that any of the princes of his blood, or the gallant nobles of his realm, would suffer such act to be done, or consent thereto, considering the superiority and excellence of the crown of France. In order that no blame may attach to the king respecting the non-accomplishment of peace, he will cause an account of the different efforts he has made to effect it to be drawn up and enregistered with a copy of this answer in his chamber of accounts, for the perpetual remembrance of what he has done.

Item, as the nobles have required that proper provision be made against the enterprises of the English in the countries of Chartrain and Beauce, prior to the king's departure for the relief of Tartas, the king will provide a remedy, and send thither the bastard of Orleans, whom these nobles cannot object to, with sufficient powers to resist the further enterprises of the English.-Item, as these nobles are soon to assemble at Nevers, and as their ambassadors have notified the same to the king, requesting also, that as the king was contented that the duke of Brittany should there join them, he would be pleased to write again to the said duke of Brittany his consent to his meeting the other nobles at Nevers, sending him passports for his personal security, should there be occasion.

Item, the king makes known to his nobles by the lord chancellor and sir Louis de Beaumont, that he is contented with their assembling, in the hope of seeing them in his good town of Bourges, or in any other place, where he would have given them good cheer, and received them kindly as his near relatives, and discussed openly with them the affairs of the realm. With regard to the duke of Brittany going to Nevers, the king is surprised that any complaint or doubt should be made concerning it,-for the king was so well inclined towards him that, had he travelled by land, it was his intention to have invited him to pass through Tours, and accompany him to Bourges, to meet the said nobles, if the duke could have done so with convenience to himself, otherwise, the duke might have thought that he had estranged himself from him. The king, nevertheless, sent the lord de Gaucourt to him with letters patent, which he has, and, should he travel by water through Blois and Orleans, to accompany him, that he might afford an opportunity to the duke to open his mind to him, as if the king had personally been present. But to write again to the duke of Brittany, to repair to the assembly at Nevers, does not seem to the king a proper or reasonable request, -nor is it very decent that the nobles should hold any meetings to treat of the affairs of the nation, except in the king's presence or by his commands. The king, on his return from Tartas. intends calling on them for their aid and advice, and to lead as large an army as possible into Normandy, as the surest means of obtaining a better peace, or with the aid of God and their support to recover his lost territories.

Item, in answer to their complaints of the want of justice being duly administered, as well in the parliaments as in the other jurisdictions of the realm,-and their requests to the king that he would be pleased to nominate only such as have experience and knowledge in the laws, and that suitable persons be appointed to the different offices without favour or affection, ---The king has ever filled up the places in his parliaments with the most learned and intelligent lawyers he could find; and it now consists of the most experienced and of those most versed in the laws of the realm. At the solicitations of and to please the duke of Burgundy, the king has nominated twelve persons whom he recommended as judges in parliament; and when other lords have applied, the king has attended to their recommendations, and appointed such as were said to be fully competent to discharge faithfully the several duties of their respective offices, in the administration of justice throughout the realm.

Item, the king has been requested to shorten the proceedings of the courts at law, as well in respect to the subjects of these nobles as of all the king's subjects without partiality as in former times, and that indiscriminate justice may be had. In reply to this request,the king has been much grieved at the delays of the courts of law, and earnestly desires the due administering of justice with as little delay as possible, and will punish such as may act to the contrary. It is the king's intention to write to his courts of parliament, and to his other law-officers, that henceforth they abridge all suits at law more than they have hitherto done, and that they do strict justice to all without the least partiality.

Item, in respect to the complaints made to the king of the robberies, crimes, and abuses, committed by many soldiers under the king's name, and calling themselves the king's men,

whether they be the king's or the nobles' subjects, a remedy is demanded for such abuses, not by letters but by effectual measures,—and it has been remonstrated, that it would be proper that only those who are well known, and have loyally served the king, should have the command of these companies of soldiers: likewise, that all soldiers should be well and regularly paid, and quartered on the frontiers, which they were not to leave and harass the country people without being severely punished; that the king should only keep near his person those experienced in war, and not a multitude of undisciplined men; and that all of low degree, idlers, and ignorant of war, should be constrained to return to their trades and labour. The king, in answer, says, that such robberies have always gone to his heart, and he has made frequent attempts to rid the kingdom of such pillagers. With regard to quartering his soldiers on the frontiers, when the king was last at Angers, he had settled this business; but the new levies that have been raised have alone caused a renewal of these abuses, and other causes have arisen to prevent the proper notice being taken of these pillagers, as was intended to have been done. The king, in consequence of the complaint from his nobles, will issue ordinances to put an end to them, and to dismiss all that are useless in war: he therefore requires these said nobles not to countenance or support any one who shall act contrary to these proposed regulations.

Item, respecting their request to the king, that he would be pleased to take measures that the poorer ranks be not unnecessarily vexed or harassed, from the excessive taxes that are now raised on salt and other articles,—the king replies, that he is extremely affected at the poverty of his people, for that his interest is connected with theirs, and it is his meaning to relieve them as soon and as much as he conveniently can. He last year put an end to the vexations they suffered in Champagne, and will not cease doing the same in the other parts of his realm as speedily as may be. The king has also taken measures for the regular supply of provision and pay to the troops on the frontier, otherwise he knows what destruction and ruin will ensue to his subjects. But with regard to the excessive taxes which these nobles complain their vassals are aggrieved with, the king has shown far greater indulgence to them than to his own; and it will be found that in the course of a year, when two taxes have been raised on the king's subjects, the vassals of these lords have paid but one, or that these nobles themselves have laid hands on the greater part of what should have been paid to the king. It is clear that the king must have the aid of his subjects for the support of the war and the maintenance of his crown and dignity.

Item, it has been advanced, that before any taxes be laid, the king should call together the three estates of the realm, to consult with them and have their opinions thereon. In reply to this: the taxes have been laid on the lands of these lords with their consent,—and, as for the other impositions, the king, when there has been an opportunity, has called them together, and shown them, of his royal authority, the urgent state of his kingdom, when great part was occupied by his enemies. There can be no need for calling the three estates to lay on taxes,-for this would only add to the expenses of the poorer people in paying the deputies' charges for coming and going; and many lords of great weight have, in consequence, required that such convocations should cease, and were satisfied that proper warrants should be issued in the king's name for the raising of these taxes. In respect, however, to the affairs of the nation, the king is bounden to consult with the princes of his blood in preference to all others, considering how much they are interested in its welfare,—and this has been usually done by the most christian kings, his predecessors.

Item, the nobles have requested the king to preserve to them their prerogatives and authorities which they hold, as well from their peerage as from the other lordships they possess within the realm of France. The king in reply says, that he has never treated on any affairs of consequence without their knowledge, or at least that of the greater part of them,—and it is his intention not to do otherwise. It is his pleasure, as well as his will, to preserve to them all their prerogatives and authorities, and in no way to act contrary to them they will therefore govern their vassals and lands in the manner in which they are bounden to do.

Item, the king is requested that he would be pleased to select, as members of his great council, men of knowledge, fearing God, and who have not been partisans in the late

disturbances; and likewise that he would be pleased to elect a sufficient number, so that the weight of the business of the kingdom may not be entrusted to two or three, as has been hitherto the case.-The king replies, that he has always selected for his council the most able men of his realm, without thinking on what may have passed during the late disturbances, which he has put clean out of his remembrance, and in such numbers as the state of public affairs at different periods may have required.

Item, the nobles request the king to receive favourably these remonstrances, in consideration of the four reasons already laid before him, which have induced them thus to make them. They also remonstrate with him on the case of the lord duke of Alençon, required that he should be restored to his town of Niort, or that payment be promptly made him in money for the loss of it; that he should be re-established in his lieutenancy and pension; and that his place of Sainte Susanne should be delivered up to him, together with an Englishman whom he had made prisoner, and that speedy and equitable justice be done him. The king makes answer to these demands, that when he was in Poitou, putting an end to the pillaging and robberies that were going on there, and taking possession of several towns and castles the resort of the robbers, he was suspicious that, during his absence for the relief of Tartas, the town and castle of Niort would continue these evil practices as it had been accustomed to do, and consequently laid hands on it with the intent of paying its full value. But though the whole amount was not at that time paid, he had given to the lord d'Alençon six thousand crowns, with an engagement to that lord to make the remainder of the payments punctually at the time specified in writing, without making any deductions for the rents which the lord d'Alençon had continued to receive since the first payment had been made.

In regard to re-establishing him in his lieutenancy and pension, when the lord d'Alençon shall conduct himself in a becoming manner toward his sovereign, the king will treat him as a relative and subject, holding in his mind the nearness of their kindred, and the services which he and his ancestors may have rendered to the king and the realm. This the king continued to do, until he was obliged to change his behaviour from the fault of the lord d'Alençon. In respect to the place of Sainte Susanne*, the king has not given it to the lord de Bueil, nor is it held by him by the king's orders. The lord de Bueil is fully able to answer the lord d'Alençon's accusation respecting his holding this place wrongfully. Whenever the lord d'Alençon shall appeal to the king's justice, it shall be willingly and duly administered; and in like manner shall he have justice done him in regard to the prisoner whom he demands.

Item, the nobles also made a requisition that the duke of Bourbon should have his pension restored to him, for that it was not excessive. The king replied that he had regularly continued the payments of this pension, and nothing was now due. Of fourteen thousand and four hundred francs, the whole amount of this pension, the king had ordered nine thousand francs to be paid to the duke's servants at Bressure†, in the month of January last, but which they refused to receive; and the king wonders greatly how this matter has been, at this moment, introduced.—Item, they likewise mention the case of the lord de Vendôme, and supplicate the king that he would be pleased to continue to him his former pensions, of which he has great need, as there were not sufficient grounds for striking them off; and that it would please the king to permit him to exercise his office of grand master of the household, as he had usually done in former times. The king answers that he did not dismiss the lord de Vendôme from his household, but that he dismissed himself; and when the lord de Vendôme shall conduct himself toward the king in a proper manner, the king will do on his part all that shall be thought right.

Item, the nobles beg leave to state the case of the lord de Nevers; and, considering how near akin he is to the king, and that the lord his father died in his service, and also the services the present lord may render to his majesty, to solicit that all opposition to his establishing a warehouse for salt, at the town of Arcy-sur-Aube, may be removed, and that

Sainte Susanne,-a village in Normandy, election of St. Lo or it may be a city in Maine, nine leagues from Mans.

+ Bressure. Q. Bressolles? a village in the Bourbonnoit, near Moulins.

he may receive the accustomed payment of his pension. The king makes for answer, that, notwithstanding the very heavy charges he is now at for the expenses of the war, out of favour, and in kindness to the lord de Nevers, he consents to his having his former pension, -for the payment of which he will receive the protection-money of the Rethelois, as far as it shall go; and the balance shall be paid from the amount of the taxes on the lands of the said lord de Nevers, until he shall have received the whole sum. But the king is much dissatisfied that the lord de Nevers should suffer his vassals, and those of others, to overrun and despoil the country of Champagne, by means of the country of the Rethelois, to which they retreat, and expects that such measures will be taken to prevent it in future as will satisfy him. In regard to the salt-warehouse at Arcy-sur-Aube, the king wishes that the matter be laid before his court of exchequer, for them to decide whether the lord de Nevers be entitled or not to have a warehouse for salt at that place,—and whatever their decision may be, the king will conform to it.

The nobles remonstrate also on the case of the duke of Burgundy, not by way of complaint, but in the manner he had desired them, namely, to make the king acquainted that many articles of the treaty of peace between them had not been fulfilled on the part of the king,— and that several were daily attempted to be infringed, contrary to the intent of the peace, and to the great loss of the duke of Burgundy. The king replies, that he always most ardently wished for peace with the duke of Burgundy, and to obtain it has nothing spared. The king has hitherto maintained the peace inviolate, and has the intention of ever doing so. For the better establishing of this peace, the king gave his daughter in marriage to the duke's son the lord de Charolois. As for the non-performance of some of the articles, the duke has seen what weighty affairs the king has had on his hands to prevent its being done,-but he has the will and inclination to have the remaining articles fulfilled as speedily as he possibly can, and in such wise that the duke of Burgundy shall be satisfied. As for the daily attempts to infringe the peace, the king is perfectly ignorant of any such being made, for he has never given the least encouragement to them, but the king has great cause for grief at the business which is now carrying forward.

When the ambassadors from the nobles had remained some days at the king's palace, where they were very honourably entertained, and had discussed at length the subjects of complaint in the remonstrance they had brought, as well as the answers thereto from the king, as well in writing as verbally, they took leave, and returned to their lords. The king, however, was very uneasy at his nobles thus assembling without his being present, for they were daily attended by some of the greatest lords in the realm; and his ministers reported to him, that these meetings were not for his welfare; that the nobles were endeavouring to gain to their party the barons of his realm, the churchmen, and the common people, to make great reforms, and to place the government of the kingdom in the three estates,-which must turn out to his destruction; for, if they succeeded in their plans, he would possess no other authority than the three estates should be pleased to allow him. The king said, that he could not believe that his nobles would be desirous to do anything to his prejudice, or to the prejudice of his crown,—and more especially that the duke of Burgundy, with whom he had so lately made peace, would interfere or consent to anything so destructive to the royal authority. He added, that if he were assured they intended to bring forward such measures to his prejudice, he would lay all other matters aside, and instantly attack them with his forces.

CHAPTER CCLXV.-KING CHARLES ASSEMBLES A LARGE BODY OF

MEN-AT-ARMS AND

MARCHES THEM TO TARTAS, WHERE, HOWEVER, THE ENGLISH DO NOT APPEAR.
[A. D. 1442.]

AT the beginning of this year, the king of France issued his summonses throughout his realm, for the assembly of a very large force to carry on his warlike enterprises, and to relieve the town of Tartas, whither he intended marching in consequence of a time being fixed for its surrender, unless relieved by the king. He was determined now to have the greatest army that had been raised during his reign: indeed, there was much necessity for

it,for, had he neglected this business, he ran great risk of losing all Gascony and Guienne and the obedience of the greater part of the lords in those countries. This army was collected with all diligence in the different parts of the kingdom, and ordered to march by various roads, and rendezvous at Toulouse. The day of relief had been fixed for the first of May,but at the request of the English captains who had signed the capitulation at Tartas, it was prolonged to the ensuing feast of St. John Baptist, and during this time, the king continued his preparations.

At length the king marched from Toulouse,-and for a truth, when he, his great lords and all the captains, with their men, were assembled, there were four-score thousand horse, and carts and cars without number to carry artillery, provision, and stores of all descriptions. Almost all the principal nobility came thither,-among whom were the dauphin, the count de Richemont constable of France, the lord Charles d'Anjou, the count d'Eu, the count de Foix *, the viscount de Helman †, son to the count d'Armagnac, the lord d'Albreth, the count de Comminges, the two marshals, namely, the lords de Lohéac‡ and de Jaloignes §, who commanded the vanguard with the constable, the lord de Coetivy admiral of France, the lord de Villars, the lord de Mongascon ||, the lord de St. Priath, the lord de Chalenton ¶, the lord de St. Valier, the lord de Videmont, and many more great lords. The king was also accompanied by numbers of adventurous men-at-arms, the flower of French chivalry, who had for a long while followed warlike enterprises,-such as La Hire, Poton de Saintrailles, Anthony de Chabannes, Olivier de Coetivy, the lord de Blainville, and his brother sir Robert Blanchefort, Pennesach**, Floquet, Joachim Rohault, Pierre Rohault, Mathelin de l'Escouan, Dominic de Court, and many others of renown.

On the king's arrival at Toulouse, he was informed by the lords of Gascony, that the English were not in force sufficient to oppose him on the day appointed for the relief of Tartas. Having called a council, it was therefore determined to advance thither with only part of the army, that they might more easily obtain provisions. The king marched from Toulouse with but sixteen thousand horse,-among whom, however, were most of the lords and captains above named. He was lodged at a small town called Meillan††, two leagues from Tartas, belonging to the count d'Albreth, but in the possession of the count de Foix, and his men were quartered round about. On the morrow, which was the day fixed on for the surrender of Tartas unless relieved by the king of France, the king drew up his men in battle-array before the town, and thus remained from early morn until ten or eleven o'clock in the forenoon,-when the lords de Coignac and Enguerrot de Sainct Per, who had the command of the place, appeared before him, and brought with them the young Charles d'Albret, who had remained in the town as an hostage. They surrendered the keys of Tartas into the king's hands, and at the same time, the lord de Coignac did him homage, but Enguerrot retired to the city of Dax. The lord d'Albret now entered Tartas,-and the king went to sleep at Coignac, which is a pretty good town, about two leagues distant from Tartas, where he remained on St. John's day and the ensuing one.

* Archambaud de Greilly, Captal de Buche, who became count de Foix as before-mentioned, in right of his wife Isabel, sister and heir to Matthew de Chateaubon, died in 1412, leaving five sons, of whom John, the eldest, was count de Foix, and died in 1437, leaving Gaston IV. his successor, and Peter, lord of Lautrec and Villemur, his two sons. Gaston IV. (the count of Foix here mentioned) had for his mother a daughter of the count d'Albret; and marrying Eleanor, daughter of John king of Arragon by his first wife the queen of Navarre, transmitted to his grandson Francis Phoebus the title to that kingdom. Of the four remaining sons of count Archambaud, Peter was a cardinal; Archambaud was lord of Noailles, killed by the dauphin at Montereau, in company with John duke of Burgundy; Gaston was Captal de Buche, count of Longueville and Benanges; and Matthew was count of Comminges, in right of his wife the heiress of that county. This Matthew died in 1453, leaving by his second wife, Catherine de Coras, two daughters only. The title of Comminges was then given by Louis XI. (who claimed it as a male fief) to the bastard of Armagnac, commonly called De Lescun.

+ Helman. Lomaigne.-DU CANGE.

Andrew de Laval, lord de Lohéac, second son of Guy XIII., and brother of Guy XIV., lord of Laval. He was admiral of France after Louis de Culant, but resigned that office to be made a marshal in 1439. He married Mary de Laval, lady of Retz, widow of the admiral de Coetivy, by whom he had no issue, and died in 1486.

§ Philip de Culant, lord of Jaloignes, seneschal of the Limousin, created a marshal of France the year before, on occasion of the siege of Pontoise. He died in 1454, without issue. He was nephew to Louis lord of Culant, admiral of France, and younger brother to Charles de Culant, lord of Chateauneuf, &c. ; grand-master in 1449.

Godfrey, second son of Bertrand de la Tour, count of Auvergne and Boulogne, bore the title of Montgascon. He was betrothed to Jane de Brezé, daughter of Peter, count de Maulevrier, but afterwards married Anne de Beaufort, daughter of the marquis de Canillae.

Chalenton. Chalencon.-DU CANGE. ** Pennesach. Vennensach.-DU CANGE.

+ Meillan, a small town in Gascony, near Tartas.