Bordeaux, near to a coppice. The battle now commenced, and was so well fought by the French, that eighteen hundred English and Bordelois were slain on the spot or in the pursuit. The first runaway was the mayor, who, being on horseback, abandoned his van who were on foot, and whom he had advanced as a frontier to his main division. The French made twelve hundred prisoners, which was very honourable and profitable to them, considering how few they were in comparison with their enemies. At the conclusion of this business, the lord d'Orval marched his men back, with their prisoners to Bazas, much rejoiced at their good success. On the morrow of the feast of All-saints, duke Peter of Brittany waited on the king of France, as his sovereign lord, to do him homage for his duchy of Brittany, and took the accustomed oaths before the count de Dunois and de Longueville; when the king's great chamberlain took his baudrick, sword and buckler, for his fee. After he had taken the oaths, the chancellor of France said, that he was liege-man to the king of France on account of this duchy; but the duke's chancellor replied, that, saving his respect to the king, he was not liege-man to his majesty on account of this duchy, which caused a long altercation. At length, the king accepted his homage according to the usages and manner that his predecessors, the dukes of Brittany, had done. Shortly after, he did another homage for his county of Montfort, for which he acknowledged himself the king's liegeman and vassal. He was grandly entertained by the king and his chivalry, at the small town and castle of Montbazon*, where the court then resided, and also by the ladies and damsels, to whom he acquitted himself handsomely. Many sports and pastimes of wrestling and other amusements took place during the fortnight the duke staid with the king, who was in high spirits and health. He had with him the count de Richemont his constable, and many barons, knights and esquires, to the number of from four to five hundred horses. In the same year, according to the chronicles of Arras, Philip, then aged about fifty-four years, duke of Burgundy, Lotrichet, Brabant, Limbourg and Luxembourg, count of Flanders, Artois, Burgundy, Hainault, Holland, Zealand and Namur, marquis of the Holy Roman Empire, lord of Frizeland, Salins and Mechlin, required from the states of Flanders (whom he had assembled for this purpose,) that they would allow him to lay a tax of twenty-four groats, Flemish money, on each sack of salt that should be used in that country; promising in return, that during his life, he would not lay any additional impositions by taxes on land or otherwise. The deputies from Ghent having heard this proposal, demanded time to consider of it. These deputies took the lead; and having fully weighed he matter, and considering that the principal food of the commonalty was salted meats and fish, absolutely refused their consent; adding, that they would never, while alive, suffer such a tax to be laid upon their country. The deputies from Bruges, Ypres, and the Franc, in conformity to what the Ghent men had said, declared that they would act in unison with Ghent, and refused their assent. CHAPTER XXXVI.—THE KING APPOINTS THE COUNT DE DUNOIS HIS LIEUTENANT-GENERAL In the month of May, of the year 1451, according to the Chronicles of St. Denis, during the king's residence at Tours, he appointed the count de Dunois and de Longueville, who had come thither for that purpose, his lieutenant-general in Guienne, to reduce that duchy to his obedience. Early in May, the king had issued his summons to several kinghts and esquires, that they might prepare themselves for accompanying the count on this expedition. The lieutenant-general left Tours with a noble company, and marched to lay siege to a castle called Mont-Guyon, where he was joined by the count d'Angoulême, legitimate brother to the duke of Orleans, master John Bureau, treasurer of France, Pierre de Louvain, and others, to the amount of four hundred spears, with archers and guisarmes, and four * Montbazon,-in Touraine five leagues from Tours. † Lotriche. Q. Does this mean Austria ? "de l'Autriche. thousand franc-archers, who instantly commenced the siege, without waiting for the other great barons who were to come thither. This siege lasted eight days; but the governor for the English, Regnault de St. Jean, esquire, and attached to the captal de Buch*, and a few men-at-arms, seeing the inutility of defence against such an army, entered into a capitulation, by which the place was yielded up to the king of France. On the 16th day of May, after the reduction of Mont-Guyon, the lieutenant-general laid siege to one of the gates of Blayet. He was there joined by sir Pierre de Beauveau lord of La Bessieret, lieutenant to the count du Maine and captain of his men-at-arms, and by sir Geoffry de St. Belin, having in their company about eight-score spears, guisarmes and archers. Thither came also sir James de Chabannes, grand-master of the household, and Joachim Rohault, who posted themselves opposite the castle, and took their quarters at the hospital: they had with them two hundred lances and archers, and two thousand franc-archers. At the same time, a large fleet arrived under the command of sir John le Boucher, general of France, in which were numbers of men-at-arms and archers, with great stores of provision for the supply of the besieging army. This fleet, as it came near to Blaye, found anchored in the port five large vessels well armed, which had arrived from Bordeaux with stores for the relief of those in the town of Blaye. An engagement took place, when the French fought valiantly, and killed so many of the enemy that they were forced to weigh anchor and fly to Bordeaux, whither they were chased into the harbour. The French fleet then returned to Blaye, where they anchored before the port, to prevent any supplies from being thrown into the town. Thus was Blaye besieged on all sides, by land and water; and as this was completed, the count de Penthievre arrived, with one hundred lances and three hundred cross-bows, and was quartered near to the count de Dunois. Many gallant deeds were done, and deep trenches and mines made; and the walls were so much battered, by heavy cannon and bombards, that there were breaches in several places. The most valiant warriors on the part of the king of England, in Guyenne, were then in the town; but a little before sunset, on the 28th day of May, at the hour of sounding to mount the guard, some franc-archers of the company of John de Meauze, called the lord of Maugouverne, captain of the franc-archers of Touraine, mounted the walls of the town, and a storm regularly followed, when the place was won, and the English lost, in killed and prisoners, full two hundred men. The mayor of Bordeaux, together with the lord de l'Esparre, the lord de Montferrant, and others-in all, about two hundred-hastily retreated into the castle; but, consulting together, they thought further resistance would be vain against such numbers, without hope of being succoured, and surrendered the castle on capitulation. Instantly on the reduction of the castle of Blaye, the count de Dunois marched his forces to besiege the town and castle of Le Bourg§. The siege did not, however, continue more than five or six days; for the garrison, observing the preparations for such large batteries of cannon and bombards, and the great strength of the besiegers, offered to surrender on being allowed to march away in safety with arms and baggage. There were from four to five hundred combatants in the place, under the command of sir Beraud de Montferrant, who departed with them for Bordeaux; and sir James de Chabannes, grand-master of the household, remained governor of it for the king of France. In this same month of May, the count d'Albreth ||, with his two sons the lords of Tartas and of Orval, three hundred lances and two thousand cross-bows, laid siege to Dax¶, on the side toward Bordeaux, and at the end of the bridge over the Adour. About ten or twelve hours after the siege had commenced, the count de Foix came thither, attended by * Gaston, count of Longueville and Benanges, second son of Archambaud count of Foix, enjoyed this title and transmitted it to his son John, who married a niece of the great William de la Pole duke of Suffolk, and was created by king Henry VI. earl of Kendal. + Blaye, on the Garonne, thirteen leagues and a half from Bordeaux. Descended from a younger son of Matthew, lord of Beauveau, who died about 1400. He was killed soon afterwards at the siege of Castillon. § Le Bourg, a village near Bordeaux. Charles II. count of Dreux, &c., of the house of Albret, son of the constable; John viscount of Tartas, his eldest son, (who died before his father, leaving Alan, lord Albret, his only son and heir,) and Arnaud Amanjeu, lord of Orval, his third son, afterwards lieutenant-general for the king in Roussillon. The second son of the count was Louis cardinal bishop of Cahors. Dax,- —an ancient city of Gascony, on the Adour. the viscount de Lautrec his legitimate brother, sir Bernard de Béarn his natural brother, the barons of Nouailles, of Lausun, of Rez, of Couraze, sir Martin Gratian captain of the Spaniards, Robin Petit-Lot captain of the Scots, and many other knights and esquires; in the whole amounting to five hundred lances and archers, and two thousand cross-bows. They besieged the town on the side of Navarre and Béarn, and several gallant actions were performed on both sides. The besieged kept up a stout resistance, until they heard that those in Bordeaux had intentions of treating with the lieutenant-general or his commissioners; and a promise was made them, at the request of the count de Foix, that they should be comprehended in whatever treaty the Bordelois should conclude. Dax was thus delivered up to the king of France,—and the counts de Foix and d'Albreth, with four barons of Béarn, were appointed for the defence of the town and castle. In the same month, siege was laid to Castillon*, in Perigord, by the count de Penthievre, the lord de Jalognes marshal of France, and master John Bureau treasurer of France. At this time, St. Emilion† surrendered; for the garrison saw resistance would be vain; and it was placed under the guard of the count de Penthievre. CHAPTER XXXVII.-THE GREATER PART OF THE TOWNS AND CASTLES IN THE DUCHY OF GUIENNE ENTER INTO TREATIES FOR THEIR SURRENDER, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BAYONNE.-BORDEAUX SURRENDERS. On the 2d of June, the count de Dunois sent a detachment to lay siege to a town called Fronsac +, while he remained in Le Bourg to settle the future government of the country for the king's advantage. Having done this, he went in person against Fronsac, and sent a herald to summon Libourne § to surrender to the king. The inhabitants sent a deputation back with the herald to conclude a treaty with the count, which being done, the care of the place was given to the count of Angoulême. To return to the castle of Fronsac, which was the strongest in all Guienne, and has been always guarded by a garrison of native Englishmen, because it has a chambre royalle ||, and is the key to Guienne and the Bordelois. The English, therefore, necessarily made the greatest possible exertions in its defence, during a severe and well-conducted siege of a fortnight. The English, then, seeing the prodigious force brought against them, which was not a fourth part of the chivalry the king had in those parts, with the numerous train of battering cannon, and other artillery, and that the franc-archers were then besieging four places at once, without a possibility of any one succouring the other, from the inundations of the Gironde and Dordogne, caused by the melting of the snows among the mountains, and also that the French army in Guienne was much superior to any the king of England could then bring against it: having considered all these things, the garrison in Fronsac demanded a parley with the count de Dunois, and concluded a treaty on the terms that if they were not reinforced, so as to be able to offer battle to the French on or before the eve of St. John Baptist's day, they would surrender the place. In like manner were the barons of the country, and even the town, bounden to surrender; for the French depended on being powerful enough to reduce all the places in the duchy of Guienne, held by king Henry, to the obedience of the king of France; and, for greater security, hostages were demanded and given. The counts de Penthievre, de Nevers, de Castres, de Clermont, de Vendôme, grandly accompanied with many knights and esquires, came toward Fronsac about St. John's day, to be present at the battle; and the whole made a most magnificent appearance. There were made knights the count de Vendôme, the viscount de Turenne, the lord de la examination and inquiry into the conduct of financiers and *Castillon-near Perigueux. St. Emilion-near the Dordogne, six leagues from exchequer-men. Bordeaux. Agne III. de la Tour, lord of Oliergues, of a younger Fronsac on the Dordogne, six leagues from Bor- branch of the family of La Tour counts of Auvergne, &c., deaux. § Libourne-a city of Guienne on the Dordogne, ten leagues from Bordeaux. Il Chambre royalle-Cotgrave says, is a court for the VOL. II. became viscount of Turenne and count of Beaufort, in 1444, by marriage with Anne, daughter of Peter count of Beaufort, who possessed those dignities by the donation of his cousin Eleanor, heiress of the famous marshal Boucicaut, Rochefoucault*, the son to the lord de Commercy, sir John de Rochedrouard†, the lord de Grimaux, sir Pierre des Barres, sir Pierre de Montingrin §, sir Ferry de Gransy, sir John de Bordeilles, the lord de Fontenelles, the bastard de Vendôme, sir John de la Haye, sir Tristan l'Hermite, sir John de l'Estrange, sir Pierre de Louvain, and others, to the amount of forty knights. On the morrow, which was the eve of St. John's day, the English, receiving no succour, delivered Fronsac into the hands of the count de Dunois, who appointed Joachim Rohault to the government of it. The lieutenant-general then sent a herald with letters to the count d'Armagnac, who was besieging Rions ||, and a duplicate of the treaty of Bordeaux; in consequence of which Rions surrendered, and was given to the guard of the lord d'Albreth. The herald then continued his road to the count de Foix, with another copy of this treaty, and letters; and the city of Dax submitted to the obedience of the king of France. When the commissioners from the count de Dunois had settled everything for the surrender of Bordeaux, they returned to him, the chancellor, and other members of the king's council, with the articles of the capitulation mutually signed and sealed by each party. These lords and their companions were much rejoiced at this event; and the surrender was delayed for eight days after the time fixed, for troops to arrive from England. Nevertheless those in Bordeaux, contrary to their engagements, in the full hope of succours arriving, demanded that a day should be appointed for the combat, which was granted by the count; and the 22d of June was fixed on for the battle, should succours arrive, otherwise they were to deliver up the town on that day. The French, in expectation of a combat, or a surrender of the town, were drawn up in battle-array before it until sunset; when the men of Bordeaux, seeing no appearance of succour, ordered a herald to cry aloud for assistance from England for Bordeaux. No one making any answer, nor any reinforcements appearing, each party retired to their quarters, without more being then done. The next morning, the chancellor and treasurer of France, with some others, came before the gates; when it was agreed, that on the following Wednesday, the townsmen were to be prepared to deliver up the keys of all the towers, havens, gates and barriers of the said town, and to take the oaths of allegiance to the king of France, and become henceforward his loyal subjects, according to the promises they had made. The treasurer, John Bureau, in reward for the great diligence he had shown in the recovery of the duchy of Guienne, was made mayor of Bordeaux. For similar causes was Joachim Rohault made constable of the place, and he directly took the oaths at the hand of the chancellor; and the mayor did the same in the hands of the chancellor and constable on the following Wednesday, the day fixed on for the delivery of the town. The inhabitants of Bordeaux and the neighbouring barons made great preparations for the honourable reception of the count de Dunois and his company. By orders from the lieutenant-general, sir Thibaut de Valpergue bailiff of Lyon, and John Bureau, the new mayor, first entered the city, to take possession of it in the king's name; and all the different keys of the strongholds were presented to them. The franc-archers were not permitted to join in this entry, as it was said, by desire of the inhabitants, but sent to quarter themselves in and about Libourne. The entry commenced at sunrise, by the gate where were stationed the lords de l'Esparre, de Montferrant, and some nobles of the town and country. All the churchmen, as well monks as others, dressed in their copes and robes, came out to meet the lieutenant-general, and gave him a most honourable welcome. The archers of the van-guard commenced the march, estimated at a thousand or twelve hundred men, under the command of Joachim Rohault, constable of Bordeaux, and the lord de Pavansac, seneschal of Toulouse. Then came the men-at-arms of the van on foot, estimated at three hundred, under their proper Foucault III. lord de la Rochefoucault, who married the sister of the lord Rochechouart. + Q. Rochechouart? Foucault lord of Rochechouart was about this time governor of La Rochelle. Q. Grimoard? Antoine du Roure lord of Grimoard, and Guige de Grimoard de Roure, lord of Beauvoir in the Gevaudan, were the heads of two distinct branches of this family. of St. Pierre le Moustier, and a chamberlain of the king, § Q. Montmorin? Peter lord of Montmorin, bailiff was one of the knights made on this occasion. || Rions-a town in Guienne, three leagues from Bor deaux. commanders, the marshals de Lohéac and de Jalognes, superbly mounted: then the counts de Nevers and d'Armagnac, and the viscount de Lautrec, brother to the count de Foix, with three hundred men on foot also. These were followed by the archers of the lord de la Bessiere, lieutenant to the count du Maine, in number three or four hundred: then a whole battalion of archers, estimated at three thousand, under the command of the lords de la Bessiere and de la Rochefoucault: then three of the lords of the king's great council, namely, the bishop of Aleth*, master Guy Bernard, archdeacon of Tours, and the bishop duke of Langrest; the chancellor de la Marche, and others the king's secretaries, who were followed by sir Tristan de l'Hermite, provost to the marshals, on horseback, with all his sergeants. Four trumpeters of the king, with heralds and pursuivants dressed in the royal tabards, and in the coats of arms of the lords present, next entered the town, followed by a white hackney, covered with housings of crimson velvet, and on his crupper a cloth of azure velvet, with flowers de luce embroidered thereon: a small coffer, covered with azure velvet, with flowers de luce of solid silver in raised work was placed on the saddle, containing the great seal of the king. This hackney was led by a valet on foot, having two archers on each side in the king's livery. The chancellor followed on horseback, armed in a corslet of steel, over which was a jacket of crimson velvet. The lord de Saintrailles, bailiff of Berry and master of the horse to the king, came next, mounted on a large war-horse covered with silk trappings. He was in full armour, and held one of the royal banners: the other was displayed on his left hand by the lord de Montagu, mounted also on a richly dressed war-horse. They rode immediately before the lieutenant-general, who was mounted on a white courser with trappings of blue velvet, loaded with raised work of solid gold. He was alone, and in full armour, but followed by the counts of Angoulême and Clermont in armour, and their horses and pages most richly dressed. Then came the counts de Vendôme and de Castres, with numbers of other barons and great lords, splendidly equipped. After them came the battalion of the men-at-arms, amounting to fifteen hundred lances, under the orders of sir James de Chabannes, grand-master of the household, in complete armour, and his horse covered with rich housings. Then entered the men-at-arms of the count du Maine,-in number one hundred and fifty spears,-under the command of Geoffry de St. Belin, bailiff of Claumont in Bassigny. The march was closed by the rear-guard, consisting of the men of Joachim Rohault and the menat-arms of the lord de Saintrailles. The whole advanced unto the cathedral, where the lieutenant-general, the counts of Angoulême, of Vendôme, of Armagnac, of Castres, the chancellor, and several others, dismounted. The archbishop of Bordeaux met them at the gate of the church, clad in his pontifical robes, and attended by the canons of the cathedral. The archbishop having sanctified the count with incense and presented him with some relics and the cross, took him by the hand, and led him through the choir to the great altar, to perform his prayers. With the lieutenant-general, two of the king's heralds entered the church, dressed in tabards of the royal arms. All the nobles then followed, and they left the king's banners in the church. When the count and the other lords had ended their devotions, the archbishop took a missal, and made them swear, that the king would faithfully preserve and maintain them in their ancient rights and privileges. Having taken this oath, the count de Dunois made the archbishop swear that the count de l'Esparre, and the other lords having authority within the town, would behave always loyally and submissively to the king of France and to his government. In this oath he made all the commonalty present join, which they did, by extending their hands toward heaven, as is usual in such cases. From this oath the captal of Buch was excepted, as he was then a knight-companion of the Garter, the order of the king of England. When the lieutenant-general had devoutly heard mass, which was celebrated by the archbishop, and the "Veni Creator," &c. and "Te Deum laudamus," &c. that preceded it, to the ringing of all the bells at the different churches, he retired to his lodgings (as did the • Aleth-a small city in upper Languedoc. + Langres--a large city of Champagne, and one of the six ecclesiastical peerages of France. |