CHAPTER CCXLII.-THE BASTARD OF BOURBON TAKES THE TOWN OF LA MOTHE IN

LORRAINE.

In this year, the bastard of Bourbon* left Jargeaux with about four hundred combatants, whom he marched by many days' journeys to La Mothe† in Lorraine, and took it by storm. Everything portable was seized on by his men,—and he remained there for a month, making excursions and pillaging all the country round. He even attempted the town of St. Nicholas de Varengeville, which for a long time had not been attacked by any men-at-arms of either party. Upon this, the governors of Lorraine, foreseeing the total ruin of that country, treated with the bastard of Bourbon to surrender the town of La Mothe and quit those parts, on receiving a large sum of money. When the money was paid, the bastard departed, and set out, with all his men, to return to the place whence they had come; but as he was marching near to Langres‡, he was pursued and overtaken by sir John du Vergy, Anthony de Gelet, Philippot de Sainginis, who attacked and conquered him, and won from him all his plunder. Upwards of six-score remained dead on the field; the rest, or the greater part of them, were made prisoners.

Thus those who had been robbed were in some measure avenged on their marauders,— but they did not recover what had been taken from them.-With regard to the said bastard, he was neither killed nor made prisoner.

CHAPTER CCXLIII.-MANY NOBLE AMBASSADORS FROM THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND MEET BETWEEN GRAVELINES AND CALAIS, TO HOLD A CONFERENCE ON THE SUBJECT OF PEACE.

In this year, many noble ambassadors were assembled at the same place where, the preceding year, a conference had been holden on the parts of the kings of France and England and the duke of Burgundy. Among others, there came, on the part of the king of France, the archbishop of Rheims high chancellor, the archbishop of Narbonne, the bishop of Châlons, the counts de Vendôme and de Dunois, the lord de Dampierre, sir Regnault Girard, governor of la Rochelle, master Robert Mailliere, and Andry le Boeuf.

On the part of the duke and duchess of Burgundy came the bishop of Tournay, master Nicholas Raoulin his chancellor, the lord de Crevecœur, the lord de Santois, master Pierre Bourdin, master Philip de Nanterre, and others.

From the king of England came the cardinal of Winchester, the archbishop of York, the bishop of Norwich, the bishop of St. David's, the bishop of Lisieux, the dean of Salisbury, the duke of Norfolk, the earl of Stafford and his brother, the lord de Bressuire, the earl of Oxford, sir Thomas Kiriel, with several others of the nobility.

They held several meetings to consider if they could not bring about a general peace between the two kings and their allies, and also respecting the deliverance of the duke of Orleans, who had remained a prisoner in England since the battle of Azincourt. But they could not agree on any conclusion worth speaking of; for the English refused to treat with the king of France unless the duchy of Normandy, together with all their other conquests, remained to them independent of the crown of France. Another meeting was appointed for the ensuing year, and the conference was broken up, when they all separated without doing anything further. The English had come thither in great pomp, and magnificently dressed; but the cardinal of Winchester outshone all in the splendour of his tents and pavilions, and the richness of his gold and silver plate, and in all other necessaries and luxuries. He nobly feasted the duchess of Burgundy, his fair niece, before they all separated, and returned to the places they had come from, without transacting any other business.

Alexander, son of the duke. See the account of his death, p. 47.

La Mothe,-four leagues NNW. from La Marche.

Langres a large city in Champagne, the capital of Bassigny-François.

CHAPTER CCXLIV. THE ENGLISH MAKE AN EXCURSION INTO THE COUNTRY OF SANTOIS *, WHERE THEY GAIN THE CASTLE OF FOLLEVILLE†, AND COMMIT MANY RAVAGES AND

CRUELTIES.

ABOUT the beginning of Lent, in this year, the earl of Somerset, the lord Talbot, and other captains, collected about two thousand combatants, as well horse as foot, in the country of Normandy, near to Rouen, whom they marched, with all their baggage, provision, and stores, toward the country of Santois. Having crossed the Somme near the town of Montrieul, they quartered themselves before the castle of Folleville, then under the government of Bon de Saveuses, in right of the lady-dowager, whom he had married.

In consequence of the garrison making a sally, and killing a particular favourite of the earl of Somerset, whom he much loved, he swore a great oath that he would not march away until he should have conquered the castle, and reduced all within to his power. He ordered an excellent small bombard, with other engines, to be pointed against it, and their first discharge killed the governor. He continued his attacks with such courage that the garrison were glad to surrender the place and everything it contained, and to pay a large sum as ransom for their lives. The earl had the castle repaired, and regarrisoned it with his men, who did great mischiefs to all the country round. On the morrow of the surrender of this castle, the earl of Somerset departed with the remainder of his forces, and followed the lord Talbot, who was already far advanced into the country of Santois. They fixed their quarters at Lihons§, wherein they found abundance of everything, as well as in the surrounding country,―for the inhabitants, not suspecting their coming, had not driven away their cattle and flocks to places of security.

At Lihons, there was a small fort and large church wherein the inhabitants had retired, on perceiving the English near the town. The earl summoned those in the church to surrender, or he would order an assault. They refused to comply, and, in consequence, on the morrow, a very severe attack commenced; but the English, finding from its continuance that they could not otherwise obtain their end, set the church on fire, which was wholly burned with all it contained,—and upwards of three hundred persons, men, women and children, were thus pitilessly destroyed, for very few escaped who had therein taken refuge. Those who had fled to the fort, witnessing the cruel manner in which their poor brethren had been treated, entered into capitulation with the commissaries of the earl, and saved their lives and the town from being destroyed, by paying a large sum of money. They gave many hostages, women as well as men, for the due payment of their ransom, who were long prisoners at Rouen and elsewhere, from the delays in the payment. One of these hostages was a gentleman called Noiseux de Sailly, who died in prison.

While the English remained at Lihons, they made frequent inroads on the adjoining countries, whence they brought large booties to their quarters. They took also the castle of Harbonnieres ||, and the lord within it,-who, to ransom himself and his vassals, and to prevent the castle from being destroyed as others had been, agreed to pay one thousand golden saluts. During this time, the English met with no opposition,-but the count d'Estampes had arrived at Peronne, and instantly sent summonses to the principal persons in Picardy, Hainault, and the adjacent countries, to hasten to him with as many men as they could collect. They joined him in great numbers,-among whom were the lord de Croy, the lord de Humieres, the lord de Saveuses and his brothers, Waleran de Moreul, Jean de Brimeu, at that time bailiff of Amiens, sir Jean de Croy, bailiff of Hainault, the lord de Hautbourdin, the lord de Barbenson, sir Simon de Lalain, and very many more from the countries aforesaid,

who, when they were assembled in Peronne and the towns round about, amounted to full three thousand well-tried combatants.

These lords held a council, to consider how they should act. Many wanted to fight the English without more loss of time; but others were of a contrary opinion, and gave good reasons why they ought not to fight them. At length, it was determined to take the field during the night, and form an ambuscade near to Lihons in Santois, while some of the captains were to beat up the quarters of the English, and set fire to the outskirts of the town,-when they would consider, from the movements of the enemy, how it would be most expedient for the main body in ambush to act. After this determination, every one was ordered to be ready to mount instantly after midnight,-and this order was obeyed. The count d'Estampes issued, immediately after, out of Peronne; but they had scarcely advanced half a league from that town, when it became so very dark that they had difficulty to keep their road; they were, therefore, forced to move about until it was lighter, so that their enterprise failed, and they returned back to Peronne. On this same day, about twelve o'clock, the count d'Estampes received certain intelligence that the English had dislodged from Lihons, and were on their march back to Normandy by the same road they had come. When the English had remained for about ten days in Lihons, ransoming and despoiling the country as I have said, they marched back to Normandy, without meeting with any opposition worth mentioning, carrying with them much plunder, and hostages for payment of the composition-money. On repassing Folleville, they reinforced the garrison with a strong body of men. During the stay of the English in Santois, and when they were quartered in Lihons, those attached to, and dependent on sir John de Luxembourg, went backward and forward, and had much communication with them, to the great astonishment of the count d'Estampes, who as well as the other lords with him were not very well pleased; but they could not prevent it at that time. On the departure of the English for Normandy, the menat-arms who had obeyed the summons of the count d'Estampes began to retire, each to the place he had come from.

CHAPTER CCXLV.-THE DAUPHIN, THE DUKE OF BOURBON, AND MANY of the great lords, * QUIT IN DISGUST THE COURT OF KING CHARLES

[A. D. 1440.]

Ar the commencement of this year, the king of France assembled a large body of nobles and men-at-arms to march into the Bourbonnois, and conquer the duke of Bourbon and destroy his territories; because he had, to his great vexation, seduced and carried off his son the dauphin, who had, until then, been lodged in the castle of Lochest.

The count de la Marche was governor of the castle of Loches, and was in the town at the time the dauphin went away, unsuspicious that he would do so without first speaking to him. The bastard of Bourbon, however, with Anthony de Chabannes and other captains, with a large body of men-at-arms, entered the castle, and, with the dauphin's consent, carried him away to the town of Moulins in the Bourbonnois. Thither followed the duke of Bourbon, the duke d'Alençon, the count de Vendôme, the lords de la Trémouille, de Chaumont §, de Prie||, and other nobles and great lords, whose intentions were to invest the

*This quarrel was caused by reforms which the king wanted to make in his army, that devoured the country, and was very displeasing to the nobles, who fattened on the misery of the people. The commotion was called La Praguerie. The dukes of Alençon, Bourbon, Vendôme, and even the bastard of Orleans, the count de Dunois, entered into it. They complained that the king intrusted the government of the realm only to two or three private persons, and formed a league against the ministers. The duke of Alençon seduced the dauphin, then only sixteen years of age,-but whose turbulent disposition readily inclined him to make part of the conspiracy, in order to get rid of the count de Perdriac, his tutor. Me. zeray. [The horrors perpetrated by the Hussites at

Prague, gave occasion to the dread of similar consequences from the civil war kindled in France, and gave this faction the name of La Praguerie. Du Clos, Hist. de Louis XI. ED.]

Loches, a town in Touraine, on the Indre, ten leagues from Tours.

Moulins,-capital of the Bourbonnois, forty-three leagues from Lyons.

§ William V., lord and count of Chaumont, who died in 1445, leaving by his wife Jane de Mello, lady of Rigni le Feron, only one surviving son, Anthony lord of Chaumont.

Antoine de Prie, lord of Bucençais, &c. was Grand Queux in 1431, and married Magdalen, daughter of Hugh d'Amboise lord of Chaumont.

dauphin with the sole government of France, and to put king Charles in wardship to be managed by them.

In order to have aid to accomplish their plans, they summoned barons and gentlemen from divers countries, to whom they disclosed their intentions, and required them to make

oath that they would serve the dauphin against all who should attempt to injure him. In this number came the great lords of Auvergne, who on hearing the proposal, made answer by the mouth of the lord de Dampierre, that they would cheerfully serve him in everything excepting against the king his father; adding, that should the king come with an army into their country, and require their support, and a free entrance into their towns and castles, they would not dare to refuse him; and this those who made them the request must expect to see done, should the case happen. This answer was not agreeable to the dauphin, nor to the other lords, who now began to suspect they should fail in their enterprise, and that it would turn out badly for them. They had also received exact intelligence that the king was marching a great power against them, and had already entered the Bourbonnois, carrying on a severe war against the towns and castles of the duke of Bourbon and his adherents, and had reduced several to his obedience.

In the mean time, the dauphin and his advisers had sent messengers to the duke of Burgundy to know if he would receive them in his territories, and afford them assistance to carry on their plans. The duke, after he had consulted with his ministers, replied, that his

territories and fortune were at the disposal of the dauphin whenever he might please to come thither, but that upon no account would he afford him any assistance to carry on a war against the king his father; and would be at all times ready to aid him in the recovery of his father's affections. He added, that he advised him to take this step without loss of time; for the continuance of this warfare was disgraceful to those concerned in it, and would be the most effectual means of completely ruining the kingdom of France.

To put an end to this quarrel, the duke of Burgundy sent ambassadors to the king of France, who mediated between the parties; and a treaty of peace was concluded, on condition that the dauphin, the duke of Bourbon, and their adherents, should appear with all humility in the presence of the king, and beg pardon for their offences. However, before this could be accomplished, the greater part of the estates of the duke of Bourbon and of his partisans were totally destroyed by the warriors of the king, who had marched thither a large army.

*

On the 19th day of July, the king being at Cusset the dauphin and duke of Bourbon, accompanied by the lords de la Trémouille, de Chaumont, and de Prie, were on the road to present themselves before him; but when they were half a league off, a messenger from the king met them, and said, that the king would not promise them safety, and ordered them not to approach nearer to him. The dauphin on hearing this, turned round to the duke of Bourbon, and said, "My good friend, you could not have guessed how things would have turned out, or that my father would not have pardoned those of my household." He then swore a round oath, that he would not return to his father. The duke of Bourbon replied, My lord, all will go well: do not doubt it: but you cannot go back, for the van of the king's army is on the road." He would, however, have attempted it, had not the count d'Eu, and other lords who had come from Cusset, to meet him, strongly remonstrated on the impropriety and danger of such proceedings.

The three lords aforesaid then went to Moulins; and the dauphin, with the duke of Bourbon, entered Cusset, and dismounted at the hotel of the king. On entering the king's apartment, they kneeled three times as they approached; and at the third they begged of him, with great humility, to be pleased to lay aside his anger. The king then addressed his son, and said, Louis, you are welcome; you have been long absent. Go and repose yourself for to-day at your lodgings: to-morrow we will talk with you."—After this, he conversed long and wisely with the duke of Bourbon, saying, "Fair cousin, we are much displeased at the fault you have committed against our majesty, and which has been repeated five different times," (mentioning when and where he had been guilty of it). "Were it not for the honour and love we bear to some persons, whom I will not name, I would have made you feel severely my displeasure. Take care, therefore, that you be not guilty of the like again.”

After this conversation, the dauphin and the duke of Bourbon retired to their lodgings, where they remained until the morrow, and when the king's mass was ended, they again waited on him. In the presence of the members of the council, they again most humbly requested the king that he would have the goodness to pardon them and the lords de la Trémouille, de Chaumont, and de Prie. The king made answer, that he would do no such thing, but was satisfied that they should return to their houses and estates. The dauphin replied, My lord, I must then go back to them, for such has been my promise." The king, displeased at this speech, instantly said, "Louis, the gates are open to you,-and should they not be wide enough, I will have thrown down sixteen or twenty fathoms of wall that you may have sufficient room to go whithersoever you please. You are my son, and cannot bind yourself under promises to any one without my leave and consent: but should you wish to go away, go,―for, under God's pleasure, we will find some of our blood who will assist us in the maintenance of our honour and power with more firmness than we have hitherto done." The king turned away from him on the conclusion of this speech, and went toward the duke of Bourbon, who instantly took the oath of allegiance to be true to him henceforward for ever. The king discharged all the officers of the household of the dauphin, except his confessor and cook.