without arms and in small parties. In respect to real pilgrims, they may travel in small or large parties, according to the usual mode of pilgrims going on pilgrimages to the accustomed shrines. In regard to merchants and common people, it will be enough for them to demand leave of entrance from the porters at the gates of any towns or castles.

"Item, whereas several of the subjects of our said redoubted lord and sovereign possess lands under the obedience of his said nephew, the revenues of which, or in part, they have enjoyed by the hands of farmers or otherwise, they may now again enjoy the same during the truce in the manner and form as before.-Item, in regard to the contributions which have been customarily levied by each party, the conservators of the truce and others commissioned from the two kings shall regulate them according to their pleasure.-Item, should any attempts be made to infringe the truce, which God forbid ! it shall not be broken, nor shall war be declared on either side, but the truce shall remain in full force, as if nothing had been done contrary to the meaning and purpose of these articles. Such attempts shall have due reparation made for them by those who committed them, and be punished corporally by the aforesaid conservators of the truce.—Item, if, during the truce, any dispute or quarrel shall arise between one of the parties and the subjects or allies of the other, the latter party shall not form any alliances for his support with those who have commenced the dispute.

"All the above articles, and each of them, we duke of Orleans, and the other commissioners for our said lord the king, have solemnly promised on oath to observe, and do solemnly promise and swear for and in the name of our said lord and king to observe, and to make these said articles agreeable to our most potent and redoubted sovereign; and we will, according as the case shall require, send ratifications of the same to the person who may have the government of the town of Rouen, on or before the 15th day of July next ensuing, provided that the same be done within the aforesaid term by the most potent and noble prince the nephew of our said lord and sovereign.

"In testimony whereof, we, each of us, have signed these articles with our hands, and sealed them with our own seals.-Given at Tours, the 20th day of May, in the year 1444." While this treaty was going on, several other matters were introduced, and a treaty of marriage was proposed between king Henry of England and the daughter of René king of Sicily, duke of Lorraine and Bar, which was afterwards concluded*.

*The genuine work of Monstrelet ends with this book, according to M. Buchon, who has bestowed much pains and labour in investigating the proofs of the authenticity of the succeeding book, which has heretofore passed as the work of the author of those preceding. A fourth book even-undoubtedly spurious, since it relates to events which occurred after the death of the pretended authorhas been attributed to Monstrelet; and the latter parts of

the succeeding book must lie under the same imputation, since it carries up the narrative to 1516, many years after the death of Monstrelet, which took place in 1453. From the year 1444 to 1497, the whole materials seem to be drawn from other "Chronicles;" but from the latter date to the conclusion (1516), the work appears to be original, M. Buchon himself being unable to point out the book from whose pages it has been "clipped."—Ed.

THE

CHRONICLES

OF

ENGUERRAND DE MONSTRELET.

BOOK III.

CHAPTER I. THE ENGLISH PROLONG THE TRUCE FOR EIGHT MONTHS.-THE KING OF ENGLAND IS BETROTHED TO THE DAUGHTER OF RENE KING OF SICILY. THE KING OF SICILY DEMANDS SUCCOURS FROM THE KING OF FRANCE.

[A. D. 1444.]

TOWARD the end of April, and after Easter, in the year 1444, the English prolonged the truces for eight months, and at the same time betrothed the daughter of René king of Sicily to king Henry of England, in the hope that this measure would establish peace between the two kingdoms. The English ambassadors then returned to England, to report to their king and parliament what they had done, and to accelerate a peace.

In this state of affairs, the king of France determined with his ministers to send his menat-arms, as well French as foreigners, to take up their quarters in Germany during the truce, under the command of the dauphin. In consequence, the dauphin marched from Troyes in the month of July, and, by short marches, came before the town of Montbelliart in Germany, bordering on the country of Burgundy, which he laid siege to, because the bailiff of that place had made an inroad as far as the city of Langres in France, had carried away men and cattle, and done many other mischiefs, which had greatly displeased the king. The town and castle of Montbelliart surrendered on capitulation. The king shortly after followed the dauphin with a large army, by slow marches, to the city of Langres, whence he detached his van to a castle called Arlay, on the borders of Lorraine, held by the bastard of Vergy, who had done from thence, and others of his forts, great damages to the country of Champagne. All these castles the bastard yielded up to the king, except that of Arlay, which he said he possessed as a pledge for money advanced to René king of Sicily: it was very strong, in excellent repair, and well victualled.

The king advanced his army to a town called Espinal, on the frontiers of Lorraine and Germany, which was held by the bishop of Metz, and the castle by the commonalty: both surrendered to the king on his appearing before them. He thence marched to Nancy. While he was there, René king of Sicily earnestly entreated that he would assist him to conquer the city of Metz and other towns in Lorraine, which, although his own personal domain, were in rebellion against him. The king, in compliance with his request, sent to summon Metz to surrender, otherwise be would march his army to besiege it. inhabitants having remonstrated on this, and declared that they were independent of the king of Sicily and of any other lord, they were closely besieged for the space of five months

The

or more, when they concluded a treaty with the king, and the blockade was raised. During this siege, a great lord from Germany, called the lord Bourgalemoine *, came thither, having been sent by the emperor to the dauphin, as his guide to the countries round Basil, Montbelliart, Coulombariat, Selestat‡, Strasbourg, Hagenau, in the district of Aussays§, to conquer the Swiss and Germans, who had thrown off their dependence on the emperor.

The dauphin, accompanied by many lords and captains, advanced as far as Basil; but when he had come within a league of that place, he was met by about eight hundred Swiss, who took possession of an hospital and garden, where, considering the smallness of their numbers, they made a gallant defence, and killed the German nobleman whom the emperor had sent as a guide to the dauphin, with several others, although they lost the greater part of their own men. The dauphin now approached Basil, and the townsmen thinking his army must be fatigued, sallied out against him; but at this affair upward of a thousand Germans were slain, and from two to three hundred made prisoners: the rest took to flight. The dauphin next marched to the town of St. Hippolyte || to take it by storm, but it capitulated, as did that of Vau-du-Lieure. The army began now to pillage and commit great devastations on the country round, insomuch that the Swiss and Germans rose in large bodies and killed numbers of the men. Their captains, perceiving that the whole country was rising against them, and that their leader, who was acquainted with all the passes, was dead, returned with the army to the king of France at Nancy.

With the king were René king of Sicily, and numbers of great lords and knights, the queens of France and Sicily, the dauphiness, and the daughter of king René, whom the earl of Suffolk had come with a splendid embassy to demand in marriage for the king of England. After a few discussions, everything was agreed on; but before their departure with the new queen, a magnificent tournament was held, in which the kings of France and Sicily, the lord Charles d'Anjou, the counts de Foix and de St. Pol, the lord Ferry de Lorraine, and several other great lords, tilted. These feasts lasted eight days,—and the ladies were most splendidly dressed.

The kings of France and of Sicily escorted the queen of England two leagues from Nancy, where the king took leave of his niece with many tears, and recommended her to the protection of God: their grief was so great that they could not speak. The king returned to Nancy; but her father, the king of Sicily, accompanied her as far as Bar-le-Duc, where he and her mother took their leave of her, with floods of tears, and prayers for her welfare.

Soon after the return of the dauphin, the Germans, in contempt of their oaths, gained the towns of St. Hipolyte and Vau-du-Lieure, by force, and set fire to both of them. At this moment, the archbishop of Treves, elector of the holy Roman empire, and the count de Blancquemain T, came to the king of France from the Germans, to propose a perpetual peace and alliance**.

I had forgotten to say, that during the long siege of Metz many vigorous sallies were made by the garrison, but courageously repulsed by the besiegers. Several small castles were won by the king's troops without interrupting the business of the siege. One belonged to a gentleman called William Chance, governor of Harfleur. Two or three were held by the duke of Burgundy's men, but no attempts were made on them, because they had been given *Bourgalemoine.

Q. Bourgumoine ?

Du Cango MS. has Belleforest.

† Coulombaria,-Columbaria, the Latin name for Colmar.

Selestat, or Schlestadt, a town in Lower Alsace, about four miles from Strasburg. § Aussays. Q. Aussois ?

St. Hippolyto,-a town formerly of Germany, now of the duchy of Lorraine, a few leagues distant from Schlestadt.

Blancquemaine. Blanquevau.-MS. Du CANGE. Q. Blankenheim: William de Loz, count of Blankenheim, married Mary, a daughter of Anthony de Croy, count of Poreien, who afterwards had for her second husband George count of Wirnemburg.

**To keep the disbanded soldiers out of mischief, (during the truce,) the dauphin leads twenty thousand of them, of whom eight thousand were English, to assist the duke of Lorraine and the town of Zuric against the Switzers. Near Basil, they attack four thousand men, who had come to assist that town. The dauphin, after an obstinate resistance, slays them all but sixteen; nay, somo say one, and that he, on returning to his canton, had his head cut off for cowardice. The French retreat, and abandon the war in that district. They then besicge Metz, and raise vast contributions from the towns around to buy their absence. With this money the dauphin pays his soldiers, and discharges all but fifteen hundred."-Andrews from Mezeray.

by the king of Sicily to the duke of Burgundy, as pledges for the payment of his ransom which was still owing to the duke.

The governor of Metz was a very cruel man, called John Vitout, who, during the siege, rode a small courser, having at his tail a bell which made a great noise. He did this that all might hear and know when he was riding about the town. This governor was very severe on all women who left the town to ransom their husbands that had been made prisoners by the French; for on their return, he had them drowned, because they had supplied the enemy with money. He put to death, without mercy, all French prisoners, and would not hear of a ransom or exchange. Nevertheless, the king was so benign a prince, that he wished not his death nor that of his accomplices, but granted them most handsome terms of surrender. The heavy articles of the capitulation were a handsome present of gilt plate, two hundred thousand crowns for the expenses of the siege, and the acquittance of one hundred thousand florins of gold which king René and his predecessors had borrowed from them. On these terms they preserved all their rights and privileges from any innovation; and their quarrel with the king of Sicily remained undetermined, nor were any further measures taken towards bringing it to a conclusion.

*

When this matter had been settled, and during the stay of the king at Nancy, he ordered a general muster of all the troops who had marched into Germany, and of those who had served at the siege of Metz, from whom five hundred of the best-appointed lances and four thousand archers were to be selected. The remainder of his army he disbanded and sent to their homes, at the same time breaking the greater part of their captains, retaining only fifteen of the most experienced; to each of whom he gave the command of one hundred lances, and a proportionate number of archers. This was intended for a permanent establishment, to be quartered in different towns in the kingdom, and to be fed and paid in so ample a manner that for the future no soldier was to be suffered to plunder at his pleasure the country farmers or villages, as had formerly been done. When this ordinance had been carried into effect, the king and his court went to Châlons, and there remained some time.

At this period, the king of Poland and the cardinal of St. Angelo, the pope's legate, conquered, with the aid of a body of Christians, who had joined them, all Greece and Wallachia, driving the Saracens thence to the Black Sea. But shortly afterward, the sultan and great Turk raised a large army of Saracens, crossed the sea, came up with the Christians, who at that moment were but few in number, and completely defeated them. Among the dead, were slain and killed alive, the king of Poland and the cardinal, who, please God, are now martyrs in Paradise, for they were killed while endeavouring to extend the doctrines of JESUS CHRIST t.

On the return of the dauphin's army from Germany, the English left him, with their leader Mutago, who marched them back, for subsistence, to Normandy, then in the possession of king Henry of England.

CHAPTER II.-THE KING OF SICILY MEETS THE KING OF FRANCE AT CHALONS, TO TREAT WITH THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY RESPECTING HIS RANSOM.-THE DUCHESS OF BURGUNDY COMES THITHER. AFTER THE DEATHS OF THE QUEENS OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, THE KING OF FRANCE SENDS AN EMBASSY TO THE COURT OF ENGLAND.

[A. D. 1445.]

In the year 1445, during the residence of the king of France at Châlons, the king of Sicily came thither to treat of his ransom with the duke of Burgundy, whose prisoner he was. He had not money enough when taken, and had therefore turned over to him, as pledges treaty. A battle was fought on the 10th November, 1444, near Varna, in Lower Mesia, between Ladislaus, at the head of eighteen thousand men, and Amurath, who had upward of sixty thousand. The victory, long disputed was at length gained by the Infidels. Ladislaus, after performing prodigies of valour, was killed. He was but twenty years old. The cardinal Julien was among the dead, but the manner of his death is variously related."

Five. Q. If it should not be fifteen from what follows? This is the origin of a standing army in France. In the "Art de Vérifier les Dates," the account of this event is as follows:-"A peace was concluded with the Turks and Christians for ten years, and signed about the middle of June 1444, but almost immediately violated by the Christians, on the representations of the cardinal Julien Césarini, who had been present at the

for the payment, the towns and castles of Neufchâtel in Lorraine, of Beaumont in Argonne, and Gaudricourt, and in all of them the duke of Burgundy had placed garrisons, paid by the king of Sicily; but when they wanted money, from neglect of due payments, they made incursions over the duchies of Bar and Lorraine, and committed all sorts of outrages.

The duchess of Burgundy came to meet the king at Châlons, to make a treaty with the king of Sicily; and it was agreed that the above-named towns should be restored to him, on condition he would settle in perpetuity, on the duke of Burgundy and his heirs, the town and castlewick of Cassel in Flanderst. Many grand feasts were made on the arrival of the duchess of Burgundy at Châlons.

At this time the queens of Spain and Portugal departed this life: they were sisters to the kings of Arragon and Navarre. The queen of Scotland died also this year, as did the dauphiness of France at Châlons, daughter to the king of Scotland by his late queen. She was buried in the cathedral church at Châlons,—and her loss caused great sorrow to all who knew her, for she was a handsome and good lady‡..

The king of France sent from Châlons, on an embassy to England, his cousin the count de Vendôme, grand master of the household--the archbishop of Rheims, first ecclesiastical peer of France, with others, to endeavour to bring about a general peace between the two kingdoms. The king of Castille, brother-at-arms and ally to the king of France, the king of Sicily, the dukes of Brittany, Burgundy, and Alençon, sent likewise ambassadors thither, to confirm whatever should be proposed by those of the king. This embassy was graciously received by the king of England, his nobles and prelates, but only concluded a prolongation of the truce from the month of April until the ensuing November, in the year 1446. In the mean time, a meeting was fixed for the two kings between Rouen and Chartres, or between Rouen and Paris; and, for a further accommodation, the king of England sent master Adam de Mouleyns, keeper of his privy seal, and bishop of Exeter § elect, to king Charles, to prolong the truce from November 1446 to the following April, that there might be sufficient time allowed for the full discussion of the various articles incidental to a treaty of peace. The king of France sent in return, to his nephew, master Guillaume Causinot, counsellor and master of requests of his household, and Jean de Havart, his esquire-carver, to signify his acceptance of this prolongation of the truce. When they went back, king Henry sent Garter king-at-arms with them, charged with letters to the king of France, in which he promised, on the word of a king, to come to France before the ensuing month of November. Garter brought back to the king of England similar letters which were proclaimed throughout the two realms.

At this time, duke Francis of Brittany did homage to the king, in the castle of Chinon, for that duchy, and likewise for the county of Montfort.

About the same time, two daughters of the king of Scotland arrived in France, expecting to find their sister the dauphiness alive; for she had desired them to come to her, that she might marry them. They first learned the account of the dauphiness's decease at Châlons, on their landing in Flanders, and were exceedingly affected by it. On their arrival at the court of France, the king ordered them to be waited on by the servants of the late dauphiness, and appointed them a similar establishment at his expense, until other arrangements should be made or they should be married.

* Gaudricourt,-Gondrecourt, a village in Champagne, near Bar-sur-Aube.

† René became possessed of Cassel and its lordships by virtue of a gift of the cardinal Louis de Bar, his uncle, who died 1430.

It was this dauphiness who made the celebrated answer for giving Alain Chartier a kiss when he was asleep.

§ Exeter. Gloucester.-MS. Du CANGE. See Fadera.