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people to their lord the Duke Philip, who should be A.D. 1419. made aware of what it was his intention to do. After this answer of the king the said ambassadors took leave and returned to Arras to make their report.

About the ensuing St. Andrew's day the English came to the duke at the said town of Arras, that is to say, the Bishop of Rochester, the Earls of Warwick and Kent, and with them many other knights and esquires, to whom the duke gave a very honourable reception. And there the ambassadors of the said King of England exhibited certain articles containing the treaty which he wished to make with the King of France and the said Duke of Burgundy; on which there were delivered in like manner to the said English ambassadors certain other articles on the duke's side, in which his mind was in great part explained. Finally, the counsellors of the two parties communicated so much with each other, that they came in the end to an agreement, in case the King of France and his council should be satisfied.

During this time the King of France, the Queen, and Lady Catherine, their daughter, who were keeping their court at Troyes, in Champagne, were guided and counselled by several lords devoted to the Duke of Burgundy.

By the treaties thus begun it was settled that the followers of the two parties, that is of the French king and the Duke of Burgundy, which was the same thing, should not make war on the English, nor the English on them; but the truce was prolonged, and it was decided that the two embassies of England and Burgundy should go together to the said place of Troyes to the King of France, further to confirm the arrangements, in order to bring all to a good conclusion; and Duke Philip intended even to go in person.

A.D. 1420.

In all these doings, Sir John de Harcourt showed himself every way favourable and on the side of the Duke of Burgundy; also he was among the first called to all the most private consultations; and such great honour and respect was shown him by the duke as to no other men of his court; and he loved him cordially, for since the death of Duke John, his father, he had made oath to serve him in all his affairs. At the same time Sir Jacques de Harcourt repaired, fortified, and supplied with appurtenances of war, food, and all necessaries the town and fortress of Le Crotoy, of which he had charge on behalf of the King of France. And on the other side Sir John of Luxemburg had a very large army; so he made vigorous war on the dauphinists and took several strongholds from them.

How the French, English, and Burgundians began to fight the dauphinists. CHAPTER XXXI.

FROM that time forward those who held by the party of the French king and the Duke of Burgundy began to visit, traffic, and hold intercourse with the English on the frontier of Normandy, as though peace had already been proclaimed.

During this time the Earls of Huntingdon and Cornwall, by command of the King of England, laid siege with three thousand men to the fortress of Fontainesla-Vagant, which, during these dissensions, had always held by the Orleans party, and had never been subjugated; for which reason the lands of Beauvaisis, the marches of Normandy, Amiennois, and others in the neighbourhood had been greatly harassed for a

long time. However, at the end of three weeks or A.D. 1420 thereabouts, after the said siege was laid by the English, those who were within the fortress surrendered it to the assailants, on condition that they should go where they pleased, safe in their persons and property: but after their parley the place was destroyed and reduced to ruins.1

At this time Duke Philip of Burgundy collected a great army to take with him to the King of France at Troyes; and he appointed as his chancellor Sir John de Thoisi, Bishop of Tournay. On the Saturday after, Three Kings' day, in the year above-named, truce was proclaimed between the Kings of France and England for all the countries subject to the king and the Duke of Burgundy from Paris to Boulogne, and Troyes, in Champagne, to last till the ensuing month of March, with the view of coming to a final peace between the two kings and kingdoms.

At this time the English, with a large force under the command of the Earls of Huntingdon and Cornwall, proceeded to the town and castle of Clermont and assailed it vigorously; but it was well defended by those within, and forasmuch as the English had some killed and wounded in the said assault, they burned the borough of St. Andrew, where there were some handsome houses and public buildings. Then they overran and foraged through the whole county, from which they carried off large booty to Normandy.

During the same time the Duke of Burgundy set out from Arras, where he left the duchess, his wife, and went to Bapaume, and from that to Peronne, to which place came most of his captains with whom and their followers he rode to St. Quentin, where he re

And during this time many other places were placed in subjection to the King of England,

the King of France, and the Duke
of Burgundy, H.

2 The Epiphany, 6th January,

A.D. 1420. mained a certain time waiting for the rest. And there the ambassadors of the King of England came to him, all in arms, to the number of two hundred men-at-arms and three hundred archers, of whom the principal were the Earls of Warwick and Kent, Lord de Ros, Marshal of England, and Sir Louis de Robersard, a native of Hainault, who came there all together to the duke to go with him to Troyes, in Champagne. There came also delegates from the town of Laon, who, with those of the town of St. Quentin, earnestly requested Duke Philip that he would besiege the town of Crespy-en-Lannois, occupied by the followers of the dauphin, who were wasting and destroying all the surrounding country.

The duke, desiring to please the people, in order to keep them attached to him, granted this request, so he left St. Quentin and went to lodge at Cressi-surSere, sending Sir John of Luxembourg, accompanied by the brothers Hector and Philip de Saveuse with some other captains to lodge round the town of Crespy within which were fully five hundred warriors, of whom the chief were Pothon de Sainte-Treille, La Hire, Dandonnet, and other adventurers. These defended the town bravely, but at length they were so closely approached that several engines were set up before the gates and walls, where there were many grand assaults and skirmishes. So when the siege had continued fifteen days the besieged negotiated for departing safe in person and property from Crespy, which town they placed in the hands of the Duke of Burgundy; and it was, by request of the people of

1 and because it was his first expedition he showed great grace to all save some who owed allegiance to towns of the King of France who remained prisoners. So the dau

phinists departed, having the safeconduct of the said duke, but after their departure the said town was pillaged and stripped of everything portable, H.

Laon, denuded of gates and walls, therefore, proceeding A.D. 1420. from bad to worse, they remained in desolation and sadness, not without cause.

Of the Arrival of the Duke of Burgundy at Troyes, and of what the English did there. CHAPTER XXXII.

THE town of Crespy-en-Lannois having surrendered, as has been said, Duke Philip went to Laon, where he was honourably entertained by the burgesses and inhabitants of the town. And from that, with his army, in which he had six thousand good fighting men besides the English ambassadors, he proceeded to pass through Rheims and Chalons-en-Champagne, in which towns he was suitably received, and thence he rode in great order to Troyes. And there came to meet him many great lords of his own country of Burgundy and distinguished burgesses of the town of Troyes, who treated him with great respect, and in this manner on the 21st of March did Duke Philip enter the good town of Troyes, where the people cried "Noel!" for his joyful arrival. There was Duke Philip highly congratulated by the King of France, the queen, the Lady Catherine, their daughter, and generally by the whole court; and there were great consultations among them about the alliance with the King of France, which the King of England wished to have, who had sent the above-named ambassadors with full power to confirm the treaties on his behalf. Finally, after many conferences held with the said English lords, it was concluded and agreed through the influence of the Duke of Burgundy and those holding by his

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