distressed brethren, and to oppose the enemy of the faith. When the duke had read this letter from the pope, the knight presented him with others that the Turk had written and sent to our holy father. After the perusal of all these letters, the duke grandly feasted the knight who had brought them, at the same time giving him many rich presents, and saying that, should it please God, he would speedily afford good assistance to the Christians against the Turk. In fact, he soon afterwards despatched four galleys well filled with men-at-arms, artillery and stores, as a beginning of what he intended; writing, at the same time, to the pope, an answer to his letter, explanatory of his future intentions.

Shortly after the departure of the knight, the duke of Cleves came to Lille, on a visit to his uncle duke Philip of Burgundy, and staid until the beginning of Lent. Many great feasts and banquets were given alternately by the different great lords, which were begun by the count d'Estampes with a very handsome one, that was marvellously well supplied with every delicacy. At the end of the banquet, a most beautiful young girl, well accompanied, entered the hall, bearing a chaplet of flowers, when, mounting the table, she gracefully placed it on the head of duke Philip, who received it with joy. The ceremony of the chaplet signified that he was to give the next entertainment, which he did most magnificently about twelve days after, in the manner I shall now describe.

About one hour after mid-day, a knight, sprung from the race of the celebrated knights of the Swan, issued out of the duke's palace brilliantly armed. This was sir Adolphus of Cleves, nephew to the duke, who held a justing in the market-place of Lille, that day, against all comers, with one course of a lance. He was preceded by the figure of a swan as large as a horse, having on his neck a chain of fine gold, with which he led the knight: on each side of the swan was a savage, and the knight was surrounded by little angels. The knight was immediately followed by the duke, so sumptuously dressed it was delightful to see him. When they had escorted the knight to the market-place, he tilted with all that chose to encounter with him, namely, Charles count de Charolois, Louis count de Saint Pol, his brother the lord de Fiennes, sir Anthony bastard of Burgundy, and many more.

:

After the justing, the company returned to the duke's palace, and he escorted thither himself those ladies and damsels who had been present at the tilt the principal of whom were the lady Isabella of Portugal, the duchess, and the lady Isabella of Bourbon, niece to the duke, the lady of Ravestein, and numbers of others most richly dressed.

The banquet was quite ready on their return; and when the company were seated, three large carriages, splendidly ornamented, descended from the ceiling, full of every delicacy in meats and liquors: each carriage contained a service. In front of the upper table was a fountain playing water, and in the middle of the hall was a live lion, before whom a man was beating a little dog, and near the lion, in an arbour, was a savage. In another part of the hall was the figure of a damsel, from whose breasts spouted hippocras in great abundance: beside the damsel was an infant that pissed rose-water. There were so many other pageants it would be tiresome to mention them all. Opposite to the duke's table was a representation of a church, whence issued a friar seated on a dromedary, led by a living giant. The friar addressed his speech to the duke, remonstrating, in eloquent language, how the church was daily losing its inheritances, and Christendom trampled under foot by the enemies of the faith. He called to his remembrance the valour of deceased princes: how in their time they had, by their courage, supported and defended the church. As he was thus uttering his complaints, in the name of the holy church, Golden Fleece, the duke's herald of the order, entered with a pheasant finely roasted and adorned, and presented it to the duke as an entremets, saying such a dish was appropriate to making vows. The duke replied, that he was right; and in the presence of the whole company vowed to God the Father, God the Son, and GOD the blessed Holy Ghost, three persons in one GOD, to the glorious Virgin Mary, mother of GOD, and the whole Court of Paradise, that if the king of France would engage, during his absence, to maintain his estates in tranquillity, he would himself march his whole army into Turkey, and combat army with army, or personally, with the Grand Turk until death, at the choice of the Turk. The company before they heard this vow had been all joy, but they now began to weep and groan.

The pheasant was presented to each of the great lords present, who all made vows to the same effect, but under different conditions. To relate the whole would take up too much time, so I shall pass them over, and say, that the banquet was succeeded by dancings and mummeries, after which every one retired to his home.*

IS

CHAPTER LXIV.-CHARLES COUNT DE CHAROLOIS, SON TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, BETROTHED TO HIS COUSIN-GERMAN THE LADY ISABELLA OF BOURBON.THE DUKE

GOES INTO GERMANY, AND SOON AFTER HIS RETURN, THE COUNT MARRIES HIS

COUSIN-GERMAN.

ABOUT eight days after this banquet, and in the first week of March, in the same year, the count de Charolois was betrothed, by order of his father the duke of Burgundy, to his cousin-german the lady Isabella of Bourbon, daughter to the duke of Bourbon; and the duke sent to Rome for the dispensations necessary for their marriage. After this, he dismissed his household for twelve-months, as he intended to remain so long in Germany.

On the 15th of March, the duke left Lille privately attended, and passed through Burgundy on his road to Germany, where he was to meet the Emperor Frederic and other princes of Germany, to learn whether they would join him in a war against the Turk, or suffer his army to pass through their territories without molestation or hindrance. He was grandly feasted by many of the German princes; but the emperor, who loved ease more than exertion, and preferred peace to war, pretended to be ill, and sent word to the duke that it would not be worth his while to proceed farther in the country, giving him hopes that at the end of six months he would meet him to conclude the business he was so urgent upon. The duke was now forced to abandon his expedition, and he returned to his country of Burgundy, where he staid some time.

CHAPTER LXV.-THE KING OF FRANCE GOES TO HIS CASTLE OF LUSIGNAN.-THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY TAKES FRONSAC.-THE FRENCH BESIEGE CHASTILLON.-LORD SHREWSBURY ASSEMBLES A LARGE FORCE TO RAISE THIS SIEGE. HE IS THERE SLAIN.

In this same year of 1454, the king of France left Tours, and fixed his residence at the castle of Lusignan ; and in the mean time, Lord Shrewsbury laid siege to the castle of Fronsac. The governor for king Charles was Joachim Rohault, who was forced to surrender to the English because the king's army was not ready; but the garrison marched away with arms and baggage.

On the 2d of June, the king departed from Lusignan for St.. Jean d'Angely † ; and on the 7th, Challais was besieged by sir John de Chabannes grand-master of the king's household, the count de Penthievre, the lords de St. Severe and de Boussac. On the 18th, it was won by storm by the above lords and their men, amounting to four or five hundred lances, archers, and some franc-archers, although eight-score § combatants were there in garrison. From sixty to eighty were killed, and the rest retreated to a tower, wherein they held out for a time expecting to be relieved; but as no succours came, they surrendered to the king's pleasure: in consequence, they were all beheaded for having broken their oaths of allegiance. The lord d'Anglades had indeed left Bordeaux for their relief, but when he heard what had passed, he returned back as speedily as he could.

The French laid siege to Châtillon in Perigord, the 13th day of July: it is situated on the river Dordogne, and was occupied by the English. The lords de Lohéac and de Jalognes, marshals of France, were ordered to conduct the siege, having with them many great barons, knights and esquires, and from sixteen to eighteen hundred men-at-arms and archers. In

For further particulars, I refer the reader to a note in the Travels of Bertrandon de la Brocquiere.

† St. Jean d'Angely-an ancient town in Saintonge, 38

leagues from Bordeaux.

Challais in Saintonge, near Saintes. § Eight-score,-probably eight hundred.

the above number are included the men-at-arms of the count du Maine, under the command of sir Pierre de Beauveau, lord de la Bessiere: those of the count de Nevers, commanded by sir Ferry de Grancey: those of the count de Castres, son to the lord de la Marche *, under sir Louis du Puy, seneschal of la Marche, Guillaume de Lusac and Jean de Messignac : those of the duke of Brittany, having for chief his nephew the count d'Estampes, but commanded by the lord de la Hunodaie and the lord de Montauban, because the count d'Estampes had remained with the king. The royal artillery, both small and great, was also sent thither, under the direction of master John Bureau and his brother Jasper Bureau, master of the artillery. They had with them seven hundred labourers, to work the guns and bombards. The two brothers first ordered the park of artillery to be strongly surrounded with ditches, and made secure against the enemy, before they attended to the siege.

The earl of Shrewsbury, hearing of this, hastily set off from Bordeaux, with eight hundred or a thousand horse, attended by his son lord Lisle, the lord Molyns, and many others, the most valiant of the English captains, as well lords as knights and esquires, from the Bordelois and from England. He was followed by four or six thousand English on foot. The earl and his companions arrived at the siege on the 17th of July, about day-break; and when the French saw him advancing, they retreated into the field wherein the artillery had been placed, and which had been fortified with ditches, but he fell in with some of the francarchers, who had been unable to effect their retreat, and killed from one hundred to six-score of them. The French made great exertions to retire within the inclosure, for the English were advancing fast on them, thinking that they were flying, having abandoned their siege. The earl, in the meantime, as he was waiting for the infantry, had a pipe of wine set on its end, and drawn off to refresh his men. The French had now nearly all gained the park, and were forming in handsome order: the cannoneers had also brought their guns to the ditches, and pointed them against the English.

Those in Châtillon had found means to send information to lord Shrewsbury at Bordeaux, that if he would hastily march to their relief, the French would fly: he was therefore exceedingly surprised, on his arrival, to see the manner in which the French had intrenched themselves, and how well they had posted their artillery. The commanders to oppose the English were the lords marshals, the grand-master of the household, the count de Penthievre, the seneschal of Poitou, the lord de la Bessiere, sir John Bureau, and others having the conduct of the siege, besides several great lords who had taken the field against the king's enemies. Lord Shrewsbury and his companions advanced boldly to the barriers, thinking to force an entrance into the park; but he found there such valiant opposers, who seemed eager to display their courage, as astonished him, after the intelligence he had received from those in Châtillon. The car was mounted on a small hackney, and did not dismount on account of his age†; but he ordered all others so to do. The English had eight banners displayed, namely, that of the king of England, of St. George, of the Trinity, of the earl of Shrewsbury, and others, with the standards of the nobility skilfully arranged.

The attack commenced with great valour, and each party fought manfully, so that the business lasted a full hour; at the end of which, the men-at-arms of the duke of Brittany, under the command of the lords de Montauban and de la Hunodaie, were sent for to relieve the French who had been thus long engaged at the barriers. On their arrival, by the aid of God and their own prowess, the English were forced to turn their backs, and were beaten down, with all their banners, by these Bretons. The artillery played so well that the English were constrained to fly, but not without numbers being left dead on the spot. The hackney of lord Shrewsbury was struck down by a culverin-ball, and he was put to death by the French, as he lay under him ‡.

* Louis de Puy, lord of Coudraimorlin, baron of field."-Andrews' Hist. of Great Britain, A.D. Bellefay, &c., son of Geoffry de Puy, who was killed at 1453, 4, 5. Azincourt. He married a daughter of Antoine de Prie, lord of Buzancais, before mentioned.

He was then 86 or 87 years old.

"He fell gloriously, together with his gallant son the lord l'Isle, who, though entreated to escape by the dying hero, chose to share his father's fate rather than quit the

VOL. II.

"The herald of this glorious veteran sought out the body amongst the heaps of slain, wept over it, and embraced it with these pathetic words: Alas! my lord, and is it you? I pray God pardon all your misdoings! I have been your officer of arms forty years and more: it is time that I should surrender to you the ensigns of my office.'

Q

Among the slain were the lord l'Isle *, sir Hedoual Haul†, Thomas Aurigan, the lord de Pingulan, a Gascon knight, and thirty of the most valiant knights, as it was said, from England. Lord Molyns ‡ was made prisoner. As the French were much fatigued, and on foot, they could not pursue the enemy, so that numbers of English and Gascons escaped; and about eight hundred or a thousand retreated into Châtillon, among whom were the count de Candale§, son to the captal de Buch, the lords de Montferrant, de Rosem, and d'Anglades; the lord de l'Esparre escaped also, who had been the principal author of this rebellion. Those who could not enter the town fled by land or water, but in regard to the last, they were mostly all drowned.

the

The count de Penthievre, the bailiff of Touraine, and several French, having at length mounted their horses, pursued the runaways as far as the walls of St. Emilion ||, killing all they could overtake. When the French were recovered from their fatigues, they buried the dead, consisting of four or five hundred on the side of the English. On the morrow, French marshals ordered all their artillery to be brought to bear on the walls of Châtillon, to rejoice those within it; but when the townsmen saw these vast preparations, they began to humble themselves, and to lower the pride with which they were filled, by surrendering themselves to the king's will: they were estimated at fifteen hundred combatants; and the chief lords were constituted prisoners to the king.

CHAPTER LXVI.

AFTER THE REDUCTION OF CHATILLON THE FRENCH TAKE ST. EMILION AND LIBOURNE. THE KING JOINS HIS ARMY BEFORE BORDEAUX, IN WHICH WERE GREAT NUMBERS OF ENGLISH.-THAT TOWN SURRENDERS ON CAPITULATION.

-

AFTER the surrender of Châtillon, the French commanders marched the army and artillery to St. Emilion, the garrison of which instantly submitted, as it was impossible to make any resistance, and were mercifully received. Thence the army advanced toward Libourne, which had not willingly turned to the English when lord Shrewsbury first arrived at Bordeaux; but the French garrison, hearing of his coming, had fled: the townsmen were, therefore, forced to submit ; and, on this account, they were admitted into favour with the king. At this time, the count de Clermont, as lieutenant-general for the king of France in Guienne and the Bordelois, kept his army on the other side of the Gironde. He had with him the count de Foix, the count d'Albreth, the lord d'Orval his son; sir Theaulde de Valpergue, bailiff of Lyon; the lord de Saintrailles, master of the horse to the king; sir Bernard de Béarn, the viscount de Turenne, the lord de Lavedan ¶, and many other captains, to the number of eight hundred lances and archers, who acted so prudently, that the English forces in that country and in Bordeaux, to the amount of eight thousand combatants, never offered them battle, nor prevented them making prisoners, or destroying convoys of provision and wine. On the 14th day of July, the counts de Clermont, de Foix, and d'Albreth, laid

Thus saying, with the tears gushing from his eyes, he threw his coat of arms over the corpse, thus performing one of the ancient rites of sepulture."-Registre de Wyrkson, apud Anstis.

The children of the great lord Talbot were, by his first marriage with Maud Neville, three sons, viz., Thomas, who died in his lifetime; John, who succeeded him as earl of Shrewsbury, &c.; and sir Christopher Talbot, knight. By his second marriage with Margaret, daughter of Richard Beauchamp, carl of Warwick, he had John (viscount l'Isle, so created in reference to the titles of his mother's family), who, being already signalised by his valour on many great occasions, fell gloriously, together with his father on this day. He served with two bannerets, four knights, 73 men-at-arms, and 800 archers. He left issue, Thomas viscount l'Isle, who, in 1470, was slain in a private feud with the lord Berkeley, at Wotton-underedge in Staffordshire. Sir Edward Hull.-STOWE.

William, lord Molyns, who was killed before Orleans

in 1429, left only a daughter, who was married to Robert Hungerford, Esq., grandson of Walter lord treasurer Hungerford, in 1441. This Robert Hungerford, lord Molyns, in right of his wife, was eldest son to Robert, lord Hungerford, son of Walter, and served in this year (1453) with one banneret, 2 knights, 56 men-at-arms, and 600 archers. He remained a prisoner for seven years, after which, siding with the Lancastrians, he was attainted 1 Edw. 4. and beheaded after the battle of Hexham, two years afterwards.

John captal de Buch was created earl of Kendal by king Henry VI., and his descendants retained the title, metamorphosed into that of Candale, for several generations after they had submitted to the crown of France.

St. Emilion, on the Dordogne, near Libourne, six leagues from Bordeaux.

Probably Raymon-Garcias, lord of Lavedan, who married Bellegarde daughter of Arsien V. lord of Moutesquieu.

siege to the new castle in Medoc, and remained before it fourteen days. The governor for the king of England was a knight of Gascony, called the lord de l'Isle, who, seeing the impracticability of defending it with success, surrendered it to these lords.

The French army was then marched to besiege Blanquefort*; and the count de Foix, with his brother the viscount de Lautrec, separated from it to lay siege to Cadillac†, while the lord de Saintrailles went before St. Macaire ‡, and reduced it to the king's obedience. The lord d'Albreth likewise left the siege of Blanquefort, and reduced the towns of Langon § and Villendras to obedience; so that two or three sieges were going on at the same time. To regarrison their conquests these lords had with them about a thousand lances, and a sufficiency of archers, comprehending the men of the count d'Armagnac, under the command of an esquire called L'ainé de Lange, seneschal of Rouergue. During the siege of Cadillac, the count de Clermont never quitted that of Blanquefort until it had surrendered to him.

On the 16th day of July the king left the city of Angoulême, to join his army in the Bordelois: he was accompanied by the counts of Angoulême, of Maine, of Nevers, of Estampes, of Castres, of Vendôme, and many other barons, knights, and esquires, to the town of Libourne. His army was then before Fronsac, which was held by the English, who afterward surrendered it on capitulation of being allowed to go to England; and they marched out with only staves in their hands. The army then crossed the Dordogne, to subdue the country within the two rivers, and captured many towns from the English. The king advanced to Montferrant, and ordered a blockhouse to be erected against Lormond, near Bordeaux, by a part of his army, while another division was employed on the siege of the town and castle of Cadillac. On the other hand, the counts de Clermont, de Foix, d'Albreth, d'Orval, and the bailiff of Lyon, with others to the amount of one thousand lances and archers, had posted themselves near to Bordeaux, on the side of the moors, to destroy all the corn and provision, that those within Bordeaux might not reap any advantage or profit by them.

On the 18th day of July the king in person led his army against Cadillac, when it was taken by storm. The first who entered was an esquire named Gonfroy de St. Hellin, bailiff of Chaumont in Bassigny; but the English retired into the castle, which was very strong. Notwithstanding the strength of the place, the English, alarmed at the great power and good order of the king's army, which consisted of a thousand spears, and a proportionate number of archers, were forced to submit. They surrendered themselves, in the month of October following, prisoners to the king, when their captain, called Gaillard, was beheaded. In the blockhouse before Lormond were posted the lord de Lohéac, marshal of France, with many other lords, knights, and captains, to the amount of fifteen or sixteen hundred spears, archers, and artillery; and near to it were anchored the king's fleet of victuallers from Brittany, Poitou, Spain, Holland, Zealand, and Flanders, which remained in the river Gironde, until Bordeaux surrendered to the king.

In like manner had victuallers been sent from England; and on their arrival the lord Cameise had ordered their sails and stores to be landed and secured in the town, that they might not depart hospite insalutato; that is to say, without taking leave of their hosts. The English also constructed another blockhouse opposite to and higher than that of the French, although it profited them little, notwithstanding so many in the town were attached to the king of England, namely, the lord Cameise, the lord Clinton T, the bastard of Somerset, the * Blanquefort, a town in Guienne, near Bordeaux. +Cadillac-en-Fransadois,-seven leagues from Bordeaux. St. Macaire, on the Garonne, nine leagues from Bordeaux,

Langon, one league from Cadillac. Camus,or Cameise. See Dugdale. Probably Camois. The male line of this barony was extinct in the time of Henry V.; but Dugdale adds, "of this family (without doubt) was also Sir Roger de Camoise, knight, who in 22 Hen. VI. (1444) was taken prisoner in the wars of France, and there detained in great misery. Whereupon, Isabel his wife had an assignation of £40 per annum for her life, to be paid by the mayor and commonalty of London." Q. Is this the same Sir Roger de

Camois released from captivity?

¶ William lord Clinton (cousin and heir of John lord Clinton, who distinguished himself in the expedition of Thomas Woodstock, 1380, and is noticed by Froissart) was in all the wars of Henry IV. V. and VI. ; in Hen. VI. he served in France with 25 men-at-arms and 78 archers; in 9 Hen. VI. with one knight, 38 men-at-arms and 300 archers. He died 10 Hen. VI. (1432) leaving his son and heir, John lord Clinton, the nobleman here mentioned; who was made prisoner in the year 1441, and, after remaining in prison for six years, was ransomed at the sum of 6000 marks. He afterwards took part with the house of York during the civil wars, and served king Edward in many of his expeditions.—DUGDALE.