ページの画像
PDF
ePub

When all these feasts were over, the lord Fanhope departed, with his attendants, from St. Omer, and, by way of Calais, returned to England; but sir Robert Roos remained with the duke of Orleans, with the intent of accompanying him to the king of France, having been commissioned on an embassy to him by the king of England.

During these times, some of the principal inhabitants of Bruges came to St. Omer, as they were very anxious for their lord the duke of Burgundy, in whose good graces they were not thoroughly established, to come to their town; for although a reconciliation had indeed taken place, he had declared that he would never enter their town again unless he were conducted thither by a greater lord than himself. The Bruges men, therefore, humbly solicited the duke of Orleans that he would out of his grace request the duke of Burgundy to go thither, and that he would he pleased to conduct him. The duke of Orleans granted their request, and the duke of Burgundy having assented, they both made preparations for their journey to Bruges, where they were most joyfully received. The town of Bruges made such rich and grand preparations for the reception of the two dukes and duchesses, that it exceeded all that had ever been done by them, and deserves a brief description.

When the inhabitants of Bruges learnt that the two dukes were approaching the town, all the magistrates with their officers and servants, together with the deacons, constables, and others to the amount agreed on, issued out of the gates, and advanced to an inn beyond the boundaries of the town called The Three Kings. They might be upward of fourteen hundred in the whole, and were drawn up on an open spot to wait the coming of their lord. On seeing the duke of Burgundy advance by the side of the duke of Orleans, they approached in good array with bare feet unhooded and ungirdled,-and throwing themselves on their knees, with uplifted hands, most humbly supplicated him in the presence of the two duchesses and the whole company, to forgive them their past offences, according to the tenor of the peace. The duke delayed some little to answer,-but, at the prayer of the duke of Orleans, he granted their request. This done, the magistrates presented him with the keys of all their gates, and then, rising up, retired aside to dress themselves. At this moment, processions from the different churches, as well as of the four mendicant orders of friars, monks, nuns, and beguines, made their appearance, bearing their relics and dressed in their best copes. They were in great numbers, and, on hearing that their lord was now satisfied with them, chanted forth lustily "Te Deum laudamus," &c. The greater part of them attended him to his hôtel.

All the merchants from different nations then resident in Bruges came out on horseback most handsomely arrayed to meet the duke. On the other hand stages were erected at various parts where he passed, on which were represented divers pageants. The streets, on each side, were hung with tapestries and rich cloths; and in respect to trumpets of silver, clarions, and other musical instruments, there were so many that the whole town resounded with them. There were also several pageants with figures of animals that spouted out wine and other liquors, for all who pleased to regale themselves. In short, it is not in the memory of man that ever the inhabitants of Bruges made so magnificent a display, on the reception of their lord, as they now did. When the duke had dismounted at his hôtel, he was waited on by the magistrates to give him welcome: having received them kindly, he ordered the governor of Flanders to return them the keys of their town, which they had presented to him, saying that he had now the fullest confidence in them. This speech rejoiced them very much, and they all huzzaed. Carols had been sung through all the streets on his arrival,— and when night came, the houses were so well illuminated that the town seemed one blaze of light.

On the morrow, justs were held in the market-place: the lord de Vaurin won one prize, and the heir of Cleves the other. This last was supplied with lances by his uncle the duke of Burgundy. At the end of the justs, supper was served, and then dancings took place, to which all the damsels of Bruges were invited. On the ensuing Tuesday, other justs were held in the market-place,—and the company supped at the house of the sheriffs, where they were splendidly entertained at the expense of the town. On the Saturday, the count and countess of Charolois, daughter to the king of France, arrived from Charolois,-when the duke of Orleans, many nobles, the municipality of the town and several of the principal

burghers, went out to meet them, and conducted them to the court-yard of the hôtel of the duke of Burgundy.

On Sunday, a variety of diversions took place; but it would be tedious to relate them all: suffice it to say, that the inhabitants exerted themselves in every manner they could imagine from love to their lord and prince, and in honour to the duke of Orleans and those that were with them; they even made him handsome presents, that pleased him much.

On the following day, the duke and duchess of Orleans left Bruges, with their attendants, which caused many tears from the ladies and damsels of the household of the duke of Burgundy on taking their leave of her. They went to Ghent, whither they were accompanied by the duke of Burgundy,-and were there received with every mark of honour. After a few days' stay, they departed thence, and were escorted out of the town by the duke of Burgundy. On taking their leave, they mutually promised henceforth to do everything possible for each other. The duke and duchess of Orleans went by slow days' journeys to Tournay, where they had a very flattering reception. From the time the duke had returned from England to his quitting the duke of Burgundy, many lords, and others, had come from France, and elsewhere, to welcome his return home, and to offer him their services, some of whom he retained in his service. Several even from the states of the duke of Burgundy had offered themselves, and were so pressing that many, as well gentlemen as damsels, were retained of his household, and in divers situations. Some knights and esquires had presented from eight to ten of their sons to him, for his pages, and about twenty-four companions from the Boulonnois, well mounted and equipped, were retained for his archers and body guards: in short, his retinue was increasing so fast, that when he arrived at Tournay he was followed by about three hundred horse. In regard to his order, it was granted to such numbers of knights and esquires, and others of low degree, who solicited it,—and so few were refused, that it was quite common throughout Picardy. Many were desirous of attaching themselves to him in the expectation and hope that when he should have seen the king he would have the principal government of France, and that they might then be advanced by various means: he himself also indulged this expectation. Some, however, more wise, thought otherwise, -and it happened as they had foreseen; for they said in secret, that it would have been more advisable in the duke to have made greater haste to wait on the king and with a smaller train of followers, and they thought that those who governed the king, and had done so during all the troubles, would not suffer any but themselves to rule the realm, although the duke of Orleans was the next heir to the crown of France after the dauphin, and had suffered much for it; but, notwithstanding this, it has been long seen that violent quarrels and dissentions can exist between such great lords.

The duke of Orleans, on leaving Tournay, went to Valenciennes, and thence to Quênoy-leComte, to visit his fair cousin the countess Margaret, dowager of Hainault, who received him with joy. After she had made him some gifts, he went to the city of Cambray, where he received many presents, and the town also gave him five hundred golden, French crowns. The duke had intended going to St. Quentin, on quitting Cambray; but some of his people gave him to understand, that he would incur a great risk to himself and his attendants by so doing, that he would be obliged to pass through some defiles commanded by the castles of sir John de Luxembourg, who had not yet sworn to observe the treaty of Arras. This was the cause that made him change his route; and he summoned some gentlemen from the Cambresis to aid him in the escort of his baggage. But had the duke been better informed of the state of parties, he needed not have feared sir John de Luxembourg for two reasons: first, because sir John was perfectly reconciled with the duke of Burgundy, and had even been at Bruges, where he had held many conferences with the duke of Orleans on his affairs, as well touching the lordship of Courcy as other matters of concern to both. Sir John had then left Bruges well inclined to the duke, and had offered to serve him, and do everything for his interest that he should think would be agreeable to him; whence it may naturally be supposed, that he would never have permitted any injuries to be done him on his road.

Secondly, because at the time the duke was at Cambray sir John was lying on his death-bed at his hôtel in Guise, and news of his decease was carried to the duke while in Cambray, which made him stay there two days longer than he had intended. He even

requested the magistrates of that town to choose him for their governor, in the room of the late sir John de Luxembourg, and he would obtain the usual and necessary confirmation of it from the king of France. The magistrates excused themselves from compliance as well as they could, saying, they dared not do it without the consent of their bishop.

The duke of Orleans went from Cambray to St. Quentin,-thence to Noyon, Compiégne, Senlis, and to Paris, where he remained some days. In all the towns he passed through, or stopped at, he was received with as many honours as if he had been the king of France or the dauphin. Everybody was full of hopes and confidence that great consolation would befal the kingdom of France on his return from imprisonment. The people more especially were rejoiced to see him again at liberty, for they had long wished for it.

It was the intention of the duke to hasten to the king as speedily as he now could; but he received such intelligence as made him delay it a considerable time; for a year or more. The cause of this delay was, that the king had been informed of the whole conduct the duke had held since his return from England,-of his oaths and alliance with the duke of Burgundy,-of having received his order,-how grandly he was accompanied,—of his having admitted into his household numbers of Burgundians, who had formerly waged war against him and his crown. The king was also told, that these connexions had been formed in opposition to him and his ministers,-and. that many great lords, such as the dukes of Brittany and Alençon, had joined the two dukes, with the view of forming a new administration,-and that henceforward his kingdom would be ruled by them, or such others as they might please to appoint, and that he would be only allowed a decent establishment to maintain his state, without a power of interfering in the government but as it might be agreeable to them, and with their consent. The king, who was ever inclined to suspicion, and to listen to such information, from the many plots that had been formed against him during his reign, readily believed what was now told him; but when he heard that the dukes of Brittany and Alençon had accepted of the order of the Golden Fleece, whatever doubts he might have had were strengthened. Those about his person repeated daily the same tales, assuring him that they were true, so that his suspicions were completely confirmed.

Notwithstanding that the king had ordered the duke of Orleans to come to him, telling the duke's messengers who had brought him the intelligence of his return from England, that he was very anxious to see him, he would not permit him to come (in consequence of the tales he had been told) but with a small retinue, leaving behind all the Burgundians he had retained in his service. The duke of Orleans, knowing the state of the court, and what had been told of him, went from Paris to Orleans, and thence to Blois, and to his other territories, where he was received with the utmost joy by his vassals and subjects, and many grand presents were made to him from these his possessions.

We must speak a little of sir John de Luxembourg, count de Ligny, who, as I have related, departed this life in the castle of Guise. His body was placed on a car, and carried, with every honour and a numerous attendance, to the church of Our Lady at Cambray, and placed on tressels within the choir. On the first night, vigils and funeral orisons were made; and he was watched until the morrow, when a grand funeral service was performed, and the coffin surrounded by a number of lighted torches held by his vassals. When this service was ended, he was interred without the choir, near to one of his ancestors called sir Waleran de Luxembourg, lord of Ligny and of Beaurevoir, as has been already told.

Sir John de Luxembourg had died without ever having taken the oaths of allegiance to king Charles, or to his commissioners, although often pressed to do it. Since the year 1435, when the peace of Arras was concluded, until the eve of Twelfth-day, in the year 1440, when he died, he had kept such good garrisons in all his towns and castles, that none of the three parties, France, England, and Burgundy, had done his lands any damage worth mentioning. With regard to the English, they were very desirous of pleasing him, for he had not yet broken with them, nor returned his bonds of alliance; and they had great hopes of being supported by him, should there be occasion. In like manner, he considered them as sure allies against all who should attempt to injure him. As to the Burgundians, there were few but were inclined to serve him; and although the duke of Burgundy was

for a time very indignant against him, from reports often brought to him, yet matters were not pushed to open hostilities, and he had recovered the good graces of the duke. The French, and particularly the captains of these marauding parties, feared him greatly; for they knew how personally valiant he was, and that he had always a sufficiency of men-atarms ready to resist all who meant to harass his lands. They also knew, that if he could meet them unawares, on any part of his territories, he would destroy them without mercy. For these reasons, therefore, whenever they approached any of his possessions they were glad to give assurances, under their seals, not to commit any damage to his vassals or country. This they had frequently done,—and he was contented to leave them unmolested. A short time, however, before his death, king Charles had determined in council to give him no farther respite from taking the oaths, and to raise a large army to conquer him, or at least to force him to take the oaths prescribed at the peace of Arras; but God, the creator of all things, provided a remedy, before it could be known what would have been the event of such proceedings.

Thus ended the life of sir John de Luxembourg, who was a valiant and enterprising knight, and much feared in all places where he was personally known; and he might be about fifty years of age when he died.

Shortly after his decease, one called Leurin de Moucy, to whom he had given in guard the castle of Coucy, surrendered it to the duke of Orleans, in consideration of a certain sum of money which he received, and refused to put it into the hands of the count de St. Pol, nephew and heir to sir John de Luxembourg. The townsmen of Neel and Beaulieu, in the Vermandois, expelled their governor, Lionel de Wandonne and all the friends of sir John de Luxembourg, and admitted the vassals of the lord de Mongaignier*. But the rest of the towns and castles were placed under the obedience of the count de St. Pol, by those who had the government of them.

CHAPTER CCLIII. THE KING OF FRANCE GOES TO TROYES IN CHAMPAGNE.

TOWNS AND FORTS SUBMIT TO HIS OBEDIENCE.-OTHER MATTERS.

SEVERAL

KING CHARLES of France now assembled a very large body of men from different provinces of his realm, and ordered those captains of whom I have spoken as Skinners, to join him instantly with their troops. When all were collected on the banks of the Loire, the king departed from Bourges in Berry, attended by the dauphin, the constable of France, the lord Charles d'Anjou, and lords without number. He marched to Troyes in Champagne, and remained there about three weeks. His men were quartered in the towns and villages in the open country round; but the greater part were sent to Auxerre, Tonnerre, and to the borders of Burgundy, where they harassed the country much. During his stay at Troyes, many towns and castles, which had formerly waged a severe warfare against him, submitted to his obedience. He also put an end to the quarrels between the house of Bar and Lorraine, and that of Vaudemont, and received into favour the heir of Commercy, and several lords on the borders of Burgundy, who had incurred his indignation.

Having finished these matters, the king went to his town of Bar-sur-Aube, whither came the bastard of Bourbon †, with a large train of men-at-arms, whom he had long maintained in the field. On his arrival, he was instantly accused of treasonable practices against the king; and, after the affair had been examined into, he was tried, and condemned to be sewed in a sack, and thrown into the river and drowned, which sentence was executed. His body, when dead, was taken out of the river, and buried in holy ground. It was currently reported that this execution had taken place because that, during the quarrel between the king and the dauphin, he had joined his brother the duke of Bourbon with a large force, and had been the principal actor in separating the dauphin from his father. It

*Mongaignier. Q. Montgaugier? John II. de Sainte Maure, lord of Montgaugier and Nesle, married Louise de Rochechouart, daughter to John lord Mortemart, and died 1463.

Alexander, a natural son of John I., duke of Bourbon, and brother of Charles I., the then duke.

was also said, that on the failure of the expedition to raise the siege of Harfleur, where he had served under the count d'Eu, he had gone to St. Omer, and offered his services to the duke of Burgundy, should he at any time have occasion for them, in compliment to the duke's brother-in-law the duke of Bourbon. This execution gave great alarm to many of the captains, who had for a long time been under arms, on pretence of forming part of the king's army, lest they should in like manner be punished for their wicked deeds.

CHAPTER CCLIV. THE ENGLISH IN THE CASTLE OF FOLLEVILLE DO MUCH DAMAGE TO THE COUNTRY ROUND AMIENS. THEY DEFEAT SOME PICARD LORDS AND THEIR MEN.

[ocr errors]

THE English garrison in the castle of Folleville did at this time much mischief to the countries round Amiens, Corbie, and in Santois, where they alarmed the town of Mondidier. They were about one hundred warriors, who kept the neighbourhood in such awe, that most of the towns were forced to pay them monthly a certain sum as protection-money, and a stipulated quantity of wheat, to the great oppression of the poor farmers+. They even made an attack one day on the town of Dours on the Somme. In the castle was the lord of the town; but, not having a sufficient force to resist them, he hastily mounted his horse and rode to Amiens, to demand succour. He found there the Lord de Saveuses, the governor of Amiens, and many gentlemen and warriors, who unanimously agreed to accompany him in the pursuit of the English. They overtook the English near to Folleville, whither they were retreating in handsome array, carrying with them the immense plunder they had taken.

It was ordered that the lord de Saveuses should lead the infantry, and the lord de Dours §, the lord de Contay ||, and the lord de Tilloye, Guichart de Fiennes, and other gentlemen, should gallop up to the English, and cry out to them to halt and fight with their enemies on horse and on foot; but these orders were not observed; for those on horseback, eager to engage their adversaries, made a full charge without waiting the coming up of the infantry, which turned out very unfortunately for them. The English seeing the enemy approach, and being more numerous, formed two divisions, placing their horses in the rear, that they might not be attacked on that quarter, and defended themselves so valiantly that most part of the French were slain. In this number were the lord de Dours, Guichart de Fiennes, John de Beaulieu, and other noble gentlemen. The principal among the prisoners was sir Martel d'Antoch, lord of Tilloye. The remainder escaped by flight; not, however, without having some of their horses wounded and killed from fatigue.

The lord de Saveuses, seeing the unfortunate issue of the day, kept the infantry under his command together as well as he could, and rallied some of the horse who were flying homeward. He marched them back to Amiens, very much afflicted at their ill-fortune. Shortly after, by a treaty with the English, they obtained the naked bodies of the dead, to inter them in their own sepultures. Some of the relations and friends of the slain would have thrown the blame of this defeat on the lord de Saveuses, saying that he did not advance fast enough with the infantry to support the cavalry when engaged. He answered this charge by declaring, that as the infantry had been put under his command by the unanimous consent of the captains then present, he could not advance faster than he did without leaving his troops behind him.

* Folleville,—a village in Picardy near to Bretueil. This protection-money was well known on the borders of England and Scotland, under the name of Black Mail.

De Dours. Q. Dourcha? which, in Bleau's Atlas, is on the Somme; but I cannot find Dours, or Dourcha, in the Gazetteer of France.

§ Q. Peter lord of Douars, youngest son to Guy V.,

lord of la Tremouille, and uncle to George count of Guisnes, left issue a son, John lord of Douars, in whose son, John, this branch of the house terminated.

Q. Conti? Ferry de Mailly (often before mentioned) was lord of Conti by descent from Isabel the heiress of that house, who married Colard de Mailly, surnamed "Le Jeune."

« 前へ次へ »