Chapter V: Front Matter (5)

'Item, it is agreed, that whatever conquests our said son may make from our disobedient subjects shall belong to us, and their profits shall be applied to our use; but should any of these conquests appertain to any noble who at this moment is obedient to us, and who shall swear that he will faithfully defend them, they shall be punctually restored to him, as to the lawful owner.

'Item, it is agreed, that all ecclesiastics within the duchy of Normandy and the realm of France, obedient to us, to our said son, and attached to the party of the duke of Burgundy, who shall swear faithfully to keep and observe all the articles of this treaty, shall peaceably enjoy their said benefices in the duchy of Normandy and in all other parts of our realm.

'Item, all universities, colleges, churches and monasteries within the duchy of Normandy or elsewhere, subject to us, and in time to come to our said son king Henry, shall freely enjoy all rights and privileges claimed by them, saving the rights of the crown and of individuals.

'Item, whenever the crown of France shall devolve by our decease on our said son king Henry, the duchy of Normandy, and all the other conquests which he may have made within the kingdom of France, shall thenceforward remain under the obedience and jurisdiction of the monarchy of France.

'Item, it is agreed, that our said son king Henry, on coming to the throne of France, will make ample compensation to all of the burgundian party who may have been deprived of their inheritances by his conquest of the duchy of Normandy, from lands to be conquered from our rebellious subjects, without any diminution from the crown of France. Should the estates of such not have been disposed of by our said son, he will instantly have the same restored to their proper owners.

'Item, during our life, all ordinances, edicts, pardons and privileges, must be written in our name, and signed with our seal; but as cases may arise, which no human wisdom can foresee, it may be proper that our said son king Henry should write letters in his own name,--and in such cases it shall be lawful for him so to do, for the better security of our person, and the maintaining good government; and he will then command and order in our name, and in his own, as regent of the realm, according as the exigency of the occasion may require.

'Item, during our life our said son king Henry will neither sign nor style himself king of France, but will most punctually abstain therefrom so long as we shall live.

'Item, it is agreed, that during our life we shall write, call and style our said son king Henry as follows,--'Our very dear son Henry, king of England, heir to France;' and in the latin tongue, 'Noster præcharissimus filius Henricus rex Angliæ hæres Franciæ.'

'Item, our said son king Henry will not impose any taxes on our subjects except for a sufficient cause, or for the general good of the kingdom, and according to the approved laws and usages observed in such cases.

'Item, that perfect concord and peace may be preserved between the two kingdoms of France and England henceforward,--and that obstacles tending to a breach thereof, which God forbid, may be obviated,--it is agreed, that our said son, king Henry, with the aid of the three estates of each kingdom, shall labour most earnestly to devise the surest means to prevent this treaty from being infringed: that on our said son succeeding to the throne of France, the two crowns shall ever after remain united in the same person,--that is to say in the person of our said son, and at his decease in the persons of those of his heirs who shall successively follow him: that from the time our said son shall become king of France the two kingdoms shall no longer be divided, but the sovereign of the one shall be the sovereign of the other,--and to each kingdom its own separate laws and customs shall be most religiously preserved.

'Item, thenceforward, therefore, all hatreds and rancour that may have existed between the two nations of England and France shall be put an end to, and mutual love and friendship subsist in their stead: they shall enjoy perpetual peace, and assist each other against all who may any way attempt to injure either of them. They will carry on a friendly intercourse and commerce, paying the accustomed duties that each kingdom has established.

'Item, when the confederates and allies of the kingdoms of France and of England shall have had due notice of this treaty of peace, and within eight months after shall have signified their intentions of adhering to it, they shall be comprehended and accounted as the allies of both kingdoms, saving always the rights of our crown and of that of our said son king Henry, and without any hindrance to our subjects from seeking that redress they may think just from any individuals of these our allies.

'Item, it is agreed, that our said son king Henry with the advice of our well beloved Philip duke of Burgundy, and others of the nobles of our realm, assembled for this purpose, shall provide for the security of our person conformably to our royal estate and dignity, in such wise that it may redound to the glory of God, to our honour, and to that of the kingdom of France and our subjects; and that all persons employed in our personal service, noble or otherwise, and in any charge concerning the crown, shall be Frenchmen born in France, and in such places where the french language is spoken, and of good and decent character, loyal subjects, and well suited to the offices they shall be appointed to.

'Item, we will that our residence be in some of the principal places within our dominions, and not elsewhere.

'Item, considering the horrible and enormous crimes that have been perpetrated in our kingdom of France, by Charles, calling himself dauphin of Vienne, it is agreed that neither our said son king Henry, nor our well beloved Philip duke of Burgundy, shall enter into any treaty of peace or concord with the said Charles, without the consent of us three and of our council, and the three estates of the realm for that purpose assembled.

'Item, it is agreed, that in addition to the above articles being sealed with our great seal, we shall deliver to our said son, king Henry, confirmatory letters from our said consort the queen, from our said well beloved Philip duke of Burgundy, and from others of our blood royal, the great lords, barons, and cities and towns under our obedience, and from all from whom our said son king Henry may wish to have them.

'Item, in like manner, our said son king Henry, on his part, shall deliver to us, besides the treaty itself sealed with his great seal, ratifications of the same from his well beloved brothers, the great lords of his realm, and from all the principal cities and towns of his kingdom, and from any others from whom we may choose to demand them.

'In regard to the above articles, we Charles king of France do most solemnly, on the word of a king, promise and engage punctually to observe them; and we swear on the holy evangelists, personally touched by us, to keep every article of this peace inviolate, and to make all our subjects do the same, without any fraud or deceit whatever,--so that none of our heirs may in time to come infringe them, but that they may be for ever stable and firm. In confirmation whereof, we have affixed our seal to these presents,

'Given at Troyes, 21st day of May, in the year 1420, and of our reign the 40th. Sealed at Paris with our signet, in the absence of the great seal.' Signed by the king in his grand council. Countersigned, 'J. Millet.'

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 5: The queen's dower was 40,000 crowns, which was confirmed in the first parliament of Henry VI on petition from her.--_Parl. Hist._]

CHAP. XL.

THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND OF ENGLAND DEPART FROM TROYES WITH THEIR QUEENS, IN COMPANY WITH THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.--THE SIEGES OF SENS AND OF MONTEREAU.

After the conclusion of the treaty of peace, and the feasts and ceremonies of the marriage, the two kings, of France and of England, accompanied by their queens, the duke of Burgundy and the whole army, departed from the city of Troyes and the adjacent parts. They marched toward the town of Sens in Burgundy, which was occupied by a party of the dauphin's men, and, when near, blockaded it completely; so that at the end of twelve days the garrison seeing no hope of succour, surrendered it to the king of France on having their lives and fortunes spared, and liberty for such as pleased to depart in safety, with the exception of those who had been concerned in the murder of duke John of Burgundy, should any such be found within the town. The inhabitants, and those men at arms who should remain, were to take oaths of obedience to the king of France. The greater part of them, however, made oath to the English, and pretended to wear the red cross, notwithstanding which they again turned to the dauphin.

'When the town of Sens had been regarrisoned, the besiegers departed for Montereau-faut-Yonne. During their stay at Sens, master Eustace de Lactre, chancellor of France, died there: he had been for a long time the principal adviser of the duke of Burgundy. Master John le Clerc, president of the parliament, was appointed chancellor in his stead.

'At the beginning of the month of June, the king of England and the duke of Burgundy formed the siege of the town and castle of Montereau, and were for some time employed before it with their engines to batter down the walls and gates. The governor of the place for the dauphin was sir Pierre de Guitry, having under his command five hundred combatants who made a gallant defence, killing and wounding many of the assailants: among the first was sir Butor bastard of Croy, a valiant knight, and expert man at arms. This, however did not avail them much, for on St John Baptist's day some English and Burgundians assembled without orders from their prince, and made an attack on the town at several places at once, and continued it so long, that they forced an entrance into it, without meeting with any great resistance from the besieged. They then advanced toward the castle, whither the greater part of the Dauphinois had retreated, and drove the remainder before them, not however without loss, for they had hastened with such impatience that many fell into the ditches and were drowned, and from sixteen to twenty were made prisoners, the most part gentlemen. By this conquest, the besieged were more alarmed than before.

The king of England quartered a large detachment from his army in the town, fronting the castle; and, when this had been done, some of the duke of Burgundy's people, by the direction of the women of the town, went to the spot where duke John had been buried, and instantly placed over the grave a mourning cloth, and lighted tapers at each end of it. On the morrow, by orders of the duke of Burgundy, several noble knights and esquires of his household were sent thither to raise the corpse and to examine it. On their arrival, they had the body dug up, but in truth it was a melancholy sight, for he had still on his pourpoint and drawers; and there was not a man present that could refrain from weeping. The body was again put into a leaden coffin, filled with salt and spices, and carried to Burgundy, to be interred in the convent of the Carthusians without Dijon, which was founded by his father duke Philip, by whose side it was placed, according to the orders of the duke his son.

While the siege of Montereau was carrying on, Charles king of France and his ministers sent copies of the treaty of peace to Paris, and to all the bailiwicks, provostships and seneschalships of the realm, that it might be proclaimed in the places where proclamations had been usually made.

After the capture of the town of Montereau, the king of England and the duke of Burgundy decamped with the army, and, crossing the Seine by a newly-erected bridge, encamped between the two rivers Seine and Yonne, and more effectually surrounded the castle with their warlike engines to batter it down. The king of England sent all the prisoners from the town under a good escort, to hold a parley with those in the castle, from the ditches, to prevail on the governor to surrender the place. When within hearing they fell on their knees, and pitifully implored him to surrender, for by so doing he would save their lives, and that he could not much longer hold out, considering the large force that was before it. The governor replied, that they must do the best they could, for that he would not surrender. The prisoners having no longer hopes of life, asked to speak with their wives, or friends and relatives, that were in the castle; and they took leave of each other with many tears and lamentations. When they were brought back to the army, the king of England ordered a gallows to be erected, and had them all hung in sight of those within the castle. The king likewise hanged a running footman, who always followed him when he rode, holding the bridle of his horse. He was a great favorite of the king's, but, having killed a knight in a quarrel, was thus punished.

The castle did not hold out more than eight days after this, when the governor offered to surrender it on condition that the lives and fortunes of the garrison should be spared, and that they should march freely away, with the exception of any who had been concerned in the murder of duke John of Burgundy, who were to remain until the king's pleasure should be known.

The lord de Guitry was much blamed by both parties for having suffered the prisoners to be put to death, and holding out so few days after. He was also accused of being concerned in the murder of the duke of Burgundy, but offered to prove his innocence by combating a gentleman of duke Philip's household called William de Biere. In the end, Guitry exculpated himself, and nothing further was done. He carried away his garrison to the dauphin.

So soon as the king of England had regarrisoned and supplied the town and castle of Montereau with stores and provision, he made preparations to lay siege to the town of Melun, and while these things were passing, the king and queen of France and the queen of England resided at Bray sur Seine, with their households.

CHAP. XLI.

THE TOWN OF VILLENEUVE-LE-ROI IS TAKEN BY SCALADO.--THE SIEGE OF THE PONT ST ESPRIT.--THE CROISADE UNDERTAKEN BY THE POPE,--AND MANY OTHER MATTERS.

In these days, the town of Villeneuve-le-Roi, seated on the river Yonne, was surprised by scalado, by a party of Burgundians; in which place were killed and taken many who supported the dauphin's party.

At this time also, the duke of Bedford joined his brother the king of England with eight hundred men at arms and two thousand archers. They were joyfully received by the king, his brothers, and the duke of Burgundy, whose army was greatly strengthened by this reinforcement.

The dauphin was not idle on his side: he had marched a considerable force into Languedoc, and laid siege to the town of the Pont du St Esprit, on the Rhône, which was garrisoned by the prince of Orange's men for the duke of Burgundy. He pointed against it many engines that had been sent him from Avignon and Provence, and pressed the place so much that it surrendered.

In like manner, he subdued the greater part of the towns and castles in Languedoc that were attached to the burgundian party through the influence of the prince of Orange; and having placed therein sufficient garrisons and expert commanders, he returned to Bourges in Berry, where he assembled a very large army to enable him to oppose the king of England and the duke of Burgundy, who he knew were preparing to conquer all towns and castles that were attached to him.

At this time also, the holy father the pope ordered a croisade to be undertaken against Bohemia; the leaders of which were the archbishop of Cologne, the bishop of Liege, the archbishop of Treves, the bishop of Mentz, count Louis du Rhin, and many other great lords of upper Germany, and from the adjoining parts. They entered the country near Prague, where they committed great devastations, and took a strong castle, called Nansonne[6], and the well fortified town of Culhue[6], as well as some others. However, great numbers of this army quitted it and returned home, because it seemed to them that their leaders were too avaricious.

The cardinal duke of Bar, with his nephew Réné d'Anjou, son of his sister and the late king Louis of Sicily, whom he had declared his heir to the duchy of Bar, having already given him the marquisate du Pont, besieged with a powerful force the town and castle of Ligny en Barrois, the principal town of that country, because John of Luxembourg had not performed his duty as guardian to the young count de St Pol, by doing homage, neither had it been done by duke John of Brabant, brother to the count. Those within the town were partisans of the Burgundy faction, while the cardinal and his country were of the opposite party. When the siege had been continued some time, the place submitted to the obedience of the cardinal, who placed therein his own garrison and officers.

Nevertheless, by some negotiations between the parties, the town, castle and country, were afterward restored to the young count de St Pol, who again garrisoned it with his own people.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 6: I have looked into L'Enfant's 'Guerre des Hussites,' but cannot find mention made of these places, or any of similar sound.]

CHAP. XLII.

THE TOWN OF MELUN IS CLOSELY BESIEGED.--THE CAPTURE OF THE COUNT DE CONVERSAN.--THE DEPARTURE OF THE YOUNG KING OF SICILY FOR ROME.

We must now return to the kings of France and England, and the duke of Burgundy, who having conquered Montereau advanced to Melun, to lay siege thereto, as it held out for the dauphin. They surrounded it on all sides with their army; and the king of France, accompanied by the two queens, went to fix his residence at Corbeil.

King Henry, with his brothers, the duke of Bavaria, surnamed le Rouge, his brother in law, and his other princes were encamped toward the Gâtinois: duke Philip of Burgundy, with all his men, the earl of Huntingdon and some other english captains were encamped on the opposite side toward Brie.

The besiegers exerted themselves to the utmost to annoy the enemy, and pointed various engines of war, cannons, bombards and such like, to batter down the walls of the town, which was commanded by the lord de Barbasan, a noble vassal, subtle, expert, and renowned in arms. He had with him sir Pierre de Bourbon, lord de Prèaulx, and another of the name of Bourgeois, with a garrison of from six to seven hundred combatants. They shewed every appearance of making a vigorous defence against all the attacks of the besiegers; but notwithstanding their exertions, the town was approached by the enemy to the very walls, by means of mines and other subtleties of war, so that their fortifications were much damaged.

On the other side of the town, the duke of Burgundy, by an unexpected and well-concerted attack, gained a strong bulwark which the besieged had erected without the ditches, and which sorely annoyed the Burgundians: the duke, after the capture, fortified it against the town, and posted guards in it night and day. A bridge of boats was also thrown over the Seine, by which a free communication was opened between the two armies; and the king of England had his camp strongly surrounded with pallisades and ditches, that he might not be surprised by the enemy, leaving sufficient openings, fortified with barriers, which he had carefully guarded by day and by night. In like manner did the duke of Burgundy and the English that were encamped with him.

In this state did the siege continue for eighteen weeks, during which some few sallies, but in no very considerable force, were made by the besieged. However, a valiant english captain called sir Philip Lis a notable gentleman from Burgundy, sir Everard de Vienne, and several more, lost their lives. As the besiegers continued their attacks incessantly, great damage was done to the walls, which those in the town repaired as well as they could with casks filled with earth, and other sufficient materials.

The king of England had a mine carried on with such success that it was very nearly under the walls, when the besieged, having suspicions of what was intended, formed a countermine, so that great part of the enemy's works fell in, and a warm engagement with lances took place. The English erected a strong barrier on their side of the mine, at which the king and the duke of Burgundy engaged two of the Dauphinois with push of pike, which was afterward continued by several knights and esquires of each party. Then the following persons of the duke's household were created knights, Jean de Hornes, the lord de Baussigines, Robert de Mannes, and some others.

While this siege lasted, the king of England paid frequent visits to his queen at Corbeil, with whom was the duchess of Clarence, and other noble ladies from England. When the town had been thus blockaded on all sides, king Charles was brought thither to afford the besieged an opportunity of surrendering it to the king of France their natural lord; but to the summons made them they replied, that they would cheerfully throw open their gates to him alone, but that they would never pay obedience to the king of England, the ancient deadly enemy of France.

Nevertheless, king Charles remained some time in the camp, under the care and management of his son-in-law the king of England; not indeed with his former state and pomp, for in comparison of past times it was a poor sight now to see him. He was accompanied by the queen of France, grandly attended by ladies and damsels; and they resided about a month in a house which king Henry had erected for them near to his tents, and at a distance from the town, that the cannon might not annoy them. Every day, at sun-rise and night-fall, eight or ten clarions, and divers other instruments, played most melodiously for an hour before the king of France's tent.

In truth, the king of England was more magnificently attended during this siege than at any other during his reign, and was personally very active to accomplish his enterprise. While these things were passing, Pierre de Luxembourg count de Conversan and de Brienne, returning from this siege to his county of Brienne, and escorted by about sixty men at arms, was met by a party of Dauphinois from Meaux in Brie, namely Pierron de Lupel and others; and they being superior in numbers, carried him and his men prisoners to Meaux, where he remained until the king of England besieged that town, as you shall hear.

At this period, the queen of Sicily, widow to king Louis of happy memory, granted permission, but not without heavy sighs, to her eldest son Louis to go to Rome to be crowned king of Sicily by the hands of the pope. She gave him into the charge of the Florentines and Genoese, who had entered the port of Marseilles with fifteen gallies, trusting not entirely to their loyalty, but demanding as hostages for her son eight of the most noble barons of Naples, who had come to fetch him by orders from the cities, chief towns, and principal noblemen of the realm. This they had done from hatred to their queen, wife to sir James de Bourbon count de la Marche. She had detained her husband in prison in consequence of her quarrels with him and his ministers.

The young king Louis having embarked at Marseilles, which was a dependance of his mother's, sailed to Rome, and there solemnly received his kingdom from the hands of the pope, although he was not then crowned. He was thenceforward styled king Louis, as his late father had been.

CHAP. XLIII.

SEVERAL CASTLES AND FORTS ARE DELIVERED UP TO KING HENRY OF ENGLAND, IN WHICH HE PLACES HIS OWN CAPTAINS.--THE ROYAL EDICTS ISSUED AT HIS REQUEST.

During the siege of Melun, the castles hereafter mentioned, namely, the bastille of St Anthony, the Louvre, the palace of Neele and the castle of Vincennes, were, by orders from the king of France, with the consent of the duke of Burgundy and the Parisians, put into the hands of king Henry, who sent his brother the duke of Clarence to take the command of them, and constituted him governor of Paris. He dismissed all the French garrisons, who had hitherto guarded them, and placed therein none but English. The government of Paris was taken from the count de St Pol, who was, soon after, sent with master Pierre de Marigny, and others, as commissioners from the king of France to Picardy, to receive the oaths from the three estates and principal towns in that country, in order that the peace lately concluded between the two kings might be strictly observed, and that they might in future faithfully obey the king of France, and the king of England as regent of the realm. These commissioners received the following instructions from the king of France; and they were to bring back the oaths signed by the three estates and magistrates of the chief towns.

'Charles by the grace of God king of France, to our very dear and well-beloved cousins the count de St Pol, the bishop of Terouenne and John de Luxembourg, and to our very dear and well-beloved the bishop of Arras, the vidame of Amiens, the lord de la Viefville, the governors of Arras and of Lille, master Pierre de Marigny our advocate in parliament, and master George d'Ostende, our secretary, health and greeting.

'We having lately, after due deliberation, and by the advice of our consort the queen, and of our very dear and well-beloved son Philip duke of Burgundy, the prelates, the nobles and commonalties of our said kingdom, concluded a peace, to the great advantage of ourself and of our realm, with our very dear son Henry king of England, heir and regent of France for ourself and for the kingdoms of France and of England; which peace has been solemnly sworn to by us, our consort the queen, our son of Burgundy, and by the nobles, barons, prelates, churchmen and commonalties of the realm.

'We therefore order that all persons within our kingdom who have not as yet taken the oaths for the due observance of this peace do swear to the same without delay; and, confiding in your great loyalty, prudence and diligence, we command, by these presents, that you, and each of you, do instantly visit all the cities, large towns, castles and other notable places within the bailiwicks of Amiens, Tournay, Lille, Douay, Arras, and in the county of Ponthieu, and within their different dependances and jurisdictions; and that you do summon before you all whom you shall think proper, of prelates and other dignitaries of the church, nobles and common people, and that you do publicly cause to be read to them the whole of the articles of the said peace; which done, you will strictly enjoin them in our name to swear, in your presence, on the holy evangelists, to the due observance of the peace, the following oaths, under pain of being reputed rebels, and disobedient to us.

'First, you shall swear obedience and loyalty to the high and mighty prince Henry, king of England, as governor and regent of France,--and that you will faithfully obey all his orders in whatever shall tend to the preservation of the public welfare and of the realm, subject at the present to the very high and potent prince, Charles king of France, our sovereign lord.

'Secondly, that after the decease of our said sovereign lord king Charles, you will, conformably to the articles of the peace, become liege men and loyal subjects to the very high and mighty prince Henry king of England, and to his heirs; that you will honour and acknowledge him as king of France, without opposition, as your true king, and obey him as such,--promising henceforward to obey none other as king of France, excepting king Charles, at present on the throne.

'Thirdly, you will not afford assistance or advice to any conspiracies that may tend to the death of the said king Henry, to the loss of his limbs, or to the diminution of his estate or dignity; but should you know of any such conspiracies, you will prevent them from taking effect as much as shall in you lie, and you shall inform the said king of England thereof by messages or letters. And you will swear generally to observe punctually all the different articles of this treaty of peace between our said lord king Charles and Henry king of England, without any fraud, deception, or mental reservation whatever, and that you will resist and oppose any one who may any way attempt to infringe them.

'These oaths we will and command all our vassals of every rank and condition to take, and swear to the maintaining the peace without infringing it in the smallest degree. You and your clerks will punctually transmit to us certificates of the above oaths having been solemnly taken in your presence. And we ordain, that any number of you, from nine to three persons, be a sufficient court to receive such oaths, for which these presents shall be your authority.

'We order and command all our bailiffs, and others our officers of justice, to obey your directions, and to afford you every aid and advice that you may require. And because it may be necessary to make public these our commands in different parts, we will that as much faith be placed in the copies under our royal seal as in the original.

'Given at our siege of Melun the 23d day of July, in the year of Grace 1420, and of our reign the 40th.' Countersigned, 'Marc. Marc.'

The count de St Pol and the other commissioners, in consequence of these orders left Paris, and were some days in journeying to Amiens, that they might avoid the ambushes of the Dauphinois. They were kindly received in Amiens, and having shown their powers the inhabitants took the oaths. They thence went to Abbeville, St Ricquier, Montrieul, Bologne, St Omer, and other places, where they duly obeyed, and punctually executed the orders they had received.

CHAP. XLIV.

PHILIP COUNT DE ST POL GOES TO BRUSSELS, AND ARRESTS THE MINISTERS OF THE DUKE OF BRABANT.--OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THESE TIMES.

The count de St Pol, soon after his return from Picardy, was sent for in haste by the greater part of the nobility and principal towns in Brabant, and also by the countess of Hainault, wife to the duke of Brabant. Laying aside all other matters, he instantly complied; and on his arrival in that country, he was immediately declared governor of the whole duchy by those who had sent for him, instead of his brother, whose conduct had been so disagreeable that they would not longer obey him as their duke.

The count kept his state in Brussels, and began to make many new regulations to the great displeasure of those who governed the duke of Brabant, who was at that time absent from Brussels. His ministers, however, brought him back with a large force of men at arms; but the inhabitants would not open their gates to him until he had promised his brother the count de St Pol, that he would maintain peace with them. He was scarcely entered when those who managed him would not permit his brother, or the principal nobles, to approach him but with difficulty and with suspicion. This conduct irritated them so much that they, in conjunction with the count de St Pol, resolved to provide a remedy; and, assembling in numbers, they arrested all the duke's ministers, the principal of whom was the damoiseau de Hainsbercq.

The most part of these prisoners were beheaded, namely, sir John de Condemberch, John Scoccard, Everard le Duc, Henry le Duc, sir Henry Hutun, master William Hutun, sir John Hutun, sir William Pipepoye, sir William Moieux, the youth William Asche, John du Vert, sir Everard Sherchos, John Clautin Grolier, and some others. The duke was put under the government of the nobles of Brabant, with the approbation of his brother the count de St Pol, and the three estates of the country; and ever after unanimity and peace reigned among them.

In these days the Dauphinois, quartered at Guise in Tierrache, and the adjoining parts, assembled a body of about five hundred combatants, and suddenly marched to the town of Beaurevoir, belonging to sir John de Luxembourg, wherein he resided, and to the villages near, whence they carried off many of the peasants, and some booty, with which they speedily returned to their own quarters.

Sir John was very indignant at this conduct, and having collected a large body of men at arms and archers from various parts, he conducted them to the county of Guise, and overran the whole of it, seizing or destroying all they found in the open country, in revenge for the insult of the Dauphinois. They made a rich plunder of peasants, cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, and of all that had not been secured in castles, which they brought off, and then separated to their different homes.

During these tribulations, Philip count de Vertus, brother to the duke of Orleans, a prisoner in England, and also to the count d'Angoulême, died at Blois: he had the government of all the estates of his brother in France: and the dauphin was much weakened in aid and advice by his death. His two brothers bitterly lamented his loss, as well from fraternal affection as because he faithfully managed their concerns in France during their imprisonment.

CHAP. XLV.

THE LORD DE L'ISLE-ADAM, MARSHAL OF FRANCE, IS SENT TO GARRISON JOIGNY.--THE SURRENDER OF THE TOWN AND CASTLE OF MELUN.

We will now return to the siege of Melun, at which were present, as you have heard, the kings of France and of England, and the duke of Burgundy. The lord de l'Isle-Adam, though marshal of France, was sent by king Charles with a large force to garrison Joigny, and make head against the Dauphinois, who were committing great depredations in those parts.

When he had remained there some time, and had properly posted his men, he returned to the siege of Melun. He had caused to be made a surcoat of light grey, in which he waited on the king of England relative to some affairs touching his office. When he had made the proper salutations, and had said a few words respecting his business, king Henry, by way of joke, said, 'What, l'Isle-Adam, is this a dress for a marshal of France?' to which he replied, looking the king in the face, 'Sire, I have had it thus made to cross the Seine in the boats.' The king added, 'How dare you thus look a prince full in the face, when you are speaking to him?' 'Sire,' answered l'Isle-Adam, 'such is the custom of us Frenchmen; and if any one addresses another, whatever may be his rank, and looks on the ground, he is thought to have evil designs, and cannot be an honest man, since he dare not look in the face of him to whom he is speaking.' The king replied, 'Such is not our custom.'

After these, and some few more words, the lord de l'Isle-Adam took leave of the king, and departed from his presence,--but he plainly perceived that he was not in his good graces. He was, shortly after, deprived of his office of marshal of France, and another worse event befel him, for he was also detained prisoner by king Henry, as you will see hereafter.

During this siege of Melun, a severe epidemical distemper afflicted the english army, and caused a very great mortality. On the other hand, the prince of Orange, and many others, quitted the army of the duke of Burgundy, which weakened him so much, that he sent in haste orders to sir John de Luxembourg, who commanded for the king in Picardy, to assemble as many men at arms, and archers, as he could, and bring them to the siege of Melun.

Sir John instantly obeyed this order, and, marching his men through Peronne, and over the bridge of St Maixence, advanced toward Melun. The besieged, seeing this body marching in battle array, concluded it was succour coming to their aid, and began to ring all the bells in the town, and to cry from their walls to the besiegers, that they must now hasten to saddle their horses, for they would speedily be forced to decamp. They were soon undeceived, and, with grief, descended from the ramparts, having no longer hopes of assistance from the dauphin, or from any other quarter. Sir John de Luxembourg and his men were quartered at the town of Brie Comte Robert, where they remained until after the surrender of Melun.

In the mean time, the king of France dispatched letters to many of the principal towns of the kingdom, commanding them to send commissioners to meet him at Paris on the fourth of January, to confer with the nobility and clergy on the state of affairs.

The garrison in Melun were aware how dangerously they were now situated, without hope of succour; for they had frequently made the dauphin acquainted with their situation, and how they had for a long time, from famine, been forced to live on dogs, cats, horses, and other food unbecoming Christians, requiring him, at the same time, to perform his promises of sending them assistance, and to relieve them from the danger they had incurred in his support. At length, the ministers of the dauphin sent them word, that they had not sufficient forces to oppose the king of England and the duke of Burgundy, and advised them to conclude the best treaty they could with them.

On receiving this answer, they opened a parley with the king of England, who sent as his commissioners the earl of Warwick and sir John Cornwall; and, after eighteen weeks siege, they concluded a treaty on these terms:

First, the besieged were faithfully to surrender to the kings of France and of England the town and castle of Melun; and all the men at arms and inhabitants within the said town were to submit themselves to the will of the two kings.

Secondly, the two kings accepted the terms, on condition that should there be any persons who had committed or been accomplices in the murder of the late duke of Burgundy, they should be given up to the punishment due to their crimes. All others, of whatever rank they may be, not implicated in the aforesaid murder, shall have their lives spared, but remain prisoners until they shall have given sufficient securities never to join in arms with the enemies of the said kings.

Thirdly, should those accused of having been concerned in the murder of the late duke John of Burgundy be found guiltless, they shall remain in the same state as those not implicated therein. Such as are native subjects of France shall be restored to their possessions on giving the security as before mentioned.

All the burghers and inhabitants shall remain at the disposal of the two kings.

The aforesaid burghers, and also the men at arms shall place, or cause to be placed within the castle of Melun, their armour and warlike habiliments in such wise that they may be seen, without damaging or destroying any parts of them. In like manner, they will carry thither all their moveables.

Item, the garrison shall surrender all prisoners they may have taken in war, and acquit them of their engagements, and also such prisoners as they may have made before the commencement of the siege.

Item, for the due performance of these articles, twelve of the most noble men in the place after the governor, and six of the principal inhabitants, shall be given up as hostages.

Item, the lord Fordun, an english or scots knight, and all the English and Scots shall be at the disposal of the king of England.

When this treaty was concluded, the gates of the town and castle were thrown open, and put under the command of the two kings; and the government of it was given by them to one called Pierre de Verrault, the ministers of the king of England having the administration of affairs.

The men at arms of the dauphin's party, of whom the principal were, sir Pierre de Bourbon, lord of Prèaulx, Barbasan, and from five to six hundred noblemen and gentle dames, with the most notable inhabitants, were by command of the king of England, regent of France, carried to Paris under a considerable escort, and there imprisoned in the Châtelet, Bastille, the Temple, and other places.

It was strictly commanded by the two kings, that no persons should enter the town or castle of Melun, excepting those who had been ordered so to do, under pain of being beheaded. Among others who suffered this punishment were two monks of Jouy in Brie, namely the cellar-keeper of that convent and Dom Symon, formerly monks of Gart.

While this treaty of peace was carrying on, a gentleman of the household of the king of England, named Bertrand de Chaumont, (who at the battle of Azincourt, had turned from the French to the English because he held his lands in Guyenne under the king of England, and was much beloved by him for his valour,) in an evil hour, and from being badly advised through avarice, aided the escape of Amerian du Lau from the town of Melun, who, as it was said, had been concerned in the murder of the duke of Burgundy. This came to the knowledge of the king of England, who was troubled thereat, and notwithstanding the entreaties of his brother the duke of Clarence, and even of the duke of Burgundy, had him beheaded for this act, telling them not to speak to him on the subject, for that he would have no traitors in his army, and that this punishment was for an example to all others,--although he would willingly have rather given five hundred thousand nobles than Bertrand should have committed so disloyal an act.

CHAP. XLVI.

AFTER THE SURRENDER OF MELUN, THE TWO KINGS OF FRANCE AND OF ENGLAND, WITH THEIR QUEENS, AND SEVERAL PRINCES AND GREAT LORDS, GO TO PARIS IN GRAND POMP.

When the treaty for the surrender of Melun had been concluded, the king of England and the duke of Burgundy disbanded the greater part of their men, and marched the remainder of their armies to Corbeil, where the king of France and the two queens of France and of England resided. Thence the kings went to Paris, attended by the dukes of Clarence, Burgundy, Bedford and Exeter, the earls of Warwick, Salisbury, and other great lords.

A numerous band of the citizens of Paris came out to meet them in handsome array, and the streets were covered and ornamented with many rich cloths. On their entrance, carols were sung in all the squares through which they passed; and the two kings rode together side by side, the king of England on the right hand. After them came the dukes of Clarence and Bedford, brothers to king Henry; and on the opposite side of the street, on the left hand, rode the duke of Burgundy, dressed in deep mourning, followed by the knights and esquires of his household.

The other princes and knights rode after the kings in due order, and they met different processions of the clergy on foot, who halted in the squares, and then presented the holy relics borne by them to be kissed by the two kings. On their being first offered to the king of France, he turned toward the king of England, and made him a sign to kiss them first; but king Henry, putting his hand to his hood, bowed to king Charles, and said he would kiss them after him, which was done, and thus practised all the way to the church of Nôtre Dame, where the kings and princes dismounted, and entered the church.

When they had finished their prayers and thanksgivings before the grand altar, they remounted their horses and went to their lodgings,--the king of France to his hôtel of St Pol, attended by the duke of Burgundy, who having escorted the king thither, returned to his hôtel of Artois. The king of England and his two brothers were lodged in the Louvre, their attendants in different parts of the town, and the men at arms in the adjacent villages.

The two queens made their entry into Paris on the ensuing day, when the duke of Burgundy, with many english lords, and the citizens in the same array as on the day before, went out to meet them. Great joy was again displayed on the arrival of the queens; but it would take up too much time were I to relate all the grand presents that were offered by the city of Paris to the two kings, especially to the king and queen of England. The whole of that day and night wine was constantly running through brass cocks in conduits in all the squares, and conducted with great ingenuity, so that all persons might have wine in abundance; and more rejoicings were made throughout Paris than tongue can tell, for the peace that had been made between the two kings.

When their majesties had been a few days in Paris, great complaints and clamours were made to them by duke Philip of Burgundy, and by the procurator of the duchess his mother, for the cruel murder that had been committed on the late duke John of Burgundy. To hear these complaints, the king of France sat in judgment in the lower hall of the hôtel of St Pol, and on the same bench with him was the king of England: near the king of France sat master John le Clerc, chancellor of France, and further on master Philip de Morvillers, first president of the parliament, and some other nobles of the king's council.

On the opposite side, and about the middle of the hall, was seated the duke of Burgundy, supported by the dukes of Clarence and Bedford, the bishops of Terouenne, of Beauvais, and of Amiens, sir John de Luxembourg, and many knights and esquires of his council.

When the assembly had been seated, master Nicolas Rolin, on the part of the duke of Burgundy and the lady-duchess his mother, demanded, in the usual manner, permission to address the two kings in their behalf. This having been obtained he charged as guilty of murdering the late duke John of Burgundy, Charles, calling himself dauphin of Vienne, the viscount de Narbonne, the lord de Barbasan, Tanneguy du Châtel, Guillaume Boutiller, Jean Louvet, president of Provence, sir Robert de Loire, Olivier Layet, and all those who had been concerned therein. Against each and all of them the advocate prayed judgment, and that they might be sentenced to be placed in tumbrils, and carried through all the squares of Paris for three Saturdays, or on festivals, bare-headed, and holding lighted wax tapers in their hands; and that in every square they should publicly confess, with a loud voice, that they had cruelly, wickedly and damnably put the duke of Burgundy to death through hatred and jealousy, without any other cause whatever. They were then to be carried to Montereau, where they had perpetrated this murder, to undergo the same ceremonies, and to repeat the same words.

They were, besides, to cause a church to be erected, and endowed on the spot where the murder had been committed, for twelve canons, six chaplains and six clerks, to perform for ever divine service therein.

This church was to be completely furnished with chalices, tables, ornaments, books, napkins, and every other necessary; and the canons were to have each a yearly salary of two hundred livres parisis, the chaplain's salaries of one hundred, and the clerks of fifty, of the same coin, at the expense of the said dauphin and his accomplices. The cause of this church being erected was to be inscribed in large letters, cut in stone, over the principal entrance; and the same inscription was to be placed in the towns of Rome, Paris, Ghent, Dijon, St Jago de Compostella and at Jerusalem, where our Saviour suffered death.

When this sentence had been required, it was again demanded by master Pierre de Marigny, the king's advocate in parliament, confirming the accusations of murder against the persons aforesaid. Afterward, master John l'Archer, doctor of divinity, in the name of the university for whom he spoke, addressed the two kings with great eloquence, urging the extreme guilt of the criminals, and exhorting them to do strict justice on them, and to pay attention to the prayers of the duke and duchess of Burgundy that the judgment required might be carried into effect without delay.

The king of France, through his chancellor, replied to what had been said, 'that in regard to the death of the duke of Burgundy, and those who had so cruelly murdered him, he would by the grace of God, and with the assistance of his son and heir, Henry king of England, and regent of France, do speedy and effectual justice on all who had been concerned therein.' On this, the assembly broke up, and the two kings returned to their hôtels.

CHAP. XLVII.

A PARTY OF ENGLISH ARE DEFEATED NEAR MONT-EPILOY.--THE MARRIAGE OF THE MARQUIS DU PONT WITH A PRINCESS OF LORRAINE.--THE CONDUCT OF SIR JAMES DE HARCOURT.

While these things were passing, the English quartered at Gournay in Normandy, at Neuf-Chatel, Anicourt, and other places on the borders, with sir Mauroy de St Leger, who was posted at Creil, assembled in a body of about five hundred, and made an incursion into Brie and the Valois, where they gained great plunder, and made many prisoners. But on their return, they were met by the lord de Gamaches, who was quartered in Compiégne, and the garrisons from other parts, who rescued the prisoners, and recovered their plunder near to Mont-Epiloy, killing full sixty, besides making many prisoners. The rest saved themselves by flight,--and in this affair the lord de Gamaches acted with great valour.

At this period, the marriage of René d'Anjou, brother to the king of Sicily, and marquis du Pont (by the gift of his uncle the cardinal of Bar), with the daughter and heiress of the duke of Lorraine, was celebrated in the castle of Nancy. By this alliance, an end was put to the discords that subsisted between the two duchies of Lorraine and Bar; for the cardinal had long before declared this nephew his heir to the duchy of Bar, to the great displeasure of the duke of Mons, who was likewise his nephew, being son to his sister; but his displeasure availed him nothing.

On the other hand, sir James de Harcourt, who still pretended attachment to the duke of Burgundy, maintained a strong garrison in Crotoy, and thence made grievous war by sea and land, which coming to the knowledge of the king of England, he was very greatly angered. The companions of sir James in this warfare were the lord de Rambures, sir Louis de Thiembronne, and his brother Guichard, sir Coquard de Combronne, the two brothers of Herselaines, the youths of Chaumont, and other gentlemen and men at arms of that country.

CHAP. XLVIII.

COMMISSIONERS ARRIVE AT PARIS FROM DIFFERENT TOWNS IN THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE.--THE TWO KINGS HOLD THERE A COUNCIL OF THE THREE ESTATES.--OTHER MATTERS.

At this time, deputies arrived at Paris from the three estates of the principal towns within the realm, according to the orders before given. Many councils were held in their presence and absence, concerning the public welfare, at which the gabelles, and other taxes, were renewed, with the exception of those on grain.