CHAP. XV.

THE PARISIANS ARE MUSTERED.—THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY MARCHES IN DISGRACE FROM BEFORE BEAUVAIS.—OF THE KING'S ARMY IN BRITTANY.—THE SHAMEFUL CONDUCT OF THE BURGUNDIANS IN NORMANDY, THE FRENCH RECONQUER EU FROM THE COUNT DE ROUSSI.—THE QUEEN OF FRANCE DELIVERED OF A SON, NAMED DUKE OF BERRY.—THE LORD OF BEAUJEU BETRAYED TO THE COUNT D'ARMAGNAC.—LECTOURE REGAINED, AND THE COUNT D'ARMAGNAC KILLED.—THE KING OF ARRAGON FLIES FROM PERPIGNAN.—THE DUKE OF ALENÇON MADE PRISONER.—THE KING GOES TO BORDEAUX.—THE SON OF THE COUNT D'ALBRET BEHEADED AT POITIERS.

Atthis time, the Parisians were mustered and reviewed by the lord de Gaucourt, lieutenant for the king in Paris, master John de Ladriesche, and sir Denis Hesselin, king's pantler. It was a fine show to see them all under arms, and so handsomelyequipped; but it would have been finer, if all the banners and cross-bows that had been detached to Beauvais had been present.

Further detachments were demanded by the captains in Beauvais, to the number of three thousand men, fully equipped; but they were refused on account of the numbers already sent thither, and because it would not only put the inhabitants to great expense but much weaken the defence of Paris. Sir Denis Hesselin remonstrated so ably with the captains in Beauvais on this subject that they were satisfied with the support already given, but requested that one hundred cross-bowmen and gunners might be sent to them which was done.

About three o'clock in the morning of Magdalen-day, the duke of Burgundy commenced a disgraceful retreat from before Beauvais, having done nothing, during the twenty-six days he was encamped there, but fire his artillery day and night against the town without materially damaging it, or hurting the inhabitants. He made two violent attacks, in which he lost numbers of his most valiant warriors,besides a great quantity of artillery won by the king's garrison in Amiens.

On the departure of the Burgundians, they destroyed all the villages on their line of march, until they came before St Valery, which was instantly surrendered to them, because there was not a force within it sufficient for resistance. They then marched to Eu, which was also surrendered for the same cause.

The constable of France, the grand master of the household, and the other captains in Beauvais, marched thence, with eight hundred lances, on the 29th of July, for Arques, Monstiervillier, and the country of Caux, on the supposition that the Burgundians would advance thither, which in fact they did, and with a view of being beforehand with them. The Burgundians encamped at the village of Ferrieres, between Eu and Dieppe, and remained there some time, but without conquering any place except the new castle of Nicourt[41], which they entered, as there were none to oppose them. They held it for three days,—and on theirdeparture set fire to the castle and town which was a pity, for it was a large and handsome place. They afterwards burnt Longueville, Fahy, and many other places in the bailiwick of Caen, which all his wealth would be insufficient to restore. These were all the noble duke's acts of valour until the first day of December.

During this interval, the king had remained inactive in Brittany, with about fifty thousand combatants, because he had been amused with different embassies from that duke, and entertained hopes of a pacification without bloodshed or loss of men; for he was much more anxious for the preservation of his subjects' lives than the duke of Burgundy, who was cruel and obstinate, as he had shown and was daily demonstrating.

The duke, having done great damages by fire to the towns and villages of that country of Caux, now advanced toward Arques and Dieppe; but his army was there so beaten that he quitted that part of the country and marched for Rouen, where he was more roughly treated than before; insomuch that, from the frequent and courageous sallies made from that town, he wasforced to retreat in disgrace for Abbeville spreading abroad a report that he intended to attack Noyon, and take it by storm. The lord de Crussol hastened thither for its defence, and was joined by others of the king's captains to repulse his cursed fury; but one misfortune he was the cause of,—for these captains, to secure the town and prevent the Burgundians from posting themselves in the suburbs, caused them to be burnt and destroyed—which was a needless loss, as the enemy never appeared there.

About this time, sir Robert de Estouteville, provost of Paris, left Beauvais with the nobles of his provostship and a certain number of franc-archers, and posted himself in the suburbs of Eu, on the side of Abbeville. The same day, the marshal de Rohault took possession of the other suburbs leading toward Dieppe,—and they immediately summoned the Burgundians to surrender. They were so much frightened at the appearance of the royalists that they instantly accepted of terms,—namely, that all the knights should march away mounted on a common hackney,and that the other Burgundians should depart with nothing but wands in their hands, leaving behind all their arms, horses, and baggage, and pay, as a ransom, the sum of ten thousand crowns.

Sir Robert and the marshal lost no time in marching to St Valery, which surrendered on similar terms, and paying six thousand crowns. They thence proceeded to Rambures[42], a handsome and strong castle, in which were some Burgundians, but who came out of the castle and surrendered it to the French, on condition of being allowed to march away in safety with their arms and baggage.

While these things were passing, the partisans of Burgundy, such as the count de Roussi[43], son to the constable, and others, took the field in Burgundy, and overran the country of Tonnerre, without meeting any resistance. They destroyed that country and attempted to gain Joigny,—but by timely reinforcements sent thither by the king, were prevented. They then advancedto Troyes,—but their only acts of valour consisted in setting fire to all the villages and barns on their march. These acts were retaliated, on the part of the king, by the count dauphin of Auvergne, and other nobles in his company, who burnt and destroyed several small towns and villages in Burgundy. They did irreparable damages, in revenge for what the Burgundians had done to the subjects of the king, their supreme and true sovereign, to whom they had behaved as rebels.

In the month of September, the king, who had been some time in Brittany, concluded a truce with the duke, in which were included all his allies; and in the number, he declared the duke of Burgundy to be one, who accepted of this truce,—but he had comprehended his allies also, whom he declared to be the emperor of Germany, the kings of England, Scotland, Portugal, Spain, Arragon, Sicily, and other kings, to the number of seven, with several dukes and great lords.

At this time, the queen of France was delivered of a son, called Francis Duke of Berry, but he did not live long.

Toward the end of October, it happened, as the lord de Beaujeu, brother to the duke of Bourbon, was travelling, by the king's orders, through the county of Armagnac, as governor of Guienne, well attended by nobles and gentlemen, that while he was residing in the city of Lectoure[44], he was betrayed into the hands of the count de Armagnac,—by which means, the said count regained his city of Lectoure. Having thus won it, he set at liberty many of the lords who had accompanied the lord of Beaujeu; but they were soon after arrested by the king, on suspicion of having betrayed their governor, and some were imprisoned in the castle of Loches. The king was much grieved at the capture of the lord de Beaujeu, and, to obtain his liberty, he sent a considerable army, with artillery against that city, while he himself went to Poitiers, La Rochelle, and thereabout, until St Andrew's day, when he returned to Angers.

Among those who had been imprisoned at Loches, on suspicion of treason against the lord de Beaujeu, was a gentleman, his servant, called Jean Deymer, who was condemned and quartered for it in the town of Tours, having confessed his treachery against the king and his master. At his execution, he spoke most honourably of the lord de Beaujeu, declaring his loyalty and ignorance of the treason plotted against him, and laid the whole blame on the younger son of the d'Albret family, lord of St Basile, in whom the lord de Beaujeu had great confidence, he having been brought up in the family of Bourbon, and having received many favours from that house.

The king made a long stay in Poitou, and on the borders of Brittany, until the day fixed for the meeting between him and the duke of Brittany. Oudet de Rie, lord de l'Escun, to whom the king had been very bountiful, had taken great pains to bring this about,—and when it took place, the king gave to the duke the county of Montfort, besides a large sum of money. When the business hadbeen concluded, the duke of Brittany sent information of it to the duke of Burgundy, and demanded to have returned the treaty of alliance that had been made between them.

On the 3rd of February, in this year, there appeared, about six in the evening, great lights in the sky resembling candles, whence issued brilliant flashes, to the terror of many; but they did not last long. On the 7th of the same month, the bishop of Paris, son to monsieur de la Forest, made his entry, as bishop, into the city.

After the service in the cathedral, he entertained, handsomely and abundantly, at dinner, the churchmen, the members of the university, of the parliament, chamber of accounts, masters of requests, secretaries, the provost, sheriffs, and principal inhabitants.

During the siege of Lectoure, a serpentine was fired from the walls, which killed the king's commander of the artillery and four gunners.

At this time, the duke of Alençon was made prisoner by sir Tristan de l'Hermite, provost of the marshals, and brought before the king, for having, as it was said quitted his country to sell and deliverup to the duke of Burgundy all his possessions in La Perche and Normandy, together with his duchy of Alençon.

On the 5th of March following, the count d'Armagnac had negotiated a capitulation for the surrender of Lectoure with sir Yves du Fau, whom the king had sent thither on purpose,—and it was agreed that the count, his lady, family and attendants, should be allowed to depart in safety. But it happened otherwise,—for the count was murdered by the king's army who stormed the town. The cause was this: several of the royalists, under cover of the capitulation, had entered the town,—which when the count saw, he would have put them to death in spite of the treaty. The French, seeing this cried out to their companions for assistance, when the seneschal of Limousin, and great numbers, forced an entrance where the breach had been made, and killed the count d'Armagnac and so many of the inhabitants, that the countess of Armagnac with three women and three or four men were the only persons who escaped death. The town was pillaged,—and the lord de Beaujeuwith the other lords and gentlemen whom the count had detained in his prisons, were set at liberty, and waited on the king.

The first intelligence the king received of this event was brought by one of his post-expresses, called John d'Auvergne; and the king was so well pleased with his diligence that he appointed him his herald, and gave him one hundred crowns of gold.

The cardinal of Arras[45]having behaved with great gallantry at the siege of Lectoure, entered the town, which was afterwards burnt, and the walls razed to the ground. When news of this conquest and of the death of the count d'Armagnac, reached the king of Arragon at Perpignan, he fled thence further into his own dominions, as well on this account as because he heard that Philip of Savoy was marching an army, from Dauphiny and Savoy, against him, to offer him battle, and to recover the town of Perpignan,which he had taken from the king of France.

On Saturday morning, the 14th of March, the king, who then resided at Plessis du Parc, formerly called Montils les Tours, set off very early, and with few attendants, for Bordeaux and Bayonne. That no person living might follow him, he ordered the gates of Tours to be closed until ten o'clock had struck, and had a bridge broken down near to Tours, to prevent any one crossing the river. For further security, he commanded the lord de Gaucourt, the captain of the gentlemen in his household, to remain in Tours for the same purpose.

On the 7th of April, just before Easter, the younger son of the count d'Albret, who had betrayed the lord de Beaujeu into the hands of the count d'Armagnac, and who, on the capture of Lectoure, had been made prisoner, was brought to Poitiers, where he was tried and condemned for this offence to be beheaded, and was then executed; after which, his body was put into a coffin, covered with a pall emblazoned with his arms, and carried bythe four orders of mendicant friars in Poitiers for interment, when a handsome service was performed. In this month of April, the truce between the king and the duke of Burgundy was prolonged to the end of the ensuing year.

FOOTNOTES:[41]Nicourt. Q. Nicorps a village near Coutances.[42]Rambures,—a town in Picardy, near Abbeville.[43]Roussi,—Anthony of Luxembourg count of Roucy, son to the constable of St Pol.[44]Lectoure,—a city in Armagnac, the capital of Lomagne.[45]Cardinal of Arras. John Joffroy, then bishop of Alby.

[41]Nicourt. Q. Nicorps a village near Coutances.

[42]Rambures,—a town in Picardy, near Abbeville.

[43]Roussi,—Anthony of Luxembourg count of Roucy, son to the constable of St Pol.

[44]Lectoure,—a city in Armagnac, the capital of Lomagne.

[45]Cardinal of Arras. John Joffroy, then bishop of Alby.

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