"Item, with respect to sir Aubert de Canny remonstrating with the lords, barons, knights and esquires attached to the duke of Burgundy, on the above matters, the duke replies, that the conduct he has hitherto held and proposes to pursue, with God's pleasure, has been with the advice and approbation of his barons, knights, esquires, and other notable persons, and he therefore shall give full liberty for any such remonstrances to be made to them; for the more they shall be conversed with on these matters, the more fully will they be made acquainted with the iniquities of those who prevent a peace, and disturb the good intentions of the duke of Burgundy.-Item, in regard to the polite and gracious manner in which sir Aubert de Canny is ordered to make these remonstrances, and to declare the king's prohibitions to him and to his company, &c.-the duke replies, that not having any consciousness that such commands and prohibitions were proper to be made him, knowing for a certainty that they are not the real sentiments of the king, who on the contrary loves him affectionately, and is very earnest to see him, having often demanded his presence, he is aware that these false and wicked traitors have drawn up these instructions in an underhand manner, and that at this moment, when the enemy have landed in the kingdom, it is not a time to obey such orders and prohibitions; but this force, as well as the aid of all loyal subjects, ought now to be exerted in the defence of the country. Even supposing the enemies had not effected their invasion, the duke of Burgundy would not have suffered such false traitors to hold the government of the kingdom.

66

Item, respecting what is said of the duke of Burgundy and of others in his company, that supposing those who have the management of the king should have done acts displeasing to them, and added insults to insults, these were not sufficient reasons to authorise the duke to endeavour to destroy the kingdom, or to afford aid and advice to the English,—the duke replies, that in addition to what he has before said, and other innumerable instances too long to relate, it is notorious that the present ministers, namely, sir Henry de Marle, the bishop of Paris, sir Tanneguy du Châtel, sir Burel de Dammartin, master Stephen de Mauregard, master Philip de Corbie, with several others, have been the principal promoters, and leaders in those iniquitous measures, disturbers of the peace of the realm, and guilty of many other excesses and great crimes, as shall be detailed more at large hereafter. The duke of Burgundy, therefore, has not assembled his forces to destroy the kingdom, or to favour the English, but to drive the present ministers from power, and from about the person of the king; and he will never desist from this praiseworthy intention so long as life may be granted him, for they are not such persons as should have authority, not being worthy by birth, knowledge, experience, or loyalty; and it is become a subject of contempt and laughter that persons of such low estate, and of so small a share of knowledge or experience, should have intrusted to them the expulsion of the English. The barons and principal persons of the realm should weigh this matter well, and not suffer themselves to be thus supplanted by persons of no understanding or birth; for they have shown themselves of weak capacity in daily committing acts of the utmost cruelty on the liege subjects of the king, under pretence of maintaining justice and order.

66

Item, in respect to what relates to the king having (at the solicitations of the count de Hainault, whose soul may God pardon!) from a love of peace, granted to the duke of Burgundy and those who had served him, many handsome gifts, but which the duke made light of, the duke replies, that from his anxiety to preserve peace and union in France, which he has ever felt and feels from the bottom of his heart, he waited on my lord the dauphin lately deceased, and my lord of Hainault, to whose souls may God show mercy! and after much conversation relative to a peace, the duke of Burgundy offered them a schedule of his terms for the conclusion thereof, with all who may be desirous of partaking of it, with the exception of king Louis of Sicily, lately deceased, on account of disputes that existed between them: with this proposal, the dauphin and the count de Hainault were perfectly satisfied. For the accomplishment of which, they were to meet at Compiegne, as every despatch would be necessary, the sooner to put an end to the miseries of war. However, those traitors who surround the king, by their intrigues, protracted the business for three months, or thereabout, without coming to any final decision. The count de Hainault at length went to Paris, and, by means of the queen, procured from these traitors

a sort of agreement to the offers of peace, with which he was satisfied; but during these negotiations, he privately learnt, that it was intended to arrest him and the queen, and imprison them, that they might manage the dauphin as they should please; and this information caused the count de Hainault to quit Paris precipitately and return to Compiegne, where soon after the dauphin was carried off from this life in a most wicked and damnable manner*, which has been before related in different letters-patent from the duke of Burgundy.

"After the dauphin's decease, the count de Hainault returned to his own county, whither was addressed the answer of the king's ministers to the proposals for peace, which much displeased him he said, that since the death of the dauphin they had changed their minds, and totally altered and perverted what had before been agreed upon. This answer he sent to the duke of Burgundy, who, having maturely considered it with his council, found it was highly derogatory to the honour and welfare of the king and his realm, as well as to himself the duke of Burgundy, and paid no regard to it. Instigated, however, by such conduct, he despatched into several parts of the kingdom a manifesto declaratory of the ruin of the country were the present ministers continued in power, and his firm resolution to do everything to prevent it, by driving them from about the person of the king. This declaration he presented himself to the count de Hainault during his last illness, who having heard the contents read, was very willing that it should be published throughout his dominions, saying that it was well done of the duke of Burgundy; for the traitors that surrounded the king were worse than imagination could form an idea of, making at the same time an offer of his personal services, should God grant him the grace to recover from his illness; and should sickness detain him, he offered the duke the aid of his vassals, friends, well wishers, and money. He then swore, by a round oath, that if he had not suddenly left Paris, the traitors intended to have arrested the queen and himself, as is now notorious from their subsequent conduct to the queen; for they laid hands on her, and took possession of everything she possessed, to the great disgrace of the king and of all his family.

"It is likewise true, that when the duke of Burgundy was at Lagny, the duke of Brittany ran great risks at Paris, and was forced to depart thence because he was desirous of procuring a peace to France. The count de Hainault also added, with a great oath, that were the English at one of the gates of Paris, and the duke of Burgundy at another, they would permit the English to enter the city rather than the duke of Burgundy. All these things did the count de Hainault say in the presence of madame de Hainault, my lord de Charolois, my lord de St. Pol, the treasurer of Hainault, John the bastard, master Eustace de Lactre, my lord de Champdivers, and several others. It is very clear that the king's ministers have no inclination to promote the good of the realm; for they have lately caused the declaratory letters of the duke of Burgundy to be publicly burned in the courts of the Palace at Paris, in which the duke offered peace to all who were willing to accept of it from him, as has been before related. This act is but a poor revenge on their part, and a pitiful weakness thus to burn a few skins of parchment.

"Item, to conclude; that all persons may know the will and intention of the duke of Burgundy, he thus declares publicly that he shall persist in his present line of conduct until he shall have had a long audience of the king, to remonstrate with him on the enormous abuses committed by the present government, and to lay before him the means of reformation, which are such as must be satisfactory to his majesty and to every honest man in the kingdom, notwithstanding the duke had offered, by his declaratory letters, peace to all, but which the king's ministers would not accept, and have persevered in their wickedness. The duke of Burgundy, desirous of procuring peace to the kingdom, which is in so great want of it, is willing to lay aside all thoughts of revenge for the numerous insults offered him, and again proposes peace on the same terms on which he has before done.”

When the duke of Burgundy had, as he thought, fully answered all the charges made against him in the paper of instructions given by the king's order to the lord de Canny, a fair copy was written thereof, and delivered to the lord de Canny, who took leave of the duke and returned to the king at Paris, carrying the above answers with him.

* See chapter 161.

CHAPTER CLXXIII.—THE LORD DE CANNY, ON HIS RETURN FROM HIS EMBASSY TO PARIS, IS ACCUSED BY THE ROYAL COUNCIL.-ORDERS ARE ISSUED AGAINST THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.

PREVIOUSLY to the return of the lord de Canny to Paris, his secretary had given copies of the instructions, and the duke of Burgundy's answer, to many of his friends, insomuch that they made them public long before they were laid before the king and his ministers. In consequence, when the lord de Canny had an audience, to make his report of the embassy, he was told in full council, "Lord de Canny, you have shown yourself very unworthy of the king's confidence by thus distributing copies of the king's instructions and the duke of Burgundy's answer, of which this is one of them, that you have dispersed at Amiens, Paris, and elsewhere, among your friends and acquaintance, with no good intent toward the king's service." The copy was compared with the original, signed by the duke's own hand, and found perfectly similar, to the great confusion of the lord de Canny, who, in excuse, said they must have been distributed by his secretary, who had fled from his service.

The lord de Canny was, notwithstanding, carried prisoner to the bastile of St. Anthony, where he was confined a long space of time, even until the taking of Paris; for the ministers were very much displeased that the duke of Burgundy's answers should have been made public in so many places; and whatever they may have affected, they were greatly alarmed at the duke's power, for they had been informed that the greater part of the principal towns, and the commonalty throughout the kingdom, were favourable to him, as well as many of the principal lords and gentlemen.

When they found from the duke's answers that he was determined to persevere in his enterprise of marching his army to Paris to demand an audience of the king, they were more uneasy at their situation than before; for they knew they would be driven from their places, and many of them criminally punished, should he succeed in his object. To obviate this as much as in them lay, they caused letters to be written in the king's name, and sent to all the chief towns in France, to command them neither to admit within their walls the duke of Burgundy or any of his partisans, nor to pay any obedience to them. They also placed garrisons at all the passes and other important places; and the constable even remanded his men from Normandy for the greater security of Paris.

Thus whilst the king of England was making good his landing in France with an immense army, as has been said, he found no difficulties in adding to his conquests,—and, from the effect of these internal divisions, he met with scarcely any resistance.

MARCH TOWARD PARIS.-
HE PLACES CAPTAINS

CHAPTER CLXXIV.-THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY CONTINUES HIS
SEVERAL TOWNS AND FORTS SURRENDER TO HIM, IN WHICH
AND GOVERNORS.

AFTER the duke of Burgundy had remained some days in Amiens, and had delegated the government of his dominions in Picardy to his eldest son the count de Charolois, with an able council to assist him, he departed thence and returned to Corbie, and continued his march to Mondidier. During this time, the lady of the castle of Mouy promised that she would no longer permit her people to make inroads on the territories of the duke. He was accompanied to Mondidier by the young count de St. Pol, sir John de Luxembourg, and many other great barons, such as the lord de Fosseux and his three brothers, sir Philip, sir James, and sir John, sir Jennet de Poix, Hector, Philippe, and le bon de Saveuses, the lord de Rambures, sir Burnel, and Louis de Varigines, and others. He went from Mondidier to Beauvais,-in which place he was received on certain assurances in the name of the duke of Burgundy, in like manner as had been done at Amiens.

To this town the lord de Fosseux had previously marched, and caused the mayor, sheriffs, and commonalty, to be harangued by master Robert le jeune, advocate and counsellor to the

duke of Burgundy, on the sincere and loyal affection the duke bore to the king and realm, as well as to the whole royal family. He explained the object of the duke's enterprise as being to reform the abuses in the government of the kingdom, which had been caused by those persons of low degree and weak understandings that had usurped the management of the king and his council. The townsmen of Beauvais were well satisfied with this harangue, and finally consented to admit the duke, and as large a force as he should please, into their town. The duke, in consequence, marched thither from Mondidier, and was most joyfully received, carols being sung in all the streets through which he passed. He was lodged at the bishop's palace, and tarried there eight whole days,—while his army was quartered in the adjacent country, which suffered severely therefrom, although it was abundantly supplied with every necessary.

During his stay at Beauvais, some of the inhabitants from Gournay, in Normandy, were deputed thither by the governor and commonalty, to submit themselves to his obedience, and to offer attachment to his party. The duke received them kindly, and made them swear obedience and loyalty to the king and himself, which they instantly complied with. He acquitted them of gabelles, subsidies, and all taxes, as he had done to those of others of the king's towns that had submitted themselves to him.

In the meantime Hector and Philip de Saveuses, sir Elyon de Jacqueville, and some other captains, made an excursion to Beaumont-sur-Oise, in the hope of gaining that pass; but it was well defended by the constable's men within the place, and they were forced to return by the town of Chambly-le-Haubergier, where they pillaged from churches and other places, and brought a very considerable booty to the duke their lord at Beauvais, who, a few days after, sent great part of his army to quarter themselves at Chambly and in the neighbouring villages. Shortly after, the duke departed from Beauvais with the remainder of his army, the whole of which was so considerable that it was estimated, by those who ought to know, at sixty thousand horse.

By the intrigues and solicitations of a gentleman called Charles de Mouy, the lord of IsleAdam* joined the party of the duke of Burgundy, and delivered up his town and pass to John de Fosseux, Hector and Philip de Saveuses, who placed therein, as a garrison, a sufficient number of their men-at-arms. When the duke was informed of this, he was very much rejoiced that the lord de l'Isle-Adam had joined him, and delivered up the passage through his town.

On the other hand, John de Luxembourg crossed the river Oise, with a number of menat-arms which he had at Presy, in small boats, making their horses swim the river; and he quartered them at a village hard by. The morrow, he led the greater part of them to Senlis, of which town sir Robert d'Esne was bailiff for the king, having under him about sixty combatants. He made a sally with his men on foot against those of John of Luxembourg, and a grand skirmish took place. However, the majority of the commonalty of the town were not well pleased that sir Robert should thus wage war on the friends of the duke of Burgundy and on the ensuing night, when John of Luxembourg had retreated, the townsmen rose, seized sir Robert d'Esne and all his men, after eight or ten had been killed, and carried him to prison; but through the interference of some of the principal inhabitants, he was permitted to leave the town with his men and baggage, and he went thence to MontEpiloy. The next day those of Senlis sent very early for John of Luxembourg, before whom they swore obedience to the duke of Burgundy. He received their oaths in the names of the king and duke, promising loyalty and good behaviour, and appointed Troullart de Moncruel, bailiff of Senlis, with other officers according to his pleasure. When this was done, John of Luxembourg returned to the duke of Burgundy.

* Charles, son of Ancel de l'Isle-Adam, lord of Puysieux, and grand-échanson of France, killed at Azincourt.

CLXXV. THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY CROSSES THE RIVER OISE WITH HIS ARMY AT L'ISLEADAM. HE BESIEGES AND CONQUERS BEAUMONT AND PONTOISE, -WHENCE HE REMOVES HIS QUARTERS TO L'ARBRE-SEC.

WHEN the duke of Burgundy had repaired the bridge at l'Isle-Adam, the greater part of his army passed over under the command of the lords de Fosseux, de Vergy, and de Salnoe, and were lodged in the open fields, and under hedges and bushes, within the distance of a league from where they had crossed the river. On the morrow they decamped, and marched in battle array to Beaumont-sur-Oise, and quartered themselves in the town, and around the castle, in spite of the resistance made by those within it. Sir Jennet de Poix, with four hundred combatants under his banner, advanced to a village a league further, and on the road toward Paris, which he fortified, and kept possession of until the whole army was dislodged. The duke of Burgundy was encamped on the other side of the river, and had his artillery pointed to batter the castle of Beaumont from across the Oise; and they kept up so brisk an attack that the castle was damaged in several places. The besieged, seeing they were in danger of being taken by storm, surrendered to the will of the duke of Burgundy. Fifty-two persons were found in the castle, nine of whom were beheaded, and their bodies hung by the arms to trees; the rest, or the greater part, were set at liberty on paying a heavy ransom; and the lord de Vergy, marshal of the army, received, by right of his office, all the effects that were found in the castle.

The duke of Burgundy revictualled this castle, and gave the command of it to a Burgundian gentleman called John de Torsenay. After this conquest, the duke ordered the van, which was on the opposite side of the river, to advance toward Paris and to quarter themselves at the abbey of Morbuisson, and other places near to the town of Pontoise, while the duke should encamp on the side toward Beauvais, and by this means the town would be surrounded on all sides. On their arrival, the garrison made a sally, but were repulsed and driven back; and the duke soon after had his artillery pointed against the gates of Pontoise, making other preparations to subdue them. When the townsmen noticed these things, they opened a parley, and, five days after, surrendered the place to the duke, on condition that their lives and fortunes should be spared. They also promised not to bear arms against him until Christmas-day ensuing; but this they did not keep, for on his arrival at Paris they continued their warfare against him as before. There were within the town three captains having banners, namely, the bastard de S. Terre, Tromagon and Maurigon, natives of Gascony, who marched away together under the passport of the duke, and, crossing the bridge at Meulan, went to Paris. After their departure, the duke, with a few attendants, entered the town to examine it, and was well received by several of the townsmen who had been long attached to him. When there, he issued a proclamation throughout the army, forbidding all persons to enter the town but such as were especially ordered so to do. To prevent the provisions within the place from being wasted or destroyed, he appointed, in the king's name, and in his own, the lord de l'Isle-Adam governor of it.

When these things were done, the duke marched away, taking the road to Meulan, from which place terms were offered him; for the men-at-arms who had been posted there by the constable had marched away, in company with those from Pontoise to Paris. The duke ordered his whole army to be drawn up in battle-array between Pontoise and Meulan, that he might see it in order of battle, as if in the presence of the enemy. The spot where the soldiers were drawn up, was a handsome plain at the foot of a hill; and it was a very agreeable sight to him, for there were a number of nobles and gentlemen handsomely equipped, and willing to serve him against all his opponents: the principal, and those of name, were as follows.

First, count Philip de St. Pol, son to duke Anthony of Brabant, and nephew to the duke of Burgundy, sir John de Luxembourg, the lord d'Antoing,* the lord de Fosseux and his

John de Melun, lord of Antoing, (son of Hugh, son of Tancarville.) He was constable of Flanders, viscount of John I., viscount of Melun, grandfather of the count of Ghent, and died very old in 1484.