sir John de Bueil, were returned, and had told the king and his uncles of their ill suc- cess. Upon this the duke of Berry resolved to send thither his cousin, the count d'Estampes, who was a valiant man and able nego- tiator. He therefore addressed him in such words as these : " Fair cousin, I entreat you would go to Brittany ; it is absolutely necessary you should do so, to negotiate with our cousin, the duke of Brittany ; and should you find him hot and imperious in speech, do not mind it, nor put yourself in any passion. Treat him gently, and with the greatest attention, and endeavor to make him listen to reason : tell him that the king, myself, and brother of Burgundy, wish him every- thing good, and bear him the strongest affection; and that, if he would come and live with us, he would find us always ready to serve him. In respect to the castles which he holds from the constable, say, jokingly, that, to be sure, he had seized them unjustly, and that, if he would be pleased to render them back it would redound greatly to his honor, and the king would give him as rich and as strong onea in any part of the kingdom he may choose. Exert yourself, deal cousin, to bring us back good news ; and do not quit him, however you may be delayed, without bringing matters to some sort of a con elusion, taking care to remember all the duke's answers, and to ex- amine well the state of the duchy." The count d'Estampes assured the duke he would cheerfully undertake it ; and he made no long delay, from the time of his conversation, in his preparations for tlie journey. When ready, he set out for Brittany, taking his road through Chartres and Mans, and the rich country of Maine to An- gers, where he met the queen of Naples, widow of the duke of Anjou, who had styled himself king of Naples, Sicily and Jerusalem, duke of La Puglia, and count de Provence. Her two sous, the lords Lewis and Charles, were with her. The queen received her cousin, the count d'Estampes, handsome- ly, and becoming her situation ; and they had many conversations together, such as lords and ladies are accustomed to have. John of Brittany was likewise there, who was not in the good graces of the duke of Brittany, whither the count was going : but he carried it off as well as he could ; for, not having any farces to support his pre- tensions, he was obliged so to do. The count remained at Angela a day and night, and then took his leave, and departed for Chanto- ceaux,* where he arrived that day, and then continued his journey to Nantes, where he refreshed himself, and inquired after the duke of Brittany. He was told that he was at Vannes, or in that part of the country, which was his usual place of residence. He took the road for Vannes, where, on his arrival, he waited on the duke, who recei\cd him very kindly, for tliey were nearly connected by blood. The count d'Estampes, knowing well how to conduct himself with groat princes and dames, for lie liad been brought up and educated with them, acquitted himself with much prudence when in the pres- ence of the duke, and, dissembling with him, did not, for some days; discover the object of his coming. When he found a proper oppor- tunity, he began upon it with great caution and humility, to gain the duke's affection, in manner something like the following : " My lord and very dear cousin, you must not be surprised if I am come to see you from such a great distance, for I was very desirous of so doing." He then continued to inform him, word for word, what the duke of Berry had charged him to say. The duke of Brittany did not seem to pay any great attention to what he said, but, when he had done, replied to the count d'Estampes, " We have in truth heard before what you now tell us, and will consider of it, for we have not as yet done so. You will remain with us as long as you please, for your coming has given us much pleasure." i The count could not, for the present, obtain any other answer; but he continued with the duke, and was lodged within his castle. \ He staid about fifteen days with the duke of Brittany in Vannes and thereabouts, who treated him with much affection. He showed him his fair castle of Ermine, wliich he had had newly repaired and beautified, as he there enjoyed himself the most. The count, one day finding him in good humor, again remonstr.Tted with him on his late conduct, and repeated the cause of his coming; but, though the duke's answers were fair, there was no dependence to be placed on his restitution of the hundred thousand francs and the castles to the constable. He did at length restore them ; but it was of his own free.will. without any request being made, and w hen it was the least * " Chaatoceau.x,"— a ^mall town, diocese ofNantes. 466 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN. St. c. BiDBcted as I will relate in the course of this history, according to i tugal had held such language to induce his father-in-law to take cour- ihl information I received. The count d'Estampes, finding that a age, the duke was not ignorant that England was in a very troubled longer stay in Brittany would be useless, determined to take his leave | state, that the council had many weighty things to attend to, as weU of the duke, and return to France, to the duke of Berry, who had sent him thither. The duke of Brittany parted with him very affectionately, and presented him with a handsome white pal- frey, saddled and equipped as if for a king, and a ring -vvith a rich stone, which had cost at least one thousand francs. The count, on leaving Brittany, went to An- gers, where ho waited on the queen of Naples and John of Brittany, who were anxious to hear what had passed. They said, " Fair cousin you must have been well employed, for you have made a long stay in Brittany." He related to them partly what he had dene, but the conclu- Bion was, that he had been unsuccessful. When he had remained with them one day, he departed for Tours, and continued his journey into Berry, and found the duke of Berry at Mehun-sur- Yevre,* where he had lately built a very fine castle, and was daily adding to it. The duke of Berry entertained the count well, and inquired what had passed in Brittany. The count told him, word for word, the conversation between him and the duke, and that it had been impos- sible to turn him from his purposes, whatever they might be. The duke of Berry, seeing no- thing better could be done, made light of it, and, shortly after, returned to the king and duke of Burgundy, to relate to them the ill success of the journey the ceunt d'Estampes had undertaken, at his request, to Brittany. As they saw they could not do more, affairs remained in this state OiTEZ or Brittastt presenting Count d'Estampes with " a handaorae white pnlfrej. saddled and equipped u if fgr a king." Designed from a MS. IlIuminatioR of the IStli century. CHAPTER CIX. THE CASTILLIANS AND FKENCH, AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF THE DUKE OF LANCASTER FROM GALICIA, RECONQUER, IN A VERY SHORT TIME, ALL THE TOWNS AND CASTLES HE HAD WON. THE ENGLISH ABUSE CASTILLE, WHEN IN THEIR OWN CODNTRT. THE KING OF FRANCE AND HIS COUN- CIL INVITE THE DUKE OF IRELAND, WHO HAD FLED FROM ENGLAND, TO PARIS. You have before heard how the English, who had comc witli the duke of Lancaster to Galicia, had departed, and how the duke and duchess had retired to Oporto, where they had resided some time with king John of Portugal, who had married the duke's daughter. The duke of Lancaster was very disconsolate that his affairs had taken so ruinous a turn, and that his best knights and squires had fallen victims to disease. The whole country of Galicia was now returned to its allegiance to the king of Castille ; for the moment the Castillians, and the French knights under sir Oliver du Guesclin, heard of the duke of Lancaster's departure for Portugal, and that few English had remained behind, they sallied forth to conquer Galicia back again, which was soon done. The inhabitants of cities and towns were more attached to the king of Castille than to the duke of Lancaster, provided, however, he was able to keep the field ; for the Castillians and Galicians resemble a good deal the Lombards and Italians, who are always on the side of the strongest, and shout out, *' The conqueror for ever!" All which the duke of Lancaster had been able to win before the beginning of July was regained, and the places garrisoned again by French and others under the obedience of the king of Castille. The English, who thought to pa^s the winter quietly there, were driven out by fair or foul means, for such as made resistance were put to death. Others, seeing afiairs go badly, surrendered on having pass- ports given them to return through Castille to Gascony by Bayonne and Bordeaux. The duke of Lancaster was duly informed of all this when at Oporto, and not being able any way to provide a remedy, it gave him great unquietness of heart. This may be readily be- lieved, for the higher the spirit and expectations are, the more bitter are disappoinmients when things turn out contrary. He, however, kept up his courage tolerably well, and said at times that if he had been unsuccessful this year, through the grace of God he would do better another : for the fortunes of this world are so changeable, they cannot remain always the same. The king of Portugal comforted him as much as it was in his power, sajing, " Sir, you will keep your state in this country, while you write to your brothers and friends in England the melancholy event of your expedition, though they now be fully informed of all, and press them to send you, early in March next, five or six hundred spears and two thousand archers. I will reassemble my forces, for my subjects are well inclined to fight the Castillians, and we will make an effectual war against them. A kingdom may be won and lost in one campaign." The duke, on hearing the king thus discourse, was much pleased and returned him his thanks. But, notwithstanding the king of Por- * " Mehun-sui Y»-re," a town in Berty, »d the Ym, four leosues from Bourses respecting the affairs of the borders of Scotland, which gave them much uneasiness, as concerning the duke of Brittany, who was ne. gotiating important treaties with them. He remembered also, that he had many difficulties to obtain the force he had brought with him to Galicia, and that, knowing his countrymen well, he had never had any intention of seeking a reinforcement, for he was aware the country at present was as heavily pressed as it was able to bear; that those who had gone home from Castille would never return thither, and he was fearful they would discourage any others from coming to his aid. Although he knew all this, he did not behave well to the king and barons of Portugal in hiding it from them. After residing some time at Oporto, he told the king, that many reasons urged him to return to Bayonne and the Bordelois; for that Portugal, though he was so agreeably received there by all, was not his own inheritance. He added, that as there were so many strong places and castles in the archbishopric of Bordeaux, on the borders of Foix, Araiagnac, beyond the Garonne and Dordogne, in Quercy, Perigord, Limousin, Auvcrgne, and other parts, which were still attached to the English, and whose garrisons were carrying on a war under his name : it therefore was his duty to go thither, and give them aid and advice, should there be occasion. He was besides, when in Portugal, too remote to hear news from England ; for the English dread the voyage to Portugal, for its length and danger of meeting Castillian, Galiciau, or Seville vessels, which cover that sea, either in going to, or return- ing from Flanders, with merchandise. For these and other reasons, the duke of Lancaster made his pre- parations for departure ; and when the galleys, which the king of Portugal had provided for him, under the command of his principal admiral Alphonso Bretat, were ready, and the weather favorable, he and his duchess took leave of the king, their daughter, and the ba. rons of Portugal, and embarked and put to sea. They coasted the shores, and, having wind and weather fair, arrived safely at Bayonne in a few days. The inhabitants of Bayonne and the adjacent parts were much rejoiced at their arrival, for they desired greatly their coming, and waited on them to pay their respects. News of the duke and duchess being at Bayonne with their daughter, was spread far and near, and gave much pleasure to Bordeaux and the Bordelois. Sir John Harpedon, seneschal of Bordeaux, and the seneschal dca Landes, with other gendemen of the country, such as the lord dc Mucident, the lords de Duras, de Rosem, de Landuras, de Chan. inont, dc I'Esparre, de Copane, and several more of the principal barons and knights, paid their compliments to the duke. He received them kindly as thev came, for they arrived separately. All ofi"ered him such sei-vices and affection as are due to a lord. The duke re- sided this season at Bayonne. He frequently wrote to the king of England and to his brothers ; but, for whatever he could urge, he had not any reinforcement of men-at-arms or archers ; and, as things were then situated, the duke of Lancaster and his concerns were totally disregarded. Those who had returned to Castille gave such accounts as discouraged others from going thitlier. They said, " The voyage was so long, a war with France would be far more advantageous. France has a rich country and temperate climate, with fine rivers ; but Castille has nothing but rocks and high moun- tains, a sharp air, muddy rivers, bad meat, and wines so hot and CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . 467 hareh there is no drinking tliem. The inhabilaiits are poor and filthy, badly clothed and lodged, and quite difierent in their manners to u9, 90 that it would be folly to go thither. When you enter a large city or town, you expect to find everything, but you will meet with nothing but ivines, lard, and empty coffers. It is quite the con. tiary in France ; for there we have many a lime found, in the cities and towns, when the fortune of war delivered them into our hands, Buch weoltli and riches as astonished us. It is such a war as this we ought to attend to, and boldly hazard our lives, for it is very pro- fitable, and not in a war witli Castiile or Portugal, where there is nothing but poverty and loss to be suffered." Sucli were the convei-sations of the English who had returned from Castiile, so that the ministers who ruled the country, perceived that any expedition thither would be very unpopular. The country was not as yet recovered from the late troubles, which the executions of sir Robert Tresilian and others, and the flight of the duke of Ireland, had thrown it into. The king had also new counsellors, with whom he was not, at that time, well reconciled. All these things prevented any attention being paid to what related to the duke of Lancaster, who still resided at Bayonne. The situation of England, with respect to its internal divisions, the desperate state of the affairs of the duke of Lancaster, and all that related to the duke of Ireland and his par. tisans, were perfectly known to the king of France and his council. To gain more information on these subjects, tire king, by the advice of his uncles, resolved to invite the duke of Ireland into France, and to send to him at Utrecht, where he resided, proper passports for his coming thither, and for remainiTig as long as it should be the king's pleasure, and to return whenever the duke should please. It was necessary to send special messengers, and that his passport should be particularly made out, otherwise the duke would not quit Utrecht ; for he knew he was in tlie ill graces of tire lord de Coucy, (who was a great baron, and of high birth in France,) and not witltout cause, for, to say the truth, he had very scandalously treated hi? duchess, the daughter of the lord de Coucy. This certainly was the principal reason that had blasted his character in France and elsewhere ; for he was there as much hated and despised as in England. When this was discussed in the council of France, the lord de Coucy strongly opposed it ; but they gave so many reasons for the advantages that might be reaped from the duke's coming, as to induce him to yield ; indeed as the king willed it, he could not say more. The king, being young, was desirous to see the duke of Ireland, because he had been told he was a gallant knight, and that the king of England's love for him had been unbounded. A knight and clerk, W'ho was one of the king's notaries, were sent to seek him. The duke of Ireland was very much astonished when he first heard the king of France wished to see him, and had inany ideas what could be the (Muse of it. Having considered the passport, he found he might safely go to the king of France, and return to Utrecht when he pleased. He therefore left Utrecht, in company with those who had been sent for him, and continued liis journey until he arrived at Paris, for the king then resided at the castle of the Louvre. The duke was well received by the king and his uncles ; and the king was desirous he would fix his residence in France, and had a hotel appointed for him to live and keep his state. He had wherewithal to do so hand. Bomely, for he had brought immense sums of money with him from England, and the constable of France was still much indebted to him for the ransom of John of Brittany, as the whole had not been paid. The duke of Ireland made frequent visits to the king, who enter, tained him well ; and he was invited to all the feasts, tUts and tour- naments. CHAPTER ex. THE COtJUCI'L or FR.\NCE DISAGREE, AS TO THE KING'S GOING INTO GEE. MANY, ON ACCOUNT OF THE S.TATE OF THE KEALM. THE DUKE OF BKIT- TANY STRENGTHENS HIS GARRISONS, AND FORMS ALLIANCES WITH E.NGLAND AND THE KING OF NAVARRE. TUE ENGLISH RAISE A LARGE AK.MV. Yo? have before heard how the count d'Estampes was sent by the duke of Berry into Brittany, in the hopes of conciliating the duke of Brittany, and had returned unsuccessful, to the great vexation of the duke of Berry, but more particularly to the king's council ; for they knew the eagerness of the king to march to Germany, to revenge himself' for the rude and outrageous challenge the duke of Gueldres had sent him. The wisest of the council, foreseeing what might happen, thought it would be too dangerous for the king, at tliis mo. ment, to leave the realm. They now clearly saw the duke of Brit- tany would not Usten to terms of accommodation, and felt his con- duct, in arresting, confining, and ransoming the constable for one hundred thousand francs, three castles and a town, highly offensive to the honor of France. They heard also, that the duke had entered into a strong alliance with the king of England, and was laying up stores of all kinds in his different towns and castles. He was seek- ing friends on all sides, so that his barons and knights knew not bow to act, (or at least the greater part,) whether to go to. France, or re- main with the duke and abide the event ; but they would never have taken amis against France, for the knights and squires of Brittany are too loyal Frenchmen to he induced to be guilty of such conduct. The councd were feartul, and with reason, should the king march to Germany with a large force, and he could not do otherwise, that the duke of Brittany would introduce the English into his country, by Saint Malo, Saint Matthieu, Kemper, Treguier, Guerrande, Vannes, or on some other parts of the coast, for they could not gain a better entrance into France. They were, therefore, much puzzled, how they could, without compromising the king's honor and that of the realm, bring about a reconciliation with the duke. But some of the council said, " that it would be very blameable in the king to put off his expedition for this duke of Brittany, who was not master of his own country ; and he might be assured that the knights and barons of Brittany would never side with him against the king of France. Let the king, in God's name, undertake the expedition, and the con. stable, with his Bretofis, may stay at home to guard the country." This opinion was ably supported in the council ; but others opposed it, saying, " It cannot be done, for the king will never undertake it without the constable, as he knows more of war than any other knight." Some argued, saying, " Let the king then remain, and send thither one of his uncles, for instance my lord of Burgrmdy, mth two thousand lances and seven thousand lusty varlets ; for, as the war principally affects him, he is bound to go thither, from his connection with Brabant, which is the seat of war ; and he will be joined, when in that country, by seven hundred spears, and from twenty to thirty thousand of the common people." " What you say is to no purpose," others replied, " for the king is determined to go, as commander-in- chief: he says, since he htis been challenged, he will not refuse it. It is proper he should therefore go; and, as he is young, the oftener he bears arms, the more will he like them." " ,A.I1 this is well," said some, " but who will be bold enough to advise the king to march so far into Germany, and among such proud and crafty people ? The entrance may be easy enough, but not so the return ; for, when they know that the king of France and his nobles are in the heart of their country, they will collect together at some of the passes they are ac- quainted with, and of which we are ignorant, and completely destroy us. They are the most avaricious of mankind, and the most cruel to their prisoners ; for, when they take any in war, they throw them into close dungeons, loaded with fetters, and such-like prison furni- ture : they are cunning enough in these matters, in order to obtain a larger ransom for them. They are in the highest spirits when they make captive a nobleman or man of rank, and carry him with tliom into Bohemia, Austria, or Saxony, and confine him in some uninhab- ited castle, where you must seek for him. Such people are worse than Pagans or Saracens, for their extreme covetousness robs them of all ideas of honor. Now, if you conduct the king to such a coun- try, and any melancholy event happen, and who can foresee what unfortunate accidents may not occur ? it mil be said that we have advised him, like traitors, to his ruin, and not for the welfare of him or the kingdom. But, should the king persist in this expedition (God defend the realm from harm !) whom will he take with him, and what nobles are to attend him ? for he must be properly accompanied, and the country, being left empty of defenders, is in risk of total de- struction. Who will now advise the king to undertake this matter in person ?" "What can be done then?" said others, in reply. " Why," answered those who had more maturely considered the mat- ter, and weighed all the difficulties attending it, " let the king think no more of it, nor send any considerable force thither. The duke of Gueldres is young and hot-headed, and puffed up with having challenged a king of France. It has not proceeded from any soUd understanding, but from the self-sufficiency of a young man, who wants to fly before he has wings. Since he has sent his defiance, let him follow it up : the kingdom of France is large, and the mo- ment he shall enter it, whatever part it may be, the king will be informed of it, and have just cause for calling on his subjects for sup. port, and for marching to repel the invader, should he have remained in France, or for pursuing him into Germany. The king will, by such conduct, acquire honor for himself and his kingdom, at a much cheaper rate than by marching into Gueldres. We ha,ve been in- formed, by those well acquainted with the country, that there are four large rivers to cross before you arrive at the duke's territories, and that the smallest is as wide as the Loire at Nemours or La Charity, and tlie country was covered with heath and offered no place fit for encampment. Now, those who please may advise the king to un- dertake his expedition through such a country." Thus, as I have said, was the council divided respecting this ex. pedition to Gueldres, which the king was very anxious to accomplish. Indeed, more progress would have been made toward it, if they had not been afraid of the mischief that might come from Brittany ; and this delayed it much. There was cause for their fears ; for the duke, who had received information of the challenge of the duke of Guel- dres, and of the king's eagerness to march against him, was only waiting until the king had quitted the lungdom, to introduce the English, with whom he had formed an alliance, into his duchy. The duke had by his subtle arts gained over the principal towns to his in- terest, such as Nantes, Vannes, Rennes, Treguier, Guerrande, Lam- balle, St. Malo, and St. Matthieu de Fine.Pfiterne, but had failed ia his attempts to gain the nobles. He hoped, indeed, they would accompany the constable into Germany and give him freer scope for his war. He filled his towns and castles with all sorts of stores, ar- tillery and provisions, plainly showing he preferred war to peace. He had likewise formed a strict alliance with his brother-in-law, the 488 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. young king of Navarre, and had promised him, that if he succeeded in his attempt to bring over a body of English men-at-arms and arch. era he would lead them instantly to Normandy, and recover for him all those towns and places the late king of France had won from his father by himself, or the lord de Coucy and others. The king of Navarre indulged in these hopes, and paid every respectful compli- ment to the duke of Lancaster at Bayonne, with whom he entered jnlo an alliance. On the 7th day of April, in the year of grace 1388, it was deter- mined in the council of tlie king of England, by the dukes of York and Gloucester, that Richard earl of Arundel should be ajipointed commander in thief of a naval expedition. He was to have under him one thousand men-at-arms and three thousand archers, who were to assemble at Southampton, the 15th of May, when the fleet would be ready prepared to receive them, and it was fixed that those who were to accompany him were immediately to begin their march to Southampton. The king of England kept a grand feast on St. George's day, this year, at Windsor, which was attended by a num- ber of the lords, who were to accompany the earl of Arundel, and who there took leave of the king, the queen, liis uncles and ladies. The whole of tliis armament were at Southampton or in those parts, on the appointed day, and embarked on board the fleet the twentieth day of May, when the weather was fine and clear. With the earl of Arundel were, the earls of Nottingham and Devonshire, the lord Thomas Percy, the loi-d Clifford, sir John de Warwick, sir William lieslie, the lord Camois, sir Stephen de Liberie, sir William Helmon, sir Thomas Moreaux, sir John d'Ambreticourt, sir Robert Scot, sir Peter de Montbeny, sir Lewis Clanborough, sir Thomas Cook, sir William Paulet, and several more : in the whole, there were one thousand good men-at-arms and about three thousand archers. They embarked no horses with them ; for they hoped, if successful, to find horses in plenty in Brittany. The day they weighed anchor the sea was so calm and serene, that it was beautiful to behold. They made for the shores of Brittany or Normandy, with a determination to land nowhere else, unless other intelligence should be sent them. They had in their fleet some light vessels (called Bulnicrs Coursiers) which iliew but little water, and these were sent in advance, to seek adven- taros ; in the same manner as knights and squires, mounted on the fleetest horses, are ordered to scour in front of an army, to see if there are any ambuscades. We will, however, leave this army, and tfetik. of the affairs of Gueldres, Brabant, and of the siege of Grave. CHAPTER CXI. 3BE BRABANTERS LAY SIEGE TO THE TOWN OF GRAVE. THE CONSTABLE OP FRANCE GAINS THE TOWNS OF SAINT MAI.0 AND SAINT MATTHIEU PE FINE-POTERNE, AND GARRISONS THEM WITH HIS HEN. I HAVE before given an account of the ancient dukes of Gueldres, and how the eldest son of the first duke married Bertaldo of Mech- Un's daughter, in order to redeem his inheritance, and had mortgaged three of his castles to the count de Mours, who, unable to regain the money he had lent, had sold them to AVinceslaus, duke of Brabant, for the same sum, and all the subsequent events to the time of duke William of Gueldres, son of the duke of Juliers. The duke of Guel- dres, finding he could no way succeed in recovering his before-men. tioned three castles on the Mouse, which had been part of his patrimonial inheritance, resolved to secure himself the possession of Grave from the Brabanters. He had married his bastard-daughter to the young lord of Bruk, who claimed the town of Grave as lord par- amount. There was an amicable treaty made between them, such aa should be made when fathers and children are concerned : and the young lord of Bruk yielded to the duke all his claims on Grave, and the territories thereto belonging, in the presence of the knights of Gueldres and Juliers. The duke of Gueldres gave him, in return, tile town and territory of Breda, situated on the river Merck, in the duchy of Gueldres, bordering on Holland, below Brabant. It had a handsome castle : the town was extensive and of much trade, but Grave was more valuable. The duke had made this exchange to strengthen himself against the claim of the Brabanters ; but the duchess and her subjects said, that the lord of Bruk was only mort. gagee in possession, and that she or her heirs might redeem it when- ever they pleased. The duke of Gueldres denied tliis, and hence arose their mutual hatreds and wars. The Brabanters this year, in the month of May, came with a pow- erful force of barons, knights, and squires, to lay siege to the town of Grave. They brought with them springalls, and various otiier machines of attack, and they amounted altogether to forty thousand men. There were almost daily skirmishes at the barriers. The town of Grave is situated on the Brabant side of the Mouse, over wliich there is a bridge that connects it with Gueldres. This siege was a bold enterprise : but great plenty was in the army of Brabant, and everything was to be had there for money, and as cheap as at Bi-ussels. In these continual skirmishes at the barriers, where the cross-bows sometimes ventured, the success was variable, as muot aiways happen when the parties are nearly equal. The duke of Gueldres was regularly informed of everything that passed at the siege, for he had fixed his residence only four leagues off at Nimeguen. He wrote frequently to England for assistance and was in hopes the armament at sea, under the earl of Arundel, should the winds prove favorable, would come to raise this siege. He knew the town of Grave was strong, and that it was amply sup- plied w'ith stores and provisions, and could not be won by storm. As it could only be gained by capitulation, he felt assured on that head, as he depended on the fidelity of the inhabitants, that they would never desert liim. This siege, therefore, lasted a very con. sidcrable time. The earl of Arundel's fleet was still at sea, and though no landing had been attempted, it hovered along the coasts of Brittany and Normandy, so that the Normans from St. Michael's Mount along the shore to Dieppe, Saint VaMry, and even Crotoy in Ponthieu, were much alarmed, and uncertain at what place they would disembark. All these seaport towns were well provided with men-at-arms, by orders from the king of France, to oppose any in. vasion. The marshal de Blainville, who commanded on the coast, sent the lord de Coucy and the lord de Hambre, two great Norman barons, to the town of Carentan, which is situated on the sea-shore, and formerly belonged to Charles king of Navarre. The constable of France took possession of the towns of Saint Malo and Saint Mat. thieu de Finc-Poterne ; and, as soon as he learnt the English were at sea, he placed sufficient garrisons in both, in the name of the king of France. It was thought in France that war would be declared against the duke of Brittany. The knights and squires said, that this appearance of the English fleet was another instance of the duke's perfidy ; for, by their continued hovering along his coasts, it was clear that he had invited them thither. They never quitted their stations, unless forced by stress of weather, and, when favorable, returned to them again. CHAPTER CXII. THE DUIvE OP LANCASTER HAS THOUGHTS OF MARRYING HIS DAUGHTER TO THE DUKE DE LA TOURAINE, BROTHER TO THE KING OF FRANCE. THE DUKE OF BERRY PROPOSES HIMSELF FOR HER HUSBAND. THE DUKE OP LANCASTER IS MUCH SATISFIED THEREAT. I HAVE before said that the duke of Lancaster had quitted Castille and Portugal. His thoughts on the unfortunate event of his expedi. tion, were not very agreeable ; for he saw his hopes annihilated, and that fortune, as very often happens in worldly affairs, had suddenly turned against him, at a time when it was the least expected : for he had left England well accompanied with men-at-arms, and with every expectation of finishing his campaign in a different manner. It was told him, that his adversary had regained \vithin fifteen days after he left the country, all his conquests, which had occupied him sLx weeks. His army had been wasted away by sickness, and he despaired of any assistance from home ; for the Enghsh were tired of this war, as it was at such a distance, and the accounts they had heard of the country disgusted them : besides, the duke knew that England was much troubled within itself. He foresaw little hope of amendment in his affairs ; and though he said not much on this subject, he thought a great deal. At times, he compared himself and Ills expedition to the duke of Anjou and his march to Naples ; for, when he set out from France, he was so magnificently equipped, nothing was ever seen like to it, and attended by multitudes of knights, squires, and men-at-arms ; but the end had been, that all were either killed or ruined. It was not surprising that the duke, considering his hopes were totally destroyed, should be sometimes melancholy ; for the count de Foix, who was one of the wisest princes, in conversation with his knights, had declared the duke of Lancaster's expectations, in regard to the crown of Castille, were completely at an end. The duke was, however, of a high spirit, and sought consolation in the prospect of the elevation of his children. He had widi him a hand- some daughter, by the lady Constance, daughter of don Pedro, in whose right he made war on Castille : he, therefore, musing on this subject, said, " If fortune is now unfavorable to me, it may be other, wise to my daughter, who is yotnig and handsome, and by her grand, father and mother the true heiress of Castille. Some gallant prince of France may seek her in marriage, either for flie above right or her high birth ; for she may boast that she springs from the best blood in Christendom." He would gladly have had some overtures made him from France on this subject ; for he knew the king had a younger brother, in the duke of Touraine : " and," added the duke, "we might, through this means, recover our inheritance of Castille ; for it has been solely through the aid of France that our adversary has kept his crown: shotdd that power turn against him, which would be the case if a marriage took place with the duke of Tou- raine, he must speedily surrender his throne to my daughter." Such were the expectations the duke of Lancaster flattered himself h ith, and his imaginations were in a way to be realized ; not, indeed, by the king of France's brother, but by one who was well qualified to change the face of affairs in Castille, and who had the complete gov. ernment of France, for without his consent nothing was done : I mean the duke of Berry. You have before heard how he and his son were made widowers nearly at the same time. What I am about to relate, I know from my own knowledge ; for I, the author of this book, was at the tims in the country of Blois, on the borders of Poitou and Berry, with CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 4C9 my very dear and honored lord, the count Guy de Blois, by whose desire and encoui'agement this liistory was undertaken. The duke of Berry had, among his other tliouglits and plans, a desire to marry again. He frequently said to (hose near his person, that a lord was nothing without a lady, nor a man without a wife. Those in whom he had tlie greatest confidence replied, " Very well, my lord, marry then your son John : your house will be more pleasant, and better managed.'' " Ah," said the duke, " he is too young." " That is nothing, my lord : do not you see the count de Blois has married his son, who is of the same age, with your daughter Mary ?'* " That is true," answered the duke ; " well, name then a lady for him." " We name the daughter of the duke of Lancaster." The duke mused a while, and was some time before he made any reply, when, address, ing himself to tliem, he said, " You propose marrying my son John with my cousin, the daughter of tlie duke of Lancaster : by St. Denis, you have made me imagine that she will be an excellent match for myself, and I will shortly write to the duke on the subject. He re- sides, as I liear, at Bayonne ; and I will signify to him that some of my council shall very speedily wait on him to treat of this marriage with me, I say : not for my son John, whom I will marry elsewhere." Those to whom he had spoken, on hearing the above, burst out into laughter. " What do you laugh at ?•• sold, the duke. " We laugh, my lord, because it seems that j'ou prefer to have a good thing your- self, rather than give it your son." " By my faith, I am in the right ; for my fair cousin of Lancaster will not so readily give his daughter to my son as he will to me." Letters were instantly written and sent to the duke of Lancaster. The messengers, on their arrival at Bayonne, presented the letters to the duke, who, having opened tViem and perused their contents, was highly delighted, and made those who had brought them good cheer, giving them to understand that their intelligence was very agreeable to him. The duke returned such answers by the messengers as showed the proposal was very satisfactory, and had given him much joy. The messengers, on their return, found the duke of Berry in Poitou, hut preparing to return to Paris; for the king and the duke of Burgundy had expressly sent for him, to consider of the state of Brittany. Having read the answer from the duke of Lancaster, which afforded him much pleasure, he determined to persevere in the business, although he could not defer his journey to Paris. He resolved, however, to proceed in it by the shortest mode, and sent letters lo one of his knights, called sir Helion de Lignac, who at that time was seneschal of La Rochellc, ordering him to place the town under the government of those he could depend upon, and then, without fail, to hasten to him at Paris. Sir Helion, on receiving the duke's orders, sealed with his seal, and noticing the haste in which he was summoned to follow him, lost no time in putting La Rochelle and its clependencies under the command of two valiant knights of Beauce, called sir Peter de Jouy and the lord Peter Taillepi(5. When this was done, he took the shortest road he cotdd to join the duke, who he knew, from the tenor of his letter, would be impatient to see him. We will now return to the duke of Lancaster at Bayonne, and say what were his thoughts on the proposal from the duke of Berry. He was not willing it should be kept secret : on the coiitrary, he published it everywhere, that his enemies might be alarmed, and the matter knoivn in the court of his adversary of Castille. The duke, in consequence, wrote several letters, detailing the whole business, with copies of the duke of Berry's proposals, and his answers of con. sent, to the count de Foix ; because he knew there was a continual intercourse of knights and squires from all countries at Orthfes, going or returning to Castille, or on pilgrimage to or from Saint Jago. He did the same thing to the king of Navarre, who had married the king of Castillo's sister, and by whom he had a numerous family, that the intelligence of this marriage might be more readily believed in Castille than if told by common report. He wrote also on the same subject to the king of Portugal, but was silent respecting it in his letters to the king and his brothers in England, for he knew the English would not be pleased at it : indeed, they gave proofs of their dislike to this marriage, as soon as they heard of it, as I shall relate when I come to that part of my history ; but I must now return to the duke of Brittany, as that matter presses. CHAPTER CXIII. THE LORD DE COIJCY AND OTHER EAKONS OF FRANCE ARE SENT TO THE DUKE OF BRJTTANY. BEFORE THEIR ARRIVAL,' HE HAD RE- STORED TO THE OFFICERS OF THE CONSTABLE THE PLACES HE BAD TAKEN FROM HIM. On the duke of Berry's arrival at Paris, many councils were held by those most in the conlidencc of the king and his uncles, such as the bishop of Langres and Laon, the lord de Coucy and other privy ■counsellors, as well on the affairs of Gueldres, whither the king was still very desirous of going, as of Brittany ; for the duke would not accept of the advances that had been made him toward a reconcilia- tion with France. They knew not whom they could send to make another attempt, since the former negotiators had failed. The coun- cil were much troubled on this account, for they had learnt that the duke of Brittany had been busily employed during the winter in vict. Mailing again and reinforcing all his towns and castles, which plainly indicated his wish to have been for war. The wisest of the council said : " You talk of going to Germany : you should rather go to Brit- tany, and destroy that insolent duke, who holds in contempt the crown of France and refuses to obey its orders. You will not obtain anything from him by treaty : and his presumption is so great, he must be taught his duty : he neither loves nor esteems any one but himself. It is clear, that if the king go to Germany, and leave the realm unprotected by men-at-arms, (and unless he be handsomely attended, he need not think of it,) this duke will introduce the Eng. lish into his country, and give them an entrance to Franco. The ap. pearances are now very strong that he will do so ; for there is a large English fleet on his coasts, which never leaves them but when forced to it by stress of weather, and when fair it returns ; so that I see no alternative; you must have open war or peace." "It wo,uld be well," replied others, " that we again send to him the bishop of Langres and the count de St. Pol, for this last is, by marriage, his brother-in-law."* " Oh, no, no," interrupted sir Yves d'Orient : " if you will send to him again, you cannot send one more agreeable tc) him, nor of greater weight, than the lord de Coucy : for they are connected by marriage, and have always had a great affection for each other ; and to the lord de Coucy add whomsoever you please." "Since you have made this proposal, sir Yves," said the duke of! Burgundy, " name those whom you think should accompany the lord de Coucy." " Willingly," replied sir Yves : " if you please, then, sir John dc Vienne and the lord de la Riviere shall go with him. They are three very intelligent lords ; and, if any can make him . listen to reason, they will." " We agree to this," said the dukes of Berry and Burgundy. Although the three lords were instructed what they were to Gay, and how to act, and to use every amicable means to settle the busi. ncss, they did not quit Paris immediately. The duke of Brittany ' heard, before these noblemen left France, of their mission, but those who had informed him knew not the particulars they were charged with. He was confident, however, it related to matters of great importance, by the lord de Coucy's appointment. He frequently meditated on the subject, and opened his thoughts to some of the most confidential of his council, for them to give him advice how to act. " It was commonly reported," he said, " that the duke of Lancaster was about marrying his daughter in France to the duke of Berry, and that matters had gone so far that sir Helion de Lignae was on his road to Bayonne to conclude the business with the duke^ who was well inclined to it. Such a report surprised him exceed- ingly ; for the duke of Lancaster, who was his brother-in-law, had never written to him on the subject, and all he knew was from public rumor. This silence had not been usual to him formerly, for when- ever any of his affairs had a connection with France, he regularly had informed him of thera.'' His council replied : " Sir, you must alter your plans, whatever they may be, or you may be too great a loser, and bring destruction on your country. This you should dread ; for what occasion have you to go to war since you are now at peace, and they are begging you to remain so ? Your lady is far gone with child, and you should pay attention that in her situation she be not alarmed. The king of Navarre can give you but little support, for he has enough to do himself. The duke of Lancaster is a valiant and wise prince ; but he marries, as they say, his daughter to the duke of Berry. This will be the foundation for a long peace between France and England, and various treaties will be formed in - consequence. You will see shortly the king of Castille driven from his throne ; for, as the French seated him on it, they can as easily dethrone him : indeed, more easily, for they will have the aid of the duke of Lancaster and the English. We have in truth heard, that the lord dc Coucy, the admiral of France, and the lord de la Riviere, are coming hither, and you may suppose it must be on affairs of rfie greatest consequence to the king and kingdom, or on the matter of the constable of France, whose cause the king has warmly espoused. They are probably ordered to know positively what are your inten. tions, and if you persist in your former opinions. Should this last be the case, we suppose (for one may judge tolerably well from appear- ances) that the immense force, now rumored to be destined against Gueldres, will be turned against you. Now consider from whom you may expect assistance, should war be declared by France, as it most certainly will be, unless you consent to a reconciliation, should the duke of Lancaster marry his daughter to the duke of Berry ; and this he will do, for where can he ally himself better in regard to the recovery of his inheritance ? The majority of prelates, barons, knights, and principal towns of the duchy, are in opposition to you. We therefore say, since you ask our advice, that it is at this moment more than ever requisite for you to consider well your situation, and to avoid risking the loss of your country, which has cost you so much labor and blood to gain. We know how great your hatred is to sit Oliver de Clisson, and that you have mutually shown your disUkes to each other; but you must soften it some little, at least in appearance, for since the king of France, his uncles and barons have taken up his quaiTel, they will support him: he is and will continue their con- stable. Had the late king been alive, who loved him so much, and you had acted the same, we know it would have cost the king half his kingdom, but he would have made you suffer for the injury done • The duke of Brittany and the count de St. Pol married two daughters of sir John Holland, earl of Kent. 4T0 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND. FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. him. The present king, his son, is young, and does not pay that attention to affairs which may be expected from him, if he live, ten Tears hence: he is coming on the stage, and you are going off Should you, tliercfore, engage in a new war with France, after all ■we have said, it will be contrary to our opinions, and to those of every man who has any attachment to you. You must dissemble at present what your real inclinations may be. What is it to you the holding these castles from sir Oliver de Clisson, which form part of his inheritance, considering the manner in which you gained them ? and, whether you have peace or war, they will cost you more to guard for three years than ever you will gain from them in twelve. Give them back, therefore, handsomely ; and when the rumor shall be spread abroad, for there is no fire without smoke, that you have 80 done of your own free-will, you will pacify the anger of many, and greatly please the duke of Burgundy, who has never interfered so much in this business as he might, had he so pleased, througli the good offices of your cousin the duchess of Burgundy : this we know for fact. She has a numerous family, who are now your nearest re- lations : recollect, tliercfore, whence your origin, and wlio are your connections, and do not estrange yourself from those with whom you ought to be more strongly united : it will be madness if you do, and you will be undeserving pity for what consequences may ensue. Have no connection witli England : the English have sufficient em. ployment at home. They will make you great protestations of friendship, in order to take their advantage of it, and notliing more : this you know, for you were in your youth brought up anions them." The duke was much struck on hearing such very forcible reason, ing, and remained some time leaning over a window that opened into a court, without making any reply. His council were standing be- hind him; and, after some musing, he turned round and said: "I perceive clearly that you have well and honestly advised me. I want nothing but good counsel, and yet how can I pretend to cher- ish love where I only feel hate ? How can I ever love sir Oliver de Clisson, who has given me such repeated causes for haired ? and the thing I most repent of in this world is, the not having put him to death when I had him in my castle of Ermine." " la the name of God, sir," replied those near him, " had you put him to death, you could never have possessed yourself of his estates, for there is an appeal from this duchy to the parliament of Paris. John of Brittany and the son of the viscount de Rohan are his heirs by marriage with his two daughters, and would of right have succeeded to his estates ; and you are much blamed for what you have already done respect- ing the three castles, by their friends in France. The constable has made his complaints to the chamber of parliament at Paris, where sentence will be given against you, for you have no one there to make any defence for what he may accuse you of When you shall have lost this cause, sir Oliver de Clisson and his heirs will be enti. tied to follow up the judgment by force of arms ; and, should the ting and country take part in enforcing them, you must have a greater power than we know you have at this moment to make any resistance. It will therefore be more to your advantage, if, while this matter is pending, you surrender up these castles, and be thanked for so doing, rather than wait until judgment be given against you, with heavy damages. You will also regain the good will of your Bubjects, which is certainly worth having, and live in peace with those whose affections you should wish to preserve ; I mean the king of France, who is your sovereign and natural lord, and my lord of Burgundy and his children your cousins. You have seen an e.\- ample in your own time in the late earl of Flanders, your cousin, german, who, though a valiant and wise prince, was, through e.\tra. ordinary events, at the latter end of his days, nearly driven out of his inheritance ; but, by humbling himself to the king of France and his uncles, they assisted him in the recovery of his country." " Well," replied the duke, " I see, since I have asked your advice, it will be proper for me to follow what you have said." I believe everything went on well afterwards ; at least, such were the appearances ; for the duke of Brittany, who had hitherto kept possession of the constable's castles, now remanded his men from them, and gave up their possession to the officers of sir OUver de Clisson. This was the first act of moderation on his part : but ii did not satisfy the king nor council of France, who insisted on the res. titution of the money that had been paid as part of the ransom, and that the duke should come to Paris, and personally make e.\cuses for his conduct to the king, in the presence of the peers of France, and submit to such punishment as the king and his peers might, after great deliberation, adjudge him. The three envoys to Brittany were well pleased when they heard of the restitution of the constable's castles, and the lord de Csucy said, " Now, gentlemen, we have one obstacle the less to surmount, and I suppose the duke will listen to what we may have to say to him." I was told, that before these three barons left Paris, the dukes of Berry and Burgundy held several private consultations with them, and recommended them to use every gentle method to bring matters 10 a favorable conclusion, in preference to harsh ones ; and to pre. Tail on the duke to come to Paris, or at least half way to the town of Blois, where they would meet him and hold a conference together. The three barons, who were prudent and had received their full instructions, said, they would use their utmost endeavors to comply ■frith their wishes. On leaving Paris, they continued their journey until they came to the city of Rennes in Brittany, where, on asking' for the duke, they learnt he was at Vannes, vvhither they went. Their earning was already known in the household of the duke, for they had sent forward servants to prepare their lodgings. The duke had assembled his council and the principal barons of Brittany near his person, to show them the more honor. They were well received on their entering Vannes, by the knights and others of the duke'a household, who had gone forth to meet them, and in particular by the lord de Laval, who resided there. They dismounted at their lodgings, and, having dressed and re- freshed themselves with what they there found, remounted their horses, and rode to the castle de la Motte, the residence of the duke, who met and received them with much joy, telling them they were welcome, for that he was very happy in seeing them. He took the lord do Coucy by the hand, and showed him much kindness, saying, " Fair broth-er, you are welcome : I rejoice to see you in Brittany : before you leave me, I will give you fine sport with hunting stage,, and in hawking." " Dear brother and lord," replied the lord de Coucy, " I thank you : and I and my companions will cheerfully partake of them." The duke showed them every attention, and conducted them, laughing and \oking, to his apartments, where they amused themselves with much cheerfulness, as great lords are accus- tomed to do who have not seen each other for some time. All four knew how to keep up a brilliant conversation as well, if not better, than any lords I ever saw, not excepting the duke of Brabant, the count de Foix, nor the count de Savoy ; and, in particular the lord de Coucy shone above all others, as was acknowledged by all lorde and ladies, in whatever country he had visited, whether France, England, Germany, Lombaidy, or any other places. He had seen much of the world, and had travelled to various parts, to which he was naturally inclined. During the time these lords were in conversation, spices were brought in handsome silver comfit boxes, and fine wines in gold and silver cans. The lords partook of both, and shortly after took leave and returned to their lodgings. Thus passed the first day, without one word being said of the cause of their coming. CHAPTER CXIV. WHILE HELION EE LISNAC, EMBASSADOK FEOM THE DUKE O-F EERKY TO THE DUKE OF LANCASTER, IS NEaOTUTINO THE MARRIAGE WITH HIS^ DAUGHTER, THE KING OF CASTILLE SENDS E.MBASSADORS PRIVATELY TO BREAK IT OFF, AND TO DEMAND THE LADY IN .1IARRIAGE FOE BIS SON. HELION DE L:GNAC IS SENT AWAY, THE DAY OF TIIEIK ARKIVAL, WITH SO.ME TRUCES RESPECTING THE FRONTIERS OF At^UITAINE. We will now return to sir Helion de Lignac, who had been sent by the duke of Berry to the duke of Lancaster. The knight arrived safely at Bayonne, and, having dismounted at his inn, made himself ready to wait on the duke, who had already been informed of his arrival, and, as a mark of honor, had sent two of his knights to visit, him at his h6tel, and to conduct him to him. Sir Helion, on being introduced to the duke, saluted hira very profoundly, as was proper, and he knew well how to acquit himself. The duke received him most honorably, raised him up in his arms, and took him by the hand to lead him into an apartment, for they had met in the hall. Sir Helion then gave him the letters he had been charged with from the duke of Berry. The duke, having opened and read them, advanced toward sir Helion, who declared the business he had been sent on. The duke very courteously replied, and said to sir Hehon, he was welcome ; that the matter he was come to treat on was of such im- portance, it was necessary he should deliberate with his council thereon, and that he could not instantly give him a decided answer. Sir Helion de Lignac remained at Bayonne with the duke of Lan- caster and his knights upward of a month, and was treated most kindly by words and otherwise, and made to understand that the duke was not unwilling to accept of the duke of Berry's proposals ; but this was not the fact, for all these fine speeches and delays were fictions, and solely used to give more publicity to what was going forward, more especially that it should be known in the kingdom of Caslille,for there his afl'ections were placed. The duke of Lancas- ter said to sir Helion, that if his cousin of Berry married his daughter, he must unite all his force with him to wage war on his adversary of Castille, that his daughter's inheritance might be recovered. Sir Helion, in reply, said, " My lord, I am not charged to say anything respecting this matter : you will, before my departure, write down what you expect, and I will carry it to the duke of Berry, whose af. fection is, I know, so strong toward you, that he will enter into all reasonable alliances you may propose." "We wish for nothing more," said the duke. Things remained in this state during the time of sir Helion's residence at Bayonne, where he was gayly entertained according to the orders the duke had given. In the meanwhile, news of this intended marriage was everywhere spread abroad ; and, in particular, it was carried to the court of king John of Castille by those who said, "Do you know what is going forward ? There are important treaties negotiating with tlie dukes of Berry and Lancaster, for a match between the duke of Berry and' the lady Catherine ; and, if this be concluded, as there seems every probability, it will not be done without strong alliances being made CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 471 between them. The duke of Berry has at this moment great power : he is the elder uncle of the king of France, and takes the lead in the government of that country. He will succeed in whatever he may propose, as to peace or long truces with England : and, on the other hand, the duke of Lancaster stands in the same relation to the king of England, is wise, and of great power ; and, as it should seem, tlie English are tired of war. If, therefore, by means of this connection with France, a firm peace should be established with England, we shall have the war to support alone ; for the duke of Lancaster will not give up tamely his claims on Castille, but, on the contrary, insist on establishing them, as his daughter's lawful inheritance and dower. We shall thus have war with France and England." Those most in tlie confidence of the king of Castille said to him, " Sire, have you heard the rumors that are abroad ? You had never such need of good advice as at this moment. The dangers from the duke of Lancaster are thicker than ever, and the blast comes from France." " How ;'' replied the king : " what do you mean ?" " In the name of God, sir, the report is everywhere current, that the duke of Berry is to many the duke of Lancaster's daugliter, and you may suppose this will not be done without great alliances being made between them ; and you may in future suffer as much from the French as you have lately gained by them." The king, on hearing this, was very pensive, for he knew what they had said was true. He demanded advice i^rom those who had ever been attached to him, how, in such a circumstance, he ought to act, and they gave him loyal and good counsel, as I will relate. You have before heard, in this history, how king Henry of Castille had made his peace with the king of Arragon, on condition that his son John, the present king of Castille, married his daughter. This marriage brought peace to the two countries. King .John had one son by this lady, who shortly after died ; and then, by the advice of his council, he married again with the lady Beatrice, daughter to the king of Portugal. The son, by the princess of Arrogon, was a promising youth, though very young. The council of Castille, in reply to the king's demand, said ; " Sire, we can only see one remedy to avert the evils that may be consequent to this marriage with the duke of Berry."' " What is it ?" asked the king. " It is the infant don Henry your son, who is alone capable of preventing this matcli ; for we are persuaded, that if 'he duke and duchess of Lancaster were informed you were willing to unite him with the lady Catherine, they would prefer him to the duke of Berry." " In God's name," answered the king, " you say well, and 1 will instantly set about it ; for our sub- jects will be quite satisfied, that by such a maniage they will have peace with England on sea and land. Now, consider of the most proper persons to send to treat with the duke of Lancaster." " Sire, it is necessary you should, in this matter, employ those of the greatest prudence and sagacity, and that it be treated with the utmost secrecy, lest you incur the hatred of the king of France. Great jealousies are now abroad, and persons are more eager to report scandal than good actions, for evil reports are sooner made public than others. When it shall be told to the court of France that you are in treaty with the duke ef Lancaster, they will vvisli to know the subject and the particulars, lest it may prejudice the strong alliance the late king, your father of worthy memory, entered into with them, and on which account the Frencii have assisted you in your wars. You must, therefore, send to the duke of Lancaster wise and discreet persons, that the matter may be secretly treated, and kept private until all things be completely settled." " What you have said is right," replied the king : " now name those whom you think capable of ac- complishing the matter." " Sire," said they, " we will send your confessor, father Fernando de Torre, and the bishop of Geghenc,* who was confessor to the late king, and Peter Gardelempos, who is a great orator." "Be it so, then," answered the king: "I consent; let them be sent for, and instructed what they are to say, and how to act; for formerly, when there was a treaty of peace in agitation, they were not listened to by the duke of Lancaster, who insisted, as a prelimi- nary, that I should lay down my crown, and tliis I will never do." The throe above-mentioned persons were summoned to Burgos, where the king resided, and told from him on what object they were to be sent to Bayonne, to treat with the duke of Lancaster. They professed themselves willing to undertake it to the best of their abili- ties, and set out on their journey with few attendants, not like to embassadors going to form alliances, for they were not certain what success they should have. On entering Navarre, they made for Pampeluna, the residence of the king, who had married the king ef Castille's sister. She entertained them kindly, but they did not discover to her, nor the king the object of their journey. They passed over the mountains of Pampeluna and Roncesvalles, through the country of the Basques, and arrived at the good town of Bayonne. At the time of their arrival, sir Helion de Lignac was still there, but made no long stay afterwards ; for father Fernando, the king of Cas. tille's conlessor, waited privately on the duke of Lancaster, as better acquainted with him than the others, and gave him to understand the cause of their coming, and by whom they were sent. The duke, on hearing this, opened his ears, for the intelligence was highly agreeable to him, and bade father Fernando a hearty wel- come. This same day he gave sir Helion de Lignac leave to depart; and it seems to me that the duke consented to a truce for those who * "GegbeBe." Q. were carrying on the war under his name in the s^neschalships of Aquitaine, Bigorre, Toulouse, and other places, comprehending all within the river Loire, but not beyond it, to last until the first day of May 1389. This trace had been requested by the duke of Berry, that his people might pass and repass from him to the duke of Lan- caster with greater security ; for those of Mortagne.sur-mer, Boute- ville, and the garrisons in Quercy, Perigord, and on the Garonne, were very cruel, sparing none, and acknowledging no lord. It was to keep these people in better order that the duke of Berry had so- licited a truce, wliich was well ob.'served. Sir Helion de Lignac left the duke of Lancaster on terms of the strongest affection, and he seemed sensible things were in the train he wished them, for the duke seemed very well satisfied with what the duke of Berry had offered. He had indeed declared, that he never could marry his daughter in France without the consent of his nephew the king of England and the English council ; but matters were now so far advanced, he seemed to think there would not be any great difficulty to obtain them. On these assurances, sir Helion returned to France, delivered letters from the duke of Lancaster to the duke of Berry, and related to him all that had passed ; with which he was much satisfied. We will now speak of the embassadors from Castille. These were indeed cordially listened to by the duke and duchess, for their hearts were wrapped up in the hopes of regaining the crown for themselves or their child. They were very kindly received on their introduction at the castle by the duke and duchess, to whom they delivered their credential letters, and explained the object of their mission. They first proposed a treaty of peace with Castille, which the father-con- fessor discoursed much on, in the apartment of the duke where only the duchess was present, who interpreted to the duke what he did not understand, as she had in her youth been educated in Castille and understood the language perfectly well. The duke of Lancaster, at this first interview, did not discover his real sentiments, although he entertained them well, but said it would be difficult to exchange such hatred for peace, and to establish it with one whom they wanted to disinherit, and that it was not his intention to relinquish his claim to the crown of Castille. The friar and bishop replied ; " that there was one means of reconciling his right and the right of their lord and king ; and, my lord, we have found it." " What is it V said the duke. " Sir, you have by your lady a beautitul daughter, of an age to marry, and our lord of Castille has a handsome and young son; if a union between those two could be brought about, the kingdom of Castille would have peace for ever; for what you claim will fall where it ought, to your own heir, who is the lineal descendant from our kings of Castille ; and all the fatigues you have undergone in this war must have been for the ultimate succession of this young lady." " That is true," replied the duke ; " but I must have my expenses reimbursed, for I would have you know that my expedition to Castille has cost England and me upward of five hundred thousand francs. I should like, therefore, to hear what you say of repayment." " My lord," said the confessor, " if what we have proposed shall be agree, able to you, we will manage all other things to your perfect satisfac- tion." " Your coming hither," replied the duke, " has given us l)lcasure ; and I shall certainly maiTy my daughter, before I return to England, to Castille or France, as I have had proposals from thence ; but matters like these are of such importance, that an answer cannot be giveir at the first overture. With regard to my daughter, whom I consider as the rightful heiress of Castille, I would be well acquainted with him who should marry her." " That is but reasonable, my lord,** said the confessor. Thus as I have related, were the proposals of nrarriage made from France and Castille, to the duke of Lancaster, for the marriage of his daughter. They were both well received, re- fusals made to neither, and the embassadors well entertained. The marriage, however, with Castille was more agreeable to the duke and duchess, because their daughter would in due time become queen of Castille. We will now leave the duke of Lancaster, and return to the affairs: of Brittany. CHAPTER CXV. THE DVKES OF BERKY AND BURGUNDY LEAVE PARIS FOR BL0I3, TO HOLD A CONFERENCE WITH THE DUKE OF BRITTANY, WHO MEETS THEM THERE.- THEY PERSUADE HI.M, AGAINST HIS INCLINATION, TO COME TO PARIS. The duke of Brittany, as I have said, received the French knights with much kindness, more particularly the lord de Coucy, whom he had been desirous to see. I was informed at the time, the lord de Coucy was the most instrumental in making the duke change his mind : not but that sir John de Vienne and the lord de la Riviere exerted themselves to the same purpose, but all princes, when they are entreated, will naturally incline to some persons more than oth- ers. The duke of Brittany consented, with great difficulty, to meet the dukes of Berry and Burgundy at Blois : after many fair speeches, he said he would go thither, but not one step farther. The lord de Coucy replied, that they asked nothing more, unless it should be perfecdy agreeable to him. These three lords stayed with the duke of Brittany I know not how many days, and then returned to the dukes of Berry and Burgundy to tell them their success. Upon this, the two dukes made preparations for going to meet the duke of Brittany at Blois, and sent before all purveyances suitable 472 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. to their rank. The duke of Berry arrived first at the castle, where j he was kindly received by the countese of Blois, his son, and her daui'liter, as was becoming liim and them. Count Guy de Blois was not at this time in the country, but at Cha,tel Regnaud, and, as the countess and her children were at home, he paid no attention to the anival of the duke of Berry. The duke of Burgundy came in a grand style, accompanied by hie son-in-law, lord William of Hainault, count d'Ostrevant, and his son .Tohn of Burgundy, called count de Nevers. The duke was also lodged in the castle, and held there his court. The duke of Brittany came last, but with no great array, attended only by those of his household, in number about three hundred horse ; for it was his intention to return to his own country as soon as these conferences should be over. Such, however, were not the intentions of the other dukes ; for they said, whether he would or not they would force him to come to Paris. The duke of Brittany was lodged at the house of a canon of St. Sauveur, witliin the cas- tle ; but his attendants, with those of the other lords, were quartered in the town. These princes kept their state in the castle, which is large, and one of the handsomest in the kingdom of France. Conferences were held between the three dukes ; and those of France gave handsome entertamments to the duke of Brittany, showing him much affection, and repeatedly thanking him for com. ing to Blois. The duke dissembled as well as he could, and said, that indeed it was from his love to them he had undertaken such a jour, ney, for that he was very unwell. In the course of their conversations they told the duke of Brittany, that since he had come so far, he would have done nothing if he did not continue his journey to Paris, for the king was very anxious to see him. The duke made every ex- cuse for not complying with this proposal, saying his healtli was too bad to go so far ; that he had not brought any attendants with him, but simply those of his household, meaning to return home directly. They kindly answered, that, begging his pardon, it would not be decorous to visit his lord paramount with too large a company ; that if he were too ill to ride, they were provided with litters and cars that should be at his service ; and that he was bound to pay his hom- age to the king, which he had never yet done. The duke of Brittany, in excuse, said, that when the king should be of age, and take the reins of government, he woidd come to Pa. ris, or to any other place wliither he might order him, to perform his homage, for he was bounden so to do. The dukes of Berry and Burgundy replied, that he was of sufficient age and understanding to receive homage ; and that every lord of France, and all who held fiefs under the crown, excepting himself, had done their homage, for tlie king was now in his twenty-first year. The duke of Brittany, finding his excuses of no avail, said, " Should I go to Paris, it will be much against my incUnation, and very prejudicial to my interests ; for, when there, I shall meet sir Oliver de Clisson, whom I hate, and we can never cordially love each other after what haa passed : ho vn.]! make me bitter and injurious reproaches, and consider what may be tlie consequences." " Oh no," answered the two dukes, but in particular tlie duke of Burgundy, " fair cousin, have no fear from that quarter; for we solemnly swear to you, that neither the constable nor John of Brittany, unless you wish it, shall see or speak with you : of this be assured : but you shall see the king, who is anxious for it, and the barons and knights of France, who will make you good cheer ; and when you have completed the object of your journey, you shall return home without hindrance or hurt." Why. should I make a long story ? The duke of Brittany was so sweetly entreated, that he consented to go to Paris ; but he insisted that he should never see the constable of France nor John of Brit, tany, and that they should never be in the same company with him. The two dukes solemnly pledged themselves to all his requests ; and on their faith he engaged to set out for Paris. They remained five or six days in the castle of Blois, and alternately gave grand enter- tainments to each other, the countess, and her children. Everything having been so settled, the two dukes took leave of the duke of Brittany and returned to Paris ; but the lord William of Hainault did not accompany his father-in-law the duke of Burgundy. He at- tended the countess of Blois and her family to Chiltel Regnaud, to visit count Guy de Blois, where he was kindly received and enter- tained for three days, when he took leave of them and went to Pa- ris, by way of Chateaudun* and Bonncval.t CHAPTER CXVI. LEWIS OF ANJOtI, SON TO THE I.ATE DUKE OF ANJOtI, t"NCLE TO KING CUARLES VI., MAtiES HIS PUBLIC ENTRY INTO PARIS AS KING OF SICILY. THE DUSE OF BRITTANY COMES THERE SHORTLY AFTER. THOMAS HA- PURGAN, AN ENGLISHMAN, AND JOHN DBS BARRES, A FRENCHMAN, PER- FORM A DEED OF ARMS BEFORE THE EING OF FRANCE AT MONTEREAU- SUR-YONNE.t The duke of Brittany went to Beaugency, on the Loire, where he made his preparations for going to Paris. But before he came thither, there arrived the queen of Sicily and Jerusalem, widow of * •' Cltate.iu-dun," an ancient town in Beauce, diocese of Blois, twelve leagues from Chartreg, tliirty-four from Paris. t " Bonneval," a town in Beauce, four leagues from ChaK'au-dun. t " Montereau-sui-Yonne." a to^vn in Brie, seven leagues from Molun tw»aty and a hairiViim P.iris. the late duke of Anjou, who had borne the title of king of those countries, as weU as of Naples. She had brought with her her youn" son Lewis, who throughout France was acknowledged as kin<» of Naples, and was likewise accompanied by her brother, John of Brittany. Before she entered Paris, she signified to her brothers, the dukes of Berry and Burgundy,* her arrival, with her son Lewis, their nephew, and desired to know whether he should make his en. try as king, or simply as duke of Anjou. The two dukes, having considered the matter, sent for answer, that they desired he would make his entry as king of Naples, Sicily, and Jenisalem, although he was not as yet in possession of these kingdoms ; for they would assist him, and prevail on the king of France to do the same, so ef. fectually, that he should recover those territories, and peaceably po3. sess them as his right, and what they had most sacredly promised to perform to their late brother the king of Naples. The lady, upon this, made preparations accordingly ; and, having entered Paris, her son passed in grand cavalcade, through the street of St. James, to his hotel in the Grfive, with kingly state, accompanied by numbers of dukes, counts, and prelates. The queen and her son, having es. tablished themselves there, waited on the king, wdio resided at the castle of the Louvre expecting the duke of Biittany. The duke of Brittany, on his approach to Paris, slopped one night at Bourg la Reine, previous to his entry, which he made on the mor- row. This was great news for the Parisians, on account of the late events of the arrest and imprisonment of the constable, and the fruitless embassies that had been sent to summon him ;+ his late conduct, and his coming now as it were of his own free will, were variously spoken of. It was on a Sunday, the vigil of St. John Bap. list's feast, in the year 13S8, at ten o'clock in the morning. Tiie duke of Brittany entered Paris by the gate de l'Enfer,t and passing the whole length of the rue de la Harpe, crossed the pont de St. Michel, and came in front of the palace. He was handsomely ac- companied by numbers of barons and knights ; among whom waa the lord AVilliam of Hainault, count d'Ostrevant : his brother-in-law John of Burgundy, and the lord William de Namur rode before him. When he arrived at the castle of the Louvre, he dismounted, and, as he passed through Paris, was much stared at by the common people. The duke entered the gate of the Louvre well prepared w^hat to say, and how to act. He was preceded by the lord de Coucy, the count de Savoye, sir John de Vienne, sir Guy de la Trcmouille, sir John de Beuil, the count de Meaux, sir Reginald de Roye and sir John des Barres ; nearer to him, on each side, were the lord William de Na- mur, John of Burgundy, and the count d'Ostrevant : behind him were, tlie lord de Montfort in Brittany, and the lord de Malestroit, his re- lation and minister. There was a great crowd in the apartment, which was not only small, but the table was spread in it for the king's dinner, who was standing before it with his three uncles, Berry, Burgundy, and Bourbon. The moment the duke of Britanny entered the room, way was made for him, and an opening formed to the king, by the lords falling on each side. When in the presence, he dropped on one knee, but speedily arose, and advanced about ten or twelve paces, when he again kneeled : on rising, he came close to the king, keeled the third time, and saluted him bare-headed, saying, " My lord, I am come to see you : may God preserve you !" " Many thanks," replied the king. " I was anxious for your coming ; we will see and converse with you at our leisure." On which he took liim by the hand, and raised him up. When the duke had risen, he bowed to all tlie princes present, one after the other, and then stood opposite to the king without saying a word ; but the king never took his eyes ofi' him. A signal was made to the masters of the household to bring water, when the king washed, and the duke of Brittany held the basin and towel. AVhen the king was seated, the duke took leave of him and his uncles. The lord de Coucy, the lord de Saint Pol, and other great barons conducted him to the court where his horses w'aited, and, having mounted, he returned with his attendants the way they had come, through the street de la Harpe, and dismounted at his hotel. None of those who had attended him remained, excepting such as had accompanied him from Brittany to Paris. The duke of Brittany had frequent conferences with the king of France and his uncles to their mutual satisfaction ; and they religiously kept the promise they had made him, for he never saw, during his stay at Paris, John of Brittany nor the constable of France. When affairs were in so good a train that they had not reason to be suspicious of the duke of Brittany, (for if he had not consented to everything the king and his council wished, they would never have suffered him to escape from their hands, as they now had him in Paris,) they thought it time to -prepare for the expedition to Gueldres for which the king was impatient to punish the duke of Gueldres, for the insolent and rude challenge he had sent him ; which, the more it was considered, was the less to be borne. The lord de Coucy was therefore ordered into the country, near Rheims and ChMons in Champagne, to mark out the line of march *Her brothers-in-law, own brother? to her deceased husband Louis of Anjou.— Ed. T He had been summoned several times, and the king had expected his appeaninc« ever since Uie month of May.— Ed. X " De I'Enfer." It is now the gate of Saint Rlichel. For more particulars, seeSau- TOl, Antiquites de Paris, torn. i. p. 36. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAN-D, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 473 for the king and his arm)', and to excite the knights and squires of Bar and Lorraine to join hini. He was in no way to introduce the king's name, but to engage them for himself, as if preparing for an expedition into Austria. Upon this, the lord de Coucy left Paris, and weirt to Chalons, where he resided about one month, and re. tained knights and squires from ail parts in Bar, Lorraine, Cham, pagne, and in the Retholois. The king of France, after several conferences with the duke of Brittany, left Paris, though the duke's pleadings in liis courts were not near concluded ; for their proceed. ings, when they choose, are very tedious, and they make the suitors spend much money without any great advances in their suits. PaIack of the LotjvRE OS it appeared in tlie 16tli century. From a print in ChastiUon's Topographie FrancoiK. The king went to Montereau-sur-Yonne, on the borders of Brie and the Gatinois, where he held his court, and frequently amused himself with hunting stags and other animals in the adjacent forests. During the residence of the king at Montereau, a deed of arms was there performed by an English knight attached to the duke of Ireland, called sir Thomas Hapurgan, and sir John des Barres. This duel had made a great noise throughout France, and in other countries ; and it was to be fought witlr five courses of the lance on horseback, five thrusts with swords, the same number of strokes with daggers and battle. axes ; and, should their armor fail, they were to be sup. plied anew, until it were perfect. ; The knights being well anned, mounted their coursers to perform their duel, in the presence of the king, his barons and knights, and a great concourse of people. They tilted on horseback four courses ■very stiffly, and kept their seats well. It was then the custom, I be. lieve, to lace on the helmets with a slight thong, that they might not make too great resistance to the blow of the lance. At the fifth course, John des Barres struck his opponent so violent a blow on the shield,that he knocked him over the crupper ofhis horse to the ground, j him. after ha\ing left garrisons in their forts strong enough to prevent The earl of Arundel was much cast down when he heard the above, and called a council of his principal officers, to consider how they were to employ their force during the remainder of the season. In this council they resolved to sail for la Rochelle and make war on that country ; for, though they had not any castles in those parts, yet they were in sufficient numbers to withstand the force Saintonge or Poitou could send against them. They intended likewise to make their situation known to their friends in Limousin and Auvergne,by some person in their fleet that was acquainted with the country, whom thoy would land on the coast of Brittany. The truces which sir Helton de Lignac had obtained from the duke of Lancaster had not yet taken effect. They were to commence on the first of August, and the knight was at this time going or re- turning, I know not which, to or from the duke of Lancaster at Bayonne. It fell out just as the earl of Arundel and the English barons wished ; for they .:_- found out a man from lower Brittany, :;,->JB£i who served under sir William Helmon, then on board, who came from near Vannes, and understood four languages perfectly well, that of lower Brittany, English, Spanish, and French. Before they landed him on the sand, they gave him the following orders : " Thou wilt go by all the bye.roads in this country, which thou sayest thou art acquainted with, until thou shah come to Chalu. 5et.* Thou wilt salute Pcrrot le B^ar- nois, from us, and tell him, that we de- sire he will take the field, with as many other garrisons of our party as he can, and make war on France under our commission. Thou shalt not carry any letters for fear thou mightest be stopped and searched. Say, if thou findest thy. self in danger, that thou belongest to a wine.merchant of la Rochelle, who had sent thee with some commissions, and thou wilt pass everywhere. Tell Per-' rot to give instant alarm to Berry, Au-' vergiie, and Limousin, by taking the field ; for we will disembark near la Rochelle, and make such a war that he shall soon hear of us." The Breton said, he would faithfully deliver the message, unless he was stopped on the road. On being landed, as he knew well the country of Brittany, he avoided all great towns, and, passing safely through Poitou and Limousin, arrived at Chaluget, of which Perrot le Bfiarnois was governor. On coming to the barriers, having made acquaintance with the garrison, they allowed him to enter, after ex. amining him at the gates, and led him to Perrot, to whom he punc tually delivered the message, to the great joy of the governor, who had been long impatient to hear some news of the fleet, and now he had it quite fresh. He said to the Breton, " Thou art welcome : my companions and myself are very eager to take the field, which we will now speedily do, and then act as we are ordered." Perrot le Bearnois instantly sent to the governors of Carlat, the bourgde Com- pane, to Olim Barbe, captain of Ouzach, to Amerigot Marcel, cap. tain of Aloise, near Saint Flour, and to the captains of the other forts in Auvergne and Limousin, to say he was about to take the field, as the season was now favorable, and desiring they would join Sir Thomas was stupefied by the fall, and it was with diffic.:lty he could be raised : however, he recovered well enough to perform his other courses with the different arms, to the satisfaction of the king and his lords. GH.APTER CXVII. PERROT LE EEARXOIS TAKES THE FIELD BY COMMAND OF THE EAKL OF ARUNDEL, WHO LANDS HIS FORCES AT MARANS,* NEAR LA ROCHELLE. I HAVE been some time silent respecting the expedition that was at sea under the command of the earl of Arundel : it is now necessary that I should speak of it. You have before heard the cause of its being sent from England, and the treaties that were made between the king and the duke ol' Brittany. This fleet had remained the whole season on the coasts of Brittany and Normandy, except when driven off by storms, but it always returned to its station. There were in this fleet some light vessels called Balleniers, which are much used by corsairs ; for, as they draw little water, they can the easier approach the shores. This fleet had Inin nt anchor upward of a month off the island of Brehat, whence u had got provision. As it was not far from la Roche-derrien, they heard that the duke of Brit, tany was gone to Blois, to meet the dukes of Berry and Burgtmdy, who had held such fair language as persuaded him to go to Paris, where he had been so well received by the king, as to prevent him from lea\'ing that place until everything had been satisfactorily setded. * " Marans," a town in Aunis, four leagues from la Rochelle. any accident during their absence. These companions had as great a defire to take the field as Perrot le Bearnois ; for they could only enrich themselves by the losses of others, and, making their prepara. tions in haste, came to Chaluc;ct, where the general assembly had been fi.\ed. They amounted to full four hundred lances, and thought themselves in sufficient strength for any gallant enterprise, and that there was not a lord in the country able to withstand them ; for sir William de Lignac and Bonne.lance would not, on their account, break up the siege of Ventadour. Being masters of the country, they began their march through Au. vergne, toward Berry, because they knew the duke was with the king at Montereau-sur-Yonne. We will, for a while leave Perrot le Bearnois, and speak of the earl of Arundel and his fleet, and what they did on quitting the coast of Brittany. When they weighed anchor, the weather was so fine and beautiful, they hoisted every sail, and advanced as it pleased God. It was a magnificent sight to view this fleet of six score vessels, whose streamers, emblazoned with the arms of the different lords, were glittering in the sun, and fluttering with the wind. They floated, as it were, on a sea that seemed proud to bear them, and which might be compared to a vigorous courser, who, after being long confined in the stable, gains its liberty to bound over the plains : for thus did the sea, gently ruf. fled by the wind, swell on with a burden it was lustily bearing, and, figuratively speaking, it may be supposed to say, " I delight in carry, ing you, and will do so without danger, until you be arrived in a safe harbor." " Chalufet," a town in Limousin, near Pierre-buffiere. 474 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . Tlie fleet coasted Saintonge and Poitou, and cast anchor off Ma. rans, near la Rochelle. Some of the most adventurous, to the amount of two hundred, observing the tide was flowing, entered their barges, and sailed up the river to the town of Marans. The watch on the castle had noticed the Engbsh fleet anchoring, and the barges as- cending the river with the tide, and had sounded his horn frequently, to alarm the townsmen, that they might save all they could of their property. The inhabitants, of both sexes, carried their most valu. able things to the castle for safety ; and it was well they did so, or they would have been lost. While the English were landing, they discontinued saving their property, to take care of their lives. The English, on entering the town, began to pillage it, for this had been the object of their coming, but they only found empty coffers ; their contents had been carried to the castle. They discovered, however, plenty of corn, wine, and salted provisions: for there were upward of four hundred tims of wine in the town. They resolved to remain 19 guard this provision, which came very opportunely to them ; for, should they depart, they imagined the greater part would be carried away by the French, up the river, to Fontenay le Comte. They re- mained this night in the place, having arrived there only about ves- pers, and gave themselves full liberty, sending, however, to inform their companions of their situation, and the reason why they did not return. The earl of Arundel and the other lords were satisfied, and said they had acted right. On the morrow, when the tide began to flow, the smaller vessels weighed anchor, and in them were embarked the armor and other necessaries from the large ships, that, from their size, could not enter the river. There were left in them one hun. dred men-at-arms and two hundred archers to guard them, as they lay at anchor ofl" the mouth of the river. When this had been done, they sailed for Marans, and landed at their leisure, for none came to oppose them, and Hxed their quarters between Marans and la Ro. chelle, which is but four short leagues distant. The alarm was soon spread over the country that the English had landed at Marans, to the amount of four hundred combatants, including archers. The towns and castles in the low country were much frightened, and the villagers instantly fled to the neighboring forests for protection. CHAPTER CXVIII. THE ROCHELLEKS SKIRMISH WITH THE ENGLISH NEAR MARANS. THE ENSLISH, AFTER PILLAGING THE COUNTRY ROUND, RETIRE WITH THEIR BOOTY TO THEIR FLEET. PERROT LE BEARNOIS DOES THE SAME TO HIS FORT, WITH A GREAT DEAL OF PLUNDER. If the English had had horses, they would have much harassed the country round la Rochelle ; for it was void of men-at-arms, at least such as could have opposed them successfully. True it is, that the lords de Fartenay, de Pons, de Linieres, de Tannaybouton, sir Geoffrey d'Argenton, the lord de Montendre, sir Aimcry de Roclie- chouart, the viscount de Thouars, and many otherknights and squires of Poitou and Saintonge, were in the country, but each was in his •wn castle ; for they had not any suspicions of the English coming to invade them. Had they been so fortunate as to obtain notice of their intentions, they would have been prepared to receive them, but it was not so ; and the surprise was so great, that all were frightened, and impatient to save what they could. The farmers began to has- ten their harvest of corn, for it was the beginning of August. Add to this, there was not then in the country any person to take the lead. The lieutenant of Poitou, the duke of Berry, was at Montereau ; the seneschal of Poitou was just gone to Paris : the seneschal of Saint- onge was from home : the seneschal of la Rochelle, sir Hclion de Lignac, was at Bayonnc, on the business of the duke of Berry, by which the country was left defenceless ; for, from want of heads, their courage failed, and without that nothing effectual can be done. The country was much alarmed for two causes : they had the Eng. lish army and fleet on one side, and nimor had already informed them that Porrotle B<5aniois was on his march, with more than fif- teen hundred combatants, and had already entered Berry. They knew not what measures to adopt, except that of placing their wealth in safety ; for it was said these two armies were to form a junction in Saintonge or Poitou, as was the intention of many. There were, indeed, at the time the English landed at Marans, two gallant knights from Beauce in the town of la Rochelle, sir Peter de Jouy and the lord TaiUepi^, whom sir Helion de Lignac had placed there for its defence, when he set out to meet the duke of Berry at Paris. They had acquitted themselves ably ; and on hearing that the armament under the earl of .'Vrundel, which had been much talked of all the summer, had disembarked at Marens, they told the mayor and the principal citizens, for it is a populous place, that it would be light to beat up the English quarters ; and added, " We hear they have established themselves at ."Marans, and lay the surrounding country under contribution : we two are determined to bid them wcl. come, and they shall pay us, or we will repay them, for what they have done. Great blame and reproaches will fall on us, to whom has been committed the government of this town and country, if we suffer them quietly to fix their quarters there. There is one thing much in eur favor : they have not any horses, and are for the most part sailors, while we are all well mounted. We will send our cross- bows before us to awaken them witli a shower of arrows ; and when they have made their attack, they will return homeward : the English will soon be on foot, and we will then charge them, and, being on horseback, may do them great mischief." Those who heard this speech approved of it, and instantly aseem. bled a body of twelve hundred cross-bows and varlets, including all sorts. At the first dawn of day, they were all prepared, and set out from la Rochelle at a good pace, to beat up the quarters of the Eng. lish. During this, the horse got ready, and they were about three hundred ; for many knights and squires had hastened to la Rochelle on the first intelligence of the English having landed at Marans. They left the town under the command of the two knights before named. Had the English fortunately had any suspicion of this attack from the Rochellers, and had formed an ambuscade of two hundred archers and one hundred men-at-arms, not one would ever have re- turned to la Rochelle. When the cross-bowmen arrived at the English quarters, it was very early morn ; and lucky it was for them that the guard, who had watched all night, was retired at sunrise. The cross-bowmen began to shoot their bolts and arrows, which passed through the huts made of boughs and leaves, to the great surprise of the English who were asleep within-side on straw. Many were wounded before they dis- covered they were attacked by the French. When they had made each about six shots, they retreated, according to their orders, and the men-at-arms advanced on horseback amid the English huts. Knights and squires speedily left their lodgings, and drew up together ; and the French captains, seeing they were preparing themselves in earnest to take the field, made after their cross.bows and infantry, who were hastening homeward, for they were much afraid of the English arrows. Thus hurrying, and in dismay, were the Rochellers pursued, though the horse guarded the rear, to the town of la Rochelle. The earl of Arundel with upward of four hundred men-at-arms was closely following, each man with his lance in his hand or on his shoul- der. There was much crowding and difficulty to pass the gates; and sir Peter de Jouy and the lord Taillepi^ fought Uke valiant heroes in de- fending their men, keeping still on their rear, until they were come to the barriers. They were so bard pressed by the English, who were at their heels, they ran a great hazard of being slain or made prisoners ; for the attack was the more vigorous against them as it was visible they were the commanders. Sir Peter de Jouy had his courser killed under him, and was with great difficulty dragged within the barriers. Sir Peter Taillepi^ was pierced through the thigh with a lance, and hit by an arrow on tlie helmet, which entered his head, and his good horse fell dead under him at the gate. There was much slaughter made on the Rochellers reentering the town : upward of forty dead and wounded lay at the gates. The inhabitants had mounted the battlements, and fired so many cannons and bombards that the Eng. lish dared not ajiproach nearer. Thus ended this skinnish between the English and Rochellers. As it was near noon, the earl of Arundel had sounded the retreat, when the men-at-arms and archers retired in handsome array to their quarters, where they disarmed and refreshed themselves. They had wherewithal, having been amply provided with wines and meat from the surrounding country. The English lords remained at Marans for fifteen days, waiting for deeds of arms and adventures ; but the Rochellers never ventured again to come near them, for they had found, to their cost, how valiantly they had defended themselves. Their two commanders were also wounded, which induced the others to wish for peace. The carl of .'Arundel, indeed, had sent four times parties to overrun the country round la Rochelle, and as far as Thouars, who did much mischief and terrified the inhabitants. They would have done more had they had horses ; but only a few were mounted on what they could find in the country, and these were scarce, for no sooner was the invasion known than all tire inhabitants of the flat country fled with their stock and wealth to the great towns, and there shut themselves up. When the English had remained near la Rochelle for fifteen days, without seeing any attempt made to oppose them, and the wind be- came fair, they embarked a great quantity of wine and fresh meat they had taken, and, having weighed anchor, put to sea. This same day, they met twelve ships from Bayonne, on their voyage to Eng- land with Gascony wines and otherinerchandise. They sailed together for some time, being much rejoiced at this meeting, for they were well acquainted, and the Bayonnois gave the earl of Arundel two pipes of wine for the love they bore him. The Bayonnois then sepa- rated to continue their voyage, and the fleet kept cruising about in search of adventures. While this armament was lying before Marans, Perrot Ic B(5arnois and his companioas had taken the^ficld, and, having passed Limousin, had entered Berry. He had with him four hundred spears and as many pillagers, and carried off in one day all the merchandise that was in the town of le Blanc* in Berry, and gained great wealth and many prisoners, for it was fair-day. He then marched to Selles.t which he plundered. Thus did Perrot le B^arnois maintain himself. He advanced far into the interior of the country, doing great mis- chief wherever he went, for none ventured to oppose him ; and all * "Le Blanc." in the generality of Bourgee. seventeen league? from Poitiers. niD« from Argenton. t " Selles," or Celles, three leagues from St. Aignan, ten from Blois. CHRP NICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. * A tiU« bo^lo^ved indiffewatly od rovng noljlej of both soxes.— Ed. parts were alarmed, even as far as the county of Blois an.i the Tou. raine, for they were uncertain whither these two armies would march next. Some imagined they would unite ; but it was not so, for the earl of Arundel had embarked again, as I have mentioned, and Per- rot with his companions returned to their stronghold?. When they had completely plundered the country, they thought it would be more safe for them to retire to their castles and secure their gains. They to»k, in consequence, the roads through Limousin and Auvergne to their forts ; and nothing more was done, as to deeds of arms, in these two provinces the remainder of the season, for the truce that had been agreed to last until the ensuing month of May, now took place. The siege of Ventadour by sir William de Lignac, sir John Sonne.lancc, and sir John le Bouteiller, still continued ; for Geotfry TSte.noire was so presumptuous as to pay not the least attention «o the truce, nor to the besiegers, depending on the strength of his castle. We will now, for variety, return to the affairs of Brabant and Gueldres. CHAPTER CXIX. THE BRABANTERS PKESS GEAVE HARD BT THEIK SIEGE. THE GUELDRIANS BtJKN A BRIDGE THE BRABANTERS HAD THROWN OVER THE MEUSE, TO ENTER GUELDRES. I HAVE already discoursed of and explained the situation of the dukes of Gueldres. How the ancestor of the duke of Gueldres of whom I now treat, married the daughter of Bertaldo of Mechlin, to rescue and repair his heritage which was very much embarrassed and dilapidated ; and how the duke of Gueldres, son of the duke of Ju. liers, to maintain the city of Grave against the Brabanters, for which he had good cause and title, determined, since he could not recover the three before-mentioned castles seated on the river Meuse, Goch, Buch, and Mille, which had once been his fiefs, that he would attach the city of Grave to his heritage in perpetuity. This duke had a bastard daughter bestowed upon and married to the damosel* of Kuck, which sire de Kuck was the heir of the city of Grave. So he ap- plied himself to him so amiably that both father and son had nothing else left for it ; and the damosel de Kuck gave him the city and lordship of Grave, and assured him the inheritance in the presence of the knights and barons of Juliers and Gueldres ; and on this account the duke of Juliers recompensed him with the land and lordship of Bois-le-Duc, situated on the river Ligne, in the duchy of Gueldre- land. A very handsome castle belongs to tills city of Bois-le-Due, which is a good large town and of good profit, but Grave is worth more. The duke of Gueldres made this bargain, to the intent that he niight have a good ground of quarrel to take Grave from the Bra- banters ; for the duchess of Brabant and her council said that an. ciently the lords of Kuck had held it in mortgage, but that she or her heirs might redeem it whenever they pleased, and that the duke of Gueldres had no right to keep it except as a pledge. The duke of Gueldres maintained an opposite opinion, and said that it was his good inheritance and he would hold it to the last. This was the eause of the war and ill-will that arose between those of Brabant and Gueldreland : and, in the month of May, the Brabanters came to lay siege to the city of Grave ; knights, squires, and the commonalty of the good towns ; and they brought and carried engines, springalls, trebus, and all other such machines for the assault. And there were full forty tliousand men one with another, who were encamped be. fore Grave, over against the valley of the river Meuse. And their host was well furnished, for they had their own country behind and on all sides of tliem, from whence they received plentiful supplies. And this is the delight of the Brabanters, for, wherever they may be or go, they will be stuffed to the neck with wine, meat, and delica. ciee, or they will return to their own houses. You have before heard how anxious the duchess of Brabant was to make war on the duke of Gueldres, and to besiege Grave. There was a great force of knights and squires from the principal towns before it, who declared their intentions were not to depart until they had gained possession of it ; and the duchess, to show how interested she was in the matter, had come to reside at Bois-Ie-Duc, four leagues distant from it. The besieging army was plentifully supplied with all things that came thither by sea, or down the Meuse, from the rich country of Brabant, so that the siege was long continued ; and the Brabanters had many large machines which threw into the town atones of such weight as to do much damage wherever they fell. In addition, they flung into the town all the dead carrion of the army to empoison the inhabitants by the stink. This was sorely felt by them, for the weather was hot, and the air too calm to carry off these Tillainous smells. At times, many of the knights and squires of Brabant came to skirmish with the garrison at the barriers ; for the duke of Gueldres had placed within the town some gallant companions, who were not shy of showing their courage when occasions called for it, and the enemy advanced so near as the barriers. The siege lasted a long time; and the duke of Gueldres had fixed his quarters at Nimeguen; but he could neither raise the siege, nor offer combat to the Brabant- ers, for want of eufficient force. He had sent to England an account «f his situation, and expected for certain he should have a reinforce- 475 ment from thence, but he was disappointed ; for England at that time was in a very unsettled state, and new ministers had been forced on the king by his uncles and the archbishop of Canterbury. A parliament was indeed holden, about St. John Baptist's day, at the duke's request, to consider whether a body of men-at arms and arch- ers should be sent to assist the duke of Gueldres, according to treaty. Having considered the matter fully, they would not agree to it ; for It was strongly rumored, that the king of France was assembling a large army, and it was doubtful whither he would march it, and the English imagined it was intended to attack Calais. They were also uneasy respecting the Scots on the borders, and were fearful of send, ing more forces out of the kingdom, as a large body of men-at-arms and archers were at sea, under the earl of Arundel, lest the countiy might be defenceless. When the council was considering the affairs of Gueldres, some of the lords said, " Let the duke of Gueldres take care of himself: he is valorous enough, and in his own country, and will withstand all the Brabanters can do against him : if anything worse befal him, he shall have assistance. He has again the Ger. mans, his neighbors, on his side, who formerly joined him against France." Such was the state of affaii-s in England ; but those in Grave suffered much from the siege. During the time it lasted, the Brabanters resolved to throw a wooden bridge over the Meuse, that they might have an entrance into Gueldreland, overrun that country, and, by investing the town of Grave en all sides, prevent any pro- vision from entering it ; for they were numerous enough to surround it, could they gain a passage over the river. As they finished tlie different parts of this bridge, they joined and placed them in their proper situations, and had made such advances, that it was within the length of a lance of the opposite share. Y ou may suppose that the duke was no way ignorant of what they were about, but he gave not any Interruption to their building the bridge, until it was nearly completed. He then advanced with cannons and other artillery, and attacked it so roughly, that it was set on fire and destroyed. Thus did the Brabanters, to their great vexation, lose all the effect of their labor. They, upon this, called a council to determine how to act. CHAPTER CXX. THE BRABANTERS HAVING PASSED THROUGH RAVENSTEIN,* ENTER GtrEL. DRELAND, AND ARE DEFEATED BY THE DUKE OF GUELDRES. THE SIE8E OF GRAVE IS RAISED IN CONSEQUENCE. Three short leagues from Grave lies the town of Raienstein, be- longing to the lord de Bourne, who is a vassal to Brabant. At the council I mentioned, the lord de Bourne was solicited by the minis- ters of the duchess of Brabant, and by the knights and squires, to open his town of Ravenstein for them to gain an entrance into GueU dreland, and, with part of their army, overrun It : he complied with theii- request. The duke of Gueldres, I know not whether by spies or otherwise, gained information that the Brabanters intended enter, ing his territories by the bridge of Ravenstein, through the compli. ance of the lord de Bourne. He was much cast down when he learnt this, as his force was not near sufficient to meet that of Brabant, which consisted of more than forty thousand men. He formed van. ous plans how to act, and at last determined that, if the Brabanters entered his countrj', he would retaliate by the bridge of Grave, for he was resolved not to be shut up in any town. He consulted the lord de Ghesme, a great baron In Gueldreland, and his principal ad. viser, who would not at first agree to his taking the field, on account of the smallness of his numbers. "And what must I do then?" said the duke. " Would you have me sliut myself up in one of my towns, while they are plundering and burning my country ? This woiUd be too great a loss. I vow to God and our Lady," added the duke, " that I will take the field to meet my enemies, and follow the best measures I can devise that the event may be favorable." This plan he executed ; and, on the morrow, after he had paid his devotions in the church, and made his offering at the altar of the Virgin, he drank some wine, and, mounting his horse, set out for Nimeguen. He was accompanied by only three hundred spears, or indeed less, and they made straight for the place where they sup- posed they should find their enemies. You may from this judge of the duke's courage, although some blamed him. When they were without the town of Nimeguen, like a valiant knight, he shouted out, " Forward, forward 1 let us, in the name of God and St. George, hasten to meet our enemy ; for I had rather perish with honor in the field than die dishonorably shut up In a town." With him were the lord de Ghesme, who commanded the expedition, and a valiant and prudent knight, called the heir of Hanseberth, the lord de Huckelem, sir Ostez, lord of Naspre, and several other knights and squires of good courage. The same day on which the duke of Gueldres had taken the field, the seneschal of Brabant had done the same at a very early hour of the morning, with a large body of knights and squires from Brabant, who were eager to enter Gueldreland, and gain there both honor and *" Ravenstein "r-a town of the Netlterlands in Dutch Brabant, and capital of a connty of the same name, with an ancient and strong casUe. It belongs to the elector Palatine : but the Dutch have a right to put a ^n-ison there. It is situated on th«s MeuBe. on the coofine* of Gueldreland, tea mile« southwest of Nitneffuen — BRooms'i 476 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN. &.c. profit. Upward of ten thousand men crossed the bridge of Raven- stein ; and the seneschal, tlie lord de Ligniere, the lord de Bourgueval, the lord de Gence, and the rest, were much pleased at having crossed the Mcuse, and said among themselves, they would that day ride as far as Nimeguen, and burn its mills, suburbs, and the villages that were round about ; but they had shortly other news brought them by their scouts, whom they had sent forward to examine the country. The duke of Gueldrcs was infomied, that his enemies, to the amount of ten thousand, were abroad, and had passed the Meuse at the bridge at Ravenstein. The duke halted, on hearing this, to consider again the best mode of proceeding, for some of his companions were alarmed at the smallness of their numbers in comparison with the enemy, who were at least thirty or forty to one. They said, " How is it possible for three or four hundred lances to oppose ten or twelve thousand ? it is not in our power to overthrow them, but they may very easily slay us." Several assembled round the duke, and advised him to retreat to Grave ; but he replied, " he would never do so, nor confine himself in any town, but march to meet his enemies, for his courage told him he should defeat them ; and he preferred dying with honor to living in disgrace. We will overthrow," said he, our enemies, and gain this day infinite honor and wealth." He then, after a short pause, added in a loud voice, " Forward, forward : those who love me will follow me." This speech of the duke greatly encouraged his men, more especially those who had heard the whole ; and they all showed a great earnestness to combat their enemies, who were fast approaching. They tightened their armors, lowered the visors of their helmets, and regirthed their saddles, and marched slowly in handsome array, that their horses might be fresh for the charge. Some few knights were made, and they marched in this order toward Ravenstein. The Brabanters, with great nmnbers of common people, had al- ready crossed the river, when news was brought to the seneschal and his knights that the duke of Gueldrcs had taken the field, and was so near that they must speedily see him. They were much surprised at this intelligence, and concluded that the duke must at least have had with him si.x times more men than lie had. They instantly halted, and would have drawn themselves up in array, but had not time ; for the duke of Gueldrcs appeared with his company full gal- lop, with spears in their rests, and shouting their cry, " Our Lady for Gueldrcs !" A squire of Gucldreland, called Hermaut de Morbec, deserves particular attention, from the great desire he had to exalt his name. He left the ranks of the battalion, and, spurring his horse, was the first to assault the enemy, and at tliis gallant tilt unhorsed the man lie struck. I know not if he were raised from the ground, for the crowd was so great, that wlien any were dismounted, unless instantly relieved, they ran great risk of being crushed to death. More than six score Brabanters were unhorsed at this first charge. Great confusion and dismay, with but a poor defence, reigned among them. They were so suddenly attacked, (which is the way enemies should bo by those who wish to conquer tiiem,) that although they were so numerous, and had many great lords, they were dispersed : they could never form any array, nor could the lords rally their men, nor these last join their lords. Those in the rear, hearing the noise, and seeing the clouds of dust, thought their men must have been dis- comfited, and that the enemy were coming to them, so that they be- came panic-struck, and, turning about, fled for Ravenstein or t)ie Meuse. Their fright was so great, they rushed into the river, whether on horseback or on foot, without sounding the bottom or knowing if it were fovdable, for they imagined the enemy was at their heels. By this si.lf-defeat, upward of twelve hundred perished in the river Meuse ; for they leaped one on the other, without any distinction, like wil 1 beasts. Many great lords and barons of Brabant (whose names / shall not disclose, to save them and their heirs from the dis- grace (hat would attach to them) most shamefully fied from the field, and s(,ught their safety, not by the river, nor by Ravenstein, but by other roads that carried them to a distance from their enemies. T'lis unfortunate event to the chivalry of Brabant happened be. tween Grave and Ravenstein. Great numbers were slain. All wlio could suiTCnder did so instantly ; and the Germans took them at ransom very readily, for the great profit they expected to make from them. Those who had fled to Grave gave the alarm to the besieging army ; for they arrived out of breath, and so harassed that they could scarcely say to them, " Retire as fast as you can, for we have been totally defeated, and nothing can save you." When those in camp saw their appearance and heard their report, they were so frightened that they would not stay to pack up anything, nor even take down their tents and pavUions, but set oft' without bidding adieu, and left everything behind them. They were seized with such a panic as neither to take victual nor carriage ; but sucli as had horses leaped on them, and fled for safety to Bois-le-Duc, Houdan, Mont St. Ger. vais, Gertruydenberg, or Dordrecht. Their only care was to save themselves, and fly from their enemies. Had the garrison of Grave known of this defeat of the Brabanters, they would have greatly gained by it, and killed or brought back many of the runaways. They were not made acquainted with it until late, when tliey sallied forth, and took possession of tents, pavilions, and warlike engines the Brabanters in their fright had left behind, which they brought at their leisure into Grave, for there were none to oppose them. Thus was the siege of Grave broken up, to the great loss of the Brabanters. News was spread far and near, how a handful of men had overthrown forty thousand and raised the siege of Grave. The lord de Bour- gueval and the lord de Linieres were made prisoners, with others to the amount of seventeen banners. These and the pennons you will find hung up before the image of our Lady at Nimeguen, that the perpetual remembrance of this victory may be kept up. CHAPTER CXXI. THE DUKE or GUELDRES, AFTER THE DEFEAT OF THE BRABANTERS, RE. TURNS TO NIJIEGUEN. ON THE NEWS OF THIS VICTORY, THE KING AND COtJNCIL OF FRANCE SEND EMBASSADORS TO THE EKPEKOR OF GERMANY, THE MORE SECURELY TO CARRY ON THEIR WAR AGAINST GUELDRELAND. Scarcely can I for shame perpetuate the disgracefid defeat of the Brabanters ; but, as I have promised at the commencement of this history to insert nothing but what was stricriy true, I must detail the unfortunate consequences of this battle. The young duke of Guel- drcs gained this renowned victory about Magdalen-tide, in the month of July 1386. When the defeat and pursuit were over, which took up about two hours' time, and the field cleared, the Gueldrians co!. lected together, and greatly rejoiced, as indeed they had cause, at the fortunate success of the day, for they had many more prisoners than they were in number themselves. The heralds were ordered by them to examine the dead, and report who had been slain. Among them was the young and handsome son of the count de Namur, (who was styled the Vaissier de Celles, lord de Balastre,) which, when told to the duke, greatly afflicted him ; and he bitterly lamented his loss, for he was of a most amiable character, and had been the preceding year his companion at arms in Prussia. A council was held in the field, whether or not to retire to Grave and carry their prisoners thither ; but the duke opposed it, saying : " I made a vow to our Lady of Nimeguen when I left that town, and which I again renewed before we began the combat : in obedience to which, I order, tliat we gayly return to Nimeguen, and offer our thanksgivings to the Holy Virgin, who has assisted us in our victory." This command was obeyed ; for, as the duke had given it, no one made any objection ; and they set out, on their return toward Nime- guen, full gallop. It was two long leagues from the field of battle, but tliey were soon there. On this fortunate news being told in that town, great rejoicings were made by both sexes ; and the clergy went out in procession to meet the duke, and received him with acclamations. The duke did not turn to the right nor left, but rode with his knights straight to the church where the image of our Lady was, and in which he had great faith. When he had entered her chapel, he disarmed himself of every- thing to his doublet, and offered up his armor to the altar, in honor of our Lady, returning thanksgivings for the victory he had gained over his enemies. Tlie banners and pennons of the enemy were all hung up in this chapel, but I know not if they be still there :* the duke retired to his hotel, and his knights to their homes, to pay at- tention to themselves and their prisonei-s, from whom they expected great ransoms. When the report of this victory over the Brabanters was made public, the duke of Gueldrcs was more feared and honored than before. The duchess of Brabant, who had resided at Bois-le-Duc, was much ve.xed, as indeed she had reason, at this unfortunate turn in her aifairs, and that the siege of Grave was raised. She ordered a strong garrison into Bois-le-Duc to guard the frontiers, and then returned through Champagne to Brussels. She wrote frequently to the duke of Burgundy the state of things, and eagerly pressed him to assist her in the recovery of her losses ; for all her hopes were in him. You may suppose, the news of this victory was instantly known in France, particularly at the court of the king ; but they were little surprised at it, rather holding it cheap, imagining, when the king marched thither, they should make themselves ample amends. Ordere were sent to sir William de la Tremouille and to sir Gervais de Mcrande, who had been placed by the duke of Burgundy in the three castles on the Meuse, to guard well that frontier, and to make no sallies where there should be any risk of loss ; for that they would shortly hear from the king, who was preparing to visit this duke of Gueldres and his country in person. Sir William had been greatly hurt at the late defeat of his friends, but the intelligence from France raised his spirits, and lie acted conformably to the orders he had received. Let us return to what was passing in France. The king's ardor for the mvasion of Gucldreland was no way abated : he was anxious to undertake it at all events, for the challenge of the duke had mightily enraged him ; and he declared that, cost what it would, he would have ample reparation, or his territories, with those of his father, the duke of Juliers, should be despoiled and burnt. Summonses were sent to all the dukes, counts, knights, barons and men-at-arms, of France, to provide themselves with suflicicnt purveyances for a long journey ; and one of the marshals of France, sir Louis dc Sanccrre, was ordered to remain to guard the kingdom, from beyond the river Dordogne to tlie sea ; for in Languedoc, and in the country between the Garonne and the Loire, the truce had been accepted ; and the other marshal, the lord de Blainville, was to accompany the king. * In the lait paragrttpli of the preceding chapter, it is intimated that they wwe stili. temaining.— £d. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 477 The different lords made such immense provision of stores of all kinds, it was wonderful to think of, more especially in wines. All those in Champagne were bespoken for the king, the dukes of Berry, Burgundy, Touraine, and Bourbon ; carriages also, of every descrip- tion, in those parts, were likewise retained for them : indeed, the preparations for this expedition were prodigious. The duke of Brittany ivas still at Paris, and could not obtain any decision respecting his affairs, ^br the king resided chiefly at Mon. tereau-sur-Yomie. He was, however, well entertained with feasts and fair words. The nobles begged of him to have patience, for he would very shortly have his business finished ; but that tlte king was 60 impatient to begin his march ti Germany, he attended to nothing else. The duke was forced to make the best he could of it, per- ceinlng he could not amend it, and, since he had come to Paris, was resolved not to depart but with the good-will of the king, although his stay was attended with vast expenses. When it was known for certain that the expedition to Gueldreland was to take place, and that a tajt had been ordered throughout France, for the payment of the knights and men-at-arms, many of the wisest in the country, whether of the council or not, said that it was ill advised to encourage a king of France to march such a distance in search of his enemies, and that the kingdom might suffer from it, (for the king was young, and very popular with his subjects,) and that it would have been fully sufficient for one of the king's uncles, or both of them, with the con- stable of France, to have gone with six or seven thousand lances, without carrying the person of the king thither. The king's uncles were of a similar opinion : they most prudently remonstrated with him on the impropriety of his marching with his army, and were urging many strong reasons against it, when he flew into a rage, and shortly interrupted tliem, by saying, "If you go tliither without me, it will be contrary to my will and pleasure ; but I can assure you, you shall not receive one penny, for otherwise I cannot restrain you.'' When the dukes of Berry and Burgundy lieard tliis answer, they saw he was determined upon go- ing, and replied, '• God be with you : you shall go then ; and we will no more think of undertaking it without your company." These lords and the council deliberated on an affair of some consequence to this intended war. There had been a treaty for a long time in force, between tlie king of France and the emperor of Germany, which stipidated, that neither of them were to enter the territories of the other witli an armed force ; that is to say, that the king of France and the emperor could not make war on each other without incurring a heavy penalty, and the sentence of the pope, who had solemnly sworn, at his coronation, to maintain these two kingdoms in peace. It was therefore resolved, in case the king persisted in his intention of invading Gueldreland, which was a dependence on the empire, to make the emperor fully acquainted with the duke of Gueldres' rash conduct, and lay before him the insolent challenge he had sent the king of France, who, to make him sensible of his folly, was preparing to march an army into Germany, not any way hostile to the emperor or his territories, but solely against this duke of Guel- dres, and to attack Mm wherever he should find him. Sir Guy de Honcourt, a vahant knight, and sir Yves d'Orient, one of the judges in parliament, were appointed embassadors to carry this message to the emperor. When they had received their instruc- tions and made their preparations, they took leave of the king and his uncles, and rode for Chalons in Champagne, with an attendance suitable to their rank, and the purpose they were going on. They met the lord de Coucy at Cha.lons, retaining knights and men-at-arms from Bar, Lorraine, and Champagne, for this expedition, of which he was to command the vanguard. He entertained the embassadors one day splendidly at dinner, and on the morrow they continued the road to Sainte Menehould, and thence toward Luxembourg, to gain intelligence where the emperor was. CHAPTER GXXII. THE KING OF FRANCE AND BIS COUNCIL PEKMIT THE BCKE OF EKITTANY TO RETtJKN HOME. THE STATES OF BRABANT SEND EXCUSES TO THE KING OF FRANCE, FOR NOT ALLOWING HIS ARMY TO PASS THROUGH THEIR COUNTRY. THE SUCCESS OF THE EMBASSADORS WITH THE EMPEROR. Although embassadors had been sent to the emperor, the French did no way relax their warlike preparations. It was signified to all to assemble in readiness for the field in or near the country of Cham- pagne, by the middle of the ensuing August ; since the king had then determined to begin his march, whether or not he should receive answers, through sir Guy de Honcourt and master Yves d'Orient, from the emperor of Germany. The king and liis uncles thinking it was now time to dismiss the duke of Brittany, he was summoned to Monterean, where the king most kindly received him, as did the dukes of Burgimdy and Touraine. The duke of Berry was at the time in Berry making his preparations and levies of men-at-arms, having fixed on Poitou for the place of assembly, before they began their march. The king and duke of Burgundy, as I have said, treated the duke of Brittany in the most friendly manner. He had before surrendered the castles and town of Jugon to the officers of the constable, but made great difficulty to pay back the hundred thousand francs, which had been expended in the provisioning his castles, and in retaining men-at-arms the whole of last winter, think, ing a war would be declared against him ; but he was so fairly- spoken to, that he promised the king and the duke of Burgundy to repay this sum, of one hundred thousand francs, in the course of five years, by yearly payments of twenty thousand francs. The duke, after this, took leave of the king, who made him very handsome presents of jewels, and went back to Paris. The dulce of Burgundy, before his departure, gave to him and his knights a magnificent en. tertainmenf in his hotel, called the hotel d'Artois, when they separa- ted on the most friendly terms. ; The duke of Brittany made no longer stay after this at Paris ; but having arranged his affairs, and had his expenses paid by his officers, he set out, taking the road to Estampes, travelled through Beauce to Beaugency on the Loire, with a numerous body of attendants riding before him. From Beaugency his attendants continued their road through the country of Blois, Touraine, Maine, and Anjou ; but the duke had his vessels waiting for him at Beaugency, and embarking on board a handsome yacht, with the lords de Montfort and de Malestroit, sailed down the Loire, passing under the bridge at Blois, and not stopping until he came to Nantes, when he was in his own country. I will now leave tlie duke of IJrittany, who strictly kept the engagements he had entered into with the king of France and his uncles, and has never done anything since worthy of being re. membered in this history, nor do I know if he ever will. If he should, I will relate it, according to the manner it shall be told me. The king of France was busily employed in making his prepara. tions to invade Gueldreland. The lord de Coucy, on his return to Montereau, intormed the king and his uncles, that all the chivalry of Bar, Lon-aine, Burgundy, and as far as the Rhine, were ready and willing to attend them, in their expedition to Germany. The king was much pleased on hearing this, and said, that " if it pleased God, he would this year pay a visit to his cousins of Gueldres and Juliers." A council w-as held on the most convenient line of march, when some said, that the shortest way would be through Tierache,* along the borders of Hainault and Liege, and passing through Brabant into Gueldres ; but others proposed crossing the Mouse at or near Utrecht, and, having passed that river, to enter Juliers, and march thence into Gueldreland. Upon this, the king and council wrote to the duchess and states of Brabant, to signify that the king and his army intended marching through their country. The duchess would have readily consented ; but the states refused the passage, saying the country would suffer too much from it. The principal towns and nobles were of this opinion, and told the duchess, that if she allowed the French to enter their country, they would never bear arms for her against Gueldres, but would shut themselves up in their castles, and defend all the entrances to the country, for they should have more damage done to themselves and lands by such passengers than if their enemy were in the country. The duchess, finding so strong an opposition to allowing a passage to the French, dissembled her real thoughts, and calling to her sir John Opem, master John Grave, and master Nicholas de la Monnoye, charged them to set out in. stantly for France, and make excuses for the states of Brabant, to the king and the duke of Burgundy, for their refusal to allow the French army to pass through Brabant, fearful lest the country would be too severely oppressed ; and to entreat them, for the love of God, not to be dissatisfied with her, as she had done everything in her power to obtain their consent. These envoys left Brussels, and arrived at Montereau-sur-Yonne, where they found the king and his uncles, whose whole conversation, day and night, was on the expedition to Gueldreland. They first waited on the duke of Burgundy, to whom they gave their letters, and explained so well the reason of the states' refusal that he was contented, and, at the prayer of his aunt, promised to mediate be. tween them and the king. The lord de Coucy was likewise of very great service to them, so that the first plan of passing through Bra- bant was given up, and the excuses from the duchess and her states were accepted. It was then determined, as more honorable for the king and his allies, to march straight through his kingdom. A council was held on the choice of those who were to form the van- guard ; and two thousand five hundred pioneers were appointed to clear away all trees and hedge-rows, and to make smooth the roads. The army liad by their means a most excellent road through France to the forest of Ardennes ; but there it failed them, for rocks, forests, and various obstacles opposed their passage. The lord de Coucy, who had the command of the vanguard, consisting of one thousand lances, sent forward persons to examine which would be the safest road for the king and baggage to march, (for there were upv.-ai'd of twelve thousand carriages, without counting baggage horses,) to lay open the forest, and make roads where no traveller had ever before passed. Every one was eager to be thus employed, more particularly those who were near the king's person ; for he was never so popular at any time as he was now in Flanders, nor were his subjects ever so united to assist liim as in this expedition against Gueldres. While this was passing, the king sent the lord de Coucy to Avignon, to the person who styled himself pope Clement, I know not on what busi. * "Ti6rach6 "—a fertile country in Picardy, watered by the Oise and Seine, to Ih© nest of ChaiDpaene gmd the south of Hunault. 478 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. neee ; and the viscount de Means, sir John de Roye, and the lord de la Bonne, commanded in his absence. We will now say something of the embassadors who had been sent to the emperor of Germany. They continued their journey until they came to Convalence,* where the emperor resided. After dismounting at their h6tel, they made themselves ready to wait on him, who had before heard of thcii' coming, and was very impatient to know the cause of it. Having assembled his council, the cmbas. Badors were introduced to the presence of the emperor, whom they saluted most reverently, and gave him their credential letters from the king of France. After he liad attentively perused them, he eyed sir Guy de Honcourt, and said, " Guy, tell us, in God's name, what you are charged with." Tiie knight spoke long and ably in explain- ing to the cniporor and his council the reasons why the king of France was about to enter the German territory with a large army, not with the smallest intent to injure that or any other part of the territories belonging to the emperor, but against a personal enemy. He then named liim, and added, " The duke of Gueldres has thought proper to send the king of France a most insolent challenge, couched in outrageous language, not usual in such cases, for which the king and his council have detennined to punish him. The king, there- fore, entreats you, dear sire, from your connections with him by blood, not to abet this duke in his presumptuous conduct, but keep those treaties of alliance which have formerly been made between you and France, as he on his part is resolved to abide by them." The emperor, in reply, said, " Sir Guy, we have some time been informed, that our cousin, the king of France, has been collecting a large body of men-at-arms, at a vast expense, when it was unneces- sary for liim to give himself so much trouble for so small an object ; for, had he made his complaints to iHe, I would have forced the duke of Gueldres to hear reason without the great expense he has been at." " Sire," answered sir Guy, " you are very kind in thus express- ing yourself; but our lord, the king of France, values neither ex- pense nor trouble wherever his honor is concerned ; and his council are solely anxious that you should not be dissatisfied with him, for he is determined in no way to infringe the treaties that exist between France and Germany : on the contrary, to strengthen them as much as possible, and for this have sir Yves d'Orient and myself been sent hither." " We are by no means," said the emperor, " dissatisfied with what is doing in France, and thank my cousin for the informa- tion he sends me : let him come, in God's name, for I do not intend to move." The embassadors were well pleased with this reply, and considered the matter as concluded to their wish. They requested answers to the letters they had brought, which were cheerfully promised. They dined that day at the emperor's palace, and by his orders were well feasted. In the evening they retired to their lodgings, and managed tilings so well, that the business was finished to their satisfaction. Having received their letters in reply to those they had brought, they took leave of the emperor, and returned by the way they had come to the king of France ; of whom we will now speak. CHAPTER CXXIII. THE COUNT OF BLOIS SENDS TWO HUNDRED LANCES TO SERVE TIIE KL\G IN HIS EXPEDITION TO GUELDRES. THE EMBASSADORS BRING FAVORABLE ANSWERS FROM THE E.-tIPEROR OF GERMANY. THE KING OF FRANCE CONTINUES HIS MARCH TOWARD THE FOREST OF ARDE.NNES. SIR HE- LION DE LIGNAC MAKES HIS REPORT TO THE DUKE OF BERRY, TOUCHING BIS MARRIAGE WITH THE DAUGHTER OF THE DUKE OF LANCASTER. The great lords and barons of France were busily employed in making their preparations for the expedition to Gueldres ; and those from the more distant parts of the kingdom, in Auvergne, Limousin, Qucrcy, Rouergue, and other provinces, had already begun their march toward Champagne. The greater numbers came from Pi. cardy, Burgundy, Champagne, Bar, and Lorraine, because they were nearer the place of assembly. The villages in France were not so harshly treated as usual ; for the king had forbidden, under ptun of death, that anything should be taken from them without payment. Notwithstanding this order was made very public, the men-at-arms on their march did much miiichief ; for, though the punishment was so heavy, they could not abstain from what they had been accus- tomed to. They were indeed veiy badly paid, and consequently thought they had a right to provide for themselves. This was the excuse they made whenever they were reprimanded by their captains or marshals. The count de Blois was summoned, and he returned for answer, he would send two hundred chosen lances well equipped and paid. I know not how he was dealt withal, but he sent two hundred knights and squires to serve the king, from his county of Blois, under the command of the lord de Vienne, sir William de Saint Martin, sir William de C'haumont, and the lord de Montigny, who marched at their leisure toward Champagne, whither they had been ordered. The king of France left Montereau-sur-Yonne, and took the road for Chalons in Champagne, without the duke of Berry joining him. He was still in Berry, waiting the return of sir Helion de Lignac, with answers from the d uke of Lancaster, re specting hia marriage * " ConTRleaoe." Q. CoiMUnoe. with hie daughter. He, however, received none ; for the duke of Lancaster detained him at Bayonne, dissembling his opinion between him and the embassadors from Castille ; but he was more inclined as well as the duchess, to close with the last ; yet, before tliem, he showed the utmost attentions to sir Helion, to make them the more eager to finish the business. The Castillian embassadors labored hard "to bring the marriage to a conclusion. They were four in num- ber ; don Fernando de Leon, doctor in divinity and confessor to the king, the bishop of Segovia, don Pe'dro Gadelope, and don Diego Loup, who were continually going or returning from one party to the other. The duke, however, gave them to imderstand that he would prefer a union with Castille to one with France, provided they would agree to his terms. He demanded payment of six hundred thousand francs within three years, twelve thousand annually for his and the duchess's lives, and two thousand more for the duchess's household yearly.* When it was known t'natthe king had left Montereau for Ch&lons, all those who had remained at home hastened their march to join him. Thither came the duke of Berry, whose quarters were at Es- pinay, and the duke of Bourbon, the count de la Marche, the dau- phin d'Auvergne, the count de St. Pol, the count de Tonnerre. Near the king's person were the duke of Burgundy, the duke of Lorraine, the duke of Touraine, the constable of France, sir John de Vienne, sir Guy de la Tremouille, sir Barrels des Barres, and sir John de Bueil. The whole country round Rheims and Chalons, to the extent of twelve leagues, was destroyed by these men-at-arms, who were dispersed over it, from .Saiiite Menehould to Monstier in Bar, to Chaumont in Bassigni,t to Vitry en Pertois,} and the whole of the bishoprics of Troyes and Langres. The Lord de Coucy was not yet returned from his journey to Avignon. About this time sir Guy do Honcourt and sir Yves d'Orient came back from their embassy to the emperor, and met the king at Ch4- lons. The king and his nobles were rejoiced at their arrival, and inquired the news. They told them all that passed ; that the em. peror had very kindly received them, and handsomely entertained them ; and sir Guy added, " Sire, and you my lords, when the em- peror and his council had read your letters and the copy of the duke of Gueldres' challenge, they were very indignant at his presumption, and are desirous, from what we could learn, that he should be pun- ished for his insolence : nor will the emperor make any opposition to your intended war, which he seems indeed much to approve of, but keep strictly to all the articles entered into between him and France, so that all your doubts concerning his conduct may be dissi- pated." The king of France and his council were well satisfied on *.\ccording to Lopez de Ayala, the messengers sent by the king of Castille to the duke of Lancastei- at Bayonne were, Ferrnnd de Itlescas, a monk of the order of Su Francis, confessor to the king, Pero Sanchez del Castillo and .Mvar Martinez de V iUa- real. both royal auditors. Before their departure for Bayonne, the king of Castille as- semlileil the general cortes at Briviesca, in order to raise the sums demanded by the duke. and to relieve both himst'If and the kingdom from a competitor who was so dangerous an enemy. Ayala details all the conditions of the treaty ; the following are the princi- pal articles : Don Henry, eldest son of don John of Castille, aged nine years, was, within two moiithsfromthesignatureof the treaty, to marry Catherine, daughter of the duke of Lan- caster, aged fourteen years. If the infant Henry should die before he altained the age of fourteen years, or vvithout consummating the marriage, Catherine was to marry his next brother, don Ferranil. Don Henry « as, immediately upon the marriage, to receive the title of prince of the Asturias, and Catherine that of princess of the Asturios. The king of Castille was to assign to don Henry and Catherine the city of Soria and the towns of Amazan, Atienza, Soria. and Molina, for the support of their household, being the same which king Henry of Castille had granted to Bertrand du Guesclin, and which he had at^erwards redeemed. \Vithin two months ne-\t after the treaty, the king don John bound himself to ao- knowledge don Henry and Catherine as his successor?. The king don John was to pay down 600,IXK) French francs to the duke and duchess of Lancaster, as the price of their renunciation of all claim upon the crown of CoMille. The king don John further engaged for himself and his heirs, to pay the further annual sum of 40,(X)0 francs to the duke and duchess, until the death of the survivor. Hostages from the kingdoms of Castille and Leon were to be given to the duke of Lancaster, as pledges for the payment of the 600.000 francs. These hostages were don Fiidririue. duke of Benevento. and brother lo king John of Castille; Pero Ponce da Leon, lord of Marchena : John de V'ehtsco, son of Pero Fernandez de Velasco ; Carlos de Arrelano, John de Fadillo, Rudripo de Rojas, Lope Ortiz de Estuniga. John Rodri- guez de t'isneros, Rodrigo de Casteneda, and several other citizens of various larga towns: in all sixty-six persons. (The safe-conduct granted to them by Richard IL OQ the 26th .-Vngust, 1388, is given in Rymer.) Free p.irdon was lo be granted to all who had taken pan with the duke of Lancaster. The duke and duchess of Lancaster, on their parts, renounced all pretension to the kingdoms of Ca=ti]le, Leon, Toledo, Calicia. Seville, Cordova, Murcia, Jaen, the Al- garves, Algesiras, the lordships of Lara and Biscay, and that of Molina ; and they ac- knowledged don John as king, and lifter him don Henry; and, in case of his death without children then don Ferrind and all. other lawful descendants of the king don John who should ascend the throne in default of any other legitimate heir. They fur- ther engaged never to procure from the pope a dispensation from their oath, either openly or in secret. ■ r ., . e Constance, duchess of Lancaster was further to be put in posses.ion of the tow ns of Guadahnara. Medina del Campo, and Oline.lo, for her life, she engaging that tjiey should, at her death, be delivered back, and that the government should be intrusted ta " Nolwi'ttoandling" Ws new alliances with England, the king, don John, stipulated fot the preservation of his ancient alliance with France. .= ,,.,-..„ To pay the sums agreed upon with the duke of Lancaster and ratified by the cort«. the king raised a sort of loan ih'oughout the kmgdoin, as his father had done when be edeemed'he land, granted to Bertrand du Guesclin. All Uie ciuzens. with the B.xcep. t on of bishops, piiests, and nobles, contributsd to an impost, w-luch was afterwards re- paid to them by successive drawbacks on the ordin_ary taxes.-F.B, f " Bussigni," asm nail country on the confines of Champagne and Lorraine: ChAH- ■ ""r'vitry ea'pe'tois," a smalltown in Champagne, near Vitry \» FranjoU, CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 479 hearing this, although many said, that whether the emperor would or not, they were in sufficient numbers to go whither they pleased with- out fearing any one. The king gave orders for the march of the army, and he left Chi. Ions for Grand Pr^,* where he remained for three days. He could not make any long marches, from the great concourse of men that were in his front, in his rear, and on all sides ; and he was forced to move gently on account of his great train of baggage and purvey- ances, wliich occupied a length of fourteen country leagues, and was daily increasing. The count de Grand Pr^ received the king in his town witli every respect, and ordered all things so much to the king's pleasure, that he expressed his satisfaction to the count, who was at. tached to the van division. The duke of Lorraine and sir Henry de Bar here joined the king with a handsome company of men-at-arms. The duke of Lorraine was ordered to the division of his son-in-law, the lord de Coucy, but sir Henry de Bar remained near the king. The pioneers had been continually employed in clearing the for- est of Ardennes, by felling of timber, and making roads where none had ever been before. They had much difficulty in the filling up of valleys, and forming a tolerable road for the carriages to pass, and there were upward of three thousand workmen who labored at noth- ing else, from Vierton to NeufchAtel in the Ardennes. The duchess of Brabant was exceedingly pleased when she heard for certain that the king of Franch was on his march through the Ardennes, and concluded she should now have her revenge on the duke of Guel- dres, and that the king of France would make both him and his fa- ther, the duke of .Tuliers, repent of their conduct, which had given her many mortifications. She set out in handsome array from Brus- sels, accompanied by the lord de Samines, in the Ardennes, the lord de Bocelars, the lord de Broquehort, and several others, for Lu.xem- bourg, to receive the king, and have some conversation with him. She crossed the Meuse by the bridge at Huy,t and went to Bastoigne, where she halted ; for the king was to pass there, or very near it, which he did. When he set out from Grand Pre, he crossed the Meuse at Morsay,t with his whole army ; but his marches were very short, for the reasons I have before given. News was brought to the dukes of Juliets and Gueldres, for such intelligence is soon spread abroad, that the Icing of France was on his march to visit them, with an army of one hundred thousand men ; and that he had never collected so large a body, except when he marched to Bourbourg, imagining the English to be in greater force than he found them. The duke of Juliets began to be greatly alarmed ; but his son, the duke of Gueldres, made light of it, say- ing, " Let them come : the greater the number, the sooner will they be worn down, their baggage destroyed, and their purveyances ruined. Winter is coming on, and my country is a strong one ; they will not easily enter it, and, when they make the attempt, shall be driven back with other sounds than trumpets. They nmst always keep to- gether, which will be impossible, if they mean to invade my terri- tory ; and, if they separate, my people will take them whether they will or no. However, our cousin of France shows good courage ; and I give him credit for doing what I would attempt if in his place." Such were the conversations the duke of Gueldres held with his knights on this subject ; but the duke of Juliers was, on the con- trary, quite disconsolate ; for he saw, if the French were determined on it, his country must be ruined and burnt. He sent for his brother, the archbishop of Cologne, aiid his cousin, sir Arnold de Homes, bishop of Liege, to consult with them on the occasion, and see if there were any probable remedy to prevent his lands being despoiled. These two prelates gave him the best advice in their power, and re- •commended him to humble himself before the king of France and his uncles, and submit to their will. The duke having answered, that he would most cheerfully do so, the bishop of Utrecht, who was likewise present, with the assent of the archbishop, advised the bishop of Liege to set out with his array to meet the king of France, and treat with him on this subject. The king of France continued his march, but only two, three, or four leagues a day, and sometimes not one, from the great baggage, which was too large by far, that accompanied him. Sir William de Lignac, and his brother sirHelion, joined the king between Mouzon and N6tre Dame d'Amot,^ where the duke of Beny, with his body of five hundred spears, was quartered. Sir William had come from the siege of Ventadour, by order of the duke of Berry, as had sir John Bonne-lance by similar ones from the duke of Bourbon. They had left their army under the command of Sir John Boulciller and sir Lewis d'Ambiere, as they were desirous of attending the king in this expedition. Sir Helion had come from Bayonne, where he had been treating, as you have heard, with the duke of Lancaster, for the marriage of his daughter with the duke of Berry. The duke of Berry made him good cheer, and inquired after his success. Sir Helion related everything that had passed, and told him the king of Castille was earnestly negotiating a peace with the duke of Lancas- ter by the union of his son, the prince of Galicia, with his daughter, i The duke was very ]iensive on hearing this, and, after a pause, said ; " Sir Helion, you will return to France ; and I will send you once * "Grand Pre," a town in Champagne, election of Sainte Menehould. t " Huy," a town in the bishopric of Liege, capital of the Condrotz, on the ronfiu- ence of the small river Huy and the Mease. f'Motsay." Q. Mouzon. § " Araot.'' Q. Arlon. more, accompanied by the bishop of Poitiers, for the duke of Lan- caster's decisive answer ; but at this moment we have enough on our hands." This same week, the lord de Coucy returned from Avignon to the king in the Ardennes, to the great joy of the whole army. CHAPTER CXXIV. THE PRINCIPAL BARONS OF SCOTLAND ASSEMBLE IN ARMS TO MAKE WAR ON ENGLAND. THEY LEARN FROM A SPY WHOM THEY TAKE PRISONER THAI THE ENSLISH ARE ACQUAINTED WITH THEIK IN. TENTIONS. I HAVE before related in this history the troubles king Richard of England had suffered from his quarrels with his uncles, urged on by the wicked counsel of the duke of Ireland, which had caused several knights to lose their heads, and the archbishop of York nearly to be deprived of his benefice. By the advice of the archbishop of Can. terbury and the king's new council, the lord Neville, who had com. manded the defence of the frontiers of Northumberland for five years against the Scots, was dismissed : for this service he had been paid by the counties of Northumberland and Durham, the sum of si.xteen thousand francs annually. Sir Henry Percy being appointed in his stead to this commanci, with a salary of eleven thousand francs yearly, was a circumstance which created much animosity and hatred between the Percies and Nevilles, who were neighbors and had been friends. The barons and knights of Scotland, know, ing of this, determined on an inroad to England, as the opportunity was favorable, now the English were quarrelling among themselves, to make some return for the many insults they had suffered from them. In order that their intentions might not be known, they appointed a feast to be holden at Aberdeen, on the borders of the Highlands. The greater part of the barons attended ; and it was then resolved, that in the middle of August of the year 1388, they would assemble all their forces at a castle called Jedworth, situated amid deep for. ests and on the borders of Cumberland. Having arranged every, thing concerning this business, they separated, but never mentioned one word of their intentions to the king ; for they said among them- selves, he knew nothing about war. On the appointed day, earl James Douglas first arrived at Jedworth : then came John earl of Moray, the earl of March and Dunbar, William, earl of Fife, John earl of Sutherland, Stephen earl of Menteith,* William earl of Mar, sir Archibald Douglas, sir Robert Erskine, sir Malcolm Drummond, sir William and sir James Lindsay, sir Thomas Berry, sir Alexander Lindsay, sir John Swinton of Swinton, sir John de Sandelans, sir Patrick Dunbar, sir John Sinclair, sir Walter Sinclair, sir Patrick Hepburn, sir John Montgomery, fir John his son, and his two sons ; sir John Maxwell, sir Adam Glendinning, sir William de Redurin,t sir William Stuart, sir John Halliburton, sir John de Ludie, and sir Robert Lauder, sir Stephen Frazer, sir Alexander and sir John Ram. say, sir William of North Berwick, sir Robert Hart, sir William Wardlaw, sir John Armstrong, David Fleming, Robert Campbell, with numbers of other knights and squires of Scotland. There had not been seen, for sixty years, so numerous an assem- bly : they amounted to twelve hundred spears, and forty thousand other men and archers. With the use of the bow the Scots are little acquainted ; but they sling their axes over their shoulders, and, when engaged in battle, give deadly blows with them. These lords were well pleased on meeting each other, and declared they would never return to their homes without having made an inroad on England, and to such an eifect that it should be reniembered for twenty years to come. The more completely to combine their plans, they fixed another meeting to be held at a church in the forest of Jedworth, called Zedon,t before they began their march to England. Intelligence was carried to the earl of Northumberland, (for every- thing is known to those who are diligent in their inquiries,) to his children, m the seneschal of York, and to sir Matthew Redman, governor of Berwick, of the great feast that was to be kept at Aber- deen. To learn what was done at it, these lords sent thither heralds and minstrels. The Scots barons could not transact their business so secretly but it was known to these minstrels, that there was to be a grand assembly of men-at-arms in the forest of Jedworth. They observed also, much agitation through the country, and, on their re- ■ turn to Newcastle, gave a faithful report of all they had seen or heard to their lords. The barons and knights of Northumberland in con. sequence made their preparations, but very secretly, that the Scots might not know it, and put off their intended inroad, and had retired to their castles ready to sally forth on the first notice of the arrival of the enemy. They said: "If the Scots enter the country through Cumberland by Carlisle, we will ride into Scotland, and do them * " Earl of Menteith."' " At the time of this battle (of Otterboume.) the earldom of Mentejth was possessed by Robert Stewart, earl of Fife, third son of king Robert H. who, according to Buchanan, commanded the Scots that entered by Carlisle. But our minstrel had probably an eye to the family of Graham, who liad this earldom when tha ballad was written."— iie/^gjffs of Jiruient English Foetri/. t " Redurin." Ci t ■* Zedon. The monastery of Zedon, at \vhicli tiie Scottish leaders are said to have held Uieir meeting previous to entering England, is, I should suppose, the modem Kirk- Vetholm, exactly upon the Borders, and near the foot of Cheviot : the name is pro- nounced Vetto'm, which comes very near Yedon."— W. S. 480 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. more damage than they can do to ub; for theirs is an open country, which may be entered anywhere, but ours is the contrary, with strong and well fortified towns and castles." To be more sure of their intentions, they resolved to send an Eng- lish gentleman, well acquainted with the country, to this meeting in the forest of Jedworth. The English squire journeyed without in- terruption until he came to the church of Yelholm, where the Scots barons were assembled, and entered it, as a servant following his mas- ter, and heard the greater part of their plans. When the meeting ■was near breaking up, he left the church on his return and went to a tree, thinking to find his horse which he had tied there by the bridle, but he was gone ; for a Scotsman (they are all thieves) had stolen him. He was fearful of making a noise about it, and set off on foot, though booted and spurred. He had not gone two bow-shots from the church before he was noticed by two Scots knights who were in conversation. The first who saw him said : " I have witnessed many wonderful things, but what I now see is equal to any : that man yonder has, I be. lieve, lost his horse, and yet makes no in. quiries after it. On my troth, I doubt much if he belongs to us ; let us go after him, and see whether I am right or not." The two knights soon overtook liini. On their approach he was alarmed, and wished himself anywhere else. They asked him whither he was going, whence he had come, and what he had done with his horse. As he contradicted himself in his answers, they laid hands on hiiii, and said he must come before their captains, and he was brought back to the church of Yetholm, to the earl of Douglas and thn other lords. They e-xarnined him closely, for they knew him for an Englishman, aa to the reasons he had come tliither, and assured him, if he did not truly answer all their questions, his head should be struck off; but, if he told the truth, no harm should happen to him. Very unwillingly he obeyed, for the love of life prevailed ; and the Scots barons learnt that he had been sent by the earl of Northumberland to discover the number of their forces, and whither they were to march. This intelligence gave them the greatest pleasure, and they would not on any account but have taken this spy. He was asked where the barons of Northumberland were ? if they had any intentions of malting an excursion ? and what road to Scot- land they would take ; along the sea-shore from Berwick to Dunbar, or by the mountains through the country of Menteith to Stirling ? He replied, " Since you will force me to tell the truth, when I left Newcastle, there were not any signs of an excursion being made ; but the barons are all ready to set out at a moment's warning, as soon as they shall hear you have entered England. They will not oppose you, for they are not in sufficient numbers to meet so large a body as you are reported to them to consist of." " And what do they estimate our numbers at in Northumberland ?" said lord Moray. " They say, my lord," replied the squire, " that you have full forty thousand men, and twelve thousand spears ; and by way of counter- acting your career, should you march to Cumberland, they will take the road through Berwick to Dunbar, Dalkeith, and Edinburgh : if you follow the other road, they will then march to Carlisle, and enter your country by these mountains." The Scottish lords, on hearing this, were silent, but looked at each other. The English squire was delivered to the governor of the castle of Jedworth, with orders to have particular guard over him ; when tliey conferred together in the church of Yetholm, and fonned other plans. sand stout infantry and archers, all well mounted, should make for Newcastle-on-Tyne, cross the river, and enter Durham, spoiling and burning the country. They will have committed great waste ia England before our enemies can have any information of their being there : if we find they come in purejit of us, which they certainly wfll, we will then unite together, and fix on a proper place to offer them battle, as we all seem to have that desire, and to gain honor; for it is time to repay them some of the mischief they have done to us." This plan was adopted, and sir -Archibald Douglas, the earl of Fife, the earl of Sutherland, the earl of Menteith, the earl of Mar, the- CHAPTER CXXV. THE SCOTS FORM THEIR ARMY INTO TWO DIVISIONS; ONE, TTNDER THE COMMAND OF SIR ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS, MARCHES TO CARLISLE, AND THE OTHER TO NEWCASTLE-ON-TVNE, COM.IIANDED BT THE EARL OF DOUG- LAS ; AT THE BARRIERS OF WHICH PLACE, HE CONQUERS THE PENNON OF SIR HENRY PERCY. The barons of Scotland were in high spirits at this intelligence, and considered their success as certain, now they knew the disposi- tion of the enemy. They held a council, as to their mode of pro- ceeding, and the wisest and most accustomed to arms, such as sir Archibald Douglas, the carl of Fife, sir Alexander Ramsay, sir .lohn Smclair, and sir James Lindsay, were the speakers: they said, "That to avoid any chance of failing in their attempt, they would advise the army to be divided, and two expeditions to be made, so that the ene- my might be puzzled whither to march their forces. The largest division, with the baggage, should goto Carlisle in Cumberland : and Ihe other, consisting of three or four hundred spears, and two thou- Jedworth. (Jedburgh.) Prom an Oiigina! Drawine earl of Stratherne, sir Stephen Frazer, sir George Dunbar, with six- teen other great barons of Scotland, were ordered to the command of the largest division, that was to march to Carlisle. The earl of Douglas, the earl of March and Dunbar, and the earl of Moray, were appointed leaders of the three hundred picked lances and two thou- sand infantry, who were to advance to Newcastle-on-Tyne and in- vade Northumberland. When these two divisions separated, the lords took a very affectionate leave of each other, promising that if the English took the field against them, they would not fight until they were all united, which would give them such a superiority of force as must insure victory. They then left the forest of Jedworth, one party marching to the right and the other to the left. The barons of Northumberland not finding their squire return, nor hearing any- thing of the Scots, began to suspect the accident which had happened. They therefore ordered every one to be prepared to inarch at a mo- ment's notice, or when they should hear of the Scots having entered the country, for they considered their squire as lost. Let us return to the expedition under the earl of Douglas and hi» companions, for they had more to do than the division that went to- Carlisle, and were eager to perform some deeds of arms. When the earls of Douglas, Moray, and March were separated from the main < body, they determined to cross the Tyne and enter the bishopric of Durham, and, after they had despoiled and burnt that country as far as the city of Durham, to return by Newcastle, and quarter them- selves there in spite of the English. This they executed, and riding- : at a good pace, through bye. roads, without attacking town, castle, or house, arrived on the lands of the lord Percy, and crossed the river Tync, without any opposition, at the place they had fixed on, about three leagues above Newcastle, near to Brancepcth,* where they en- tered the rich country of Durham, and instantly began their war, by burning towns and slaying the inhabitants. Neither the earl of Northumberland nor the barons and knights of the country had heard anything of their invasion : but when intelli- gence came to Durham and Newcastle that the Scots were abroad,. which was indeed visible enough from the smoke that was every- where seen, the earl of Northumberland sent his two sons to New. castle ; but ho himself remained at Alnwick, and issued orders for every one to repair tliither also. Before his sons left him, he said: " You will hasten to Newcastle, where the whole country will join you : I will remain here, for it is the road they may return by ; if we can surround them, we shall do well ; but I know not for certain where they now are." Sir Henry and sir Ralph Percy obeyed their father's orders, and made for Newcastle accompanied by the gentle, men and others fit to bear arms. In the mean time, the Scots con. tinued destroying and burning all before them, so that the smoke was * " BmncepeUi'*— fourmiles from Durham. A ruin of a tineold cajstle remains, whicfc' 1 believe has been lately tittcd up and repaired for a residence. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, Sec. 481 visible at Newcastle. They came to the gates of Durham, where they skirmislied, but made no long stay, and set out on their return, as they had planned at the beginning of the expedition, driving and carrying away all the booty they thought worth their pains. The country i-( very rich between Durham and Newcastle, wliicli is but twelve English miles distant : there was not a town in all this dis- trict, unless well inclosed, that was not burnt. The Scots recroseed the Tyne at the same place, and came before Newcastle, where they halted. All the knights and squires of the country were collected at Brancepeth Castle. From an Originnl Drawing, Newcastle, and thither came the seneschal of York, sir Ralph Lang- ley, sir Matthew Redman, governor of Berwick, sir Robert Ogle, sir Thomas Grey, sir Thomas Halton, sir John Felton, sir John Lilburne, sir William Wolsingharn, sir Thomas Abington, the baron of Halton, sir John Copeland, and so many others, the town was filled with more than it could lodge. The three Scots lords, having completed the object of their expe- dition into Durham, lay before Ne%vcastle three days, where there wa.s an almost continual skirmish. The sons of the earl of North- umberland, from their great courage, were always the first at the barriers, when many valiant deeds were done with lances hand to hand. The earl of Douglas had a long conflict with sir Henry Percy, and in it, by gallantry of arms, won his pennon, to the great vexation of sir Henry and the other English. The earl of Douglas said, " I will carry this token of your prowess with me to Scotland, and place it oil the tower of my castle at Dalkeith, that it may be seen from far." " By God, earl of Douglas," replied pir Henry, " you shall not even bear it out of Northumberland : be assured you shall never have this pennon to brag of." " You must come then," answered earl Douglas, " this night and seek ("or it. J will fix your pennon before my tent, and shall see if you will venture to take it away." As it was now too late, the fikirmish ended, and each party returned to their quarters, to disarm and comfort themselves. They had plenty of everything, particularly flesh meat. The Scots kept up a very strict watch, concluding from the words of sir Henry Percy, they should have their quarters beaten up this night : they were disap- pointed, for sir Henry was advised to defer it. CHAPTER CXXVI. THE EARL OF DOUGLAS, WHEN LNCAMFED BEFORE 0TTEEB0L*RNE, IS AT- TACKED BY SIR HENRY TERCY, TO RECONqUER HIS PENNON, AND A SEN- ERAL BATTLE ENSUES. On the morrow, tlae Scots dislodged t'rom before Newcastle ; and, taking the road to their own country, they came to a town and castle called Ponclau,* of which sir Raymond de Laval, a very valiant knight of Northumberland, was the lord. They halted there about four o'clock in the morning, as tliey learnt the knight to be within it, and made preparations for the assault. This was done with such cour- age, that the place was won, and the knight made prisoner. After they had burnt the town and castle, they marched away for Otterbourne,t which was eight English leagues from Newcastle, and there en- camped them.selvee. This day they made no attack ; but, very early on the morrow, * " Ponclau." Pontland, a vilUigo on the BIythe, about five miles from Newcastle. — W. S. t "Ottei bourne"— is so well known from this celebrated battle, and the old balltids, that it is almost needless to say it is situated in the parish of Elsdon, Nortliumberland. I their tnmipets sounded, and they made ready for the assault, advan- cing toward the castle, which was tolerably strong, and situated among marshes. They attacked it so long and so unsucceesfully, that they were fatig\ied, and therefore sounded a retreat. When they had re- tired to their quarters, the chiefs held a council how to act; and the greater part was for decamping on the morrow, without attempting more against the castle, to join their countrymen in the neighborhood of Carlisle. But the earl of Douglas overruled tliis, by saying : "In despite of sir Henry Percy, who the day before yesterday declared he would take from me his pennon, that I conquered by fair deeds of arms before the gates of Newcastle, I will not depart hence for two or three days ; and we will renew our attack on the castle, for it is to be taken : : !i^ J^ife^ we shall thus gain double honor, and see if within that time he will come for his pen. non : if he do, ii .shall be well defended." Every one agreed to what earl Douglas had said ; for it was not only honorable, but he was the principal commander ; and from af- fection to him, they quietly returned to their quarters. They made huts of trees and branches, and strotigly fortified themselves. They placed their baggage and servants at the entrance of the marsh on the road to Newcastle, and the cattle they drove into the marsh lands. I will return to sir Henry and sir Ralph Percy, who were greatly mortified that the earl of Douglas should have conquered their pennon in the skirmish before Newcastle, They felt the more for this disgrace, because SIT Henry had not kept his word ; for he had , told the earl, that he should never carry liia pennon out of England, and this he had ex- plained to the knights who were with him in Newcastle. The English imagined the army under the earl of Douglas to be only the van of the Scots, and that the main body was behind ; for which reason those who had the most experience in arms, and wei^ the best acquainted with war- like affairs, strongly opposed the proposal of sir Henry Percy to pursue them. They said, " Sir, many losses happen in war : if the earl of Douglas has won your pennon, he has bought it dear enough ; for he has come to the gates to seek it, and has been well fought with. Another time, you will gain from him as much if not more. We say so, because you know, as well as we do, that the whole power of Scotland has taken the field. We arc not sufficiently strong to offer them battle ; and perhaps this skirmish mav have been only a trick to draw us out of the town ; and if they be,' as reported, forty thousand strong, they «nll surround tis, and have us at their mercy. It is much better to lose a pennon than two or three hundred knighta and squires, and leave our country in a defenceless state." This speech checked the eagerness of the two brothers Percy, for they would not act contrary to the opinion of the council ; when other news was brought them by some knights and squires who had fol. lowed and observed the Scots, their numbers, dispositions, and where they had halted. This was all fully related by knights who had traversed the whole extent of country the Scots had passed through, that they might carry to their lords the most exact information. They thus spoke : " Sir Henry and sir Ralph Percy, we come to tell you that we have followed the Scottish army, and observed all the coun- try where they now are. They first halted at Pontland, and took sir Raymond de Laval in his castle : thence they went to Otterbonme, and took up their quarters for the night. We are ignorant of what they did on the morrow, but they seemed to have taken measurea for a long stay. We know for certain that their army does not con. sist of more than three thousand men, including all sorts." Sir Henry Percy, on hearing this, was greatly rejoiced, and cried out, " To horse ! to horse ! for by the faith I owe my God, and to my lord and lather, I will seek to recover my pennon, and to beat up their quarters this night." Such knights and squires in Newcastle as learnt this were willing to bo of the party, and made theraselvea ready. The bishop of Durham was expected daily at the town ; for he had heard of the irruption of the Scots, and that they were before it, in which were the sons of the earl of Northumberland preparing to offer them combat. The bishop had collected a number of men, and was hastening to their assistance, but sir Henry Percy would not wait ; for he was accompanied by six hundred spears, of knights and squires, and upward of eight thousand infantry, which, he said, would be more than enough to fight the Scots, who were but three hundred lances and two thousand others. When they were all as. sembled, they left Newcastle after dinner, and took the field in good array, following the road the Scots had taken, making for Otter. bourne, which was eight short leagues distant ; but they could not advance very fast, that their infantry might keep up with them. As the Scots were supping, some indeed were gone to sleep, for they had labored hard during the day, at the attack of the castle, and 483 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. intended renewing it in the cool of the morning, the English arrived, and mistook, at their entrance, the huts of the servants for those of their masters. They forced their way into the camp, which was, however, tolerably strong, shouting out, " Percy 1 Percy '." In such cases, you may suppose an alarm is soon given, and it was fortunate for the Scots the English had made their first attack on their servants' quarters, which checked them some little. The Scots, expecting the English, had prepared accordingly ; for, while the lords were arm. ing themselves, they ordered a body of their infantry to join their servants and keep up the skirmish. As their men were armed, they fonned themselves under the pennons of the three principal barons, who each had his particular appointment. In the mean time, the night advanced, but it was sufficiently light ; for the moon shone, and it was the month of August, when the weather is temperate and serene. When the Scots were quite ready and properly arrayed, they left their camp in silence, but did not march to meet the English. They skirted the side of a mountain which was hard by ; for during the preceding day, they had well examined the country around, and said among themselves, " Should the English come to beat up our quar- ters, we will do so and so:" and thus setded their plans beforehand, which was the saving of them ; for it is of the greatest advantage to men-at-arms, when attacked in the night, to have previously arranged the mode of defence, and well to have weighed the chance of victory or defeat. The English had soon overpowered the servants ; but, as they advanced into the camp, they found fresh bodies ready to oppose them, and to continue the 6ght. The Scots, in the mean time, marched along the mountain side, and fell on the enemy's flank quite unexpectedly, shouting their cries. This was a great surprise to the English, who, however, formed themselves in better order, and rein- forced that part of their army. The cries of Percy and Douglas resounded on each side. The battle now raged : great was the pushing of lances, and very many of each party were struck down at the first onset. The Eng- lish being more numerous, and very anxious to defeat the enemy, kept in a compact body, and forced the Scots to retire, who were on the point of being discomfited. The earl of Douglas being young, and impatient to gain renown in arms, ordered his banner to advance, shouting, "Douglas! Douglas!" Sir Henry and sir Ralph Percy, indignant for the affront the earl of Douglas had put on them, by conquering their pennon, and desirous of meeting him, hastened to the place from which the sounds came, calling out "Percy! Percy!" The two banners met, and many gallant deeds of arms ensued. "The English were in superior strength, and fought so lustily they drove back the Scots. Sir Patrick Hepburne, and his son of the same name, did honor to their knighthood and country, by their gallantry, under the banner of Douglas, which would have been conquered but for the vigorous defence they made ; and this circumstance not only contributed to their personal credit, but the memory of it is continued with honor to their descendants. I was made acquainted with all the particulars of this battle, by knights and squires who had been actors in it on each side. There were also, with the English, two valiant knights from the county of Foix, whom I had the good fortune to meet at Orthes the year after this battle had been fought. Their names were sir John de Chlteauneuf and John de Cautiron. On my return from Foix, I met likewise at Avignon a knight and two squires of Scotland, of the party of earl Douglas. They knew me again from the recollections I brought to their minds of their own country ; for in my youth, I, the author of this history, travelled all through Scotland, and was full fifteen days resident with William earl of Douglas, father of earl James, of whom we are now speaking, at his castle of Dalkeith, five miles distant from Edinburgh. Earl James was then very young, but a promising youth, and he had a sister called Blanche.* I had ray information, therefore, from both parties, who agree that it was the hardest and most obstinate battle that ever was fought. This I readily believed, for the English and Scots are excellent men-at-arms, and whenever they meet in batde they do not spare each other ; nor 19 there any check to their courage so long as their weapons endure. When they have well beaten each other, and one party is victorious, they are so proud of their conquest, that they ransom their prisoners instantly, and in such courteous manner to those who have been taken, that on their. departure they return them their thanks. How- ever, when in battle, there is no boy's play between them, nor do they shrink from the combat ; and you will see, in the further detail of this battle, as excellent deeds performed as were ever witnessed. CHAPTER CXXVII. THE EAUL of DOUGLAS, IN RALLYING HIS MEN WHO WERE RETREATING, IS MORTALLY WOUNDED. SIR RALPH PERCY, BADLY WOUNDED, SUR. RENDERS TO SIR JOHN MAXWELL, WHO PUTS HIM IN THE HANDS OF THE EARL OF MORAY. The knights and squires of either party were anxious to continue the combat with vigor, as long as their spears might be capable of holding. Cowardice was there unknown, and the most splendid • " Blanche." Earl William Douelas was liral married to Margaret, daughter of the earl of Mar. By her he had two children, James, who succeeded him in bis honors, and isabel. courage was everywhere exhibited by the gallant youths of England and Scotland : they were so closely intermixed, that the archers' bows were useless, and they fought hand to hand without either bat- talion giving way.* The Scots behaved most valiantly, for the Eng. lish were three to one. I do not mean to say the English did not acquit themselves well ", for they would sooner be slain or made pris. oners in battle, than reproached with flight. As I before mentioned, the two banners of Douglas and Percy met, and the men-at-arms, under each, exerted themselves by every means, to gain the victory; but the English at this attack, were so much the stronger, that the Scots were driven back. The earl of Douglas, who was of a high spirit, seeing his men repulsed, seized a battle-axe with both hia hands, like a gallant knight, and, to rally his men, dashed into the midst of his enemies, and gave such blows on all around him, that no one could withstand them, but all made way for him on every side ; for there were none so well armed with helmets or plates but that they suffered from his battle-axe. Thus he advanced, like another Hector, thinking to recover and conquer the field, from hia own prowess, until he was met by three spears that were pointed at him : one struck him on the shoulder, another on the stomach, near the belly, and the third entered his thigh. He could never disen- gage himself from these spears, but was borne to the ground fight- ing desperately. From that moment he never rose again. Some of his knights and squires had followed him, but not all ; for though the moon shone it was rather dark. Tiie three English lances knew they had struck down some person of considerable rank, but never thought it was earl Douglas: had they known it, they would have been so rejoiced that their courage would have been redoubled, and the fortune of the day had consequently been determined to their side. The Scots were also ignorant of their loss until the battle was over, otherwise they would certainly, from despair, have been discomfited. I will relate what befel the earl afterwards. As soon as he fill, hia head was cleaved with a battle-axe, the spear thrust through hia thigh, and the main body of the English marched over him without paying any attention, not supposing him their principal enemy. In another part of the field, the earl of March and Dunbar combated valiantly ; and the English gave the Scots full employment who had followed the earl of Douglas, and had engaged with the two Percies. The earl of Moray behaved so gallantly in pursuing the English, that they knew not how to resist him. Of all the battles that have been described in this history, great and small, this of which I am now speaking was the best fought, and the most severe ; for there was not a man, knight or squire, who did not acquit himself gallantly, hand to hand with his enemy. It resembled something that of Coch- erel, which was as long and as hardily disputed. The sons of the earl of Northumberland, sir Henry and sir Ralph Percy, who were leaders of this expedition, behaved themselves like good knighta in the combat. Almost a similar accident befel sir Ralph as that which happened to the earl of Douglas ; for, having advanced too far, he was surrounded by the enemy and severely wounded, and, being out of breath, surrendered himself to a Scots knight, called sir John Maxwell, who was under the command, and of the household of the earl of Moray. When made prisoner, the knight asked him who he was ; for it was dark, and he knew him not. Sir Ralph was so weakened'by loss of blood, which was flowing from his wound, that he could scarcely avow himself to be sir Ralph Percy. " Well," replied the knight, " sir Ralph, rescued or not, you are my prisoner : my name is Maxwell." " I agree to it," said sir Ralph ; " but pay some at tention to me ; for I am so desperately wounded that my drawers and greaves are full of blood." Upon this, the Scots knight was very attentive to him ; when suddenly hearing the cry of Moray hard * Lord Berners is always best when battles occur. His spirit arises, and his word* sound like the neiiih of the war-horse. We can give here his version of the combat at Otterbourne. "Knishtes and squyeR were of good courage on bothe parties to fyghte valyauntly, cowardes there had no place, but hardynesse rayned with goodly teutea of armes. for knyghtes and squires were so joined togyder at hande strokes, that archers had no place of nether party. There the Scottes shewed great hardynesse and fought meryly, with great desyre of honour ; the Englysshmen were three to one. Ilowboit I say net but Eoglysshmen dyd nobly acquyte themselfe, for ever the Englysshmen had rather ben shiyne or taken in the place than flye. Thus as I have sayd the baners of Douglas and Percy nnd their men were met cache against other, envyous who sliulde Wynne the honour of that journey. .\t the begynnynge the Englysshmen were so stronge, that they reculed bacbe their enemyes. Than the erle Duglass. wlio was of great harte and hyph enterprise, seeyinge his men recule backe, than to recover the place and sliewe knyghtly valure. he toke his a.^e in bothe his handes and entered so into the prease that lie made hymselfe waye in such wyse that uone durste nproche nere hyni. and he was so well armed that he bare well of such strokes as he recyued. Thus lie wenle ever forwarde lyk a hardy Hector, wyllynge alone to conquere the field, and to discomfyte his enemyes. But at Inste he was encountred witli thre speares all at ones ; the one strake hym on the shoulder, the other on the breste, a»d ike stroke glemtcd doioie to his bely, and the thyrd slrake him in the thye, and sore hurt with all three strokes so that be was home perforce to the erthe. and after that he culde nat again be releved. Some of his knyghtes and squyres folowed hym, but nat all, for it was nyght, and no lyght but by tlie shynj-nge of the mone. The Englysshmen knew well they had borne one down to the erth, but they wyst nat who it was. for if they had knowen that it had bene the erle of DuglasB, they had bene thereof so joyful and so prowde that the vyctorye had bene theirs. Nor also the Scottes knew nat of that adventure tyll the ende of the batayle. for if they had knowen it they should have bene so sore dyspayred and dyscornged that they wolde have fledde awaye. Thus as the erle Duglass was telled to the erth. he was stricken into the heed with an a-\e. and another stroke throughe Uie thye. The Englysshmen passed lortJie and tooke no hede of hym ; they thoughte none otjierwjse but that Uier hadde siayne a man-at-armes."— £p. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 483 by, and perceiving the carl's banner advancing to Iiim, sir Jolin ad. dressed liiniself to the earl of Jloray, and said, " My lord, I present you with sir Ralph Percy, as a prisoner ; but let good care be taken of him, for he is very badly wounded." The earl was much pleased St this, and replied, " Maxwell, thou hast well earned thy spurs this . day." He then ordered his men to take every care of sir Ralph, who bound up and stanched his wounds. The battle still continued to rage, and no one could say at that moment which side would be the conqueror, for there were many captures and rescues that never came to my knowledge. Death of Douglas. Designed from MSS. lUuminations of the 15th century. CHAPTER CXXVIII. THE EAKL OF DOrGLAS, TBOrGH MORTALLY WOITJDED, ORDERS HIS BAN- NEB TO RE RAISED, AS THE BEARER HAD BEEN SLAIN, AND FORBIDS HIS LAMENTABLE STATE TO BE MADE KNOWN TO HIS MEN, LTRGING THEM ON TO THE COMBAT, BY WHICH THEY DEFEAT THEIR ENEMIES AND MAKE SIR HENRY TLRCY WITH MANY MOKE FRISONERS. The young earl of Douglas had this night performed wonders in arms. When he was struck down, there was a great crowd round him; and he could not raise himself, for the blow on his head was mortal. His men had followed him as closely as they were able ; and there came lo him his cousins, sir James Lindsay, sir John and sir Walter Sinclair, with other knights and squires. They found by his side a gailani kniyht that had constantly attended him, who was his chaplain, and had at this time exchanged his profession for that of a valiant man-at-arms. The whole night ho had followed the earl with his battle-axe in hand, and had by his exertions more than once repulsed the English. This conduct gained the thanks of his coun. trymen. and turned nut to his advantage, for in the same year he was promoted to the archdeaconry and made canon of Aberdeen. His name was sir William of North Berwick. To say the truth, he was well formed in all his limbs to shine in battle, and was severely wounded at this combat. When these knights came to the earl of Douglas, they found him in a melancholy state, as well as one of his knightg, sir Robert Hart, who had fought by his side the whole of the night, and now lay beside him, covered with iifteen wounds from lances and other weapons. Sir John Sinclair asked the earl, " Cousin, how fares it with you ?" *' But so so," replied he. " Thanks to God, there are but few of my ancestors who have died in chambers or in their beds. I bid you, therefore, revenge my death, for I have but little hope of living, as my heart becomes every minute more faint. Do you Waiter and sir John Sinclair raise up my banner, for certainly it is on the ground, from the death of David Campbell, that valiant squire, who bore it, and who refused knighthood from my hands this day, though he was equal to the most eminent knights for courage or loyalty ; and con- tinue to shont 'Douglas '.' but do not tell friend or foe whether I am in your company or not ; for, should the enemy know the truth, they will be greatly rejoiced." The two brothers Sinclair, and sir John Lindsay, obeyed his orders. The banner was raised and " Douglas !" shouted. Their men, who had remained behind, hearing the shouts of " Douglas !" so often repeated, ascended a small eminence, and pushed their lances with such courage that the English were repulsed, and many killed or struck to the ground. The Scots, by thus val- iantly driving the enemy beyond the spot where the earl of Douglas lay dead, for he had expired on giving his last orders, arrived at his banner, which was borne by sir John Sinclair. Numbers were con- tinually increasing, from the repeated shouts of " Douglas \" and the greater part of the Scots knights and squires were now there. The earls of Moray and March, with their ban. ners and men, came hither also. When they were all thus collected, perceiving the English retreat, they renewed the battle with greater vigor than before. To say the truth, the Eng- lish had harder work than the Scots, for they had come by a forced march that even- ing from Newcastle on Tyne, which was eight English leagues distant, to meet the Scots, by which means the greater part were exceeding- ly fatigued before the combat began. The Scots, on the contrary, had reposed them, selves, which was to them of the utmost advantage, as was apparent from the event of the battle. In this last attack, they so completely repulsed the Engli.sh, that the latter could never rally again, and the former drove them far be. yond where the earl of Doug- las lay on the ground. Sir Henry Percy, during this at- tack, had the misfortune to fall into the hands of the lord Montgomery, a very valiant knight of Scotland. They had long fought hand to hand with much valor, and without hindrance from any one ; for there was neither knight nor squire of either party who did not find there his equal to fight with, and all were fully engaged. In the end, sir Henry was made prisoner by the lord Montgomery. You would have seen, in this engagement, such knights and squires as sir Malcolm Drummond, sir Thomas of Erskine, sir William, sir James and sir Alexander Lindsay, the lord Saltoun, sir John Sandi. lands, sir Patrick Dunbar, sir John and sir Walter Sinclair, sir Patrick Hepburne and his two sons, the lord Montgomery, sir John Maxwell, sir Adam Glendinning, sir William Redoue,* sir William Stuart, sir John Haliburton, sir John Lundie, sir Robert Lauder, sir Alexander Ramsay, sir Alexander Frazer, sir John Edmonstone, sir William Wardlaw, David Fleming, Robert Campbell and his two sons, John and Robert, who were that day knighted, and a hundred other knights and squires, whose names I cannot remember; but there was not one who did not most gallantly perforin his part in this engagement. On the side of the English, there were sir Ralph de Langley, sir .Matthew Redman, sir Robert of Ogle, sir Thomas Graham, sir Thomas Haltoun, sir John Felton, sir Thomas Abington, sir John de Lilburn, sir William Walsingham, the baron de Haltoun, sir John de Copeland, seneschal of York, and many more, who on foot main- tained the fight vigorously, both before and after the capture of sir Heniy Percy. t The battle was severely fought on each side ; but such is the fickleness of fortune, that though the English were a more numerous body of able men-at-arms, and at the first onset had re. pulsed the Scots, they in the end lost the field ; and all the above, named knights, except sir Matthew Redman, governor of Berwick, were made prisoners. But he, seeing they were defeated without hopes of recovery, and the English flying in all directions, while his brother knights were surrendering themselves to the Scots, mounted his horse, and rode off. Just as the defeat took place, and while the combat was continued in different parts, an English squire, whose name was Thomas Fel- ton, and attached to the household of lord Percy, was surrounded by a body of Scots. He was a handsome man, and as he showed, val. * Rutherford or Rutliven.— Ed. t The names of the parties on lioth side* were rectified by Mr. Johnes. assisted by sir Waller S.-ott, .ind have been further corrected from the recent Frencli edition of M. Buchon. wlio has cle.ired up many difficulties by reference to the MSS. to wiiich he has had access.— Ed. 48^ CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. iant in arms. He had that and the preceding night been employed in collecting the best arms, and would neither surrender nor dejgn to fly. It was told me, that he had made a vow to that purpose, and had declared at some feast in Northumberland, that at the very first meeting of tlie Scots and English, he would acquit himself so loyally that for having stood Ms ground, he should be renowned as the best combatant of both parties. I also heard, for I never saw him, that I know of, that his body and limbs were of a strength befitting a vigor- ous combatant ; and he performed such deeds of valor, when engaged with the banner of the earl of Moray, as astonished the Scots, but he was slain while thus valiantly fighting. They would willingly have made him a prisoner for his courage ; and several knights proposed it to him, but in vain, for he thought he should be assisted by his friends. Thus died Thomas Felton, while engaged with a cousin of the king of Scotland, called Simon Glendinning, much lamented by his party. According to what I heard, this battle was very bloody from its commencement to the defeat : but when the Scots saw the English were discomfited and surrendering on all sides, they behaved cour- teously to them, saying, " Sit down and disarm yourselves, for I am your master;'' but never insulted them more than if they had been brothers. The pursuit lasted a long time, and to the length of five English miles. Had the Scots been in sufficient numbers, none would have escaped death or captivity ; and if sir Archibald Doug- las, the earl of Fife, the earl of Sutherland, with the division that had marched for Carlisle, had been there, they would have taken the bishop of Durham and the town of Newcastle on Tync, as I ehall explain to you.* CHAPTER CXXIX. TUE BISHOP OF PURHAM IS AKXIOVS TO SUCCOR THE ENGLISH AND KESCtTE SIR HENRY PERCY, BUT IS SO BADLY StTPPORTED BY HIS MEN, THAT HE IS FORCED TO RETREAT. HE MAKES SIR JAMES LINDSAY PRISONER, WHO HAD TAKEN SIR MATTHEW REDSIAN. The same evening that sir Henry and sir Ralph Percy had left Newcastle, the bishop of Durham, with the remainder of the forces of that district, had arrived there and supped. While seated at table, he considered that he should not act very honorably if he remained in the town while his countrymen had taken the field. In conse. quence, he rose from table, ordered his horses to be saddled, and his trumpets to sound for those who had horses to make themselves ready, and the infantry to be drawn out in array for quitting the place. When they had all left it, they amounted to seven thousand men ; that is, two thousand on horseback and five thousand on foot. Although it was now night, they took the road toward Ottcrboiirne ; but they had not advanced a league from Newcastle before intelli- gence was brought that the English were engaged with the Scots. On this, the bishop halted his men ; and several more joined them, out of breath from the combat. They were asked how the atlair went : they replied, '■ Badly, and unfortunately : we are defeated, and here are the Scots close to our heels." This second intelligence, being worse than the first, gave the alarm to several, who broke from their ranks ; and when, shortly after, crowds came to them flying like men defeated, they were panic-struck, and so frightened with the bad news, that the bishop of Durham could not retain five hun- dred of his men together. Now, supposing a large body had come upon them and followed them in their flight (with the addition of its being night,) to regain * Tlirough the kindness of my friends nt Edinburgh, particularly Dr. Robert Anderson and Walter Scott, Esq. to whom tlie public are indebted for many instructive and amusing pprformances. I am enabled to clear up, in some measure, my historian's blunder's in the names of the heroes at this celebrated battle, and to add a few more par ticulars concerning it. " The present mansion of Otlerbourne, belonging to Mr. Ellis of Newcastle, is founded upon the ancient castle or tower which Douyias was besieging when attacked by Percy. The fielil of battle is still called BatUe-crcfts. There is a cross erected on the spot where Douglas fell." See Uie two ballads on tliis battle, published by Dr. Percy in his Rclitiues of Ancient English Poetry, and by Walter Scott, Esq. in his Border MirislreUy : from the Scots ballad I extract as follows. " Douglas was armed with an iron mace, which few but he could wield, and rushed into the combat, followed only by liis chaplain anil his two squires. Before his followers could come up, their brave leader lay streU;hed on the ground, witJi three mortal wounds, and liis two squires dead by his side: the priest alone, armed with a lance, was pro- tecting his master from further injury. ' 1 die like my forcfrthei-s,' s.iid the expiring hero, ■ in a field of battle, and not on a bed of sickiieas. Conceal my ileaili, defend my standard, and avenge ray fail. It is an old proverb, that a dead man shall gain a held, and I hope it will be accomplished this night.* ** The two squires of the body to Douglas were Robert Hart and Simon Glendinning : tlie chaplain, Richard Lundie. afterwards archdeacon of Aberdeen. •• The banner of Douglas was bor.;e by his natural son. -\rchibald Douglas, ancestor of the family of Cavers hereditary shoriffs of Tiviotdale, amopg wiiose archieves this glorious relic is sliU jiroserved. The earl, at the onset, is said to have charged his son to defend it to the last drop of his blood. " Hotspiir for his ransom to the lord Montgomery, budt the Castle of Penoon, in Ayrshire, beloiigmg to ihe family of Montgomery, now earls of Eglintoun." ^ 1.1 thiSfballad, Douglas is said to have been murdered by one of his own men ; and, in the introductory discourse there seems to have been a traditionary foundalion for it, snd the very person is named that was supposed to have done the deed ; but Mr. Scott rejects this as totally untrue, and arising Iron, the common desire of assigning some re- mote and extraordinary cause for the death of a great man Dr. Percy says in a note that "Otterbourne is near the old Walling-strcet road, in the rarish of FJsdon. 1 he Scots were encamped on a grassy plain near the river Read The place where the Scots and English fought is still called Battle-rig-s." the town, would not there have been much mischief? for those ac- quainted with arms imagine the alarm would have been so great, that the Scots would have forced their way into the place w-ith them. When the bishop of Durham, who was eager to reinforce the Bng. lish, saw his own men thus join the runaways in their flight, he de. manded from sir William de Lussy,* sir Thomas Cliff'ord and other knights of his company, what they were now to do ? These knighta could not, or would not advise him : for to return without having done anything would be dishonorable, and to advance seemed at. tended with danger, they therefore remained silent ; but the longer they waited, the more their men decreased in numbers. The bishop at length said, " Gentlemen, everything considered, there is no honor in fool-hardiness, nor is it requisite that to one misfortune we add another : we hear and see that our men are defeated : this we can. not remedy ; for, should we attempt to reinforce them, we scarcely know whither we should go, nor what numbers the enemy consist of. We will return this night to Newcastle, and to.morrow reas. semble and march to find our enemies." They replied, " God assist us in it !" Upon this they marched back to Newcastle. Observe the consequences of this alarm ; for had they remained steady in a body, as they had left Newcastle, and forced the runaways to return with them, they must have defeated the Scots, which was the opin. ion of many. But it was not to be so, and the Scots remained vie- torious. I will say something of sir Matthew Redman, who had mounted his horse to escape from the battle, as he alone could not recover the day. On his departure, he was noticed by sir James Lindsay, a valiant Scots knight, who was ne'ur him, and, through courage and the hope of gain, was desirous of pursuing him. His horse was ready, and leaping on him with his battle-axe hung at his neck, and spear in hand, galloped after him, leaving his men and the battle, and came so close to him, that he might, had he chosen, have hit him with his lance ; but he said, " Ha, sir knight, turn aboul : it ia disgraceful thus to fly ; I am James Lindsay ; and, if you do not turn, I will drive my spear into your back." Sir Matthew made no reply, but stuck spurs harder into his horse than before. In this state did the chase last for three miles, when sir Matthew's horse stumbling under him, he leaped oft', drew his sword from the scab- bard, and put himself in a posture of defence. The Scots knight made a thrust at him with his lance, thinking to strike him on the breast ; but sir Matthew, by writhing his body, escaped the blow, and the point of the lance was buried in the ground, and there re. mained fixed. Sir Matthew now stepped forward, and with hia sword cut Ihe spear in two. Sir James Lindsay, finding he had lost his lance, flung the shaft on the ground, and, dismounting, grasped his batde-a.xe, which was slung across his shoulder, and handled it with one hand very dex. terously, for the Scots are accustomed thus to use it, attacking the knight with renewed courage, who defended himself with much art. They pursued each other for a long time, one with the battle-axe and the other with the sword, for there was no one to prevent them; but, at last, sir James laid about him such heavy blows, that sir Matthew was quite out of breath, which made him surrender ; and he said, " Lindsay, I yield myself to you," " Indeed !" replied the Scots knight, " rescued or not." "I consent," said sir Matthew: " you will take good care of me." " That I will," answered sir James. Sir Matthew on this put his sword in the scabbard, and said, " Now, what do you require of nic, for I am your prisoner by fair conquest ?" "And what is it you would wish me to do ?" re- plied sir James. " 1 should like," answered sir Matthew, " to return to Newcastle ; and, within fifteen days, I will come to you in any part of Scotland you shall appoint." '• I agree," said sir James, " on your pledging yourself, that within three weeks you be in Edinburgh; and wherever you may go, you acknowledge yourself as my pria. oner." Sir Matthew having sworn to observe these conditions, each sought his horse, that was pasturing hard by, and, having mounted, took leave and departed, sir James by the way he had come, to join his countrymen, and sir Matthew to Newcastle. Sir James, from the darkness of the night, as the moon did not shine very clear, mistook his road, and had not advanced half a league before he fell in with the bishop of Durham and more than five hundred English : he might have escaped tliis danger had he chosen it, but he thought they were his friends in pursuit of the enemy. When in the midst of them, those nearest asked who he was. He replied, "I am sir James Lindsay." Upon this, the bishop, who was within hearing, pushed forward and said, " Lindsay, you are taken : surrender yourself to me." " And who are you ?" said Lindsay. "lam the bishop of Durham." " And where do you come from ?" added Lindsay. " By my faith, friend, I intended being at the batde, but unfortunately was too late ; and in despair I am re. turning to Newcastle, whither you will accompany me." " If yoa insist on it I must comply," answered sir James; "but I have made a prisoner, and am now one myself: such is the chance of war." " Whom have you taken ?" asked the bishop. " I have captured and ransomed, after a long pursuit, sir Matthew Redman." "And where is he ?" said the bishop. " On my failh," replied sir JameB, " he is returned to Newcastle : he entreated I would allow him three weeks' liberty, which I complied with." " Well, well," said the *"DeLus.-y." Q. Lucy. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN. &. c . 465 bishop, " let us go on to Newcnsili', where you shall converse with him." Thus tliey returned to Newcastle, sir Janics Lindsay as pris oner to the bishop of Durham. Under the banner of the earl of March, a squire of Gascony, John de Ch&teanneuf, was made pris. oner, as was his companion, John de Cauteron, under the banner of the earl of Moray. CHAPTER CXXX. THE BISHOP OF DURHAM MARCHES ON THE MORROW OF THE BATTLE TO THE SCOTS CAMP, BUT RETIRES WITHOUT DARING TO ATTACK IT. THE SCOTS RETURN TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY. Before the dawn of day, the field was clear of combatants. The Scots had retired within their camp, and had sent scouts and parties of light-horse toward Newcastle and on the adjacent roads, to ob- serve whether the English were collecting in any large bodies, that they might not a second time be surprised. This was wisely done : for when the bishop of Durham was returned to Newcastle, and had disarmed himself at his lodgings, he was very melancholy at the un- fortunate news he had heard that his cousins, the sons of the earl of Northumberland, and all the knights who had followed them, were either taken -or slain. He sent for all knights and squires at the time in Newcastle, and demanded if they would suffer things to re. main in their present state, for that they would be disgraced should they return without ever seeing their enemies. They held a coun. cil, and determined to arm themselves by sunrise, and to march horse and foot after the Scots to Otterbourne and offer them battle. This resolution was published throughout the town, and the trumpets sounded at the appointed hour. The whole army made themselves ready, and were drawn up be- fore the bridge. About sunrise they left Newcastle, through the gate leading to Berwick, and followed the road to Otterbourne. They amounted in the whole, including horse and foot, to ten thou- sand men. They had not advanced two leagues before it was sig- nified to the Scots, that the bishop of Durham had rallied his troops and was on his march to give them battle. This was likewise con- firmed by their scouts, who brought the same intelligence. Sir Matthew Redman, on his return to Newcastle, told the event of the battle, and of his being made prisoner by sir .Tames Lindsay, and learnt, to his surprise, from the bishop, or from some of his peo- ple, that sir James had in his turn been taken by the bishop. As soon, tlierefore, as the bishop had quilted Newcastle, sir Matthew went to his lodgings in search of his master, whom he found veiy melancholy, looking out of a window. " What has brought you here, sir James ?" was the first salute of sir Matthew. Sir James, interrupting his melancholy thoughts, advanced to meet him. bade him good day, and replied, " By my faith, Redman, ill luck ; for I had no sooner parted with you, and was returning home, than I fell in with the bishop of Durham, to whom I am prisoner, in like man- ner as you are to me. I believe there will be no need of your com- ing to Edinburgh to obtain your ransom, for we may finish the busi. ness here if my master consent to it."' " We shall soon agree as to that," replied Redman : " but you must come and dine with me ; for the bishop and his men have marched to attack your countrymen. I know not what success they will have, nor shall we be informed till their return." " I accept your invitation," answered Lindsay. In such manner did these two enjoy each other's company in New- castle. The barons and knights of Scotland, on being informed of the bishop of Durham's approach with ten thousand men, held a council, whether to march away or to abide the event. On mature conside. ration, they resolved on tlie latter, from the difficulty of finding so -Strong a position to defend themselves and guard their prisoners, of whom they had many. These they could not carry away with them, on account of the wounded, nor were they willing to leave them be- hind. They formed themsalves in a strong body, and had fortified their camp in such a manner that it could be entered by only one pass. They then nnde their prisoners swear, that rescued or not they would acknowledge themselves prisoners. When this was all done, they ordered their minstrels to play as merrily as they could. The Scots have a custom, when assembled in arms, for those who are on foot to be well dressed, each having a large horn slung round his neck, in the manner of hunters, and when they blow all together, the horns being of different sizes, the noise is so great it may be heard four miles off", to the great dismay of their enemies and their own delight. The Scots commanders .ordered this sort of music now to be played. • The bishop of Durham with his banner, under which were at least ten thousand men, had scarcely approached within a league of the Scots, when they began to play such a concert, that it seemed as if all the devils in hell had come thither to join in the noise, so that those of the English who had never before heard such, were much frightened. This concert lasted a considerable time, and then ceased. After a pause, when they thought the English were within half a league, they recommenced it, continuing it as long as before, when it again ceased. The bishop, however, kept advancing with his men in battle-array until they came within sight of the enemy, two bow-shots oft": the Scots then began to play louder than before, and for a longer time, during which the bishop examined with surprise how well they had chosen their encampment, and strengthened it to their advantage. Some knights held a council how they should act, and it seemed that, after much deliberation, they thought it not ad visatble to risk an attack, for there were greater chances of loss than gain, but determined to return again to Newcastle. The Scots, perceiving the English were retreating, and that there was no appearance of any battle, retired within their camp to refresh themselves with meat and liquor. They then made preparations for departure : but because sir Ralph Percy had been dangerously wounded, he begged of his master to allow him to return to New. castle, or wherever else in Northumberland he niigh have his wounds better attended to, and remain there untd cured ; and in case this favor was granted him, as soon as he should be able to mount a horse, he pledged to sunender himself at Edinburgh, or in any other part of Scotland. The earl of Moray, under whose banner he had been taken, readily assented to this request, and had a litter prepared for him. In a similar manner, several knights and squires obtained their liberty, fixing on a time to return in person to those who had captured them, or to send the amount of their ransoms.* I was told by those who were of the victorious party, that at this battle, which was fought in the year of grace 1388, between New. castle and Otterburne, on the 19th day of August, there were taken or left dead on the field, on the side of the English, one thousand and forty men of all descriptions; in the pursuit eight hundred and forty, and more than one thousand wounded. Of the Scots, there were only about one hundred slain, and two hundred made prisoners. As the English were flying, they at times rallied, and returned to combat those who were pursuing them, whenever they thought thejr had a favorable opportunity, and it was thus their loss was so con- siderable in the pursuit. You may judge, from the number of killed and prisoners on each side, if this battle was not hardily fought. When everything had been arranged, and the dead bodies of the earl of Douglas, sir Robert Hart and sir Simon Glendinning were inclosed within coffins, and placed on cars, they began their march, carrying with them sir Henry Percy and upward of forty English knights. They took the road to Melrose on the Tweed, and oa their departure they set fire to their huts. They lodged this night in England without any opposition, and on the morrow decamped very early and arrived at Melrose, which is an abbey of black monks, situated on the borders of the two kingdoms. They there halted, and gave directions to the friars for the burial of the earl of Douglas, whose obsequies were very reverently performed on the second day after their arrival. His body was placed in a tomb of stone, with the banner of Dougla.s suspended over it. Of this earl of Douglas, God save his soul ! there was no issue, nor do I know who succeeded to the estate of Douglas ; for when I, the authority of this history, was in Scotland, at his castle of Dalkeith, during the lifetime of earl William, there were only two children, a boy and a girl. There were enow of the name of Douglas ; for I knew five handsome bro- thers, squires, of this name, at the court of king David of Scotland, who were the children of a knight called sir James Douglas. t The earl's arms, of three oreilles gules on a field or, descended to them ; but I am ignorant to whom fell the land.t You must know, that the sister of Archibald Douglas whom I have often mentioned as a gal- lant knight, and one much feared by the English, was a bastard. When they had finished the business which had brought them to Melrose, they departed, each to his own country ; andjhose who had prisoners carried them with them, or ransomed them before they left Melrose. In this manner the English found the Scots very courteous and accommodating, which pleased them much, as I learnt at the castle of the count de Foix from John de Chateauneuf, who had been made prisoner under the banner of the earl of March and Dunbar: he praised the earl exceedingly for his generosity in allowing him to fix his ransom at his pleasure. Thus did these men-at-anns separate, having very soon and handsomely setded the amount of the ransoms for their prisoners, who by degrees returned to their homes. It was told me, and I believe it, that the Scots gained two hundred thou- sand francs from the ransoms ; and that never since the battle of Bannockburn, when the Bruce, sir William Douglas, sir Robert de Versy and sir Simon Frazer pursued the English for three days, have they had so complete nor so gainful a victory. When the news of it was brought to sir Archibald Douglas, the • Tlie rtinsoms were estimated M 200,000 francs. Kobert HI. granteil to Henry Pres- ton, for the redemption of Ralpli Percy, the lands and baronies of Frondin, Aberdeen- shire, the town of Fyvie. and place thereof, the town of Meikle Gaddies. die five mark land of Park-hill. Scots Cal. f. 104. Froissarlapparentlverrs in the nome of liis captor; yet Mar had Wt. a year for a third of it, tlie whole of it exceeding 600/.— PikkertoN's Hist, of Scot/anf/, vol. ii. p. 41. jwte. t Earl James Douglas married the lady Isabella Stuart, daughter of king Robert II., and dying without lawful issue, was succeeded by his brother. Archibald lord Gnllowny, called Archibald the Grim. This last was the issue of enri VVdIiam's second marriass wilh MargnKt. daughter of Patrick earl of March.— Crawford's Peerage of Scot- land. , . n X These a.nis, according to Crawford, must be wrong ; for. m his Peerage. Uie arms are dojcribed as " Four coats quarterly ; 1. Azure, a lion rampant, crowned with aa imperial crown, or ; 2. A lion rampant gules, surmounted of a ribbon sable ; 3. Or. a fesee cheque, azure and argent, surmounted of a bend sable, charged with five buckles, or- 4. .Urgent, three pyles gules, over all. in a shield of pretence argent, a heart, gules, cnsigned with' an imperial crown, or, on a chief azure, three mollels of the first, sup- ported on the dexter wilh a savage, wreathed about the loins with laurel, and on tha sinister by a stag proper; crest a salamander vomiting fire: motto, Jamais arriere. all within a compartment of stakes impaled " 486 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE. SPAIN, &c. earls of Fife and Sutlierland, before Carlisle, where they were with the larger division of the army, they were greatly rejoiced, but at the same time vexed that they had not been present. They held a council and determined to retreat into Scotland, since their compan- ions had already marched thither. In consequence, they broke up their camp and reentered Scotland. We will now leave the English and Scots, and speak of the young king of France, and the large array he marched info Germany to re. venge himself on the duke of Gueldres, CHAPTER CXXXI. THE KING OF FRANCE ENTERS THE DCCHY OF LVXEMBOURG, ON HIS MARCH TO GUELDRES. THE DUKE OF JULIERS, FATHER OF THE DUKE OF GUEL- BKES, MAKES EXCUSES FOR HIS SON TO THE KING OF FRANCE. HE IS GRACIOUSLY RECEIVED, AND HAS THE TERRITORY OF VIERSON RESTORED TO HIM, FOR WHICH HE FAYS HOMAGE TO THE KING. When the king of France and his army had crossed the Meuse at the bridge of Morsay,* they took the road to the Ardennes and bishopric of Luxembourg, and had always in advance a large body of pioneers to clear the bushes and level the roads. Tlie king's army was very numerous, and well appointed. The duke of Juliets and his subjects much dreaded their approach, for they knew they should be first attacked ; and the country of Juliers is so level that the men-at-arms would in one day despoil the whole, excepting a few castles and towns which would perhaps make some little resist- ance, but they could not hold out long. The king of France entered Luxembourg, and was lodged for two days at the monastery where duke Winceslaus of Brabant had been buried. At his departure, he took the road to Bastogne,t and encamped at the distance of a league from where the duchess of Brabant was lodged. The duch. ess had notified to the duke of Burgundy her arrival at Bastogne, ■who waited on her, and conducted her to the king's tent. The" king received her very kindly ; and, after they had conversed some time together, she returned to Bastogne, escorted by sir John de Vienne and sir Guy de la Tremouille. On the morrow the king continued his march until he arrived on the borders of Germany, ready to en- ter Juliers. But, before he had advanced so far, Arnold bishop uf Liege had waited on him, and had e.xerted himself much to excul- pate the duke of Juliers, and to soften the anger the king of France bore him, as father to the duke of Gueldres ; and had said to the king and his uncles, that with regard to the imprudent and outrage- ous challenge the duke of Gueldres had sent to France, he had never consulted his father on the subject, nor informed him of it until it was done, and therefore his territories ought not to suffer for it. These excuses, however, were not agreeable to the king nor to his ancles ; and it was their intention, that unless the duke of Juliers come in person, and made a more satistactory apology, putting him- self totally in the king's mercy, he and his country should be the first to pay for it. The bishop of Liege, the barons of Hasbain,J and the magistrates from the principal towns, who had accompanied the bishop, now offered the king and his uncles a free entrance for their army into their country, to pass and repass, and refresh them- selves with provision on paying for it, and to remain there if they so pleased. The king and nis uncles thanked them for their offer, which lliey did not refuse, as they were ignorant how affairs would turn out. The bishop returned to the duke of Juliers and archbishop of Co. logne, and told them all that had passed, that they might consider of it. The duke of Juliers was very much alarmed lest his country should be ruined, and sent for all those knights that were depend- ent on him, to have their advice, lor the French were daily ap- proaching. The lord de Coucy commanded the vanguard, of one thousand spears ; and with him were the duke of Lorraine and the TJscount de Meaux, with about two hundred lances more, f When the French were near the borders of Germany, they inarched in a more compact body, and took great precautions in their encampments ; for a body of three hundred Linfars,^ from the op. posite side of the Rhine, had collected together on their line of march. These are the greatest robbers and plunderers in the world; and they hovered alongside the French army, to take advantage of any negligence on their part. The French were suspicious of them, and dared not attempt foraging but in large bodies. I believe the lord Boucicaut, the elder, and sir Lewis de Grach, were made pris. oners by them, and carried to Nimeguen. These Germans rode through by.ways, and, like birds of prey, night and morning fell upon the French wherever they found a favorable opportunity ; and this had made them more careful. When the king of France was come to the confines of Juliers, and the vanguard and foragers had already entered it, the duke, un. \villing that his country should be destroyed, listened to the advice ofthe archbishop of Cologne and bishop of Liege, and consented ■* "Moi^ay." Q. Mouson, or Mexieres. t ■• Bastogne." or Basloenack, is a small tovm in the duchy of Luierabours : it was formerly more considerable, ami called llie Paris of the Ardennes J" Hasbain," a small territory in the circle of Westphalia : it forms the principal part or the bishopric of Liege. § Leichtfertig— vagabonds, freebooters.— Ed. they should negotiate with the king and his uncles, and entreat that his country should remain in peace, on such terms as I shall men tion. These two prelates, having laid the foundation for a peace, conducted the duke of Juliers into the king's presence, who was attended by his uncles, the duke of Lorraine, and other great barons of France of the blood royal, and his council. On the duke's ap. preaching the king, he cast himself on his knees, and made very handsome excuses for the challenge his son had sent to France. He told the king that his son was a madman ; that he had never con. suited him respecting this challenge, nor indeed in anything else, but always acted for himself. He offered his services to the king, and said, " My lord, with your permission, I will go to hira,and sharply remonstrate with him on his follies, and order him to come and make his apology to you and to your council. If he refuse to follow my advice, and continue to act from his own headstrong will, I offer to give you possession of all my inclosed towns and castles, for you to garrison with men-at-arms, and carry on the war against him until he shall submit himself to your mercy." The king, on this, looked at his brother, his uncles, and council, as it seemed to him, and to many who were present, a very fair ofi'er. He made the duke rise, who had hitherto continued on his knees, and said, " AVe will con- sider what you have offered, and the promises you make us." The duke, having risen, remained with the two prelates who had brought him thither ; and the king retired with his uncles and privy counsel, lors, to discuss the proposal that had been made them. This council lasted some time, and various propositions were made, each pressing his different plan. The duke of Burgundy was the most active, as indeed the matter more essentially affected him, on account of his being heir, in right of his duchess, to the succes- sion of the duchess of Brabant, and it was in tnith owing to him that the king had undertaken this e.vpedition. He was therefore very anxious that the quarrel should be amicably terminated, and a solid peace established between all parties, that there might not be any necessity for renewing the war ; for the distance was great for the king and lords, besides being very expensive, and heavy on the kingdom. After several had given their opinions, he addressed him- self to the king, to the duke of Berry, and to all present, saying : " My lord, and you brother of Berry, and gentlemen of the council, whatever is rashly or inconsiderately begun, generally ends badly. We have heard our cousin, the duke of JiiUers, excuse himself hand- somely, and we have heard the ofi'er he has made, that his son shall do so hkewise : he is of that gallantry and birth, being connected with mc by blood, that we ought to believe what he has said. He offers to the king his person, his country, his towns, and castles, in case his son shall continue obstinate, and refuse to make any apology for his rash challenge. If we have the duke of Juliers on our side, the duke of Gueldres, whom we want to punish, will be so much the more weakened, that he will the more dread us, and the sooner bend to our will. I therefore advise that the excuses of the duke of Juliers and his offer be accepted, for he has greatly humbled him- self ; and the archbishop of Cologne, the bishop of Liege, with other potent barons, entreat likewise that this may be done.'' No one making any reply, it was unanimously agreed to ; and the archbishop and bishop, who had opened the negotiation, were called in. They were told very minutely every act the duke of Juliers was to swear to perform, if he were desirous that his country should remain in peace. First, that he should go liimseh", or send to his son, the duke of Gueldres, to remonstrate with him on his folly and impertinence, in sending so unusual and rude a challenge to so pow- erful a prince as the king of France, and oblige him to come per. sonally and submit himself to the mercy of the king, if he did not satisfactorily excuse himself. Should the duke of Gueldres refuse compliance, through pride and weakness of understanding, and per- sist in his opinion, then the duke of Juliers was to engage, on his oath, not to afford him the least support^ but, on the contrary, to unite himself with his enemies, and to assist the army of the king, which during tlie ensuing winter would be quartered throughout the country of Juliers, in order to be ready to carry on the war against the duke of Gueldres ; and all towns and castles, belonging to the duke of Juliers, shall receive, on the most friendly footing, the men. at-arms of France. These two prelates, who had been solely called to the council to remonstrate touching these matters with the duke of Juliers, repeated to him what they had heard, adding such weighty reasons, that the duke assented to the terms: indeed, he saw he must do so, if he wished to preserve his country from ruin. He therefore solemnly swore to observe faithfully all the articles of the treaty, and to remain a firm friend to the king and to his uncles, for which his duchy was saved from being despoiled : but forage, of which there was enough, was completely given up to the French. Thus did the duke of Ju. liers become liege man to the king of France, and paid homage for the territory of Vierson, situated between Blois and Berry. He sup- ped that night with the king : it was on a Thursday ; and there were seated at the king's table, first, the bishop of Liege, the archbishop of Cologne, the king, the duke of Burgundy, the duke of Touraine, the. duke of Juliers, and the duke of Bourbon. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 487 CHAPTER CXXXII. KINS CHARLES VI. QUARTERS HIS ABMY, ON A FRIENDLY FOOTING, IN THE DUCHY OF JULIERS. A SQLnRE OF AUVERONE IS MURDERED BY A WOOD- CUTTER WHOM HE IS LEADING AWAY AS HIS PRISONER. Such was the conclusion of the treaties between the king of France and the duke of Juliers, by which the last enjoyed peace, although the king quartered himself and his army in his duchy, which he found a ricJi country, and full of every kind of provision. The duke of Juliers went to his son, but not immediately, and in the interval some gallant feats of arms were done ; for the Germans were so eager of gain, that they frequently, during the night or at very early morn, beat up the quarters of the French : sometimee they got the advan- tage, at other times they were made prisoners ; but for one German that was taken, they made four Frenchmen prisoners in return. In consequence, the constable of France, the lord de Coucy, the duke of Lorraine, the marshal de Blainville, sir John de Vienne, and the lord de la Trcmouille, assembled tlieir men, to the amount of about four thousand men-at-arms, and marched toward a town in Gueldres called Remogne,* and drew up in handsome array before it. At this time the duke of Gueldres was within it, and thought highly of their appearance ; but he made no sally against tliem, for his force was not equal to attempt it, which ve.xed him much. The French men- at-arms remained four hours drawn up in order of battle before the place ; but when they saw that none came out to oppose them, they retreated to their quarters. It happened that this same evening several knights and squires as- sembled at the lodgings of the duke of Berry, with the intent of making an excursion on the morrow into the enemy's country in search of adventures. They each, to the aiuount of about one hun- dred lances, pledged theinsclves to this ; but, when the morning came, the project was broken ofl". A squire from Auvergne, called Oourdi- nois, a valiant man-at-arms, and serving under the banner of the lord d'.A.Mgre, finding this exursion laid aside, was much vexed thereat ; and, speaking of it to some of his companions of as good courage as himself, they collected about thirty spears, and rode out that morning, but met with no adventure. Gourdinois was so desirous of feats of arms, that he felt sorely the disappointment of returning without having struck a blow, and said to his companions; "Do you ride on gently, while I and my page will skirt this wood, to see if there be any ambuscades, or any persons within it, and wait for me at the foot of yonder hill." Having assented to this, Gourdinois and his page left them, and rode alongside the wood. They had not ad- vanced far, when he heard some one whistle : he instantly stuck spurs into his horse, and came to a hollow road, where he found a Gueldrelander squaring timber. Gourdinois seized his spear, and charged the man full gallop, to his great astonishment, and made signs to him to follow him; for he said to himself, "At least, I shall show to my companions, that I have done something by making this man my prisoner, and he may be of some use to us in our quarters." He now set out on his return, riding on a small hackney, followed by the woodman on foot, with a large axe on his shoulder with which he had been working. The page of Gourdinois was behind mounted on his courser, bearing hia helmet and dragging his lance, half asleep from having left his bed too early. The German, who knew not whither he was going, nor what might be done to him, thought he might as well attempt to escape : he therefore advanced close to Gourdinois, and with his uplifted axe smote him such a blow on the head as split his skull to the teeth, and laid him dead on the ground. The page, from his distance and sleepiness, neither saw nor heard anything of the matter ; and the peasant ran to hide himself in tlie wood, from which he was not far off. Those who heard of this un- fortunate accident were much distressed ; for Gourdinois was well beloved by all who knew him, particularly by his countrymen in Auvergne, for he was the man-at-arms most dreaded by the English, and the person who had done them most mischief. He would never have been suffered to remain a prisoner, though twenty thousand francs had been asked for his ransom. We will now return to the duke of Juliers. CHAPTER CXXXIII. IHE DUSE OF JULIERS AND ARCHBISHOP OF COLOGNE LEAVE THE KING OF FRANCE, AND GO TO THE DUKE OF GUELDRES AT NIMEGUEN. BY THEIR REMONSTRANCES AND NEGOTIATIONS, HE OBTAINS PEACE WITH THE KING OF FRANCE AND DUCHESS OF BRABANT. You have before heard how the duke of Juliers made his peace with the king of France, through the mediation of the two prelates already mentioned and the duke of Lorraine his cousin, who had taken great pains in the business, and had gone to seek him in the town of Atdeke,t whence he had brought him, with the archbishop of Cologne, to a conference with the king of France and his uncles. The duke had then promised to oblige his son, the duke of Gueldres, to submit himself to the king, otherwise he was to unite with the king in his war against him. These terras he was forced to comply with, or hie duchy would have been destroyed. • "ReraoEne." G' t • Atdeke." Q. The duke of Juliers, having made his preparations, set out with the archbishop of Cologne for Gueldres, and having crossed tlie river Waal, arrived at Nimeguen, where the duke of Gueldres then resided. He received them most affectionately, as was but right, for what tie is nearer than that of father or mother ? He had before heard that the duke of Juliers had made his peace with the king of France, which was not very pleasing to him, but he had no occasion to show his dislike to it. The duke of Juliers and the archbishop remon- strated with him for some time on the simarion he and his country were in. At first he paid no attention ; for he had so strongly con. nected himself with the king of England, he could not immediately break it off, nor had he any inclination so to do, for his heart was devoted to the English. He argued the matter with them obstinately, declaring he would abide the event ; and if, from the arrival of the king of France with an army, he shoidd suffer any loss, he was young and might at other times revenge himself on France or on the Bra- banters their allies ; adding, that in war the chances are uncertain, and no prince can undertake one without expecting loss as well as gain. This language greatly enraged the duke of JuUers, who said, " William, how will you carry on the war ? and from whom do you expect compensation for your losses ?" " The king of England and his power," replied he ; " and I am very much astonished I have had no intelligence of their fleet ; for if they had kept their engagement, by which they were to come hither, I would more than once have beaten up the French quarters." " Do you wait for them, William?" asked the duke of Juliers. " The English have so much on their hands at this moment, they cannot give you any assistance. There is our cousin, the duke of Lancaster, at Bayonne, who has left Gas. tille with the shattered remains of his army, having lost the greater part by sickness, and by that the season for making war. He is so. liciting reinforcements of men-at-arms and archers from England, but will not obtain twenty spears. On the other hand, the English have lately experienced a severe overthrow in battle with the Scots near Newcastie-on-Tyne, in Northumberland, in which all the chivalry of the north have been made prisoners or slain. England, besides, is not unanimous in their affection to the king ; you will therefore act wisely not to depend on the English at this moment, for you will not have assistance from them, nor from any other quarter. I would therefore advise that you suffer us to manage for you, and we will pacify the king of France, and make up this quarrel without your being dishonored or a loser from it." " My lord," answered the duke of Gueldres, " how can I with honor accommodate my differ- ence with the king of France ? were I to have my country ruined, and be forced to go and live elsewhere, I would not do it: I am strongly bound to the king of England ; and for him I have defied the king of France. Do you think," added he, " that for his menaces I will recall my word or break my engagement ? You only wish my disgrace. I entreat you, therefore, to leave me to myself; I will make head against the French, for their threats do not alann me. The rain, wind, and cold weather will make war for me ; and before the month of January be arrived, they will be so worn down, that the boldest among them will wish to be at home." Neither the duke of Juliers nor the archbishop of Cologne could, at this first interview, prevail on the duke of Gueldres to change his resolution, though they were six days laboring at it, and daily in council. At length the duke of Juliers, finding his arguments of no avail, was so angry, as to say to him, " that if he did not pay more attention to his advice, he would displease him greatly, insomuch that he should never inherit one foot of his duchy of Juliets, which he would dispose of to another, who should be powerful enough to defend it against him ;" adding, " that none but a fool refused coun- sel." The duke of Gueldres, seeing his father inflamed with pas- sion, replied by way of softening matters : " Advise me, then, how with honor I may act ; and since you desire it, from my love to you, I will pay attention to it; for I assuredly owe you all obedience, and shall never in that be wanting." " Now," said the duke of Juliers, " you speak well and to the purpose ; and we will consider the matter." It was then determined, after many and long consiUtations, that the duke of Gueldres should wait on the king of France, and pay him the honor and respect befitting so great a prince, and should ex- cuse himself for having sent him such a challenge, in similar words to these : "My lord, it is very true that a letter, sealed with my sig. net, was sent into France and delivered to you, in which was con- tained a challenge draw-n up in very outrageous terms, and contrary to such as are generally used in the like cases, when princes or lords defy each other ; but this I disavow, as never having been uttered t'rom my mouth, nor written by my commands, as I would be far tVom defaming your name or rank. For the confirmation of what I now say, and to remove all doubts, I must inform you, that at the de- sire of my much-redoubted lord, the king of England, and his coun- cil, with whom I have entered into very close alliance, I sent to England four of my knights to whom I intrusted my signet, for them to seal whatever might be required of them. They were to write and seal, and not I : so that I never knew the contents of the letter sent to France until it had been sealed. Be pleased, therefore, to accept of this as my apology, for it is the truth. With regard to my oath of allegiance to my redoubted lord, the king of England, I am 488 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. resolved to adhere to it, and to obey, as far as in me lies, whatever he may command, whether to challenge you, and assemble my for- ces, wherever he may please, to oppose you or any other prince, ex- cept my natural h)rd, the emperor of Germany : for to him I have personally sworn my homage in the fullest manner. But out of re. spect and honor to you, and as some recompense for the trouble and charges you have had, in coming to this distance to learn the tiuth of this challenge, I am willing to swear, and that oath I will punctu- ally keep, that, henceforward, I will never make any war upon you Dor your kingdom without having first given you one year's notice of my intention ; and, my lord I hope you will think this sufficient." The duke of Gueldres replied, that all this he would willingly say : for it did not seem to him to convey anything blameable or dishon- orable. Upon tliis being settled, tlie duke of Juliers and the archbishop departed and returned to Juliers, and thence to Endesker.* At a proper season they waited on the king of France, and related to him and his uncles every particular which had passed between them and the duke of Gueldres ; and, that the matter might be immediately considered, they added, there could not anything more be obtained from his son. The king of France was so desirous to see his cousin the duke of Gueldres, who had given him such trouble, that he as- sented to the terms of the treaty. The duke of Burgundy was also anxious that the territories of the duchess of Brabant should remain in peace, and took pains that this treaty should be agreed to, and that the duke of Gueldres, on the strength of it, should come to them. There was also another reason for their consenting to it: winter was approaching, and the nights were already cold and long. The French lords were told that Gueldres was a miserable country to winter in, and they daily received information of losses of knights, squires, and horses, that had been captured by the ambushes of these Linfars. From all these reasons, matters were so far concluded that the duke of Gueldres came to the French camp, and was introduced by the duke of Juliers his father, the duke of Lorraine his cousin, and the archbishop of Cologne, to the king's tent. There were present, at this interview, the king's uncles, his brother the duke of Touraine, the duke of Bar, the count de la Marche, the count de St. Pol, the count daupliin d'Auvergnj, the lord de Coucy and the constable of France. Oji his entrance the duke of Gueldres cast himself on his knees before the king ; but I heard that the king made him rise, (in this matter, however, I know nothing but what I learnt from others,) and that he boldly excused himself for the challenge, in the terms you have before heard. The king accepted his apology: and he then declared, on his oath, that if he were ever again to challenge or make war on France, he would send notice of it one year before- hand. Thus did Gueldres and Brabant remain in a secure state, and those who had expected the most were the greatest losers. Everything being now settled, the duke of Gueldres supped with the king of France at his table : and I must say he was much looked at, for the great plague he had given them. These treaties were fairly written and sealed; and, when all was done, the lords took leave of each other : but, before the duke of Gueldres departed, he requested that the prisoners the French had made in this war might be given up, which ^vas agreed to in the manner he desired. The king of France demanded that all prisoners made from him shoulj likewise be set at liberty ; but the duke of Gueldres excused himself, saying : " My lord, that cannot be done : I am a poor man, and when I heard of your march hither, I strengthened myself as much as possible with knights from the other side of the Rhine and else- where, agreeing with them that everything they might take should be their own property. It is not possible for me, therefore, to de. spoil them of what I have given, nor have I the power so to do ; and, should I attempt it, they would make war upon me. Be pleased, therefore, to let this matter remain as it is, for I cannot remedy it." The king, perceiving he could not obtain anything more, bore it as well as he could, without adding a word in reply, and comforted himself on the greatness of his power that could enrich so many poor persons. They took leave of each other mutually satisfied, and or- ders were given for the army to march back to France. It was said, the king would hold the feast of All.saints in the city of Rhcims. I will now say a word of the English fleet. CHAPTER CXXXIV. THE EARL OP ARUNDEL AND HIS FLEET ARE DRIVEN BY STORMS TO LA FALICE, NEAR LA ROCHELLE. THE LORD LEWIS DE SANCERRE, HAVING HAD INFORMATION OF THIS, CHASES THEM AT SEA, BUT IN VAIN. THE DUKE OF LANCASTER HARRIES HIS DAUGHTER TO THE HEIR OF CASTILLE. Before the king of France went to Gueldres, and during the time he was there, the English fleet under the command of the earl of Arundel kept hovering along his coasts, just as the wind drove them, in search of adventures. You must know, that generally from the first of October to All-saints day the weather is stormy ; but this year it was unusually so, which shattered the English fleet, and there 'was no seaman on board, however bold ho might be, but was frightened at its violence, which forced the ships to run to any port lest worse might befal them. The earl of Arundel, with twenty-seven other vessels, made for the harbor of la Paliee, two leagues distant from la Rochelle, where he anchored : indeed, he was forced so to do, for the wind was contrary and he could not leave it. When news was brought of this to la Rochelle, the townsmen were much alarmed, thinking the English intended attacking the place : they closed their gates, and remained guarding thera for a day and a half. Intelligence came from la Paliee, that the force of the English amounted to no more than twenty-two vessels, driven thither by stress of weather, and desirous only of putting to sea again ; that, however, the earl of Arundel, sir Henry Beaumont, sir William Elmham, and upward of thirty English knights, were there. The Rochellers, on this con- sulted how to act ; and, having well considered the matter, they said they should not do their duty if they did not march to skirmish with the enemy. At this period, the lord Lewis de Sancerre, marshal of France, wo3 arrayed and marshalled before the castle of Bouteville, with a large body of the chivalry of Poitou, Saintonge and other parts, and had there inclosed William de Sainte Foix, a Gascon ; for all men-at-arms had not accompanied the king of France, and the lord de Sancerre was lieutenant of the country from Montpellier to la Rochelle, during the absence of the lord de Coucy with the army in Germany. The Rochellers determined to send information of the arrival of the Eng- lish to the lord de Sancerre, who on hearing it was much rejoiced. He ordered the townsmen to arm six or eight galleys, and to embark on board, for he was on his march to combat the English. This they did ; and sir Lewis broke up his siege and marched away, thinking it would be more to his honor and profit to engage the earl of Arun- del and the English knights lying at anchor, than to continue the siege, for he could again return to this at his pleasure. He came to la Rochelle, followed by a large body of knights and squires. I know not by what means, but the earl of Arundel had infoimation at la Paliee, that the marshal of France with a powerfvil company of knights and squires was marching to attack him. The news was not very agreeable to him ; but fortunately the weather had becoTie calm, and he instantly gave orders to weigh anchor and pat to sea. This was speedily effected : had they waited longer they would have been surrounded within the haven, and every one of his vessels must necessarily have been taken, for not one could have escaped. The galleys from la Rochelle, fully armed with cannons and other artillery, appeared in sight, steering for la Paliee, as the English were under sail. They chased them two leagues, saluting them with their cannon, but dared not follow them further, for fear of the dangers of the sea. They therefore returned to la Rochelle ; but the marshal of France was much angered against them, for hav- ing been so tardy to inform him of the arrival of the enemy. The earl of Arundel sailed for the mouth of the Garonne, to repair to Bordeaux ; and the siege of Bouteville was put an end to, for Wil. liam de Sainte Foix, during the time the marshal had gone, as he thought, to fight the English, had provided his castle with all things necessary for a long defence. We will now return to the duke of Lancaster, and speak of his negotiations with the king of Castille and duke of Berry respecting the marriage of his daughter. The king of Castille was desirous of having her for his son, as the means of peace with England. The duke of Lancaster was wise and prudent : he saw that the most ad- vantageous alliance for himself and for his country was Castille, in preference to the duke of Berry ; for by it he should recover the in. heritance of Castille for his daughter, in times to come. If he gave her to the duke of Berry, and he should die before her, she would be poor iu comparison with other ladies ; for the duke had children by his first marriage, who would be entitled to all his landed property. The duchess of Lancaster was likewise more inclined to the connec- tion with Castille, so that when sir Helion dc Lignac had left the duke, on his return to the duke of Berry in Germany, the commis- sioners from the king of Castille came forward, and pushed the mat- ter so warmly, that the marriage was agreed and sworn to, between the lady Catherine and the son of the king of Castille. Proper con. tracts were drawn up and scaled, with covenants to prevent any danger of breaking off the match; and the duchess consented, when the whole should be concluded, to conduct her daughter into Castille. ' " Bndeskcr." Q. CHAPTER CXXXV. THE KINS OF FRANCE, WHILE ON THE FRONTIERS OF JULIERS, HAS FART OF HIS CAMP SLTIPRISED, AND SEVERAL PRISONERS MADE, BY SOME GER. MAN PILLAGERS. THE KING, BEING TWENTV.ONE YEARS OF AGE, TAKES ON HIMSELF THE GOVERNMENT OF HIS KINGDOM. HE SENDS TO THE KING OF CASTILLE, ON HEARING OF THE MARRIAGE OF HIS SON WITH THE DAUGHTER OF THE DUKE OF LANCASTER, TO REMONSTRATE WITH HIM NOT TO ENTER INTO ANY TREATIES THAT MAY BE PREJUDICIAL TO HIM OR TO HIS KINGDOM. The king of France was still on the borders of Juliers, (for you have heard on what grounds peace had been made between him and the dukes of Juliers and Gueldres,) though on his march with the army back to France, when, one clear moonlight night, as they were encamped on the confines of Germany, some German robbers, who would never accept of any terms of peace, made, about midnight, aa CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, kc. 469 attack on the French. These men were under tlie lord de Blanque- nemcn and sir Peter de Arembcrg, and came well mounted, to ob- serve where they could make the severest attack on the camp. They passed the quarters of the viscount de JVIeaux, but found him and liis men on their guard ; and, having gone backward and forward with- out saying a word, they returned, to give an account to their leaders, at their ambuscade, of what they had seen. Shortly after, a large body of these Germans made an irruption on the French camp, over- throwing I know not how many, and making fourteen men-at-arms piisoners. Tlie lord de la Vieville and the lord de Montkarel were nmong the number, in consequence of great neglect in not having placed sufficient guards. When it was known, on the morrow, that these two lords were made prisoners, the army were much vexed at it, and ever afterwards were more attentive to their guards. ■ When the king left Juiiers, none of the garrisons remained behind : sir William de la Tremouille and sir Gervais de Merande joined him, and the Brabanters retired to their own homes. While on the march, and immediately on the king's return to France, it was determined, by great deliberation of the council, that the king, who had since the death of his father been under the management of his uncles, sliould now take on himself the government of the kingdom, which his uncles must resign into his hands, as they had enough to do else- where, and the king had now entered his twenty-first year. When this was made public, it gave universal satisfaction, I believe the king-, with his uncles and brother, kept the feast of All-saints at Rhcims ; and that there they first heard of peace being made between the king of Castille and duke of Lancaster, and of the marriage of the lady Catherine with the infant. The king of France laughed and joked much with his uncle, tlie duke of Berry, saying ; " Fair uncle, you have failed in your intended marriage, for another has seized the lady you meant f»r your bride. What do you say to this ? How does your courage stand ■ " The duke good-humoredly replied ; " My lord, if I have been disappointed in this, X will address myself elsewhere." Those present began to murmur about this marriage, and to say, it had not been concluded without some treaties of alliance having been fonned which might be very prejudicial hereafter to France ; " for," added some, who seemed to be fully aware of the consequences, " should England, Castille, and Portugal unite, and make war upon ns, they would be enabled to do us very serious mischief by sea and land. It will bo right for the king of France to send some discreet person to prevent this wicked king, who has thus connected himself with a dead man, (for the duke of Lancaster has neither money nor men,) from entering into any treaties without the consent of the coun- cil of France ; otherwise to say, the king would reduce him to the state of the lowest varlct, with the same ease with which he had raised him to his present state ; f^r at this moment he has no ally strong enough to support him. A war with Castille would now come very opportunely ; and, after dethroning this wicked king, the son of 41 bastard, the king might bestow the crown on his brother, the duke of Touraine, who is not over rich : he would govern it wisely, and defend it valiantly. How could this king of Castille think of enter- ing into any treaty whatever with the duke of Lancaster, unknown to our king, wlio has so generously assisted him in his distress ; and had it not been for the blood of France, he must have lost his realm. He bargains well, and has now done so ; but let it be as we say, and he will be deserted and disgraced ; and, in God's name, let such an envoy be sent thither as will be attended to, and make him feel how very ill he has behaved." These murmurings increased so much that the king, his uncles, and council, deliberated whom the}' should send to remonstrate with the king of Castille, that he enter not, at his peril, into treaties with the dukr of Lancaster and the English any way detrimental to the crown of France. If he had done so, or intended it, he was to be told, that the power of France would debase him as much, if not more, than it had exalted him; and that the king and his country would not attend to any other thing before they had completed his destruction. It was long debated wlio would be the properest per- son to send thither ; for it was agreed it should be some one of courage and well spoken, as it would be fruitless sending simple persons on such a message. There were named : the lord de Coucy, sir John de Vienne, admiral of France, and sir Guy de la Tremouille, and either of these three would be fully qualified to go to Castille. Hav- • ing considered all things, they chose sir John de Vienne ;* and it was told him, on the part of the king and his council : " Admiral, make yoiu- preparations for a jom-ney to Castille ; you will have no other than credential letters, for it is enough that you are master of the sub- ject on which you are sent. Tell the king of Castille to read or have read to him all the treaties of alliance, and promises of friend- ship, which have been formed and sworn to between the two crowns ; and remember %vell all the answers you may receive from him or his ministers on this subject, that we may regulate our conduct accord- ingly." All this, the admiral said, he would studiously attend to. The admiral was not long in making prtjjjralions for his journey, and, having taken leave of the king and his uncles, left Paris, taking the road toward Burgundy ; for he was desirous of visiting the pope and his brother at Avignon, which he did. Wc will now for a while leave him, and say something of Geoffry Tfite-noire and the siege of Ventadour, in which he was inclosed ; but we must first speak of tho duke of Berry, whose impatience t» marry again was shown within the year, when he look to himself a wife of whom I shall speak, and say who she was, and where he was married. CHAPTER CXXXVI. THE DUKE OF BEREV, BEINS DISAPPOINTED IN mS MARRIAGE WITH THE DAUGHTER OF THE DUKE OF LANCASTER, SENDS TO THE COUNT DE FOIX TO DEMAND THE DAUGHTER OF THE COtTNT DE BOULOGNE, WHOM HE HAJ) IN WARDSHIP. * Accordinc to liopez d' Ayala, Moler de Mauny. the king's chamberlain, was joined is comnii5--ion willi sir John de Vieune.— Ed. The duke of Berry, having been disappointed in marrying the daugh- ter of the duke of Lancaster, was told that the count de Boulogne had a beautiful daughter called Jane, by the lady Eleanor de Com- minges ; that she was not with her father nor mother, but in the country of B^arn with his good friend and cousin the count de Foix ; that she had been educated by the count, in hie castle of Orthfes, for the space of nine years, and he had the wardship of all her property; and that her father and mother had not anyway interfered since she had been under the care of the count, nor had the young lady cost them anything ; that she had been often demanded in marriage, but the count de Foix had turned a deaf car, saying, she was yet too young ; and in particular by sir Bernard, brother to the count d'Arm- agnac, who had repeatedly pressed the matter, promising, on the accomplishment of this marriage, to put an end to his war on B^ara and his claims on that country. Notwithstanding these fair promises, the count would not listen to him, but said that his cousin was too young. He gave, however, other reasons to his confidential friends, and said to sir Espaign du Lyon, " These Annagnacs must think me a great fool, when they ask me to consent to my destruction. If I give them my cousin, I shall add to their strength and weaken my- self. They already withhold from her by force her inheritance, in right of her mother, of Comminges ; for the count de Boulogne ia as nobody to oppose them." When the count d'Armagnac and his brother, sir Bernard, found they could not succeed, they spoke to the duke of Berrj', during the life of their aunt, his first duchess, that it would be a good match for his son John of Berry. The duke, in consequence, had sent properly qualified persons to the count de Foix in B^arn, to entreat that all former animosities might be forgiven and forgotten, and that he would consent to the marriage of his cousin and ward with his soa John : for that the count de Boulogne, her father, was very well satisfied that it should take place. ; The count entertained the envoys handsomely, but excused him. self for not complying with their demand, as the lady was too young; and because he had most solemnly promised and sworn to the coun- tess her mother, when she delivered her into his hands, that he would never betroth her to any person whatever without her knowledge. He would therefore keep his oath, and no one ought to attempt to make him break it. These were the excuses the count made ; for lie knew well that his cousin, the countess of Comminges, who re- sided with her brother the count d'Urguel, in Arragon, would never consent to her daughter's marriage with any one connected with the Armagnacs. The embassadors from the duke of Berry returned, therefore, im- successfully ; and in their absence the count de Foi.\ said, (as I learnt from sir Espaign du Lyon) — " The duke of Berry and his advisers must think me very weak and ignorant, when they propose that I should reinforce my enemies. John of Berry is cousin to my adver- saries, the Armagnacs : this match I will never consent to, and had much ratiier marry her in England ; and I have already had proposals from Henry of Lancaster, son to the duke of Lancaster. If I were not afraid of too much angering the king of France, no one else should have my cousin. At this moment I know not how to act ; but I will marry her to my own satisfaction, to prevent any of the Armag- nacs having her against my will : for, as the whole depends on my determination, I have no occasion to he melancholy, or to be very anxious on this subject." When the duke of Berry knew for certain that the duke of Lan- caster intended marrying his daughter with the infant of Castille, and that there were no hopes of breaking it off, he was so pensive and melancholy for five or six days, that those of his nearest relations ia- quircd the cause of it. Having opened his mind to them, and com- plained of his disappointment, his council replied : " Sir, if you have failed with the lady Catherine of Lancaster, you may be more suc- cessful in another quarter, with the daughter of a great lord, and who, in due time, will be a considerable heiress, though at this moment she is a litde too young for your time of life ; and I know not if the count de Foix will not on this account refuse his consent." " Is she the daughter of the count de Boulogne ?" asked the diike. " Yes, my lord." " In God's name," replied the duke, "let us make the trial." It was not long after this before he wrote to the count de Foix, to signify to him, in the most friendly manner, that he would send to him four knights of high quality, such as the count de Sanccrre, the lord de la Riviere, sir Guy de la Tremouille, and the viscount d'Assy, to treat with him for his ward, the daughter of the count de 490 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. Boulogne, ia marriage; and these lords were of such importance, as to justify him in putting implicit faith in them ; but he begged of him to send him a speedy answer to his letter, that these knights might not undertake a commission that would be unsuccessful. The count de Foix received handsomely the messengers who brought this letter, and wrote back by them to the duke of Berry, that he was very happy in the proposals he had made, and was ready to receive the four knights either in Foix or in B^arn ; but that the consent of the count and countess de Boulogne must first be had. The duke of Berry was well pleased on receiving such an answer, and negotiated with ^one and another, during the winter, that his marriage might take place in the course of the summer. The busi- ness, however, was not so soon accomplished ; for the duke of Berry knew well that the count de Foi.v was not a person to act hastily, and that there would be many questions and replies before the matter could be expected to be brought to a conclusion. He therefore pru- dently carried on the treaty, by sending special messengers to pope Clement, who was nearly related to the young lady. The pope was rejoiced at hearing his cousin would be so highly connected as with the duke of Berry, uncle to the king of France; and he wrote, in consequence, to the count de Foi.\, to notify him in an honorable manner, that he would not on any account this proposal should be rejected, for their families would be made by it. The count de Foix received letters from all quarters ; for he could, on such occasions, well dissemble his real sentiments, and yet retain the affections of all, the pope as well as the duke of Berry ; but there were none so wise among them, that knew what were the count's real thoughts. We will now leave this matter, and return to the siege of Venta. dour. CHAPTER CXXXVII. CEOFFKY TETE-NOIKE IS WOUNDED IN THE HEAD, AT A SKIK^IISH, AND COMMITS EXCESSES WHICH CAUSE HIS DEATH. HE MAKES A WILL, AND SUBSTITUTES TWO GOVEKNOKS OF VENTADOUR IN HIS KOOM. You have before heard how sir William de Lignac and sir John Bonne-lance, with many knights and squires from Auvergne and Limousin, had besieged the castle of Ventadour, and Geoffry Tete- noir within it. It was so strong, that it could not be taken by storm ; and he had laid in such stores of all things, as to secure a sufficiency for seven or eight years, without anything new being added. The besiegers, who had surrounded it with blockhouses, came at times to skirmish at the barriers ; and it happened that, at one of these, Geoffry Tete-noire advanced so far that he was struck on the head by a bolt from a cross-bow, which passed through the helmet and cap underneath, and wounded him so severely as to occasion Mm to be carried to his bed. His companions were much vexed at this, and, during the time he was in this state, all skirmishing ceased. Had he taken proper care of himselt', he would have soon been cured of this wound ; but he indtdged himself in many excesses, particularly in fornication, for which he paid dearly enough by his death. He was warned of the consequences of this conduct, and told that he was in so dangerous a condition, (the wound having become an im- posthume,) that it was necessary he should settle liis affairs. He did, and made his will in the way I shall relate. He ordered the principal persons in his garrison, and those who had been the most used to arms, into his presence ; and when they were come, he said to them, sitting up in his bed, " My fair sirs, and companions in arms, I know I am in great danger of death: we have been a long time together, and I have been a loyal captain to you all, to the utmost of my power ; I should wish, therefore, to see, before I quit this world, my successor appointed, who would gallantly be- have himself toward you and defend this castle, which I shall leave plentifully stocked with all necessary things, such as wines, provis. ions, ami artillery. I therefore beg you will tell me if you have taken any steps, or have thought of electing any one able to govern and lead you as men-at-arms ought to be governed and led, for such has been my manner of carrying on the war ; and in truth I cared not against whom. I did indeed make it under shadow of the king of England's name, in preference to any other ; but I have always looked for gain and conquest, wherever they may be had ; and such should be the conduct of adventurous companions, who are for deeds of arms and to advance themselves. This country is very fertile : many good compositions have been made with it, though the French now check them by their war ; but this cannot always last, for their blockhouses and siege must have an end. Now, tell me truly, have any of you thought of the person who is to succeed me ?" The companions remaining silent, he again addressed them with the utmost good-humor, saying, " I can easily believe you have had some conversations together on what I have mentioned ; and I also, during the time I have been forced to keep my bed, have thought on this matter for you." " Sir," replied they, " we refer the matter to you J and it will be more agreeable if it came from you than from us : you will therefore be pleased to inform us of your will." " Yes," Baid Geoffry, " I will tell you, and name those I wish to succeed me. Here is AUeyn Roux and his brother Peter, my cousins, who are good men-at-arms and of my blood : I entreat you, therefore, to ac- cept of Alleyn as your governor, and that you will swear to him, in my presence, loyalty and obedience, as well as to his brother ; but I mean that AUeyn should have the sovereign command." " Sir '*" answered they, " we wiH cheerfully do so, for you have well chosen." ' All the companions then took oaths of obedience to Alleyn Roux, and to his brother Peter. When this was done, Geoffry T^te-noire again addressed them : " Well, my friends, you have complied with my request, and I thank you for it. Because I wish you should par. ' lake of what you have helped me to conquer, I must inform you, that in that chest which you see yonder, (pointing to it with his finger,) there is a sum of thirty thousand francs. I would acquit my conscience and myself toward those who have faithfully served me : ■' say, therefore, if you will truly fulfil the articles of my will." Having said they would, he continued : " In the first place, I leave the chapel of St. George, within our walls, the sum of fifteen hundred francs for repairs and additional buildings. I give to my mistress, who has been faithfully attached to me, two thousand five hundred francs — To Alleyn Roux, your governor, two thousand francs — To my valets, de-chambre, five hundred francs — To my officers, fifteen hundred francs. The surplus I thus dispose of: you are about thirty com. panions, all engaged in the same enterprise, and you should behave like brothers to each other, without envy, riot, or strife. The sum I have mentioned you will find in the chest : divide it, therefore, among you fairly and honorably ; but should the devil get among' you, and you cannot agree, here is a well.tempered sharp axe, cut open the chest, and let those who can seize the contents." To this speech, they unanimously replied, " Lord and master, we will not disagree. We have so much loved and feared you, we will never break the chest, nor disobey any of the orders you have given us." Such as I have related was the will of Geoffry Tete-noire, who only lived two days more, and was buried in the chapel of Saint George in Ventadour. All his legacies were paid, and the overplus divided among them according to his orders, and Alleyn Roux with his brother Peter were obeyed as governors of the castle. The blockade, however, was not for this raised, nor were the skirmishes less frequent. The French knights and squires of .'Auvergne and Limousin were rejoiced at the death of Geoffry- Tete-noire, and were not so much afraid of those he had left behind, for he had been a most active and successful captain in war and in forming garrisons. We will. now return to the duke of Gueldres for a short time, and say what befel him at this season ; having already mentioned the trouble he had given to the king of France and his uncles, by forcing them to march to the borders of his country, and then to return without doing him any considerable damage. CHAPTER CXXXVIII. THE DtnCE OF GUELDRES IS MADE PRISONER IN PRUSSIA ; AND, THOUCB DELIVERED BY THE KNIGHTS OF THE TEUTONIC ORDER, HE RETURNS TO KEEP HIS FAITH TO THE PERSON WHO HAD TAKEN HIM. When the duke of Gueldres perceived that the whole army of France had retreated, and that peace was established with the duchess of Brabant and his other enemies by means of the treaties, the particulars of which you have heard related — one of the articles being understood to have been the surrender of the town of Grave within the year, on such conditions as had been agreed on between him, the duke of Burgundy and the duchess of Brabant — and when he found he had now nothing to do at home, under these circum- stances, I say, he resolved to make an excursion into Prussia. He made preparations accordingly, and, accompanied by many knights and squires of his own and other countries, began his journey thither about the octave of Saint Martin, taking his road through Germany. Wherever he passed, he was handsomely received, and arrived on the territory of Prussia. I know not how it happened, but he and his company were waylaid in the plains, and attacked by a body of men-at-arniB, of whom they had no suspicion, and for that reason they were overpowered. They lost their arms, horses, gold and silver plate, and were carried prisoners to a town hard by, where all who could ransom themselves did so : particularly the duke of Guel. dres pledged himself to a squire called Arurant ; his surname I am ignorant of; and then the duke of Gueldres and his company were led to a strong town of the duke de Stolpen, not that the duke was there in person. When the grand-master and knights of the Teutonic order heard that the duke of Gueldres had been attacked and made prisoner on his road to Prussia, they were exceedingly enraged, and said it should not remain unpunished, otherwise they would be greatly blamed. They instantly issued their summons for the attendance of their vas. sals, and marched with a large force of men-at-arms from Commis. berg* to the town wherein the duke of Gueldres was detained prisoner. The squire who had made the duke prisoner, having heard of this expedition, was alarmed for the consequences, and do- ttrmined to leave the castle, as ill might befal him should he be taken ; but before he departed he waited on the duke of Gueldres, and thus spoke : " Duke of Gueldres, you are my prisoner, and I am your master. You, as a gendeman, have pledged your faith and oath, that wherever I should please to go, thither you would follow me. I know not if you have sent for the grand-master of the Teutonic 'Commiibcrg." Q. RoningsberK- CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 491 order, but he is marching hither in such force that I do not think it prudent to wait for him. Do you remain, if you please, but I shall carry away your faith with me." To this the duke of Gueldres making no reply, the squire departed, and, ha\ing mounted his horse, rode off to a castle of greater strength ; but, on his going away, he added, " You will find me at such a place," and named to him the castle, which was very strong, and far from all roads. He was no sooner gone than the grand. master arrived, with a con. siderable force ; no one issued forth to oppose him ; and, had he found the squire within, he would infallibly have put him to death. He therefore returned to Koningsberg, carrying the duke of Guel- dres with him. I will relate what was the end of this event ; for in whatever country it was told, and especially in Germany, it was variously spoken of, to the great astonishment of all lords who heard it. When the duke of Gueldres arrived at Koningsberg, having obtained his liberty in the manner I have said, he considered that he had pledged his faith to return to the squire who had made him prisoner : likewise remembering what the squire had said on his departure, he was much east down, and thought himself bounden in honor to ac- quit himself loyally toward him. He therefore told the grand-master he could not longer remain with him, nor for any dispensation or absolution w'ould give up his intention of surrendering himself to his master, in the castle where he had been appointed to do so ; which every one considered as an act of great honor. When this came to the ears of his relations and subjects in Gueldres, they treated for his liberty, which they obtained through the means of the duke of Stolpen, who took much pains in the business ; but, before the duke would consent to his enlargement, he made the duke of Gueldres swear, that neither himself, his heirs, nor any person attached to him, would ever seek open or private revenge for the insult he had received. Thus was the duke of Gueldres set at liberty ; but in the year 1388 did this misfortune befal him. Let us return to sir John de Vienne, admiral of France, and relate what he said from the king of France to the king of Castille. CHAPTER CXXXIX. SIR JOHN DE VIEN^'E, HAVING KECEIVED HIS ANSWER FKOM THE KING OF CASTILLE, RETtmNS TO FRANCE. THE DCKE OF LANCASTER PRO- CEEDS IN THE MARKL4GE OF HIS DAUGHTER TO THE INFANT OF CAS- TILLE. THE EARL OF ARUNDEL, HAVING MADE SOME CRUISES ON THE COASTS OF NORJtANDT, RETURNS WITH HIS FLEET TO ENGLAND. TuE admiral of France continued his journey until he arrived in Castille, when he inquired where the king resided. He was an- swered, " Most commonly at Burgos," whither he then rode. Hav. ing dismounted at his inn, he made himself ready to go to the palace ; but as soon as the king's household heard of his arrival, he was vis- ited by them, most honorably, according to the custom of the coun- try, from their attachment to the king of France, to whom they held themselves much indebted, and he was conducted to the king's apartment. Sir John was kindly greeted by the king, to whom he gave his letters. The king took them, and called his council aside, when, having read and considered them, they found he had full powers given him, and sir John was called and bade to explain the cause of his coming. He, who was ready prepared, thus spoke, in handsome language : " Sir king, and you gentlemen of his council, the king of France sends me hither, on account of the marriage which he has heard is about to take place between your son and the daughter of the duke of Lancaster, who is, as you know, his enemy. The king of France and his ministers are greatly at a loss to conceive how you could think of entering into any treaty of marriage or other engagement, without their being made acquainted with it ; for they say truly, that no union can be formed between children without great intimacy and affection of the parents being the conseque-nces. They therefore tell you by my mouth, to be careful not to enter into any treaties that may be prejudicial to the king of France ; and that those, so solemnly sworn to be obser^■ed by the late king Henry, your father, the prelates, nobles and cities of the realm, be no way in- fringed, otherwise you will incur the pain of excommunication from the pope, and the indignation of the king and barons of France, whom you will find, to your disgrace, your most bitter enemies. This is what I am ordered to say to you from the king of France ^nd his council." When the king of Castille, and those present, heard such a re- proachful message from the king of France, they were so much astonished, that they looked at each other, but not one attempted to make any reply. A bishop, however, who happened to be there, made the following answer : " Sir John, you are newly arrived in this country, and the king and ourselves are glad to see you, and bid you welcome. Fair sir, the king has perfectly heard and understood your message, and you shall shortly, within a day or two, have such an answer as will give you satisfaction." "It is enough," replied sir John de Vienne, who then took leave of the king and council and returned to his lodgings. It was reported to me, that he re- mained seven days without having any answer ; that there was very great dissembling on this occasion, and he became quite melancholy, for he never saw the king, but remained in his apartment, scarcely visited by any one. Sir John de Vienne, noticing this delay, spoke of it to some of the council, whom he sometimes saw, declaring he would return without the answer. They suspected he would keep his word and do as he said, for in truth such was his intention. He was therefore invited to the palace, and such answers made him, that, on his return, he told the king of France, and those who had sent him, not to be under any uneasiness respecting the king of Castille or his council, for they would never enter into any treaties with England that should, in the smallest degree, be detrimental to those which had been formed between France and Castille. If the king of Castille married liis son to the daughter of the duke of Lan. caster, according to the unanimous wish of his country, as the means of obtaining peace, and extinguishing all claims on his crown, it ought not to have given umbrage to the king of France nor to that nation ; for the king of Castille and his subjects were firmly resolved to adhere to every point of the treaties e.\isting between them and France. Such was the purport of the answer sir John de Vienne had brought from Castille. The king of Castille and the duke of Lan. caster proceeded in the marriage, and a treaty of peace was amicably agreed on between them, by the before-mentioned commissioners, for the duke still resided in the Bordelois. He had come with his duchess and daughter from Bayonne to Bordeaux, where he was joyfully received, as they were desirous of his living among them, and thence had gone to Libourne.* When it was known for certain, in the castle of the count de Foix, that the king of Castille had made peace with the duke of Lancas- ter, and had put an end to all his claims, by the marriage of his son with the lady Catherine of Lancaster, to whom he had given exten- sive territories in Castille, besides a large sum to the duke, amount, ing to two hundred thousand nobles, the count was greatly aston- ished, (for I was then present,) and said : " This king of Castille is a poor creature, to make peace with a dead man ; for I am sure the duke of Lancaster was in so bad a way he knew not where to turn himself. On my faith," continued the count, " the duke is a man of ability, and has prudently managed this matter." It was about Christmas that the fleet of the earl of Arundel, which had been hovering the whole year along the coasts of Brittany, la Rochelle, Saintonge, and the Bordelois, came to the shores of Nor- mandy, and sailed by Carentan. It had indeed before landed at Cherbourg, and the earl seemed inclined to make war on that part of the country. The town of Carentan and its dependencies were under the command of the lord de Hambre and the lord de Torci, who had with them a considerable number of knights and squires of Normandy. The earl of Arundel learning how strongly it was gar. risoned, passed by, thinking he might lose more than he could gain were he to attack it, and fell on another town, called Torigny.t which he took by storm, and gained great wealth by plundering it. They carried away many prisoners, and marched to the barriers of Bayeux, but only made a slight skirmish. The English passed the fords of St. Clement, and did great damage to those parts ; for they stayed there fifteen days without any one coming to oppose them. The marshal de Blainville was indeed in Normandy ; but he had no information of what was passing, or he would have provided a remedy. The English having finished their expedition, and done one hundred thousand francs of mischief to Normandy, made a pru- dent retreat, and recrossing the fords, returned to Cherbourg, where they embarked their pillage safely on board the fleet ; having weighed anchor, they took to the deep, and landed at Southampton. Such were the deeds done by this fleet, under the command of the earl of Arundel. CHAPTER CXL. THE LORD LEWIS DE SANCERRE VISITS THE COUNT DE FOIX AT ORTHES. A DEED OF ARMS IS PERFORMED, BEFORE THE DUKE OF LANCASTER AT BORDEAUX, BETWEEN FIVE FRENCH AND FIVE ENGLISH MEN. The lord Lewis de Sancerre, marshal of France, at this time resided at Toulouse or Carcassonne in Languedoc, and was well informed of the treaties that were in agitation between the duke of Berry and the count de Foix, for the marriage of the daughter of the count de Boulogne, whom the duke wished to have, although the lady was very young. The marshal had a desire to visit the count de Foix at Orthes, and I believe (from the information I had from his people who found me there at Christmas,) the king of France had ordered him thither, and I will relate on what errand. The king of France was at this period very young, though anxious to manage his government well. He had never visited Languedoc, which is an extensive province filled with towns and castles, that had been almost ruined by the oppressions of the duke of Berry. Heavy complaints of this had been made to the king when he took the government into his own hands ; and he said he would travel into Languedoc, and visit the pope, whom he had never yet seen ; and he was likewise desirous of seeing the count de Foix, of whose largesses and valor he had heard so much. * " Libourne," a town on the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne, five leagues northeast from Bordeaux. t " Torigny," a town ia Normandy, three leagues from St. L6, eight from Coutances. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 492 _^ The marshal de Sancerre left Toulouse with full five hundred horse rode to Tarbes in Bigorre, and thence to Orthfes in B^arn. The coun' de Foix, liaving had intimation of his coming, ordered the stewards of his household to have the toNvn of Orthf;s properly prepared for Iiis reception, as his visit gave him great pleasure. These orders were punctually obeyed, and lodgings were marked out in the town for the marshal's attendants, but he himself dismounted at the castle. The count de Foix went out of the town to meet him, attended by more than three hundred horse, and received him most kindly. The lord Lewis de Sancerre remained at Orthfcs about si.x days ; and he then acquainted the count of the king's intended jour- ney into Languedoc, and his desire to see him. " In good faith," replied the count do Foix, " he will be welcome there, and I will •with pleasure wait on him." " Indeed, my lord," answered tlie marshal, " but it is the king's wish to know on his arrival in Lan- guedoc, plainly and openly, whether you mean to attach yourself to the French or to the English ; for in these wars you have dissembled your real sentiments, and have never borne ar.ms either from sum. mons or entreaties." " Ah, lord Lewis," said the count de Foix, " I give you many thanks for having spoken to me on this subject. If I have excused myself from bearing arms for either side, I have, as I think, good reasons for it : the wars between England and France no way con- cern me, for I hold my country of B^arn from God, my sword, and by inheritance. I have not, tlierefore, any cause to enter into the service, or incur the hatred of either of these kings. I know well, that my enemies, the Armagnacs, have done all in their power to put me in the ill graces of both monarchs ; for before the prince of Wales marched into Spain, at the instigation of the count d'Armagnac, he would have made war on me, having a strong inclination for it, if sir John Chandos had not prevented him. Thanks, however, to God, I have always kept myself on my guard in as courteous a manner a.s possible, and shall continue to do so as long as I live : after my death, matters must take the turn that is natural for them." Thus did the count de Foix and the marshal de Sancerre converse as long as he stayed. On his departure, the count presented him with a handsome courser, a fine mule and good hackney, all of them richly caparisoned. He gave also to sir Robert Challies, to sir Richard Dauphin, and to the knights of the marshal, two hundred francs each, and to five of his squires fifty francs. When the marshal took his leave, to return to Toulouse, I wanted to accompany him ; but the count de Foix would not allow me, and bade me stay longer with him. This I was forced to comply with, and wait his will. The lord Lewis on leaving Orth^s, took the road to Tarbes, whither he was escorted by the lord dauphin of Bigorre, and sir Peter Cabestan, one of the count de Foix's household. About tills time, of the year 1389, there was a deed of arms per- formed at' Bordeaux, before the duke of Lancaster, between five Englishmen and the same number of French, of whom some were of the household of the marshal of France. The combatants were Bir Petiton de Pellagie, a Gascon Englishman ; against sir Morice Mauvinet, a Frenchman ; sir Raymond of Arragon, English, against the bastard de Chauvigny, French ; sir Lewis Malapers, governor of Aigues-Mortcs, English, against .Tanncquin Corne de Cerf, French ; Archibald dc Villiers, French, against the son of the lord de Chau- mont, Gascon-English. Many knights and squires from B^arn, and of the household of the count de Foix, being desirous of seeing these combats, went thither : I accompanied them ; for it is but twenty, four leagues from Orthis to Bordeaux, and we were spectators of these duels, which were fought in the square before St. Andrew's, in the presence of the duke and duchess of Lancaster, their daughter, and the ladies and damsels of the country. They did not combat all together, but each party separately ; and were to perform three courses with spears, three with swords, the same number with battle, axes, and three with daggers, all on horseback. The tiltings occu- pied three days, and were gallantly performed without any of the ten being wounded. Sir Raymond killed the horse of the bastard de Chauvigny, which greatly angered the duke of Lancaster ; he blamed the knight much for having pointed his spear too low, and presented the bastard with one of his own horses. Such was the end of this deed of arms, which being finished, every one returned to his own home. CHAPTER CXLI. THE DUCHESS OF LANCASTER CARRIES HER DAUGHTER TO CASTILLE, TO MARRY HER TO THE INFANT. HAVING FOUND THE BONES OF HEK FATHER, SHE HAS THEM CONVEYED TO SEVILLE, AND BURIED WITH REGAL OBSEQUIES. Shortly after these deeds of arms, the duchess of Lancaster made preparations for her journey into Castille, whither she was to carry her daughter, to solemnize her marriage with the son of the king of Castille. It was her intention, when in Castille, to visit the field of battle of Monteil, where her father, don Pedro, had lost his life, and make strict inquiries where his body had at that time been buried, which, when found, was to be taken up, and conveyed to the city of Seville, and magnificently interred there, in a manner becoming a king. When, in the month of March 1389, the sun began to have some force, and the days to lengthen, the duchess, having her array ready, set out from Bordeaux, and went to Bayonne, where she parted from the duke, who returned to Bordeaux. She and her ladies con- tinued their journey to the city of Dax, where they were joyfully received, as that town belonged to England. They there reposed themselves for two days, ansl then pursued their road through the country of the Basques, the passof Roncesvalles, and entered Navarre. At Pampeluna, they found the king and queen of Navarre, who re. ceived them kindly : for the queen was sister to the king of Castille.* The duchess of Lancaster and her daughter were upward of a month traversing Navarre, for they resided at different parts with the king and queen ; and wherever they went all their expenses were defrayed. On their entrance into Castille, they were most respect, fully treated by those of the king's household who had been sent to meet them : there wei-e also deputies from different parts of the realm. All the kingdoms of Spain, Castille and Galicia, Seville and Toledo, and Cordova, were rejoiced at the arrival of these ladies, since the younger was about t:> marry the son of king John their lord. And it seemed to thenr all that profound peace would ensue, for they should be freed from all fear of the English ; and as to the Portuguese, they should, as they said, make head against them very easily. Thus the ladies proceeded to meet king John of Castille at Burgos, who gave them a splendid and affectionate reception ; the prelates and barons of the country were there also, who received them in a similar manner. So they were entertained in such a man- ner as was due to them ; and the agreements before entered into, written and sealed, between John king of Castille and John duke of Lancaster, were then confirmed. The duke of Lancaster, and his wife, were to receive a yearly revenue of fifty thousand francs, for which four cities and the whole country of Medina del Campo were pledged ; and further, the duchess of Lancaster was to receive for the support of her household sixteen thousand francs ; and her daugh. ter and the son of the king were, during the lifetime of the king, to be put in possession of the whole country of Galicia, and the young prince was to have the title of prince of Galicia. t The marriage having been solemnized, and all contracts signed, the duchess left her daughter with the king and her young husband, who was then but eight years old. She took leave of the king to go to Monteil, as she had proposed, who had her attended by the great- est personages of his court. On her arrival at Monteil, such re. searches were made, that she discovered where her father was baried, and had his bones taken up, washed and embalmed, and carried in a cofiin to Seville, where the cavalcade was met by large processions from that town. The bones were conveyed to the cathedral, and there most reverently buried, with very solemn obsequies, which were attended by king John of Castille, his son, the young prince of Galicia, and the greater part of the prelates and barons of the realm. After the obsequies, each person returned home : the king of Cas- tille, accompanied by his son and daughter-in-law, went to Val di Soria ; but the duchess of Lancaster went to Medina del Campo, a handsome and large town, which now belonged to her by the late treaties of peace, and remained there some time. We will leave speaking of her and Castille, and relate the mar- riage of the duke of Berry, and other events which ensued. CHAPTER CXLII. THE DUKE OF BERRY NEGOTIATES SO SUCCESSFULLY WITH THE COUNT DK FOIX, THAT HE SENDS TO HIM HIS COUSIN OF BOULOGNE, \VHOM VOL INSTANTLY MARRIES. The duke of Berry, whose first duchess, the lady Joan of Armag. nac, had departed this life, was very impatient to marry again ; for no sooner was he assured of having failed in his proposals to the duke of Lancaster, than he set clerks to work, and, with proper mes. sengers, sent to negotiate with the count de Foix for the daughter of the count de Boulogne, whom he had had in wardship for nine years. Because the duke of Berry had no prospect of success but through the count de Foix, (who was of such a character that he would do notluHg that was disagreeable to himself for either father, mother, pope, or any friend tlie young lady had,) he opened himself to his nephew the king of France, and to his brother of Burgundy, entreating them earnestly to interfere in the business. The king laughed most heartily at his uncle of Berry, who was now of a cer- tain age, and said : " My good uncle, what will you do with a young girl of only twelve years old, and you arc .sixty ? On my faith, it ja great folly in you to think of such things. Propose my fair cousin John, vour son, to her, who is of a proper age, and a more suitable match!" " My lord," replied the duke, " this has been proposed, but the count de Foix would not listen to it, because my son descends by the mother from the Armagnacs, and they are now and have been some time at war. If the girl is too young, I will spare her awhile, until .she be a perfect woman." " Indeed !" said the king, " but, my bonny uncle, she will not spare you." He then laughingly added: " However, since we see your love for her is so strong, we will cheel. fully assist you in tlie matter." i * Chnries II. king of Navarre married, in 1361, Leonora, daughter of Henry U. fta4 sister of John, king of Castille.— Ed. 1 Hi> title was Prince of tlie Asturiaa.— Ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 493 Not long after this, the king ordered the lord de la Riviere, his first knight, steward of his household and chamberlain, to undertake a journey to B^arn, and with him the viscount d'Assy. The duke of Burgundy named, as envoys on his part, the bishop of Autun, and sir William de la Tremouille. The duke of Berry entreated a pru- dent arid valiant knight, called John de Sancerre, to go thither on his part These five knights, who were appointed to demand this young lady in marriage, for the duke of Berry from the count de Foix, left their homes, and were all to meet at Avignon. They staid ■with pope Clement, who was cousin-gennan to the father of the lady, full fifteen days, and about Candlemas departed, taking the road through Nismes and Montpellier to Toulouse. They travelled, with gr?..; : tc and ehort journeys, unto Beziers and Carcassonne, where they found the marshal de Sancerre, who received thera very magnificently, as was right. He conversed witli them concerning the count de Foix, of his affairs and establishments, for it was not more than two months since he had returned from thence. From Carcassonne they went to Toulouse, and there re- mained while they sent messengers to the count de Foix, at Orthbs. They opened their proposals of marriage, but distantly, for at the beginning the count was very cold, on account of the duke of Lan. caster, who at the time resided at Bordeaux or Libourne, having made offers ot his son, the earl of Derby, for the young lady of Bou. logne ; and it was thought, from the long lime these lords remained at Toulouse, the marriage would not take effect. They regularly sent daily and weekly accounts of their progress, and what answers they received from the count de Foix, to the duke of Berry, who re. sided at La Nonnette* in Auvergne, and the duke, whose only an.x iety was to bring the matter to a conclusion, repeatedly wrote back to press them not to desist until they had completed the business. The count de Foix, who was wise and subtle, seeing the ardor of the duke, treated very coldly, and managed the matter so well, that, with the consent, and indeed at the entreaty of all parties, he received thirty thousand francs for the time the young lady had been under his care and wardship. He might have had a larger sum, had he demanded it ; but he wished to show moderation, that he might have their thanks, and also that the duke of Berry should feel himself un- der obligations to him. When everything was concluded, the count de Foix sent the young lady of Boulogne to Morlans, escorted by five hundred lances, under the command of sir Espaign du Lyon, sir Reginald William, sir Peter do Cabestan, sir Adam de Cacasse, sir Manaut Nouilles, and sir Peter de Kes. She was there delivered, in the name of the duke of Berry, to the embassadors from France, who were escorted by the marshal of France with five hundred spears, and there the two parties separated. Those from Foix returned home, and the French carried with them the lady. The duke of Berry had sent to her his array of cars and horses, with every sort of dress and ornament for her head, as if she had been queen of France. I, John Froissart, the author of this history, took my departure from Orthfes at the same time with her ; for the count de Foi.x had told me, I need not be in a hurry to leave him, for he would take care I should return in good company. The duchess of Berry, for such I shall henceforth call her, continued her journey until she came to Avignon, when she dismounted at lodg. ings provided for her by the pope at Villeneuve, without Avignon. On the morrow, between eight and nine o'clock in the morning, all the cardinals waited on her ; when, having mounted a white palfrey the pope had given her, she crossed the bridge over the Rh6ne in great state, and waited on the pope at his palace at Avignon, who was seated in consistory on his papal throne to receive her. He kissed her on the mouth, on account of their relationship ; and the duchess, with her company, then went to dinner at the h6tel of the cardinal of Turin, below the pope's palace, and there met a great company of cardinals. This was on a Tuesday : the following day the pope entertained her and her attendants at dinner ; and this visit of the duchess, as I have heard say, cost the pope ten thousand francs. On the Friday she supped at the palace, and took leave of the pope. On the Saturday she departed, and dined and lay at Orange. She continued her journey on horseback, or in a carriage, through Valence and Vienne, to Lyon, where she reposed herself for two whole days. On her departure she went to La Bresle, then passing through the country of Forfits, came to La Palisse, in Burgundy, then to Quissy, to Hanche-sur-Allier, and to Riom, in Auvergne, where she likewise remained two days, before the duke of Berry arrived. He came thither in great state, the night of Whitsunday, and on that day, at two o'clock in the morning, he was married to her. The marriage was very magnificent, and there were present the count de Boulogne, the count d'Estampes, and the count dau- phin d'Auvergne. The feastings and tournaments lasted four days, and I, the writer of this book, was a partaker of them all. CHAPTER CXLIII. CTOTAUt TRCmE^T MEN NE30TUTE A TRUCE, FOR THREE TEARS, BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH, AND ALL THEIR ALLIES. You have heard that a truce had been concluded with all the Eng- lish garrisons, from the Loire to the country beyond the Garonne • " La NoDnMte," a Iowa in Auvergne, election «ff Issoije. and Gironde, to last until Saint John the Baptist's day, 1389. Dm. ring this time, some wise and great lords opened a negotiation for a, general tmco between France and England, on sea and land, for three years. It was the intention of these persons that all the allies of either side should be included in it, such as the kings of Castille and Scotland, the king of Portugal and many barons of Upper Gas. cony. They had much trouble before they could accomplish this ; for the Scots would no way listen to it, though, when the proposal was first made by the king of France to the king of Scotland, he himself had readily assented, for he wished not for war. He sum- moned, therefore, the prelates and barons of his realm, to lay the matter before them, as he could not agree to this truce for the king- dom without their consent ; and, if he had, they would not have abided by it. The letters which had been received from the king of France were read in their presence, containing his wish that they would agree with him for a ti-uce of three years. This intelli- gence was very disagreeable to them, and they said, " The king oT France seems to propose a truce, when it is the moment to continue the war: we have completely defeated the English at Olierbourne; and the season is not so far advanced, but that we may do it again and again.'' Many debates ensued, for they were very unwilling to accept of a truce. It was at length resolved to send a bishop and three knights to the king of France and his council, to prevent the treaty from being further advanced, and to offer the friendship of the realm of Scotland. The bishop of St. Andrews, sir Archibald Douglas, sir William Lindsay, and sir John Sinclair, were appointed to this embassy. They departed as speedily as they could, and, having landed at Sluys, rode on to Paris. They laid their credential letters, from the prelates and barons of Scotland, before the king of France and hia council, and were readily listened to, from the great desire they had to prosecute the war against the English. But, notwithstanding this, the treaty was now so far advanced, that they could not retract: the Scots, therefore, had very civil answers given them ; but the treaty was, of necessity, completed. The truce was concluded, through the means of commissioners of high rank on both sides, who held their conferences at Leulinghem^ between Boulogne and Calais. In it were included all the allies of France and England, who agreed to preserve the peace inviolate, by every means, public or private, for the space of three years. The commissioners from the king of France were the bishop of Bayeux,, count Waleran de St. Pol, sir William de Melun, sir Nicholas Bracque, and sir John le Mercier, who resided at Boulogne. On the part of the king of England were the bishop of Durham, the earl of Salisbury, sir William Beauchamp, governor of Calais, John Lanon, Nicholas de Gaberth, and Richard Roelle, clerk and doctor of laws, who remained at Calais. The place of conference, where they mutually assembled, was Leulinghem, between Boulogne and Calais. At this period, there was much bustle in France and elsewhere, on account of the splendid feasts king Charles intended holding in Paris, on the entry of his queen Isabella, who had never as yet vis- ited that city. Knights, squires, ladies and damsels made the rich- est dresses for the occasion ; of all which I will give an exact account,. before I say more of the truce that was fairly written out, and sealed by all the parties. END OF THE THIRD VOLtJ.ME OF THE CHRONICLES OF SIR JOHM FROISSABT- FOURTH VOLUME CHRONICLES OF SIR JOHN FROISSART, CHAPTER I. FROISSART RELATES HIS TRAVELS AFTER HE HAD LEFT ORTHES. You who take delight in this history must know, that on my leav.^ ing the castle of the noble count Gaston de Foix, I returned through Auvergne and France, in company with the gallant lord de la Riviere and sir William de la Tremouille, who had conducted the lady Jane of Boulogne to the duke of Berry in the town of Riom, where he had married her, as has been related ; for, h.iving been present at all these feasts, I may well speak of them. I went thence to Paris, where I met the noble lord de Coucy, one of my patrons, who had lately married a daughter to the duke of Lorraine. The lord de Coucy entertained me kindly, and asked many ques- tions about Foix, B^arn, pope Clement, and Avignon, as well as con- cerning the nuptials of the duke of Berry, and of a particular friend of his, and likewise one of my patrons, the lord Berald, dauphin of Auvergne. To all his questions I satisfied him as to what I knew. 494 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. or had seen, insomuch that he was well pleased ; and said, " You shall come with me into Cambresis, for I am going to a castle the king has given me, called Crevecosur : it is two leagues from Cam- bray, and nine from Valenciennes." " The distances are very right, my lord," replied I, and accepted his offer. On the road, he told me, that the bishop of Bayeux, the count de St. Pol, sir William de Melun, and sir John le Mercier, were at Boulogne, by orders from •he king of France ; and that there were at Calais, on the part of king Richard of England, the bishop of Durham, the earl of Sails. bury, sir William Beauchamp, governor of Calais, sir John Clambon, 6ir Nicholas Grandbourg, knights and chamberlains to the king of England, and sir Richard Rocharle,* doctor of laws ; who had re. mained at Boulogne and Calais upward of a month, waiting for com- missioners from Scotland, " who were not arrived si.\ days ago, as my cousin S;iint Pol writes me word. The king of France has therefore written to king Robert of Scotland, to press him to accept of the truce, for the English will not consent to it unless the Scots be included.'' Thus continuing our journey, we came to Crevecocur, where I re- mained with him three days to repose and refresh myself, when I took leave, and went to Valenciennes. After staying there a fort- night, I went to Holland, to visit my gallant patron and lord, the count de Blois, whom I found at Schoenhoven. He made me good cheer, and inquired after news. I told him enough of all I had seen or heard, and was with him upward of a month, as well at Gouda as Schoenhoven, and then took leave to return to France, to learn the particulars of the conferences that were holding at Leulinghem, between the French and English, and likewise to be present at the magnificent feasts that were to be given at queen Isabella's public entry into Paris, where as yet she had never been.t To learn the most I could, I travelled through Brabant, and man- aged to arrive at Paris eight days before the commencement of the feasts. I had so much forethought, respecting the French and Scots lords who had been at the conferences at Leulinghem, that I made acquaintance with sir William de Melun, who related to me all their transactions, and that the count de St. Pol had passed over to Eng- land, to visit his brother-in-law, king Richard, and to have the truce confirmed, which was to last for three years ; but he said he would be here at all events to partake of the feasts. I asked sir William, " what lords the Scots had sent to the conference ; for that in my younger days I had been in Scotland, as far as the Highlands, and as at that time I was at the court of king David, I was acquainted with the greater part of the nobility of that country." He told me, " that the bishop of Aberdeen, sir James and sir David Lindsay, and sir Walter Sinclair, were the commissioners for Scotland.''^ All this I carefully remembered, that I might enregister it in my Chron. icle, with all I should see or hear at this grand feast of Isabella's entry, the arrangement of which was as follows. CHAPTER II. qUEEN ISABELLA OF FBANCE MAKES HER PUBLIC ENTRY INTO THE CITY OF PARIS. Oh Sunday the 20th day of June,§ in the year of our Lord 1399, there were such crowds of people in Paris, it was marvellous to see them ; and on this Sunday, the noble ladies of France who were to accompany the queen, assembled in the afternoon at Saint Denis, with such of the nobility as were appointed to lead the litters of the queen and her attendants. Tlie citizens of Paris, to the amount of twelve hundred, were mounted on horseback, dressed in uniforms of green and crimson, and lined each side of the road. Queen Joan and her daughtcr,|l the duchess of Orleans, entered Paris first, about an hour after noon, in a covered litter, and passing through the great street of Saint Denis, went to the palace, where the king was wait- ing for them, and this day they went no farther. The queen of France, attended by the duchess of Berry, the duchess of Burgundy, * "Clambon, Grandbourg. Rocliarle.'" These names are different in almost all the copies, MS. or printed. They are called Lanon, Li'asnon— Claberth, Gunboch— Roolle and [loh.ale. Lord Berners retains them as in the preceding chapter, but totally omits them in this. The treaty, which is at length in Rymer, has the names as lijllows. Those from France are also different from Froissnrt. The bishop of Durham, sir Wdliam Beauchamp. governor of Calais, sir John Deve- reux, steward of the king's household, six John Ctanvow. sir Nicholas Daggeworth, knights of the king's chamber. t Underneath is the translation of a note, vol, iii. p. 85. of M. Levesque's liistory of the five first kintcs of the race of Valois. " One would be tempted to believe, from the recitals of our historians, tliat the queen, who had now been married four years, made this her first entry into Paris, It is a mis- toko. She was there in 1386, when Charles wrote to her. the 23th April, from Montdi- dier, to send to Amiens the amount of tJie taxes, and to hasten all men-at-arms and for- eigners that were intended for the invasion of England from Paris. He orders her at the same time to proclaim war against the Flemings and their allies. One may conjec- ture, from this letter, that he had intrusted her with the regency," t The Scots commissionci-s arc evidently wrong. The finest MS. in the British Museum has sir Archibald and sir William Lindsay, and sir John Sinclair. But in Rymer, there is mention o.dy made of the archbisliop of Glasgow and bishop of Dunkeld. 4 " .rune." My MSS. and thot in the B. Museum have the 20th of .August. II " QuMn Joan and her iUiushtf-r." I ?»jspect there must be some mistake, altlrough tliis paragraph is in all the editions I know of, printed and MS.; but I cannot discover who these personages were, for all the queens of that name were dead, the last of them the preceding year, and the duke of Touraine. the king's brother, succeeded to the title of duke of Orleans on the death of Philip, in 1391 : he had been lately married to Val- eatina, of Milan, who is mentioned afterwards as forming part of the procession. the duchess of Touraine, the duchess of Lorraine, the countess of Nevers, the lady of Coucy, with a crowd of other ladies, began the procession in open litters, most richly ornamented. The duchess of Touraine was not in a litter, but to display herself the more, was mounted on a palfrey, magnificently caparisoned. The litter of the queen was led by the dukes of Touraine and Bourbon at the head ; the dukes of Berry and Burgundy were at the centre, and the lord Peter de Navarre and the count d'Ostrevant be- hind the litter, which was open and beautifully ornamented. The duchess of Touraine followed, on her palfrey, led by the count de la Marche and the count de Nevers, the whole advancing slowly, at a foot's pace. After her came the duchess of Burgundy and her daughter, the lady Margaret of Hainault, in an open litter, led by the lord Henry de Bar, and sir William, the young count de Namur. Then came the duchess of Berry, and the daughter of the lord de Coucy, in an open and ornamented litter, led by sir James de Bour- bon, and sir Philip d'Artois. Then the duchess of Bar and her daughter, led by sir Charles d'Albret and the lord de Coucy. There was no particular mention made of the other ladies and damsels who followed in covered chariots, or on palfreys, led by their knights. Serjeants, and others of the king's officers, had fidl employment, in making way for the processions, and keeping off the crowd ; for there were such numbers assembled, it seemed as if all the world had come thither. At the gate of St. Denis, that opens into Paris, was the represent- ation of a starry firmament, and within it were children dressed as angels, whose singing and chanting was melodiously sweet. There was also an image of the Virgin holding in her arms a child, who at times amused himself with a windmill, made of a large walnut. The upper part of this firmament was richly adorned with the arms of France and Bavaria, with a brilliant sun dispersing its rays through the heavens ; and this sun was the king's device at the ensuing tour- naments.* The queen of France and the ladies took delight in view- ing this as they passed, aa indeed did all who saw it. The queen then advanced slowly to the fountain, in the street of Saint Denis, which was covered and decorated with fine blue cloth, besprinkled over with golden flowers-dc-luce. The pillars that surrounded the fountain were ornamented with the arms of the chief barons of France ; and, instead of water, it ran in great streams of Claire, t and e.^cel- lent Piement.t Around this fountain were young girls handsomely dressed, having on their heads caps of solid gold, who sang so sweetly, it was a pleasure to hear them ; and they held in their hands cups of gold, offering their liquors to all who chose to drink. The queen stopped there to hear and look at them, as did the ladies as they passed by. Below the monastery of the Trinity there vi&a a scaffold erected in the street, and on this scaffold a castle, with a representation of the battle with king Saladin, performed by living actors ; the Christians on the one side and the Saracens on the other. All the lords of re- nown, who had been present, were represented with their blazoned war-coats, such as were worn in those times. A little above was the person of the king of France, surrounded by his twelve peers in their proper arms : and when the queen came opposite the scaffold, king Richard was seen to leave his companions, and advance to the king of France, to request permission to fight the Saracens, which having obtained, he returned to his aiTny, who instantly began the attack on Saladin and the Saracens. This battle lasted for a considerable time, and was seen with much pleasure. The procession then passed on, and came to the second gate of St. Denis, ^ where, like to the first, there had been made a represent- ation of a richly starred firmament, with the Holy Trinity seated in great majesty, and within the heaven litde children as angels singing very melodiously. As the queen passed under the gate, two angels descended from above, holding an extraordinarily rich golden crown, ornamented with precious stones, which they gently placed on the head of the queen, sweetly singing the following verses : " Dame enclose entre fleurs de Lys, Reine etes vous de Paris. De France, et de tout le pais. Nous en r'allons en paradis." When they came opposite to the chapel of St. James, they found a scaffold erected on the right hand, richly ornamented with tapestry, surrounded with curtains, in the manner of a chamber : within which were men who played finely on organs. The whole street of Saint Denis was covered with a canopy of rich camlet and silk cloths, as if they had had the cloths for nothing, or were at Alexandria or Da- mascus. I, the writer of this account, was present, and astoni.?hed whence such quantities of rich stuffs and ornaments could have come ; for all the houses on each side the great street of Saint Denis, as far as the Chatelet, or indeed to the great bridge, || were hung with tap- estries representing various scenes and histories to the great delight of all beholders. The queen and her ladies, conducted by great lords in their litters, * Louis XIV. took the same device, with the motto of " Nee pluribus tmpor." t " Claire," or clairet— light red wine.— Ed. t " Pienienl"— is a liquor made of honey, wine, and different spices.— Du Canoe, § Denys Sauvnge, in a marginal note, says, " that he thinks this gate was called la Porte aux Peintres," and was pulled down in the reign of Francis I. It wojb called Porte aux Peintrea. because many painters resided near it.— Sauval. II Denys Sauvoge says, he means by the ^eat bridge tlie bridge of Notre-Dame. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, Sc : 495 arrived at length at the gate of tlie Chatelet, where they stopped to see other splendid pageants tlmt had been prepared for them. At the gate of the Chatelet was erected a castle of wood, with towers strong enough to last forty years. At each of the battlements was a knight completely armed t'rom head to foot ; and in the castle was a superb bed, as finely decorated with curtains and everything else, as if for the chamber of the king, and this bed was called the bed of justice, in which lay a person to represent St. Anne. On the espla- Triumphal Entry of Qceen Isabella into Paris. From a MS. Froii^sart of the 15th cenlorj-. nade, before tne costie, (which comprehended a tolerably large space,) ■was a warren and much brush-wood, within which were plenty of hares, rabbits and young birds, that fled out and in again for fear of the populace. From this wood, on the side near the queen, there issued a large white hart, that made for the bed of justice ; from an. other part came forth a lion and eagle, well represented, and proudly advanced toward tlie stag. Then twelve young maidens, richly dressed, with chaplets of gold on their heads, came out of the wood, holding naked swords in their hands, and placed themselves between the hart, the lion, and eagle ; sliowing, that with their swords they were determined to defend the Xart and the bed of justice. The queen, the ladies and lords, having seen this pageant with pleasure, passed on to the bridge of Notre-Damc, which was deco- rated so handsomely, it could not be amended : it was covered with a starry canopy of green and crimson, and the streets were all hung with tapestry as far as the church of Notre-Dame. When the queen and her ladies had passed the bridge, and were near the church, it was late in the evening ; for the procession, ever since it had set out from St. Denis, had advanced but a foot's pace. The great bridge of Paris was hung all its length with green and white sarcenet; but before the queen and her company entered Notre-Dame, she was presented with other pageants that delighted her and her ladies very much : I will describe them. A full month before the queen's entry to Paris, a master engineer from Geneva had fastened a cord to the highest tower of Notre- Dame, which, passing high above the streets, was fixed to the most elevated hou'-e on the bridge of tiaint Michael. As the queen was passing down the street of Notre. Dame, this man left the tower, and, seating himself on the cord, tiescended, singing, with two lighted torches in his hand, for it was now dark, to the great astonishment of all .. no saw him how he could do it. He kept the lighted torches in his hands that he might be seen by all Paris, and even two or three leagues off. He played many tricks on the rope, and his agility was highly praised. The bishop of Paris and his numerous clergy, clothed in tlieir robes, were witl-.out the church of Notre-Dame, waiting for the queen, who was helped out of her litler by the four dukes, of Berry, Bur- gundy, Touraine and Bourbon. When the other ladies had left their litters and dismounted from their palfreys, they all entered the church in grand procession, preceded by the bishop and priests, singing aloud to the praise of God and the Virgin Mary. The queen was conducted through the nave and choir to the great altar, where, on her knees, she made her prayers according as she thought good, and presented, as her offering, four cloths of gold, and the handsome crown which the angels had put on her head at the gate of Paris, aa has been related. The lord John de la Riviere and sir John le Mer- cier instantly brought one more rich with which they crowned her. This being done, the queen and her ladies returned to their litters, wherein they were seated as before ; and, as it was late, there were upward of five hundred lighted ta. pers attending the proces- sion. In such array were they conducted to the pal. ace, where the king, queen Joan, and the duchess of Orleans, were waiting for them.* The ladies here quitted their litters, and were conducted to differ- ent apartments ; and the lords, after the dancing, re- turned to their hotels. t On the morrow, which was Monday, the kinggave a grand dinner to a nu- merous company of ladies ; and, at the hour of high mass, the queen of France was led by the before-men. tioned dukes to the Holy Chapel, where she was an- ointed and sanctified aa queens of France usually are. Sir William de Viare, archbishop of Rouen, said mass. After mass, which was well and solemnly sung, the king and queen returned to their apart- ments, as did the sther ladies to theirs who lodged in the Palace. Shortly after the mass, the king, queen, and all the ladies entered the hall. You must know, that the great table of marble,! which is in the hall, and is never removed, was covered with an oaken plank, four inches thick, and the royal dinner placed thereon. Near the table, and against one of the pillars, was the king's buffet, magnifi . cently decked out with gold and silver plate, and much envied by many who saw it. Before the king's table, and at some distance, were wooden bars with three entrances, at which were serjeants-at- arms, ushers, and archers, to prevent any from passing them but those who served the table ; for in truth the crowd was so very great, that there was no moving but with much difficulty. There were plenty of minstrels, who played away to the best of their abilities. The ki:oiuach"--a village in Armagoac. which she was indeed deserving, for she was an active bustling lady, and one who did not sleep over her interests. She entreated the loni de Coucy to escort her eon to Arragon, and to remain with him until he were married. He replied ; " Certainly, madam, there is not a voyage that, for seven years past, I would more willingly have un- dertaken than to Sicily and Naples, more particularly, in company with my lord your son, if I have the consent of our lord and king." " Many thanks, lord de Coucy," said the queen : " you show us your good inclinations ; but, for the present, it will be sufficient if yon will accompany our son to Arragon. The queen of Arragon will be very happy to see you, for your daughter is married to her brother sir Henry de Bar." The lord de Coucy cheerfully agreed to undertake this journey, and the king of Sicily, having made his preparations, took leave of pope Clement, and of his mother, with many tears. Their hearts were wrung, not indeed without cause, at this separation, for he wa» going to a far country, and it was uncertain when they sliould meet again. It had been settled, that instantly after the marriage had taken place, the young king and queen were to embark at Barcelona, and sail as expeditiously as they could for Naples or any other part of that country. The young king of Sicily was handsomely attended, and, having passed through Montpellier and Beziers, came to Nar- bonne, where he and his company were honorably received by the viscount. Having retVeshed their horses for one day, they continued their route toward Perpignan, the first town of Arragon. News of his arrival had reached the court of Arragon, and the queen had sent proper persons to receive him and his attendants, and show them all respect, so that, wherever they passed, they were well entertained, and all their expenses paid. The viscount de Roquebertin and sir Raymond de Baighes were their conductors. They continued their journey until they arrived at Barcelona, where the king, queen, and princess were expecting them. The young king Lewis was very kindly received ; and the queen was particularly pleased on seeing the lord de Coucy, and thanked her future son-in-law for having brought him with him, adding, that everything would fare the better for it. The marriage was performed and consummated between these two persons ; but as winter was approaching, the sea voyage was deferred, because at such a time the sea is stormy and dangerous. They said they would collect all the purveyances during the winter, and embark in the beginning of the ensuing month of March. The lord de Coucy was perfectly well received by the king and queen of Arragon ; but, having had letters from the king of France, ordering him to return, ho took his leave of them, and of the young king and the queen of Sicily, as well as of the lords of Arragon, and set out for France. If he had had time, he would have returned by .\vignon ; but he sent his ex. cuses to the pope and queen of Naples, and wont straight toAuvergne. .\t the time of this marriage of the king of Sicily with the princess of Arragon, many treaties were concluded be<>veen him and the Ar- ragonians, who were to assist him with m^n and galleys in the recov. ery of his kingdom. They were to cnvey him to Naples, with two hundred spears, one thousand cr^is-bows, and the same number of infantry armed with brigandin'S, who were to serve him at their owa charges, during the war, ""'i' I'O should have full possession of Na- ples, Sicily and its def^'ndencies, la Puglia, Calabria and the city of Gaieta, the resido«^e of Margaret de Durazzo, who claimed all thesa territories as h^r own. When '■''^ sweet month of March was arrived, and the winds were becop'^ calm and the waters smooth, and the trees once more clothed ip green, and all purveyances ready and embarked, as well as the men-at-arms who were to be of this expedition, the young couple took leave of the king and queen of Arragon. The queen with tears saw them depart, and recommended them to the particular care of the count de Roddes, a very valiant knight, and sir Raymond de Baighes. They promised special obedience to the queen's wishes, although the count d'Orghel and the count de la Lune were their superiors and had the command of the convoy. There were on board these galleys fifteen hundred spears, two thousand cross-bows, and two thousand lusty varlets armed with pikes and shields. They were in such force the better to resist their enemies, and any adventurers they might encounter at sea ; for the voyage iVom Barcelona to Naples is long, and Margaret de Durazzo, their adversary, might have had intelligence of their motions, and stationed a fleet accordingly : they therefore were desirous of having strength enough to oppose any she could bring against them. We will now leave the afTairs of Sicily, and return to those of France, which is our principal object, and to several other events. CHAPTER IV. THE KING OF FRANCE IS DESIROUS OF VISITING THE DISTANT PARTS OP HIS KINGDOM. AT THE REQUEST OF THE LORD DE COUCY, HE ORDERS THE DUKE OF IRELAND OUT OF FRANCE. When the king of France saw that his kingdom was now at peace, in consequence of the truce with England, he had a great desire to visit the more distant parts of it, and particularly Languedoc. The lord de la Riviere and sir John le Mercier, at that time his most inn. mate advisers, urged him to visit th« pope and cardinals at AvignoB, 498 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. who were desirous of that honor, and thence go to Toulouse, saying that a king when young, should visit his realm to acquaint himself with its inhabitants and inquire how they have been governed, as it would redound to his profit and glory, and cause himself to be more beloved by his subjects. The king was so inclined, and willingly attended to all matters of government. The lord de la Riviere, who was but lately returned from those parts, told him that his subjects in the s^neschalships of Toulouse, Carcassonne and Beaucaire, were impatient to see him ; for that the duke of Berry, during his government of that country, had sorely oppressed them with taxes and other impositions, through the means of one of his familiars, called Bethisac,* who had pity on none, and that they were quite ruined. On this account, therefore, it would be proper for him to go thither, and he could then summon the count de Foix, whom he was so anxious to see, to meet him at Toulouse. The king having assented to this proposal, ordered immense pur- veyances to be provided for him on the road he was to travel. He signified to his uncle and aunt, the duke and duchess of Burgundy, that, as he passed through their lands, he should be glad to see their children, his cousins ; and that he would bring with him his brother of Touraine, and his uncle of Bourbon. This news of the king's intended visit to Burgundy, was highly pleasing to the dake and duchess. They had proclaimed a festival and tournament to be holden at Dijon, and sent inntations to the knights and squires of Savoy and the adjoining countries, who made their preparations ac. cordingly. During the time all these different arrangements were making for the king's journey to Avignon and Languedoc, other events happened in France. You have heard how the duke of Ireland, formerly earl of O.xford, had been driven out and banished England, for his demerits, by the power of the uncles of king Richard, but especially by the duke of Gloucester, who had been more bitter against him than all the rest ; and how he had fled to Holland, and had remained a short time at Dordrecht, when he was forced thence by duke Albert, the lord of Dordrecht and Holland, who refused him a residence on his lands, from a wish not to act contrary to the will of his cousins in England, notwithstanding king Richard had written to lum in his favor. The duke of Ireland, being forced to depart, went to Utrecht, where he resided some time, and miglit have staid there as long as he pleased ; for Utrecht is a free town to receive whoever lists, if they pay for what they want, and this duke had a sufficiency of money ; for he had received of the constable, sixty thousand francs, as the balance of the ransom of John of Brittany. You have also heard how the king of France had sent him passports to come to France, having invited him thither, and where he had remained for more than a year, the king showing him very great attention, because he was a foreigner. There is nothing but what one is tired of. True it is, that, not- witlistanding this duke was so well received by the king, the lord de Coucy mortally hated him, ind not without reason ; for although, in other affairs, he showed great srood sense, honor and liberality, he had behaved infamously to the dac^hter of the lord de Coucy, whom he had married, and without any rttsons, except temptation and deceit, he had divorced and taken anotht, ,vife, who was from Bo- hemia, and one of the ladies attached to i\^ queen of England. The king and queen had improperly and sinfully .-onsented to this ; and pope Urban had, at their entreaties, sent from Rwne a dispensa- tion for the marriage. This new marriage not only woji^jjed the reputation of the duke of Ireland, but was the principal caust, of his ruin. The lord de Coucy was one of the king of France's council, and very deservedly in favor, from the services he had done, and was willing to do, his country : he therefore, with the assistance of his friends, sir Oliver de Clisson, the lord de la Riviere and sir John le Mercier, prevailed on the king to dismiss the duke of Ireland. Orders were, in consequence, sent him from the king, to choose any other residence but France, and that he should be safely conducted out of that kingdom. The duke of Ireland perceived they were tired of him, and that he ran daily risks, from the lord de Coucy and from his relations. He therefore thought it would be best for him to leave France as soon as possible, and retire to Brabant ; and begged of the king to write to the duchess of Brabant, that he might live peace, ably in her country. The king cheerfully complied with his request, and wrote to his aunt, the duchess, who at his desire assented to it. The duke of Ireland was escorted by the king of France's officers *" John BetliisiLC was one of the chief advisers of the duke of Berry, and was accused with Tiotac and de Bar, two other domestics of this prince, of having' raised enormous levies trom the Liuignedocians, over whom the duke was guvernnr. and, under liis name of having committed great plunder and much violence, and of having put large sums into their own pockets. This report gave rise to tlic following pasquinade, that is even current in our times : Ti6tac, de Bar, et Bethisac, Ont mis I'argent du roi au sac." "Bethisac suSered tlie punishment of his crijnes, but the duke of Berry having claimed him as his domestic, those who had sworn his ruin persuaded liim to own he had erred in several articles of faiUi, which would cause him to be transteired to the bishop, and the duke could the easier save him. Crime often stupefies. Bethisac was simple enough to fall into tlieir trap. The bishop of Bez en had him tried and given over to the secular arm as a heretic and sodomile. This wretch was burnt alive, wliich was. says Mezeray. a feu de joio for the people whom he had horribly tormented His- tory does not say whence ho sprunj. but ptobably he was of low origia who wanted to rile too rapidly."— i>icEwniwrrtf tiiatoriquf. as far as Louvain, where he fixed his residence : he went, indeed, at times, to a castle near Louvain, which he had borrowed from a knight of Brabant. The archbishop of York, who was of the house of Neville, lived with the duke, as he had been banished England for the same cause as himself. The archbishop's family were very powerful in Northumberland, from their property and connections. These two lords, as I have heard, remained at Louvain as long aa they lived, for they could never obtain favor with the uncles of the king of England, and there died. I never heard more of them. CHAPTER V. KING CHAKLES OF FKANCE VISITS HIS UNCLE THE DUEE OF BtJRSUNDT, AND POPE CLEMENT AT AVIGNON. About Michaelmas 1399, the king of France set out .'rom the castle of Beaute, near Paris, where he left the queen, and took the road to Troyes in Champagne in his way to Burgundy. He waa accompanied by his uncle the duke of Bourbon, the duke of Tou- raine, the lord de Coucy and many other knights, and continued his journey until he arrived at Dijon. The duke of Burgundy, and his son the count de Nevers, had gone as far as Chatillon-sur-Seine to meet the king. On his arrival at Dijon, he was received with every respect and affection by the duchess of Burgundy, the countess of Nevers, and all who had come thither to do him honor. From love to the king, many ladies and damsels, whose company he preferred, were come to Dijon, such as the lady of Sully, the ladies of Vergy and Pagny, and several others, handsome and gay, and richly dressed. The dancings and carolings instantly began: the ladies exerted their talents in singing and dan- cing to amuse the king, the duke of Bourbon, the duke of Touraine and the lord de Coucy. On the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were tilts gallantly performed, and prizes given to the most deserv. ing. The king remained eight whole days at Dijon, thus amusing himself : on the tenth, I believe he took leave of the duke and duch- ess of Burgundy and their family. It was the intention of the duke of Burgundy instantly to follow the king, and remain with him ; and, on this being settled, he departed from Dijon, having bidden adieu to the ladies and damsels. The king continued his journey until he came to Villeneuve, near Avignon, where his palace had been prepared. The cardinals of Amiens,* Aisgrenel,+ Saint Marcel,t Neufchastel,^ and upward of thirteen others, went out to meet the king, as they were rejoiced at his arrival. The duke of Berry was already at Avignon, and lodged in the palace of the pope ; but he came to Villeneuve to meet his nephew, and fixed his quarters at the h6tel of Arras, called Amon- tais, on the road to Montpellier. The duke of Burgundy arrived the day after the king, at Villeneuve, down the Rhbne, for at Lyons he had embarked on board a large barge. These three dukes, being assembled, determined to accompany the king in his visit to the pope in his palace. Having had every- thing prepared accordingly, the king of France, attended by his brother, his three uncles, and twelve cardinals, crossed the Rh6ne at nine o'clock, and went to the palace, where pope Clement was waiting for him in full consistory, seated in his robes, on his papal chair. When the king came into his presence, he bowed ; and, when near to him, the pope rose up, and the king kissed his hands and mouth. The pope then seated himself, and made the king sit by him on a handsome seat prepared for the occasion. The four dukes, »fter having kissed the pope's hands and mouth, seated themselves alsv- among the cardinals. When these ceremonies were over, it was dti.ier.time : they therefore went into the other apartments of the pope a^^ the hall, where the tables were spread. When they had washed, fi.^ pope took his place at a table alone, in much state. The king was placed at another table below that of the pope, and alone also. The carfcnals and dukes seated themselves according to their rank. The dinne. was splendid, plentiful and long. When over, wine and spices were brought ; and the king then retired to an apartment that had been prepared for him in the palace, as did the dukes to theire, for all of them had t\>ambers, properly ornamented, provided for them, and which they inhabJed as long as they staid at Avignon. On the fifth day after the arrival of the king of France at Avignon, the young count de Savoye, cousin to the king, and nephew to the duke of Bourbon, came thither. The king was pleased at his com. ing, for he had seen him as he passed through Lyons, and \iad invited him to Avignon. The king of France, the duke of Touraine and the count de Savoye, being young and giddy, neither could nor would refrain from dancing, caroling, and amusing themselves with the ladies and damsels of Avignon, though they were in the pope's pal- ace and among the cardinals; and the count of Geneva, brother to the pope, was their master of the revels. The king made such magnificent presents to the ladies, that they all praised his liberality. * John de la Grange was minister of state under Charles V. who procured him the purple. He was c-ovetous and ambitious. t Not in the list of cardmols. J Q. if not MarcelJin. i John de Neufchvtel— cirealed curdiaal bf p«p« Clement, for further ptitticgl*n. we Moreri, 6lc CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 499 The pope and eardinab were much rejoiced at this visit of the luiig of France, as indeed they had good reason to be ; for without his support they would have been in little estimation. There were DO kings in Christendom who paid him obedience but such as were allied to France. The kings of Castille and Scotland acknowledged him for pope, as did the king of Arragon, through the intercession ef the queen Jolande de Bar, who was cousin-german to the king of France, otlierwise he would have remained neuter like his father. You may, therefore, suppose the pope and hie cardinals were happy in receiving the king of France ; for all they had to depend on was obtained throngh his favor. The king of France remained, I know not how many days, with the pope and cardinals, revelling and amusing himself. The pope, on this joyful occasion, gave pardons to the clergy who were in his courts, and plenary indulgences to all for one month to come. He likewise presented the king with the Dominations to all his cathedrals and other churches, and in each church the reversion of two prebends, deferring all his former prom- ises, tliat tliese now made might have tlie precedency, which was fortunate for many of the French clergy, who were thus provided. He gave also reversions to the dukes of Touraine, Berry, and Bur. gundy, and the lord de Coucy, which threw back all those he had formerly promised ; and the pope was so courteous and liberal on this occasion, that none went away discontented. CHAPTER VI. THE KINS OF FK.iNCE SENDS THE DUKES OF BERRY- AXD EtlKGCSDY TO IHEIR HOMES, TO THEIR GREAT DISSATISFACTION, AND CONTINtJES HIS JOURNEY FROM AVIGNON TO LANGUEDOC. The king of France resided with the pope about eight days, during which lime his holiness had fully discussed with him his situation, and what trouble the other pope at Rome gave him, in depriving him of his right, in the schism he caused in the church. The king was willing to do everything in his power to relieve him, and said that on his return to France, he would endeavor to provide a remedy, and exert himself to unite the church. Upon this he took leave of the pope, and went to Villeneuve, as did his brother and his uncles of Berry and Burgundy. The king entertained at dinner all the cardinals and the count of Geneva, after which he took leave of them, returning them his vhanlis for their attentions, saying, he should, on the morrow, begin his journey to Montpellier. The cardinals having left the king, it was determined in council, that he should set out very early, in company with his brother and the duke of Bourbon. He took leave, therefore, of his uncles of Berry and Burgundy, bidding them return to their own estates, as he had not then any further occasion for them, intending to go as far as Toulouse, and summon thither the count de Foi.'c to meet him. His uncles were much disconcerted at this order ; but the king's council was at that time so formed, that the dukes of Beriy and Bur- gundy had no voice in it, nor weight, but in triiles. The govern- ment of Languedoc had been taken from the duke of Berry, and divided into seneschalships, which was not only more profitable to the king, but more agreeable to the country ; for the duke bf Berry, during his government, had grievously oppressed the inhabitants, by heavy taxes, as I shall more fully relate, for it is deserving to be detailed. The dukes of Berry and Burgundy were very melancholy, when they found the king was determined they should not accompany him in his journey ; but they dissembled their thoughts from all but each other, and thus conversed : •' The king is going to Languedoc to hold inquisition on those who have governed it, and to treat with the count de Foi.\, (who is the proudest person existing, and never loved nor esteemed, though neighbors, the kings of France, England, Castille, Arragon or Navarre,) and only takes with him la Riviere, le Mercier, Montaigu and the bfegue de Villaines. What do you Bay to this, brother?" added the duke of Berry. "Our nephew is young, and if he follow young counsel he will be deceived, and the end will not be prosperous, as you will see. For the present, we must dissemble this affront ; but the time will come, when those who have advised it shall repent of it, as well as the king. Let them go whither they please, in God's name ; we will return to our homes ; and, so long as we are united, they cannot do us any injury, for we are the greatest personages in France." Such was the Ian. guage of these two dukes. The king of France left Villeneuve early in the morning, for Nimes, whrrc he arrived to dinner; but his uncles and the lord de Coucy staid with the pope, at Avignon, four days longer, when they all separated, and each went different ways. The day the king dined at Nimes, he lay at Lunel, and the next day dined at Mont, pellier, which was but three short leagues distant. He was joyfully received by the citizens, ladies, and damsels, who were desirous to Bee him, and offered him magnificont and rich presents ; for Mont- pellier is a powerful and wealthy town, full of merchandise, and was much valued by the king, when he had considered its importance. The citizens told him it had been infinitely richer than he now found it, before the dukes of Anjou and Berry had plundered it, as they had severally done in their turn. The king compassionated them much for the losses they had sustained, and promised that he would have every grievance reformed, and the government placed on a dif- ferent footing. The citizens likewise addressed the king during his stay at Montpellier, saying, " Sire, the poverty of this town is nothing to what you will see the further you advance ; for this place haa many resources in its commerce, which its inhabitants carry on by sea and land. In the seneschalships of Toulouse and Carcassonne, and in that part of the country, where these dukes have laid their hands, there is absolutely nothing ; for they have carried off every, thing portable ; and you will find the inhabitants so poor, that those who were in good circmnstances have not wherewithal to cultivate their fields or vineyards. It is melancholy to see them, their wives and children ; for they had every year five or six taxes on their backs, and they compounded for a third, a half, and sometimes all their property was taken from them ; and no sooner was one tax paid than another was demanded. These two lords, your uncles, since they have had the government of Languedoc, have collected, as the account will prove, upward of thirty tliousand francs from the coun- try, beginning with Villeneuve, near Avignon, to the Toulousain, as far as the river Garonne, and turning back by the river Dordogne. Since the departure of the duke of Anjou to Naples, this government has been given to the duke of Berry, and he has more severely op. pressed the country, which he found rich and plentiful : the duke of Anjou made only the rich pay, who were well enabled to do so ; but the duke of Berry spares neither poor nor rich : he swallows up everything by means of one Bethisac, his counsellor and treasurer, who is a native of Beziers, as you will hear from the complaints the poor will make to you, in crying out for vengeance against him." The king replied, "May God forsake my soul, if I will not cheer- fully listen to their complaints, and, before I return, provide a rem- edy for them. I will punish the wicked, and have an inquisition holden on the officers and servants of my uncles, who formerly had this government ; and those who have behaved ill shall be treated accordingly." CHAPTER VII. DURING THE TUIE KING CHARLES OF FRANCE IS AT MONTPELLIEH, THREE OF HIS CHAMBERLAINS UNDERTAKE TO HOLD A TOURNAMENT NEAR TO CALAIS, AGAINST ALL COMERS. The king of France resided at Jlontpellier upward of twelve days, because the respect and amusements he enjoyed there from the citizens, ladies and damsels, pleased him greatly. Indeed, the king was at this time young and giddy : he therefore danced and caroled with these frisky ladies of Montpellier all night. He entertained them with handsome suppers and banquets, and presented to those most in his favor rings and clasps of gold. He acquired so greatly the love of the Montpellier ladies that some wished he had made a longer stay, for it was one continued revel and pastime the whole time he was there. You know, or must have heard it noticed, that the intercourse of young gentlemen with the fair sex encourages sen. timents of honor, and a love of fame. I mention this, because there were with the king of France three gentlemen of great enterprise and valor, which they were probably induced to display from that intercoui'se, as I shall relate. The names of these three knights were, sir Boucicaut the younger, sir Reginald de Roye, and the lord de Saimpi. These knights were chamberlains to the king, and were much esteemed by him for their worth, for accoutering him so ably with his arms, and in other ser. vices, such as good knights owe to their lord. While they were at Montpellier amusing themselves with the ladies and damsels, they were called upon to answer a challenge in the course of the ensuing summer : the principal cause of this, as I was informed, was as follows. During the reign of king Charles V. of happy memory, an Eng. lishman of high birth and great renown, called sir Piei-s Com-teney, came from England to Paris to challenge sir Guy de la Tremouille, in a combat before the king and lords of France, and whoever else might wish to be spectators of it. Sir Guy de la Tremouille ac cepled the challenge ; and the king, with the duke of Burgundy and many of the great barons, were present at this combat. I believe they only ran one course with the lance, for the king would not suffer more to be done, to the great discontent of the English knight, who seemed desirous of pushing the combat to extremities. He was, however, appeased by fair speeches, saying he ought to be satisfied, for he had done enough ; and lie was presented with very rich gifts by the king and the duke of Burgundy.* Perceiving he could do nothing more, sir Piers Courteney set out on his return to Calais ; t»id the lord de Clary, who at that time was a gay and lively knight, was ordered to escort him. They rode on until they came to Lucen,t where the countess de St. Pol, sister to king Richard of England, resided. The countess was rejoiced to see sir Piers Courteney ; for before her marriage with the coimt de St. Pol, she had been united to his cousin the lord Courteney ,t but he » Sir Tiers Courteney is menlioned by Ilub'dnle, vol. i. p. 639, to have oblAmed licence, in theTlh Ric. H to senii various presents to die liine and lords of France, m return lor the honors they Had paid him in his cumbat with a kniglit of that countrj'. This talcht was probably sir Guy de la Tremouille. Tlie licence is in the FiBdera. fLucen." Q. Luzeuz, a town in the comte de St. PoL ,_.... r t ThU penon was Hugh Oourteney, soa of the carl of Devonshire ; but he died before his father, and of course did not inherit the earldom. His widow Maude, danehtel ot sir Thomas Holland, married Walcran count de St. PoL-DcoDill. 500 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, tc. had died young, and the English called her lady Courteney rather than countess of St. Pol. While there, the countess, in the course of conversation, asked sir Piers what he thought of the kingdom of France : he repUed, " Certainly, madam, France is very e.xtensive, rich and plentiful, and well guarded. In our country we do not form a true estimate of it." " And are you pleased witli the reception the lords of France have given you? have they not entertained you Handsomely ?" " To be sure, madam, I am perfectly contented as to the reception I have had ; but, in regard to my having crossed the sea, they have but shabbily acquitted themselves : and I must say, that if the lord do Clary, who is a French knight, had come to Eng- land, and challenged any one, however high his rank, it would have been accepted, and the terms faithfully fulfilled to his utmost plea- sure ; but this has been refused me. True it is, that sir Guy de la Tremouille and myself were brought into the lists ; but, when we had run one course with the lance, I was stopped, and ordered from the king to attempt nothing more, for that we had done enough. I therefore say, madam, and shall say and maintain it wherever I go, that I have not met any one able to oppose me in arms ; and that it has not been my fault, but rests solely with the knights of France." The lord de Clary who was present, marked this speech in his memory, and with great difHcuity held his tongue, on account of his having the English knight under his care. The countess of St. Pol replied ; " My lord, you will leave France with much honor, having complied with the request of the king of France, not to proceed further in your combat ; for you \\ould have been unable to do more contrary to his will. You cannot incur any blame in this matter ; and all those on each side of the sea that shall hear it told, will give you more praise than blame ; I therefore beg of you to rest satis- fied." " Lady," said the knight, " that I will do, and not give my- self any further care about it." Here the conversation on this matter ended ; and other subjects were discoursed on, during the day and night they remained. On the morrow, sir Piers Courteney took leave of the countess de St. Pol, who presented him with a handsome clasp of gold, and another to the lord de Clary, as being his companion, and because the Eng- lish knight was under his care and escort. They left Lucen early in the morning, and took the road to Boulogne, where they lay that night, and the ne.xt day rode through Marquise to Calais. Between Boulogne and Calais there are but seven short leagues, and a good road ; and at the distance of two leagues from Calais you enter on the territory of Melle, Oye, and Guisnes, which then belonged to the king of England. When they were near to Calais, sir Piers Courte- ney said : " Lord of Clary, we are now on the territories of the king of England : you have handsomely acquitted yourself, in escort- ing me ; and I give you many thanks for your company." The lord de Clary had not forgotten the speech of sir Piers to the countess de St. Pol, in the presence of many persons ; for it had made him sulky and full of anger, which, although at the time he had not noticed as he thought it deserved, he was unwilling that it should pass off unanswered ; for he considered it as presumptuous, and dis- honorable to the chivalry of France. Sir Piers had publicly de- clared, that he had purposely left England to seek deeds of arms in France, and had not found any one in that country willing to oppose him. The lord de Clary had therefore determined, in his own mind, that such expressions should not remain unnoticed. He therefore, on taking leave, said : " Sir Piers, you are now on the lands of the king of England, whither I have escorted you, by orders of my king and my lord of Burgundy. You may recollect that, the day before yesterday, when we were in the apartnrent of the countess de St. Pol, who entertained us handsomely, you spoke with too great latitude as it seemed to me, and too much to the blame and prejudice of the French chivalry ; for you said you had come to the court of the king of France, and had fvund no one willing to oppose you in arms ; and you seemed to have it understood, that there was not a knight in France, who dared to tilt with you three courses with a lance. I ■wish you tlierel'ore to know, that I (who am one of the smallest knights of the realm,) offer myself, to maintain that France is not so devoid of knights, but that you may find many willing to accept your chal- lenge ; and if you will accept of me to this intent, either this day or to-morrow, I will meet you without hatred or any ill-will. It is solely with a view to defend our honor, and that you may not return to Calais or England, and boast you have defeated the chivalry of France without striking a blow : now, say whether you will accept Biy challenge or not." Sir Piers Courteney was ready with his answer, and said : " Ijord de Clary, you speak well : I accept your challenge, and proposs that you be at this place to-morrow, armed as you please. I will be so likewise ; and wo will tilt three courses with the lance, by wliich you will recover the honor of France, and give mo much satisfaction." " Agreed," replied the lord de Clary : " I will be here at the hour you shall appoint." The two knights then pledged their faith to each other for this tournament, and sepa- rated : the lord de Clary went to Marquise, which was not far dis- tant, where he provided himself with armor, a shield, and lance. He was not long in doing this ; for the knights on the frontier of Bou- logne and Calais take care to have ample supplies. He did it all, however, as secretly as he could ; for he was unwilling that too many should know and speak of it. i In like manner, sir Piers Courteney, on his arrival at Calais, was not unmindful of the engagement he had made. He hod no occasion to seek either for armor or arms, for he had brought with him from England his own proper arms, which were good and strong. At this time sir John Warnes* was governor of Calais, to whom he told the engagement he had made with the lord de Clary. Sir John replied, that he would accompany him, with some other knighta of Calais. On the ensuing morning, the two knights met at the appointed place ; but the English knight was better accompanied than the lord de Clary, for he had with him the governor of Calais. On their meeting there was not much conversation, for each knew what he was to do. Both of them were strongly and completely armed, to abide the event, such as the fortune of arms should decide, and they were well mounted. They had their targets fast buckled on, and their lances given them, which were of sharp, well-tempered Bordeau.v steel, H,aving taken their distance, they spurred their horses full gallop, against each other, but missed their strokes, which seemed to vex them greatly. On the second course, they met full ; and the lord de Clary gave sir Piers so severe a blow with his stiff and well-tempered lance, that it pierced the target, and, entering deeply into the shoul- der, struck him off his horse. The lord de Clary, having so ably tilted, passed on, and finished his career as an accomplished knight should, and remained quiet ; but seeing the English knight was unhorsed, surrounded by his friends as he lay on the ground, and thinking that he might have wounded him, for his lance with the blow was shivered in pieces, rode toward him. The English ad- vanced to meet him, saying he was not a courteous tilter. " Why so?" replied the lord de Clary. " Because you h.ave thrust your lance into sir Piers's shoulder : you ought and could have tilted more libe- rally." " It was not my part to be over courteous ; for I was ready prepared to meet with such an accident, or perhaps a worse, if it had so happened : but since he had such pleasure in justing, ask him, or I will for you, if he be satisfied, or wish for more." Sir John Bernes, upon this, said : "No, sir knight: you may depart, for you have done enough." The lord de Clary went away with his company, and the English carried sir Piers Courteney to Calais, that his wound might be attended to and cured. The lord de Clary returned to France, expecting to receive great praise for the goodly act he thought he had done : but I will tell you how it turned out. When it was made known to the king of France, the duke of Burgundy, and their council, that the lord de Clary, in accompanying sir Piers Courteney, had fought with, and so dangerously wounded him, that he was in danger of his life, they were highly enraged against him, and in particular sir Guy de la Tremouille. They de- clared his conduct deserved at least confiscation of his lands, and perpetual banishment from the kingdom of France. Others, who were his enemies, said he had acted like an infamous traitor, in chal- lenging and fighting a knight that had been placed under his guard by the king and the duke of Burgundy ; that he was guilty of an un- pardonable crime, and ought to suffer death. The lord de Clary was summoned to appear, which summons he obeyed, and when brought before the king, the duke of Burgundy, and the council, was sharply reprimanded, for having dared to injure a knight who had come from foreign countries to the court of France to perform a deed of arms and gain renow*n, and had left that court with perfect satisfaction to all, and under his safeguard ; notwith- standing which, he had on his return, at the boundary of the two kingdoms, challenged him to mortal combat, without having de- manded permission of iiis sovereign, on whose tei'ritories he was : that this was a crime deserving the severest punishment, by which others might take example. The lord de Clary, on hearing this bit. ter reproof, was thunderstruck, for he thought what he had done de- served a contrary treatment. Having paused awhile, he said : " My lords, it is indeed true that you intrusted to my care sir Piers Court- eney, with orders to escort him as far as Calais or to the borders of the kingdom. Of this I have acquitted myself loyally and faithfully, which, if necessary to prove, I can readily do so from himself. It is also true, that on our road we visited the countess de St. Pol at Lu- zieuz, who received us very kindly. While there, the following con- versation passed : The lady asked sir Piers, if he were contented with the lords of France, and what he thought of the country ? The knight courteously replied, 'Madam, the state of France is rich, ex- tensive, and plentiful. With respect to its lords, I am peifectly satis- fied with the reception and entertainments I have had from them, ex- cepting one thing. I have put myself to very great expense in my preparations and journey to Paris, to perform a deed of arms, but, when arrived there, found none willing to accept of my challenge.' My lords, when I heard this speech before such a lady as the countess of St. Pol, sister to the king of England, my blood boiled within me ; but, with much difficulty I kept silence, because you had intrusted him to my care and protection ; and I never gave him the least cause to suspect I was any way hurt by what he had said, so long as we continued together in France. But true it is, that when we were about to separate on the borders of the country of Guisnes, I reminded him of his expressions to the countess de St. Pol, which, I suid, were neither civil nor honorable, as he seemed to wish it to * I cannot discorer sir John Warnes. and must suppose it q mistake : foT sir William Reuuriiamp was governor of Calais when the truoewas signed. Lord Uerner^ calU him sir John Bemes. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 501 be understood, that the chivalry of Fiance was ao much debased that he could not meet with any one ^dio dared to fight with him : that I, as a knight of France, if such were his meaning, offered to prove the conti-ary, being unwilling that, on his return to England, he should have the power of renewing his boastings : that I was ready and deeii'ous to afford him the pleasure of tilting three courses with a lance, either that or any future day. Certainly, my lords, I made this offer for the honor of the kingdom of France and its chivalrj', who arc here present : and it seemed to me, that he accepted my challenge with much joy, and fixed the meeting for the mon'ow, on the spot where we were speaking. He then went to Calais, and I returned to Marquise, where I provided mj'self with the necessary arms, as he was to do at Calais. On the mon-ow, according to our appointment, we met. He cantc well attended by some of the gar- rison of Calais, and some of the knights and squires of the borders came with me, such as the lord de Montcarel and sir John de Long, villiers. When we met, we had but a short conversation, and then tilted with spears of war, for we were both completely armed, to the best of our abilities. The fortune of the combat fell to me, for at the second course I drove my lance into him, and threw him on the ground. I then went to see what situation he was in, and if he wished to continue the combat. The governorof Calais told me that what had been done was sufficient, and that I might depart. This I did. You have ordered me hither, and here I am. I thought I had acted properly in support of the honor of the king domand its chivalry, and have related to you the e.\aet truth. If I am to be pun- ished for what I have done, I shall submit myself to the judgment of my lord the constable, and the marshals of France, and also to the evidence of sir Piers Courteney himself, with whose consent I have fought this duel, and to the discretion of all knights and squires of honor in France or England, who may wish to attend to it." The lord de Clary, having thus clearly exculpated himself, greatly softened the anger of those who had sent for him : but this did not prevent him fro-:n being committed to prison, where he remained a considerable time in much dange;-. His lands were seized, and him. self on the point of banishment from France, when the lord de Coucy and the duke of Bourbon, who loved him, interfered, and with great difficulty made his peace, by means of the countess de St. Pol, who testified to the truth of what he had said, of the conversation that had passed at her house. On obtaining his liberty, he was addressed ; " Lord de Clary, when you challenged sir Piers Courteney to fight, instead of acting, as you thought, very gallantly, you behaved in. famously ; tor he was under the protection of the king, and you had orders to conduct him in safety to Calais. You committed a great outrage, when you noticed, in the manner you have yourself declared, the conversation he held in joke at the countess de St. Pol's. Before you had proposed this combat, you ought to have returned hither to my lords, and have told them, that sir Piers Courteney had held such aiid such insolent language against the honor of the knights of France in your presence. They would then have ordered you how to act. Because, therefore, you have not done this, you have been thus pu[i- ished. Be another time more discreet ; and return thanks for your deliverance to my lord of Bourbon and the lord de Coucy ; they have exerted themselves much to serve you, as has the countess de St. Pol ; for that good lady took great pains that you should be acquit, ted." The lord de Clary replied: " Many thanks, my lords ;" ad- ding. " I certainly thought I was deserving more praise than blame, when I acted as I did." During the stay of the king of France at Montpellier, he gave a grand banquet to many ladies and damsels of that town ; during which, all I have just related was talked over, and the cause was, that the three knights, who were desirous of holding the lists against all comers, wished to avoid falling under like blame to the lord de Clary. Sir Boucicaut the younger, sir Reginald de Royc, and the lord de Saimpi, offered to hold a field of arms on the frontier of Calais, in the course of the ensuing summer, against all foreign knights and squires, for the space of thirty days, and to tilt with blunt lances or others. The king of France, as well as those present, thinking this proposal was rather presumptuous, remonstrated with them, and desired they would put down their challenge on paper, that if any improper lan- guage were made use of, it might be corrected ; for the king and his ministers wished to examine it, being unwilling that any improper or unusual terms should be used. The three knights agreed that this would be right, and, in reply to the king, said they would insiandy obey his commands. They ordered a clerk, with pens, paper, and ink, into another apartment, and dictated to him as follows : " From the great desire we have to become acquainted with the nobles, gentlemen, knights, and squires bordering on the kingdom of France, as well as with those in the more distant countries, we pro- pose being at St. Ingelvere* the twentieth day of May next ensuing, and to remain there for thirty days complete ; and on each of these thirty days, excepting the Fridays, we will deliver from their vows all knights, squires, and gentlemen, from whatever countries they may come, with five courses with a sharp or blunt lance, according to their pleasure, or with both lances if more agreeable. On the out. side of our tents will be hung our shields, blazoned with our arms ; than is to say, with our targets of war and our shields of peace. Who- * " St. Ingelvere"— a village in Picordy, nerir Calais. ever may choose to tilt with us has only to come, or send any one, the preceding day, to touch with a rod either of these shields, according to his courage. If he touch the target, he shall find an opponent ready on the morrow to engage him in a mortal combat with three courses with a lance : if the shield, he shall be tilted with a blunted lance ; and if both shields are touched, he shall be accommodated with both sorts of combat. Every one who may come, or send to touch our shields, must give in his name to the persons who shall be appointed to the care of them. And all such foreign knights and squires as shall be desirous of tilting with us, shall bring with them some noble friend, and we will do the same on our parts, who will order what may be proper to be done on either side. We particularly entreat, such noble knights or squires as may accept our challenge, to believe that we do not make it through presumption, pride, or any ill-will, but solely with a view of having their honorable company, and making acquaintance with them, which we desire from the bottom of our hearts. None of our targets shall be covered «ith steel or iron, any more than those who may tilt with us; nor shall there be any fraud, deceit, or trick made use of, but what shall be deemed honorable by the judges of the tournament. And that all gentlemen, knights and squires, to whom these presents shall come, may depend on their authenticity, we have set to them our seals, with our arms, this twentieth day of November, at Montpellier, in the year of grace 1389." Underneath was signed, Reginald de Roye, Boucicaut, Saimpi. The king of France was well pleased with this courageous chal. lenge of his three knights, and declared it should have his consent, if, on examination by his ministers, there was no fault found with the terms it was couched in. It was objected to by some, that it was wrong to fix the place for this tournament so near to Calais, as the English might think it was arrogantly and particularly aimed at them ; and that all occasions of quarrel should be avoided, for a truce had been agreed to for three years between France and England- The king's ministers were one whole day considering the matter, without coming to any conclusion. Some of the most prudent said, it ought not to be allowed, nor the whims ef wild young knights to be acceded to, for more evil than good might ensue from them. Tha king, however, %vho was young himself, greatly inclined toward them, and said ; " Let them perform their enterprise : they are young and courageous, and, besides, have vowed to do so before the ladies of Montpellier. We are desirous they should undertake it, and bring it to the happiest end they can.'' When the king had thus declared his mind to the council, no one made further opposition, to the great joy of the knights. The chal. lenge having been agreed to in the manner the knights had drawa it out, the king called them into his closet, and said ; " Boucicaut, Reginald, and Saimpi, be attentive to this your enterprise, to guard well your own honor and that of our kingdom : let nothing be spared in the state you keep ; for I will not fail to assist you as far as tett thousand francs." The three knights cast themselves on their knees, and returned the king their warmest thanks. CHAPTER VIII. DURING THE KING OF FRANCE'S RESIDENCE AT BEZIERS, ACCUSATIONS ARB MADE AGAINST BETHISAC, TREASURER TO THE DUKE OF BERRY. THINK. ISO TO BE SENT TO THE FOFE AND ESCAPE PUNISHMENT, HE CONFESSES HIMSELF A HERETIC AND SODOMITE, BUT IS TRANSFERRED OVER, BY THE OFFICIAL AT BEZIERS, TO THE SECULAR POWER, AND BURNT. When the king of France had, for fifteen days or more, taken his amusements with the ladies and damsels of Montpellier, and his min- isters, during that time, had attended to the state of the town, for that had been the cause of his coming, and had made many reforms and taken off several heavy taxes of which the inhabitants had complained, he graciously took his leave of the ladies, and one morning very early departed, following the road to Alipiam,* where he dined, and lay that night at St. Thibery.t On the morrow, after his morning draught, he set off and came to Beziers, where he was received most joyfully ; for the good people of that town, and the adjoining ones of Pezenas, Cabestan, and Narbonne,t were anxious to see him, in order to make their complaints against an officer of the duke of Berry, called Bethisac, who had impoverished the country all around, by seizing whatever he could lay his hands on. This Bethisac had at. tended the king's company ever since he had left Avignon ; but the king's ministers, who sought his ruin, never told him, " Bethisac, look to yourself, for very strict inquiries will be made into your manage- ment ; there have already been made very heavy accusations against you to the king." But, on the contrary, they made him good cheer, joked and laughed with him, and promised him increased honors, ia which he was disappointed, as I shall shortly relate. The king of France left St. Thibery at one o'clock in the after- noon, and between three and four entered the town of Beziers. He was met by the bishop and all the clergy in their robes, and the citizens, ladies, and damsels in procession : they formed a lane, through which he rode a foot's pace ; and,~as he passed, they all fell • ■' Alipiam." It is Olipiom in the MSS. and Aipiam in Verard. Q. if nut intaniled for Ville Aimc, which is on the luie from Mon'pollier to St. Thibery. t " St. Thibery"— a town in the diocese of Adge. near Pezenas. I " Pezenis, Cabestan. and Nnrbonne." towns in Lower Languedoc. J^. 563 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. on their knees. In this manner was he conducted to the cathedral, and dismounted at the portico, where had been erected a rich altar, adorned with holy relics from the church. The king, having on his knees very devoutly made his prayers at this altar, was conducted into the church by the bishop of Beziers and the duke of Bourbon, followed by all the great lords. He remained in the church about half an hour, and then went to the palace that was adjoining, where he, his brother the duke of Touraine, and his uncle the duke of Bourbon, were lodged. The other lords were lodged in the town, ■which was of a sufficient size, for Beziers is a large city. The king was for three days revelling with the ladies and damsels of Beziers, before any notice was taken of Bethisac ; but the inquisitors who had been ap- pointed to make inquiries concerning him were not idle, but did their office secretly, and discovered many atrocious acts deserving the severest punishment. On the fourth day, Bethisac was sum. moned before the council, and shut up in a chamber for liis examination. He ■was ordered to make answer to the fol. lowing accusations, and was shown at the same time a number of complaints and petitions that had been presented to the king at Beziers, accusing him of weak management and such great extor- ■tions as made the whole country cry out against him. All these were read in his presence. To some he gave satisfac- tory answers, to others not, saying he had no knowledge of them, and refer, ring them to the seneschals of Beaucaire and Carcassonne, and to the chancellor of Berry. They concluded this exami. nation by telling him, it was necessary 1o commit him to prison until he should clear himself from these heavy charges. This he obeyed, for he could not help it ; and, as soon as he was gone, the inquisi. tors went to his house, and seized all his papers and accounts of whatever things he had been concerned in, carrying them away to search into them more at leisure. They discovered a variety of transactions and accounts of large sums that he had extorted from these countries. He was asked, if these accounts were just, and what had become of the large sums he had received ; he answered, " that the accounts were just ; that the whole amount had been paid to his lord ot Berry, and had passed through his hands, or those of other treasurers, for which he had re. ceived legal acquittances, that were in such a place of his house." Persons •were sent thither, who laid them before the council : and they were found, on comparing them, to tally tolerably well with the accounts of receipt. The inquisitors and the council were satisfied, and Bethisac was no longer closely confined. The council conferred together, and said, " Bethisac is clear from this accusation; for it is apparent, that all the sums the people complain of having been exacted from them have been paid to the duke of Berry. How can we help it if these Eums have been extravagantly spent?" Bethisac's defence was nothing but the truth; for this duke of Berry was the most covetous man alive, and if he could only get money cared not by what means; and when he had it, he miserably expended it, like many of the pres. ent and past times. The king's ministers found nothing in the conduct of Bethisac that was deserving death. -\11, however, were not of this opinion ; for some of them said, "Bethisac has made such cruel levies, and 80 impoverished the people, to gratify the passions of my lord of Berry, that the blood of these poor creatures cries out loudly against him; for that he being the only one from those parts of the duke's council, and knowing the poverty of the country, should have remon. strated with the duke, and if he refused to listen to him, he should have come and informed the king and council of the situation of the country, and of the duke's intentions : proper measures wjuld then have been taken, and himself exculpated for the large sums he was now accused of having amassed." In consequence, Bethisac was remanded before the council, and again more closely examined, touching the expenditure of the great sums that had been raised and paid to the duke of Berry, for they had found the amount to be three millions of francs. He replied, " My lords, I cannot make out any clearer account of this : the duke has laid out large sums in the reparations of his castles and houses, in the purchase of lands in the county d'Estampes, from the count de Boulogne, and in jewels ; and you know he is very careless in Buch purchases. His establishments, which were very great before, have been much increased ; and he has made such presents to Thi- baut and Morinot, and the valets about his person, that they are be. come very rich." " And you, Bethisac," asked the council, " have you been well paid for the pains and services you have done him 1 one hundred thousand francs i# a pretty tolerable recompense." " My lords," said Bethisac, "I am very well satisfied with what my lord of Berry has given me ; for he wished all his people to be rich." " Ha, Bethisac," replied the council, " you now talk like a fool : riches, ill acquired, are neither honorable nor profitable. You must return to prison, and we will consider what you have now told us, and wait there the king's pleasure, to whom we will report every. thing you have said in your defence." " My lords," replied B&thisac, " God assist me !" Entry op Charles King of France to Bezibrs. Designed froji i^[ihii(.p;;-^ ofUie period. He remained in pnson four days without being noticed by the council. When it was known in the country that Bethisac had been arrested and thrown into prison, and that an inquisition was holding on his conduct; and that whoever had any complaints to make should come forward; numbers hastened to Beziers, and presented petitions and accusations of heavy charges against Bethisac at the king's palace. Some complained that he had robbed them of their lands without cause ; others of the violences he had committed on their wives and daughters. In short, the complaints were so numerous, that the king's council were tired of hearing them : they plainly showed how niuch he was hated by the people, which arose from the great exertions he had made to fill the purse of the duke of Berry. The council were embarrassed to know how to act ; for the duke of Berry had sent to Beziers two knights, the lord de Nantouillet and sir Peter Mespin, with credential letters to the king. These knights avowed, in the name of the duke, all the acts Bethisac had committed, as done by his command, and claimed, at the same time, the person of Bethisac, that they might conduct him to his lord, the duke of Berry. The king, from the many infamous stories he had heard of Bethisac, hated him, and he ajid his brother were inclined to have him put to death: but the council dared not condemn him, as they too much feared the duke of Berry. They said to the king, "In case my lord of Berry takes on himself all the acts of Bethisac, whatever they may deserve, we do not see that, with any plea of justice, we can put him to death. For at the time when he raised all these vast sums, by harassing the people with taxes, levies, and subsidies, the duke of Berry acted as if he were king, with the same royal power you have at this moment. We can, however, do one thing, as a punishment for his crimes : we may take possession of all his goods, moveable and immoveable, and reduce him to the state in which the duke of Berry found him, and distribute these among such as have suffered the most from his wickedness." Why should I make a longer story of it ? Bethisac was on the point of escaping with the loss indeed of his fortune, when other events happened that I will relate. I know not, nor have ever been able to lea.rn but from his own confession, whether he was or was not guilty of the crimes he accused himself of. He declared he had been for a long time a heretic, and had done many horrid and wicked deeds. According to the information I had, some persons visited him by night in prison, and, to frighten him, said : " Bethisac, you are in an unfortunate situation ; for the king of France, his brother, and the duke of Bourbon, are detemiined on your death ; and they have had so many accusations against your conduct, when you for. merly governed Languedoc, that they judge you deserving the gal. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 50S lows, and you will not escape wilh the confiscation of your wealth. This has been offered to the king ; but he hates you mortally, and has refused it, saying, that both your property and your body too was forfeited to hiiri, and you should not long remain confined. We tell you this, that you may consider and make the best of your time ; for to-mOrrow you will be brought from prison, and, from the appear- ances we have observed, we suppose you will be condemned to death. This speech greatJy terrified Beihisac, who exclaimed, "Ah, holy Mary ! are there no means to avoid this ?" " Yes," replied they : "say to-morrow that you wish to speak to the council; they will either come or send for you. When in their presence, say, ' My lords, I fear I have greatly offended God, and for this offence am I now suffering under these slanderous reports.' They will ask what you mean. Reply, that you have for a long time erred from the faith, and that you are a heretic. Keep steady to this declaration. The bishop of Beziers, when he hears this, will claim you to be given up to him. This will be instantly complied with, for such cases devolve to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction. You will be sent to -'Vvignon, where no one will venture to accuse you in opposition to the duke of Berry, whom tlie pope dare not anger. By this means you will escape, without loss of life or fortune ; but, if you hesitate in taking advan- tage of the earliest opportimity, to-morrow you will be hanged : for the king hates you from the clamor of the people, with whom you know how unpopular you are." Beihisac unfortunately believed all this false information that had been given to him, for those who are in peril of their lives are much confused in mind : he said, " You are my good friends who thus kindly advise me, and may God reward you for it I The time may perhaps come when I shall be enabled to thank you otherwise than by words." Upon this, his visitors departed. When morning came, Bethisac called the jailer, and said : " My friend, I beg of you to go, or send, to such and sucli persons," whom he named, in the number of his inquisitors. He replied, he would do so ; and they were int"ormed, tha,t Bethisac wanted to speak with them in his prison. They hastened thither, in the hope that they were already acquainted with the purport of his sending for them. When arrived, they asked what he wanted : he answered, " My fair sirs, I have had time to examine the state of my conscience : and I fear I have greatly of- fended God, by having for a long time erred in my faith ; for I do not believe one word of the Trinity, nor that the son of God has ever deigned to debase himself by descending from heaven, and putting on the human form by being born of woman. I believe likewise, that when we die, our soul dies with us." " By holy Mary, Bethi. sac," replied the infcn-mers, " you do indeed err gready against the church : consider well what you have said, for your speech deserves the flames." " I know not," answered Bethisac, " whether my speech deserves fire or water; but such have been my opinions ever since I came to understanding, and such will they continue as long as I live." The inquisitors were so rejoiced at what he had said, that they would not for the present listen to more ; buton their departure, strictly charged the jailer not to admit to him man or woman, lest he should retract his opinions, and hastened to lay before the council what they had heard. They went to the king, in his chamber, and reported what Bethisac had declared. He was greatly astonished, and said : *' We order him to be put to death : he is a wicked wretch, a heretic and thiet". We will, that he be burjit and hanged, that he may have the reward he deserves ; nor for anything my uncle of Berry shall say, will I pardon him." News was soon spread thraugh Beziers and other places, that Be- thisac had of his own free will, without the least constraint, confessed himself a heretic and had long followed the doctrines of the Bulga. lians,* and that the king had condemned him to be burnt and hanged. The inhabitants of Beziers w'cre pleased at this, for he was much hated by them. The two knights from the duke of Berry were thunderftruek, and knew not how to act : at legth sir Peter Mespin, addressing himself to the lord de Nantouillet, said : " I suspect that Bethisac has been betrayed, ar.d that some one, who has been to see him in prison, has frightened him, and advised him to accuse him- self; and that, if he persist in owning himself guilty of these horrible and infamous crimes, the church will claim him to be tried accord- ing to its canons, and he will be delivered up to the pope at Avignon. Ah, the blockhead will be deceived ! for I have already heard the king has declared he shall be burnt and hanged. Come, let us hasten to his prison, and remonstrate with him on his folly, and make him retract all he has said, for he has been betrayed by false friends." The two knights immediately went from their lodgings to the prison, and demanded from the jailer to speak with Bethisac. The jailer ercused himself, saying ; " My lords, I am particularly ordered, as well as these four sergeants. at-arms, who have been sent hither by the king, nor to suffer any one to converse with the prisoner, un- der pain of our lives ; and this command of the king we dare not disobey." The knights perceived all further attempt would be vain, for it was over with Bethisac, and that he must die for the crimes of which he had been wickedly induced to accuse himself. They then * This name was eiven to the Manicheans. Their doctrines had passed from Greece into Bulparia, from whence they had spread over Europe ; hence the name of BmUgres or Bulgarians was given to thooe whom the church of Rome called heresiarchs. The AJhigenses had in the prijceding century been dLsUnguished by this naine.— Kd. returned to their inn, paid their expenses, momited their horses, and set out on their return to the duke of Berry. The end of Bethisac was, that about ten o'clock in the morning ol the next day he was carried from prison to the palace of the bishop, where were assembled his judges and the official of the bishop's court. The bailiff of Beziers, under whose care he had been com. mitted prisoner, said to the officers of the bishop, " Here is Bethisac, whom we deliver to you as a Bulgarian, a heretic, and one erring greatly against the faith, who, had he not been a clerk, should have been punished by us according to his deserts." The official de. manded if he were such a person as had been represented, and that he would, in the hearing of the people, avow or deny it. Bethisac, who expected to escape by confessing himself guilty, replied, that the charges were true. He was thrice asked this question, and thrice acknowledged it aloud. You may suppose how grossly he must have been deceived : had he kept firm to the defence he had made to the accusations brought against him, he would have been acquit- ted ; for the duke of Berry had taken upon himself all the charges of extortion, in raising the taxes in Languedoc. Fortune, one may conclude, played him this trick; and when be was seated, as he thought, on the top of her wheel, she suddenly turned it round and whirled him in the dirt, as she has done to thousands since the world began. Bethisac was, by the official, given over to the bailiff of Beziers, who, in temporal matters, governs for the king : without delay, he led him to the square before the palace, and made such haste, that Bethisac had no time to make any defence, nor retract w^hat he had said ; for when he saw the fire, and that he was put into the hands of the executioner, he was affrighted, and perceived that he had been betrayed. He called aloud to be heard, but no attention whatever was paid to him : he was told, " Bethisac, the order is given, and you must die : your evil deeds have brought you to a disgraceful end." Much haste was made, for the fire was lighted ; and they had erected a gallows and a post, with a large collar and chain : they opened the collar by a hinge, and closed it again, when round his neck, and dragged him to the post, fastening him thereto with the chain. He cried aloud, saying : " Duke of Berry, they wrongfully and treacherously are putting me to death." The moment he was fastened to the stake, they covered him with dry faggots, to which they set fire ; and thus was Bethisac burnt, and his bones hanged : the square being in front of the palace, the king of France, if he pleased, might have witnessed it from the windows of his apartments. Such was the miserable end of Beihisac ; and the people revenged on him the many great vexationS and violences he had committed during the time he governed Languedoc* CHAPTER IX. WHEN THE KtNG OF FRANCE IS AT TOULOUSE, HE StraiMONS THE COUNT DE FOIX, WHO, ON HIS ARRIVAL, PAYS Hljl HOMASE FOR HIS COUNTY OP Forx. The king of France did not remain long in Beziers after this severe act of justice, but set out with his array, taking the road toward Carcassonne. Since he had let't -\vignon, he had been always at- tended by his marshal, sir Lewis de Sancerre. The king did not follow the straight road, but visited different towns, such as Cabea- tan,+ Narbonne,! Lymoux,^ Montroyal,|| and Fougans, thence he re- turned to Carcassonne, where he resided four days. On his departure he passed through Ville-franche,1I -\vignonet** and Mont-giscard,+t in his way to Toulouse. The inhabitants of this city, being anxious to see him, went out in grand procession, hsndsomely dressed, and escorted him with much pomp to the castle of Toulouse. The citi- zens of the town, which is rich and important, made the king such presents, on his arrival, as well pleased him. When the king had refreshed himself for three days in Toulouse, he was advised to summon the count de Foix, who had left Beam, and fi.^ied his residence at a town in Foix, called Mazeres, fourteen leagues from Toulouse ; for he had received information of the king's arrival at Toulouse, and of his intention to summon hi\n. The marshal of France and the lord de la Riviere, were ordered to wait on the count, who, setting out on a Wednesday after dinner, arrived at a tolerably good town in the Toulousain, called Isle .Tourdain,tt and on the morrow, by dinner-time, came to Mazeres. The count de Foix, on learning their arrival, received them kindly, from his affection to the king, and from his former acquaintance with them. The marshal, addressing him, said : " My lord of Foix, our very dear lord, the king of France, sends us to invite you to come to Tou- * Don Vaissette, in his history of Languedoc. gives very satisfactory reasons, to show that ' Froissart wars mistakes as to tire time of Bethisac's execution, which took place the 22nd December, 13S9. at Toulouse, some montlis alter the king had left DezietB, For further particular, I refer to that history. t " Cabestan"— a town in lower Languedoc, diocese of Nimes. t " Narbonne"~a large city in lower Langnedoc. § " Lymoux"— a city in upper Languedoc, tive leagues from Oarcassonne. II "Mont-royal." Q.. ^ " Ville-franche"— a town in upper Languedoc, diocwe of Alby. ** " Avienonet"— a town in upper Languedoc. diocese of St. PapouJ. tt " Mont-giscard" — a town in upper LanguGd')c. tliree leagues from Toulotufe, XX " Isle of Jourdain"— a town in Armagnac, »^j,t leagues from Toulouse. :S04 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . Iriuse J otherwise, so great is his desire to see you, that he will do his utmost to visit you in your own country." The count replied, " Sir Lewis, I will not give the king the trouble of coming to me : for it is more becoming that I wait on him. You will tell him, therefore, if you please, from me, that I will be in Toulouse within four days." " It is well said," replied the knight : "we will return, and carry him this your answer." " That you may boldly do,'' said the count ; *' but not to- day; for you shall now stay with me, as I am heartily glad to see you both ; and in the morning you shall set out on your return." The two knights remained with the count, who was in the highest good humor, that day and night, and they con- versed on various subjects. The count was a wise and prudent man, and had a talent of drawing from any person with whom he conversed, be iiis station what it might, his most private thoughts. At bed-time, they took leave of the count, intending to set out very early in the morning for Toulouse, which they did, and I believe performed the jonrney in one day. On their return, they found the kivig playing at chess with the duke of Bourbon, who, on seeing them, called out, "Weil, what news? Will the count de Foix come or not ?" " Yes, sire," replied la Riviere : " he has a very earnest desire to come to you, and will be here within four days." " Well," said the king, " we shall be very happy to see him." The two knights then left the king to continue his game, and went to sup and re- fresh themselves, for they had rode a long day's journey. The count de Foix, who resided at Mazeres, was not forgetful of the journey he was to make ; and his pre- ^paralions were soon ready, for he had given orders on that head when he had ■first heard of the king's coming to Toulouse. He sent forward to Toulouse purveyances in abundance, suitable to his rank, and had ordered two hundred knights and squires from Beam to attend him. On the day the count had fi.\ed for his arrival at Toulouse, he entered the city with upward of six hundred horse, and well accompanied by knights and squires of his vassalage. Among them were, sir Roger d'Espaign his cousin, the lord de Corasse, the lord de Valentin, the lord de Quer, the lord de Baruge, sir Espaing du Lyon, the lord de Roquepaire, the lordde Lane, the lord de Besach, the lord de Perle,sir Peter de Cabestan, sir Menaut de Noailles, sir Richard de la Mothe, sir Arnold de Saint Basile, with many others. He was also attended by his two brothers, sir Peter and sir Arnold de B^arn, and his two bastard sons, whom he affectionately loved, sir Evan and sir Gracien de Foix. The count had intentions of settling on these two sons the greater part of BiSarn, which, being free land and dependent on no one but God, he could dispose of as he pleased. The count de Foix dismounted at the convent of the Friar Preach- ers, where he and his household were lodged ; and his people quar- tered themselves as near him as they could. The citizens of Tou- louse showed much joy at the arrival of the count de Foix, for they loved him from his being so kind a neighbor, and never suffering any of his people to make war or commit violence on their country. They presented him with the finest wines, and so many other things, that he was well contented with them. He made his entry into Toulouse rather late in the evening, and remained all that night in his lodgings. On the morrow, about ten o'clock, he mounted his horse, as did those who were to attend him to the king, consisting of more than two hundred knights, all men of distinction ; and in this state he paraded through the streets of Toulouse to the castle, where the king resided. He dismounted in the court within the first square of the castle, where servants took and held their horses. The count and his company ascended the steps of the great hall, whither the king had gone from his chamber to wait his arrival ; for he was very anxioiis to see him for the gallant actions he had per- formed, and on account of his fair reputation. The count de Foix, who was very handsome in person and in countenance, entered the hall bareheaded, (for he never wore a cap,) with his hair scattered about : when he perceived the king, his brother, uncle, and the lords of France, in the act of doing the king honor, and not till then, he bended very low on one knee ; he afterwards rose up, advanced, and knelt a second time close to the king, who raised him up with his hand, and embraced him, saying, " Fair cousin of Foix, you are welcome, for your visit has greatly rejoiced us." " My lord," replied the count, "I thank you much for what you are pleased to say." They had a long conversation together, until dinner-time arrived, but I neither heard the words nor the subject. Water being brought, they washed, and seated themselves at table. The archbishop of Toulouse was seated at the head of the king's table, next to him the .king, then his uncle the duke of Bourbon, then the count de Foix, the counts de la Marche and de Venddme, and none others At ths second were seated, the lord Charles d'Albret, the count de Har- court, the lord Philip de Bar, and four other knights attached to the count de Foix. At another table were placed the marshal de San. cerre, sir Roger d'Espaign, and eight of the count's knights. Thia dinner was magnificent and splendid in all respects. When they Count dk Harcourt presenting the CoMfix-Box to the Kino. Designed from Roynl MS. 14 E. 1. had dined, the tables were removed ; and, grace being said, they amused themselves in various ways. The king and the lords were on their feet nearly two hours, in the presence chamber, listening to the minstrels, for the count de Foix took delight in them. After this, wine and spices were brought, and the comfit box was presented solely to the k-ing by the count de Harcourt. .Sir Gerard de la Pierre did the same to the duke of Bourbon, and sir Menaut de Noailles to the count de Foix.*" WMien this was done, it was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon ; the c . unt de Foix took leave of the king, the duke of Bourbon, and the other lords, and, leaving the hall, went into tlie court, where he found his horses and attend, ants waiting for him. The count and his company having mounted, returned to his lodgings, much pleased with the reception and enter- tainment the king of France had given him, and praised him ex- ceedingly when conversing with his knights. During the time the king of France and count Gaston de Foix were at Toulouse, many tokens of affection passed between them, which was encouraged to the utmost of their power by the marshal Sancerre and the lord de la Riviere, because they saw the king, as will as the duke of Bourbon, had conceived a friendship J'or the count de Foix. The count de Foix one day entertained at dinner the duke of Touraine, the duke of Bourbon, the count de la Marche, and the other French lords. The dinner was beyond measure grand and plentiful, ^\■ith numerous dishes and devices. Upward of two hun- dred knights were seated at table, served by those of the count de Foix ; and, just as the tables were on the point of removal, the king of France, who had dined at the castle, made his appearance, at- tended by the lord Charles d'Albret and the lord Philip de Bar, his cousin-germans. He could not resist the pleasure of seeing this company, and had come to the lodgings of the count attended by only eleven others. The count de Foix and the whole company were highly pleased at this condescension of the king in coming to visit him. Various were the diversions on this occasion ; and the Gascons and French tried their skill and strength in wrestling, throwing the bar or javelin for the farthest or highest; and it was night belore the king and the company separated. The count pre- sented that day to the duke of Touraine, the duke of Bourbon, and to the knights and squires attached to the king, more than sixty coursei's, palfreys, and ambling mules, all saddled and caparisoned becoming their different ranks. He gave also to the minstrels of the * " Tiiere was nnotlier custom at tlie tables of tlie king and great liarons, wliich was not usual al llie eiitertiiinments of private persons. Besides tlie spices wliich composed tlie dessert, and were intended for the guests m common, tiiere were other more rar« spices, tliat were served in a box divided into compartments, which was of gold and silver, or silver gilt, and called a 'drageoir' (comfit box.) It was commonly a squire or some person of distinction who had the honor to jtresent it to his lord alone, unless lie wished to hnve particular respect paid to any of his guests, to whom he sent it." Fruissiirt is then quoted as in llie t«xt, by M. le Grand dWussy, to whom I refer for further particulars respecting this and other ancient customs, in his ** Vie priv6e dea Francois." CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 505 king, the duke of Touraine, and the duke of Bourbon, two hun- dred golden crowns, and to the heralds a like sum. All, therefore, were loud in the praise of his generosity. On the fourth day after this entertainment, the count do Foi.t, well attended by the barons and knights of BcSarn and Foix, waited on the king, at the castle, to perform what had been required of him ; that is to say, his homage for the county of Foix and its dependen. cies, reserving to himself, as free land. Beam. There had been, be- fore this, many treaties negotiated between the king and count de Foix, through the king's ministers, the lord de la Riviere, sir John le Mercier, and the bishop of Noyon, who had lately arrived from Avignon; but these treaties were kept very secret. It was said, tliat the count de Foix required of the king that Evan de Foix should, after his decease, inherit that country, in consideration of which the king should receive, on the day of the count's death, one hundred thousand francs ; that his other son, sir Gracien, should hold the lands of Aire in B^arn, with the good towns of Aire and Mont- marsea ; and that all the lands the count then held in B6am, should revert to his heir, the viscount de Chateaubon. This distribution had caused a diflerence between the count, his barons, and knights ; several of whom said, that this could not be legally done without the public consent of the vassals of B(3arn and Foix. As an inter- mediate step, homage was made of the county of Foix to the king of France, who, by the advice of his council, said to the count and barons of Foix, '• I now hold in my hand the homage for my county of Foix ; and if the succession should happen to be vacated, by the death of our cousin, the count de Foix, in our lifetime, we will come to such resolutions concerning it, through the advice of our council, that Evan de Foix, and all the vassals of that country, shall be per- fectly satisfied therewith."* This speech was sufficient for the count and his barons then pres- ent. When the regulations had been properly written out and sealed, the count de Foix took leave of the king, his brother, uncle, and the French lords ; but that day he dined with the king, and in the evening returned to his lodgings. On the morrow, after drinking a cup, he departed from Toulouse, leaving his purveyors behind to pay his expenses, and, having crossed the Garonne at the bridge of Toulouse, returned to his own country by way of Montmarsen, and arrived at Orthes, where he dismissed all who had accompanied him, retaining only those necessary for his service. It was told me, and I believe it, that this visit of the king of France to Languedoc and Toulouse, cost the count de Foix more than forty thousand francs : great, however, as this sum was, the count was so courteous and hberal, that he very cheerfully paid it. CHAPTER X. THE KING OF FRANCE AND HIS BROTHER, THE DUKE OF TOfRAlNE, WAGER WHICH SHALL ARRIVE THE SOONEST AT PARIS, FROM MONTPELLIER, EACH ATTENDED ONLY BY ONE KNIi>HT. I BELIEVE that the king of France, during his residence at Tou- louse, attended much to the state of that pari of his realm. He re. moved seneschals and other officers, and made such reforms that he was popular with all ranks of people. One day, in the presence of his brother, his uncle, the duke of Bourbon, and numbers of lords of France and Gascony, that it might be had in perpetual remem- brance, he gave permission to his cousin-german, the lord Charles d'Albret. to quarter the fleur-de-lis of France, alternately with his own ; for the arms of Albret were simply gules without any distinc- tion, but at present they are quartered with those of France. The lord d'Albret considered this a most distinguished gift; and the day the king had thus enriched the arms of Albret, the lord Chariesgave a dinner that cost him one thousand francs ; and presented the he- ralds and minstrels who had attended it, with two hundred francs, ■which circumstance caused them to proclaim his liberality. Shortly afterwards, it was announced that the king would leave Toulouse, on his return to Paris, and his attendants made prepara- tions accordingly. As soon as it was known, the archbishop and seneschal of Toulouse, with the citizens and ladies, came to take their leave of the king, who received them all very kindly. He set out from Toulou?o after breakfast, and lay the first night at Chiiteau- neuf d'Aulroy, and then continued his journey to Montpellier, where he was joyfully received. He there remained for three days to amuse himself; for the town and the ladies afforded him much pleasure. He was, however, very impatient to return to Paris, to see his queen. One day, while at Montpellier, he said, jokingly, to the duke of Tou- raine, " Fair brother, I wish we were at Paris, and our attendants where they now are ; for I have as great a desire to see the queen, as I suppose you must have to see my sister-in-law." " My lord," replied the duke, " we shall never get there by wishing it : the dis- tance is too great." " That is true," answered the king ; " but I think, if I pleased, I could very soon be •'■ere." " Then it must be by dint of hard riding," said the duke of Touraine, " and not other. * Tliese precftutions were vain. M.ittliieu de Foix, a descendaat of Roger Bernard, viscount de Castel-bon, lord of Moncade and j-ounsest son of Gascon 1. count de Foix. having his pretensions supported by the nobility, seized the government, and had his Tight acknowledged Ijy the court of France, through some arrangements he made with it,— ViLLARLT. tome vi. wise, and I also can do that ; but it would be through means of my horse." " Come," said the king, " who will be there first ? you or I : let us wager on this." " With all my heart," answered the duke, who would at all times exert himself to get money. A wager was, in consequence, made between them, for five hundred francs, who should the first arrive at Paris, setting out, on the morrow, at the same hour, taking with them only one servant, or one knight, as they pleased. No one attempted to prevent the race from taking place, and they set out as they had settled it : the lord de Garencieres accompanied the king, and the lord de Vicfville the duke of Touraine. Thus these four, who were young and active, rode on night and day, frequently changing horses, or had themselves conveyed in carts, when they wished to take any repose. The duke of Bourbon returned by Puy in Auvergne to his own country, and, on his road, visited his father-in-law, the dauphin of Au. vergne, the dauphiness, and their children, who were eight in number, brothers and sisters to the duchess of Bourbon by a second marriage. The king of France and his brother continued their journey w ith much exertion, to gain the wager. Consider what pains these two young princes must have taken, for all their establishments were left behind. The king took four days and a half to perform the journey to Paris, and the duke of Touraine only four days and one third,* so near were they to each other ; but the duke won the wager, by the king sleeping eight hours at Troycs in Champagne. The duke embarked on the Seine, and went as far as Melun by water : there he remounted and rode on to Paris, straight to the li6tel de Saint Pol, where the queen and the duchess resided, and inquired after the king, (for he was ignorant whether he was arrived or not,) and waa rejoiced to learn that he was not come. He said to the queen, •• Madam, you will very shortly hear of him." This was true ; for not long after the duke's arrival, the king made his appearance, and the duke ran to him and said, " My lord, I have won the wager : order me to be paid." " That is but just," replied the king, " and it shall be done." They then related to the ladies their adventures on the road, and how they had come in four days and a half from Montpellier, a distance of one hundred and fifty leagues. The ladies turned the whole into a joke, and laughed at it ; but they were sen. sible how greatly they must have been fatigued, and nothing bnt their youth and courage could have borne them through it. You must know, the duke of Touraine insisted on the wager being paid in ready money. CHAPTER XI. THE DEATH OF POPE URBAN AT ROME, CALLED THE -ANTI-POPE. POPS CLEMENT WRITES TO THE KING OF FRANCE, HIS UNCLES, AND THE UNI- VERSITY or PARIS, ON THE OCCASION. THE ELECTION OF POPE BONI. FACE BY THE ROMAN CARDINALS. About this period, pope Urban VI. died at Rome, to the sorrow of the Romans, who loved him much.t He was buried, with great solemnity, in the church of Saint Peter ; and, when this ceremony was ended, the cardinals formed a conclave to elect another pope, and hastened the matter that it might be done before any intelligence of the death of Urban could be carried to Avignon. Pope Clement and his cardinals did not hear of the decease of Urban until the tenth day after it had happened. They immediately assembled at the pal- ace, where many proposals were discussed ; and they had strong hope that the schism of the church would be concluded, and a union formed of the two parlies ; for this error had lasted too long. They imagined that the cardinals at Rome would not be in any hurry to form a conclave, but would agree to acknowledge the pope of Avig- non, and were indulging in these flattering hopes, when other ac- counts forced them to think differently. They signified to the king of France the death of Urban, whom they called the anti-pope, and entreated him to support the pretensions of Clement, by writing in his favor to his cousins the emperor of Germany, the king of Hun- gary, the count de Vertus, and to the duke of Austria, who had ac- knowledged the late pope Urban, and to request they would agree to restore peace to the church; for that there ought not to be any variation in the faith, and, as there is but one God in Heaven, there cannot, nor ought there to be, more than one vicegerent on the earth. When this information arrived at Paris, the duke of Burgundy, to whom the pope and cardinals had likewise written to the same pur- port, was with his nephew. The king appeared very much pleased on hearing it, and said to the duke, " Good uncle, we had a great desire to march a large army to Rome, and destroy these unbelievers; but this is checked by the death of the anti-pope, for pope Clement and his cardinals have assured us that Urban is dead. They suppose that there will not be any conclave held at Rome to elect another, but that the cardinals will submit themselves to the obedience of pope Clement. He has likewise requested, that we would write t» our cousin the emperor of Germany, his brother the king of Hungary, to the count de Vertus, and to the duke of Austria, to secure their favor in his support. What would you advise us to do?" "My lord," replied the duke of Burgundy, " it is very true that Urban is dead ; but we know nothing of the state of the cardinals at Rome, * The distance from Montpellier to Paris is 191 leagues.— OazetUer. t He died 18th Oct. 1389. Butso far from being beloved, he was detested for hia vto- ien* and tyrannical conduct.— Ed. 50G CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. nor of the Romans ; nor whether these cardinals mean to persist in their opinion. It will be difficult for them to change, as the Romans are their masters ; and as they formerly forced them to elect the archbishop of Bari pope, whom they obeyed as long as he lived, they may again force them to elect another according to their pleasure. You have therefore no occasion to be iii any haste respecting thLs matter, nor to write to those who will not do mucli for you in the business, as they have already shown. Remain quiet, therefore, until you shall have heard further on the subject ; for it may happen that the cardinals at Rome may be of one mind, and, though differ- ing with each other, may dissemble with the Romans, and acknow. ledge no other pope but Clement ; and, in order to keep the Romans in good humor, promise them that Clement shall fix his residence at Rome, which he will very readily consent to, if the matter could be brought to depend on that. Should this appear probable, it will then be time for you to write to those Chris- tian kings and lords who hold con- trary opinions in religion to you, to entreat they would vmite to put an end to the schism, and to promote the reestablisliment of union in the church. This is what you ought to do ; for we are not yet assured what turn the business may take, and it will not be long before we have further intelligence." When the duke had ended this speech to the king and council, no one made any reply ; for they thought his reasoning unan. swerable. The king seemed con- vinced by it, and said : " Good uncle, we believe your reasons, for you see farther into church affairs than we do ; and we will not take any steps in the matter without your advice and approbation." The busineea was here ended, and other matters discussed. The intelligence of the death of Urban caused great disputes among the students at the university. They ceased following their usual studies, and were employed in disputing how the cardinals would act ; whether they would elect a pope in the room of Urban, or acknowledge the pope of Avignon. They made it the subject of ai-gument, and it was earned on with much heat and ani. mosity. They knew that Clement had written to the king, to the duke of Touraine, to the duke of Burgundy, and to the ministers, on the state of his affairs ; and he had also written, in general terms, to the university, that that body might do as much as was possible, and with all diligence, for his assistance. The students proposed several subjects of argument, which were warmly discussed among them- selves. Those interested for Clement said, " It is time for the king and our lords in France to write to the chiefs in Christendom, such as the emperor of Germany, the king of Hungary, the lord of Milan, the duke of Austria, and all who hold contrary opinions respecting the pope, and press them to return to the true faith ; for it would do them infinite honor." Tluee times, in three several days, the priu. cipal students of the university assembled, and went in a body to the h6tel de Saint Pol, to entreat the king and his council to put an end to the schism, and to comply with the solicitation of the pope, who had written to them in such humble terms. They, however, were not admitted, nor had any answer given to them, wliich made them very discontented : however, the following news, which arrived a few days after, appeased them. The Roman cardinals had assembled in conclave, and elected the cardinal of Naples, a pnident and courageous clerk, to the papacy, who took the name of Boniface.* The king of France and his lords, on hearing this, were very melancholy, and thought the schism iji the church likely to continue for a long time. " Now see," said the duke of Burgundy to the king, " of how little avail your letters would have been, which they were urging you to write : it has hap- pened just as I foresaw." " My good uncle," replied the king, "you have indeed judged truly." Pardons were offered in abundance by Boniface, and notified to all the clergy in the different kingdoms under his obedience. Those who wished to gain them set out on their journey to Rome ; but when they approached near Ancona and Romagna, they ran great risks ; for sir Bernard de Salle, who guarded this frontier, and made war on the Romans in the name of Clement, had these pilgrims watched on the roads, and did them much evil, several of whom were slain or lost. We will for the present leave speaking of these popes, and introduce other events. CHAPTER XII. THE SURBENDEK OF TRE STRONG CASTLE OF VENTADOUR IN LIMODSIN, THAT HAD BEEN THE CHIEF RESIDENCR OF GEOFFRY TETE-NOIRE. You have before heard how Gcoffiry Tfite-noire was master of the castle of Ventadour, which he had held against all the force sent against him as long as he lived ; that he had laid the country imder contributions upward of thirty leagues round ; and that, when he died, he had on his death-bed named his two nephews, Alleyne and Peter Roux, to succeed him in the command, to whom all the leaders of that garrison had, in his presence, sworn obedience and fidelity. After the decease of Geoffry Tfite-noire, these two brothers governed H 'p!i^. • Pietto. or Perrin de Tomaceili, cardinal of Naples, pope Boniface IX. CoBOMATtos or Pop* Bonifack. rrom a MS. Froiuart of the FifVeentli Century. successfully for some time, keeping the whole country under subjec- tion. This castle belonged to the duke of Berry by purchase from the count de Montpensier, and his son, John of Berry, bore its title ; but, though the garrison gave him much vexation, he could not then amend it. He had besieged it several times with block-houses, and pressed it as much as he could, but in vain : the garrison held his attempts cheap, and sallied out, whenever they pleased, to overrun the country. The two brothers would not pay any attention to the truce that had been agreed on between France and England, saying they were not bound to abide by it, but would make war when and where they pleased. The two countries of Auvergne and Limousin suffered greatly ; and to remedy it, a gallant knight of Auvergne, sir William le Bouteiller, with sir .Tohn Bonne-lance, sir Lewis d'Am- biere, and other knights and squires from Limousin and Auvergne, erected block-houses before Ventadour, and had there remained the whole of the season, at the charge of the country. It was about this time, as I was told, that the governors laid a plot to entrap sir William le Bouteiller and sir John Bonne-lance, who had done them much mischief. They determined to hove it told these two knights in a secret way, that they were desirous of surrendering the fort for a certain sum of florins ; for they were tired of remaining there longer, and wished to return to their own countiy or elsewhere. They imagined the knights would readily comply, for the duke of Berry was eager to gain it on any terms ; and they resolved not to ask a larger sum than what might be instantly procured. One bro- ther asked the other, " What sum shall we fix on ?" " Ten thousand francs, for that will be enough, as we shall have besides the bodies of the two knights by an ambush we will place in one of the towers." Consider how foolish those two Bretons must have been to imagine they could deceive two such knights and keep their money. If evil befel them, they are unworthy of regret or pity. Following their plan, they sent one of their varlets out of the castle, saying, " Go as far as the French block.houses : allow thyself to be taken, but de- mand to be carried to sir William le Bouteiller or sir John Bonne.lance, which of them thou pleasest ; give them these letters, and require an answer, as their contents are of consequence to them and to us." The servant, who thought nothing evil, said he would obey their commands, and advanced to the nearest block-house of the French. On perceiving him, those within came out to meet him and demanded his business : he said, he wanted to speak to .sir William le Bouteiller or sir John Bonne-lance. He was conducted to them, for the two knights happened to be then together. When in their presence, he bowed, and took them aside to deliver his letters, saying that sir A|. leyne and sir Peter Roux had sent him to them. They were much CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE. SPAIN, &c. 507 surprised on hearing this, and thai the governors of Ventodour should write to (hem. They took the letters, and read them ; but their con- tents were merely to say, that Alleyne and Peter Roux would wil. hngly hold a parley with them on something to their advantage. When they had perused the letters, they were more astonished than before, -and suspected some treachery. They, however, consulted together on what could be wanted with them, and returned a verbal message, that if the governors wished to meet them without the castle, they would promise tlieni, and those who should accompany them, perfect security for their persons until they had reentered the place. Such was the answer the varlet brought back to his masters. Sir Peter said to sir Alleyne, '■ May we confide in such promises ?" " Oh yes," replied his brother ; " for consider, their word is given, and they are loj'al knights incapable of breaking it. We will inform them of our intended surrender, which they will eagerly accept." On the morrow, about eight o'clock, they ordered the wicket ad- joining the gate to be opened, and the bridge to be lowered down, and they leant on the chains until sir William le Bouteiller and sir John Bonne.lance arrived, who dismounted before the bridge, and ■ordered their attendants to retire. When the two Breton governors, on the bridge, saw them, they asked, " May we come and converse with you in safety ?" " Yea," replied the knights ; " but is there no treachery on your side ?'' " Oh no," answered the Bretons : " it is now truce between us." " Well then, come with all security, and tell us what you have to say." Peter and Alleyne Rou.x then passed the bridge, and went to the place where they were waiting for them. The two knights said : " What is the subject of the treaty or parley you wish to have with us ? Are you inclined to surrender Venta- dour?" "Yes," said they, "but on conditions. We only ask ten thousand francs for the stores ; for we are tired of carrying on the war longer, and wish to retire to Brittany or to whatever other coun. try we may choose." The two knights were rejoiced at this propo- sal, and replied : " You offer terms we shall not refuse ; but at this moment we have not such a sum. We will, however, instantly set about providing it." " Well," answered the governors, '• when you have got it, let us know, and we will keep to our offer : but let the matter be most secret, for if the ganison should hear of it, they would instantly murder us, and you would be disappointed in your expectations of gaining the place." Sir William le Bouteiller re. plied, " Never fear us : we will manage the business in such a man- ner that you shall not incur any danger." On this, they separated : the brothers reentered Ventadour, and the knights returned to their quarters. Sir William le Bouteiller and sir John Bonne-lance believing this transaction was honorable, no way suspecting the Bretons meant to deceive them and gain possession of their persons as well as money, instantly wrote as fair-languaged letters as they could to the duke of Berry, who at that time was at Riom in Auvergne. They desired one of their gentlemen, who had been well educated, called Guyon. nel de Saint- Vydel, to carry the letter, and, having informed him of the fact, desired he would forget nothing, in his conversation with the duke of Berry, that might induce him to agree to the terms of surrender: for they thought he would be well pleased, as he had been for a long time very anxious to get possession of Ventadour. The squire, having received the letter, and his instructions, what to say and how to act, left the block-house, and, traversing Limousin and Auvergne, rode on until he came to Riom, where I believe he found the duke of Berry. On entering his presence, he knelt and gave the duke the letters, recommending to him the two knights, as he knew well how to do. The duke took the letter and read it : when he had a short time con. sidered its contents, he was so well pleased, that he ordered his attendants to take particular care of the squire, which was done. The duke called to him such of his council and treasurers as were with him, and said : " Here is great news. Our knights, who are blockading Ventadour, write us word they have opened a treaty with Alleyne and Peter Roux, who are willing to surrender that place for ten thousand francs. That is no large sum : it has cost Limousin and Auvergne, yearly, sixty thousand francs, as composition money, to be unmolested by the garrison. We wish to accept their offer, and as speedily as may be, lest they should repent of having made it. Now, treasurers, find me instantly ten thousand francs. We will make a loan of them, as is but just ; and when we are in pos- session of this castle, will levy a tax on all the lands which have paid contribution, that will doubly repay us." " My lord," replied the treasurers, " we are prepared : only give us five or six days to col- lect it." " You shall have them," said the duke. Thus was the matter settled. The treasurers produced the sum in golden crowns, and in francs of France, which were packed up in four small boxes. The same day on which those who were to carry the money to the two knights were on their departure, everything being ready for their setting out, the dauphin of Auvergne and the lord Reneil arrived at Riom, on business with the duke of Berry, such as was common between great lords. They were made welcome by the duke, who -was so pleased at the thought of gaining Ventadour so cheaply, that he could not refrain from making them acquainted with it, and show, ing them the letters from sir William le Bouteiller and sir John Bonne.lance. When they had perused them, they were silent, and the duke noticing it, said : " What are you considering ? Have you any suspicions of deceit ? Tell me, before the money be sent off." " My lord," replied the dauphin, " you know for how long a time the count d'Armagnac and myself have been employed by the coun. tries of Limousin, Cahorsin, Rouergue, and Auvergne, to gain pos- session, by force or otherwise, of all the enemy's forts in theso sdneschalships. We have entered into several treaties with many of them, but we never could any way make the least impression on the garrison of Ventadour, to induce them to surrender ; and scarcely would they deign to return us an answer when we sent to them. If, therefore, they have agreed to the treaty you have shown us, it can- not be from want of provision ; for, should no purveyances enter the fort for eight years, I know they have enough ; and it is this which astonishes us, and makes us suspect treachery ; for such men.at-arms, when shut up in fortresses, have a lively imagination, and, when it twrns to wickedness, they know too well how to succeed ; therefore, my lord, be cautious how you act." " In God's name," answered the duke of Berry, " you do not tell us anything extraordinary, but have well spoken, when you thus advise us ; and I will take more precautions than I at first intended." He then called to him a knight, whose name was sir Peter Mespin, and said : ■' You will go with the ransom-money for Ventadour, to the block. houses before that place, and tell sir William le Bouteiller and sir John Bonne-lance, from us, to be very cautious how they act, respecting their treaty, and not to put too much confidence in these Bretons of Ventadour ; for that we have had such intelligence con- corning them, of which they are ignorant, they must be very prudent and observing." The knight undertook the journey, and, being soon ready, de- parted with the money from Riom, and rode on until he arrived at the block.houses, where he was kindly received by his companions. The money was unpacked, and placed in security. Sir Peter Mes- pin, after some general conversation, told his message as follows : " My lord of Berry orders me to inform you, sir William and sir John, that you must act with the greatest precaution in this treaty with the governors of Ventadour, that you may not lose your own persons and the money he sends you by me, f:r that he has had accounts given him, of the characters of these people, that displease him much, which is the reason he is anxious for you to act with prudence to be a match for them, as he suspects this offer is only made to betray you. The countries of Auvergne and Limousin would many times have given sixty thousand francs for the evacuation of Ventadour, which the governors well knew, and now they offer it to you for ten thou, sand : it is this which makes my lord suspect treachery." The two knights were for a moment pensive, and then said : " Two heads are better than one. You have well spoken, a:id we thank you for the advice you have given. You will remain here to assist us, which will be but right, for within two days we shall know how the matter will turn out." Sir Peter Mespin replied, he would cheerfully stay with them. Shortly after this the two knights sent one of their servants to the castle, for there was now a truce between them, to let the governors know the ten thousand francs were come, and that they were ready to complete the bargain. They replied, they would keep to their agreement, that they might come when they pleased, or inform them when they were to bring the money. Alleyne and Peter Rou.x, who had no good inclinations, as was proved against them, had already made their preparations for the capture of the two knights. They had thus planned it. At the entrance of the castle of Ventadour, and withinside, is a large tower, that commands the gate ; and, with, out having first gained this tower, the castle cannot be won. It was for this reason it was always kept well stored with artillery, provision, and men, that in case the castle should be surprised, the garrison might retire thither in safety. The two Bretons, whose heads were full of malice, posted in this tower thirty determined men, armed at all points ; who, when the French should think themselves in secure possession of the castle, toward late in the evening, were to sally forth and slay all without mercy. Everything being now ready, they sent to sir William le Bouteiller and sir John Bonne.lance that they might bring the money in all security to the castle, the gates of which would be thrown open to them. The French knights were all alive at this message, and said to the servant who had brought it ; " Return to thy masters, and tell them from us, that we will be with them to. morrow morning." When the servant was gone, the two knights assembled a larger council than ever they had before done, on account of the orders sir Peter Mespin had brought from the duke of fierry. It was resolved in this council to place an ambuscade near the castle, and that the two knights should go thither accompanied by thirty men armed secretly like themselves. On their entrance into Ventadour, they were cautiously to examine every part of it : if they should perceive anything that could induce them to suspect treach- ery, they were to sound a horn and seize the draw.bridge. On hear- ing this horn, the ambuscade was to advance full gallop, dismount at the bridge and gain the castle. In the manner in which they had planned it the project was executed; and on the morrow morning, all being prepared, they rode forward, and placed a large ambush of six score lances, and then, with thirty companions, secretly armed, went to Ventadour, carrying sir Peter Mespin to assist them with his advice. They did not forget the ransom-money, which was neatly 508 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. packed up in three baskets, on the backs of two strong horees. They found Alleyne and Peter Roux at the barriers, which were thrown quite back on their approach : having passed them and entered the gate, the brothers would have closed the barriers again; but the French knights said ; " Let them remain : is it a fair bargain or not? You know you have engaged to surrender the castle for ten thousand francs in hard money t tliey are ready, and on the two sunipter horses you see. If you act loyally to us, we will do the same to you." They knew not what answer to make to this speech ; but to prevent them having any suspicions, they said ; " You say well ; and we are ■willing to act as fairly as yourselves." The French parly passed on, and the barriers remained open. Had tliey been closed, the ambuscade would never have been able to ar- rive in time to counteract the trick the Bretons intended playing them, and their scheme would have succeeded. All having entered the gate, Alleyne and Peter Rou.x went to shut it ; but the French said to Alleyne ; " Let it be open : we wish it, for we are ready to pay you down the money as agreed upon between us." "Be it so," replied the Bretons ; " let us see the cash." " That you shall," said the French, and instantly spread on the ground a sheet, on which they emptied the florins. While the two Bretons were examining the money, which made a handsome heap, the knights were doing the same to the castle ; and, in consequence, sir Peter Mespin said to sir William le Bouteillcr ; " Have that tower opened before you count the money, for there may perchance be in it an ambush to surprise us, and we may lose our lives as well as our money." " On this, sir William said to Alleyne Roux, " Let that tower be opened, for we will have that done before we proceed any farther." Alleyne replied ; " that he would do no such thing, for the keys were lost." The moment he had uttered this, the knights were more sus. picious than before, and said : " Alleyne, it is impossible that the keys of the principal tower should be lost. Open it by fair means, or we vill have it forced ; for you have promised to surrender to us the castle, as it is, without fraud or treachery, for the sum of ten thou, sand francs, which you now see lying before you." Alleyne an. Bwered ; " I will neither open it myself, nor suffer it to be done, until I shall have received and placed in security the whole money • when that is done, I will seek for the keys." Tlie knights replied ; " We will not wait so long ; and we tell you plainly, that we expect no favor from your last speeches, which clearly indicate that you mean to deceive us. We therefore arrest you, Peter and Alleyne Roux, in the names of the king, our lord, and the duke of Berry. The tower shall be opened by force, though the doors of it be broken : and every part of it, as well as of the castle, shall be minutely searched, to see if you have not placed an ambush to surprise us, and regain the castle. Should any such bo found, you are lost, past redemption, as in justice due to treason ; but if, on the contrary, the castle be in the situation it ought loyally to be, from an honorable bargain, we will punctually keep every article of our treaty, and you shall be safely conducted whithersoever you may please ; even as far as the gates of Avignon, ehould you desire it." The two brothers were thunderstruck, and half dead, on being thus arrested ; and, hearing this declaration of the knights, their courage failed them, and they repented having gone so far, for they found their intentions must now be discovered. The French knights saw plainly they were guilty of what they had suspected, and that the castle was not meant to be surrendered. They made a sign for him who bore the horn to sound for their ambuscade to advance : which having done, those in ambush stuck spurs to their horses, saying, " Let us hasten to Ventadour, for we are wanted : our people have not found things as they expected, and have been deceived by Al- leyne and Peter Roux." They were soon at the castle, for it was jiot far distant, and the barriers and gate being open, though well guarded by the French, for the Bretons were no longer masters, they entered the place, and found their captains in the court talking to the garrison. The governors were more astonished than before, on seeing themselves thus surrounded by their enemies ; for they knew they had acted dishonorably. Those within the great tower were ignorant of what was going forward ; for the openings in the walls were too high for them to see what passed. Some said ; " We hear in the court a great noise : our people may perhaps be tricked, for the French are a cunning race. We thought to deceive, but we may be deceived, and Alleyne, as well as ourselves, may be entrapped and taken ; for we cannot get tint without permission." They would willingly have been anywhere else ; for their governors had brought them into a melancholy situa. tion. Sir William le Bouteiller and sir John Bonne-lance, finding themselves so superior in force, spoke out more boldly their senti. ments, and ordered the cash, which was scattered over the sheet, to be collected and replaced in the baskets, before the face of the two brothers, who were surrounded by the French. They said; "Alleyne and Peter, give us the keys of the tower ; for it must and shall be examined, to see if any one be within it;" but they answered, in the hope of prolonging the time ; " Begin your search elsewhere, and come here at the last." But the knights replied ; " Alleyne, you trifle too much with us, for we will examine this tower first ; and, if you make any further resistance, we will put you to death with our dag- gers." On hearing this, they feared they would put their threat into execution ; for all avoid death as long as they can, though, in good truth, it would have been more honsrable for them had they beea slain, than carried away, and afterwards punished for this act, by a disgraceful death, as you will speedily hear in this history. During the dispute, Peter Roux thought of an expedient to excuse their con. duet, but this was of no avail, and said ; " My lord William, and you sir John, it is indeed true that there are in this tower thirty armed men, whither my brother and self have with much difficulty forced them ; for we well knew they would not assent to our treaty with you. It is for this reason that we have confined them in that tower until you should be masters of the castle ; and we will, with your permissions, leave them there, to be your prisoners. Give us the money, the whole, or part of it, as you are bounden to do, and let u» go away." The knights were tolerably satisfied on hearing this ; but sir Wil. liam le Bouteiller, having considered a little, said ; " Whatever trutU may be in what you have told us, before we unpack the money again, we must have all the keys of the castle delivered to us, and the dif- ferent parts pointed out to which they lead." Alleyne, seeing he could no longer delay, sent for them to the room wherein they were deposited. On their being brought to the court, the knights said ; " Now, explain to us what gates they unlock, and whither they lead." Very much against their will, they pointed out the keys of the great tower, for their destruction lay in it. When they had possession of them, they opened its gates, and found the thirty companions com- pletely armed, who had been therein hid. Alleyne was much cast down, when he saw the French knights draw themselves up in array before the gate, and heard sir William le Bouteiller say: " You who are hidden within this tower, come forth instantly and without fear, under pain of being all put to death. V/e shall make you our prisoners, and you need not fear any punishment if you will tell us the truth." When they saw and heard the French offer them pardon, taking them as prisoners only, they flung down their staves and arms, and surrendered, for defence would not have been of any avail. These men were then separated, and examined one by one in the presence of Alleyne and Peter Roux, and acknow- ledged the intended treason, which they now could no longer deny. The French knights addressed them ; " It is very displeasing to us, that you should have been guilty of so disgraceful a crime. We shall not punish you for it : as it seems to us so heinous, we shall leave it to my lord of Berry ; and, if he will show you mercy, we shall not object. We rather hope he may be so inclined, from the great pleasure the possession of this castle will give him, which was the thing in the world he was most anxious to gain." This speech gave some hopes to the two brothers, who found themselves fallen into a similar trap to what they had laid for others. They were confined in rooms well guarded, and the garrison in the towers and in other parts of the castle. It was then thoroughly visited, and found full of stores and provision ; all of which they left untouched, contenting them, selves with the money and arms they discovered, and which, as fair plunder, was divided among them ; but the prisoners were given to the knights. Thus, as I have related, was the strong castle of Ventadour re- gained by the French. Sir William le Bouteiller appoicted a valiant and prudent squire of Limousin, called Peter Madich, governor, with thirty good lances for its defence. He ransomed such as were de. serving of it ; but having discovered among the prisoners several renegade Frenchmen, who had been cruel plunderers, he had their heads cut off, or hung them on a new gallows that had been erected in front of the castle. When all things had been settled, the two knights resolved to ride to Riom, to wait on the duke of Berry, and carry Alleyne and Peter Roux with them. News was soon spread abroad that Ventadour was retaken, to the great joy of the inhabiU ants of Auvergne and Limousin ; for the enemies of the realm had kept possession of it fifteen years, and, during that time, had done much mischief to the country, and had greatly impoverished it. Sir William le Bouteiller had found in the castle of Ventadour a young and handsome squire from Brittany, called le Monadich,* a cousin to Geoffry Tete-noire, who had lately left a convent in Brit, tany, and come thither to learn the art of war, for he would not be a monk. The French knights wanted to have him beheaded, or hanged like the others; but sir William took compassion on him, and saved his life, for which he swore he would faithfully serve him, and remain for the time to come a loyal Frenchman. They made no long stay after this, but, having pulled down the block-houses, went to the duke of Berry. The men-at-arms separated, each going to his own home. The knights arrived at Riom, with the two brothers prisoners. They were much cast down, and on the road entreated sir William and sir John to interest themselves in their behalf, that the duke might not he too severe on them. The duke was with the duchess at Riom, and most kindly received the two kni.'hts : he considered the gain of the castle of Ventadour as a very gallant exploit, for which he made them handsome and rich gifts. The knights asked him, what was his pleasure respecting the two prisoners. He said, he would consider of it ; which having done, it was thought by his council most advisable to send them to the king at Paris. The seneschal of Auvergne was sent for, and to him were delivered the Bretons. He carried them to Paris, where they were • "The little monk."— Ed. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 50* confined in the castle of Saint Anthony,* under the guard of the viscount d'Asci, who was at that time governor of it. They were not kept long in prison, but delivered over to the provost of Paris, who carried them to Chatelct, where they were tried and judged guilty of death, as traitors and robbers. They were then given up to the hangman, who placed them bound in a cart, and carried them through the streets, with sound of trumpet, to a place called Les Hallcs, and put on tlie pillory, which was turned four times round, that the populace might view them. Their actions were then read aloud; after which they were beheaded and quartered, and their quarters fixed to the four principal gates of the town. Thus did Alleyne and Peter Roux lose thrir castle of Ventadour, and forfeit their own lives by a disgrace; ui ucath. was the first to cross the sea : TounnAMitNT AT ST. IiiGLXviiix. From a MS. Froinart of the Fifteenth Century CHAPTER XIII. THREE FRENCH K.MCiHTS HOLD A TOURNAMENT AT ST. I.NGLEVEBE, NEAR CALAIS, AND DEFEND THE LISTS, FOR THIRTY DAYS, AGAINST ALL COMERS, FROM ENGLANH, AND ELSEWHERE. At this season, the truce between England and France was punc. tually observed on sea and land by both parties, excepting a few pillagers in Auvergne, who continued a war against the peasants, on each side the river Dordogne. Their principal leaders, who had Btirrendered on capitulntion, were not openly guilty of any breach of the truce, but secretly encouraged the mischiefs that were daily committed in Auvergne. Such complaints were made of this to the king of France, that he determined, with the advice of his council, to remonstrate with the king of England on the conduct of these pillagers, who, notwithstanding the truce, still carried on a war In Auvergne and the adjoining country, which could not be suffered, neither ought it to be. I believe the king of England excused hini- Belf, by saying that those who had committed the acts complained of were lawless people, over whom he had no control. During the time in which these things were passing, the three knights before mentioned, who had undertaken to maintain the lists against all comers, at St. Inglevere, near Calais, namely, sir Bouci. taut the younger, the lord Reginald de Roye and the lord do Saimpi, were making preparations to fulfil their engagement. This tourna. ment had been proclaimed in many countries, but especially in Eng. land, where it had caused much surprise, and excited several knights and squires, who were fond of adventures and deeds of arms, to confer on the subject. Some said they would be blameworthy, if they did not cross the sea, when the distance was so short to Calais, pay a visit to these knights, and tilt with them. I will name those who were most eager in these conversations. The first was sir John Holland, earl of Huntingdon, sir John Courtenay,t sir John Traic- ton,t sir John Goulouffre,^ sir John Roussel,|| sir Thomas Scora. bonne,ir sir William Cliseton,** sir William Clinton, sir William * Probably the Bastille, which was at the gate of St. Anthony before the revolution in 1789. t My MS.S. have air Peter Courtenay. t " Sir John Traicton." Q. Drayton. The MSS. Peter. i " Sir John Goulouffre." (i. Sir John Walworth. 11 "fiii John RouBFel." Q, Russel. ^ " Sir Thomas Scorahonne. Q. Sherborne. »» '■ Sir WUIiam CUseton." U. Chfton. Taillebourg,* sir Godfrey de Seton, sir William de Haquenay.t sir John Bolton, sir John Arundel, sir John d'Ambreticourt, sir John Beaumont and many more, to the amount of upward of one hundred knights and squires, who said : " Let us prepare ourselves to attend this tournament near Calais ; for these French knights only hold it that they may have our company : it is well done, and shows they do not want courage : let us not disappoint them." This challenge was made so public in England, that many who had no intention of taking part themselves, said, they would go thither to witnsss the performance of others. Such knights and squires as proposed being there, when the appointed term was approaching, sent beforehand their purveyances, and arms for tilting and for war, to Calais. Sir John Holland, half-brother to the king of England, more than sixty knights and squires accompanied him, and took up thcit quarters in Calais. At the beginning of the charming month of May, the three before-men- tioned young French knights were fully prepared to maintain their chal- lenge in the lists at Saint Inglevere. They first came to Boulogne, where I know not how many days they tar- ried, and then went to the monastery of Saint Inglevere. On their arrival, they learnt that numbers of English knights and squires were come to Ca- lais. This gave them much pleasure ; and to hasten the business, and that news should be carried to the English, they ordered three rich vermilion-co- lored pavilions to be pitched near the appointed place for the lists, and be- fore each were suspended two targets, for peace or war, emblazoned with the arms of each lord. It was ordered, that such as were desirous of perform- ing any deed of arms should touch, or send to have touched, one or both of these targets according to theii pleasure, and they would be tilted with agreeably to their request. 0.1 the 2l8t of the month of May, as it had been proclaimed, the three- knights were properly armed and their horses ready saddled according to the laws 01 the tournament. On the same day, those knights who were in Calais sallied forth, either as spec- tators or filters, and, being arrived at the spot, drew up on one side. This placeof the tournament was smooth, and green with grass. Sir John Holland was the first who sent his squire to touch the war-target of sir Boucicaut, who instantly issued from his pavilion completely armed. Having mounted his horse, and grasped his spear, which was stiff and well steeled, they took their distances. Whea the two knights had for a short time eyed each other, they spurred their horses and met full gallop with such force, that sir Boucicaut pierced the shield of the earl of Huntingdon, and the point of his lance slipped along his arm, but without wounding him. The two knights, having passed, continued their gallop to the end of the list. This course was much praised. At the second course, they hit each other slightly, but no harm was done ; and their horses refused to complete the third. The earl of Huntingdon, who wished to con. tinue the tilt, and was heated, returned to his place, expecting that sir Boucicaut would call for his lance ; but he did not, and showed plainly he would not that day tilt more with the earl. Sir John Holland, seeing this, sent his squire to touch the war-target of the lord de Saimpi. This knight, who was waiting for the combat, sal- lied out from his pavilion, and took his lance and shield. When the earl saw he was ready, he violently spurred his horse, as did the lord de Saimpi. They couched their lances, and pointed them at each other. At the onset, their horses crossed ; notwithstanding which, they met; but by this crossing, which was blamed, the earl was unhelmed. He returned to his people, who soon rehelmed him ; and, having resumed their lances, they met full gallop, and hit each other with such force in the middle of their shields, that they would have been unhorsed had they not kept tight seats by the pres- sure of their legs against the horses' sides. They went to the pro. per places, where they refreshed themselves and took breath. Sir John Holland, who had a great desire to shine at this tournament, had his helmet braced, and grasped his spear again ; when the lord de Saimpi, seeing him advance on a gallop, did not decline meet- ing, but, spurring his horse on instantly, they gave blows on their helmets, that were luckily of well-tempered steel, which made sparks of fire fly from them. At this course, the lord do Saimpi lost his helmet ; but the two knights continued their career, and returned to their places. * •' Sir William Taillebourg." t " Sir William de Haquenay. Q. Tallboys or Talbot. Q. Hackney. 510 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. This tilt was much praised ; and the English and French said, that the earl of Huntingdon, sir Boucicaut, and the lord de Saimpi, had excellently well justed, without sparing or doing themselves any damage. The earl wished to break another lance in honor of his lady, but it was refused him. He then quitted the lists, to make room for others, for he had run his six lances with such ability and courage as gained him praise from all sides. A young and gallant knight of England next came forth, called the earl-marshal,* who sent, according to the regulations, to touch the war-target of sir Reginald de Roye. This being done, sir Re- ginald came from his pavilion completely armed, and mounted his horse that was ready for him ; having had his shield and helmet buckled on, he seized his lance and took his distance. The two knights spurred their horses, but, at this first course, failed in their strokes, from their horees swerving out of the line, to their great vexation. Sir Reginald was hit with the second lance, and had his own broken. At the third course, they met with such force that the fire sparkled from their helmets, and the earl was unhelmed. He continued his career to his own place, but justed no more that day, as he had done sufficiently. The lord Clitford,1 a valiant knight, and cousin.german to the late sir John Chandos, of famed renown, then advanced, and sent to have the war-shield of sir Boucicaut touched with a rod. Sir Boucicaut instantly appeared, and, having his armor laced, mounted his horse : placing his lance in its rest, they met full gallop, and made, by their blows, the fire fly from their helmets, but they neither broke their lances nor lost their stirrups : having passed, they re- turned to their places, making ready for the second course. This was done without any way sparing themselves ; sir Boucicaut broke his lance and was unhelmed, but did not for this fall to the ground. Lord Cliflord returned to his place, to prepare himself for another course, but sir Boucicaut did not again put on his helmet. Lord Cliflord noticing this, resolved to perform a tilt with another knight, and sent his squire to touch the shield of the Lord de Saimpi. The lord de Saimpi being ready, sallied forth from his pavilion ; they ran at each other with great force, met full, and lord Clifford broke his lance into three pieces against the target of his adversary. In return, the lord de Saimpi struck ofi" his helmet, and both continued their career to their places. The lord Clifford tilted no more that day, for the spectators said he had honorably and valorously borne liimself. Sir Henry Beaumontt then came forward, and sent to have the target of sir Boucicaut touched, who was instantly ready to reply to the call, having not dismounted from the tilts with lord Clifford. The lord Beaumont did not manage his lance well, and hit Bouci- caut on the side ; but sir Boucicaut struck him so full on the mid- dle of his shield that it drove him to the ground, and continued his course. Lord Beaumont was raised up by his attendants and re- mounted. The lord de Saimpi then presented himself, and they tilted two courses very handsomely without hurt to either. Sir Peter Courtenay, who was anxious to engage and to run six lances, sent a squire to touch with a rod the three shields of war. This caused a good deal of surprise, and he was asked what were his intentions by so doing. He replied, that he wished to tilt with each of the French knights two lances, if no misfortune befel him, and he entreated they would comply with his request. They were ready to consent to it, and sir Reginald de Roye first ofliered him. self. Having made themselves ready, they spurred their horses, and took good aim not to miss their stroke ; but, from the restiveness of their horses, they failed. They were much vexed, and returned to their places. On the second course they met full gallop ; and sir Reginald de Roye, having unhelmed his adversary, relumed gently toward his pavilion, his two courses being completed. Sir Peter Courtenay being armed once more, the lord de Saimpi advanced, and their lances were broken at the first shock : they continued their •course, when new lances were given them. They advanced toward •each other furiously, and the lord de Saimpi hit sir Peter, whose horse swerved a little ; but sir Peter struck of his helmet, and rode -on at a gentle pace to his post. Sir Boucicaut now came to com. plete the two other courses ; and at their onset they struck each other on the shield so rudely, that the two horses were suddenly checked in their career : no other damage ensued. At the second ■course, they were both unhelmed. When these six tilts were done, sir Peter requested, as a favor, to run one more with any of the three knights who pleased, but it was refused ; and he was told, that he had done enough that day. An English knight, called sir John Gouloufre, came forth, armed from head to foot, and sent his squire to touch the war-shield of sir Reginald de Roye. The knight obeyed the summons, and both ad- vanced full gallop. They hit each other's helmets, but were neither unhelmed nor had their lances broken. Their horses refused to run the second course, to their great vexation. At the third tilt they struck their shields and broke their lances. They were supplied ■with others, and, from the swerving of their horses, passed their fourth career without striking a blow. The fifth lance was too well *I suiipose this must be Thomas Mowbray, earl of NoHinghara and oarl-marslial : Jie was afterwards created duke of Norfolk. See Diigdale. tFroissarl calls him sir Louis deClifford, but he was Tlmmas lord Clifford ofCumber- Jand. See Dugdale. i Lord Beaumont Se« Ougdal?. employed, for they were both unhehned, and then each rode to his own party. Sir John Rousseau,* an expert and valiant knight from England, but well known for his prowess in various countries, ordered his squire to touch the shield of the lord de Saimpi, who was already armed and mounted. On receiving his lance, he spurred his horse against the English knight, and the shock of their spears against the targets instantly forced them to stop. Each returned to his post, and it was not long before they commenced their second course with equal vigor : but when near, the horses swerved, which prevented their stroke. To their sorrow, they were thus obliged to return again to the end of the lists. They were more successful the third course ; for they struck each other with such force, that the vizors of their helmets were broken off: the knights continued their career, and the Englishman tilted no more that day. Sir Peter Shirborne, a young knight, but of good courage, sent his squire to touch the war-shield of sir Boucicaut. The knight was ready to answer him, for he was armed and on horseback, leaning on his spear, to wait for an adventure. Perceiving himself called upon, he raised his spear, and looked to see what his adversary was about, and observing that he was handling his horse, did the same. When they began their course, they couched their spears, thinking to make sure blows ; but they were disappointed, to their great vex- ation, by the swerving of their horses, which forced them to return to their posts. They determined to manage them better at their sec. end tilt, and spurred them both so vigorously, they each struck the other on the vizor. Sir Boucicaut broke his lance, but not so the English knight ; for he employed it with such force, that he not only unhelmed, but made the blood spout from his nose as he broke off the helmet of sir Boucicaut, who then retired to his pavilion : he tilted no more that day, for it was now nearly vespers. Sir Peter Shirborne, however, would not desist until he had completed his number of lances: he, in consequence, sent his squire to touch the war-target of the lord de Saimpi, w-ho was prepared to meet him. The two knights spurred on violently against each other, and hit on the top of their helmets; but the lances slipt over, and they passed each other without hurt. The spectators said, had their spears been pointed lower, and the shields received the blows, one or both must have suffered severely from the shock. The next course they struck full on their targets, and broke their lances into three parts ; but the blow of the lord de Saimpi was so strong, that the English knight lost his seat and fell to the ground, from whence, howevcv, he in- stantly arose, and was led by his attendants from the lists. The lord de Saimpi returned to his post, viewing the state of his adversary, and showing his willingness to renew the tilt with him he had over- thrown or with any other; but none came forward, as it was now time to leave off for this day, and return to their hfitels. The Eng- lish, and such as had accompanied them, set off full gallop for Calais, where they remained that night enjoying themselves, and talking over the feats of arms that had been performed. The French retired to Saint Inglevere ; and, if the English talked much of what had been done, you may readily suppose the French were not silent. On Tuesday, after mass and drinking a cup, all those who intended to tilt, and those who wished to see them, left Calais, and rode in an orderly manner to where the lists had been held the preceding day. The French were already there, as was right, and prepared to receive them. The day was bright, clear, and sufficiently warm. The Eng. lish drew up on one side, and armed those who were to tilt. Sir WiUiam Clifton, a very valiant and export knight, was the first who sent his squire to touch the shield of sir Boucicaut ; the knight instantly came forth, armed completely for the tournament, mounted his horse, and grasped his lance. The two knights met full gallop, hitting each on the target, but passed on without anything more. The second course was very handsome : they met, and hit each on the helmet, the lances crossing. The third course they struck again their shields, and with such violence, that the horses were stop- ped. The fourth course with lances was gallantlv performed, for they hit each other so strongly on the vizors of their helmets, they were driven off by the blow to different sides. The English knight tilted no more that day, for he was told he had dene enough. After this, sir Nicholas Clinton, a young English knight, sent to touch the target of the lord de Saimpi, who immediately appeared ready armed and mounted. The two knighls spurred their horses, bearing their spears in good array : when near, they struck iheir op- ponent's target with such violence that the steel remained fixed ; and it is wonderful no other harm ensued, for they were both young, of good courage, and did not spare themselves. They neither fell nor were wounded, but their lances were shivered to pieces. They then passed on, each to his post. The second course was well tilted: they struck each on the helmets, but, as it was on the top, they did no damage, and passed on. At the third course with lances, the horses swerved, to their sorrow; and, at the fourth, the lord de Saimpi unhelmed the English knight, who returned to his country- men and tilted no more, for they assured him he had behaved most valiantly, and that he must allow others to have their share. When sir Nicholas Clinton was returned from the lists, a gallant knight of England, nearly related to the earl of Huntingdon, called * He is called before Roussel, In the MS. in the British Mu.«ura, Rousse!. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 511 Williain Seimon," left his tent, and sent to touch thp target of sir Reginald de Roye, who appeared to meet him. Each having taken his post, they vigorously spurred their horses, and gave such blows on their shields, that it was surprising they were not unhorsed ; but both ke.pt their seats, as they rode well. They passed on to their places ; but the English knight let fall Jiis lance, and sir Reginald bore his in handsome array. The English knight having had his lance given to him, he placed it in its rest, and spurring his horse, intended to have done wonders. Indeed the blow would have been good if it had been straight, but, by the swerving of his horse, it was very weak ; and I doubt if it were not, in some measure, the lault of the knight. Sir Reginald struck him such a blow on the shield, as made him bend backward, but they passed on without further hurt. Being prepared for the third course, they again spurred their horses and couched their lan- ces, and hit each other so rudely on the helmets that the fire sparkled from them. They passed on, but from this blow their lances fell to the ground : persons were at hand to pick them up and give them to the knights. Having replaced the lances in their rests, they renewed the tilt, and, aiming well, struck each other on the vizors of their helmets so severely, that sir William Seimort was unhelmed and nearly thrown to the ground ; but, though he staggered, he kept his seat. The English knight then went to his countrymen, and did nothing more that day. A squire called Lancaster now stepped forth, and sent to touch die shield of sir Boucicaut. He was ready mounted to answer the call, and, haNing grasped his spear, they met most cour.igeously : they struck their helmets, so as to make the fire fly from them, and it was astonishing they kept them on their heads. No harm being done, each returned to his post, where they made no long stay before they began their second course with great vigor, each hitting on his op. ponent's target; the horses swerved, which prevented this from being a handsome or effectual tilt ; but this they could not help. At the third lance ihey met, and the blow was so well placed, that the Eng- lishman was unhelmed, and passed on to his post bareheaded all but the scull-cap, and would not that day tilt more. A young knight, whose name was sir John Tallboys, next made his appearance, completely armed, and sent to touch the war-target of the lord de Saimpi. That knight was ready for the tilt, and, hav- ing grasped his spear, stuck spurs into his horse : their first onset was so rough, their lances were shivered. The two knights passed each other without other damage, and were not long before they be. gan their second course, having received new lances, of which there was a provision ready, all of the same length. From the fault of their horses, though they aimed well, they missed hitting ; but the third course was well performed, for they unhelmed each other, and then each retired to his own party, and the English knight did noth- ing more that day. Sir Godfrey de Seca next presented himself : he was a gallant knight, and showed, by his manner of riding and bearing his lance, that he was an able tilter, and desirous of renown. He sent his squire to touch the war-target of sir Reginald de Roye. That knight came forward instantly, as he was ready mounted, and, placing him- self properly for the tilt, they both set ofT full gallop, and gave such blows on their targets, that though their spears, from their strength, did not break, they remained fastened to the shields, and by dint of hard pushing, the horses were checked : each knight returned to his post without losing his lance, but bearing it handsomely before him. Having placed them in their rests, they again spurred their horses, which were strong and active, but by their swer\'ing, they missed their stroke and dropped their spears. Those near picked them up and returned them, and again they renewed the tilt ; for they were heated, and seemed unwilling to spare each other. The English knight hit sir Reginald a severe blow on the top of his helmet, with- out otherwise damaging him ; but sir Reginald gave him so strong a thrust on the target, (for at that time he was counted one of the stout- est tilters in France, and was smitten with love for a young lady that made all his affairs prosper,) it pierced through it as well as his left arm ; the spear broke as it entered, the butt end falling to the ground, the other sticking in the shield, and the steel in the arm. The knight, however, did not for this fail to finish his course gallantly ; but his com- panions came to him, and the broken spear and steel were extracted, the blood stanched, and the arm tied up. Sir Reginald returned to his friends, and there remained, leaning on another lance that had been given him. Sir Reginald was much praised by the French and Eng- lish for this tilt ; and no one said anything improper against him, on account of the Englishman being wounded, for such are the events of arms : to one they are fortunate, to another the reverse ; and, to say the truth, they did not spare each other. An English squire, called Blaquet,t then sent to strike the war- shield of the lord de Saimpi. When they were both ready, they spurred their horses, and hit on the helmets hard blows, though the points of their spears slipped off: on finishing their career, they lost their lances. When they were restored to them, they began their second course, but, by the fault of their horses, nothing was done. At the third onset, Blaquet gave the lord de Saimpi a hard blow on the helmet, but was struck by him much harder on the vizor, and ' Q. S«ymour.— £b. f "Blaquet." tj. BInke. unhelmed, with a force that broke the buckle which fastened it be hind, and it fell on the ground. They finished their course, and the English squire went among his countrymen, not intending to tilt more that day. The lord de Saimpi remained gallantly on horseback, leaning on his spear, to wait until he should be again called upon. Sir John Bolton, a gallant knight from England, shortly after this tilt was over, sent his squire to touch the shield of the lord de Saimpi, who, being prepared, entered the lists, his target on his neck and spear in hand. Each hit his adversary's shield, and it was surprising they were not pierced, for their lances were strong, and their heads well tempered ; but they passed without further loss than of their spears, which fell to the ground. When they were picked up and given them, they again spurred their horses, and struck the helmets, but without effect, and continued their career. At the third course their horses crossed. The lord de Saimpi, at the fourth, unhelmed sir John Bolton, by a hard blow, and then the two knights returned to their friends. Thomelin Messidon,* a young English knight, well and richly armed, with a great desire to gain honor, sent to touch the shield of sir Boucicaut. The knight instantly came forth, and, having grasped his lance, both spurred their horses ; and each made his stroke by crossing under the helmet : they passed on without hurt or blame, but were not long before they spurred on again. In this course, they hit very roughly on the targets ; Thomelin Messidon shivered his lance ; but sir Houcicaut's blow was so severe, it drove his opponent over the crupper of his horse to the ground. Those of his party ran to raise him up, and carried him off, for he tilted no more that day. Another squire of England, called Navarton.t instantly stepped forth, and sent to touch the war-shield of sir Boucicaut, saying he would revenge his companion, whom he had struck to the ground in his presence. Boucicaut was ready to answer him, being armed and mounted, and leaning on his spear. They met full gallop, and hit each other on the vizors of their helmets, but passed on without other damage. Having had their helmets readjusted, and their lances given them, they again met with great violence, and from the shock of the blows on the targets, the horses were stopped, and the lances broken into three pieces, but they completed their course without any hurt. They had new spears given them ; and at the third course sir Bou. cicaut was hit hard on the target, but he gave Navarton a blow that unhelmed him : he then withdrew to his countrymen, and tilted no more that day ; for they said he had done sufficient, and had gained great applause. After this, another squire advanced, called Sequaqueton,t an able man-at-arms and expert tilter. He sent to touch the shield of sir Reginald de Roye, who replied that he was prepared and mounted. They spurred their horses, and gave violent strokes on their targets, without sparing each other. Sequaqueton bore himself handsomely without falling, to the surprise of the spectators, for sir Reginald's blow made him bend backward almost on the cnipper of his horse ; but he raised himself, and gallantly finished his career with the loss only of his lance. Having received another, they ran the second tilt with great courage, and struck such blows on their helmets as made the fire fly from them. It was a handsome course, and no damage done. They repaired to their posts, and spurred again for the third time. In this tilt, Sequaqueton was severely unhelmed, and on the point of falling, both himself and horse, for he staggered considera. bly. The squire, when on his feet, returned to his companions and tilted no more : indeed, there was an end to the whole for the day, as it was now late. The English collected together and returned to Calais, as did the French to St, Inglevere, You must know, though I have not before made mention of it, that king Charles of France was present at these justs. Being young, and desirous of witnessing extraordinary sights, he would have been much vexed if ho had not seen these tournaments. He was there- fore present at the early part and latter end of them, attended only by the lord de Garencieres ; but both so disguised that nobody knew of it; and they returned every evening to Marquise, § The ensuing day, Wednesday, was as fine as the foregoing ; and the English, who had crossed the sea to take part in or view this tournament, mounted their horses, at the same hour as on the prece- ding day, and rode to the place appointed for the lists, to the delight of the French, who were rejoiced to see them. It was not long after their arrival when an English squire, a good tilter, called John Sav- age, squire of honor and of the body to the earl of Huntingdon, sent to touch the shield of sir Reginald de Roye. The knight answered, he was ready and willing to satisfy him. When he had mounted his horse, and had his helmet buckled and lance given to him, they set off full gallop, and gave such blows on the targets, that had the spears not broken, one or both inust have fallen to the ground. This was handsome and dangerous ; but the knights received no hurt, though the points of the lances passed through the targets, and slipped off their side-armor. The spears were broken about a foot from the shaft, the points remaining in the shields ; and they gallantly bore the shafts before them, as they finished their career. The spectators * " Thomelin Messidon." It is Meseiden in the fllSS. t Warneston.— BucHON. J "Sequaqueton." CI. Swinnerton. 6 " Marquise"-a town in Picatdy, live leoeues from Calais, three and ft half ftoi» Bouloene. 512 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. thoiight they must have been seriously wounded ; and the French and EngUsh hastened each to their companion, whom, to their- joy, they found unhurt. They were told they had done enough for that day : but John Savage was not satisfied, and said that he had not crossed the sea for only one tilt with a lance. This was repeated to sir Re- ginald, who replied : " He is in the right ; and it is but just that he should be gratified, either by me or one of my companions." When they had rested themselves a while, and received new lances, they began their second course, each aiming well at the other ; but they failed from the swerving of their horses, to their great vexation, and returned to their posts. Their lances, which had been accidentally dropped, were given to them, and they set off on their third course. This time they hit on the vizors of their helmets ; and, by the force and crossing of their lances, both were unhelmed as they passed. The tilt was much applauded for its correctness and vigor. When they returned to their posts, the English told John Savage, that he had very iionorably performed, and that it was now time for him to make way for others to tilt as well as himself. He compUed with this, and, laying aside his lance and target, dismounted, and rode on a hackney to witness the performances of others. An English squire, named William Basquenay, cousin to the earl- marshal, came forth fully armed for the occasion, and sent to have the war-shield of sir Boucicaut stricken. The knight instantly made his appearance at the end of the iiots, and each galloped toward the other as straight as they could. They struck, ilieir helmets gallantly ; and the blow was so effectual on the vizors that they were buth un helmed, and continued their course without further hurt. Their friends, who were near, readjusted their armor; and, giving them their spears, they commenced their second course by desperate strokes on their targets ; but, the lances breaking, no harm was done, and they continued their career. They were supplied wiih new lances, that were stout and good ; but, t'rom the fault of their horses, they missed their strokes. At the fourth lance, they hit ; and William Basquenay was unhelmed a second time, and then returned to his companions, not tilting more that day. A squire from England, whose name was John Scot, sent to have the war-shield of the lord do Saimpi touched. He immediately ap- peared, and at their onset they gave such blows on their targets as stopped their horses ; but, their lances being strong, they neither broke nor fell out of their hands. The second course was well performed : the lord de Saimpi hit his adversary ; but Scot had more success in unhelming him, for which he was much applauded by his countrymen. The lord de Saimpi was soon rehclmed ; and, grasping his spear, they spurred against each other with great violence. They placed their blows on their targets, but with a force that drdve John Scot out of his saddlt; to the ground, and thus did the lord de Saimpi re- venge himself. The squire was raised, and carried off by his com- panions. Bernard Stapleton, an English squire, sent to strike the lord de Saimpi's shield, who was not dismounted from his last tilt. They met, and hit each other on the helmets so forcibly as to make the sparks Ry from them ; but they passed on without hurt and returned to their posts. Still grasping their spears, they couched them, and at this second course, struck very severe blows on their targets ; but kept their seats well, without falling or staggering, to the end of their career. The third lance struck the helmets, and both were unhelmed. The English squire retired from the lists, as liis friends told him he had acquitted himself with honor. The next that presented himself, was a young gay knight from England, who shone in tournaments, in dancing, and in singing, called sir John Arundel. He sent his squire to touch the war-shield ef sir Reginald de Roye The knight replied, that he wished for nothing more agreeable than to tilt with him. Having received their spears, they galloped ofl'at the same moment, and gave and roooivod hard blows on their shields ; but they kept their seats handsomely, and continued their career. Their lances having fallen from their hands, were restored to them by those appointed for that purpose ; and they began their second course with blows on the helmets that made the fire fly, but they passed on without further hurt. At the third onset, the horses swerved ; and the knights in their attempt to strike, lost their lances, and with difficulty recovered themselves. At the fourth they struck the helmets, but without harm or unhelming. At the fifth course, they hit each other on the target, and broke their lances, without any other damage. Sir John Arundel completed his career, and returned to his friends. After this, Nicholas Stone, an English squire, sent to touch the war-shield of sir Boucicaut. The knight seizing his lance, they spurred against each other and hit on the helmets ; but the spears slipped oflf, and they passed unhurt. Holding still their lances in the rests, they set off again, and hit so hard on the targets, that the horses staggered with the shock, and the knights dropped their spears. When they had received their lances, they again galloped off full speed, and their blows on the helmets were effectual : at least the English squire lost his helmet and retired, for his friends said he had done enough. Another squire from England, called John Marshal, advanced to the lists, completely armed, and sent no touch the war-target of sir Boucicaut, who replied, he was ready, and waiting to be called upon. At their first couwe they hit each other on the targets, but the lances fell to the ground, and they returned to their stations without other damage. On their being restored, they continued their tilt, and struck hard blows on the helmets without anything more, and pursued their career, bearing their lances handsomely before them. When they had rested a little, they considered how they could best annoy each other, and, having aimed well, spurred on their horses. John Mar- shal gave such a thrust on Boucicaut's shield that his lance was bro- ken to the stump, and Boucicaut's blow unhelmed his opponent, and drove him on the crupper of his horse. The squire, notwithstanding, completed his course without falling, and then went to his compan- ions, who said he ought now to be satisfied, for that he had well perfoiTiied. When the squire had withdrawn, a yeung and frisky knight ad- vanced, who was eager to gain renown. His name was sir John Cliseton,* and he bore for arms a field argent, fretted azure, with a mullet argent in chief. He sent his squire to touch the war-shield of sir Reginald de Roye, who was much pleased at the summons. Having taken their stations and received their lances, they spurred their horses and hit each other full on the helmets, but passed and completed their career. They kept their lances in their rests, and were not long before they commenced the second course, in which they gave heavy thrusts on their sliields, but without any loss, except of their spears, which feU to the ground. Having received their lances, they hit each other, on the third course, such blows on the tops of the helmets as made the fire fly. At the fourth course their horses swerved, to their great disappointment. The fifth was well pertornieJ, for each broke his lance. The two knights grew warm, and plainly showed they were desirous of trying each other's valor to the utmost. When at their stations they had fresh lances given them, that were stiff" enough ; and, after a short delay, they again spurred their horses, and laid in such blows on the helmets that both were unhelmed. This course was greatly praised by all present, and when, they had completed their career, they returned to their countrymen ; for the English knight tilted no more that day. When this was finished, a squire from England, called Roger Lamb, whose arms were a cross gules, on a field argent and sable quartered, came forward, handsomely equipped, and gayly sent to touch the war- target of the lord de Saimpi. The knight instantly obeyed the call, and by his alacrity showed he preferred tilting to remaining idle. On the first onset, they checked their horses, by the force of their blows on their shields ; but the lances, being strong, did not break, and they continued their course. On the second tilt, they hit the helmets hard enough ; but, as the points of their lances grazed off, no harm was done. Roger Lamb was unhelmed at the third course, and re- turned to his countrymen without doing more that day. After this, a gallant knight from that part of Hainault called Ostre . vant, a good man-at-arms and able tilter, offered himself He had been educated in England at the court of lung Edward, and his name was sir John d'Ambreticourt, and brother to that excellent knight, sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt. He bore for his arms ermine two bars humetty gules, each charged with three escallop shells argent. The knight was well equipped for the tournament, and sent one of his squires to touch the war.target of sir Reginald de Roye. Having taken their stations, they eyed each other well, and spurring their horses, gave such blows oa the shields as made sparks of fire fly from them, and the horses to bend under them. The tilt was handsome, for no harm was done, and they continued the career. They were not long before they ran their second course, and again hit on the shields. It was wonderful that this was not attended with mischief, for they were both strong and courageous tilters, fearless of death or danger. The shock of this attack was so great that their horses were forced on their haunches, and the two knights staggered. Neverthe- less, they continued their career, but with the loss of their lances. Having received their lances, they ran their third course, and sir John d'Ambreticourt unhelmed sir Reginald de Roye so as to injure him very considerably, and to terminate his career. Sir Reginald went to his party, and plainly showed he would not tilt more that day. When sir John d'Ambreticourt perceived this, as he had a great delight in tilting, he sent to touch the war-shield of sir Bouci- caut, who instantly advanced to the lists. Having had his target buckled on, and placed his spear in the rest, they spurred against each other, and gave such blows on the shields that it was surprising they were not pierced through ; but this might be owing to the swerving of the horses. When returned to their stations, they did not remain long before they commenced their second course with vigor, and kit each other hard on the helmets ; but the spears slipped off, and they continued their career. The knights having lost their spears, they were brought to them by their squires, and they renewed the tilt. This time they were both very severely unhelmed, and gallantly- finished their course. The English now collected together, as evening was approacliing, and returned to Calais, where they passed the night in talking over the different feats of arms that had been that day performed. The French amused themselves in like manner at Saint Inglevere. On Thursday morning, the fourth day of the tournament, the English found that there were yet many knights and squires who had not entered the lists, and who had purposely come from England ; they therefore said, that all who had any intentions to tilt should do so. » "Sil Jolut CUsstan." H. Cliltsa, -;l CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 513 otherwise they would not be hnndsomely treated. The lords of Eng- land had agreed to return to Saint Inglevere on the Thursday, for those who pleased to perform tlicir justs : in consequence, they left Calais after mass, and, on arriving at the lists, found the three French knights ready in their pavilions to answer all who might call on them, attended by those that were to serve them and such as came to wit- ness the deeds of arms. An English knight, called sir Godfrey d'Estas,* was the first who entered the lists : he bore for arms a lion sable on a field or, with three bars gules, and charged with a mullet or, on the dexter paw of a lion, and was completely and gayly armed. He sent a squire to touch the war-shield of sir Boucicaut, who instantly advanced from his pavilion prepared to obey the summons. Having received their spears and bucklers and eyed each other for a short time, they spurred on their horees, and both struck violent blows on the helmets ; but, as the points of their lances slipped oft', they continued their course to their stations. Keeping the lances in the rests, they recommenced the tilt, and met with such force on their bucklers, that had not their spears broken, much mischief might have ensued. When they had rested a while and had new lances, they ran a third course with great violence, and hit the vizors so fairly and well that both were un- helmed ; they continued their career, and then retired to their own people. The English knight did nothing more this day, for he was told that he had performed well, and must give way to others. Alain Bourch,t an able and expert English squire, sent to touch the war-target of the lord de Sainipi, who came from his pavilion iy; obedience to the call. They gave blows on their helmets at the first onset, that made the fire sparkle, but no other harm was done. At the second tilt, their lances met on their bucklers with such force as shivered them in pieces, but they continued their career unhurt. They were quickly supplied with new lances ; and, spurring on the third time, they placed their thrusts so well and strong that they were both unhelmed, and completed their course : the Englishman retired to his countrymen, to allow others to show their skill and valor. An English squire, called John Storp,! sent to touch the target of sir Boucicaut, who issued forth out of his pavilion, and his horse being ready, mounted him and entered the lists. They failed in their first course, from the fault of their horses. Wlien they returned to their statiuns, they were not long before they ran the second ; and, although they gave each other severe blows on the helmet, no mis. chief ensued. At the third course, John Storp was forcibly struck to the ground ; whence he was raised by his friends and did no more that day. A Bohemian knight now advanced, who was of the household of the queen of England, called sir Herchauce. He was esteemed a strong and expert tiller, and bore for his arms three griffins' feet sable on a shield argent ongle with azure. When he entered the lists, he was asked wliich of the three knights he wished to tilt with : he re- plied, " With Boucicaut." On this an English squire was sent, ac- ■cording to the regulations, to touch sir Boucicaut's war.target. The knight, having kept himself prepared for any summons, left his pavilion, and having fastened l.-;s buckler and grasped his lance, entered the lists. His opponent was then ready to meet him ; and spurring their horses, they thought to give full strokes ; but it was not so, from the ill conduct of the Bohemian knight, for which he was greatly blamed. He had, out of the line of tilting, hit sir Bouci. caut on the helmet, and continued his career : for tliis impropriety, of which the English saw him guilty, he had forfeited his arms and horse, should the French insist upon them. The French and Eng- glish held a long conversation on this ill-placed stroke ; but at last the French knights pardoned it, tha better to please the English. Herchauce begged, as a favor, that he might be permitted to run only one course more. On being asked " With which of the three knights?" he sent to touch the target of sir Reginald de Roye. That knight was waiting in his pavilion, not having tilted that day, and declared his willingness to accommodate sir Herchauce, since his request had been granted. Sir Reginald mounted his horse, and hav- ing had his buckler fastened, and his lance given him, he eyed his opponent, that he might well point his stroke. Both spurred their horses at the same moment, and hit on the shields ; but sir Reginald (who was one of the firmest and best tilters in France,) thrust with such force as made the Bohemian fly out of his saddle, and fall so so severely on the ground that the spectators imagined that he was killed. Sir Reginald continued his course to his own station. Sir Herchauce was raised with much difficulty by his attendants, and ■carried to the English, who were well pleased at what had happened to him, for the uncourteous manner in which he had run his first course. He had not any desire to tilt more that day. The next who came forward was Robin Seorneborne,§ an able and gay squire from England. He sent to touch the war-target of the lord de Saimpi, who was ready mounted and prepared to answer him. At their first course they hit their helmets, and continued their career. At the ne.\t, they struck their bucklers, but unsuccessfully, as before, excepting the loss of their lances. Having recovered them * " Sir Godfrey il'Estas." Eiutace. t "Alain Bourch." Q. Birch. Lord Bera«n Call* him Aieyne Borrowe. X '* John Storp." Lord Bemera— Scrope. i4 *■ Robin Seomeborne." Q. Sherbum, or Shubum. again, they, on the third onset, placed their thrusts so ably and forci- biy on the visors, that both were unhelmed, and finished their course. The English squire returned to his companions, and was idle during the rest of the day. Another English squire, called John Merlan, now advaitced. He bore for arms a bend sable on a field argenty charged with three lion.heads sable, and sent to touch the war-target of sir Reginald de Roye. The knight answered, he was at his service. Having entered the lists, they at the first onset gave violent blows on the helmets, but without any efl'ect, and, by firmly holding their lances, returned to their stations without loss of any kind. The second course, their spears met on their bucklers, and the horses were checked ; having thrown down their lances, they continued their career, each to his station, and made ready to tilt well the third lance. When their spears had been given them, they set ofi' full gallop, and sir Reginald hit sir Jolin Merlan a blow on his buckler, which lorced him out of the saddle to the ground. He continued his course to his station, and the Englishman was raised and carried to his coun. try men. John Mouton, another squire from England, next offered himself. He bore for arms a chevron sable on a field gules, three pierced mul. lets or, with an indented bordure sable, and sent to strike the war- shield of sir Boucicaut, who replied, he was always ready to tilt. Their strokes met on their bucklers, but without damage. It was not their fault, for the blows were well placed, and they gallantly passed, bearing their lances before them, to their stations. They were not long before they commenced their second tilt, and hit very severely on the helmets, but without loss, excepting their lances, and returned to their posts. Those who were appointed to gather the lances that fell, instantly presented them to the knights, who renewed the tilt; but at the third course sir Boucicaut unhelmed John Mou. ton, who retired to his companions. A very handsome knight from England now came forth : he was well armed at all points, and kept an excellent position on his horse, and was called sir Jaquemin Strop.* He sent to touch the war- target of the lord de Saimpi, who being mounted and armed before his pavilion, advanced to the lists. At their first course they missed their stroke, from their horses' running out of the line, which ve.xed them much. They were not long before they again set off full gallop, and, when they met, gave such blows on the helmets as made them strike fire : they passed on without loss but of their spears. As soon aa they were returned to their stations, their lances were brought them, and after a short delay, they began their third course. They both hit with great force on the bucklers; but sir James Scrope's lance broke, while sir Reginald unhorsed his opponent and continued his career. Sir James was raised from the ground by his attendants, a]id did no more that day. Another English knight, called sir William Masquelee, was ready to enter the lists, and to engage with whoever pleased ; for he had crossed the sea with the earl of Huntingdon in this view. He sent to touch the war-target of sir Boucicaut, who had his buckler fast- ened, and instantly advanced to meet his adversary. They both at the same moment spurred their horses, which were fresh and eager to begin the course ; for the very instant they felt the points, they bounded forward. The two knights took good aim, and mutually gave such strokes on their helmets that fire sparkled from them : aud, though the points of the lances slipped ofi', the tilt was much praised by all present. They continued their career to their different sta- tions, but did not make any long stay before they again spurred their horses and couched their spears, for they did not drop them, and met with such violence, that their lances must have pierced the bucklers, if the horses had not swerved. They finished their course, throwing down their lances, and completed their career like good tilters, in excellent array to their posts. Having received their spears, they set off as fast as their horses conld carry them, and, on their meeting, hit the vizors of the helmets severely. The tilt was loudly applauded, for they were both unhelmed, and bareheaded all but the scull.caps ; they finished their career, and then retiu-ned to their friends, for they had excellently performed. An English squire called Nicholas Lamb, well and elegantly armed, advanced, having a great desire to try his skill in arms. He sent to strike the war-target of the lord de Saimpi, who was already mounted and armed, in front of his pavilion, with his buckler on his breast, blazoned with his arms. He grasped his spear, and flew to the lists with the eagerness of a hawk to seize his prey. The English squire did the same, and, setting off at full speed, they gave such blows on their bucklers, that their lances were shivered : it was fortunate they broke, or the knights must have been greatly hurt, or unhorsed, but they kept their seats firmly. When returned to their stations, they were supplied with new lances, and with th^ ' '" " ^'*- made the fire fly from their helmets ; no o* the spears had crossed, and they continue After a short rest, they commenced their amined where they could place their f performed ; for they hit, justly, the up the points of the lances entered : be that the lacings burst, and the helme' * " Sir Jaquemin Strop. 514 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. horses on the field. The knights kept iheir seats and completed their course in handsome array, and returned to their countrymen. The tournament was now at an ena, for no more tilters appeared on the part of the English. The earl of Huntingdon, the earl.mar. shal, the lord Clifiord, the lord Beaumont,* sir John Clifton, sir John d'Ambreticourt, sir Peter Sherburne, and all those knights who had tilted the preceding days, then waited in a body on the French knights, and thanked them warmly for the amusements they had given them. They said, " All the knights who have accompanied us having now tilted, we take our leave of you, and return to Calais on our way to England. We know well that whoever may wish to try their skill in arms will find you here for thirty days, according to your proclamation. On our return to England, we shall loudly speak of your gallantry, and tell all those who may inquire of these deeds of arms to come and witness them in person." " Many thanks," replied the three knights : " they shall be made welcome, and de. livered by deeds of arms as you have been ; and we desire you will accept our best acknowledgments for the courtesy you have shown US." In such friendly manner did the English and French knights sep. arate, in the plain of St. Inglevere : the first took the road to Calais, but made no long stay ; for on the Saturday morning they embarked on board passage-boats, and landed at Dover about mid. day, when each retired to his inn. They stayed the whole of Saturday, and Sunday until after mass, at Dover ; where having refreshed them, selves and their horses, they continued their journey to Rochester, and there lay that night : on the morrow they arrived at London, when they separated, and each returned to his home. The three French knights before named, kept their engagements valiantly at St. Inglevere. When the English knights were gone, the king of France and the lord de Garencieres, who had witnessed the tourna. ment in disguise, returned to their inn at Marquise ; and on the morrow, at break of day, they set out for Paris, and never ceased riding until they came to Creilt on the river Oise, where at that time the queen of France resided. Scarcely any one knew that the king was pres- ent at these tilts, but his confidential valets-de-chambre. From the time the English left Calais, I never heard that any others came from England to Inglevere to try their skill in arms. The three knights, however, remained there until the thirty days were fully ac- complished, and then leisurely returned each to his home. When they waited on the king of France, the duke of Touraine, and other lords at Paris, they were most handsomely received. Indeed, they were entitled to such reception, for they had gallantly behaved them- selves, and well supported the honor of the king and of the realm of France. ■ CHAPTER XIV. THE DUKE OF BOUltBON IS APPOINTED CHIEF OF AN EXPEDITION TO AFRICA, THAT IS UNDERTAKEN BS SEVERAL KNISHTS OF FKA.NCE AND ENGLAND AT THE SOLICITATION OF THE GENOESE. I HAVE delayed, for a long time, speaking of a grand and noble enterprise that was undertaken by some knights of France, England and other countries, against the kingdom of Barbary. I wish not to forget nor to defer it ; but, as I had begun on the tilts at St. Ingle- vere, I was desirous to complete that account. Since that is done, I will return to other subjects, and refresh my memory accordingly ; for such events as I have to relate are greatly amusing, and, if I had not taken pleasure in inditing them, I should never have succeeded. The text of the subject I mean to proceed on says, that about this time the Genoese were reported throughout France and other coun- tries, to be desirous of raising a large army to invade Barbary ; and that all knights, squires or men-at-arms, who would engage in this expedition, should be supplied with such purveyances as biscuit, fresh water, vinegar, and vessels and galleys to transport them thither. The cause of their forming this armament was, that the Africans had attacked the country of Genoa, plundering the Islands belonging to them, and carrying off such from the coasts of Genoa as were not on their guard, by which they were kept under continual alarms. They possessed also a town, situated on the sea-shore of Barbary, which is beyond measure strong, and called Africa,? surrounded with high walls, gates and deep ditches. Like as the strong town of Calais is the key to France and Flanders, and whoever is master of it may at all times enter those countries, and from thence may be sent a powerful force by sea, to do mischief to their neighbors ; just so is the town of Africa the stronghold of the inhabitants of Barbary, Bugia and Tunis, and other infidel countries. The Genoese, who are rich merchants, bore great hatred to this town ; for its corsairs fre- que- •' —it'-hpft iher>^ •>< sea, and when strongest, fell on and plun- T their spoils to this town of Africa, which 'ace of deposit, and may be called their nd to such conduct, and satisfy the com- \ys his name waa John, instoad gfHeiirj-, ae -uea and a haif from Pari!:, ry, seventy miles distant from Tunis. It was the command of the emperor Charles V. and plaints of their subjects, that were daily made to them from the island of Albe,* Isja,t Guerse,t Buscan,§ Gorgennen,|| and from the coast as far as the gulf of Lyons to the islands of Sardonne,T Finesse,** and even from the island of Majorca,+t determined to make their situation known to the court of France, and to offer to such knights as would undertake an expedition against the infidels, vessels of provision, with a passage thither and back free of all costs, provided that one of the king's uncles, or his brother the duke of Touraine (who, being young, ought to labor to gain renown,) would take the chief command. They likewise offered the aid of pilgrims, from foreign parts to assist them, twelve thousand select Genoese cross-bows, and eight thousand infantry armed with spears and shields, all at their expense. They imagined, that as now there was a truce between France, England and their allies, their knights would, from having nothing to do, be glad to join in this warfare, and that they should have numbers of them from those kingdoms. When this intelligence was first brought to the French knights, they were much rejoiced, in hope of gaining honor ', and the embas- sadors from Genoa were told they should not return without their business being attended to, and succor afforded them, for their anx- iety to extend the Christian faith was very praiseworthy. They waited at Paris, while it was under deliberation of the council who should be appointed commander-in-chief. The duke of Touraine offered his services to the king and council ; but they, as well as the dukes of Berry and Burgundy, remonstrated, that this command was not fit for him. They considered, that as the Genoese insisted on the king's brother, or one of his uncles, taking the command, the duke of Bourbon would be the most proper person, and that he should have for his second the lord de Coucy. The Genoese embassadors, having received a favorable answer from the king, and certain assu- rances of being assisted with knights and men-at-arms from France, under the command of the duke of Bourbon, in the course of the year, were greatly contented. They took leave of the king, and re- turned to their own country, to relate the good news, and make pre. parations accordingly. Reports of an invasion of Barbary were soon spread throughout France : to some knights and squires it was agreeable, to others the contrary ; all who were desirous of going thither could not, as it would have been at their own charges, for no lord paid for any but those of his own household. It was also ordered, that no one from France should make part of this expedition but such as had the king's leave : for the council wished not the realm to be void of defence, and the Genoese were expressly bound not to suffer any servants to embark, but solely such as were gentlemen, and who could be de- pended upon. It was, besides, meant as a compliment to the knights and squires of other nations who might wish to join in the enterprise. This regulation gave pleasure to all foreign knights who heard of it. The duke of Bourbon, having accepted the command, sent his serv. ants to Genoa, where they were to embark, to make the necessary preparations for him and his household. The gallant count d'Au- vergne, who was likewise of the expedition, did the same. The lord de Coucy, sir Guy de la Tremouille, sir John de Vienne, and all the great barons and knights of France who had obtained leave to make part of this army, were not behind-hand in sending thither purveyances suitable to their state. The lord Philip d'-'Vrtois, count d'Eu, sir Philip de Bar, the lord de Harcourt, sir Henry d'Antoing, did so likewise. From Brittany and Normandy many great lords made preparations for this expedition to Barbary, as well as from Hainault : among the last, were the lord de Ligne and the lord de Havreth. Several knights came from Flanders ; and the duke of Lancaster had a bastard son, called Henry de Beaufort, whom, through devotion, he sent thither. He had him well accompanied by many knights and squires of rank in England. The count de Foix was unwilling his bastard son, Evan of Foix, should remain behind, and had him properly attended by knights and squires, as he wished him to keep his state grandlj-. Every one had taken care to send beforehand all he should want ; and thoee at the greatest distance from Genoa, left their countries the middle of .May, but it was about a month before all were assembled. The Genoese were well pleased on their arrival, and made handsome and rich presents to the chiefs, the better to secure their affections. As the knights arrived, they were posted adjoining each other, and, on being mustered by the marshals, amotinted to fourteen hundred knights and squires. They were embarked on board of ships and galleys, that had been properly equipped for the voyage, on Saint John Baptist's day, in the year of grace 1390. It was a beautiful sight to view this fleet, with the emblazoned banners of the different lords glittering in the sun and fluttering in the wind ; and to hear the minstrels and other musicians sounding their pipes, clarions and trumpets, whose sounds were reechoed back by the sea. When all were embarked, they cast anchor, and re- mained that night at the mouth of the harbor ; but the servants and horses were left behind on shore. A horse worth fifty francs was on their embarkation sold for ten, as many of the knights and squires were uncertain when, or if ever, they should return, and the keep of •".1.lbc." a. Elba. t "Isja." Q. Ischia. t"Guerse." O. Cotsioa. % " Buscnn." H. II " Gorgeiuien." Ci. Gorgona. V "Sardonne." Q. Sardinio. ** "Finesse.'* Q. tt " IVIajorca," &c. belonged to the king of Arragon. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND. FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 515 five horses at Genoa was upward of a franc a day ; tliey therefore, on departing, made of them what money they could, but it was little enough. There were about three hundred galleys to transport the men-at- arms and archers, and upward of one hundred vessels for the pur- Teyances-and other necesHaries. On the morrow, at daybreak, they •weighed anchor, and rowed coastwise that and tlie succeeding night. The third day, they made Port-fiao, where they lay that night : at English anp French Knights under the Duke of Bourbon on their voyage to Africa. a MS. Froissart of the Fifteenth century. sunrise, they rowed to Porto.Venere, and again cast anchor. The en- suing morning they weighed and took to the deep, putting themselves under the protection of God and St. George. When they had passed the island of Elba, they encountered a violent tempest, which drove them back by Gorgona, Sardinia and Corsica, into the gulf of Lyons, a position always dangerous ; but they could not avoid it, for the tempest was so violent, that the ablest mariner could not do anything to prevent their running the utmost risk of destruction : they waited therefore the will of God. This storm lasted a day and night, and dispersed the fleet. When the weather became calm and the sea tranquil, the pilots, who were acquainted with those seas, steered as directly as they could for the island of Comnieres,« which is but thirty miles from the town of Africa, whither they bent their course. The masters of the vessels had held a council before they entered the gulf of Lyons, and determined, that should they part company, they would rendezvous at the island of Commeres, and wait there until they were all assembled. This plan was adopted ; and it was up- ward of nine days before all were collected, so much had they been scattered. The island of Commeres, though not large, is very pleasant. The lords there refreshed themselves, and praised God for having all met again without essential loss or damage. When on the eve of de- parture, the French lords, who took the lead, held a council on their future proceedings, as they were now so near the port of Africa. We will for a while leave this expedition, and speak of events that happened in France, more particularly in Auvergnc. From CHAPTER XV. AYMERIGOT MAKCEL, CAPTAIN OF THE PILLAGING COMPAKIES, HAVI.XG FORTIFIED LA ROCHE DE VENDAIS ON THE BORDERS OF LIMOUSIN AND AtlVERGNE, IS BESIEGED BY THE VISCOUNT DE MEAUX, BY COMMAND OF THE KING OF FRANCE. During the time of the assembly of this body of men-at-arms in France, for the expedition to extend the Christian faith, and gain renown, there were another sort of men-at-arms wholly given up to plunder, in Limousin, Auvergnc, and Rouergue, who, in spite of the truce, were continually doing mischief to these countries, which thought themselves in security. The king of France had caused the truce to be- publicly notified to the captains of the freebooters, particularly to Perrot le B^arnois, governor of Chainlet, Aymerigot Marcel, Olim Barbe, captain of Donzac in Auvergne, who were per. sonally named in the act, and were assured, that if the truce were * "Cornmeres." This island is called Conimbres and Cominieres. in tlie printed and MS. editions. I suppose it must mean Comino orCumin. Cuminuni. nnd formerly He- phestia, a smaU island in the Mediterranean, tietwcen Gozo and Mulla, belonging to the ■Knights of Malta.— B,\UDR*N. in the smallest degree infringed, those guilty of it should be corpo. rally punished, without hope of mercy. This was done, that there might not be any e.xcuaes made from ignorance of the treaty. Some of the captains, fearful of a disgraceful death, or of incurring the king's indignation, kept the peace very well. Others did not, for which they paid severely, as you will hear in the continuation of thia history. You have before found it related in the course of these Chronicles, indited and arranged by me, sir John Frois. sart, treasurer and canon of Chimay, how peace had been agreed on with many of the captains of castles in Auvergne, Limousin, Rouergue, and Cahorsin, by the mediation of John count d'Armagnac, and Berald dauphin of Auvergne, to whom they had surrendered their castles for different sums of money. The captains were also, by these treaties, bound to renounce, during the truce, the continuance of the warfare in France, and to accompany the coujit d'Armagnac to Lombardy, or whither else he might lead them. He was desirous to employ them in a war he was meditating against the lord Galeas de Visconti, count de Vertus, for having disinherited his cou. sins-german, the sons of his late uncle the lord Barnabo, as has been before men. tioned. The count d'Armagnac and the dauphin of -Auvergne had labored hard to gain over these captains, that the country might be at peace ; and for this end a large sum had been raised in Auvergne, Gevaudan, Rou. ergue, Cahorsin and Limousin, to the amount of two hundred thousand francs. This tax pressed so hard on rich and poor, tnat many were forced to sell their inheri. tancc to obtain peace. They imagined, that having paid such sums, they should remain unmolested by these robbers ; but it was not so in many places, more espe- cially in those parts where Aymerigot Marcel had his garrison. Not. withstanding the fact that he had surrendered, by capitulation, his castle of Aloise, which is situated in the heart of Auvergne, to the count d'Armagnac, he continued to do much mischief to the in. habitants. Aymerigot was so rich as to be able to pay down, if necessary, for his ransom, one hundred thousand francs, which he had gained by plunder during ten years that he had carried on this trade. The count d'Armagnac was anxious to have Aymerigot among his t'ollowers to Lombardy for two reasons : one was, to have his advice, as in everything relative to war he was subtle and enter, prising, and ver}- able respecting the escalade of forts, and the mode of war to be carried on : he therefore caused him to be told how de. sii'ous he was of his company, and that he would be a great gainer if he would join him. The other reason of his wish was, that if Aymerigot should remain behind, although he had sold Aloise, he might still do great harm to that country. Aymerigot dissembled in his negotiations with the count, and said to those sent to him, " When I shall witness the departure of the count d'.Armagnac to Lombardy, and see for certain that he is in earnest, I do not think, from the inclination I feel toward him, that I shall remain behind." This was the only answer that could be obtained from him. The count d'Armagnac resided in Comminges and in the Toulousain, making his preparations and collecting men. at-arms. He would have hastened'ftis expedition, if that to Africa had not interfered ; but that delayed it for some little time, for many knights and squires who were gone thither had promised him their assistance, as soon as he should begin his march. The suddenness of the invasion of Barbary deranged his plans, and likewise induced the more speedy capitulations with the captains of the free companies. Aymerigot Marcel was much vexed that he had sold his castle of Aloise, near St. Flour,* for his importance was lost, and he was less feared. During the time he held it against the whole force of the country, he was dreaded and respected by his companions in arms. He kept it always in good repair, and well provisioned ; for his com. positions with the country round amounted to twenty thousand florins yearly. He was quite melancholy when he thought of his reduced state, and would not diminish his treasure, which he had gained by his robberies, now the means of increasing it were closed. He said to himself, that he heartily repented what he had done, because in his opinion the pillaging life he had led, taking all things into con- sideration, was not to be despised. At times, he conversed on this subject with his former companions, and said, " There is no pleasure nor glory in this world like what men-at-arms, such as ourselves, enjoyed. How happy were we, when riding out in search of adven- tures, we met a rich abbot, a merchant, or a string of mules, well laden with draperies, furs, or spices, from MontpeUier, Beziers, or Riom. "Saint Floiif "—a town in Auvergne, 2ij leagues from Clermont-ferrand, 25 from 516 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. other places. All was our own, or at least ransomed according to our will. Every day we gained money. The peasants of Auvergne and Limousin loved ue, and provided our castle with corn, meal, baked bread, litter for our horses, oats, hay, good wine, fat beeves, sheep, and all sorts of poultry : we lived like kings ; and when we went abroad, the country trembled : everything was ours, both in going and returning. How did I and the bourg Copane take Carlat ? and how did I and Perrot le BiSarnois win Chalu9et > How did we, you and I, without other assistance, scale the strong castle of Mar- flue!, that belongs to the count, dauphin ? I only kept it five days, and was paid down on a table five thousand francs for it, of whicli I gave back one thousand, from love to the count's children. By my troth, this was a profitable and pleasant life, and I feel myself much reduced by selling Aloise, which was strong enough to resist any force that could be brouglit against it; and was besides, at the time of my surrendering, bo plentifully stored with provisions and other necessaries, that it would not have needed anything for seven years to come. I consider myself, therefore, as deceived by this count d'Armagnac : indeed, Olim Barbe and Perrot le Bearnois fore- warned me that I should repent when too late, and I now find their words very true, for I most certainly do repent having parted with this castle." When his companions, who were now poor, thus heard Aymerigot complain, and perceived he was in earnest, they replied, " Aymerigot, we are ready to obey your commands. Let us renew the war, and consider what strong place we may seize on in .\uvergne or Limou- sin, and fortify it. We shall soon recover our losses, and have full scope for pillaging, as the count-dauphin and liis brother Hugit are BOW out of the country, with many other knights and squires, on the expedition to Barbary ; and in particular the lord de Coucy, who is lieutenant for the king over all these parts, is now likewise absent on this same expedition. We need not therefore fear him, nor the duke of Berry, who is at Paris, and has been so some time amusing himself." " I know not well how to act," said -A.ymerigot ; " for though I am well inclined to follow what you advise, yet as I am personally named in the treaties, I am particularly pointed at." " Ah," answered his companions, " that need not make any difi'er- ence, if you be willing. You are no vassal to the king of France, and therefore owe him neither homage nor obedience. You are the king of England's man, and your inheritance, which is now destroj'ed, was in Limousin. We make war to obtain a livelihood, for we must live, and the English will never be displeased with us for so doing. All wlio wish for gain will join us ; and I think we may show a suf- ficient cause for making war, by declaring we have not been paid the compositions t!.-at are due to us from -^.uvergne. Let us send, therefore, to the peasants of different villages (taking care, however, to be strong enough to enforce our orders,) and tell them, that unless they compound with us, we will make war on them." " Well, be it so," replied Aymerigot ; " but where can we at this moment fix our place of residence ?" Some of them said, " We know of a fort that is dismantled, belonging to the lord de la Tour, which no one guards. Let us go thither, and repair and strengthen it ; and, when this is done, we will garrison it, and overrun at our pleasure Limousin and Auvergne." " -'^nd where is this fort situated ?" asked Aymerigot. " One league from la Tour," answered those who were acquainted with it, and had well examined its situation : " it is called La Roche de Vendais." "On my faith, you say well: it is the very place for us," replied Aymerigot ; " and, although the lands are now separated from its dependence, it is a mesne fief of Limoges. We will go and look at it, and, if worth while, take possession and fortify it." Having determined on this, they all went to La Roche de Vendais, examined its strength minutely, and were more pleased with it than before : they instantly took possession, and by degrees fortified tlie place before they made any excursions or did harm to the country. When they had made it sufficiently strong to withstand an attack or siege, and the companions were all mounted, they began to overrun the more immediate neighborhood, to make prisoners and ransom them. They laid in stores of flesh, meal, wax, wine, salt, iron, steel, and other necessaries ; for nothing came amiss to them that was not too hot or too heavy. The inhabitants of the country were much astonished at this, for they thought themselves in perfect security on account of the truce between the two kings ; but these robbers seized whatever they pleased in their houses, or in the fields, calling themselves the -■Ad- venturers. The lord de la Tour had his town and castle well guarded, for he was not well pleased to have such neighbors a league from his residence. The dauphiness of Auvergne, a valiant lady and of great prudence, who lived with her cliildren in the strong castle of the good town of Sardes, situated on the river Evoque, did not think herself in safety when she heard that Aymerigot and his band had fortified themselves within La Roche de Vendais. She instantly ordered the garrisons of her casUes of Marquel, Ondable, Chillac, and Blere, to be reinforced with men-at-arms, to avoid their being sur- prised; for she much dreaded .4ymerigot, ever since he had received from her, in one payment, five thousand florins. The countries of Auvergne and Limousin now took alarm ; and the knights and squires, with the townsmen of Clermont, Montfcr- rant, and Riom, and the towns on the Allier, resolved to send notice (A their situation to the king of France. In this they were joined by the dauphiness ; but, during this time, those in La Roche de Vendais fortified themselves very strongly, and while about it they erected huts covered with boughs for their horses. When it was known to those who had been disbanded, and were now out of pay, that Ay. merigot Marcel was continuing the war, they were much rejoiced : many came to offer him their services, and he had very soon more than he wished. None of them asked for pay, but solely to be re. tained by liim, for tliey knew well that those under him would gain a sufficiency from the overplus of the plunder which he gave up to his men. Sometimes he made excursions in the upper parts of the district, and sometimes on the contrary side, for no one ventured as yet to oppose him, so that his fame was spread far and near. Noth. ing was talked of in Auvergne and Limousin but the robbers of La Roche de Vendais, and greatly was the country frightened by them. The garrison of Chainlet, under the command of Perrot le Bear- nois, adhered steadily to the truce ; and when he learnt that Aymeri. got was thus harassing the countries where the inhabitants imagined themselves to be at peace with every one, he was nmch angered, and said he had behaved very ill. He also sent to teU him not to expect any assistance, nor to be admitted into Chalu(;et nor into any other place under his command. Aymerigot was indifferent as to this, for he had plenty of places to retire to, in case of need, besides Chainlet, and men enough. There were besides, numbers that had nothing to do, and wished for mischief, who daily offered to increase his forces. Perrot le Bearnois forbade his men, under pain of death, to make any sallies injurious to the country people, i"or he declared he would most strictly and honorably abide by the letter of the truce. Olim Barbe, however, captain of Donzac, dissembled in this business, saying publicly he would adhere to the terms of the truce ; but I was told that his men sometimes made excursions privately, and, when they had collected any considerable booty, he insisted on having the advantage of it. The deputies from Clermont, Montferrant, and Riom, arrived at Paris, where they found the king, the duke of Berry, the duke of Touraine, and sir OUver de Clisson constable of France. They im- mediately waited on the duke of Berry and his council, to state the cause of their coming, and to inform them iliat Aymerigot Marcel was pillaging Auvergne, and that evil-minded persons were daily increasing. They entreated them for God's sake to provide a rem. edy, for, if it were suffered to continue much longer, the whole of -\uvergne and Limousin would be completely destroyed. The king and the duke of Berry were much astonished on hearing this intelli- gence, for they thought the whole country was at peace, in conform- ity to the truce. The deputies asked if the garrisons of Chainlet and Donzac remained quiet ; they replied : " they had no complaints to make against any one but Aymerigot Marcel and his companions, who had fortified La Roche de Vendais." " Well," replied the king and the duke of Berry, " now, good people, return home, and look to us ; for we will speedily provide a remedy that shall be sufficient: make what haste you can back, and tell this as our answer, to those who have sent you." The deputies were well pleased with this speech, and, having reposed themselves for two days at Paris, they set out on their return, having taken leave of the king and the duke of Berry. The king and his council did not delay attending to this business, for the duke of Berry had large possessions in Auvergne, and urged them on. They considered whom they should send thither, for the lord de Coucy, the lieutenant of all the country, from La Rochelle to Bordeaux, was now abroad in Barbary. He had, indeed, at his departure, appointed his cousin, sir Robert de Buthune viscount de Meaux, his deputy during his absence. The council did not forget this, and thought he was best entitled to the command. Inquiries were made where he was to be found, and they learnt that he was at his residence at Cond^ sur Marne. Letters were written to him, in the king's name, for him to come to Paris, and the messenger hastening with them, found him and his lady at CondiS. Having delivered his letters, the viscount read their contents, and said he would instantly obey the king's orders, as was but right. Having^ made his preparations as speedily as he could, he left Cond^ and rode on to Paris, where he waited on the king and council. On entering the council-chamber he was told : " Viscount, make haste and assemble all your retainers of men-at-arms, for you must immediately set off for .\uvergne. There are bands of pillagers, of whom Aymeri- got Marcel, as we are informed, is the chief, who rob and imprison the country people. Let them be driven thence ; and if you can any way entrap Aymerigot and deliver him up to us, we shall have great joy. Orders have been given for you to receive the pay of your men-at-arms at Clermont in Auvergne ; and, H-ith regard to your expenses thither, speak to our treasurer of the army. He has been charged to pay your smaller expenses, and to hurrj' you away, for the business requires it." The viscount replied he was quite ready, and, leaving the council, returned to his inn, where he employed persons to write to such knights and squires of the isle of France and in Picardy, who were his acquaintance and dependents, desiring them instantly to set out for Chartres, where they would find bim prepared to muster them. All to whom he had sent complied with his request ; for they loved him, and looked to him as to an able captain. They were all at Chartres on the appointedday, and amounted to two hundred lances,. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 517 good men and to be depended on. After they had been mustered, they let't Chartves, and took the road toward Auvergne, through the Bourbonnois. The news of tliis assistance coming thither was soon spread abroad, to the great joy of the inhabitants of Auvergne. It was tortunate so much haste had been made in forwarding this force ; for, had -it been delayed si,\ days later, Aymengot and his troops had planned to ravage the country, between Clermont and Montferrant, and down the river Allier, and also the surrounding country of Riom, as far as Gannat.* Had they done so, they would have plundered it of one hundred thousand francs at least ; for the parts I have men- tioned are the very richest in Auvergne. None could have opposed them, for the whole country was void of men-at-arms ; and the reports were, that .\ymcrigot's troops were more numerous than ever. -Aymerigot and his men were prepared for this excursion ; but they learnt, I know not how, whether from pilgrims or spies, that a large body of men-at-arms was marching against them, under the command of the Wscount de Meaux, to besiege and to drive ihem out of their fortress of La Roche de Vendais. This intelligence made them defer their intended excursion, and shut themselves within their fort., for they foresaw they would be besieged. Aymerigot now began to repent what he had done, for should he be taken, no ran. som would be accepted for his life. He thus opened Iiimself to some of his cotnpan'ons : " I am completely disgraced, by having followed bad advice, and avarice will be my ruin; for I shall be de- stroyed without hope of ransom." They replied : " Why are you now so doubtfui of yourself 1 We know you are the most powerful man-nt-arms in tliese countries, and you have a good garrison, well provided with all things. We are men of determined resolution, as eager to defend our lives, as you can be to defend your own. You cannot be ruined without our suHering with you ; if, unfortunately, you be made prisoner, you are so wealthy, you can easily tempt them with your ransom ; but our poverty must prevent us from so doing, and our heads pay the forfeit. We will therefore sell them as dearly as we can, and guard them to the utmost of our abiUties. Be not, therefore, alarmed at anything you may see or hear : we need not care for the siege, if we manage our defence with prudence." Thus did the companions of Aymerigot Marcel comfort him. The viscount de Meaux, with his men-at-arms, continued their inarch through Moulins, in the Bourbonnois ; but the duchess of Bourbon, daughter to the count dauphin, received there the viscount and the knights very grandly, and entertained them at dinner. That evening they lay at Saint Pour^ain. Thence they marched to Gannat, Aigue.perses,t and Riom, where they halted. They then marched to Clermont, and were gladly received by the bishop and the inhabitants. The men-at-arms received pay at Clermont, for a tax had been levied to this effect, and it was there delivered to them. They continued their march to Notre. Dame d'Orcinal.t four leagues from La Roche de Vendais. The viscount de Meaux there fixed his quarters, as the knights and squires from .\uvergne and Limousin had named this place for the point of assembly. When they were all collected, they amounted to more than four hundred lances, and one hundred Genoese cross-bows. There were with the viscount, the lord de Jlontagu from the Vermandois, and his brother, the lord de Dommart, sir Bernard de la Riviere, sir William le Bouteiller, the lord de Domme, the lord de la Roche, the lord de la Tour, sir Lewis d'Abicre,§ the lord de Saint.Ampisse, sir Robert Dauphin, with many more. The captains of the Genoese were two valiant squires, called Albert u'EspinoUe and Callinace. Sir Lewis I'Esglivesle, a gallant squire, was at this time the viscount's master of the house- hold. The Genoese, as well as the whole army, were completely equipped with arrrrs and other necessaries, or they would not have passed the muster made by the viscount de Meaux. The garrison under the command of .\ymerigot Marcel and his uncle Giiyot du Sel, in La Roche de Vendais, hearing that so large a force was now advanced to Notre Dame de Roquemadour, with the intention of besieging them, called a general council, to consider how they could the most effectually resist it. They first resolved, they had not any occasion for horses, since they would be prevented from using them by the siege. Tolerably near to La Roche de Ven- dais was another fort, called Saint Soupery, under the government of Aymerigot, where his wife resided, and whither he had sent the greater part of his wealth. He gave orders for the servants and hor- ses to be received in this fort, until better times. La Roche de Ven- dais was naturally strong, and the present garrison had fortified it by every means in their power. The lord de la Tour was greatly blamed by the country for his neglect of it, as they said it was from this circumstance that they were now so harassed ; and, if he had thought the expense of keeping a guard too great, why had he not given it up to the inhabitants of the country, who would have dis- mantled it, so that no one would have ever thought of repairing it ? ■whereas now the walls had been left entire, and the mansion tolera- bly good : such was the state in which -Aymerigot had found it. La Roche de Vendais is separated from the high mountains that snrroimd it, and is seated on an insulated rock ; one side of which * " Gannat "'—a town in the Bourbonnois, tive leagues from Riom. t " Aigue-fierses' —a rillaee in Limousin, diocese of Limoges. I " Notre-Dame d'Orcinal"— is nol in the Gazetteer, but Nolre-Dame de Roquen^a- dour, which is the name in the MSS., is a celebrated pilgrimage in Quercy, near Figeac. § In the MS. it IS sir L&uis d'.intiliiere. they had so strongly fortified that it could only be approached in front, and attacked by skirmishes. The force, under the command of the viscount de Meaux, left Notre-Dame de Roquemadour, and advanced to La Roche de Vendais, which they laid siege to, and by degrees improved their quarters. The countess-dauphine, on hearing that La Roche de Vendais was besieged, with a sufficient force under the viscount de Meaux, was greatly rejoiced ; and as she imagined, from the haste in which he had left Paris, he might not have brought tents or pavilions with him, she instantly ordered two handsome tents belonging to her lord to be made ready, and sent to him as a loan, for his better accommodation during the siege. The viscount received very thankfully these tents, which came so opportunely, and returned his best compliments to the countess for her attentions. The lord de la Tour was at home, being but one league from his castle, so that he had everything he could wish for. The other knights and squires accommodated themselves as well as they could. They had provision in abundance and cheap, for it was sent thither from all quarters. As it was the middle of August, the weather was warm and pleasant, and the knights were comfortably lodged under huts made of green boughs. Intelligence was brought to the ariny, that made them suspicious lest the neighboring garrisons of Chainlet and Donzac would unite together, and one morning or evening, when they were oiT their guard, come and attack them, to force them to raise their siege. The viscount de Meaux and his knights held a council on this intel- ligence, and resolved to send a herald to Perrot le B^arnois, governor of Chalu9Ct, and to Olim Barbe at Donzac, to know whether they were at war or peace with these garrisons, and according to their answer to prepare themselves. The herald, being instructed as to what he was to say and how he was to act, departed, and, on his arrival at Chainlet, accidentally found Perrot le B^arnois at the bar- riers amusing himself with his companions in throwing the bar. He dismounted, and asked for the governor. On his being pointed out, he advanced toward him, and punctually delivered the message he had been charged with. Perrot replied : " Herald, you will tell your masters who have sent you hither, that we mean as loyally and truly to keep the truce which has been concluded between France and England, as we expect it will be kept with us. Should any of our people infringe the smallest article of it, and we be made ac- quainted therewith, we will lay hands on them, if it should be in our power, and inflict such punishment as they deserve and as we have promised to execute on them. I wish you would also tell your mas- ters, that what Aymerigot Marcel has done was without any advice from us, to whom he never spoke on the subject. We have forbidden him or his people to seek refuge within our domain, and should they think of so doing it will ill befal them." The herald was conducted within the fort, and entertained at din- ' ner ; after which he took his leave, and Perrot, out of love to the lords of France, presented him with ten francs. The herald received them thankfully, and departed for Donzac, where he saw the gov. ernor Olim Barbe, a Gascon. He addressed him as he had done Perrot, and received for answer, that he would not on any account infringe the truce, for by so doing he should be disgraced. The herald dined at the castle of Donzac, and, on taking leave, had ten francs given to him. He returned to La Roche de Vendais, where he was surrounded by knights and squires anxious to hear the answers he had brought. The herald minutely related everything that had passed ; and the viscount de Meaux and his companions were more easy respecting Perrot le Bdarnois and Olim Barbe than before : without fear from that quarter, they continued their siege with greater vigor. CHAPTER XVI. AYMERIGOT MARCEL ENDEAVORS, BUT IN VAIN, TO RAISE THE SIESE OF LA EOCHE DE VENDAIS BY LETTERS AND MESSAGES TO TEE KING OF ENG- LAND, THE DUKE OF LANCASTER, THE VISCOUNT DE MEAUX, AND EVEN TO TBE DUKE OF BERRY. During the siege of La Roche de Vendais, which lasted for nine weeks, there were constant skirmishes between the two parties, in which many were wounded by the cross-bows, for the Genoese are expert marksmen. The garrison had much the advantage of the besiegers, and I will tell you how. They could sally forth when- ever they pleased, for it would require six thousand men at least to have completely surrounded the castle. When the siege first took place, Aymerigot felt that he was acting wrong ; but to turn the matter as much to his advantage as he could, and if possible pre- serve La Roche de Vendais, he determined to send one of his men, who was well spoken, to England, with credential letters to the king and the duke of Lancaster. Aymerigot opened the matter to his uncle, Guyot du Sel, who, though about sixty years of age, was well acquainted with arms and with mankind. Guyot approved of the manner in which his nephew intended acting, and said, that to send. a person well spoken, and well informed, to England, would not be lost pains. They selected a varlet who had been educated by them, and instructed him as follows : " We will conduct thee in safety out of this fort in spite of our enemies, and give thee money sufficient for the journey thou art to perform, as well as for thy other wants. Thou wilt carry to England these three letters ; one to the king, one 518 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. to the duke of Lancaster, and the other to the lung's council ; which thou wilt punctually deliver. Thou wilt recommend me handsomely to them ; and, as these are credential letters, they will ask, • What is the object of thy coming ?' thou wilt say that Aymerigot Marcel, their little soldier and subject, who is firm in his obedience to their ■will is besieged in a small fort belonging to the king of England, as one of the mesne fiefs of Limousin ; that those who are before it exert themselves to their utmost to gain the place, and make him and his companions prisoners ; that the besiegers are sent thither by the king of France, under the command of a cousin to the lord de Coucy, called sir Robert viscount de Meaux ; that the object of this mission is to request the king of England, his council, and the duke of Lancaster, as lieutenant for the king in the Bordelois, to write to the viscount de Meaux to depart instantly from before La Roche de Ven- dais with all his men. Be sure to have inserted in the letters for the viscount, that he be careful not to infringe the ti'uce signed at Leu. linghen, or to dread the consequences, because I know not what ef- fect these letters may have on the viscount, nor what answer he will make, for he is a strange sort of man. Obtain, likewise, letters from the king, the council, and the duke of Lancaster, to the duke of Berry , for, if he please, the siege will be instantly raised. Man- age to bring back with thee, for thy greater credit, one of the knights of honor to the king or the duke of Lancaster, or Derby the herald. Salute him from me, and say, if he will accompany thee, (for he is an able negotiator, and well acquainted with the duke of Berry and the lords of France,) I will give him one hundred francs. Keep ■well in thy memory all I have said, and tell every one to whom thou shah speak, that this little fort, which I have garrisoned, will be very convenient to the English on the renewal of the war ; for it is situ- ated on the borders of Auvergne and Limousin, and those countries may be made to contribute upward of two hundred thousand francs in one season." Aymerigot Marcel having, in the presence of his uncle, well tu. tored his messenger, and given liim his credential letters, and one hundred francs for his expenses, he was escorted from the fort at mid- night, on foot, to another fort belonging to Aymerigot, called Saint Soupery. He there chose the best horse, as they were all at his dis- posal, for he had a long journey to make, and passed tlii'ough France as a native of the province of Auvergne. On his arrival at Cal-dis, he made acquaintance with sir .Tohn Beauehamp, the governor, to whom he told a part of his business that he might be the sooner for- warded on his journey. This succeeded ; for sir John ordered him an immediate passage to Dover, whence, on having his horse put on shore, he continued his road to London, and there arrived in a day and a half. He was fortunate to find the king, his two uncles of Lancaster and York, with the council, at the palace of Westminster, considering the affairs of Northumberland, and what force they should send thither, for the Scots no way observed the truce. The messenger from Aymerigot having intrusted the subject of his com. ing to the master of the inn where he put up, he conducted him to Westminster, and procured him admission to the duke of Lancaster, ■who had arrived before the other counsellors, and was in the pres- ence-chamber. He presented the duke with the letter addressed to him, who, having opened and read it, took the messenger aside to learn the cause of his arrival. The varlet related to him every par- ticular wherewith Aymerigot had charged him. The duke, having heard him, asked if lie had more letters. He replied, " One for the king, and another for the council." " It is well," answered the duke : I will obtain for you an audience," and gave orders to one of his attendants to take care of him. ' The duke entered the council-chamber, and when he saw a favor- able opportunity, mentioned the arrival of Aymerigot's messenger : by his motion, the varlet was introduced, and presented his letters to the king and to the council. When they were read, he was de- sired to explain the object of his mission. Being well tutored, and not afraid of speaking, he was not abashed, otherwise he need not have made the journey, and he explained so eloquently the reasons of his coming, and the wishes of Aymerigot, that he was attentively listened to. When he had told all he was charged with, he was in- formed that they would consider the matter, and that he should have an answer to his demands. He then quitted the council-chamber, and waited for the answer to the letters. He was told that the king would write to the viscount de Meaux, and to the duke of Berry, in the manner Aymerigot had desired. The duke of Lancaster prom- ised to do the same, and that these letters should be delivered by an English squire attached to the duke ; and that Derby the herald should cross the sea and accompany them when they gave their let- ters, to aid their success ; for he was well known to many lords in Auvergne, particularly to the duke of Berry. Aymerigot's messenger was very happy to hear this, and followed so closely the duke of Lancaster that in a few days the letters were written, and the gentleman, whose name I believe was Cherbury, who was to carry them, received orders of departure. The herald Derby most willingly went with him, for Aymerigot's varlet had told him from his master, that if he would cross the sea, he should re- ceive one hundred francs on his arrival at La Roche de Vendais. The letters being sealed, these three took their leave of the duke of Lancaster, and hastened to Dover : they crossed to Calais in a pas- sage-boat, where they lay that night, and at low water disembarked their horses, and on the morrow rode to Boulogne. They passed through Picardy to Paris, but, making no stay there, continued their journey to Auvergne. When arrived at Limoges and the environs of La Roche de Ven- dais, they cautiously advanced to enter the castle privately ; but, on consideration, the squire and herald did not think it prudent to enter La Roche de Vendais, but sent the messenger forward, saying they could now find the way themselves, and that it would not have a good appearance should they be seen with liim, for it would look as if he had been sent to bring them from England ; and that what they had to say to the viscount de Meaux would come with more weight as from the king of England himself, than if any others had inter- fered in it. The varlet agreed to their reasons, and, at nightfall, returned to the fort, by a road he was acquainted with, without any hindrance from the besiegers. He there found Aymerigot Marcel, his uncle Guyot du Sel, and the other companions, who made him good cheer, and were astonished that he could have returned from England in so few days. He related everything that had passed, and that a squire from the duke of Lancaster, and Derby the herald had accompanied him with letters from the king and the duke to the viscount de Meaux and to the duke of Beny, should there be occa- sion. " And why did they not come with you hither ?" asked Ay. merigot. " Through prudence, as they told me," replied the varlet, " for they will undertake the commission and delivery of their let. tcrs themselves, and think it better than that any appearance of col- lusion should be seen between you and them." " They act wisely," said Guyot du Sel, " and show by this, that the king of England and the duke of Lancaster send them of their own accord, and that they are interested in the matter." " Such are their intentions," an- swered the messenger. Aymerigot was delighted on hearing this, and told his varlet that he had done justice to his commission, and he in a few days would handsomely reward him for it. The English squire and Derby rode on for La Roche de Vendais, to the place where the besiegers lay, and inquired for the quarters of the viscoimt de Meaux. On being con. ducted thither, they found the viscount amusing himself with seeing the bar thrown. On their approach, they bowed, which civility he returned, and asked, " whence they came ?" They replied, " from England, and that they were sent by the king and the duke of Lancaster." " You are welcome," said the viscount ; " but what business can have brought you to this wild country ?" " My lord," answered Derby, " this is a squire attached to the duke of Lancas- ter, who brings you letters from the king of England and from his lord, which, if you please, you will read. I have accompanied him, because I am so well acquainted with this country, to serve him as a guide." The squire presented his letters, which the viscount, after exam, ining the seals, knew to be authentic, and to come from England. He called one of his men aside who could read, and had their con- tents repeated over two or three times, until he was fully master of them. He was a while pensive, for the king of England had written^ to complain that he was day and night occupying a part of his teiTi- tories with a large army, and doing acts to infringe the truce, which he ought not to do, being directly contrary to the articles that had been sworn and sealed between him and his adversary of France ; and that as soon as he should have perused these letters, he mtist raise the siege, march away his army, and leave Aymerigot Marcel in peaceable possession of a castle which had cost him such large sums to fortify. Such and many other expressions in favor of Aymerigot, did these letters contain. The letter from the duke of Lancaster was nearly similar to those from the king and council ; for he was sove. reign lord and duke of Aquitaine. The viscount de Meaux, having consulted some of his friends, said to the squire and the herald ; " My fair sirs, the intelligence you have brought demands full consideration : I will advise upon it, and you shall soon have my answer." They were then conducted to the vis- count's tent, to partake of his wine. During this, a council was sum- moned of the lord de la Tour, sir William le Bouteiller, sir Robert Dauphin, sir Louis d'Abiere, the lord de Montagu, and sir Berald de la Riviere, for this last was of the household of the viscount. When they were assembled, the viscount explained to them the cause, and laid before them the letters he had received. The knights were much surprised how intelligence of their siege could have been carried to England for such letters to be sent from thence, as their siege had not lasted one month. '• I will tell you what I imagine," said the vis- count : " this Aymerigot is a cunning fellow ; and the moment he perceived we intended besieging him, he sent a person to England to request such letters might be written as are now before you, and which I shall obey or not as I please. I inform you that I shall in. stantly answer them : but, in regard to the orders of the king of Eng. land and the duke of Lancaster, I shall not pay any attention to them, for 1 am no way bound to obey them, but solely the king of France, my lord, who has intrusted me with this command, and sent me hither. Let the herald and squire be introduced, and I will give them my answer." They were sought for, and conducted to the as- sembly of the viscount and his knights: when in their presence, they bowed their heads, and the viscount thus spoke : " You Derby, and you Thomas Cherbury, for such I think are the names you are de. signated by in the letters which you have brought from the king of CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 519 England and the duke of Lancaster. They have been informed, it seeni3, (but I know not how, wlietlier by a messenger from Aymeri- ,got Marcel or some friend of his, who lias been in his name to Eng. land,) that I am quartered with a large army on the lands of the king of England, and order me instantly to raise the siege, march away my men, and leave Aj-merigot in peaceable possession of the small fort that has cost him so large a sum to repair and strengthen. They tell me likewise that I am risking my own dishonor, by thus infringing a truce, which has been agreed to for three years, between the kings of France and England, and their allies. I declare to you, my fair sirs, that I will not, by any means, nolate the smallest article of the truce, nor shall it be infringed by any act of mine, during my residence here. I am the king of France's subject, my liege lord, who has ordered me hither as his marshal, for the present, from the complaints that have been made him, by the nobles and other inhabitants of the countries of Auvergne and Limousin, of the great damages they have suffered from Aymerigot Marcel, who has seized a fort on the confines of these two provinces that had been abandoned, and was never again intended to be inhabited, which he has repaired and strengthened, not as a mansion, or house for recreation, but as a castle and ren- dezvous for robbers and marauders. I am therefore ordered hither to defend and guard the country against such pillagers as may be collected within this fort, called La Roche de Vendais, to prevent their increase in numbers and in wickedness, and to arrest all of them I may be able to lay hold of, that they may suffer the punishment due to their crimes. In consequence, my fair sirs, I shall strictly obey the commands I have received, and loyally acquit myself of my duty. Of course, therefore, I shall not move from hence for any orders I may receive, until I shall have possession of this fort and the garrison that now holds out against me and my companions. " Should Aymerigot Marcel set up a plea, that I have any way broken the truce, which is equivalent to a perfect peace for the time, let him come forth, and I will have him fought with by as good if not a better man than himself, and prove that it is he alone who has, and continues to violate the articles of the truce. Now, my fair sirs, having maturely weighed everything, I have given you my answer, and you may return when you please ; but I beg that, on your return, you will neither add to nor diminish any part of what I have said to you ; for reporters, by not relating the e.xact words in which any con- versation has taken place, do not truly inform their lords of the matter." " My lord," replied the squire, " Derby and myself are come hither solely to hear what answer you shall be pleased to make us, and carry it back, and since you have done so, we need not longer remain." They took leave of the viscount, who ordered ten francs to be given to the herald, out of affection to the king of England, who had sent Irim, and regard for the duke of Lancaster, to whom he was at. tached. When they were on the road to Clermont, for they said they had come that way and would return by the same, and when they had advanced about half a league, the following conversation passed between them : " We have had ill success : we must wait on the duke of Berry, who lives in Auvergne." " He is lord of this whole country," said Derby, " and himself duke of Berry and Auvergne." If he will order the viscount de Meau-x to decamp, he must do so, for he dare not disobey him. As we have letters to him from the king and the duke of Lancaster, it is but right he should see them, and that we should know his intention on their subject." Thus did they converse until they arrived at Clermont. They were made welcome, for the herald was well acquainted in these parts, having been there before ; and when any questions were asked, who and what they were, they declared themselves messengers from the king of England. Having inquired where the duke resided, they were told at a hand- some castle called La Nonnette. The herald knew it well, and, leav- ing Clermont, they rode to Issoire, and thence to La Nonnette, but the mountain is very steep on which is situated the castle. On their arrival, they found numbers of the duke's servants playing in the square before the castle-gate. The herald was known to many of them, and conducted to the duke of Berry, who, in consideration of his regard to the king of England and the duke of Lancaster, ordered him and his companions to be well taken care of. The squire, being the bearer of the letters from the king, presented tliem to the duke, who, having read them twice slowly through, paused a little, and then gave such courteous answers as both were satisfied with; for he said, "from his affection to his cousins, he would do all in his power to comply with their requests." The herald and squire concluded from this, that they should completely succeed in their mission, and were in high spirits ; but, as you shall hear, they were disappointed. The duke of Berry was not neglectful of the business, and exerted himself to have the siege of La Roche de Vendais raised, from his regard to the king of England and the duke of Lancaster, who entreated it ; and engaged, that if Aymerigot Mar- cel were left in the quiet possession of his fort, he should not, here- after, molest the country, and that he should make any reparation to the king of France for having offended him. The duke «f Berry, anxious to oblige the English who were in his castle, wrote letters to this purport to the viscount de Meaux ; and, before they were sealed, had them read to his guests, who were exceedingly pleased with their contents. The letters were dispatched by an able squire of the duke to the viscount de Meaux, who, having learnt their contents, summoned his principal knights, and had them again read in their presence, during the time the squire who had brought them was made welcome ; for, out of love to the duke of Berry, they gave him good cheer. "Gen- tlemen," said the viscount to his companions, " we shall never have peace since the duke of Berry supports Aymerigot, who is the great, est enemy Auvergne and its poor inhabitants have ever had, and for these last twelve years has so sore oppressed them. I thought the duke hated him ; but it seems I was mistaken, for he commands me to break up the siege. I will not at this moment obey his orders, but excuse myself from so doing, by the commission I have received from the king our lord, who strictly enjoined me, on leaving Paris, not to quit this place for any orders I might receive, except they came from himself, until I had conquered the fort of La Roche de Vendais, and taken Aymerigot by fair or foul means. The duke now commands me to raise the siege, the instant I have read his letters ; but, by my faith, I will do no such thing." " Sir," replied the knights and squires of Auvergne, " you say loyally and well : we will keep steady to you. We suppose that my lord of BeiTy is induced to write thus in favor of his enemies, by similar letters from the king of England and the duke of Lancaster to those you have received, which the herald and English squire have carried to him." " I dare say you have guessed right," said the viscount : "I will, if I can, find out the truth of it." The squire was called in to receive his answer, and when in the presence of the assembled knights, the viscount thus addressed him, calling him by his name, for he knew him well : " Peter, I wish you to understand that I owe, and am desirous of paying, all obedience to my lord of Berr)', for he is so noble, and so nearly related to the king, that I should be sorry to do otherwise ; but myself and com- panions, whom you see, have been for these five weeks before this fort, to take it and the thieves who garrison it, by positive orders from the king and council. We wonder, therefore, and not without reason, how my lord of Berry can entreat us in favor of his enemies, and desire us to raise the siege and march away. Wc all agree in declaring that, if it were done, we should give the greatest encourage, ment to all thieves who in future may overrun the kingdom, and in- duce them to commit the greatest outrages. Peter, you will tell the duke of Berry from us all, and from me in particular, that we are ready and willing to obey his commands, but that I have been so positively ordered to continue this siege, with as much vigor and patience as possible, mitil I be master of the place and garrison, that I dare not act contrary ; and say, that I shall not obey any other commands but those of the king, whose subject I am, and who has sent me hither. I beg of you, Peter, to tell me one thing, if it is not an improper question for you to answer, how comes it that my lord of Berry sues in favor of Aymerigot Marcel, who has done such mischief to Auvergne and Limousin, now that he is in a fair way of being caught and punished for his wickedness and breach of faith in the articles of the truce ?" The squire replied, " Two Englishmen, a herald and another, have come to the duke, with very pressing letters from the king of Eng- land and the duke of Lancaster in favor of Aymerigot." " I readily believe you," said the viscount ; '• it is Derby the herald, and a squire called Cherbury, who likewise brought me the other day letters simi- lar, I suppose, to those you mention. Say also from me, in addition to what I have before spoken, that I beg my lord of Berry to con- sider well this matter ; that letters thus obtained from lords on the other side of the water deser\'e no attention from lords on this side, who love the honor or advantage of the kingdom of France." " My lord," answered the squire, " be assured that I will repeat every word you have said to the duke of Berry, for Aymerigot is not so much ia my favor but I would rather see his punishment than his deliverance." On this, the squire took leave of the viscount and knights present, mounted his horse, and rode to La Nonnette, where he related to the duke of Berry, that the viscount de Meaux would not, for any other commands but those directly from the king, break up his siege. This answer was not very agreeable to the duke, who imagined he was of that importance, his letters ought to have attention paid them in France, or at least in Auvergne. When Derby and his companion learnt the purport of the answer, they were much cast down, for they saw they had labored in vain. They asked the duke, what they were now to do. " Shall we leave you with unsatisfactory an- swers to our king and the duke of Lancaster ? who had the fullest hope you would have had the siege of La Roche de Vendais raised, for it is within your territories." " A little patience," replied the duke : " Aymerigot is in a very strong place, and, unless some un. fortunate accident happen, cannot for a long time be taken. I must shortly go to Paris ; and, when there, I will press the matter warmly with the king and his council, since my good cousins of England are so earnest in the matter. You both shall accompany mc, and wit- ness the exertions I make." This speech contented the squire and the herald. Within four days afterwards, the duke set out from La Nonnette, leaving there the duchess and the greater part of his household, and went to Riom in Auvergne. He waited there eight days for the count de Sancerre and the lord de Renel," whom ho had sent to Avignon on his private affairs. On their arrival, they set out together through the Bourbonnois, and, by a short day's journey, came to Bourges, where they tarried two days. On the third, the duke de- ■ The lo d de Renel." The MSS. have Kevel. 520 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, PRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. parted, and came to Mehun-3ur.Yevre,» where he liad one of the handsomest castles in the world ; for the duke had expended upward of three hundred thousand francs in building and ornamenting it. He remained there a fortnight, to the great uneasiness of the two Englishmen who were suitora for Aymerigot : but, as they could not help it, they dissembled their thoughts. Indeed, the duke no longer intended interfering about him, and I will explain why. The count de Sancerre, the lord de Renel, and sir Peter Mespin, were his prin- cipal advisers : they heavily charged Aymerigot with several crimes, gently blaming the duke, and saying it was unbecoming him to in- terfere in the afl'airs of so notorious a pillager, whose whole life had been infamous; that he had committed such disgraceful acts in Au- vergne and Limousin, it would be improper to speak in his favor, and that he ought to be left for the king's justice to punish. This, and speeches similar to it, had so cooled the duke as to prevent him from thinking longer on the subject ; but the two Englishmen did not neglect their duty in reminding the duke of it, who, dissembling his real opinion, courteously answered, " Have patience : we shall soon be at Paris." Notwithstanding this, he still remained at Me- hun-sur-Yevre more than three weeks, planning new improvements with his master of the works, Andrew Beau-ncveu, in sculpture and painting ; for in such arts he took great deliglii, and was well skilled in them. There was not a more able man in this respect than mas. ter Andrew Beau-neveu, in any country, as may be judged from the many fine works he executed in France, Hainault, (his native coun- try,) and England, where they now remain. CHAPTER XVII. iYMERIGOT MAKCEL HAVING LEFT LA ROCHE DE VENDAIS, TO SEEK SUC- COR FRSM OTHER PILLAGERS, HIS LIEUTENANT, GUYOT DU SEL, IS .SURPRISED BY AN AMBUSCADE, AND THE FORT SURRENDERS ON CAPI- TULATION. I WILL now relate what happened to .\ymerigot Marcel, and to his fort of La Roche de Vendais. He had a quick imagination, and concluded, from the continuance of the siege, that the letters from the king of England and the duke of Lancaster had failed in the effect he looked to from them. He therefore thought of another ex- pedient, which was to leave his castle and ride night and day unto the garrisons in Perigord and other places, to call upon Guyonnet de Sainte Foix, Ernauton de Sainte Colombo, Ernauton de Rostera, John de Morsen, Peter d'Anchin, Remonnet de Copane, with other Gascon and Bfiarnois men-at-arms of the English party, and entice them by fair speeches to enter Auvergne for the sake of plunder, and then to advance to La Roche de Vendais, some morning or eve. ning, and capture the knights and squires before it, which would bring them more than one hundred thousand francs for their ransoms, without counting smaller articles of pillage. He explained his whole plan to his uncle, Guyot du Sel, and asked his opinion. He replied, that he very much approved of it, for that he saw no other means of being delivered from the French. " Well, uncle," said Aymerigot, "since you approve, I will undertake it; but I must beg one thing of you before I set out." " What is that?" replied Guyot. " It is, that during my absence you never sally out of the castle, nor open the barriers, whatever skirmishes the French may make, for you may lose more than you can gain." " I will take care not to do it," answered Guyot: " wc will remain shut up here until your return, or until we hear some news of you." " Indeed, my good uncle, I beg it ef you, for we cannot vex ther,i more than by keeping within our walls : as for their attacks and skirmishes, we do not value them." Within three days after, .\ymerigot left the castle attended only by a page, and began his journey without fear of the French. His in- tention was to bring back with him some bold companions, and raise the siege. Although Aymerigot had quitted La Roche de Vendais, it was un- known to the besiegers ; for the garrison could go in and out with- out danger from them. There were daily skirmishes before the castle and at the barriers ; and, about five or si.\ days after the de- parture of Aymerigot, there was a grand assault made by the French, who were divided into three parties, all of which were engaged. Guyot du Sel was a good man-at-arins, and had long used them ; but through aiTogancc, and neglecting to observe the orders of his nephew not to open the barriers nor to sally forth on any account, he suffered ae you will hear. Three squires, two from Auvergne and one from Brittany, dis. played great courage, and were preeminent at this attack at the part of the old walls very near the castle. The squires from Auvergne were called Richard de la Violette and Lubinot de Rochefort ; the Breton was le IMonadic, who, when made prisoner, at the taking of Ventadour, had attached himself to sir William le Bouteiller. This assault lasted until night, and, though these squires gained renown, the besiegers, in spue of their labor and pain, made no other profit. The viscount de Meaux determined, that at the next skirmish he would place an ambuscade of twelve men-at-arms in an old grotto withoutside the fort ; and he told his men, " Advance to skirmish • '■ Mehun-sur-Yevre." Charles VII. built a large castle, or probably repaired tliis of the duke of Berry, wherein he died, 1461, havmB starved himself for fear of being poisoned by his son, IjOuis XT. at the barriers ; and if you shall perceive the garrison inclined to make a sally, as is likely enough for such covetous persona to do, retire gently on this side the ambush, when you will wheel round to renew the attack, and they, being thus surrounded, will be made prisoners or slain." , The viscount's plan was executed. Those named for the ambus, cade were Lewis de la Glisvelle, Robert de Bethencourt, Vandelle, William de la Saulsoye, Peter de Saint Vidal, Gionnet de Villerac. que, Peter de Col, Andrew de la Roche, John Salmage, with three others to make up the dozen of good men-at-arms, who posted them- selves within the old grotto. Another party went to skirmish, under the command of the three before-named squires : they were richly armed at all points, the more to tempt the avarice of the garrison, and were only twelve in number. When arrived at the barriers, they purposely began the attack most awkwardly, so that Guyot du Sel held them cheap, and said to his companions, " By saint Marcel,. we will make a sally ; for there are at the barriers a set of youngsters who, from their manner, do not seem much accustomed to the use of arms. We will teach them their use ; and they cannot avoid being our prisoners." At these words, he had the barriers flung open, and sallied forth, forgetful of his promise to Aymerigot. The great desire he had to perform some deed of arms, and to gain a prize, induced him to act thus. The French were much rejoiced to see the garrison without the fort, and that Guyot du Sel was among the first : they retreated, by little and little, until they had passed the ambush, eagerly pursued by Guyot's party. When those in ambush saw it was time, they quitted the grotto, and posted themselves on the road to the fort, shouting out " Coney for the viscount I" and thus inclosed their front and rear. ' Guyot du iSel, observhig this, knew he had been in fault, and that it would be difllcult for him to save himself, or to return to the fort. He began to retire toward the barriers, but was strongly opposed. Why should I lengthen my story ? They were all made prisoners, as it were in a trap, and led in triumph to the quarters of the viscount and the other knights. When the viscount de Meaux saw Guyot du Sel, he asked him " where was Aymerigot Marcel ?" for he thought he was in the castle. Guyot replied, " he was ignorant where he was, for he had left the fort twelve days ago." The knights, hearing this, concluded he was gone to seek for aid. Guyot du Sel and his fellow-prisoners were then ordered away; and the viscount asked the knights of Auvergne, " what should be done to these prisoners ?" for he wished to act from their decision. Sir William le Bouteiller answered, "Sir, I certainly believe that Aymerigot Marcel is gone to persuade the garrisons of other forts to come to his assistance : he will easily find, in spite of the truce, adventurers, who will join him in his wickedness, and they may fall on us some morning or evening when we arc unprepared to resist them, and do us much damage : Aymerigot is very cunning, and of great wealth. Let us therefore tell Guyot du Sel to surrender La Roche de Vendais, and if he refuse his consent, that his own head, and those of all his companions, shall instantly be sacrificed." " This is good advice," replied the viscount ; " for, in truth, to obtain this fort are wc come into the country. If we have not now -Aymerigot Marcel, another time we may be more successful." Upon this, the viscount, the lord de la Tour, sir Robert Dauphin, sir Wil- liam le Bouteiller and their companions, advanced as near to the fort" as they could, carrying with them Guyot du Sel and the other pris- oners. The viscount, addressing himself to Guyot as the captain, said, " Guyot, you, as well as your friends, who are now our prisoners, must know that, unless you wiU surrender to us the fort of La Roche de Vendais, we shall instantly order your heads to be cut off; but, if you will yield it up, we will allow you freely to depart whither you please. Now, consider which you prefer, death or liberty." Guyot du Sel replied, " My lord, I will do all I can to accommodate you:" and with this he advanced to the barriers to speak with those within the fort. You must know, that the remaining garrisen looked on themselves as conquered ; for they knew not how to act, nor whom to choose for their leader, since they had now lost their two captains, the most able among them. Guyot du Sel had no sooner explained his situation, than they agreed to surrender on the terms, that they should carry away with them all they were able, and be allowed one month to retire whither they pleased. This was in- stantly agreed to, and written and signed. The French, by the for- tunate issue of the skirmish, became masters of La R^che de Vendais: so true is it, that good or ill fortune in arms is the lot of perseverance. The whole country was much rejoiced on hearing of this surren- der. The articles of the treaty with Guyot du Sel were punctually- observed, and when the garrison had packed up all they could carry,, they had permission to depart, and passports given them, to continue for one month. The viscount de Meaux and his knights abandoned La Roche de Vendais to the country people, who instantly set about demolishing it, and never left it until there did not remain one stone on another. The men-at-arms from .4uvergne, who had joined the viscount, now took leave of him, and returned to their homes. The viscount permitted many of his own men to depart for Picardy : he himself went for La Rochelle, but stopped at Saint Jean d'Angely, to defend that part of Saintonge against pillagers, who, whenever they found a good opportunity, overran it, for his orders were to oppose: them. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 521 CHAPTER XVII L TBE MESSENGERS FROM ENSLAND, HEARINS OF THE SURRENDER OF LA ROCHE DE VENDAIS, TAKE LEAVE OF THE DUKE OF BERRY. AYMERISOT RETIIJES TO THE HOUSE OF A RELATION, CALLED TOLTiNEMINE, WHO BETRAYS HIM TO THE lilNU OF FRANCE. HE IS CARRIED TO PARIS, AND THERE BEHEADED AND HIS BODY QL'AKTERED. You have heard how La Roche de Vendais was won, to the con. tentment of the surrounding country, for, had it been otherwise, it would have suflered much from the garrison. News of this was car. ried to tlie dukeof Berry at Canlelon, a manor of his situated between Chartres and Montlchery, nine leagues from Paris ; but he was indif- ferent about the matter, for he was become quite cool in regard to Boliciting the king in favor of Aymerigot Marcel. ExEClTio.-i or ."^vaKRiGOT JliRcEt, AT Paris. From a MS. FroUsart of the Firteenth century. AVhen Derby the herald heard of the surrender from the duke's knights, he said to Cherbury, " I have lost one hundred francs, which Aymerigot had promised me." " Fur what .' and how have you lost them ?" asked the squire. " In God's name," said Derby, " La Roche de Vendais has surrendered : the French have conquered it. Let us take leave of the duke of Berry awd return to England, for we have nothing further to do here." " Since it is so," answered the squire, " I agree to it." They demanded leave of the duke to depart, who granted it, and gave them letters to the king of England and the duke of Lancaster, in answer to those they had brought. On their departure, he presented the herald with forty francs, and gave to the squire a handsome hackney. On quitting the duke, they took the shortest road to Calais, and, I believe, w-ent straight to England. News of the loss of this fort was carried to Aymerigot Marcel, as he was raising troops to break up the siege. When he first heard it, he would have all the particulars told him. On learning that it had been occasioned by an imprudent sally Guyot du Sel had made on the French, he exclaimed ; " Ah, the old traitor '. by Saint Marcel, if I had him here, I would slay him. He has disgraced me and all my companions. On my departure, I had most positively ordered him not to quit the fort, whatever attempts the French might make, and he has done just the contrarj'. This loss can never be recovered; nor do I know whither to make my retreat. The garrisons of Cha. lu^et and Donzac arc determined to abide by the truce, and my com- panions are scattered abroad like diseonjfited persons ; but, if they were with me, I know not whither I could lead them. Considering all things, I am in a distressing situation : I have too greatly angered the king of France, the duke of Berry, and the barons and common, ally of Auvergne, to expect any favor ; for I have made war on them during the truce, thinking to gain, but I am now more likely to lose everything : I know not how to act ; I wish at this moment that my wife, myself and fortune, were in England ; we there should be safe ; but how the devil are we to get thither ? for I shall be robbed of my wealth twenty times before I can arrive at the sea-shore. All the roads through Poitou, Normandy, and Picardy, that lead to the sea, are well guarded. I have forfeited my life ; that is clear ; and, if I am taken and sent to Paris, shall be punished accordingly, and lose my all. My safest plan will be to make for Bordeaux, and to have my wealth sent thither by Utile and little, and then to remain there as long as the truce holds ; for I am in hopes that, after these truces, a curse on them ! the war will be renewed with more vigor than ever between France and England. The free companions will, by that time, have spent their former gains, and be eager to replenish their purses." Thus did Aymerigot Marcel converse with himself: he was east down and sorrowful, and knew not from whom to ask advice, nor whether to return to Auvergne, or go to Bordeau.\ and send for his wife, and have his fortune brought thither by little at a time. If he had followed this plan, he would have done well ; but he acted otherwise, and, as the event will show, suffered for it. It is thus Fortune treats her favorites ; when she has raised them to the highest point of her wheel, she suddenly plunges them in the dirt : witness Aymerigot Marcel. The foolish fellow was worth, as was believed ia Auvergne, more than one hun. dred thousand francs in money, which he lost in one day, to. gether with his life. I there- fore say, that dame Fortune played him one of her tricks, which she had played to sev- eral before, and she will do the same to many after him. Aymerigot, in his tribula- tions, bethought himself of a cousin-german he had in Au- vergne, a squire called Tourne- mine, to whom he resolved to apply, and ask his advice. This he did, and, only attended by a page, entered the castle of his cousin. He thought to be well received there, on ac- count of his relationship, but was disappointed ; for this squire was not in the good graces of the duke of Berry, who indeed hated him, as the squire knew well. He was afraid of the consequences, and resolved, on seeing his cousin Aymerigot enter his castle, to arrest him and inforra the duke of Berry what he had done, and offer, if he would forgive him and be on good terms for the future, to deliver up Aymerigot Marcel, for him to do with him as he should please. All this he executed ; for, when Aymerigot entered the castle, he was shown into a chamber, when, having pulled off his sword and cleaned himself, he asked the servants, "Where is my cousin Tourne- mine ?" " He is in his chamber," replied the servants, who already knew their master's design : " come and see him." "With all my heart," said Aymerigot. Having put on a new dress, and laid aside his coat of mail, which he usually wore, he said to the servants, " Come, let us go to my cousin Tournemine, for it is a long time since I have seen him." They conducted him straight to his chamber, and, on entering it, -\ymerigot saluted him, suspecting no evil : but Tournemine said ; " How is this, Aymerigot ? Who has sent for you ? and what has brought you hither ? You wish to die. honor me. I therefore arrest you as my prisoner ; for I should not otherwiso«loyally acquit myself to the crown of France, nor to my lord of Ben-y : you are a wicked traitor, who have broken the truce, and shall suffer for it : it is on your account the duke of Berry hates me mortally, but, through your means, I will make my peace ; for, dead or alive, you shall be given up to him, and never,'on any other account, shall you leave this castle." This speech astonished Ay- merigot, who replied ; " Why, Tournemine, I am your cousin. Are you in earnest in what you say ? or do you do it to try me ? I came hither, in full confidence, to see you and ask your advice, and I meet with this cruel and harsh reception." " I know not what you pro- posed for yourself," answered Tournemine, " but I shall certainly execute what I have intimated to you," and then laid hands on him : his servants, who knew what they were to do, advanced and seized him. Thus was Aymerigot taken without a possibility of making any defence ; for, as I have said, he had disarmed himself; nor could any entreaties prevent Tournemine from ordering him heavy fetters on his legs, and causing him to be conimed in a strong tower under safeguards. When this was done, he had the gates of the castle locked, taking himself the keys, ordering his Bervants, under pain of death, not to sm CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, f'RANCE, SPAIN, &c. go near ihe gates unless scni by him. He then wrote letters to the duke of Berry, to say he had made Aymcrigot Marcel his prisoner ; and if he woiild forgive him and make a solid peace, he ^vould give him up to his pleasure. When the letters were finished and sealed, he called to him his most confidential servant, and said ; " Set out instantly for Paris, and deliver these letters to the duke of Berry : recommend me to him, and be sure not to return without answers." The varlet took the letters, mounted an active horse, and rode to Paris, where the duke of Berry was. On being admitted, he pre. sented the letters from his master, Tournemine. The duke, having opened and read them, said smiling to his knights ; " Would you like to hear news ? Aymerigot Marcel is caught : his cousin-gerinan Tournemine, as he writes me word, holds him in prison." The knights replied ; "My lord, this is e.xcellent news for Auvergne and Limousin ; for they have had, for a long time, a bad neighbor in Ay- merigot. He has done so much mischief that, if you please, he shall make his end on a gibbet, for he deserves no favor nor pardon." " I know not," said the duke, " what the king or his council may wish to do with him : I shall talk with them on the subject." Not long after this conversation, the duke took boat and crossed the Seine to the Louvre, wliere the king and his council were. He related the intelligence ho had received, and gave them the letters of Tourne- mine to read, which afforded satisfaction to all. The lords said, that such pillagers always came to a disgraceful death, and that sooner or later it awaited them. It was determined, that the duke of Berry should imdertake the management of this business, and order the seneschal of .-Vuvergne to fetch Aymerigot, and bring him to Paris, where he should be confined in the Bastille, at the gate of St. An. thony, and delivered over to the provost of the Chatelet, who would take good care of him. It was also resolved, that on account of the agreeable service Tournemine had now done to the crown of France, all his former misdeeds should be forgiven, and a pardon granted by letters patent, which Tournemine's servant brought back with him, and by it pleased his master greatly, for in them he confided. It was not long before the seneschal of Auvergne, by an order from the duke of Berry, came to the castle of Tournemine, and had Aymerigot Marcel delivered up to him : who was thunderstruck at thus finding himself in the hands of his enemies. Why should I make a long story of it ? The seneschal had him escorted by a body of men-at.arms through the country, and crossed the Seine and Marne at Charenton. Thence he conducted him to the castle of the Bastille, and delivered him to the charge of the viscount d'Achy, ivho was at that time governor of it. He was not long detained there, but given up to the provost of the Chiitelet, who carried him thither. True it is, that he offered si.\ty thousand francs for his pardon, but no one would have anything to do with him : they told him the king was rich enough, and wanted not his money. From the time he was delivered to the provost, there was no delay in his trial, when he was condemned to a shameful death, as a traitor to the crown of France. He was fiist carried in a cart to the pillory in the marketplace, and turned round within it several times. His different crimes were then read aloud, for which he was to receive death. Sir William le Trun* was by his side a long time, and talked much with him, on the afi\urs of Auvergne, as it was supposed, and to learn the truth respecting several captains of forts, whether they had been associates in his wickedness. This was certainly known to the lords, but I never could gain information respecting it. His head was cut off, and his four quarters afh.xed over four different gates of Paris. Such was the end of Aymerigot Marcel ; but I know not what became of Jiig wife, or of his wealth. CHAPTER XIX. THE CHRISTIAN LORDS WEISH ANCHOR, AND LEAVE THE ISLAND OF COmiNO, IN ORDER TO LAY SIE&E TO THE TOWN OF AFRICA. THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY CONDUCT THEMSELVES. I HAVE dwelt very long on the subject of Aymerigot J^Iarcel, in ■detailing his actions, that I might illustrate his life and death ; for in such a history as this, both good and bad must be spoken of, that they may serve as an e.\citement or warning in times to come. Had Aymerigot turned his mind to virtue, he would have done much good, for he was an able man.at-arms and of great courage ; but, having acted in a different manner, he came to a disgraceful death. We will return to the noble enterprise the knights of France and other countries had undertaken against Africa, and continue our narrative from the place where we left off'. It was, I believe, at the island of Coniino that the knights had assembled, after the great storm in the gulf of Lyons, to wait for those who had separated from the fleet, as that island was but thirty miles from Africa, whither they were bound. They remained there nine days, and, when re- covered from their fatigues, they addressed the masters of the galleys as follows : " Gentlemen, we are now on the nearest land to the strong town of Africa, whither, if it please God, we will go, and besiege it. We must therefore consult with you how we may enter the harbor and disembark. We propose to send m advance our * In the MSS. it is sir William le Bouteiiler, whjcti I sliould think more probable smaller vessels, called brigandines, to amuse the enemy, while we remain at the mouth of the harbor : on the following day we will, at our leisure, land, through God's grace, and encamp ourselves as near the town as possible, out of the reach of their bricolles :* the Genoese cross-bows shall be drawn up, and ready for defence or at. tack. We suppose that, on our debarkation, a multitude of your young squires will demand to be knighted, for increase of honor and advancement. Instruct them gently how they ought to act, for you are very capable of doing it ; and know, gentlemen, that we are well inclined to acquit ourselves handsomely toward you ; and, to show our eagerness to annoy the enemy, we shall take every possible pains that this town of Africa may be won. It has done you too great damage to be longer endured, and is, besides, the key to the empire of Barbary and the surrounding kingdoms of Africa, Morocco and Bugia. Should God, of his goodness, permit us to conquer it, all the Saracens will tremble, as far as Nubia and Syria, and we shall be everywhere talked of. With the assistance of^ the princes of Christendom, who are the nearest to us, w'e may reinforce it with men, and victual it again ; so that, if once we gain possession, it will become a place for all knights and squires to adventure them, selves in arms against the enemies of God, and conquer their lands." " My lords," replied the masters of the vessels, " we shall never pre. tend to teach you how to act, but give our opinions with all modesty and humility ; for you are too noble, wise and valiant, for us to pre- tend to lay down rules for your conduct." The lord de Coucy said, " We should, however, wish to have your opinions, for we have observed nothing but what is praiseworthy in you ; and, as it is you who have brought us hither, to accomplish deeds of arms, we shall never act without having your advice." Such were the conversa. tions held in the island of Comino, in the presence of the duke of Bourbon, the count d'Eu, and some of the great barons of France, with the captains of the' Genoese vessels, before they sailed for the coast of Africa. When all was ready, and the men-at.arms had reembarked on board their galleys, with a good will to meet their enemies the Sara- cens, the admiral gave orders for the trumpets to sound, and the fleet to get under weigh. The sea was now calm, and the weather fine : it was a pleasure to see the rowers force their vessels through its smooth surface, which seemed to delight in bearing these Christians to the shores of the infidels. Their fleet was numerous and well ordered; and it was a fine sight to view their various banners and pennons, emblazoned with their arms, fluttering with the gentle gales, and glittering in the sun. Late in the evening, the Christians saw ihe towers of Africa, as pointed out to them by the sailors, which, as they advanced, opened more to their view. Every one was rejoiced at this sight, and not without cause, as they had in part accomplished the object of their voyage. If the Christians, on thus seeing Africa, conversed much concerning the war they were about to commence, the Saracens, who had so plainly observed them from their town, and were on the watch, did the same. They were as. tonished at the great number of vessels, of all descriptions, and con. eluded they had a very large army on board, to besiege the town. They were not cast down with this, for they knew the place was strong, well fortified with towers, and plentifully stored with artillery and provisions. On their first noticing the fleet, they sounded, according to custom, a number of bells on the towers, to alarm and inform the country that an enemy was on the coast. There were encamped near the town a large body of barbarians and infidels, whom the kings of Tunis and Bugia had sent thither to defend the coast, and prevent the Christians from making any progress into the interior of the country. The noise of the trumpets and drums announced the arrival of the Christians ; and, in consequence, they formed their army according to their manner, and sent some of the ablest captains to the shore to observe the motions of the enemy, and the manner of their debarkation. They also posted their most expert men.at-arms on the towers and battlements of the town, that they might not be taken by surprise ; for it was strong enough to resist everything but a long siege, if they were on their guard. As I, .lohn Froissart, the author of these chronicles, was never in Africa, I sought all the information I could from those knights and squires who had been on tliis expedition, and made several journeys to Calais to learn the truth of all thatpassed.t [Having inquired as to the size and form of the town of Africa, some who had been there figured it out to me, and said it was in the form of a bow, like to Calais, extending its arms toward the sea. This town of Africa, at the time the lords of France and other nations were before it, with an anxious desire to win it, was wonderfully strong, surrounded with high walls at proper distances : the entrance of the harbor was defended by a tower larger than the rest, on which was placed a bricolle to cast large stones and quarrels, with which it was well provided. When the Christians approached the harbor, the walls of the town seemed to be hung with cloths or tapestry, somewhat similar in ap. pearance to coveriids of beds. They cast anchor about one league * " Bricolles," machine- to throw stonus : a sort of sUn;.— Dli CanoB. T AU witlim these marks [ ] is additional matter, omitted by Sauvage and Verrard,, from MS. No. 4379, Bib. Harl. in the Museum, and from a MS. in the Hafod Librarr. which is precisely the same. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND. FRANCE, SPAIN, &c, 523 •"distant from the port, where tliey remained until the morrow. The night was clear and serene, for it was the month of July, about Mag. dalen-tide ; and they made themselves comfortable, rejoicing that, through God's pleasure, they had ao far succeeded as to have the town of Africa now before them. The Saracens, who were on the opposite shore watching the Chris, tian fleet, held this night a council on their future mode of proceeding, for they knew the town would be besieged. They thus conversed among themselves : " Our enemies are now arrived : they will, if they can, land and lay siege to Africa, which is the key to the ad. joining kingdoms. We must, therefore, consider well our plans for opposing them ; otherwise we shall be greatly blamed, and especially if we should not at first dispute their landing." It was proposed by a valiant Saracen, called Mandifer, to resist their landing, as being the most honorable, and to oppose them instantly with their whole force, or they would probably have fault found with them. This was strongly supported by many, as it seemed the most courageous plan ; when an ancient Saracen began to speak, who had great in. fluence among them, as he showed. This lord came from a town ill Africa called Maldages, and his name was Bellius. He gave his opinion quite contrary to that of Jlandifer, and supported it with the following reasons : " Gentlemen, we are sent hither to guard the coast and defend this country : but we have no orders from the kings of Tunis or of Bugia to attack our enemies without having maturely considered the consequences. What I have to propose, I will main- tain by such reasons as these : First, you must suppose that this array of Christians has been long in preparation, and is provided with all things necessary. Their captains, you may also believe, are perfect men.at.arms, as able in council as in the field, with the greatest ardor to perform deeds of arms. If we meet them on the shore, they will advance their Genoese cross.bows, for you may be assured they have brought numbers of them. It will be against them who have such excellent cross.bows that we must support the first attack ; and we are not armed nor have we shields to guard us against their arrows : our men, finding themselves wounded, will draw back and refuse the combat, so that these Genoese will make good their landing in spite of us. Their men.at.arms, desirous of displaying their courage, will leap from their boats, and, observing our disorder, will attack us with lances, and gain a victory : should this happen, the town of Africa is irrecoverably lost for anything we can do to prevent it. Those within will be so much discouraged by our defeat, that before our men can be rallied, the place will be taken by storm or capitulation, and be so well guarded that we shall have the greatest difficulty to regain it. The French, and those with them, are very expert and subtle in arms. I therefore maintain, that it will be more to our ad. vantage that the enemy should be ignorant of our force at the onset ; for at this moment we have not a sufficiency to offer them battle, though our strength is daily increasing. I advise, that we suffer them to disembark at their ease ; for, as they have no horses to advance into the country, they will remain where they land, suspicious of our intentions.] The town of Africa is not afraid of them, nor of their attacks, for it is tolerably strong, and well provided with everything. The air is now warm, and will be hotter. They will be exposed to the heat of the sun, while we shall be in the shade. Their provisions will be destroyed, without hopes of having a supply, if they make any long stay, and we shall have abundance from our own country : we will frequently beat up their quarters ; and should they be unfor. tunate in these skirmishes, they will be worn down. We must avoid all general engagements, otherwise we cannot conquer them ; but we shall do it by this plan, and trusting to the chmate, which is con. trary to the nature of their constitutions. [They will not have any reinforcements, and we shall have many. The extreme heat of the sun, and the fatigue they will undergo from being always armed in fear of us, will very soon bring on disorders which will carry num. bers to the grave, and thus shall we be revenged without striking a blow.] Such is the plan I propose ; and, if I knew of any better, I would lay it before you." All those in the council who had been used to arms, adopted the advice the old Saracen lord had given. It was in consequence for- bidden, under pain of death, for the army to attack or skirmish with the Christians on the sea-shore, but they were ordered to remain quietly in their quarters, and suffer them to land and encamp them- selves without any opposition. None dared infringe these orders. They sent a body of their archers into the town of Africa, to assist in its defence, and never made any movement until the morrow, so that the country seemed uninhabited. The Christians having lain this night, as I have said, at anchor at the mouth of the harbor, made themselves ready the next day, which was a clear bright morning, for approaching the town, being very de- sirous to land. Trumpets and clarions began to sound and make a loud noise on board the different galleys and ships. When it was about nine o'clock, and the Christians had drunk a cup, and partaken of soup made of Grecian or Malmsey wines, with which they had abimdantly pro-vided themselves, to cheer their hearts and raise their spirits, they began to execute the plan they had laid down while ot the island of Comino. They sent, as it seems to me, some light ves- sels called brigandines, armed with bricolles and cannons, first toward the harbor. When they were properly drawn up in array, they en. tered the haven, and saluted the town with arrows and stones ; but the walls were hung with wet carpeting to deaden the blows. These brigandines entered the port without damage, and were followed by the galleys and other vessels in such handsome order as to make a pleasant show. In turning into the harbor, there was a large casllc with towers, and on one larger than the rest was placed a bricolle, for the defence of the place, which was not idle, but threw quarrels among the fleet. On each of the towers on the walls was a bricolle which shot well ; and, to say the truth, the Saracens had laid in stores for a long time, from the expectation of a siege. When the Christians entered the port of Africa, to disembark, the weather was so beautiful, and their order so well preserved, that it was delightful to see it. Their trumpets and clarions made the air resound, and were echoed back by the waves. Many knights both from France and from other countries now displayed their banners, and several knights were created. The first of whom was John lord de Ligny, in Hainault: he was knighted by his cousin, sir Henry d'Antoing , and the lord de Ligny there first displayed his banner, which was emblazoned with his arms on a field or, having a bend gules. He was accompanied by his cousin-german, the lord d'Hav- reth in Hainault. All the knights and squires disembarked in view of the Saracens, on a Wednesday, the vigil of Magdalen-day,* in the year of grace 1390, and as they landed, encamped according to or- ders from the marshals. Thus they took possession of the lAl of their enemies, who, noticing their camp, could not avoid highly prais- ing the good order of it. Those in the larger galleys, that could not lie near the shore, were put into boats and conveyed to land, under the banner of our Lady. The Saracens, both within and without the town, allowed them to land peaceably, for they were not in num- bers sufficient to oppose them : and the French advanced with dis. played banners, on which were emblazoned their arms, to places marked out for their lodgings by the marshals. The duke of Bourbon, as commander-in-chief, was lodged in the centre of his army, with all honor, and powerfully guarded. The device on his banner, powdered over with flowers-de-luce, was a figure of the Virgin Mary in white, seated in the centre, and an es- cutcheon of Bourbon at her feet. I will name those lords of rank who were quartered on the right of the duke, looking toward the town : first, sir William de la Tremouille and his brother with a pen- non ; the lord de Bordenay, with a banner ; sir Helion de Lignac, with a pennon ; the lord de Tours, the same. Then were placed the Hainaulters, whose standard bore the device of the lord William of Hainault, at that time count d'Ostrevant, eldest son of duke Albert of Bavaria, count of Holland, Hainault and Zealand, which device was a harrow or, on a field gules. There was the lord d'Havreth with his banner ; the lord de Ligny, with his ; and then the lord Philip, count d'-'irtois, with his banner; the lord de Mathefelon, with his banner ; the lord de Calan, with a pennon ; the seneschal d'Eu, with the same ; the lord de Linieres, with a banner; the lord do Thim, with the same; the lord d'Ameval, with the same; sir Walter de Chastillon, with a pennon ; sir John de Chiteaumorant, with a ban. ner ; the brother to the marshal de Sancerre, with a pennon ; the lord de Coucy, with his banner, and better supported than any, ex- cept the duke of Bourbon ; the lord de Licques, with a pennon ; sir Stephen de Sancerre, with the same ; and then the pennon of the king of France, blazoned with his device ; beside it, was sir John le Barrels, with his pennon ornamented with his arms ; sir William Morles, with his banner ; the lord de Longueval, with a pennon ; sir John de Roye, with a banner ; the lord de Bours, with a pennon ; the viscount d'.'Vusnay, with a banner ; and sir John de Vienne, ad- miral of France, with his banner. Those on the left hand of the duke of Bourbon were, the lord d'Auseniont, with a banner ; sir John Beaufort, bastard to the duke of Lancaster, a banner ; sir John le Bouteiller, an Englishman, a pennon ; sir John de Crama, a banner ; the souldich de I'Estrade, a pennon; sir John de Harcourt, a banner; the lord Berald, count de Clermont, and dauphin of Auvergne, a banner, and with good array ; sir Hugh Dauphin, his brother, a pennon ; the lord de Berth- encourt, a pennon ; the lord de Pierre Buffiere, a banner ; the lord de Saint Semere, a banner; the lord de Louvart, marshal of the army, a pennon ; the begue de Beausse, a pennon ; the lord de Louvy, a banner ; sir Gerard de Louvy, his brother, a pennon ; the lord do Saint-Germain, a banner ; and then the pennon on a standard, with the device of the duke of Bourbon ; the lord Philip de Bar, a banner ; sir Lewis de Poitiers, a pennon : sir Robert de Calobre, the same ; the viscount de Les, a banner ; the lord de Nogent, the same ; the lord de Villeneuve, a pennon ; sir William de Moulin, the same ; the lord de Longwy, a pennon ; sir -■Vngorget d'Amboise, the same ; sir Alain de la Champaigne, a pennon. All these banners and pennons that I have named were placed in front of the camp, facing the town of Africa ; but there were many knights and squires, of great courage and abihty, who were quartered in the fields, whom I cannot name, and, if I could, it would take up too much space, for they were, in the whole, fourteen thousand, all gentlemen. This was a handsome army, able to perform many gal. lant deeds, and support a hard warfare, if the Saracens had ventured an attack, which they did not, contenting themselves this day with throwing large bolts, not meaning to act contrary to their plan. * " Macdftlen-dRy"— tlie fflod July. 524 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. When the Christians were encamped, it was necessary for them to be careful of the provision they had brought, for they could not now venture to forage in this country, nor collect wood nor boughs for huts, as they would have run many risks, by foolishly venturing themselves for such objects. The knights were lodged under tents and pavilions of cloth, which they had procured at Genoa. The Genoese cross-bows formed two wings, inclosing within them the principal lords, and, from their numbers, tliey occupied a great deal of ground, turning toward the sea-shore. All their provision was on board the vessels, and there were boats continually employed in bringing different articles from them, as they were wanted. When the inhabitants of the neighbor- ing islands, such as Sicily and others, as well as those in the king- dom of Naples, la Puglia, and Calabria, heard the Christians were laying siege to --Vfrica, they e.xerted themselves to supply them with every sort of provision : some from a desire of gain, others from af- fection to the Genoese. From Candia were brought good sweet wine and grenaches,* to comfort and refresh them, without which they could not long have supported their fatigues. They were a very large body of men, who daily consumed much in eating and drink- ing. However, these purveyances did not come regularly ; for at times the supply was most abundant, at others, they were in great distrTO from want. CHAPTER XX. THE CONDUCT OF THE SARACENS DURING THE SIE&E OF THE TOWN OF AFRICA. THEY SEND TO DEMAND FROM THE FRENCH THE CAUSE OF THEIR MAKING WAR AGAINST THEM. I WILL say something of the Saracens, for it is but just they should be equally spoken of as the Christians, that the truth may be more apparent. You must know that these infidels had, for a long time, been menaced by the Genoese, and were expecting the town of Africa to be besieged, in which they were not disappointed. They had made preparations for resistance, when they heard of tlie arrival of the Christian fleet, an event that had been long looked for by the neighboring nations ; for they are not prudent nor well advised, who fear not their enemies, however small they may be The Saracens, however, do not hold the Christians cheap : on the contrary, they consider them as men of courage and enterprise, and much fear them. The better to resist their enemies, they assembled the most experienced warriors from the kingdoms of Bugia, Morocco, and Tunis, in which last the town of Africa is situated, and encamped on the downs near the sea-shore. They took advantage of a large and thick wood in their rear, to avoid any danger from ambuscades or skirmishes on that side. The Saracens showed much ability in thus posting themselves. They amounted, according to the estimate of able men-at-arms, to thirty thousand archers and ten thousand horse. Others thought they were more ; but their exact numbers were unknown, for the Christians supposed many were lodged in the wood. They were very numerous, for they were in their own coun- try, and could come and go from tlieir army at their pleasure without danger. They received continual supplies of fresh provision, which was brought on the backs of cauels. The second day after the Christians had landed, the Saracens, about dawn, came to attack the camp, sir Henry d'-\ntoing having the command of the guard of two hundred men-at-armsltnd one thousand Genoese cross-bows. The skirmish lasted more than two hours, and many gallant deeds were done in shooting and thrusting the lance, for there was not any engagement with the sword hand to fcand. The Saracens did not fool-hardily risk themselves, but fought with valor and more prudence than the Christians. When they had skirmished some time, the Saracens retreated ; for the army began to be in motion, and some of the French barons had come to witness the action, and observe the manner of their enemies' fighting, that they might be prepared to meet them another time. The Saracens retired to their camp, as iid the Christians to theirs ; but, during the whole time of this siege of Africa, the Christians were never left quiet, for their camp was every night or morning attacked by the enemy. Among the Saracens was a young knight, called Agadinquor Oli- ferne, excellently mounted on a beautiful courser, which he managed as he willed, and which, when he galloped, seemed to fly with hlin. From his gallantry, he showed he was a good man-at-arms ; and, when he rode abroad, he had with him three javelins, well feathered and pointed, which he dexterously flung, according to the custom of his country. He was completely armed in black, and had a kind of white napkin wrapped round his head. His seat on horseback was graceful; and, from the vigor and gallantry of his actions, the Chris- tians judged he was excited thereto by his affection to a young lady of the country. True it is, he most sincerely loved the dauirhter of the king ol Tunis, who, according to the report of some Genoese merchants who had seen her, was very handsome, and the heiress of his kmgdom. This knight, called Agadinquor, w as the son of duke I J 'l?."1^fn"~i'°'''°''"!' °""T ""'^ of the fourteenth century mentions, ut^r Oliferne ; but I know not if he ever married this lady. I heard that during the siege, he performed many handsome feats of arras, to tes! tify his love, which the French knights saw with pleasure, and would willingly have surrounded him ; but he rode so good a horse, and had him so well in hand, that all their efforts were vain. The Chris, tian lords were very anxious to make some Saracens prisoners, to learn from them the real state of their army ; but they could not suc- ceed, and, having noticed their intent, the Saracen chiefs gave orders accordingly. The Saracens were much afraid of the Genoese cross, bows : they shielded themselves as well as they could against their bolts, but they are not armed so strongly as the Christians ; for they know not the art to forge annor like theirs, nor have they workmen who could make such. Iron and steel are not common among them; and they wear light targets hanging on their necks, covered with boiled leather from Cappadocia, that no spear can penetrate, if the leather has not been overboiled. Their manner of fighting, accord- ing to wliat I heard, was to advance on the Christians, and shoot a volley of arrows at the Genoese the moment they made their appear, ance, and then to fall down under shelter of their shields, by which they avoided the bolts from the cross-bows, that went over them : they then rose, and either shot more arrows, or lanched their javelins with much dexterity. Thus, for the space of nine weeks that the siege lasted, were con- tinual skirmishes made ; and on both sides many were killed and wounded, more especially such as ventured too rashly. The Chris, tians imitated the Saracens by avoiding a close combat ; and the lords from France and other countries took delight in their manner of fighting, for, to say the truth, novelty is always pleasing. The young lords of these infidels were greatly struck with the glittering armor and emblazoned banners and pennons of their enemies, and, wlien returned to their camp, they conversed much about them. They were, however, astonished at one thing, which I will now re. late. The Saracens within the town of Africa were anxious ta know on what pretence the Christians had come with so large an army to make war on them ; and, to learn the reasons, they resolved, as I was told, in council, to send a person that could speak Genoese, and gave him the following orders : " Go and take the road to the camp of the Christians, [and manage, before thou returnest, to speak with some lords in their army,] and demand, in our name, why they have brought so powerful a force against us, and taken possession of the lands of the king of Africa, who has not done anything to offend them. True it is that, in former times, we were at war with the Genoese, but that should no way concern them ; for they come from very distant countries, and the Genoese are our neighbors. Our cus. tom has been, excepting in times of truce, to seize mutually all we can from each other." Having received these instructions, the messenger departed and rode on to the camp. The first person he met was a Genoese, to whom he said that he was sent by the Saracens to speak with some baron from France. The Genoese, to whom he had addressed him- self, was called Antonio Marchi, a centurion of cross-bows, who took him under his care, to his great joy, and conducted him instantly to the duke of Bourbon and the lord de Coucy. They both listened very attentively, and what they did not understand the centurion in. terpreted in very good French. When he had finished all he had been ordered to say, he asked for an answer. The French lords told liini he should have one as soon as they had considered the pur. port of his message. Twelve of the greatest barons of the army as- sembled in the duke of Bourbon's tent, and the messenger and inter, preter being called in, the last was ordered to tell him from the lords present, " That in consequence of their ancestors having crucified and put to death the son of God, called Jesus Christ, a true prophet, without any cause or just reason, they were come to retaliate on them for this infamous and unjust judgment. Secondly, they were im- baptized, and infidels in the faith to the holy Virgin, mother of Jesus Christ, and had no creed of their own. For these and other causes, they held the Saracens and their whole sect as enemies, and were come to revenge the injuries they had done to their God and faitli, and would to tliis effect daily exert themselves to the utmost of their power." When the messenger had received this answer, he de. parted from the army unmolested, and returned to report to his mas. tcrs what you have just read. The Saracens laughed heartily at hearing it, and said, they made assertions without proofs, tor it was the Jews who had crucified Jesus Christ, and not they. Things remained on the former footing : the siege was continued, and each army on its guard. CHAPTER XXI. SOME MIRACLES ARE SHOWN TO THE SARACENS, AS THEY ATTEMPT TO attack the CAMP OF THE CHRISTIANS. SEVERAL SKIRMISHES DtT. RING THE SIEGE. THE CLIMATE BECOMES UNWHOLESOME, AND OTHER ACCIDENTS BEFAL THE BESIEGERS. ^i Shortly after this message, the Saracens determined in council to remain quiet for seven or eight days, and, during that time, neither to skirmish nor any way to annoy the Christians, but, when they should think themselves in perfect security, to fall on their camp Uke a deluge. This was adopted ; and the ninth evening, a little before midnight, they secretly armed their men with their accustomed arms, CKRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, ice. 525 and marched silently in a compact body toward the Christian camp. They had proposed making a severe attack on the opposite quarter to the main guard, and would have succeeded in their mischievous attempt, if God had not watched over and preserved them Iiy niira. clea, as I will now relate. As tlie Saracens approached, they saw before them a company of ladies dressed in white ; one of whom, their leader, was incomparably more beautiful than the rest, and bore in front a white flag, having a vermilion cross in the centre. The Saracens were so greatly terrified at this vision, that they lost all strength and inclination to proceed, and stood still, these ladies keep- SiEGE OF THE T:iivx OF .\fri(a. From a M-S. Froisssrt of the 15th century. ing steadily before them. The Genoese cross.bows had brought with them a dog, as I heard, from beyond sea ; but whence no one could tell, nor did he belong to any particular person. This dog had been very useful to them ; for the Saracens never came to skirmish, but by his noise he awakened the army, and as every one now knew that whenever the dog barked the Saracens were come, or on their road, they prepared themselves instantly : in consequence of this, the Genoese called him the dog of our Lady. This night, the dog was not idle, but made a louder noise than usual, and ran first to the main gTiard, which was under the command of the lord de Torcy, a Nor- man, and sir Henry d'Antoing. As during the night all sounds are more easily heard, the whole army was in motion, and properly pre- pared to receive the Saracens, who they knew were approaching. This was the fact; but the Virgin Mary and her company, having the Christians under their care, watched over them ; and this night they received no harm, for the Saracens were afraid to advance, and returned the way they had come. The Christians were more atten- tive to their future guards. The Saracen knights and squires, within the town, were much cast down at the sight they had seen, more especially those who were advanced near this company of ladies. While, on the other hand, the Christians were greatly e.\erting them, selves to win the place, which was courageously defended. At this period the weather was exceedingly hot ; for it was the month of August, when the sun is in its greatest force, and that country was warmer than France, from being nearer the sun, and from the heat of the sands. The wines the besiegers were supplied with from La Puglia and Calabria were fiery, and hurtful to the constitutions of the French, many of whom suffered severely by fevers, from the heating -o years to run of the truce with England : the Christians h.-id therefore laid siege to Africa, as being the most convenient entrance into Barbar)'. The infidels, suspicious of such being their intentions, well victualled the place, and reinforced it with a new garrison, the better to guard it. The siege still continued, although, after the before-mentioned loss on the ptirt of the Christians, little advantage was gained, and the men-at-arms were greatly discouraged ; for they could not obtain any opportunity of changing the tiresomeness of their situation, and of revenging themselves on the enemy. Many, in consequence, began to murmur and say, " We remain here in vain ; for if we do nothing more effectual than skirmishing, we shall never gain the town : if, by accident we kill one infidel by our arrows, they supply his place with ten more, as they are in their own country, and have provision and stores in abundance, while ours are brought with much difficully and uncertainty. What will become of us, if we stay longer ? The cold nights of winter freeae and benumb us to death. We shall be in a most disagreeable state for many reasons : first, at that time of the year the sea will be so tempestuous no one will venture on it. We have now but eight days provision, and should the stormy weather set in, and prevent any vessels arriving, we must inevitably perish. Secondly, suppose we have provision and stores in plenty, how can the army support, for so long a time, the fatigue of a regular guard ? The danger will be too great ; for the enemy is on his own ground, and well acquainted with the country, and may attack us in the night, season, as we have already seen, and do us infinite damage. Thirdly, should we be infected with any disorder, from want of belter air and fresh provision, it may be contagious, and we shall drop off one after another, for we have not any remedies to guard against such a mis- fortune. Besides, should the Genoese, who are a treacherous race, wish to return without us, they might embark in the night-time, and, when once on board their vessels, we could not prevent them, and they would leave us here to pay the reckoning. It will be right that we remonstrate with our lords, who are enjoying their ease, on these our suspicions ; for the Genoese do not conceal their opinions of us. Some of their talkers have said to our men, ' You Frenchmen are odd men-at-arms : when we sailed from Genoa, we thought you would have conquered this town of Africa within a week or a fort- night after your landing ; but we have been here nearly two months, and nothing has been done : by the assaults and skirmishes yon make, the town need not fear you these two years ; and at the rate you go on, you will never conquer the kingdoms of Tunis or Africa.' '' The Genoese had so frequently held this language lo the varlets and others of the army, that it reached the ears of their lords, and was repeated to the lord de Coucy, who was "ise and prudent, and to whom the whole army looked up. He considered a while, and then said to himself, " The conversations of these Genoese are but too well founded in truth : to put a stop to them, a full assembly of the principal knights must be held, to consider how we are to proceed, for winter is fast approaching." At this council, which was held in the duke of Bourbon's tent, various plans were proposed ; but the conclusion was, that they would, for this season, break up the siege, and every person should return home the way he had come. The chief lords secretly made preparations accordingly, and, calling to them the masters of the galleys and other vessels, acquainted them with their intentions. The captains were much surprised, and said, " My lords, do not harbor any suspicions of us, for we are pledged to you by our honor and oaths, and we will most loyally and honestly acquit ourselves. Had we pleased, we might have accepted the favorable oft'ers that were made us by the Africans, but we refused to enter into any treaty with them, from our attachments and engage- ments to you." " We have no doubts of you, gentlemen," replied the lord de Coucy, " for we look on you as loyal and valiant men : but we have considered our situation ; winter is at hand, and we have a scarcity of provision. Should it be God's good pleasure that we return to France, we will inform the king, who is young and fond of war, of the state of this country. At this moment he knows not where to employ his force, for he and the king of England are at peace. He is unhappy when idle, and we shall advise him to undertake an ex- pedition hither, as well to have the pleasure of meeting the king of Sicily as to conquer this country from the Saracens. Prepare and make ready your galleys, for we shall leave this coast in a very few ances of their different lords, and conveying tliem on board the ships which lay at anchor off the shore. When all things were embarked, the knights entered ihc galleys that had brought them thither: many had borgaJned with the captains to carry them to Naples, others to Sicily, Cyprus or Rhodes, thence to perform a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. After having remained si.\ty-one days before the town of Africa, they broke up the siege, and set sail from that country in sight of the Saracens from the walls. This gave them such joy that they sounded horns and beat drums, and made so great a noise by their shoutings, as to be heard in the army of the Saracens. Several young knights mounted their horses, and galloped to the place where the camp had been, to see if they could find anything left behind. Agadinquor d'Oliferne and Brahadin de Tunis were the first to arrive ; but the Christians had so completely cleared the camp, that there was noth. ing for them to carry away. The Saracens left their station to examine the camp, and remained more than two hours noticing the manner and form of it. They praised much their subtlety in sink- ing wells for fresh water, and, having for some time viewed the galleys under sail, they returned to visit their friends in the town of Africa. Others went to their quarters, and rejoiced greatly that the Christians had not dared to remain longer. They held their power very cheap, and said, they should no longer fear, as they had done, the French or Genoese. They spoke truly, as I shall explain. When this siege was raised, the Saracens grew proud on the occasion, for they saw the Genoese had exerted themselves to their utmost power to annoy them : this expedition could not have been undertaken without an enormous expense, and they had not gained anything. But they did not know the great losses the Christians had suffered until that day, and I will tell you by what accident it happened. In the camp of the Christians was found, lying on the ground, a Genoese varlet, who was too ill with a fever to be removed when the sailors sought for their men to embark on board the barges. The Saracens were delighted on finding this man, and ordered no harm to be done him. They carried him to the principal commanders of their army, and told them where they had found bini. An interpreter was sent for, to examine him ; but at first be would not make any answers, considering himself as a dead man, and desiring they would put him out of his pain. The chiefs of the army, such as Agadinquor d'Oliferne and Brahadin dc Tunis, thought they should gain nothing by his death ; and to induce him to answer truly, without any equivocation, what que^^cions should be put to him, they promised to spare his life, and send him safe and well to his own country on board of the first gal. ley that should come thither from Genoa or Marseilles, with a present of one hundred golden besants. The valet hearing this, was freed from his fears of death and made easy ; for he knew that these Sara- cens never break their words ; and, as every one dies as late as he can, he said to the interpreter, " Make them all swear on their faith to keep what they have promised, and I will tndy answer whatever you may ask." The interpreter repeated this to the lords, who hav. ing consented to his demand, the varlet said, " Now ask what ques. tions you please, and I will answer them." He was firet asked who he was, and his place of residence, and replied, "Portevances;* [that his name was Simon Mollevin, and son to a captain of a galley at Portevances :"] then as to the commanders of the Christian army. He named several ; for, having kept company and drank with the heralds, he had often heard their names mentioned and remembered some of them. He was asked, if he knew the reasons why they had so suddenly raised the siege and departed. To this he made a very prudent reply, by saying, he was ignorant of it, as he was not present at the council of war when it was determined on, and could only tell them what was the common report in the army. It was said, that the French suspected the Genoese of a design to betray them ; but the Genoese declared this was false, and wrongfully imputed to them by the French. They had left the coast because they were afraid to winter in this country, and risk the loss of as many knights as they had once done. " Ask him," said the lords to the interpreter, " to explain this." He rephed, " So great was the loss on the day the combat was to have taken place between ten of your knights with ten of ours, that upward of sixty knights and squires, men of renown, died that day ; and it was solely on this account," as the Genoese said, " the siege was raised." The Saracen chiefs seemed very much pleased on hearing this, and made no further inquii'ies, but punctually kept the promise they had made him. • "Po.teTonces." In the MSS. Portenauc*. Q. if not Ponoctoss, one of theislandu of Hieres, off Provenc*. 530 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. On his return to Poiievances and Genoa, he related all that had passed and what answers he had made, for which he was no way blamed. The Saracens said among themselves, "We have been very negligent in not taking better measures against this union of the French and Genoese ; for, though they have been this time unsuc- cessful against Africa, we must henceforward put our coast in a bet- ter state of defence, (which we may easily do ;) and we must, in particular, guard the straits of Morocco so strongly that neither the Genoese nor Venetians shall carry their merchandise to Flanders through this strait, without paying so great a toll as to make all the world wonder thereat, and even then it shall be considered as a mat- ter of favor." What these Africans had proposed they executed : and all the kingdoms to the south, west and east, formed an alliance, such as Africa, Tunis, Bugia, Morocco, Benmarin, Treme^en and Granada, ■with a resolution of well guarding their coasts, and equipping such a fleet of galleys as should make them ma=to«i of the sea, through hatred to the French and Genoese for their late siege of Afiicn. They interiTipted so much the navigation of the Venetians and Genoese, that merchandise from Alexandria, Cairo, Damascus, Venice, Naples or Genoa, was difficult to be had in Flanders for money ; and, in particular, every sort of spicery was enormously dear. CHAPTER XXV. KIN8 CHARLES OF FRANCE PROPOSES TO MARCH TO ITALY, Te FORM AN UNION OF THE CHURCH BY FORCE, AND THENCE TO BARBARY. EMBAS- SADORS FROM ENGLAND OFFER PROPOSALS FOR A PEACE BETWEEN HIM AND KING RICHARD. THE DEATH OF JOHN KING OF CASTILLE. BE IS SUCCEEDED BY HIS SON HENRY, WHO IS CROWNED KING, THOUGH BUT NINE YEARS OF AGE. When the Christian fleet sailed from Africa, all crossed the sea, but did not disembark at the same port. Part met with heavy tem- pests, that put them in great danger : the greater part, however, re- turned to Genoa. Religious processions were making in France for their safety, for they knew not what was become of them, not having had any intelligence since their departure. The ladies of Coucy, of Sully, and the dauphiness of Auvergne, were in great anxiety for their lords, as long as the expedition lasted, and were much rejoiced on hearing they were returned. The duke of Bourbon and the lord de Coucy set off privately for Paris, leaving their attendants behind, and arrived there about Martinmas-day. The king, as was natural, ■was well pleased to see them, and asked many questions respecting Barbary, and the success of the expedition. They related all they had seen or heard, which was eagerly listened to by the king and his brother, the duke of Touraine. The king said, " If we can manage to restore union to the church, and establish a sound peace between us and England, we should very much like to lead a great army to Barbary, to exalt the Christian faith, confound the infidels, and acquit the souls of our predecessors, king Philip of happy memory, and king John our grandfather ; for both of them put on the vermilion cross, to pass the sea for the holy land ; and they would have done so, if Tiolent wars had not nearly overturned their kingdom. Now, if we can restore union and peace to the church, and lengthen our mice with the English to a proper term, we are resolved to undertake this expedition." Such were the conversations between the kins of France and his uncle, the duke of Bourbon, and the lord de Coucy, and thus did things remain. By degrees, those who had been in Africa returned home. The king lived at Paris the ■whole season, residing sometimes at the Louvre, at others, with the queen, at the hfttel de St. Pol. About St. Andrew's day, when the knights were almost all returned from Barbary, circumstances which served for a topic of conversation ■with every one, another expedition was talked of, at the court of France, but I cannot say who was the first promoter of it. The king of France, who had a great love of arms, was thus addressed : " Sire, your devotion and inclination naturally lead you to wish to' carry an expedition against the infidels beyond sea, to conquer the holy land." "That is very true," answered the king: "it consti. tutes the occupation of my thoughts night and day." I believe the proposal was made by the lord de la Riviere or air John le Mercier ; for they were both too much attached to pope Clement, and so greatly in the king's favor, that whatever they said was done. Others, who were at the time in the king's company, said ; " Sire, you cannot, in conscience, undertake such an expedition, while the church is dis- united : begin with the head, and your enterprise will end the better." "How would you have me begin?" asked the king. " Sire," re- plied they, " at this moment you have nothing on your hands. You are at peace with the English ; and you may, during the truce, un. dertake.if you please, an e.xpedition : we do not see a more brilliant one, than to march a large army to Rome and destroy this anti-pope, whom the Romans, through error, have elected and placed on the throne of St. Peter. This may be done, if you exert yourself : a more meritorious or honorable service cannot be performed ; and the instant the anti-pope and his cardinals shall learn you are advancing against them with a large anny, they will surrender themselves to your morcy. The king listened attentively to this, and said ho woiJd consider of it. In truth, he was warmly attached to pope Clement ; for the preceding year, when at Avignon, he had received the greatest honors and attentions from him, and he had given to him, his brother and uncles, more than they had asked. This he thought was deserving some return, and, on his taking leave, he had promised the pope, that he would attend to his aflairs in such wise that the effect of his in. terference would soon be known. He considered himself bound therefore, to do something in his behalf. At this time, the dukes of Berry and Burgundy were at Paris ; and it was generally reported, that soon after March the king would set out from Paris, for Savoy and Lombardy, and that the duke of Savoy was to send his cousin-german with him. The king was to have under his command the duke of Touraine and four thousand spears ; the duke of Burgundy two thousand ; the duke of Berry the same number ; the constable of France two thousand Bretons and Saintongers, from the flat countries ; the duke of Burbon one thou- sand spears : the count de St. Pol, and the lord de Coucy, one thou- sand spears ; and all thcee men-at-arms were to be engaged and paid for three months, and thus from time to time. The pop'e and cardi- nals at Avignon were as much rejoiced, when intelligence of this was carried to them, as if the expedition were already commenced. It was proposed in the council that the king should invite the duke of Brittany to form part of it, as they did not think it prudent to leave him behind. The king in consequence wrote him a handsome letter, to explain tho plan and intention of the expedition, and to in- vite him to make a part of it, which he sent by an honorable man, one of his ushers-at-arms. When the duke of Brittany had read the letter, he burst out into laughter, and calling to him the lord de Montbouchier, said : " See what my lord of France writes me. He has undertaken to set out in the month of March next for Rome, and destroy by the power of his arms, pope Boniface and his cardinals. As God is my help, he will never succeed, but shortly have other fl^ix to spin, which will force him to give up such foolish business. He desires me to accom- pany him with two thousand lances. As I wish to pay him every honor that is his due, I shall write a very civil answer back to please him, and say that, if he persists in undertaking the expedition men- tioned in his letter, he shall not go without me, since he is desirous of my company ; but I tell you, lord de Montbouchier, that I shalll not trouble any of my vassals on the occasion, for I repeat, it will onfl in words." The duke of Brittany sent very handsome letters by the usher-at-arms, to the king at Paris, who was well satisfied with the answer. No one attempted to discourage the king respecting this expedition, for it was highly agreeable to the knights and squires, as it made them of importance, and employed their time. All ranks of persons made their preparations, even the clergy, and the prov- inces were willing to ta'x themselves to send men-at-arms, at their expense, to serve the king. This e.xpedition ended, however, as the duke of Brittany had fore- told ; and I will relate what occasioned its being broken off. About Candlemas, intelligence was brought to the king and his council, which they had not thougl-.t of, nor foreseen. Part of the king of England's cabinet-council were sent, in handsome state, to wait on the king of France at Paris. At the head of this legation were, sir Thomas Percy, sir Lewis Clifford, sir Robert Bricquct, and other knights, whose names I never heard. The arrival of these knights at Paris was a great surprise, though the king had been informed of their coming ; for tlie king of England had written to him, to say he should in a (avt days send some of his council to Paris, if he would be there. The king of France was very anxious to learn why these embassadors had been sent in such haste, and what they had to pro- pose. The English knights dismounted at the sign of the Chateau de Festu, in the street of ia Croix du Tiroir, where they had fixed their lodgings. The king of France was at the Louvre, and the duke of Touraine with him ; his three uncles, and the constable of France, were likewise at their different h6tels in Paris. The Eng- lish arrived at Paris in the afternoon, and staid the remainder of that day and the night at their inn : on the morrow, about nine o'clock, they mounted their horses, which were handsomely decorated, and went in state to the Louvre, where the king was waiting for them- He was attended by his brother, his uncles, the count de St. Pol, the lord de Coucy, sir Oliver de Clisson, constable of France, sir John dc Vienne, sir Guy de la Tremouille, and other great barons. The embassadors dismounted in the square before the Louvre, and, on entering the gate, were met by the lord de la Riviere, sir John le Mercier, sir Helion de Lignac, sir Peter de Villiers, sir William de la Tremouille, and sir William Marcel, who received them as knights of the king of England's council, and conducted them most respect- fully to a handsome apartment where the king of France was. On their entrance they took of their hoods, and bowed very low. Sir Thomas Percy was the bearer of their credential letters, which he presented to the king, who, on receiving them, made the knights rise. When they were risen, they retired some paces back. Tho king of France, having perused the letters, called to him his brother and uncles, and showed their contenls. His uncles then said, " My lord, call to you the knights from England, and demand the cause of their coming hither." The king did so, and the knights were asked the purport of their credential letters. Sir Thomas, in reply, said : " Dear sire, it is the wish of our lord the king of England, thai his CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 531 moat confidential counsellors, such as his uncles of Lancaster, York, or Gloucester, or some prelates of England of whom that country has the best opinion for sense and prudence, should meet others of like character, of your council, that they might consider on the means of forming a solid peace between you and him and your allies. This, if it could be effected, would give him such great satisfaction, that he would not complain of any trouble or pain his counsellors may endure, whom he shall send across the sea to Amiens, or any other appointed place, for the carrying on this negotiation ; and we are come hither from our lord to propose this matter, and to learn your intentions upon it." The king replied, " Sir Thomas, you and your companions are welcome, and your ^isit has given us very great plea- sure. You will not leave Paris immediately : in the mean time, we will assemble our council, and, before your departure, you shall have such answer as shall be satisfactory to you." The English were well pleased with this reply, and the king entered on other matters of conversation. It was now dinner-time; and the English knights were dei;iined to dine in the Louvre, and given in charge to the lord de Coucy and the lord de la Riviere, who led them into a very richly ornamented apartment, where a table was spread for them. They dined well, and at their leisure, the lord de Coucy and the constable keeping them company. When dinner was over, they went into the king's apartment, and staid until wine and spices were brought in splendid comfit boxes of gold and silver. After the knights had partaken of these, they took leave of the king and his lords, and descended into the court, where they mounted their horses and re- turned to liieir lodgings. The proposals sir Thomas Percy had brought from England were exceedingly agreeable to the king of France, to his uncle the duke of Burgundy, and to others of his council; but not to all, especially to those who were interested concerning the pope of Avignon. They foresaw, that if negotiations were once begun between the two crowns, it would require a long time to bring them to a conclusion, and thus retard the expedition that was intended against Rome, to reduce pope Boniface and his cardinals to the obedience of pope Clement. The object of peace, however, was so welcome to all parts of Christendom, and would be of such advantage to every countrj', that no one dared to say anytliing against it. Besides, the duke of Burgundy and his council, and the duke of Bourbon, were unanimous in their opinion with the king. The king of France showed much attention to sir Thomas Percy and his companions ; but there was one knight among them, called sir Robert Bricquet, whom he did not see with pleasure, for he was a Frenchman, had always been of the party of England or Navarre, and was now a knight of the king of England's chamber. The king prudently dis- sembled his thoughts ; but, when he conversed with them, he always addressed himself to sir Thomas Percy, sir Lewis Clifford, or to sir John Clanvow. The king said, " We shall be happy to see a solid peace established between our adversary of England and us, for the war and quarrel has lasted too long a time ; and I wish you to un- derstand that it shall be no way our fault if the negotiations be not happily concluded." " Sire," replied the knights, " our lord the king of England, who has sent us hither, has the same peaceable inclina- tions, and said, on our departure, that it should not be to his blame if these wars and dissentions were not put an end to, for they had lasted too long ; and he was much surprised some prudent means had not been sooner thought of for this purpose." '• Well," replied the king, " we shall see what good affection he bears us." The English remained at Paris six days, and dined everj' day with one or other of the dukes. In the mean time, the matter of their coming had been debated in council, and it was settled that the king of France, his uncles, and his cabinet-council, should be at Amiens the middle of March, and wait there for the king of England, his imcles and council, if they were willing to meet them. The Eng- lish knights engaged, that on their side there should not be any de- lay, and that some of the king's uncles, if not all, would be at Amiens on the appointed day. Thus was this business concluded ; and the day before the embassadors were to take leave of the king and quit Paris, he went to the palace, and magnificently entertained at dinner these English lords : his brother and uncles were present : he made sir Thomas Percy sit at his table, calling him cousin, from his rela- tionship with the earl of Northumberland. During the dinner, sir Thomas Percy and his companions were presented with rich and handsome jewels, all but sir Robert Bricquet : he was passed unnoticed. The knight, who presented them in the name of the king, (sir Peter Villiers, high steward of the household) said to him : " When you shall have done service acceptable to the king, he is rich enough to reward you for it ;" and then passed by. Sir Robert was melancholy on hearing this speech, and then first learnt he was disagreeable to the king of France : he was therefore forced to put up with the slight as well as he could. When dinner was over, and they had washed and the tables were removed, grace having been said, minstrels of song and others were called in, who performed, as usual, before the king and his company. After this, sir Thomas Percy advanced, and, casting himself on his knee, said : " Very dear sire, I and my companions are much surprised at one thing. You have most splendidly entertained us, and presented us with rich gifts, for which we feel very thankful ; but sir Rober Bric- <}uet, who is a knight-at-arms, and chamberlain to our sovereign lord the king of England, has been passed by, and we would willingly know the reason of it." The king of France replied : " Sir Thomas, the knight you have named, since you wish to know the cause of his being overlooked, ought not to have taken part against us ; for, had he been made prisoner in war, his ransom would have instantly been paid by his death." On saying this, he raised up sir Thomas Percy, and conversed on other matters. Shortly after, wine and spices were brought, which having partaken of at their pleasure, the embassadors took leave of the king, returned to their lodgings, and paid the amount of their expenses. On the morrow, they departed from Paris, and continued their journey to England, where they re. lated to the king and his uncles everything that had passed, greatly extolling the king of France's magnificent entertainments, and' the rich gifts he had made them. We will, for a while leave speaking of England, and say what was passing in Castille. You have heard of the alliance between the king of Castille and the duke of Lancaster, who had claimed that crown in right of his duchess, the lady Constance, eldest daughter of the late don Pedro, by whom he had a beautiful daughter, that was mar- ried to don Henry, prince of Galicia, heir to the crown of Castille. This marriage confirmed the peace between them. About two years after the celebration of these nuptials, king John of Castille departed this life, and was buried in the city of Burgos.* On this event, the great barons and prelates of the realm assembled, and de. clarcd their intentions to have for their king the young prince of Galicia. This was done, and the prince was crowned in the ninth year of his age : his queen was six years older. Thus was the daughter of the duke of Lancaster, by the lady Constance, queen of Castille, and of all the possessions of don Pedro, don Henrj', and don John, excepting those parts which had been assigned to the duke and duchess of Lancasterfor their joint lives. They had, besides, a pen- sion of one hundred thousand florins, for which four of the most opulent cities in Castille were pledged. The duke of Lancaster had the pleasvu-e of seeing his two daughters queens of Castille and Portugal. We will now speak of the expedition made by John count d'Ar- magnac in Lombardy, for the matter requires it. CHAPTER XXVI. OF THE EXPEDITION OF COUNT JOHN d'aRMAGNAC INTO LO.MEARDY. HIS DEATH, AT THE SIEGE OF ALEXANTKIA. The intention of the count d'Armagnac to lead an army into Lom- bardy has been already mentioned in this history. His object was to assist his sister-german and her husband, sir Bernabo Visconti, eldest son of that Bernabo whom the duke of Milan had unnaturally put to death. This duke was Galeas Visconti, count de Vertus, whose daughter the duke of Touraine had married. The lady of sir Bernabo was daughter to sir John d'Armagnac, and, being in great affliction, had recourse to her brothers, to whom she related the misery of her situation, her poverty and necessity, and humbly prayed their pity, and that they would defend her against that tyrant, the count de Vertus, who had disinherited her without the smallest reason. The count d'Armagnac promised his sister that he would comply with her request, and had declared, that whatever it might cost him to recover her rights, he would exert himself in the attempt to the utmost of his power. What he had engaged to do, he performed ; for I have before mentioned, that in conjunction with the dauphin d'Auvergne, he had entered into treaties with many of the captains of forts in Auvergne, Limousin, Quercy, or other parts, who, under color of fighting for the king of England, had done the greatest mis. chiefs to France. These garrisons of EngUsh, Gascons, and Bre- tons, received different sums, and a pardon from France, on surren. dering their castles and quitting the kingdom. They readily, there- fore, engaged to follow the count d'-A.rmagnac into Lombardy, and retired until the proper time toward the rivers Rhbne and Saone. The dukes of Berry and Burgundy permitted them to take what pur- veyances they pleased in their lordships, for they were very desirous to be rid of them. The lieutenant of the king of France for Dau- phiny was at that time sir Enguerrand Durdin, and the king had written to him to permit all men-at-arms and their companions, who should say they belonged to the count d'Armagnac, to pass freely through Dauphiny, and to have whatever they might be in need of, for their money. The count de Foix, hearing at his residence at Orthes of the large armament the count d'Armagnac was raising, began to be alarmed, for he was of a suspicious temper. He had indeed learnt, for com- mon report flies everywhere, that it was intended for Lombardy against the duke of Milan ; but as the ancestors of tliis count d'Ar- niagnac, and himself and his brother sir Bernard, had been at war with him, he was doubtfid if this expedition might not in the end be directed against him. Not to be unprepared, therefore, he had reinforced and revictualled all his castles, that if they should make an attack, he might be enabled to meet them. But neither the count d'Armagnac nor his brother had such thoughts: they were desirous • King John died from the injuries received in a fall from his horse, on Uie iMth Au- gust, 1390, aged thirty-two. His son Henry, who succeeded hiiu. wa^ tlien tUven yeare old.-Ep. 532 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, 4. c . rtricly to observe the truce now establiBhed between them. Many knJghte and squires from Gascony, England, and Brittany, who had fensLed their services to the count d'Armagnac, had he declared war against the count de Foix, would have left him and jomed his adver- rary : so much was the count de Foix beloved by men-at-arms for his liberality and courage. , , , ,,. When the duchess of Touraine was informed that the count d Ar- maonac was preparing to lead a large body of men-at-arms into Loin, bardy to make war on her tather the duke of Milan, and that the dukes of Berry and Burgundy consented, from their desire to rid tlic kingdom of so many pillagers which had of late so grievously ha- rassed it, she did not remain idle, but instantly wrote letters to the count de Vertus to give notice of it, that he might provide himself accordingly. The duke of -Alilan was already informed of this in. lention of the count d'.A.rmagnac, and had collected men-at-arms wherever he could find them, and reinforced his towns and castles ■with men, stores, and provision, concluding he should have a war to support against this count d'-\rmagnac. About the middle of March, the greater part of the men-at-arms were assembled in the country near Avignon : between that place and Lyons, on the banks of the Rhone, were fifteen thousand horse. They crossed that river where it was easiest to pass, and, entering Dauphiny, took up their quarters in the villages or fields. Others continued their route, the more speedily to clear the passes of the mountains, which are dangerous for man and horse. The count d'Armagnac, his brother, with other knights, visited pope Clement and his cardinals at Avignon, and ofiered to serve them and the church against the tyrant of Lombardy, for which they felt them- selves obliged, and returned many thanks. They staid at Avignon eight days, while their troops passed : they then took leave ot the pope and cardinals, and made ready to follow them. The two brothers, sir John and sir Bernard d'Armagnac, here separated, and thus sir John addressed him : " Fair brother, you will now return to Comminges and Armagnac, to guard our lands, for all the torts are not yet free t'rom the marauders. There is Lourde, which sir Arnaute de Beam holds in the name of the king of England ; and Bouteville is garrisoned by Foi.\en3 under the command of sir John de Greilly, son to the late captal de Buch. Notwithstanding there is a truce between the count de Foi.x and us for the present, he is 80 bold and enterprising a knight, that we are never sure what his intentions may be ; and for these reasons I wish you to return in- stantly home. You shall hear very frequently from me during my absence, and do you write constantly." Sir Bernard readily consent- ed to what his brother had proposed, for he thought it prudent and well advised : he had not, besides, any great inclination to cross the mountains. Just on his departure, the count said : " Bernard, you will go hence to our cousin Raymond de Touraine, who has married my cousin the daughter of the prince of Orange, and is now engaged in war with the comti5 Venaissain, that belongs to the pope : entreat of him, for I have been so requested by the pope, that he make his preparations to follow me in this e.'cpedition, and he shall be my com- panion in all things : I will wait tor him at Gap,* situated among the mountains." Sir Bernard promised to convey this message, and the brothers separated, never to see each other again. The count d'Armagnac took the road leading to the town of Gap, and sir Bernard that to the castle of Boulogne, where sir Raymond de Touraine resided, who received him very kindly. Sir Bernard eloquently delivered the message liom his brother, to induce him the more readily to comply with the request contained in it. Sir Raymond replied, " Fair cousin, before your brother, the count d'Armagnac, shall have advanced far into Lombardy, or laid siege to any town, it is very possible that I follow liim ; but it is full time as yet for me and my people to begin our march. If niy cousin therefore sends me in. telligence about the middle of May, I will set out, for by that time 1 hope to make an end of my war against my uncle, the pope at Avig- non, and his cardinals, who not only refuse me justice, but detain from me, by force, everything that my uncle, pope Gregory, disposed of in my favor. They think to tire me out and e.vcommunicate me, but they shall be mistaken. They engage knights and squires to make war on me, by granting them absolutions, but such have no talents for war ; and I sliall have more cflective men-at-arms for a thousand florins, than they can obtain by their absolutions for seven years." " My good cousin," answered sir Bernard, " keep to your resolutions : what you say is true ; and I would not, by any means, advise you to act otherwise than you do: just as you have spoken will I write to my brother d'Armagnac." i' They were one whole day together, in the castle of Boulogne. On the morrow, sir Bernard d'Armagnac departed, and crossing the Rhiine at the Pont du Saint Esprit, rode over the mountains, through Quercy, until he reached his destination, leaving his brother to man- age lor himself his war with the count de Vertus. Before, however, he lel't Pont du Saint Esprit, he wrote letters to the count d'Armag- nac, to inform him of tlie answer he had received from sir Raymond de Touraine, and had also letters from his brother, on his road to- ward Gap. Having read their contents, he pursued his journey with- out farther attending to them. noble Gap"— on nncient city in Dauphiny, capital of ilie Gopen^ols aenerality of Cre- We will continue our history of the count John d'Armagnac* until we bring it to a conclusion, without speaking of other events. It was his great love and affection for his sister and brother, who had been fraudulently disinherited by the count de Vertus, who styled himself lord of Milan, that had induced him thus gayly to march into the plains of Piedmont and Lombardy. There were, likewise, two very just reasons for this armament ; one was, the carrying away such numbers of pillagers, who had for so long a time oppressed and robbed many of the provinces in France, for by this means the country was cleared of them : the other to assist his sister and her husband, who had unjustly been deprived of their inheritance, so that he had, oa every account, justice on his side. The companions were unanimoua to serve him, and e.\claimed, " Let us cheerfully attack these Lom- bards : we have a just quarrel and a good captain, which will assist our cause, and we are going to the richest country in the world ; for Lombardy receives the fat from other parts ; and, as the Lombards are rich and cowards, we shall gain great profit. Wc, who are cap- tains, shall return so enormously rich, that we need never more think of war, nor carry on any future warfare." Such were the conversations on their march ; and when they came to a rich country they halted there for some time, to refresh them- selves and their horses. At the time I am now speaking of, that gal- lant English knight, sir John Hactonde,t was making war on the Florentines for pope Boniface, and had fixed his quarters in the neighborhood of Florence. That country as well as Perugia were in rebellion against the pope. The count d'Armagnac thought if he could gain the assistance of John Hawkwood, who was a most en- terprising and courageous knight, he should be more successful in his war. In consequence, during his residence in Grande,t at the entrance into Piedmont, he wrote to him long letters, explanatory of his situation, and the reasons which urged him to make war on the duke of Milan. Having properly sealed these letters, he gave them to a prudent messenger, who performed his duty well, in delivering them to sir John Hawkwood ; he was then near Florence, and had under his command full two tliousand combatants. He read the letters, or had them read to him. On hearing their contents, he was well pleased, and replied, " that as soon as he should have put an end to the war he was then engaged in, he would not attend to any other before he had joined the count d'Armagnac." The squire ef the count, wlio had brought these letters, was an honorable man, and replied, " Sir, you speak well and to the point : have the goodness to put into writing what you say, that my lord, the count d'Armagnac, may be the more assured of your intentions." " Very willingly," said sir John Hawkwood ; " and it is but right, since my pleasure and will are to meet him." In the course of two or three days, the letters were written and given to the squire who had come from the count d'Armagnac. He instantly set out on his return, and found the count near to Pignerol.^ There were great negotiations going forward between him and the marquis de Saluces, and the marquis was to join him in his war against Milan. The news the squire brought from sir John Hawkwood was highly agreeable to the count d'Ar- magnac. He said, "that if it pleased God, he would this season make so severe a war on the count dc Vertus, that he should be glad to accept of reasonable terms, or he would perish in the attempt." From what you have heard, you may suppose the count d'Armag- nac had a great desire to aid his sister, and it was compassion for her that urged l-.im to it. When his men-at-arms had passed the moun- tains, and had gained the rich plains of Piedmont, near to Turin, they were not long before they made excursions, and committed great destruction on the surrounding villages, which could not any way withstand them. The count d'Armagnac laid siege to Asti,|| intend- ing to wait there for Sir John Hawkwood. Purveyances came from all quarters ; and the companions ransomed small forts for provis- ion, and, until their wants were supplied, they took everything away. The country of Pignerol and the territories of the marquis of Mont. ferrat were open to their foraging for themselves and horses. There came likewise great quantities of provision to them from Dauphiny and Savoy. Many leant to tlie count d'Armagnac from the justice of his quarrel with the count de Vertus, who had wickedly put to death his uncle Beriiabo, to gain his inheritance ; and, alt'nough sev. eral of the great lords of that country were silent on the subject, they felt much compassion for those who had been thus disinherited. During the siege of Asti, very agreeable news was brought to the count d'-A.rmagnac from sir John Hawkwood. He informed him, that the Florentines and Venetians had submitted to the mercy of the pope ; that he was to be paid sixty thousand florins, for himself and his companions; and that, the moment these were received, he would march with five hundred men-at-arms and a thousand infan- trylT toward the frontiers of Genoa, and, whether his enemies would or not, he intended to force a passage to join him. The count d'Ar- magnac and his army, were much pleased at the thoughts of being • John III. of .\rmagnac. His sister had inariied Charles Visconti. the son ofBer- nabo. — £d. T "Sir John Hactonde." Sir John Hawkwood. t "Grande"— in the MSS. Granido. Q. Grenoble. The count of .\rniagnac entered Italy in July. 1391. § " Pignerol"— an episcopal town of Piedmont. :.t the entrance of tlie ralley of Perousflt- 11 "Asti, "—an ancient town of Piedmont, five leagues N. E. from .Mbi. eight S. W. froniCasal. ^ MiiU Brigands. A thousand soldiers armed with l/rigandines. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 533 assisted by so able a commander as John Hawkwood ; and he was advised to break up the siege of Asti, and transfer it to a larger town called Alexandria, situated at the entrance of Lombardy, and, after they should have conquered it, to advance to Vercelli, which is also a large and handsome city. The siege was, in consequence, trans- ferred from Asti to Alexandria, which is a fine city, and seated in a rich plain on the frontiers of Piedmont and Lombardy, in the direct road to Genoa. The men-at-arms had crossed the Tesino, and lodged themselves at their ease in this plentiful country. Sir Galeas, lord of Milan,* count de Vertus, resided in the city of Pavia, and daily heard of his enemies establishing themselves in his country : but his greatest surprise was, how the count d Armagnac found money to satisfy the large body of men-at-arms he had brought with him. His council, with whom he conversed on this subject, replied, "Sir, these are free companions, and part of those pillagers who have so long harassed France : they do not require pay, but to seek adventures, and run the chance of gain from plundering the country. In order to deliver France from them, after the surrender of their strongholds, the count d'.\rmagnac leads them hither. The duke of Berry and tlie dauphin of Auvergne, whose lands they had sorely oppressed, treated with them by means of the count d'Armag- nac, who offered the king of France and the above-mentioned lord.s to engage them in his quarrel with you. By dint of money he pur- chased their forts ; and the king of France granted them a free par- don for all their past deeds, on condition they joined the count d'Ar- magnac ; and whatever they could conquer in these countries was to be their own. They, therefore, ask no pay ; and there are among them men-at-arms that have five or six horses, who, if in their own country, would be constrained to go on foot like absf'"'" j-uupers. They advesture themselves boldly. onJ u is nazardons to engage with them, for they are all of determined courage. The best advice we can give is, that you guard well your cities and principal townSi which are strongly garrisoned and well provided with all things ; for they have no artillery, nor any machines tor carrying on a siege worth thinking of. They will advance to the barriers of your towns to skirmish and do gallant deeds of arms ; but they will not gain any- thing you may regret, if one may judge by what has passed, for they have now been in this country more than two months, and have only conquered a small and insignificant fort. Let them therefore come and go, without offering them combat ; for they will soon be tired of the war, and will be defeated without a battle. When they have destroyed all the low countries, they will be in want of provision, and famine will force them to retum, if no worse accidents befal them. You must order your men-at-arms to keep in bodies near to each other, that, in case of need, they may succor and give advice to those of the garrisons who may wajit it. Reinforce with them all your towns and castles ; for the rich citizens are not accustomed to war, and will not defend themselves like knights or squires who have been brought up to the profession. Send some of your chivalry into Alexandria: you will gain doubly by it, for your city will be more ably defended, and yonr subjects will love you with greater affection when they see you are attentive to them in their distress. You are besides bounden to do this, for they pay you taxes and other levies, for your governing and taking care of them. Your enemies cannot have a sufHcient force to surround .Alexandria on all sides, and prevent the men-at-arms you shall send thither from entering the town ; and, when the inhabitants shall see them arrive, their courage will be raised, their attachment to you increased, and any treaties they might have thought of entering into with your enemies will be put an end to." The lord of Milan followed the advice that had been given him, and without delay, sent thither a body of knights and men-at-arms that were in his pay On being mustered, they amounted to five hundred lances ; and an ancient knight, who had long been used to arms, called sir James de la Berme,t was appointed their com- mander. They rode through bye-ways until they arrived at .Alexan- dria in the evening, and entered rl, when their enemies had retired fatigued to their quarters, from skirmishing at the barriers, for they could not remain idle. The citizens were rejoiced at the arrival of sir James de la Berme and his companions, and not without cause ; for the count d'.Armagnac, not having seen any men-at-arms during the three days he laid before it, concluded none were in the town, and had kept up a continual assault at the bamers ; but, small as the defence was, it had done so well, that the .\rmagnacs had not gained any advantage. Sir James de la Berme, on entering the town, re- tired with his men to the lodgings which had been assigned them, and, having taken some refreshment, they were waited on by the principal inhabitants, to congratulate them on their arrival. He in- quired into the state of the town, and the numbers and situation of the enemy, in order that he might act accordingly. The most Intel- ligent replied, " that from the moment the count d'.Armagnac had come, there had never been any cessation of skirmishes and attacks on the barriers." " Weil," replied the knight, " to-morrow if it please God, we will see how they bear themselves, and what they may be inclined to do. They are ignorant of my arrival, and I will lay an ambush for them, and make a private sally." " Ah, my lord," said * He was created Duke of Miiaa 1395, Uy Whiceslaus king of the Rotnans.- Sist. ^ Known also as Jaques del Verme. -Diet. those who had before spoken to him, "you must be very cautious how you act, tor thev are sixteen thousand horse at least and. should they discover you in the open plain, they will surround and over power you by their numbers, without striking a blow." The knight answered, "We will consider more of it; for, since we are come, we must attempt some deeds of arms." The conversation now ended and every one returned to his home ; but the knight told his men, secretly, he intended making a sally and placing an ambush, that all might be prepared against the morrow. The next day, sir James de la Berme and his troops being armed, made a sally through a private gate, on the opposite side of the town to the place where the besiegers lay. He was accompanied, at the distance of half a league, by about three hundred of the townsmen, to a narrow valley where they coidd not De seen. He had left two hundred without the barriers, with orders, if they were attacked to defend themselves faintly, retreating toward this valley, where they would be supported by the ambuscade. They promised punctual obedience to these orders. The day was exceedingly hot ; but the count d'.\rmagnac was young and enterprising : having heard mass in his pavillion and drank a cup, he demanded his arms, and, having completely equipped himself, displayed only his pennon, and was attended by no more than one hundred men ; for he did not expect to meet with greater opposition than usual, and aJvanced at a slow pace toward the barriers. True it i°, '''"t some few men-at-arma followed him by degrees ; bu» ^'tuers said, "What signifies arming? and why should we s"" ourselves so much trouble, when we cannot meet with ""y one at the barriers worth fighting with ?" They staid, fiicieiore, within their camp, eating and drinking. The count d'Ar- magnac, on coming to the barriers, began to overthrow and beat down many of those posted there to receive liim, as good men-at-arms know how to do ; but the townsmen did not wait long, before they began to retreat slowly toward the ambuscade. When sir James de la Berme saw it was time, he sallied forth out of the ambush, and the Amiagnacs were surrounded and attacked on all sides. They valiantly defended themselves, and were rein- forced by little and little with men from the camp. Many gallant deeds were done this day, which was the feast of St. James and St. Christopher. It was so very hot, that those who bore arms thought they were in an oven, for there was not any wind ; and the young men-at-arms were overpowered by the heat, and unable to exert themselves. Add to this, that the force of the lord de Milan was three to one of the Armagnacs. The dust oppressed them so much, they could not see each other ; but the .Armagnacs, in this, suffered the most. This was an unfortunate day for the count, who was so overcome by the heat, and near fainting, that he withdrew from the battle, without friend or foe knowing whither he was gone. He had retreated to a small grove of alders, through which ran a little brook ; and he no sooner felt his feet in the water, than he thought he was in paradise, and seated himself by the side of the stream. He, with some difficulty, took off his helmet, and remained covered only by the linen scull-cap, and then plunged his face in the water, at the same time, unfortunately, drinking large draughts ; for he was thirsty from the heat, and could not quench it. He drank so much, that his blood was chilled, and a numbness of limbs seized him, with a strong inclination to faint. He could not move, and lost the use of speech. His attendants knew not what was become of him, and were the more uneasy, because many prisoners had been made : they there- fore ceased fighting. A short time after this, a squire belonging to the duke of Milan perceived the count d'Avmagnac, and wondered much, when he saw him, who he could be ; for it was visible he must be some knight or man of high rank : he called out, " Who are you ? Surrender ; for you are my prisoner." The count heard him, but could not make any answer, as he was unable to articulate, but held out his hand, and made signs that he surrendered. The squire then endeavored to raise him, but, finding iiis attempts vain, seated himself beside him, while the skirmish was still continued, and many gallant ac- tions performed. Sir James de la Berme, being a prudent and valorous knight, per- ceiving the day was his own, and that many of the enemy were killed and wounded, but that his men were growing weary, and the .Armagnacs increasing by fresh men from their camp, ordered a re- treat to -Alexandria, his men vigorously defending themselves as they retired. The squire, who had fortunately found the count d'Armag- nac in the state I have mentioned, unwilling to leave him behind, for he thought him a person of distinction, called to some of his com. panions to assist in carrying him to the town ; and declared, that whatever he should receive for his ransom, he would handsomely divide with them for the trouble they would have. They complied with his request, and, with some difficulty, carried him to the squire's lodgings in the city, where the count was disarmed, undressed, and put to bed. By this time, sir James de la Berme had, with his men, reentered the place, and barricaded the bars and gates, having many prisoners with them. They disarmed and refreshed themselves with what they found at their quarters, as did likewise the Armagnacs, who had been at this skirmish, on their return to the army. When it was mentioned in the camp that no one knew what was become of the count d'Armagnac, they were much alarmed, and I some went to search the places in the neighborhood where the skir- 534 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. mish had been fought ; but, to the great dismay of their companions, they returned without liaving discovered any traces of him. The squire, into whose hands he had fallen, desirous to know who he was addressed himself to a Gascon squire, a man of honor that had been made prisoner, and begged of him to accompany him, with the person who had captured him, to his lodgings. They went thither, and the Lombardy squire led the Gascon to his chamber, where the count d'Armagnac lay, bitterly bemoaning. He brought a candle near his face, and said to the Gascon, " My friend, do you know who this man is ?" The Gascon, leaning down to examine his fea- tures, instantly recognized him, and replied, " Yes, I ought to know him well ; for it is our commander, the count d'Armagnac." The Lombardy squire was rejoiced to hear his pris. oner was of such distinction ; but the count was so very ill he heard nothing they asked of him. Upon which, his master said ; " Come, come, let us leave him quiet, that he may recover himself ;" and they all quitted the chamber. He died, however, that same night. When, nu the morrow, it was known that the couu» d'Ar- magnac had died in his bed at Alex- andria, sir James de la Bermc would not that it should be made secret, but sent information of the event by some of the prisoners to the camp, to see how they would act on the occasion. The whole army were in dismay on hearing their loss ; for they had now no commander-in-chief to look up to, as they were mostly all free companions. They therefore said, *' Let us hasten back to our own coun- tries, for we have lost all opportunities of gaining anything here." It was soon known in Alexandria that the Armagnacs were in despair for the death of the count : they therefore made a sally from the town, advan- cing full gallop to the camp, shouting " Pavia for the lord of Milan 1" Not one of the Armagnacs made any de- fence, but allowed themselves to be slain, like wicked people as they were : the conquest was great, for the army were so cast down, that they surrendered without striking a blow, and throwing down their arms, made for Alexandria, whither the Germans, and other soldiers in the pay of the lord of Milan, drove them like a herd of cattle. This unexpected death of the count d'Ar- magnac happened very unluckily for himself and his army. Had he remained quiet but five days, sir John Hawkwood would have arrived with five hundred horse and one thousand foot ; and many valiant deeds would have been done by this knight and his men ; but an end was now put to everything by this loss. You may suppose the count de Vertuswas in high spirits on hear- ing his enemies, whom he greatly dreaded, were killed, made pris- oners or put to flight, and that the count d'Armagnac was dead. He more dearly prized his knight, sir James de la Berme, through whose prudence and valor this good fortune had befallen him. He appointed him commander-in-chief of his chivalr.v, and president of his council. The lord of Milan considered how he should act to- ward the prisoners ; and, as he was an.\ious to free his country of them, he behaved in the most courteous manner, giving to every gentleman a horse, and to the infantry one florin each, besides their liberty, free of ransom ; but he made them all take an oath that they would never more bear arms against him. Thus did this army return defeated from Lombardy and Piedmont, to Savoy and Dauphiny ; but they were in the utmost distress, for the inclosed towns refused them admittance, and the gates of all cas- tles were shut against them. They had soon spent their florins, and it was necessary for them to work or starve. Some showed com- passion, and gave them money ; but others, on the contrary, laughed at and abused them, saying, " Go, go seek your count d'-\rmagnac, who has burst himself by drinking at a fountain near Alexandria." They were still worse off when they came to the rivers Rhftne and Saone, which they thought to cross without molestation ; but it was otherwise, for the king had commanded all the bridges and fords to be guarded against them. They fell now into the greatest poverty, and were never after able to unite together. Thus was the armament of count John d'Armagnac destroyed, and his sister remained in the same distressful state as before. The lord ot Milan ordered the body of the count d'Armagnac to be embalmed, put mto a cothn, and escorted by a bishop of his country and such ot his relations as had remained to his brother sir Bernard d'Armag- nac, who was much concerned at the melancholy event, but could not ariy way remedy it. The count d'Armagnac was buried in the cathedral church of Rodez, where he lies. CHAPTER XXVII. THE KING OF ENGLAND IS ANXIOUS TO MAKE A PEACE WITH FRANCE. THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER THROWS OBSTACLES IN THE WAY. SIR PETER DE CRAON, FORMERLY THE FAVORITE OF KING CHARLES AND HIS EROTHER THE DUKE OF TOURAINE, INCURS THEIR HAIRED, AND TAKES REFUGE WITH THE DUKE OF BRITTANY. Sir Thomas Percy, as you have heard, was sent by the king of England to propose a treaty of peace to the court of France, for Wng Richard II. and bis threb Uncles the Dokes of LiNCASxER, York and Gloucester. From an illumination at the head of a most beautiful MS. Epistle, written br an old Monk of the order of the Celestines at Paris on the subject of tlie peace between France and England, and presented, (as shown by the drawing) br him to Richard. Royal MStf. 30. B. VI. Richard was very desirous to accomplish it. Two of his uncles, the dukes of Lancaster and York, were of his opinion ; but his other uncle, Thomas of Woodstock, duke of Gloucester, earl of Essex and Buckingham, and constable of England, would no way listen to it ; telling his friends secretly, that he would never agree to any peace with France, whatever negotiations might be taken in hand on the subject, if it were not an honorable one ; that all the towns, castles, and lordships which were yielded to England, but had since been fraudulendy taken back, must be restored, and the sum of 1,400,000 francs, which had remained unpaid by the French when they began the war, must also be paid down. He declared, that as long as he lived he should never change these sentiments ; in which he was joined by many of the barons of England, particularly the earl of Arundel, who privately said the duke of Gloucester was in the right, though they dissemblecl their opinions in public from seeing how much the king of England was bent upon peace. The ])oorer knights and archers were of course for war, as their sole livelihood depended upon it. When these things are considered, and the claims of the French, it will be very clear nothing like peace could be concluded. The French demandeti to have Calais destroyed, and possession given them of the lordships of Guines, Hames, Merle and Dye, with the lands of Fretun and the dependencies of Guines as far as the river that runs by Gruvelines. True it is, the king of France and his commissioners were willing to give up to the king of England and his heirs as many lands in Aquitaine, of equal or more value as to revenue than those they demanded ; but the duke of Gloucester made too firm an opposition to this article, saying, " The French wish to pay us back with our own lands ; for we have the charter of king John, sealed by him and his children, which gives up to us the whole of Aquitaine in fee simple. Whatever they have taken from it since, has been a fraud and a robbery ; and their whole attempt, night and day, is to deceive us. Should Calais and the lands they require be given up to them, they will be lords of the sea and attack our coasts. Never, therefore, so long as I live, will I consent to peace with France on these terms," At the time I am now speaking of, a knight of noble extraction, from Anjou and Brittany, was greatly in favor with the king of France, as well as with his brother the duke of Touraine. His name was air Peter de Craon, and of such power that nothing was done but with his advice. He had been favorite of the late duke ot Anjou, king of Sicily, and was immensely rich, which had given rise to many scan- dalous reports against him ; for it was currently said in France, that he had robbed the duke of Anjou. This caused him to avoid the CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 535 presence of the young king of Sicily and the queen hia mother ; but ke had managed to acquire the affections of the king of France and the duke of Touraine. The constable sir Oliver de Clisson, was like, wise in high favor with the king and his brother for the meritorious services he had done them in arms, and his brilliant actions during the reign of the late king. Sir Oliver's daughter was married, as you have heard, to John of Brittany, brother to the qucen-downger of Sicily ; and liis marriage had sorely displeased the duke of Brittany, who mortally hated the constable, considering both him and John of Brittany as his secret enemies. He had often repented not having put the constable to death when he had him in his castle of Ermine. Sir Peter de Craon was a favorite with the duke of Brittany, being also liis cousin, and, during the reign of his power with the king of France and the duke of Touraine, would willingly, had he been able, have caused a quarrel between them and the constable. Thus envies and jealousies, which have always underhand ruled in France, con- tinue to act until they bring their favorites to an unfortunate end. The constable of France had been so loyal in his whole conduct toward the crown, that he was beloved by all e.\cept the duke of Burgundy ; and the hatred he bore him originated in the duchess, who was a lady of a high spirit, and too nearly related to the duke of Brittany to love the constable ; besides, she continued the affec. tion of her father to all whom he loved, and hated those he had hated ; such was her temper. Sir Peter de Craon, who at this time resided at the court of France with the duke of Touraine, kept up a frequent correspondence with the duke of Brittany, they writing, in the most friendly manner to each other, concerning the state of their affairs. I am unable to describe the exact grounds of their correspondence ; but I, John Froissart, author of this history, during the time of my residence at Paris, (which was when sir Peter de Craon made the daring attack, in the night-time, on the constable, who narrowly es- caped death, as I shall relate,) seeing public affairs liltely to be much troubled and turn out unfortunate, made many and frequent inquiries why sir Peter de Craon had so very suddenly lost the affections and favor of the king and the duke of Touraine. I had so often demanded the cause from those who ought to be acquainted with it, that at last I heard the truth of wh^t was commonly believed to have occasioned it. He was under the displeasure of the duke of Touraine, for having revealed secrets intrusted to him by the duke, to the duchess ; and, if he did so he behaved shamefully. The duke was so fond of sir Peter de Craon that he made him his companion, dressed him in the same clothes as himself, and carried him wherever he went, intrust, ing him with all his most secret thoughts. The duke, at the time young and amorous, much amused himself with the company of ladies and damsels, and, as I heard, was particularly attached to a young frisky damsel of Paris. His intrigue was known and his secrets be- trayed, to the great ve.xation of tlie duke, who could not accuse any other of having done it but sir Peter de Craon ; for to him alone the duke had discovered it, and had led him with him when he visited secretly this noble young lady. The duke was much smitten with her, and had proffered her, if she would consent to his wishes, one thousand golden crowns ; but she had refused them, saying, " That her love for him was not on account of his riches, but that his affec- tion had won hers ; and that she scorned to sell her honor for gold." The whole of this business was told the duchess, who sent for the young lady to her chamber. On her entering, she called her by her name, and, with much anger, said, " How is this ? do you see4c to ' wrong me w ith my lord ?" The lady was thunderstruck, and, with , tears replied, " Oh no, madam : please God, I never will nor even ' think of it." ' It is not so," said the duchess ; " for I am well in. j formed, my lord and you love each other mutually ; and the matter : is so far advanced, that, at such a time and place, he offered you a j thousand golden crowns to possess you. You refused them, for ■which you behaved well, and this time I forgive you; but, I caution you, if you value your life, not to have any further conversation with jny lord, but tlirough your regard to me send him a dismissal." The young lady, finding herself very justly accused and in some danger, replied : " Madam, I will free myself from him as soon as possible, and henceforth so act that you shall never again hear any- thing disagreeable of me." On this, the duchess permitted her to depart, and she returned home. The duke much in love, and igno- rant of what had passed, went to the place where the lady resided ; but, on seeing him, she fled, and acted contrary to her usual manner, showing dislike rather than love ; for she was afraid to do otherwise, from the promises she had made to the duchess. The duke noticing such a difference in his reception, was very melancholy, and would know the cause of it. The young lady, with tears, said, "My lord, you have revealed to the duchess the offer you once made me, or, if not yourself, some one has done it for you : recollect yourself, for you are discovered. Madame de Touraine told me of it herself, and frightened me exceedingly ; but she has this time forgiven me, on condition that I promised, on my oath, never again to give her cause for jealousy by any further conversation with you." The duke was much ve.xed at hearing this speech, and said : " Fair lady, I swear on my faith, that I would rather have lost one hundred thousand francs, than have betrayed you to the duchess. Since you have given her a promise on oath, keep it ; but, cost what it may, I will find out who has discovered our secrets." He then went away, and though he dis6e;nbled his agitation, he did not think the less concerning the cause. In the evening, he came to the duchess's apartments and supped, showing her more affection than he had hitherto done, inso. much that, by fair speeches and attentions, the duchess discovered the author of her information concerning his intrigue to be sir Peter de Craon. The duke took no further notice of the matter, and, having passed the night, on the morrow, at nine o'clock, mounted his horse, and went from the hdtel de St. Pol to the Louvre. The king was going to hear mass, and received his brother affectionately; but perceiving from his manner that he was angered, he said, " Fair brother, what ails you ? you seem much agitated." " My lord, if I am I have good cause for it." "What is the matter?" said the king, "we wish to know it." The duke, unwilling to hide his grief, told him, word for word, everything that had passed, complaining bitterly of sir Peter de Craon, and added : " My lord, if it were not for the love I bear you, and for my own honor, I swear on the faith I owe you I would have him slain." " Do no such thing," said the king ; " we will order him, by our special counsellors, to quit instantly our palace, for that we have no further need of his services ; and do you the same on your part." " That I intended," replied the duke of Touraine, who was satisfied with what the king had said. This same day, sir Peter de Craon was told by the lord de la Riviere and air John le Mercier, from the king, that he must no longer reside in the palace, and instantly seek other lodgings. At the same time, sir John de Bueil and lord d'Ervaux, seneschal of Touraine, delivered him a sim. ilar message from the duke of Touraine. Sir Peter, seeing himself thus dismissed, was much ashamed and greatly angered : he could no way account for it, as the messenger had not declared to him the cause of his disgrace. Being desirous of admittance to the presence of the duke, to learn from him how he had angered him, he was told, that neither the king nor the duke would hear anything he had to say. When he found his disgrace was resolved on, he packed up all he wanted, and set out much dejected, from Paris, for a castle of his in Anjou, called Sable*. He remained there for some time, but in very low spirits, from being driven from the palaces of France, Tou. raine and Sicily. He therefore determined, since their gates were shut against him, that he would retire to the duke of Brittany, and relate to him what had happened. This he executed, and met the duke at Vannes, who received him kindly. He had already heard what had befallen him, and sir Peter again told him every particular that had passed, and that he was banished the court of France. The duke of Brittany, having heard his story, replied, " Good cousin, make yourself easy ; it is the lord de Clisson who has brewed this mischief for you." From this speech a deadly hatred sprung, and greatly increased, as you will hear in the course of this history. Sir Peter de Craon lived so long with the duke of Brittany, that he was forgotten in France ; for the constable and the king's council never publicly mentioned his name. Thejr did not like the duke of Brittany more for having invited and retained him ; but the duke was indifferent to the king of France's anger or love, and provided all his towns and castles plentifully with stores and provisions, plainly showing he cared not whether it was war or peace between him and France. Everything he did was known to the king and his council ; and those most in the king's favor thought him presumptuous, and menaced him for his conduct. The duke held their menaces cheap, and declared he would wage war on the count de Penthievre in earnest, and on all his abettors, for he had just cause of quarrel. He said, " This count de Penthievre, our cousin, signs himself John of Brittany, as if he were our heir. We have no objection to his signing John, for that is his name, or count de Penthievre ; but we are resolved he shall lay down the ermines, and title himself John of Blois, or of ChitiUon, and bear none other arms but those; if he refuse, we will force him to do it, and take from him his lands, which he holds in vassalage from us. With re- gard to the duchy of Brittany, he need not think of that, for we have a son and a daughter who are our heirs. Let him seek some other inheritance, for he will be disappointed in ours." Such were the conversations of the duke with sir Peter de Craon, who, far from coo- tradicting any of his future plans, rather urged him on, from hatred to the constable and council of France. We will now leave this subject, and speak of a more melancholy one relative to the count Guy de Blois, whom I have before mentioned in this history as my great patron and master. CHAPTER XXVIII. THE DEATH OF THE YOUNS COUNT LOUIS DE CHASTILLON, SON TO COITNT GUY DE BLOIS. THE SUDDEN DEATH OF GASTON COUHT DE FOIX. I HAVE already spoken of the mtrriage that took place between Louis de Chastillon, son of the count de Blois, and the lady Mary, daughter of the duke of Berry. In the settlements of this marriage, the duke managed well for his daughter ; for she had a dower of six thousand livres, French money, (which are well worth the same sum of francs, reckoning them as florins) assigned her on the county of Blois, so that if she survived her husband, the county of Blois would be obliged to pay her this sum annually during her life. Now it fell * The castles of Craon and Sabl6 are in Anjou, two leagues discaot &om la fldchfi. 536 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, out, that about St. John Baptist's day, in the year of our Lord 1391, the boy whom I have caMed Louis de Blois, son to the count de Blois, left his father at tJie chateau des Moutils,* situated m the county of Blois, and set out for Hainault to visit liis mother and wife. Not long after his arrival, he was seized with a fever, for he had rode very hard and tlie weather was hot : he was also of a tender age, being no more than fourteen yeass old, and, in spite of the physicians, he died, for ihey could not check the fever. His parents, you may sup. pose, were much grieved for the loss of their heir, as was the young lady of Berry : she loved him most affectionately, and considered herseh' as nobly married. The count de Blois was uneasy at the con- sequences, for his affairs were rather in confusion, and he knew (he duke of Berry to be avaricious beyond measure, who, in order to grasp at the dower of liis daughter, would take possession of the county of Blois : he therefore awaited the event in silence. Thus were the two daughters. Bona and Mar)', widowed in the same year. The eldest was married to Amadous count of Savoy, who died very suddenly, and so much was said on the subject, that 6ir Otho Grandeson was near being arrested for the suspicions that were laid to his charge, and forced to quit Savoy, France, and Ger- many, to fi.\ his residence in England. In this year, died likewise suddenly, the noble and gallant count de Foi.\. I will say how it happened.! True it is, that of all the pleasures of this world he took most delight in the chase, and was always well provided with hounds of all sorts, having never less than si.xteen hundred. The count de Foi.\ was at this season hunting in the forest of Savaterre, on the road to Pampchma in Navarre, not far distant from Orthes in Beam. The day he died, he had all the forenoon been hunting a bear, and it was late in the evening when he was taken and cut up. His attendants asked where he pleased to have his dinner prepared ; he said, " At the inn of Rion, where we will dine, and in the cool of the evening ride to Orthes. His orders were obeyed. The count with his companions rode a foot's pace toward the village of Rion, and dismounted at the inn. The count went to his chamber, which he found ready strewed with rushes and green leaves ; the walls were hung with boughs newly cut, for per. fame and coolness, as the weather was marvellously hot, even for the month of August. He had no sooner entered this room, than he said •' These greens are very agreeable to me, for the day has been desperately hot." When seated, he conversed with sir Espaign du Lyon on the dogs that had best hunted ; during which conversation his bastard-son sir Evan, and sir Peter Cabestan entered the apart- ment, as the table had been there spread. He called for water to wash, and two squires advanced, Rayraonet de Lasne and Raymonet de Copane : Ernaudon d' Espaign took the silver basin, and another knight, called sir Thibaut, the napkin. The count rose from his seat, and stretched out his hands to wash ; but no sooner had his fiji. gers, which were handsome and long, touched the cold water, than he changed color, from an oppression at his heart, and, his legs fail- ing him, fell back on his seat, exclaiming, " I am a dead man : Lord God, have mercy on me 1" He never spoke after this, though he did not immediately die, but suffered great pain. The knig'nts present and his son were much terrified : they carried him gently in their arms to another chamber, and laid him on a bed, covering him well, thinking he was only chilled. The two squires who had brought water to wash in the basin, said, to iree themselves from any charge of having poisoned him, " Here is the water : we have already drank of it, and will now again in your presence,'' which they did, to the satisfaction of all. They put into his mouth bread, water, and spices, with other comforting things, but to no purpose, for in less than half an hour he was dead, having sur- rendered his soul very quietly. God, out of his grace, was merciful to him. You may imagine all present were exceedingly afflicted at what had happened : they fastened the door of the chamber, that his house, hold might not instantly be made acquainted with his death. The knights, seeing sir Evan lamenting and wringing his hands, said to him, " Evan, the business is over : you have lost your father and lord. We know that he loved you in preference to all others. Take care of yourself: mount your horse, ride and gain possession of the castle of Orthes, and the treasure within it, before any one know of your lord's death." Sir Evan made them a low reverence, and replied : " Gentlemen, I return you many thanks for the friendship you now show me ; I trust I shall not torget it ; but tell me what are my lord's tokens, or I shall not gain admittance into the castle." " You say true," answered the knights : " take them." This he did. The tokens were a small golden ring the count wore on his finger, and a little knife with which he sometimes cut his meat at table. These were the tokens the porter of the castle at Orthfcs was acquainted with, and had he not seen them lie would never have opened the g'te. * " Lcs MoutiU."— a village in the Blesois, diocese of Blois. t Gaston de f ois was born in 1331, and died in 1391. His character is nowhere belter delineated than in the pages of Froissart ; from them posterity have forraeil their judg- ment. One accompUshnieut. however, he has left unrecorded : Gaston was a poet, or at least a rhyiKer, for the verses he has left behind him do not display much of tire poelic fire ; but tlie accomplishment olverse-maliing was considered a necessary part of a Pro- vencal gentleman's education, and accordingly we find that Phubus possessed it. This surname, or rather sobriQuet, is not well accounted for ; some say it was given from his love for the chase, others from his fiiir complexion, ana others Irom his choice of the sun as his armorial bearings.— Ed. CHAPTER XXIX. SIR EVAN DE FOIX, BASTARD-SON TO THE LATE COUNT, INTENDING TO CARRY AWAY PRIVATELY THE TREASURE OF HIS FATHER, IS DISCOV. EEED RY THE TOWNSMEN OF ORTHES, WHO, HOWEVER, PRO-IIISE EVERT ASSISTANCE TO HIM AND TO HIS BROTHER THAT IS NOT INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE TRUE HEIR TO THE COUNT DE FOIX, THE VISCOUNT DE CHAS- TELBON. Sir Evan de Foix left the inn at Rion with only two servants, and rode in haste to Orthfes, where nothing was known of the count's death. He passed through the streets without speaking to any one, or his errand being suspected, until he came to the castle, and called to the porter. The porter said, " What does my lord Evan want ? Where is my lord ?" " He is at Rion," answered the knight, "and has sent me to seek for some things that are in his chamber, and to return back to him. To convince you of what I say, look, here are his tokens, his ring and knife. The porter, having eyed them through a window, knew them well and opened the wicket, through which sir Evan entered, and his servants led the horses to the stable. When sir Evan had passed the gate, he told the porter to fasten it ; which being done he seized the keys, and said to him, " Thou art a dead man, if thou do not obey me." The porter was frightened, and asked the cause. " My lord and father is dead," said the knight, " and I wish to gain possession of his treasure before any one know of it." The poiter obeyed, as it was necessary for him to do ; but he would indeed have prefeiTed that sir Evan should have the treasure to all other persons. Sir Evan knew well enough where it was deposited, in the great tower, but he had three pair of strong doors to open, and with separate keys, before he could gain admittance. These keys he was unable for some time to find, as they were in a small long box of fine steel, locked with a little steel key, which the count de Foix carried with him when he rode abroad; and it was found hang- ing to a piece of silk which he wore over his shirt. The knights, who were watching the body of the count at Rion, noticing this key, could not imagine the use of it ; but the chaplain of the count, sir Nicholas de I'Escalle, being present, knew it well. He had been much loved by the count, who intrusted hini'with all his secrets, and, when he had visited his treasure, had never taken any one but his chaplain with him. On seeing the key, he said, " Sir Evan will lose his pains, for without this key he can never enter the treasury : this opens a small steel casket in which the other keys are." The knights were ve.xed at hearing this, and said, " Carry it to him, sir Nicholas : you will act well by so doing, for it is better sir Evan should gain the treasure than any other : he is a good knight, and our late lord loved him exceedingly.'' The chaplain answered, " Since you ad. vise me, I will cheerfully do it ;" and, instantly mounting his horse, he hastened with the key to the castle of Orthes, where sir Evan was very melancholy at not finding the keys, and at the impossibility of forcing the locks of the doors, as they were very strong, and he had not any instruments for the purpose. While he was in this distress, and sir Nicholas on the road to assist him, it was known in Ortlids (I know not whether by inspiration, or from women and servants returning from Rion) that the count de Foi.x, their lord, was no more. This was very afflicting news, for the count was greatly beloved by all ranks. The whole town was in motion, and met in the pub- lic square, where they conversed together on the subject. Some who had noticed sir Evan ride up the town, said, " We saw sir Evan de Foix gallop toward the castle, and he seemed much distressed." Others replied, " Without doubt, what \vc have heard is true ; for it is not usual for him to ride without his father." As the -men of Orthfes were thus conversing and murmuring, the chaplain, sir Nicho- las, fell into their hands. They surrounded him to inquire the news, and said, " Sir Nicholas, how fares my lord ? they tell us he is dead: is it true ? " No," rephed the chaplain : " he is not dead, but most dangerously ill ; and I am hastening to seek for some things that may do him good, which I .shall return with to him." On saying this, he passed on to the castle. Having gained admittance, sir Evan was rejoiced at his arrival, for without the small key he could never have entered the tower. I will say how the townsmen behaved. They began to suspect the death of the count had been hid from them, and said among them- selves, " It is now night, and we hear nothing certain of our lord's health, from his officers or secretaries. Sir Evan and his chaplain, who was his confidential secretary, have entered the castle : let us guard that place this night, and to-morrow we shall have certain news. We will send privately to Rion to inquire how things are ; for we know that the greater part of our lord's treasure is in the cas- tle, and if he be robbed or defrauded of any part of it, we shall be blamed. We must therefore be on our guard concerning what passes." " That is true," replied others, who thosght the advice good. They instantly surrounded the castle, and placed sufficient guards at all the gates of the town, so that no one could enter or go out without permission ; and this strict watch they continued until the morrow. The truth was now known of the count's death, and caused the greatest tribulation among the inhabitants of all descriptions, for he was much beloved by his subjects. The guards were now doubled» and the principal townsmen drew up before the castle. When sir Evan de Foix saw, from the castle of Orthes, the man- CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. ner in which the townsmen had drawn tliemselves up, and that the death ©f the count was known to them, he said to the clmplain, " Sir Nicholas, I have failed in my attempt: I can never go hence without leave of the inliabitants, for they know my father is dead, and their numbers are every moment augmenting. I must humble myself to them, for force will be of no avail." " You say well," replied the chaplain ; " you will gain more by civil words than by harsh ones : go, and speak to them, but act cautiously." Sir Evan went to a tower near the gate, which had a window looking over the bridge to the square where the townsmen were assembled. It was in this tower the lady Jane of Boulogne was brought up and educated, until she became duchess of Berry, as has been already noticed in this history. Sir Evan opened the window of the tower, and called to him some of the principal inhabitants, who advanced on the bridge to hear what he had to say. He thus addressed them aloud : "Good people of Or- th^s, I know but too well why you are thus assembled and sorrowful : you have good cause for it. I therefore most earnestly entreat, for the love you bore my late lord and father, that you will not be dis. pleased nor angered, if I l\ave hastened to take possession of this castle and what is contained within it, for I mean nothing but what is just. You know the great affection my lord and father had for me, and that he would willingly have made me his heir. It has happened, by the will of God, that he died without having completed any regu. lations to that eftect, which has thrown me upon you, with whom I was brought up and educated, a poor knight, bastard to the count de Foix. I tlierefore beg you would counsel me how to act, and assist me in this time of distress. I pray God that you will have compas. sion on me, as it will be an act of ciiarity ; and I shall open the castle for your free admittance, as I never thought of closittg its gates against you." The chiefs among the townsmen answered, " Sir Evan, you have well spoken, and to the purpose, and we are satisfied. We therefore say, that you shall live among us : and it is our intention that you keep this castle, and all that is witliin it, which we will aid you to defend. Should the viscount de Chittelbon, your cousin, who is heir to the territory of B^arn, and the nearest relation to our late lord, your father, claim anything belonging to this castle, we will strenu- ously defend you, and your brother sir Gracien, in your rights. But we suppose, that when the king of France was last at Toulouse, and our lord, your father, waited on him, some regulations were made respecting these matters; and your cousin, sir Roger d'Espaign, ought to know all the circumstances relative to them. We will write, to inform him of the death of our lord, and to invite him hither, to give us his advice, as well on the state of Beam and Foix, which may fall to ruin, as respecting the moveables and funeral of our lord. What we have now said, we promise you most faithfully and loyally to observe." Sir Evan was well satisfied with this speech, and threw open the gates of the castle for all to enter who pleased. Many did so, ex- amined it well, and placed sufiicient guards to defend it. CHAPTER XXX. THE COKPSE OF THE COVXT DE FOIX IS BROUGHT FROM KION TO ORTHES. THE KING OF FRANCE SENDS THE BISHOP OF XOYON AND THE LORD DE LA RIVIERE INTO THE COUNTRY OF FOIX, TO .MAKE ARRANGEMENTS, AC- CORDING TO THE DECREE OF THE COUNCIL. This same day, the body of the count do Foix was put into a coffin, and brought to Orthfes. The inhabitants, men, women and children, who went to meet it, wept most bitterly, remembering his valor, pru. dence and generosity, and the happiness they had enjoyed during the whole of his reign ; for there was neither Englishman nor French- man who dared to anger him. They said, " Our neighbors will now make war on us who have hitherto lived in peace, and we shall in- habit a land of misery and slavery. No one will now attend to or defend our rights. Ah, Gaston 1 fair child, why didst thou anger thy father ? If thou hadst remained to us, whose youth promised so much, wo should be comforted ; but we lost thee when too young, and thy fiitlier has lived too short a time. He was but sixty-three years old,* and that is no great age for such a handsome and healthy prince, and one who had every comfort about him. Ah, desolated and comfortless B^arn ! now thou hast lost thy prince, what will be- come of thee ? Never shah thou have an equal to the gallant and noble Gaston." With such lamentations was the body of the noble count carried through Ortlifts, attended by the following knights: first, the viscount de Brnniquel and the lord de Copane, then sir Roger d'Espaign and the lord de Laisne, sir Raymond de la Mottc and the lord de Besach, sir Menaut de Noailles and sir Richard de Saint George. Sir Evan de Foix ivalked in the rear, attended by the lo-rd de Corasse, the lord de Bnrentin, the lord de Baruge, the lord de Quer, and upward of sixty knights of Ber knfe propaeed therefore, on deB' departure fiora Toors, to T^t their cooaa die coimt Got de Has, who resded at a hamfaome casde, eisht leagues tcaa Toius, caBed QBtean-moiaBt, aadto<9^ a treaty tot the sale d the coonty of Blois, with the count aiid the coontess, who was very avaridoas. It dnrteed, br sarae accident I am imacqoainted with, that the ha3iff of Biois, named sir Keginald de Sens, a knight of law and aoDE, and of great prudence, beard of this intended viat and is pur- poses. He was much eoncemed from die hne he bote his lord, lest he mi^bt di^KHMK himself and di^nherit l'»g*fi^ br a sale, for which he had no need, and severelf wooed his conscience. He deter- mined ti>aefe incurred of beii^ reduced to a poor estate dnsld ste sarvive the eoont, as she had every appearance of doing : ="»> it wooid be fat her advantage to have riches and jewels in l^eoty, which she might eaa.'y sectce, if ^le wonld persoade ba lord to i^ ten to 'Jie pn^oeels tliey had made tor die purdiase of the coanQr of Biois. The cosntes, &am her avaricioos dispositioa and her eagerness to receive the flotins, assented, and ptoc ui ed evervlhing ibey wanted, with the asastaoee of anodier peisoD, that is to say, a vsJet-de-charabre of *^ T>W«>n a friendship to him. In tike ntaan^r, the dtike rf Beny had a wrathles fellow, called James Thibaot, 6as gcvemed him, to whom he bad, at difi ei eu t times, given two handred tfaoosaBd francs, which ke might as well have thrown i-^ti the river. If, therefore, Ssented to everrihmg, he urged on the count m private, and made him lotallv r- : everything he had promised his bailiif, and the reversion of -J.*- y c:' B;;is was sold few two hundred thousand francs, ani -•; T of Touraine was to take on himseif the payment of the cou- ;=;= ce Danois^ jointure of six thousand Canes. Cotmt Guy de Biois, indeed, reserved in this last sale the consent of the count de Hain- atiit, the lord pararaonnt keep ; and thus these three passed the gates, riding very slowly and paying each other mato^ honors, to the palace of the bishop, where the king and the doke of Tooraine were. Having dismoonted, they ascended the ste|» ; and the dukes of Berry and Bojgimdy, taking the Ea^isb dukes by their hands, led ihem toward the Ung of France, ibe otliet lords following. When in die presence of the king, the three dokes who supported the uncles of the kiiig of Rnj'an.^, and the odier French hxis, cast themselves oo dieir knees ; bet die two Kngiiali dizkes remained as they were, inclining gently their beads in hoot? of the king. The tma instantly advaaced to them, took dieir bands and bade his uncles and the other lords rise, and then en- tered inu a friendly conveisatio!! with them, as did the barons of France with those of EngUnd. Ai ter this first interview, the lords pt England took their leave rf tise king, his brother and uncles, and were attended as far as the steps of tie pi!ace,when they moonted tfeir horses, and were ^carted to thai hotels by the constable of France, the lord de Coscv, the cotmi de St. Pol, sir John de Vienne, and the oier lords of France, who diere to-jfc AsstiiBL I or THE FRzycs Eisre asd th* I-oai>= or Frasce ^tsd E5Gi.t.vr . t TWO KissDOSi. Fr&m a MS- of FTosean of the Flr.tT instantiv, bat sent their purveyances forward, and then crossed iem. fielves to Calais- where they were lodged. When the day approached for the meeting at Amiens, these lords set oat from Calais together: they were mort than two hundred horse, and it was a fine sight, for they rode in handsome array. The feinj of France had given orders &at, during the time the conferences should last, all the expenses of the English, in comiog to and returning from Amiens to Calais, should be defrayed by his treasurr ; that is to say, their noiuishment as well as that of their horses. In company with the dokes of Lancaster and York was their niece, daughter of their sister and the lord de Coucj : she was styled duchess of Ireland, having been married to that doke, as you have lieard. This young lady came to visit her father at Amiens ; for hitherto she had seen but little of him, which naturally made her more anxious to wait on him. She travelled in good state, but like a widow who had enjoyed but litde pleasure in her marriage. It had been ordered by the king and council of France, that the Eng- lish lords who were coming to .Amieiis to arrange a solid peace, should be received with the greatest honors ; and that the four dukes then at Amiens, namely, the dokes of Toiiraine, Berry, Btagundy and Bourbon, should ride without the town to meet and bid them welcome. As soon, therefore, as the English were near .\mi>'^- these dokes, attended by all the great barotis of France, ro<^- lorth in grand array. The duke of Toaraine took the lead, in t»e king and cotmcil, (and pobiie proclama- ncm had been made before the am- val of the Fjigiiah, diat no one mi^t plead ignorance,) that any outrages whatever be conmutted dnring tise holding of these conferences cnder pain of death, or any quaireliing with the Euglish, or riot, arjir^ their stay in the city of Amieiis. All knight and s<;Tnres were scietjy com. mandedby the kii^, tinder pain of it: — :"r "" "\'"-stion, not ic lalk of, or propose, any deeds of arms ; "e from Eng- land, bttt to treat them with the otmoe'. . - . -;«i wherever they should meet, in the fields, the palace, orin'^""rcn : that no pages nor vatlets of any lords of Fiance cause ri** or (jtianeu in the urns, under pain cf losing their heads ; and Aat whatever die Ei^iisb knights or squires mi^t ask for shotil^ be imm eciateiy given liieOL z that no innkeeper rfould demacd paynwnt lot meat or drink, oc other common necessaries. It was «^3o fwbidden any knight or squire of France to be »at at niyht witbont a torch ; but the Engliak might do so, if ther l^eased ,• and if any Esg'iishman were foand oa the it»ds, or ix any otter place, having lost his way, be sfaonld be courteoDsly condor*^ to where he lodged. Four fuanls "^ one thoosand men each, were statiened at the foar squares of unieos ; and, shoold there be a fire doting die night is any part J* the town, these gnards were not to move on any accoam fVom <^^ posts ; bet, when the fite-bell rang, those appmnted to tb" duty were to hasten to extinguish it. It was likewise ordered, jiat no knight or squire should advance from hfe place to qieak wilk the king, utiles caEed or spoken to by his inaj^*y ; and that, dimns the time the English barons were in the king's presence, no kn^K or squire converse togedier nor addre^ the Engli^. It was cce, was seized with a burning fever, for which he was advised to change the air. He was put into a litter and carried to Beauvais, where ho remained in the bishop's palace until cured. His brother, the duke oc Touraine, and his uncles of Berry and Bourbon, attended him consiuitly, and there kept their Easter. When the king was perfectly recovo.red, and able to ride, he went to Gisors, at the entrance of Normandy, for the pleasure of hunting, as there are many large forests in the neighborhood. Du- ring his residence at Gisors, sir Bernard d'Armagnac, brother to the count who died in Itally, came tliither in handsome state, accompa. nied by the dauphin of Auvergne, whom he met at Pari^. As he held the counties of Armagnac and Rodez from the crown of France, he paid the king homage for them, in the usual manner of vassals to their lord paramount for the fiefs they hold. He became now the king of France's man, and, having had the articles of homage properly drawn out and engrossed, he and the dauphin took leave of the king. ' Amurat died the some year, and was succaedod by Bojazet.— Ed. • fimanuol Paleolo«ue.— Ed. t Richmond. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. and returned to Auvcrgne and Languedoc. About Aecension-day, the king came to Paris in perfect health, and fixed his rssidence at the h6tel de Saint Pol, which had been prepared tor him, the queen, and the duchess of Touraine having arrived there before him. The lord de Chiteaumorant and sir Taupin dc Cantemerlc were all this time waiting in England for an answer. They had attended the fea?t of Saint George at Windsor, where was a brilliant com- pany of barons, and the king's uncles. The lords who had been at Amiens consulted together, on the proniLses they had made the king of France, as well as in respect to an answer tor the two knights, who were very pressing to have one, and leave to return home. After considering the matter, they thus addressed them : ** You Chateaumorant, and you Cantemerle, must know, that at this mo. ment we cannot obtain any answer for you to carry to the king of France. It will be a long time before the parliament will take up the matter, for it does not meet before Michaelmas. But to acquit Ourselves, and to excuse you, we will write letters fully explanatory of the delay ; and if you, or any others, will return hither during the sitting of parliament, you shall receive such answer as the three estates of the kingdom shall think proper to give." The French knights hearing this, and seeing no probability of having any other answer, replied, " In the name of God, we are satisfied with what you now say : write and seal your letters, and we will set out on our retuj'n." This being done, they took leave of the king, and went to London to make preparations for their departure. The king ordered all their expenses to be paid, and had them conducted to Dover, where the bailiff had provided a vessel for them and their horses ; but they were detained at Dover five days waiting for a wind. On the sixth it was favorable, and they landed at Boulogne. They took their road through Amiens, and by short days' journeys arrived at Paris, when they found the king and his lords, for it was Whit. Buntide. They delivered their letters, which were immediately read, but I believe no great reliance was put on them ; and in a short time, they had other affairs of greater consequence at home to at. tend to. CHAPTER XXXIX. SIR PETER DE CRAON, THROUGH MALEVOLENCE, WAYLAYS SIR OLIVER DE CLISSON, BEATS AND SEVERELY WOUNDS HIM. THE KING AND COUNCIL ARE GREATLY ANGERED THEREAT. You have before heard how sir Peter de Craon, a knight of high birth and great wealth, was disgraced by the king of France and his brother, as well as the reasons for it ; and that having retired to the court of Brittany, the duke had assured him that sir Oliver de Clis. eon was at the bottom of this business. Some supposed the duke had been instigated to say this from his hatred to the constable, whom he wished to dishonor and destroy. While sir Peter de Craon was with the duke of Brittany, they had frequent conversations on what means they would employ to put sir Oliver to death ; for they said, that if he were but destroyed, no one would seek to revenge his loss ; and the duke expressed his regret he had not put him to death when in his castle of Ermine, adding, he would willingly give one hundred thousand francs if he could once more have him in his possession. Sir Peter de Craon, observing the mortal hatred of the duke to Clisson, thought of an extraordinary expedient when medi- tating alone on this subject, for it is from appearances we must judge. He resolved, whatever might be the consequences, that he would himself assassinate the constable, or have it done under his own eyes, and not attend to anything until the deed were performed, when he would afterwards treat for his pardon. Ho was no way afraid of what John of Blois or the viscount de Rohan, who had married the constable's two daughters, could do against him : he held them very cheap, for, with the assistance of the duke and his family connections, he could withstand them both. The house of Blois was much weakened, and the count Guy de Blois had just sold the reversion of that county to the duke of Touraine, which by suc- cession, ought to have descended to John of Brittany, who had in this sale been very unkindly treated by the count de Blois. Now, if the constable were slain, by degrees he would soon get the better of the favorites of the king and the duke of Touraine, such as the lord de la Riviere, sir John le Mcrcier, Montagu, le b6gue de Vil. laines, sir John de Bueil, and others in the king's confidence ^vho were friends of the constable, and whom the dukes of Berry and Burgundy detested, notwithstanding the outward marks of frienJ- ehip they showed them. Sir Peter de Craon persevered in his abominable desi^"^* urged on by that enemy who never sleeps, and who deligh'* i" ''is heart of the wicked man that is inclined toward him. H* regularly formed his whole plan, in the manner I shall mention f &"». had he foreseen the great evils and mischiefs that ensued fr^m them, it is to be hoped reason and temperance would have ™(ed in his heart to prevent them from being put into execn'^n. It is truly said, that a too great desire to accomplish ap object clouds the understanding, and that vicious inclinations p*errule virtue. Thus it happened to sir Peter de Craon, whos« eagerness to destroy the constable made him listen to the coup^ls of folly and madness. He had secured a safe retreat with tl'C duke of Brittany, after the deed should be done and the constaMe dead, without fear of any search being there made for 545 him, for the duke had promised him an asylum ; and, should the king of France follow him with a powerful army to Brittany, in one night he could embark and sail for Bayonne, Bordeaux, or Eng- land, where ho could not come after him. The English mortally hated Clisson, from his great severity to them from the time he had turned to the French : before that period ho was strongly connected with them, and had done the crown essential services, as you have had it related in this history. Sir Peter de Craon long brooded over this intended deed, without mentioning it to any one : I know not if he even told it to the duke of Brittany. Some think he nmst have disclosed it to him ; but others thought the contrary : the first opinion, however, was strength- ened, if not confirmed, by sir Peter and his accomplices returning by the shortest road, and as expeditiously as possible, to Brittany, instantly after the assassination, as to a place of refuge. In addition to this, he sold all the castles and estates he held in Anjou to the duke of Brittany, and had renounced his allegiance to the king oi France, under pretence of taking a journey to the Holy Land. I shall not say more of these surmises, but relate the fact ; for I, the author of this history, was at Paris when this misfortune happened to sir Oliver de Clisson, and ought, therefore, to be well informed from the inquiries I made concerning it. You must know, that at this period sir Peter de Craon had a very handsome house near the churchyard of Saint John at Paris,* like other great lords, to receive him, when he came to that city. This hdtel was, in his absence, under the care of a house.steward ; and, during the last Lent season, he had sent varlets thither for hia service, with orders to lay in a large store of wines, and all sorts of provision. He had likewise written to the steward to purchase for liim armor, such as coats of mail, gauntlets, steel helmets, and otlier things sufficient for forty men, and to let him know when they were provided, that he might send for them, but to observe the greatest secrecy in the business. The steward, thinking no harm, obeyed the orders, and provided the armor; during which time, sir Peter resided at a handsome castle of his in Anjou, called Sabl^, from whence he sent at different times four or more determined fellows, in the most secret manner possible, to his hdtel in- Paris. He said to them nothing more when they left him, but, " When you arrive at my house in Paris, make yourselves comfortable, and ask the house.steward for whatever you may want, who will instantly give it to you ; but do not, on any account, pass the gates or show your- selves. I will one day satisfy you well for your obedience, and pay you handsome wages." Upon this, they departed, and journeyed to Paris, which they entered at their pleasure ; for in those days the gates were never shut night or day. At length, they amounted to forty courageous bravos, for such were what sir Peter wanted. There were several among them who, had they known the business they were engaged in, would not have come ; but sir Peter took good care not to betray his secret. About the feasts of Whitsuntide, sir Peter de Craon came to his h6tel in Paris, not in state, but as pri- vately as his men had done. On his arrival, he asked for the porter, and said : " I command thee, under pain of having thy eyes thrust out, not to admit either man or woman into the h6tel, nor permit any one to go out, without my special orders." The porter, as well aa the house-steward, promised obedience. He shut up in their cham- bers the wife of the latter, her children and the chambermaid. He was in the right to do this. Had these women or children gone into the street, his arrival would have been known : for young children and women naturally tell all they see, and "'hat is intended to be concealed. Thus, as I have related, wmc the whole of his people confined within the walls of the h^iel, until the feast of the holy sacrament. You may suppose, ('lat sir Peter had his spies fully em- ployed to bring him intelligeJice ; but it was not until the eve of this feast he found a fit opportunity u execute his scheme, which had vexed him much. It happened that, on '-''^ feast of the holy sacrament, the king of France kept an ope" court at the hdtel de St. Pol, where he enter- tained all baron^ and lofds who were in Paris. He was in high en- joyment, as ivere the queen and the duchess of Touraine : to add to their a--uusements, after the dinner, lists were prepared witlrin the coi'iis of the hotel, and young knights and squires, ready armed and mounted for tilting, came thither, and justed very gallantly. The tiltina"> were well performed, to the delight of the king and queen, Udies, and damsels, and lasted until the evening. The prize for the best tilter was adjudged by the queen, the duchess of Touraine, and the ladies and heralds appointed to the office, to sir William de Flan- dree, count de Namur. The king entertained at supper, in the hd- tel de St. Pol, every knight who wished to partake of it; and, afterwards, the dancings continued until one o'clock in the morning. When these were over, every one retired to his home, without guard and without suspicion. Sir Oliver de Clisson remained the last; * *■ The street of the M.iuvais-garcon?. in the rue des Boucheriei, took its name from a sign. With regard to the other rue des Muuvais-gar^x)ns, which leads fjom the rue de la Verrcrie to that of la TLxeranderie, it was formerly called rue de Chartron : but when the lords de Craon built a house tliere, which is now a churchyard, it was called rue de Craon, to the time wlien Peter de Craon liid himseirand accomplices within it, to assassinate sir Oliver de Clisson. The street then changed its name, and was called la rue des Mauvais-garcons. The hotel was, by orders from the king, razed to the ground, and the spot given to the ciuiich-wardens of St. John, to enlarge their churchyard. — Sauval, .'IntiQuitis de Paris. 546 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. and, when he had taken leave of the king, he returned to the apart. ment of the duke of Touraine, and asked, " My lord, shall you stay here to-night, or do you go to Poulain's?-' This Foulain was treas. urer to the duke of Touraine, and lived at the Croix du Tiroir, near the Silver Lion. The duke replied : " Constable, I am not deter- mined whether I shall stay or not ; but do you go, for it is high time to retire." " My lord, God give you a good night !" said sir Oliver, and went away. He found his servants and horses waiting for him in the square before the hotel ; but they had not more than eight or ten torches, which the varlets lighted. When t-!ie constable was mounted, and the torches were borne before him, he rode down the broad street of St. Catherine. Sir Peter de Craon's spies had this day exerted themselves, and he knew every particular relative to the constable : of his staying behind the rest of the company, the exact number of his horses and attend- ants. He had, in consequence, quitted his hotel with his men all mounted and secretly armed ; but there were not six of them who knew what his real intentions were. He had advanced to the cause, way, near the place of St. Catherine, where he and his people lay hid, waiting for the constable to pass. As soon as the constable had left the street of St. Pol, and turned into the square of the great street, advancing a foot's pace, with a torch on each side to light him, he began a conversation with one of his squires, saying : " I am to have at dinner, to.morrow, my lord of Touraine, the lord de Coucy, sir John de Vienne, sir Charles d'Angers, the baron d'lvry, and several more : be sure take care they have all things comforta- ble, and let nothing be spared." As he said this, sir Peter de Craon and his company advanced, and, without saying a word, fell on the constable's attendants and extinguished the torches. The constable, hearing the clatter of the horses behind him, thought it was the duke of Touraine who was playing him a trick, and cried out : " My lord, by my faith, this is very ill done ; but I excuse it, for you are so young you make a joke of everything." At these words, sir Peter de Craon, drawing his sword front the scabbard, said : " Death, death! Clisson, you must die." " Who art thou," said Clisson, "that utterest such words?" "lam Peter de Craon, thy enemy, whom thou hast so often angered, and thou shalt now pay for it." Then, calling to his people, he said : " Advance, advance ! I have found him I was in search of, and whom I have long wanted to seize." He then struck him several blows, and his men, drawing their swords, fell on him. Sir Oliver was quite unarmed, having only a short cutlass, not two feet long, which, however, he drew, and de. fended himself with it as well as he could. His servants, being quite defenceless, were soon dispersed. Some of sir Peter's men asked, if they were to murder all ? " Yes," replied he, " all who put themselves in a posture of defence." They could not resist the attack, for they were but eight, and without armor. Sir Peter's men fully intended to murder the constable, and their master wished noth. ing more than to see it done ; but, as I heard from some of those who had been in this attack, tlie moment they learnt that the person they were assassinating was the constable of France, their arms be- came, as it were, nerveless through surprise, and their blows were given weakly and through fear : for in perpetrating wickedness none are bold. The constable parried the blows tolerably well with his short cut. lass ; but his defence would have been of no avail, if God's provi- dence had not protected him. He kept steady on horseback some time, until he was villainously struck on the back part of his head, which knocked him off his horse. In his fall, he hit against the hatch of a baker's door, who was already up to attend to his busi- ness and bake his bread. Having heard the noise of horses on the causeway and high words, i\u> baker had, fortunately for the con- stable, half opened the hatch ; and sir Oliver, falling against it, burst it quite open and rolled into the shop Those on horseback could not follow him, as the entrance was ne>it^ resided at the hotel de Saint Pol. At times he went to the Louvre, hut for the most part staid at the hotel de Saint Pol; and; during the long winter nights, there were carolings, dan- cings and other amusements, in the presence of the king, queen, duchess of Berry, duchess of Orleans and other ladies, who thus passed the winter nights. There was in the king's household, a NormaH squire, called Ha- gonin de Gcnsay, a near relation of the bridegroom, who tliought of the following piece of pleasantry to amuse the king and ladies. This marriage was on a Tuesday before Candlemas-day, and he had in the evening provided si.t coats of Imen covered with fine flax, the color of hair. He dressed the king in one of them, the count de Joigny, a young and gallant knight, in another, which became him well ; sir Charles de Poitiere, son of the count Valentinois, had the third ; sir Evan dc Foi.x, the fourth ; the son of the lord de Nan touillet, a young knight, had the fifth, and Hugonin dressed himself few. '' , r ' ' ] — #|J The Masque at Paris, in which the King and otJieis were in great danger. From a MS. of the 15th eenterr. At this season, the viscount de Chliteaubon came to Paris, to do homage to the king for the county of Foix, which he inherited as legal heir to Gaston de Foix, and whicli was a fief dependent on France. B^arn is an independent state, and the lords of it owe service to none other lord but Gad, notwithstanding the claims the late prince of Wales, of happy memory, urged against Gaston de Foix, the late lord of B6arn. The prince pretended it was dependent on Aqui- taine, but the count de Foix denied the fact. To say the truth, all these claims of the prince were instigated through the count John d'Armagnac, as has been already told, so that I shall now pass the matter over. When the viscount de Chateaubon, whom henceforward I shall call the count de Foix, came to Paris, he brought a cousin with him, a bastard son of the late count, called Evan de Foix, a handsome and accomplished knight ; whom his late father would have willingly made his heir, with liis brother Gracien, that was now with the king of Navarre, but the barons of Beam would not con- Bent to it. The matter, therefore remained unsettled, for the count, as you have seen, died suddenly. On sir Evan being introduced to the king, he took a great liking to him, for he was wonderfully hand- some and well made ; he was besides of the same age with the king ; and the affairs of the viscount de Chateaubon were benefited by this friendship, as they were the more speedily concluded. The viscount returned home ; but sir Evan reniained at court, and was named by the king one of the knights of his bed-chamber, with twelve coursers at the charge of the crown. CHAPTER LIII. THE KING OF FRANCE IN GREAT DANGER OF BTS LIFE AT A MASKED DANCE OF MEN DRESSED LIKC SAVAGES. POPE BONIFACE AND THE CARDINALS AT ROME SEND A LEARNED FRIAR TO THE KING. Not long after this, a marriage took place between a young squire of Vermandois and a damsel of the queen, bot.h of the royal house- hold. The court were much pleased at it, and the king resolved to keep their wedding-feast at his expense. It was held at the hotel of Saint Pol, and great crowds of lords attended ; among whom were the dukes of Orleans, Berry, Burgundy, and their duchesses. The wedding-day* was passed in dancing and joy. The king entertained at supper the queen in great state ; and every one exerted himself to add to the gayety, seeing how much delighted the king appeared. • The 29th of Jinuwy 1392 oW style, 1333 new Eiyle.-£B. in the sixth.* When they were all thus dressed, by having the coats sewed round them, they appeared like savages, for they were covered with hair from head to foot. This masquerade pleased the king greatly, and he expressed his pleasure to the squire. It was so secret- ly contrived that no one knew anything of the matter but the servants who had attended on them. Sir Evan de Foix, who seemed to have more foresight of what was to happen, said to the king, " Sire, command strictly that no one come near us with torches ; for, if a spark fall on the coats we are dressed in, the flax will instantly take fire, and we inevitably be burnt ; take care, therefore, of what I say." " Evan," replied the king, '• you speak well and wisely, and your advice shall be attended to." " He then forbade his servants to fol- low, and, sending for one of the serjeants-at-arms that waited at the doors of the appartments, said to him, " Go to the room where the ladies are, and command, in the king's name, that all the torches be placed on one side of it, and that no person come near six savage men who are about to enter." The Serjeant did as he had been ordered by the king, and the torch-bearers withdrew on one side and no one approached the dan- cers, so long as the savages staid in the room. The apartment was now clear of all but ladies, damsels, and knights and squires, who were dancing with them. Soon after, the duke of Orleans entered, attended by four knights, and six torches, ignorant of the orders that had been given, and of the entrance of the savages. He first looked at the dancing, and then took part himself, just as the king of France made his appearance, with five others dressed like savages, and covered with flax, to represent hair from head to foot. Not one person in the company knew them ; and they were all fastened to- gether, while the king led tliem dancing. On their entrance, every one was so occupied in examining them, that the orders about the torches were forgotten. The king, who was the leader, fortunately for him, quitted them to show himself to the ladies, as was natural to his youth ; and passing by the queen, placed himself near the duchess of Berry, who, though his aunt, was the youngest of the company. The duchess amused herself in talking with him, and endeavoring to find out who he was; but the king, rising up from his seat, would not discover himself. The duchess said, " You shall not escape thus, for I will know your name.'' At this moment, a most unfortunate accident befel the others. * In the history of France, by Villaret, these masquers were — tlie king— Hugues de Guissai— le comte de Joigni— Ayinard de Poitier?, son of the count de Valentinois— 4« b&tard de Foix— Jean de NantouiUet. 558 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &e. through the youthful gayety of the duke Orleans, who, if he had fore- seen the mischief he was about to cause, it is to be presumed would not, for any consideration, have so acted. He was very inquisitive IB examining them, to find out who they were ; and, as the five were dancing, he took one of the torches from his servants, and, holding it too near their dresses, set them on fire. Flax, you know, is instant- ly i« a blaze ; and the pitch, with which the cloth had been covered to fasten the flax, added to the impossibility of extinguishing it. They were likewise chained together, and there cries were dreadful ; for the fire was so strong, scarcely any dared approach. Some knights indeed did their utmost to disengage them, but the pilch burnt their hands very severely ; and they suffered a long time after- wards from it. One of the five, Nantouillet, recollected that the buttery was near, broke the chain, and flying thither, flung himself into a trfb of water wliich was there for washing dishes and plates. This saved him, or he would have been burnt to death like the others : but he was withal some time very ill. When the queen heard the cause of the cries, she was alarmed lest the king should be hurt, for he had told her he would be one of the six, and in her fright fainted and fell down : her ladies and knights hastened to her assistance ; and the confusion was so great, no one knew what to do. The duchess of Berry saved the king by throwing the train of her robe over him, and detaining him, for he wanted to quit her. " Where are you going ?" said she : " do you not see your companions are in a blaze ? who are you ? for it is not now a time to keep it a secret." He then named himself, saying, " I am the king." " Ah, my lord," replied the duchess, " put on quickly another dress, and show yourself to the queen, for she is very much distressed about you." The king on this left the room, and, liaving tin-own aside his mummery, dressed himself as fast as he could, and returned to the queen, who had been much comforted by the duchess of Berry. When the king had quitted her, she went to the queen and said, ** Madam, do not be alarmed for the king : you will shortly see him, for I have been talking with him." As she said this, the king ap- peared, and the queen trembled for joy ; she was carried by her knights to her chamber, where the king attended and comforted her. The bastard of Foix, when on fire, cried aloud, " Save the king ! save the king!" who indeed was saved in the manner I have related. It was the providence of God that inspired him to leave his companions and converse with the ladies, for, had he remained with them, he must inevitably have been burnt to death. This terrible accident happened about twelve o'clock at night, in the ball-room, at the hotel de Saint Pol, and it was a most melancholy spectacle. Of the four that were on fire, *wo died on the spot : the other two, the bastard of Foix and the count de Joigny, were carried tfy their hotels, and died two days afterwards in great agonies. Thus unfortunately did the wedding-feast end, although the married couple oould no way be blamed. The duke of Orleans was alone in fault, who certainly intended not any harm when he held the torch so near them. His giddiness caused it ; and, when he witnessed how unlucky he had been, said aloud : " Listen to me all that can hear me. Let no one be blamed for this unfortunate accident but myself: what has been dose was through my fault ; but wo is me that it has hap- pened ! and, had I toreseen the consequences, nothing on earth should have induced me to do it." The duke then followed the king, and made his excuses, which were accepted. This melancholy event happened on the Tuesday before Candlemas-eve, in the year of grace 1392 : it made a great noise in France and in other countries. The dukes of Berry and Burgundy were not present when the maskers were set on fire, but were at their own hotels, having taken leave of the king, queen, and ladies. When, on the morrow, it became public in Paris, the people wondered greatly, and said that God had a second time shown his kind providence to the king, and that he ought now to put aside these childish things, and occupy him- self more seriously ; for that he had too long played the boy, which was unbecoming a king of France. The commonalty murmured among themselves, and said, " What a narrow escape the king has had ! if he had been burnt like the others, which might easily have happened, what would have become of his uncles ? They may be assured not one of them would have escaped death, nor any knight found in Paris. " The dukes of Berry and Burgundy, hearing of this language, were astonished and alarmed, and not without cause. They mounted their horses, and rode to the hbtcl de Saint Pol to the king, and con- gratulated him on his escape. They found him still frightened, for he had not yet recovered the sense of the peril he had been in the preceding night. He told them his fair aunt of Berry had saved him from being burnt, but that he was exceedingly grieved for the melancholy end of the count de Joigny, sir Evan de Foix, and sir Charles de Poitiers. His uncles consoled him, saying, " My lord, what is done cannot be recovered : you must forget their deaths, and render thanks to God for the miraculous escape you yourself have had ; for this event might have been nearly the death of the kingdom as well as your own. You may easily imagine what would have been the consequences, when the commons of Paris hold such lan- guage as has been reported to us ; and God knows, that if you had perished, they would have murdered us all. Make yourself ready to ■go in royal state, suitable to your rank, and ride in pilgrimage to the church of Notre. Dame and show yourself to your people ; we will ac. company you, for the citizens of Paris are very desirous to see you." The king replied, he would do as they advised ; and then entered into conversation with his brother the duke of Orleans, whom he much loved. His uncles received the duke kindly, blaming him a little for the youthful trick he had played. It seemed he was not displeased at their lecture, and declared he never intended or sus pected he was doing wrong. On the point of nine o'clock, the king and his attendants mounted their horses, and rode through Paris from the h6tel de Saint Pol, to the church of Notre-Dame, to appease the people, who were in great commotion, where he heard mass, and made his offerings. He then returned to the h6tel de Saint Pol with his lords, who dined there. This accident was by degrees forgotten, and obsequies, prayers, aad alms were made for the dead. Ah, count Gaston de Foix ! Iiadst thou been alive and heard of the cruel death of tliis thy favorite son, thou wouldst have been sadly grieved, for thou didst love him much, and I know not how thou wouldst have been consoled. All the lords and ladies in France, when they heard of this accident, were shocked and grieved. But you must know, that pope Boniface and his cardinals at Rome wore well pleased when they learnt the news, because the king was contrary to their interests. They said among themselves, in a con. sistory, that it was a second punishment sent by God, to make him take warning, for having supported the anti-pope of Avignon, Robert de Geneve, who was false, proud, and presumptuous, and had never done one good act in his whole life, but had deceived the world. The pope and cardinals resolved so send in secret manner and with- out pomp, a learned friar to the king of France, well instructed how to speak and preach, to attempt to bring him and the French nation back to the way of salvation. They maintained, that he was now gone astray, and that being the greatest king in Christendom, the church ought to be enlightened and supported by him more than by any other. They selected a devout and sensible man, whom they ordered to go into France ; but, before his departure, they instructed liim what to say and how to act. This was not so quickly done, nor did the envoy soon arrive ; for the distance was great, and he had many different states to pass through. It was besides necessary that the iViar, who was a Franciscan monk, should know if the king of France were willing to see him before he set out. CHAPTER LIV. THE DUCHESS OF BERRY SUPPOKTS THE LORD DE LA RiVIERE INOPPOSITIOK TO THE DUCHESS OF BURGUNDY. We will return to the affairs of France, and say how they weue going on. Notwithstanding the king's recovery, the dukes of Berry and Burgundy did not desist from their attempts to ruin that valiant and prudent knight, the lord de la Riviere. He and sir John le Mer- cier were still confined in the Bastille of Saint Anthony, under the care of the viscount d'Achy ; and it was current through Paris, that they would be put to death, insomuch that it was daily expected they would be delivered over to the provost of the Chatelet ; and when once this was done, nothing could prevent them from being publicly beheaded as traitors to the crown of France. From the information I then had, I am convinced their execution would have taken place, had not the grace of God been shown them, and the duchess of Berry exerted herself so much. This good lady was incessant in her entreaties for la Riviere — who had carried her to France and con- cluded her marriage— but not without great difiiculty, with the duke of Berry. Sir John le Mercier was therefore fortunate in his situa- tion to share the benefits of her exertions. She frequently, with tears, addressed her lord, saying, "that he was instigated by the malicious and envious insinuations of the enemies of la Riviere to keep him so long in prison, and confiscate his inheritance. Ah, my lord, you make him a very ungrateful return for all the pains he took in bring, ing about our marriage, when you thus consent to his destruction. At least, if you take bis property, spare his life ; for, if he be executed for the charges that are so unjustly made against him, I shall never again enjoy happiness. My lord, I do not say this from any feigned motive, but I really feel that it will weigh most heavily on my mind. I therefore pray God you will take proper measures for his deliver, ance." The duke perceiving she was in earnest, and that her argu- ments were good, abated greatly his hatred to the lord de la Riviere, who would sooner have obtained his liberty ; but they were desirous of putting to death sir John le Mercier, and they could not punish one without the other. This sir John le Mercier had wept so long in prison, that he had almost lost his eye-sight. Had the duchess of Burgundy been hstened to, they would have suffered a disgraceful and public death, without hopes of mercy ; for she hated them because they had, with sir Oliver de Clisson, advised the king of France to make the expedition into Brittany, to destroy her cousin the duke. She said, that Clisson, Ic Mercier, and la Riviere were the cause of the king's illness, which would never have happened, had they not persuaded him to undertake the war against Brittany. You must know, that although the king was now in a tol- erably good state of mental and bodily health, the dukes of Berry and Burgundy did not resign the government of the kingdom ; and, aa they had all the weight, they determined to have the profit also. To CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 559 this end, they placed only their creatures about the king's person, who was but a king in name, for the two dukes took on themselves to manage whatever concerned the realm. The duchess of Orleans was not pleased that the duchess of Burgundy should have rank sec- ond to the queen. She loved honors, and said to those in her confi- dence, "The duchess of Burgundy has no right to take precedence of me : 1 am nearer the crown of France than she is, for my lord is brother to the king. It may so happen that he shall be king ; and, as I then must be queen, I know no reason why she is thus eager of honors that are not belonging to her, and to place me behind her." We will for a while leave these ladies, and speak of some changes in France, and of sir Oliver de Clisson, and of the manner in which he wa8 treated. Marruoe or Pmup d'Artois and Lady .VLirv ue Beret. Designed ftoin Monuments of the familr ut the Chateau d'£u. CHAPTER LV. THE LORD DE COUCY REFUSES TO ACCEPT THE SWORD OF CONSTABLE IN THE ROOM OF CLISSO.V. THE DUKES OF EERRY AND BlTtGn.^DV INVEST THE LORD PHILIP D'aRTOIS, COU.NT D"EU, WITH IT, IN CONSIDERATION OF HIS MARRIAGE WITH THi LADY .MARY OF BERRY, WIDOW OF TEE LORE LOUIS DE ELOIS. You have before heard that the constable was summoned publicly by the parliament of Paris, after an adjournment of fifteen days be- tween each summons, and how commissioners were sent in pursuit of him to Brittany, but in vain, for he concealed himself from them. Had they been able to have spoken to him, they would have sei-ved him personally with the orders of the court, and laid hands on him, according to the instructions they had received. When, on their re- turn, they had given an account of their mission to the parliament, it was determined by the court and lords of parliament, that sir Oliver de Clisson, constable of France, had forfeited the protection of the court, and should be banished France, and deprived of all offices and possessions he held within that kingdom ; for that he had con- tumaciously refusffd obedience to the summons of the great chamber, though sealed with their seal, and also had refused to send back his sword of office. The dukes of Berry and Burgundy, with their councils, who all hated the constable and wished his ruin, said they would provide a remedy ; for the office of constable was so noble, and of such weight, it could not long remain vacant, for fear of ac- cidents that might happen. The lord de Coucy was thought the most proper person to fill it ; but he excused himself, and refused positively to accept of it though he should be forced to leave France. When they saw he was de- termined, they looked elsewhere. At this time, a treaty of marriage was in agitation between the lord Phillip d'Artois and the young countess de Dunois, the widow of the lord Louis de Blois, and the king of France was well inclined that this marriage with his cousin should take place, but the duke of Berry refused his consent ; for the county of Eu is but of small value, in comparison of what she was entitled to from her first union, and he looked to marry her more nobly. To say the truth, the countess was, for beauty and goodness, and everything belonging to a noble lady, worthy of the highest rank. The duke of Berry, however, was unwilling to anger the king of France, who knew v/ell that he was solicited by many persons for the hand of his daughter : among whom were the young duke of Lorraine the count d'Armagnac, and the eldest son of the count de Foi.x and de B^am The king was averse to all these proposals, and said to the duke of Berry, "Fair uncle of Berry, we are not willing that our cousin your daughter should be settled at a distance from the fleurs-de-lis. We will provide a marriage for her, that shall be suit- able in all respects. We see her with pleasure near us ; and it becometh her not to leave her mother-in-law, as they are nearly of the same age." These words and others cooled the duke's intentions of marrying his daughter otherwise than as it pleased the king, who leant to his cousin the lord Philip d'Artois. He was a young and gallant knight, and had acquired great renown in arms, in the dif. ferent expeditions he had made, as well near home as beyond sea ; and was also much in favor of the knights and squires of France. The dukes of Beny and Burgundy agreed, that if the king would give to their cousin of Artois the office of constable of France, which was now va- cant, from the sentence against sir Oliver de Clisson, the marriage with the lady Mary should take place ; for, in case he were constable, he woidd be wealthy enough to keep a becoming state. They resolved to speak to the king on this sub. ject, which they did as follows : "My lord, your council recommends that our cousin, the lord Philip d'Artois, count d'Eu, be invested with the office of constable of France ; for Clisson, by the sentence of your judges in parliament, has forfeited it, and the office cannot longer be vacant with- out great prejudice to the realm. You are bounden, as well as ourselves, to assist our cousin of Artois, for he is very nearly re- lated to us by blood ; and, since such an office is vacant, we catmot better fill it than by sir Philip d'Artois, for he will ably and loyally execute it, and is much beloved by every knight and squire, being without envy or avarice." This speech was very agreeable to the king, who gayly replied, that he would think of it; and, if the office was to be disposed of, he would rather the count d'Eu had it than any other. Things remained some time in this state ; but the king was continually solicited by his uncles, who were desirous of advancing sir Philip d'Artois, and degrading sir Oli- ver de Clisson ; for the duke of Berry hated him for the death of Bethisac, and the duke of Burgundy for his opposition to the duke of Brittany ; but the duchess of Burgundy was yet more inveterate against him than her lord. The king at length gave his assent, on condition the duke of Berry gave hini his daughter. But, before matters had proceeded thus far, in order to avoid dis- gusting the king, and to satisfy the duke of Orleans, who strongly supported the lord de Clisson, sir William des Bordes, sir William Martel, both knights of the king's chamber, and sir Philip de Savoisis, knight to the duke of Berry, were again sent to Brittany, to speak with sir Oliver de Clisson in the king's name. These knights, hav- ing made their preparations, took their road through Angers, where they met the queen of Jerusalem and John of Brittany, who hand- somely entertained them, in honor of the king. They remained at -\ngers two days, and inquired where they could find the lord de Clisson, for they had a very courteous message to deliver to him from the king alone, who had ordered them to speak with him. They replied, that they had not any positive intelligence where he was ; but they supposed he must be in one of his castles in Brittany : that he did not constantly remain in any one, but moved from one to another. At their departure the knights took leave of the queen, her son Charles, prince of Tarentum, and John of Brittany, count de Penthievrc, and continued their journey to Rennes. The duke of Brittany had shut himself up with his duchess in Vannes, without making any excursions abroad for fear of ambuscades, and meeting his adversary Clisson, as they were carrying on a murderous wax against each other. When their parties met, mercy was shown by neither, and the field was gained by the death of their opponents : if, therefore, he felt alarmed, he had cause for it; for, although the duke was sovereign of the country, there was not a knight or squire that would bear arms against the lord de Clisson. They dissembled with the duke, saying, the quarrel did not in any way concern them, and staid at home without interfering. This the duke was forced to put up with. When the knights arrived at Rennes, they asked where they could for certain find sir Oliver de Clisson, but no one could positively answer them. They resolved to ride to Chateau.Josselin, and were well received by the vassals of sir OUver, out of respect to the king of France. They inquired after their lord, and where they could see him, for they were sent by the king and theduke of Orleans to speak with him. They either would not, or could not, give them any satis- factory account; but said, in excuse for themselves and sir Oliver: " Certainly, my lords, not one of us knows where to find him : to-day he is at one place, to-morrow at another. You may safely ride F RHEIMS, SUP- PORTS THE RIGHT OF THE SEE OF AVIGJ40N, BY HIS SPEECHES AND PREACHINGS. In the month of September, of this year, Robert de Geneve, whom ■we have called pope in our history, died at his palace in Avignon.* It happened to him just as he had wished, that he might die pope. He died, indeed, with the honor and state I have mentioned ; but whether he enjoyed these wrongfully or not, I shall not pretend to determine, for such matters do not belong to me. The cardinals at Avignon were much surprised at this event, and resolved to form a conclLWe in haste, and elect one from among themselves as his successor. The health of the king of France was again beginning to return, to the great joy of all who loved him, and his good queen, who had been in great affliction. She was a valiant lady, whom God cor. lected and loved ; she had made many processions, and given great alms in hopes of his recovery, in several parts of France, but cspe. ciallyin Paris. The college of cardinals at Avignon, as I was then informed, elected pope tlie cardinal legate de Luna. To say the truth, he was a devout man, and of a contemplative life ; but they had chosen him subject to the approbation of the king of France and his council, oth- erwise they would not have been able to maintain their election. Consider, how much the church must have been degraded by this schism, when those who were, or ought to have been free, thus sub- jected themselves to the will of others, whom they should have com- manded. All the solemnities required at the coronation of a pope were paid to the cardinal de Luna, who took the name of Benedict.! He offered a general pardon to all the clergy who should come to Avignon ; and, by the advice of his cardinals, wrote letters to the king of France, to announce his elevation to Vie papacy. I heard that the king paid little attention to his letter ; for he was not yet determined whether to acknowledge him for pope or no ; and, to have the best advice on the occasion, he summoned before him the most learned and prudent clerks of the university of Paris. Master John Gigencourt and master Peter Playons,t who were esteemed the most learned and acute in the university, told the king, as did others, that the schism in the church corrupted the Christian faith; that the church ought not longer to be kept in this state, for that all Christendom suffered from it, but more particularly church, men ; and that it was unbecoming the university to send to pope Ben- edict at Avignon, lists of those priests who had need of briefs. The king, on hearing their opinions, thought them reasonable, and con- sented that there should be a cessation of such lists as were usually sent to the pope, until the disputes between the two popes were set- tled : things therefore remained in this state. The duke of Berry, however, strenuously supported the new pope ; and all the clergy dependent on him acknowledged him for the true one ; and many of his people were provided with pardons from this Benedict. The duke and duchess of Burgundy, the duke of Orleans, with many other great lords of France, dissembled their real opinions on the sub. ject to the king. Some through favor acknowledged Benedict, who was prodigal of his pardons, in order that the court of Avignon might thrive the more, * He died on the 16tli Septemljer, 1394.— Ed. t Peter of Luna, bom of an illustrious family of Spain, was elected Pope on the 28th Eeptember, 1394, and took the name of Benedict XIII. Before his election, he sub- scribed an act by which all the cardinals promised on oath to use every effort for the re- union of the church, and even to resign the pontihcate ifnecessary for that purpose. He, however, afterwards showed very little respect to this oath.— Ed. t In the Museum MS. it is Gignicourt and Pierre de Lyons : in mine, the first as D. filUTage, and tie other Pierre de Palions. 563 The duke of Brittany readily enough followed the opinion of the king of France ; for he had been in former times so scandalized by the information the carl of Flanders, his cousin, had given him of the rebellion in the church, that he would never allow of Clement being the true pope, although his clergy paid him obedience and acknow. ledged him. When any of the churches in France became vacant, the king disposed of them to clergymen, without ever speaking of it to pope Benedict, who, as well as his cardinals, was greatly surprised at such conduct, and began to fear the king would deprive them of the benefices they held in his realm. They resolved, therefore, to send a well-instructed legate to France, to remonstrate with the king and council on the state of the church, and to learn their intentions, and likewise to assure them that the pope they had elected was only conditionally chosen, in case of his proving agreeable to the king, but that otherwise they would dethrone him, and exalt another more to his pleasure. About this period, the friar, whom I before mentioned to have been sent by pope Boniface* to the king of France, but without the pomp or state of a legate, arrived at Paris, with the consent of the king, who listened to his arguments and sermons with pleasurs. The legate from Avignon, a subtle and eloquent clerk, was heard also by the king and his court : those attached to the pope at Avignon took good care to push him forward, and contrived that he should have audiences often. It was the opinion of the council, but it was not without great difficulty the university of Paris subscribed to this opin- ion, that it would be a wise and prudent measure, if means could be found to make the rival popes resign their dignities, as well as all the cardinals, and then select the most learned and prudent among the clergy, from the empire of Germany, France, and other countries, who should form a general council, and then, without favor or affec- tion to any party, restore the church to its former unity, discipline, and stability. They declared they saw no other way of destroying the schism ; for the hearts of different lords were so swollen with pride, each would support his own party. This idea, which was proposed in the presence of the king, and the dukes of Orleans and Burgundy, in council, was approved of; and the king, having agreed to it, said he would cheerfully write on the subject to the kings of Germany, Bohemia, Hungary and Eng. land ; that he thought he could depend on the kings of Castille, Navarre, Arragon, Sicily, Naples, and Scotland, obeying whatever pope he should acknowledge. In consequence of this proposition being adopted, the king of France sent off special messengers with letters to the kings above mentioned, but answers were not returned to them as soon as e.vpected. During this interval, that learned clerk, master John de Gigencourt, died at theSorbonne. The king of France, his court, and the university were very sorry for the loss, as his equal was not at Paris, and he would have been of singular service in reforming the church, and bringing about a union. At this time, there was at Avignon a clerk well skilled in science, doctor of laws, and auditor of the palace : he was a native of the archbishopric of Rheims, and called sir John de Varennes. He was much advanced in the church for the services he had rendered pope Clement and others, and was on the point of being a bishop or car. dinal. He had also been chaplain to a cardinal, called, at Avignon, Saint Peter of Lu.xembourg. This John de Varennes, beneficed and advanced as he was, resigned all, retaining only, for his subsistence, the canonry of our Lady at Rheims, which is worth, by residence, one hundred francs ; otherwise not more than thirty. He quitted Avignon, returned to his native country, and fixed his abode at the village of Saint Lye, near Rheims, where he led a devout life, preach- ing the faith and works of our Lord, and praising the pope ot -4.vignon. He declared he was the true pope, condemning, by liis speeches, that of Rome. He was much attended to, and followed by the people, who came to see him from all countries, for the sober and holy life he led, fasting daily, and for the fine sermons he preached. Some, however, said, that the cardinals at Avignon had sent hint thither to support their cause, and to exhibit the holiness of his life, which was devout enough to have entitled him to be raised to the papacy. Master John de Varennes would not allow himself to be called the holy man of Saint Lye, but simply the Auditor. He lived with his motlier, and every day said mass very devoutly. All that was given him, for he asked for nothing, he distributed in alms to the glory of God. We will now leave him, and speak of other matters. CHAPTER LX. THE KINS OF ENGLAND IS ADVISED TO MAKE A JOURNEY TO IRELAND, AND TO SETTLE ON THE DUKE OF LANCASTER, AND HIS HEIRS FOR EVER, THE DUCHY OF AQt/ITAINE WITH ALL ITS DEPENDENCIES. The truces that had been agreed to between the kings of France and England, and their allies, were well observed on sea and land. There were, however, some pillagers still in Languedoc, who came from foreign countries, such as Gascony, Beam, and Germany. Sir John de Grailly, bastard.son to the late captal de Buch, a young and expert knight, was governor of the strong castle of Bouteville. You may suppose that the captains of such forts as Lourde in Bigorre, on ^ Boniface LX. elected pope the 2nd Nov. 1389.— £d. 564 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. the borders of Arragon, Bouteville on the frontiers ot Saintonge, near la Rochelle, and Mortaign, were sorely vexed they could no longer overrun the country, and make their accustomed pillage from the neighboring towns. They had been particularly forbidden to in- fringe the anicles of the truce, under pain of being severely punished. At this period, an expedition against Ireland was proposed in the English council ; for in the truces king Richard had agreed to with France and her allies, young as he was, he had reserved Ireland from being included, as his predecessors had always claimed it as their right ; and his grandfather, king Edward of happy memory had signed himself king and lord of Ireland, and had continued his wars against the natives, notwithstanding his pressure from other quarters. The young knights and squires of England, eager to signalize them, selves in arms, were rejoiced to learn ;^v: that king Richard intended leading a large power of men-at-arms and arch- ers into Ireland, and that he had de. clared he would not return thence un- til he should have finally settled every, thing to his satisfaction. It was, at the same council, ordered, that the duke of Lancaster, who in his time had labored hard, on sea and land, for the honor of England, should make a journey to Aqui. taine, with five hundred men-at-arms and one thousand archers. He was to embark at Plymouth or Southampton, as he pleased, and sail for Guienne or Aqui. taine. It was the intention of king Rich, ard and his council, that the duke of Lancaster should hold in perpetuity, for himself and heirs the whole territory of Aquitaine, with all its s^neschalships and domains, in such manner as king Edward of England, his father, and the former duke of Aquitaine, had held them, and which king Richard held at this moment, with the reserve of homage to the kings of England. The duke of Lancaster was to enjoy all other rights, lordships, and rents, which stipulation was confirmed by the king, wholly and fully, under his seal. The duke of Lancaster was very thankful for this magnificent gift, as he had reason to be ; for, in truth, the duchy of Aquitaine has wherewithal to enable its lord to keep a grand state. The deed which was to establish this gift, having been properly engrossed, was carefully examined, and passed with great deliberation of council, in the presence of the king, his uncles the dukes of York and Glouces. ter, the earls of Salisbury, Arundel, and Derby (son to the duke of Lancaster,) the earl marshal, the earl of Rostellant,* the earls of North- umberland and Nottingham, sir Thomas Percy, the lords Despen- cer and Beaumont, sir William Arundel, the archbishops of Canter, bury and York, the bishop of London, and of all those who were entitled to be present, whether prelates or barons. The duke of Lancaster thanked, in the first place, the king his nephew, then his brothers, and the barons and prelates of the council. After which ho began to make most sumptuous preparations for crossing the sea, and taking possession of the duchy the king had invested him with. Purveyors were likewise busy in preparing, on a large scale, for the king's expedition to Ireland ; and those lords who were to acco-.n. pany him were ordered to make preparations of whatever things they might think necessary. CHAPTER LXI. THE DEATH OF THE LADY ANNE OF BOHEMIA, QUEEN OF ENGLAND. THE DUHE OF LANCASTER LANDS IN AQUITAINE, AND THE KINS OF ENGLAND IN IRELAND. The king of England and the duke of Lancaster were daily occu. pied in their preparations for leaving England, and had sent their men and purveyances to the difl'erent ports they were to embark from ; the one to Ireland and the other to Aquitaine ; but their expedition was delayed for about two months, by an event I will now relate. At this period, the lady Anne, queen of England, fell sick, to the great distress of the king and her household. Her disorder increased so rapidly, that she departed this life on the feast of Whitsuntide, in the year of grace, 1394. The king, and all who loved her were greatly afilicted at her death. She was buried in the cathedral church of London ;t but her obsequies were performed at leisure, for the king would have them magnificently done. Abundance of wax was sent for from Flanders tomake flambeaux and torches, and the illumination was so great on the day of the ceremony, that nothing was ever seen like to it before, not at the burial of the good queen Philippa nor of any other. The king would have it so, because she was daughter to the king of Bohemia, emperor of Rome and of Germany. He was inconsolable for her loss, as thty mutually loved each other, having been married young. This queen left no issue, for she had never borne children. Thus in the same year were the king, the duke of Lancaster, and the earl of Derby made widowers. There was no talk of the king's marrying again, for he would not hear of it. Although the expe. RicBARD U. CM mo VoTAOB TO IRELAND. Metrical Hiitoi; of Richard II. Harleian MSS. * Rostellant. U. Rulland. t •■ On tJie 7th of June, queen Anne died at Shene in Surrey, and was buried at West ?' TJ' 7j ,'"ns,t<>°k h" death so heavily Uiat, besides cursing the place where she died, he did also for anser throw down the buUdings, unto the which former kings, being weary of the city, were wont for pleasure to iesort."-STOW£'s Chbo.nicle ditions to Ireland and Aquitaine were delayed by the queen's death> those lords who were named to go to Ireland did not fail continuing their preparations ; and, as their purveyances were ready, they sent them across the sea to Ireland from Brisco* and Lolighett in Wales; and the conductors were ordered to can'y them to a city on the coast of Ireland, called Dimelin,! which had always been steadily attached to England, and was an archbishopric : the archbishop of which place " was with the king. Soon after Saint John Baptist's day, king Richard left London, and took the road for Wales, amusing himself by hunting on the way, to forget the loss of his queen. Those ordered to attend him began' ' their journey, such as his two uncles of York and Gloucester, with grand array, as did the other lords : the earl of Kent, half.brother to the king, sir Thomas Holland, his son, the earl of Rutland, son to the duke of York, the earl marshal, the earls of Salisbury and Arun. del, sir William Arundel, the earl of Northumberland, sir Thomas Percy his brother, high steward of England, the earls of Devonshire and Nottingham, with numbers of knights and squires. A consider- able body remained at home to guard the borders of Scotland ; for the Scots are a wicked race, and pay not any regard to truces or res- pites, but as it suits their own convenience. At the time the king of England undertook this expedition, he had not the company of his other half.brother, sir John Holland earl of Huntingdon, for he was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Saint ' Catherine of Mount Sinai, and was to return through Hungary. Hav- ing heard at Paris, as he passed through France, where he had been handsomely treated by tlie king and his court, in respect to the king of England, that tlie king of Hungary and .^nnirat^ were to have a. battle, he declared he would not fail being present. The duke of Lancaster and his array arrived at Plymouth, where transports waited to carry them across the sea. When his men and purveyances were all on board, they weighed anchor, and steered with a favorable wind for Bordeaux. We will return to the king of England, who had with him full four thousand men-at-arms and thirty thousand archers. They were ship- ped at three diffiBrcnt places, Bristol, Holyhead, and Herford,l| and passed over daily ; but it was a month before the whole armament and their horses landed in Ireland. On the other hand, there was in Ireland a valiant English knight, called the earl of Ormond, who, hke his predecessors, held lands in that country, but they were disputed, and he had made similar preparations to his ancestors. The earl marshal had the command of the van, consisting of fifteen ' '""Brisco." Ci. Bristol. T " Lolighet." U. Holyhead. t " Dimelin." Q. Dublin. § The person thus called was the sultan Bajazet I. who began his reign 1391. II From what follows. I suppose this must mean Haverlbrd-west, in Fembrokefihircas-; ' it is pronounced Harford. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 5C5 hundred Unccs nnd two thousand archers, who prudently and val- iantl)' conducted themselves. King Richard and his uncles em. barked at Haverford in Wales, many at Holyhead, and others at Bristol, and the whole landed without any loss. As they disembarked, by orders from the constable and marshals, they quartered themselves on the country, occupying a large uninhabited tract, of about thirty English miles, beside the city of Dublin. The array lodged them- selves prudently, for fear of the Irish : had they done otherwise, they would have suffered for it. The king, his uncles, and prelates, were quartered in Dviblin and near it ; and I was told that, during the whole campaign, they were well supplied with all sorts of provision ; for the English are expert in war, and know how to forage and take proper care of themselves and horses. I will relate the history of this campaign of king Richard, and what bcfel him according to the information I received. CHAPTER LXII SIR JOHN FEOISSART ARRIVES IN E.VSLAND, AND IS PRESENTED TO KING RICHARr BY THE DUKE OF YORK, 17NCLE TO THE KING. In truth, I, sir John Froissart, treasurer and canon of Chimay, in the county of Hainault, and diocese of Liege, had, during my stay at Abbeville, a great desire to go and see the kingdom of England : more especially since a truce had been concluded, for four years, on Bea and land, between France, England, and their allies. Several reasons urged me to make this journey; but principally, because in my youth I had been educated at the court of king Edward, of happy memory, and that good lady Philippa, his queen, with their children, and others of the barons of those times, and was treated by them with all honor, courtesy, and liberality. I was an.xious, therefore, to visit that country, for it ran in my imagination, that if I once saw it, I should live the longer ; for twenty-seven years past I had intentions of going thither, and if I should not meet with the lords whom I had left there, I should at least see their heirs, who would likewise be of great service to me in the verification of the many histories I have related of them. I mentioned my purpose to my very dear patrons, the lord duke Albert of Bavaria, count of Hainault, Holland, and Zealand, and lord of Frizeland ; to the lord William his son, styled count d'Ostrevant ; to my dear and much honored lady Joan, duchess of Brabant and Luxembourg ; and to my very much respected lord Engucrrand, lord of Coney ; as well as to that gallant knight, the lord de Gomegines. We had both, during our youth, arrived together at the English court, where I saw also the lord de Coucy, and all the nobles of France, who were hostages for the redemption of king John of France, which has been before related in this history. The three lords above men- tioned, as well as the lord dc Gomegines, and madame de Brabant, on my telling them my intentions, encouraged me to persevere, and they all gave me letters of introduction to the king and his uncles, with the reserve of the lord de Coucy, who, from being now so much attach- ed to France, could only write to his daughter, the duchess of Ireland. I had taken care to form a collection of all the poetry on love and morality that I had composed during the last twenty.four years, which I had caused to be fairly written and illuminated. I was also incited to go to England and see king Richard, son to the noble and valiant prince of Wales and -\quitaine, whom I had not seen since the time of his christening in the cathedral church of Bordeaux. I was then present, and had intentions of accompanying the prince of Wales in his expedition to Spain ; but, when we came to the city of Dax, the prince sent me back to the queen his mother in England. I was desirous, therefore, to pay my respects to the king of England and his uncles, and had provided myself with my book of poesy finely ornamented, bound in velvet, and decorated with silver-gilt clasps and studs, as a present for the king. Having this intention, I spared no pains ; and the cost and labor seem trifling to people, whenever they undertake anything willingly. Having provided myself with horses, I crossed from Calais to Dover on the lath day of July ; but found no one there whom I had been acquainted with in my former journeys : the inns were all kept by new people, and the children of my former acquaintance were be- come men and women. I staid half a day and night to refresh my- self and horses ; and on Wednesday, by nine o'clock, arrived at Canterbury to visit the shrine to St. Thomas and the tomb of the late prince of Wales, who had been buried there with great pomp. 1 heard high mass, made my offering at the shrine, and returned to my inn to dinner, when I heard the king was to come the following day in pilgrimage to St Thomas of Becket. He was lately returned from Ireland, where he had remained for nine months, or thereabouts, and was anxious to pay his devotions in this church, on account of the holy body of the saint, and because his father was there buried. I thought, therefore, it would be well to wait his arrival which I did ; and, on the morrow, the king came in great state, accompanied by lords and ladies, with whom I mixed ; but they were all new faces to r*e, for I did not remember one of them. Times and persons had greatly changed since I was last in Eng. land, eight-and-twenty years past. The king had not either of his uncles with him : the duke of Lancaster was in Aquitaine, and the ; dukes of York and Gloucester in other parts. I was at first quite [ astonished, and should have been comforted could I have seen an ' ancient knight who had been of the bed-chamber to king Edward, and was in the same capacity to the present king, as well as of hia privy council, and could I have made myself known to him. The name of this knight was sir Richard Sturry. I asked if he were alive : they said he was, but not then present, as he was at his resi. dence in London. I then determined to address myself to sir Thomas Percy, high steward of England. I found him gracious and of agree- able manners, and he offered to present me and my letters to the king. I was rejoiced at this promise ; for it is necessary to have friends to introduce one to so great a prince as the king of England. He went to the king's apartments to see if it were a proper time, but found the king had retired to repose : he therefore bade me return to my inn. When I thought the king might be risen, I went again to the palace of the archbishop, where he lodged ; but sir Thomas Percy and his people were preparing to set out for Ospringe, whence he had come that morning. I asked sir Thomas's advice how to act: " For the present," he said, " do not make further attempts to an- nounce your arrival, but follow the king; and I will take care, when he comes to his palace in this country, which he will do in two days, that you shall be well lodged as long as the court tarries there." The king was going to a beautiful palace in the county of Kent, called Leeds castle, and I followed sir Thomas Percy's advice by taking the road to Ospringe. I lodged at an inn where I found a gallant knight of the king's chamber, but he liad that morning staid behind on account of a slight pain in his head that had seized him the preceding night. This knight, whose name was sir William de Lisle, seeing I was a foreigner and a Frenchman, (for all who speak the language of Oil* are by the English considered as Frenchmen, whatever country they may come from,) made acquaintance with me, and I with him, for the English are courteous to strangers. He asked my situation and business in England, which I related to him at length, as well as what sir Thomas Percy had advised me to do. He replied, that I could not have better advice, for that the king would on Friday be at Leeds castle, and would find there his uncle the duke of York. I was well pleased to hear this, for I had letters to the duke, and, when young, was known to him while in the household of the late king and queen. I courted the acquaintance of sir William de Lisle, as a means of gaining greater intimacy with the king's household. On the Friday, we rode out together, and on the road I asked if he had accompanied the king on his expedition to Ireland. He said he had. I then asked if there were any foundation in truth for what was said of St. Patrick's hole.* He replied there was ; and that he and another knight, du. ring the king's stay at Dublin, had been there. They entered it at sunset, remained there the whole night, and came out at sunrise the next morning. I requested he would tell me whether he saw all the marvellous things which are said to be seen there. He made me the following answer : " When I and my companion had passed the en- trance of the cave called the Purgatory of Saint Patrick, we descended three or four steps (for you go down into it like a cellar,) but found our heads so much affected by the heat, we seated ourselves on the steps, which are of stone, and such a drowsiness came on, that we slept there the whole night." I asked, if, when asleep, they knew where they were, and what visions they had. He said, they had * I.a Langue d'Oil, was the language spoken in the north of France, in contra-dis- tinction to the Lungue d'Oc, the dialect of the soutli, whence the name of tlie province Languedoe. Oil and Oc, are now both superseded by the modern " Oui."— Ed. *" Nothing has rendered this county {Donegal,) so famous as the cave discovered by tlie patron saint of Ireland, or his namesake, abbot of Nevers. about four hundred years after, in which the holy monk obtained a constant exhibition of the torments of the wicked, for the edification of the Irish, But that it could not be Saint Patrick who tirsl mvented il, is plain from hissUence about it in his book 'de tribus habilaculus.' heaven, earth, and hell. Henry or Hugh, monk of Saltrey, in Huntingdonshire, was the tirst who wrote about it. and what one Owen or Tyndal, a soldier, had seen there. It was about si.\teen feet and a half long, by two feet one inch wide, built of freestone, covered with broad flag^. and green lurf laid over them, and was so low and narrow that a tall man could hardly sit, much less stand in it. lu the side was a window just wide enough to admit a faint ray of light; in the floor a cavity capable of containing a man at his length ; and, under a large stone at the end of tlie pavement, a deep pit, which had opened at the prayers ofthe saint. The bottom of tlie cave was originally much below the surface of Die ground. It stood on the east side of the church, in the church-yard, encompassed with a wall, and surrounded by circles or cells, called Ike Serfs, scarcely three leet high, denominated from several saints. The penitents who visited this island, after lasting on bread and water for nine days, and making processions round these holy stations Uirice a-day barefoot, for the first seven days, and si.x times on the eighth, wash- ing their weary limbs each night in Uie ailioining lake, on the ninth enter the cave. Here they observe a twenty-four hours' fast, tasting only a liule water, and, upon quit- lin» it bathe m the lake, and so conclude the solemnity. The ongmal preparatory fast, asweiearufrom Matthew Paris, was fifteen days, and as long after quitting the cave out of which all who entered did not return. ... " Leave being first obtained of the bishop of the diocese, the prior represented to the penitents all the horrors and diflicully of the undertaking, suggestmg to them at the same time an easier penance. If they persevered in their resolution, they were conducted to the door with a procession from the convent, and. after twenty-lour hours coiihne- mcnt let out the next morning with the hke ceremony. In this recess, enlightened only bv a kind of twUight, which discovered a field and hall, Owen was first visited by fifteen viersons clothed in white, like religious, newly shorn, who encouraged him agamst the lorridscenes that were next to present themselves to his view. They were succeeded bv troops of demons, who began with laying him on a burning pile, which he soon ei- tin-uisheJ, by pronouncing the name of Christ. They then dragged him through tlie Lv'eral scenes of torment, where the wicked suffered all the variety of tortures of aricent Tartarus • and, stanc-Jig proof against all these horrors, he was favored with a full view and description of paradise, by two venerable prelates, who refused to let him ^tay there. He met with the same demons and mo,d tlie duke of Lancaster to learn his intentions. The lord de Boucicaut, marshal of France, sir .Tohn de Chftteaumorant and sir John Barrois des Barres, were chosen for this purpose, and they were to have under their com. mand one thousand well appointed men-at-arms. They left Paris, and continued their march to Agen, where they quartered themselves as well as in the surrounding country : they then sent heralds and messengers to the duke of Lancaster, in the city of Bordeaux, to notify their wishes to speak with him. The duke made the messen- gers good cheer, heard what they had to say, and wrote back to their lords, that since they were desirous to speak with him, he was anx. ious to meet them ; and, in order to give them less trouble, would go to Bergerac, where they would confer together. The messengers, on their return to Agen, gave the letters Irom the duke of Lancaster, which satisfied them as to their safety, and they made preparations accordingly. As soon as they heard of the duke's arrival at Berge. rac, they left the city of Agen, and marched thither, where they found the gates open to receive them. The lords entered the town, and went to the hotels which had been prepared for them ; but their men lodged themselves in the suburbs and adjacent villages. The three lords waited on the duke of Lancaster, who kindly received them, as he knew well how to do ; and in reply to what they urged, he said, " that he wished always to be a good neighbor, and on friendly terms with the king and realm of France, and to adhere to every article of the truces that had been lately made between France, England, and their allies. He had been very active in forming these truces, and of course would be unwilling any way to infringe them; and of this they might be perfectly assured." The answer of the duke was highly gratifying to the French lords, who remained with him on the most friendly terms. He entertained them grandly at dinner and supper in the castle of Bergerac, after which they separated in a very amicable manner. The duke returned CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 567 to Bordeaux, and the French lords toward Paris; but in tlieir way they met tlie duke of Berry in Poitiers, to whom they related all they J' had done, and the duke of Lancaster's answer. The duke of Berry thought it satisfactory and reasonable, as did the king of France and the duke ot' Burgundy, when the three lords reported it to them, on their arrival at Paris. Things remained on this assurance quiet. " What after happened I have told you," added sir John de Grailly ; "for the duke of Lancaster sent hither some of the principal of his council, such as sir William de la Perriere, sir Peter Cliqueton, and two doctors of laws, master John Huche and master John Richards de Lincestre, to plead his cause before the king, his uncles and coun. cil.* It is for this reason the king is now going to Eltham ; for as Thursday next is Magdalen-day, the parliament will meet there. What decision they will come to, I cannot say ; but this I know, that the duke of Gloucester will be present, and be violent in his support of the duke of Lancaster's claims ; for I have heard from some of the English who ought to know, that he would cheerfully see his brother firmly established in Guyenne, and never to return to Eng- land, for he finds him his superior, and for this reason is desirous he should gain the duchy of Aquitaine. The duke of Gloucester has a good head, but is proud, and wonderfully overbearing in his man- ners. Let him say or act as he pleases, he is always popular with the commonalty, for they are mutually attached to each other. He was the cause of the execution of that valiant knight sir Simon Bur- ley. He it was, likewise, who caused the banishment of the duke of Ireland, the archbishop of York, and other knights of the king's council, who were either put to death on very slight grounds, or forced into foreign countries, during the time the duke of Lancaster, who is more feared than loved in this country, was in Castille. " Let us for the present," said sir John de Grailly, " quit this mat- ter, and speak of the second object that occupies the council. It seems to me, from what I have seen and heard, that the king of Eng- land wishes to marry again, and has had researches made every- where, but in vain, for a suitable lady. If the duke of Burgundy or count of Haniault had daughters of a proper age, he would not be averse to either; but they have none that are not already betrothed. He has been told that the king of Navarre has sisters and daughters, but he will not hear of them. The duke of Gloucester has likewise a grown up girl and marriageable, and he would be well pleased if his nephew would choose her ; but the king says, she is too nearly related, being his cousin-german. King Richard's thoughts are so bent on the eldest daughter of the king of France, he will not hear of any other : it causes great wonder in this country that he should be so eager to marry the daughter of his adversary, and he is not the better beloved for it. This he seems indiflerent to, and plainly shows that henceforward he will prefer war with any other country rather than with France. It was known i'rom experience how anxious he was that a stable peace should be established between the two coun. tries ; for he said the wars had lasted too long between him and his predecessors with France, and that too many valiant men have been slain on both sides, to the great weakening of the defenders of the Chris- tian faith. To put this idea out of the king's mind, for it is no way agreeable to the people of England, that he should connect himself by marriage with France, they have told him the lady was by far too young, and that for five or six years to come she would not be of a proper age for a wife. He replied by saying, that every day she would increase in age. In addition to this, he gave pleasantly his reasons for his preferring her : that since she was young, he should educate her, and bring her up to his own mind, and to the manners of the English ; and that for himself, he was young enough to wait until she should be of proper age for his wife. Nothing can make him change his resolution, and before you leave this country, you may perhaps witness many strange things. It is for this and the other business I mentioned that he is journeying toward London." With such conversation did sir John de Grailly entertain me while travelling between Rochester and Dartford. He was the bastard-son of that gallant knight the captal de Buch. I eagerly listened to all he said, and treasured his words in my memory ; for I rode chiefly in his company, and sir William de Lisle, the whole way from Leeds castle to Eltham. The king arrived at Eltham on a Tuesday. On the Wednesday, the lords ca.Tie from all parts. There was the duke of Gloucester, the earls of Derby, Arundel, Northumberland, Kent, Rutland, the earl marshal, the archbishops of Canterbury and of York, the bishops of London and Winchester : in short, all who had been summoned arrived at Elihnm on the Thursday, by eight o'clock in the morning. The parliament was holden in the king's apartment, in the presence of the king, his uncles, and council. The knights from Gascony and the deputies from the cities and towns, as well as those sent by the duke of Lancaster, were present. I cannot say what passed at this parliament, for I was not admitted, nor were any but the members of it. It sat for upward of four hours. When it was over, I renewed my acquaintance after dinner with an ancient knight whom in my youth I well knew, when he was of the the chamber of king Edward. He was one of the principal advisers of king Richard, and deserving of it: his name was sir Richard Sturry. He immediately recollected me, though it was twenty.four years since we had seen each other; the last time was at Colleberge,* at Brussels, in the hdtel of duke Winceslaus and the duchess Jane of Brabant. Sir Richard Sturry seemed very glad to see me, and made >ie a hearty welcome. He asked me many questions, which I an. swered as well as I could. While we were walking near the king's apartment at Eltham, I inquired if he could inform me what had been the determination of the parliament : having mused awhile, he said he would tell me, for it was not worth while to conceal what nmst shortly be made public. " You know," continued the knight, " or have heard, that the duke of Lancaster left England for Aquitaine, on receiving the magnificeat gift the king our lord made him. The king loves all who pretend friendship for him, but particularly the duke of Lancaster ; and out of gratitude, which he strongly feels, for the great services the duke has done the crown, as well on this as on the other side of the sea, the king has given to him and his heirs for ever the whole of the duchy of Aqui. laine, with all its dependencies, excepting the homage, which is the sole thing he has reserved for the crown of England in times to come. This gift has gone through every legal form, wilh the approbation and consent of his other uncles and the English parliament. The king had specially commanded all his subjects within the boundaries of Aqui- taine, to obey punctually his well-beloved uncle the duke of Lancas- ter, as their sovereign lord, and to pay him homage and service, in the usual manner as they have done to their lords in former times. Should any prove rebellious to these ordere, the king gives the duke of Lancaster full powers to punish such within three days after their disobedience, without any expectation of support from him. It has happened, however, that notwithstanding these strict orders of the king, the barons, knights, gentlemen, cities and towns of Gascony, under the obedience of England, have united together in opposition to the duke of Lancaster, and refuse to obey him, declaring and maintaining that the gift the king made his uncle the duke of Lan- caster is null and void. The duke, who is desirous of acting in this business by fair means, has listened to their reasonings on the sub- ject, and advised, to prevent further mischief, that they should send hither properly-instructed persons to lay their complaints before the king, and declare their reasons for having opposed his orders. " They have certainly, this day, very ably explained the cause of refusing their obedience to the duke of Lancaster, and have given the king and his council enough to think upon. They will probably succeed in their mission, and I will tell you my reasons for so think- ing ; but you will keep tV.em secret, until the matter shall become more public." I replied, that he might depend on my doing it. He then continued : " I believe it was the official of Bordeaux, who, for his learning, was their spokesman ; he began by showing their pro- curations from the different towns, that greater faith might be given to what he should say. He then declared, that ' the cities of Bor- deax, Bayonnc, Dax, and all the lordships dependent on them, or within their limits and jurisdictions, are of such noble condition, that no king of England, by any act of his, can disjoin them from the domain of the crown of England, nor alienate or dispose of them to any child, uncle or brother he may have, nor by any way of marriage- settlement nor otherwise. The above-named towns have received, from different kings of England, certain privileges, which their suc- cessors have sworn to maintain without any infringement ; and the moment a king of England comes into possession of the crown of England and its dependencies, he swears on the missal in his hand, to preserve inviolate all their privileges, which you, dear sire, have also done, as these papers will prove.' He then produced charters, fairly engrossed and sealed with the great seal of England, which king Richard, who was then present, had given them, and read the whole, clause by clause. The contents of the charters were well understood, for they were in Latin and French ; and at the end he named several great barons and prelates, to the number of eleven, who had been nominated as sureties. " When the papers were read, each lord looked at his neighbor and to the king, but not one said a word in reply. The official, having finished reading his deeds, thus spoke, addressing himself to the king: ' Most beloved and renowned sovereign, and you, my dear lords, all what you have just heard, am I charged by the deputies of the prin- cipal towns and inhabitants of Gascony to lay before you, and t» maintain their dependence solely on the crown of England, as the charters that have been shown plainly declare. Should the country be inclined to receive the duke of Lancaster for its lord, and be freed from the service and homage it owes you, the loss would be very great to England ; for if, at this moment, the duke is attached to the king, and attentive to preserve the privileges of the crown of Eng- land, that love and affection will, in course of time, be much weak- ened by his successive heirs, and by intermarriages that may take place : it is necessary that marriages should be concluded between great princes, for the more effectually preserving the love of their subjects. Now it may happen, in times to come, that the heirs of the duke of Lancaster shall unite themselves by marriage with the daugh- ters of the kings of France, the dukes of Berry, Brittany, the counts of Foix or of Armagnac, the kings of Navarre, the dukes of Anjou * HoUingshed cf.Ilstbem sir Willinm Perreer, sir Peter Clifton, master John Huich, and master Joim Richards, a canon of Leicester. ♦ "Colleberge." I do not understand this passage, for the town of Colberg is in the duchy of Pomerania. It never could have been there they met. There is a full stop at the end of Coileberg in liie printed and MS, copies. The MSS, say fourteen yehis tns1«ud of twenty-four. 568 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN. &c. or of Maine, and farm alliances with their connections on the other side of the sea, claiming the whole sovereignty of Guienne, and ruin- ing the country, by putting it in opposition to England. The king of England wiiuld probably, in such a case, have great difficulty in recoveriw" the rights due to the crown. Condescend, therefore, most noble king, and you, my dear lords, to consider well all the reasons I have laid before you ; for the whole country is unanimous and deter, mined to remain under the obedience of our much redoubted lord and king, and in dependence on the crown of England.' The offi- cial here ended his speech ; and the prelates and lords, looking to each other, approached the king, conducted by his two imcles and the earls of Derby and Arundel. "It was then suggested to those who had come from Aquitaine, to leave the chamber until called for, which they did, with the two knights who had been sent by the duke of Lancaster. This being done, the king demanded from the prelates and barons what answer should be made. The prelates referred the answer to the two uncles of the king, because the matter more nearly affected them. At first, they excused themselves, saying, it was a public concern, and should be deliberated on in common, and not treated as any matter of favor. The business thus remained for some time ; but the duke of Glou- cester being desired to give his opinion, he said, it would be a strong measure to take from the king a gift that he had made with the unanimous consent of his council, and that had been invested with every legal form, because his subjects were reliellious ; that the king was not lord of his inheritance if he could not dispose of it as he pleased. Some commented on this speech, while others had the courage to say the answer was not reasonable, though they dared not contradict it ; for the duke of Gloucester was much feared. The earl of Derby, son of the duke of Lancaster, added, ' Good uncle, you have well spoken, and justly explained the matter, and I support what you have said.' The council on this began to separate, and to murmur one to another ; but they did not c;ill in the envoys from Guyenne, nor those from the duke of Lancaster." Here the old knight ended his conversation ; but I learnt from him afterwards, that when the king heard this, he dissembled his opinion, with the intention of again summoning his council after dinner, to know if any measures, more to the advantage of the crown, should be adopted, or if anything further should be done in respect to Aqui- taine. The king made the archbishop of Canterbury speak on the busi. ness of his marriage, as he had ordered him in the morning, and who should be sent to France, for he was very earnest that this mat- ter should be accomplished. It had before been in debate, and was nearly agreed to, and those were named who were to cross the sea, although their instructions had not been given to them. In this council it was ordered, that the archbishop of Dublin, the carl of Rutland, the earl-marshal, the lord Beaumont, sir Hugh Spencer, sir Lewis Cliflbrd, to the number of twenty knights and forty squires of honor, should wait on the king of France, and propose a treaty of marriage between the king of England and the lady Isabella, his daughter, who might then be about eight years old. She had been betrothed before to the duke of Brittany's son, as you have seen, when the meeting took place, and peace was made between the king of France and the duke of Brittany, at Tours. To break this would be difficult, for the king of France and his uncles had put their seals to the treaty. Notwithstanding this obstacle, the English embassa- dors, having received their instructions, left London, and crossing the sea at Dover, arrived in two or three days at Calais. They staid there five days to refresh themselves and their horses, and then departed, taking the road to Amiens, having sent before the Irish lierald March, who had brought them passports from the king of France on his return to Calais. The lord de Monchourel* was also sent as a guide, and to have all cities and towns opened to them, as well as to provide for what they might want. We will leave them for a little, and return to the matters we were before speaking of. As I have mentioned, the deputies from Gascony, and from the chief towns in Aquitaine, were earnest in their solicitations to the king and council that they might remain attached to the crown of England, according to their ancient rights and privileges, which it had been repeatedly sworn should be observed, in spite of every cause, obstacle, or condition to the contrary. Three parts of the council, and the unanimous voice of the people of England, were on their side ; but Thomas of Woodstock, duke of Gloucester, youngest son of the late king Edward, opposed them, and plainly showed he wished his brother of Lancaster to be detained in Aquitaine, for he felt he was too powerful when in England, and too nearly allied to the king. As for his brother of York, he held him cheap, for he interfered little in public affairs, and was without malice or guile, wishing only to live in quiet: he had besides just married a young and beautiful wife, daughter to the earl of Kent, with whom he spent most of his time which was not occupied with other amusements. The duke of Gloucester was cunning and malicious, and continually soliciting favors from his nephew king Richard, pleading poverty, though he abounded in wealth ; for he was constable of England, duke of Gloucester, earl of Buckingham, Esse.x, and Northampton. He had, besides, pensions on the king's exchequer, to the amount of * MoQcboureJ. In the AISS. Mont-caurel. four thousand nobles a year ; and he would not exert himself in any way to serve his king or country, if he were not well paid for it. He was violently adverse to those of Aquitaine in this business, and did everything in his power that the duke of Lancaster might not return to England, for then he would have everything his own way. To show that he governed the king and was the greatest in the council, as soon as he had delivered his opinion and saw that many- were murmuring at it, and that the prelates and lords were discus, sing it in small parties, he quitted the king's chamber, followed by the earl of Derby, and entered the hall at Eltham, where he ordered a table to be spread, and they both sat down to dinner while the others were debating the business. When the duke of York heard they were at dinner, he joined them. After their dinner, which took no long time, the duke of Gloucester, dissembling his thoughts, took leave of the king as he was seated at table, mounted his horse, and returned to London. The earl of Derby remained that and the en- suing day, with the king and the lords, but those from Aquitaine could not procure any answer to their petitions. CHAPTER LXIV. FKOISSAET TRESENTS HIS BOOK OF LOVE POEMS TO KING RICHAKD OF EJfG- LAND. HE RELATES WHAT HE HAD HEARD OF THE LAST EXPEDITION OF THE ENGLISH TO IRELAND. I HAVE taken much pleasure in detailing everything relative to the dispute with Gascony and Aquitaine, that the truth of my histoiy may be apparent ; and because I, the author of it, could not be present in these councils, that ancient and valiant knight sir Richard Sturry told me everything, word f«r word, as I have transcribed. On the Sunday, the whole council were gone to London, excepting the duke of York, who remained with the king, and sir Richard Sturry ; these two, in conjunction with sir Thomas Percy, mentioned me again to the king, who desired to see the book I had brought for him. I pre- sented it to him in his chamber, for I had it with me, and laid it on his bed. He opened and looked into it with much pleasure. He ought to have been pleased, for it was handsomely written and illu- minated, and bound in crimson velvet, with ten silver-gilt studs, and roses of the same in the middle, with two large clasps of silver-gilt, richly worked with roses in the centre. The king asked me what the book treated of: I replied, "Of love I" He was pleased with the answer, and dipped into several places, reading parts aloud, for he read and spoke French perfectly well, and then gave it to one of his knights, called ^ir Richard Credon, to carry to his oratory, and made me many acknowledgments for it. It happened this same Sunday, after the king had received my book so handsomely, an English squire being in the king's chamber, called Henry Castide,* a man of prudence and character, and who spoke French well, made acquaintance with me, because he saw the king and lords give me so hearty a reception, and had likewise no. ticed the book I had presented to the king : he also imagined, from his first conversation, that I was an historian ; indeed, he had been told so by sir Richard Sturry. He thus addressed me : " Sir John, have you as yet found any one to give you an account of the late expedition to Ireland, and how four kings of that country submitted themselves to the obedience of the king ?" I replied, that I had not. " I wi I tell it you, then," said the squire, who might be about fifty years old, " in order that, when you are returned home, you may at your leisure insert it in your history, to be had in perpetual remem. brance." I was delighted to hear this, and offered him my warmest thanks. Henry Castide thus began : " It is not in the memory of man, that any king of England ever led so large an armament of men-at-arms, and archers to make war on the Irish, as the present king. He re. mained upward of nine months in Ireland, at great expense, which, however, was cheerfully defrayed by his kingdom ; for the principal cities and towns of England tliought it was well laid out, when they saw their king return home with honor. Only gentlemen and archers had been employed on this expedition ; and there were with the king four thousand knights and squires and thirty thousand archers, all regularly paid every week, and so well they were satisfied. To tell you the truth, Ireland is one ni the worst countries to make war in, or to conquer ; for there are snch impenetrable and extensive forests, lakes, and bogs, there is no knowing how to pass them, and carry on war advaiitageously : it is so thinly inhabited, that, whenever the Irish please, they desert the towns, and take refuge in these forests, and live in huts made of boughs, like w ild beasts ; and v.henever they perceive any parties advancing with hostile dispositions, and about to enter their country, they fly to such narrow passes, it is im- possible to follow them. When they find a favorable opportunity to attack their enemies to advantage, which frequently happens, from their knowledge of the count/y, they fail not to seize it ; and no man- at-arms, be he ever so well mounted, can overtake them, so light are they of foot. Sometimes they leap from the ground behind a horse- man, and embrace the rider (for they are very strong in their arms) so tightly, that he can no way get rid of them. The Irish have pointed * "Castide. him Cristelle. TliefllSS.Cristeed. Stowe. Henry Cristall. Sauvage afterwards caUfr CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 569 knives, with broad blades, sharp on both sides like a dart-head, with ■which they kill their enemies ; but they never consider them as dead until they have cut their throats like sheep, opened their bellies and taken out their hearts, which they carry ofl" with them, and some say, who are well acquainted with their manners, that they devour them as delicious morsels. They never accept of ransom for their prisoners; and when they find they have not the advantage in any skirmishes, they instantly separate, and hide themselves in hedges, bushes, or holes under the ground, so that they seem to disappear, no one knows whither. Irish CHiErTii»9 aunsa a Charoi. Metrical History, Harleian MSS " Sir William Windsor, who has longer made war in Ireland than any other English knight, has never been able during his residence among them, to leam correctly their manners, nor the condition of the Irish people. They are a very hardy race, of great subtlety, and of various tempers, paying no attention to cleanliness, nor to any gentleman, although their country is governed by kings, of whom there are several, but seem desirous to remain in the savage state they have been brought up in. True it is, that four of the most potent kings in Ireland have submitted to the king of England, but more through love and good-humor, than by battle or force. The earl of Ormond, whose lands join their kingdoms, took great pains to induce them to go to Dublin, where the king our lord resided, and to submit themselves to him and to the crown of England. This was considered by every one as a great acquisition, and the object of the armament accomplished : for, during the whole of king Ed- ward's reign of happy memory, he had never such success as king Richard. The honor is great, but the advantage is little, for with such savages nothing can be done. I will tell you an instance of their savageness, that it may serve as an example to other nations. You may depend on its trutli ; for I was an eye-witness of what I shall relate, as they were about a month under my care and govern- ance at Dublin, to teach the usages of England, by orders of the king and council, because I knew their language as well as I did French and English, for in my youth I was educated among them ; and earl Thomas, father of the present earl of Ormond, kept me with hini, out of afiection, for my good horsemanship. " It happened that the earl above mentioned was sent with three hundred lances and one thousand archers to make war on the Irish ; for the English had kept up a constant warfare against them in hopes of bringing them under their subjection. The earl of Ormond, whose lands bordered on his opponents, had that day mounted me on one of his best horses, and I rode by his side. The Irish having formed an ambuscade to surprise the English, advanced from it ; but were so sharply attacked by the archers, whose arrows they could not withstand, for they are not armed against them, that they soon re- treated. The earl pursued them, and I, who was well mounted, kept close by him : it chanced that in this pursuit my horse took fright, and ran away with me, in spite of all my efforts, into the midst of the enemy. My friends could never overtake me; and, in passing through the Irish, one of them, by a great feat of agility, leaped on the back of my horse, and held me tight, with both of his arms, but did me no harm wjth lance or knife. He pressed my horse forward for more than tw o hours, and conducted him to a large bush, in a very retired spot, where he found his companions who had run thither to escape the English. He seemd much rejoiced to have made me his prisoner, and carried me to his house, which was strong, and in a town sur- rounded with wood, palisades, and stagnant water : the name of this town was Herpelin.* The gentleman who had taken me was caJled Brin Costeret,t a very handsome man. I have frequently made in- quiries after him, and hear that he is still alive, but very old. This Bryan Costeret kept me with him seven years, and gave me his daughter in marriage, by whom I have two girls. I will tell you how I obtained my liberty. It happened in the seventh year of my captivity, that one of their kings, Arthur Macquemaire, king of Lein- ster, raised an army against Lionel duke of Clarence, son to king Edward of England, and both armies met very near the city of Lein- eter. In the battle that followed, many were slain and taken on both sides ; but, the English gaining the day, the Irish were forced to fly, and the king of Leinster escaped. The father of my wife was made prisoner, under the ban- ner of the duke of Clarence ; and as Bryan Costeret was mounted on my horse, which was remembered to have belonged to the earl of Ormond, it was then first known that I was alive, and that he had honorably entertained me at his house in Herpelin, and given me his daughter in marriage. The duke of Clarence, sir WilUam Windsor, and all our party, were well pleased to hear this news, and he was offered his liberty, on condition that he gave me mine, and sent me to the English army, with my wife and children. He at first re- fused these terms, from his love to me, his daughter, and our children ; but, when he found no other terms would be accepted, he agreed to them, pro. vided my eldestdaughter remained with him. I returned to England with my wife and youngest daughter, and fixed my residence at Bristol. My two chil. dren are married : the one established, in Ireland has three boys and two girls,, and her sister four sons and two daugh- ters. " Because the Irish language is as fa- mihar to me as English, for I Iiave always spoken it in my family, and introduce it among my grandchildren as much as I can, I have been chosen by our lord and king to teach and accustom the four Irish kings, who have sworn obedience forever to England, to the manners of the English. I must say, that these kings, who were under my management, were of coarse manners and understandings ; and, in spite of all that I could do to soften their language and nature, very little progress has been made, for they would frequently return to their former coarse behavior. " I will more particularly relate the charge that was given me over them, and how I managed it. The king of England intended these four kings should adopt the manners, appearance, and dress of the English, for he wanted to create them knights. He gave them first a very handsome house in the city of DubUn for themselves and at- tendants, where I was ordered to reside with them, and never to leave the house without an absolute necessity. I lived with them three or four days without any way interfering, that we might become accus- tomed to each other, and I allowed them to act just as they pleased. I observed, that as they sat at table, they made grimaces, that did not seem to me graceful nor becoming ; and I resolved in my mind to make them drop that custom. When these kings were seated at table, and the first dish was served, they would make their minstrels and principal servants sit beside them, and eat from their plates and drink from their cups. They told me, this was a praiseworthy cus torn of their country, where everything was in common but the bed. I permitted this to be done for three days; but on the fourth I ordered the tables to be laid out and covered properly, placing the tour kings at an upper table, the minstrels at another below, and the servants lower still. They looked at each other, and refused to eat, saying I had deprived them of their old custom in which they had been brought up. I replied with a smile, to appease them, that their custom was not decent nor suitable to their rank, nor would it be honorable for them to continue it ; for that now they should conform to the man- ners of the English ; and to instruct them in these particulars was the motive of my residence with them, having been so ordered by the king of England and his council. When they heard tliis, they made no further opposition to whatever I proposed, from having placed themselves under the obedience of England, and continued good-humoredly to persevere in it as long as I staid with them. " They had another custom I knew to be common in the country, which was the not wearing breeches. I had, in consequence, plenty of breeches made of linen and cloth, which I gave to the kings and their attendants, and accustomed them to wear them. I took away many rude articles, as well in their dress as other things, and had * " Herpelin." In MSS. Herpelepin. r " Brin Costeret." Q. Bryan Costeret. 570 CHRONICLES OF ENGLA^D, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. great difficulty, at the first, to induce them to wear robes of silken cloth, trimmed with squirrel-skin or minever, for the kings only wrapped themselves up in an Irish cloak. In riding, they neither used saddles nor stirrups, and I had some trouble to make them con- form in this respect to the English manners. " I once made inquiry concerning their faith ; but they seemed so much displeased, I was forced to silence : they said they believed in God and the Trinity, without any difference from our creed. I asked ■which pope they were inclined to : they replied, without hesitation, ' To that at Rome.' I inquired, if they would like to receive the order of knighthood ? for the king would willingly create them such, after the usual modes of France, England, and other countries. They said they were knights already, which ought to satisfy them. I asked when they were made ; they answered, at seven years old ; that in Ireland a king makes his son a knight, and should the child have lost his father, then the nearest relation ; and the young knight begins to learn to tilt with a light lance against a shield fi.\ed to a post in a field, and the more lances he breaks the more honor he ac- quires. ' By this method,' added they, ' are our young knights trained, more especially kings' sons.' Although I asked this, I was before ■well acquainted with tlie manner of educating their children to arms. I made no further reply than by saying, this kind of childish knight, hood would not satisfy the king of England, and that he would create them in another mode. They asked, ' In what manner ?' ' In church, with most solemn ceremonies ;' and I believe they paid attention to what I said. "About two days after, the king was desirous to create these kings knights ; and the earl of Ormond, who understood and spoke Irish well, as his lands joined the territories of the kings, was sent to wait on them, that they might have more confidence in the message from the king and council. On his arrival, they showed him every res. pcct, which he returned, as he knew well how to do, and they seemed happy at his coming. He began a most friendly conversation with them, and inquired if they were satisfied with my conduct and be. havior. They replied, ' Perfectly well : he has prudently and wisely taught us the manners and usages of liis country, for which we ought to be obliged, and do thank him.' This answer was agreeable to the earl of Onnond, for it showed sense ; and then, by degrees, he began to talk of the order of knighthood they were to receive, explaining to them every article and ceremony of it, and how great a value should be set on it, and how those who were created knights behaved. The whole of the earl's conversation was very pleasing to the four kings, whom, however, as I have not named, I will now do: first, Aneel the great, king of Mecte j* secondly. Brand de Thomond, king .if Thomond and of Aire ;t the third, Arthur Macquemaire, king of Leinster ; and the fourth, Contruo, king of Ghenour and Erpe.t They were made knights by the hand of the king of England, on the feast of our Lady in March, which that year fell on a Thursday, in the cathedral of Dublin, that was founded by Saint John the Baptist. The four kings watched all the Wednesday.night in the cathedral ; and on the morrow, after mass, they were created knights, with much solemnity. There were knighted at the same time sir Thomas Or. phem,^ sir Joathas Pado, and his cousin sir John Pado. The four kings were very richly dressed, suitable to their rank, and that day dined at the table of king Richard, where they were much stared at by the lords and those present : not indeed without reason ; for they were strange figures, and difierent countenanced to the English or other nations. We are naturally inclined to gaze at anything strange, and it was certainly, sir John, at that 'time, a great novelty to see four Irish kings.'' " Sir Henry, I readily believe you, and would have given a good deal if I could have been there. Last year I had made arrangements for coming to England, and should have done so, had I not heard of the death of queen Anne, which made me postpone my journey. But I wish to ask you one thing, which has much surprised me: I should like to know how these four Irish kings have so readily submitted to king Richard, when his valiant grandfather, who was so much re- doubted everywhere, could never reduce them to obedience, and was always at war with them. You have said it was brought about by a treaty and the grace of God : the grace of God is good, and of in. finite value to those who can obtain it ; but we see few now.a.days augment their territories otherwise than by force. When I shall be returned to my native country of Hainault, and speak of these mat. ters, I shall be strictly examined concerning thenfi for our lord duke Albert of Bavaria, earl of Holland, Hainault, and Zealand, and his son William of Hainault, style themselves lords of Friesland, an ex. tensive country, over which they claim the government, as their pre- decessors have done before them ; but the Frieslanders refuse to acknowledge their right, and will not by any means submit them- selves to their obedience." To this Henry Castide answered : " In truth, sir John, I cannot ■more fully explain how it was brought about ; but it is generally be. lieved by most of our party, that the Irish were exceedingly fright, cned at the great force the lung landed in Ireland, where it remained for nine months. Their coasts were so surrounded, that neither provision nor merchandise could be landed ; but the inland natives were indifferent to this, as they are unacquainted with commerce, nor do they wish to know anything of it, but simply to live like wild beasts. Those who reside on the coast opposite to England are bet. ter informed, and accustomed to traffic. King Edward, of happy memory, had in his reign so many wars to provide for, in France, Brittany, Gascony, and Scotland, that his forces were dispersed in difierent quarters, and he was unable to send any great armament to Ireland. When the Irish found so large a force was now come against them, they considered it most advisable to submit themselves to the king of England. Formerly, when Saint Edward, who had been canonized, and was worshipped with much solemnity by the English, was their king, he thrice defeated the Danes on sea and land. "This Saint Edward, king of England, lord of Ireland and of Aquitaine,* the Irish loved and feared more than any other king of England before or since. It was for this reason, that when our king went thither last year, he laid aside the leopards and flowers de luce, and bore the arms of Saint Edward emblazoned on all his banners : these were a cross patenc6 or, on a field gules, with four doves ai. gent on the shield or banner, as you please. This we heard was very pleasing to the Irish, and inclined them more to submission, for in truth the ancestors of these four kings had done homage and ser. vice to Saint Edward ; they also considered king Richard as a pru. dent and conscientious man, and have therefore paid their homage in the like manner as was done to Saint Edward. " Thus I have related to you how oHr king accomplished the object of his expedition to Ireland. Keep it in your memory, that when returned home you may insert it in your chronicle with other histories that are connected with it." " Henry," said I, " you have well spoken, and it shall be done." Upon this we separated ; and meet. ing soon after, the herald March, I said, " March, tell me what are the arms of Henry Castide ; for I have found him very agreeable, and he has kindly related to me the history of the king's expedition to Ireland, and of the four Irish kings, who, as he says, were under hia governance upward of fifteen days." March replied, " He bears for arms a chevron gules on a field argent, with three besants gules, two above the chevron and one below." All these things I retained in my memory, and put on paper, for I wished not to forget them. ♦ "Aneel the groat, king of Mepte." d. O'Neale the great, king of Meath. t " Thomond and Aire." Q. Ulster. t " Contruo, king of Chenour and Erpe." Q. O'Connor, king of Conaaught. j " Sir Thomas Orphem." MSS. Ourghem and Gourghem. CHAPTER LXV. THE DUKE OF LANCASTER IS ORDERED BACK FROM AQUITAINE. KINO RICHARD RECEIVES A FRIENDLY ANSWER TO THE PROPOSALS HIS EMBAS. SADORS HAD MADE TO THE KING Of FRANCE FOR A MARRIAGE BETWEEN HIM AND THE LADY ISABELLA, PRINCESS OF FRANCE. I REMAINED in the household of the king of England as long as I pleased : but I was not always in the same place, for the king fre. quently changed his abode. He went to Eltham, Leeds-castle, Kings- ton, Shene, Chertsey, and Windsor ; none very far from London. I was told for truth, that the king and his council had written to the duke of Lancaster to return to England, for those from Aquitaine had boldly declared they would not submit to any other lord but the king of England. This had been determined on by so large a majority of the council, that the duke of Gloucester, anxious as he was to keep his brother out of England, could not prevail that the gift the king had made him should be persevered in. The whole council were fearful of the consequences : they were perfectly aware of what the deputies from Gascony had meant by their speeches ; for they de. clared, that should the duchy of Aquitaine be alienated from the crown of England, it would in times to come be very prejudicial to its interests. They were unwilling, therefore, to risk such a loss, as the towns of Bordeaux and Bayonne had always strongly supported the cause of England. This was not forgotten to be urged in the council during the absence of the duke of Gloucester ; but when he was present none dared to declare their real sentiments. The affair, therefore, was not further pressed. I will now say something of the earl of Rutland, the earl marshal, and the other English embassadors, that had been sent to France to treat of a marriage between king Richard and the young daughter of the king of France, who was not then more than eight years old, and tell how they prospered. These embassadors continued their journey from Calais, through Amiens, Clermont in Beauvoisis, to Paris: wherever they passed, they were most honorably received, ac- ording to orders that had been given by the king of France and his council. They were lodged at Paris near the Croix du Tiroir, and their attendants and horses, to the amount of five hundred, in the adjacent streets. The king of France resided at the Louvre, the queen and her children at the hotel de Saint Pol, the duke of Berry at the hotel de Nesle, the duke of Burgundy at the h6tel d'Artois : the duke of Bourbon, the duke of Orieans, the count de Saint Pol, and the lord de Coucy, were at their own hotels ; for the king had sum- moned the whole of his council, that he might be the better advised what answer to make to the English lords. He had ordered that two hundred crowns of France should be paid during their stay in Paris, for the expenses of them and their horses. * Tlus must be a mistake ; for Aquitaine was brought to the crou-n of England by the marriage of Eleanora, the divotood queen of Louis le Jeune, king of France, with Henry H. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . 571 I Tho principal lords, such as the earl of" Rutland and the earl mar. ehal, were frequently with the king, and staid dinner : the king, his brother and uncles, showed them every attention, from respect to the king of England. The embassadors demanded an answer to their proposals, but were some time put off with excuses ; for it was mat- ter of great surprise to every one that the English should be so forward to offer such an alliance, after the bitter war that had been carried on between the two nations, for such a length of time. Some in the council said ; "How will it be possible for the king, our lord, to give his daughter in marriage to his adversary tiie king of England ? We think, that before such a measure can take place, there ought to be a solid peace established between France, England, and their allies." This and many other points were agitated in the privy council of France. There was at this period a very wise chancellor of France, called sir Amaud de Corbie : he saw far into events likely to happen, and knew well the different interests that swayed the kingdom. He said to the king and his uncles ; " My lords, we ought to go straight for- ward in this business ; for king Richard of England shows plainly that he wishes nothing but affection to France, since he is desirous to ally himself with us by marriage. We have had two conferences for peace at Amiens and at Leulinghen, but neither were brought to any better conclusion than a prolongation of the truce. We know for certain, that the duke of Gloucester is in opposition to the king of England and his two brothers of Lancaster and of York, in every- thing relative to a peace with France. Neither the king of England nor any others who wish for peace can make him change his senti- ments, but in the end he will not be able to withstand the king. Let us therefore make the most of this overture, and give the embassadors such an answer that they may return satisfied." The king of France and his uncles agreed with the chancellor, more especially the duke of Burgundy, who was so tired of war that he was anxious for peace on almost any terms. He was principally induced to this from his territories of Flanders, which he held in right of his duchess, being opposite to the shores of England ; and the hearts of the Flemings ■were more inclined to the English than the French, from the com- merce that was carried on between the two countries. It was de- termined in the privy council, that the hearty welcome which had been made to the English should be continued: the king particularly willed it so : and it was advised (whether through dissimulation or not) that the embassadors from England should receive kind answers, and have hopes given them before their departure that the king of England's proposal would be complied with. The queen of France resided at the hotel of St. Pol, on the banks of the Seine ; and, the better to please the English lords, their request was granted, to visit the queen and children, and especiall;- the prin- cess whom they were soliciting for their queen, as they were impa- tient to see her. This had been at first refused, for the council excused themselves, by saying that she was but a child ; and that, at her age of eight years, nothing could be judged of what she might turn out. She had, however, been well educated, as she showed the English lords when they waited upon her; for, when the lord marshal had dropped on his knees, saying, " Madam, if it please God, you shall be our lady queen," she replied instantly, and with. out any one advising her, " Sir, if it please God, and my lord and father, that I be queen of England, I shall be well pleased thereat; for I have been told I shall then be a great lady." She made the earl marshal rise, and, taking him by the hand, led him to the queen, who was much pleased at her answer, as were all who heard it. The appearance and manners of this young princess were very agreeable to the English embassadors ; and they thought among themselves that she would be a lady of high honor and great worth. When they had staid at Paris more than twenty days, having all their expenses defrayed by the king o( France, they received favorable answers to their demands from the king and council, with great hopes that the object of their mission would be accomplished, but not immediately ; for the princess was very young, and had likewise been betrothed to the son of the duke of Brittany. This obstacle they were told must be first got over, before anything further could be done in the matter : it must therefore remain in this state the ensuing winter ; during Lent, the king of France would send information of what had been done to the king of England ; and, when the days should be length, ened, the weather fine, and the sea calm, they might return, or any others whom the king of England should prefer to send, and they would be well received by the king and council of France. This answer was satisfactory to the English embassadors. They took leave of the queen, her daughter the lady Isabella, the brother and uncles of the king, and of all whom it was necessary to take leave, and left Paris, following the same road they had come from Calais. The earl of Rutland and earl marshal, who were the princi. pals in this embassy, hastened, before any of the attendants, to carry the news of what they had done to the king of England. They landed at Sandwich, and in less than a day and a half arrived at Windsor, where the king then was. He was much rejoiced at their arrival, and with the answers they nad brought back. He did not neglect this business ; for his mind was so much occupied with it, that his whole thoughts were employed on the means of obtaining the daughter of France for hie queen. If the king of England was thus busily employed, the king and his council of France were not less so, in turning their thoughts how they could make the most of this marriage to the honor and advantage of their country. Many spoke of it, saying, " If our advice were asked on the mat- ter, and listened to, we would say, that the king of England should never have a princess of France until a firm peace were made between the two kingdoms and their allies. What good can be looked to from this connection to either country ? for the moment the truces ex- pire, and they have but three years to run, the war will recommence with as much inveteracy as before. These things ought to be well considered." The dukes of Berry and Orleans, with many of the great barons of France, were of this opinion, which was well known to the king, the duke of Burgundy, and to the chancellor, who were eager for any peace that should not be dishonorable to the crown of France. CHAPTER LXVI. A SQUIRE OF NORMANDY, CALLED ROBERT THE HERMIT, HAVINS DECLARED HE HAD SEEN A VISION, WHILE AT SEA, ORDERING HIM TO INTERFERE IN MAKING A PEACE BET\VEEN FRANCE AND ENGLAND, IS SENT TO KINS RICHARD AND HIS UNCLES TO THIS EFFECT. At this period a valiant and prudent squire returned home to P'rance : he had travelled much beyond sea, and his voyages and travels had gained him great renown, both at home and abroad, wherever they were known. This squire was from the country of Caux in Normandy, and his name was Robert Menuot,* but he was called Robert the Hsrmit. He was of a religious and holy life, of fair speech, and might be about fifty years old. He had attended the conferences at Leulinghen between the lords of France and England, where his discourses had been well listened to. When Robert left Syria to return home, he embarked at Baruth, but had when at sea a furious tempest, so that, for two days and a night, he and his com- panions were in such danger they thought they must be lost. Per- sons in such peril are generally very repentant and contrite, and have a greater fear of God. It happened, toward the end of the storm, when the weather and sea became somewhat calmer, that a figure as bright as crystal appeared to Robert, and said : " Robert, thou shall escape Irom this peril, as well as thy companions for thy sake, for God has favorably heard thy prayers. Ho orders thee by me, to re- turn to France as speedily as thou canst, and instantly on thy arrival to wait on the king, and relate what has befallen thee. Thou wilt tell him to listen to peace with his adversary the king of England, for their wars have lasted too long. Do thou interfere boldly, when conferences shall be holden to treat of peace between king Charles and king Richard, for thou shall be heard ; and all those who shall any way oppose or prevent peace from taking effect, shall dearly pay for their wickedness in their lifetime." Upon this, the voice ceased and the figure vanished, leaving Robert very pensive on what he had heard. He, however, believed that what he had seen came from Heaven : and from that moment they had wind and weather to their wishes, which brought them to Genoa. Robert, on landing, took leave of liis fellow.passengers, and made the best of his way to Avignon, where the first thing he did was to pay his devotions in the church of St. Peter. Finding there the grand penitentiary, he confessed himself duly and devoudy to him, relating the vision you have just read, and asked his advice how he should act on the occasion. The penitentiary strictly enjoined him, ' not to mention the vision to any one before he had told it to the king of France, according to the orders given him, and that whatever the king should command he must do. Robert followed this advice, and dressing himself in plain gray cloth, with very simple attendance, left Avignon, and continued his journey to Paris, where he heard tliat the king was at Abbeville, to be near the conference at Amiens be. tween the French and English. He immediately went to the abbey of St. Peter, where the king was lodged at Abbeville, and was intro- duced to the presence by a Norman knight, his nearest relation, called sir William Martel, who was of the king's chamber. Robert minutely related everj'thing that had happened to him, which the king listened to with great attention ; but as the duke of Burgundy and sir Arnaud de Corbie, chancellor of France, the two most active commissioners for France, were absent at the conference, he said to Robert; "Our council are at Leulinghen : you will remain until they shall return, when I will talk with my uncle of Burgundy and the chancellor, and act according as they shall best advise." " God assist them !" an. swered Robert. This same week, the commissioners returned to Abbeville from the conference, bringing with them a project for peace. The English had inserted articles of such importance as a preliminary, that they had refused to admit them without knowing first the king's will on the subject ; and on their arrival, they laid them before his majesty. The king took his uncle of Burgundy and the chancellor aside, to inform them of what Robert the hermit had told him, and to know if it ought to be believed and acted upon. They, having looked at each other some time in silence, said they would examine this Robert themselves, and then would give him their opinion. Robert was sent for, and being not far from where these secret councils were held, soon arrived. On his admission, he paid the king and the duke of Burgundy much respect; and the king said, "Repeat once * "MenuM." MS6. Mennot. 572 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. more, very minutely, all that you told me." "Willingly, sire, "replied Robert. He then detailed all you have before heard of his adven- tures and vision, to which they attentively listened ; and, when he had done, they desired him to leave the chamber, these three only remaining together. The king asked the duke of Burgundy what he thought of it ; " My lord," said he, " the chancellor and myself will consider of it, and give you our answer to-morrow." "Very well," answered the king. The duke and the chancellor consulted a long time by themselves on this matter, and on their mode of acting ; for they saw the king believed the whole, and was desirous that Robert should be added to them as a commissioner ; for he was so eloquent he converted the hearts of all who heard him They at last resolved, that if Robert should publicly declare the orders he had received in his vision, it would be advisable for him to come to Leulinghen and explain it to the lords of England, and all who wished to hear it ; that it was law- ful so to act ; and this was the answer they made to the king on the ensuing day. When the duke of Burgundy and the chancellor re- turned to the conference, they carried Robert the hermit with them, ■who was ready enough to speak what you have heard. On the lords of France and England being assembled, Robert came in the midst of them, and eloquently told the vision he had had at sea, and main, tained, by a long harangue, that wiiat it said was by divine inspira- tion, and that God had sent it to him, because he willed it should be 80. Some of the English lords, such as the duke of Lancaster, the earl of Salisbury, sir Thomas Percy, sir William Clanvow, the bish- ops of Saint David's and London, were inclined to credit what Robert related ; but the duke of Gloucester and the earl of Arundel paid not any regard to it, and, when at their lodgings, in the absence of the French lords, said it was only a cheat, and a story made up to laugh at and deceive them. They unanimously resolved to write to king Richard every particular of what Robert the hermit had said and seen. This was done, and the letters given to a knight of the king's chamber, called sir Richard Credon, who found the king at a handsome place in Kent, called Leeds castle. He presented the king letters from his commissioners at Leulinghen, which gave him a full detail of everything relative to Robert the hermit. The king took much delight in perusing these letters at his leisure, and, when he came to the part that related to Robert the hermit, he said he should be glad to see and hear this Robert ; for he was inclined to believe that what he said had happened to him might be true. He wrote back to the duke of Lancaster and the earl of Salisbury, to press them to exert themselves, that a firm peace should be estab- lished between him, the king of France and his allies ; for as Robert the hermit had said, the wars had lasted too long, and it was full time to hit upon some means to procure peace. I have before related the whole of this matter : and that as noth- ing was concluded, in regard to a peace, a truce had been agreed on by the commissioners on each side, before they separated, between the two kingdoms and their alUes, to last for four years, while, in the mean time, they would study to promote a lasting peace. Such were the intentions of the English commissioners, with the exception of the duke of Gloucester; for he was resolved, on his return to England, to oppose any peace with France ; but he dissembled then his real sentiments, to please the king and his brother of Lancaster. Thus did I become acquainted with what passed relative to Robert the hermit. Shortly after the return of the earl of Rutland, the earl marshal, the archbishop of Dublin, sir Hugh Despencer, sir Lewis Clifford, and those who had been attached to the embassy to France bringing with them friendly answers relative to the marriage, the parliament as- sembled at Westminster. These parliaments lost usually four days, when all business relative to the country is settled. At the meeting of this parliament the duke of Lancaster returned from Bordeaux, whither he had been sent as duke of Aquitaine, for the inhabitants had refused to receive hkn in that quaUty. But I have mentioned these things before, and shall therefore say no more on the subject. The duke of Lancaster, on his return to England, was well received by the king and lords, as was right, and they dis- coursed on various business together. As soon as it was known in France that the duke of Lancaster was in England, the king and his council resolved to send thither Robert the hermit, with credential letters to the king of England, who was desirous of seeing him ; and that, when he should come back to France, the count de Saint Pol would go thither. Robert the hermit would be well received by the king and lords of England, who would cheerfully attend to all he should relate of the affairs of Syria, Tartary, of Bajazet and Turkey, where ho had resided a long time ; for of such matters the English lords are very curious. Robert was ordered to make his preparations for going to England, which much pleased him, saying he would wil- lingly go thither, as it was a country he had never seen. Credential letters were given him from the king of France to king Richard and to his uncles. Robert left Paris with his array of only seven horses, (but all his expenses, as was just, were to be paid by the king of France,) and travelled to Boulogne, where he embarked and crossed to Dover. He then went to Eltham, a palace of the king of England, seven miles from London, and met there the king, the duke of Lancaster, the earls of Salisbury and Huntingdon, and sir Thomas Percy, who showed him much attention, in honor to the king of France, as did their sovereign, from his desire to see him. He gave his letters to the king and the other lords, who perused them with pleasure ; but the duke of Gloucester was, I believe, at this lime, at a castle of his called Pleshy, in Essex. When Robert had remained at Eltham with the king and his court five days, he took his leave, and departed to visit the duke of Gloucester. With this intention he rode to London, and, on the next day, continued hia journey, and lay at a town, fifteen miles from London, called Bre. honde,* and on the morrow arrived at Pleshy, where he was hand- somely received by the duke and duchess and their children. Rob. ert delivered his letters from the king of France to the duke, who, on finding that they were credential letters, took Robert aside and demanded the cause of his coming. Robert replied, that he would tell him at his leisure, for that he was not come to make a short visit. "Well," said the duke, "you are very welcome." Robert the hermit was well acquainted with the double character of the duke, and that he was violent against a peace with France, and in strong opposition to the king and his brother of Lancaster, who were well inclined to put an end to the war. He knew not well how to begin on this bus. iness, nor what means to urge to make him change his opinion ; for he had witnessed his violence at Leulinghen, and knew that a war with France was uppermost in his thoughts. This, however, did not prevent Robert from talking to the duke of Gloucesirr, respecting a peace ; but he found the duke cold and reserved in his answers. He said, "that he had two elder brothers, of Lancaster and York, and that it was to them such affairs ought to be addressed in prefe. rence to him ; besides, supposing he was willing to agree to a peace, perhaps the rest of the nation would not consent." " My very dear lord," replied Robert, " for the love of our Lokd Jesus Christ do not oppose a peace ; you can do a great deal toward forming one ; and you know how much your king and nephew is inclined to it, who, besides, is anxious to strengthen the love between the two kingdoms, by a marriage with the daughter of the king of France." To this the duke answered : " Robert, although you are at this moment in high favor, and well listened to by the kings and lords of both countries, the matter of peace is of so much consider- ation, that persons of greater weight than you must interfere in it. I repeat to you, what I have frc-quently said at different places and times, that I shall never be against a peace that is honorable to my country. All that in a former peace was agreed upon with the king my father, and my brother the prince of Wales, and confirmed by the oath of king John, for himself and successors, under penalty of excommuni. cation by the pope, has not been kept, and their oaths are of no value. The French have fraudulently broken the articles of this peace, and have even taken possession, by treachery and force, of those lands, castles and towns, that were given up at the peace to our late king and father, and to his successors. Besides, of the three millions of francs, which wore to be paid as the ransom of king John, six hun. dred thousand are yet unpaid. These matters, Robert, being so fresh in our memory, trouble us greatly, and make us cautious ; and we wonder (I speak not only of myself, but of others who have a right to interfere in the government,) how our king should be so thought, less, that he does not compare past times with the present ; and how he can think of uniting himself with his enemies, and thereby disin. heriting the crown of England of all future advantage." " Dear lord," replied Robert, "our Lord Jesus Christ suffered on the cross for us sinners ; but he forgave, at his death, those who cru- cified him. It is necessary, therefore, that we in like manner forgive our enemies, if we expect to be admitted to the glories of paradise. All hatred, malice and ill will were put an end to, and mutually par. doned, the day the peace was signed by your ancestor at Calais. War was afterwards renewed with bitterness betwen the two countries, through faults and deceptions on each side ; for, when the prince of Wales returned from Castille to Aquitaine, a set of people called Companions, the greater part of whom were English, or Gascons dependent on the king of England or the prince, collected together and entered France, without the smallest title of reason, and carried thither a more disastrous war than the preceding one. They called the kingdom of France their manor, and were so determined on mia. chief there was no resisting them : for this reason, when the realm was so oppressed, and the evils daily multiplying, king Charles, son to king John, was advised by his vassals to provide a remedy, and oppose such conduct by open war or otherwise. Many great barons of Gascony at this time allied themselves with the king of France, whom the prince of Wales, who ought to have been their lord, wanted to oppress and bring more under his power, as they said and wanted to prove by various facts, but which they would not longer sufler. They made war on the prince, in conformity to their appeal to the king of France, who, by the advice of his council, joined them in order to rid himself of these free companies that ravaged France. Many lords, towns and castles turned to the king of France, from the oppressions they labored under from the prince or those employed by him. Thus was the war renewed with more inveteracy than before, to the destruction of the people and country, as well as of the weak, ening of the faith of God. This last is so sensibly felt in Christendom that the enemies of our faith, much emboldened, have already con- quered great part of Greece, and the empire of Constantinople, through fault of not resisting a Turk called Basant, surnamed Amorabaquin.t * "Brehonde.'* Q. Brentwood. Burntwood. t This Amorabaquin, so raucji disfigured, was the sultan Bajazet, who ascended the throue 1391. He was surnamed, like his fether, i'Amurath Bacquin, accoidiag to tho M;9aJ. m the Biilish Museum. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c, 573 He has conquered the whole kingdom of Armenia, with the excep- tion of the single town of Courch, situated on the sea-shore, like Southampton or Bristol in this country. The Genoese and Venetians hold this against the the Turks ; but they cannot long withstand the power of Bajazct, emperor of Constantinople, who is of your blood, for lie is the son of Hugh de Lusignan, by the lady Mary de Bourbon, cousin.german to the queen your mother. But should there be peace (as there will, if it please God,) between France and England, all knights and squires desirous of glory, and of e.valting their names, will ha.sten thither, and assist the king of Armenia to drive out the Turks from his kingdom. The war has continued too long between France and England, and all those who may any way oppose or de- lay the blessings of peace, will severely be pu::: '..■ .1 in this life for so doing." " How do you know that ?" said the duke of Gloucester. " Dear lord," answered Robert, " ail comes from divine inspiration, and was given to me in a vision, as I was returning by sea from Baruth in Syria toward the island of Rhodes." He then related fully all he had seen and heard in this vision, the more effectually to move the heart of the duke of Gloucester to listen to terms of peace. But the heart of the duke was hardened against peace, and he always returned to his former opinions, holding in contempt, by his words, the French in all things, notwithstanding what Robert had said to him : however, as he was a foreigner, and seemed eager to do good, and knowing besides that the king of England wanted to conclude a peace, he dissembled his real sentiments as much as he could, and turned the conversation to other subjects. Robert the hermit staid two days and as many nights at Fleshy, with the duke and duchess of Gloucester and their children, who, in outward appearance, made him very welcome. On the third day he took leave of them, and departed for London ; and went thence to Windsor, where the king then resided. He was handsomely enter- tained at Windsor, as well in honor of the king of France, who had sent him, as on account of his eloquence and good manners. Jt may be supposed, that the king of England inquired of him secretly how he had succeeded with his uncle of Gloucester, and Robert told him truly all that had passed. The king knew well that the duke of Gloucester would never willingly agree to a peace with France, from his preference to war : he therefore paid much greater court, and showed more affection to his other uncles of Lancaster and York, and to other prelates and barons of England, who he thought would serve him. Robert the hermit having been a month or more in England, began to make preparations for his departure. When he took leave of the king and lords, the king made him very rich presents, out of love to the king of France, as did the duke of Lancaster and York, the earls of Huntingdon and Salisbury, and sir Thomas Percy. The king had him escorted as far as Dover, where he embarked, and landed at Calai.i. He then journeyed on to Paris, where he found the king and queen of France, and his uncles, to whom he faithfully related the detail of his journey, and the good cheer the king of England had made him. Messengers were almost daily passing from one king to the other, with the most friendly letters from each. The king of England was very impatient to succeed in his marriage with the daughter of the king of France, who, on his side, had an affection for it, as he did not see how he could more nobly marry her. CHAPTER LXVII. THE LORD DE LA KIVIEKE ANT) 3IK JOHN LE MEBCIER ARE DELIVERED OUT OF PRISON. The lord de la Riviere and sir John le Mercier, after having been carried from prison to prison, and to different castles, were at last given up to the provost of the Chatelet, and in daily expectation of being put to death, through the hatred of the dukes of Berry and Burgundy and their advisers. They had been in this melancholy state for more than two years, without the king being able to assist them. He, however, would not consent to their execution; and the dukes of Berry and Burgundy perceived that the duke of Orleans strongly befriended them. The duchess of Berry was incessant in her entreaties with her lord in their favor, more particularly for the lord de la Riviere ; but they could not condemn one without the other, for they were both implicated in the same accusation. The solicitations of many worthy persons, added to the justice of thcii cause, were of much weight; and several of the great barons of France thought they had now sufficiently suffered, and should be set at liberty ; for that sir John le Mercier had wept so continually, when in prison, his sight was weakened so that he could scarcely see, and it was currently reported he was quite blind. At length there was an end put to their sufferings ; for the king, although he had consented to their imprisonment, for reasons which had been given him, granted them his pardon, deferring further in- quiry into what had been laid to their charge until a future opportu- nity, and when he should be more fully informed. All his lands and castles were restored to the lord de la Riviere, and in the first instance, the beautiful castle of Auneau, near Chartres, on the borders of Beauce ; but he was ordered thither, and never to recross the river Seine, unless recalled by the king's own mouth. Sir John le Mercier returned to his fine house of Noviant, of which he bore the title as lord, in the Laonnois ; and he had similar orders not to repass the rivers Seine, Marne and Oise, unless specially commanded by the king. They also bound themselves to go to whatever prison they might hereal'ter be ordered by the king or by his commissioners. The two lords thankfully accepted this grace, and were rejoiced to be de- livered from the Chatelet. On gaining their liberty, they thought they should be allowed to see the king, and thank him for his mercy, but it was not so : they were forced to quit Paris instantly, and set out for their different estates. They, however, obtained their liberty, to the great joy of all who were attached to them. CHAPTER LXVIII. THE DUKE OF BRITTANY AND SIR OLIVER DE CLISSON ARE KECONCILED. THE DOWAGER QUEEN OF SICILY INSTITUTES A LAW-SUIT IN THE COtJRTS OF PARIS AOAINST SIR PETER DE CRAON. You have often heard of the feuds between the duke of Brittany and sir Oliver de Clisson ; and that, whenever the two parties met, a deadly engagement ensued, without either side showing mercy. In this warfare, however, sir Oliver had the advantage, for two-thirds of the country were in his favor. The barons of Brittany dissembled between both ; and the citizens of the chief towns told the duke, that this war no way concerned them, and they would not interfere in it, for that commerce was more essential to them than a war with the lord de Clisson. Sir Oliver held them excused in regard to him, as they would be mediators in a peace, which the viscount de Rohan, the lord de L^on, and the lord de Dignan, were pressing on the duke of Brittany, who had declared to these three lords, that if he could obtain a meeting with the lord de Clisson, he would comply with such terms as they should think honorable to propose. These barons went to the castle where sir Oliver resided, and told him how far they had succeeded with the duke, who would at any time grant him and his company passports for coming and going ; and that they imagined, if once they cojld meet, all their quarrels would be put an end to. The lord de Clisson replied : " You are all my friends and relations, and I put my whole confidence in you; I verily believe what you say from the duke, that he would willingly have me in his presence ; but, as God and my lord St. Yves may help me, I will never on such words or promise quit my castle. Tell him, since he has deputed you here, to send me his eldest son, who shall remain as my pledge ; and, when he shall be arrived, I will wait on him when and where he pleases. As my end shall be, so will be that of his son ; if I return, he shall return ; but, if I be detained, so shall he. Such are my conditions." The three barons, seeing they could obtain no other answer, were satisfied with it, and, taking their leave in a friendly manner, departed for Vannes, where the duke was waiting for them, and related to him the proposal from sir Oliver de Clisson. The duke could not obtain other terms ; and the lord de Clisson had greatly the advantage in this war: the duke conquered nothing from him, while sir Oliver won several places from the duke, besides having twice captured all his gold and silver plate, with many precious jewels, all of which he turned to his own profit. The end, however, of this quarrel was as follows : the duke of Brittany, as great a prince as he was, saw plainly he could no way bend the lord de Clisson to his will, for he had too many friends in Brittany. With the exception of the great barons in the duchy, all the knights, squires, and inhabitants of the principal towns, inclined to the lord de Clisson. The barons dissembled their sentiments, and told the duke they would not interfere in the matter unless it should be to mediate a peace, if any means could be found out for so doing. The duke of Orleans, in particular, supported sir Oliver underhanded in various ways, and he was well pleased whenever he received news of the good success of his enterprises. The duke of Brittany, who was of a subtle imagination, and had labored hard with many difficulties in his time, weighed all these circumstances ; and also, that he was not beloved by his subjects, who would show it if they dared, with- out infringing their homage, as well as the children of sir Charles de Blois slain at the battle of Auray ; namely, John of Brittany, count de Penthievre and Limoges, married to the daughter of the lord de Clisson ; sir Henry of Brittany* his brother, and their sister the queen of Naples and Jerusalem. He felt, likewise, that he was growing old, that his children were young, and except the duke and dnchesa of Burgundy, he had not a friend in France who would take care of them, in case of his decease ; for, by the mother's side, they came from the branch of Navarre, which was not a family well beloved in France, from the remembrance of the many wicked acts, in former times, of king Charles of Navarre, the duchess of Brittany's father. He was therefore afraid, should he die during the subsisting hatred of sir Oliver de Clisson and the count de Penthievre, his children would have too many eneiinies. He perceived also that the English, who had certainly raised him to the honors he now possessed, were * Denrs Suvage says in a mnrginat note, that he never heard of this personage before, and supposes that at that period the count de Penthievre had not any brother. In Anderson's Royal Genealogies, the lord Charles de Blois had issue Guido count de Penthievre. died S. P.— John, married to Margaret de Clisson— N. N. married to Charles of Spain, constable of France, murdered by the king of Navarre— Mary, vik of Louis I duke of Anjou, son of John king of France. 1 574 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. becoming indifferent to his welfare, and wsuld probably increase in coolness, if the information he had received of the approaching con- nection between the kings of France and England were true. He had learnt that the treaty of marriage was far advanced between the king of England and the daughter of the king of France, who had been promised to his eldest son. All these things alarmed the duke, but especially what had been last mentioned troubled him more than all the rest. Having fully considered them, he resolved to throw aside all dissembling, and openly and honestly make peace with sir Oliver de Clisson and John of Brittany ; leaving them to say what amends, if any, he should make for the damages done them during the war, and for what had happened in former times, reserving to himself the duchy of Brittany, which was to descend after him to his children, according to the treaty that had been signed, with the approbation of all parties, by the children of sir Charles de Blois. This treaty he was not de. sirous to have broken : on the contrary, he would that every article should be observed, and that it should again be swora to and loyally maintained in its whole extent. Should John of Blois, count de Pen- thievre, not be satisfied with his inheritance in Brittany, he would fairly leave it to the viscount de Rohan, the lords de Dignan, de Laval, de Leon, de Beaumont, and sir John de Harpedane, to settle the mat- ter between them. The duke of Brittany, having maturely arranged this in his own mind, without asking advice from any one of his council, called a secretary, to whom, on entering his chamber, he gave a large sheet of paper, and said, "Write down as I shall dictate." The secretary being ready, the duke repeated to him every word he was to write. The letter was indited in the most friendly terms to sir Oliver de Clisson, desiring him to devise some means for them to have an interview, when everything should be settled in the most agreeable manner. When the letter was folded up, in the presence only of the duke and his secretary, he sealed it with his signet, and, calling his most trusty varlet into the chamber, said : " Hasten to castle Josselin, and say boldly that I have sent thee to speak with my cousin sir Oliver de Clisson. Thou wilt be introduced to him : salute him from me : if he return the salute, give hint this letter, and bring me back his answer ; but on thy life tell no man, woman, or child whither thou art going, nor who has sent thee." The varlet, having promised obedience, set out, and on his arrival at Chatcau.Josselin, the guard was greatly surprised when they heard that the duke of Brittany had sent him to speak with their lord. Neverthehss, they informed sir Oliver of his coming, who ordered him into his presence : on his en. trance, he delivered his message and the letter. The lord de Clisson examined the private signet of the duke, which he knew well, opened the letter, and read it two or three times over, and was much aston. ished, during the perusal, at the affectionate and friendly terms it was written in. After musing some time, he told the varlet he would con. sider his answer, and ordered him to be conducted to an apartment by himself. The attendants of the lord de Clisson were confounded at what they saw and heard ; for never before had any one come from the duke of Brittany who had not been instantly put to death, or confined in the deepest dungeon. When sir Oliver had retired to his chamber, his thoughts were occupied with the contents of the letter, and his hatred to the duke was extinguished, from the submissive and affec. tionate manner in which he had written to him : he said to himself, that he would prove him, and see if he were really in earnest ; for he could not venture to go to him merely on the faith of his letter, and, if any accident happened to him he would be pitied by none. He determined, therefore, tliLt if the duke would send his son as an hostage, he would come to him when and where he pleased, but not otherwise. He wrote a very friendly answer, and the conclusion was, that if he wished to see him, he must send his son as his pledge, who would be taken the greatest care of until his return. This letter was sealed and given to the varlet, who hastened back to the duke at Vanncs, where he was impatiently expecting him. On receiving the letter from sir Oliver, he instantly read it ; having paused a moment, he said, " I will do it ; for, since I mean to treat amicably with him, every cause of distrust must be removed." He wrote to the viscount de Rohan, who resided at his castle of Caire, in the neighborhood of Vannes, to come to him. The viscount, on the receipt of the duke's letter, waited on him, and he then explained his intentions, by saying, "Viscount, you and the lord de Monboucher shall carry my son to Chftteau.Josselin, and bring back with you the lord de Clisson, for I am determined to make up our quarrel.'' The viscount replied, that with joy he would obey him. It was not many days after, that the viscount de Rohan, the lord de Monboucher, and sir Yves de Tegrc, carried the boy, who might be about seven years old, to Chateau-Josselin, where they were hand, somely and honorably received by sir Oliver de Clisson. When he saw the boy, and this proof of confidence from the duke, he was much affected. The three knights also said, "You see, sir, how well inclined the duke is to you : he now bears you nothing but the sin- cerest affection." " I am at present convinced of it," replied sir Oli- ver; "and, smce he makes such advances, I will not be behindhand, but put myself under his obedience. I know not if to you, who are 90 nearly related to him, and in whom he has such trust as to confide iiis son and heir, to bring and leave here as an hostage until my return. he has told the contents of the letter he sent me under his private sig. net." " Sir," answered the knights, "he has assured us of the ear- nest and sincere desire he has to make peace with you ; and you may believe us, for we are your relations." " I firmly do telicve you," said sir Oliver, as he went out to fetch the duke's letter. Hav. ing read it to them, they replied, "He certainly has spoken to us in the very same terms in which he has written to you, and in conse. quence has sent us hither." "So much the better," answered sir Oliver. It was not long after the arrival of the three knights, with the heir of Brittany, before the lord de Clisson had made his preparations. They all set out together from Chateau-Josselin, carrying the boy with them ; for sir Oliver said he would give him back to his father, as henceforward he should never distrust the duke, after the trial he had made of him. Such generosity was shown on both sides, that it was no wonder a firm peace was the consequence. They continued their journey to Vannes, where, according to the duke's orders, sir Oliver dismounted at a convent of the Dominicans, which is situated without the town, where the duke had fixed the meeting to take place. When he heard that the lord de Clisson had brought back his son, he was highly delighted with his generosity and courtesy. The duke set out from his castle of la Motte, for the convent, where he and sir Oliver shut themselves up in a chamber : having conversed some time, they went privately into the garden, and thence to the banks of the river, and entered a small boat that conveyed them to a large vessel that lay at anchor at the mouth of the river, which they boarded, and, when at a distance from thpir people, continued for a long time in conference. I cannot pretend to say what passed between them. But I will relate the conse. quences. Their friends thought they were all the time in the con. vent, when they were on ship.board, arranging all things on the foot- ing they wished them to remain. They were upward of two hours together, if not longer, according to what I heard, and made a firm peace, which they mutually swore to observe most religiously. When they were about to return, they called their boatman, wh» rowed them back to the place he had brought them from, and they entered the church by a private door, through the garden and clois- ters of the convent, whence they soon departed for the castle of la Motte, the duke holding sir Oliver by the hand. All who thus saw them were pleased : indeed, the whole of Brittany was very happy when the news of tliis reconciliation was made public ; but greatly were they surprised on hearing how it had been brought about. John of Blois, count de Penthievre, was no loser by this peace : on the contrary, his revenue was augmented twenty thousand golden crowns of France, well and legally assigned to him and his heirs. To confirm and strengthen this peace, a marriage was concluded between the son of John of Blois, and a daughter of the duke of Brit- tany ; so that those who looked for a oontinuancc of w ar were dis- appointed. When intelligence of these transactions reached France and England, it caused very great surprise.'* Yon have before had it related how sir Peter de Craon incurred the indignation of the king of France and the duke of Touraine, for his attempt to murder the constable of France, sir Oliver de Clisson, as he was returning to his h6tel in the night time from the king's palace ; and that, from the duke of Brittany having supported and given him an asylum, the king of France had declared war against him, which he would have carried into effect had he not been sud- denly taken ill between Mans and .\ngers, when on his march to Brittany : but this melancholy event caused the expedition to be put an end to, the amiy disbanded, and every man to return to his own home. You have also heard how the dukes of Berry and Burgundy took up this business, and showed great hatred to those who had advised the king to this expedition against Brittany, such as the lord de Clisson, the lord de la Riviere, sir John le Mercier, Montagu, and others, whom they made suffer severely for it ; for these two dukes had the sovereign government of the kingdom during the ill- ness of the king. You have likewise heard of the inveterate wtir that was carried on between the duke of Brittany and sir Oliver de Clisson, and of their reconciliation ; as well as of the deliverance of the lord de la Riviere, sir John le Mercier, and Montagu, from their confinentents. Montagu had not so many diftieulties to encounter as the other two ; for, the instant the king recovered his health, he would have Montagu near his person, and assisted to make his excuses for several charges that had been laid against him. You must know, however, that this disorder of the king, and many of the like kind that followed, (for he had several relaps es, to the great sor- * VVlien the duke of Brittany and the lord de Clisson were reconciled, they named commissioners to put their agreement into a legal form ; and, accordins to the historian of Brittany oiten quoted, these lawyers met at Aucfer, near Redon, Ihe 19th October, 1395. The principal articles of the treaty were, that the duke should as.ign over to the count de Penthievre the lordships of Chateauneuf du Fose, Vhelgouet. Gourien. Duault, Chateaulin in Cornuaille, Lannion and Chateauliii sur Trieuc, for the yearly payment of eigiit thousand livres; that Uie duke might take back these lands when lie pleased, on giving others of like value in Brittany or France ; that tlie count should pay obe- dience to the duke, notwithstanding tiie demolition of tlie castle of Tonguedoc, Ul« restoration of which he could never insist on ; Uiat the lord de Clisson would acknow- ledge the duke for his lord, but to have liberty, during four years, to appear personally or by pro.\y ; that alt lands Uiat had been seized by each side during the war should be restored to their respective ownem. This treaty was sealed and sworn to by tlie lord do Clisson, atRieux, tlie 20th October. The count de Pentliievre swore to it live days after at Guingamp, in the presence of the viscount de Fou and Henri de Juck, chambetiaiuf to theduke. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, dared not speak so freely to his elder brother of Lancaster, "'Jio was of the king'a party, and well satisfied with this marri»s>', on account of his tw* daughters the queens of Castille apJ Portugal. At this period, tbe duke of Lancaster married b" third wife, the daughter of a Haia. ault knight, called sir Pa-' de Ruet : he had formerly been one af the kni»hts to the "C"^ "nd noble queen Philippa of England, wtt* much loved the H''"*"'*ers, as she was herself of that country. This lady v-ioni the duke of Lancaster married was called Cath- erine ' ar'' i" her youth had been of the household of the ducheiB Blanche of Lancaster. Before the lady Blanche's death, and e»ea when the duke was married to his second wife Constance, the daughter of don Pedro, he cohabited with the lady Catherine de Kuet who was then married to an English knight now dead.t The duke of Lancaster had three childrcnt by her, previous to ha marriage, two sons and a daughter : the eldest son was named Joha lord Beaufort of Lancaster ; the other Thomas, whom the duke keptal the schools in Oxford, and made a great churchman and civilian. He was afterwards bishop of Lincoln, which is the richest bishopric isa the kingdom : from affection to these children, the duke niariied their mother, to the great astonishment of France and England, fci » Catherine Swjnford.— Ed. t Sir Hugh Swynford. t Froissart mistakes in the number, and Thomas for Henry. According to SaniCwS, he had four children by Catlierine f?wynford : John Beaufort, earl of Somerset— H«i«y Beaufort, bishop of Winchester and cardinal of Beaufort— Thomas Beaufort, date « E.\eter and earl of Dorset— Joan Beaufort, countess of Westmoreland. For further particulor?. see Sandford and Dugdale. 578 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, Sec. Catherine Swynford was of base extraction in comparison to his two former duchesses Blanche and Constance. When this marriage was announced to the ladies of high rank in England, such as the duchess of Gloucester, the countess of Derby, the countess of Arundel, and others connected with the royal family, they were greatly shocked, and thoiiglit the duke much to blame. They said, " he had sadly dis- graced liimself by thus marrying his concubine ;" and added, that, *' since it was so, she would be the second lady in the kingdom, and llic queen would be dishonorably accompanied by her ; but that, for their parts, they would leave her to do the honors alone, for they would never enter any place where she was. They themselves would be disgraced if they suffered such a base-born duchess, who had been the duke's concubine a long time before and during his marriages, to take precedence, and their hearts would burst with grief were it to happen." Those who were the most outrageous on the subject were the duke and duchess of Gloucester. They considered the duke of Lancaster as a doating fool for thus marrying his concu- bine, and declared they would never honor his lady by calling her sister. The duke of York made liglit of the matter, for he lived chiefly with the king and his brother of Lancaster. The duke of Gloucester was of a different way of thinking: although the young- est of the three brothers, he yielded to no man's opinion, was naturally very proud and overbearing, and in opposition to the king's ministers, unless he could turn them as he willed. Catherine Ruet, however, remained duchess of Lancaster, and the second lady in England, as long as she lived. She was a lady accustomed to honors, for she had been brought up at court during her youth, and the duke fondly loved the children he had by her, as he showed during his life and at his death. I must mention, that when the sentence of the court of parliament at Paris had been pronounced against sir Peter de Craon in favor of the queen of Naples, he was confounded. Finding that he must refund the one hundred thousand francs or remain his whole life in prison, he listened to the council that was given him from the duke and duchess of Burgundy. They advised him to solicit the young queen of England to intercede with the queen of Naples to obtain his hberty for fifteen days only, that he might seek out his friends in Paris to pay tliis money, or to become his sureties until he had pro. cured it in Brittany or elsewhere, engaging to return with the sum he was condemned to pay. The queen of Naples complied with the request of the queen of England, but on condition that sir Peter de Craon should every night sleep in his prison at the Louvre. Sir Peter sought for aid among his relatives in vain ; for the sum was too great for them to advance, and they refused being his sureties. At the end of the fifteen days, he was forced to return to his prison, where be was strictly guarded day and night, and at his own proper costs. We will now speak of what actions and enterprises the count de Nevers and the lords of France performed this summer in Hungary ; and then say something of the expedition the earl of Hainault and earl of Ostrevant made into Fricsland. CHAPTER LXXIV. JOHN OF BURGUNDY, COUNT OF NEVEKS, PASSES THE DANUBE WITH HI.S ARMY. AFTER THE CAPTURE OF SEVERAL PLACES, THE TOWN OF KICO. rOLI IS BESIESED.* On the arrival of the count de Nevers with his army, which was composed of numbers of valiant men from France and other c»un- Irics, at Buda in Hungary, the king gave them a most hearty recep- tion, as indeed he ought, for to serve him they were come. It was the intention of lUe king of Hungary, before he took the field, to obtain some certain intelligence of the movements of Bajazct, who had given him notice since last February to increase his forces, as he would in the course of the nionth of May lead an immense army to cross the Danube and offer combat to the Hungarians. Many won- dered how this could be Jone ; but others replied : " Nothing was impossible to man ; that as boiTjct was of great valor and enterprise, and had said he would do so, he w^iy gujgiy accomplish it ; but, if he failed in his threat, and did not en.., the Danube, we ought to cross it, and enter his kingdom of Turkey, "pijg i^j^g ^f Hungary could lead thither one hundred thousand men, --ncluding foreigners, which was sufiicient to conquer all Turkey, and e.^f, to advance to the kingdom of Persia. If we gain a victory over Baji-^et, we shall Bo far succeed that we may conquer Syria and the Holy l-nnd, and deliver Jerusalem out of the hands of the Sultan and the enem'ics ol our God. In the ensuing summer, the kings of France and England will jointly raise a large force of men-at-arms and archers ; and, whon they shall be united to us, nothing will be able to withstand so pow- erful an army." Such were the conversations of the French in Hungary. When the month of May arrived, being disappointed in their expectations of hearing of the march of Bajazet, the king of Hungary sent scouts across the Danube to seek intelligence, and, at the same time, issued his summons for his power to assemble. The knights of Rhodes came thither in numbers during the month of May, looking for the arrival of the Saracens, but no news was heard of them. The king of Hun- • '■ ISicopoli"— on the Danube, in Bulcaria, sixty leagues N. VV. from Adrianople. It B famous for the battle, in 13S»3, between Sisismond, king of Hungary, and Bajazet. Siei£mond lost the baUle and twenty thousand men ; but it cost Bajazet sixty thousand. who were left dead on the field. gary, on this, sent some Hungarians who were used to arms, and well acquainted with the country, beyond the Danube, but they were as unsuccessful as his former scouts, in not meeting Bajazet : they heard that he was still in Asia, at Damascus, Antioch, or Alex, andria. The king, on receiving this information, called a council of his lords, and those who were come from France, who were eager to signalize tliemselves, to consider how they shoulti act in this emer- gency. The king told them that he had sent some expert men-at. arms to seek Bajazet, who had advanced far into Turkey; and that there was no appearance Bajazet would this summer put the menace into execution, of crossing the Danube to offer him battle. The king wished to have advice on this matter, more especially from the French lords. The lord de Coucy having consulted with the other barons, answered for them, that if Bajazet should have told lies, and deceived them by not keeping his word, they ought not for that to remain idle, but attempt some deeds of arms, since they were come thither to that effect ; that all the French, Germans, and other foreigners, were willing to meet the Turks ; and if under the command of Bajazet so much the better, as it would redound more to their honor. What the lord de Coucy said was approved of by the French, Germans, Bohemians, and others, as the most advantageous manner of employ, ing the season. Orders were, in consequence, issued by the king and marshals, that every one be prepared by a certain day, which was appointed oil the octave of Saint John the Baptist, to march for Turkey. These orders were punctually obeyed ; and you would have seen servants busily employed in preparing all things for their masters' wants. The lords of France were desirous of making a handsome figure, and ex- amined well their armor and equipages, sparing no money to have them as complete as possible. Their appearance was grandly mag- nificent, when they took the field from Buda, the principal city of Hungary. The constable of Hungary had the command of the van division, because ho knew the country well, and led with him a large body of Hungarians and Germans. Next to him inarched the FreiKh lords, the constable of France, the count de la Marche, the lord de Coucy, the lords Henry and Philip de Bar, and many more. With the king of Hungary rode the greatest barons of his realm, as was proper, and by his side John of Burgundy, who often con. versed with him. They were full sixty thousand horse ; the infantry were few in number, indeed none but the followers of the army. The array of the Christians was noble and handsome ; and among the Hungarians were many cross-bow men on horseback. Tins army advanced until it came to the banks of the Danube, which it crossed in barges, boats, and pontoons, prepared some time since for tliis purpose. It was more than eight days before all had passed over ; and tis they landed on the opposite shore, they lodged themselves to wait for their companions. The Danube divides the kingdoms of Hungary and Turkey. When the whole army had crossed, they were delighted to find themselves on Turkish ground, for they were impatient to try the courage of the Turks. After a council they re. solved to bc.siege a town in Turkey called Comccte,* and made pre- parations to invest it on all sides. This could easily be done ; for it is situated in an open plain, with a river deep enough to bear ves- sels, called the Mecte,t which rises in Turkey, and falls into the Danube near the sea. This river Danube is very wide, and has more than four hundred leagues of course from its spring to the sea ; it would be the most profitable of rivers to Hungary and the adjoin, ing countries, if the vessels it carries could have a free passage to the sea, but that is impossible ; for, right at its mouth, there is a moun- tain which divides it into two parts, and chokes the passage : the noise of the water is so tremendous, no vessel dares approach it, and it may be heard seven leagues off. On both sides of the river Mecte are fertile meads, to the gioat advantage of the inhabitants, and vine- yards, which in favorable seasons produce good wines. The Turks vintage them, and, when made, they are put into goat.skins, and sold to the Christians, for, according to their religion, they are for. bidden to taste wine under pain of death : at least when discovered so doing, they are punished ; they make pleasant beverages of many other excellent fruits and spices, and are accustomed to drink much of goat's milk, during the hot weather, to refresh and cool them. The king of Hungary encamped his army before this town with- out opposition, for no one made any attempt to prevent the siege ; nor was there any person or army in the place, from Bajazet, to guard or defend it. On then arrival, they found the fruits ripe, which was a great comfort to them. Many attacks were made on the town, but they were valiantly opposed by the inhabitants, in the expectation of daily receiving reinforcements from Bajazet, their lord, to raise the siege. None, however, came, and the city was taken by storm, with great slaughter of men, women, and children ; for the Christians on entering it spared none. When Comecte had thus been destroyed, the king of Hungary decamped with Ms army and advanced farther into Turkey toward the lurge city of Nicopoli ; but, before he arrived there, he came to a town called Laquaire, where he encamped fifteen days, for it was so long before he could conquer it. This was also taken by storm, and destroyed. They then marched to another town and castle called Brehappe, governed by a Turkish knight, the lord of the place, who had with him a strong garrison. The king of Htmgary encamped his Hungarians about a league *" Comecte." Q. Nissa, T " Mecte." U- Morava. CHRONICLES OFENGLAND. FRANCE, SPAIN, Sec. distant from it on account of water, for there was none nearer Bre- happe ; but the counts de Ncvers, d'Eu, de la Marche, and the lords de Coucy, Boucicaut, de Saimpi,de Roye, Henry and Philip de Bar, with more than a tliousand French knights and squires, made their approaches close to the town. The count de Nevers had been created a knight by the king of Hungary, on his entering Turkey; and, the day he displayed his banner, upward of three hundred were knighted. Those who had advanced to the town won it, within four days, by assault ; but the castle was too strong, and resisted all their attacks. The lord of Brehappe, whose name was, I believe, Corba- 579 into the town, to the joy of the inhabitants. Balachius remained in the castle of Brehappe, and Ruffin took the first opportunity of set- ting out, passing the Christian army in the night, for he was well acquainted with the country, and crossed the Hellespont to learn in- telligence where Bajazet was. In truth, Bajazet was at Cairo v/iih the sultan of Babylon, to solicit his aid, and there the Turk found him. When Bajazet saw him, he was much surprised, and imagined something extraordinary had hap. pened. He called to him, and asked how things were going on in Turkey. " My lord," replied he, " they are very anxious to sec you KiKO or UrsoiRV bolkno a Cor.sciL with the Frescb KinGnTs. From MSS. of the 15th Centurr das, a very valiant man, saved many of his people within the castle. He had three brothers, called Maladius, Balachius, and Ruffin. After the capture of the town, the Christians were seven days before the castle, and attacked it many times, but they lost more than they gained. These four brothers showed they were men of valor by the defence they made. The French lords having v;e\[ considered the strength of the castle, and that they lost more than they won, saw plainly their attempts would be vain, and decamped, for they had heard the king of Hungary was desirous to lay siege to Nicopoli. Thus was the siege of Breliappe Castle broken up, and the garrison left in peace, but the town was burnt. The count de Nevers and the lords of France joined the king of Hungary, who instantly prepared to march to Nicopoli. Corbadas de Brehappe was well pleased to observe the Christians inarching away, and said : " We shall now be undisturbed for some time : if my town be burnt, it will be rebuilt and recover itself: but I am surprised that we have no news from our sultan Bajazet; for he told me, the last time I spoke with him in the city of Nicopoli, that he would return to this country the beginning of May. His inten. tions were to cross the Hellespont, and Hungary. But this he has not done ; and the Hungarians, greatly strengthened and emboldened by succors from France, have crossed the Danube and entered Tur- key, where they will destroy all the possessions of Bajazet, for we have no force to oppose them. They will now for certain besiege Nicopoli, which, although sufficiently strong to hold out for some time, must be well defended. We are four brothers, knights, and re. lations to Bajazet : we ought, therefore, to attend to his concerns ; and, in consequence, I propose the following plan : I and my brother Maladius will go to Nicopoli to assist in its defence; Balachius shall remain here to guard Brehappe, and Ruffin shall cross the sea and hasten to find Bajazet, and inform him of everything tliat has hap- pened, and the great army that has invaded Turkey, that he may take instant measures to prevent the dishonorable loss of his posses- sions, and march such a force against the Christians as may conquer them ; otherwise he will not only lose Armenia that he has won, but his own territories also ; for, according to appearances, the king of Hungary and the Christians are determined to attempt his complete destruction.'' The three Turks approved of what their brother had said, and promised obedience. They made preparations accordingly; and, in the mean time, the siege was laid before Nicopoli by the Christian army, amounting to nearly one hundred thousand men. Corbadas de Brehappe and his brother Maladius gained admittance there, for the king of Hungary, with an immense force, has crossed the Danube, and invaded the country. They have committed great destruction, and burnt five or six of your inclosed towns : when I left Brehappe, they were marching to Nicopoli. My brothers Cor- badas and Maladius have thrown themselves, with some men-at-arms, into the town to assist in the defence. You must know, that in thia army of the king of Hungary, there is a body of Frenchmen, the most gallant and best appointed that can be seen. It behoves you, there- fore, to summon your friends and vassals, and hasten to Turkey with an army powerful enough to drive these Christians across the Danube; but if your force is not very considerable, you will not be able to accomplish it." "How many are ihey?"' asked Bajazet. " Upward of one hun. dred thousand," said the Turk, "and all on horseback, armed in the best possible manner.'' Bajazet made no reply to this, but entered the chamber of the sultan of Babylon, leaving the Turk, who had brought this intelligence, among his people. He related what you have just heard to the sultan of Babylon, who answered, " You must provide yourself accordingly, and shall have men enough to oppose them, for we must, by all means, defend our religion and possessions." " That is true," replied Bajazet, " and my wishes are now accom- plished ; for I was desirous that the king of Hungary w'ould cross the Danube with his army and enter Turkey. At present, I shall let him have full scope, but in the end he shall repay me fully for what he has done. It is four months since I heard of this e.xpedition, from my good friend the duke of Milan, who at the same time sent me twelve hawks and gerfalcons, the finest I ever saw. With these presents, he wrote me the names and surnames of the barons of France wlio were coming to carry the war into Turkey ; adding, that if I could capture those named in his letter, their ransoms would be worth to me more than a million of florins. Besides the barons he mentioned, there ought to be with them from France, or the neigh, boring countries, five hundred gallant squires. The duke of Milan advised me, if we had a battle, (which will infallibly be the case, for I shall march to meet them,) to draw up my men with prudence, and to take every advantage in the combat; for they were all men of such ability and resolution, that the meanest would not fly, to avoid death. They have undertaken this expedition, as the duke writes me, solely through valor, to do some deeds of arms that may gain them renown. Fur this I feel myself thankful to them ; and their desire for orma shall be gratified within three months from this time, when, perhaps, they may have more than sufficient." CHRONICLES OF EN GLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, fcc. CHAPTER LXXV. - mSRESSION FROM THE FKINCIPAL HISTORY, TO EXPLAIN WHY JOHN CiiEAS OF MILAN WAS MOVED TO GIVE THE TUSK INFORMATION OF THE BXPEDITION INTENDED AGAINST HIM. What Bajazet liad told the sultan of Babylon respecting the in. fimnation he had received from the lord of Milan must surprise every one. It was supposed he had been baptized and was regenerated in oar faith, and yet he had sought the friendship and alliance of an in. Sdel king, an enemy to our religion, and had eveiy year sent him HTCsents of hounds and hawks, or the finest linen cloth that could be jfocured at Rheims, Cambray, or in Holland, which is very agree- able to the Saracens, who have none but what comes from our coun. ay. Bajazet, in return, made him rich gifts of cloth of gold and jrecious stones, of which they have abundance ; and we caimot obtain liicm without great risk, unless by means of the Venetians or Genoese, wbo traffic with those parts. With regard to the count de Vertus, make them amends for the pay that was due. This was the BBCompense the Romans received for the reception they gave him ; and for this cause he died under sentence of e.vcommunication. The pope and cardinals whom he had made came of their free will to Avignon, and submitted themselves to pope Innocent, who absolved them of their error. To return to the lords of Milan ; I will say how they first obtained possession of the Milanese. This archbishop, their uncle, received Bi Milan the new emperor on his return from Aix-la-Chapellc (where Ik had performed the usual ceremonies for forty days) with so much magnificence and splendor that, in return for his good cheer and for a loan of one hundred thousand ducats, the emperor created him TOcount of Milan, and gave to him the territory of the Milanese, asd to his nephews after him, to hold during pleasure, and until the bundred thousand ducats were repaid in one sum. When the arch- Kshop died, his nephew, sir Matthew, was acknowledged by the emperor as viscount of Milan. His two brothers, sir Galeas and sir JBeniabo, who then were far from rich, took counsel together, and ^termined to seize the government and rule over Lorabardy : to accomplish this, they resolved on their brother's death, by poison or •lherwise,+ and then to unite themselves so strongly by mairiage dial no one would dare to anger them. After the death of sir Mat- Aew, they reigned with great power, and were on the best terms ihiring their lives. They divided the country of Lombardy between IJbem : sir Galeas had ten towns, being the eldest brother, and sir Bernabo nine ; and Milan was governed alternately by them for one year. To maintain their government, and supply their expenses, ttiey laid heavy taxes and gabelles on the people, and, by various means, extorted great wealth from their subjects. They had their towns garrisoned with foreign mercenaries, Germans, French, Bre- tons, English, and from every nation except Lombardy, for in the lombards they had no confidence. These soldiers were regularly paid every month, and were much dreaded by the people, for none dared to oppose them. When any of the neighboring lords ventured to resist their encroachments, they took a severe revenge, and de- slroyed several, that others might take warning. The inhabitants of their towns were under such awe, that they possessed nothing but through the good pleasure of sir Galeas and air Bernabo, and those who were rich they taxed three or four times a year. They said the Lombards were too proud of their riches, aod good for nothing unless kept under subjection. They were Jndeed so by them, for none dared murmur or say a word against any of their commands. The two Ijrothcrs married nobly, but they Sought their wives from the wealth of their people. Sir Galeas espoused Blanche, sister to the good count of Savoy : before he had Sus consent, he gave him one hundred thousand ducats. Sir Ber- Babo married in Germany a sister to the duke of Brunswick, and iid not pay a less sum than liis brother had done.t They had many children, whom they married to powerful families, to add to 43ieir strength. Sir Galeas had a son called John Galeas, and when He heard that king John of Franco had obtained his liberty from England, and that he was in great difficulty to procure the first pay- iment of his ransom, of three millions of francs, he negotiated with * Giovanni Visconti,— Ed. t Allhougli they might have intended the crime, tliey had no necessity for its perpe- tntion. MattJiew died from the elTects of his intemperance.— Ed. t Galens Visconti married Blanche of Savoy, tOth September, 13o0. Bernabo Visconli married Beotrix Scalieern, tlirouah prule called Ilesijia, 27th Sep- tBEober, l. Arundel in their attempts to annul the truce which had been signed and sealed by the kings of France and England, for themselves and allies. This alone was a crime to be punished by an ignominious death; for the conditions of the treaties were, that whoever should break or infringe them was to be so punished. The earl of Salisbury was very earnest in his supplications for the earl of Warwick. They had been brothers in arms ever since their youth ; and he excused him on account of his great age, and of his being deceived by the fair speeches of the duke of Gloucester and the earl of Arundel : that what had been done was not from his insti. gation, but solely by that of others ; and the house of Beauchamp, of which the earl of Warwick was the head, never imagined treason against the crown of England. The earl of Warwick was, there, fore, through pity, respited from death, but banished to the Isle of Wight, which is a dependency on England. He was told : "Earl of Warwick, this sentence is very favorable, for you have deserved to die as much as the earl of Arundel, but the handsome services you have done in times past, to king Edward of happy memory, and the prince of Wales his son, as well on this as on the other side of the sea, have secured your life ; but it is ordered that you banish your- self to the Isle of Wight, taking with you a sufficiency of wealth to support your state as long as you shall live, and that you never quit the island." The earl of Warwick was not displeased with this sentence, since his life was spared, and, having thanked the king and council for their lenity, made no delay in his preparations to surrender himself in the Isle of Wight on the appointed day, which he did with part of his household. The Isle of Wight is situated opposite the coast of Normandy, and has space enough for the resi- dence of a great lord, but he must provide himself with all that he may want from the circumjacent countries, or he will be badly sup. plied with provision and other things. Thus were affairs carried on in England, and daily going from bad to worse, as you w ill find it related. When the dukes of Lancaster and York heard of their brother's death at Calais, they instantly sus- pected the king their nephew was guilty of it. At the time, they were not together, but each at his country-seat, according to the cus. torn in England. They wrote to each other to consult how they should act on the occasion, and hastened to London because they knew the citizens were very angry at tlie event. On their arrival, they had several meetings, and declared that the putting the duke of Gloucester to death for some foolish words ought not to be passed over in silence, nor borne ; for, although he had warmly opposed the treaty with France, he had not acted upon it ; that there was an essential difference between talking and acting, and that words alone did not deserve the severe punishment he had suffered, and that this matter must be inquired into and amended. The two brothers were in a situation to have thrown England into confusion, for there were enow who would have supported them, more especially all the kin. dred of the late earl of Arundel, which is a powerful family in Eng. land, and the family of the earl of Stafford. The king at this time resided at Eltham, whither he had summoned all his vassals and dependants. He had collected round London, in the counties of Kent and Esse.x, upward of ten thousand archers, and had with him his brother sir John Holland, the earl.marshal, the earl of Salisbury, with many other great barons and knights. The king sent orders to the citizens of London not to admit the duke of Lancaster within their walls ; but they replied, they knew of no rea. son why they should refuse him admittance, and the duke resided there with his son the earl of Derby, as did the duke of Yerk with his son the earl of Rutland. The king loved the earl of Rutland and the earl-marshal beyond measure : the first dissembled his opinions concerning the death of the duke of Gloucester, and would willingly have seen peace restored on both sides. He said, that his late uncle had on several occasions treated the king very unbecomingly. The Londoners considered, also, that groat mischiefs might bcfal England from these dissensions between the king, his uncles, and their sup. porters; that, since the duke of Gloucester was now dead, it could not be helped ; and that he, in some measure, had been the cause of it, by his too great freedom of speech, and from his attempts to e.xcite the people of England to break the truces that had been signed be. tween France and England. The citizens, therefore, prudently dis. sembled their thoughts ; and, as what was done coulti not now be undone, they feared, should matters be pushed to extremities, they might suffer very considerably in their commerce from the king of France. The resentments of the citizens began to cool, and they offered to mediate between the king and the duke of Lancaster, who was mightily angered by the murder of his brother. He bethought him. self, however, that as his nephew was married to the daughter of the king of France, should he wage war against king Richard, his two daughters married in Castillo and Portugal might suffer for it, from the French carrying a war into those countries. The dulce was beside forced to change his mind, whether he would or not, from the solicitations of the citizens of London and some of the English prelates, who had been the mediators between the king and his uncles. The king obtained peace, on promising from that day for- ward to be solely guided by the advice of the duke of Lancaster, engaging never to do anything without first consulting him. The promise, however, he paid not any regard to, but followed the counsela CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, (kc. G03 of the rash and evil-minded, for which hereafter he severely suffered, as shall be related in this history. Thus did the king of England gain peace from his uncles for the murder of the duke of Gloucester, and now governed more fiercely than before. He went with his state to Fleshy in Esse.\, which had belonged to his uncle of Glou. cester, and should have descended to his son Humphrey as heir to his father ; but the king took posession of it, for it is the rule in England for the king to have the wardship of all children who have lost their fathers, and arc under twenty.oue years of age, at which period their estates are restored to them. King Richard took his cousin Humphrey of Gloucester in ward, appropriating all his posses- sions to his own profit. He made him live with him, and the duch- ess and her two daughters with the queen. The late duke of Gloucester was by inheritance constable of Eng- land ; but the king deprived his heir of it, and gave it to his cousin the earl of Rutland. The king now assumed a greater state than ever king of England had done before, nor had there been any one who had expended such large sums by one hundred thousand nobles. He also took the wardship of the heir of .\rundel, son to the late earl whom he had beheaded in London, as has been related, and forced him to live with him. And because one of the knights of the late duke of Gloucester, named Cerbec,* had spoken too freely of the king and council, he was arrested and instantly beheaded. Sir John Lacquingay was likewise in some peril ; but, when he saw the turn affairs had taken, he quitted the service of the duchess of Glou- cester, and fi.xed his abode elsewhere. At this period there was no one, however great, in England, that dared speak his sentiments of what the king did or intended doing. He had formed a council of his own from the knights of his chamber, who encouraged him to act as they advised. The king had in his pay full two thousand archers, who were on guard day and niglit, for he did not think him- self perfectly safe from his uncles or the .\rundel family .+ CHAPTER XCIII. A GREAT ASSE.'IIELY HOLDE.V AT EHEIMS, EY THE EMPEROR OF GER- MANY AND KING OF FRANCE, ON THE SCHIS.M IN THE CHURCH, AND ON THE MEANS OF UNITING THE TWO PARTIES. At this period, there was a numerous assembly of great lords in the city of Rheims, as well from the empire of Germany as from France, whose object was to restore union to the church. At the soUcitaiion of the king of France, the emperort had come thither in person, attended by his ministers ; but because they wished it not to be publicly known that this meeting was to consider of the rivalship of the two popes of Rome and of Avignon, they had it rumored, that the lords of the empire came to Rheims to treat of a marriage be. tween a son of the marquis of Brandenburgh, brother to the emperor, and a daughter of the duke of Orleans. The king of France was lodged in the archbishop's palace, as were the dukes of Orleans, Berry, Burgundy, and count de Saint Pol, wiih other barons and prelates of France. When the emperor was about to make his entry into Rheims, all these lords and prelates, with Charles, king of Na. varre, went to meet him : after receiving him most honorably, they conducted him first to the church of Our Lady, and then to the abbey of Saint Remy, where he was lodged with all his lords. His atten. dants, and the others who had accompanied him, were placed as near him as was possible ; and the king of France had ordered, that all the e.vpenses of the emperor and Germans, during their residence in Rheims, should be paid by his officers in the most ample manner. In consequence, there were daily delivered to the Germans ten tons of herrings, for it was Lent, and eight hundred carp, without count, ing different sorts of fish and other things, which cost the king im- mense sums. When the emperor paid his first visit to tlie king of France, the great lords before-mentioned went to seek him at the abbey of Saint Remy, and conducted him in great ?tate to the palace. On the two monarchs meeting, they paid many compliments to each other, as they knew well how to do, especially the king of France, for the Germans are a rude, unmannered race, except in what regards their personal advantage, and in this they are active and expert enough. The lords of both countries who were present nrade acquaintance together, with many outward signs of satisfaction : and the king of France entertained the whole at dinner, of which I will mention some particulars. .\t the top of the king's table was seated the patriarch of Jerusalem : next to him the emperor, then the king of France, and the king of Navarre : no more were at this table. At tlie others were seated tlie lords from Germany ; and they were waited on by the lords of France, for none of them sat down. The dukes of Berry, Bourbon, and the count de St. Pol, with other great barons, placed the dishes, and served the king's table. The duke of Orleans supplied the company with such quantities of plates of gold and silver, as though they had been made of wood. The dinner was splendid, and abundantly well served, and deserving of remem- brance. I was told that the king made a present to the emperor of * Cerbec. It is Cerber and Cerbel. T For more ample particular; respecting the murder cfthe duke ofGIouceater, 1 must refer the reader to ^U. Cough's History of Pleehjr. + Wen'.e- laus of Luxembourg. all the gold and silver plate that was used, as well ae what was on the side-board, with all the tapestry and ornaments of the apartment whither the emperor retired after dinner to partake of wine and spices. This gift was estimated at two hundred thousand florins ; and the other Germans were presented with magnificent gifts of gold and silver plate. The Germans, and other strangers who had come thither to view the feast, greatly wondered at the wealth and power of France. During the residence of these monarchs at Rheims, their ministers frequently met to consider of the marriage of the marquLs of Bran- denburgh, and the reformation of the church. The marriage was agreed on, and published in Rheims, but their consultations and re- solutions, concerning the church, were kept secret : what I shall say on the subject came to my knowledge afterwards. It was determined that Peter d'.A.illy, bishop of Cambray, should be sent an embassador from the emperor and king of France to the person wlio styled him- self pope Bonit'ace at Rome, and negotiate with him in their names with the view of inducing him to submit to a new election ; .should the choice again fall on him, he would be acknowledged by them as pope, but, if not, then he was to resign. The bishop was to declare the same to the pope of Avignon ; adding that, if either of the popes refused to comply with this disposition of the two monarchs, they would be degraded, and every honor and profit of the church taken from them : that in this the kings of England, Scotland, Castille, Portugal, and Navarre, had joined. The emperor said he would answer for his brother the king of Hungary, and all Bohemia and Germany, as far as Prussia, being of the same sentiment. The monarchs likewise declared, that, on the bishop's return from his embassy, they would exert themselves, with their friends and allies, that what they had now agreed on should be executed without any variation. Thus ended this meeting: the two monarchs separated most amicably, and each returned to his usual place of residence. The duke of Burgundy refused to attend at Rheims ; for he said it would not answer any purpose, and that whatever might be given to the Germans, they would never keep the engagements they should enter into. However, notwithstanding this speech of the duke, no- tliing was left undone, and matters were concluded as you have heard. Peter d'Ailly, bishop of Cambray, was not long in making prepa- rations for his journey, and set out on his embassy to Rome and Avignon, to declare the engagements the emperor and king of France had entered into. The king of France sent embassadors to his son- in-law, the king of England, to acquaint him with what had been done, that he might unite in the same opinion. King Ricliard re- ceived the embassadors with joy : and when he learnt the object of their mission, which was, to entreat he would remain neuter, if he could not prevail on his subjects to unite with France and Germany, in case the two popes refused compliance, replied he would so man. age that his kingdom should act in the matter as he pleased. This he instantly promised, to the great joy of the embassadors. After they had stayed with the king and queen of England as long as they had chosen, they took leave and returned to Paris by Boulogne, and related all that had passed to the king and council. This was very agreeable to the king, and affairs remained in this state some time. The king of Navarre came to Paris to visit the king of France, and thought he might perhaps recover his inheritance of Evreux in Normandy, which the king of France had seized from his father, as has been related in this history ; but, in spite of every attempt, he was unsuccessful. The king of Navarre, seeing he labored in vain, took the matter in great displeasure, and abruptly left the court of France, discontented with the king and his ministers, and returned to Navarre. We will now leave the affairs of (Jermany, France, and Navane, to speak of what befel England, whence sprung such mel. ancholy events as have not been recorded in this history, and which my readers will allow when they come to the detail of them. CHAPTER XCIV. THE EARL..1IARSHAL CHALLENGES THE EARL OF DERBY, SON 10 THE DVKE OF LANCASTER, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE KING AND HIS COUNCIL. King Richard of England was of a temper that, when he took a liking to any one, he instantly raised him lo high honors, and had such confidence in him that no one dared to say anything to his prejudice. At the same time, there had not been a king of England in the memory of man who so easily believed all that was told him. His favorites, however, paid no attention to the miserable fate of many of their predecessors; how the duke of Ireland had been ban- ished, sir Simon Burley, sir Robert Tresilian, sir Nicholas Bramber, and others had lost their lives, for counsels they had given the king, and for which the duke of Gloucester had taken great pains in their destruction. The duke was now dead, and the favorites of the moment, who continually counselled the king as they pleased, were not sorry, for they imagined no one would now pretend to oppose them. Some about the king's person could not disguise their pride and prestimption, especially the earl.marshal, who was in the highest degree of favor. To flatter and please the king, and to show how true and loyal a servant he was, whenever he heard any reports he told them to the king, expecting from euch means to rise still 604 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . higher in favor; but many, lliinking to advance, are repulsed. Thus it happened to the earl-marshal. k You must know that the earl of Derby and the late duke of Glou- cester had married two sisters, daughters to the earl of Hereford and Northampton, constable of England : the children, therefore, of the earl of Derby and duke of Gloucester were cousins.german by their mother's side, and one degree removed by their fathers'. 'To say the truth, the death of the duke of Gloucester had displeased many of the great barons of England, who frequently murmured at it when together; bat the king had now so greatly extended his power, none dared to speak of it openly, nor act upon the current rumors of the mode of his death. The king had caused it to be proclaimed, that whoever should say anything respecting the duke of Gloucester or the earl of Arundel, should be reckoned a false and wicked traitor and incur his indignation. This threat had caused many to be silent, afraid of what might befal them, who were, nevertheless, much dis- satisfied. At this time, a conversation passed between the earl of Derby and the earl-marshal, in w-hich the state of the king and the counsellors whom he trusted became the subject of discussion. The earl-mar- shal caught at the following words the other had made use of, with a good intent, thinking they would never have been mentioned again, for they were neither arrogant nor traitorous: "Holy Mary! fair cousin, what does the king next intend to do ? Will he drive all the nobles out of England 7 There will soon be none left; and he was arrived, and all the lords had retired after dinner with the king to his council-chamber, the earl-marshal, having settled in his own mind how to act and what to say, cast himself on his knees before the king, and thus addressed him :] "Very dear and renowned lord, I am of your ki.'.dred, your liege man and marshal of England ; and I have besides sworn on my loyalty, my hand within yours, that I would never conceal from you anything I might hear or see to your prejudice, on pain of being accounted a disloyal traitor. This I am resolved never to be, but to acquit myself before you and all the world." The king, fixing his eyes on hmi, asked, " Earl-marshal, what is your meaning in saying thus ? We will know it.'' " Very dear lord," replied the earl, " as I have declared, I will not keep any secret from you : order the earl of Derby to come to your presence, and I will speak out." The earl of Derby was called for, and the king made the earl-marshal rise, for he addressed him on his knees. On the earl of Derby's arrival, who thought no harm, the earl-mar- shal spoke as follows : " Earl of Derby, I charge you with having thought and spoken disrespectfully against your natural lord the king of England, when you said he was unworthy to hold his crown : that without law or justice, or consulting his council, he disturbed the realm ; and that, without any shadow of reason, he banished those valiant men from his kingdom who ought to be its defenders, for all of which I present my glove, and shall prove, my body against yours, that you are a false and wicked traitor." The earl of Derby was confounded at this address, and retired a flf^i!jiM;^i(#liil!iiSlli:t|iV(?ii,i;ii,Jiai|j(«iiit;;;^ Tna EiiiL-MA.RsnAL challskoiko TH5 Earl or Uerbv. From MSS. of the Fifteenth Century. plainly shows he is not desirous to add to the honor of his realm." The earl-marehal made no reply, but treasured this speech in his mind, as he considered it very impertinent, in regard to the king, and thought within himself that the earl of Derby was well inclined to excite troubles in England, for he was marvellously beloved by the Londoners. He therefore determined (for the devil entered his brain, and what has been ordained to happen must soon come to pass,) to report this speech in the presence of the king and his nobility. Soon after this conversation, the earl-marshal, to flatter and gain favor with the king, said : [" My lord, all your enemies and ill- wishers are not dead, nor out of the kingdom." The king changed color, and replied, " How, cousin, do you know this ?" " I know it well," answered the earl-marshal : "for the moment, I will not say more ; but, that you may provide a remedy in time, have it pro- claimed that you will hold a solemn feast on this ensuing Palm Sunday, and invite all the princes of your blood, particularly the earl of Derby, when you shall hear something that will surprise you, and what you arc not suspicious of, notwithstanding it so nearly concerns you." The king was very pensive on hearing this, and begged the earl-marshal to give him further information ; that he might safely tell him all, for he would keep it secret. I know not if he did so; but the king, if he did, kept it to himself, and allowed the earl to act in the matter as he pleased j the consequences of which were as follows. The king had it proclaimed that he would hold a solemn feast at his palace at Eltham on Palm Sunday, and sent particulai' invitations to the dukes of Lancaster and York and their children, who, not suspecting any mischjof, came ihither. When the day of the feast few paces, without demanding from the duke his father, or any of hia friends, how he should act. Having mused a while, he advanced, with his hood in his hand, toward the king, and said, " Earl-marshaJ, I say that thou art a false and wicked traitor, which I will bodily prove on thee, and here is my glove." The earl-marshal, seeing his challenge was accepted, showed a good desire for the combat, by taking up the glove and saying, " I refer your answer to the good pleasure of the king and the lords now present. I will prove that what you have said is false, and that my words are true." Each of these lords then withdrew with his friends, and the time for serving wine and spices was passed by ; for the king showed he was sore displeased, and retired to his chamber and shut himself within it. His two uncles remained without with their children, as did the earl of Salisbury and Huntingdon, the king's brother. Soon afterwards, the king called to him his uncles, and demanded from them how he was to act on this occasion. " Sire, order your constable hither, and we will tell you." The earl of Rutland, con. stable of England, being sent for, came, and he was told : " Consta- ble, go to the earl of Derby and the earl-marshal, and oblige them to promise not to quit the kingdom without the king's permission." The constable obeyed the order, and returned to the kmg's apart- ment. You may believe the whole court was greatly troubled by this event, and many barons and knights were much displeased, who blamed the earl-marshal for his conduct ; but what he had said he could not now retract, and he showed by his manners that he made light of it, 80 arrogant and swollen with pride was his heart. The lords now separated, each for his own home. The duke of Lancas- ter, in spite of appearances, was much vexed at what had passed, CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c, 665 and liis opinion was, that the king should not have listened to such a charge, but instantly have annihilated it ; and in this he was joined by the more sensible barons of the country. The earl of Derby resided in London, for he had his house there, and kept up his state. The duke of Lancaster, the duke of York, the carl of Northumberland, and many other great lords, for he was much beloved, were his securities to appear and answer tlie chal- lenge. The earl-niarshal was sent to the Tower of London, where he lived with his household. These two lords made ample provision of all things necessary for the combat ; and the earl of Derby sent off messengers to Lombardy to have armor from sir Galeas, duke of Milan. The duke complied with joy, and gave the knight, called sir Francis, who had brought the message, the choice of all his armor for the earl of Derby. When he had selected wliat he wished for in plated and mail armor, the lord of Milan, out of his abundant love to the earl, ordered four of the best armorers in Milan to accompany the knight to England, that the carl of Derby miglit be more com- pletely armed. The earl-marshal, on the other hand, sent into Ger- many, whence he thought he should be ably assisted by his friends. Each provided himself most magnificendy, to outshine the other ; but the greater splendor was shown by the earl of Derby, for I must say that, when tlie earl-marshal undertook this business, he expected to have been better supported than he was by the king. It Mas hinted to the king, by those near his person : " Sire, you have no occasion to interi'ere further in this matter : dissemble your thoughts, and leave them to themselves : they are fully capable of managing it. The earl of Derby is wondrous popular in the kingdom, but more especially in London ; and, should the citizens perceive that you take part with the earl-marshal against the carl of Derby, you will irrecoverably lose their aft'ection." The king attended to this advice, for he knew it was true : in consequence, he dissembled his opinion, and suffered each to provide for himself. The news of this co.aibat between the earl of Derby and the earl-marshal made a great noise in foreign parts : for it was to be for life or death, and before the king and great barons of Eng- land. It was spoken of diti'erently : some said, particularly in France : " Let them light it out: these English knights are too arrogant, and in a short time will cut each other's throats. They are the roost perverse nation under the sun, and their island is inhabited by the proudest people." But others, more wise, said : " The king of Eng- land does not show great sense, nor that he is well advised, when for foolish words, undeserving serious notice, he permits two such valiant and noble lords, and of his kindred, thus to engage in mortal combat. He ought, according to the opinions of many wise men to have said, when he first heard this charge : ' You earl of Derby, and you earl. marshal, are my near relations : I command, therefore, that you harbor no hatred nor malevolence against each other, but live like friends and cousins as you are. Should your stay in tliis coun- try become tiresome, travel into foreign parts, to Hungary or else- where, and seek for deeds of arms and adventures.' " If the king of England had done so, orcome forward to prevent this combat, he would have acted wisely, according to the opinions of men of sense and pru- dence. The duke of Lancaster was much vexed and melancholy at see- ing the king of England, his nephew, thus badly conduct himself, but knew not to whom to open his thoughts. He, like a wise man, considered the consequences that might ensue, and at times said to those he most confided in : ''Our nephew will ruin everything before he have done : he too readily listens to evil counsellors, who will destroy him and his kingdom. Should he live long, he will lose by little and little all it has cost his predecessors and us so much pains to gain. He encourages discord between his nobles and great lords, by whom he ought to be honored and served, and the country guarded. He has put my brother to death, for it is now notorious he ordered it, and likewise the earl of Arundel, because they told him the truth ; but this he refuses to hear, and will not listen to any one who does not flatter his own imaginations. He cannot sooner ruin his country than by exciting hatreds among his nobility and principal towns. The French are too subtle a race, for one misfortune that befalls us they would wish ten, as they can never obtain their ends, or recover their domains, but through ourselves ; and every day there are examples of the misery of kingdoms when divided. Such has been the unfortunate lot of France, Caslille, Naples, and the Roman state ; and the present schism is the ruin of the contend- ing popes, as well as the church. Flanders is another example which we have seen of self-destruction. Friesland is at this moment in a similar state, oppressed by the war of the count of Hainault, and ruining themselves by domestic quarrels. We shall be in the same situation unless God prevent it, from the appearance of the present state of affairs. The king has consented that my son and heir, for I have none other by my first two marriages, should be challenged to mortal combat for a mere trifle ; and I, his father, dare not say a word against it, in regard to my own and my son's honor ; for my son has the feelings of a knight, and is of sufficient .strength to encounter the earl.marshal. Howbeit, let the best be made of it, they will never again love each other as they did before." Such were the conver- sations of the duke of Lancaster. The two earls, in the meantime, were making every preparation for their combat. The duke of Lancaster never went near the king, and as seldom saw his son, acting throughout with great good sense. He knew the earl of Derby was very popular with all ranks in Eng. land, but more particularly with the Londoners, who waited on him, and addressed him : " Earl of Derby, make your mind easy : what- ever may be the event of this combat it will turn out to your honor, in spite of the king and all his minions. We know well how things are managed, and what will be the result of them : this accusation has been invented by envy, to cause your banishment wit of the kingdom, where they are aware you are so greatly beloved by all ranks and se.xes ; and should you be forced to quit us in sorrow, you shall return in joy, for you are more worthy to rule than Richard of Bordeaux. Whoever may choose to search the matter to the bottom, to discover the real origin of you both, will soon see that you have a greater rigiit to the crown of England than he who wears it, although we have paid him homage, and acknowledged him for king these twenty years ; but that was obtained by the entreaties of your grand- father, king Edward of happy memory, who was suspicious of what we hint, and feared the consequences. There was once a serioua dispute on this subject between king Edward and your grandfather by your mother's side, duke Henry of Lancaster, but the great lords interfered and made up matters between them. King Edward was valiant and successful in all his enterprises, and had gained the love of his subjects high and low. Your grandfather of Lancaster only required from the king what was just, and served him and his king- dom so loyally, that his conduct deserved the commendation of all. Every one who knew him called him their old father. These things are worthy of king Richard's consideration, and may make him repent, if anything can, at his leisure, that he has not more prudently gov. erned." Such conversations did many of the nobles and citizens of London hold with the earl of Derby, who was pleased with their af- fection, and received them kindly. He did not, however, neglect any preparations for his combat, but sent to every one of his friends throughout England, to entreat their company at the appointed day and place. King Richard, notwithstanding he had suffered this challenge and appeal to arms to be made in his presence, was uncertain how to act, and whether to allow the combat to take place or not. And although he was the king of England the most feared of any who had worn the crown, he was guarded day and night by two thousand archers, who were regularly paid weekly, and had confidence only in his bro. ther earl of Huntingdon, and the earls of Salisbury and Rutland, his cousin, who were highly in his favor. He paid no regard to others, except a few of the knights of his chamber, who were his advisers. When the day for the combat was approaching, and the two lords had made their preparations, waiting only for the king's commands, king Richard's secret advisers asked, " Sire, what is your intention respecting this combat between your two cousins, the earl of Derby and the earl.marshal ? Will you permit them to proceed ?" " Yes," replied the king : " why not ? I intend to be present myself and to see their prowess. We may perhaps learn, ffom the issue of this combat, what we are now ignorant of, although it may be very ira. portant for us to know, that we may provide accordingly : for there is no one so great in England, but, if he anger me, he shall dearly pay tor it. Should I allow myself to be any way governed by my subjects, they would soon overpower me ; I know for certain that some of my kinsmen have held secret meetings respecting my gov- ernment ; but the most dangerous among them was the duke of Glou- cester, for in all England there was none more wrong-headed. He is now at peace, and henceforwaid we shall manage the rest well enough. But tell me, I pray you, why you ask the question ?" " Sire," replied they, " we are bound to advise you to the best of our knowledge and abilities. We sometimes hear and observe what you cannot, for you are in your apartments, and we abroad in the fields, or in London, where many conversations are held that nearly touch you, as well as us. There is yet time to provide a remedy, and we earnestly advise you not to delay it." " What do you mean ?" said the king: " speak out, and do not spare me ; for I wish to act rightly and to maintain justice in my kingdom." " Sire, the common report throughout England, but especially in London, is, that you are the cause of this combat, and that you have induced the earl-marshal to challenge the earl of Derby. The Londoners in general, and many of the prelates and nobles, say, that you are in the direct road to de- stroy all your kindred and kingdom, but that they will not suffer it to be doiie. Now, were the citizens to rise and be joined by the nobility, who could oppose them ? You have no power but from your vassals ; and they are now more suspicious of you than ever, from your maniage with a princess of France ; and you are less be- loved by your subjects on this account. Know, that if you allow these two earls to meet in arms, you will not be lord of the field, but the Londoners, united with the earl of Derby's great connections by blood, who arc all much attached to him. The earl.marshal is be- come very unpopular, particularly with the citizens of London, who would willingly put him to death. Three parts of the people of Eng- land say, that when you heard the charge of the earl-marshal, you should have acted otherwise than you did, and checked the quarrel by telling them, ' You are both my cousins and liege men, and I com- mand that peace be henceforward between you;' and that you should, have taken the earl of Derby by the hand, and led him to your cham- ber with every token of affection, Because you did not this, the 606 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. common report is, that you warmly take the part of the earl.marshal against the earl of Derby. Weigh well what we have said, for we have told you the truth, and you never had more occasion for good advice than at this moment." The king, on hearing these words, changed color, (for they had boldly spoken out, and certainly what they had said could not be contradicted,) turned aside and leant on a window, where he mused a considerable time. He then turned to those who had addressed him, namely, the archbishop of York, the earls of Huntingdon and Salisbury, and three other knights of his chamber, and said, " I have attentively heard everything you have advised, and should be blameworthy if I followed not your counsel : consider, therefore, how you would have me act." " Sire," replied their spokesman, •* what we have been talking of is matter of great danger. You must dissemble your resentments, and put an end to this business, if you wish for peace and to preserve your honor. You ought to pay more respect to the general opinion of your realm than to the idle talk of two knights. It is believed throughout England that the lord marshal behaved himself very ill, and, by stirring up many things that were better forgotten, is desirous to pick a quarrel with the earl of Derby, raise the people, and throw all things into confusion. He must therefore suffer for so doing, and the earl of Derby be acquitted. We have considered the matter in every point of view, and advise that, before they arm or make further preparations, you send them your commands to appear before you, and to abide by whatever you determine between them. You will therefore give judgment, that, within fifteen days, the earl marshal quit England, without any hope of ever returning, and the earl of Derby be banished thence for the space of ten years. When the time for their departure arrives, you will, to please the people, abridge four years of the earl of Derby's sentence, so that his banishment will be only for six years, but that he must not expect further favor. Such is the advice we give you : be very careful to prevent their meeting in arms, or the greatest mis. chiefs may arise from it." The king was thoughtful a moment, and replied, " Yon have faithfully advised me, and it shall be done." CHAPTER XCV. KING KICIIARD OF ENGLAND BAiNISHES TRE EARL OF EERBV FROM ENSLAND FOE TE.N YEARS, AND THE EARL-JIARSHAL FOR HIS LIFE. Not long after this, the king of England smnraoned a large coun- cil of the great nobles and prelates at Eltham. On their arrival, he placed his two uncles of Lancaster and York beside him, with the earls of Northumberland, Salisbury and Huntingdon. The earl of Derby and the earl-marshal were sent for, and put into separate chambers, for it had been' ordered they were not to meet. The king showed he wished to mediate between them, notwithstanding their words had been very displeasing to him, and ought not to be lightly pardoned. He required therefore that they should s\ibmit themselves to his decision ; and to this end sent the constable of England, with four great barons, to oblige them to promise punctually to obey it. The constable and the lords waited on the two earls, and explained the king's intentions. They both bound themselves, in their pies, ence, to abide by whatever sentence the king should give. They having reported this, the king said : " Well then, I order that the earl-marshal, for having caused trouble in this kingdom, by uttering words which he could not prove otherwise than by common report, be banished the realm : he may seek any other land he pleases to dwell in, but he must give over all hope of returning hither, as I banish him for life. I also order, that the earl of Derby, our cousin, for having angered us, and because he has been, in some measure, the cause of the earl-marshal's crime and punishment, prepare to leave the kingdom within fifteen days, and be banished hence for the term of ten years, without daring to return unless recalled by us ; but we shall reserve to ourself the power of abridging this term in part or altogether." The sentence was satisfactory to the lords present, who said : " The earl of Derby may readily go two or three years and amuse himself in foreign parts, for he is young enough ; and, although he has already travelled to Prussia, the Holy Sepulchre, Cairo and Saint Catherine's,* he will find other places to visit. He has two sisters, queens of Castille and of Portugal, and may cheer- fully pass his time with them. The lords, knights and squires of those countries, will make him welcome, for at this moment all war- fare is at an end. On his arrival in Castille, as he is very active, he may put them in motion, and lead them against the infidels of Gra- nada, which will employ his time belter than remaining idle in England. Or he may go to Hainanlt, where his cousin, and brother in arms, the count d'Ostrevant, will be happy to see him, and gladly entertain him, that he may assist him in his war against the Fries, landers. If he go to Hainault, he can have frequent intelligence from his own country and children. He therefore cannot fail of doing well, whithersoever he goes ; and the king may speedily recall him, through means of the good friends he will leave behind, for he is the finest feather in his cap ; and he must not therefore suffer him to be too long absent, if he wish to gain the love of his subjects. The earl-mai-shal has had hard treatment, for he is banished without hope of ever being recalled ; but, to say the truth, he has deserved it, for *The monaetery on Mount Sioiu —Ed ail this mischief has been caused by him and his foohsh talking : he must therefore pay for it." Thus conversed many EngUsh knights with each other, the day the king passed sentence on the earl of Derby and the earl-marshal. CHAPTER XCVI. THE EARL OF DERBY, IN CONSEQUENCE OF HIS BANISHMENT, LEAVJES ENGLAND FOR FRANCE. THE EARL-MARSHAL, IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS SENTENCE, GOES TO FLANDERS, AND THENCE INTO LOMBARDY. When the two earls heard the sentence the king had passed on them, they were much cast down, and not without cause. The earl-marshal bitterly repented what he had said and done, but he could not foresee its consequences : he had firmly relied on being otherwise supported by the king than he was, or he would not have thought of it. It was, however, necessary to make his preparations for banishment. He settled the payments of his income through the Lombards of Bruges, and, quitting England, arrived at Calais, where he had been governor. He staid there a short time, to receive part of his equipage which had been left behind. On his departure he took leave of the townsmen of Calais, and having li.\ed his route, would not go to France nor Hainault, for he had not any business at these places, but went to Bruges, where he staid fifteen days. On leaving this town, he visited Ghent, Mechlin, Louvain, St. Tron, Utrecht, Aix and Cologne, where we will leave him, and speak of the earl of Derby, who in like manner made his preparations for obeying his sentence of banishment. When the day of his exile drew near, he went to Eltham where the king resided. He found there his father, the duke of York his uncle, and with them the earl of Northumberland, sir Henry Percy his son, and a great many barons and knights of England, vexed that his ill fortune should force him out of England. The greater part of them accompanied him to the presence of the. king, to learn iiLs ultimate pleasure as to this banishment. The king pretended that ho was very happy to see these lords ; he entertained them well, and there was a full court on the occasion. The earl of Salisbury, and the earl of Huntingdon, who had married the duke of Lancas- ter's daughter, were present, and kept near to the earl of Derby, whether through dissimulation or not I am ignorant. When the time for the earl of Derby's taking leave arrived, the king addressed his cousin with great apparent humility, and said, " that as God might help him, the words which had passed between him and the lord marshal had much vexed him ; and that he had judged the mat. ter between them to the best of his understanding, and to satisfy the people, who had murmured greatly at this quarrel. ^Vherefore, cousin," he added, " to relieve you somewhat of your pain, I now remit Ixjur years of the term of your banishment, and reduce it to six years instead of ten. Make your preparations, and provide accord- ingly." " My lord," replied the earl, "1 humbly thank you; and, when it shall be your good pleasure, you will extend your mercy." The lords present were satisfied with the answer, and for this time were well pleased with the king's behavior, for he received them kindly. Some of them returned with the earl of Derby to London. The earl's baggage had been sent forward to Dover, and he was advised by his father, on his arrival at Calais, to go straight to Paris, and wait on the king of France and his cousins the princes of F'rance, for by their means he would be the sooner enabled to shorten his exile than by any other. Had not the duke of Lancaster earnestly pressed this matter, like a father anxious to console his son, he would have taken the direct road to the count d'Ostrevant in Hainault. The day the earl of Derby mounted his horse to leave London, upward of forty thousand men were in the streets, bitterly lamenting his departure : "Ah, gentle earl 1 will you then quit us ? This coun. try will never be happy until your return, and the days until then will be insulTerably long. Through envy, treachery and fear, are you driven out of a kingdom where you are more worthy to reside than those which caused it. You are of such high birth and gal- lantry, that none others can be compared to you. Why then will you leave us, gentle earl ? You have never done wrong by thought or deed, and are incapable of so doing." Thus did men and women so piteously complain, that it was grievous to hear them. The earl of Derby was not accompanied by trumpets, nor the music of the town, but^with tears and lamentations. Some of the knights who attended him whispered each other: " See the conduct of the peo- ple, how readily they complain for trifles ! Whoever is inclined to stir up the Londoners against the king may soon effect it, and force the king to seek another country, and the earl of Derby to remain . but this is not the moment, for, since ir.y lord of Lancaster suilers it, we must be patient." The mayor of London and several of the principal citizens, accom- panied the earl of Derby as far as Dartford : some even rode to Do. ver with him, and remained in his company until he embarked on board the vessel that was to convey him to Calais, when they re- turned to their homes. The earl of Derby, before his arrival at Calais, had sent a knight and herald to the king of France, and to the dukes of Orleans, Berry, Burgundy and Bourbon, to know if it were agreeable to them that he should fix hia residence in Paris, paying "punctually for all that he or his people might want, and if the court would receive him. CHRONICLER OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. 607 The king of France, his brother and uncles, readily complied wilh his request, and apparently seemed very glad that he would come there; for, as they assured the knight, they very sincerely felt for the present disgrace of the earl. The knight and herald, on their return, met the earl of Calais ; and the king of France had sent with them sir Charles de Hangiers, to have all the cities and towns opened to the English as they travelled to I'aris. The earl of Derby set out in gallant array, becoming his rank, and took the road to Amiens, "where, and iii every other town, he was handsomely received. CHAPTER XCVir. THE COU.VT d'oSTREVANT SE.NDS EMBASSADORS TO THE EARL OF DERBY. THE EARL ARRIVES AT PARIS. The moment William earl of Ostrevant, who resided at Quesnoy, heard that his cousin the earl of Derby had crossed the sea, and was at Calais, he ordered sir Ancel de Trassaguies and sir Fier-a,-bras de Vertain to ride thither and wait on the earl, and invite him to Hain. ault, whither, if he pleased to come and amuse himself, he would give him a hearty welcome, for it would be very agreeable to him- self and his countess. The two knights obeyed the earl's orders, and rode to Cambray and Bapaumes ; for they Iiad heard the carl of Derby had left Calais, and taken the road toward Paris through Amiens. They determined, in consequence, to push forward, and overtook the earl of Derby on his road, to whom they punctually de- livered their message. The earl thanked thein, as well as his cousin of Hainault who had sent them, but excused himself for the present from accepting their invitation, as he was engaged to visit the king of France and his cousins, but that he did not renounce the affection and courtesy the count d'Ostrevant offered him. The two knights, having executed their commission, took leave, and returned to Hain- ault, to report all they had seen and heard, and the earl continued his journey to Paris. When news was brought to the king, and the dukes of Orleans, Berry and Burgundy, that the earl of Derby was approaching Paris, the principal French lords instantly made hand- some preparations to go out and meet him. The apartments of the hdtel de Saint Pol were richly furnished ; and the great barons then in town set out for Saint Denis. The king remained at the hotel de Saint Pol : but the dukes of Orleans and Berry left Paris, and first met the earl of Derby : then came the dukes of Burgundy and Bour- bon, and the lord Charles d'Albret, with many great prelates and barons. The meeting was joyous on both sides, and they entered Paris in brilliant array. An unfortunate accident happened on this occasion, which I will relate. A prudent and valiant squire, called Boniface, a native of Lombardy, was mounted on a strong courser that had not been well broken. When passing through the streets, he rose upon hie hind legs, and the squire, checking by the bridle, palled him so hard that he fell backward, and threw Boniface with such force on the pave- ment, that his skull was fractured. Thus died Boniface, to the great regret of many lords, particularly the duke of Orleans, by whom he was much esteemed. He had been a favorite with the late lord de Coucy, who had brought him from Lombardy to France. The procession at length arrived at the h6tel de Saint Pol, where the king was waiting : he received very kindly his cousin the earl of Derby, who, having been well educated, behaved so agreeably to the king, that he was much liked, and, in token of his favor, the king gave him his order to wear. The earl accepted it with pleas, ure, and returned his thanks. I cannot pretend to say all that passed between them, but the meeting seemed to their mutual satis- faction. When wine and spices had been served, the c-arl took leave of the king, and waited on the queen, who resided in other apart- ments of the same palace. He staid there some time, for the queen entertained him handsomely. On taking leave, he went to the court and mounted his horse, and was escorted to his h6tel by the lords of France, where he supped that night with his own people. Such was his reception at Paris: there were many grand entertainments made to amuse him, and that he might think the less on his banishment from his own country, which wa? very displeasing to the French lords. [In spite of all their kind endeavors, he at times was very mel- ancholy, and not without reason, on being thus separated from his family. He was impatient to return, and much vej:ed that for such a frivolous cause he should be banished from England, and from his four promising sons, and two daughters. The earl frequently dined with the king, the duke of Orleans, and other great barons, who did everything they could to make hia time pass agreeably.] We will now leave the earl of Derby, to speak of the affairs of the church, and of the two popes, Benedict of Avignon, and Boni- face of Rome. CHAPTER XCVIII. THE EMPEROR AND THE KINO OF FRANCE PlTtStJE THE PLANS THEY HAD SETTLED AT RHEIMS, FOR A UNION OF THE CHCRCH. THE BISHOP OF CAMBRAY 13 SENT BY THEM TO THE POPE AT ROME. THE ANS1VER THAT IS MADE HIM. Yoo have before heard of the meeting which had taken place at Rheima between the enip«ror and the king of France, when many ' secret councils were held, on establishing the union of the church, for the present schism was disgraceful. In consequence of the plans then formed, Peter d'Ailly, bishop of Cambray, was sent embassador to pope Boniface at Rome. The bishop set out, and met the pope at Fondi, to whom he delivered his credential letters from the king and the emperor. The pope, having examined them, was satisfied of their validity, and received the bishop kindly, for he guessed the object of his mission. The embassador explained the cause of his coming, which the pope attentively listened to, and thus replied : " That the answer his propositions required did not only personally attach to him, but to all his brother-cardinals, who might aspire to the papacy. He would summon a consistory, and, when they had fully considered the matter, would give him an answer that should be satisfactory." This was, for the present, sufficient for the bishop of Cambray, who dined that day at the palace of the pope with some of his cardinals, and then, leaving Fondi, went to Rome. Shortly after, pope Boniface held a convocation of cardinals at Rome ; for he had quitted Fondi, and resided at the Vatican. No one was present at this consistory but the pope and cardinals, before whom he laid the proposition of the bishop of Cambray, and de- manded advice what answer he should make to them. Much dis. cussion ensued ; for the cardinals were averse to undo what they had done, thinking it would turn out to their disgrace. They said to the pope : " Holy father, considering our situation, we think you should conceal your real sentiments on this matter : but to encourage the hopes of the king of France and those of his creed, you will in your answer declare your willingness to comply with whatever the em. peror of Germany, the king of Hungary, and the king of England, shall advise you ; that the person who resides at Avignon, and styles himself pope Benedict, whom the king of France and hia nation have acknowledged, must first resign all claims to the papacy ; and that then you will cheerfully attend a general council, wherever the above-named kings shall appoint, and bring your brother cardinals with you." This advice was very agreeable to Boniface, who re- plied, in conformity to it, but in more general terms, to the bishop of Cambray, who acquitted himself honorably in the business he had been sent upon. When the Romans heard that the emperor and the king of France had written to the pope to resign his dignity, great were the mur- muringe throughout the city ; for the Romans were fearful they should lose the holy see, which was of infinite consequence to them and profit, from the general pardons that were personally sought for, and which obliged such multitudes to visit Rome. The jubilee was soon to take place, for which they had made great preparations; and they were uneasy lest they might have incurred these expenses for nothing. The principal inhabitants of Rome waited on the pope, and showed him greater love than ever, saying : " Holy father, you are the true pope : remain in the inheritance and patrimony of the church, which belonged to St. Peter, and let no one advise you to do otherwise. Whoever may be against you, we will always continue your steady friends, and expend our lives and fortunes in the defence of your right." Pope Boniface replied : " My children, be comforted, for I will never resign the popedom ; and, whatever the emperor or the king of France may do, I will not submit myself to their wills." The Romans were satisfied with this answer, and returned to their homes. The bishop of Cambray took no notice of this, but proceeded in the business he had been charged with. I fancy pope Boniface kept steady in his answer, that when it should be publicly known pope Benedict had resigned the papacy, he would act in such manner as should be agreeable to those who had sent him. The bishop, not being able to obtain more, departed for Germany, and found the emperor at Constance, to whom he delivered the answer you have heard. The emperor said, " Bishop, you will carry thii to the king of France, our brother and cousin ; and, accordingly as he shall act, so will I and the empire ; but, from what I see, he must begin first, and when he has deposed his pope, we will depose ours." The bishop took leave of the emperor, and set out for Paris, where the king and his lords were expecting him. He delivered the answer from the pope, and the message from the emperor, which was kept secret until the king should assemble a great council of his nobles to have their advice on the matter. CHAPTER XCIX. THE KINS OF FRANCE, IN CONFORMITY TO THE ADVICE OF HIS NOBLE.? AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS, SENDS THE BISHOP OF CAMBRAY TO POPE BENEDICT AT AVIONON, ON THE StTBJECT OF A UNION OF THE CHCRCH, AND ALSO HIS MARSHAL BOUCICAUT THITHER, TO CON- STRAIN THE POPE TO OBEDIENCE BY FORCE OF AEMS SHOULD THERE BE OCCASION. The king of France, in consequence of the answer of pope Boni. face, and the message of the emperor, that the pope at Avignon must be the first deposed, assembled the nobles and prelates of his kingdom at Paris. Prior te this, some of the prelates of France, such as the archbishop of Rheims, sir Guy de Roye, the archbishops of Rouen and of Sens, the bishops of Paris, Beauvais, and Autun, had strongly supported the pope of Avignon, particularly Clement 608 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.c. who had promoted them to their benefices. These six prelates, therefore, by particular orders, were not summoned to this council, but others in their room, and the heads of the university of Paris. After the bishop of Cambray had fully explained to the assembly the object of liis embassy to Rome, what he had done there, the pope's answer, and the message from the emperor, for he had returned through Germany, they began to discuss the matter, and it was re- solved the university should have the preponderating voice. It was determined in this council, to the satisfaction of the king, the duke of Orleans, their uncles, and all the members of it, that the king of France should send his marshal, the lord Boucicaut, to Avignon, to prevail on pope Benedict, by negotiation or force, to resign the papacy, and submit himself to the determination of the lung and his council ; that the church in France should remain neuter as to the true pope, until union were restored to it, according to the decrees of a general council of prelates and churchmen which was to be in- stantly called. This resolution seemed good to every one, and was adopted by the king of France, and all who had formed the council. The mar- shal of France and the bishop of Cambray were ordered to Avignon ; and these two lords left Paris soon afterwards, travelling in company as far as Lyons, where they separated. The marshal was to remain at Lyons until he heard from the bishop, who continued his journey to Avignon, to learn what answer the person who styled himself pope at Avignon would make to the proposals from the king of France. On his arrival at Avignon, he fixed his lodgings in tlie great wood- market. Some of the cardinals suspected the cause of his coming, since he was sent by the king of France, but they dissembled their thoughts until they heard what he had to say, and observed how Benedict should answer and conduct himselt'. As sooh as the bishop of Cambray had taken some refreshments and changed his dress, he waited on the pope in his palace. He made him, when in his presence, the proper obeisances, but not so reverently as if he and all the world acknowledged him for the true pope, although he had given him the bishopric of Cambray, through the recommenda- tion of the lords in France. The bishop, being well versed in Latin and French, made an elegant harangue, to explain the object of his mission from the emperor and the king of France. When the pope heard that it was the intention of these two monarchs that he as well as pope Boniface should resign their dignities, he frequently changed color, and, raising his voice, said : " I have labored hard for the good of the church, and have been duly elected pope, yet now my resignation is sought ; this I will never consent to as long as I live ; and I wish the king of France to know that I shall not pay any attention to his regulations, but will keep my name and dignity until death." " Sire," answered the bishop of Cambray, " I always thought you, under reverence, more prudent than I find you really are. Fix a day for the meeting of your cardinals, to consult with them on your answer ; for, unless they agree with you, your opposition will be in vain against them and against the powers of Germany and France." Vpon this, two cardinals of his creation, who foresaw that matters ■would end badly, stepped forward and said, " Holy father, the bishop of Cambray advises you well : follow what he says, we entreat you." The pope replied, he would do so willingly : the audience was put an end to, and the bishop returned to his lodgings, without waiting on any of the cardinals. On the next morning, the consistory bell was rung, and a con- clave holden of all the cardinals then at .\vignon, at the pope's pal- ace. The bishop of Cambray discoursed in Latin on the reasons why he was come thither, and on the object of those who had sent him. When he had finished speaking, he was told they would ma- turely consider the business, and give him an answer, but that at present he must withdraw. He went elsewhere to amuse himself, while Benedict and his cardinals debated his proposals. They were for a considerable time in council, and many thought it very hard to undo what had been regularly effected ; but the cardinal of Amiens said : " My fair sirs, whether we will or not, we must obey the or- ders of the emperor of Germany and the king of France, since they are now united ; for, without their good pleasure, we cannot exist. We might indeed withstand the emperor, if the king of France would support us, but, as that is no longer the case, we must submit, or he will exclude tis from our benefices, and how then are we to live ? In truth, holy father, we have elected you pope, on condition that you would exert yourself in the reform of abuses in the church, and promote a union, all of which you have strenuously promised to do until this day. Answer for yourself, therefore, in a temperate manner, that we may praise you, for you must be better acquainted with your own mind and courage than we are.'' Many of the car- dinals spoke at once, and said : " Holy father, the cardinal of Amiens speaks well, and we beg of you to let tis know your intentions." Upon this, Benedict replied, " I have always had an earnest desire for a union of the church, and have taken great pains to promote it ; but since, through the giace of God, you have raised me to the pa- pacy, I will never resign it, nor submit myself to any king, duke, or count, nor agree to any treaty that shall include my resignation of tne popedom." The cardinals now all rose, and there was much munnuring : some said he had well spoken, and others the contrar>'. Thus was the condave broken up in discord, and many of the car- dinals departed to their hbtels without taking leave of the pope Those who were in his good graces remained with him. When the bishop of Cambray observed the manner in which the cardinals left the palace, he knew there had been great disagree- ment, and entering the hall of the conclave, advanced up to Bene- dict, who was still on his throne, and, without much respect, said : *' Sire, give me an answer ; I cannot wait longer ; for your couneil is dismissed. You must let me have your final determination on the proposals I made you, as I am now about to depart hence.'* Pope Benedict, still heated by anger at the speech of the cardinal of Amiens, replied: '' Bishop, I have consulted my brother cardinals, who have elected me to this dignity, and they agree that every due solemnity has been used, such as is usual in such cases. Since, therefore, I am pope, and acknowledged as such by all my subjects, I will preserve it as long as I live, and will not, though it cost me my life, renounce it; for I have never done anything to forfeit the di- vine protection. You will tell our son of France that hitherto we have considered hint as a good Catholic ; but that, from the bad ad- vice he has lately received, he is about to embrace errors which he will repent of. I entreat that you would beg of him, from me, not to follow any counsels, the result of which may trouble his con- science." On saying this, Benedict rose from his throne, and retired to liis chamber, attended by some of his cardinals. The bishop of Cam- bray went to his inn, dined soberly, and then, mounting his horse, crossed the Rh6ne, passed through Villeneuve, and lay at Bagnols,* which belongs to France. He there heard that the Lord Boucicaut, marshal of France, was at St. Andrieu, within nine leagues of Avig- non, and thither the bishop went on the following day, and related to him all that had passed, with an answer he had received from Benedict who styled himself pope, CHAPTER C. IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE ANSWER OF POFE BENECICT, THE MARSHAL BOtJ. CICAirr OBLIGES HIM BY FORCE OF ARMS TO SL-EMIT HIMSELF TO THK WILL OF THE KING OF FRANCE RESPECTING A UNION OF THE CHURCH. Whe-n tlie marshal of France had heard from the bishop of Cam. bray the pope's answer, and that he refused to submit himself to the king of France, he said to him, '* Bishop, you may now return to France,for you have nothing more to do here; and I will execute what I have been charged with by the king, my lords his uncles, and the council." The bishop replied, " God's will be done." He remained that day in the village, and on the morrow departed, taking his road toward Puy in Auvergne. The marshal instantly set clerks and mes- sengers to work in summoning the kniglils, squires, and men-at-arms in the Viverais, .\uvergne, and from the countries as far as Mont- pellier ; for he was commissioned so to do by the king of France. He ordered the seneschal of Beaucaire to shut up all the passes to Avignon, as well on the Rh6ne as by land, that nothing might enter that place, nor be sent thither from the Pont du Saint Esprit ; for he was particularly anxious that it should not be supplied witli provisions or stores. The summons of the marshal was readily obeyed, by some through attachment, but by many in ;he expectation of plunder- ing Avignon. Sir Raymond de Touraine came with pleasure to the marshal, who was ready to march, in company with the lords de la Both, de Tournon, de Monclau, and d'Uzes and others, so numerous, that the marshal sent a herald with his defiance to the pope in his palace, and to his cardinals in Avignon. This was a severe blow to the cardinals and to the inhabitants ; for they knew well they could not long eflectually withstand the power of the king of France. They called a council of the cardinals and principal persons in the town, and, in consequence, waited on Benedict, and temperately remonstrated with him, that they were un- able and unwilling to support a war against the king of France, for it was necessary theyshould carry on their commerce by land and water, to live. Benedict, like a madman, replied : " Your city is strong, and well provided with stores and provisions. I will send to Genoa and elsewhere for men-at-arms, and write to my son the king of Arragon, who is the standard-bearer of the church, to come to my assistance, which he will do, for he is bound to it by two reasons ; I am liis kins- man, and he owes obedience to the pope. Do you depart hence and guard your town, and I will defend my palace, for you are alarmed at trifles." This was all the answer they could obtain from the pope, and the cardinals and townsmen retired to their houses. The pope, whom I call Benedict, had, for a long time before laid up in his pal- ace great quantities of wines, corn, salted meat, oil, and of every necessary store for a fortress. He himself was a bold and determined character, not easily dismayed. The marshal Boucicaut marched from the town of St. Esprit, and, with the consent of the Prince of Orange, passed through Orange with his army, and entered the Comtat Venaissin, belenging to the Church, which was soon overrun. The men-at-arms crossed the bridge at Sorgues,t and were masters of each side of that river. The marshal left some men in the town to guard it and defend the passage, * BagnoJs— a town in lower Languedoc, three lesgues from the Pom du Saint Esprit, and fifty-two from Lyons. T The river Sorgues IftUe iu rise from Uie spring at Vauclu=e CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 609 and oppose the garrison of Noues, tliat iield out for the pope. He then fixed his head-quarters at Saint Verain, near Avignon, and his army was daily increasing. The city of Avignon was now so com. pletely surrounded, that nothing could enter by land or water without leave. The seneschal of Beaucaire's quarters were at Villeneuve, close la Avignon, though belonging to France, and he, with five hundred combatants, guarded that side of the town. The marshal of France, with two thousand men-at-arms, was on the opposite side : he sent notice to the townsmen, that if they did not open their gates, and submit themselves to his will, he would burn and destroy all the houses and vineyards as far as the river Durance. This greatly dis- mayed the inhabitants of both sexes, who had their inheritances in that part of the country, and they called a council, to which they admitted the cardinals of Amiens, Poitiers, Neufchateau, and Viviers, to have their advice. The townsmen, who were the most interested in the marshal's menace, infomied the meeting of their fears lest he should execute it, saying it was made by orders from the king of France, whom they were not prepared to resist, nor could they do so with effect, for he was too near a neighbor ; and that, considering all things, it would be much better to submit themselves to the king of France than remain obstinate in the support of Benedict, who was unable to afford them any assistance. They asked the cardinals if they would join thejn. The cardinals said they would. Provisions began to be scarce in -\vignon ; besides, their benefices were in France, which they would not lose ; and they agreed with the towns- men in their treaty with the marshal. The terms of the treaty were, that he and his army should be admitted into Avignon, to besiege the palace, but that no violence should be done to the cardinals, their de. pendents, nor the townsmen. This the marshal, the French lords, and captains of the men-at-arms, swore faithfully to observe. When this was done the army entered the town, and lodged themselves at their ease, for it was large enough, and took off all obstructions on the Rh6ne and at the gates, to allow free liberty for the entrance of provisions. Pope Benedict was much cast down, when he heard that his cardi- nals and the townsmen had concluded a treaty with the marshal of France, without consulting him. He said he would never surrender, Ro long as he had breath, and shut himself up in his palace, which is very strong and handsome, and easy to be defended, provided it be well stored with provisions. The pope sent off letters by messen- gers, before the marshal entered Avignon, to the king of Arragon, humbly entreating him to come and succor him in his distress, and to send him men-at-arms sufficient to oppose the marshal of France. He added, that if he could be extricated from the situation in which he was, and conveyed to Arragon, he would establish the holy see at Perpignan or at Barcelona. The king of Arragon carefully perused these letters, but paid little attention to their contents. He said to those near his person: "What! does this priest suppose that I am to involve myself in a war with the king of France to support his quar- rel? I should indeed be blameworthy, were I to interfere." "Sire," replied his knights, " what you say is true : you have no business to meddle with such matters ; for you must know that the king of France has been ably advised, and has just cause to act as he does. Leave the clergy to themselves ; and if they wish for support, they must subject themselves to those lords from whose countries they receive the amount of their benefices. They have too long held them undisturbed, and they ought to feel and be sensible whence their wealth arises. The king of France has besides written to en- treat that you would agree with him in a neutrality between the two popes. Accept his invitation, for the queen, who is his cousin-ger- man, has done so; and the greater part of the kingdom and clergy are willing to do the same ; for we hold, especially the Catalonians, that this opinion is the surest ; otherwise, should the Christian princes not unite in the same, there will never be any union in the church, from the divisions of these two popes.'' Thus did the king of Arra. gon and his lords converse on the subject, while poor Benedict, shut tip in his palace, was looking in vain for assistance being sent him from Arragon. The marshal of France was in Avignon, and the pa- lace, so strictly invested, nothing could enter it, which forced those within to live on the provisions they had. Of food there was a suffi- ciency for two or three years ; but, as there was a scarcity of fuel to dress their victuals, they began to be alarmed at the consequences. The king of France held a weekly correspondence with the lord Boucicaut, on the state of Benedict ; and the king ordered him not to depart until he had completed the business with the pope. He therefore increased the guard round the palace, to prevent him issuing forth. The conclusion was, that Benedict, finding himself thus con- strained, that there was no fuel, and that their provisions were daily decreasing, without any assistance coming to his aid, begged for mercy, through the mediation of some of his cardinals. The terms of the treaty were, that he was not to leave the palace of Avignon tintil union should be restored to the church ; that he should be put ■under the guard of proper persons; and that the cardinals and richest citizens of Avignon should be responsible for his appearance, dead or alive. This satisfied the marshal. Those cardinals who had benefices in France exerted themselves much to conclude this treaty, declaring unanimously they would comply with the orders of the king of France. Thus ended this business, and the men-at-arms marched away from Avignon, every one to his own home. CHAPTER CI. THE JURSHAL BOtJCICAtJT RETtTRNS TO HUNSART AGAINST THE TURKS. THE EARL OF DERBY SENDS TO REQtJIST PERMISSION OF THE DUKE OF LANCASTER TO ACCOMPANY BOUCICAUT IN THIS EXPEDITION. THE KINO OF ENGLAND IS SOLICITED BY THE KING OF FRANCE TO ENGAGE HIS SUBJECTS TO A NEUTHALITV BETWEEN THE TWO POPES, UNTIL A NEW ELECTION SHALL TAKE PLACE ; BUT THEY REFUSE COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR .-UONARCh's REQUEST. After this exploit, the marshal Boucicaut returned to Paris, and shortly after made preparations to go to Hungary ; for the king had written to the king of France, to his uncles, and to the knights and squires of France, that Bajazet was assembling a large army of Turks, Arabians, Persians, Tartars, Syrians, and others of his religion. The king of Hungary was in consequence desirous of collecting a nume- rous force to oppose him, and offer him battle with more advantage than the last. The earl of Derby, who resided at Paris at the hotel de Clisson, near the Temple, was very desirous to go on the expedition to Hun- gary, to avoid putting the king of France to further expense ; for he received from the French treasury, every week, five hundred golden crowns for his expenses, which his people were most punctually paid. On the first mention of this expedition, the earl of Derby eagerly listened to it ; for he felt himself under great obligations to the king of France, and was unwilling to be a charge on him longer. He likewise thought that he should gain honor by going to Hungary, and that it would make the time of his banishment the sooner pass away. He consulted his confidential servants, who advised him to undertake it, but first to solicit the consent of his father the duke of Lancaster. The earl, in consequence, sent to England the knight nearest his person, to learn the pleasure of his father, and how he would advise him to act. When the knight, whose name was Dinorth,* arrived at London, he heard the duke of Lancaster was at his castle of Hert- ford, about twenty miles from London, whither he went, and related to him the earl of Derby's wish to join the expedition to Hungary. When the duke had heard all he had to say, he was well contented with the state of his son, and bade him welcome, adding, that what he had said, and the letters he had brought, demanded consideration. You will rest yourself here while we deliberate on the subject; and, in the mean time, you must see my son's children, to give them news of their father, and carry intelligence of them to him, for that he will expect from you." » My lord," replied the knight, " what you say is true." Thus did he, by desire of the duke, stay some little time in England. The king of France sent embassadors to Germany, to inform the emperor that he had laid hands on Benedict, who for a time had styled himself pope. These embassadors were the patriarch of Jeru. salem, sir Charles de Hangiers, and others of his knights : they set out for Germany, and met the emperor at Sn-asbourg, to whom they satisfactorily delivered their message. The emperor and his council said they would deliberate on the matter, but would gladly first know the determination of the king of England, for which the king of France had taken on himself to answer. Upon this, the embassy re- turned to France, and reported what you have just read. The king of France, to hasten the business, sent a grand embassy to England to remonstrate with the king on the present distracted state of the church. The king of England would willingly have joined the king of France, but he had not his prelates nor his churchmen and subjects as much under his command as his father-in-law kept them in France. All this he told in confidence to the French embassadors, at the same time, promising them to do his utmost to comply with the king of France's request. The French embassador returned to Paris ; and king Richard, in consequence of his wishes to please his father-in-law, summoned d meeting of the prelates and clergy of his realm, at his palace of Westminster, which is out of the city of London. When they met, he eloquently harangued them on the miserable schism in the church, and the plan the king of France had adopted, of remaining neuter between the two rival popes, according to the advice of the imiver- sity of Paris, and other learned clerks. The kings of Scotland, Castille, Arragon, and Navarre had followed this example, and all Germany, Bohemia, and Italy intended doing the same. He there- fore entreated that his kingdom would adopt the like measures. When the prelates, who were ignorant why they had been a.ssem- blcd, heard this speech, they were greatly astonished, and were silent. Several murmured, and said : " Our king is quite a Frenchman : his only wish is to disgrace and ruin us, but he shall not succeed. What ! does he want us to change our creed ? He may go so far that evil will bcfal him. We will do notiiing in this matter, since the king of France proposes it. Let him keep to his neutrality, if he please, and we will keep our creed. We will never suffer any attempt to deprive us of it, unless better reasons can be shown than those we have just heard." The king, seeing them thus murmur together, made the bishop of London, who had laid the proposals of neutrality before them, ask what determination were best to be taken. They replied, one by one, that the matter was so weighty, great deliberation was requisite » "Drngrth." The M3S. have Dii Roch. 6). if not Dymocke. 610 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &e. before any answer could be made. Upon this, the meeting broke up, and the clergy who had been assembled retired to their inns in the city of London. The citizens, learning from them the cause of tlie meeting, and the proposition that the king had made them, were greatly angered against him, for in England the belief in the pope of Rome was general. They said : " This Richard of Bordeaux will ruin everything, if he be suffered to go on. His head is so thoroughly French, he cannot disguise it ; but a day may come when he shall pay for all without having time to repent, and so shall those who have been his advisers. Things continued in thi^ state ; and all his solicitations and re- monstrances with his clergy to remain neuter obtained not any atten. tion. The king of France and his council were dissatisfied that king Richard had not instantly determined his country to be neuter, but in truth he could not prevail with his clergy to do so ; and shortly after there fell out such horrible events that the like are not to be found in this whole history, nor in that of any other Christian king, except that noble prince Lusignan, king of Cyprus and Jerusalem, whom his brother and the Cypriots villainously murdered. CHAPTER CII. THE ANSWER THE DUKE OF LANCASTER GIVES THE KNIOHT WHO HAD BEEN SENT TO HIM BY THE EARL OF DERBY, TO REQUEST HIS PERMIS- SION TO JOIN THE EXPEDITION AGAINST THE TURKS. THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF LANCASTER. When the chevalier Dinorth, who had been sent by the earl of Derby to the duke of Lancaster, had received answers to the letters ke had brought, and had visited all the castles of the earl his lord, and waited on his four sons and two daughters, who had remained in England, he took leave and returned to France. The answer from the duke of Lancaster was, that he would not advise his son to go into Hungary, but, when tired of France, to visit CastiUe and Portu- gal, and amuse himself at the courts of his brothers-in-law and sis. ters. The earl of Derby read these letters twice over and mused some time on their contents. His knight told him in confidence that the duke of Lancaster's physicians and surgeons had assured him the duke labored under so dangerous a disease it must soon cause his death. This information made tho earl give over all thoughts of travelling farther. He remained in Paris, at the hbtel de Clisson, which had ieen prepared for him and his attendants. He frequently visited the king, and the duke of Orleans and their uncles, who entertained him handsomely. The earl was so sensible of their attentions, that he ■aid to the king of France : " My lord, you pay me so much honor •nd courtesy, and give me proofs of such aftection, that I know not how I shall ever be able to make you any return ; but, if it please God that I go back to England, I will not forget them in my attach. nient to our queen, your daughter, whom God preserve !" " Many thanks, fair cousin," replied the king. It happened, that about Christmas.tide, duke John of Lancaster fell dangerously ill of a dis- order which ended his life, to the great grief of all his friends. He had been some time very low spirited, on account of the banishment of his son, whom his nephew king Richard had forced out of Eng. land for a very trifling cause, and also for the manner in which the kingdom was governed, which, if persevered in, he foresaw must be its ruin. The king of England, as it seemed, was little affected by his uncle's death, and he was soon forgotten. Many of the nobles, but not all, were uneasy the kingdom was so weakened by the deaths of the dukes of Lancaster, Gloucester, and the earl of Arundel, and that the earl of Derby was banished, who ought to be now duke of Lancaster by legal succession. Some said : " We shall see what the king will do. It is time that he recal his cousin the earl of Derby, and remit his further punishment, though there was scarcely any justice in it. It is proper that he return to take possession of his lands, and do homage as duke of Lancaster." Such speeches were common throughout England, but especially in London, where the earl of Derby was a hundred times more beloved than king Richard. Notwithstanding these murmurs, and that he was spoken to on the subject, as well as his ministers, nothing was done : on the contrary, the king showed he was more irritated against She earl. In this he was very badly advised ; for if, on the death of Jiis uncle, he had sent for the earl of Derby, and said to him : " Fair cousin, you are welcome. You are now duke of Lancaster, and, mfter us, the greatest personage in the realm : we will, therefore, that you remain with us; and we will be governed by your counsels, and do nothing without your approbation ;" he would then have continued king of England, and avoided the unfortunate end that was awaiting him : the cata.strophe was now so near at hand that he could no way avoid it, as you shall speedily hear. CHAPTER cm. THE KING OF ENGLAND MAKES THE KING OF FRANCE ACQUAINTED WITH THE DEATH OF THE DtJKE OF LANCASTER, BUT DOES NOT NOTICE IT TO THE EARL OF DERBY, THOUGH SON TO THE LATE DUKE. The new9 of the death of the duke of Lancaster was soon public in France. King Richard wrote an account of it to the lung with a sort of joy, but did not notice it to the earl of Derby. The earl, how. ever, knew it as soon, if not sooner than the king of France, from his people in England. He clothed himself and his attendants in deep mourning, as was right, and had his obsequies grandly per- formed ; at which were present, the king of France, the duke of Orleans, their three uncles, and numbers of the prelates and great barons of France, for the earl was much liked by all. The French barons visited him often, and some were displeased at and took part in his misfortunes : he was an amiable knight, courteous and pleas, ant to every one, and it was currently said, the king of England was very ill advised not to recal him. To say the truth, if the king had wisely considered consequences, he would have done it : affaira would not have turned out so miserably as they did. The earl of Derby was now, by the death of his father, duke of Lancaster, and the most potent baron in England, second to none but the king, and by his advice the king should be governed. The king and his ministers should not have forgotten that the people of England, more particularly the Londoners, had frequently risen against the government ; that the king was not popular with any rank of men ; and that, during the life of the duke of Glouces- ter, he had suffered many vexations, and even personal danger. When the citizens of London and the deputies from the great towns waited on the king at Eltham, to petition for the abolition of the war taxes, their plan was (by the secret advice of the duke of Gloucester and other lords,) to seize the king and queen, and choose another in his room. King Richard and his queen were to be confined and allowed a sufficiency for their maintenance during their lives. The duke of Gloucester had requested his nephew, son to the daughter of the duke of Clarence, called John earl of March, to take charge of the government of England ; but he had excused himself from so doing, and the meeting was dismissed in tolerable good humor by the pru. dence and temper of the duke of Lancaster, and Richard reigned with greater prosperity than before. The king was not unacquainted with these designs against him ; and by the wicked counsel of those about his person, who gave him to understand the duke of Glouces- ter was at the bottom of this plot, under pretence of great affection he had him arrested in the night, and carried over to Calais, where he was strangled. This caused a great noise in England, and pro- posals were made for dethroning the king ; but the duke of Lancas- ter, with his usual prudence and wisdom, although the duke of Glou. cester was his brother, and he was sorely afflicted by his death, con. sidering he could not restore him to life and the consequences that might ensue, again appeased these discontents ; and his nephew-, king Richard, was more feared than ever. The king ought to have remembered all these circumstances, and likewise that the earl of Derby was the most popular man in Eng- land with every description of men, and should therefore instantly, on the death of his father, have recalled hiin. But the king had no such inclination : on the contrary, he immediately sent his officers to take possession of his lands and seize their rents, declaring, that, during his banishment, neither the earl nor his family should receive any of his revenues in England. He also, to the great vexation of such as were attached to the earl or his children, disposed of several estates in the duchy of Lancaster to some of his knights, and to whoever asked for them. The English barons greatly blamed him for this, and said ; " It is clear the king of England bears no good- will to his cousin, the earl of Derby, when he refuses to recal him, and suffer him to take possession of his inheritance. He would, with his children, be a grand support to the crown, and a staff to lean on, but he acts quite contrary, by thus keeping him out of the kingdom, in a disagreeable state, and which he would make worse if he could. He has taken possession of his lands, and sent hither his officers, as if they were legally his own, who treat the tenants worse than any in England ; should they complain, during the ab- sence of their lord, they are not attended to. It is no sign of affec- tion or justice toward the earl of Derby and his children, when he thus seizes the inheritance of Lancaster, that descends to them as the true heirs of the lady Blanche, daughter of Henry duke of Lan- caster, and likewise that from their mother, the daughter of the earl of Hereford and Northampton, and constable of England, which he is daily distributing piece-meal to any person according to his pleasure. This conduct is contrary to reason and justice, and so greatly disliked by the good people of England, that things cannot longer remain in their present state." Such conversations were general among the nobles, prelates, and commonalty of England. In like manner, the lords in France, who heard of this matter, and were acquainted with the earl of Derby, wondered at it, and said : " According to our opinion, this king of England has formed too great a hatred against the earl of Derby, who is his cousin-german. He is a graceful and courteous knight to all who address him. Either the king of England knows some things of him that we do not, or he is miserably advised : it is sur- prising the king of France, his brother the duke of Orleans, and their uncles of Berry, Burgundy, and Bourbon, do not interfere in the business, for he is daily with some of them. They would have greater weight than any others, and the king of England would do more to please them from love to his queen, who is daughter to the king of France ; but, as they have not taken any steps in the matter, it behooves us to hold our peace." In truth, the king of France and CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &.C. 61'J his family were perfectly well dispoeed toward the earl of Derby, whom they greatly respected, and wished always for his company. It was considered that he was a widower, likely to marry again, and ihat the duke of Berry had a daughter, who though so young, was a widow of two husbands : she had been first married to Louis de Blois, who had died in his youth, and then to the lord Philip d'Artois, count d'Eu, who died in Turkey, as you have read in this history. Mary of Berry was not more than twenty.three years old, and a marriage between her and the earl of Derby was talked of and nearly concluded. The duke of Berry knew well that the earl of Derby was the greatest heir-apparent in England, as did the king of France, who was anxious this match should take place, on account of his daughter being queen of England. It was natural to imagine that two such ladies, so nearly related, would be agreeable company to each other, and that the kingdoms of France and England would enjoy longer peace, and be more intimately connected. All this would probably have been true, if it could have been accomplished, but king Rich, ard and his council broke off all these measures. Whatever mis- fortunes fate has decreed cannot be prevented ; they must have their couree ; and those that befel king Richard are wonderful indeed to think on. He might indeed have avoided them, but what must be will be. I, John Froissart, author of tliese chronicles, will literally say what, in my younger days, I heard at a mansion called Berkhampstead, distant from London thirty miles, and which, at the time I am speak- ing of, in the year of our Lord 1361, belonged to the prince of Wales, father to king Richard. As the prince and princess were about to leave England for -4quitaine, to hold their state, the king of England, queen Philippa, my mistress, the dukes of Clarence, Lancaster, the lord Edmund, who was afterwards earl of Cambridge and duke of York, with their children, came to this mansion to visit the prince and take leave of him. I was at that time twenty.four years old, and oue of the clerks of the chamber to my lady the queen. During this visit, as I was seated on a bench, I heard the following conver- sation from a knight to some of the ladies of the qseen. He said : " There was in that country a book called Brut, which many say contains the prophecies of Merlin. According to its contents, nei- ther the prince of Wales nor duke of Clarence, thougli sons to king Edward, will wear the crown of England, but it will fall to the house of Lancaster." When the knight said this, the earl of Derby was not born : his birth was seven years after. This prophecy, however, was verified, for I have since seen Henry, earl of Derby, king of England. CHAPTER CIV. THE TREATY OF .IIARRIASE BETWEEN THE EAKL OF DEKEY A^D THE DAUGHTER OF THE DUKE OF BEKRV IS BROKEN OFF BY THE KING OF ENGLAND, THROUGH THE MEANS OF THE EARL OF SALISBURY. The moment king Richard learnt that a treaty of marriage was going forward, wi *! the approbation of all parties, betsveen the earl of Derby and the lady Mary of Berry, he became very thoughtful and much displeased thereat. He said to the earl of Salisbury, in whom he had great confidence : " My lord, you must make yourself ready to go to Paris ; I will give you credential letters to the king our father, and to our well-beloved brother and uncles. Tell them to beware of forming any alliance or marriage with such a traitor as the earl of Derby, who would have betrayed his sovereign : you are per- fectly acquainted with the fact: and, with your good understanding, net in such wise that I shall be satisfied, and this marriage be put aside." The earl of Salisbury replied : " Sire, I shall punctually obey all your commands ; but, if this marriage could be broken off by any other means than mine, I shall be very thankful to you." " Earl of Salisbury," answered the king, " make no e.vcuses ; for I ■will and entreat that you go thither, and whatever may be the conse- quences I will support you through them." " Well, sire," said the earl, " since you specially command me, and the matter seems to interest you so inuch, I will undertake it, but I go very unwillingly." *' Hasten your preparation as much as you can," replied the king, " that the treaty of marriage be not too far advanced." ' The earl of Salisbury was soon ready, and, having had his creden- tial letters sealed, he departed from the king, who at the time resided with his queen at Leeds-castle. He carried with him private letters from the queen to the king and queen of France, and to her brother the duke of Orleans, and, hastening his journey, an-ivcd at Dover, where, the wind being favorable, he embarked, and landed at Calais. He was received by the king's half-brother, the earl of Huntingdon, governor of Calais, to whom he told part of his business. He made no long stay at Calais, but continued his road through Amiens to Paris, and wherever he passed he was well entertained. On his arrival at Paris, he lodged at the White Horse, in the square of the Grcve.* After he had dressed himself, he waited on the king and queen, and delivered his credential letters : when the king of France had perused them, he took the earl of Salisbury aside and demanded his business. The earl related to him very minutely everything he had been charged with by the king of England, and called the earl of * Tlie MSS. say, "at the chateau de Fesliis. in the rue du Tiioir." Derby a traitor to his natural lord. The king, on hearing this exprea, sion, was angered {for he had taken so strong a liking to the earl of Derby, that he would not hear anything said in his dispraise,) aad gave back the letters to the carl, saying : " Earl of Salisbury, we readily believe what you tell us ; but our son of England bears too great a hatred to our cousin of Derby, and we wonder he has con- tinued it so long, for we think that his court would be better adorned if he were near his person, and those who have the most weight in his council ought to advise him to recal his cousin." " Very dear sire," replied the earl of Salisbury, " I only act as I have been ordered," " That is true," said the king : " we are not angry with you, for perchance our son may know of these matters more than we can : execute the commission you have been charged with." The earl then waited on the duke of Berry, and delivered his message from king Richard. The duke made no answer, but went to the king at the h6tel de Saint Pol, and asked if he had received any news from England. The king told him all that had passed between him and the earl of Salisbury, and a privy council of the king's uncles and principal lords, was summoned on the occasion. They said ; " The king of England must fear very much the earl of Derby, from circumstances that we are ignorant of, and that have not been made public. We ought to be more attached to him than the earl of Derby, from his connection with us by marriage ; and, as we have been informed, he will be gready displeased if we proceed in the marriage of the earl of Derby with the countess d'Eu, we must break it off. We have only to conceal what we have heard from England until the earl of Salisbury be returned." I The king and his council adopted this resolution. When the earl of Salisbury had completed the business he had been sent on to Paris, he took leave of the king and his lords, and departed. The king, however, showed he was more displeased than otherwise at the intelligence he had brought, and returned to the earl his creden- tial letters, refusing to accept of them, from his partiality to the earl of Derby. This last knew of the earl of Salisbury being at Paris, but they never saw each other ; and the earl of Salisbuiy returned to Calais without speaking to the earl of Derby, and thence to Eng- land to report the success of his mission. The earl of Derby was much displeased that the earl of Salisbury should leave Paris without seeing him, and augured from it nothing favorable. His council were of the same opinion, and said to him : " My lord, you will soon perceive such things as you little dream of, although they are as yet hid from you. The French are a close and subtle people : perhaps the king of England and his minions are vexed that the king of France and his court show you such honor and affection ; perhaps also it may be rumored in England that you propose marrying the lady Mary of Berry, and king Richard, to whom this intelligence will not be agreeable, has sent over to have it broken off: should that be the case, you will speedily hear of it." Thus, as the knights and council of the earl of Derby had supposed matters were, did they turn out. About a month after the departure of the earl of Salisbury, the commissioners from the earl of Derby renewed the matter of the marriage with the lady Mary of Berry : but those on the part of the duke replied : " Tell my lord of Derby, that when he is in the presence of the king and his brother the duke of Orleans, he may propose this business himself; for we cannot say more on the subject, since it is not agreeable to our employers that we longer interfere in it." These words were repeated to the earl of Derby, who suspected nothing more was meant by it than to hasten the marriage ; for the king of France and his lords had shown outwardly as much eager- ness for the match as ever. He remembered what had been told him, and at a proper opportunity, when the king and his lords were togetlier, renewed his proposal of marriage. The duke of Burgundy, having been charged with the answer, replied, " Cousin of Derby, we cannot think of mariying our cousin to a traitor." The earl in- stantly changed color on hearing this expression, and said : " Sir, I am in the presence of my lord the king, and must interrupt your speech, to answer the expression you have used. I never was nor never thought of being a traitor ; and if any one dare to charge me with treason, I am ready to answer him now, or at wnatever tune it may please the king to appoint." " No, cousin," said the king, " I do not believe you will find any man in France that will chal- lenge your honor. The expression my uncle has used comes from England." The earl of Derby cast himself on his knees, and re. plied, " My lord, I willingly believe you : may God prcser\-e all my friends, and confound mine enemies !" The king made the earl rise, and said : " Earl, be appeased : all this matter will end well ; and when you shall be on good terms with every one, we can then talk of marriage. But it will be first necessary that you have pos- session of your duchy of Lancaster; for it is the custom of France, and of many countries on this side the sea, that when a lord marries with the consent of his lord paramount, should he have one, he set- tles a dower on his wife." Upon this, wine and spices were brought : the conversation ended ; and, when the king retired to his closet, every one went away. The earl of Derby, on his return to the hfttel de Clisson, was bit. terly enraged, and not without reason, to be accused of treason, when he thought himself one of the most loyal knights in the universe, and in the presence too of the king of France, who had shown him eo 613 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. much aft'ection and courtesy, and that this accusation should have oeen brought from England by the earl of Salisbury. His knights pacified him as well as they could, by saying : " My lord, whoever wishes to live ii? this world, must sometimes suffer trouble. Comfort yourself for the present, and bear all things with patience : perhaps you will hereafter have it made up in joy and glory. Of all the lords on this side of the sea, the king of France loves you the most, and, from what we hear and see, he will instantly prevent any insult be. ing offered you. You should be thankful to him and his uncles for having kept this matter secret during the stay of the earl of Salis. bury, and until he was landed in England." " Indeed 1" replied the earl : " I should have thought it more loyal to have made the charge while he was here, than to have waited so long. I could then have been enabled sufficiently to exculpate myself in the presence of the king and his lords, so that my innocency would have been apparent ; but I must now submit to the disgrace until I shall wipe it off." " My lord," answered the knights, " all faults cannot be corrected at once : have patience, we hope things will turn out better in England than you think. The affection the whole country bear you will very soon, if it please God, deliver you from all dangers." Thus did his Knights attempt to comfort the earl of Derby, who was more cast down than man ever was ; and what they had uttered by chance, for consolation, turned out true, as I shall now relate. It was known in England that the earl of Salisbury had been sent to France with credential letters, and that, on the strength of them, he had accused the earl of Derby to the king of France and his uncles, as a perjured, false, and wicked traitor, which words had greatly angered many of the prelates and barons of the kingdom. They said, when among themselves : " The earl of Salisbury has done very wrong to carry such a message to France, and make so neavy a charge against the most honorable man in the world. The day will come when he shall repent of this, and say, ' It weighs neavily on me that I ever carried a message to France against the earl of Derby.' " The Londoners were exceedingly enraged against the king and his ministers for their conduct, and said : " Ah, gallant and courteous earl of Derby, how great are the jealousies and ha. treds against thee, when, to overwhelm thee with disgrace and vex. ation, they charge thee with treason ! It was not enough for the king and his minions to force thee out of the kingdom, but they must add this charge also; but, by God, all things have an end, and their turn may come." " Alas !" cried the people, " what have his children done ? when the king seizes their inheritance, which ought to be theirs by direct succession from grandfather and father. There must be some change in public measures, for wc neither can nor will suffer them to go on longer." CHAPTER CV. KINS RICHAKD OF ENGLAND PROCLAIMS A TOURNAMENT, WHICH IS AT- TENDED BY VERY FEW PERSONS. ON SETTING OUT FOR IRELAND HE BANISHES THE EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND AND HIS SON THE KINGDOM. Soon after the return of the earl of Salisbury from France to Eng- land, king Richard had proclaimed throughout his realm and in Scotland, that a grand tournament would be held at Windsor, by forty knights and forty squires, clothed in green, with the device of a white falcon, against all comers, and that the queen of England, well attended by ladies and damsels, would be at this feast. The queen was indeed present at the tournament in magnificent array, but very few of the barons attended ; the greater part of the knights and squires o( England were disgusted with the king, for the banish, ment of the earl of Derby, the injuries he was doing the earl's chil- dren, the murder of the duke of Gloucester, that had been committed in the castle of Calais, the death of the earl of Arundel, whom he had beheaded in London, and the perpetual e.\ile of the earl of War. wick. None of the kindred of these lords came to the feast, which was of course very poorly attended. The king, after this tournament, made preparations to go to Ire. land. He left his queen, Isabella, and her household at Windsor castle, and took the road to Bristol, where he laid in ample purvey- ances and stores. He had with him full two thousand lances, knights and squires, and ten thousand archers. When the Londoners heard he was set out, they began to murmur together and say : " Well ! Richard of Bordeaux has taken the road to Bristol for Ireland. It will be his destruction : never will he return thence to joy, more than his ancestor, king Edward, who governed his realm so foolishly, through the counsels of the Despencers, and paid for it. This Rich, ard of Bordeaux has confided so long iu weak and wicked counsel, lors, that it cannot longer be borne." You must know, that although many barons, knights, and squires accompanied the king in his expedition to Ireland, they were much discontented with him, and did not follow him with a good will. When they were together, they conversed, saving, '• Our king gov. cms very badly, and too readily believes weak' counsel." This was so often and so loudly spoken of throughout the realm, particularly by the earl of Northumberland and his son Harry Percy, that the king's ministers heard of it and said to the king : " Sire, the earl of Northumberland and his son say things that must not be suffered, _ for they want to excite your subjects to rise against you. Every rebel must be punished, one after another, that the greatest baroaa may fear you, and take example." " That is true," replied the king: "how shall I act on this occasion ?" "We will tell you, sire : they are to join this expedition, but not yet arrived. When they come, order them to your presence by the earl of Salisbury or any other you please, and then remonstrate with them on the injurious speeches they have uttered against you and your ministers. You will hear what answer they make, and, as that may be, consider how you shall punish them, by imprisonment or otherwise." The king replied, " You say well, and what you advise shall be done." The earl of Nortliumberland and his son had good friends on this expedition, by whom great part of the secret councils of the king were revealed : they were strongly advised not to join the armament nor appear in the king's presence, for that he was so wroth with them, they would at least be severely reprimanded, if not imprisoned. On hearing this, they retarded their journey toward Bristol ; for, accord, ing to the intelligence sent them, had they come, they would have run a risk of their Uvea. The king's ministers, perceiving the ead of Northumberland did not arrive, said to him, " See, sire, if we did not tell you the truth : neither the earl of Northumberland nor his son condescend to serve you, although ordered ; and, if you send them a special summons, you will have a confirmation that what we have told you is true." The king said, it should be done. Letters were signed, sealed, and sent offby a special messenger, containing orders for the earl of Northumberland and sir Henry Percy instantly to join the king's forces, and perform their duties as they were bounden to do. The messenger continued his journey to a very handsome castle* of the earl of Northumberland, on the borders of Scotland, and delivered his letters. The earl read them attentively, and then gave them to his son. They determined to entertain the messenger well, and to write to the king to excuse themselves, as they were no way prepared, nor could they leave their own country, as the king had a sufficiency of men for the business he was going upon. The messenger returned with his answers and gave them to the king; but they were not agreeable to him nor to his ministers, and for this and other charges, which were publicly made against the earl of Northumberland and his son, they were banished England, never to return until recalled by the king. This sentence was published in London, and in all the towns of England, to the great astonishment of the citizens, who could not conceive why they had thus been so severely punished ; for they had always considered the earl of Northumberland and sic Henry Percy as two of the most loyal subjects in the realm. Some said, when conversing on this matter, that " the ministers of tlie king hated them, and would in the end cause their master's destruction. It may be that the earl and his son have talked too freely about the king's ministers, and his foolish government : and, as truth is not always agreeable, these gallant knights suffer for it ; but those who have now judged them may hereafter have their turn." Such were the conversations of the discontented Londoners, as well as of the majority of the English people. The earl and his son were connected by blood with the noblest and richest families, who were exasperated by their banishment ; and among them his brother, sir Thomas Percy, who had done many very great services to the crown of England. When the earl heard of his banishment, he sum. moned all his friends and relations ; but many were with the king and could not attend. On their assembling, he consulted them how he should act in the disgrace the king had so undeservedly heaped on him ; and it was determined to send to Scotland, to request the king would afford the earl and his son an asylum in that country until affairs should mend, or the king's anger be pacified. This resolution was adopted, and a messenger sent to the king of Scotland to make the above request. King Robert, the earl Archibald ^ Douglas, and the barons of Scotland, cheerfully complied with it, and returned for answer, that the kingdom was ready to receive them ; and, it they wanted five or six hundred lances, they would be instantly at their service, on hearing from them. This answer was highly pleasing to the carl of Northumberland and his kindred; and things remained in this state, the earl in his own country among his friends ; for king Richard and his advisers had in a short time so much to do, that they had no leisure to attend to the earl of Northumberland, iior to say to him, " Quit the kingdom, or we will force you." They were obliged to give up all thoughts but for their own safety, as you will hear in the course of this history. CHAPTER CVI. THE ENGLISH, AND PARTICULARLY THE LONDONERS, RISE IN FAVOR OF THE EARL OF DERBY AGAINST KING RICHARD. During the time king Richard was holding his court at Bristol and in that neighborhood, there was a general insurrection of the people of England. Tlie courts of justice were closed ; at which many of the prelates, barons and prudent part of the people, who only wanted for peace and to pay what was lawful, were much dejected. A stop was put to all traffic, for merchants dared not travel for fear of being robbed, and having no courts to apply to for redress. All these thinga CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 6U were very prejudicial, and contrary to the usual customs of the coun- try.; for in general all people, laborers and tradesmen, lived peace- ably, and followed their occupations without hindrance, but it was now quite the contrary. When merchants went with their goods from one town to another, and had any money in their purses, it was taken from them. The farmers' houses were pillaged of grain, and their beeves, pigs and sheep carried away, without the owners da. ring to say a word. These enormities increased so much, there was nothing but complaints heard. The common people said, "Times are sadly changed for the worse since the days of king Edward of happy memory. Justice was then rigorous in punishing the wicked. Then there was no man in England daring enough to take a fowl or sheep without paying for them, but now they carry off all things, and we must not speak. This cannot go on without the country being ruined, and yet no one attempts to check it. We have a good-for- nothing king, who only attends to his idle pleasures ; and, as it should seem, he cares not how public affairs are managed, so that his incli- nations are gratified We must look for a remedy, or our enemies and ill-wishers will be rejoiced and laugh at us. King Richard has made his brother the earl of Huntingdon, governor of Calais, and perchance there may be some underhand treaties going forward to surrender it to the French, although it be so necessary and conve- nient to England : should this happen no nation will be ever more discom'^'ed than the English, and with good reason, for they will lose the keys of the entrance to France." These murmurings and discontents multiplied ; and the prelates and rich barons came to live in London, that they might avoid the troubles and dangers which were increasing throughout the kingdom. The families of those whom tho king had put to death or banished, were rejoiced, and looked out for greater misclriefs as the consequence. The citizens of London, who being rich from their trade, are en- abled to live in state, and by whom the other parts of England are generally governed, foresaw that most dangerous consequences would ensue, unless they stepped forward, as they had wisely done formerly against king Edward and the Despencers, who had forced queen Isa. bella and the prince of Wales out of the kingdom, and wanted to destroy them. The Icing had no cause for so doing, but they were absent from England three years. When the Londoners perceived king Edward so besotted with the Despencers, they provided a remedy by sending secretly to queen Isabella information, that if she could col- Uct a body of three hundred armed men, and land with them in Eng- land, she would find the citizens of London and the majority of the nobles and commonalty, ready to join her, and place her on the throne. The queen found a friend in sir John of Hainault, lord of Beaumont and Chimay, and brother to count William of Hainault, who under- took, through affection and pity, to carry her and her son back to Eng- land. He exerted himself so much in her service, with knights and squires, that he collected a body of four hundred, and landed them in England, to the great comfort of the Londoners. The citizens joined them, for, without their assistance they would never have ac- complished their enterprise. King Edward was made prisoner at Bristol, and carried to Berkeley castle, where he died. His advisers were all put to death with much cruelty ; and that same day king Ed- ward in. was crowned king of England, in the palace of Westminster. The Londoners remembered all these circumstances very well ; for the children of those days, now become men, had often had them told by their lathers, and others read them in the chronicles of those times. They therefore said one to another privately : " Our ances- tors, in former days, pronded a remedy for the mischiefs that afflicted the country, which were not so alarming as at this moment : if this wicked king Richard be suffered to rule according to his pleasure, ■we must all be ruined, and the country destroyed. Ever since he began his reign the kingdom has not prospered to the degree in which it did before : he shows no signs of being the son of the prince of Wales ; for, if he were his son, he would follow his manners, and take pleasure in imitating his prowess, instead of idly dallying with ladies, and spending his time among them, or putting his confidence in those who have neither weight nor sense, but in amassing treasures and destroying England. Have not the traitors near his person in- famously murdered that valiant duke of Gloucester, because he saw clearly public affairs were badly governed, going on from bad to worse, and spoke boldly the truth concerning them ? Have they not also put to death that gallant knight the earl of Arundel, and banished England, without reason, the gentle sir Henry of Lancaster, earl of Derby, by whom, and his four promising sons, the kingdom ought to be supported ? This cruel conduct is much aggravated ; for, while they make the earl suffer many disgusts beyond sea, they have disin- herited his children of the estates that devolved to them irom their grandmother, the lady Blanche of Lancaster, by dividing and distribu- ting them daily to those who are unworthy to possess them. Because those two gallant knights, the earl of Northumberland and sir Henry Percy, have spoken their luinds on this subject, king Richard has also banished them : it is clear there will not soon be any men of courage and honesty in the country, and hatreds and discontent are now increasing everywhere, so that if a remedy be not sought for, all things will fall to ruin. The remedy is in the earl of Derby, who is now losing his time in France : him we must send for, and on his arrival, appoint him regent of the kingdom, that he may reform all abuses, and punish those who have used him so ill, Richard of Bor- deaux must be arrested and confined in the tower of London, when all his actions will be examined and put into writing, which are suf- ficiently numerous, and will prove clearly he is unworthy to govern a kingdom and wear a crown : his acts are so infamous, that thejr will condemn him." i CHAPTER CVII. } THE AKCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY IS SENT TO FRANCE B7 THE LONDOKSRS, AND OTHERS OF THEIR PARTY IN ENGLAND, 10 BEINS BACK THE EAXt OF DERBY. Such was the language of the Londoners, and of many others throughout England ; but, although much was done to excite tha people to insurrection, they would never have attempted what they did, if the Londoners had not set them the example. The citi. zens of London, who, from their power and wealth, lead the rest of England, held several secret councils, to which were admitted some prelates and knights, when they resolved to send in search of the earl of Derby, who was residing at Paris or thereabout, and bring him back to England. On his return they were to remonstrate with him on the weak government of wicked king Richard, and propose, if he would undertake it, to give him the crown, and elect him and his heirs kings for ever, on condition that he promised to govern ac- cording to ancient usages of the country. They next thought oa the most proper person to send on this commission : he must be prudent and brave ; for it would be a grand enterprise to seduce the earl from France, when the king and his uncles were showing him every token of love and courtesy ; and he would not put any belief in the simple propositions of a low-born person, nor any letters that were sent him, but rather the contrary. In consequence, they en. treated the archbishop of Canterbury,* a man of prudence and wis- dom, to undertake it, who, for the good of his country, complied with the request. He made his preparations for the journey so privately, that none knew of his departure but those in the secret. He, with six more, embarked on board a vessel on the Thames, and landed at Sluys, thence he went to Ardembourg, Ghent, Oudenarde, Ath, CondS and Valenciennes, and stopped at the h6tel of the Swan, in the mar- ket-place. Having staid there three days to recover himself, he pur- sued his journey, not as archbishop of Canterbury, but like a simple monk on a pilgrimage, discovering to no one his rank, nor the business he was about. He departed from Valenciennes the fourth day, hav- ing hired a guide to conduct him to Paris, giving out that he was oa a pilgrimage to Saint Maur des Fosses.t He arrived at length where the ear of Derby resided, which was, I believe, at the hotel de Vin- chester,t near Paris. When the earl of Derby first saw the archbishop, his heart rejoieed and he recovered his spirits. Those about him were well pleased, for they concluded he had brought some important intelligence from England. The archbishop, however, did not discover the cause of his coming, and, to prevent any suspicions of it, said he was on a pil- grimage to Saint Maur des Fosses, which the earl's attendants be- lieved and were satisfied. When the archbishop thought it was time to make the object of his journey known, he took the earl into a pri- vate chamber, and there informed him of the miserable state England was in; that violence and desolation ruled in many parts, and that, by the king's fault, there was neither law nor justice : that the Lon- doners, with some prelates and valiant men, had determined to remedjf these evils, and that for this he had been sent by them to say, that if the earl would return to England (for he was wasting his time ia France) they would make him king : Richard of Bordeaux had done, or consented to so many atrocious acts, that the people were indig- nant, and resolved to rise against him. " Now is the time or never," added the archbishop, " for you to seek your deliverance, and the advantage of yourself and children ; for if you do not, no one else will for them, since this Richard of Bordeaux is giving away all their estates to his minions, or to whoever asks for them. The citizens of London, and many other gallant men, are greatly enraged at such conduct, and would amend it if they could, though hitherto they have been silent. He has filled up the measure of his crimes by the mur- der of the duke of Gloucester, the beheading of the earl of Arundel without cause, the exile of the earl of Warwick, and your banishment; clearly showing his intentions to deprive England of its nobles and the support she might have from them, for he has lately banished the earl of Northumberland and his son because they talked loo freely of him and his ministers. The citizens of London and the greater part of the prelates and barons of England entreat you will not sleep over this business, but that you will take leave of the king of France and the Frcjich, and return home, where you will be joy- * Thomas Fitz-alan, son to the earl of Arundel. _ I t Saint Maur des Fosses— a town in the Isle of France, diocese of Paris. ' X Froissart has said belure, the earl of Derby resided at the hotel de Clisson. near tha Temple. This hotel de Vinchester was so called from having been budt by John bishop of Winchester. 1204. It belonged, at the period we are now speaking of. to the duke of Berry.— Sauval, .intiquUis de Paris. There seems a mistake as to the name of the bishop of Winchester. Peter de Rupibux was bishop 1204, and died 1238. This hotel de Vinchester is pronounced, by corruption. Bicetre. and is now used as ft prison, an hospital, and ao asylum for lunatics ; the buddings have been much extendod in modern limes. 614 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &,c. fully received, and every promise I have made be punctually fulfilled, for the country desires none other than you for their king, so much are you beloved and respected." When the earl of Derby had heard this speech of the archbishop, he did not immediately reply, but, leaning on a window that looked into the gardens, mused awiiilc, and having various thouglits in his mind, turned to the bishop, and said : " My lord, your speech requires much consideration. I would be unwilling to begin an enterprise and be forced to leave it unfinished, for I well know, that unless by the means you propose, it will bo a long time before I return to Eng. land. I am loth to resort to this, for the king of France and his nobles have paid .me every honor and attention, and will con- tinue so to do, as long as I slmll please to "^~ live among them. Should I accept of the ^ .offers and kind promises which you and my ,s^^ good friends the citizens of London make, I must subject myself to their will, arrest king Richard, and put him to death. For this I shall be imiversally blamed, and I .would not willingly do so, if any other means could be adopted." " My lord," re. plied th« archbishop, "I am sent hither with every good disposition toward you. Call in your council and lay before them the propositions I have made : I will also explain why I am deputed hiiher, and I do not think they will advise you to act other, wise than to accept them." "I consent," said the earl, "for such matters demand great consideration." The earl of Derby sent for those knights and squires in whom he had the most con- fidence, and in their presence desired the archbishop to repeat what he had just told him ; which being done, he asked their advice how he should act. They unani- mously answered : " My lord, God has taken compassion on you : be careful how you refuse such offers, for you will never have more advantageous ones mode you. Who. ever will examine your blood, will find that it descends in a straight line from Saint Edward, king of England. Thank your good friends the Londoners for wishing to deliver you from e.xile, and for having pity on your children and the kingdom of England, which now is sorely troubled. Have you forgotten the many wrongs this Richard of Bordeau.K has done you, and who does not dis- semble his wishes to add to them daily. When your marriage with the lady Mary of Berry was on the point of being concluded, did he not send over the earl of Salisbury to break off the match, and to accuse you before the king and his vvliole court of being a false and wicked traitor ? Such things are unpardonable, and you should rather seek for means of revenge. If you will not help yourself, no one will do it for you : consider well, therefore, all we have said." To shorten the matter, the earl managed his affairs with much dis- cretion, and took leave of all the lords who were then at court: on his departure, he made very handsome presents to the king's officers, for he was bounden so to do ; and to the heralds and minstrels re- sident in Paris, and who attended the farewell supper he gave at the hotel de Clisson to such of the French knights as chose to par- take of it. These things done, on the next morning he and his attendants mounted their horses and left Paris by the gate of St. James, follow- ing the road to Estampes. A knight from Beauce, called sir Guy le CHAPTER CVIII. THE EARL OF DERBY TAKES LEAVE OF THE KING AND LORDS OF FRANCE TO VISIT HIS COUSIN THE DUKE OF BKITTANV. The earl of Derby's courage was raised on hearing his council thus boldly declare their opinion, and he said ; " I will do whatever you idvise, for I have called you together to have your counsel." They unanimously answered, " You say well ; and we will advise you according to circumstances, to the best of our power." After this, they carried on their business so very secretly, that none of the house- hold but those immediately concerned knew anything of what was going forward. They consulted how they could cross the sea before any news of their intention should reach England, and whether to travel through Hainault and Holland, and embark at Dordrecht, or to go to Brittany under pretence of visiting the duke, sail from one of his ports, and land at Plymouth or any other place whither God might please to send them. Everything considered, they thought the load through Brittany the easiest accomplished : and they advised the carl, saying, " My lord, you will take leave of the king of France, his brother, and uncles, and thank them warmly for the affection and courtesy they have shown you. After this, you will request the king to grant you an escort to Brillany, to visit the duke and stay some time with him." The earl of Derby consented, and came to Paris, where all things were prepared for his departure : he waited on the king as usual whenever he pleasied, for the doors of the palace were open to him at all hours. At this last visit, he talked to the king very ablv, as he knew well how to do, as to his future plans, and said he would go and amuse himself in Brittany and visit the duke, whom he called hie uncle, for he had married a sister to his father, daughter to king Edward. The king, not thinking he was plotting mischief, easily assented : and the earl, having requested an escort to Brittany, the king promised to give instant orders for one to be at his command. Karl or DtRD\ txeing lbavk or the Kino and Lord8 of Franxe at Paris. From MSS. of the I5th Century. Bavcux, escorted them. They continued their journey to Blois, where they remained eight days ; for the earl had sent forward one of his knights and a herald, to signify to the duke his intention of visiting him, and the circumstance of his being on the road. The duke of Brittany was very happy to learn that his nephew, the earl of Derby, was coming to see him ; for he was attached to him, and had always loved the duke of Lancaster and his other brothers. " Why," said the duke to the knight, whose name was sir William de la Perriere, " has our nephew stopped on the road, since he intends to visit us, and has not come directly hither ?" The knight excused him as well as he could ; but the duke said, " It is foolish ; for there is no knight whom for these last seven years I should more gladly see in Brittany than my fair nephew the earl of Derby. Let him come to us with a hearty welcome, and he shall find my country and towns open and ready to receive him." The knight was well contented with this answer, and set out on his return as speedily as possible. On his arrival at Blois, he told the earl and his council the words of the duke of Brittany. On the morrow they mounted their horses, and left Blois, with the good wishes of the inhabitants, who had been paid most liberally for everything they had wanted, and all were contented. In company with the earl of Derby was sir Peter de Craon, who had been so much harassed by the parliament of Paris in his suit with the queen of Naples, that he was in a manner banished from France, and all his castles and estates sequestered for payment of the one hundred thousand francs he was indebted to the queen, and various other heavy sums incidental to the costs and expenses of this suit. The earl of Derby journeyed on until he came to Nantes, where he met the duke of Brittany, who received liim and his com- pany with much joy. Sir Guy le Baveux returned to France, and the earl staid with the duke, who entertained him in the best man- ner. The archbishop of Canterbury accompanied the earl, but did not open himself to any one on the cause of his coming, so that it was a perfect secret excepting to the earl and his council. The duke, to show his love, spared no expense in entertaining his nephew and his attendants, although he knew king Richard was very wroth against him, for which he pitied him. the earl, noticing the great affection of the duke, b\- the advice of his council discovered some parts of his plan, by way of sounding him on the subject. He asked his advice how to act in respect to his inheritance of the duchy of Lancaster, and others which his father had held, and by right of succession had at his dsath devolved on him ; but that the king, far from allowing him to have possession of them, had banished him from England, and was daily giving away the estates of his family to any who asked for them ; that nuin- hers of the nobles and prelates were exceedingly discontented with the king for this conduct, and that many parts of England were in a state of warfare against each other ; that the good people of London CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 615 had compassion on him, and had given him to understand they would cheerfully receive him, if he would return, and bring about a reconciliation between him and the king, and recover for him his jiheritances. When the duke of Brittany heard this, he replied : " Fair nephew, the straightest road is always the best and surest. You are in a distressing situation, and ask advice : I therefore recommend you to trust to the Londoners : they are powerful, and \vill force king Richard, who, I understand, has behaved to you very unjustly, to do as they shall please, in conjunction with the prelates and nobles who are attached to you in England. I will assist you with vessels, men-at-arms, and cross-bows, to convey you over the eea, and to defend you against any dangers you may meet with." The earl of Derby was very thankful to the duke of Brittany for this advice and offer. CHAPTER CIX. TJIE EAEL OF DERBY SAILS FRO.II BRlTTA.\y TO ENGL.1.ND. HIS RECEPTION BY THE CITIZENS OF LONDON. TfltJS were all things settled most amicably between the duke of Brittany and the earl of Derby, who staid some time with the duke, and gave out that he would remain longer ; but, in the mean time, his purveyances were preparing at a distant seaport, which I believe was Vannes, whither the duke and earl came when all things were ready. When the wind was favorable for England, the earl and his attendants embarked on board the vessel prepared for him. He was to be escorted by three ships full of men-at-arms and cross-bows, as far as the coasts of England. The fleet, having weighed anchor, put to sea, and the farther they advanced toward England, the more fa- vorable was the wind, so that, within two days and as many nights, they arrived at Plymouth, where tliey landed, few at a time, and entered the town.* The bailiff' of Plymouth, to whom the king had intrusted the guard of the town, was astonished to see so many men- at-arms and cross-bows ; but the archbishop of Canterbury satisfied him, by saying they were men-at-arms whom the duke of Brittany had sent for the good of the realm, and to serve the king and coun- try. The bailiff's suspicions were lulled ; and the earl so disguised himself, that he was not discovered by any of the townsmen, and retired to a private chamber, where he remained shut up. The archbishop, on their arrival at Plymouth, instandy wrote letters, signed and sealed by him, which he dispatched by one of his ser- vants to London, to infbrm the citizens of the earl's landing. The messenger made such haste, by changing horses in the dif- ferent towns he passed through, that he arrived at London by break of day on the following morning. He entered the city by London bridge gate, which was not shut, and went to the house of the mayor, who was in bed ; but, on hearing a messenger was come from the archbishop, he leaped out of it, and ordered the man into his cham- ber, who gave him the letters from the archbishop. The mayor opened and read their contents with pleasure, and instantly dressing himself, sent off his servants with the intelligence of the earl of Derby's landing, to the houses of those who had been the most ac- tive in sending for him. All were rejoiced at the news ; and about two hundred of the principal citizens assembled, who held no long council, for the case did not require it, but cried out : " Come, let us hasten to make ourselves ready, and go and meet our lord of Lancaster, since we have invited him hither. The archbishop of Canterbury has done well to bring him ; and let the earl's arrival be made known to such gallant lords and knights as are desirous to see him, and have hint for their sovereign." Many persons were then selected to publish this intelligence, and carry it to the barons, knights, and squires of their party. Upward of five hundred Lon- doners mounted their horses, and were so impatient to see the earl of Derby, that they would scarcely wait one for another. The earl made no long stay at Plymouth, but on the morrow, when the horses were disembarked, mounted them and took the road to London. Sir Peter de Craon and the Bretons still accom- panied the earl of Derby. The mayor of London and the chief citizens were the first who met the earl and the archbishop on the road. The meeting was very affectionate on both sides ; and as they rode onward, they met more of the Londoners. They lay the first night at Guildford, twenty-eight miles from London. On the morrow, all the city of London knew that the earl of Derby was coming thither, and men, women, children, and clergy, dressed in their best clothes, went to meet him, so eager were they to see him. The moment he came in sight, they shouted out, " Welcome, long- wished-for earl of Derby and duke of Lancaster : may all joy and prosperity attend youl"' They said : " that ever since he had left England nothing good had befallen it : by him all things would be restored, and put on a proper footing ; for we have lived in o wretched state by the miserable councils of Richard of Bordeaux, but he is most blameable himself ; for a king, to succeed in the good govern- ment of his kingdom, should have sense and discretion enough to distinguish between good and evil, otherwise he is unfit to wear a crown ; but this Richard has, in many respects, acted wrong from design, as shall be proved against him." Such were the greetings the carl of Derby had on his approach to London. The mayor of * This is a mistake: he probably coasted England, and landed at Ravenspum in yoikshire, between HuU and firidlin^on. London rode by the side of the earl, to the delight of the people, who were pleased to see how kindly they were received. The mayor said, " See, my lord, how much the people are rejoiced at your arrival." " It is very true," replied the earl. As he advanced, he bowed his head to the right and left, and noticed all comers with kindness. In this state they arrived in London, when the earl was escorted to his house ; and every one retired to his own until he had dined. Then the mayor, the chief magistrates of London, and many barons, knights, bishops, abbots, at the time in town, came to see the earl and congratulate him. The duchess of Gloucester and her two daughters, who were his cousins-german, waited likewise on him ; but their brother Humphrey was with the king on his expedition to Ireland, more through constraint than love. With these ladies came the countess of Arundel and some of her children, as did the lady Warwick and many other ladies resident in London. The whole town was so rejoiced at the earl's return, that every shop was shut, and no more work done than if it had been Easter-day. CHAPTER ex. THE EARL OF DERBY, NOW DUKE OF LANCASTER, UNDERTAKES THE GOV. ERNMENT OF ENSLAND, AND, BY THE AID OF THE LONDONERS, BETER- MINES TO SEIZE THE THRONE. HE MARCHES IN ARMS ASAINST KING RICHARD AT BRISTOL. To bring this matter to a conclusion, it was determined to march against the king, whom the citizens of London and other towns called by no other title than Richard of Bordeaux : and the lower classes had such a hatred to him, as not to be able to speak of him but in his dispraise. The Londoners already treated the earl of Derby as their king, and had formed resolutions accordingly. The earl of Derby engaged to undertake the government of England on condition the crown was settled on him and his heirs for ever, which the Londoners swore to observe, under their hands and seals, and promised that the rest of England should do the same in so solemn a manner that there never should be a question concerning it : they also promised him assistance in men and money. These obligations having been entered into on each side, which did not take much time, for they were in haste to free themselves, twelve hundred,* well armed and mounted, were ordered to accompany the earl of Derby toward Bristol, to make Richard of Bordeaux a prisoner, and conduct him to London. When there, he should be legally tried before the nobles, prelates, and commons of England, and judged according to the proof of the charges laid against him. It was also ordered, to avoid slanderous reports, that the men-at-arms and cross, bows, who had been lent by the duke of Brittany to the earl, as his escort, should be sent back, for they had men sufficient for the pur pose they were about. The earl, in consequence, called the Bretons before him, thanked them warmly for the services they had ren- dered him, and on dieir departure, gave them so much money that they were contented. They returned to their vessels at Plymouth, and thence sailed to Brittany. The earl of Derby was prepared to march to Bristol as command. er-in-chief of these Londoners, for he was more interested in the matter than any one else, and set out in grand airay. He pressed his march as much as he could, and was joined by all the countries he passed through. News was carried to the army of king Richard,t of the march of the earl of Derby and the Londoners ; but it was known to many knights, squires, and archers, before the king ; and several heard it who were afraid to tell him. When it became more public, there were many murmurings in the army ; and those about the person of the king were exceedingly alarmed, for they now saw matters were ripe with every mischief and danger to the king and to themselves. They knew they had many enemies in the kingdom ; and that such as had hitherto kept up fair appearances, now the earl of Derby was come back, would turn against them. Thus did it happen ; for numbers of knights and squires who had served the king in this campaign, dissembled, and quitted him without taking leave, or saying they were going away. Some retired to their houses, and others went straight to the earl of Derby and joined his army. As soon as Humphrey of Gloucester, and Richard of Arundel, son to the late earl, knew for certain of the earl of Derby's approach, they left the king, and never stopped until they had joined him. The earl and his army had passed Oxford, and were then at a town called Cirencester : he had great joy in receiving his cousins, and asked the state of king Richard, where he was, and how they had managed to quit him. They replied, that they had not spoken to him of their departure : but the moment they had heard of his march, they had mounted their horses, and hastened to offer him their ser- vices, and to revenge the loss of their fathers, whom Richard of Bordeaux had put to deatli. The earl bade them welcome, and said : " We will mutually assist each other. Richard of Bordeaux must be carried to London, for so have I jjromised the Londoners, and will keep my word, and they are willing to aid me with all their power. We have men enough to fight with him ; and, if he wish it, we will give hi m battle." ___^ * " Twelve hundred."— the MSS. say twelve thousand, wbicli is more probable. t Richard was in Ireland when the news arrived.— Ed. CIG CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. CHAPTER CXI. KINS RICHARD IS INFORMED THAT THE EARL OF DEBBr IS MARCHINO AOAIMST HIM WITH A POWERFUL ARMY. HE RETIRES TO FLINT-CASTLE.* When matters could not longer be concealed, it was told to king Richard : " Sire, take care of yourself: you must have good and speedy counsel, for the Londoners have risen with a mighty power, and intend to march against you. They have elected the earl of Derby, your cousin, their commander, and by his adrice they act ; you may be assured that some strong treaties have been entered into between them, since he has crossed the sea by their invitation." The king was thunderstruck at hearing this, and knew not what answer to make ; for his courage forsook him, and he foresaw affairs would end badly unless proper steps were immediately taken. Hav- ing mused a while, he replied to the knights who had given him this information : " Instantly make ready our men-at-arms and archers, and issue a special summons throughout the kingdom for the assembling of all my vassals, as I will not fly before my subjects." " By God," answered the knights, " everything goes on badly, for your men are leaving you and running off. You have already lost half your army, and the remainder are panic-struck and wavering." " What can I do then ?'' asked the king. " We will tell you, sire : quit the field, for you cannot hold it longer, and make for one of your castles, where you can remain until your brother. Sir John Holland, who is enterprising and courageous, and must now have heard of the rebellion, come to you : he will, by force or negotia- tions, bring your affairs into a different state from that in which they are at present. When it is known that he has taken the field, many who have fled from you will join him." The king agreed to this advice. The earl of Salisbury was not then with him, but in an- other part of the country ; and, when he heard that the earl of Derby was marching a large army against the king, he judged things would turn out badly for Ms master, and for all who had been his advisers. He therefore remained quiet, waiting for further intelligence. The duke of York had not accompanied the king on this expedi. tion : but his son, the earl of Rutland, had been induced to join him, for two reasons ; one, in return for the great affection king Richard had shown him ; the other, because he was constable of England. It was therefore necessary he should attend his king. Other news was brought the king, as he supped ; they said, " Sire, you must determine how you will act ; for your army is as nothing compared (0 the force marching against you, and a combat will be of no avail, and appease the malcontents as you have formerly done, by kind words and fair promises, and punish them afterward at your leisure. There is a castle twelve miles from hence, called Flint, that is tol- erably strong : we therefore advise that you fly thither and remain shut up as long as you please, or until you hear other news from sir John Holland and your friends. We will send to Ireland for succor ; and when the king of France, your father-in-law, shall hear of your distress, he will assist you." King Richard listened to this advice, and thought it good : he se- lected such as he wished to accompany him, and ordered the earl oif Rutland to remain at Bristol with the remnant of the army, ready prepared to advance when they should hear other news, or when they should be sufficiently strong to combat their enemies. These commands were obeyed ; and the king, attended by his household only, departed on the ensuing morning for Flint.castle, which they entered without showing any appearance of making war on any one, but solely to defend themselves and the place, should they be at- lacked.t CHAPTER CXII. KING RICHARD SURRENDERS HIMSELF TO THE EARL OF DEKEV, TO BE CONDUCTED TO LONDON. The earl of Derfey and the Londoners had spies who brought them daily accounts of the state of the king, which were confirmed by knights and squires, who had left his army to join the earl. The inteUigence of the king having fled to Flint-castle was soon known to him ; and that he had there shut himself up with a few men-at- arms, of his household, showing no symptoms of making war, but to get out of his difficulties, if possible, by a treaty. The earl was advised to march thither, and get possession of his person by force or othewise. This was followed ; and, when the army was within two miles of Flint, they came to a village, where they halted, and the earl refreshed himself with meat and drink. He there resolved in his own mind, without consulting others, to march with only two hundred horse, leaving the rest behind, and, when near the castle wherein the king was, to endeavor, by fair speeches, to enter the castle, and cajole the king to come forth and trust to him, who would insure him against all perils on his road to London, engaging that he should not sufiev any bodily harm, and promising to mediate between him and the Londoners, who were greatly enraged against him. This plan was approved of by those to whom he mentioned it ; but he was told, " My lord, beware of any dissimulation in the * It WQS Conway casUe to which Richard retiied. t This account of Froiasart is very incorrect, and 1 nCgt to the different English chroaicto. business : Richard of Bordeaux must be taken dead or alive, with all the traitors who have been his advisers, and conducted to the Tower of London. Neither the Londoners nor we will hear any. thing to the contrary." The earl of Derby replied, " Do not fear : what I have proposed shall be executed. If I can by fair words get him out of the castle, I will do it ; but if he refuse to listen to me, I shall instantly make you acquainted with it. You will advance the main army immediately, and we will besiege the castle, and by assault have liim dead or alive, for the place is to be taken." The Londoners were now satisfied, and the earl left the army with two hundred horse. They soon came before the castle, where the king was shut up in one of the chambers, much cast down. The earl and his men rode to the gate, which was closed, for the case required it, and knocked loudly. Those within asked, " Who is there ?" The earl replied, " I am Henry of Lancaster, and am come to demand from the king my inheritance of the duchy of Lancaster. Tell him so from me." " My lord," answered those who heard him, " we will cheerfully do it," and instantly ascended to the hall, where the king was with those of his knights that had for a long time beea his chief counsellors, and related the message, for he was eager to hear who had so rudely knocked at the gate : " Sire, it is your cousin the earl of Derby, who is come to demand his inheritance from you." The king looked at his knights, and asked how he should act. " Sire," replied they, " this request is no way improper : you may allow him to come into your presence, with only eleven others, and hear what he has to say. He is your cousin, and a great lord of the country, and can besides, if he please, make up all differences ; for he is exceedingly beloved in England, more especially by the Lon- doners, who sent for him beyond sea, and are now in rebellion against you. You must dissemble until matters be appeased, and the earl of Huntingdon, your brother, arrived. It is unfortunate for him and you that he is at this moment at Calais ; for there are many in England who now rebel against you, that, were he by your side, would remain quiet, and not dare take any part. He is married to the sister of the earl of Derby, and by his good sense and exertions, we hope and suppose he will make peace between you and yout people." The king consented to this proposal, and saixi, " Go to him ; have the gates opened that he and eleven more may enter." Two knights then left the king, and, crossing the court of the castle, came to the gate, and had the wicket opened. Having passed it, they bowed to the earl of Derby and to his knights, addressing them in courteous language ; for they felt they had no force to resist them, and that they were hated by the Londoners. They wished therefore to accom- modate matters by fair speeches and outward appearances. They said to the earl, " My lord, what is your pleasure ? The king is at mass, and has sent us hither to speak with you." " I will tell you,'' answered the earl. " You know that I ought to have possession of the duchy of Lancaster : I am come partly on that account, and on some other business I wish to speak of to the king." " My lord,''' replied they, " you are welcome : the king will see and hear you with pleasure, and has told us that you and eleven more may enter the castle." The earl said it pleased him ; and he and eleven others passed the wicket, which was instantly shut on the others who re- mained without. i Consider the great risk and danger the earl of Derby ran, for they could as easily have slain him, when in the castle (which they should have done, right or wrong.) and his companions, as birds in a cage. He never thought of the peril lie was in, but went straight forward and was conducted to the king. The king, on seeing him, changed color, as one who knew he had greatly misconducted himself. The earl spoke aloud, without paying any reverence or honor to the kin^, and asked him, " Have you broken your fast ?" The king answered, " No : it is yet early morn : why do you ask ?" " It is time you should breakfast," replied the earl, " for you have a long way to ride." " What road ?" said the king. " You must come to Lon- don," answered the earl : " and I advise that you eat and drink heartily, to perform the journey more gayly." The king was now very melancholy, and frightened at these words : he said, " I am not as yet hungry, nor have I any desire to eat." The knights, desirous to flatter the earl of Derby (perceiving things were taking a serious turn,) said, " Sire, have confidence in my lord of Lancaster, your cousin, for he can but wish your good." " Well," said the king, " I am willing so to do : have the tables covered." They hastened to obey these orders ; and the king washed his hands, seated himself at table, and was served. They asked the earl if he would not be seated, and eat. He said, " no : for that he had breakfasted." During the time the king was eating (which was not long, for his heart was too much oppressed to eat,) the whole country was covered with men-at-arms and archers, who could be plainly seen from the windows of the castle. The king, on rising from table, perceived them, and asked his cousin the earl who they were. He replied, " For the most part Londoners." " And what do they want ?" said the king. " They want to take you," answered the earl " and carry you to the Tower of London, and there is not any means of pacifying them, unless you consent to go." " No '." replied the king, who was much frightened at hearing this, for ha knew the Londoners hated him, and continued, " cannot you, cousin, prevent this ? I would not willingly yield myssif into their hands ; CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 617 for I am aware they hate me, aad have done so for a long time, although I am their sovereign.'" The earl of Derby answered, "I see no other way to prevent it, but to surrender yourself to me, and, when they know you are my prisoner, they will not do you any harm. You must make preparations to be conducted and imprisoned in the Tower of London with your attendants." The king, not knowing how to act in his distress, and fearing the Londoners would put him to (k-ath, yielded himself prisoner to the earl of Derby, promising to do whatever he should advise. His knights, squires and officers, surrendered in Ijke manner, to avoid greater danger. The earl, in the presence of those who had accompanied him, received the king and his attendants as his prisoners, and ordered the horses to be instantly saddled, brought to the court, and the gates of the castle to be thrown open, on which many men-at-arms and archers entered it. The earl of Derby now issued a proclamation, that no one should dare to touch anything in the castle, or lay hands on any servant or officer of the king, under pain of being instantly hanged, for that every person and thing were under his special protection and guard. This was obeyed, for there was not one bold enough to act contrary. The earl conducted his cousin, king Richard, down stairs to the court of the castle, continuing in close conversation with him, where he had his usual state, witheut the smallest change having been made in it. While they were saddling the horses, and making ready, they talked on different subjects, and were much looked at by the Londoners. I heard of a singular circumstance that happened, which I must mention. King Richard had a grayhouiad called Math,* beautiful beyond measure, who would not notice nor follow any one but the king. Whenever the king rode abroad, the grayhound was loosed by the person who had him in charge, and ran instantly to caress him, by placing his two fore. feet on his shoulders. It fell out, that as the king and the duke of Lancaster were conversing in the court of the castle, their horses being ready for them to mount, the gray- hound was untied, but, instead of running as usual to the king, he left him, and leaped to the duke of Lancaster's shoulders, paying him every court, and caressing him as he was formerly used to caress the king. The duke, not acquainted with this grayhound, asked the king the meaning of this fondness, saying, " What does this mean ?" ' Cousin," replied the king, '• it means a great deal for you, and very little for me." "How?" said the duke: "pray explain it." " I understand it," answered the king, " that this grayhound fondles and pays his court to you this day as king of England, which you will suiely be, and I shall be deposed, for the natural instinct of the dog shows it to him. Keep him, therefore, by your side, for he will now leave me, and follow you." The duke of Lancaster treasured up what the king had said, and paid attention to the grayhound, who would never more follow Richard of Bordeaux, but kept by the side of the duke of Lancaster, as was witnessed by thirty thousand men. CHAPTER CXIII. THE IAD7 DE COUCY IS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE YOUN& QVEEil OF ENG. t.AND, AND A NEW HOUSEHOLD APPOINTED FOR HEK. KING I^CHARD IS CONFINED IN THE TOWER OF LONDON. Having mounted their horses, they departed from Flint-castle,t and Henry duke of Lancaster, whom we shall no longer call earl of Derby, rode by the king's side, and at times conversed with him. They were surrounded by a large body of men-at-arms and archers. Those of the king's party advanced by themselves, and the first town they lay at was Oxford ;t for the duke of Lancaster avoided all the large towns and castles, by keeping in the open country, for fear of insur- rections of the people. The duke disbanded a great part of his army, saying, " he had enough for the completion of liis business, as the king could not now fly nor escape from him. We will carry him and his advisers to London, and securely place them in the Tower. They are my prisoners, and I can take them anywhere : return, therefore, to your homes until you shall again hear from me." All assented to this proposal of the duke, who took the direct road to Windsor ; and the Londoners, except those he had kept with him, went to their homes. Tfce duke of Lancaster, on leaving Windsor, did not fol- *The Museum MS9. call tliis gruyhound Blemach,' mine Macli. The grayhound seems to have heen a favorke prognosticator in these times ; for. when the armies of the two rivals, John of Montfortl and Charles de Blois, were on the point of engaging, the lord Charles's grayhound left him and caressed John of Montford, who gained the battle. T Con\Tay castle. t *' After the king had been carried to the duke of Lancaster at Chester, on the third day tne duke departed with his prisoner thence to Nantvvich : the next day to Newcas- tle and there tJie earl of Warwick's son met them ; and so journeying forth, the next day they came to Stafford, and after they departed to Lichfield, where tJie king thought to have escaped, slipping down into a garden, out of a window of a great tower ; but he was espied, and brought into the tower again. From Lichlield, the duke went to Coventry ; but, before Uiey could come thither, the Welchmcn did them much mischief. and slew many of them : and the Englishmen, when they by great chance could take any of them, they tied to their horses' tails, and drew them after them through ways full of stone?, anil caused them to die miserably. "The duke passed from Coventry to Daventry, the next day to Northampton, from tbence to Dunstable, and then to Saint Albans. Within five or sLv miles before his coming to London, the mayor and the companies in their liveries, with great noise of trumpets, met the duke, doing more reverence to him than to the king, rejoicing that God had sent them such a prince, that had conquered the realm within one month's 5pac«." iLC—Stoice's ChrmKlc, by Howe's, pp. SS, 333. low the road to Colnbrook, bat that to Shene, and dined with the king at Chertsey. King Richard had earnestly requested his cousin not to carry him through London, which was the reason they had gone this road. As soon as the Lomjoners were masters of the king, they sent some of the principal citizens to queen Isabella, who resided with the ladjr of Coucy at Leeds castle. She was next in rank to the queen ; and they addressed her : " Lady, make preparations of departure, for you must no longer remain here. Take care on quitting the queen, that you show not any tokens of anger at being dismissed ; but say, that your husband and daughter have sent for you. This we advise you to do, if you regard your life ; for, should you act any way contrary, it will be forfeited. You have no need to ask questions, nor make inquiries : you shall be conducted to Dover, and embark on board a passage-boat to Boulogne." The lady of Coucy, afraid of these menaces, and knowing those who made them to be cruel and full of hatred, replied, " that in God's name, she would do as they wished.'' Preparations were soon made : palfreys and hackneys were provided for herself and attendants ; and all the French of both sexes set off, escorted as far as Dover, where they were liberally paid, according to their degrees. The first tide they embarked on board a vessel, with a favorable wind to Boulogne. The household of the queen was broken up, and neither French nor English were left with her who were attached to king Richard. A new one was formed of ladies, damsels, officers, and varlets, who were strictly enjoined never to mention the name of king Richard in their conversationa with her. The duke of Lancaster and his company, on his departure from Chertsey, rode to Shene, and, during the night, conducted the king and such of his knights and others as they wished to confine, to the Tower of London. On the morrow, the Londoners heard the king was in the Tower, and were much rejoiced ; but there were many murmurings tlxat he had been brought thither privately, and the peo. pie were very angry with the duke of Lancaster because he had not carried him publicly through the streets in open day, not to do him honor, but that they might show their scorn, so much was he hated by them. Consider how serious a thing it is when the people rise up in arms against their sovereign, more especially such a people as the English. In such a 'case, there is no remedy ; for they are the worst people in the world, the most obstinate and presumptuous ; and of all England the Londoners arc the leaders, for to say the truth, they are very powerful in men and in wealth. In the city and neigh- borhood, there are twenty-four thousand men, completely armed from head to foot, and full thirty thousand arehers. This is a great force, and they are bold and courageous ; and the more blood is spilt, the greater their courage. CHAPTER CXIV. THE EARL OF RUTLAND, CONSTABLE OP ENGLAND, HEARING THE KING H4S SURRENDERED, DISMISSES HIS MEN-AT-ARMS. FOUR KNIGHTS OF THE king's chamber, HAVING BEEN PUT TO DEATH BY THE LONDONERS, HB IS ADVISED BI THOSE WHO WERE IMPRISONED WITH HI.M TO KESI8N HIS CROWN TO THE DUKE OF LANCASTER. We will speak of the earl of Rutland, son to the duke of York, at this time constable of England, who had remained at Bristol with his brother-in-law the lord de Spencer, and their men. When they learnt that the castle the king had retired to was invested, and that the king, on his surrendering, was carried to London, they instantly foresaw the event, and that it must end badly for king Richard. They determined not to stay longer where they were, but dismissing their men-at-arms, except such as were attached to their persons, left Bristol, and rode to a very handsome seat* the lord de Spencer had in Wales, where they remained until they heard other intelligence. The duke of York resided at his own castle with his people, and in- terfered not in what was passing in the country, nor had done so for a long time, but taking all things as they happened, although he was very much vexed that there should be such great differences between his nephew, the king, and his relations. We will now return to king Richard. When the duke of Lancas- ter had imprisoned him and those of his council in the Tower, and placed sure guards over them, the first thing he did was to recal the earl of Warwick from his banishment, and to give him his liberty. He next sent to summon the earl of Percy and his son sir Harry Percy to attend him, which they did. He then inquired how he could lay hands on those four companions who had strangled his uncle in the castle of Calais, and at length succeeded in arresting the whole four, and would not have taken twenty thousand nobles for their deliverance. He had them confined in separate prisons in Lon- don. The duke then consulted with his council and the citizens what should be done with Richard of Bordeaux, who was confined in the great tower of London, wherein king John of France was once im prisoned, during the campaign of king Edward in France. It was resolved that the king should be deprived of all his state and outward marks of royalty, if they wished to act prudently, for the news of his arrest would make a great noise throughout Christendom, as they * D.Sauvage calls this seat Heulle. My MS. says only a very handsome manor, which I suppoie must have been Caerphilly in Glamorganshire. 618 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. had acknowledged him twenty.two years aa their king, and now held him a prisoner. They examined the whole acts of his reign, and drew up twenty- eight articles against him, with which they came to the Tower, ac- companied by the duke of Lancaster, and some knights and squires of his council. They entered the king's apartment without speak, ing to him, or paying any kind of respect, and read to him these charges. He did not deny them, for he know they were true, but said that everything he had done was by the advice of his council. He was told to name those who had been his principal advisers, which he di J, hoping to escape by throwing the blame on thetn, as he had formerly done, and they to receive the punishment ; but this was not the intention of those Londoners who had confined him. At this time they said nothing further, but went away : the duke of Lancas- ter to his own house, leaving the mayor and men of law to act as they pleased. The mayor went to the town-house of London, called the Guildhall, wliere justice is administered to the citizens, followed by crowds of people, exi^ccting something effective to be done, as indeed there was. I will detail what passed. Fir.st, all the articles which had been drawn up against the king and read to him, were again read aloud, with comments by the person who read them, adding, that the king had not denied their truth, but confessed he had done them through the advice of four knights of his chamber, by whose coun. eels he had put to death the duke of Gloucester, the earl of Arundel, and sir Thomas Corbet, and that they had for a long time excited him to these acts. Such deeds were unpardonable, and must be pun- ished ; for by them and their fellows had the courts of Justice been shut at Westminster, and all the other royal courts throughout Eng- land, which had caused great mischiefs, and encouraged bands of robbers to pillage merchants travelling from town to town, and to plunder the houses of farmers. By these means the kingdom of England had been almost irrecoverably ruined ; and it was to be supposed, from this wanton neglect of England, that Calais or Guis- nes, or both, would have been given up to their enemies the French. Such speeches as the above made an impressio.ft on the minds of the people, so that many of the discontented said, "These things are deserving punishment, that others may take example ; and Richard of Bordeaux has so much disgraced himself, that he is unworthy of wearing a crown, and ought to be deprived of all honors, and con- fined to pass his future life on bread and water, and subsist on that as he could." Some of the lower classes cried out, "Sir mayor, you and your companions, who are the distributors of justice, look that it be done ; we insist upon it and spare no man. You sec by what you have told us, that the case requires it, and immediately, for they liave convicted themselves." The mayor and the lawyers retired to the judgment-seat, and the four knights were condemned to death. They were sentenced to be brought before the apartment of the tower of London, in which king Ricliard was confined, that he might see them from the win- dows, and thence drawn on sledges by horses through the streets to Cheapside, each person separately, and there beheaded, their heads affixed to spikes on London-bridge, and their bodies hung on a gib- bet, and there left. When this sentence was pronounced, they hast- ened to execute it. Everything being prepared, the mayor of Lon- don, and the lords who had assisted him in tliLs judgment, set out from Guildhall with a large body of people, and came to the tower of Lon. don, where they seized the four knights of the king, sir Bernard Bro. cas, the lord Marclais, master John Derby, receiver of Lincoln, and the lord Stelle, steward of the king's household. They were brought into the courl, and each tied to two horses, in the sight of all in the Tower, who were eye-witnesses of it as well as the king, who were much displeased, and in despair ; for the remainder of the king's knights that were with him looked for rimilar treatment, so cruel and revengeful did they know the Londoners to be. Without saying a word, these four were dragged from the Tower, through the streets to Cheapside, and, on a fish-monger's stall, had their heads struck off, which were placed over the gate on London-bridge, and their bodies hung on a gibbet. After this execution every man retired to his home. King Richard was much afflicted at finding himself in such danger from the citizens, and that his power was completely gone. He saw that all England was against him ; and, if he had some few friends left, they could not assist him, for his enemies were too numerous. Those about him said ; " Sire, we have not, as it seems, any great hope of saving our lives. When your cousin of Lancaster prevailed on you to yield yourself up to him, he promised that you and twelve of your knights should be his own prisoners, and no harm done to them ; of these, four have just been put to a disgraceful death ; we must expect the same, and will give you our reasons for it. The London- ers, who have urged him to do this deed, have made him enter into such engagements with them that he cannot act in any other muuiier. God will be nmrciful to us if we are sufiered to die here a natural death, for to die a disgraceful one makes us shudder." King Rich, ard, on hearing them thus talk wept bitterly, wrung his hands, and cursed the hour he had been born, when his end was so miserable. Those around him pitied his distress, and comforted him as well as Ihey were able. One of his knights said : "Sire, you must not be too much cast down. We see, as well as you, that this world is noth- ing, and that the fickleness of fortune is wonderful, sparing neither princes nor poor persons. The king of France, whose daughter yoH have married, cannot at this moment assist you, for he is too far off. If you can, by di.ssembling, escape from this peril, and save your life and ours, you will act well ; and within a year or two, your for tune may change.'' " What would you have me to do ?" replied the king, " fer there is nothing I will not attempt to save us." "Sire, we tell you for a truth, that, from every appearance, the Londoners want to crown your cousin of Lancaster their king ; and with this intent they sent for him from France, and have aided him in all his exploits. Now it is impossible, that so long as you shall be alive, this coronation can take place without your consent. Suppose, therefore, you were to offer your cousin terms, that we might escape the imminent danger we are in, and that you send to speak with him on business. On his coming, treat him affectionately, and say that you wish to resign the crown into his hands, and that he be king : by this means you will soften him and appease the citizens. You will earnestly beg that he allow you to finish your days here, or elsewhere ; and for us to re- main with you, or be separated, or banished abroad for our lives, at his pleasure ; for he who losoth his life loseth everything." King Richard heard these words with comfort to his heart, and said he would act accordingly, for he saw his danger was very great. He gave his keepers to understand, he would willingly speak with the duke of Lancaster. CHAPTER CXV. KING RICIIAKB OF ENSLAND KESiGNS BIS CKOW.N AND KINGDOM INTO IBE HANDS OF THE DUKE OF LANCASTEB. Intelligence was carried to the duke of Lancaster, that Richard of Bordeaux had a great desire to speak with him. The duke left his house in the evening, entered his barge with his knights, and was rowed down the Thames to the Tower, which he entered by a postern gate, and went to the apartment of the king. The king received him with great kindness, and humbled himself exceedingly like to one who perceives he is in a dangerous state. He addressed him : "Cousin, I have been considering my situation, which is miser- able enough, and I have no longer any tho\ights of wearing my crown or governing my people. As God may have my soul, I wish I were at this moment dead of a natural death, and the king of France had his daughter again ; for we have never enjoyed any great hap piness together, nor, since I brought her hither, have I had the love my people bore me formerly. Cousin of Lancaster, when I look back, I am convinced I have behaved very ill lo you, and to other nobles of my blood, for which I cannot expect peace nor pardon. All things, therefore, considered,! am willing freely to resign to you the crown of England ; and I beg you will accept the resignation as a gift." The duke replied, " that it would be necessary the three estates of the realm should hear this. I have issued summonses for the assem- bling the nobles, prelates, and deputies from the principal towns ; and within three days a sufficiency will be collected for you to make your resignation in due form. By this act, you will greatly appease the hatred of the nation against you. To obviate the mischiefs that had arisen from the courts of justice being shut, and which had cre- ated an almost universal anarchy, was I sent for from beyond sea. The people wanted to crown me, for the common report in the coun- try is, that I have a better right to the crown than you have. This was told lo our grandfather, king Edward of happy memory, when he educated you, and had you acknowledged heir to the throne ; but his love was so strong for his son, the prince of Wales, nothing could make him alter his purpose, but that you must be king. If you had followed the example of the prince, or attended to the advice of his counsellors, like a good son, who should be anxious to tread in the steps of a father, you might still have been king ; but you have always acted so contrary, as to occasion the rumor to be generally believed throughout England and elsewhere, that you are not the son of the prince of Wales, but of a priest or canon. " I have heard several knights, who were of the household of my uncle the prince, declare, that he was jealous of the princess's con- duct. She was cousin-german to king Edward, who began to dis- like her for not having children by his son, since he had, by her former marriage with sir Thomas Holland, stood godfather to two sons. She knew well how to keep the prince in her chains, having, through subtlety, enticed him to marry ; but, fearful of being di- vorced by his father, for want of heirs, and that the prince would marry again, it was said she got connected with some one, by whom she had you and another son, who died in his infancy, and no judg. nient can be formed of his character: but you, from your manners and mode of acting, so contrary to the gallantry and prowess of the prince, are thought to be the son of a priest or canon ; for, at the lime of your birth, there were many young and handsome ones in the household of the prince at Bordeaux. Such is the report of this country, which your conduct has confirmed : for you have ever shown grent affection to the French, and an inclination to live on good term with them, to the loss and dishonor of England. Because my uncle of Gloucester and the earl of Arundel wished you would loyally dc. fend the honor of the kingdom, by following the steps of your ances- tors, you have treacherously put them to death. CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &. c . G19 " With regard to me, I have taken you under my protection, and will guard and preserve your life, through compassion, as long as I shall be able. I will likewise entreat the Londoners in your behalf, and the heirs of those you have put to death." " Many thanks," answered the king : " I have greater confidence in you than in any other persoa in England." " You are in the right," replied the duke : " for, had I not stepped forward between you and the people, they would have seized you, and disgracefully killed you, in return for all your wicked acts, which arc the cause of the dangerous state you are now in." King Richard heard all this patiently, for he saw KlCHARD ii. HESIO.NIKO THE CroWM IMTO THE U.\I«D9 or THE Duge Or LAJ*C\3TlfR. Century- that neither arguments nor force could avail, and that resignation and humility were his only arms. He therefore humbled himself exceedingly to the duke, earnestly begging that his life might be spared. The duke of Lancaster remained with the king upward of two hours, and continued in his conversation to reproach him for all the faults he was accused of. He then took leave, reentered his barge, and returned to his house, and, on the morrow, renewed his orders for the assembly of the three estates of the realm. The duke of York, and his son, the earl of Rutland, came to Lon- don, as did the earl of Northumberland and his brother, sir Thomas Percy, to whom the duke of Lancaster gave a hearty welcome, with numbers of prelates, bishops, and abbots. The duke of Lancaster, accompanied by a large body of dukes, prelates, earls, barons. knights, and principal citizens, rode to the Tower of London, and dismounted i.T the court. King Richard was released from his ' led by their wardens clothed in their proper livery, and with ensigns CHAPTER CXVI. A FARLIAMENT MEETS AT WESTMINSTER, WHEN THE DIJKE OF LAN- CASTER IS PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED KING OF ENGLAin). THE GREAT MAGNIFICENCE OF HIS COBONATION. On a Wednesday, the last day of September 1.399, Henty duke of Lancaster held a parliament at Westminster ; at which were as- sembled the greater part of the clergy and nobility of England, and a sufEcient number of {deputies from the different towns, according to their extent and wealth. In this parlia- ment, the duke of Lancaster challenged the crown of England, and claimed it as his own, for three reasons : first, by conquest ; secondly, from being the right heir to it; and, thirdly, from the pure and free resig- nation of it to him, by king Richard, in the presence of the prelates, dukes and earls in the hall of the Tower of London. These three claims being made, he required tho parliament to declare their opinion and will. Upon this, they unanimously replied, that it was their will he should be king, forthoy would have no other. He again asked, if they were positive in this declaration : and, when they said they were, he seated him- self on the royal throne. The throne was elevated some feet from the floor, with a rich canopy of cloth and gold, so that he could be seen by all present. On the king's taking his seat, the people clapped their hands for joy, and held them up, pro- mising him fealty and homage. The par- liament was then dissolved, and the day of coronation appointed for the feast of Saint Edward, which fell on a Monday, the 13th of October. On the Saturday before the coronation, the new king went from Westminster to the Tower of London, attended by great numbers, and those squires who were to be knighted watched their arms that night : they amounted to forty-six : each squire had his chamber and bath, in which he bathed. The ensuing day, the duke of Lancaster, From MSB. o the 13th after mass, created them knights, and pre- sented them with long green coats, with straight sleeves lined with minever, after the manner of prelates. These knights had on their left shoulders a double cord of white silk, with white tufts hanging down. The duke of Lan. caster left the Tower this Sunday after dinner, on his return to.- Westminster : he was bareheaded, and had round his neck the order' of the king of France. The prince of Wales, six dukes, six earls, eighteen barons, accompanied him ; and there were, of knights and other nobility, from eight to nine hundred horse in the procession. The duke was dressed in a jacket, after the German fashion, of cloth of gold, mounted on a white courser, with a blue garter on his left leg. He passed through the streets of London, which were all handsomely decorated with tapestries and other rich hangings : there were nine fountains in Cheapside, and other streets he passed through, which perpetually ran with white and red wines. Ho was escorted by prodigious numbers of gentlemen, with their servants ia liveries and badges ; and the different companies of London were prison, and entered the hall which had been prepared for the occa. sion, royally dressed, the sceptre in his hand, and the crown on his head, but without supporters on either side. He addressed the com. pany as follows: "I have reigned king of England, duke of Aqui- taine, and lord of Ireland, about twenty-two years, which royally, lordship, sceptre, and crown, I now freely and willingly resign to my cousin, Henry of Lancaster, and entreat of him, in the presence of you all, to accept this sceptre." He then tendered the sceptre to the duke of Lancaster, who took it and gave it to the archbishop of Canterbury. King Richard next raised the crown with his two hands from his head, and, placing it before him, said, " Henry, fair cousin, and duke of Lancaster, I present and give to you this crown, with which I was crowned king of England, and all the rights de- pendent on it." The duke of Lancaster received it, and delivered it over to the archbishop of Canterbury, who was at hand to take it. These two things being done, and the resignation accepted, the duke of Lancas- ter called in a public notary, that an authentication should be drawn up of this proceeding, and witnessed by the lords and prelates then present. Soon after, the king was conducted to where he had come from, and the duke and other lords mounted their horses to return home. The two jewels were safely packed up, and given to proper guards, to place them in the treasury of Westminster abbey, until they should be called for when the parliament were assembled. of their trade. The whole cavalcade amounted to six thousand horse, which escorted the duke from the Tower to Westminster. ' That same night the duke bathed, and on the moiTOw confessed himself, as he had geod need to do, and according to liis custom heard three masses. The prelates and clergy who had been assem- bled then came in a large body in procession from Westminster abbey, to conduct the king thither, and returned in the same man- ner, the king and his lords following them. The dukes, carls, and barons, wore long scarlet robes, with mantles trimmed with ermine, and large hoods of the same. The dukes and earls had three bars of ermine on the left arm, a quarter of a yard long, or thereabout : the barons had but two. All the knights and squires had uniform cloaks of scarlet lined with minever. In the procession to the church, the duke had borne over his head a rich canopy of blue silk, supported on silver staves, with four golden bells that rang at '. the comers, by four burgesses of Dover, who claimed it as their right. On each side of him were the aword of mercy and the sword of justice : the first was borne by the prince of Wales, and the other by the earl of Northumberland, constable of England, for the earl of Rutland had been dismissed. The earl of Westmoreland, marshal of England, carried the sceptre. The procession entered the church about nine o'clock ; in the' middle of which was a scaffold covered with crimson cloth, and iO the centre a royal throne of cloth of gold. When the duke natcred 620 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. the church, he seated himself on the throne, and was thus in regal Btate, except liaving tlie crown on his head. The archbishop of Canterbury proclaimed, from the four corners of the scaffold, how God had given them a man for their lord and sovereign, and then asked the people if they were consenting to liis being consecrated and crowned king. They unanimously shouted out, " Ay !" and held up their hands, promising fealty and homage. After this, the duke descended from his throne, and advanced to the altar to be consecrated. This ceremony was performed by two archbishops and ten bishops : he was stripped of all his royal state before the altar, naked to his shirt, and was then anointed and consecrated at six places ; that is to eay, on the head, the breast, the tv/o shoulders, be. fore and behind, on the back and hands : they t}ien placed a bonnet on his head ; and, while this was doing, the clergy chanted the litany, or the service that is performed to hallow a font. The king was now dressed in a churchman's clothes like a deacon ; and they put on him shoes of crimson velvet, after the manner of a prelate. Then they added spurs with a point, but no rowel, and the sword of justice was drawn, blessed, and deliveied to the king, who put it into the scabbard, when the archbishop of Canterbury girded it about him. The crown of Saint Edward, which is arched over like a cross, was next brought and blessed, and placed by the archbishop on the king's head. When isass was over, the king left tlie church, and re- turned to the palace in the same state as before. There was in the court.yard a fountain that con. stantly ran with white and red wine from various mouths. The king went first to his closet, and then returned to the Iiall to dinner. At the first table sat the king, at the second the five great peers of England, at the third the principal citizens of London, at the fourth the new.created knights, at the fifth all knights and squires of honor. The king was served by the prince of Wales, who carried the sword of mercy, and on the opposite side by the con. stable, who bore the sword of justice. At the bottom of the table was the earl of Westmoreland with the sceptre. There were only at the king's table the two archbishops and seventeen bishops. When dinner was half over, a knight of the name of Dymock entered the hall completely armed, and mounted on a handsome steed, richly barbed with crimson housings. The knight was armed for wager of battle, and was preceded by another knight bearing his lance: he himself had his drawn sword in one hand, and his naked dagger by hie side. The knight presented the king with a written paper, the contents of which were, that if any knight or gentleman should dare to maintain that king Henry was not a lawful sovereign, he was ready to ofTer him combat in the presence of the king, when and where he should be pleased to appoint. The king ordered this chal. lenge to be proclaimed by heralds in six different parts of the town and the hall, to which no answer was made. After king Henry had dined, and partaken of wine and spices in the hall, he retired to his private apartments, and all tlse company went to their homes. Thus passed the coronation day of king Henry, who remained that and the ensuing day at the palace of Westminster. The earl of Salis. bury could not attend these feasts, for he was in close confinement under secure guards ; and the king's ministers, with many of the nobles and citizens of London, were anxious that he should be pub- licly beheaded in Cheapsidc. They said that he was deserving of every punishment, for having carried such a message from Richard of Bordeaux to the French king and his court, and publicly proclaim- ing king Henry a false and wicked traitor, and that these were un. pardonable crimes. The king was naturally good-tempered, and, far from inclining to put him to death, took compassion on him, and listened to the excuses he made for what he had done, by throwing the blame on the four knights who had been beheaded, as he had only obeyed their orders. The council and Londoners would not hear his excuses, and would have him executed, for they said he had deserved it. The earl of Salisbury therefore continued in prison, in great danger of his life. Sir John Holland, earl of Huntingdon, who was governor of Ca- lais, had been duly informed of all that had passed ; how his brother, king Richard, had been arrested and carried to the Tower of London, where he had been condemned to pass his life, after resigning his crown to Henry of Lancaster, who was acknowledged king of Eng- land. The carl of Huntingdon, notwithstanding the vexation the state of his brother, king Richard, gave him, weighed well the times and circumstances, and found that he alone could not pretend to with- stand the whole power of England. His countess, sister-german to king Henry, told him, on his return from Calais to England, " My lord, you must prudently lay aside your anger, and not hastily do anything you may repent of, for my lord the king, my brother, can Bhow you much kindness. You sec the whole kingdom is in his favor, and should you commit yourself by any rash act, you are ruined. I advise and entreat you to dissemble your vexation, for king Henry is as much your brother as king Richard. Attach your. self to him, and you will find him a good and faithful friend ; for there has not been any king of England so rich as he is, and he may be of the greatest service to you and to yc-ar children." The earl of Huntingdon listened to what the countess said, and followed her advice. He waited on his brother-in-law, king Henry, paid him many respects, and did his homage, promising fealty and service : the king received him with much pleasure. The earl, afterwards, with the support of other friends, pressed the king ao strongly in CoaoNiTiON or Henry IV From MSS. of I61I1 Century. favor of the earl of Salisbury, that his excuses were heard and ac- cepted : hie mission to France was pardoned, and he regained the favor of the king and people. CH.\PTER CXVII. INTELLISENCE OF THE IMPRISONMENT OF KINS RICHARD IS CARRIED TO FRANCE BY THE LADY OF COUCY. KING CHARLES IS Ml,'CH DISFLEASED THEREAT. THE DUKE OF BOURBON AITEMPS IN VAIN TO REDUCE BOR. DEAUX, AND OTHER TOWNS IN AQUITAINE, TO THE CROWN OF FRANCE. The lady of Coucy, on landing at Boulogne, hastened her affaire, that she might begin her journey to Paris ; for there were already great murmurings in many parts of France at the events which were happening in England. Some imperfect intelligence had been car- ried of them thither by merchants of Bruges, but when the lady of Coucy, who had been attached to queen Isabella, returned, the whole truth was known. This lady, on her coming to Paris, went, as waa natural, to the hotel of her lord, who had arrived the preceding night. News of it was instantly carried to the king of France, who sent directly for the lord de Coucy to come and bring him intelligence of king Richard and his queen Isabella. On his entering the king's chamber, he asked him the state of England. The knight, not da- ring to conceal anything, told him the lull particulars he had learnt from his wife. The king was much affected at the melancholy ac- count he heard, for he knew the English to be determined, and hard to appease ; and, although he had been for a considerable time in a good state of health, the rage he got into, on learning the events pass- ing in England, brought back his frenzy, to the grief of his brother, uncles, and barons of France, but they could not prevent it. The duke of Burgundy said ; " The marriage of king Richard with Isabella was ill advised ; I spoke of it when in agitation, but was not attended to. The Londoners never sincerely liked king Richard, and all this misery has been hatched by the duke of Gloucester. We must learn how the English mean to proceed, and take our measures accordingly. Since they have imprisoned their king, they will put him to death, (for they never loved him, because he preferred peace to war,) and crown the duke of Lancaster. He will be forced to enter into such engagements from his obligations to them, that whether he will or not, he must act as they shall please. The duke of Burgundy added, " that it would be proper to know the inclinations- of the inhabitants of Bordeaux ; for king Richard, having been bom there, was greatly beloved by them, as well as by those of Dax, Bay. onne, and that whole country. It would not be amiss (he said,) that the constable, lord Louis de Sancerre, should have notice of what was proposed, and that he should advance toward the frontiers of Aquitaine, taking with him sir Reginald d'Espagne, Barrois des CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. 621 Barrcs, and other barons and prelates, who knew how to negotiate ; that his brother of Berry should go into Foitou, and hover over the borders of Saintes, Blaze, and Mirabel, in order that, if those of Bor- deaux should be inclined to enter into any treaty, they might be re. ceived ; for we must gain them now, or never.*' These propositions of the duke of Burgundy were heard attentively, and his advice fol- lowed. He understood the matter well, and what ensued proved it. The inhabitants of Bordeaux, Da.x and Bayonne, were lost in astonish- ment when they heard that their lord, king Richard, had been arrested and was confined in the Tower of London, his principal counsellors executed, and duke Henry of Lancaster crowned king, and would not at first believe that such melancholy events had happened in England : but, as the reports were confirmed daily by fresh intelli- gence, they were constrained to think them true. The gates of the three cities were closed, and no person whatever suffered to go out, from the sorrow they were in, more particularly those of Bordeaux, for king Richard had been educated among them. They were sin- cerely attached to him, and he always received them kindly when they waited on him, inclining naturally to comply with every request they made him. On first hearing of his misfortune, they said, "Ah, Richard, gentle king 1 by God, you are the most honorable man in your realm. This mischief has been brewed for you by the Lon. doners, who never loved you, and their dislike was still increased by yovir alliance with France. This misfortune is too great for us to bear. Ah, king Richard ! they have acknowledged you their sove- reign two-and-twenty years, and now they imprison you, and will put you to death ; for since they have crowned the duke of Lancaster king, that consequence must follow." Such were the lamentations of the townsmen of Bordeaux, and that whole country ; and they continued so long that the seneschal of Bordeaux, a valiant and able English knight, determined to send home intelligence of these com- plaints in Bordeaux, Dax and Bayonne, and that they were on the point of sur-rendering themselves to the king of France. Having written and sealed his letters, he gave them to a trusty varlet, whom he embarked on board a vessel ; and, having a favorable wind, he was landed in Cornwall, and thence pursued his journey to London, where king Henry at that time was holding his parliament. These letters were addressed generally to the king and citizens of London, and being opened and read, the king and his parliament consulted on them. The Londoners said, like men no way dismayed, " Those of Bordeaux and Bayonne will never turn to the French ; they cannot bear them nor suffer their tricks. They are free under us ; but, if tlie French govern them, they will be taxed and taxed over again two or three times a-year. This they have not been accustomed to, and will find it hard to endure. These three cities are besides surrounded by the lands of great barons, who are and always have been loyal to England, such as the lords de Fommiers, de Mucident, de Duras, de Landurae, de Copane, de Rosem, de Langurant, and many other barons and knights, who will instantly make war upon them : they cannot issue out of their gates without being made prisoners. Not- withstanding, therefore, what the seneschal of Bordeaux writes to us, we do not fear they will ever turn to the French : let us, however, e«nd them some man of valor and prudence, whom they esteem, and who has governed them before ; and we recommend sir Thomas Percy." What they had advised was done, and sir Thomas Percy was entreated by the king and citizens to undertake the voyage and the government of that country. Sir Thomas could not refuse, and made his preparations. It was now about Christmas, when the winds are high, and the sea rough : he made, therefore his purveyances in Cornwall, at the port nearest to Bordeaux, and his equipment was two hundred men- at-arms and four hundred archers. Sir Thomas was accompanied by his nephew, Hugh de Hastings, Thomas Colleville, William Lisle, John de Grailly, bastard-son to the captal de Buch, William Drayton, John d'Anibreticourt, and several others. He had likewise with him Robert bishop of London,* and master Richard Rowhall. It was, however, the middle of March before they were able to embark. Before these lords arrived at Bordeaux, the duke of Bourbon came 10 the city of Agen, to treat with those of Aquitaine, and made such progress that the magistrates of Bordeaux, Dax and Bayonne, were deputed to Agen. The duke received them most kindly, and was not sparing of fine words and fail- promises; he gave them to under- stand, that if they would turn to the French, and submit themselves to the obedience of the king of France, they should have granted whatever they might ask, and that the engagements they entered into should be sealed and recorded to last for ever ; that whenever they might call on France, they should be supported to the utmost of its power. He made them many other flattering promises ; but they replied, they must return to their constituents, and lay before them his offers, and consider how to act. They then left Agen and the duke of Bourbon, on their return home, where, on their arrival, they related all the duke had said ; but his offers came to nothing, for the inhabitants of these towns having considered their present situation, and that France was vexed by all sort of taxes, and every oppressive means to extort money, concluded they should suffer similar vexa- tions if they submitted themselves to the French , " It will be, there- fore, better for us," they said, "to remain steady to the English, who hold us frank and free. If the Ixindoners have deposed king Rich- ard, and crowned king Henry, what is it to us ? Wc have still a king ; and we understand the bishop of London and sir Thomas Percy are on their way hither, who will fully inform us of the truth. Wc have more commerce with the English than the French, in wool, wines and cloth, and they are naturally more inclined to us. Let us) therefore, be cautious how we enter into any treaties of which we may hereafter repent." Thus were the negotiations of Bordeaux, Dax and Bayonne, with the French broken off'. Sir Thomas Percy and the bishop of Lon- don arrived safe in the harbor of Bordeaux with their charge of men- at-arms and archers, to the great joy of some, and grief of others, who were of the party of the king of France. These English lords lodged all together at the abbey of Saint Andrew, and, when they thought it was time, they remonstrated with the commonalty of Bor- deaux on the state of England, and the cause of their coming, with such success as they were contented with : Dax and Bayonne were also satisfied. These cities and their dependencies remained steady- to the English interest, and hard would it have been to have turned them to the French. ' Robert Braybroofc, dean of Sarum and lord chanceilgr. CHAPTER C XVII I. THE COUMCIL OF FRANCE, BY PERMISSION OF KING HENRY, SENDS OVER PERSONS TO VISIT ISABELLA, QUEEN TO RICHARD II. The council of France, perceiving the king so greatly affected at what had befallen his son-in-law, king Richard, determined to send to England some lord of high rank to see and inquire into the situa. tion of queen Isabella. The lord Charles d'.-Vlbreth and Charles de Hangiers were nominated on this embassay, and made their prepa- rations accordingly. On leaving Paris, they rode to Boulogne, where they remained, and sent a herald to inlbrm king Henry of their inten. tion of coming to England ; for, although there was a truce between the kingdoms, they would not venture thither without his assurance of safety. King Henry, who had not forgotten the kindness of the king of France when an exile, mentioned the matter to his council ; and the herald was told, that it was very agreeable to the king and council, that his lords and their company should come to England, and by the direct road to London, not quitting it without license. The French herald returned to tell his lords at Boulogne what he had obtained. They were pleased with the answer, since they could not obtain more. They immediately embarked themselves and horses in two vessels, and, putting to sea, arrived at Dover. On disembark- ing and entering the town, they were met by one of the king's knights, who had been ordered thither to receive them. Having known him when he accompanied the king in his banishment to Paris, they were all soon well acquainted. The lord Charles d'Albreth and the lord de Hangiers were handsomely lodged in Dover, where they staid until their horses were landed. They continued their journey through Canterbury to Eltham, and they were splendidly entertained in compliment to the king of France, to whom king Henry felt him- self under obligations. The lord d"-A.lbreth explained to the king the cause of his coming, who replied, " You will go to London, and within four days I will consult my council, and you shall have an answer to your demands." This satisfied them. They dined with the king, and, when it was over, remounted their horses and rode to London, attended by the knight, who lodged them conveniently in London, and never quitted them. The king of England came, as he had said, to his palace of Westminster, and the French lords were told of it, and to hold them-. selves in readiness to attend him, for they would be summoned. The king, having his council with him, and being prepared what answer to make, the French lords were introduced. They said, they had been sent by the king and queen of France to see the young queen of England their daughter. The king answered : " Gentlemen, we no way wish to prevent you seeing her ; but you must promise, on your oaths, that neither yourselves, nor any of your company, speak to her on what has lately passed in England, nor about Richard of Bordeaux. Should you do otherwise, you will greatly offend us and the country, and put yourselves in peril of your lives." The two knights replied, they would not infringe this regulation : all they wanted was to see and converse with her, and then they would set out on their return. Not long after this, the earl of North- umberland carried them to Havering-at-the Bower, where the young queen resided. She was attended by the duchess of Ireland, daugh- ter to the lord de Coucy, the duchess of Gloucester, her two daugh- ters, and other ladies and damsels, as companions. The earl intro- duced the two knights to the queen, who conversed some time with them, asking questions after her parents, the king and queen of France. They kept the promise they had made, by never mention- ing the name of king Richard ; and, when they had been with her a sufficient time, took leave and returned to London. They made no long slay there, but, having packed up their things, and had their expenses paid by the king's officers, they rode to Eltham, and dined with the king, who presented them with some rich jewels. On taking leave, the king parted with them amicably, and said : " Tell those who have sent you, that the queen shall never suffer the smallest harm or any disturbance, but keep up a state and dignity becoming her birth and rank, and enjoy all her rights ; for, young as she ia, she ought not to be made acquainted with the changes in this world. "^ 633 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. The knights were very happy to hear the king speak thus, and then departed. They lay tliat night at Dartford, on the morrow at Os. pringe, the next at Canterbury, and then at Dover, the king's officers paying every expense c-f their journey. Having embarked with a favorable wind, they were landed at Boulogne, and thence proceeded to the king and queen at Paris, to whom they related what you have read. We will now leave them, and speak of the affairs of England. CHAPTER CXIX. THE EARLS OF HUNTINGDON AND SALISBURY, AND SOME OTHERS, HAVING FAILED TO .MURDER TREACHEROUSLY KING HENRY OF LANCASTER, RISE IN ARMS AGAINST HIM. THEY ARE DEFEATED AND BEHEADED, AND THEIR HEADS SENT TO THE KING. It was much disputed among the nobles, and in the principal towns, whether Richard of Bordeaux was put to death, and nothing more was said about him, which was but what he deserved. King Henry declared, that in regard to the charges made against him, he much pitied him, and would never consent to his death ; that the prison wherein he was confined was sufficient punishment ; and that he had engaged his word no other harm should bo done him, which promise he was resolved to keep. The enemies of king Richard replied : " Sire, we see plainly that compassion alone moves you thus to say and act, but, in so doing, you are running great risks ; for so long as he shall be alive, notwithstanding the outward good-humor and sin. cerity with which he resigned to you his crown, and that in general you have been acknowledged as king, and received the homage ol all, there must remain many attached to him, who still preserve their affection, and will instantly rise against you whenever they perceive any hopes of delivering him from prison. The king of France also, whose daughter he married, is so exasperated at the late events, that he would willingly retaliate the first opportunity ; and his power is great of itself, and must be increased by his connections in Eng. land." King Henry answered : " Until I shall observe anything con- trary to the present state affairs, or that the king of France or other persons act against me, I will not change my resolution, but firmly keep the promise I have made." This was the answer of king Henry, for which he narrowly escaped suffering, as you shall pres- ently hear. The earl of Huntingdon, brother to king Richard, though married to the sister of king Henry, could not forget the treatment of the late king, any more than the earl of Salisbury. They had a secret meet- ing near to Oxford, on the means to deliver Richard of Bordeaux from the Tower of London, destroy king Henry, and throw the coun- try into confusion. They resolved to proclaim a tournament to be holden at Oxford, of twenty knights and squires, and invite the king to witness it privately. During the time the king was sitting at din. ner they were to slay him, (for they were to be provided with a suf. ficiency of men-at-arms for their purpose,) and to dress out in the royal robes a priest called Magdalen, who had been of king Rich- ard's chapel, and was like him in countenance, and make the people to understand that he was delivered from prison, and had resumed his state. They were, instantly after the business was completed, to send information of it to the king of France, that he might send them large succors, under the command of the count de Saint Pol or any Other. They executed this plan, and proclaimed a grand tournament to be holden by twenty knights and as many squires at Oxford, who were to be accompanied by many ladies and damsels. They had gained to their party the young earl of Kent, nephew to the earl of Hunting- don, and the lord de Spencer, one of the most powerful barons in England. They expected the aid of the earl of Rutland, because king Henry had deprived him of the constableship, but he failed them, and some say, that by him their plot was discovered. When all things had been settled for this feast, the earl of Huntingdon came to Windsor, where the king held his state, and with much flattering, like one who, by soft words, thought to deceive, invited, with many marks of aftijction, the king to be present at it. Not supposing any treason was intended, he readily complied; and the eari of Hunting. don, much rejoiced, thanked and left the king. On going away, he said to tlie canon de Robersac,* Get thyself ready for our least, and I promise thee if tliou come, and we meet in the lists, there shall bo a sharp conflict between us." Sir John de Robersac replied : " By my faith, my lord, if the kmg come to your feast it is necessary that I accompany him." Upon this the earl shook him by the hand, and said, " Many thanks," and passed on. Several knights and squires, hearing of this tournament, made preparations to attend it, and all the armorers in London were fully employed. The king's ministers were attentive to every circumstance that was agitated, and they told him," Sire, you have no business to go to this tournament, and must not think Of it, for we have heard whispers of plots that are very dis- pleasing to us, and in a few days we shall learn the whole." The king believed what they had said, and did not go to the tournament, nor any of his knights, and indeed very few of those who were marked for death. When the earls of Salisbury, Huntingdon, Kent, and the lord de * In the MS8. !ie l; called Robessait aad Robemtait. Spencer, found they had failed in their scheme of seizing the king, they held a council, and said, " We must go to Windsor and raise the country. Wc will dress Magdalen in royal robes, and make him ride with us, proclaiming that king Richard has escaped from prison. All who see him will believe it true, and the report will gain such credit that we shall destroy our enemies." This they executed by collecting their whole party, amounting in all to about five hundred men, and, placing Magdalen in the centre, dressed in royal state, they rode toward Windsor, where king Henry kept his court. God was very kind to the king, for he had early intelligence that the earls of Huntingdon, Salisbury, the young earl of Kent, and the lord de Spen- cer, were advancing toward Windsor, to seize and murder him ; that they were in sufficient force to take the castle, and had with them Magdalen, one of the priests of the chapel royal to Richard of Bor- deaux, dressed up as the late king ; and that they gave it out every, where that king Richard had escaped from prison. Many of the country people believed it, saying, " We have seen him," mistaking him for the king. Those who brought the intelligence said to king Henry, " Sire, de- part hence instantly, and ride to London, for they will be here in a short time." He followed this counsel, and mounting his horse, set off with his attendants from Windsor, taking the road to London. He had not been long departed, before those who intended to put him to death came to Windsor, and entered the castle gate, for there were none to oppose them. They searched the apartments of the castle, and the houses of the canons, in hopes of finding the king, but were disappointed. On their failure, they were much enraged, and rode away to Colnbrook, where they lay, and forced many to join them by fair or foul means, saying that king Richard was in their company, which some believed, but others not. King Henry, doubt. ful of the consequences of this conspiracy, hastened to London, and, by a roundabout road, entered the Tower. Some sharp words passed between him and Richard of Bordeaux ; he told him, " I saved your life, and had great difficulty in doing it ; and, in return, you want to have me murdered by your brother, and my brother-in-law, and by the earls of Salisbury and Kent, your nephew, with the lord de Spencer, but, if you have had any hand in this plot, it shall end badly for you." Richard denied any knowledge of it, saying, " As God may help me, and have compassion on my soul, I never before heard one word of this plot. I never looked for any change in my situation, for I am perfectly contented with my present state." Nothing more passed. The king sent for the mayor of London and his particular friends, to whom he related everything he knew or had heard of this conspiracy. They were greatly suprised on hearing it, and said, " Sire, you must summon your forces, and march instantly against them, before they increase more in numbers. We have made you king, and king you shall be, in spite of all that envy and discontent may do against you." The king lost no time in employing clerks and messengers to write and carry letters to the knights of his realm. He wrote himself to his constable, the earl of Northumberland, to his marshal, the enrl of Westmoreland, and to other great barons in Essex and Lincoln, from whom he expected assistance. All who received them made haste to join the king. The earls of Huntingdon and Salisbury, and their party, determined to march to London, for they imagined there must be some of the citizens attached to king Richard, who would give thc-ni support. In consequence, they left Colnbrook, and advanced to Brentford, seven miles from London, where they lay. Not one of the Londoners joined them, but shut themselves up in their town. When they saw this, they marched away toward Saint Albans, a large town, and there staid one day. On the morrow, they went to Berkhampstead. They continued marching through diflferent parts, publishing everywhere that Magdalen was king Richard, and came to a strong town called Soncestre,* which had a bailiff attached to king Henry for the guard of the town and defence of the adjacent parts. The three earls and lord de Spencer took up their lodgings in Cirencester, and were that night left quiet, for the bailifi", being a valiant and prudent man, did not think he was strong enough to combat them, and dissembled his thoughts as well as he could. The next morning the earl of Sjlisbary and lord de Spencer left the earl of Huntingdon and his nephew, saying they would advance farther into the country to gain friends, and would visit the lord of Berkeley. They rode down Severn side, but v\'cre badly advised thus to separate for both parties were weakened by it. The earl of Huntingdon re- mained in Cirencester, and attempted to tamper with the bailiff and townsmen. He tolJ thorn that the Londoners hid delivered king Rich- ard out of prison, and w ithin two days he would be there. The baiUff having collected a large force, said that not one word was true ; for that he had just heard the contrary from king Henry and the citizens of London to assure him of the truth, and that he should act conform- ably to the orders he had received. The earl of Huntingdon, hearing this, changed color from disappointment. Finding he could not gain his end, he returned to his lodgings, armed himself, and made his men do the same, determining to conquer these ale-drinkers by force, and set fire to their town as an example, and to terrify the country. The bailiff was not idle in collecting all the men he could ; they amounted, archers and all, to two thousand men, which he drew up in the market-place, whe n the force of the earls of Huntingdon and Kent ^~~~~~~'*^" * " SonceBire "—Cirencester, pronounced Ci^eter CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, Notwithstanding this inequality, they made tany. The prelates, nobles, and chief &c . 6fl3 ■were not three hundred. Notwithstanding this inequality, they made ready to begin the battle, and the archers attacked eacli other, so that Bcveral were wounded. The baihff and hi? men, who were very numerous, charged the rebels vigorously, without .iipariiig any one, lor he had the king's special orders to take the leaders, dead or alive. The earl's party were forced to retire within their lodgings ; and the hsuse wherein the two earls were, the bailiff's men surrounded and conquered. Many were killed, and more wounded. The earl of Huntingdon defended himself gallantly, like a valiant man-at-arms as he was ; but FoNERAi Procession or Richard n. From MSS. of 15th century. the numbers against him were too great to withstand ; and he was slain fighting, as was the young earl of Kent, who was much lamented by several knights in England and other countries. He was young and handsome, and had very unwillingly taken part in this conspi- racy ; but his uncle and the earl of Salisbury had forced him into it. The men of Cirencester, who were wroth against them, cut off their heads, and sent them in two panniers, as fish is carried, by a varlct on horseback, to rejoice the king and the Londoners. A similar fate befel the earl of Salisbur>' and lord de Spencer ; they were made prisoners by the knights and squires the king had sent against them, who had them beheaded, and sent their heads to London. Great numbers of their partisans, and knights and squires who had accom- panied them, were executed, after which the country remained in peace. The king of France, his brother, uncles, and council, learning that during Easter of the year 1400, the English had sent men-at-arms and archers to Calais, Guisnes, and the neighboring castles, and were providing these places with many stores, issued a summons for all knights and squires to prepare themselves to march whithersoever they might be ordered, and specially provided for the frontier of Bou- logne and the sea-shore. CHAPTER CXX. OS THE DEATH OF JOHN OF MONTFORT, DVKE OF BRITTANY, THE BRE- TONS tJNDERTAKE THE WARDSHTP OF THE YOl'NO DUKE, AND TO BE FRIENDLY TO FRANCE. THE FRENCH KING, DISTRUSTIN'J THE SENTI- 5IENTS OF THE NEW REIGN IN ENGLAND, MAKES PROVISION AGAINST ANT StJDUEN CHA.VGE. At this period, John duke of Brittany departed this life, leaving issue two sons and a daughter. The eldest son had been betrothed to the second daughter of the king of France : he could not have the eldest, as she was married to the king of England, as has been related. She had indeed been promised him, and treaties entered into on the subject at Tours in Touraine ; but the king was advised to break it off, to marry her more nobly and richly in England. Many of the Frencn lords, however, said, that it would never turn out well thus to break through solemn engagements. On the death of the duke of Brittany, it was determined in the council, that the duke of Orleans should advance to the borders of Brittany with a body of men-at-arms, to confer with the nobles and chiefs of the principal towns of the duchy, to learn their intentions respecting the young duke, and to demand he should be delivered up to him to carry to the court of France. The duke of Orleans, in conaequence of this resolution, summoned a considerable number of men-at-arms, and marched them to Pon- torson, where he halted, and signified his arrival to the barons o Brit- tany. The prelates, nobles, and chief magistrates of the great towns, assembled at Pontorson, when the duke of Orleans made them the above request. They were prepared with an answer, and replied ihey would be guardians to their j-oung duke [and educate him in their own country until he should be of a proper age ; that then they would bring him to France, that he might do his homage to the king, as was his duty; that for the due performance of this, they were willing to enter into bonds, subjecting themselves to the loss of their, lands should they break the engagement.] The duke of Orleans finding that he could not gain more, took an obligation from the prin. cipal barons, who had their duke in ward, to deliver him up to the king of France when he should be of a proper ago. These ob- ligations being written and sealed, the duko of Orleans had them in charge, anu '^ZillTig leave of the barons departed from Pontor- son, on his return to Paris, and related to the king, his brother, all that had passed + It was known in England, that the French, by their King's command, had strongly reinforced, and re-victualled all the towns, castles, and forts in Picardy, and on the borders of the Boulonois, and had closed the river Somme, so that no merchandise nor corn could come to England, nor pass Ab. beville. Themcichantsof the two countries, who were used freely to visit each, were now afraid of doing so ; and those on the borders of Calais and Guisnes were ruined, although there were not any hostilities com- menced, for orders to that effect had not been given. The king of England was ad- vised by his council to be on lus guard ; for the French, they said, were making great preparations of ships at Harfleur,and plain- ly showed they were inclined for war. The count de Saint Pol and the lord Charles d'- Albreth were appointed commanders ; and it was to be supposed, that if the carls of Huntingdon and Salisbury were alive, they would have crossed the sea, for they had many connections in England. They added, " Sire, so long as Richard of Bordeaux lives, the country will never have peace." " I believe what you say may be true," replied the king ; " but, with regard to me, I will never put him to death. I have given him my word, that no bodily barm shall befal him ; and I will keep my promise, until it shall appear that he enters into any plots against me." " Sire," answered the knights, " his death would be more to your advantage than his life ; for, so long as the French know he is alive, they will exert themselves to make war against you, in the hope of replacing him on the throne, on account of his having married the daughter of their king." The king of England made no reply, but leaving them in conversation, went to his falconers, and, placing a falcon on his wrist, forgot all in feeding him. CHAPTER CXXI. THE DEATH OF KING RICHARD. THE TRUCES ARE RENEWED AND KEPT BETWEEN FRANCE AND ENGLAMD. THE EARL-MARSHAL, WHO HAD BEEN BANISHED ENGLAND, DIES AT VENICE. It was not long after this that a true report was current in London of the death of Richard of Bordeaux. I could not learn the particu- lars of it, nor how it happened, the day I wrote these chronicles.* Richard of Bordeaux, when dead, was placed on a litter covered with black, and a canopy of the same. Four black horses were harnessed to it, and two varlets in mourning conducted the litter, followed by four knights dressed also in mourning. Thus they left the Tower of London, where he had died, and paraded the streets at a foot's pace until they came to Cheapside, which is the greatest thoroughfare in the city, and there they halted for upward of two hours. More than twenty thousand persons, of both sexes, came to see the king, who lay in the litter, his head on a black cushion, and his face uncovered. Some pitied him, when they saw him in this state, hut others did not, saying he had for a long time deserved death. Now consider, ye kings, lords, dukes, prelates, and earls, how very changeable the fortunes of this world are. This king Richard reigned twenty-two years in greaf prosperity, and with much splendor ; tor there never was a king of England who expended such sums, by more than one hundred thousand florins, as king Richard did in keeping up his state, and his household establishments. I, John Froissart, canon and treas- urer of Chimay, know it well, for I witnessed and examined it, during my residence with him, for a quarter of a year. He made me good cheer, because in my youth I had been secretary to king Edward his grandfather, and the lady Philippa of Hainault, queen of England. When I took my leave of him at Windsor, he presented me, by one of his knights called sir John Golofre, a silver gilt goblet, weigh. * It ia not to this day ceitain whether he died by voluntary or compulsory slorration, or was murdered by Piers £xton.— Ed. 624 CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, &c. ing full two marcs, filled with one hundred nobles, which were then of service to me, and will be so as long as I live. I am bound to pray to God for him, and sorry am I to write of his death ; but, as I have dictated and augmented this history to the utmost of my power, it became necessary to mention it, that what became of Mm might be known. I saw tv^o strange things in my time, though widely different. I was sitting at dinner in the city of Bordeaux when king Richard was born : it was on a Wednesday, on the point of ten o'clock At that hour sir Richard de Pontchardon, then marshal of Aquitaine, came to me and said : " Froissart, write, that it may be remembered, my lady the princess is brought to bed of a fine son : he is born on Twelfth-day, the son of a king's son, and shall be king himself" The gallant knight foretold tlie truth, for he was king of England twenty.two years ; but he did not foresee what was to be the con- clusion of his life. When king Richard was born, his father was in Galicia, which don Pedro had given him to conquer : a curious thing happened, on my first going to England, which 1 have much thought on since. I was in the service of queen Philippa, and, when she ac- companied king Edward and the royal family, to take leave of the prince and princess of Wales, at Berkhampstead, on their departure for Aquitaine, I heard an ancient knight, in conversation with some Jadies, say, " We have a book called Brut,* that declares neither the prince of Wales, dukes of Clarence, York, nor Gloucester, will be kings of England, but the descendants of the duke of Lancaster. Now I, the autlior of this history, say that, considering all things, these two knights, sir Richard de Pontchardon, and sir Bartholomew Butghersh, in what they said, were both in the right, for all the world saw Richard reign for twenty-two years in England, and saw the crown then fall to the house of Lancaster. King Henry would never have been king, on the conditions you have heard, if his cousin, Richard, had treated him in the friendly manner he ought to have done. The Londoners took his part for the wrongs the king had done him and his children, whom they much compassionated. When the funeral car of king Richard had remained in Cheapside two hours, it was conducted forward, in the same order as before, out of the town. The four knights then mounted their horses, which were waiting for them, and continued their journey with the body until they came to a village, where there is a royal mansion, called Langley, thirty miles from London. There king Richard was in- terred : God pardon his sins, and have mercy on his soul ! News was spread abroad that king Richard was dead. This had been expected some time ; for it was well known he would never come out of the Tower alive. His death was concealed from his queen, as orders had been given for that purpose, which were pru- dently obeyed for a considerable time. All these transactions were perfectly well known in France ; and such knights and squires as wished for war, looked every moment for orders to attack the fron- tiers. The councils, however, of both kingdoms, thought it would be for the advantage of the two countries that the truces should be renewed, and for this end different negotiators went to the neigh- bourhood of Calais. The king of France was not in good health, nor ever had been since he heard of the misfortunes of his son-in. law, Richard ; and his disorder was greatly increased when he was told of his death. The duke of Burgundy took the chief government of the realm ; he came to Saint Oraer and Bourbourg, where were the duke of Bourbon, the lord Charles d'Albreth, sir Charles de Hangiers, sir John de Chateaumorant, and such prelates as the patriarch of Jerusalem, •he bishops of Paris and Beauvais. On the part of England were the earls of Northumberland, Rutland and Devonshire, Sir Henry * Tlie romance of Brut by Robert Wall.— Ed. Percy, son to the earl of Northumberland, sir Evan Fitzwarren, and the bishops of Winchester and Ely. The French proposed having the queen of England delivered to them, but the English would not listen to it, saying they would gladly have her reside in England oit her dower, and that if she had lost her husband, they would provide her another, who should be young and handsome, and whom she would love. Richard of Bordeaux was too old for her, and the persoa they should offer was suitable in every respect, being no other than the prince of Wales, eldest son to king Henry. The French would not agree to this, for they dared not come to any final conclusion in this matter without the consent of the king her father. He was now in a very bad state, and much weakened in his constitution, for there had not been found any physician who could conquer his disorder. The treaty was therefore laid aside, and the subject of the truce can- vassed. It was so well conducted, that it was resolved to continue it to the original term of thirty years, four of which were already gone, and it was now to last for twenty-si.x years. This was put into writing, and signed and sealed by those who had fidl powers so to do from the two kings. When this was done, they separated, and each party returned home. I have not mentioned what became of the earl-marshal, by whom all these late misfortunes originated, but I will now tell you. He was residing in Venice when he first heard that Henry of Lancaster was king of England, and king Richard dead, and took this news so grievously to heart lliat he fell sick, was put to bed, became fran- tic, and died. Such were the misfortunes that befel the greatest lords in England. CHAPTER CXXII. FBANCE TRESERVES A NEUTRALITY BETWEEN THE TOPES OF ROME ANB AViaNON. THE ELECTION OF THE EMPEROR ROBERT. In the year of grace 1399, pope Benedict, whom the French had formerly supported, was deposed, as well likewise the emperor of Germany* for his wicked deeds. The electors of the empire, and all the great barons of Germany rose against him, and sent him to Bohemia, of which country he was king. They elected emperor in his stead a valiant and prudent man, called Robert, duke of Hei- delberg, who came to Cologne, and was there crowned with the crown of Germany ; for those of Aix would not admit him within their town, nor the duke of Gueldres submit himself to his obedience, which angered him much. The new emperor promised to restore union to the church. In the mean time, the king of France nego tiated with the Liege men, who were determined for the Roman pope, and managed so well, through sir Baldwin do Mont-jardin (who governed in part the bishopric of Liege, and was a knight of the king's chamber,) that the whole country complied with the desire of the French king, and became neuter. > The Liege men sent orders to those of their clergy who were at Rome, that if they did not return home by a fixed day, they should be deprived of their benefices. On hearing this, they all came back, to Liege ; and pope Boniface, who lost much by this order, sent a legate to Germany to preach to the Liege men, and endeavor to make them return to their former creed. The legate dared not ad- vance farther than Cologne, but sent his instructions and letters to Liege. They read them and told the messenger, " Do not return hither again on the business thou art now come upon, unless thou shalt wish to be drowned ; for as many messengers as shall be seat us, so many will we throw into the Meuse." t WencMlaus.— E». END OF THE CHRONICr.ES OF Sia JOHN fROISSAET. INDEX, ABBEVFLLE, Uie town of. taken byihe French furcefi under sir Hugh de Chalillon, 179. Aberdeen, the bishop of, taken prisoner by the English at the lialtle of Nevil's Cross, 86. Acherysur Aine, the town of, in Picardy, taken by the English under sir Eustace d'Amhreticourt, 127. Achievement at arms, between t)ie lord tie lu Rochfou- cnolt and sir William de Montferrant, at Bordeaux. 417. Acquigni. The castle of, taken by the lord de la Riviere. Acquitaine. the country of conquered from the English by the earl of Lisle, 44 ; given to the duke of Lancas- ter by Richard 11. and his council. 564. ACQuitaiie, the towns of, send embassadors to England to remonstrate against the girt made of the duchy to the duke of Lancaster, 566; succeeded in the object of tlieir remonstrance, 570. Additions to the prinied copies of Fruissort's Chronicles, Ijom MSS. in the Ilafud library. 94 et seq. ; 218 note ; 270 et seti. ; 2SS note ; 288 note ; 389 ; 523 ; &40 ; 603. Africa, the luwn of. besieged by the duke of Bourbon, 523 : the siege abandoned, 529. Agace, Gobin, conducts the English army under king Edward 111. to a ford on the Somme til Blanclietaque. previous to the battle of Crecy, 79. Agen, the town of, taken by the French army under the duke of Anjou,197. Aiguillon, the castle of, in Gascony, surrenders to the earl of Derby, 69; besieged by the duke of Normandy, 74; the siege abandoned by order of the king of France, 83; taken by the Frencli. under the duke of Anjnu, 197. Aire, the town of. in Artois. besieged by the Flemings in the interest of the king of England, 89. Albert, sir Terducas d', lakes offence at the conduct of the prince of Wales, 160: marries the lady Isabella of Bourbon, 171 : complains to the king of France of o tax the prince of Wales was about to impose upon the land cf himself and other lords of Gascony. ib. ; returns to the interest of the prince of Wales, l&l ; re- ceiver, the investiture of the lands of Chaumont. 309 ; his death, ib. Albert, the lord Charles d', obtain?; pennision from Charles VI. to quarter Uie iTeurs de lis of France alternately with his own nrni?, 505, Alencon. tlie earl ol', slain at the battle of Crecy, 82. Alen^on, earl Pt-ter d', returns to France from England, where he had been as one of the hostages for king John, 177. Alexandria, ihe town of. in Lombardy, besieged by the count d'Armagnac, 533; siege raised, 634. Abubarotc, the battie of, between the armies of Spain and Portugal, 380. 397. Aloise. the ca«tle of, in Auvergne. taken by Amerigot Marcel, ^@. St. Amand.the town of, taken by the earlof Hainault,46. Ambreticoiirt, sir Eustace d*. hospitably receives queen Isabella of England, after she had fled from Paris, 17; taken prisoner at the bartle of Poitiers. 103 ; re:cued byhwown men. 104; defeated and taken prisoner at the battle of Nogent-sur-Seine. 121 ; obtains his free- dom and tukes several towns in Champagne, 12Si; takes the town of Achery-sur-Aine, in Picardy. 127 ; com- mits great devastations in Picardy, 129; made prisoner and ransomed in Limousin, 202 ; dies at Carentan, in Normandy, ib. Ambrettcourt, lir John d', appointed embassador to the king efCasiille. 449; on his return from Gahcia, goes to Paris, to accomphsh a deed of arms. 451. Amurat, the Turkish commander, defeated by the Hun- garians, 389; invades Hungary a second time. 544. Ancbin, Pcfcr d*, takes the town of Orligas, 361 ; sells it for 8000 francs. 362. Andreehen, sir Arnold d*. captured nt the battle of Poi- tiers, 104; advises Henry, king of Castilie, not to ha- zard a battle with the prince of Wales, 165; captured at the battle of Navaretta. 167. Andreghien, the castle of, belongine to the earl of Flan- ders, burnt and piUaeed by tlie Whitehoods, under John Lyon, 254. St. Andrews, the bishop of, taken prisoner at the battle of Nevil's Cross. 86. Anghein, the lord d'. takes the town of Grammont. in Flandcr-., for the eari, 291 ; slain before Ghent, 291. Angle, bir Guiscard d*, appointed marshal ofGuienne, 138 ; travels through France to Acquitaine in disguise, 173; created a knight of the garter, 207; captured by the Spaniards before La Roclielle, 209 ; ransomed, 230 ; appointed tutor to Richard the Second. 234; dies in London. 262, 289. Angouleme. xhe town of. taken by the earl of Derby, 71 ; by the duke of Normandy, 74; surrenders a second time to the Frencli, 212. Anjou,the duke of, left as a hostage for the payment of the ransom of John of France, 133 ; breaks his parole, 139; eunimona his vassals to make war on the prince of Wales in Acquitaine, 179; heads an army against Guienne, 197 ; breaks up his expedition, 199 ; leads an anny into Upper Gascony. 230; takes the town of Lourde, ib. ; makes a truce with the duke of Lancas- ter, 220 ; takes sereral placei in Upper Gascony, 231 ; undertakes an expedition ngainstthe English in the Bordeloi3,227; takes the town of Bergerac, 229; takes several other phices in Gascony, 230: etseq.; returns to Toulouse, 231 ; collects another army against the English, 238; makes war on Brittany, 248; receives the territories of the queen of Naples asaciftfrom pope Clement, 2.50; seizes the jewels of his brother king Charles the Fifth. 2R8; seizes the government of France as regent during the minority of Charles the Sixth, ib, ; makes preparations to march for Naples, 293 ; sets out for Italy. '^ ; enters Naples. 297 ; dies at a castle near Naples, S40 ; takes Malvoisin, 364 ; * be- sieges Lourde, but being unable to take the castle, he bums the town and retreats, 366. Anjou, madame d', queen of Naples, advised, on the death of her husband, the duke of Anjou, to solicit the pope for possession of Provence, 340; urges lier claims to this country, 343; makes her public entry into Paris in company with her son Lewis of Anjou, king of Sicily, &.C.. 472; institutes a lawsuit in the courts of Paris against sir Peter Craon,575; obtains judgment against him, 577. Aniou, Lewis of son of the duke of Anjou, makes his public entry into Paris as king of Sicily, &c., 472; sets out from Avignon to Arragon.497; marries the daugh- ter of tlie king of Arragon, '^; embarks with his young bride for Sicily, ib. Anne, of Bohemia, scUi out for England, 295 ; married to Richard the Second, ib. ; her denth. Annequin. sir Kal.i«-ir. a*, captured by sir Bartholomew Burghersh, ISK. Apolocue, delivered to the cardinals respecting the pa- pacy, by friar John de la Rocbetaillade. 380. Appearances, wonderful, in the heavens, seen by the army of Philip von Artaveld on the eve of the battle of Rosebecque, 319. Arilembourg, the town of. taken by the men of Ghent. 323 ; narrowly escapes being taken a second time by them. 346. Ardres. the town of in Picardy, attacked ineffectually by the Frenrh f()rces. 182; surrenders to the duke of Bur- gundy. 225. Ardvick, the castle of. iu Picardy. taken by the duke of Burgundy, 225. Armagnac, the lord of, complains to the king of France of a lax the prince of Wales was about to impose upon tlie lands of himself and other lords of Gascony, 171. Armagnac. the count d', obtains the remission of sixty thousand francs of his ransom of the count de Foix. at the intercession of the princess of Wales. 360; en- deavors to prevail on the free companies to sell tlieir forts, 453; is thwarted by the countde F»ix, 453; leads an army into Lombardy agninst the duke of Milan, 511 ; applies to sir John Hawkwood for his assistance, 532: besieges Alexandria. 532: his death. 533. Armagnac, sir Bernard d', does homage to the king of France, 544. Arnaut, sir Peter, appointed governor of Lourde, in Gas- cony, 361 ; murdered by the count de Foix, 367. Arragon, the king of, promises to assist king Henry of Castilie against don Pedro, and the prince of Wales, 157: his death, 415. Arras, a conference held there with the view of bringing about a peace between the king* of France and Eng- land. 48. Artaveld, Jacob von, a citizen of Ghent, governs all Flanders, 30 ; sends embassadors to Edward the Third, to invite him over, 31 : joins the earl of Hainault with a large army before Thin-rEvcque. 41 ; attempts to disinherit Ihe enrl of Flanders, and to give the coun- try to the king of England. 72; murdered at Ghent. 72. Artaveld, Philip von, son of the above, appointed jov- emnr uf Gheot, 281 ; leads the men of Ghent to ottack the earl of Flandera at Bruges, 303; deteais the earl, and takes Bruges, 304 ; returns to Ghent in great state, 306; besieges Oudenarde, 307; writes to the king of France to solicit his interference to make peace be- tween the country of Flanders and the earl. 309 ; his letters treated with contempt, 309; imprisons a mes- senger from the king of France. 311 ; his answer to the letters he had brought him, ib. ; takes measures to guard the passes of the country against the army of the king ofFmnce, 312; after the defeat of Peter du Bois, collects a force to oppose the king of France in ♦ It may not be improper to observe here, once for all, upon a circumstance which doubtless excites the surprise of the reader, that in this instance, as welt as several oth- ers in different parti of the Index, events are inserted sub- sequently to the account of the death of the agent. This has arisen unavoidably from the manner in which Frois- sart composed his history, and from new and additional information communicated to him many years after he had completed the former part of his work, and had men- tioned the death of the person to whom such infcruation related. But it was considered tlmt it wuuM have been a vain and fruitless attempt to rectify this imperfection ; tt has, therefore, been deemed advisable to leave things a& they were found, and to insert the events selected for the Index in the order and rotation in which they appear no- ticed by the author hiinielf, person, 317 ; defeated and slain at tho battle of Roie- becque, 321. Artois, lord James d'. captured at the boltle of Poitiers. 104. Artois, lord John d', captured at the battle of Poitiers, 104. Artois. lord Philip d'. marries the lody Maryof Beny, and is appointed coiiiitnble of France. 559. Artois, tlie lord Roliert ella. queen of Ed- ward the Second, after she had been commanded to quit France, 16 ; is himself banished by king Philip, 27; takes refuge in England, and is created earlof 1, Richmond, 28; sent into Brittany to oid the countes* of Montford against the lord Charles of Blois. 61 ; en- gages the lord Lewis of Spain at sea, 62; lands in Brittany, 62; takes the town of Vannes, 62; is be- sieged in it, 62 ; killed, ib. Arundel, the eari of, besieged with king Edward the Se- cond in Bristol by the queen's forces, 18 ; condemned to death and beheaded, 18. Arundel, Richard earl of. defeats the Flemish fleet under sir John le Bucq,4]9; appointed to the command of a naval expedition, 4tj8; lands near la Rochelle. 473; de- feats the Rochellersin a skirmish, 474; lands in Nor- mandy, and overruns the country. 474; returns to Southampton. 491 ; joins the duke of Glocester m faia attempts to excite disturbances in England, 594; com- mitted to the Tower. COl ; beheaded. 602. Arundel, sir John, Jieads an armament against France, and lands at Cherbourg, 238 : sent with a force to the assistance of the duke of Brittany, 258; perishes at sea, 'ib. Asai, Guy d', Stewart of Toulouse, endeavors to prevent the free companies from entering France, on their re- turn from Spain, 158 ; is defeated by tliein before Mon- tauban, and made prisoner, 159. Assembly, of the lords of England and France, held at Amiens, to treat of a peace between the two coun- tries, 542; breaks up without having acconiplished the object of its meeting. 544. Assembly, held at Rheims by the king of France ond the emperor of Germany, to consult on measures to put an end to the schism in the church. 561. Assueton. sir John, a Scots knight, performs a gallant deed of arms at Noyun. 198. Athenis. the town of taken from the English by the duka of Normandy. 74. Athens, the duke of, slain at the battle of Poitiers, 105. Atiemen, Francis, a citizen of Ghent, surprises the town of Oudenarde. 333: defeats a pariy of the French at Ardembourg. 343; makes an unsuccessful attempt to take Ardembourg. 346 ; murdered at Ghent, 403. Attigny, the town of, in Champagne, taken by sir Eustace d'Ambreticourt, 122. Aubenton, the town of. taken by the eari of Hainault, 39. Auberoche. the town of. in Pengord, taken by the earl of Derby, 67 ; retaken by the duke of Anjou, 230. Aubriot. Hugh, liberated by the insurgents at Paris. 293. Audley. sir James, handsomely rewarded by the prince of Wales for his conduct at the battle of Poitiers. 106 ; hu generosity to his squires, 107 ; his death. 187. Audley. sir Peter, makes an ineffectual attempt to take the town of Chalons. 187. Avesbury, Robert of, his history of the progress of Eld ward the Third in Normandy. 78 ; note. Aulnay, the town of, in Poitou, taken by the earl of Der by,&I. Auroy. the castle of in Brittany, taken by the lord Charles of Blois, 58 ; taken by the lord John de Montford, 152 ; surrenders to the French forces, 226. Auray. the battle of, between the lord John de Montford and the lord Charles of Blois. 150. Austarde. Wantuire, commands a troop of the free com- panies at KouHebois. 142. Auterme. Roger d", bailitT of Ghent, murdered by the Whiteboods. 233. Auterme, Oliver d'. revenges himself on the men of Ghent fortbe murder of his brother. 260; banished from Flan- ders. 261. Auxerre, the earl of, slain at the battle of Crecy, 83. Au,verTe, the earl of. captured at the battle of Auray. ISO; imprisoned on account of his alliance with don Henry of Castilie. 169. Aymery, sir John, captured by the French, 373 ; slain at Sancerre, 373. B. Bacon, a robber in Languedoe, takes the castle of Co- boume, in Liinousin. and does other mischief, 92. Bailleul, sir William de, defeated In a skirmish at Pont ^ Treswn. 46. Bojarct. the sultan, raises a large force to oppose the king of Hungary and .Tohn of Burgundy, who had invaded Turkey. 581; marches for Nicopoli. 587; defeats tlie combined Christian nrmies with great slaughter. 588; puts his prisoners, with very few exceptions, to death, 589 ; disbands his army, 501 ; a singular instance of hu justice. 598. Ball. John, a refractory priest, excites the people to rebell- ion, 283; enters London at their bead, 2S6; taken and beheaded, 288. 626 INDEX. BaioD, the castle of. in ADverene, taken by Amerigot Mar- ccl ^8 Baifleur, the toxvn of. in Normandy, token by Edward the BanT!'."si'r Bariois de (with other French knights,) goes to the assistance of the king of Cast.lle S9 ; enters Corunna to defend it ogainst Uie duke of Lancaster. 400 : acquires great wealth by destroying the country before the English army. 403. , , c St Basile, the castle of, in Gascony. taken by the earl ol Derby 69 ; retaken by the duke of Aniou. 363. Bassere, La. the castle of. taken by the French under sir Woller de Passac. 3W. - . . r Batefol sir Seguin de. chosen commander of a band ol freebooters in Gascony. lU : takes the city of Brioude. in Auvergne. 137. , . ■ . i. Battle, the noted, between Uurly Bretons and thirty Eng- hsh. note, 92. .... 3 , Bayeux. the city of. taken by Die French under the lord de Bayonne. the town of. besieged by the king of CasliUe, 238 ; taken by the dnke of Lancaster. 410. Beam. Peter de. his strange dreams. 371. Beamois, Perrot le. captain of some free companies, takes the town of Montfcrrant. ui Auvergne. by stralagera, 462 ■ abandons it. and retires to his forts. 4tM ; takes the field by order of the duke of Arundel. 473 : overruns the country of Berry, 473. Beaufort, the cardinal de. elected pope, under the name ol Gregory the Eleventh. 202. . , ■ r Beaulieu. William de. captured by the English garrison of Cherbourg. 248. , 1 . Beaumanoir. the lord of endeavors <» ""k^ peace be- tween the lord Jolin de Montford and the lord Charles of Blois. 130. . „ J ■ Beaumont, sir Henry, takes Edward the Second prisoner, while endeavoring to escape from Bristol. IS. Beaumont-eii-Lnilluis. the town of. taken by the earl of BeauvS'tJie country of. invaded by tlie English, under Edward the Third. 79. c. „„i. Becherel. the town of. in Brittany, besieged by the French under the lord de Clissou.SlS; surrenders on terms, i^fV— 221 Bel. John le. his chronicles adopted by Froissart. as the foundation of his own. 14. Belleperche, the town of, taken by the firee companies in ih^hiterestoftbe princ90f Wales. 186; retaken by the duke of Bourbon. 196. _ ^ , Benedict, pope, elected at Avignon. 563 •, forced to resign his dignity, by the king of France and the emperor of Germany. 609 ; deposed. 624. Benon. the town of. taken by the English under the earl of Derby. 84; retaken by sir Bertrand du Gueschn, Berferac, the town of. taken by the earl of Derby. 66 ; re- taken by the duke of Anjou. 229. ,.,„„„fp„;. Berkeley. Thomas, lord of. captured at tlie battle of Poi- BetlerUiMown of, taken by the forces of the king of Na- BeiryTo'hn'duko of, returns to France f™'" En|'and where he had been a hostage for king John. 17' • eol ferts his vassals to make war on the prince of Wales rlouitaine 179; invades Limousin. 197 ; takes the t"wtof Umiges 199; takes the town of St. Severe, rsaintonge, 211 ; appointed governor of Languedoc m: betrothes his daughter to the son of the count de Blois, 342; besieges the castle of Ventadour 401 . en_ JeaUrs towinover the duke of Brittany to the French interest 46o; proposes to marry the daughter of the dutLof i^ncaster, 468 ; having failed, he sends to the count de Folic, to demand his ward, the daughter of the count de Boulogne, in marriage 489; is married to her 493; accompanies the king of France m his visit to the pope at Avignon. 498 ; claims the liberation of his agent Bethisac, who was under prosecution for jnal-administration, 602. ■ .t , j Berry, John of. son of the dnke of Berry, ™»"'es the lady Mary of France, sister of Charles the Sixth, «5. Berry, the duchess of, petitions her husband in behalf of ■ i the lor.i de la Kiviere, 654 ; supports the lord de la Ri- viere in opposition to the duchess of Burgundy, 6ijB. Bersat. the town of. taken by the Enelish m Berwick, the castle of. taken by Edward the Third 27 takeA by the Scots, 233; retaken by the earl of ^or- thumberland, S33. ,1,. p„,li.l, Bessenghen. the fort of. in Gascony, taken by the English undersirTlioinasTrivet,243. .ur,i,„„ Bete, sir Symon. aciti«:n of Ghent, put to death for hav_ jng endeavored to make peace between Uiattown and the earl of Flanders. 292. ., ,, rn„™ Bethisac John. Ow confidential agent of the duke of Berry in Toulouse, tried at Bezieis for mal-adramistration, 50a , having confessed himself guilty of heresy, &c., he is burnt to death, 603. „ . „ Bethune, sir Robert de. takes tn. fort ol La Roche Van- Blanche'taqu'e, the battle of. between the ting of England and sir Godemar du Fay. 79. Blancqucfort, Henry de. brother of Uie einvwror of Ger- many, forcibly marries Margaret of Huneary. who had been betrothed to Louis de Valois. 350. Blayes. the town of. besieged by the earl ol Derby. 71. BloL the earl of. slain at the battle of Cressy. ffl. BoSo'd Charles of. claims the duchy of Brittany. 51 ; declared the lawful duke ot Brittany b> the parlia- ment of Paris. 61 ; enters Brittany with a large force • Lj K. ihe km- of France. 63; conquers several assisted by ""» '^'?" m takes his adversary, the earl "fT„?f.,, nrisone;^ Uk^ >l* towncf Kenne., "J'S^Siocrn^of Montfort .n Hennebon, 56 ; takes the castle of Auray. 68 ; takes the town of Vannes by storm, 68 ; takes tlie town of Carhaix. 59 ; obtains possession of the town of Jugon by treachery. 60 ; enters into a t^uce with the countess of ftlontfort. 60 ; besieges La Roche d'Errien. 88 ; taken prisoner by the forces of the countess, 88 ; sent to England, 93 ; re- turns to France, HI ; raises an army to oppose lord John de Montfort. 148 ; killed at the battle of Auray, 151 ; canonized by Urban the Fifth, 151. Blois. Guy. countde. returns from England, where he had been hostage for king John. 177; joins the king of France against England. 196 ; sells the reversion of the county of Blois to the duke of Tourame. 641 ; dies at Avenues, in llainault. 601. Blois, John of, marries the widow of William, count of Juliets. 455 ; his death. 455. Blois. lord Lewis of. marries the lady Mary of Berry. 465 ; dies in llainault. 536. Blois. the county of. the reversion of it sold to the duke of Touraine. 541. Blondeau. sir John, surrenders the castle of Roche-sur- yon to the duke of Cambridge, 186 ; put to death in consequence, 186. . Bodenay. sir Thoobold de. captured at the battle of Poi- tiers. 105. ^ , ■ „ Bohemia. Charles of Luxumbourg, king of, slam at the battle of Crecy, 83. Bois. Peter du. a citizen of Ghent, chosen one of the com- manders of the Whitehoods in that city. 255 ; nar- rowly escapes being put to death. 280 ; besieges Cour- tray 280; obtains the appointment of Philip von Artaveld to be governor of Ghent. 281 ; deliinds the pass ofCommines against the army of tlie king of France, 314; defeated, with great slaughter. 316; pre- veiiU the town of Bruges from surrendering to tlie king of France. 319 ; retreats to Ghent after the defeat of Philip von Artaveld. 333; encourages the men of Ghent to withstand the army of the king of France. 323; after a peace being concluded between the duke of Burenndv. as heir of Flanders, and the men of Ghent, he retires to England, 3S8. Ronil'ace IX. elected pope by the cardinals of Rome. 506 ; sends a learned friar to the king of France to endeavor to goin him over to his interest. 545. Bonneval. the castle of. taken by the earl of Derby. 67. Bordeaux, the town of. besieged by the French under the earl of Lisle. 44. Bordeaux, the archbishop of. imprisoned at Barcelona. 415; liberated. 416. Bordes. sir William de. captured by the ganison of Llier- Bnlelei'.'^si'r Jolin, of Warrington, captured at Roche Pe- rion, 59 ; narrowly escapes being put to death. 60. Boucicault. the lord of. taken prisoner at Romorantm by the prmce of Wales. 101 ; appointed to the command of an expedition ogninst the king of Navarre. 143; takes the town of Mantes by stratogem, 143 ; takes the town of Meulan, ib. , t^ , Boucicaut, sir. the younger, with two other French knights, holds a tournament near Calais against all Bouc'icantthe'lord. taken prisoner by the Turks at the battle of Nicopoli.588; obtains his ransoni, W9; ar- rives at Venice. 600; opoointed marslial of France. 601 • obliges pope Benedict to submit to the emperor of Germany and the king of France, 609; sent to Hungary against the Turks, ib. Boule, John, a citizen of Ghent, appointed one of the ' "P- tains of the Whitehoods in Uiat cily, 3oo : put to death by the men of Ghent, 277. ..,.., Bourbon, lord John de. earl of March, appointed to liie command of an army, to go mto Spam against Don Bourbon!sir James de. captured by the English at the bat- tie of Poitiers. 105 ; sent by the king of Prance to op- pose the free companies. 135; completely deleated by them at the battle of Brignais. 13b; his death, ib^ Bourbon, duke Peter de, slain at the battle of Poi lers, 10a. Bourbon duke Louis de, takes the castle of Belleperche 196 heads an army into Poitou and Limousin. SM , takes Monllieu in Saintonge, ib. ; besieges Tadle- bonrg. ib. ; takes Verteuil and returns to Pans KO, appointed to the command of an army to assist the kill, of CastiUe against tlie duke of Lancaster. 418 , arrives at Burgos. 451 ; returns to France, ib- : ™ag- S ficient" entertained by the count de Foix, 452; ap- p^iScommander-in-chief of an expedition agains Ba bary,514; embarks at Genoa, ib. ; lands with his artiy before the town of Africa, which he besieges 5^ hU army suffers from the heat and insalubrity of the'chmate. 635; abandons the siege and returns to France 629; makes an iiicffectual attempt to gain oJer th^ towns of Aquitaine. during the imprisotiment of king Richard tl,e Second, in the tower.^. Bou°chier:sir John, appointed governor ot Ghent, 340; retires to England, 358. „ ,. , . .u^ Bourdellles. the Town of. taken by the English under the duke of CnmbriJge. 185. r„~.l.« Ronmezel sir Peter, lord de, sent on an embassy from Uie k™g of France to the king of Scotland, 246; arrested aJsluys by order of the earl of Flanders, ,b. ; returns to Paris. 247. , , „ , o.- Boutville. the town of. taken by the French, S4a. Bnbant, the duke of. joins the ^^l^^^'tZ'^o^theA^e bray 34; purchases thteecastles belonging totbe duke of Gueldres.436; appointed chief of the Languefr.de ib.; invades the country of Juliers 4o7 ; defeated and taken prisoner by the dukes of Juliets and Gueldres. 4S7 • obtains hu liberty. 457 ; his death. 4o8. Brabant, the duchess of. fornts a marriage between the chUdren of Burgundy and those of HamQ.ilt. 341^ causes the daughter of duke Stephen of Bavaria to be brought to France to be married to Charles the 3bcth, 347; applies to the emperor to interest himself to ob- tain the litieration of her husband from the duke of Juliets. 457 ; sends embassadors to solicit the assistance of France against the duke of Gueldres, 458 ; beiseges Grave, 468 ; makes peace with the duke of Gueldres, 488. Brabanters, the. besiege Grave. 468; defeated with great slaughter at the bridge of Ravestein. 476 ; abandon Uie siege of Grave. 476 ; retuse to permit the king of France and bis army to inarch through their country. 477. Bramber. sir Nicholas, beheaded by order of the duke of Gloucester, fcc.. 446. Brantome. the town of, taken by sir Bertrand du Gues- cliu. 301. Brest, the castle of. taken by the earl of Montfort as duk« of Brittany. 49; besieged by the French under sir Ber- trand du Guesclin.3I7 ; succored by the earl of Salis- bury, 217 : besieged by sir Oliver de Clisson, 237 ; b* sieged a second time by him, 3&1. BreteuiJ, tlie castle of, taken by the king of France. 100 Breuse. the viscount de. captured by the prince of Wales at the battle of Poitiers. 101. Brian, sir Guy, defeats a Flemish fleet off the isle of Bas, on the coast of Brittany. 205- Brignais. the battle of. between lord James of Bourbon and the freebooters. 135. Brignais. Uie castle of. taken by the freebooting compa- nies. 135. Brimeu. Uie lord de, taken prisoner by the English near Arras, 264. Brioude. the town of. taken by sir Seguin Batefol, 137 ; surrenders to the French, 375. Bristol, besieged by Isabella, queen of Edward the Se- cond, to obtain possession of her husband and Uie two sir Hugh Spencers, 17 ; surrenders to her forces, 18. BriUany, John duke of. his deaUi. 48. Brittany, duke of. Vide Montfort, Jolin de. Brittany, John of, son of the lord Charles of Blois. obtains his ransom, after having been long imprisoned in Eng- land. 451 ; marries the daughter of Sir Oliver de Clis son, ib. Brittany, the lords of. undertake the wardship ofUieir young duke, on the death of Ins father John de Mont- fort. 6-23. Brittany, the duchy of. aibudged to the lord Charles of Blois by tlie parliament of Paris. 61. Bruce. Robert, king of Scotland, defeats the English un- der Edward the Second, nt the battle of Bannock- bum. 15 ; sends a defiance to Edward the Third, 19 ; invades England. 20 ; his dying request to lord James Douglas, 24 ; his death, ib, Bruce, David, king of Scotland, dies at Edinburgh, 216. Bruges, the town of. enters into an alliance with the men of Ghent. 255 ; taken by the men of Ghent. 804 ; its gates and walls demolished. 306 ; submits to the mercy of the king of France, after the defeat of the men of Ghent under Philip von .\rlaveld. 323. Brunes, lord Bartholomew de, captured at the battle of Poitiers, 105. Brux, the town of, taken by Oie English under sir James Audlcv. IfS. Buch. the captal of, defeats Uie infamous Jacquerie of BeauvoisLs, wiUi great slaughter, 113 ; takes Uie town of Clermont, in Beauvoisis. 117 ; joins the king of Navarre, 142 ; captured at the battle of Cocherel, in Normandy, 143 ; makes peace between Uie kings of and Navarre, and obtains his liberty. 153 ; prevents the town of Linde from being given up to the French, 197 ; taken by the French at Soubise, 213 ; imprisoned in the Temple at Paris, 213 ; his deoUi. 225. Buckingham, the earl of. appointed to the command of an army to go to the assistance of Uie duke of Brit- tany 263 ; arrives at Calais, and marches into France, 263; burns and despoils the country of Champagne, 365 : overruns Uie countries of Gatinois and Beauce. 267 '; crosses the Sarthe wiUi great difficulty. 268; ar- rives at Vannes, in Brittany, greatly dissatisfied wiUi the conduct of the duke of Brittany, 270; besieges Nantes, 371 ; remonstrates with the duke of BritUny for not having joined him, 272 ; raises Uie siege of Nantes. 273; arrives at Vannes, 273 : returns to Eng- land in disgust, 276: suspected of favoring the rebel- lion of Wat Tyler and Jack Straw. 381; created duke of Gloucester. 414. (For the remaining parUcu- lars of this prince, see Gloucestkr. DfKit of.) Bucq. sir John de. admiral of Flanders, defeated and cap lnre;nssinated by John L.imbe. 239. Evreux. the county of. subdued for the king of France by sir Berlrand du Guesclin. 225. Europe, desolated by the plague. 96. Eustace de St. Pierre, a citizen of Calais, his patriotic conduct during the siege of Uiat town, 91, Famine, a great one, in France, 117. Faucille, John de, a citizen of Ghent, retires from the town after the murder of the bailiflF by the Whitelioods, 251; dies at Lisle, 2S1. Fay, sir Godemar du, defends tlie ford of Blanchetaque against Edward the Third and his army, 79 ; defeated by the English, ib.; narrowly escapes being put to deatli. 83. Fellon, sir William, killed in Spain, 164. Felton, sir Thomas, captured by the French under the du*e of Antou, 229. Fenestrages, the lord Broquartde, takes the town of Hans, 120 : defeated and captured by sir Eustace d'Ambre- ticouri. 121. Fenlinand, king of Portugal, declares \var against John, kmg of (pastille. 382; apphes to England for assistance, ib.; takes the field against tiie Spaniards, 299; makes peace with thekingofCastille, 300; marries his daugh- ter the infanta to him, ib.; marries tiie wife of one of h^ kmghts, 393. Ferrol, the town of. taken by the king of Portugal, 436. Flanders, the origin of the civil wars in, 403, Flanders, the nobiUty oi; make war on the men of Ghent, 38. Flanders, llie carl of. slain at the battle of Crecy, 82. Fionders. Lewis earl of, betrothed tlirough the constraint of the Flemings, to Isabella, daughter of the king of England, 87; escapes into France, 88; marries the daughter of the duke of Brabant, 94 ; detains an em- bassador from the king of France to the king of Scot- land, 246; supports the cause of pope ITrban in his dominions, against the Clementists, 249 ; endeavors to put down tlie Whitelioods, which had been revived at Ghent, 253; collects a force to make «'nr on them, 255; makes peace with them, 257: comes to Ghent at the entreaty of the inhabitants, 259 ; endeavors to prevail on them to lay aside the Whitehoods. ib.: causes John Pruuiaux to be beheaded, 261 ; goes to Bruges at the request of the inhabitants, 276 ; renews the war with tlie men of Ghent, ib.; besieges the town. 278 ; defeats the men of Ghent under Rassa de Harzelie, and burns a body of them in the church of Nevele, 279 ; besieges again the town of Ghent, 291 ; defeated by the men of Ghent at Bruges. 303: escapes with great difticuhy to Lisle, 305; applies to the king of France for assistance, 312; becomes an object of hatred to the English. 326; apidies to the duke of Burgundy for assistance to op- pose the bishop of Xorwich. 326 ; dies at St. Omer. 336 ; the ceremony of his funeral, 336. Fleming?, the, under Colin Uonneauin, defeated at Cassol by Philip of Valois, 25. Flemings, under Jacob von Arlaveld, promise to assist Edward the Third against the king of France, 37 ; re- main firm to tlieir alliance, notwithstanding the solici- tations of the king of France. 39. Flemings, the, under Robert d'Artois, flee in confusion from before St. Omer, 48. Flemings, the, refuse to disinherit the earl of Flanders. 72 : constrain him to be betrothed to the daughter of the king of England, 87; besiese the town of Aire, 89: defeated by the English oft' the island of Bas. 205 ; make peace with the king of England, 206. Foi.x, Gaston Pho-bus, count of, bis passion for ; and funeral, 537. Foix, Evan of, burnt to death at a masked dance in Paris, 557. Fongasse, Laurence, an embassador from Portugal to England, relates to the duke of Lancaster the e%'ents which had happened in Portugal af^er the departure of the earl of Cambridge. 393. Fontenay le Cointe, the castle of, taken by sir Bertrand du Guesclin. 213. St. Forget, the castle of, taken by sirWalterde Pascal. 384. Forsath, in Gascony, taken by the earl of Derby, 67. Fouage. the nature of tlie tsix so called, 170, vote. Friesiand, invaded by the count of Hainault, 584. Fvoissart. sir Jolin, his preface to his chronicles, 14 : hi=! reasons for visiting the count de Foix, 358 : sets out for Beam, in company with sir Espaign du Lyon, who informs him of many particulars relative to the wars in Guienne, 361 ; arrives at Orlhes, 369 ; becomes ac- quainted with the Bustot d*» flfauleon, 372 ; his descrip- tion of the manners <>f ilie EngUsh and Gascons in his lime. 386: travels to Middleburgh, in Zealand. 391; receives information relative to the allairs of Portugal, ib.: is informed of the particulars of the arrest of .sir Oliver de Clissmi by liieduke of Brittany. 437 ; returns to France from Beam, in company with the lord de la Riviere and sir Williuin de la Tremouille, 493; goes to Holland, 494 ; returns to Paris to witness queen tsa- bella's public eiitraiice into that city, 494; visits Eng- land in the reign of Richard the Second. 565; pre- .lents his book of love poems to the king, 568. G. Gabgllb, the, a lax upon salt, imposed through France, 99. Galande, the castle of, in Brittany, taken by sir Bertrand du Guesclin, 216- Gnrliz, Gomez, beheaded by order of don Pedro, 168. Gars, tlie abb^ de, beheaded at Amiens, 117. Gascons, the, oppose tlie attempt of the prince of Wales lo impose a hearth tax on the country, 171. Gascons, the, their manners in the time of Froissart, 386. Geneva, ilie cardinal de, elected pope during the Ufe-lime of Urban the Sixth, 249. Genoa, iis state and condition in the timeof Froissart, 387. Genoese, the. raise a large army to invade Barbary, 514; besiege the town of Africa, 523 ; break up their expe- dition. 529. Genie, sir Guisebert, a citizen of Ghent, killed for having endeavored to make peace between the town and the earl of Flanders. 293. Genville, the earl of, captured at the battle of Poitiers. 105. St. George, the chapel of. at Windsor, founded by Etlward the Third, 61. Germany, tlie emperor of, attends a great assembly at Rhcims. with the king of France, to consult upon means to restore the union of tlie church, 603; deposed, 624. Ghent, the town of, besii-ged by the earl of Flanders, 278, 290. Ghent, the men of, put to death Jacob von Artaveld, 72 ; revive the custom of the Whitehoods, and elect John Lyon their captain. 252 ; apply to the earl oC Flanders to preserve their Irancliises, 253; murder Llie bailiff of Ghent, 253 ; endeavor lo make their peace with the earl, 254 ; enter into alliance with other towns of Flan- ders, 255 ; choose new leaders, after the death of John Lyon, ib.; enter into alliance with the town of Ypres, 256; besiege Oudenarde, ib.; maicii to attack the earl of Flanders, in Dendrenionde, 257 ; make peace with the earl, 257 ; take the town of Oudenarde 260 ; sur- render it to the earl's forces, 261 ; destroy the houses of the nobility, ib.; put to death John Boule, one of their commanders, 277 : take several towns in Flanders, 278 ; defeated with great slaughter at Nevele, where several hundreds of them are burnt in a church, 279 ; besiege Courtray, 280; greatly distressed for provisions, but relieved by the men of Liege. 300 ; defeat the earl of Flanders at Bruges, 304 ; take the town of Bruges and several others, ib. ct ^cq.; besiege Oudenarde, 307 : en- deavor to form an alliance with England, 309 ; defeated at the pass of Commines. under Pet^r du Bois, 310; defeated, under Philip von Artaveld, at the battle of Rosebecque. 321 ; endeavor to make peace with the earl. 324: take the town of Ardembourg, 325: assist the English at the siege of Ypres, 330; defeat a party of the French at Ardembourg.343; take Damme, 317 ; make peace wilh the duke of Burgundy, the heir of Flanders, 356. Gloucester, the dnfce of, tfiir the preceding particulars of this prince see Buckingham, the earl of,] his crea- tion, 414; confederates with the duke of York and others against Richard the Second and his council, 439 ; defeats the king's forces, under the duke of Ireland, near Oxford, 445: thwaris the king in his intentions of making peace with the king of France. 534 ; ploU the destruction of the king. 593 ; instigates the Londoners to petition f's companies. 183; summoned to England by king Ed- ward, 196; leads an army into Picardy, 198; enters into a composition to save the country from being pillaged, 198 : defeated at Pont Valin by sir Bertrand du Gues- clin, 202 ; he retreats into Brittany, ib.; incurs the dis- pleasure of the king of England, 305; some account of his life. ib. 7wte ; reinstated in his favor, ib.; ap- pointed governor of Brittany, 16 ; captures the lord de Mauvoisin 268. L. Lac, Le, the town of taken by the earl of Derby, 67. Lamb florins, first coined, 98. Lambe, John, assassinates Evan of Wales at Mortmain- BUr-mer, 238. Lancaster, Thomas, earl of. beheaded through the enmity of sir Hugh Spencer, 15. Lancaster, Henry, earl of. brother of the former, joins the party of queen Isabella against Edward the Se- cond and the Spencers, 17. Lancaster, the duke of. son of earl tienry, lands in Con- tantin to assist Philip of Navarre against the king of France, 100 : takes the town of VerneuU, ib. : besieges Rennes, 111 ; leadi a large army into Picardy. 123 ; persuades the king of England to make peace M'ith the duke of Normandy. 130 ; dies of the plague, 131 Lancaster, John ol Gaunt, duke ot, his creation, 138 ; em- barks with a large army for Aquitaine, 160; leads a large army into France. 186; returna to England. 193; embarks with a large force tor Aquitaine, 197 ; ap- pointed governor of Aquitaine, 203; takes Mont Paon. 204: Marries the lady Constance, daughter of Don Pe- dro of Castille. 306; returns to England, ib. ; leads an army through France to Bordeaux, 218. et srg. : enten. into a truce wiUi the French, and returns to England, 223; made regent of England, during the minority ef Richard the Second. 234; heads an army into Britta- ny. 225; besieges St. Malo. 238: abandons tlie siege, 241; informed of the death of Don Henry, king of Caslille, 246: sent to treat with the Scots. 283: makes a trace with them, 2S8; refused admission into Berwick castle, ib. ; returns to Scotland with the earl of Dong- lass, 289; eent for by kins Richard, ib. ; offended with the earl of Northumberland, 290 : appeased by the king, ib. : obtains an army to make war on Castille, 399 ; embarks for Portugal, ib. : forces the French to raise the blockade of Brest, 400; arrives at Corunna, ib. ; takes the town of St. lago de CompostelJa and several others in Galicia, 401, ct ye^. ; makes war on Arragon, 416; marries his daughter, the lady Philippa, to the king of Portugal, 421 : takes the" towns ofEo- tenca, &c., 433, et se^. ; suffers greatly from the heat of the climate, 447 ; forms a junction with tlie king of Portugal, ib.; passes the Duero. ib. ; dispirited by the sickness of himself and army. 448; disbands his men, 448 ; obtains permission from king of Custille for them to recruit their health in his towns. 449; quits GaUcia and returns to Bayonne, 452, 466; applies to England for fresh assistance, 466 ; betrothes his daughter Catha- rine to the infanlof Spain, 488; makes peace with the kingof Castille, 491; marries his daughter to the infant, 492; receives the duchy of Aquitaine as a gift from king Richard and his council. 564 ; embarks for Aqui- taine, 565 ; ordered to return in consequence of the re- monstrances of the towns of Aquitaine against the king's gift, 570; marries his concubine. 977; offended with king Richard for the murder of the duke of Glou- cester, 602; makes peace with him, ib. ; his death, 610. Lancaster, the duchess of, takes her daughter to t'astille. and marries her to the infant. 493 ; finds the bones of her father, don Pedro, and Jias them buried at Se- ville, ib. Langon, the town of, taken by the earl of Derby, 67 ; sur- renders to the duke of Aiyou, 221. Langu rant, the lord de, captured byth»duke of Anjou. 22d; turns to the French interest, 229 ; slain nearCar- dd lac. 245. Launoy, John de, one of the commanders of the men of Ghent, slain at the church of Nevele, 279. Lauton, sir John, slain before La Rochelle.209. Le Clerc. Arnold, one of llie commanders of the men of Ghent, defeats a party of the Flemish nobility at On- denarde, 280 ; delealed and slain at Bercliero, ib. Leon, Ling of Armenia, arrives in France, after losing his dominions. 387 ; relieved by the king of France. 389; his death, 390. vote ; endeavors to negotiate a peace between the kings of France and England 413. Leon, sir Herve de, captured before Vannes.63; liberoted by king Edward, 65; dies at Paris, ib. Letter, from Edward the Black Prince, to the bishop of Worcester, after the battle of Poitiers. 108. note. Letter, sent by the king of England to Aquitaine. 194. Lewis, the lord of Spain, raises the siege ofHennebon, 37; takes the town ofDinant, &.e., 58; defeated at Quim- perle by sir Walter Manny, ib. ; engages sir Robert d'Artois at sea, 61. Libourne, the town of. taken by the earl of Derby 67 Li^ge, the bishop of. endeavors to make peace between the earl of Flanders and the bishop of Norwich, 305. Lieux, the town of, taken by the eurl of Derby, 67. Lignac. sir Helion de, sent to treat with the duke of Lan- caster for the marriage of his daughter to the duk« oPBerry. 469. Lignac, sir William de, seneschal of Saintonge, takea the cnstle of Aigle, 844 ; accompanies the duke of Bonr- bon to the assistance of Ihe knig of Castille. 418 : ar- rives at Burgos, 426. Limoges, the town of, surrenders to the duke of Berry, 199; taken by storm by the prince of Wales, 200. Linde, the town of. besieged by the duke ot Anjou, 197: delivered by the captal of Buch, ib. Linieres, sir Maubrun de, dies at Noya, 133- Lionel, earl of Ulster, created duke of Clarence, 138; marriei the daughter of the lord Galeas of Milan, 171; his death. 174. Lisbon, the city of, besieged by the king of Castille, 360. 395. Lisle, the earl of, makes war in Gascony for the king of France, 44; besieges Auberochc, 67; taken prisoner by the earl of Derby. 68. St. Lo, the town of, taken by the English under king Ed- ward. 77^ London, the bishop of, appointed to accompany the duke of Lancaster in an expedition against Spain. 326. Londoners, tlie. dissatisfied with king Richard and his council, apply to the duke of Gloucester to take upon him the' government of the realm. 439; wait upon the king at Windsor to lay their grievances before him. and to demand redress. 440 ; prevail upon the king to fix a day to examine inin tlie conduct of those who had had the management of the finances, ib. ; defeat theduke of Ireland and the king's forces, near Oxford, 445 : wait upon the king, at tlie insligntion of the duke of Gloucester, to demand the repeal of the taxes which had been imposed to carry on the w ar with France, 594; take part with the earl of Derby in his quarrel with the eaxl-marshal. 605 ; rise in favor of the earl of INDEX, 631 Derby against Kichard the Second, 613 ; send tJie arch- bishop of Canterbury to France to bring back the earl of Derby, ib. XjooKueval. sir William de, takes the cattle of Mont Paon, 203: sarrendera it to the duke of Lancaster. 204. lri)rraijie, the dake of, &li;in at the battle of Crecy, 82. ijOrris, sa i.auncelot de, mortally wounded at Cherbourg, 248. Louis, de Valois, marries, by procuration, Margaret of Hungary, 340. Lourde, the garrison of, take several places in France, 361, ct seq. liOUvnine, sir Nicholas, governor of Abbeville, taken pris- oner by sir Hugh de Chatillon, 179. Louvier, the town of, taken by the English, under Edward the Third, 78. Luna, the cardinal de, elected pope at Avignon, under the title of Benedict the Eleventh, 563. Lusignan, the town of, in Poitou, taken by the earl of Derby, 84 ; surrenders to sir Bertrand duGuesclin, 215. Lu sign an, Peter de, king of Cyprus, arrives at Avignon, 138; visits Germany to exhort the emperor to join the croisade against the Saracens, 139 ; visits the king of Navarre, ib. ; endeavors to prevail on the king of England to put on the cross, ib. ; goes to Aquitaine to sobcit the prince of Wales to do the same, 140 ; returns to Paris, 143 : put to death, 387. Lossac, the town and castle of, taken by sir Bertrand du Guesclin, 210. Luxembourg, sir Peter de, his body said to show miracu- lous powers, 459. Lozumont, the castle of. in Brittany, taken by sir Bei- trand du Guesclin, 216. Lyon, John, a citizen of Ghent, revives tlje custom of the Whitehoods, 352; instigates the men of Ghent to de- mand from the earl of Flanders the preservation of their franchises, 253; bums and pillages the castle of Andreghien, belonging to the earl, 254 ; dies at Ardem- bourg, 255. Lron, sir Espaing du, accompanies Froissart to Beam, and relates to him many particulars relative to the wars inGuienne, &c., 361. M. St. Mahe, the town of, in Brittany, surrenders to sir Ber- trand du Guesclin, 216- Maillart, John, a citizen of Paris, prevents the city beins betrayed by the provost merchants, 115. JVIajorca, James, king of, applies to the prince of Wales fur his assistance against the king of Arragon, 159; accompanies the prince and don Pedro into Spain, 162; taken prisoner at Valladobd, by king Henry of Castille. 171 ; ransomed by his wife, the queen of Na- ples, 206 ; makes war on the king of Arragon, ib. ; dies at Val di Soria, ib. St. Haixant, the town of, in Poitou, taken by the duke of Berry, 213. Maleval, sir Louis de, turns to the French interest, 194- St. Malo, the town of. surrenders to sir Bertrand du Gues- clin, 216; besieged by the duke of Lancaster, 238. Malvoisin, the castle of, taken by the duke of Anjou, 364. Mandarant, the castle of, taken by the earl of Derby, 67. Manners of the English and Gascons in the time of Frois- sart, 386. Manny, sir Courageou?, left for d'lad at the battle of No- gent-sur-Seir,e. 121. Manny, sir Giles, killed before Cambray, 37. Manny, sir Walter, makes an invasion into France, 33 ; sent with an English furce into Brittany, to the assist- ance of the countess of Montfort, 56 ; arrives at Hen- nebon,57; takes tlie castle of Conquet, 58; defeats the lord Lewis of Sptiin. at CJuimperle, ib. ; takes the cas- tle of Goy la Foret, 59 ; accompanies the earl of Der- by into Gascony, 66 ; finds the sepulchre of his father at La Reole, 70 ; defeats the Frencli uniler sir Geoffrey de Chargny, before Calais, 93 ; dies in London, 206. Mantes, the town of, taken by the French under the lord de Boucicaut, 142. Marans, the town of, in the RochelloB, taken by sir Ber- trand du Guesclin, 33. Marcel, Amerigot, takes the castle of Cassuriel and other places in Aavergne, 248, et seq. ; takes by surprise the castle of Marque!, 334 ; fortifies himself in La Roche V'andais, 516 ; besieged by the viscount de Meau.\, 517 ; sends to England to solicit the duke of Lancaster for assistance, ib. ; during his absence at Perigord, his fort surrenders, 520 ; betrayed by a relative, to whom he applied tor an asylum, 521 ; beheaded at Paris, 522. Marcel, Etienne, provost of the merchants of Paris, kills three kniglits in the apartment of the regent. 429; builds a wall round Paris, 113 ; killed by John Mail- lart, while attempting to betray the city to the English and Navarrois, 115. March, the earl of, taken prisoner by the English at the battle of Nevil'e Crosa, 86 ; appointed constable of the English army under Edward the Third, 124. Marchiennes, the Monastery of, titken by the Hainaulters, 47. Marcheville, the caitle of, taken by Uie duke of Burgun- dy. 147. Maret, John de. unjastly executed at Paris, 325. Margaret, countess of Hainault, takes possession of the country, as her inheritance, after the death of earl William, 73. Margaret of Hungaiy, married by procuration to Louis de V. . Valois, 346 ; forcibly married by Henry de Blancque- fort, brother to the emperor of Germany, 350. Mjimeit, sir Raymond de, turns to the French interest, fiW ; taken prisoner by the English, 202 ; makes his es- cope. 303. Marquel, the castle of, in Auvergne, taken by Amerigot Marcel. 334. Marriage, concluded between the children of Burgundy and those of Hainault, 342. Marshal, the carl, of Eocland, challenges the earl of Der- by in the presence of king Richard, 603; banished tlie kingdom, 606 ; dies at Venice, 624. St. Maubert, tiie fort of, taken by the English under the lord Neville, 241. Maubue, lord, beheaded at Rouen, 99. Mauconseii, the castle of, taken by the king of Navarre, 116 ; besieged by the duke of Normandy, 116 ; razed to the ground, 121. Maudurant, Geronnet do, captured by sir John do Bonne- lance, 461; taken to Montferrant, ib. ; ransomed, 462; gains possession of the town of Montferrant for Peter ]e Beamois, 463. Maul^on, le Bastot de, relates his adventures to Froissart. at Orthes. 372. Mauny, sir Oliver de, makes the king of Navane prisoner, 163. St. Maur, the abbey of, on the Loire, taken by the English under the earl of Pembroke, 191. Mauvoisin, lord de, captured by sir Robert Knolles, 268. Maxwell, sir John, captures sir Ralph Percy at the battle of Otterboum, 482. Meaus, the battle of. 113. St. Mecaire, the town of, surrenders to the duke of Anjou, 230. Melrose, the abbey of, destroyed by Richard the Second, 352. Melval, lord Louis de, taken prisoner at the battle of Poi- tiers, 422. Melun, the town of, on the Seine, besieged by the duke of Normandy, 437. Menstreworth, sir John, with his followers, quits the army of sir Robert Knolles, 518; executed in London, 523. Blercier, sir John le, one of the ministers of Charles the Sixth of France, committed to prison during the re- gency of the duke of Burgundy, 553; his property con- fiscated, 554 : released from prison, 573. Mesciin, the little, captain of some free companies, put to death at Luxembourg, 445. Meulan, the town of, taken by the French under the lord de Boucicaut, 142. Milhaud, the castle of, in Rouergue. taken by sir Bertrand du Guesclin, 205. Mirabeau, the town of. taken by the earl of Derby, SI. Miraculous appearances, said to have been seen by the Saracens during the siege of Africa, 524. Miramont, the castle of, taken by the duke of Normandy, 73. Moissac, the town of, in Quercy, taken by the English under sir John Chandos, 1^ ; surrenders to the duke of Anjou, 197. Moncontour, the castle of, in Poitou, taken by the English under lord Thomas Percy, 204; taken by sir Bertrand du Guesclin, 210. Monmorillon, the castle of, in Poitou, taken by sir Ber- trand du Guesclin. 210. Monsac, the town of, taken by the duke of Anjou, 220. Monstier, lord Peter de, appointed chief of^he croisade against the free companies in France, 136. Montacute, sir William, created earl of Salisbury, 28. Montagu, lord William de, slain at tlie battle of Poitiers, 105. Montauban, battle of, between sir Guy d'Asai and the free companies, 159. RIontbeliard. the earl of, invades the duchy of Burgundy, 148. Montebourg, the town of, burat and pillaged by the Eng- lish under king Edword the Third, 76. Montendre, the lord of, captured at the battle of Poitiers, 106. Montferrant. the town of, taken by stratagem by Perrot le Beamois, 463. Montferrant, the marquis de, leads the free companies into Lombardy, 137; conquers several places from the lord of Milan, ib. Montfort, the earl of, takes measures to secure to himself the duchy of Brittany, after the death of his brother, 48 ; takes tlie town of Brest and several others. 50, et seq.; does homage to tne king of England for the duchy of Brittany, 51 ; summoned' before the parlia- ment of Paris, at the suit of the lord Charles of Blois, ib.; captured by the French at Nantes,«52 ; dies in the Louvre at Paris, ib.; [See this account corrected, ib., note.} Montfort, the lord John de, defeats the forces of the lord Charles of Blois, at the battle of Aumy, 150; his be- havior on seeing the body of his adversary, ■\vlio had been slain in the battle, 151 ; takes Auray and other places, 152, et seq.; makes peace with the king of France, and is acknowledged duke of Brittany, 153; marries the daughter of the princess of Wales, ib.; applies to England tor assistance against the king of France, 214 ; retakes several places in Brittany, 22^ ; besieges Quimperle, ib.; disbands his nrmv, and re- tires to England, ib.; returns to Brittany,^; solicits king Richard for succors, 2^ ; excuses himself to the earl of Buckingham, who had come to his assistance, fur not meeting him on his march, 269; makes peace with the kiug of France. 275; arrests sir Oliver de Clisson in the castle of Ermine, and causes the expe- dition against England to he given up, 430, liberates sir Oliver, 432 ; required by the king of France to ex- plain, his conduct toward the constable, and to deliver up to him the castle he had taken from him as his ran- som, 438; his answer, 438; disregards the overtures made by the duke of Eerry to gain him over to the French interest, 466 ; enters into an alliance with Eng- land, 467 ; with Navarre, ib., re?loi*s the ca5tle? of sir Oliver de Clisson, 470 ; goes to Paris at the entreaty of the dukes of Beny and Burgundy, 471: make* his peace with the king of France, 472; reiuma to Brit- tany, 477 ; meets the king of France at Tour» to make an amicable settlement of the differences existing be- tween them, 539 ; agrees to marry his son to the daugh- ter of the kioif of France, and his daughter to John of Brittany, 641 ; grants an asylum to sir Peter de Craon after his attempt to murder sir Oliver de Olifson, 547 ; involves himself in a war with the king of France, ib.; wages a destructive war against sir Oliver de ClissoD, 560; makes peace with him, 673; grunts assistance to the earl of Derby to embark for England, 615; his death, 623. Montfort, the countess de, carries on the war against the lord Charles of Blois, after the capture of her husband, 52; solicits assistance from England, 56; besieged by the lord Charles of Biois. in Hennebon, ib.; displays great courage in the defence of the town, 56; entere into a truce with the lord Charles of Blois, and goes to England, 60; returns to Brittany with reinforce- ments, under sir Robert d'Artois, 61 ; her forces take the lord Charles of Blois prisoner at La Roche d'Er- rien, 89. Montgis, the castle of, taken by the earl of Derby, C6. Monttpl, thR bntflp nf, 173, Montlieu. tlie castle of, taken by the duke of Bourbon, 344. Montmorency, sir Charles de, taken prisoner at Pont-i- Tressin,47. Mont-paon, the castle, surrenders to the French under sir William de Longueval, 203 ; retaken by the duke of Lancaster, 201. Montpellier. the towns and lordships of, belonging to the king of Navarre, seized by the French, 236. Montpezat, the village of, taken by the duke of Aruou, 197. Montpin, the fort of, taken by sir Thomas Trivet, 243. Montpouiilant, the town of, taken bytheearl of Derby, 71. Montreuil Bonin, the town of, taken by the earl of Derby, 84. Monsegur, the village of, surrenders to the earl ot Derbf, 69 ; taken by the duke of Anjou, 230. Moray, Randolph, earl of, his death, 24. Moray, the earl of. taken prisoner by the English before Newcastle upon Tyne, 54 ; exchanged for the earl of Salisbury, 56. Morbeque. Denys de, coptores king John at the battle of Poitiers, 106. Moron, Castel, taken by the earl of Derby, 71. Mortain. the town of, in Normandy, taken by sir Bertrand du Guesclin, 226. Mortain-sur-Mer, the town of, in Poitou. taken by the earl of Derby, 81 ; besieged by Evan of Wales, 231 ; tho siege raised by the English, 241. Mortemer, the castle of, surrenders to sir Bertrand da Guesclin. 215. Mortimer, sir Roger, ignominioosly put to death. 25. Mouton, a French coin so called, the origin of its appella- tion, 109, note. \ Mucident, the lord of, killed before Chargny in Dormoif, 126. Mucident, the lord of. taken prisoner by the duke of Anjou, 229; turns to the French interest, lb.; returns to tha English party, 245. Muros, the town of. in Galicia, surrenders to the duke of Lancaster, 421. Murray, the eari of, captured by the English at the battle ot Nevil's Cross, 86- Musgrave, sir Thomas, defeated and captured by the Scot* at Melrose, 234. N. NAiTARRA.the town of, taken by the prince of Wales, 167. Namur, sir Philip de, slain at Dendremonde, 278. Namur, sir Robert de, does homage to the king of Eng- land, before Calais, 88 ; promises to assist him against France, 186 ; joins the English forces, under the duke of Lancaster, before Toumehem. 187 ; defeats a party of the French in a skirmish, 190. Namur, sir William de, gives the town of Sluys to the duko of Burgundy, in exchange for the country of Bethune, 348. Nantes, the town of, taken by the lord Charles of Blois, 53; besieged by Edward the Thu-d. GS; surrenders to *ir Bertrand du Guesclin, 217; besieged by the earl of Buckingham, 271. Naples. Joan, queen of. surrenders her dominions to pope Clement. 250. Narbonne, the viscount de, captured by the free compani« before Montauban, 159. Xaval engagement, before Sluys, between the navies of France and Englcnd, 42; between tltt Spaniards and the English under king Edward the Third, 95 ; off the island of Bas in Brittany, between the English and Flemings, 205 ; before La Rorhelle, between the ea:l of Pembroke and the Spaniards, 207. Navarretta, the battle of, between the prince of Wales and don Henry of Castille, 165. Navarre. Charles, king of, lands with a large army at Cherbourg, 68; arrested by the king of France, 99; escapes from the castle of Alleres. 112; makes peace with the duke of Normandy, ib.; harangues the Pari- sians, ib.; destroys many of the infamouR Jacquerie, of Beauvoigi:s,113: declares war against France, 116; lakes several towns and fortresses in France, ib.; makes peace with the duke of Normandy, 120 ; declares war against him, 127; makes war on France, 139; makes peace with the king of France. 152 ; enters into alliance with don Pedro of Castille, 156 : conducts the prince of Wales and don Pedro to Pampeluna, MB; enters into au alliance with tht; kins of EnsUnd, IS : 632 INDEX, makes peace wiUi the kine of France. 196. 216: ap- plies to king Richard of England for assistance against the king of France. 237; enters into an alliance with him in England, ib.; solicits aid from the EngUsh at Boideaux, to raise the siege of Pampeluna, 343 ; con- cludes a peace with tlie king of Spain, 24o ; his extra- ordinary death, 459. Navarre, the young king of, goes to Paris, to endeavor to gain hack his inheritance of Evreux, 603. Kavarre, the lord Lewis of, takes the town of LaCharite, 147 ; marries the queen of Naples, 153. Havarre, Philip of, defends the possessions of his brother in Normandy against the king of France. 100: raises an army to raise the siege of St. Valery, 118 ; refuses to accept the peace which had hcen concluded be- tween his brotlier and the duke of Nonnandy, 120. li^ecroniancer, a, offers to deUver up the castel del Ovo to the duke of Anjou by enchantment, 297 ; beheaded by order of tlie earl of Savoy. 297. Negotiations, carried on at Billinges respecting a peace between the English and the French. 18. Nesle, Guy de. defeated and taken prisoner by the Eng- hsh in Saintonge, 97; sliiin, ib. Nesle, lord William de. slain at the battle of Poitiers. 105. Nevele, tiie church of. burnt by the earl of Flanders, with several hundreds of the men of Ghent in it» 279. Nevil's Cross, the battle of, 86- iVeville, the lord, raises the siege of Mortain,240; takes St. Maubert, 241; dismissed from his command in Northumberland, 279. Newtoun. sir John, sent on an embassy to Richard the Second from the rebels of Kent, 284. Nicopoli, the town of, in Turkey, besieged by tlie king of Hungary and John of Burgundy, 575; the siege raised by the sultan Bajazet, 587. Kiort.thetownof, stormed by the English. 211 ; surrenders to sir Bertrand du GuescUn, 215. Kogent-sur-Seine, the town of. sold to the bishop of Trojes, 121 ; the battle of. ib. Normandy, the duchy of, invaded by Edward the Tliird,76. JJormnndy, the duke of, invades Hainault, 39; besieges Thin-l'Eveque, 41 ; enters Brittany with the lord Charles of Blois, 52; leads a large army to oppose the king of England in Brittany, 64; enters into a truce with him, ib.; leads an army into Gascony to oppose the earl of Derby, 73 ; takes the town of Miraumont and others, ib., et seg.; marries Jane, countess of Bou- logne, 94; appointed regent of France during the im- prisonment of king John in England, 110; besieges Paris, 114 ; makes peace witii tlie king of Navarre, ib.; enters ■Paris. 115 ; lays siege to Melun, 120 ; collects a force to drive the English outof Chumpagne. 121; re- fuses to ratify the peace concluded between king John and the Enghsh. 122 ; declines to accept the challenge of the kmg (t( England, 129; endeavors to make peace with him, 130; appointed regent on the departure of king John for England, 140 ; crowned king of France at Rheims. under the title of Charles the Fifth. 146. Northumberland, the earl of. takes Berwick castle, 232; enters Scotland with a large army, 233; appointed lieutenant of Northumberland, &c., 282; enters Scot- land with a large force, 338 ; banislied by Richard the Second, 612 ; recalled by the earl of Derby. 617. Norwich, the bishop of, appointed comraander-in chief of a croisade against the Clementists. 326 : enters Flan- ders contrary to tlie advice of sir Hugh Calverley, 327 ; takes the town of Gravelines and other places, ib.. et seg.; besieges Ypres. 330; abandons the siege, and re- turns to England, 331; badiv received on his return. 335. Noyon, the bishop of. taken prisoner at Jlauconseil. 116. o. Olifernk, Agadinquor, an African chief, his conduct at the siege of Africa, 524. Orchies. the town of, burnt by the earl of Hainault, 44. Orenze, the town of, in Galicia. surrenders to the forces of the duke of Lancasier, 434. Oriflainmt'. the 'sac red "banner so called, displayed by the ( king of France at the battle of Rosebecque in I-'lan- ders. 321. Orleans, the duchess of. suspected of causmj the illness of the king of France. 593. Onhon, a familiar spirit, serves the lord of Corasse, 382. Ortinga"!, the town of, taken by Peter d'Anchin. 363. Oslrate, Waustre. takes the castle of Roulebois-sur-Seine 127. Ostrevant, the country of. burnt by the garrison of Douay, 41. Optrcvant, the count of, created a knight of the garter. 538; gives offence to the king of France, ib.; "does homage to the king of France lor the county of Ostre- vant, 52?; raises an armyto invade Friesland. 583; in- vades Friesland,584; disbands his army, 585: invites the enri of Derby to Hainault after he had been ban- ished from England, 607. Otho, sir, of Brunswick, demands his pay from pope Cle- ment at Avignon, 390. Otteibourne, the battle of. 481, [see also 484. note.] oTS^' ^^^ ^""'" ^''' t'esieged by the men of Ghent. ^,d07; taken by Francis Atremen,333; retaken by the lord uestouniay, 340. 0.\ford, the earl of. t,-iken prisoner in Gascony. 67 : endea- vors to dissuade the king ofEnslandftomassLning his uncles in their pretensions to the crown of CastiUe. 359 ; created duke of Ireland, 414. PaMFEIUna, the town of . besieged by the kingof Castille. Pftiis. the city of, besieged by the duke of Normandy, Hi Parisians, the. rebel against Charles the Sixth, 293; ap- peased by the lord de Coucy. ib.; fined by the king, 325. Partenay, the lordde, captured at tlie battle of Poitiers, 106. Passac, sir Waher de, takes St. Forget, and several other places in the Toulousain, 384; accompanies the duke of Bourbon in an expedition into Castille, 419 ; arrivei at Burgos, 426. St. Patrick's Hole, in Ireland, its singular properties, 565, and note Paive. sir Amery de, governor of Calais, enters into a treaty with sir Geoffry de Chargny to deliver the town up to Iiim, 93; prevented by the king of England, ib.; taken prisoner by sir Geoffry de Chargny, arid behead- ed. 96. Peace, concluded between France and England, 130 ; at Leulinghen, 562. Pedro tlie Fourth, don, king of Castille, summoned to ap- pear before pope Urban the Fiftli at Avignon, 154 ; ex- communicated, ib,; endeavors to raise a force to op- pose his brother don Henry, and the duke of Burgundy, 154 ; flies to Corunna. ib.; goes to Aquilaine to solicit the assistance of Uie prince of Wales, 155; enters Spain, accompanied by the prince and a large force, 161 ; defeats the army of don Henry, 165 ; obtains the submission of Castillp. 168; incurs the displeasure of the prince of Wales. 169; defeated by don Henry at Jlontiel, 173; taken prisoner, 173 ; killed by his broth- er, 174. Pembroke, the earl of. sent to the assistance of the prince of Wales in Aquilaine, 180 ; makes war m Perigord, &c., 180 ; invades tlie territories of Anjou, 187 ; returns to England. 203; appointed governor of Aquitaine, 207 ; defeated and taken prisoner by the Spaniards be- fore La Rochelle, 209; insulted by Evan of Wales at St. Andero, 209 ; obtains Ins ransom, 320 ; dies at Ar- ras, ib. Pennon, the nature of the military ensiijn so calledi ex- plained, 102, note. Percy, sir Henry, dies in Castille, 450. Percy, sir Henry, appointed commander-in-chief of the for- ces 111 Northumberland, 479. Percy, sir Ralph, captured at the battle of Otterbourne, 482. Percy, sir Thomas, appointed seneschal of Poitou, 194 : takes tlie castle of Montcontour. 204 ; captured by tlie French at Soubise, 212 ; resigns his office of steward of the household to king Richard the Second. 596 ; ap- pointed governor of Aquitaine. 621. Perigord, the cardinal de. endeavors to make peace be- tween tlie kingof France and the prince of Wales previous to the battle of Poitiere, 102; makes peace between the duke of Normandy and tlie king of Na- varre, 120. Perigord, tlie earl of, defeats the highsteward ofRouergue, 177 ; besieges Reaivdle, 181. Perth, the town of, destroyed by Richard tlie Second, 352. Peterson. Jolm, admiral of the Flemish fleet, defeated and captured by the English off tlie island of Bas. 205. St. Phagon, the town of, in Spain, pillaged by some Bre- ton Soldiers, 452. Philip, lord of Burgundy, killed before Aiguillon, 83. Philip of Valois, chosen king of France, to the exclusion of Isabella, queen of England, 15, 33 ; makes war on the Flemings, ib. ; banishes Robert dWrtois from France, 27 ; puts on the cross, 29 ; enters into an alli- ance with the king of Scotland, 33; receives a defiance from the king of England, 33 ; leads an army to op- pflse his forces, 35 ; destroys the territories of sir John of Hijinault, 37; invades Flanders, 39; sends forces into Scotland to assist the Scots against the English, 45 ; assembles a large army to raise the siege of Tournay. ib.; enters into a truce with the king of England, 48; aseists the lord Charles of Blois to recover the duchy of Brittany from the earl of Montfort, 51; assembles an army to oppose the earl of Derby in Gascony, 73; collects another army to oppose king Edward in Nor- mandy, 76 ; defeated at the battle of Crecy, 82 ; col- lects a large army to raise the siege of Calais, 89 ; en- ters into a truce with the king of England, 91 ; marries the Ifjdy Blanche, daughter of Philip, king of Navarre, 94 ; dies at Nogent-le-Koi. 97. Philip, son of king John of France, created du k e of Bur- gundy, 146. Philippa, daughter of the earl William of Hainault, mar- ried to Edward the Third, 24; in the absence of the king raises an army to oppose the Scots, 84; defeats them at the battle of Nevit's Cross, 85 : receives the king of Scotland as lier prisoner at York, 87; her three last requests to king Edward, 190 ; her death, ib. Philippa, daughter of the /luke of Lancaster, married to the king of Portugal, 421. Pica^ily, the country of. invaded by king Edward tJie Third. 78. Pierrepont, the town of. taken by sir Eustace.d'Ambreti- court. 129. Piquigny, sir John de, delivers the king of Navarre from the castle of Alleres, 112; forces the dukeof Noi^ mandy to raise the siege of Mauconseil, U6 ; endeavors to take the town of Amiens, 117 ; dies at La Herrielle, 121. Plague, the, desolates all Europe. 96, and note. Piaisac, Heliot de, governor of BoutviUe, taken by the French. 246. Poinings, lord, dies in Castille, 450. Poitiers, the city of, taken by tlie earl of Derby, 84; sur- renders to sir Bertrand du Guesclin, 211. Poitiers, tlie battle of, between the king of France and the prince of Wales, 103. Poitiei-s, sir Charles de, burnt to death at a masked dance at Paris, 657. Poix, the town of, destroyed by the English under Edward the Third, 79. St. Pol, the count de. captured by tlie English at Liqu9, and sent to England. 221 ; marries the lady Maude] daughter of the princess of Wales, 247 ; leads an army into Friesland, 584. St. Pol, the earl of, slain at the battle of Crecy, 82. St. Pol, the to\vn of, besieged by the duke of Lancaster, 191. Pommiers, the lord de, beheaded at Bordeaux for treason, 227. Pampadour, the lord of, captured at llie battle of Poitiers, 106. Pondaire. the town of, taken by the earl of Derby, ^. Pons, the lord de. shun at the battle of Poitiers, 105 ; tuma to the French interest, 204. Pont-au-Demer. the town of, in Normandy, taken by sir Bertrand du Guesclin, 226. Pont du St. Esprit, tlie town of, taken by the free compl- nies. 136. Pontevedra, the town of, in Galicia, surrenders to the array of the duke of Lancaster, 409. Ponthieu, the country of, conquered by the forces under sir Hugh de Chatillon, 179. Ponthieu, the earl of, captured at the battle of Poitiers, 105. Populace, of England, rebel against king Richard and the nobility, 284; enter London and do niucli mischief^ 285 : dispersed by the king, 286. Porcien, the earl of, ransomed, 179. Porkers of la Respailie, a set of pillagers so called, commit several depredations in Flanders, 343. Port St. Marie, taken by Uie duke of Anjou, 197. Portboeuf. Peter, governor of Dinant, taken prisoner,,63. Portelet, don Juan Ferdinando de, informs Froissart of many particulars relative to tlie affairs of Portugal, 391. Poulat, the castle of, in Gascony, taken by the English under sir Thomas Trivet, 243. Poursuivant d'Amour, the meaning of the title explained, 179, note. Pressigny, sir Reginald de, put to death, 98. Preu.x. tlie castle of, taken by the duke of Burgundy, H7. Prie, the lord of, captured at the battle of Auray, 161. Pruniaux, John, a citizen of Ghent, appointed one of the commanders of the Whitehoods in that city, 255; de- stroys the walls of Oudenarde, 260 ; banished from Flan- ders, 261 ; delivered up to the earl, and beheaded, ib, Pulpiron, the castle of, taken by the French under sir Wal- ter de Passac, 385. Punach, llie town of. taken by the earl of Derby, 67. Q. Quarrel, between the houses of Brabant and Gueidres tJie cause of, explained. 454. Queens, three, besieged in the town of Melun-sor- Seine, 120. Quimpercorentin. the town of, in Brittany, taken by sir Bertrand du Guesclin, 216. Quimperle. the town of, in Brittany, taken by sir Bertrand duGuesclui.216: besieged by the duke of Brittany, iB2 R. Raimdaut, Lewis, a captain of the free companies, be- headed, 375. Ramsay. Alexander, takes the castle of Berwick, 232: captured in the castle by the earl of Northumberland, 233. Ravenal. lord Raouel de, captured at Mauconseil. 116. Realville, the town of, taken by storm by the earl of Peri- gord. 183. PvCginald, count of Gueidres, his extravagance, 454 ; mar- ries the daughter of Bertaldo of Mechlin, 455; after- ward marries Isabella, daughter of Edward the Second of England, ib. Ren nes, the town of, taken by theearlofMontfort.orduke of Brittany, 50 ; surrenders to the lord Charles of Bloii, 56: besieged by the duke of Lancaster, 111 ; taken by sir Bertrand du GuescUn, 216. Reole, La, the town of, taken by tlie earl of Derby. 71; surrenders to the duke of Anjou, 221. Rcyneval, lord Raoul de, defeated by the English and Na- varrois, under sir Godfrey de Harcourt, 109. Rheims, llie town of, besieged by Edward the Third, 126. Ribadavia, tiie town of. taken by storm by the duke or Lancaster, 421. Ribadeo, count, of Spain, one of tlie ministers of Charles the Fourth of France, arrested by the duke of Burgun- dy while regent, 553. Ribeaumont, sir Eustace de. captured near Calais, 94; re- ceives a chaplet of pearls from the king of England, in reward for his prowess, 94; slain al the battle of Poitiers, 105. Ribemmont. sir Galahaut de, mortally wounded in a skir- mish with the English, 126. Richard, son of the prince of Wales, declared presump- tive heir to the tlirone of England, 224 ; crowned king of England. 234. Richard the Second, placed under the tuition of sir Guis- card d' Angle, 234; enters into an alliance with the king of Navarre, 237 ; sends an army to the assistance of the duke of Brittany, 258; quells the rebellion of the populace under Wat Tyler, &c., 386 ; makes a tour through several parts of England to punish the insur- gents, 289; marries the lady Anne of Bohemia, 295; enters into a truce with France, 336 : heads an army to oppose the Scots and the admiral of France, 351 ; destroys the abbey of Melrose, and several places ia Scotland, 353, et scq.; quarrels with his uncles of York and Giyucesler, 428 ; e.\cites Uie liisconleiit of the peo- INDEX. 633 pie of EnglaDiI, ib.; retires to Wales, 429: constrained by the people to appoint coiuniissionere to examine into accounts of hie confidential ministers, 440 ; retires So Bristol, 443; takes measures to counteract the pro- ■ ' ceedings of the new council, which had been appoint- ed for him by the commissioners of accounts, 443 ; sends the duke of Ireland, as bis lieutenant, with a Jarge army toward London, 444 ; his troops defeated near Oxford, 445; returns to London under the con- duct of the archbishop of Canterbury, 446; assembles f a parhament to receive the homage of his subjects, ib. ; , enters into a truce with the king of France. 493 ; holds a grand tournament at London, 627 ; endeavors to make a peace with France, 530; concludes a peace with king Charles, 561 ; presents the dukeof Lancas- caster with the duchy of Aqmtaine, 564 ; leads an ar- my into Ireland, 564; obtains the submission of four Irish kings. 569; seeks to marry the lady Isabella, daughter of the king of France, 571 ; recals tlie duke of Lancaster from Aquitaine, ib.; has an interview with the king of France at Ardres, 585; receives the lady Isabella from king Charles in his tent at Ardres, 586 ; marries lier at Calais, 586 ; becomes unpopular in England, 594 ; orders the duke of Gloucester to be ar- rested, 597; invests the earl of Rutland with the con- stableship of England, 603 ; proclaims a feast to be held at Eltliam, 603 : banishes the earl-marshal for life, and tlie earl of Derby for si.v year?. 606 : seizes the rev- enues of the duchy of Lancaster on the death of the duke, 610; breaks off a marriage which was in con- templation between the earl of Derby and the daugh- ter of the duke of Berry, 611 ; holds a tournament at Windsor, which is but thinly attended, 612; banishes the earl of Northumberland and his son. 612 ; the peo- I pie of England rise in rebellion against Jiira, and in favorof tlie earl of Derbj', 613: retires to Flint [Con- way] castle. 616 ; surrenders to the earl of Derby, 616 ; imprisoned in the Tower of London, 617 ; resigns the crown in favor of the earl of Derby, 618: bis death, 633; his funeral, ib. JBJgault, Giles, de Roufiy, presented with the red hat in the presence of king John at Paris, 97. Eiviere, the lord de la, takes the castle of Aquigni, 147; imprisoned by the dukes of Burgundy and Berry dur- ing the regency. 554 ; his estates confiscated, ib. ; de- livered from prison, 573. Bobert, duke of Heidelberg, elected emperor of Germany, 624. Robert, king of Sicily, endeavors to make peace between * the kings of France and England. 43. Robert, the Hermit, ordered by a vision to interfere in bringing about a peace between France and England, 573; attends the conferences at Leulinghen, ib. ; sent to England, 573. Robesart. Uie canon de, defeats the Navarrois near Creil, 118 : turns to the English interest, 179. Roche, La, sur-You. the castle of, taken by the duke of Cambridge, 186; surrenders to the French under sir Oliver de Clisson. 217. Koche, La. d'Errien, the town of, taken by sir Thomas DaggewortJi, 88 ; besieged by the lord Charles of Biois, ib. ; surrenders to sir Bertrand du Gueaclio, 216. Kochechouart, the viscount de, captured at the battle of .Poitiers. 105 ; imprisoned by the prince of Wales. 183 : liberated, 187 ; his lands invaded by sir John Chandos, 188. Rochelle. the town of, blockaded by the Spaniards and French under Evan of Wales, 213; turns to the French interest, ib. Rochemilon. the castle of, taken by the earl of Derby, 69. Roche-posay, la, the town of, taken by the French under sir John de Bued. 183. Rochetaiilade, Johnde. a fanatical cordelier friar, prophe- cies, 129 ; dehvers an apologue to the cardinals respect- ing the papacy. 390. Romorantin, the town of) taken by the prince of Wales. 101. Roquemadour. the town of, taken by sir John Chandos, 184. Rosebecque, the battle of, between the king of France and the men of Ghent. 321. Rosem, the lord de. captured by the duke of Anjou. 229. Roucy. the town of. in Picardy. taken by Robin Scott. 118; retaken by the archbishop of Rheims, 123. Rouelles, the town of. in Galicia, surrenders to the duke of Lancaster. 405. Rouen, the inhabitants of, rebel against Charles the Sijsth. Rouelleboise-sur-Seine, the castle of. taken by Wanstre Ostrate, 127 ; delivered up to sir Bertrand du Guesclin 159. Routes, a band of armed men so called, make war on Ar- Tagon, 416 ; defeated by Raymond de Bachez, 417. Roye. the lord of, defeats and captures the lord of Gome- gines, 127. Roye. sir Reginald de, with two other knights, holds a tournament near Calais against all comers, 509. Rue, James de la, executed at Pars for treason, 225. s. SaiMPI, the lord de. with two other knightj, hold a tour- nament near Calais against all comers, 509. Bainte*, the town of, surrenders to the French forces, 212. gaintonge. the lord de, captured at the battle of Poitiers, 105. Saintr^, lord John de. captured at the battle of toitiers 1(6. Salisbury, the earJ of, taken prisoner by the garrison of LiJIe, 39 ; exchanged for the earl of Moray, 56 ; heads m expedition into Brittany, 216 ; sent on an embassy to France, 293 ; unites with the earl of Huntingdon in his plan to murder king Henry, 305 ; beheaded, 306. Salisbury, the countess of. defends Wark Castle against the Scots, 54 ; resists with great spirit the dishonorable overtures of king EJdward, 55. Salisbury, sir John, beheaded at O.xford, 446. Salle, sir Robert, governor of Norwich, killed by the in- surgents in the reign of Richard tlie Second, 287. Salvatierra, the town of, surrenders to the army of don Pedro and Uie prince of Wales, 163. St. Salvin. the abbey of, besieged by the French, 191. Sancerre. the lord Lewis de, appointed marshal of France, 186: defeats the earl of Pembroke at Puirenon, 189; visits tlie count de Foix at Orthes, 491 ; made consta- ble, 600. Santarem, the town of, rebels against Uie king of Castille, 376; returns to obedience, 379 ; burnt by the king of Portugal, 435. Sauveterre. the town of, taken by the duke of Anjou, 230. St. Sauveur le Vicomte, the castle of, taken by the French, Saxony, the duke of, sent by the emperor of Germany into England to see the country previous to the marriage of the lady Anne, of Bohemia, to Richard the Second 264. Scarcity, a great one in France. 97. Schism, occasioned in the church by the election of two popes, 249. Scots, the. invade England under Robert Bruce, 15 ; their character and manners, ib. ; retake many of their for- tresses, and penetrate as far as Durham into England, 44; retake Edinburgh. 45; take Stirbng Castle; 53; enter into a truce with the king of England, ib. ; in- ' vade England under kinc David, ib. ; take tlie town of Durham, 54; besiege Wark Castle, ib.; defeated by the English at tlie battle of Nevil's Cross, 85 : refuse to abide by the truce which had been agreed upon Belinge. 339 ; enter England contrary to the orders of king Robert, ib. ; invade England with the assistance of sir John de Vienne. 350 ; treat tlie admiral with much harshness. 352 ; inrade England under the young earl of Douglas. 481 ; defeat the English at the battle of Otterbourne. 481. Scott, Robin, takes the town of Roucy, in Picardy. 118. Seaule. tlie town of, taken by the French under sir Wil- liam de la Tremouille, 461. Seclin, the town of. burnt by the earl of Hainault, 44. Segar, John, governor of Nogent, murdered at Troyes. 122. Senerach, the lord de. captured at the battle of Poitiers. 125. Sequainvillc, sir Peter de, beheaded at Rouen. 146. Sl Severe, in Saintonge. taken by the duke of Berry, 211, Sluys. the town of, taken by the men of Ghent. 305 : exchanged for the country of Betliune. 348. Souhise. the castle of. taken by the French under Evan of Wales, 212. Southampton, the town of. pillaged by the French, 34. Sow. the use of the military machine so called, 229. Spaniards, the, defeated at sea by Edward the Third, 95. Spencer, sir Hugh, the elder, besieged with Edward the Second in Bristol, 18 ; taken and beheaded, ib. Spencer, sir Hugh, the younger, directs the goverrtment of Edward the Second, 15 ; causes the earl of Lancaster to be beheaded, ib. ; frustrates the endeavors of queen Isabella to obtain -assistance in France, 16 ; besieged with the king in Bristol by tJie queen's forces, 18; ig- uominiously beheaded at Hereford, ib. Spencer, the lord de. his death. 225. Stafford, lord, captured before Vannes. 63 ; exchanged for the lord of Clisson, 64 ; created an earl. 95. Stafford, lord Ralph, killed by sir John Holland. 351. Standwich. John, puts Wat Tyler to death in Smithfield, Star, the order of the, revived by king John of France, 97. Stirling Castle, taken by the Scots. 63. Straw, Jack, beads the populace of England in the rebel- lion against king Richard and the uobility, 285; taken and beheaded. 287. Stuart, Robert, succeeds to the crown of Scotland on the death of David the Second. 216 ; enters into on alli- ance with the king of France, 232 ; makes prepara- tions to invade England, ib. ; sends to excuse himself to the king of England for some inroads which the Scots, contrary to his orders, had made into England, 339; assembles a large army to invade England, with the assistance of the admiral of France, 350. Sudbury, Simon de, archbishop of Canterbury and chan- cellor of England, murdered in the Tower of London by Wat Tyler. 2S7. Suffolk, the earl of. captured by the governor of Lille, 39. Surgeres, the town of. taken by the earl of Derby, 84; surrenders to sir Bertrand du Guesclin, 213. T. Taillebouro, the town of, taken by the English under the earl of Derby, 84 ; surrenders to the French, 212 ; besieged by the duke of Bourbon. 344. Tallies, the nature of the tax so called, explained, 170, note. Talbot, lord, dies at Ruelles in Spain, 450. Tankerville, the earl of, taken prisoner by the EngUsh un- der Edward the Third, 78: captured at the battle of Poitiers, 185. Tarbe, sir Aimery de, killed in a naval engagement before la Rochelle, 209. Tassegnon, the castle of, in Gascony, taken by sir Thomas Trivet, 343. Tax on income, ratablished in France, 99. Telio, don, brother of Henry, king of Castille, defeats a body of EngUsh troops under sir William Felton, 161. Terrieres, the town of, taken by sir John Chandos, 181. Terlre, Peter du, executed at Paris for treason, 225. Tete-noir, Geoffry. obtains possession ofthe castle of Ven- tadour, in Auvcrgne, 348; mortally wounded, 490; makes his will, 490 ; his death, ib. Thilliers, the castle of, taken by king John of France, 100. Thin I'Eveque, tlie town of, besieged by the duke of Nor- mandy, 41. Thouars, the town of, taken by sir Bertrand du Guesclin. 213. Thurie, tlie town and castle of, taken by le Bastot de Mau- leon. 374. Tibald. doctor Simon, bishop of London, preaches the justice of tlie war against France. 181. and note. Tilt, at Enten^a, between sir John Holland and sir Regi- nald de Roye, 424. Tonnerre, tlie town of, taken by Edward the Third, 128. Tonniens. the town of, taken by the duke of Normandy. 74 ; surrenders to the duke of Anjou, 197. Tour, the lord de la, slain at the battle of Poitiers, 105. Touraine. the duke of, brother of Charles the Sixth of France, buys the reversion ofthe county of Blois, 6H ; created duke of Orleans, 548. Tournament, held atMons. 48 ; given by king Edward the Third at London, out of affection for the countess of Salisbury, 60 ; held at Vannes before the duke of Brit- tiny and the earl of Buckingham. 274; atCambray, in honor of the marriage of the children of Burgundy with thoseofHainauit, 342; atPans, in honor of queen Isabella's pubhc entrance, 496; at Inglevere, near Ca- lais, by three French knights against all comers, 509; held at London, by order of Richard the Second, o27 ; at Windsor, which is badly attended, 581 ; held at Ox- ford by the earl of Huntingdon, fitc, 622. Tournay, the town of, besieged by Edward the Third, 43. Treaty of alliance, entered into at Vilvorde, between the countries of Flanders, Brabant, and Hainault, 43. Treaty of peace, copy ofthe. between the duke of Bui- gundy and the men of Ghent, 352. Trelawny, sir Matthew, severely wounded at Rochepe- rion. 59 ; taken prisoner, 59 ; rescued from death, ib. Tremouille, sir William de la, appointed to command a body of men to assist the duchess of Brabant against the duke of Gueldres, 460. Tressihan, sir Robert, beheaded by order of the duke of Gloucester and liis party. 444. Trivet, sir Thomas, sent to the assistance of the king of Navarre. 243; takes several forts in Gascony, 243, «C seq.; marches into Castille, 244; returns to England, S46: defeats the French near Arras, 264 ; committed to the Tower of London. 335 ; killed by a fall from hif horse. 441. Truce, between the English and the Scots, 24 ; between the French and English. 48 ; bet^veen the English and tlie Scots. 53 ; between the lord Charles of Bloia and the countess of Montfort. 60 ; for three years, between the French and English. 64 ; between France and Eng- land, 91: prolonged by order of pope Innocent; 98; between France and England. 110 ; between the Eng- lish and Scots, 198; between the French and English. ^9 ; between the English and Scots, 288 ; between the French and English with all their allies, 336 ; between the kingsof Castille and Portugal, 380 ; between the French and English. 493. 556, 560. Tyler, Wat, heads the populace of England in their re- bellion against king Richard the Second and the no- bUity, 284 ; killed in Smithfield, 287. u. Urban the FirrH. pope, elected at Avignon, 138; preaches a croisade against the Saracens, ib., excom- municates don Pedro, king of Castille, 154 ; his deulh, 203. Urban tlie Sixth, elected at Rome. 236 : sends a bull to England for the destruction of the Clementista, 3aSt besieged in Perugia, 390 ; escapes to Rome, ib.; dies at Rome, 505. Utrecht, the town of, taken by the ear! of Hainault, 73- U^, the castle of, in Auvergne. taken by John Devereux» 205; sunenders to sir Bertrand du Guesclin, ib V. St. Valerv, tlie castle of, taken by the king of Navarre, 116; taken by the earl de St. Pol, 118; taken by sir Hugh de Chatillon. 179. Valois, the lady Joan de, concludes a truce between the kings of France and England. 48. Vannes, the town of, surrenders to the earl of Montfort as duke of Brittany, 50 ; taken by storm by the lord Charles of Blois, 58 ; retaken by lord Robert d'Artois, 63; taken by sir Oliver de Clifson, 63; besieged by the English, ib.; taken by sir Bertrand du Guesclin, 217. Varennes, John de, resigns all his preferments in the church, 563. Vauclingen, tlie town of, taken by the duke of Burgimdy. 225. Vauderaont, earl of, captured at the battle of Poitiers, 105. Vauflart de la Croix, sir, defeated in a skirmish at Pont & Tressin, 45 ; put to death at Liile, 46. VauLx, sir Henry de, taken prisoner atCommercy, 138. Ventadour, the castle of, in Auvergne, betrayed to Geof- frey Tete- noire, 348; besieged by the duke of Berry 460 ; taken by his forces, 506. Verchin, sir Gerard de, mortally wounded in a tourna- ment at Mons. 48. t Vemeuil, the town of, taken by the duke of Lancaster, 100. Verteuil, the town of, taken by the duke of Bourbon, 3S0l Vienne, sir John de, governor of Calais, sent prisonertO England. 91. 6^4 INDEX. Vicnne, sir John de, admiral of France, heftds on expe- ditioD to Scotland to invade England, 343; badly treated by the Scots, 3*5; invades England, accom- panied by a Scottish army, 351; returns to France, 354; sent on an embassy into CastiUe, 489; killed at the battle of Nicopoli, 588. Vienne, the dauphiii of, invested with the duchy of Nor- mandy, 99. Yietat, don Alphoiiso, higli admiral of Portugal, sent to England to convey the duke of Lancaster and his army to Portugal. 399. Vigo, the town of, in Gah'cia, surrenders to the array of the duke of Lancaster, 4(0. Villaines, le begue do, one of the ministers of Charles the Sixth, arrested by the duke of Burgundy during ius regency, 5&3 ; Uberated, 554. Villeclope, the town of, in Gallcta, taken by the duke of Laocaster. 406. Villefianche, the town of, taken by the earl of Derby, 71 ; taken byatorm by the duke of Nonnandy, 73 ; taken by sir John Chaodcs, 185. ViftCODti, sir Beiieibo de, put to death by bii nephew, 343. Viseonti, air Galeaa de, puts sir Beroabo. bis uncle, to death. 3^; enters into an alliance with Uie sultan Bajazet, 679. w. WaEE, sir Thomas, defeated by the Gascon lords, 178. Walworth, sir Williom, lord mayor of London, assists to eecure Wat Tyler in Smithfield, 287. Wark castle, belonging to the earl of Salisbury, besieged by the Scots, 54. Wars. the. between France and England, how caused, 15. Warwick, tke earl of, joins the duke of Gloucester in his attempts to excite disturbances in England, 594 ; sent to the Tower. 601 ; banished to the Isle of Wight, 603 ; recalled by the earl of Derby. 617. Wersey, lord Robert de, taken prisoner at the battle of Nevil's Cross. 86. Whitehoods, the custom of wearing them revived at Ghent, 253. Whitehoods, the, sed *' Ghent, uem op" Winceslaiu the 3Uth, emperor, of Germatiy. hii electioo, 356 ; sends his sister, Anne of Bohemia, to E^laiwl,|a bemanied to Richard the Second, 296; dies at Lo^ embourg. 336. • Wisar.t. James and Peter, their patriotic conduct dadac the siege of Calais, 91. ,, Wykeham, sir William, appointed bishop of WorOMMC and chancellor of England, 177 y. York, the archbishop of, dismissed from hia offiee of treasurer by the commissioner of accounts, 44S. York, the duke of, his creation, 414 ; confederotea widi tb* duke of Gloucester and others against king Kichaid and his council, 439. -~~ Yprea, the town of, enters into an alliance with the mtt of Ghent, 256 ; turns to the earl of Flanders, 378; lor- rendere to the king of France, 318; besieged bythft Bishop of Norwich, 336. Yrier, the town of, in Limoges, taken by sir BertiAii4 da Gue^cUn, 300. CATALOGUE OF BOOKS FOR THE PEOPLE. PUBLISHED IN EXTRA NUMBERS OF THE NEW WORLD, I 1 BY J. WINCHESTER, 30 ANN STREET, NEW YORK. To Avhom all orders should be addressed. "many a book, which is abandoned to the waters, is wafted to some remote shore, and there proves a blessing and a comfort !■ MILLIONS who are isnorant FROM WHENCE IT CAME." — Bonow's Bible in Spain, j EGYPT UN VEHiED— ANCIENT EGYPT, her Monument. Hieroglyphics and History. By Oerirge H. GUdjori, late U. 8. Consul at Cairo. This is the most cu- rious and valuable origiual worii which has been issued from the press the present sea- son. It may well be considered a curiosity in literature, as it not merely contains tiie only representations and translations of tlie once unintelligible symbols, and writings of the ancient Egyptians ever publislisd in tlie United States ; but presents to tlie Ameri- can reader for llie nominal price of 25 cent5, a compendium of the entire discoveries of Champollion and others down to the present time, which is not elsewhere e.xtant in the English language, and which could not be obtained in French, Italian, and Ger- man, for less tiian Ta>o Tlwusaxd and Fine Hundred Dollars. Price 25 cents. ■THE ISmLE IN SPAIM, or the Journeys, Adventures, and Imprisonments of an Englishman, ni an attempt to circulate the Scriptures in Spain. By George Bor- row, author of the "Gipsies of Spain." Fourth Edition. This is the Prizis Book of tue Season, and has been pronounced by all tlie recent leading Reviews of Groat Britain of the higliest critical authority, the most charming production of the day. It is indeed a spiiit-moving and enthralling book— written in a style ofthe most perfect ease and elegance, and full of recountals of thrilling adventures and picturesque descriptions. U.OdO copies have already been sold, and the demand is increasing. Price 25 cents. THE ZINC Alii ; OR AN ACCOUNT OF THE GIP.SIES OF SPAIN. By George Borrow, Author of the Bible in Spain. Nothing can be more exciting and inte- resting than this picturesque and vivid narrative of the customs, habits and dwellings of a wild, strange, and gregarious people. They are more wonderful than the Egyptians of old or the wandering hordes ofAsia and Africa. Mr. Borrow Uved among them tin they fancied him one of themselves— and tlie reader may well be subject to the same illusion, on account of the perfect knowledge which the author displays, with oil the romantic incidents and adventures of those Ishinaelites of modern days. Price 25 cts. LECTURES ON MODERN HISTORY.-By Thomas Arnold, D.D., late Regius Professor of History in the Univereity of 0.\ford.— A truly valuable work, aud one which slinuld be in the hands of every student of history and general reader. Our edition is recommended by an original Preface, written expressly for it. by J. G. Coggswell, Esq., the talented and learned editor ofthe New York Review. Price ISi cts. METEOROIiOGY ; comprising a Description of the Atmosphere and its Phe- nomena, the Laws of Climate in general, and especially the Climatic Features peculiar to the Region ofthe United States, with some remarks upon the Climate ofthe Ancient World, as based on Kossil Geology, with tliirteon Engravings. By Samuel Forry, M.D.. .-luthor of "The Chmate of the United States and its Endemic InHuences." Price 25 cents. jCrFE AND EXPIiOITS OP THE DUKE OP WELLINGTON. Pictorial edition. This work is illustrated with U handsome engravings, and is the bestpopuUir history of (/ic/)u/(c" that has ever been issued from the press. It com- prises the whole history of the Peninsular war, and details with life-like power the mighty deeds which were enacted during the whole course of tlie Spanish Revolution. Price 25 cents. LIEBIG'S AGRICULTITR.II, CHEMISTRY .-A most valuable and interesting work tor Agriculturists ; and no Fanner who would understand the value of the soil he cultivates, and thus be enabled to save expense, should be without tiiis val- uable treatise. Price 25 cents. LIEBIG'S ANIMAJL CHEMISTRY, OR ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IN IT.S APPLICATION TO PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY. Second edi- tion, stereotyped on handsome new brevier type. This valuable scientific work has al- ready sold to the extent of over 13,000 copies, and the demand continues unabated. 'Price 25 cents. LETTERS OP MARY, QUEEN OP SCOTS, and Documents con- nected with her personal history, now first published. By Agnes Strickland, author ot the " Lives ofthe Queens of England," &c. This work has elicited the warmest ad- miration wherever it has been read. The story of tliis unfortunate and beautiful Queen is familiar to all. and excites the deepest sympathy. No woman of genius or sentiment can fail to be pleased with this pathetic and charming memorial. Price 18,; cents. flCEMOIRS OP THE QUEENS OF PRANCE, from the earliest ages to the present time. By Mrs. IVirhes Bush. A faithful and interesting history of over one hundred nud thirty Queens and Royal Favorites, who have either reigned over France, or controlled the destinies of its monarchs. Price 18i cents. THE CtmiET. A translaUon of the Scientific Work ofthe celebrated French Astrouonier. M. Arrago. upon the nature and influence of Comets, with a full account of tlie splendid Comet of 1843— illustrated with 13 engravings. Price 12* cents. MORLBY ERNSTEIN. By G. P. R. James, author of Forest Days, Darn ' ley. Arc. This is unquestionably the most popular of all Mr. James's great novels. Price 18! cents. BD'WIN THE PAIR. A new and beautiful tragedy by Henry Taylor, au- thor of Philip Van Artevelde. Price 61 cents. FOREST DAYS, A T,\LE OP OLD TIMES, by G. P. R. James. Esq.. author ofWorley Einstein." "The Jacquerie," &.c. &c. Thisisdecidedly oneof Mr. .lames's happiest effirfs— a Romance of the Days of Robin Hood, the bold outlaw, cel- ebrated m ballad and story. Price 131 cents. LIGHTS AND SHADO^VS OF FACTORY LIFE IN IVEW ENGLAND. This is the production of a Factory Girl, employed fur live years in the mills ; and it is worthy the title which iu authoress has adopted from thatsoul mov- ing work, by the editor of IJlackwood's Magazine, "The Lights and Shadows of Scot- tish Life." Besides its thrilling interest as a romance, it is a complete portraiture ol Factory Lile in New England. Price ISi cents. DICKENS'S AMERICAN NOTES FOR GENERAL CIR- *^^I^ATION.— New and cheaper edition— An extraordinary book, having created aa immense sensation by its remarks upon the men and manners of this country. Price hi cents. nch^^ deW] les, Dili : iJ^^,^!^^^V^^^ 9,^.7","^ RHINE, the most beamifuUndencl. iiig o( all Bulwer's Novels, which has long been out of print. Price 121 cents. „f ^'n^'^l"*-, OKANDET, OR TIIE MISER OF SAUMUR, by H. del zao. 1 Ills 13 the best romance ofthe most popular French author of modem limes IS elegantly translated by E. S. Gould. Esq. Price 121 cents. ilbX™,?! ^^'^^ WORLD PICTORIAL ANNUAL-a splendid wort Ulnstrated with over forty most superb engravings. The literary contents an \ai most popular authors, and ofthe highest merit. Price 13! cents. ^ » T*fi^ WESTERN CAPTIVE, OR THE TIMES OF TECUMgB A tinil ing Roniance ofthe Last War. giving a picture of border life, and wtitttn . signal talent. By Mrs. Seba Smith. Price 121 cents. PRANKLIN EVANS, A TALE OF THE TIMES-An ori-i,.al Novel r great merit, and full of interest. Price 12i cents. "''-■'-i" ori,u.ai ,^ovel I No*?e*^°?.''Fr"e'l1l7e''™""' """""^ '" ''"'*"• <''^" "' ''">' '"'--''• ^ "" >^l or™fi=^^™^-"'-f--^S^r'^ "' '^^ ^ ^ chJ;SSS^a^^?"?™-«^'-^«- ByaLady: Illustiat.. with I.^-^ PAULINE. A Tale of Normandy. By Alexandre Dumas. Price 1"1 cents ' i Pr^Tce^r'^^^^ *"r ^I^E.-A novel by the Coun,..iss of Ble« ABEL PARSONS.-A story ofthe Great Fire. Price 12i cents thoT" die N^il^P' 7'''"!'"'' Cares and Family Joys, byFrederika Bremer, 12rce,ili ^"^^^""' translated by Mary Howitt ; the ml„ autlior,.ed c" ^ ?*^^»A~»-Tl'i^ -"'" ■. J3II1 oLiircii 01 a Wife. conLams niuc h glirr nt: inri.Ipnt Rv ];r,A r, , Your;";'' ■" tt'"""""'" """ '"■""''= ''<-'>■ Ka'e "e t a Im' a'd- Youns ladies in like search, may learn something from her e.xpe ie.M gentfemen who are sought, or would be fbmid, may read wi h pS! ^ 03-BACK NUMBERS STILL SUPPLIED.^ MONTHLY SEEIAL^UPPLEMENT THE NEW WORLD. OPTLV ONE OOLIiAR A YEAR. In January last was commenced the republication of all the POPULAR N0\ of those eminent Enghsli authors, Cuarles Dickens, (Boz.) Charles LkverA U. AiNswoRTH. Saml'ei, Lover, H'.c. They are issued in the form of a MONTfl SERIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW WORLD, nuniedintely upon then ofthe English copy. Tlie public nre tbus fumislied witii the only combined editi^ the latest productions of tlie most celebrated and popular living English write) idvnr.ce of any other eitublibhment, aiid at a price which cannot fiiA to meet the p j approbation, and thus secure a general circulatiun among all the lovers off Literoture. The Ibllowing are Uielilles of the works now in the eotirse of publicaj to which ethers will be added as occasion may require : THE I,.IFE AWD ADVENTURES OP MARTIIV CHUZZI WIT, His Relatives, Friknds an*> Ehehies ; Cnmprising his wills an4 ways: witli an historical record of what lie did and what lie didn't: showing over, who inhevited the family ph\te, who came in for the silver spoons, and ) fur the wooden ladles. The whulefuimrng a complete key to thehouseof Cliii;| wit. By Ciiarles Dickkns, Estt., author of '* American Notes," *'Baia Rudge," " the Cuviosity Shop," '* Nicholas Nickleby." TOIVI BtTItiCE 05* *^ OUilS," Forming the second volume of "Our Mej By Charles Lever, Esq., author of "Charles O'Walley," "/ack Hioton," ie S. D.,OR ACCOUNT OF IRISH HEIRS. Furnished to the pul mnnihly. by Sahuel Lover, Accountant for Irish Inheritances. WINDSOR CASTLE, an Historical Romance. By Wm. H. Ainsworth, ^ thor of "The Miser's Daughter," " Guy Fawkes," "Tower of London," &,c. LOITERINtiS OF AR.rHURO'Z.EART. Br Charles Lever. author of "Our RIess," " Charles O'Miilley," "Hurry Lunequer " &c. Terms.— The Monthly Supplement is printed upon fine paper and new minion tjrj n a uniform style with the New World, and sent to subscribers tUrouglmut the UnM Slates ami British America for the luw price of ONE DOLLAR per annum, remiU^ in advance, free -jf postage. Specimen Numbers sent gratis. JK^ A free copy of tlie Supplement will be sent to any Postmaster or other pen ho will procure and remit five Dollars foi five subscribers. it^Three Extra copies will be soot for ten subscribers and £10. )^inu J WLN'CHESTER. 30AnDStrGet,New\orl5 N. B. Besides the worke enumerated in the above Catalogue, the New World is published weekly, at $3 a year; a Supplen containinf^ the five most popular stories of the day— viz : Martin Chuzzlewit by Boz, Tom Burke and Arthur O'Leary by Harry ' requer, Windsor Castle by Ainsworth, and Treasure Trove by Samuel Lover— is published monthly, at ij^l a year ; and Blackwoo Magazine, the best periodical in the world, at $2 a year Any one person subscribing to the three periodical? car have them at fl low rate ot ii:5 a year, if paid in advance. j r u r a PRICE ONE SHILLING. THE MOST DELIGHTFUL ROMANCE OF THE SEASON ! JUST PUBIilSHED. NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHORESS OF THE NEIGHBORS. TRANSLATED BY M ARY HOWITT. ThB Proprietors of the New World have the pleasure to announce tlmt they have purchased at orbat expense, tlie advance proof-sheeLs of the new Swedish oovel by Frkderiea Bremer, translated hy AIary Howitt. entitled THE HOME: FAMILY CAKES AND FAMILY JOYS. It 13 needless to say that this work is by the author of "The NsionBORs," &f which we sold an edition of 15,000 copies in a few weeks ; and we have no hesitation of pre- dicting for the present work, a sale of 25.000 copies. TEKM3.-S^ per hundred; 11 copies tcn$l ; 12t cpnls single. Address. J. WINCH ESTER, 30 Ann street. J U ST PUBLISH E D , An OBIGIE^AL NOVBL—COFY RIGHT SECURED— ENTITLED KATE IN SEARCH OF A HUSBAND. BY A LADY CHRYSALIS. This couHterpart to " Ccelebs in search of a Wire," contains much stirring inci- dent. By Innil and sea, in city and country, in fasliionable and humble life, Kale seek-i a husband— and finds bim. Voung ladies in like search, may learn someihing from her experience; and young gentlemen who are sought, or would be found, may read wiib profit. TERMS.— Ui^ Cfuts single— 11 copies for SI— $8 per liandred. Address, (posi-paid,) J. WINCHEST KR, 30 Ann street, N. Y. BOOKS FORJJLE PEOPLE. LATELY PUBLISHED. A VOYAGE eP DISCOVERY TOWARD THE NORTH POLE, performed in H. B. M. ships Dorothea and Trent, under the command of Capt. David Bucban, R. N., 1318 ; to which is added, a Summary of all the early attempts to reach the Tacific by way of the Pole. By Capt F. W. Beecbey, RN., F.R.S., one of the Lieutenants of the Expedition. Published by authority of the Lords Commissioners of the Adniiraity— This is a very interesting work, full of information. Fir^t American edition. Price 12J cents; $8 per hundred. THB BIBLE IN SPAIN. By George Borrow. Fifth edition.— The popularity of this capital work is shown in the fact, that five editions have been printed by DS, and 15,000 copies sold within ihiee months, It is the prize-booli of the season. Piice 25 cents ; $18 per hundred. THE ZINCALI, or. The Gipsies of .Spain. By the same author, aud equally popular. Price 25 cents; $1G per hundred. ANCIENT EGVPT. Her Monuments, Hieroglyphics, and History. By G. R. Gliddon. With numerous Ulustraiions —The most important original work of ihe season. It throws great light upon tlie Bibl**, and should be in the DOS- session o( every clergyman in the country. It also effectually refutes Millensm. Price 25 cents; $16 per bumlred. DR. ARNOLD'S LECTURES ON MODERN HISTORY.— No one can peruse these Lecturts without being inspired with a true and ardent love of history Price 18^ cents; $12 per hundred. FORRY'S METEOROLOGY.— An able and interesiiue work, with 13 engravings PrJff' 25 cents. ftl6 pr-r hundred. With a great variety of cheap publications. They are cHarfrable with periodical postage only. Address J. WINCHESTER. 30 Aiinsireet- CHEAPEST PERIODICAL IN THE WORLD. (CT-BACK NUMBERS STILL SUPPLIED.-SO THE UNIVERSAL FAVORITE. BLACKWOOD'S EDIN]3URGH_MAGAZINE. ffiioo UoUare o JOear in 5a.IU3oncc. The Publisherof the New World announces that he has commenced the Republica- tion of this most celebrated of the MaRazines. ata price which will insure it a very large circulation. '* Blackwood" has lung stood at the head of the periodical literature of the world, and it continues to maintain that distinction, witliout a rival. Professor Wil- son, its editor, (old " Cliristopher North,") is unrivalled as a prose-WTiter and a poet, and his contributors are among thefin-t living authorsof Great Britain, Blackwood's Magazine contains twice tlie quantity of reading of any American monthly, and is issued in a double number of the New World, immediately after the arrival of the English edition, and is sent by the first mails to subscribers in all parts of the United States and British America. Terms.- TWO DOLLARS per annum, payable in advance. THREE copies will be sent for S5— FIVE copies for ^— and TEN copies for $15— thus rendermg it the cheapest magazine in the world, as it is universally acknowledged to be the ablest. Any Postmaster, or othet person, who will obtain 10 subscribers, and remit $15 there- for, iUaU have a copy gratis. J. WINCHESTER, Publisher. 30 Ann SUeeU N. Y DR. RUSirS^ LEGACY. THE BEST AND CHEAPEST MEDICINE EVER KNOWN ! TWELVE AND A HALF CENTS A BOX. Among the remedies suited to all seasons of the year, there are none which have attained a higher reputa- tion, or which cae be more confidently recommended to invalids of both sexes, than the celebrated HE ALTH PILLS of Dr. Rush. It is well known that the hu- man frame is subject to numerous complaints, which, though slight in the beginning, may prove fatal in the end, if not arrested by a judicious remedy, seasonably administered. For this reason, every family through out the country should keep themselves5upplied with these PILLS, the cost of whiLrh is so tiifling as to suit the means of every one, and which have never failed of giving relief when timely administered. The HE ALTH PILLS are mild in their operatios, never griping or giving the least pain, and yet so eflicacious, in consequence of the happy combination of medi- cinal agent--, that they are enabled to carry off all the filiated and irritating secre- tions from the alimentary canal, and remove any inflaiuraation or organic changes which may have been induced— equalize the circulation — restore a healthy action to all the excretory organs, and promote a more vigorous performaoce of the or- ganic functioo*. Stomachic irritation, is the source of general nervous disturbance. The nerves of llie human body — those necessary and niy.sterious agents which immediately connect man '.viih exiernal nature — are singularly proi^e to have their functions disorilered by an oppressed condition of the stomach ; the minute termi- nation of that portion of the nerves expanded upon the organs of digestion convey- ing the morbid impression to the biain. And although the head can, undoubtedly, like other organ?, be the seal of primary disorder, yet, in the great raajurity ef casfs, lbs uneasy sen^iaiions there experienced are symptomatic of disordered stomach; and further, there is abundani evidence to prove that crudities in the stomach and bowels can, in every grade of human existence, give rise to spasmodic action in nearly every nrgan of the body ; and, whether we survey it in the ago- nising form of tic doloreux— the alarming convulsions of the epileptic seizure — or the more subdued forms of melancholy and sadness — they can all frequently be traced to the source above mentioned, and be cured by mild evacuaut and tenia leraedies. To relieve a slate of so much suffering and distress, (in which mind and body alike parlicipale,) by imlucing healthy action of the stomach, liver, and bowels, DR. RUSH'S INFALLIBLE HEALTH PILLS are especially recommended ; having received the flattering approval of many dls- tingui.>hed members ol the medical profession, as well as having stood the test of pu (.)lic opinion for over half a century. They are a sovereign remedy for dyspepsia or indigestion— and all bilious and liver complaints— erysipelas, ^nd all cutaneous eruptions or d'seases of ihe skin ; pUes; nausea; dizziness; pleurisy; salt rheum; scald head; palpitation of the heart; inflammation of the bowels, liver, kidneys, iic; asthma; pains in the side or heart ; scrofula. They may be administered with the most perfect safety to small children, being utterly free from any deleterious substances. THE GREAT REDUCTION IN PRICE has been made by the Proprietor, in consequence of an improvement in the ma- chinery by which they are manufaciuredjand by which the Pills are produced in a purer, belter, and more efiVctive slate. The reduction was also required to suit the present limes, as well as the means of a large portion of the population, whe cannot afford to waste money upon "doctor's stuff," but want a goo*!, genuine medicine, speedy and certain in its effects, and one which will not keep ihem at home, but allow ihem to go about their business as usual. The Proprietor, grateful lor the immense success which has attended this invaluable remedy, THE INESTIMABLE LEGACY of the greatest ptiysician this country ever produced, tesiifjes his gratitude by this step, which, though it may diminish his profits, win laigely increase his means of impartingbleshings to the public— bis chief object, from liie first, in offering lh«se Pills for sale. Tw* or three doses will convince the afflicted, of their salutary effects. The stomach will speedily regain its strength ; a healthy action of the liver, bowels, and kidneys, -will rapidly take place ; and, instead ol lisilessuess, heat, pains, and jaun- diced appearance, slrtrngtb, activity, aud renewed healih, extending to a good old age, will be the result of lakmg this medicine, according to the directions accom- panying each box. Try tliem once, and you will use no olher. Rgmeaiber, these Pills are only TWELVE AND A HiVI^F CENTS A BOX. (EFSold at the Principal Office, 30 Ann street, wholesale and retail, by H. G. DAGGERS, General Agent lor the United Stales, to whom all orders should be addressed, post-paid. A & E N T S, IN THE CITV. J. C. Wadleigh, 459 Broadway. J. Axford, 108 Bow^ery. John M. Moore, 187 Hudson slreeL OUT OF THE GITY. Brooklyn— H- Green, 69V Fullon street. *' Mrs. Hay-;, 139 Fulton street JVilliamshurg — James Hmesnn, JVeTpark-—D. fimnh, 32n Broad slreeL Albany — A. Giilbrie, 4 Sianwix ILill. Troy — Vi^ung ii Hearit, booksellers. Columhus. Ga — Stockton Si Clarter, ^..kenoctady-U. H Snell, 143 Stale sL Hartford— S. W. Judd. Nein Havfn—TUos. H. Pease. Baltimore— T>T, Reed. cor. of Gay fit Sara- toga streets. PhUadelphia—An Agent wanted />».v(oTi— Brainard Al Co., H Court st. Providence, R. /.— Chas. Dyer, 42 West- minsur .';i. Belfast. Me—U, G. WaMiburn & Co. Rochester — .Jones, News Agenl. Utica — J. B. Loak Periodical Agent. Bujffalo—Yho3. S. Ha«.ks, Seneca street, near the Post Office. Pittsfield, Mass.— J. H Brewster. NorvAch, Ct.—K. F. Bdlcom. Cincinnati, Ohio — Sanford & Park, Oea- eral Agents. Also, by all respectable Booksellers and Druggists is the United Slates. 03' Agenis wanted. Letters most be pcst-paid. SKTr"- ' ^ O'Im — I o THE MOST CELEBRATED HISTORICAL WORK| EVERPUBLISHED. ! '<] NOW IN FRESS, AND WILL BE PUBLISHED IN TEN CONSECUTIVE DOUBLE EXTRA NUMBERS OF THE NEW WORLD AT TWENTY-FIVE CENTS A NUMBER, OR TWO DOLLARS FOR THE COMPLETE WORK. SIR JOHN FROISSAET'S CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, AND THE ADJOINING COUNTRIES, I THE MOST KARE, VALUABLE, INTEKESTIN& AND CELEBRATED WORK EVER PUBLISHED IN THE WORLD ELEGANTLY PRINTED ON I EXTRA SUEPRFINE WHITE PAPER, AND SPENDIDLY ILLUSTRATED WITH OVER I ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ENGRAVINGS, I REPRESENTING THE SCENES, COSTUMES, SIE8ES, BATTLES, NAVAL ENGAGEMENTS AND TOURNAMENTS I OF THE MIDDLE AGES, ENGRAVED li AT A COST OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. ill ^ >! Price of t!ie English Edition ^12 — New World Edition only $2, and equal in Typography, Style and Embellisliment=5 P CS^* T/ie first Number will be ready on the first of June. -C30 If there were any doubt remaining on the public mind with reeard to the complete success of our plan of cheap pulilications, the announcement which we now make ought to dispel it, and to convince the skeptical that tlie most valuable and enduring productions of English literature may be brought within the reacli of the most moderate means. The works of Siu John Froissart have been celebrated by poets, historians and novelists, for more than four cen- turies. For many years after their first publication they were circulated only through the medium of manuscripts, and iliey were deemed presents worthy of kings and princes. These manuscripts were frequently embellished with illustrations of a gorgeous description. They were done in bright colors on the broad margins of'the parchment pages : hence they have been said to be zlluminated. Tlie edition which we present is a reprint of tlint which appeared m London but three yeai-s since, and which is by far the best and most satis factory that has ever been published. It is profusely iliustraled with engrav- mgs on wood, fepre-ienti ng scenes, customs, costumes and figures of the olden time executed expressly for u-, in the most careful and elegant manner by Lo«mg. and at an expense, which nothing short of the most liberal patronage can justify. Everything hut the colors and exquisite finish of the ancient illu nunations are preserved— there is tlie same fidelity in outline and spirit in exe- i culion. Oftentimes a little picture will convey a belter idea of characters and \ mcidents forever departed, than the most elaborate narrative. " I The language in this edition will be found perfectly modernized, and there- I fore easily understood by all readers. In quaintness and simplicity of style, it I is almost scriptural. The interest of the story increases greatly as you read ; it i*! the very romance of history. From this source, Uie most copious and abundant ever discovered, have the best modern novelists and dramatists draw n their supplies. The original of many a chivalrous and many a tender scene !n Scott, and James, and their contemporaries, will he recognized in the ^ \\ id pages of "old Froissart." In the age of Froissart," says his biographer, " all the world was persnaded ' that /owe was tlie motive of the most brilliant actions of courage and virtue. I Knights made a parade of it in tournaments. Warriors exposed themselves to ! tlie most perilous combats, to maintain the honor and beauty of their ladies. gallantry and tenderness; it is almost always under this form that we see it represented in the greater part of those eftorts of the mind which have been handed down to us from that period. The ladies blushed not in feeling so pure a passion, and the most modest made it the ordinary subject of their conversations." The Chronicles extend from 1328 to 1400. They comprehend every consider able affair, which happened during that period in France, England, Scotland Ireland and Flanders, They include also a vast number of particulars rel,\ tive to theatfuirs of Rome and Avignon ; of Spain, Germany, Italy; even < ' Russia, Hungary, Turkey, Africa — in short, of almost the whole known wor! I Froissart has always been deemed by scholars an indispensable pre- requisite to the reading and right comprehension of modern history. We covjidentl expect that every one who has uhtained Mr. ^lisoii's late admirable kistori of Europe wilt become a purchaser of Froissart ; for to Froissart is Alist indebted as is the disciple to his master. " I rejoice you have met witli Frois sort," wTotethe poetGray to oneof hisfiiends, " he is the Herodotus ofa bar- barous age. * * His locomotive disposition, (for Uien there was no other way of learning things.) his simple curiosity, his religious credulity were much like tboseof the old Grecian.'' This great undertaking is completed, and tlie first number, consisting of 64 pngesand numerous engravings will be issued in the montli ol May, nfiet which nine more numbers, similar in sireand einbeliisbment, will appear nl intervals of a fortnight. The cost of the ten numbers, if taken as they are issued, will be $2.50, but if paid for in advance. S3. Readers both in citj and country will do well to pay for the work in advance, and receive the nun hers as they successively appear. They can be forwarded to any part of the United States at a cost only of newspaper postage. It is suggested to res dents in the city that they could not make a more acceptable present to their relations and friends in the country than this tieautiful work, which, if sub- scribed for here, will be carefully and punctually mailed to any address. Tl e '■ Chronicles'* will he printed on the finest and most expensive book-paper far superior to that used by American book-publishers in general. This edition will solve the doubt whether a book may not be at the same time verp cheap and very bedutifid. It was then believed tiiat love might be confined to a delicate intercourse of TERMS OF PUBLICATION. » Froissart's Chronicles " will be issued in Ten Extra Double Numbers of the New Worlp, on a new brevier type, and a superfine white paper, every two weeks- the whole illustrated with One Hundred anp Twenty Superb Engrav INGS fJi^-Sinslo numbers twenty five cents each; Five copies of each Part for $1— Two Dollars in advance for the entire work To Book=;eller9, \gentq and Newsmen, $16 a hundred All orders must pnclo==p ea-h postp^ld tnd be ^ddres^ed to J WINCHE'=1TER, Publisher, 30 Ann-street, N Y. ;^fe^cfeJ^S^*E^^S*^S^>«'*^^i^'^^«^*-^ r- kJ^^>£«^S^: ; unlike ri^st Frcncl-i novels, its morality is une.\cepllonablc. — [New Yo.lt Sun. The MvsrERiEs of Paris. — Winchnsfer has i^=:ued the second numhe of this exciting work, translated expressly for iht- New World edition from ilic pages of the Jtmmal de^ Jjcbats. h is but justice to the translator to -:ay, that he has performed his task wilh singular accuracy and spirit. The p-^ond number i.-;, if possible, r^.ore dcely interesting than the first, and we arj not surprised at the unparaHt^Ied popularity which the work enjoys in i '- ■■•■'K'. It is, indeed, a in:ister;n'.-ce of genius.— [True Sun. PART ONE NOW READY. ANOTHER NOVEL BY EUGENE SUE 1 PUBLISHED THIS 3IOK1VIKG, AT THE NEW WORLD OFFICE; NO. 30 ANN STREET,- IN A BEAUTIFUL OCTAVO, PART I. OF MATILDA; OR, THE MEMOIES OF A YOUNG WOMAN. BY EUGENE SUE, AUTHOR OF THE ".1IYSTEEIES OF PARIS." TBAWSLATBD BY HENRY W. HERBERT, AUTHOR OP "m.ir»udi;ke Wyvil." "Cromwell," "the iROTnsEs," etc. This Uomaftce was pronounced, upon ils publication in Paris, to be iLe beti whicli had ever been issued from Ihe Frencli iirets. It exiiibils a different order ol talent f'ora the "Mysteries," thou^'h equ.illy attractive in thrilling inlere.it. Tne concluding ijoriiou will appear bclbre the reauer will have devoured the tirst pari. Price 25 cents. Sbid by all the Booksellers and Perioilicil Dealers in thecountry. Address j. WINCHESTER, SO Ann street. IN PRESS, AND WILL BE PUBLISHED IN TIIE MO.-«TII OF NOVEJIBEE, COMPLKTE I~ O.NE LillGE OCTAVO VOLU.ME, AT NO. 30 ANN STREET, A BEAUTIFITL ANO ELEGANT WORK, ENTITLED MEXICO AS IT WAS AND AS IT IS. BY BRANTZ MAYER, LATE SECRETARY OF LEGATION TO ME.VICO. to be EMBELLISHED WITH ' ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY ENGR.WINGS, EXECbTEb IN THE MOST FINISHED MANNER, ON WOOD, BY EUTLEB, FROM UBJGIK.'.l. DESIGNS AND DRAWINGS BY THE AUTHOR, ILLUSTRATING IHE RUINS, ANTIQUITIES, COSTUMES, PLACES, CUSTOIIS. AND CURIOSITIES OF THE ANCIENT AND MODERN MEXICANS. PRIOB TWO DOLLAHS — ELEGANTLY BOUND AND GILT. In announcing this work, which has been for sev&ral months is prpparniion ilie Fubhsliers need liartlly assure the puttlic, that it is executed with eminent dbihly— since, so well known is Mr. Mayrr tlirough, and the sabjfcts more interesting and valuable, than have ever he^n given in ^vorks ol a similar nature. Many o( them occupy lull pa^e>, and will be printed o n extra tine paper, separately (Vom ib'e text, and compare witli any others for fineness ami beauty. These embelUstim c nts arc executed at a cost of over twelve hundred dollars ; and, in all respect^ it is ihe intention of the I'ablishcr lo isiue a book, which sliall be iIjc most valuaMe and ELEGANT HOLIDAY PRESENT tliat can be found during the coming season. The (ollnwing notices havf already ppeared in the papers, ihouyh no previous arjnouix;emeni has been made by tlie publishers, not wishing irt advertise il until its progress wai; such as to authorize uft to promise its speedy appeaianfe: "Ma. Mayer's Work on Mexico.— Our townsman, Branfz Mayer, Esq., who psi-'necl hisappoinimfiil iis Secrt-tary vJ Legation lo I\lcxicn in Apnl h-i-t.has incc then been en^'.i^red in preparing a worJl on that counirv, which, we believe vill comprise very ioTi details cU ilsMfCinI conditron. nntiqoilies, yifjr'culiure, com- merce, and manulacuir-Hs. The bnoU, we learn, will he puhlished about the middle of November in New York, ami he illustrated with moie than one hundred and fifiv en-ravings. Jii all pnibiihilify. it will be among the mot lasieful works evt-r puidijiiied in our conniry. and cam.oi fail, we are confideo!, justly lo attract tir; aacntiun ol our ciiiicns."— [Baltiniure f atriot. jioiiT^hi'd. fiii'l nervous slyl''; nn, i>v our talt ntud townsman, Branl?, Mayer. Ksq„ late Chargcd'Afl^ires to that ^ovL-rtiment. It is lo be pjt.lished in IVew-York, in very superior style. Tne talent of investigation of Mr. ftlayer, bas no dotibi enabled lihu to collect a variery of lacisand moideois. in relation lo ibe political, social, and moral coiidi- i not vet been made known to the American people; ; work will be sought lor wiib lien of iVleiicD. wliicb have and we mav therefore anticipate that bis (orlhcomii avidity."— [Daiiimore Clipper. trr Booksellers, Agents, and Periodical Dealers, are requested to give their orders early. A discount ot 25 per cent, to the trade. Address J. WINCHESTER, 30 Ann street. TRIUMPHA_NT SUCCESS! tiO'W RE AB-^ , AND FOIt SALE AT THE OFFICE OF THE NEW WOKLD, NC- 30 AN.N ST., A»D BY AGENTS AND BOOKSELLERS THROBGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, IN ONE LARGE AND SPLENDID VOLUME, OCTAVO SIZE, ON NEW AKn BEAUTIFUL LONG PRIMER T\'rl>> ALISON'S HISTORY OF EUROPE FKO.U TII£ COMMENCEMENT OT THE mEMll HEYOLUTION IN 1739, TO THE RESTOUATION OF THE BOUSBONS IN 1 8 1 5. ASRIDGEC for THE USE OP THE GENERAI. F-EADEK, AND ALSO FOR COL- LEGES, ACADEMIES, AND OTHER SEJIINAKIES OF LEARNING, BY EDWARD S. &OULD, ESQ. Sti:ce Ihe issae of the first copies of lliifcK'*eal work, in aclieap and popular form A week ago, the demanil bas been so large as to render it impossible lo supplyoue- tpniii of the orders received from Booksellers and Agents; and the fiist edition is taken up as fust as copies can be obtained from the binder. Terms, — Price $1, in French paper covers; Ijound in cloth, $1 25. Orders from A^,fnl^ and Bookseller* will be proc&ptly attended, and a liberal discount made. Address J. WINCHESTER, 30 Ann sU'eet. SIXTH EDITION, i; evised and cokeecied bv the .uithor, is now ready a.t no. 30 Akn-stseet, PRICE 3-3 CEJfTS. ANCIENT EaYPT; l]er illonummtff, £)tcrc9lTi]jljU0. a\\b Cjistorp. BY GEORG-E R. GLIDDON, LATE V. S. CONSUL AT CAIRO. yi-'e are happy to«.'.QOunce a new and revised edition of this curious and instruc* I'^e work, on a sutyect ot such interest to tlie world as the His'ory of Ancient J'--^'pt,as writtea upon her Monuments. The deaiand bas been b3 large as 10 call lursix editions wiiliin seven months. In truth, it is a wonderful book— containing' not merely the only represenlaiions r.n'1 translations of the once unintelligible symbols and writings of tbe Ancient Kq-yptians ever published in America, but presfnts a compendium ot llie entire cli^cQperie.s of Champoll:on and others down lo tbe present time, which cannot be obtained hi the ori;:;in.il expensive edition^ for less than $2,50ti I It contains TWO HUNDRED HIEROGLYPHICS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. t-nihraciiig alphabets, bbowing their combinations, and interpreting their historical i,ir{s— dem^n'^tratiug tbe high caliivation, power, and wealth of the Ancient K.'vptians, he, fcc. IIT Single copie*, 25 cents; $16 a hundred ; five copies by mail for $1. Forsale b> Agents and liowksellers tbrooghoul the country. Address J. \ViNCHE:sTER, C9 Ann slrdet. ONE HUNDRED ROT^IANCES OF REAL LIFE BT LEIGH HUNT. This is a work which will deeply interest all classes. They are no fiction, but comprise remarkable tislorical and domestic facts illu-'^trative of human nature. The name of the well-known author is a sufficient guaranty lo tbe public lor the fiilelity and good taste with which the work has been executed. The ttyle ol printing is unescepLionahle, and calculated for old or young eyes. frice 2j cents only ; 5 copies by mail for ${. Tlie usual discount to the inde Address^ j. \V1NCHKST£R, 30 AHusireel. THIRD EDITION. MARMADOKE WITIL ; OR THE MAID'S 'eEYENGE. .^ historical Romance. BY H. W; HERBERT, ESQ., AUTHOR OF "cROMWELL," "THE BROTHERS," ETC., ETC, PRICE 37i CENTS— THE USUAL DISCOUNT TO TEE TRADE. The popularity of this Romance, by Herbert, is steadily on the increase. The ?ress of Great Britain are loud in its praise, and rank it among the most talented jroduclions of living novelists. We add a few notices, which we find in the latest London papers: *' A siill belter work than * Oliver Cromwell.* "— [.^thenanm. "Tbe production of a man of genius. '—[John Bull. THE HOME. BY FREDE3IKA BREMER— TRANSLATED BY MARY HOWITT, Ti:rm3.— Single copies, 12} cents; tsu copies by mail for $1 ; or $8 a hundred. PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTERS, AND NINA, (01 Bcijtul to tije " J3rcsil(ent's JDaugljters/') By FREDERIKA BREMER, AUTH-'KESS OP "THE NEIGHBORS," "THE HOME," &C., &C., TRANSLATED BY MAKY HOWITT, Price 12i cents eaacb; §8 per Ijuntired; 10 lor $1. L lEB IG'S AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. A new and cbeap edition, at tbe unexampled l«\v price of I2V cents. Now is your time to procure these valuable and interesting worlis, at tbe lowest possible price. No intelligent person should be without these renowned works of science (nr Only 12^ cents; 25 cents (or holb ; $8 per hundred for either. Apply early. Address, post-paid or free, J. WINCHESTER, Publisher, SO nn streeu DR. INFALLIBLE RUSH'S HEALTH PILLS. TWELVE AND A HALF CENTS A BOX, The proprietor of this invaluable legacy of a great man, has for some time failed to present them t» tbe public in an advertisement. Tbe reason is a plain one. So much has their use given satisfaction, and so sirougly have they been recommended one to another, Uiat it bas been utterly impossible lo supply the de- mand, both here and forcounlry agents. Daring the present month, more than two hundred groce, or nearly TH RTY THOUSAND BOXES, have been sold in this city and vicinity, and supplied to Agents throughout the United States, and many orders have been on hand weeks be.''ore tbey could be filled. In fact, it needs not tbs spirit of prophecy to foretell the day when tbe only Pill in use will be that in- vented by the immortal Dr. Be.^wami:; llusn, the greatest physician America ever aw. THE HEALTH PILLS have cured, where cure seemed welt nigh ii::pojsible: tbey Lave restored lo per feet health hundreds who bad long langui-sbed on beds of pain; tbey have operaied like a charm, when all other medicines failed even to aflbrd relief; tbey have given comfort to the afflicted, and hope lo the despairing ; they have removed the ills of the yoang, and given back youth lo the aged. Indeed, tbey seem to possess the properties ascribed by the alcbymisis of fortaur days to that Elixir, that Soye - ttsicN BiLMjibat conqueror of infirmities, to discover which they passed long days and weary nights of labor and study. SOLD WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, by H. G. DAGGERS, sole Agent for the Uniied States, at the General Office, 30 Ann &treel. New Yorb, to wbom ail orders should be addressed, (postpaid.) G3' To insure against counierfeiis, the label for each box, and the outside wrap per, arc splendidly engraved by Durand fc Co. on steel— wiih a fac simile of Dr ush'ssignalure ou each box, and the Agent's name on iLe outside label. AGENTS. IN THE CITY. l5u/ii»torc— Di. 5leed.cor.of Gayii Sara. J. C. Wad!eigb.459 Broadway. tofa streets. fings J. Axford, 168 Bowery. \Philadelphia—7i li-Uer k. Co. LedgerBuiiU- OUT OP TBE GITY. I Bo5/on— liralnard 4* Co., 13 Court st. A'fw Hdmpshii-e — Foster 4c Hand, Generali/'roT.-ufcnce, R. /.- Clias. Dyer, 42 West- Agents for ihe State. I minster 6t. Brooklyn— H, Greeu, 69.^ Fulton street. Belfast. Me —11. G. Wa^hburn 4t Co. Mrs. Hay:, 1S9 Pulton street. IVillietmsburg — James Ilineson. /Vewurlc—D. Smith, 320 Broad street. Aihany — A. Guthrie, 4 Slauwix HnlL Troy— Young fit HrartI, hook-iellers. Columbiis. Grt. — Smckttm &, Carier. ScAfnrc/^idy— n. H Snell, 143 State St. Hartftirrl—J. W . Judd. ;\'eu' Haven — Tl.ios. H. Pease. Laiuasttr, Pa —J. Gisli. I/arrisfiMTs, PcL— Daniel Robinson, Also, by all respectable Booksellers andDruggisti in the United Sta tliocheslcr — Jones, News Aaent. I Uiicn — J. B. Loak- Periodical Agent. \BuJJalo — Phos. S. Hawks, Senecaureit, ' near ihe Post Office. Pittsfield, Mass.— J. H. Brewster. A'orri.-icA, Ct.-^K. F. B.)lcom. NoTthanipton. J\Jass.~\V. F. Arnold. I Cincinnati, Ohio — Sanford &l Park, G?2 I eral Airenia. IToronto, Canada—B. F. Urquhart, CAUTION.-GROSS FRAUD! The Public are respectlidly warned ihat ■ 3.1ysteries of Paris."" 'kely to A MUTILATED EDITION Of a portion of the celebrated work of Eugene Sue, under this name, has been issued by Ilu.j.w .. i:,^;:i.;- J.iion ii the most bald and wretched' imaginable— the dir-.logue is run together in the most inextricable coniusioj)- ouli d;isoTace a school-boy. Btift*&is is not all : the edition alluded to io SHABIEFULLY MUTILATED >. In an tsiuuiimtioii (;l cnl CDC hundred and tweiity pages of their first part, mere than riiTY AEEiBs.iir.KXG occur amounting to iricre tl-;':. T^yvvv tt^: DEED LINES of.lhc original ! A more infamous Imposition was never attentpted to be practiced any house pretending to respectability ! And yet they have the hardihood to insert "withoiii abritlgment" upcii tiie title -piigti It is probable, from tha frequent insertiofl' of stars in the remainder of the work, th.it at least OKE-TIIIRD of t!i original has been omitted in this copy— and'all this is done to. bring the work iiato a compr.^s to enable them to .undersell {he World edition. Tiie translation given by us is by a gentleman, whose talents and good la.ste as a writei-, €naUe him to ii "race, eleoance, delieaey, and freedom to evetything upon, which his pen is emploj-cd. The Public, who are de.sirous to oblai "enuine work by Eugen'c'Su'e,,'m an unrnutilat'ed form, must therefore he careful to orilci the 'New World edition of " The 3Iys cf Paris." _ _ __ .' _ CARD, BY THE -TRANSLATOR, As many of llie- Translator's personal friends have supposed that he v/ould be discouraged from prosecuting iiis.ii'.lors by appearance of aiiothei'IV;insl;ifion of the " Mysteries of Paris," he talces this method of iuforining tiienr and the public, that wjll not be nttcvr: ! imblication to which he has alluded, from atlemptingvta give a failiifu! version '. I :. roaiance. .. ,; -^ ... .. He hopes it -will not 1 . .1 into an attempt to disparage a rival work, when he .lays that the gentloi presented it to the public, has ilsemed it his duty to expurgate much of the nan-nive portion, and nearly all tlie rctlcctuiiis in tl original, upon law, government, and social evils. Tlie Translator of this eduion believes that he owes a higher duly to a geiii who writes evidently with an- earnest, elevated, 5Ui4 conscientious aim, than to venture to make .guch omissions. He hopes th ihere are a few left in the commonwealth of letters, who turn to the pages of a 'work of such 'a character, with some bightv purpose than. to trace the thread of the story. And, as he is convmced that this remarkable production bi Sue is worthy of moj i than an ephemeral e.vistence, and will be frequently resorted to after the mere curiosity in the narrative has been in s6me ir.eaau "ratified, the Translator of this, edition is determined to persevere in Jiis etTort to act with fidelity in interpreting his author. J ; has had, during the whole of his labors, the assistance of Professor Bordenave in all the difficult and idiomatic portions of /j work, to whom the limguage of the original is native, •■:•'' -h-.- r.rimsisan additional guaranty of the t'^'-r:.-- -'' •'•: - 'raaslali ' -i Nevv-Yokk, October 27th, 1843. LATEST NEW AVORKS PUBLISHED AT THE OFFICE OF "BOOKS FOll THE PEOPLE," 30 ANN STREET, NEW- YORK. TIIE SLEEP-RIDEE ; ok, The Old Boy is tpte O.mnibv.^. Ab origi- nal novel, by K. S. (iouUl, Esq , aulhfT of the Abridjriiif nl ol AlisOu's Hislory olEurupe. Tliesceoe U liuj in a Bk a.iwav Omnibus, where se'erjl lumesi cltii'.M are inlrailucrd as passenfccis, and undergo a series of advenluren so as- lonlsljir);, lliat, if nol siriclly irue. they would be increaii.Je. The reader who fails to weep 11 the pathos, and ROAR at the drolliry, niusl be mide ofsterntr slufi' Ihan we are. Tr'-e 25 cenls, book form. $16 a hundred. THE VILLAGE IJ.'N: A Talii. Ey H. Vi. Herl>eil, author of "Mar- maduke Wyvil,"&c. Told wilh all the rigor of Ibis aalbor's style, and a story ef iiiQch excitement ia th« narrative. Pricf 12J .-.enls— small book form. .ONE HUNDRED ROMANCES OF REAL LIFE, by Leigli Hunt. This is a work which will deeply interest all clatsw. They are no fiction, but comprise remarkable historical and domestic facts illpslraiive of human nature, A ivork more filled to be laid on the iMe, wbelbtr of tlrawlng-room or parlot, of hotel or country inn, or to uccwtyipany the liavelltr in sit-aniboat or ifailroad, Cnniiot be lound; since it unit'is, to an extreme degree, the advantajfes of quick and exciting perusal, with laniof; and useful interest.. JIAGIG AND .MESMERISM; A Tale of the Ei:'hleentli Century, ol absorbing interest, showing the fearful usfs made ol Annual Magnetistii by the Jesuits of the last oenlury. Price 1-J cents. MARY AND MARTHA : The Two Fiiiends. A capital Tale by Mrs. Ellis, anilioressof the "Women of linjland," 5;c. Price 12} cents. FrilEStDE RECOLLECTIONS, ami THE YOONG SCULPTOR, rti.ullier woik o( remarkable beauty and excellent inoialleodt-ncy, \vh!::lt should be in the hands of every young pecon. Hy Hrs. Ellis. Price iii cents. THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTERS, by Fretlcrika Bitiiier, trailfe- t.i'c'i by Mary HowlU. Published fro.ii the original proof aUeels. Pri«e,12i.et5 ^IMA,a Sequel to tb.o " Presidem-'s D.vucaTCKs," l>y th'e saino^ Prico LB D J2.J cent*. Of ilicie ifto woiks.over i5,0l>0 t,opies Lave betu sold at il. Wurl.l oflice. MAR.VUDUKE "VVYVIL; oe. The Mait's Rcvexoe— a 11UUt< Uouiance by Heibert, has r.-aghtd lite UnrJ eiiuion. Tlic press of IbidCfK'i and Great fiiitnln are lou.1 ill iis praUc, and rank it amcng tlie niosi lal. . productions of iiviag rovelinis. Pries a7J cents. Prinitd in trlr^unt booltftj MEREDITH, a Novel of the Englisli Aristocracy, by the Cooittess Blessin^ion. Very interciiirg-. Price 26 ccnis. THE IRISH SKETCH-LOOK, by M. A. Tiimarfh, Esq. ItUislrai witL nuiiiercui wood-cuts, trpmdfawlngs nirtik- hy hiii si-lf. The iiios-i huniuic and Rrapliic woilt ever "ftriiitn in reliiiiun lo Irelaud, Piii c 67^ cents. THE BIBLE IN SPAIN; or, The Jfurneys, Adveniurc?, and rmprisf Hients ol an MiisfM.shiuan, in Ids aitentpi to circulatt- llir St-ripiuret in U«P»-ii sula. By Georjjt; Borrow. A work that l.as had no cqUdl in popularity for n n years, Sevemli edition. Price ii cents. THE ZINCALI ; ob, The Gip&if.s of Sp.ms. By the same atttlior, ai not infi^ric-r in interest. SixUi editic;n. Price 1 j cents. ANCIENT EGYPT, HKR MONUMENTS^ HIEROC:LYJf>KlC AND Ulrf rOltV. llluslra'cd with 20O engravings. Ry Gntira*' It Gliddon. HioSt valuable work, conlainiatr a C';MnpIete key to ihe ancif/t t.isioiy of Eir> , as depicted on tlie Monuineni&and Pyramids. No Biblical sludtntorcleryyn; should be without a copy. Price 25 ctuis. PHILIP IN SEARCH OF A WIKE, and KATE IN SEARCH A U(/SBAJVP— twoof the niost sucreigful Konianfes of ilje sein-on, of wljil ov*r 4f>,(i00 copies have bet-n sold in iliiepiuonlti.s. XVe bw now reany lossp;; all orvlMS, by mail or ollu-rw iat;. Price J2J ci nis earh. or $3 a btndred. Addreas (poai-paUl.) . X WINCUESTEK >t Ann street FAMILIAR LETTEJIS ON" CHEMISTRY. BY DR. L ! E D I O , ,m;tiior of "asimal cnr^vi^Titv," Errricc "^i cinis. Ssridyui > ' VI. -i t(.,Nl. t. M ...I ' ^.C. s 0' '1',. .-is' ^■^■: J- V .c. 0.-^' "f^ ^ . , ""o,^ ^ -f .J. ,\, ,.'» ^0 % ^-' ^J^'.^ ■^oo^ :^ .^■^ ■^. \^ v^^\» %.^ \> s'-' ,, ^ cS ^' .,,\^' %■ ■'^- >'■ -oo"' '''J- V = ,s %. x'^^- 3 \ ^-.. ^ ,0 o. -« • o % 0- V < ■ <■ ■^oo^ 'i M .^' ■% ''^^ ,t\^' = ^ ■■*'^' ■ .< -f, ''}-^- ■ . n" ^r. .< -C Deacid.lied using the Bookkeeper proce , \ V.V '■> - ^ ^ -^^ -i'- Nejtraliz.ng agent; Magnesium OxWe ^-J-- :: Treatment Date; MAY - ixi^^- v^ PreservationTechnologii "-. ^'-J- .. EWORLD LEADER m PAPER PRESERVAt '-'• V 111 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Townstiip. PA 16066 (79A1 779-211 1 \'«- •^^. "-^J- v^^ >p ^ 'OO' vv>' '^ ^V s%> ■^. / •-;. % " \^' .-^ - %<'^ >^' ,0' ,0 o K"^ .-'t-' vX" ./- .^v "^^. v^' *^ '^■^. ^^,. v^^ -1 .*' °'oVx * / c \ .^ , '^ N (, ^ ^o<=.. %'i''' ■"<:. < . ■' I. . X * /\ "^^ V^ ,0o^ A^- >- .i^"^' . ' vO- ■ -^ ^^ ,0 o. ,^V -A ^^V A^^' '^^- ,0 o^ '-^V %■' LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 009 424 396 8 ^P