ページの画像
PDF
ePub

as speedily as possible, that it may be accomplished to our honour and that of my lords the king and the duke of Aquitaine, and for the common good of the realm, and that you will so bear yourselves, that your excellent loyalty may be visible toward my lord the king, the duke of Aquitaine, to the public welfare, and in like manner to ourself, who are only desirous of peace. We have a perfect confidence in you, very dear and good friends,—and may God have you in his holy keeping!

"Written in our town of Lille, the 23d day of January, in the year of our Lord 1413*. on the eve of our departure."

The superscription was, "To my very dear and well-beloved the resident burgesses and inhabitants of the town of Amiens.'

These letters thus sent by the duke of Burgundy, and also the levy of men-at-arms which he was making, were immediately known at Paris; and to counteract the enterprises of the duke, a reconciliation took place between the duke of Aquitaine and the king's ministers, in consequence of which the duke was prevailed on to write letters to different towns to put an end to the intended expedition of the duke of Burgundy. These letters were of the following

tenor:

"Louis, eldest son to the king of France, duke of Aquitaine, and dauphin of Vienne, to the bailiff of Amiens, or to his lieutenant, greeting. Whereas it has lately come to our knowledge that our very dear and well-beloved father-in-law, the duke of Burgundy, has for a short time past begun to raise a large body of men-at-arms, and still continues to do the same, with the intent, as it is said, of marching them to us, which may be very prejudicial to my lord the king, his realm and subjects, and more especially so to the peace which has been so lately concluded at Auxerre between many princes of our royal blood: we have therefore very fully explained ourself to our aforesaid father-in-law by a letter, the contents of which are as under:

"Louis, eldest son to the king of France, duke of Aquitaine and dauphin of Vienne, to our very dear and well-beloved father the duke of Burgundy health and affection. You know how often my lord the king has repeated his commands to you, both by letter and by able ambassadors, not to raise any bodies of men-at-arms that might be hurtful to the welfare and profit of his kingdom. You know also what oaths you took, as well at Auxerre as at Paris. It has, nevertheless, come to the knowledge of our lord the king, that, contrary to the terms of the peace concluded between our said lord and yourself, and sworn to at Auxerre, you have raised, and continue to raise, bodies of men-at-arms, with the design, as it is said, of coming to us; and, as a pretence for the levying these men-at-arms, you have published letters, as from us, desiring that you would come to our aid with a large force, which thing we have neither done nor thought of doing. Because we are truly sensible, that your coming hither at this time would be very prejudicial to the said peace and welfare of the realm, our said lord the king sends you a sergeant-at-arms of the parliament, with his positive commands not to come hither. We therefore require, and also command you in his name, and on the loyalty and obedience you owe him, as well as for the love and affection you bear to him and to us, and for the good of the realm, which you say you have had always at heart, that notwithstanding any letters or messages you may have had from us, you do for the present lay aside all thoughts of coming to us, otherwise you will incur the anger of our lord the king; and that you do disband any bodies of men-at-arms which are already assembled, and instantly countermand such as have not yet joined. Should you have any causes of complaint, or should anything have happened likely to violate the peace, make them known to my lord or to us; for we know for a truth, that my said lord will provide such remedies for them as shall give you satisfaction. Given at Paris, the 24th day of January, in the year 1413.'

"We also require and command you, the bailiff of Amiens, in the name of my aforesaid lord, to have these presents publicly proclaimed in all usual places where proclamations have been made, within your bailiwick, forbidding, in the king's name, all his vassals and are indifferently used in ancient documents, which frequently causes very great confusion.-ED.

*This, according to modern computation, would be 1414; but we are here to understand the year as computed either from Lady-day or from Easter. Both methods

subjects, as has been before notified to them, to obey the summons of our said father the duke of Burgundy, either on the pretext stated by him or any other, without his especial order and licence, as may appear in his letters patent, subsequent to the date of these presents. "Given at Paris the 24th day of January, in the year of Grace, 1413."

Signed by the duke of Aquitaine, and countersigned 'J. de Cloye.'

The duke of Burgundy, however, in spite of these commands from the king and the duke of Aquitaine, would not desist from his enterprise; and the king then issued a summons for men-at-arms to oppose him, and published the following edict:

"Charles, by the grace of God, king of France, to the bailiff of Amiens, or to his lieutenant, bealth and greeting.

"It has come to our knowledge, that our cousin the duke of Burgundy, in opposition to the articles of the peace concluded by us, between him and others of our blood, and sworn to at Auxerre and at Paris, has raised, and continues to raise, large bodies of men-at-arms, notwithstanding our positive orders to the contrary, as well by letters as by especial ambassadors sent to him for this purpose; and has already quitted his country, and is on the march, as he declares, to come to Paris, by which the said peace will be destroyed, and would cause numberless evils and irreparable injuries to our realm and subjects, unless a speedy and effectual remedy be provided against it. Having, therefore, deliberately weighed the consequences, and the probable means of opposing the enterprises of the duke of Burgundy, we have determined to exert our whole power against him, and all others who shall in any way attempt to infringe the said peace, and to call for the aid and support of all our loyal subjects. We therefore do command and expressly enjoin you, under pain of incurring our displeasure, to proclaim these presents in a solemn manner, with a loud voice and sound of trumpets, in all towns and other accustomed places within your jurisdiction, commanding all our vassals and liege subjects, on the faith they owe us, to appear in arms on the 5th day of February next, in our town of Mondidier *, ready to follow us to our town of Paris, or wherever else it may please us to lead them. They will find in the town of Mondidier sufficient persons authorised by us to receive them, with orders to allow such pay as shall content them; and at the same time, they will inform them whither they are to direct their march.

"You will make this known to all our said vassals and subjects, and forbid them, under the heaviest penalties of corporal punishment and confiscation of effects, and of being counted as traitors to our crown, to comply with any summons, prayers, or entreaties, of the said duke of Burgundy, or others, whether of our blood or not, under any pretence or colour of aiding us, to bear or assemble in arms, or in any way to obey them without our especial leave and licence, in letters-patent, of a later date than these presents. Should any have joined the duke of Burgundy or others, you will order them instantly to depart home, even supposing they should be of the kindred or vassals liege of the said duke or others, and had, in consequence of their fiefs, been summoned to assemble in arms; for in this instance we do exempt them not only from obeying such commands, but do promise to guarantee and defend them from any ill consequences that may ensue from their disobedience. Should it happen, that after the proclamation of these our commands, any of our vassals within your bailiwick shall set out to join the duke of Burgundy in arms, or should those who have joined him not return to their homes, but remain in arms with the said duke, or with any others who may have summoned them, we most strictly order and enjoin, that with the least possible delay, and without any excuse or dissimulation whatever, you do seize, in our name, having had a just and true inventory made, all their moveables and immoveables, estates, houses and all other effects whatever; and that you do put the same under the management of sufficient persons as may, at a fit time and place, render a good account of them, proceeding at the same time to the extremity of the penalties incurred by such for their disobedience.

"You will also arrest and imprison all persons whom you shall discover within your bailiwick endeavouring, by lies and false reports, to sow discord among our loyal subjects, or in any way attempting a breach of the peace; and for this purpose we delegate to you, by these presents, full power and authority for the punishing of all whom you shall find • Mondidier, a town in Picardy, nine leagues from Amiens, twenty-three from Paris.

guilty of such disloyal conduct. We likewise command all our other bailiffs, governors of towns, castles and bridges, and all our officers of justice, diligently to assist you in obeying these our commands; and we also enjoin these our aforesaid officers to permit all our loyal subjects to pass free and unmolested with their horses and baggage when travelling to join us, on showing only a certificate from you under the royal seal of your bailiwick, that they are on their march to us, or elsewhere on our service, notwithstanding we may before have ordered them not to suffer any men-at-arms to pass or repass, whatever may have been their rank or condition, without our especial licence contained in letters patent of a prior date to these presents.

"Given at Paris the 26th day of January, in the year 1413." Signed by the king, on the report of a grand council held by the queen,-present the duke of Aquitaine. Countersigned, "MAUREGARD.”

This ordinance was sent to Amiens, and to other towns of France, and with it the king inclosed other letters to many towns on the line of march which the duke of Burgundy would probably take, forbidding him, or any of his people, to pass the frontiers of the realm, under pain of incurring his indignation.

CHAPTER CXIV.THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY MARCHES A LARGE FORCE TOWARD PARIS.HE FIXES HIS QUARTERS AT ST. DENIS.THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED DURING THIS MARCH, AND IN CONSEQUENCE OF IT.

THE duke of Burgundy, to accomplish his expedition to Paris, on leaving Arras, made for Peronne, intending to enter France; but the inhabitants, who had before received the king's orders not to let him pass, sent to him the lord de Longueval, their governor, to excuse them for denying him entrance into their town. Although the duke was far from being pleased, he, however, pretended indifference to their conduct, marched his forces beside the town, and crossed the Somme at Esclusieu*, and went to Roye in the Vermandois. He thence sent forward his brother the count de Nevers, who had joined him with a handsome company, to Compiegne.

The count treated so successfully with the townsmen of Compiegne, that, notwithstanding the commands of the king, they consented to permit him to pass. The principal reasons for their assenting were the copies of the correspondence between the duke of Aquitaine and the duke of Burgundy, which were shown to them, and which contained the express wishes of the duke of Aquitaine for the duke of Burgundy to come to his aid.

The tenor of the above and of the certificate were as follows.

The

"To all who these presents shall see, Jean Clabault, esquire-keeper for the king of the seal of the bailiwick of Vermandois established at Roye, greeting. Know ye, that on the 23d day of February, of the present year 1413, the most puissant and noble prince my lord duke of Burgundy has exhibited to us, and shown three letters sealed and signed by the most excellent and puissant prince the duke of Aquitaine, which we have held, seen, and read, word by word, the contents of which are as follow. Very dear and well beloved father, we order, that on the receipt of this letter, you lay all excuses aside and come to us, well accompanied for your own proper security; and as you fear our anger, do not fail coming. Written with our own hand, at Paris, the 4th day of December.' Signed, 'LOUIS.' address was, 'To our very dear and well beloved father the duke of Burgundy.' "Another letter was in these terms: Very dear and well-beloved father, I wrote to you some time since, to desire you would come to me very well accompanied. I therefore entreat and order, that you hasten hither as speedily as may be, but well accompanied, for good reasons do not fail, for I will bear you through the whole matter, as shall be seen. Written with my own hand, in Paris, the 13th day of December.' Signed by himself, 'LOUIS.' The superscription was, 'To our very dear and well-beloved father the duke of Burgundy.' "The third letter contained,- Very dear and well-beloved father, I have twice written to you to come hither, and you have not complied: I, however, write again, to order that * Esclusieu, a village in Picardy, near Peronne.

you lay all other considerations aside, and come to me well accompanied for your own security do not fail to come to me with all possible speed, notwithstanding any other letters you may receive from me to the contrary. We trust that you will instantly obey from the love you bear to us, and from the fear of our displeasure. We have certain causes to desire your company, which affect us in the strongest manner possible. Written with my own hand, this 22d day of December,' and signed by himself, 'LOUIS.' The superscription was the same as the foregoing.'

"As a testimony that we have seen and read the above letters, we have affixed the seal of this bailiwick (saving the rights of the king and others) to this copy, which we have faithfully collated with the original, in the presence of Jean Billart, esquire-warden for the king in the provostship of Roye, and of the exempted lands of Charmy, and of the jurisdiction of Roye; and in the presence of Pierre de la Beane, comptroller of salt in Roye, of Nicholas d'Ardelchanons, of Roye, Jean Pellehaste, master Guillaume de la Garde, master Godefroy Baudun, Brissart, royal notary, on the day and year aforesaid; and thus signed, BRISSART." On the third day, the duke of Burgundy left Roye, and went to Compiegne, where, having prevailed on the principal inhabitants to support his party, he took the road for Senlis, whither he had sent forward the lord de Robaix, to know if the townsmen would admit him. This they positively refused to do, in consequence of the orders from the king,and the duke then took the road by Baron* to Dampmartin†, whither the lords of Burgundy had advanced with a powerful force to meet him.

News was daily carried to Paris, to the duke of Aquitaine and the other princes of the blood, of the duke of Burgundy's march and approach to the capital. When the last intelligence came, the duke of Aquitaine was dining with a canon in the cloisters of NôtreDame in Paris; and the moment it was known, the king of Sicily, the duke of Orleans, the counts de Vertus, de Richemont, d'Eu, d'Armagnac, with many other great lords, attended by a numerous body of men-at-arms, assembled in the cloisters, where the duke of Aquitaine mounted his horse. This force was divided into three battalions, the van, centre, and rear, -which done, they advanced to the front of the church of Nôtre-Dame, and thence marched to the town-house, where they halted. The van was commanded by three counts, namely, those of Vertus, of Eu, and of Richemont, who rode together in front, followed close by their attendants, and at a little distance by the battalion. In the centre division were the king of Sicily and the dukes of Aquitaine and of Orleans, followed by a very considerable body of men-at-arms. The rear battalion was commanded by the count d'Armagnac, Louis Bourdon and the lord de Gaule, who, like the other commanders, rode all three in front of their men. The whole was estimated at eleven thousand horse. On their coming to the town-house, a trumpet was sounded, when the chancellor of Aquitaine made his appearance, and, by orders of the duke, told the people of Paris, who were following them, that he, the eldest son and heir to the king and kingdom of France, thanked them for their loyalty and affection, which they had now shown to him, and that he hoped they would exert themselves to the utmost of their power to oppose the duke of Burgundy in his wicked projects, who, in defiance of the king's positive commands, and in violation of the peace, had marched an armed force into the heart of the realm; that he affirmed and assured them, that he had never sent for him, nor written to him to come to Paris, notwithstanding he had declared he had received letters from him to the above purport.

The chancellor then asked the duke if he would vouch for what he had said, who replied, that he would vouch for it, as he had spoken nothing but the truth. After this had been said, they marched away in the same order as before, to the Place du Croix du Tiroir, where they again halted, when the chancellor from horseback, in front of the duke of Aquitaine, repeated to the numerous populace there assembled what he had before said in the Place de Grève, which speech was again avowed by the duke of Aquitaine, after which he retired to the Louvre. The duke of Orleans went to the priory of St. Martin-des-Champs, the king of Sicily to the bastile of St. Anthony, the count of Armagnac and Louis Bourdon to' the hôtel d'Artois, and the others elsewhere. Shortly after, the duke of Berry came from

* Baron, a town in Picardy, diocese of Sens.

+ Dammartin, a town in the Isle of France, niue leagues from Paris

his hôtel de Neelle to visit the duke of Aquitaine in the Louvre, and thence retired to the Temple, where he and his men had their quarters. The different lords went diligently about the streets of Paris to check any tumults that might arise,-and they had all the gates closed excepting those of St. Anthony and of St. James. Notwithstanding they were so numerous in men-at-arms, they were very fearful of the populace rising against them, in favour of the duke of Burgundy, more especially those who lived in the quartier des Halles. The duke of Burgundy advanced from Dampmartin to St. Denis, which was open to

[graphic][merged small]

him, for the inhabitants had fled. He there quartered his whole army, and lodged himself at the hotel of the Sword. His force might consist of full two thousand helmets, knights and esquires, from Artois, Picardy, Flanders, Rethel and Burgundy, with from two to three thousand combatants, archers, cross-bows and armed varlets. He was accompanied by sir John de Luxembourg, with all the vassals of his uncle the count de St. Pol. On the third day after the duke of Burgundy's arrival at St. Denis, he sent his king-at-arms, Artois, to Paris, bearing letters to the king, the queen, the duke of Aquitaine, and the commonalty of the town,-in which he requested that they would permit him to wait on them, to explain the cause of his thus coming to St. Denis, which, he said, was only with good intentions, no way to make war, nor to demand redress from any person, but solely in obedience to the commands of the duke of Aquitaine, whom he was bound to serve and obey.

« 前へ次へ »