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quartered in the country of Guise to the inhabitants of Hainault, the Cambresis, and the adjacent parts. While these troubles lasted, from the year 1415 to 1420, the money in France was greatly lowered in value, insomuch that a gold crown from the king's mint was worth twenty-nine sols in the money of the day, although it had been coined for eighteen sols parisis, which very much affected those lords whose rents were payable in money, and caused several law-suits between the parties, on account of the said diminution of the coin, when a horse-load of wheat was worth from seven to eight francs.

CHAPTER CCXXXVII.-THE DAUPHIN IS SUMMONED BY THE PARLIAMENT TO APPEAR AT THE TABLE OF MARBLE. THE DUKE OF EXETER ARRESTS THE LORD DE L'ISLE-ADAM IN PARIS.

In this year, before king Henry left Paris to recross the sea, he caused Charles duke of Touraine and dauphin to be summoned to appear before the parliament at the table of marble, with all the usual ceremonies and solemnities, to answer for himself and his accomplices to the charges made against him and them, respecting the murder of the late John duke of Burgundy. And because he neither appeared himself, nor sent any one, he was by the council and parliament publicly banished the realm, and declared incapable of succeeding to any lands or lordships, at present or in times to come,—and even to the succession of the crown of France, notwithstanding he was the true and lawful heir after the decease of his father king Charles, according to the laws and usages of the realm. From this sentence, he made an appeal to his sword. Numbers of the Parisians were greatly pleased at his banishment, for they much feared him.

The duke of Exeter, governor of Paris, for certain reasons best known to himself ordered the lord de l'Isle-Adam to be arrested by some of his English, which caused a thousand or more of the commonalty of Paris to rise in order to rescue him from those who were carrying him to the Bastille. But the Duke of Exeter sent six-score combatants, the greater part of whom were archers, to support them; and they by their arrows, and by proclaiming that what they were about was by the king's order, created so great an alarm that the people retired to their houses, and the lord de l'Isle-Adam remained prisoner to the king of England so long as he lived. He would indeed have had him put to death, if the duke of Burgundy had not greatly interested himself in his behalf.

CHAPTER CCXXXVIII.-THE DUKE OF CLARENCE IS DEFEATED BY THE DAUPHINOIS NEAR TO BAUGEY.-IN THIS ENGAGEMENT GREAT NUMBERS OF THE NOBLES AND GENTLEMEN OF EACH PARTY ARE SLAIN.

THE duke of Clarence, who had been appointed governor-general of all Normandy on the departure of his brother king Henry for England, marched his army, on Easter-eve, toward the country of Anjou, to combat a large body of the Dauphinois under the command of the earl of Buchan *, constable to the dauphin, the lord de la Fayette, and several others. It happened that on this day the duke heard that his enemies were near him at a town called Baugey in Anjou; on which, being very renowned in arms, he instantly advanced thither a part of his force, particularly almost all his captains, when a very severe and bloody conflict ensued. The body of his army followed with much difficulty at a distance on account of a dangerous river they had to ford. On the other hand, the Dauphinois, who had been advertised of their approach, fought so manfully, that in the end they obtained the victory over the English. The duke of Clarence, the earl of Kyme, the lord Roos, marshal of England, and in general the flower of his chivalry and esquiredom, were left dead on the

* John Stuart, earl of Buchan, son to the duke of Albany, regent of Scotland; made constable of France

after the battle of Baugé; lord of Aubigny, and carl of Evreux.

field *, with two or three thousand common men.

The earls of Somerset + and of Hunting

don, the count du Perche‡, with two hundred others, were made prisoners §.

The Dauphinois lost from a thousand to eleven hundred men: in the number were a gallant knight called Charles le Bouteiller ||, sir John Yvorin, Garin des Fontaines, sir John de Passavant, sir John de Bulle, sir John Totavant, with other persons of note, amounting in the whole to the number before specified. From that time forward the affair of this day was called the battle of Baugey.

The English were much cast down at this defeat, and particularly lamented the death of the duke of Clarence, who was much beloved by them for his valour and prudence. They, however, under the command of the earl of Salisbury, recovered the body of the duke, which was carried to Rouen, and thence transported to England, where it was buried with great solemnity ¶.

CHAPTER

CCXXXIX. -THE

DAUPHINOIS ADVANCE TO ALENÇON: THE ENGLISH MARCH THITHER ALSO.—THE MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF ALENÇON, AND OTHER MATTERS. [A. D. 1421.]

At the beginning of this year, after the death of the duke of Clarence, the Dauphinois, elated with their victory at Baugey, assembled a large force to besiege Alençon, and in fact lodged themselves very near to the walls, combating the garrison with all their might. The English, notwithstanding their grief at their late loss, detached parties from their different garrisons in Normandy, under the command of the earl of Salisbury, to Alençon to offer battle to the enemy, and force them to raise the siege. But the Dauphinois having had, as before, intelligence of their motions, drew up in battle-array before their quarters, with every appearance of courage. When the English perceived how numerous they were, they retreated to the abbey of Bec, but not without losing, in killed and taken, from two to three hundred men, for they were pursued as far as the abbey. The Dauphinois, however, finding they could not gain Alençon without great loss of men, marched away, leaving everything behind them, and r. turned to Anjou and Dreux. In these days, a marriage was concluded between the duke of Alençon and the only daughter of the duke of Orleans, a prisoner in England. It was celebrated at the town of Blois, and had been chiefly brought about by the dauphin, to whom she was niece, and the duke of Brittany, uncle to the duke of Alençon

When news of the death of the duke of Clarence reached king Henry in England, he was greatly troubled thereat, as well as at the loss of his other nobles and men, and hastened his preparations to return with an army to France, to take vengeance on the Dauphinois, who had thus grieved him at heart.

CHAPTER CCXL.-SIR JAMES DE HARCOURT BEGINS A WAR ON THE VASSALS AND COUNTRIES OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.—THE INCONVENIENCES THAT ARISE FROM THIS CONDUct.

ABOUT this time, sir James de Harcourt, who resided at Crotoy, whence, as has been said, he made war on the English, abstained from having any communication with the duke

* Among the rest, sir John Grey, of Heton, who in 6 Henry V. had a grant of the earldom of Tancarville and its dependencies in Normandy.

+ John, second son of John Beaufort, earl of Somerset, and brother to Henry, carl of Somerset, who died 7 Henry V., without issue. He was also heir to his uncle, Thomas Beaufort, duke of Exeter, who died 1424.

Q. Who is here meant? Thomas Montacute, earl of Salisbury, was presented with the earldom of Perche, and barony of Longuy, by the king, in 7 Henry V., but he was not made prisoner, as is evident from what follows. § Among others, lord Fitzwalter, afterwards mentioned. William le Boutellier de Senlis, lord of St. Charlier, died in 1420, leaving two sons, Charles; here mentioned, and William, who survived his brother, and was chamberlain to the duke of Orleans.

This battle took place on Easter-eve 1421. The duke of Clarence's remains were recovered by his son John, bastard of Clarence, and interred in the cathedral church at Canterbury,-the duke having, by his will, dated July 1417, directed that his body should be buried at the feet of that of his father, king Henry IV.

The lady Margaret Holland, daughter to Thomas Holland, earl of Kent, married, first to John Beaufort, earl of Somerset, and secondly to Thomas, duke of Clarence, had a splendid tomb erected over his body in her lifetime. She died in December 1440.

** John II., surnamed le Beau, duke of Alençon, only son of John I., killed at Azincourt, and Mary of Bretagne. Jane, daughter of Charles duke of Orleans, and Isabel of France.

of Burgundy, or with those of his party; he even seized in the port of Estaples a vessel laden with corn, that belonged to sir Hemon de Bouberch, who was attached to the duke of Burgundy. Because he refused to restore it, on being summoned, a sudden war broke out between them, very prejudicial to the whole country of Ponthieu and the adjoining parts. Sir Hemon, in revenge, went and made his complaints to sir William Balledo, lieutenant of Calais, who instantly collected soldiers from the county of Guines, and from his garrison, and carried them by sea to Crotoy,—when, having burnt all the vessels and boats in the harbour, he returned to Calais. In return for this enterprise, sir James forced an entrance into many of the towns of sir Hemon, which he completely plundered, and carried away the pillage to his garrisons of Noyelle and Crotoy.

Shortly after, sir Hemon did the same to the towns of sir James de Harcourt, and the war was carried on with such bitterness that the whole of that country suffered greatly; for sir James, to strengthen himself, obtained reinforcements of men-at-arms from Compiègne and elsewhere. He also formed an alliance with many of the nobles of Vimeu and Ponthieu, with the lord de Rambures, Louis de Vaucourt, le bon de Saveuses, Perceval de Houdent, Pierre Quieret, governor of D'Araines, and with many others. Sir James, by this means, gained possession of several towns and castles, such as the town of St. Riquier, the castles of la Ferté and of Drugy, the island and castle of Pont de Remy, the fortresses of D'Araines, Diaucourt, and Moreul: on the side of the country toward St. Valery, Rambures, Gamaches, and some others, into which, by the exertions of sir James, parties of the Dauphinois gained admittance, who began to make open war on the duke of Burgundy and his adherents, to the ruin of the country. The town of St. Riquier, however, did not submit to sir James until king Henry had crossed from England to France, as you shall hear.

CHAPTER CCXLI.-KING HENRY OF ENGLAND RETURNS TO FRANCE WITH A POWERFUL ARMY TO COMBAT THE DAUPHIN, WHO HAD BESIEGED CHARTRES.

WHEN King Henry had settled the government of England during his absence, and when his army was advanced to Canterbury, having received pay for eight months, he came to Dover; and thence, and at the neighbouring ports, he and his army embarked at day-break, on the feast of St. Barbara, and that same day arrived in the harbour of Calais at two o'clock in the afternoon. The king disembarked from his vessel and was lodged in the castle of Calais; the others landed also, and were quartered in the town and the adjacent parts, according to the orders of the king and his harbingers. Shortly after, when the vessels were unladen, they were discharged, and ordered back by the king to England. It was estimated by competent judges that from three to four thousand men-at-arms disembarked that day, and full twenty-four thousand archers.

On the morrow of the feast of St. Barbara, the king sent the earl of Dorset and the lord Clifford to the assistance of his uncle the duke of Exeter and the Parisians, who were much straitened for provisions by the garrisons of the Dauphinois that surrounded Paris. They had under their command twelve hundred combatants, and, avoiding all the ambushes of the enemy, rode hastily forward to Paris, where they were joyfully received by the inhabitants, by reason of the intelligence they brought of the king of England being at Calais, to whom they had sent several messages before he left England. The dauphin had now a considerable army, which he marched toward Chartres; and the towns of Bonneval and Galardon, with other castles, surrendered to him, which he regarrisoned, and then fixed his quarters as near to Chartres as possible, and encompassed it on all sides. It was defended by the bastard de Thian and other captains, who had been despatched thither in haste from Paris for that purpose. The dauphin's army was supposed to consist of from six to seven thousand having leg-armour, four thousand cross-bows, and six thousand archers, and this the son of Thomas, was surnamed the Butcher, and killed at the battle of Towton. For the romantic history of the son of the last-named John, and father of the first earl of Cumberland, sec Dugdale's Baronage, vol. ii

* John lord Clifford, knight of the Garter, killed at the siege of Meaux. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Harry Hotspur, and had issue, 1. Thomas lord Clifford, killed at the battle of St. Albans. 2. John lord Clifford,

statement was sent to the king of England by those who had seen them. The Dauphinois erected many engines to batter the walls and gates, which did some mischief; but as the inhabitants were assured of being speedily relieved by king Henry, they were not under any

alarm at their attacks.

CHAPTER CCXLII.—THE KING OF ENGLAND MARCHES FROM CALAIS, THROUGH ABBEVILLE, TO BEAUVAIS, AND THENCE TO MANTES, WHERE THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY MEETS HIM.

WHEN King Henry had remained some days in Calais on account of business, he departed in haste; for he had received pressing solicitations from his uncle the duke of Exeter and the Parisians that he would succour Chartres. Taking his march by the sea-side, he was lodged at the hôtel of the Crown in Montreuil, and his army quartered in the low lands near it. Philip duke of Burgundy had arrived there the preceding day to confer with the king; but as he was confined with a fever, and unable to mount his horse, he sent sir John de Luxembourg, with all his chivalry, to meet the king, and make his excuses for not coming himself in person. They remained for three days in this town to confer at leisure on the present state of affairs. They departed together, and went to lodge at Douvast in Ponthieu. As they marched near to Montenay, the king of England ordered the tower, house and mill of sir James de Harcourt to be burnt.

The king was desirous of crossing the Somme at Abbeville, and the duke of Burgundy advanced to that town to negotiate the king's passage, which was obtained, but very unwillingly, on the duke promising that every expense should be fully discharged. While the duke was absent, the king and his nobles amused themselves in hunting in the forest of Cressy, and the following day fixed their quarters at St. Riquier, near to which place was a small fort called La Ferté, garrisoned by about sixty of sir James de Harcourt's men, under the command of the bastard de Ballay, who, on a formal summons, surrendered the place.

A gentleman of the country, called Nycaise de Boufflers*, was appointed by the king and the duke governor, who shortly after yielded it to the Dauphinois (as will be hereafter related), by whom it had before been held. From St. Riquier king Henry came to Abbeville, where he was most honourably received, and many handsome presents were made him, in compliment to the duke of Burgundy. The army and baggage passed very peaceably through the town; and on the morrow, when all the expenses had been paid, the king took leave of the duke, on his promising that he would speedily join him with his whole force. King Henry continued his march through Beauvais and Gisors, to the castle of Vincennes, where were the king and queen of France, whom he saluted most respectfully, and was by them received with great joy. Thither came his uncle the duke of Exeter, with several of the council of the king of France, and many conferences were held on the present state of the kingdom.

Among other things it was ordered, that the florettes, a coin of the king which was current for sixteen deniers, should be reduced to three deniers; but when this ordinance was proclaimed throughout the kingdom, it created great murmurings against the ministers among the commonalty of Paris, and in other places, but without obtaining any redress. Their murmurings were soon after much increased by the coin being still lowered in currency. The king of England now assembled a very large army; and in conjunction with that he had brought with him from England, he marched toward Mantes to offer battle to the dauphin, who had been already seven weeks before Chartres. He sent to the duke of Burgundy to join him instantly with as many men as he could raise, that he might be in time for the day of battle. The duke made all haste to comply, and advanced to the town of Amiens with about three thousand combatants, and thence, marching through Beauvais a d Gisors, came to the town of Mantes. He, however, left his army at a large village, and

Aleaume lord of Boufflers, was made prisoner at Azincourt. His sons were,-1. David, who was in the duke of Burgundy's company in 1417, and died s. p. ;

2. Peter, a celebrated Burgundian leader; 3. Nycaise, here mentined, one of to peers of Ponthieu.

went himself, with few attendants, to wait on the king of England, who was well pleased with his diligence.

In the interim, the dauphin, when he was informed of the great army that was marching against him, broke up his siege of Chartres, and retreated to Tours. When the king and the duke of Burgundy had held several councils on their further proceedings, it was agreed that the duke should return to Picardy to oppose the Dauphinois, who were doing great mischief there by means of the influence of sir Jaines de Harcourt.

CHAPTER CCXLIII.-THE LORD D'OFFEMONT ENTERS ST. RIQUIER.—THE ADVENTURE OF
THE LORD DE COHEN, GOVERNOR OF ABBEVILLE.-OTHER
IN THESE TIMES.

EVENTS THAT HAPPENED

DURING the time that the duke of Burgundy was on his march, and when he was with the king of England, the lord d'Offemont and Poton de Saintrailles collected about twelve hundred horse, and, passing through Vimeu, crossed the Somme at Blanchetaque, where they were met by sir James de Harcourt: they thence proceeded to St. Riquier, and gained admittance into the town through the influence of sir James. They treated successfully with Nycaise de Boufflers for the surrender of the castle of La Ferté, which was given up to them; as was that of Drugy, belonging to the abbot of St. Riquier. When they had established themselves in these places, they overran the adjacent country, and even sailed on the river Canche, to a large village called Conchy, and completely burnt the whole. *gether with a very handsome church, into which the principal inhabitants had retreated with their effects, the greater part of whom were led prisoners to St. Riquier. In another part, the strong fort of Dourier, proudly seated on the river Authie, was surrendered to Poton de Saintrailles; and, by means of this acquisition, the town and neighbourhood of Montreuil were greatly harassed.

The duke of Burgundy heard, on his return with his army, at a town called Croissy, that the lord d'Offemont and Poton de Saintrailles had gained possession of St. Riquier, and how they were proceeding. On this he assembled his council; and it was determined that menat-arms should be summoned from all parts, and cross-bowmen from the towns under the dominion of the king of France, that St. Riquier might be besieged. With this intent he went to Amiens, and solicited succours, which were granted to him. He thence despatched his messengers to different towns, to make similar requests: the greater part of them promised to serve him liberally. When the duke departed from Amiens, he went through Dourlens, to fix his quarters at Auxi, on the river Authie, within three leagues of Saint Riquier. He was there rejoined by sir John de Luxembourg, who had been detached with a certain number of combatants, through Dourmart in Ponthieu, toward St. Riquier, to make inquiry as to the number and situation of the Dauphinois.

The duke remained three days at Auxi, to wait the arrival of his reinforcements. While these things were passing, the lord de Cohen, governor of the town of Abbeville, going one night after supper to visit the guard, attended by only six persons, but preceded by his servants carrying lighted torches, was suddenly attacked by three or four persons who were lying in wait for him, and severely wounded him in the face. They also struck an advocate, called John de Quex, who was in his company, mounted on a handsome horse: he was stunned with the blow, and in his fright stuck spurs into his horse, who galloped off against a chain that had been stretched across the street from two posts. One of them, by the great strength of the horse, was torn from the ground, but the shock flung the advocate with such force that he died shortly after of the bruises. The lord de Cohen was carried home by his servants thus wounded, and was unable at first to discover the perpetrators of this deed. They were however of Abbeville, and by means of friends escaped secretly, and went to Crotoy to relate what they had done to sir James de Harcourt, who was well pleased thereat, and retained them in his service. Some few years afterward however, they were

taken, and executed for this and other crimes.

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