CHAP. LI.
THE DUKE OF BRITTANY IS MADE PRISONER BY THE COUNT DE PENTHIEVRE, AND DETAINED BY HIM FOR A CONSIDERABLE TIME.—A WAR TAKES PLACE IN CONSEQUENCE THEREOF.
THE DUKE OF BRITTANY IS MADE PRISONER BY THE COUNT DE PENTHIEVRE, AND DETAINED BY HIM FOR A CONSIDERABLE TIME.—A WAR TAKES PLACE IN CONSEQUENCE THEREOF.
Wemust now speak of a wonderful event that happened this year in Brittany. It has been told by some historians, especially by master John Froissart, how the ancestors of John de Montfort, the present duke of Brittany, and those of Olivier de Bretagne, count de Penthievre, had in former times great quarrels and wars respecting the succession to the dukedom of Brittany, each of them claiming it as his right.
At length, the duchy was given up to the Montforts, by means of certain compensationsthat were made to the family of Penthievre, the mention of which I shall pass over, as these events are anterior to my history, and they had possessed the duchy peaceably ever since.
The present count de Penthievre, however, notwithstanding he showed great outward marks of affection to the duke of Brittany, had not forgotten these ancient quarrels, as you will soon perceive. In truth, what with the hope of regaining the duchy, and with the exhortations of his mother, who was daughter to the late sir Olivier de Clisson, constable of France, the count de Penthievre obtained a sealed order from the dauphin to arrest and imprison the duke of Brittany; although he was married to his sister; but he was ill pleased with the duke, because he and the estates of the duchy had refused to assist him in his war against the English and Burgundians.
When the count had obtained this order, he considered how he could the most easily carry it into effect, and thought his best way would be to invite the duke to dinner at Chantoceau. He went, therefore, to pay a visit to the duke at Nantes; andafter some conversation, he earnestly pressed him to come and amuse himself at Chantoceau, and dine there, adding, that his mother would be delighted to see him, and would entertain him to the best of her power. The duke consented to both proposals, not imagining that any evil designs could have been devised against him, and the day fixed on was the 4th of February.
When that day was come, the duke set out from le Lorrons Bocqteriaux, where he had slept, and took the road to Chantoceau. His maitres d'hôtel and harbingers preceded him, as is customary, to have all things in readiness for him on his arrival. When they appeared before the castle, the count and all his household mounted their horses, and advanced to meet the duke so far as a bridge called the Bridge à la Tuberbe, which is thrown over a small river.
The duke crossed this bridge, accompanied by his brother Richard, and some knights and esquires of his household, followed at a distance by the rest of his attendants, for he never suspected the mischief that was intended him. When he had passed the bridge, one of the count's attendantswho counterfeited being a fool, dismounted and threw the planks of the bridge into the water by way of amusement, which prevented the retinue of the duke that had remained behind from crossing it.
The duke, still unsuspecting, laughed heartily at this trick of the fool; but in the mean time, Charles lord of Avaugour, brother to the count, who had lain in ambush with about forty men at arms, sallied out against the duke, who, seeing this, said to the count, 'Fair cousin, what means this? and who are these people?' 'My lord, they are my people, and I arrest you in the name of the dauphin,' at the same time laying hands on him. The duke, greatly surprised, said, 'Ah! fair cousin, you act wickedly; for I came hither at your request, not suspecting you had any evil designs.'
Some of his people, however, drew their swords in his defence; but they soon perceived they were too inferior in numbers to do any good. At the same time, those who had been placed in ambuscade advanced on the duke with drawn swords,when one of the duke's gentlemen, called John de Beaumanoir, had his wrist cut through, and another, named Thibault Buisson was wounded in the hand. One of the count's household, called Henry l'Alemand, wanted to strike the duke with his sword; but the count defended him, and ordered his men to cease fighting, for that he should carry the duke prisoner to the dauphin.
The duke's attendants on the other side of the bridge, seeing the situation of their lord, were much distressed that they could not come to his aid, and knew not how to act. Shortly after, the count de Penthievre, his brother, and his men at arms hastily carried off the duke and his brother Richard toward Poitou, to Bressaire, and thence to Lusignan, to Bournouiau, to Châteaumur, and other places. He was thus a prisoner for six or seven months, without being confined in any prison or treated personally ill; but he was closely watched, and had only one of his domestics to wait on him. His brother Richard was detained a prisoner with him.
You may suppose, that when the knowledgeof this arrest of the duke was made known to the duchess and lords of Brittany, they were highly incensed: in particular, the duchess was so grieved that it was with difficulty she could be appeased. The whole of the nobility were speedily assembled, with the duchess, in the town of Nantes, when they solemnly resolved, on oath, to proceed to the deliverance of the duke, and to make war on the count de Penthievre, and on all his friends, allies, and wellwishers. They unanimously chose the lords de Châteaubriant and de Rieux as their commanders, who instantly marched a powerful force against Lamballe, which belonged to the count. It held out for fifteen days, and then surrendered; and the castle and town, which were strongly fortified, were destroyed, and the walls razed. They thence marched to castle Andren, and to la Motte d'Ebron, which were treated in the same manner.
They proceeded to lay siege to Chantoceau, in which was the old countess de Penthievre. The governor was the lord de Bressieres, who defended it well. This siege lasted three months, without muchbeing gained by the besiegers; for it was amply supplied with provision and stores, and well garrisoned by good men at arms.
During this siege, a treaty was made, between the count and the duke, who promised to restore all his places, as well those that had been taken as those that had been demolished, and that he would not, by himself or his friends, any way molest him for what he had done. When this treaty had been concluded, and hostages given for its performance, the count sent back the duke, escorted by the lord de l'Esgle his brother.
The first act of the duke was to raise the siege of Chantoceau; but when the barons of Brittany had again possession of their duke, they refused to comply with the treaty he had made, and insisted that the countess of Penthievre should depart from Chantoceau, and that the place should be put into the hands of the duke.
A day of conference was appointed between the two parties, to see if any terms could be thought of to put an end to these differences; and the count promised to attend in person, giving his brother William as an hostage for his keeping his promise:but he did not appear, having had sure information, that if he did come, he would never return. In truth, had he appeared, he would have been executed judicially, for it had been so determined on by the three estates of the duchy; and they told the duke, that if he meant to keep the treaty made with the count de Penthievre, they would deprive him of the dukedom, and elect his eldest son duke in his stead, so that he was obliged to comply with their wills.
The count de Penthievre, on hearing these things, was much troubled, and not without cause; for he knew that all his landed property and lordships in Brittany were confiscated and in possession of the duke, and that his brother remained as hostage in the hands of the duke, without a possibility of his deliverance.
On the other hand, he was on bad terms with the dauphin, because he would not give up to him the person of the duke of Brittany,—and was not very safe as to himself; for he found few willing to support him. To avoid greater inconveniences, he withdrew into the viscounty of Limoges,and after some consultations with his brothers, departed thence through the country of Auvergne to Lyon, and thence to Geneva and Basil, on his way to his possessions at Avesnes in Hainault. As he was travelling down the Rhine, he was arrested by the marquis of Baden, by way of reprisal for the pillaging of some of his people in Hainault, and was detained a long time prisoner. To obtain his liberty, it cost him full thirty thousand crowns; after which, he went to Avesnes in Hainault.
While he resided at Avesnes, the duke of Brittany sent some of his people thither to arrest him, and put an iron chain round his neck. They were under the conduct of the following breton gentlemen: sir Roland de Saint Pol, sir John de Lumon, Jacquet de Faulermine, and others; but they managed the matter with so little secresy that their enterprise was known, and some were imprisoned. The rest saved themselves by flight. The count was forced to surrender the prisoners to the judicial court of Mons, and none were executed.
The count de Penthievre never returned to Brittany, but remained all his days inHainault, and married the daughter and heiress of the lord de Quievrain, by whom, at his decease, he left several children, who did not, however, live until of competent age, so that his estates descended to his brother, the lord de l'Esgle.