gone to England, and induced king Henry to send over troops to reconquer the Bordelois. Although his treason had been manifest, nevertheless the king, at the last capture of Bordeaux, being alway full of mercy, had pardoned him, on condition of his being banished Guienne and the Bordelois. However, by the instigation of the devil in hell, he had attempted, under colour of a passport, to restore those countries to the English, as a more false and wicked traitor than before. But as the Scripture says, that everything wicked, however secretly done, is at length discovered and punished, so this came to the king's knowledge, and, as I have said, he was arrested and carried prisoner to Poitiers, where, on being tortured, he confessed his guilt, and was judicially condemned. He was then delivered to the executioner, who smote off his head, and quartered his body, which was hung up at different places, as is usual in such cases, to serve for an example to all others.

CHAPTER LXXI.-THE MARRIAGE OF THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS WITH THE LADY ISABELLA OF BOURBON. THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY RETURNS FROM GERMANY, AND IS MOST HONOURABLY RECEIVED IN THE TOWNS OF LILLE AND ARRAS.

On the last day of October in this same year, and when the duke of Burgundy was returned from Germany, his son the count de Charolois espoused, in the town of Lille, his cousin-german the lady Isabella of Bourbon, by dispensations from the holy church, on account of their nearness of kindred. The duke, being in Burgundy, was not present at the wedding, but the duchess was. The marriage was so sudden, that many said the count knew nothing of it until the preceding day; his father would have it so, and strictly ordered him to comply, which he did like a good and obedient son. Some said, that it was against his conscience to marry so near a relative; but others, that he would rather have married the daughter of the duke of York, and, by this alliance with England, have some claim to that crown. Whatever truth may be in these reports, he married to please his father, and behaved to his cousin in so honourable a manner that no married couple could behave better; and it was currently said, that after his marriage he knew not any other woman.

During the absence of his father in Germany, he had the regency of his states, and governed them with equity: he was only too prompt to believe the first reports that were made to him, which is a misfortune generally attached to great lords. About the middle of February the noble duke of Burgundy came to Lille, where he was received by his subjects with every honour. On the 24th of the same month he went to Arras, where he was likewise honourably and joyfully received, for he had been long absent, and God had now permitted him to return from Germany in good health and without any hindrance.

CHAPTER LXXII.—THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY LAYS HEAVY TAXES ON HIS ESTATES, TO DEFRAY HIS EXPEDITION AGAINST THE TURKS.

FIVE days after the arrival of the duke in Arras, and when the feasts of his coming were over, he assembled the three estates of Artois, and declared to them the vow he had made of undertaking a war against the Turks, and of marching thither in person with his whole force, provided the king his lord would promise to keep and guard for him his estates during bis absence. To accomplish this vow, he said that it would be necessary for him to call for the aid of his good vassals and subjects; and he required that they would grant him supplies amounting in the whole to the sum of fifty-six thousand francs, royal money. The three estates having consulted together, agreed to grant him three aides instead of four, which he had demanded, amounting to forty-two thousand francs,—but on condition that if this expedition was not undertaken they should not be paid. The good duke replied, that in truth if the expedition failed he should not want anything.

The duke then visited Flanders, Hainault, and Brabant, where he made similar requests; and those countries granted him very great supplies to carry on the war against the infidels.

have also the intention of restoring Troy the great, and to avenge the blood of Hector and the queen Ixion*, by subjecting to our government the empire of Greece and punishing the descendants of the transgressors. We also intend subjugating the island of Crete, and the others in that sea, of which the Venetians have robbed us by violence. We require, therefore, that you act with more discretion, and that you impose silence on your preachers in Italy, that they may no longer comply with the requests before-mentioned of these Venetians, and provoke the Christians to wage war against us, as we have no cause of warfare against them from any difference in our creeds. It is of no importance that we do not put our whole faith in your CHRIST, since we allow him to have been a very great prophet; and as we do not follow his law, we are not to be compelled to believe in him. If any dispute has arisen between us and the Venetians, it is without colour of justice, or of authority from Cæsar or from any other prince. Through their pride and ambition, they have possessed themselves of many islands and other places that formed part of our government, which usurpations we cannot and will not longer suffer, for the time of repossession is near at hand.

"For these and other reasons you ought, therefore, to be silent, and desist from your enterprises, especially as we know the Venetians to be a distinct people, in their manners and laws, from the Romans, although they think themselves superior to all the world; but, by the aid of our great god Jupiter, we will bring their pride and insolence to an end. Should you not prudently desist from your intentions, we shall march our whole force against you, aided by the numberless kings of the east, who seem now to be slumbering; and we will bring an irresistible force by sea and land, not only against you and your walking pilgrims bearing the cross, but also against Germany and France, should you excite them to war upon us. With the aid of Neptune, god of the sea, we intend to cross the Hellespont, into Dalmatia, with numberless armies, and to visit the northern regions as far as Thrace. "Given at our triumphal palace in June, in the 840th year of Mohammed, sealed and enregistered."

About this time, the chevalier Le Blanc, who was not of a noble family, but originally a smith in Hungary, before he commenced captain in the wars under the king of Hungary, took the field to combat the Turks, having with him from twenty to twenty-four thousand combatants, and had gained the port of Sambrine, where were full eighty thousand Turks. They had waited at this port fifteen days, to see if any reinforcements would arrive, which coming to the knowledge of the knight, he departed from Mortunet, and came up with the Turks two hours before day-break, and attacked them with such courage that twenty-four thousand were slain: the rest fled to their shipping and escaped; for the Hungarians had no vessels to pursue them. The Turks, however, fought valiantly; and the knight with many of his companions were wounded. He returned back with fifty Turks his prisoners: six of whom he sent to pope Nicholas: six to the king of France, and six to the duke of Burgundy. In the number was the first-cousin of the Grand Turk.

On the 29th of May, in the year 1453, judgment was pronounced by the chancellor of France, in the presence of the king, against Jacques Coeur, for the crimes he had been charged with, and for which he had been imprisoned. In consequence of the charges made out against him, he was condemned to death and confiscation of effects; but as the king inclined to mercy, and would rather sinners should repent than die, out of his especial grace he remitted the first part of the sentence, on condition that he redeemed, at any price, the Christian whom he had restored to the Saracens,—or, if that could not be done, then he was to redeem some other Christian slave from their power.

In regard to the money which he had unjustly wrung from the king's subjects, to the

amount of incalculable sums, he was adjudged to repay one hundred thousand crowns; and for the many and various offences that he had committed against the king, he was sentenced to pay a fine of four hundred thousand crowns, and the overplus of his effects, wheresoever they might be placed, was confiscated to the crown. He was also deprived of his offices, both public and private, and declared incapable of ever again holding them, and was likewise banished France. He was also adjudged to make amende honorable* to the king, in the person of his attorney, bareheaded and ungirdled, having a lighted link of ten pounds weight in his hands; and he was to declare, that he had falsely and disloyally restored the Christian to the Saracens, and supplied them with arms and ammunition, requesting pardon from God, from the king, and from justice. It was also declared, that the bonds of the lords de la Fayette and de Cadillac were void, and of none effect; and that neither Jacques Cœur nor any of his heirs should receive any advantage from them, as they were now annulled.

When the chancellor had passed this sentence, he added, by command of the king, that his majesty reserved to himself the ultimate decision of the banishment, and other graces. In regard to the damsel of Mortaigne, although her body and effects had been condemned, yet in consideration of the great services which her ancestors and husband had rendered the king, his majesty remits the capital part of the sentence, and restores to her the effects that had been confiscated; but she is strictly forbidden, on pain of suffering the above penalties, to approach, within two leagues, the persons of the king or queen,-and is, likewise, condemned to make amende honorable to the king, by proxy in her attorney, who is to declare that she had falsely and wickedly accused Jacques Coeur, Jacques Colone, and Martin Prendoux, and to ask pardon for the same of God, the king, and justice. She was condemned to pay to the said Martin the sum of four hundred livres of the current coin; and to the wife and two daughters of Jacques Colone, one hundred livres each, amounting to three hundred livres more.

On the Sunday preceding Christmas-day in this year, master Guillaume Edelin, doctor of divinity, prior of St. Germain-en-Laye, formerly a monk of the order of St. Augustin, and of other orders, was publicly reprimanded on a scaffold in the city of Evreux, and condemned to perpetual imprisonment in the prisons of the bishopric, for having given himself up to the temptations and power of the enemy of mankind, that he might accomplish his carnal desires. He was particularly charged with cohabiting with a lady of birth; and, to accomplish this, had bound himself in such servitude to Satan that he was obliged to attend him whenever called upon by him. When such meetings were appointed he had only to bestride a broom, and was instantly transported to their consistorial meeting. Master Guillaume frankly confessed that he had done homage to the Enemy, under the form of a sheep, by kissing his posteriors,-and that he had persevered for many years in this damnable debasement, and had been aided by the enemy whenever he required it of him, until the time of his arrest; when, having been duly convicted by the law, he was detained prisoner, and the power of the Enemy was without effect. He therefore remained, according to his sentence, closely confined in a dungeon, fed on bread and water. The inquisitor of the faith frequently remonstrated with him on the degeneracy of his conduct from what it was formerly, when he went about preaching so well to the people the faith of JESUS CHRIST. During the reprimands of the inquisitor, the prisoner was placed on a scaffold, in the presence of great crowds of people. At the end of these remonstrances, master Guillaume, knowing how infamously he had relinquished our Creator and Redeemer, began to groan and repent aloud of his sins, asking mercy of God, the bishop, and justice, and recommending himself to the prayers of the audience. He was then chained, and conducted to his dungeon, to do penance for the horrible sins he had committed.

*Amende honorable." A most ignominious punishment inflicted on great offenders, who were led through the streets barefooted and bareheaded (with a burning link in

their hands) unto the seat of justice, or some public place, and there to confess their offences, and ask forgiveness of the party they had wronged."-COTGRAVE.

CHAPTER LXX. THE KING OF FRANCE SENDS AN EMBASSY TO THE KING OF SPAIN. —HE
BUILDS TWO CASTLES AT BORDEAUX TO KEEP THE INHABITANTS IN SUBJECTION.—
THE DUKE OF YORK
EVENTS.

IMPRISONS THE DUKES OF SOMERSET AND GLOUCESTER.—OTHER

[A. D. 1454.]

IN the year 1454, the reverend father in God, master John Bernard, archbishop of Tours, and sir Guillot Destan*, knight, seneschal of Rouergue, set out on an embassy from the king of France to the king of Castille, to confirm the alliances between France and Spain. In this same year, the king of France sent a large body of men-at-arms and franc-archers to Bordeaux, with orders to erect two castles to keep that people under better subjection : one was placed on the bank of the river, and the other at the opposite end of the town toward Béarn.

The count de Clermont, the lord de Saintrailles bailiff of Lyon, the governor of la Rochelle, sir John Bureau mayor of Bordeaux, and sir Guichart le Boursier, were appointed to superintend the erection of these castles. They exerted great diligence to complete them.—and they were so strong that they were thought impregnable, so that the inhabitants were kept in more subjection than they had ever before been.

At this time, the duke of York seized the government of England, and imprisoned the dukes of Somerset and Gloucester +,the first in the Tower of London, and Gloucester in Pomfretcastle. In this year also, the count de Charolois, son to the duke of Burgundy, married the daughter of duke Charles of Bourbon ‡. The king of Spain deceased, at the age of fifty years. It was a pity, for he was a good, wise, and handsome prince §. In this same year died pope Nicholas, who was but in his prime ||; and it was found, when the physicians opened his body, that he had been poisoned. Pope Calixtus was chosen in his stead¶.

The king of England called a meeting of some of his lords in the month of February, and remonstrated with them on the imprisonment of the dukes of Somerset and Gloucester, his relatives, and wished that, if they were not too heavily charged with high-treason, they might be released. They consented to this; and the mayor of London even said, that he would instantly deliver them from prison, on receiving good security for their re-appearance. Soon after, these lords appeared before the Tower in great force, and took therefrom the duke of Somerset, who soon after gained the complete government of the king. The duke of York, seeing this, and dreading the effects of Somerset's anger, left the court as secretly as he could, and retired into his duchy

**

About this time, the lord de l'Esparre was arrested, for having, contrary to his oath,

This should be d'Esteing or d'Estaign, the name of a very ancient and noble family in Rouergue. William the second son of John I. viscount d'Esteing et de Cheilane, was distinguished in the English wars, and rewarded by the posts of counsellor and chamberlain to King Charles VII. His will bears date 1471. His grandson, William d'Estaing, succeeded to the possessions of the elder branch of the family about A.D. 1500, and became ancestor of the counts d'Estaing of later date.

There must be a mistake here; the duke of York did imprison Somerset, but Gloucester was a Yorkist. There was no duke of Gloucester at this time; for Humphrey duke of Gloucester, the king's uncle, died under arrest, in the year 1447, and Richard, third son of the duke of York, was not created till the 1st of Edward IV. Stowe, in ann. 1454-" The duke of Yorke with his friends wrought so effectually, and handled his business so politikly, that the duke of Somerset was arrested in the Queene's great chamber and sent to the Tower, where he kept his Christmas without great solemnity, against whom in open Parliament were laid divers articles."

On the 13th of November. She was already his firstcousin, being daughter of duke Charles, by Agnes, sister of Philip the Good. Her name was Isabella.

§ John II. king of Castile, &c. succeeded his father Henry III. in the year 1406, and died 1454. By his first wife, Mary of Arragon, he had one son, Henry IV. his successor. By his second marriage, with Isabella of Portugal, he had a son Alphonso, who died without issue, and a daughter Isabella, who succeeded her half-brother Henry, and by her marriage with Ferdinand of Arragon united the two principal crowns of Spain.

Pope Nicholas was said to have died of grief for the capture of Constantinople. He had reigned eight years and nineteen days.

Alfonso Borgio, cardinal-bishop of Valencia in Spain, his native country. He took the title of Calixtus III.

***Whilest King Henry lay sick, Ric. d. of Yorke bare all the rule, and governed as regent, and did now discover the sparkes of his hatred hid under dissimulation, against the duke of Somerset; but when the king had recovered his strength again, and resumed to him his princely government, he caused the duke of Somerset to be sett at libertye and preferred him to be captain of Calais, wherewith not only the commons, but many of the nobility, favorers of Richard duke of Yorke, were greatly grieved and offended, saying that he had lost Normandy, and would lose also Calais."-STOWE.

gone to England, and induced king Henry to send over troops to reconquer the Bordelois. Although his treason had been manifest, nevertheless the king, at the last capture of Bordeaux, being alway full of mercy, had pardoned him, on condition of his being banished Guienne and the Bordelois. However, by the instigation of the devil in hell, he had attempted, under colour of a passport, to restore those countries to the English, as a more false and wicked traitor than before. But as the Scripture says, that everything wicked, however secretly done, is at length discovered and punished, so this came to the king's knowledge, and, as I have said, he was arrested and carried prisoner to Poitiers, where, on being tortured, he confessed his guilt, and was judicially condemned. He was then delivered to the executioner, who smote off his head, and quartered his body, which was hung up at different places, as is usual in such cases, to serve for an example to all others.

CHAPTER LXXI.-THE MARRIAGE OF THE COUNT DE CHAROLOIS WITH THE LADY ISABELLA OF BOURBON. THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY RETURNS FROM GERMANY, AND IS MOST HONOURABLY RECEIVED IN THE TOWNS OF LILLE AND ARRAS.

On the last day of October in this same year, and when the duke of Burgundy was returned from Germany, his son the count de Charolois espoused, in the town of Lille, his cousin-german the lady Isabella of Bourbon, by dispensations from the holy church, on account of their nearness of kindred. The duke, being in Burgundy, was not present at the wedding, but the duchess was. The marriage was so sudden, that many said the count knew nothing of it until the preceding day; his father would have it so, and strictly ordered him to comply, which he did like a good and obedient son. Some said, that it was against his conscience to marry so near a relative; but others, that he would rather have married the daughter of the duke of York, and, by this alliance with England, have some claim to that crown. Whatever truth may be in these reports, he married to please his father, and behaved to his cousin in so honourable a manner that no married couple could behave better; and it was currently said, that after his marriage he knew not any other woman.

During the absence of his father in Germany, he had the regency of his states, and governed them with equity: he was only too prompt to believe the first reports that were made to him, which is a misfortune generally attached to great lords. About the middle of February the noble duke of Burgundy came to Lille, where he was received by his subjects with every honour. On the 24th of the same month he went to Arras, where he was likewise honourably and joyfully received, for he had been long absent, and God had now permitted him to return from Germany in good health and without any hindrance.

CHAPTER LXXII.—THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY LAYS HEAVY TAXES ON HIS ESTATES, TO DEFRAY HIS EXPEDITION AGAINST THE TURKS.

FIVE days after the arrival of the duke in Arras, and when the feasts of his coming were over, he assembled the three estates of Artois, and declared to them the vow he had made of undertaking a war against the Turks, and of marching thither in person with his whole force, provided the king his lord would promise to keep and guard for him his estates during his absence. To accomplish this vow, he said that it would be necessary for him to call for the aid of his good vassals and subjects; and he required that they would grant him supplies amounting in the whole to the sum of fifty-six thousand francs, royal money. The three estates having consulted together, agreed to grant him three aides instead of four, which he had demanded, amounting to forty-two thousand francs, but on condition that if this expedition was not undertaken they should not be paid. The good duke replied, that in truth if the expedition failed he should not want anything.

The duke then visited Flanders, Hainault, and Brabant, where he made similar requests; and those countries granted him very great supplies to carry on the war against the infidels.